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Denny Solomona crossed for Castleford, but Wigan led at half-time against the run of play through Lewis Tierney's try and Matty Smith's penalty kick. Grant Millington's try put the visitors back in front, before John Bateman went over to restore Wigan's two-point lead. Nick Gregson got his first senior try and Bateman crossed again late on as Warriors climbed to third in the table. Having suffered their heaviest defeat in Super League since 2005 with a 62-0 loss to Wakefield in their previous fixture, Wigan started slowly but were good value for their win after the break. The hosts failed to take advantage when Luke Gale was sent to the sin-bin for dissent with the scores level in the first half, but Bateman's return to the side after two games out sparked the comeback. Shaun Wane's team also welcomed back Dom Crosby, who made his first Super League appearance of the season having recovered from a hip injury. Solomona moved clear as Super League's leading try-scorer with his 13th of the season, but Tigers were frustrated by improved Wigan defence in the second period as they suffered their fourth defeat in a row at the DW Stadium. Wigan coach Shaun Wane: "I don't want to keep going on about it. But, if you knew what we had gone through this week, there's so much toughness showed in that game against a really good Cas team. "The admiration I have got for my players, the desire to grind out the win with the circumstances that nobody knows about is unbelievable. "There were quite a few good performances, they are a good team and are well coached who know how to defend. "We're not the biggest team, but I thought the way we defended was outstanding." Castleford coach Daryl Powell: "That last try gave the score a bit of an easier look than it was. It was tight all the way through. "We lacked a little bit of quality in our play. I thought we defended awesome, they came at us in the second half with a game plan that put us under pressure. "They made minimal errors and kicked well and we couldn't find a spark to get us out of yardage and into good field position. "They deserved to win the game, they had more ball than us in decent field position and we had to work really hard to keep them out and that drained our energy reserves." Wigan: Sarginson; Tierney, Bateman, Gildart, Charnley; Gregson, Smith; Mossop, Powell, Clubb, Tomkins, Isa, Sutton. Replacements: Crosby, Tautai, Burke, Bretherton. Castleford: Hampshire; Monaghan, Minikin, Webster, Solomona; Holmes, Gale; Lynch, Milner, Jewitt, Holmes, McMeeken, Massey. Replacements: McShane, Millington, Maher, Cook. Referee: Phil Bentham.
Wigan moved level on points with Super League leaders Warrington by coming from behind to beat Castleford.
Two planning applications for the Bristol Arena, a 12,000-seat venue set to open in 2017 near Temple Meads, are to be submitted next month. People living nearby raised concerns about parking but the council said city centre car parks had "spare capacity, within a 20 minute walk of the arena". A consultation closes on 13 October. Paul Breedon lives in nearby Totterdown and runs community magazine South Bristol Voice. He said he was not against the arena, but when he had asked local people about their concerns, they replied "parking, parking, parking". "Some of the closest places you will be able to park on the street are in Totterdown and the worry is that there's no plan at the moment," Mr Breedon said. Peter Mann, of Bristol City Council, said: "Building a car park next to the arena will send all the wrong messages about the sustainability of it. "So using public transport, cycling and walking and investing in that side of it, rather than building an expensive car park." Mayor George Ferguson said parking for disabled people and operators would be provided but visitors would be "encouraged to travel to the venue sustainably". He said: "Of course, I absolutely respect that Totterdown have got parking pressure and I've had a lot of people from Totterdown already, because of commuter parking, saying we should have a residents' parking scheme, and we might do that. "This is for the end of 2017, early 2018, by which time we'll have the Metrobus and have made arrangements with Great Western for additional trains for major events. "This is not a parking story, it's a story about fantastic regeneration for Bristol."
Plans for a new £91m entertainment arena being built in Bristol will not include an "expensive" dedicated car park, the council has said.
The Ayrshire club, which is hosting this year's Open, shares its facilities with Ladies' Golf Club Troon but both have separate clubhouses. Troon captain Martin Cheyne said the club had written to its 800 members to "understand their views and feelings on the issue". Royal Troon and Muirfield are the only two Open hosts to still exclude women. Last month, golf's governing body the R&A said the issue was "a matter for the club" to decide on. Troon was formed in 1878 and Cheyne added: "We care very much for the reputation of Royal Troon Golf Club and it is important that the club, much like the wider game, reflects the modern society in which we exist." Golf will feature at the Olympics in Rio this summer after a 112-year absence and the sport's oldest institutions have taken steps to modernise since its return to the Games was confirmed. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St Andrews opened its membership to women in 2014 for the first time in 260 years, while Royal St George's in Kent lifted its ban on women last year.
Royal Troon Golf Club is consulting members over whether to end its men-only membership policy.
More than 260 children had been left at the welfare home in Guangzhou since 28 January, director Xu Jiu added. Staff will continue caring for babies already at the welfare home, all of whom suffer from illnesses, Mr Xu said. China introduced the centres so parents could abandon infants safely rather than leaving them in the streets. Supporters say the baby hatches save lives, but critics say they encourage parents to abandon their children. Mr Xu announced the suspension on Sunday, saying that 262 babies had been left at the centre since the scheme began in January. "I hope everyone understands the difficulties the welfare centre faces," Mr Xu told Xinhua news agency. "We are temporarily closing the centre [to new babies] so that we can properly care for the infants already at the centre." The centre, which also cares for orphans, has 1,000 beds. However, it currently houses 1,121 babies and young people, with another 1,274 in the care of foster families, Guangzhou's Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau said. All the abandoned infants had illnesses, such as cerebral palsy, Down's syndrome and congenital heart disease, the bureau added. It is thought that many parents abandon ill babies because they fear they cannot afford the medical care required. Abandoning children is illegal in China. However, authorities believe that the hatches give the infants a better chance of survival than if they were left in the street. A total of 25 baby hatches have been established in 10 provincial regions in China, Xinhua reports. Under China's strict population control policies, most couples have only been allowed to have one child and there is a strong preference for healthy baby boys. In December, China's top legislature formally adopted a resolution easing the one-child policy, allowing couples to have two children if either parent is an only child. Provinces are now determining when to relax their restrictions at a local level, with some acting already.
A baby hatch in southern China has been forced to suspend work after hundreds of infants were abandoned, overwhelming the centre, its director says.
It said Mr Sanchez Ceren won 50.11% of the votes in the 9 March poll, defeating conservative candidate Norman Quijano, who polled 49.89%. Mr Quijano had challenged the result, alleging fraud. But the court's decision makes Mr Sanchez Ceren the country's first ex-rebel to serve as president. On Sunday, the court said that there was not enough evidence to back Mr Quijano's claim. "Based on the results, Salvador Sanchez Ceren and Oscar Samuel Ortiz are declared president and vice-president elect respectively, for the period from 1 June 2014 to 1 June 2019," court president Eugenio Chicas was quoted as saying by Reuters. The country's outgoing President Mauricio Funes said he would meet Mr Sanchez Ceren later on Monday to begin the handover process. Mr Sanchez Ceren became vice-president of El Salvador in 2009, while Mr Quijano was the mayor of the capital, San Salvador.
El Salvador's electoral court has confirmed the victory of former left-wing rebel Salvador Sanchez Ceren in a tight presidential run-off election.
11 October 2016 Last updated at 17:18 BST It can be lucrative sport and spectators can win substantial amounts betting on the outcome of fights. Photos: Raissa Ioussouf Video journalist: Mark Sedgwick
Cock-fighting is banned in many countries, but its popularity endures in Madagascar where it is still legal.
George Hamilton was speaking after a meeting with Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt on Tuesday. Mr Nesbitt asked for a briefing following Monday's murder before his decision on joining a new Executive. Earlier, Stormont's political parties were given a document with the main points of a programme for government. It was delivered in talks that lasted just minutes. The parties are to reconvene on Thursday to give their initial response. Speaking after the brief talks, Mr Nesbitt said the Alliance Party had been offered the Justice Ministry. In response, Alliance said Mr Nesbitt had broken an agreement of confidentiality, with Stewart Dickson calling the Ulster Unionists "flippant". The SDLP leader, Colum Eastwood, said he believed his party was "a very long way" from a programme to which they could sign up. So what happens next? The parties have been given until Thursday to make a formal initial response. That's also the day the new Assembly meets for the first time - and sets the clock ticking on a two week negotiation period. But what are they being asked to agree on? Sources close to the negotiations describe what will eventually emerge as a "framework programme for government" which will then go out for consultation. At the end of this year a detailed programme for government will be produced. There'll also be a budget for the next three to four years. And there'll be documents setting out strategies on the economy, capital investment and social policy strategy. Sources say they've looked closely at the model in Scotland where a series of national outcomes describe what the Government wants to achieve over the next ten years. Following last week's Northern Ireland Assembly election, he DUP maintained the total of 38 seats that it held in the last assembly, while Sinn Féin lost one and now holds 28. The Ulster Unionists have 16 seats, and the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) lost two and now have 12. The Alliance Party secured eight seats during the election, meaning it does not have enough seats to automatically qualify for a ministerial department. An executive will be formed when an agreement has been reached. Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness said the talks would be inclusive and he wanted to see all of the parties enter the new executive. DUP leader Arlene Foster said it might be more honest if those who have previously opposed the executive from the inside now do so on the outside. In his meeting with Mr Nesbitt on Tuesday, the chief constable said that the paramilitary assessment commissioned by the secretary of state and published on 20 October 2015 remains valid. "Over the course of the last seven months, there have been a number of very serious crimes committed in our community. "Significant PSNI resources have been allocated to progress the investigations into these incidents. This investigative activity nor wider intelligence to date has not indicated any change to the position reflected in the October 2015 Paramilitary Assessment." After the meeting, Mr Nesbitt said: "The chief constable confirmed no change from the assessment given to the secretary of state last October - PIRA still exists. "This is not surprising, but disappointing, given PIRA have drawn the roadmap that others are following. George Hamilton would not be drawn on this week's shootings, but these are serious criminal acts." He said the chief constable's assessment did not make re-entry to the executive "any more attractive". The Ulster Unionists have "two other tests regarding the Programme for Government," he said and expected answers in a few days' time.
