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Nick Williams barged over in the 23rd minute before Andrew Trimble scored a sensational individual try to increase Ulster's lead to 17-0 at half-time. Man of the match Ruan Pienaar set up a Luke Marshall score after the break with a brilliant crosskick. Stuart McCloskey and Chris Henry also crossed as Toulouse failed to score in a European game for the first time. Media playback is not supported on this device Ulster went into the game knowing a second home defeat in Pool One could have effectively ended their chances of making the knockout stages but this brilliant display and bonus-point win is a huge boost to their qualification hopes. The Irish province will meet the four-time European champions in the return fixture next Sunday in France. The home team's display was all the more commendable given the injuries in the squad with Iain Henderson, Peter Nelson, Dan Tuohy and Darren Cave joining Tommy Bowe and Jared Payne on the treatment table after last weekend's Pro12 win over Edinburgh. Ulster started with a brisk tempo and the pressure eventually yielded a try for Williams midway through the half as the decision to opt for a line-out, instead of going for the posts from the penalty, was rewarded as Pienaar's quick pass helped set up the New Zealander to score. With the influential Louis Picamoles already off because of a shoulder injury, Toulouse were looking ragged - not least a couple of poor penalty attempts from one-time England stand-off Toby Flood. After a Paddy Jackson penalty increased Ulster's lead, the home side struck a significant blow two minutes before the interval as Trimble gathered his own chip over the top to touch down after Pienaar had got his pass away despite being cynically tripped by Yacouba Camara. A last-ditch Vincent Clerc tackle prevented a Craig Gilroy try after the resumption but the third touchdown was not long in arriving as Pienaar displayed wonderful vision to find the unmarked Marshall with a gorgeous kick to the left corner. The Toulouse defence was marked absent as emerging centre McCloskey ran in the score that secured the bonus-point on 53 minutes before a vintage maul set up Henry's try as Toulouse wasted late chances to at least get on the scoreboard. Ulster director of rugby Les Kiss: "We just had a message to be relentless either side of their ball-carriers and make sure that we sucked the life out of their play. "We had a few more guys out after last week because of injury but the boys didn't allow that to hijack themselves and say: 'Poor me'. "A superb week of preparation set this up." TEAMS Ulster: Louis Ludik; Andrew Trimble, Luke Marshall, Stuart McCloskey, Craig Gilroy; Paddy Jackson, Ruan Pienaar; Kyle McCall, Rory Best, Wiehahn Herbst, Alan O'Connor, Franco Van Der Merwe, Robbie Diack, Chris Henry, Nick Williams Replacements: Rob Herring for Best 56, Andy Warwick for McCall 58, Ricky Lutton for Herbst 63, Clive Ross for van der Merwe 71, Roger
In May Bedfordshire Police said it had started an investigation into abuse at the St Francis Boys Home in Shefford in the 1950s and 1960s. Police said they had ended the inquiry as there was no-one alive to prosecute. Ex-resident Tony Walsh said he was "disgusted" at the development. The BBC has talked to former residents of the home who allege they were physically and/or sexually abused at the orphanage, run by the Catholic diocese of Northampton. In a letter to the complainants, Bedfordshire Police said officers had taken statements from 28 victims and identified a number of new suspects. Police said the suspects included one priest (believed to be Father John Ryan, who ran the home in the 1960s) and four nuns, who "were found to have died", and two other suspects who cannot be located. The police letter states that "as those suspects traced have died the investigation cannot be taken any further as there are no living people to prosecute". The letter adds: "The case will now be closed and only reopened if living suspects are traced." It also reveals that files relating to previous investigations into abuse at the home in 2002-2003, which police said in October were "presumed destroyed", had now been located. Gordon McIntosh, a spokesman for ex-residents who says he was physically abused at the home, said: "I am saddened by the decision to close the case. "How can they close it when they haven't located all the suspects?" He said ex-residents were still coming forward and closing the case seemed "premature". Mr McIntosh, of Roehampton, south-west London, said former residents would be continuing their fight for justice and a group was bringing a civil case against the Catholic Church. Tony Walsh, 65, of Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester, who alleges he was sexually abused by Fr Ryan and has waived his right to anonymity, said: "I can't believe they are dropping the case. It's disgusting." He called for an independent inquiry into the case. Bedfordshire Police said any new complaints would be investigated. A force spokeswoman said: "Officers from the Safeguarding Unit have fully investigated each one and all offenders that could be identified and traced are now dead. "Much like Operation Yewtree, the Savile inquiry, complainants have now felt able to contact the police where they had not done before. "Unfortunately, as with Yewtree, the historical nature of the events means that there can be no criminal prosecution." Northamptonshire Diocese of the Catholic Church, which ran the home, has said it "deeply regrets" any hurt caused, but stresses the "claims are not proven".
It has warned fans turning up for the match with cancelled tickets that they will be refused entry at the turnstiles. Tickets with a face value of 45 euros (Â£40) are fetching up to 190 euros on the black market. A GAA spokesman said more than 10 tickets had been cancelled in 24 hours. "To the people that have paid over the odds, they face a real risk arriving at Croke Park, into the Hogan Stand, or Cusack Stand, that will not gain them admittance," GAA Director of Communications Alan Milton told RTE. "They are taking a huge risk, both financially and also in gaining admittance to the stadium." He stressed the importance of purchasing tickets from official sources. The Dublin-Tyrone game on 27 August is heading towards an 82,300 Croke Park sell-out, but holders of tickets from unofficial sources may find their unique barcode will not scan. Mr Milton said it was wrong to profit from fans attending music and sporting events, and that genuine fans had been contacting the GAA aggrieved that they were unable to afford the black market prices. He said the GAA regularly checked websites and that it had even cancelled executive boxes in an attempt to stamp out the practice. "I see it as being fundamentally wrong," he said. "It's unjust."
The draft law calls for a new system to vet the vast market in euro-denominated derivatives following the UK's exit from the European Union. Currently London is the undisputed market leader in the sector. It processes three quarters of the vast trade, supporting thousands of jobs. Concerns that the UK should still have a such an important role when it will no longer be covered by European Union rules have prompted the review. The draft law would enable the EU, as a last resort, to shift euro-denominated clearing transactions from London to the continent. It would only do this if it thinks such dealings pose a risk to EU financial stability. We take a look at what this means for London. Long considered the unglamorous "plumbing" of financial services, clearing is the process by which a third party organisation acts as the middleman for both buyer and seller of financial contracts tied to the underlying value of a share, index, currency or bond. Buyers and sellers deal with the clearing "house" rather than each other which centralises everything and makes the whole complex business easier and quicker. Crucially, clearing houses also bear the risks if one side of the transaction doesn't pay up. In return for that risk, buyers and sellers have to keep money in a special account with the clearing house in case there are problems. The more business you do with them, the less money proportionately of your trading volumes you need to keep in that account. This structure aims to reduce the dangers of a domino-effect of a debt default spreading across the system. It also means that bigger clearing houses are cheaper for their customers. Very. London is the world leader for the clearing of all types of currency-denominated derivatives including the euro. The London Clearing House (LCH), which is part of the London Stock Exchange, says it clears a whopping 927bn euros-worth of euro-denominated contracts a day, this is some three quarters of the global market. In contrast, Paris the second-biggest operator in the sector, clears just 11% of the transactions. Fair question. But thanks partly to the widespread acceptance of English law and language and the City's financial power it's managed to corner the market. This hasn't stopped the European Union trying to get some of this lucrative market. Rival financial centres like Frankfurt and Paris would love to get their hands on the business and the jobs that would bring. In fact, in 2011 the European Central Bank in Frankfurt tried to insist that all euro trades were done inside the eurozone. However it was overruled by the European Court of Justice which said the European Central Bank didn't have the legal power to do this. The UK, which brought the case, also argued that this would discriminate against non-eurozone countries who are part of the EU. Once the UK is outside the EU that defence would obviously no longer work. Critics say insisting euro-denominated transactions are conducted in the eurozone would
A plane carrying car workers from Ronaldsway to visit a factory in Greater Manchester crashed into Winter Hill in Lancashire in fog. Just seven people on board survived the accident on 27 February 1958. A service will take place at 11:00 GMT at the Winter Hill Memorial in Cooil-y-Ree Park, St John's. It is being organised by Douglas Rotary Club. The chairman of the club's service committee, Howard Callow, said Manx people were still affected by the accident. "Most of them were youngish men in their 20s and 30s with families, I think 27 children lost their fathers that day, 33 widows were made that day," he said. "It had a tremendous impact, there was hardly a family on the island that wasn't affected on that day. "It has a unique place in Manx memory."
The old centre, surrounded by ancient oak trees, is on land designated as a site of special scientific interest. A contract with the council has been signed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds to construct and run the new one. It will be built at Forest Corner, closer to Edwinstowe village. The current visitor centre was built in 1977 and is regarded as outdated. The last project proposed for Sherwood Forest in 2012 - a £13m theme park which included included a medieval-style village fair, a wildlife dome, an open-air theatre, a torture chamber-themed attraction, and an adventure play area - was abandoned when investment fell through. The scheme will "save the county council between £7m and £8m over the course of the 20-year contract", the authority said. It will be developed by an RSPB-led consortium, which will include Thoresby Estate, Continuum Attractions and The Sherwood Forest Trust. A council spokesman said it will "protect and preserve the unique and impressive natural habitats of Sherwood Forest Country Park". Construction will start in December 2016 with the opening expected by winter 2017.
A statement from the palace on Sunday said he was undergoing tests at the Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok but did not say when he was likely to return to his home in the coastal city of Hua Hin. The 87-year-old monarch has been in poor health for some years. He is revered by Thais and is often seen as an arbiter in the country's divided political arena. He has rarely been seen in public since he went into hospital last October to have his gall bladder removed. In early May, he briefly appeared at events marking the 65th anniversary of his coronation, then a week later he left hospital for his Hua Hin home. The king's popularity stems partly from his long reign, but he is also seen as a pillar of stability in Thailand. Strict lese majeste laws ban any criticism of him or the royal family. Although he has no formal political role, many think King Bhumibol is needed now more than ever. Thailand is currently governed by the military, which took power in a coup last year. General Prayut Chan-ocha led the takeover and is now the country's prime minister. He has promised to hand back power to a civilian government, but there is no firm timetable for when that will happen.
Andrew Bailey said there should be common rules and a mechanism for resolving disputes between UK and EU financial firms following Brexit. He said UK firms should to be given more information on plans for Brexit before the end of this year. But he admitted the picture he was painting was "what we should aspire to" rather than a definite prediction. "My question is... whether restricting trade is an inevitable or a necessary response to Brexit and in the interests of anyone?" he said. "I hope you will not be surprised to hear that my answer to these is 'No'". He was speaking to an audience of business journalists and representatives of the financial services industry at Thomson Reuters in Canary Wharf and addressing concerns over what will happen to London's large financial services industry after the UK leaves the European Union. He suggested the City of London should be given a transitional period during which it could "continue with current arrangements while whatever comes next, is put into effect". Banks and other financial institutions are drawing up contingency plans and some have indicated they plan to shift jobs and business to other European locations once the UK leaves the European Union. Mr Bailey said firms would need more information on the government's Brexit blueprint by the end of this year if they were to avoid putting those contingency plans into action. What Brexit will look like and how it will work seem increasingly to depend on where you are standing. Michel Barnier, the EU's Chief Negotiator for Brexit warned today that you are either in the Single Market or you are not, there can be no special deals for different parts of the economy; while Andrew Bailey, the head of the FCA, the UK finance industry's regulator, says firms won't have to move to the EU after Brexit nor do you have to be in the single market to get the benefits of free trade with the EU. It may seem difficult to reconcile those views, but not impossible. Andrew Bailey sees a deal negotiated between the UK and the EU which respects each others' rules and regulations, coordinates regulation and agrees on a mechanism to solve disputes. But he also added firms in the City would want to see the details such a deal by the end of this year, or they might decide the risks are too high of no deal being agreed and decide to move anyway. That timetable seems very ambitious, the talks have yet to agree on such details as citizens' rights or the bill for leaving, if any. While Mr Barnier's emphasis that there will be no special deals for different British industries, seems to undermine the British financial sector's demand that it maintains open access to the EU. As Mr Barnier also said today, the EU has made its views very clear on these issues but he was "not sure they have been fully understood across the Channel." Other European countries have
Andy Hall, from Lincolnshire, was given a three-year suspended jail term and fined 150,000 baht ($4,300; Â£3,300). Hall had contributed to a report by a Finnish watchdog, Finnwatch, in 2013 alleging the Natural Fruit Company mistreated its workers. Finnwatch said it was "shocked" by the verdict. "Andy has been made a scapegoat in order to stifle other voices that speak out legitimately in support of migrant worker rights," said executive director Sonja Vartiala. "This is a sad day for freedom of expression in Thailand. We fear that many other human rights defenders and victims of company abuse will be scared to silence by this ruling." Speaking to the BBC before he went into court, Hall said it would be incredibly unjust if he was convicted, but that he was grateful for the international attention the case had brought to migrant rights in Thailand. Hall's sentence was suspended for two years, meaning he will not go to jail. Because the report was published online in Thailand, he was also found guilty of violating the Computer Crimes Act. A spokesman for the British embassy in Bangkok said they would be raising the matter with the Thai authorities. The Finnwatch report - Cheap has a High Price - included allegations that migrant workers were being paid wages below the legal minimum, working long hours at factories and had had their passports illegally confiscated. Natural Fruit, one of Thailand's biggest pineapple producers, denied all the allegations and brought charges against Hall, who was living in Thailand at the time. Owner Wirat Piyapornpaiboon had said the report caused damage to him and his company. Thailand has grown to become one of the world's biggest food producers, but is repeatedly criticised for the treatment of migrant workers. The frequent use of the criminal defamation law in Thailand to silence critics has been condemned by human rights groups. The US-based Human Rights Watch said Hall had co-ordinated "important research" and that prosecuting him raised "serious questions about Thailand's readiness to protect workers' rights".
Media playback is not supported on this device Richard Stearman put the visitors ahead after only 53 seconds, left unmarked to head in Helder Costa's free-kick. Costa then set up Andreas Weimann to round Liverpool keeper Loris Karius and double Wolves' lead before the break. Divock Origi scored late on to set up a frantic finale but a largely subdued Liverpool failed to find an equaliser. The result is the second defeat in cup competition in four days for Jurgen Klopp's side after they lost to Southampton in the EFL Cup semi-finals on Wednesday, and a third home defeat in a week. Wolves' second straight victory over Premier League opposition in the FA Cup sees them reach the fifth round for the first time since 2008. Media playback is not supported on this device Liverpool have now won just one game in eight in January, with the Reds reliving recent mistakes as they failed to break down an organised team while also showing crippling defensive frailty. Their weakness at the back was exposed inside the first minute, the hosts conceding a free-kick on right for the left-footed Costa to swing in a dangerous cross, with Origi and Georginio Wijnaldum failing to pick up Stearman, who easily headed in at the back post. The other symptom of Liverpool's January blues was also apparent as they dominated territory and possession but could not unpick a well-drilled Wolves defence, the previously free-scoring Reds having managed only six goals in those eight games. Indeed, it took until 59 minutes for the hosts to have a shot on target, substitute Philippe Coutinho drawing a straightforward save from Wolves' 20-year-old goalkeeper Harry Burgoyne, making only his third senior appearance. Trying to find some attacking fluency, Klopp also sent on Daniel Sturridge, with the England striker showing composure to steer the ball back across the box late on for Origi to fire in, but it ultimately proved in vain. With another meek exit from a major competition, Liverpool's season now looks in danger of completely unravelling, with all hopes pinned on the Premier League as a crucial match against leaders Chelsea beckons on 31 January. Media playback is not supported on this device If Wolves' first goal was a targeted attempt to terrorise Liverpool at set-pieces, the second was an exquisite example of how to catch out an inexperienced defence on the counter-attack. Wolves defender Matt Doherty played a quick pass up to Costa after yet another Liverpool attack broke down, the Portuguese racing away and holding off Alberto Moreno to slip in Weimann, who showed a deft touch to calmly round Karius and score. The hosts even had advance warning of both Wolves' counter-attack capabilities and Costa's pace after the on-loan Benfica winger had surged from his own area on a brilliant run, only to scuff his shot. As a point of comparison, when Liverpool had their own chance to break with numbers, left-back Moreno played a woeful pass straight to a Wolves defender with Origi
The small train came off the tracks at Pembrey Country Park at about 12:30 BST on Thursday. The Welsh Ambulance Service said an adult and three children were taken to Glangwili General Hospital with injuries, which are not believed to be serious. Four adults and nine children were treated at the park for minor injuries. Dyfed-Powys Police said the Health and Safety Executive was due to carry out an investigation. Carmarthenshire council's deputy leader, David Jenkins, said: "The local authority is extremely concerned to hear about an incident regarding the miniature railway at Pembrey Country Park. "Our main focus at the moment is on assisting the emergency services; we are not able to comment further on this incident at this stage. "Whilst the park remains open to the public, we would ask visitors to be sensitive to the situation and allow emergency services to do their job."