The official assessment of paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland has not changed despite some very serious crimes, the PSNI chief constable said.
Prosecutors think Manuel Trillo helped Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman break out of the Altiplano jail in July. Now Mr Trillo has been sent to that very same prison. A manhunt is under way to catch Guzman, who leads the Sinaloa drug cartel, since he escaped through a 1.5km-long (one mile-long) tunnel on 11 July. According to investigators, Mr Trillo is the financial operator of the Sinaloa cartel and bankrolled Guzman's escape. He is also accused of using illicit funds to purchase properties from 2012 to 2015 under false names. More than 30 people have been arrested in connection with Guzman's escape, including the prison governor and several guards. Guzman's arrest in February 2014 was seen as a coup for Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto. The cartel leader had been on the run for 13 years since escaping from another maximum security jail in 2001, reportedly hidden inside a laundry cart. But his spectacular break-out from the Altiplano prison caused huge embarrassment. Video footage showed how guards failed to detect his escape until more than 20 minutes had passed. Questions have also been raised how the prison authorities could have failed to notice the construction of the tunnel leading directly into Guzman's cell. On CCTV footage leaked to the media, the sound of drilling can be heard reverberating through his cell. Investigators say Guzman's associates must have been planning the jailbreak since shortly after his arrest. Not only would the construction of the tunnel have taken time, but Guzman's associates also purchased a plot of land outside the jail and built a house to disguise the tunnel's exit. Attempts to recapture Guzman have so far failed although authorities said he was injured when he narrowly escaped from a police operation last month. He is believed to be hiding in his home state of Sinaloa, in north-west Mexico.
A Mexican businessman accused of financing the jailbreak of Mexico's most notorious drug lord has been sent to prison pending trial.
The teenager appears to have been bitten by an infected flea. The authorities have sought to calm fears of an epidemic and have quarantined more than 100 people. Bubonic plague, known as the Black Death when it killed an estimated 25 million people in Europe during the Middle Ages, is now rare. World Health Organisation epidemic disease expert Eric Bertherat told the BBC there were about 400 cases of bubonic plague reported in 2012. He said Africa accounted for more than 90% of cases worldwide - especially Madagascar and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Dr Bertherat said that bubonic plague in Central Asia was usually transmitted by fleas attached to small wild mammals, which meant that only those who lived in rural areas and worked outside for long hours were in danger of being affected. "Because bubonic plague is such a rare event, local medical staff are not prepared to diagnose the disease and treat it appropriately," he said, "which means the first patient usually dies without even a diagnostic. "If secondary cases occur, medical staff are aware and better able to treat patients with antibiotics." The teenager, named as Temir Issakunov, came from a mountain village in the north-east of the country, close to the border with Kazakhstan. "We suspect that the patient was infected with the plague through the bite of a flea," health ministry official Tolo Isakov said. The BBC's Rayhan Demytrie says that doctors failed to correctly diagnose his illness until tests were made after his death last week. Teams have been sent to the area to get rid of rodents, which host the fleas that can carry the deadly bacterium. Reports suggest that the infected flea could have come from a marmot - a type of mountain squirrel sometimes hunted for food. Kyrgyz authorities say that the availability of antibiotics means that there is no danger of an epidemic. More than 2,000 people are being tested for bubonic plague in the Issik-Kul region. Checkpoints have been set up and travel and livestock transport restricted. Neighbouring Kazakhstan is reported to have tightened border controls to prevent the disease entering its territory. There are three human plagues caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis of which bubonic plague is the most common. The other two conditions are linked to bacteria in the blood - septicaemia - and bacteria in the respiratory system - pneumonia, which can be transmitted between humans by respiratory droplets. During the last 20 years, at least three countries experienced outbreaks of human plague after dormant periods of about 30-50 years, experts say. These areas were India in 1994 and 2002, Indonesia in 1997 and Algeria in 2003. According to the World Health Organization, the last significant outbreak of bubonic plague was in Peru in 2010 when 12 people were found to have been infected.
A 15-year-old herder has died in Kyrgyzstan of bubonic plague - the first case in the country in 30 years - officials say.
King's has been collaborating with Technische Universität Dresden on a research initiative, known as Transcampus, since 2015. But, according to Times Higher Education, an "offshore King's College Europe" is now on the cards. King's College confirmed that it was discussing potential further collaborations with TU Dresden. The two institutions already offer 10 joint professorships and several joint PhD programmes through Transcampus. However, its dean, Prof Stefan Bornstein, has told Times Higher Education that plans for the new King's campus are already "in the process". Prof Bornstein, who is director and chairman of TU Dresden's department of medicine and an honorary consultant in diabetes and endocrinology at King's, said the plan would allow King's to have a presence in Europe and maintain access to European research funding post-Brexit. Likewise, he said, TU Dresden would benefit from increased ties to London, one of the "leading academic centres in the world". Prof Bornstein said the new campus would hopefully run new undergraduate courses "linked to innovation and the needs of industry and society". The aim would be to recruit leading scholars from around the world, he added. Prof Bornstein said the Transcampus project had been envisaged before the EU referendum but admitted that it had become "a lot more interesting" since the vote. "We cannot allow things that have developed for so many years in a positive way [to be] hampered by political decisions that actually nobody wanted," he said. "It's a nice way to have a solution to get around this very stupid Brexit idea." A number of UK universities are believed to be considering opening branch campuses in Europe after Brexit - though earlier this year Oxford University rejected reports that it was in talks to open a Paris campus. Prof Bornstein said he would expect the Transcampus model to be replicated by other universities in the UK and Europe, but stressed that the key was a long history of collaboration between researchers at the two institutions. In a statement, King's said the university valued the Transcampus initiative "which demonstrates the success of cross-national and institutional links". "We will continue to work together in various fields on research and exchange and discuss potential further collaborations."
King's College London could become the first British university to open a European campus since the referendum.
Media playback is not supported on this device City are top of the table with a 100% record after four games, with their most recent victory coming against Manchester United on Saturday. "The way we have played up until now will not be enough to win the title," said the Spaniard, who succeeded Manuel Pellegrini in the summer. The Blues last won the title in 2014. Guardiola, who is preparing his side to face Borussia Monchengladbach in the Champions League on Tuesday, added: "Of course, we are so happy for the results, for the numbers and the way we're playing after two months. "But it is not enough to win the Premier League or achieve the big, big targets in the Champions League." Monchengladbach coach Andre Schubert described his counterpart at City as "the best there is" and said their opponents had a chance of winning titles both at home and in Europe. "I understand they might be trying to soften expectations but they have incredible strength," he said. "Manchester City has a great chance to win one or two trophies." City winger Raheem Sterling has said some of the recent criticism he has faced is unjustified. The 21-year-old endured a difficult Euro 2016 as England were knocked out in the last 16 by minnows Iceland. However, he won August's Premier League player of the month after a strong start to the season with City. "I have had unfair criticism. Last season I made my mark in the Champions League and I equalled my best scoring season," he said. "Unfair criticism does put you down a little bit. No-one says I am willing to do my best for club and country. At times it is frustrating. "Pep [Guardiola] has been a massive help. I spoke to him before and he said he watched me at Liverpool. He has made me stronger." Meanwhile, Guardiola has reiterated his support for new goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, who had an eventful debut in Saturday's derby win over Manchester United. The Chile international was at fault for United's goal and some pundits felt he should have had a penalty awarded against him after a heavy challenge on Wayne Rooney. Guardiola defended his keeper after the game, saying Bravo had been integral to his side's good first-half performance. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss said on Monday that all goalkeepers made mistakes. "I am going to tell you something: goalkeepers will make mistakes," he said. "The opponents will score, I am sure of that." Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says his side must "improve a lot of things" if they want to win the Premier League this season.
Alex Hales (31) and Gary Ballance (57) came into the England side but both got out playing loose shots when well set. Joe Root then hit 85 from 89 balls but fell in the penultimate over as England finished on 250-8 from their 50 overs. Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq (91 not out) and Umar Akmal (65) kept them in contention, and Shahid Afridi saw them home with seven balls to spare. England must now decide on their XI to face Australia in Melbourne when the tournament begins on Saturday - with the biggest decisions resting over who joins pacemen James Anderson and Stuart Broad in the bowling attack. Rarely tested in Monday's comfortable win over a lacklustre West Indies side, England rang the changes at the Sydney Cricket Ground to give their remaining squad members a run-out. Hales and Ballance, who did not feature in the recent tri-series against Australia and India, were given a final chance to press their credentials as Ian Bell and James Taylor sat out, while Anderson and Broad - rested against the Windies - returned in place of Chris Woakes and Steven Finn. Opener Moeen Ali failed to build on his 46 against West Indies, getting a leading edge to cover for four. Though Hales and Ballance added 64, both players fell tamely to leg-spin as Hales gave Sohaib Maqsood a simple catch at mid-wicket off Afridi, while Ballance picked out the same fielder on the leg-side fence when trying to attack Yasir Shah (3-45). Captain Eoin Morgan swiftly followed, edging to slip when trying to lap-sweep his third ball. Root eventually found a durable partner in Chris Jordan (31 not out) as England reached the 250 mark off the last ball of their innings. After Broad and Anderson removed Pakistan's openers, Jordan and James Tredwell - battling for those bowling places - took a wicket apiece, inducing false shots from Younus Khan and Haris Sohail as Ballance threw himself around in the deep to take the catch on both occasions. It left Pakistan's hopes resting with the vastly experienced Misbah, who added 133 with Akmal to keep his side in contention, and by the time Akmal edged Broad to keeper Buttler, Pakistan still needed 40 from 33 balls. When Maqsood (20) fell with eight needed from 14, the stage was set for the big-hitting Afridi, roared on by a noisy Pakistan fan contingent inside the SCG. The veteran all-rounder did not disappoint, blasting Broad for successive fours in the penultimate over.