Redrow Homes' outline proposals for the greenfield site near St Fagans includes almost 6,000 homes, four schools, shops and parks. If passed, Plasdwr will be built over 20 years and will also include sports and healthcare facilities. But residents and politicians have objected over traffic, overdevelopment and environmental concerns. Plans for the first stages of the development, which will see about 1,000 homes built on land near Pentrebane Road and Llantrisant Road, have already been granted. The latest phase of the scheme is for homes on a 900 acre-site (368 hectare) of fields bordering Fairwater, St Fagans, Danescourt and Radyr. As well as homes, it includes proposals for three primary schools, a secondary school, playgrounds, play areas and facilities for teenagers such as a BMX or skateboard park. There could also be two food stores, a GP surgery and dentist, sports pitches and allotments as well as restaurants and pubs. New roads, bus routes and cycle paths are also planned. But community councils in Radyr and Morganstown and St Fagans are against the scheme, while a petition of more than 200 names and 130 letters have also been submitted in opposition. Plaid Cymru AM Neil McEvoy and Rod McKerlich, councillor for Radyr and Morganstown, are also against it. Their concerns include worries about wildlife, increased traffic, and questions over whether local services could cope with the large influx of new residents it would bring. The planning application will be considered by councillors on Wednesday.
The Premier League club says the former employee in question is dead. The club says it will provide "all possible assistance" to the Football Association (FA), which is conducting its own investigation into the issue. This will include providing the FA with "any relevant information arising from the club's investigation", it said. It comes after more than 20 ex-footballers have made allegations of child sex abuse, with several police investigations also under way. Police have received more than 250 calls relating to allegations of abuse, Culture Secretary Karen Bradley told the Commons on Tuesday. In addition, a hotline set up last week by children's welfare charity the NSPCC received more than 50 calls in its first two hours. Earlier on Tuesday, FA chairman Greg Clarke said the sport's child sex abuse scandal is one of the biggest crises in the history of the organisation. Meanwhile, Sports Minister Tracey Crouch has written to more than 40 sporting governing bodies asking them to look into whether there are any historical allegations of abuse "that would merit investigation or reinvestigation". She also urged them to make sure their child protection protocols are "as robust as possible".
Of more than 90 trusts that responded to FOI requests, half are making at least £1m a year, the news agency Press Association (PA) found. The Patients Association said the charges were "morally wrong". But many trusts defended their revenues, saying some or all of the money was put back into patient care. The investigation showed hospitals were making increasing amounts of money from staff, patients and visitors - including those who are disabled - who used their car parks. It also found hospitals were giving millions of pounds to private firms to run their car parks for them, with some receiving money from parking fines. Others are tied into private finance initiative contracts, where all the money charged from car parks goes to companies under the terms of the scheme. Seven NHS trusts earned more than £3m in 2014-15 from charges, another eight made more than £2m a year and a further 33 earned more than £1m a year. Almost half of all trusts also charged disabled people for parking in some or all of their disabled spaces. Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association, said: "The money is never reinvested in frontline services. Hospital car parks are often managed by private contractors who take a huge percentage of the profits. "This is morally wrong - and charging disabled people is a disgrace." Laura Keely, from charity Macmillan Cancer Support, told the BBC: "You shouldn't necessarily penalise cancer patients and other people with long-term conditions who are having to attend hospital to receive life saving treatment, that just isn't fair. "There could be concessionary schemes. There could be barrier schemes, people proving that they are there for a hospital appointment, to weed out people who should not be using the hospital [car park] to do their Christmas shopping." Shadow health minister Andrew Gwynne said the figures were "worrying". Josie Irwin, head of employment relations at the Royal College of Nursing, said the charges were having a "real impact" on nurses' pay. Hospital car parking charges in Scotland and Wales were abolished in 2008. Three car parks in Scotland, operated under Private Finance Initiative contracts, still have car parking fees. The Scottish government said there are no plans to abolish charges at these hospitals. Three hospitals in Wales also continue to charge, but have been told to stop doing so once their contracts with private parking firms end in 2018. A spokesperson for Northern Ireland's Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety said hospital parking charges are permitted "where they are set to recover the cost of investment in and maintenance of car park provision including associated security costs". Patients receiving radiotherapy or chemotherapy treatment, patients receiving renal dialysis and next of kin visiting patients in critical care or a high dependency unit are eligible for free car parking in Northern Ireland. The London North West Healthcare NHS Trust paid £1.8m in 2014 went to the company Apcoa, which manages the Northwick Park multi-storey under a PFI contract.
In Carmarthenshire, 793 homes were cut off along with 272 in Pembrokeshire, 207 in Rhondda Cynon Taff and 150 in Swansea. All areas have power back, including parts of Ceredigion and Newport. Localised flooding has been reported in Pontypool, Cowbridge and Llanishen in Cardiff, as well as on the M4. The weather warning from the Met Office is for rain and wind of up to 70mph. One flood warning is in place on the Lower Dee Valley in Wrexham and several flood alerts have been issued across Wales. South Wales Police has warned of standing water on the M4 between junctions 35 (Pencoed) and 36 (Sarn) and have dealt with three crashes in the area. The M48 Severn Bridge in Monmouthshire has been closed to high-sided vehicles due to wind, as has the Britannia Bridge at Anglesey. Also on Anglesey, ferry services between Holyhead and Dublin have been cancelled while phone lines were brought down in Llansadwrn and Penmynydd. The main road between Beaumaris and Menai Bridge remained closed on Wednesday after a landslide closed it on Monday evening. In Powys, a fallen tree blocked the A40 at Trecastle, but this has now been cleared. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) said a "significant" amount of rainfall was expected with rivers peaking late morning and early afternoon on Wednesday. While south Wales is due to be worst hit, NRW is also expecting to issue flood warnings in north Wales. NRW duty tactical manager Donna Littlechild said: "Anyone driving should be particularly careful as there will be a lot of water on the roads." North Wales has suffered in recent days from previous bouts of rain with homes being evacuated and chaos on the roads. Northern Ireland and Scotland are expected to bear the brunt of the storm. Over the weekend the A55 dual carriageway in north Wales was shut for hours due to flooding. Drivers were forced to abandon cars while homes at Anglesey and Gwynedd were evacuated. Natural Resources Minister Carl Sargeant said Â£1m would be made available for local authorities to carry out immediate repairs and maintenance to river and drainage systems. Check if this is affecting your journey
The Fort William Mountain Bike World Cup and Buff 4X Pro Tour takes place at Nevis Range on Aonach Mor on Saturday and Sunday. More than 250 riders and 20,000 spectators are expected in the area over the two days. Police said people should be prepared for delays on the A82. Traffic Scotland has also been warning motorists to expect heavy traffic on the trunk road. Ch Insp Bob Mackay, of Police Scotland, said: "We're pleased to be supporting the event this weekend but would advise the public to allow extra time for journeys as we are expecting the area to be busy with increased traffic. "People attending the event should follow the travel advice of the event organisers and use the park and ride facilities in Fort William as there is no vehicular access or parking at the event. "We will be policing the event and surrounding area and ask that vehicles are parked sensibly as illegally or inconsiderately parked vehicles will be removed if necessary. "This is to ensure access remains for the event and that the local community and users of the A82 public road between Spean Bridge and Fort William are not unnecessarily inconvenienced."
Publishers Simon and Schuster have announced a number of Miffy books will be updated "to appeal to a modern British audience". They will feature new translations of Bruna's original rhyming verse by award-winning poet Tony Mitton. The books Miffy, Miffy at the Gallery and Miffy at the Zoo will be the first to be re-launched in February 2014. A variety of novelty and activity books will also be published alongside the traditional square Miffy hardbacks. It is 50 years since the series was first published in the UK. 'What's that?' asked Miffy 'That cute little horse 'With funny stripes all over 'Why, a zebra. Yes, of course!' Bruna created Miffy in 1955 whilst on a rainy seaside holiday, as a story to entertain his young son. At first, he was uncertain whether the rabbit was a boy or a girl, but settled the matter by putting her in a dress for the sixth book, Miffy's Birthday, in 1970. In Holland, she is called Nijntje ("little rabbit"). It was her first English translator, Olive Jones, who christened her Miffy. Over the years, Bruna has written more than 30 books and at 85-years-old is still creating new Miffy stories. More than 85 million copies have been sold around the world and they have been translated into more than 50 languages.
The vDos service the pair are suspected to have run bombarded target sites with data, seeking to knock them offline. The vDos website went offline shortly before the men were taken into custody. The arrests came soon after cybersecurity expert Brian Krebs posted a lengthy article claiming to expose the controllers of the vDos service. But an Israeli police spokesman told Israeli newspaper Haaretz the arrests had come after a tip-off from the FBI. Haaretz and The Marker reported that Itay Huri and Yarden Bidani, both 18, had been put under house arrest for 10 days. Both had posted a bail payment of about $10,000 (Â£7,500). And they had had to surrender their passports and were barred from using the net or any other communication device for 30 days. Mr Krebs said he had based his article on a cache of information stolen from the service that he said had been passed to him by an informant. The two men named in the stolen information as controllers of vDos have the same names as the two people arrested in Israel. Mr Krebs claimed the site's controllers had been "not terribly careful to cover their tracks" , using email addresses and phone numbers on sites connected to vDos that could be directly connected to them. He said the stolen data indicated the vDos service had generated $600,000 over the past two years by helping to co-ordinate more than 150,000 distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. And vDos had charged between $30 and $200 a month for each attack. Mr Krebs wrote: "To say that vDos has been responsible for a majority of the DDoS attacks clogging up the internet over the past few years would be an understatement." Mr Krebs's site came under a heavy DDoS attack soon after the article about vDos was published. The UK's Imperial College, game site GoodGame.co.uk and security company Zare.com were reportedly victims of vDos sourced attacks. One quirk of the service was that it had a policy of never attacking websites located in Israel.
Matt Harrold scored Crawley's first, however Luke Summerfield equalised with a penalty when Lewis Alessandra's run was stopped by Jon Ashton. The visitors went ahead through Liam McAlinden's low shot, but Michael Coulson's curling 15-yard strike found the top corner to make it 2-2. Crawley remain 16th in League Two while York's winless runs extends to eight. York City manager Jackie McNamara told BBC Radio York: Media playback is not supported on this device "I think it's two points dropped. We should have won that. "We lost two very poor goals again. I don't think Scott Flinders has had an entire save to make in the whole match. "In terms of normal open play they didn't cause us one problem. "But being on the back foot has cost us."
The tech giant's revenue fell almost 12% from a year earlier to $24.1bn (Â£15.9bn) from October to December. Its net income also declined 11% to $5.5bn in the same time period. The company's earnings were impacted by the strong US dollar and its decision to move away from its hardware business to focus on higher-margin operations. "We are making significant progress in our transformation, continuing to shift IBM's business to higher value, and investing and positioning ourselves for the longer term," said chief executive Ginni Rometty in a statement on Tuesday. The company has been facing declining demand for servers and storage products. In October, the firm said it would pay $1.5bn in cash to offload its loss-making chip manufacturing division to Abu Dhabi owned Global Foundries. News of the earnings report sent the New York listed shares of the firm down 1.8% in after hours trading. Its shares were down more than 17% in the past year. The company's forecast for earnings this year also missed market expectations. It expects operating earnings of $15.75 to $16.50 per share, just below a Reuter's poll figure of $16.53.
M23 official Museveni Sendugo told the BBC its forces had already pulled back 5km (three miles) from the frontline. Rebel leader Bertrand Bisimwa said the pull-back would allow an independent investigation into how shells fell over the border in Rwanda on Thursday. The Congolese army denies Rwandan accusations it fired the shells. DR Congo and the UN accuse Rwanda of backing the M23, a charge it denies. Their troops have been pounding rebel positions on the Congolese side of the border with Rwanda near the city of Goma since last week. As tension escalated on Thursday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon appealed to Rwanda's president for restraint. Rwanda twice invaded its much larger neighbour during the 1990s, and the border area has been unstable for two decades. Rwanda's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN in New York, Olivier Nduhungirehe, told the BBC's Focus on Africa that "a red line was crossed" by DR Congo on Thursday when he said a Rwandan woman was killed in cross-border shelling. The M23 rebels, he said, were an "internal problem" within DR Congo, and the Congolese government "should not drag Rwanda" into the dispute. He denied allegations by the Congolese information minister that 300 Rwandan troops had been fighting alongside the M23 rebels. Rwandan Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo on Friday tweeted: "Rwandan troops are not in DRC (yet), when they are, you will know." A newspaper close to Rwanda's government has published photographs showing a military build-up near the border with DR Congo. Congolese government spokesman Lambert Mende told the BBC's Newsday programme that M23 rebels were firing onto Rwandan territory "to give Rwanda a pretext for coming in openly in this war". Q&A: DR Congo's M23 rebels The UN peacekeeping mission in DR Congo, Monusco, recently deployed a new 3,000-strong intervention brigade to tackle the rebels. 'Cannot be tolerated' Ms Mushikiwabo on Thursday said that 23 "bombs and rockets" had been fired into Rwanda this week. She accused DR Congo forces of targeting Rwandan civilians, and said: "We have remained restrained for as long as we can but this provocation can no longer be tolerated." BBC Great Lakes service editor Ally Yusuf Mugenzi says that even when Rwanda invaded Congolese territory, it never made such strong accusations against the Congolese army. Congolese army spokesman Col Olivier Hamuli told the BBC that his forces would never fire at civilian populations. "That could only be rebels," he said, adding that M23 fighters, and not soldiers, were in the area from which the shells were fired. This was backed up by Mr Ban's assistant, Edmond Mulet, who told the UN Security Council on Thursday that UN forces in the DR Congo had witnessed M23 rebels firing artillery into Rwanda but not the Congolese army, diplomats said. Mr Mulet ended the session by informing members that Mr Ban had telephoned Rwandan President Paul Kagame to urge restraint. Meanwhile South Africa, which has troops in the UN force, has warned the rebels not to try to occupy Goma.
The commemoration of the battle of Long Tan was due to be held at a cross marking the site on Thursday. More than 1,000 Australian veterans and their families have travelled to Vietnam to commemorate the anniversary. Eighteen Australian soldiers and hundreds of North Vietnamese and Viet Cong fighters died in the battle, deep in southern Vietnam, on 18 August 1966. Police blocked access to the site, which is on private land, without explanation on Wednesday. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop confirmed that the Vietnamese government said it will not allow the event to go ahead, although small groups will be allowed access on Thursday. An official party involving the ambassadors of Australia and New Zealand will lay a wreath at the site. Australia's foreign ministry said it was lodging complaints with the Vietnamese government as it was "deeply disappointed at this decision, and the manner in which it was taken, so close to the commemoration service taking place". "Australian veterans and their families had planned to attend a ceremony at Long Tan marked by mutual respect to remember and honour the sacrifice of those lost in the Vietnam War from both sides," a statement said. Local sensitivities are thought to have been behind the sudden decision to stop the event going ahead, although a number of low-key memorial events have been permitted in the past.
The last four home games at Taunton Town FC's ground have been cancelled and the club says this is having a severe impact on its operation. Chairman and groundsman Kevin Sturmey said the club was "just keeping its head above the water". He estimated some six to seven inches of rain had fallen since 30 December. "We're lucky that football is one facet of our business and we've got other income streams," Mr Sturmey said. Chief executive of Somerset FA, John Pike, said: "In January and February so far we've experienced probably at least 50% of the games cancelled most weeks and very often that's been up to 75-90% of games."
Sydney Caraher was signed by Frame agency after coming first in a contest at a Merseyside shopping centre. Her mother said Sydney often compared herself to a boy after losing all her hair at the age of four, but the win had been a "huge confidence boost". Frame founder Laura Seymour added the five-year-old, from Upton, Wirral, was "beautiful, with or without hair". Alopecia is a hair-loss condition, which affects nearly 2% of the UK population. Doctors believe Sydney's first bout of alopecia, at the age of two, was triggered by stress following a hospital visit to remove a piece of a pen she got stuck up her nose. Although her hair grew back, she lost her eyebrows and eyelashes when she was three after her parents tried to part her from her dummy. Her hair started to fall out in clumps at the age of four, following an operation to improve her hearing by inserting grommets. "Brushing it was like something out of a film - it was coming out in handfuls and, when she woke up in the morning, it would be all over her pillow," Mrs Caraher said. "She went through a stage of saying she was a boy now. She was so young and just didn't understand so we went along with it. "However, when Frozen came out she quickly changed her mind and wanted to be a princess again." The family also had to deal with people staring at Sydney and wrongly assuming she had cancer. "Sydney winning this should help make people aware of the condition, and that there is support out there if they need it," Mrs Caraher said.