England lost their last World Cup warm-up game by four wickets as Pakistan prevailed in a tense finish in Sydney.
He told a news conference that Greek proposals were "delayed" or "deliberately altered" and the Greek people "should be told the truth", but the door was still open to talks. Talks broke down on Friday sparking a weekend of dramatic developments. Greece called a surprise referendum and Greek banks are closed for a week. The negotiations were not "a game of liar's poker", Mr Juncker said. "Either all win or all lose". He said the talks were broken "unilaterally" by the announcement from the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras that he was calling a referendum for 5 July. The European Commission president said that he still believed a Greek exit from the euro was not an option and insisted that the creditors' latest proposal meant more social fairness - "no wage cuts, no pension cuts". Is Grexit nearer? On Saturday, the European Central Bank (ECB) decided not to extend emergency finance to the Greek banks, after the breakdown of talks on giving heavily indebted Greece the last payment of its international bailout. Following the ECB announcement, Greece said its banks would remain shut until 6 July. Cash machines are now reopening, but customers can withdraw only limited amounts. Greece crisis - live coverage A critical deadline looms on Tuesday, when Greece is due to pay back €1.6bn to the International Monetary Fund - the same day the bailout expires. There are fears of a default and a possible exit from euro. The French cabinet met on Monday in an emergency session. President Francois Hollande said afterwards that a deal was still possible if the Greeks wanted it. "There are a few hours before the negotiation is definitively closed, in particular for the prolongation of the Greek aid programme." German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman said that she was "ready for further talks" with the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras "if he actually wants to". In its decree bringing in the bank restrictions, the Greek government cited the "extremely urgent" need to protect the financial system due to the lack of liquidity. The main points are: In reaction to the crisis, the London, Paris, Frankfurt and Milan stock markets fell sharply in early trading on Monday, following similar falls in Asia. The euro lost 2% of its value against the the US dollar. Government borrowing costs in Italy and Spain, two of the eurozone's weaker economies, have also risen. The Athens stock exchange is also closed as part of the measures. Eurozone finance ministers also blamed Greece for breaking off the talks, and the European Commission took the unusual step on Sunday of publishing proposals by European creditors that it said were on the table at the time. But Greece described creditors' terms as "not viable". The current ceiling for the ECB's emergency funding - Emergency Liquidity Assistance (ELA) - is €89bn (£63bn). It is thought that virtually all that money has been disbursed. The temporary closure of banks in Greece, and the introduction of capital controls, is very bad news for Greece. Greek people will have less money to spend and business less to invest; so an already weak economy will probably return to deep recession. As for the impact on the rest of the eurozone, corporate treasurers and wealthy individuals will wake up on Monday wondering if their money is safe in the banks of other weaker eurozone economies. Greece's bank holiday from hell
The European Commission chief, Jean-Claude Juncker, has said he feels "betrayed" by the "egotism" shown by Greece in the failed debt talks.
The Giants' eighth defeat in nine outings, despite a hat-trick from Jermaine McGillvary, saw them remain two points adrift of 11th-placed Leeds. Mike McMeeken scored twice for the hosts, with Greg Minikin and Jake Webster also crossing for Castleford. Leroy Cudjoe went over on two occasions for Huddersfield, with Sam Rapira grabbing the Giants' other score. The defeat continued a miserable start to 2016 for Paul Anderson's men, who were beaten by Wigan in the play-off semi-finals last season. Castleford, who remain without a number of key first-team players through injury, climbed to seventh in the table, three points behind third-placed Widnes Vikings. Castleford head coach Daryl Powell: "It was a crazy game. It was a typical third game of Easter. "We've generally been pretty good in this period, but I haven't been able to rotate like normal. We have 10 guys out and we lost Grant Millington early on, and it's made it hard for us. "It's a massive win. I said to (assistant) Danny Orr before the game whether we'd have enough to beat them but we did, just about. "There's a couple of clubs who've responded well to new coaches such as Wakefield and Hull KR - and the competition is real tight, so it's an important win." Huddersfield head coach Paul Anderson: "Our focus has to be on dusting ourselves down and trying to make sure we win the next game. "We know this group is capable of doing some good things. It's just a case of building energy because we're robbing ourselves of it at the moment. "It's the same old story. I could sit here and repeat myself constantly. "The positive was that we scored 30-odd points but the negative was clearly the amount they got." Castleford: Hampshire; Minikin, Crooks, Webster, Hitchcox; T. Holmes, Gale; Lynch, Milner, Jewitt, McMeeken, Millington, Massey. Replacements: Cook, McShane, Maher, Boyle. Huddersfield: Brierley; McGillvary, Cudjoe, Wardle, Murphy; Brough, Connor; Rapira, Hinchcliffe, Huby, Lawrence, Ta'ai, Roberts. Replacements: Crabtree, Patrick, Mason, M. Wood. Referee: Phil Bentham
Jy Hitchcox scored three tries as Castleford overcame Super League's bottom club Huddersfield.
It is two years since Zion Harvey, who is now 10, was given new hands, and his doctors say they are amazed by and incredibly proud of his progress. Zion can now write and feed and dress himself, as well as grip a bat. Although his hands came from a donor, his brain has accepted them as his own, medical tests show. Dr Sandra Amaral, a member of the team treating Zion at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, told the BBC that Zion continues to make significant progress. "He is able to swing a bat with much more co-ordination, and he can write his name quite clearly. "His sensation continues to improve. It's amazing. "Now he can pat his mother's cheek and feel it." Dr Amaral said there was evidence that his brain had rewired to take account of his new hands. The team has published medical notes about his remarkable story in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health journal. Zion was born with two hands but when he was aged two, doctors had to amputate them. In his own words: "When I was two I had to get my hands cut off because I was sick." Zion had sepsis, a life-threatening infection. Doctors removed both his hands at the wrist, and his legs below the knee because they were dying. His kidneys also failed. At the age of four, after two years of dialysis, Zion had a kidney transplant using a kidney donated by his mother Pattie Ray. It was another four years before the boy from Baltimore got his new hands. Zion's hand operation in June 2015 was a big deal. Although not the first ever double-hand transplant - that was in 1998 - he was the youngest to ever have the procedure. His doctors say Zion's medical story, along with his positive personality and determination, made him a great candidate. Transplant patients need to take lifelong anti-rejection drugs and these can have bad side-effects, which means the benefits of the surgery must outweigh the risks. Zion was already on this medication for his kidney and after 18 months of close assessment, the medical team was confident a double-hand transplant could benefit him. Next came the wait for a donor of the right size, skin tone and blood group compatibility. Three months later they found a donor. A team of 40 medical staff, including 10 surgeons, operated through the night and into the early hours of the morning to fit Zion's new hands. One of the biggest challenges was connecting up all the tiny blood vessels that would keep the hands alive. Dr Benjamin Chang, co-director of the hand transplant programme at the hospital, recalls: "We wanted to really make sure that this was going to work for our patient and work for a lifetime." Zion Harvey: The boy with the double hand transplant Two years on, Zion is doing well. There were a few times in the first year after the transplant that Zion's doctors feared his body was starting to reject the new hands. Thankfully, tweaking his medication helped. His doctors say one of the most promising things they have seen during the recovery period is how well Zion's brain has responded "despite the absence of hands during a developmental period of rich fine motor development between the ages of two and eight years". Speaking about Zion last year, lead surgeon Dr Scott Levin said: "His brain is communicating with his hands. His brain says for his hands to move and they move. And that in and of itself is remarkable."
A US boy who made history as the world's first child to have a double hand transplant is now swinging a baseball bat well, his doctors say.
Follow the links below for your team's fixtures in full. Arsenal Bournemouth Burnley Chelsea Crystal Palace Everton Hull Leicester City Liverpool Manchester City Manchester United Middlesbrough Southampton Stoke City Sunderland Swansea City Tottenham Hotspur Watford West Bromwich Albion West Ham United
The Premier League fixtures for 2016-17 have been released.
A bomb was detonated on board a train pulling out of Maelbeek station, close to the European institutions, in the morning rush hour on 22 March. The attack followed suicide bombs at Brussels airport which also killed 16. People can write their tributes to the victims on a commemorative wall inside Maelbeek station. The metro system is now fully open. The Brussels public transport authority (Stib) said that military and police officers would be present to "ensure the security of the entire network". The metro would be running to the same timetable as before the attacks; however, the number of entry points is limited to one or two per station, Stib said. Since the attacks, the metro system had been running from 06:00 to 22:00 but on Monday resumed its normal hours of 04:30 to 00:30. Survivors and relatives of the victims were able to visit the station on Saturday, before it re-opened. The explosion on 22 March did not damage the structure of the metro station, according to Stib; the work carried out included re-tiling and painting. A commemorative art work will eventually replace the tribute wall.