Investment firm Greybull Capital bought Tata's Long Products Europe division in Scunthorpe for Â£1 in April. Executive chairman Roland Junck said: "We have... returned the business to profitability in our first 100 days as an independent company. "These results are testament to the hard work of our employees." He said the company had completed the first stage of its turnaround plan which includes efficiency and cost-cutting measures, 270 new employees and a Â£50m capital investment. The firm, with 4,800 employees, produces more than 2.8m tonnes of steel every year and has been working with new and existing customers, including Caterpillar, Toyota and Network Rail. As well as its steelworks in Scunthorpe it has sites in Teesside, Workington and York. "The transformation of our business will make sure we maintain the pace of growth and move forward as an outward-looking profit-making business," Mr Junck said. "But while our future remains firmly in our hands, the UK steel industry still faces many challenges." The industry was at a disadvantage compared with European rivals and Britain's decision to leave the European Union had not made things any easier, he said. "There are differences which handicap the UK in terms of business rates, energy prices. If I had this plant in Germany we'd be in a much better condition."
"Our City" is being distributed from Monday with details of councillors, information and stories. A quarterly version was axed in Bristol in 2011 to save money. Council-run newsletters have been criticised as "Town Hall Pravdas" in the past. But Mr Ferguson said the magazine was "very economically produced". "A lot of people complain to us they don't get enough information, they don't access the internet," he told BBC Radio Bristol. "This is a very economical, sustainable way of getting to each household." He told the BBC it would replace information lost when the Council Tax Booklet was reduced from 40 pages to eight, in 2014. It includes an updated list of councillors, as well as news stories and information about local services. The latest publication is a trial and it has not yet been decided if it will be repeated. Of the £34,000 total cost, £9,000 will be paid for by advertising by Bristol 2015, the company set up by the council to run its Green Capital events. Last year the then Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said "municipal state-produced newspapers" wasted public money and undermined free speech. But Mr Ferguson, who will stand for re-election next year, said the magazine was the first one produced during his time in office, and added: "I did not decide one word that goes in, except for my foreword." He told BBC Radio Bristol he was "embarrassed" there were four photographs of him in it and said: "I certainly wouldn't have chosen that."
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) says its focus will switch to the sevens game after the tournament, which starts in Ireland next month. England's retired World Cup winner Maggie Alphonsi said the news was "very disappointing". It is understood several current squad members will move to a sevens contract. New XVs contracts will then be awarded in preparation for the 2021 Women's Rugby World Cup. England, who won the World Cup for the first time in 20 years in 2014, begin their defence against Spain in Dublin on 9 August. News on their contracts emerged at a time when there is increased focus on women's sport, with England lifting the Women's Cricket World Cup at Lord's and the football side winning their first two matches at Euro 2017. England named a 28-player squad in June for next month's tournament. Reports suggest there are a total of about 50 England players who are on a mixture of full-time and part-time professional contracts, with only 17 full-time professional fixed-term deals set to be handed out in September, purely for the sevens programme. The move was criticised by two female Labour MPs. Barbara Keeley, MP for Worsley and Eccles South, called it "a shameful decision" and Gower MP Tonia Antoniazzi said on Twitter: "Another huge blow for women with contracts being slashed by England RFU." The RFU, which announced record revenues last year of more than £400m, says its priorities shift between the XVs and sevens programmes, with the Rugby World Cup Sevens and Commonwealth Games taking place next year. It says the XVs side will continue to take part in competitions, and stresses it has invested millions of pounds in the women's game, including £800,000 annually on a new domestic club competition aimed at increasing and improving the talent pool available for selection for England. "The women's squad were always aware that contracts would end in September, after the World Cup," said RFU director of professional rugby Nigel Melville. "The current XVs squad was informed in April that the next contracts will be focused on sevens, reflecting the cyclical nature of the women's game. The squad fully understands the position and are focused on the World Cup in Ireland next month."
Ceballos had been released from prison last year and placed under house arrest for health reasons. In a statement, the interior ministry said he was planning to escape this month. It said Ceballos had planned to coordinate acts of violence at an opposition demonstration planned for 1 September. He was arrested in March 2014 for inciting violence during protests against food shortages, high inflation and rampant crime. The opposition said his arrest was an effort to quash dissent and described Ceballos as a political prisoner. The Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro, says he is a criminal who sought to destabilise the country, and denies Venezuela holds political prisoners. Ceballos is the former mayor of the western city of San Cristobal, an opposition stronghold. More than 40 people from both sides of the political divide died in the protests.
The airline posted a better-than-expected operating profit of €816m (£613m), compared with a €129m loss for 2014. The results sent shares up more than 10% to €8.22 in late trading in Paris. However, the company warned that lower ticket prices would erode the benefits of cheaper fuel this year. "The global context in 2016 remains highly uncertain regarding fuel prices, the continuation of the overcapacity situation on several markets, and the geopolitical and economic context in which we operate," Air France-KLM said. Cheaper oil reduced the annual fuel bill by 6.7% to €6.18bn, with a 20% fall in the fourth quarter, although existing hedging contracts limited some of the savings. The November terror attacks in Paris cut revenue by an estimated €120m in the fourth quarter as tourists stayed away from the French capital. Despite the attacks, revenue for the three months to 31 December rose 2.2% to €6.3bn. The airline is cutting labour costs and restructuring its network to compete with fast-growing Gulf airlines and European low-cost carriers. Air France-KLM lowered net debt by €1.1bn to €4.3bn and pledged to reduce the figure further this year. Chief executive Alexandre de Juniac said the company continued to negotiate new agreements with staff to improve its competitiveness. Last year, the airline was embroiled in often bitter talks with staff as it sought to impose its "Perform 2020" growth plan. In October, six workers were arrested after staff ripped off executives' shirts in an angry protest over 2,900 planned redundancies. That figure was later revised down to 1,600 voluntary departures by the end of 2017, union officials said. Air France-KLM pays 30% of overall revenue in wages, compared with 24% for Lufthansa and about 12% for a budget airline such as Ryanair.
I don't remember my first Wales match. The Welsh team of my youth may have had Mark Hughes, Ian Rush, and Neville Southall but they never seemed that important to me or anyone around me. In the rural Pembrokeshire setting I grew up in, it was international rugby and first-division English football that people were interested in. Even supporting Swansea City had a touch of the exotic about it. Wales' repeated failures to qualify for a major tournament thus didn't hurt me that much. It was just what I expected. Even when Paul Bodin missed the 1993 penalty that might have put us through to the World Cup, it somehow seemed inevitable. It was shortly after this that I started regularly attending Wales games but I did so because by then I had moved to Cardiff and matches were on my doorstep. I still never expected much and I was at least partly attracted by the sense of masochism that watching Bobby Gould's Wales sometimes offered. Of course, it wasn't like that for everyone. Football supporters are not a homogenous group. I watched the 1993 match in a house in the shadow of the old national stadium. You could hear the crowd noise inside. Afterwards, I saw people who looked like their world had fallen in. For many of them, it was the latest chapter in a long history of near misses that cumulatively gave hardcore Welsh fans a sense of frustration, injustice and marginalization. Not only did they repeatedly miss out on the tournaments that represented the pinnacle of the international game, they were also underappreciated in their own nation. The Welsh media, they not unreasonably felt, was obsessed by the oval ball, and matches were overly concentrated in the capital. Of course, for some this did not matter but Welsh international football support draws disproportionately on the north. Similarly, many Swansea fans felt uncomfortable attending games in Cardiff, especially when some locals insisted on wearing Bluebirds shirts and even booing players with strong Swansea connections. These feelings did dissipate somewhat in Mark Hughes' era as manager. Wales then briefly attracted gates of over 70,000 for qualifiers at the then Millennium Stadium. But the failure to qualify for the 2004 Euros after a lacklustre performance in the play-offs against Russia killed that optimism. Actively following Wales again became a minority pastime that was not really suited for those who thought that football was just about winning games. One of the real achievements of the Football Association of Wales in the last few years has been to bring back the sense of optimism and togetherness. Attendances have not just risen because of improved results. Tickets for Euro 2016 home qualifiers were set at just Â£20 for adults and Â£5 for children. Games had a sense of occasion to them that managed to appeal to both families and supporters seeking a more traditional atmosphere. Neither 'Gogs' nor 'Jacks' seemed to mind visiting Cardiff City's stadium any more. No Cardiff fan minded
The Pro12 champions open their European campaign away to French side Racing 92 on Saturday. Northampton Saints and Scarlets are also in Pool 3 and meet at Franklin's Gardens later on Saturday. "We certainly have a playing group I believe can get to the latter stages of the Champions Cup," Townsend told BBC Scotland. "We are playing a team we don't know much about but we know who they've got in their roster and they are very strong. "They have played eight or nine games this season and we've had a good look at them. "We know that, if we can put our game in place, both defensively and in attack, it's going to cause any team problems." Townsend described Northampton as "one of the strongest teams in England over the last 10 years" and Welsh side Scarlets as "the form team in [Pro12]". "All three teams are going to be threats," he said. The Warriors did not progress from the pool stage in last season's inaugural Champions Cup tournament and Townsend warned that his side must play to their full potential throughout. "You've got to play very well, close to your best, for the six games," Townsend said. "Last year, we won against Bath and Montpellier, but it wasn't good enough as we only won one more match after that. "We've had more experiences of winning big games [since then] - winning the semi-final and final in the Pro12. "Our players, most of them that are going to be involved this weekend, have played in the World Cup. So they have had excellent experiences since they last played in the Champions Cup, but it's how we play right from the start."
Sand sculptors Remy and Paul Hoggard are using 80 tonnes of sand to create a scene of the barons and King John. They will take two weeks to carve the sculpture in the grounds of the castle. "It is going to be so highly detailed that people are not going to believe it's sand - they are going to be blown away," Mr Hoggard said. One of the four surviving copies of the Magna Carta is displayed at Lincoln Castle. Mr Hoggard said: "It's going to be fantastic. It is a little bit slow to watch but if you come every day you will see something new every day." The couple recently completed a 300-tonne sand sculpture of elephants in a garden in Tehran, Iran. The sculpture is being made as part of Festival800, which celebrates Magna Carta's 800th anniversary. The Magna Carta sculpture will stand 4m (13ft) tall and 9m (30ft) wide. Mr Hoggard said: "This is probably one of our most adventurous projects, in terms of size and scale." The artist is originally from Beverley, East Yorkshire, but now lives on a farm in Bulgaria with his wife, who is Dutch. Mrs Hoggard said: "It's a great honour to be invited to Lincoln in this special year, and with Paul almost a local lad, we will make something very special for Lincoln." Mr Hoggard said: "This is probably one of our most adventurous project, in terms of size and scale. We're thrilled to be involved with Festival800." Festival800 will also include music, comedy, poetry, street theatre, lectures and debate.
Early diagnosis in children can prevent a possibly life-threatening condition, called diabetic ketoacidosis. DKA happens when a severe lack of insulin leads to the body starting to break down other tissue as an alternative energy source to glucose. About one in four children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes already have DKA. Warning signs of type 1 diabetes can include increased thirst, feeling more tired, losing weight and needing to go to the toilet more often. Jane-Claire Judson, director of Diabetes Scotland, said: "A diagnosis of type 1 diabetes is a lot for any child and their family to take in and respond to. "It fundamentally changes a child's life and has significant repercussions for the family and how they live their lives. "What can make this transition even harder is if your child's symptoms are not picked up early and they experience severe diabetic ketoacidosis." She added: "This is an avoidable situation and one that is traumatic and can have long-lasting impact on the child and the family. "DKA can lead to coma and brain damage. GPs will see more children displaying the signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes than they will meningitis, and yet awareness of type 1 is lower." Scotland has the fifth highest incidence of type 1 diabetes globally and this is increasing by about 3% a year in common with most western countries. The condition is not associated with lifestyle factors and the reasons why rates are increasing are not fully understood. Public Health Minister Maureen Watt said: "Sadly, there are still children who are seriously ill by the time they are diagnosed with onset type 1 diabetes. "This causes unnecessary suffering to them and to their families. By spotting the early warning signs and getting tested, all this can be avoided. "If your child has lost weight, is going to the toilet more often, is feeling constantly tired or is more thirsty, take them to the GP as soon as you can. "Your doctor will carry out a simple test and, if necessary, they will be referred to a specialist."
The Scottish Centre of Excellence in Satellite Applications will be based at Strathclyde University in Glasgow. It is being developed by Satellite Applications Catapult, a firm promoting economic growth in the space industry. The centre will allow businesses to tap into satellite data that could improve their products and services. According to Strathclyde University, the space industries in the UK produce 40% of the world's small satellites and contribute about Â£8.2bn to the economy. The hub will be based at the university's new Â£89m Technology and Innovation Centre. It is one of three centres of excellence set up by Satellite Applications Catapult - with the other two in Durham and Leicester. The centre aims to establish links between the scientists behind space and satellite technology and the business community. It will encourage firms to use satellite data in new ways, from supporting the energy industry to planning future cities. Prof Sir Jim McDonald, the principal of Strathclyde University, said: "Scotland's space sector is already driving the development of new technologies through leading-edge research and technology-driven companies. "The challenge now is to bring universities, businesses and space agencies together to enable the sector to reach its full potential. "The new centre of excellence will play an important role in helping companies to identify where satellite data can assist them in new and exciting ways, from measuring wind speeds from space to determine optimum locations for offshore wind farms, to using satellite navigation for integrated transport systems in future 'smart cities'." The new centre will bring together expertise from other Scottish institutions including the UK Astronomy Technology Centre in Edinburgh, the Universities of Edinburgh and Dundee and commercial companies such as Clyde Space Ltd, along with Scottish Enterprise. The centre of excellence will be part of Strathclyde University's wider Space Institute. The institute is made-up of a number of different facilities including the Advanced Space Concepts Laboratory, which carries out research on space systems, and the Scottish Space School, which aims to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.
New analysis from the Office for National Statistics showed they came after six London boroughs, plus Milton Keynes and Berkshire. The 2015 measure of Gross Value Added (GVA) showed Edinburgh growing at 4.5%, the fastest pace of any UK city other than Belfast. GVA is a calculation of economic output similar to Gross Domestic Product. However, neighbouring East Lothian and Midlothian were among those 10 local areas with the UK's lowest GVA, along with East and North Ayrshire. While Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, combined, had the 10th highest GVA in the UK, it had the third highest level of decline, after Central Bedfordshire and West Northamptonshire. The north east economy declined 2.5% in the first full year of the downturn in the oil and gas sector. The figures compare statistically comparable areas known as NUTS - Nomenclature of Units for Territorial Statistics. GVA per head was at nearly £300,000 in the City of London, reflecting its measure of financial commuters' economic impact. The measure was just under £37,000 in Edinburgh and also in north east Scotland. In East and North Ayrshire, as well as East Lothian and Midlothian, GVA per head in 2015 was just above £15,000. Across the UK, GVA per head was calculated to have grown 2.1% during 2015, to £25,350. At the level of nations and regions, Scotland was on £23,700, having grown 1.8% during the year.
You will recall, perhaps, that the High Court said: yes, it should. The UK Government takes the view that, as it concerns an international treaty, it is rightly a matter to be determined in the first instance by the UK government, acting under Royal prerogative. There was much talk in the Supreme Court today of "dualism". James Eadie QC, for the UKG, said this effectively defined Parliament's role in such matters. It was for the UK government to negotiate, sustain and, if so mandated or decided, to abandon international treaties, such as relations with the EU. It was for Parliament at Westminster to legislate for the consequences of such a decision in respect of domestic law. Dualism. Aha, said several of their lordships. Actually, they didn't because they prefer a drawn-out delivery, often accompanied by a faint ironic smile, as if sharing a precious drollery - but you get the concept. Anyway, there were several questions on this topic for Mr Eadie. If dualism had been involved in Britain joining the predecessor to the EU, why was it not thought necessary at the point of departure? Because, said Mr Eadie, it was once more a question of the division of responsibilities. Parliament had explicitly granted power over this topic to the people in the June referendum. But it was for the Government to resile from membership of the EU, acting upon that popular mandate. It would then be for Parliament to legislate for the domestic consequences. The Supreme Court will deliberate for most of this week, with a ruling expected early in the New Year. There is, of course, a Scottish dimension. The Lord Advocate will argue that any concept of Parliamentary consent must be extended to Holyrood, as well as Westminster. That is because many of the issues where sovereignty is shared with the EU are devolved to the Scottish Parliament. If dualism is accepted, then it might be argued that it applies to Holyrood too in that the domestic consequences of international dealings within the EU fall to the Scottish Parliament to apply for Scotland, in devolved areas. Of course, the same UKG argument would presumably kick in. That it is for the UK government to begin, maintain and end international treaties - and that it is then for the relevant domestic Parliament to respond. The hearing at the Supreme Court has stirred quite remarkable passion. It is, however, possible to envisage a scenario whereby it is seen - in the much longer term - as an adjunct, as an interim procedure. Neither side at the Supreme Court - neither the appellant UKG nor the original petitioner Gina Miller - argues that the question is one of whether Brexit should happen. Both sides accept that the people have spoken. The issue, they say, is one of how to proceed. It is conceivable, then, that Brexit will be triggered, one way or another, either with or without prior consent by Parliament(s), and that the issue will once more become
The men have all been taken by HM Coastguard helicopter to Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary. There was no information on their condition. Bobby Thomson, 64, George Crosbie, 73, and 74-year-old Jeffrey Stewart had failed to return from a walk in the hills at Durisdeer on Tuesday. Police and Moffat Mountain Rescue Teams carried out searches overnight in the area north of Thornhill in Dumfries and Galloway. Driving rain and very high winds had hampered the search. The men, who are said to be regular visitors to the Lowther Hills area of the Southern Uplands, left home at 08:30 on Tuesday for a trek and had been due to return at 15:30. Police said the men were "experienced hillwalkers familiar with the area". A post on the mountain rescue team's Facebook page said it had been called out by police at 19:00, with the search continuing until 02:00. The post also described weather conditions in the area as "very wet and windy with very little visibility". The Galloway and Tweed Valley Rescue teams have joined the search along with a coastguard rescue helicopter from Prestwick.