The Brussels metro station where 16 people were killed by a suicide bomber last month has re-opened.
Apophis - named after the Egyptian demon of destruction and darkness - has been put on a watch list by scientists. They have calculated that in 2036 there is a very small chance it could collide with our planet. However, its current fly-by is at a safe distance of about 14 million km - but this is close enough for astronomers to study the space rock and assess its future risk. Apophis will not be visible with the naked eye, but space enthusiasts can watch it online via the Slooh space camera's website. Collision course? The large rocky mass was first discovered in 2004. At the time, it raised alarm when scientists calculated that it had a one-in-45 chance of smashing into the Earth in 2029. Later revisions, lifted this threat; instead on the Friday 13 April 2029, it will make a close pass at a distance of about 30,000km. However, astronomers say there is still a one-in-200,000 chance that it could strike Earth in 2036. Professor Alan Fitzsimmons, an astronomer at Queen's University Belfast, UK, said: "In 2029, it will pass so close to us that Earth's gravity will change its orbit. "Most of the potential orbits it will end up on will mean we are safe for the next 100 years. But there is a small region of space - something we call a keyhole - and if it passes through that keyhole in 2029, it will come back and hit us on 13 April in 2036." If this happened, it would strike the Earth with 100 times the energy in our largest nuclear bombs, said Prof Fitzsimmons. Future hazards Astronomers are using the current close encounter as an opportunity to study the asteroid, so they can improve their calculations to predict its future path. Prof Fitzsimmons said: "While [the asteroid] is relatively close to the Earth, astronomers can ping it with radar. Radar measurements are incredibly accurate: we get the distance to the asteroid very, very precisely, and we can also get its velocity relative to us. And these two things let us pin its orbit down very precisely. " Researchers are becoming increasingly interested in potentially hazardous asteroids. So far they have counted more than 9,000 near-Earth asteroids, and they spot another 800 new space rocks on average each year. Prof Fitzsimmons said learning more about them was vital. "At some point, we are going to find an asteroid big enough that it could cause damage at ground level if we let it hit," he explained. "So we should find these objects, we should track them, work out where they are going - and if they stand a chance of hitting us, do something about it."
A 300 metre-wide asteroid is making a close pass to the Earth.
But the small group of public officials and local activists I met in a cafe there all remember when this area saw the Troubles at their most savage. And they associate the changes that have come, thanks to the peace process, with the benefits that have flowed from EU membership. Newry is just north of Northern Ireland's border, and Conor Patterson, now chief executive of the Newry and Morne Enterprise Agency, recalled what it was like to cross it in the bad old days. "My mother was from Dundalk (in the Republic), so we travelled every week from Newry to Dundalk, and experienced weekly what the hard border meant in practice," he says. "That was long queues - not just through the security border but thereafter at the customs post… it was really tough." Pamela Arthurs, chief executive of East Border Region, a local authority-led cross-border organisation, worries about a Brexit threat to the stability which, she says, has been brought to the region by £2.4bn of EU funding. "The concern we would have is if there was a Brexit, what would the alternative be?" she asks. "Are we assured that the amount of money would continue?" Listen to Brexit: The Irish Question by Ed Stourton on BBC Radio 4's Analysis programme on Monday 8 February at 20:30 GMT, or catch up via the iPlayer The UK's EU referendum: Everything you need to know What will happen when? Q&A: What Britain wants from Europe Full coverage of the EU referendum Unionists who want to leave the EU bridle at the idea that it would undermine the peace process. "We have come through far, far more difficult challenges to the political institutions in the peace process than this issue," says Nigel Dodds, MP for Belfast North and deputy leader of the DUP. "The peace process was based on a desire to move Northern Ireland forward, away from years and decades of violence. That's not going to be interrupted or disadvantaged by whatever decision we make on the EU membership issue." But the way the peace process has been raised as an issue in Northern Ireland reflects an important dimension to the forthcoming referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union. The Brexit debate can look very different from different parts of the United Kingdom. Since the last time we voted on Europe - in 1975 - there has been a constitutional revolution. The devolution of power to the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh and Northern Ireland Assemblies has changed the relationship between the constituent parts of the UK profoundly. Dr Jo Hunt of Cardiff University, who studies the impact of devolution on the way government works in the UK, says that the "devolved parts of the UK have developed their own relations with the European Union", and argues that that is likely to be reflected in the way people vote. In Northern Ireland the most important factor which makes the Brexit debate different is the border. It is the UK's only land border with another sovereign state, which runs for more than 300 miles (483km) from Carlingford Lough on the Irish Sea to Lough Foyle in the North West. And fears that it might become a so-called "hard" border have prompted Belfast to get involved in the the UK's internal debate in a way some Unionists resent. "When you have two countries that are linked in the way our countries are, with a land border between us and extraordinary economic, political, historical people-to-people links, anything that puts a barrier between them has to be a negative thing from our point of view," says Dan Mulhall, the Irish ambassador in London. His Prime Minister, Enda Kenny, went a step further and, on a recent trip to London, warned that a Brexit could cause "serious difficulties" for Northern Ireland. "I don't dispute that Irish Republic leaders and politicians have a right to express a view as far as it affects the Irish Republic," says the DUP's Nigel Dodds. "I am critical when Enda Kenny comes to the UK and says a decision to leave is bad for Northern Ireland." And "leave" campaigners challenge the assumption that the border would change radically. Veteran MP Kate Hoey who was born in Northern Ireland and is co-chair of Labour Leave says: "I don't see a situation where we would end up with big barriers up." "I see no reason if we were not in the European Union why we wouldn't build a good relationship with the Republic that would work out a lot of these issues". Sinn Fein has in the past been sceptical about some aspects of the EU, but they will be in the "stay" camp, and it sees the possibility of what Martina Anderson - one of the party's MEPs - calls a "constitutional opportunity". If the leave campaign wins but Northern Ireland votes to stay, it will, like the SNP in Scotland, push for a second, separate referendum there. "The days of Mother England wagging its finger to Scotland, Wales and to us in the North, and that we would be pulled out of the EU if the people of Northern Ireland are against that, are over," Anderson says. Many of these positions, of course, reflect local political concerns, but their impact could be felt right across the UK. Cardiff University's Dr Jo Hunt argues that the referendum "is far more than just a question about remaining in the EU. It is about our constitutional future". Devolution has, she points out, been "an ongoing and evolving" process. "This," she believes, "could be seen as a trigger button."
There is little sign of the scars of the past in Newry these days - the Georgian High Street looks prosperous, and the modern shopping centre which has been developed along the quayside of the town's 18th Century canal is buzzing with life.
Supporters of the charity were urged by a former patient to send donations and festive greetings to the pilot, doctor and paramedic on a bauble-shaped card. Nearly 600 cards now adorn a Christmas tree at its Marden base, in Kent, after the appeal was launched by Liz James. The charity, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, also received a total of £17,448 in donations. Ms James, from East Grinstead, said the air ambulance had "undoubtedly helped to save my life" after she was involved in a road traffic accident. So far this year, the air ambulance has attended more than 2,100 callouts.
A Christmas baubles campaign has raised more than £17,000 for the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance Trust.
A consultation on reforming the Work Capability Assessment was announced on Monday. Work and Pensions Secretary Damian Green said he wanted a "personalised" way to help more people find jobs. The charity Scope said it welcomed the planned changes. Both Employment Support Allowance (ESA), which is paid to more than two million people, and the assessments, were originally introduced by Labour and then expanded by the coalition government. The consultation follows the announcement that people with severe conditions will no longer face reassessments for their benefits. It will examine how people receiving ESA can be helped back into employment without having their benefits put at risk while they search for a job. Mr Green told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We need to change across the system so we will be changing so it's no longer just a binary assessment... much more personalised." Saying he did not want to "categorise" people, he added that he wanted to change the "mindset" of businesses: "We want them to realise that there's a huge pool of talented people who are disabled and want to work and can contribute fully in the workplace." Mr Green said: "We've got historically high employment levels. We want to spread that so everyone can enjoy the revolution that we have seen in job creation in the last few years." The Department for Work and Pensions places claimants assessed eligible for ESA in either the "work-related activity group" or "support group". The work-related activity group means officials have decided a claimant's disability or health condition currently means they are unable to have a job but are capable of making some effort to find employment. They receive up to £102.15 a week in ESA payments while attending employment-focused interviews and training. From April 2017, payments will fall to £73.10 for new claimants, bringing the rate into line with Jobseeker's Allowance. Those in the "support group", who have been deemed unable to work and are not required to do anything to improve their chances of finding a job, receive up to £109.30 a week. Mr Green said it had been envisaged that "about 10%" of those assessed would end up in the support group, but it was actually "about 50%". He added: "In the long run there's nothing more expensive than saying we are going to leave people on benefits for a lifetime. It's expensive and bad for the individual… "The idea that sitting at home, living only on benefits, is in any way good for people is completely wrong." Former work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith, who spearheaded the government's welfare reforms for six years before resigning in March, agreed ESA was "in real need of reform". For Labour, shadow work and pensions secretary Debbie Abrahams called for the assessments to be scrapped, saying they caused "needless misery and stress" for thousands of sick and disabled people. She said the government's approach was "ideologically driven with the sole purpose of targeting the most vulnerable in our society to pay for their austerity plans, painting disabled people as scroungers and shirkers, whilst making no impact on the disability employment gap". Scope chief executive Mark Atkinson said: "The current fit-for-work test doesn't accurately identify the barriers disabled people face in entering or staying in work. "An assessment should be the first step to getting support and should be separate from determining benefits entitlement." The Equality and Human Rights Commission's chief executive, Rebecca Hilsenrath, suggested apprenticeship schemes could use positive action to employ more disabled people. Citizens Advice said it dealt with 25,000 issues around Work Capability Assessments last year, saying the reforms should make the test "fair, consistent and right first time".