In some London boroughs, 75% of pupils take a language GCSE, while in authorities such as Middlesbrough and Blackpool it is below 30%. The survey also suggests that this languages gap is getting even wider. The British Council says the lack of language skills is costing the UK "tens of billions in missed trade". There have been repeated warnings about declines in language learning, but this year's Languages Trends Survey suggests significant regional differences. On average, across inner London boroughs 65% of young people take a language GCSE - but across authorities in north-east England it is 43%, it says. The highest levels of language learning in England are in inner and outer London and the South East - while the lowest levels are in the North East and Yorkshire and the Humber. And Blackpool in the North West and Sandwell in the West Midlands have among the lowest individual rates for taking GCSEs. The overall national picture suggests numbers taking languages at GCSE have "stabilised" at about 50%, bolstered by the requirement to study a language as part of the English Baccalaureate performance measure. But provisional figures for this summer's exam entries, published by Ofqual on Thursday, show slight annual falls in French, German and Spanish. The British Council highlights a substantial long-term fall for languages at A-level, with numbers taking French having declined by a third since the mid-1990s, The council has warned of the economic damage from poor language skills - and that young people without access to languages are missing out on skills that would improve their employability. Research for the government's trade and investment agency, carried out by Prof James Foreman-Peck, found that a lack of language skills lost the UK economy an estimated Â£48bn every year. The report says that UK businesses could improve trade opportunities with better language skills. "Not only are the personal benefits of learning a language huge, but the country's current shortage of language skills is already estimated to be costing the economy tens of billions in missed trade and business opportunities every year," said Vicky Gough, the British Council's school adviser. "If we are to ensure that the UK remains globally competitive in the current and ever-changing landscape, we need all of our young people to be given the chance to acquire these vital skills." A Department for Education spokeswoman said: "The introduction of languages as a compulsory part of the primary curriculum and, more importantly, the EBacc at GCSE level, has begun to reverse the decline in modern foreign languages."
Arlene Foster said that "if there's an election, there's an election". She described Sinn Féin's demand that she stand aside during an investigation into the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme as "ludicrous". The RHI scheme is approximately £490m over budget. Speaking to the Impartial Reporter newspaper, Mrs Foster said: "We want to see an independent inquiry probably more than anybody". "While others have been engaging in hysteria over Christmas I've been actually working to try and find a plan and work through all of this with my ministerial colleague Simon Hamilton," she said. The RHI was set up by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (Deti) under the stewardship of Mrs Foster in 2012 to encourage businesses and other non-domestic users to move from using fossil fuels to renewable heating systems. It was an attempt by the NI Executive to increase consumption of heat from renewable sources. But flaws in setting the scheme's subsidy rate left it open to abuse as claimants could earn more cash the more fuel they burned. 'Conflict of interest' Sinn Féin's Gerry Adams said at the weekend that the DUP leader's refusal to step aside during an investigation into the green energy scheme was "unacceptable". He also hinted that Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness could resign if Mrs Foster remained in post. Mr Adams suggested there was a "clear conflict of interest" if she remained. However, the first minister described Sinn Féin's position as "a purely political demand and not one that serves any genuine purpose". Also writing in the Belfast Telegraph, Mrs Foster said the party "demand an independent inquiry free from any political interference, but they then make the holding of it conditional on my stepping aside". Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster, her party colleague, Economy Minister Simon Hamilton, said that if Sinn Féin wanted an election "then we say bring it on". "I'm saying categorically that the first minister will not be stepping down from her post, so the corollary from that is that if Sinn Féin are threatening an election then that is the more likely outcome".
Direct peace talks are due to resume in Jerusalem hours after they are taken to crossings in Gaza and the West Bank. US Secretary of State John Kerry said he spoke to Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, about the decision to approve 1,200 settlement homes. Mr Kerry said the Palestinians were committed to pursuing peace talks. Speaking during a trip to Brazil, Secretary of State Kerry, described his discussions with Mr Netanyahu on the settlement issue as "frank and open". Mr Kerry said he planned to speak with the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, later on Tuesday. He said he believed the Palestinian leader was "committed to continue" peace talks with Israel. Palestinian negotiators have accused Israel's government of trying to sabotage the talks, by deciding to issue tenders for building homes in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. By Kevin ConnollyBBC News, Jerusalem It ought to feel like a moment of optimism in the long and tortured history of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, but somehow it does not. It is almost exactly 20 years since the then US President Bill Clinton brought the Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin together with the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to sign an agreement based on extraordinary secret negotiations in the Norwegian capital Oslo. The truth is that today's negotiators are taking a few steps down a road along which their predecessors travelled rather further. Back then, the prisoner releases were larger too. In the heady days of the mid-1990s Israel released, in stages, 4,000 Palestinian prisoners. This time around it proposes to release 104 over a nine-month period with the first 26 set free in the middle of this week. Little hope for Mid-East talks Profiles of Palestinian prisoners Israel has rejected criticism, saying every peace initiative so far has proposed that the settlements affected become Israeli territory. Mr Kerry, on a visit to Colombia, stressed that Washington considered settlements "illegitimate" but added that the issue "underscores the importance of getting to the table quickly". The 26 long-term prisoners set for release are the first of 104 Palestinian and Israeli Arab inmates to be freed over the next few months as part of the agreement to restart US-brokered direct peace talks after a three-year hiatus. According to Israeli media, they were taken to Ayalon prison in Ramle overnight ahead of medical checks and a meeting with Red Cross representatives on Tuesday morning. The inmates, all convicted of murder or accessory to murder, were named by Israel's prisons service shortly after midnight on Sunday, giving victims' families 48 hours to submit legal challenges to the High Court. On Tuesday, the court rejected an appeal by Israeli victims' rights group Almagor, which objected to the release of prisoners. Almagor's lawyer Naftali Wertzberger said Wednesday's scheduled release was unprecedented because it involved prisoners "with blood on their hands". Some time after midnight on Tuesday, 14 of the prisoners are expected to be driven to the Erez border crossing into the Gaza Strip and the remaining
Ian Milligan, 52, from Dumfries, caused the crash after driving onto the wrong side of the A702, near Abington, South Lanarkshire, on 8 July 2013. His friend and passenger, Alistair Wells, 56, later died in hospital. Five people in the other car were injured. Milligan will be sentenced later for causing death by dangerous driving. His trial at the High Court in Glasgow heard that Milligan and lifelong friend Mr Wells, also from Dumfries, were returning home from working on a building site in Edinburgh. William Johnston and his family were also on the A702 as they headed back from a holiday in Wales. Milligan ended up driving his Honda car on the opposite side of the road as he approached a bend, causing him to smash into Mr Johnston's oncoming Peugeot. An air ambulance was called to the scene to help the casualties. Mr Wells never recovered from his injuries and died the next day at Glasgow's Southern General Hospital. Mr Johnston suffered a broken elbow, his wife Deborah had a serious neck injury while three other relatives were also hurt - including one who later needed emergency surgery. Milligan - who also ended up in hospital - told the jury that he had no memory of the crash. Prosecutor Tim Niven Smith put it to Milligan that being on the wrong side of the road that day was "kamikaze-like". Mr Niven Smith went on: "This was suicidal...moronic to drive that way?" Milligan said: "Yes, moronic." The advocate depute added: "You say that you cannot remember so cannot assist as to how you came to be on the other side of the road?" Milligan replied: "No." Lord Matthews continued bail as he deferred sentencing until next month for reports. The judge later told jurors: "These cases are always very anxious and there are no winners or losers. They are a tragedy for all concerned."
Ukraine's Petro Poroshenko and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin spoke by phone to discuss steps to make Friday's truce durable. But by Saturday evening there were reports of shelling near the southern city of Mariupol. Meanwhile, Russia vowed to respond if the European Union imposed new sanctions over the Ukraine crisis. The EU says the sanctions, targeting more Russian individuals, will be introduced on Monday but could be later suspended if Russia withdraws troops from eastern Ukraine and observes a current truce. Russia has repeatedly denied accusations by Ukraine and the West that it has been sending regular troops into eastern Ukraine to help the rebels. Some 2,600 people have died in fighting after pro-Russian rebels seized towns in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions in April - a month after Russia's annexation of the southern Crimean peninsula. In a statement Mr Poroshenko also said that the two presidents had stressed the need "to maximise the involvement" of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in monitoring the truce. The two leaders also discussed ways of co-operating in delivering humanitarian aid to the region. In his turn, President Putin said in a statement that an agreement was reached to "continue dialogue". The ceasefire deal was signed during talks between representatives of Ukraine, Russia, the OSCE and the separatist rebels in Minsk, Belarus. The truce came into effect at 15:00 GMT on Friday. There were no reports of major fighting in the east for the first 24 hours, but by Saturday evening the BBC's Fergal Keane tweeted from Mariupol that shelling had resumed. The spokesman for Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, Andriy Lysenko, said earlier on Saturday that the rebels had fired 10 times on Ukrainian troops since the truce. Unconfirmed reports also say a number of fighters from Ukraine's Aydar battalion were ambushed and killed after the ceasefire. Meanwhile, the rebel leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, Aleksandr Zakharchenko, said the truce was "not being fully observed" and that rebels had been subjected to shelling in the town of Amvrosiyivka near Donetsk. Also the International Committee of the Red Cross said in a tweet that aid trucks on their way to Lugansk had been forced to turn back by shelling, without giving any further details. Our correspondent also spoke to Andriy Biletskiy, the commander of Ukraine's Azov battalion, who said he believed fighting would resume within "five to seven days". "We will see how the situation develops," he said. "If it was a tactical move there is nothing wrong with it... if it's an attempt to reach an agreement concerning Ukrainian soil with separatists then obviously it's a betrayal." A BBC crew that travelled to Donetsk airport on Saturday morning heard a few gunshots and small explosions but residents said the night had been quiet. Earlier on Saturday, the Russian foreign ministry said there "will undoubtedly be a reaction from our side" if the new EU sanctions were passed. The fresh sanctions would add another 24
Former West Ham defender Calum Davenport, who plays for Elstow Abbey FC, was detained after a man in his 30s received a head injury at Cranfield United's ground on Saturday. The victim is believed to also play for Elstow Abbey. Bedfordshire Police said a 32-year-old man arrested on suspicion of assault in Crawley Road had been released on bail. The man, from Flitton, Bedfordshire, was detained after officers were called just after 16:30 GMT, a spokeswoman said. Davenport is a former England Under-21, Tottenham and Sunderland player. Elstow Abbey are currently top of Division One of the Bedfordshire County Football League, The defender was sent off 10 minutes from time after being given a second yellow card during his team's 4-2 defeat to second-placed Cranfield. East of England Ambulance Service confirmed it had attended and had taken a man with a suspected head injury to Bedford Hospital.
Admiral Insurance - which has offices in Cardiff, Newport and Swansea - said profits rose to Â£193m for the six months to June 30 - its highest ever interim results. But its shares fell 7.4%, after it said the UK referendum vote had affected the business. It also warned of extra Brexit risks, including exchange-rate volatility.
Nine-week-old lamb Bella, which had been adopted by a Nottinghamshire family, is now believed to have been taken along with year-old border collie Blake. Blake was found a week ago by a farmer not far from his home. Police said the lamb was only recently reported stolen. PC Jeanette Straw of Nottinghamshire Police said they were following up a number of leads, but asked anyone with information to contact police. She said the pets had escaped when a gate at the property was "presumably left open" but were later seen by a witness being put into a car. Paula Strudley of FindUKDogs, which searches for lost pets, is coordinating a Facebook page set up to find Bella and is convinced is still alive. "A farmer from Lincolnshire was out with her children to get an ice cream when she saw the dog," she said. "She found Blake, who was running around loose, and returned him to the family, but there is still no sign of Bella," she said. "#FindUKdogs have some leads and have shared them with the police - but we are not able to reveal names or addresses as don't want them to hide the lamb." Bella's owner Natalie Haywood said that the two pets were "the best of friends, she follows him around everywhere". Farmers in the area are being urged to look for any lambs that do not belong to them and the general public is asked to take a photograph of any lamb they think might be Bella. The dog and lamb went missing from a back garden in Perlthorpe near Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire on 8 May.
People poked fun at what seemed an unusual choice for presenting his promises... And the Moses jokes keep on coming... People also speculated on what might happen to it after the election... Photoshoppers were out in force to offer alternatives #Edstones, some more political than others... And it wasn't just social media that had something to say about it... There's been no official Twitter response from the Labour Party or Ed himself yet on the #EdStone but he did say in a Q&A: "I'm going to leave the landscape gardening part of this to other people. I don't measure the curtains or the gardens... but what I am determined to do - and this is the big difference between me and David Cameron - is that I'm not going to put an expiry date on my promises marked 8 May." When asked what he thought of it David Cameron remarked "If you've got a problem with judgement ... I don't think that's going to help" Responding to Ed Miliband's latest gimmick, William Hague said: "This is yet more evidence that Ed Miliband is simply not up to the job of being Prime Minister. And if he does make it to No. 10, Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP will take their chisels to Miliband's vanity stone and write their own demands all over it." Written by Kerry Alexandra
The 23-year-old Belgian joined the Owls from Manchester United in January and made 11 league appearances last season. He could make his debut in Sunday's Championship opener with Middlesbrough. Boss Simon Grayson told the club website: "He had a fantastic upbringing at Manchester United, learning and developing from the best in players and staff in the world." "He can play as an orthodox right-back and as a wing-back," Grayson added. "When you've been a Manchester United player you have got to be able to handle the ball; we want him to join in with play when needed to as well as defend." Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.
Addressing the UN General Assembly in New York, he said his country would "take whatever measures are necessary to maintain credible deterrence". Tensions between India and Pakistan have increased in recent weeks with violent protests against Indian rule in the disputed Kashmir region. On Sunday, militants killed 18 Indian soldiers at a base in the region. India accused Pakistan of masterminding the deadliest attack on security forces in the region in two decades. Both countries claim all of Muslim-majority Kashmir in its entirety but only control parts of it. Mr Sharif said Pakistan was "committed to the establishment of strategic stability in the region" and did not want an "arms race with India". He accused India of placing unacceptable conditions on any talks.
Amy Adams plays Dr Louise Banks, a linguistics professor chosen by the US Government to communicate with Heptapods, the species that suddenly appears on Earth in disc-shaped spaceships. She says she welcomed the chance for her character to lead the way. "That was something Denis was constantly in touch with, that this film be all from a woman's perspective," she explains. "He was always saying 'at the end of the day, it's this woman's story, it's her journey, that's all we need to worry about. Nothing else matters as much'." This is the third time the Quebec-born film-maker has chosen a woman as his lead character, and admits he often places them in dangerous situations - his last film, Sicario, saw Emily Blunt as a female police officer in a drugs raid in Mexico. But he points out: "It shouldn't ever be a question as to why we would choose a female lead for an action movie, and I hope that one day it will be normal rather than unusual. "In some ways it's not my choice this time as the short story on which Arrival is based, The Story of Your Life, depicts a woman scientist going through the process. "But there is no doubt that a woman will have different reactions to communicating with alien life than a man, and it's no surprise that it's the woman in the group, Dr Banks, who is patient enough to break through and communicate with the Heptapods first." Avengers actor Jeremy Renner plays a supporting role in the film as a scientist and explains that "being the back up in the movie" is the reason why he wanted the role. "It's not like the character was a departure for me or someone I had never played before," he says, "but I loved the script, loved what it was about and I wanted to be there for Amy. That's a powerful female perspective Denis has put on screen and I was raised by women and am raising a girl - I wanted to support it." The hard hitting sci-fi drama, based on the short story from 1998 by author Ted Chiang, focuses around humanity's efforts to communicate with Heptapods and learn their language - Heptapoid - in order to discover whether their purpose on Earth is friendly or not. Villeneuve, who is currently in the middle of making Bladerunner 2, jokes that he "always wanted to make a science fiction story and now I have two at once". "But really, I had been looking for a subject for a long time and then I read this short work that we ended up basing Arrival on. Initially I was worried I couldn't adapt it. "The story is all about the linguistics, and it's beautiful, but without the dramatic structure you need. Fortunately we had a screenwriter who managed to bring drama into the framework. "But Arrival's a different concept to a lot of previous explorations of extra-terrestrial life. It's really about how would
It uses similar hardware to the firm's earlier Shine - which was already waterproof - but adds new algorithms to its firmware, which were developed with sportswear-maker Speedo. Garmin, TomTom and Timex are among firms that already sell watches that can count swimming laps. But the Speedo Shine stands out from the other "mainstream" activity trackers in offering the facility. Industry leader Fitbit warns that its current line-up of devices are not designed to "withstand the force associated with swimming strokes," while Jawbone had originally marketed its Up3 wristband as being suitable for the pool but had to announce a U-turn after it failed to make them as water resistant as hoped. California-based Misfit claims its own tests suggest its algorithms provide "industry-leading accuracy" at counting laps and swimming distance. However, the Speedo Shine cannot count the individual number of strokes or identify stroke types, which some of the more expensive swimming watches can do. "Swimming has come late to wearable tech, partly because it's not as popular an activity as running," commented Ben Wood from the tech consultancy CCS Insight. "But this is a good brand partnership and for Misfit it's a good way to keep its product fresh and broaden its appeal to new users." Like earlier models of the Shine, the new device can also track steps, overall calorie burn and sleep states. Because Misfit is a private company, it does not publicly reveal its earnings. However, the firm recently told the South China Morning Post newspaper that it had shipped more than two million trackers over the past 18 months and was outselling Fitbit in China. The Speedo Shine will cost $80 in the US and Â£60 in the UK when it is launched next month.
The ex-Harlequins, Newcastle Falcons and Sale Sharks player, 30, is to focus on the 2017 Varsity Match. He has scored 20 tries in 47 games for Bristol since joining the club in 2013. "I've had four great years at Bristol and 13 as a professional, but this opportunity doesn't present itself to too many," he told BBC Radio Bristol. "Constitutionally, the 'captain' runs the club (at Cambridge University), so in a way they are the director of rugby, which is quite nice. "We have got a really good coach though in (former Plymouth Albion boss) James Shanahan, and a really good bunch of guys, so I won't have to do too much." Meanwhile, Bristol's former Saracens and Toulon back Gavin Henson has resumed first-team training as he continues his recovery from a shoulder injury. The 34-year-old has played just two Premiership games so far this season because of two spells on the sidelines. Welshman Henson - who won 33 caps for his country between 2001 and 2011 - suffered his latest injury in October's loss to Sale. Henson lasted 11 minutes for Bristol on the day of his comeback from a leg injury he suffered on the opening day of the season. No precise timeframe has been revealed for his return to the match-day squad but Bristol backs coach Dwayne Peel said: "He's way ahead of schedule now so it's when his body feels right. "It's good to have him back on the park. His knowledge is second to none. "In his first session back, albeit non-contact, he looked class to be fair."
Yandex's online payment service gave the FSB personal information about users who donated money to an anti-corruption website launched by the Russian blogger Alexey Navalny. The disclosure follows a warning by Yandex about the legal and political risks associated with investing in Russia, ahead of its planned listing in New York. Yandex plans to raise up to $1bn (Â£600m) through a listing on Nasdaq. In its prospectus, issued to the US Securities and Exchange Commission last week, the company warned that businesses in Russia "may be subject to aggressive application of contradictory or ambiguous laws or regulations, or to politically-motivated actions". The Russian legal system is characterised in the document by: The company also warned that the degree of uncertainty will grow as the 2012 presidential elections approach. Russia is one of the few countries where Google is not the dominant search engine. Yandex holds 65% of the Russian internet search market while Google has 21.8%. "Yandex has a very good position in Russia and some of the former Soviet countries, being the most popular search engine", says analyst Lilit Gevorgyan from IHS Global Insight. "However, when you hear news that the FSB forced Yandex to reveal the payments through Yandex.Money, it hits the most painful spot: transparency and state intervention." Some experts say this episode will not affect the company's IPO plans. "All big funds who plan to invest a lot of money in Russia are already aware of these risks," says Georgy Voronkov, analyst from Investcafe research company. Yandex plans to follow in the footsteps of another Russian Internet group, Mail.ru, which at the end of last year raised $912m in London.
The zone would have the unmanned vehicles flying below normal planes at a height of 200 to 400 feet. Air traffic control for the suggested drone space would be handled by an automated computer system. Chinese internet giant Alibaba, Google and other parcel services have also carried out private trials of drones. Amazon, Google and other mail services see drones as future delivery vehicles but still face regulatory hurdles. "Drones have been around for a long time when it comes to non-commercial sectors," Andrew Milroy, technology analyst with consultancy Frost & Sullivan told the BBC. "But there are in fact all kinds of commercial uses for drones with parcel deliveries being just one of them. Just think of building maintenance, architects, real estate agents, etc." Laying out its suggestions at a NASA convention in California, Amazon says that clarifying the use of airspace was essential for harnessing the potential of small unmanned aircraft systems in civil airspace. "So the commercial pressure in the US to enable that technology is becoming stronger and stronger," Mr Milroy explained. According to the Amazon draft, a segregated civil airspace would be carved out below 500 feet to enable drones to fly unhindered and without endangering civilian or military planes. The proposal suggests airspace below 200 feet for low-speed localised drone traffic such as surveying, filming and private hobby drones. The next level between 200 and 400 feet would become a "high-speed transit space", for drones like the ones Amazon is aiming for with its future drone delivery plans. A no-fly zone between 400 and 500 feet would be a buffer to all civilian, cargo and military aeroplanes using the space above that 500 feet mark. Citing the air traffic controller workload as the "single-greatest functional limitation on airspace capacity," the online retailer suggests that traffic in the drone zone would be handled by a computerised system. Details about how Amazon's proposed delivery drones may work have been published by the US Patent Office earlier this year. According to the patent, the drones would be able to track the location of the person it is delivering to by pulling data from their smartphone. "So the technology is there, the issue they are facing is the regulators - and regulators always take some time to catch up with new technology," said Mr Milroy. Amazon isn't the only company exmaining the use of of drones as delivery vehicles. Fellow internet giant Google has tested a drone delivery project in Australia's remote outback regions. China's biggest internet retailer Alibaba has also tested drone-based deliveries to hundreds of customers Germany's DHL has used delivery drones on a test basis to supply medicine to a small island in the North Sea.
Media playback is not supported on this device The Lionesses lost 2-1 to Japan in their semi-final after defender Bassett, 31, scored right at the end. "I couldn't breathe, my heart was out my chest and I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me," she said. She has felt so emotional that she has been unable to speak to her parents since the goal. But head coach Mark Sampson said that Bassett - who he described as a "hero" - will start in England's third-place play-off against Germany in Edmonton on Saturday, which kicks off at 21:00 BST. "I would prefer [skipper] Steph Houghton and Mark to be heroes for lifting the World Cup, I'd prefer no-one to know my name to be honest," Bassett told BBC Sport. The Notts County defender briefly thought the ball had not crossed the line after hitting the underside of the bar, at the end of what was England's first Women's World Cup semi-final. "My intention was to get a touch on the ball, and watching it hit the crossbar, there was a point when Steph cleared it that I thought maybe it hadn't gone in," she said. "But the referee's watch vibrated and gave it as a goal. "After the game, I was heartbroken, devastated, just uncontrollable, emotional. For those people who know me and call me a swinging brick and say I lack emotion, nine out of 10 times I'd agree with that, but something took over and I was out of control. "I wanted to get out of there. I wanted to cry and be on my own and bury my head because one thing we have shown [in this tournament] is we will keep fighting and won't give up. "But we didn't have time to show that and pull it back. It was so, so cruel." The former Birmingham and Chelsea centre-back added: "It was all a blur to be honest. I looked around and saw my boyfriend, and that just set me off again. Media playback is not supported on this device "I haven't been able to speak to my mum and dad over FaceTime yet because they will just set me off crying. I've messaged them and I know they are so proud but I think about that moment and would do anything to change it. "The hardest thing is looking at other people who committed themselves to this team. "Everyone believed for the first time in a long time that England could do it." Bassett said she has been inundated with messages of support, with #proudofbassett trending on Twitter following the match. She paid tribute to her team-mates, Sampson and his staff, saying: "I know the long hours Mark's staff have worked and the commitment they have given to this dream and to us as players. They have been there for me so I want to thank them." Bassett tells BBC Radio 5 live how she wishes no-one knew her name.
Officers said the woman was "unhurt but obviously shaken" by the unprovoked incident at 19:50 on Friday. The men forced their way into the woman's home in Moreland View, before wielding a knife and demanding money. Det Insp Paul Grainger said such attacks were rare but "high visibility" police patrols would be carried out in the area in a bid to reassure the public. He appealed for help in tracing the men. One was wearing joggers and a grey jumper with a logo on it. He was of medium build. Det Insp Grainger said: "This was an unprovoked attack on a woman in her own home and we are keen to trace anyone who saw anything unusual in the area on Friday evening or has any information which may assist us with the inquiry. "Attacks of this nature, on a person in their own home, are extremely rare and are treated with the utmost seriousness when they do occur. "There will be a high visibility presence in the area to reassure the public."
It comes after the body of a baby boy was found by a plumber clearing out drains in a garden in Scartho Road, Grimsby, on 11 February, 2016. Sinead Connett, 28, of Constables Way, Hertford, is due to appear at Grimsby Magistrates' Court on 16 May. Humberside Police said it was not releasing any further details in relation to the case at this stage. More on this and other local stories from East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire A post-mortem examination proved inconclusive, but police said at the time the baby "must have been placed there".
The figures, released under the Freedom of Information Act, show cases rose from 4,544 in 2010-11 to 6,129 in 2014-15 despite police workforces shrinking. There was also a steady increase in overall long-term sick leave. The government said policing was "stressful" and forces must help staff. The BBC's 5 live Daily programme contacted 46 police forces across the UK, and 40 provided information. Data showed the number of police employees on long-term sick leave - defined by forces as either 28 or 29 days or more - rose from 19,825 in 2010-11 to 22,547 in 2014-15. West Yorkshire Police recorded the largest rise in long-term sick leave over a year - up 44% between 2013-14 and 2014-15 - from 521 days to 748. Warwickshire Police showed the biggest decrease of 17% over the same time period. The total number of police officers in England and Wales fell by almost 17,000 from 2010 to 2015, while the number of other staff fell by more than 20,000. Che Donald, of the Police Federation, which represents officers up to the rank of chief inspector, said there had been "unprecedented cuts to police officer numbers" while demand on forces had not decreased. He said increased sickness - including for psychological reasons - was not surprising as officers often worked in "highly stressful fast-moving environments" and were exposed to "horrific situations". "This, coupled with a reduction in resources and manpower, can lead to the perfect storm," he said. Policing minister Mike Penning said: "Policing, by its very nature, is a stressful and demanding job and it is the responsibility of chief officers - with help from the College of Policing - to ensure that police officers and staff are supported in their work." He said the government allocated Â£10m in 2014 to help emergency services staff through "mental health, physical recuperation and bereavement support". Police Scotland could not provide information for the full five years requested by the BBC so the figures do not include Scotland - but last year data suggested more than 53,000 working days had been lost in the force over two years due to stress.
PM Theresa May refused to give a "running commentary" on the talks when pressed by the SNP's Angus Robertson on membership of the single market. Mrs May said her government would not "reveal our hand prematurely" over the UK's negotiating position over Brexit. The first minister said "there must be greater transparency" from Westminster. Mr Robertson, leader of the SNP at Westminster and a candidate to be the party's deputy leader, accused Mrs May and her ministers of "waffle" for repeatedly insisting that "Brexit means Brexit". During the weekly session of prime minister's questions, he pressed Mrs May to say whether she would argue for the UK to remain part of the single market post-Brexit. She replied that she would seek "the right deal" on trade in goods and services, but added: "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 negotiations." In a later statement at Holyrood, Ms Sturgeon told MSPs that she was "concerned" by this approach. The first minister said: "I accept that while negotiations are under way there are aspects of that which have to be done behind closed doors. But I do not think it is acceptable to have a cloud of secrecy hanging over the UK government's negotiating position. "I don't think it's acceptable to have a prime minister who is unable or unwilling to answer the simple question of whether we should remain in the single market or not. "The UK government I suspect right now I think is using phraseology like that to mask the fact that it doesn't yet have a clue what it is seeking to achieve let alone what its chances are of achieving that are. "But before we get too much further into this, there must be greater transparency from the UK government so people from across the UK can judge whether or not what the UK is trying to achieve meets our national interests or not." Ms Sturgeon, who also said she did not believe that the prime minister had a "mandate" to take the UK out of the single market, proposed setting up a series of debates at Holyrood on the impact of Brexit. She invited opposition leaders to bring forward topics for the Scottish government to raise in the talks, saying she would not accept Holyrood being "window dressing in a talking shop" over the negotiations; "we expect our engagement to be meaningful". Responding to Ms Sturgeon's comments, a UK government spokesperson reiterated Theresa May's view that it would "not be right to provide a running commentary or reveal our hand prematurely." The spokesperson added: "The Department for Exiting the European Union is leading the UK's negotiations to leave the European Union and establish the future relationship between the EU and the UK. The government has committed to working very closely with parliament, devolved administrations and a wide range of other interested parties
Sir Elton has said he wants to talk to Mr Putin about his "ridiculous" attitude to gay rights. The singer previously fell victim to pranksters who impersonated the Russian leader on the phone. But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian media that Mr Putin had this time called the singer and asked him not to be offended by the hoax. Mr Putin said on Thursday he was ready to meet Sir Elton - when their schedules allowed it - and discuss "any issues of interest" to the British star, Mr Peskov said. 'Prejudiced' Russia has faced international criticism for its laws on homosexuality, including a 2013 bill prosecuting people for providing information about homosexuality to people under 18. A report by Human Rights Watch last year said Russia was failing to prevent and prosecute homophobic violence amid a rise in attacks against minorities. Speaking to the BBC earlier in September, Sir Elton said Mr Putin's attitude to gay people was "isolating and prejudiced" and "ridiculous". He said he would like to speak to the president, although "he may laugh behind my back... and call me an absolute idiot". Later a message on the musician's Instagram account thanked Mr Putin for "reaching out" in a phone conversation. But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said reports of a conversation were "not true" and a recording of the hoax phone call was later aired on Russian TV. Prankster Vladimir Krasnov admitted his involvement, telling the BBC and Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda that he made the call with his sidekick Alexei Stolyarov, known as "Lexus".