The scheme that assesses claimants of disability benefits faces a major overhaul, with ministers promising to extend a "revolution" of getting more people into work.
The 31-year-old Manxman beat Team Sky's Elia Viviani and Astana's Andrea Guardini in a sprint finish. "I'm happy with that," said the Dimension Data rider, who finished second in last Sunday's road race at the Road World Championships. "We wanted to win. I felt good. It was a very chaotic sprint in which I lost my lead out in the second last corner." The races continues on Saturday with a 150km stage that finishes with a 10km ascent to the summit finish at Jebel Hafeet, while Sunday's final stage is a 26-lap race around Yas Marina Circuit. Stage two standings: 1. Mark Cavendish (GB/Dimension Data) 2 hrs 32 mins 21 secs 2. Elia Viviani (Ita/Team Sky) same time 3. Andrea Guardini (Ita/Astana) 4. Jakub Mareczko (Ita/Wilier Triestina) 5. Jean Pierre Drucker (Lux/BMC) Overall standings: 1. Mark Cavendish (GB/Dimension Data) 5 hrs 48 mins 06 secs 2. Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita/trek Segafredo) +4 secs 3. Jens Keukeleire (Bel/Orica BikeExchange) +5 secs 4. Elia Viviani (Ita/Team Sky) +8 secs 5. John Degenkolb (Ger/Team Giant-Alpecin) Same time
Mark Cavendish won the second stage of the Abu Dhabi Tour on Friday to take the overall lead.
The 36-year-old from Carrickfergus had been level on 15 with the late Robert Dunlop going into Thursday's races. Seeley broke away to win the opening Supersport race ahead of runner-up Ian Hutchinson and Martin Jessopp. The Supertwins race was abandoned after a two riders were injured in a high-speed crash. Dungannon rider Ryan Farquhar and Dan Cooper from Stroud came off at Black Hill and were taken to hospital. Forty-year-old Farquhar sustained chest and pelvic injuries, while Cooper, 28, had shoulder injuries. Record-breaker Seeley has won at least one event at the North-West for nine years in a row. He has also won at least one Supersport race in each of seven consecutive years from 2010 to 2016. The Supersport event provided a thrilling start to racing at the 2016 North West. Ballymoney's Michael Dunlop, a four-time winner at the North West, did not make it off the grid because of mechanical problems. Seeley surged into an early lead but some exillerating action saw Fermanagh rider Lee Johnston, Yorkshire man Hutchinson and Michael's brother William Dunlop all take turns at the front. Seeley, Hutchinson and Jessopp all broke the class lap record on the final circuit. "The North West put me on the map when I first came here and now to be mentioned in the same sentence as the Dunlops is unbelievable," said an elated Seeley. "It was a typical Supersport race. We managed to get a break and clinch the 16th win."
Alastair Seeley has broken the record for wins at the North West 200 road races by achieving his 16th career win at the international meeting.
The Hornets named seven loan players in their squad to face Palace on Friday, six of whom are from Watford's sister clubs Udinese and Granada. "They've got some world-class players that they've borrowed from almost one club," Holloway told BBC Sport. "It seems pretty ludicrous to me," he said after a Under Football League rules, sides are only allowed to name five loan players in a matchday squad and can only take two players on a standard loan from any one club. But loan deals arranged with foreign teams are recognised as transfers, meaning there is no limit to the number of loanees from overseas. It also means that Gianfranco Zola's Watford were able to earlier in the season. Watford currently have 10 players from Udinese and Granada on their books - teams who are also under the umbrella of Hornets owners the Pozzo family - and six of these were named on the teamsheet for Friday's game. Nathaniel Chalobah, on loan from Chelsea, was the only Watford player in the squad who counted towards their loan quota. Striker Fernando Forestieri was also on loan from Udinese earlier in the season, until It is a system that has worked well for Zola, whose side are third in the Championship. Holloway, who saw one of his own loan players, Kevin Phillips, net the equaliser at Vicarage Road, added: "We're only allowed to borrow two from the same team in this country. Unlimited abroad? That gives a licence to people to buy English clubs, chuck all their players over here and have a reserve team. "What if Barcelona wanted to buy us and play their 'B' team for us? We've got to sort this out. "No arguing - what their manager is doing and how they're doing it is fantastic. If there's a loophole, they've found it and some of those players are as good as any I've seen in the world. "But I can't believe there's such a massive loophole, and my question is - where are those English players going to come from?" Despite a reliance on foreign imports, Watford have maintained their tradition of using young, homegrown players. Eight players produced from the Watford academy have played a competitive match for the Hornets this season.
Crystal Palace manager Ian Holloway has described the rule that has allowed Watford to make 11 international loan signings as "ludicrous".
The Lisa Marie, named after his daughter, was bought by Presley in 1975 and refurbished to include a master suite with full-size bed and conference room. Neither plane is airworthy but have been on display at Graceland for more than 30 years for fans to tour. They are being auctioned off by Julien's by sealed bids. Presley bought the Convair 880 jet in 1975, two years before his death, and spent about $300,000, refitting it and renaming the Lisa Marie. It also features a bathroom with gold taps and a stereo system with 50 speakers. The tail is adorned with Presley's trademark TCB for Taking Care of Business. The last flight it took was to transport his former wife Priscilla Presley and actor George Hamilton to his funeral. It was sold by his father, Vernon, in 1978, and had two owners before being bought by a consortium in a joint venture with the owners of Graceland to allow it to be displayed at the tourist hotspot. The agreement with the owners and Graceland expires in 2015. The Hound Dog II, a Lockheed JetStar, was bought in 1975 as a stopgap while the Lisa Marie was being prepared. It arrived at Graceland in 1984. The planes are being sold as one lot, with the option to buy land next to Graceland to display them, independent of the Presley Museum.
Two private planes owned by Elvis Presley - the Lisa Marie and Hound Dog II - are going up for auction.
The British soprano, who is training at Star City near Moscow, is due to blast off on a Russian Soyuz craft on 1 September. The 54-year-old will spend 10 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS), 260 miles (420 km) above Earth. Brightman said singing in space was a "very different" proposition to performing on Earth. Speaking at a press conference in central London, the Phantom of the Opera star said her team were trying to work out the technical details of performing on the ISS. "I would like to connect with a choir, or children or another singer or an orchestra on Earth," she told reporters. Brightman said she had been working with Lord Lloyd-Webber to find a song that "suits the idea of space". She recorded the song in New York last week and it will appear on a retrospective of her career, out later this year. "To sing in microgravity is a very different thing to singing down here," she said. "We use the Earth to ground ourselves when we sing and the air around us. "This is going to be very different. I'm trying to find a piece that is beautiful and simple in its message, as well as not complicated to sing." She didn't want to "promise too much", she went on, because of the complexity of the idea. In 2013, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield's rendition of David Bowie's Space Oddity from the ISS become a huge YouTube hit. Brightman is thought to be paying around £34m ($51m) to become the eighth space tourist. She said she had paid for the trip herself, but could not "contractually" say how much it had cost. She will be part of a three-person crew travelling to the ISS. The last space tourist to make the trip was Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte in 2009. Brightman said the Moon landing in 1969 - which she watched as a nine-year old - had been "a pivotal moment" in her life. She joked that while in space she might "do some of the movements" from 1978 chart hit I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper. The track was performed on Top of the Pops by dance troupe Hot Gossip, with whom Brightman began her career. In the 1980s, Brightman starred on the West End stage in Cats and The Phantom of the Opera. Both were penned by Andrew Lloyd Webber, whom she married in 1984. The pair divorced in 1990 and Brightman embarked on a solo singing career. The singer helped popularise the classical crossover genre, scoring a worldwide hit with her duet with Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, Time To Say Goodbye. Brightman began Tuesday's press conference by saying she had talked to many people who have travelled in space. "They have all said it is indescribable. You feel a mixture of laughter and tears. You feel humble but you can see the bigger picture. "It's been an unusual path that has taken me to this point and it hasn't been an easy journey. I've found out a lot about myself." The singer has also spent time training at Star City with Tim Peake, who will become the first "official" British astronaut when he goes to the ISS at the end of 2015.
Sarah Brightman has been working with her former husband Andrew Lloyd Webber on a song she can perform in space.
The 25-year-old striker has scored 20 goals in National League South games for the Wings this season. He has netted a further seven times in three FA Cup games, including six goals in one game against Swindon Supermarine in the third qualifying round. Ex-Notts County and Bromley man Coombes is eligible to make his debut for the U's against Torquay on Saturday. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.
National League side Sutton United have signed former Chelsea trainee Adam Coombes from Welling United.