On Thursday, we were summoned to Stormont Castle and presented with a list of initiatives. So how ambitious were they? A target date of 2023 for bringing down the peace walls and other barriers is certainly eye catching - although it would have come as more of a shock if the BBC had not obtained a draft of the 10-year plan back in January. I joked with one official that we should really headline Thursday night's story: "Stormont delays removal of walls by a year." Despite that, it is refreshing to hear local ministers committing themselves to such an ambitious goal. In the past they have left it to visiting VIPs like the New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to tell them that a city divided by physical barriers sends out all the wrong messages to the world. Drawing up a target is easier than achieving it, and many of those who live in the shadow of the peace walls will - especially after the tensions over the union flag dispute - fear the potential consequences of any premature removal. But the direction of travel is hard to argue with. Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness's peace plan is definitely a decimal document. Ten years to bring down the walls, ten new shared educational campuses, ten new shared neighbourhoods, 100 summer camps and 10,000 placements for young people not in work, training or education. You can see why they didn't opt for 13 as the common denominator. Whether they achieve all the round numbers will be interesting to assess - one Alliance politician I bumped into claimed it was proving impossible to fill the training places for young people already on offer. But again, the aspiration appears laudable. Not so long ago a visiting foreign diplomat asked me why Stormont did not introduce a form of national service to promote citizenship amongst disaffected young people. I explained why differences over national identity and/or military service would make such an idea a non-starter. That said, the "United Youth Programme", with its emphasis on citizenship, sharing, work experience and volunteering sounds as close as Stormont could get. Along with an emphasis on cross community sports, few could reject the idea outright, although some might wonder how new such schemes are. Predictably other Stormont parties have given the DUP-Sinn Fein announcement a dusty response - the SDLP called it a rehash of the items previously under discussion as part of the Cohesion, Sharing and Integration (CSI) strategy. Alliance described it as a collection of "one-off, back of the envelope initiatives". But in a previous era, London and Dublin often came in for criticism when they sought to break deadlocks by putting their heads together then pushing forward with their best guess at a compromise everyone could live with. In the devolved era, the DUP and Sinn Fein find themselves playing a a slightly similar role, although the fact that they are dealing with their electoral opponents adds an extra edge to the cross-party discord. Will
"I'd be lying if I said that I knew I was there," Mr Biden said on Thursday. Supporters have encouraged Mr Biden to run as fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton's poll numbers have declined. However, he has questioned whether he has "emotional energy" to run after the death of his son Beau in May. "Nobody has a right, in my view, to seek that office unless they're willing to give it 110% of who they are. And I am, as I said, I'm optimistic, I'm positive about where we're going," Mr Biden told Mr Colbert. "But I find myself - you understand it - sometimes it just overwhelms you." Mr Biden, 72, failed in his bids for the White House in 1988 and 2008 before becoming Barack Obama's running mate. Representatives for Mr Biden said the vice-president would make a final decision by October. Some had speculated that Mr Biden would use the high-profile appearance on Mr Colbert's new show as a way to launch his campaign. Instead, the interview with Mr Colbert focused on how Mr Biden is coping with the loss of his son Beau, who died of brain cancer aged 46 at the end of May. Choking up at times, Mr Biden talked about his son and his last days. "'Dad, I know how much you love me. Promise me you're going to be all right'," Mr Biden recalled his son telling him.
A 22-year-old woman, and a man, 20, both from Cornwall, were detained after the baby suffered serious injuries and later died at the Royal Cornwall Hospital on Sunday. A house in St Blazey near St Austell has been cordoned off for investigations. Devon and Cornwall Police said the death was being treated as suspicious. Police said they were waiting for the results of the post-mortem examination and a number of associated tests. The man and woman have been bailed until October pending further enquiries. Click here for live updates on this story
Several witnesses said on social media there had been an explosion when the vehicle caught alight on Wellfield Road, Roath, near its junction with Marlborough Road. Nobody was hurt, but traffic was disrupted as firefighters dealt with the blaze close to St Andrew's Church. South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said the cause was accidental.
Police say the majority of issues were reported on Tuesday in the centre of Lowestoft, including around Whapload Road and Battery Green Road. Devices can be bought which block signals for remote central locking, leaving a vehicle unlocked. Suffolk Police said the source of the problem "had not yet been identified". A spokesman said: "Owners of various makes of vehicle have reported experiencing problems, which include either being unable to lock their vehicles remotely and secure vehicles becoming unlocked." The force advised people to manually lock their vehicles. Michael Hollidge, who works nearby, said he regularly checked on his parked car since experiencing the problem. "It's locking one minute, then it's not the next," he said. "I try it with my key and the key's not working. "I don't know what it is." Driver Duncan Cole said he feared his insurance would not be valid if his car was unlocked at the pay-and-display car park, and so decided to return home. Ofcom, the government agency with responsibility for radio communications, said it was keen to receive complaints about problems with electronic key fobs, which it could then investigate, but had so far received no complaints. Similar issues in Southampton were found to be due to interference from a resident's faulty device which transmits a TV signal to other sets in the home. BBC reporter Kim Riley visited a car park in Whapload Road earlier on Wednesday and said he was "rather sceptical" that there was any truth to the reports. "Then something rather strange started happening," he said. "The key was still in the ignition and suddenly the car started to lock itself, and a few seconds later the alarm triggered. "There is something in this. "Police are taking a keen interest, and indeed officers came over to speak to us after a member of the public reported someone looking suspicious, sitting in a car, tapping away on a laptop. "Fortunately I was able to do some smooth talking and satisfy them that it was only cameraman Shaun Whitmore, busy editing my report for tonight's BBC Look East."
Derek Forsyth and David Hunter, from accountancy firm, Campbell Dallas, said the venue would close immediately. They will now "see whether elements of the business may be resurrected". Glasgow Licensing Board cut the venue's opening times following police concerns about drug and alcohol incidents. The nightclub was its main source of funds. Founded in 1991, the Arches employed 133 staff in full and part time posts. Mr Forsyth said the closure and redundancies were unavoidable. "The Arches was facing unsustainable cash flow problems and despite an immense effort by the board and funding partners it was clear that administration was the only option for the companies," he said. "As a result of an uncertain future income profile the venue will immediately close. "The prospect of job losses has been well documented, and it is with great regret that we have had no option but to make 129 members of staff redundant with immediate effect." Mr Forsyth said a small number of people would be "retained to assist with the administration" and his team would work with "relevant agencies" to support those losing their jobs, He added: "We have already contacted various funding partners and stakeholders to consider all options going forward and to see whether elements of the business may be resurrected. "The Arches is an internationally recognised brand and we would encourage interested parties to make contact as soon as possible."
Police seized three tiger pelts which they said were from animals that appeared to be freshly killed. The Sundarbans in south-east Bangladesh are home to the rare Bengal tiger. A recent survey found that just over 100 were living there - a sharp decline from the 440 animals recorded 10 years ago. Experts say the dramatic slump is down to more accurate surveying methods, but also to rampant poaching. A local police official, Harendra Nath Sarkar, told the BBC that during a raid, the alleged poachers began shooting and the officers fired back. "The gunfight went on for about 15 to 20 minutes. We recovered three tiger skins, and five guns and ammunition. From the look and smell of the skins, it seemed that the tigers were killed not more than a week ago," he said. But some local media cast doubt on the police's version of events, saying the suspects had been arrested before being shot dead. Bangladesh has stepped up efforts against poachers since the news of the tiger population's decline. There are now fewer than 2,300 Bengal tigers left in the wild - mainly in India and Bangladesh, but with smaller populations in Nepal, Bhutan, China and Myanmar (Burma).
She is the first leader from another country to visit Mr Trump. The pair spent about an hour together at the White House discussing the relationship between the UK and America. It was also confirmed that the new American president will be coming to visit the UK, later this year. The two leaders appeared to get on well, with May praising him for his "stunning" election victory. While President Trump called Brexit - the UK's decision to leave the European Union - a "wonderful thing" and claimed he had predicted it would happen. They even held hands at one point as they walked across the White House lawn. The pair talked about a trade deal - how the UK will buy and sell goods to the US after Brexit has happened - which is seen as important to the UK economy. Although Mr Trump spoke about a deal positively, nothing was confirmed. Mr Trump also said that he 100% backed NATO. NATO is an important international organization where the armies of various Western countries, including Britain and the United States, work together. It is seen by many people as important in helping keep peace around the world. Getting America's backing for NATO is important for Theresa May.
Developers want to build a heritage centre at Rubislaw Quarry. The majority of stone used for buildings in the city was extracted from the quarry. But a planning official said they were likely to recommend the application be refused because dozens of trees would have to be removed. Those behind the proposals have been asked to consider a city centre site for the attraction because there has been no detailed justification for why it must be located at the quarry. Rubislaw Quarry, one of Europe's largest man-made holes, closed in 1971. It is often credited with giving Aberdeen its Granite City name.
Keal Richards, of Francis Street, Chapeltown, appeared before Leeds magistrates charged with the murder of Raheem Wilks, 19. Mr Wilks, the brother of Leeds United's Mallik Wilks, was found seriously injured on Gathorn Terrace in Harehills at 13:20 GMT on Thursday. Mr Richards, 21, was remanded to appear at Leeds Crown Court on Thursday. More on this story from BBC Leeds and West Yorkshire In court, he spoke only to confirm his name and address and answer the charge of murder. A post-mortem examination revealed Mr Wilks died as a result of a single gunshot wound to the chest. A 49-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman previously arrested in connection with the death have been released on bail.
Education Minister John O'Dowd said that all youth services funded by the Department of Education will now go through the Education Authority. Ulster Unionist Party MLA Sandra Overend said the decision was "short-sighted". The body was established in 1990 and has an annual budget of more than Â£3m. More than 80% of this funding goes to groups like Boys Brigade, Girls Brigade, Scouts and Girl Guides. The Youth Council provides grants to 37 services in regional areas and helps them to lever more than Â£7m from non Department of Education sources. Mr O'Dowd said there was a duplication of services provided, and he will now negotiate with executive colleagues to repeal the legislation that governs the body. Its chief executive, David Guilfoyle, said: "We are obviously deeply disappointed that the minister has gone ahead with his decision to abolish the youth council." He added: "What we are really concerned about is the future of the services which we provide." Mr O'Dowd said staff employed by the Youth Council could transfer to the Education Authority. "I also intend to launch a voluntary exit scheme as soon as possible for Youth Council staff who would wish to consider it," he said. Mr O'Dowd said he acknowledged there would be a transitional period, but he hoped the "new working arrangements" would "provide the impetus for further improvement across the youth sector". Mrs Overend said the move was a "power grab" by Mr O'Dowd, "passing increasing powers to an Education Authority which has no policy development function in youth work". "The fact is that the Youth Council has expertise, experience and a track record of providing support and training for all the major local voluntary youth organisations," she said. "The Education Authority, like the old Educational and Library Boards, does not have the necessary level of engagement with the voluntary groups who provide valuable services to our young people." DUP assembly member Peter Weir said Mr O'Dowd's decision was "a cynical exercise in kite flying that he knows is going nowhere". "It is disappointing that he has chosen to wait until the assembly is no longer in session to make this announcement, presumably to avoid the criticism and opposition within the chamber," he said. Mr Weir said Mr O'Dowd had ignored the results of a consultation process. "It is hard to see how this will yield any savings at all, and will put at risk the successful work that is currently in place," he said. The funding changes will take place in April 2016.
Four events will be held inside the grounds of Windsor Castle between May 12 and 15, with members of the Royal Family due to attend each night. The Queen will herself attend the last event, a theatrical show that will be broadcast live on TV. The birthday events will feature more than 1,200 participants and 550 horses. Performers will include singers - including Katherine Jenkins - musicians and dancers as well as actors, actresses and artists. The event is also expected to celebrate her "dedication to the Commonwealth", with international performers due to come from New Zealand, Fiji, Canada, Oman, South Africa and Chile. Event producer Simon Brooks-Ward, who was responsible for the Diamond Jubilee Pageant in Windsor, said there would be "a very happy and celebratory feel" to the event. "We have been delighted with the level of response from funders and participants. It should be a very special and memorable occasion," he added. Any proceeds from the event will be donated to a number of the Queen's charities, which will be selected by an advisory committee.
The GERS figures estimate how much people in Scotland pay in taxes and how much they receive in spending, from all levels of government. The Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS) report is produced by independent civil servant statisticians but the methodology has been contested. The figures for 2015/16 suggested a public spending deficit of £14.8bn. This was attributed to plummeting oil revenues. The figures for 2016/7 will be published on Wednesday but the last set of statistics, published a year ago, estimated public sector revenue in 2015/16 at £53.7bn - the equivalent of £10,000 per person, and about £400 per person lower than for the UK as a whole. Meanwhile, total government spending of benefit to people in Scotland was estimated at £68.6bn - at about £12,800 per person this was £1,200 per person greater than the UK average. Experts at the economic research think tank The Fraser of Allander Institute claimed the 2016/17 GERS figures would "provide a pretty accurate picture of where Scotland is". It added: "And it will provide a useful insight into where our money is spent each year, who spends it and where it comes from. "In doing so, it sets a useful starting point for a discussion about the immediate choices and challenges that need to be addressed by those advocating new fiscal arrangements." Critics have previously complained that there is very little data from central sources such as HMRC which is specifically about Scotland's income. Economist Richard Murphy said in March that most of the income figures "are estimates extrapolated from data for the UK as a whole and some consumer surveys". GERS were first published in 1992 under the then UK Prime Minister John Major. Conservative ministers in the Scottish Office thought it would help inform the debate on devolution, or at least it would help them make their case against a Scottish Parliament. Oil prices were low at the time and they thought the numbers would show how much more Scotland gained from the Treasury than it sent south in tax revenues. Even though the figures have been compiled by the Scottish government since devolution in 1999, there is still an annual battle to interpret the numbers. The profitability of offshore oil and gas makes a big difference to Scottish public finances, with North Sea oil revenues falling from about £11bn in 2011-12 to virtually zero in the last set of figures. Even though oil production has been growing recently, the government is raising very little (if anything) in revenues. No. The GERS figures are not meant to be anything other than a way of showing the current position under the present arrangements. When last year's figures were published, BBC Scotland's political editor Brian Taylor asked: "What does today's report say about independence? "Everything, says Scottish Secretary David Mundell. Nothing, says First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Not much at all, suggest Scottish government officials, who note - as they have in the past - that it is an arithmetical analysis 'under
The group of 70 officials and their wives visited the facility in the city of Shiyan in Hubei province on 15 May. China launched a crackdown on corruption shortly after President Xi Jinping took power in 2012. Since then thousands of officials have been investigated, with many jailed for bribery and abuse of power. The jail visit was first announced by the country's anti-corruption agency, the Central Commission of Discipline and Inspection, in the Saturday edition of its newsletter. The move was meant as "an educational warning... allowing them to experience life behind high walls and steel windows", it said. Photographs show the officials and their partners visiting the prison grounds, where they got a chance to speak to former bureaucrats - some of them former colleagues - who had been convicted of charges such as abuse of power. They also toured an exhibition featuring photos and written accounts from jailed officials. The CCDI report said the group let out "sighs" as they recognised several of their "old mentors, colleagues and friends" in the exhibition. They were also sent to an auditorium where they listened to testimonials delivered by prisoners convicted of corruption. China has been waging an intense campaign against corruption. Authorities have urged officials to live a more frugal lifestyle and eschew expensive gifts and lavish banquets. Local media have made much of the arrests and investigations into thousands of officials from low-ranking public servants to senior figures, most notably former security chief Zhou Yongkang. But critics say that deeper structural reform of the political system is needed to eradicate corruption.
The £10m device was lifted into place at the new Imaging Centre of Excellence (ICE) at the city's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH). A giant crane eased the 18-tonne scanner down an alleyway with inches to spare on each side, then through a hole in the wall of the new building. Once it is installed and calibrated it will be used to research - and help treat - a variety of conditions such as stroke, vascular dementia, Alzheimer's disease and epilepsy. In its current condition it looks like a space capsule - a huge, upended metal doughnut with a hole where the patient will go. And like many a space shot it is a thing of superlatives. There is enough wire wrapped around its huge magnets to stretch from London to Brussels. When it is operating, those magnets - but not the patient - will be cooled to minus 269 Celsius. That is the temperature of deep space. So this particular corner of Glasgow will become one of the coldest places in the universe. The unit of strength of a magnetic field is a Tesla (T), named after the Serbian-American pioneer Nikola Tesla. The magnetic fields of the MRI scanners currently in use in Scotland range from around 1.5T to 3T. The new scanner's field strength will be 7T. Or to put it another way, 140,000 times stronger than the magnetic field of planet Earth itself. The head of Glasgow University's College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, Prof Dame Anna Dominiczak, sees it as an endorsement of the pioneering work already done there. "Glasgow is a centre of excellence for chronic disease research and management, and also for clinical trials," she says. "So as a leader in this area we think we are the best to get a 7 Tesla scanner." With that field strength will come more detail than existing scanners. Much more. It has been likened to going from an ordinary TV picture to HD. That added detail will mean far greater opportunities to research and teach - and to treat patients from the QEUH campus with new precision medicine techniques. MRI scanners may seem new-fangled to many of us. If so, we are just showing our age. Glaswegians have been getting scanned for more than 30 years now. If we ourselves haven't been scanned, chances are we know someone who has. But do we know what's going on in there? Happily the university's professor of clinical imaging, Keith Muir, can explain. "Essentially we're using a very strong magnetic field which is going to line up all the water in your head in one direction," he says. "And then by applying clever radio pulses it's going to spin them round in various ways that can be detected as very small radio signals which are used through vast computing power to reconstruct a detailed picture of the bit we're imaging." As with many big ticket science projects, collaboration and co-funding are key. The university is taking the lead,
The jewellery, dating from 1450-1500, was found more than 30 years ago in a garden in Dorton, Buckinghamshire. The owner had no idea of its value until trying to sell the pendant, when experts indentified it as medieval. Buckinghamshire County Museum, which obtained grants to buy the jewellery, said it was an "extremely rare" find. The gold pendant, with fine carving and traces of blue and white enamel, depicts two Christian religious images, and is thought to be a souvenir of a pilgrimage to Thomas Becket's tomb in Canterbury. After its age was confirmed, the British Museum said it could be sold privately as it was found before the 1996 Treasure Act was passed. Bucks County Museum was able to cover the whole £13,500 cost of buying the piece through grants from the Headley Trust, the V&A Purchase Grant Fund and the Patrons of the Museum. Museum spokesman Brett Thorn said the find was "extremely rare" and a "beautiful and fascinating little piece of Bucks heritage". "Apart from the incredible level of skill of the craftsman who made it, it also tells us something about how important religion was to the lives of the people at that time," he said. "To realise the fact that they would invest so much time and wealth in a tiny souvenir which no-one else would ever see, perhaps hoping for a miraculous cure, helps us understand them better." Source: Buckinghamshire County Museum
The 23-year-old took eight wickets in eight appearances in the County Championship last season. "It was a frustrating year for Adam but it does not diminish our belief that he can reach his full potential," said chairman of cricket Graham Johnson. "Adam has all the tools to become an international spinner and we hope the environment at Kent is the perfect place to help him realise that aim." Kent have not disclosed the length of Riley's new deal at Canterbury. The Sidcup-born right-armer, who came through Kent's youth set-up, said he was "delighted" to commit his future to the club. "With Sam Northeast taking over as skipper and so many of our other key players also committing their futures, all signs suggest that we are a county heading in the right direction," Riley added. "The squad is very excited to see what we can achieve next year."
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has ordered Apple to help unlock an iPhone used by San Bernardino gunman Rizwan Farook. But Apple has continued to fight the order, saying it would set a "dangerous precedent". The case will be heard in a federal court on 22 March. Farook and his wife killed 14 people in the Californian city last December before police fatally shot them. The FBI wants to access data on Farook's iPhone but the device is encrypted and can only be unlocked by entering the correct Pin code. Guessing the code incorrectly too many times could permanently wipe the device, so the FBI has asked Apple to develop a new version of its operating system that circumvents some of its security features. Apple has repeatedly stated that creating a compromised version of iOS would have security implications for millions of iPhone users and would set a precedent. The FBI's court order refers to a 1789 law called the All Writs Act, which can give courts the power to force companies to cooperate in a criminal investigation. But in its latest response, Apple said the DOJ was using the law to "resolve a policy and political issue". "According to the government, short of kidnapping or breaking an express law, the courts can order private parties to do virtually anything the Justice Department or FBI can dream up. "The Founders would be appalled." But the FBI has said encryption could make smartphones "warrant-proof". On 1 March, FBI Director James Comey said: "From the founding of this country it was contemplated that law enforcement could go into your house with appropriate predication and oversight. "To me the logic of that means they wouldn't have imagined any box or storage area that couldn't be entered. "It's so seductive to talk about privacy as an ultimate value in a society where we aspire to be safe, and have our families safe and our children safe â€” that can't be true, we have to find a way to accommodate both."
It forecasts that operating profit jumped nearly 80% from a year ago to 7.3 trillion won ($6.29bn; Â£4.13bn). The guidance figures for the three months to September exceeded analysts' expectations of about 6.8tn won. The amount would mark the firm's first quarterly profit growth in two years. The world's biggest smartphone maker has been facing stiff competition for its premium smartphones from rival Apple, while cheaper Chinese competitors such as Xiaomi continue to eat into its market share on the bottom end. Analysts said stronger sales in its chip business and favourable currency exchange rates had offset the weakness in its mobile business. Samsung is also the world's biggest maker of memory chips and its semiconductor unit is expected to be its top earner for the fifth consecutive quarter. A weaker won has made the firm's products cheaper to buy overseas and helps boost its bottom line when it repatriates its earnings. Samsung expects its sales to have risen by 7.5% to 51tn won in the same time period. Seoul-listed shares of Samsung jumped nearly 9% after the positive earnings guidance. The guidance release does not include a breakdown of results in its various divisions or a net income figure. Its final audited results are due out later this month.
Efunshile was the only female candidate put forward by Ofcom to join the board. Culture Secretary Karen Bradley vetoed her appointment. Playwright Bonnie Greer and Baroness Amos have also signed a letter requesting an explanation from Mrs Bradley. "We are united in our belief that Althea was an outstanding candidate and would have been a tremendous addition to the Channel 4 board," the letter to the culture secretary says. "We are writing to you to express our dismay at your unprecedented decision to block the appointment... and call on you to explain the reasoning behind this decision as a matter of urgency." Mrs Bradley did approve four white males to the board who were also put forward by Ofcom, the broadcasting regulator. Baroness Rebuck, chair of book publisher Penguin Random House UK, is also among the signatories of the letter. "We strongly feel that the decision to block Althea Efunshile's appointment to the Channel 4 board undermines the government's warm words on boardroom diversity," it states. "It represents a significant step in the wrong direction that will do real and lasting damage to efforts to boost diversity in leadership positions across business, the professions and public life." More than 50 MPs have also written to Mrs Bradley to request an explanation for the rejection of Efunshile, who is a former deputy of Arts Council England. In response, Mrs Bradley said she was "in full agreement in the need to ensure our public institutions and appointments represent and reflect modern Britain". She added: "I do, however, firmly reject any suggestion that female or BAME [Black, Asian and minority ethnic] candidates are treated unfairly in our public appointment decisions." A spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said Mrs Bradley had "approved four candidates on the basis that they met the specific skills and experiences set out in Ofcom's advertised job descriptions". David Lammy, a former culture minister, also raised the issue during last week's Prime Minster's Questions. "Does [Mrs Bradley] think there isn't a woman or a black person in the country worthy of being on the board of Channel 4?" he asked. Theresa May responded: "I will look into the issue [Mr Lammy] has raised but I have to say to him that this is always a question of the right person for the job. "Issues around the question he has raised don't come into it, it is about who is right for the job." Ofcom is responsible for finding, vetting and appointing Channel 4 board members. Traditionally, the names put forward by the regulator are then approved by the government. The rejection of one candidate by the government is unusual. Efunshile, who left Arts Council England this year, was made a CBE in June for services to arts and culture. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
The blaze at Llandow Industrial Estate started on Thursday and is continuing to burn under supervision. Residents are being advised to keep windows closed. South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said the risk to health is thought to be low but the smoke could cause nose and eye irritation, and coughing. On Friday night, three crews were still on site and the fire is expected to continue through the weekend. The service tweeted "slow progress being made due to poor water supply". Vale of Glamorgan council said a minor road leading to the site had been closed but others had reopened. Nearby schools were advised to open as usual and there is no impact on the water supply. Public Health Wales (PHW) experts said they were monitoring the situation. Andrew Kibble said: "If you live in an area affected by smoke, stay inside and close all doors and windows. This will greatly reduce your exposure to the smoke. "If you have to go outside, try to keep away from the areas affected by visible smoke or ash." He added motorists should keep their windows shut, turn off air-conditioning and keep air vents closed. He said PHW was not aware of any reports of people experiencing ill-effects from the fire as yet. The council's emergency planning team is also working to limit disruption.
Mr McGuigan Sr, 53, was murdered at his home at Comber Court in the Short Strand area of east Belfast last Wednesday. The father of nine's funeral has taken place. A 39-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday and two guns were found during searches in greater Belfast. Three other men, aged 53, 44 and 41, arrested earlier remain in custody.
Angela Wrightson, 39, was found by her landlord in her blood-spattered home in Hartlepool in December 2014. She had suffered "well in excess" of 103 injuries, including 80 to her head. Two girls, aged 13 and 14 at the time of Ms Wrightson's death, deny murder. The older girl has admitted manslaughter. Her care worker told Leeds Crown Court that, the morning after Ms Wrightson died, the girl asked her: "How do you think it feels to kill someone? Do you think you'd feel empty? Do you think you'd feel bad?". She later asked: "How long do you get for murder?" The worker said she explained the difference between murder and manslaughter and that sentencing would depend on the circumstances. She said the older girl told her she would "probably end up in jail anyway" and that it may "sort her out" because she could "do courses, have my own room, and a TV and Playstation". An earlier witness, Andrea Robinson, a friend of Ms Wrightson, said she "had a heart of gold" but was easily taken advantage of and susceptible to bullying. The two women would regularly drink together, the court heard, and both were recognised as being alcohol-dependant. Miss Robinson said she had seen the two defendants, who cannot be named because of their age, at Ms Wrightson's home on Stephen Street several weeks before her death. She said the pair were "being very cheeky" and were "knocking things, ornaments, and that" off surfaces in the home. She said Ms Wrightson was pleading with the girls to stop it and asking them to behave. Under cross examination, Miss Robinson admitted that, because of drink and other health problems, her memory "could be hazy". The trial, scheduled to last for five weeks, continues.
Cafodd yr heddlu eu galw tua 03:00 i gyfeiriad yn Rhodfa Tywysog Edward ar ôl adroddiadau o ffrwgwd. Cafodd dyn 37 oed o ardal Manceinion oedd wedi ei drywanu ei drin gan barafeddygon ond bu farw yn Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, Bodelwyddan, yn ddiweddarach. Mae tri o ddynion eraill yn derbyn triniaeth, ond nid yw eu bywydau mewn peryg. Mae dyn 43 oed o'r Rhyl yn cael ei holi yng ngorsaf yr heddlu Wrecsam, ynghyd â bechgyn 16 a 15 oed, gafodd eu harestio ar amheuaeth o lofruddiaeth yn gynharach fore Sul. Bnawn Sul cyhoeddodd yr heddlu eu bod wedi arestio dau arall, bechgyn 16 a 17 oed, hefyd ar amheuaeth o lofruddiaeth. Mae heddlu fforensig yn parhau i archwilio'r ardal. Dywedodd yr uwcharolygydd Sian Beck: "Mae ein teimladau gyda theulu'r dioddefwr yn yr amser anodd yma. "Mae ymchwiliad llawn yn cael ei gynnal ac mae tri dyn o ardal y Rhyl wedi eu harestio ar amheuaeth o lofruddiaeth, ac mae pump o ddynion o tu allan i ranbarth Heddlu'r Gogledd wedi eu harestio ar amheuaeth o ffrwgwd ac anafu." "Rwy'n awyddus i sicrhau'r cyhoedd i beidio â dychryn o weld rhagor o blismyn yn ardal y Rhyl wrth i'r ymchwiliad fynd rhagddo." Mae'r pum dyn sydd wedi eu harestio ar amheuaeth o ffrwgwd ac anafu yn cael eu holi yng ngorsaf yr heddlu Llanelwy. Mae'r heddlu hefyd yn apelio i unrhyw un sydd â gwybodaeth i gysylltu â nhw ar 101 neu yn ddienw ar 0800 555 111.
The Uruguayan striker, who was replaced by Jese at half-time, opened the scoring from Maxwell's cross before converting a penalty. He then turned home another Maxwell cross and guided a fourth goal past Remy Vercoutre before being withdrawn. Lucas Moura and Jean-Kevin Augustin smashed home second-half efforts. Cavani had been criticised for missing a host of chances in Tuesday's 1-1 Champions League draw with Arsenal. PSG, chasing their fifth consecutive French title, won the league by 31 points last season, but have already lost a game this season under Unai Emery, who replaced Laurent Blanc in the summer. It is PSG's second 6-0 win over Caen in five months, having also thrashed them in the closing weeks of last season. Match ends, Caen 0, Paris Saint Germain 6. Second Half ends, Caen 0, Paris Saint Germain 6. Attempt missed. Ismael Diomande (Caen) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Romain Genevois with a headed pass. Corner, Caen. Conceded by Thomas Meunier. Attempt blocked. Emmanuel Imorou (Caen) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Attempt blocked. Jesé (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Adrien Rabiot. Attempt blocked. Jean-Kevin Augustin (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Lucas Moura with a cross. Jesé (Paris Saint Germain) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Romain Genevois (Caen). Adrien Rabiot (Paris Saint Germain) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Emmanuel Imorou (Caen). Goal! Caen 0, Paris Saint Germain 6. Jean-Kevin Augustin (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from outside the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Adrien Rabiot. Attempt missed. Ismael Diomande (Caen) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Ivan Santini. Attempt missed. Ivan Santini (Caen) right footed shot from very close range is too high. Attempt saved. Ivan Santini (Caen) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Vincent Bessat. Foul by Presnel Kimpembe (Paris Saint Germain). Ivan Santini (Caen) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Jean-Kevin Augustin (Paris Saint Germain) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Julien Féret (Caen). Attempt missed. Jesé (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Jean-Kevin Augustin. Substitution, Caen. Emmanuel Imorou replaces Yann Karamoh. Substitution, Paris Saint Germain. Thiago Motta replaces Blaise Matuidi. Goal! Caen 0, Paris Saint Germain 5. Lucas Moura (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from outside the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Jean-Kevin Augustin. Attempt missed. Thomas Meunier (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Adrien Rabiot. Attempt blocked. Ismael Diomande (Caen) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Attempt blocked. Jean-Kevin Augustin (Paris Saint Germain)
Former CBI boss John Cridland has been appointed to lead the review, the first of regular five-year assessments. Those under the age of about 55 will be affected by the shake-up, which will consider what the state retirement age should be from April 2028. The results will be published next May. The government said the review, required under existing legislation, would consider changes in life expectancy as well as wider changes in society and "make sure that the state pension is sustainable and affordable for future generations." It said it would also consider whether "the current system of a universal state pension age" rising in line with life expectancy was "optimal in the long run". This suggests the review will look at whether the retirement age should rise even if life expectancy slows. Currently, the state pension age is set to be 67 for both men and women by 2028. "It's not just about raising it [state pension age], it's about considering the best way to manage the state pension age policy," Pensions minister, Baroness Roz Altmann, told the BBC. But Tom McPhail, head of retirement policy at financial services firm Hargreaves Lansdown, said the review meant state retirement age would increase faster than currently expected. "We fully expect state pension ages to go up faster than currently planned, and those joining the workforce today are likely to find themselves waiting until their mid-70s to get a payout from the state system," he said. Shadow work and pensions secretary Owen Smith also warned that "the terms of this review may suggest that the Tory Government is set to speed up rises in the state pension age, throwing into chaos the retirement plans of millions of British workers."
Dan Bull spends 10 weeks a year on a cherrypicker trying to tame this 55ft (17 metre) hedge at Powis Castle, Welshpool, Powys. He admitted it was "a bit scary" initially, but considers himself lucky. Back in the day, the 300-year-old yew took a team of 10 with huge ladders to clip the bushes using just hand shears and scythes. Head gardener David Swanton added: "It's a huge task for us to get all the trimming done. "Two gardeners spend six weeks trimming the box hedge and two more spend 12 weeks working on the yew. "One gardener spends about 10 weeks in the air on this hydraulic cherry-picker getting all the high trimming done."
The 25-year-old made 50 appearances for the League Two side after joining from non-league Aldershot last summer. He started his career at Millwall and spent time at the Glenn Hoddle Academy in Spain before resuming his career. "I like to say I'm a ball playing centre-half that's capable of playing both sides of the game," Beckles said. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.