The Markit/CIPS purchasing managers' index (PMI) rose to 54.2 in December, up from 52.8 the month before. A figure above 50 indicates expansion. However, the sector "continued to experience intense cost pressures". Markit said that the increase in costs seen last month was the biggest since April 2011. This came as suppliers passed on the higher costs of imported raw materials. The sharp fall in the value of the pound following last year's Brexit vote has made imported goods more expensive. Tim Moore, senior economist at IHS Markit, hailed "a solid rebound in construction output during the final quarter of 2016". "All three main areas of construction activity have started to recover from last summer's soft patch, but in each case, growth remains much weaker than the cyclical peaks seen in 2014," he said. "Housebuilding remains a key engine of growth for the construction sector, with the latest upturn the fastest for almost one year. "Meanwhile, commercial activity was the weakest performing category in December, reflecting an ongoing drag from subdued investment spending and heightened economic uncertainty." The construction survey, together with a similar survey of the manufacturing sector released on Tuesday, suggests the UK economy remained robust at the end of 2016, although the manufacturing survey also found firms facing rising costs. The survey of the UK's dominant service sector is due to be released on Thursday.
The UK's construction sector ended 2016 well, expanding at the fastest pace for nine months in December, according to a closely watched survey.
Aeth Prifysgol Cymru Y Drindod Dewi Sant at y llywodraeth i ofyn am arian cyhoeddus wedi i'w cais am arian Ewropeaidd gael ei wrthod. Mae disgwyl y bydd £3m arall yn dod o fargen ddinesig Bae Abertawe. Dywedodd Ysgrifennydd yr Economi, Ken Skates, y byddai'r cynllun yn rhoi bywyd newydd i'r economi leol. "Bydd y buddsoddiad hwn yn helpu i ddarparu'r seilwaith angenrheidiol i gefnogi gweledigaeth y brifysgol o glwstwr o fusnesau creadigol yng Nghaerfyrddin," meddai. "Bydd hyn, yn ei dro, yn helpu i chwistrellu bywyd newydd i'r economi leol, yn dod â swyddi ychwanegol o ansawdd uchel i Gaerfyrddin, a gwella enw da cynyddol Cymru fel cefnogwr talent, dychymyg a chynhyrchiant." Ychwanegodd y byddai'r gefnogaeth ariannol yn gymorth i "ddarparu gofod a chyfleoedd rhwydweithio ar gyfer busnesau eraill, y brifysgol, myfyrwyr ac entrepreneuriaid". Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi dweud o'r blaen ei fod yn "siomedig" fod bwlch cyllido wedi ymddangos ers i'r prosiect gael ei gyhoeddi gyntaf yn 2014. Yn ôl panel annibynnol sy'n cynghori'r llywodraeth ar y diwydiannau creadigol, ni ddylai'r Egin dderbyn arian gan y trethdalwr. Cafodd y cyhoeddiad ei groesawu gan S4C a Phrifysgol Cymru y Drindod Dewi Sant. Dywedodd llefarydd ar ran S4C: "Bydd yr adeilad yma, nid yn unig yn gartref i bencadlys S4C, ond hefyd yn gartref i glwstwr o gwmnïau sy'n gweithio o fewn y diwydiannau creadigol. "Bydd y ganolfan yn hwb economaidd i gefn gwlad Sir Gaerfyrddin ac yn dod â swyddi da i ardal lle mae'r Gymraeg dan bwysedd." Ar ran y brifysgol, dywedodd llefarydd fod hwn "yn brosiect trawsnewidiol sy'n cynnig y cyfle i ddwyn ynghyd amcanion polisi economaidd, ieithyddol a diwylliannol Llywodraeth Cymru fel y nodwyd yn y rhaglen ar gyfer Llywodraeth, Symud Cymru Ymlaen". "Rydym yn edrych ymlaen at weithio gyda Llywodraeth Cymru a rhanddeiliaid eraill wrth ddatblygu'r fenter hon, a fydd yn gatatalydd ar gyfer adfywiad economaidd a diwylliannol yn y rhanbarth." Cafodd y cyhoeddiad ei groesawu gan AC Plaid Cymru yn Nwyrain Caerfyrddin a Dinefwr, Adam Price, ac AC Arfon, Sian Gwenllian - oedd yn gynharach wedi galw ar S4C i ailystyried lleoliad ei phencadlys yn sgil yr ansicrwydd. "Mae'n hanfodol nawr, wrth i ni geisio gweld mwy o'n sefydliadau cenedlaethol a'r sector gyhoeddus yn symud o Gaerdydd, ein bod ni'n edrych ar y broses ynghlwm â phrosiect Yr Egin S4C a sut gallwn ni ddysgu gwersi ar gyfer y dyfodol", meddai. Fe ddywedodd AC Ceidwadol Gorllewin Sir Gâr a De Penfro bod gan y cynllun "arwyddocâd economaidd a diwylliannol enfawr" i'r ardal. Ychwanegodd Angela Burns: "Mae gorllewin Cymru yn ardal sydd â brwdfrydedd creadigol enfawr ac rydw i'n edrych ymlaen yn fawr at weld y gronfa hon o dalent yn cael ei ryddhau gan y cynllun."
Bydd Llywodraeth Cymru'n cyfrannu £3m at y gwaith o adeiladu Yr Egin, pencadlys newydd S4C yng Nghaerfyrddin.
The new competition planned by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is set to start in 2020. Glamorgan became the first county to launch its bid at the Senedd in Cardiff Bay on Thursday, and could face competition from Bristol. "We believe Cardiff has a compelling case," Morris told BBC Wales Sport. The Welsh club is seeking support for its bid from Cardiff council and the Welsh Government. Morris continued: "Cardiff is one of the greatest sporting capitals in the UK and has hosted some of the world's major sports events. "We have a great stadium that has been able to deliver two Ashes tests. "We have got a great city with a huge sporting tradition and are used to working with a Team Wales approach and putting on a great show." There have been no details yet about where the city franchises will be issued, with Morris not being drawn on a possible name or whether Cardiff is in direct competition with Bristol. "We have had no criteria in terms of venue selection, that will come in the coming months," added Morris. "The name is an important detail but something that needs to ironed out." A final decision on the eight cities and next round of international matches for 2020-2024 is expected towards the end of the year. After lengthy negotiations, the ECB presented the detailed overview of its proposals for the new competition this week, with Essex only emerging publicly so far as a dissenting voice. "This had to happen [for the future of county cricket]," said Morris. "Many counties have struggled, ourselves included. "It has been a long process but there are lots of different stakeholders to consider. "We have reached a place where pretty much everyone is happy. This is going to be an important cog in the cricket wheel. "There might one or two who are less comfortable but the consensus is heading in the right direction." Morris also pointed to the declining numbers of cricketers in England and Wales as a reason for the competition's introduction. "We have seen in India and Australia domestic T20 cricket has been hugely successful not just financially but also growing the game," added Morris. "There have been some alarming statistics at the participation rates here. "This is a chance to restore cricket as the national summer sport. We have dropped off the radar and need to get back there." Morris insisted Glamorgan's financial future was not dependent on being chosen as one of the host cities but recognised the benefits. "The ECB have said each of the 18 first-class counties is going to get £1.3m whatever, that is significant funding," said Morris. "The attraction is being one of the hosts. "This tournament will be big business with real global profile which will be beamed around the world." The 18 counties will still run alongside the new tournament in the existing domestic competitions.
Glamorgan chief executive Hugh Morris believes Cardiff is ideally placed to be one of eight city sides hosting matches in a new Twenty20 tournament.
Mr Abe said the visit was so that they could "understand the spirituality of Japanese people". The two-day G7 meeting in Ise-Shima brings together industrialised nations. On Friday, US President Barack Obama will visit Hiroshima - the site of the first atomic bomb - the first sitting US president to do so. The visit to the shrine is controversial because critics say Mr Abe is catering to his conservative supporters who want to revive traditional values. Top of the agenda for the G7 nations - the US, Canada, Britain, Italy, Germany, France and Japan - will be concerns over the health of the global economy. Europe's refugee crisis will also feature prominently at the meeting. European Council President Donald Tusk said on Thursday he would ask the G7's support for more global aid for refugees. "If we (G7) do not take the lead in managing this crisis, nobody would," Mr Tusk said to reporters. Terrorism, cyber security and maritime security are also on the agenda. On Wednesday, Mr Obama and Mr Abe met for talks where the US president expressed regret over the arrest of a US military base worker in Okinawa in connection with the death of a local woman. Mr Obama also mentioned his upcoming visit to Hiroshima, saying it would "honour all those who were lost in World War Two and reaffirm our shared vision of a world without nuclear weapons, as well as highlight the extraordinary alliance that we have been able to forge over these many decades". He has previously said he would not be apologising for the dropping of the bomb by the US.
Japanese PM Shinzo Abe has taken world leaders to the Shinto religion's holiest site, as the Group of Seven (G7) summit begins in the country.
The bodies, recovered from the Irish Sea, have yet to be formally identified, but are believed to be those of two men - aged 35 and 46 - who went missing on Saturday. They had been driving a speedboat from Port Logan, possibly to Stranraer. Police Scotland said officers were trying to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. Helicopters, coastguard rescue teams and several lifeboats had been involved in the operation to find the missing speedboat off the Mull of Galloway. Rescue teams in Wales and Northern Ireland also took part in the search. A report was received at 18:15 BST on Saturday that two speedboat drivers had failed to return having set off at 09:00. Police Scotland said the men had launched the speedboat for a leisure trip. Two helicopters and lifeboats searched the water overnight on Saturday, following the boat's known and projected movements. About 10 teams had been involved in the search and returned to the water on Sunday. A coastguard spokeswoman described the search as "extensive".
The bodies of two men have been found following a rescue operation launched off the Dumfries and Galloway coast.