Brodie Clark was suspended by the Home Secretary Theresa May last week after being accused of relaxing immigration controls beyond what she had asked for. He now plans to lodge a claim for "constructive dismissal", and has denied acting improperly. Earlier, Mrs May said he must "take full responsibility for his actions". The home secretary allowed some checks on European travellers to be relaxed, but says Mr Clark went further in scaling back checks, without her approval. In a statement, Mr Clark said his position at the UK Borders Agency had been made "untenable" because of the statements made in the House of Commons by Mrs May. "Those statements are wrong and were made without the benefit of hearing my response to formal allegations," he said. By Robin BrantPolitical correspondent Brodie Clark is an angry senior civil servant - now former senior civil servant - who has decided to take the fight to the politicians. Theresa May told parliament she approved a pilot programme to try to ease queues and focus resources on higher risk passengers, but Brodie Clark went further. Further than she had given consent for. He now refutes that. He didn't say she lied to parliament - a usually fatal political act - but he came close to saying that. He said he didn't do what she claimed he did. Immigration and in particular the UKBA have proved incredibly problematic for governments; this one and the previous one. It's clear that this home secretary, like others before her, didn't know about a key aspect of what was going on at the coalface, from Heathrow to Calais. Theresa May will face intense questioning in Parliament tomorrow. Some senior Tory backbenchers think Brodie Clark is likely to win his constructive dismissal case. That could be too much for her, and David Cameron, to sustain. "The home secretary suggests that I added additional measures, improperly, to the trial of our risk-based controls. I did not. Those measures have been in place since 2008/09. "The home secretary also implies that I relaxed the controls in favour of queue management. I did not. "Despite pressure to reduce queues, including from ministers, I can never be accused of compromising security for convenience. "This summer saw queues of over three hours (non EU) on a regular basis at Heathrow and I never once contemplated cutting our essential controls to ease the flow." He said he was saddened his career should end in this way after 40 years of "dedicated service", and regretted Mrs May had "disregarded my right to reply" in favour of political convenience. Although Mr Clark has left the Civil Service, technically he has not resigned, said Jonathan Baume from the First Division Association, the trade union which represents senior civil servants He said Mr Clark had been willing to answer the issues raised internally. "But instead he was suspended and the home secretary has spent two days basically traducing him and damning him without ever giving the civil servant the opportunity
Six people on three bikes targeted Fraser Hart in Brent Cross Shopping Centre at 10:15 GMT. The pillion passengers got off the bikes and smashed the windows, leaving with jewellery. BBC London understands the haul was worth up to £2m. The bikes were found abandoned near a golf course. No-one was injured in the raid but an elderly man was treated for shock at the scene. The raid happened 15 minutes after the centre opened to shoppers for the day. Eyewitness Claire Smalley said: "We looked out and we saw six men, two on each bike, pull up outside Fraser Hart and then they pulled out an axe and they were getting into Fraser Hart and telling everyone to stay back." Sue Bangs from Hertfordshire, who was in John Lewis at the time, said: "It was very frightening. I could not believe it was happening. "All the shops suddenly put down their shutters and we were locked in for a while. My heart was pounding." Witnesses said the robbers appeared to have targeted Cartier and Rolex watches in the shop along with some other jewellery. The area of the shop that was targeted has been sealed off. Flying squad detectives have taken over the investigation, Scotland Yard said. Police believe the bikes pulled up at the entrance next to New Look where the pillion passengers got off and ran towards the ground-floor jewellers and broke the display windows. They then ran back to the waiting motorbikes and fled towards Hendon Central. Police said they found the bikes about 15 minutes later on Ashley Walk in Mill Hill. The suspects were dressed in dark clothing and were wearing crash helmets with the visors down. Det Supt Mark Strugnell said: "We are appealing to anyone who may have seen the sequence of events at the shopping centre, which had only just opened its doors to its first shoppers only moments before, and to anyone who may have seen the three motorbikes being driven from Brent Cross to Mill Hill."
Arteta, 34, retired from playing at the end of last season after five years at Emirates Stadium. He won two FA Cups with Arsenal, making 150 appearances and scoring 17 goals. "I have always been interested in more than just the playing side," said Arteta, describing working under Guardiola as "an amazing opportunity". Arteta was seen crying after his final Arsenal match, a 4-0 win over Aston Villa on the last day of the Premier League season in May. He began his career at Spanish giants Barcelona and had spells at Paris St-Germain, Rangers and Real Sociedad before moving to Everton. Guardiola's first game since succeeding Manuel Pellegrini as City boss will be against Manchester United in a pre-season tournament in China on 25 July. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.
The leaked document includes responses from 117 staff and 84% said at times they felt the service was "not safe". The health board said it commissioned the report as the basis of an action plan which was being implemented. However the report also identified "a clear sense of pride" in the service and the dedication of staff. The report by a team of consultants in March compared the north Wales service against recognised Welsh standards. All "very urgent cases" should have a face-to-face consultation within an hour but, last year, that was achieved only half the time in north Wales. The standards say 100% of urgent calls should have a definitive assessment in 20 minutes. The service managed 80%. Concern was raised about unfilled shifts resulting in long waits for help on the phone and lack of leadership. The out of hours service, which operates when GP practices are closed, is delivered from three centres at the district hospitals in Wrexham, Bodelwyddan and Bangor. The service at Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor is said to be the most effective. Prestatyn GP Dr Eamonn Jessup, who is on the out-of-hours GP rota based at Glan Clwyd Hospital, Bodelwyddan, said staffing was a key issue. "The report is very heavy on the management and how management can be improved but I do concern myself that you can get as many managers in as you would wish but, at the end of the day, they can't magically make up that number of nurse practitioners and doctors," he said. "The problem is down to recruitment." In a statement, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board said it had commissioned the study and that "the process was transparent" with staff having had sight of the final report. It said: "We welcome the report which has made a number of recommendations. These formed the basis of an action plan which is currently being implemented." Clwyd West AM Darren Millar, shadow health spokesman, said he had not seen any proof that action was being taken. "You can see that these problems go back a long time and have not been addressed," he said, while studying the report. The Welsh government said it did not comment on leaked reports. "There was an almost total lack of understanding regarding performance amongst all staff members in the survey and clinicians in both the interviews and site visits. "Performance is perceived as a management issue, not a clinical one," the report said. Full report on BBC Wales Today on Tuesday 12 May from 18:30 BST
"There's this constant stress when I go for a bus as to whether there's going to be a space or not," says Doug Paulley who has used a wheelchair for 12 years. "I'm scanning the queue for people with pushchairs or when the bus is pulling in I'm looking at the wheelchair space. There exists this permanent threat I won't be able to get on." And Mr Paulley's story is a common one. Although by law buses must have a space for wheelchair users, being able to access it is one of the main problems disabled passengers say they face. In February 2012, Mr Paulley, from Wetherby, West Yorkshire, was prevented from travelling on a First bus to Leeds because the driver refused to insist that a mother with a pushchair should leave the space because it would wake up her baby. It was "the straw that broke the camel's back" and spurred him to take legal action against one of the country's biggest bus companies, resulting in a landmark victory. "That day in February resulted in me not using a bus again for a year," said Mr Paulley, who suffers from a neurological condition. "I lost all confidence and couldn't face it anymore. "I ended up late for a family day out. It was an embarrassing and stressful journey and I'd just had enough." Mr Paulley lives in a care home with 17 other disabled people and said many of the people there had also suffered from the same problem. "We tend to have enough going on just by being disabled and thinking about whether we'll able to get on the bus or not is an extra barrier," he added. Following a legal battle lasting 18 months, a judge ruled in September the incident was unlawful discrimination in breach of the Equality Act 2010, which applies to all transport providers. First Bus was ordered to change its policy. But if the law requires buses to provide wheelchair space, then why did Mr Paulley end up in court? According to his lawyer Chris Fry, without any previous case law or precedent, it was left to individual bus companies to interpret how far they would go to make sure the legal obligation was met. "Some bus companies have decided not to take ownership of the problem and have left it to passengers to resolve between themselves," he added. "Someone in a wheelchair may have had a lot to deal with during their day and the last thing they want to do is get on a bus and fight for their opportunity to travel. "I think bus companies have got away with what they know to be a vulnerable area and that's enabled them to duck the issue." And months earlier, a similar attempt by a group of disabled passengers in Darlington failed, meaning a successful result for Mr Paulley and his legal team was questionable. The bus driver in Mr Paulley's case said he had refused to intervene because the company
Roman Sushchenko, 47, was "conducting espionage activities" when he was detained in Moscow, the FSB said. It accused him of being an officer in Ukrainian military intelligence and "collecting state secrets". Ukrainian state news agency Ukrinform said he had been working for them since 2002 and was based out of Paris. It said he had been in Moscow in a private capacity and was detained on 30 September. Ukraine's foreign ministry said it was "outraged" by Mr Sushchenko's detention on "trumped up charges". "We consider this yet another step in the Russian Federation's purposeful policy to use Ukrainians who find themselves in the hands of the Russian authorities as political hostages in its hybrid aggression against our country," it said in a statement. Ukrainian pilot Nadiya Savchenko was released by Russia in May in a prisoner swap. In a high-profile trial, she had been sentenced to 22 years in jail for killing two Russian journalists in eastern Ukraine, charges she denied.
Michael Gove suggested "earned release" for inmates in England and Wales who work hard and gain qualifications. Prison officers said they had heard similar "rhetoric" before and questioned how the plans would work. Labour said it had long argued for better prison education, but detention conditions also needed improving. Mr Gove also spoke about closing "ageing and ineffective" prisons and giving more powers to governors - citing Pentonville in London, which inspectors recently found was overcrowded and where most inmates felt unsafe, as "the most dramatic example of failure". But in his first major speech since being appointed justice secretary in May, Mr Gove said there were "technical and complex policy questions" about how change should be implemented. Source: Ministry of Justice, 2012 Speaking at the Prisoner Learning Alliance, Mr Gove, a former education secretary, called for an end to the "idleness and futility" of prison life. The proposals could be piloted first or introduced in a more radical way, he said. If prisons moved to a system of "earned release", it would be a major change from the current policy under which most prisoners are automatically released on licence at the halfway point of their sentence. BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw The prison problems Michael Gove faces are the same as his predecessor, Chris Grayling - overcrowding, rising violence and drug-taking - but his tone is markedly different. Mr Gove referred to St Matthew's Gospel and quoted Churchill as he spoke of the need to transform the "soul" of prisoners through rehabilitation. He believes education is the key. But his plans - more control to governors over education provision and "earned release" for offenders who gain skills and qualifications - are far from fully formed. Civil servants are working on the proposals, perhaps with a pilot scheme at some point. Letting inmates out early if they become trained or qualified would be politically very tricky for a Conservative justice secretary, so Mr Gove will want to ensure it isn't seen as a soft option or a mechanism simply to reduce the prison population. Shadow justice secretary Lord Falconer welcomed the government's "change of tone". But he added: "How can prisons focus on improving the quality of education when violence and drug-taking are rife, there is persistent overcrowding and serious assaults on staff are rising?" Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said: "The challenge now is to translate this marked new reflective tone set by the justice secretary into sensible policy." Jonathan Robinson, who was jailed for 17 weeks for theft in 2011 and campaigns for education in prisons, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he was "thrilled" Mr Gove had "flagged education". "During a totally deserved prison sentence I saw missed opportunity after missed opportunity after missed opportunity for rehabilitation in prison via education," he said. Steve Gillan, general secretary of the Prison Officers Association union, "cautiously" welcomed the proposals but said clear policies and resources were required. He said the "root causes" of people going
He heads a "corrupt and dangerous" regime within Russia that operates according to its own rules, he added. The Chechen strongman has rejected the report as "idle chatter". Hours before its official presentation, Mr Kadyrov leaked a copy of the document on his social media accounts. A former separatist militant, Ramzan Kadyrov was appointed to run the southern Russian republic of Chechnya by Vladimir Putin in the wake of two brutal wars there, and now portrays himself as the president's most devoted foot-soldier. He sparked controversy recently by using social media to brand critics of the Kremlin as traitors. Mr Yashin's 64-page report, which is collated from open sources, describes a region in which federal funds are diverted, federal laws flouted and critics harassed or even killed. It also claims that the Chechen leader has accumulated what amounts to a personal guard of up to 30,000 men, officially interior ministry troops but deeply loyal to Mr Kadyrov personally. The report calls for Mr Kadyrov to be questioned over alleged links to a number of high-profile murders including the shooting of opposition politician Boris Nemtsov a year ago this week. Mr Yashin is a leading member of the People's Freedom Party (Parnas), which was set up by Mr Nemtsov. A group of men due to stand trial for Mr Nemtsov's murder have ties to men close to Ramzan Kadyrov, although the official investigation has made no such link. There was tight security for the launch of the report in Moscow, but two protesters were able to enter the hall. One threw fake dollars at the podium, alluding to claims that opposition activists are paid by the West to work against Russia. The building was then evacuated by police claiming a bomb threat. It was the second anonymous call in two days.
The comedian tweeted that Chelsea "has been found and is safe in police custody - thank u all for the help and light". The 17-year-old was reported missing to police in Nyack, New York state, on 11 August after failing to return home. O'Donnell, 53, had asked for the public's help in finding her adopted daughter, who was with a therapy dog. Chelsea had stopped taking prescribed medication when she went missing. "Chelsea, like millions of people, lives with mental illness," said a spokeswoman for Ms O'Donnell, Cindi Berger.
Sundar Raman met Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officials in the western city of Nagpur to submit his resignation, reports say. He had been the chief operating officer of the IPL since its inception in 2008. Mr Raman is being investigated for alleged involvement in the 2013 spot-fixing scandal. He denies wrongdoing. "Yes he [Raman] has submitted his resignation to the BCCI president and the BCCI president has accepted it," IPL Chairman Rajeev Shukla said. In July, the Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings teams were found guilty of illegal betting and match-fixing by a panel appointed by India's Supreme Court. The Royals' co-owner Raj Kundra and Gurunath Meiyappan of the Super Kings were also suspended from all cricket-related activities for life. The three-member panel had said the two teams were suspended to protect "the integrity of the game". The IPL is one of richest sports league in the world, but has been mired in controversy in recent years over corruption. BCCI president Shashank Manohar had hinted at the possibility of Mr Raman's exit in July. "Raman should have gone immediately after the Mudgal Committee report found him prima facie guilty of wrongdoings. He ought to have stepped down immediately at that time. "Now, to restore the faith of people in IPL and the game, Raman needs to go," The India Express quotes Mr Manohar as saying in July.
The 52-year-old handed in his resignation earlier this month and had started his 12-month notice period. McCoist remained in charge of the team for the defeat by Queen of the South and Saturday's win against Livingston. "Assistant manager Kenny McDowall will take over his duties until the end of the season," a Rangers statement read. "We would like to thank Ally for all his hard work and dedication over the last few years, but we feel it is now in the best interests of all parties to move on." McCoist, who had been in charge at Rangers since the summer of 2011, was called to a meeting at Ibrox on Sunday by chief executive Derek Llambias and chairman of the football board Sandy Easdale. He was told it would be best for the club if he stood down and was placed on gardening leave. The search for a new manager is under way but McDowall will take charge of the side in the meantime. Media playback is not supported on this device Rangers are nine points behind Scottish Championship leaders Hearts and the Tynecastle side can extend their lead to 12 points if they beat Cowdenbeath on Tuesday. Pressure on the Ibrox boss intensified after a surprise 3-2 defeat by part-timers Alloa Athletic in the Petrofac Training Cup semi-final and, following the defeat by Queens, the manager admitted Hearts were now "strong favourites" for the Championship title and automatic promotion. McCoist was believed to have become alarmed at the number of staff losing their jobs at the club. Bellshill-born McCoist was a Rangers player for 15 years as well as playing for St Johnstone, Sunderland, Kilmarnock and Scotland, for whom he won 61 caps. He had been assistant manager at Ibrox under Walter Smith and stepped up as his successor while Rangers were still in the Scottish Premier League. Administration and subsequent liquidation of the former company that ran the club resulted in Rangers playing in the fourth tier of Scottish football. A high turnover of players ensued in 2012 and McCoist led the side to two consecutive league titles to get Rangers into this season's Championship. And, following the recent losses to Queen of the South and Hearts and confirmation of his resignation, McCoist said he was "not sure" whether he would attend Monday's annual general meeting at Ibrox. Former St Mirren player McDowall joined Rangers as first-team coach under Smith in 2007 and was promoted to assistant manager when McCoist became manager.
The 24-year-old five-time Paralympic champion set new bests in her T34 category over 100m, 400m and 800m. Cockroft began the streak of impressive times by lowering her record in the 100m to 17.28 seconds before taking the 400m in 57.86 seconds on Thursday. She then led from gun to win the 800m on Sunday, knocking one second off her previous best to 1:55.73. There was also a world record in the women's T53 200m for Britain's Samantha Kinghorn with a new time of 28.91 seconds earlier on the same day. The six-lane track in Arbon is known to wheelchair athletes as the fastest in the world and the series of Swiss events, which ran from 25-28 May, saw a total of 20 world records broken with 29 competing nations. Cockroft will join her British team-mates next week in Nottwil, also in Switzerland, for the IPC Grand Prix between 2-5 June.
The 25-year-old Iceland international was substituted in the 2-0 win over Leicester and missed the 2-1 Capital Cup defeat at Liverpool. Manager Garry Monk praised the player who has scored once and has seven assists in eight Premier League appearance this season. "He's been brilliant, his contribution is there for everyone to see," he said. Sigurdsson was signed from Tottenham in the summer having previously played 18 times for the Swans on loan from German side Hoffenheim in 2012. He has been a key player in Swansea's rise to sixth place in the Premier League, and had a hand in both goals against Leicester. He suffered a groin injury in that match, with the Swans hoping his early substitution will help him make the starting line-up at Goodison Park on Saturday. "Gylfi's done very well for us," added Monk. "He's come in and started very well from the first game - like all the squad. "I think they're growing in confidence and hopefully they can only get better. I think he can only get better." Swansea are also hopeful that South Korea international Ki Sung-Yueng will shrug off the shoulder injury he suffered at Anfield. Monk concedes that Everton will be a stern test after making a poor start to the season. The Toffees - under former Swans boss Roberto Martinez - picked up only one point from their opening three matches in the Premier League, but have won their last two outings against Aston Villa and Burnley, scoring six goals in the process. And that recovery does not surprise Monk, "I know they had a difficult start adjusting to playing in Europe, having to cope with the demands of that like we did last season and I think they were adjusting to that really," said Monk. "The bottom line is they've got a very good squad, people they've bought for a lot of money and those people are showing what they can do right now, so we have to be right on our game."

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