Sheffield City Council's cabinet agreed to set aside £262,000 from public health funds so voluntary groups can bid for cash to help running costs. The idea came after thousands of people objected to council plans to close several of the city's 28 libraries. The authority said it would work with community groups to finalise business plans by June. Those libraries are: Broomhill, Ecclesfield, Frecheville, Gleadless, Greenhill, Jordanthorpe, Stannington, Totley, Upperthorpe and Walkley. The council said if groups did not make "sufficient progress, or fail to submit a business plan to the required standard" closures would still be needed.
Plans to prevent the closure of 10 Sheffield libraries by handing control to community groups have been approved.
Mike Jones, who led Cheshire West & Chester Council until 2015, spent £4,889 on a credit card for travel, food and accommodation, and failed to provide some receipts. The authority's rules state those type of credit card transactions are "barred" and receipts must be provided. A police review is also under way. Mr Jones said he met the rules. In February, council officials announced an internal review of Mr Jones' credit card transactions, after details of his spending were revealed by the Chester Chronicle. The BBC has been told the review will look into why the card was used for "subsistence, travel and accommodation", and also why receipts were not provided on 75 occasions, after new rules were introduced in 2013. A "purchase card procedure" introduced in January 2013 states it "must not" be used to pay for food, drinks, travel, parking or accommodation. A list of transactions shows Mr Jones' card was used for those purposes between 2010 and 2015, as well as paying for hospitality expenses. Mr Jones was the only councillor to own a council credit card when he ran the Conservative-led Cheshire West & Chester Council from 2009 until elections in 2015, when Labour gained control. He is now a backbench Conservative councillor for Tattenhall. Some of Mike Jones' expenses paid for on his council credit card include: In total, the card was used to spend £2,383 on the "barred" categories after the new rules were introduced. Mr Jones said he was given an exemption allowing him to use his card to pay for parking, adding that some of his transactions may have related to work he carried out for the Local Government Association. Records released under the Freedom of Information Act reveal Mr Jones did not provide receipts for transactions which mostly included parking and rail travel, despite rules saying "cardholders are required to retain all purchase receipts". He said: "In all the cases where receipts are issued I have passed them into the council and if they are missing, unfortunately I have no idea why they have not been recorded. "Expenses and use of the purchase card were properly scrutinised by officers and our audit staff. No such issue was raised with me," he said. Council spokesman Mark Wynn said: "Councillor Jones, in his role as leader, met with potential external investors with a view to attracting regeneration and development to the borough. "The council has reviewed all the transactions brought to its attention and responded accordingly and is conducting its own internal review." Cheshire Police received a complaint from a former Cheshire West & Chester councillor in February. It said: "The allegation is currently being reviewed, in order to establish whether any offences may have been committed."
A former council leader's expenses are being reviewed over claims they may have breached the authority's rules.
Remarkable sonar images show the missing World War One submarine is largely intact and lying off the Galloway coast. Experts believe the vessel could be the UB-85, a sub that sank in 1918, according to official records. However, naval folklore suggests it may have been attacked by a "sea monster". The entire crew of the U-boat is reported to have abandoned ship due to the "monster attack". Once aboard the British ship HM Drifter Coreopsis, their commander, Captain Krech described their encounter. He is said to have spoken of a beast with "large eyes, set in a horny sort of skull…with teeth that could be seen glistening in the moonlight". He apparently claimed that the sub was so damaged in its battle with the "monster", it could no longer submerge. However, Dr Innes McCartney, a historian and nautical archaeologist who helped identify the wreckage, does not believe the tale. "In reality, the real sea monster was the U-boat, here trying to sink ships," he said. He added: "The submarine was caught on the surface at night, recharging its batteries. "It saw the patrol ship coming. It attempted to do a crash dive to get away. "Once the submarine was under water, it rapidly started flooding from above so they had no option but to blow all the compressed air they had, bring the submarine to the surface at which point all they could do was surrender." The historian said tales of sea monsters and haunted U-boats came about due to secrecy surrounding exactly what happened during the first U-boat war which meant that period was "ripe for conspiracies". He said the stories were often concocted as a result of journalists and ex-Navy men "talking late at night, after having a nice time". Dr McCartney said there were at least 12 British and German submarines known to have sunk in the Irish Sea. He said: "The features of this particular wreck, which is largely intact, confirm it as a UBIII-Class submarine, of which we know of two which were lost in the area - the more famous UB-85 and its sister boat UB-82. "While I can conclude that this wreck is likely to be one or the other, they would be practically impossible to tell apart, aside from the numbers painted on them in service, now obviously long gone. "Unless a diver can find a shipyard stamp, we cannot say definitively, but yes, we're certainly closer to solving the so-called mystery of UB-85 and the reason behind its sinking - whether common mechanical failure or something that is less easily explained." The historic discovery was made by engineers involved in the £1bn Western Link project to lay a subsea power line between Ayrshire and the Wirral. The 385km (239miles) long cable will carry renewable energy produced in Scotland to England and Wales. The engineers found the wreckage 120m north-west of the centre of the planned route, off the Stranraer coast. It is about 45m long, with debris spilling from the stern. Gary Campbell, the keeper of the Official Sightings Register of the Loch Ness Monster, said it was "entirely feasible" that a large sea creature disabled the submarine. "The World War One report from the captain of the British ship HMS Hilary a year earlier makes it clear that sea farers at that time were well aware of large sea 'monsters' that could be harmful to their ships," he said. "The area of sea where the attack took place has a history of sea monster sightings - they have ranged from the north coast of Wales to Liverpool Bay. What the German captain said could well be true." Scottish Power Transmission and the National Grid are working together on the Western Link project to lay the undersea cable. Peter Roper, of Scottish Power, said: "The images we get back from the subsea scans are incredibly detailed, but we obviously need to be aware of what lies beneath before we can start laying a power cable. "In all the years I have been building power lines, I can say that this is the most extraordinary discovery." National Grid's Graham Edwards said: "The Western Link is a very significant project for the UK and has required careful planning in all aspects, but particularly in the laying of high-voltage cables in the sea, where we are working hard to minimise our impact on the environment. "During construction we take great care over archaeology, whether on land or at sea, and it's always exciting to record a significant find and help to shed new light on our history - especially one with such a good tale involved!"
The wreck of a German U-boat that sank almost 100 years ago has been discovered by engineers laying subsea power cables.
Debbie Evans is a mother who feels using the law is her last resort. Her 24-year-old son Eden has been in institutions for seven years. Over a period of five years his weight increased by 16 stone (101kg). "He would say to me, 'You've got to get me out Mummy, you've got to get me out,'" she said. Mrs Evans found it difficult to support her son, who has autism and a learning disability, when he lived at home in west London. She said he had no formal education from the age of eight because there was no proper provision for him. "It got really hard with him when he was 14; he hadn't had any education and basically he lashed out at me," she said. "It got to the point that I couldn't breathe - it was 24 hours a day seven days a week." She sought help and he ended up in an assessment and treatment unit. These are meant to be short stay hospitals where patients are given a plan of care to support them back into the community, but this did not happen in Eden's case. "He's been trapped for seven long years," Debbie said. Emma Jones is a human rights lawyer from Leigh Day solicitors representing about five families living in England. She believes they have a case to be answered and is exploring avenues for legal action to be taken under the Care Act, the Children's Act and the Human Rights Act. She said: "In a nutshell, the position we are facing in this country is that there aren't enough community provisions being provided which means that people who no longer meet the criteria to be detained remain locked up because [there is] nowhere else for them to go. "If they're locked up when they shouldn't be locked up they are detained unlawfully and that's a breach of their human rights." Since the Winterbourne View scandal in 2011, when an undercover Panorama investigation revealed abuse of people with learning disabilities, there has been debate as to the best way to support some of the most vulnerable people in society. Numerous reports have been published and NHS England has responded with what is described as a "far reaching" plan. The aim is to reduce the number of people in institutional care by up to 50% over the next three years by building up the level of support in the community. There are more than 2,500 people with learning disabilities and autism kept in institutions across England. According to the latest Learning Disability Census, nearly a third have care plans that clearly state there is no reason for them to receive inpatient care. A spokesperson for NHS England said: "Every case is different and patients' needs are often extremely complex, but we have been clear that hospitals should not be seen as homes. "Where admission is deemed by clinicians to be in their best interest, patients should stay no longer than they need to. "From this month, local areas will begin implementing a plan to ensure that the housing, care and advocacy services become available in each community to provide the high-quality alternatives to hospitals." The families of those still in the system say that every minute, every hour is valuable and things have so far, moved far too slowly. A social media campaign is due to launch on Monday called "Seven Days of Action". Each day will see the release of a new story of someone's son, brother, sister or daughter far away from their families. They are doing it, they say, to put a face to the numbers.
Families of people with learning disabilities and autism say they are planning to take legal action against local authorities and NHS providers over lack of provision in the community.
Almost everything. More than 3,700 such pipes are actually at the heart of a most significant scientific finding. A team of Indian and Japanese scientists recently published an internationally-feted paper which recorded the events that unfolded after a breach in the Earth's magnetic shield. Using the GRAPES-3 muon (a sub-atomic particle) telescope - the world's largest of its kind - at the Cosmic Ray Laboratory in Ooty, a hill station in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, the scientists recorded a two-hour burst of galactic cosmic rays that invaded the atmosphere on 22 June 2015. The magnetic field breach was the result of charged particles from the Sun striking the Earth at high speed. Solar storms of such high magnitudes can knock out satellites and aircraft autopilots, cause catastrophic power outages, and take us, according to one of the scientists leading the research, Dr Sunil Gupta, "back to the Stone Age". Scientists record breach in magnetic field The world's largest and most sensitive cosmic ray telescope located in Ooty is made up of four-decades old recycled zinc-coated steel pipes. "Necessity is the mother of invention. When you don't have the money to buy new, expensive stuff, you look within the system to find out your own solutions to reduce costs. India's scientists have mastered the art of recycling and coming up with their own inexpensive solutions," Pallava Bagla, India correspondent for Science magazine, told me. A notable example: India's 2014 operation mission to Mars, cost the exchequer 4.5bn rupees ($67m;£54m), almost 10 times less than the American Maven orbiter. (This prompted Prime Minister Narendra Modi to quip that India's real-life Martian adventure cost less than Hollywood film Gravity.) The Ooty laboratory's annual budget is about $375,000. The 6m (19.65 ft) long pipes, which acted as sensors in the telescope, lay in underground caverns below the centuries-old Kolar Gold Fields in southern Karnataka state, home to one of the world's deepest gold mines, for nearly two-decades. The pipes were imported from Japan - where they are normally used at building construction sites - to help a team of Indian and Japanese scientists examine neutrinos, sub-atomic particles produced in high energy interactions in the galaxy and beyond. The scientists had laid them 2km (1.24 miles) below the earth for their experiment. When gold prices fell to unprofitable levels and the fields began shutting down in the early 1990s, authorities planned to remove the pipes and dispose them off as scrap. "We said we want to re-use them for our experiments," Dr Gupta told me. Eventually, some 7,500 of the pipes were transported by truck to a hilly 100-acre campus that the laboratory shares with a radio astronomy centre. The place skirts a forest populated by deer, bison, tigers and wild boars. Recently, CCTV cameras captured a tiger strolling past the sensors at night. Work on recording cosmic rays in Ooty began in right earnest in 1998, when the scientists began making muon sensors from the discarded pipes to research high energy cosmic rays. Today, 3,712 steel tubes, stacked up against layers of concrete, are housed across 560 sq m in four squat brown-and-white colour buildings, home to the world's largest such muon telescope. There are a couple of dozen such telescopes in the world, but none as powerful as the one in Ooty. At the laboratory, a small group of scientists and assorted helpers - local gardeners and carpenters, for example - continue to recycle the old pipes, so that they can be used as cosmic ray detectors. To do this, they open the pipes and clean them with high pressure water jets. They insert a 100 micron - as thick as a strand of human hair - tungsten wire into the pipe and anchor it at both ends with hermetic seals. The pipes are then filled with a gas comprising methane and argon and an electric potential run through it to enable it to become an effective sensor. Finally, they are laid out in rows - below two metres of concrete, which act as absorbers - to become a muon telescope. The fabled jugaad - an Indian colloquial word that means ingenious improvisation in the face of scarce resources - extends to using the pipes as sensors. When the scientists at the laboratory wanted to make doubly sure that the old pipes were not leaking, they modified a helium spray gun by attaching a 7-cent injection syringe needle to the nozzle of the gas jet to help them to carry out the precise leak tests. "Every day, we make 10 such recycled pipes ready for our experiments. The plan was to make very sensitive sensors to detect the weakest of signals. We wanted to measure cosmic rays with higher sensitivity than ever done before", says Atul Jain, a scientist at the facility. The laboratory itself is a shining example of home-grown innovation. The majority of the electronic equipment is designed, assembled and manufactured in-house. The software for the computer programmes is locally made. The 40GB of raw data from cosmic rays that it generates every day is stored and processed by a cluster of computers which has been largely assembled in-house, cutting costs and saving hefty maintenance fees. Old computers are stripped for parts. A locally developed cooling system using fans saves electricity and protects the computers. At the moment, the scientists plan to pore over 17 years of data on cosmic rays recorded by the lab's sensors to find out whether they offer more clues about forecasting space weather and advance warnings about solar flares. They say there have been some 38 severe solar storms in the past 17 years. "We should be able to sift through our data to find out more about them. For us, they are a gift from the Sun, because they add to our knowledge on space weather," says Dr Gupta.
What does a sensational scientific discovery about a solar storm in the Earth's magnetic field have to do with old, recycled steel pipes which lay buried for more than a decade under a now-defunct gold mine in India?
Jackie Walker has faced criticism over comments made on social media and at an anti-Semitism training event. The TSSA union says it will "seriously reconsider" its support for Momentum if Ms Walker remains in place and the group says its steering committee will meet on Monday to seek her removal. She told Channel 4: "I certainly wouldn't call myself an anti-Semite." "I'm Jewish and my partner is Jewish." But a spokesman for Momentum, the left-wing grassroots organisation set up in wake of Jeremy Corbyn's 2015 election as Labour leader, said: "Members of Momentum's steering committee are seeking to remove Jackie Walker as vice-chair of the committee." Ms Walker was suspended by the Labour over comments made on social media in which she claimed that "many Jews (my ancestors too) were the chief financiers of the sugar and slave trade" but was re-admitted following an investigation. But a leaked video emerged on Wednesday of her saying she had not found a definition of anti-Semitism she could work with, and questioning why Holocaust Memorial Day was not more wide ranging, at an anti-Semitism training event. Manuel Cortes, general secretary of the TSSA union, which backed Momentum and Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, said on Thursday he was "deeply saddened that a fellow member of our Labour and trade union family holds such anti-Semitic views" and said she should not be allowed to "remain active within our party". "I am asking Jackie that in the interests of unity she resigns at once from our party and also as vice-chair of Momentum. "If she doesn't, both the Labour Party and Momentum need to act to get rid of her at once. We would seriously need to consider our union's support for Momentum if she is still in post by this time next week." In an interview with Channel 4 News, Ms Walker said she had not intended to offend anyone. Asked whether she had thought about resigning, given criticism from some Jewish groups, she said: "Some other prominent Jewish groups, of which I'm a member, think a very different thing. "What we have to look at when we're talking about this subject, particularly at the moment, is the political differences that are underlying this as well." Whoever leaked the video "had malicious intent in their mind", she said. Ms Walker said she was anti-Zionist, rather than anti-Semitic: "Zionism is a political ideology and like any political ideology, some people will be supportive and some people won't be supportive of it." What's the difference between anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism? Ms Walker previously had support from six Jewish Labour activists who issued a statement saying she had been subject to a witch hunt. Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn has denied there was a "crisis" in the party amid accusations of anti-Semitism in its ranks. Labour MP Naz Shah and former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone were among those to be suspended over allegations of anti-Semitism. A review of the issue of racism in Labour, led by former Liberty director Shami Chakrabarti, found the party "is not overrun by anti-Semitism, Islamophobia or other forms of racism". But the report was criticised by Jewish leaders and MPs, who said its credibility was undermined because Ms Chakrabarti was nominated for a peerage by Labour just weeks after its release.
The vice-chair of pro-Corbyn group Momentum is under pressure to quit over allegations of anti-Semitism.
The map was created by Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives using Civil Defence and Air Raid Precaution Records. The creators said the Google Map showed the approximate areas of attack and damage. It covers all the known attacks from 26 June 1940 until the last raid on 21 April 1943. A second map shows enemy aircraft attacks recorded in the Aberdeen County Register of Air Raids and Alarms from 1940 - 1944.
The sites of World War Two bombing raids in and around Aberdeen have been charted on an interactive map.
Residents in Consett, County Durham, were paid to forward post that came to their address, but said they otherwise had no involvement in the companies. One, John Mawson, said he "didn't really know" what his role involved. Simon Dowson, who set up the legal firms, said everyone was informed. Mr Dowson, 35, from Shotley Bridge formed the shell entities to provide a UK address, directors, company records and tax returns to meet UK requirements so overseas online businesses could trade in Europe. These were businesses considered by credit card companies to be at high risk of refund requests. The investigation by the Reuters news agency found at least 429 unconnected people in the town were paid £50 cash to become directors, with a further £150 a year for forwarding company mail and fees for extra paperwork. Mr Mawson, 61, was recruited by a neighbour who had already signed up. "All we were told was that we would just get letters sent and all we had to do was hand them on," he told BBC Newcastle. "Money was rather tight. All we wanted was a bit of extra cash." Another director, Andrew McBride, 46, said he did not realise what he had agreed to, but accepted he should have checked further. Mr Dowson was paid between £2,500 and £3,000 per shell company, administering 1,200 at his peak. Using unconnected individuals as directors prevented "cross contamination" if credit card companies withdrew services from one company, he said. "It's a very simple operation. It's commonplace. It's just not commonplace here," he said. Mr Dowson said the directors were given information about the companies, their role and any documents they had to sign. "There was nobody ever kept in the dark," he said. Mr Mawson only found out a few years ago that one of his directorships involved pornography sites and wanted "nothing more to do" with the arrangement. Mr Dowson said the overseas companies' trade included travel, bingo and "vanilla" dating sites, not just adult entertainment. He has been investigated by the Insolvency Service, part of what is now the government's Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, he said. Some of the firms using his service have also been investigated, and some closed down, but there have been no criminal charges or sanctions brought against Mr Dowson or any of the directors. He was told what he had been doing was "incorrect or maybe not best practice" but "not illegal in any way, shape or form", he said. He has agreed to stop using untrained people as directors and said his company formation business would soon close. The government declined Reuters' request for comment.
Hundreds of people in a former steel-making town became directors of companies involved in pornography, dating, diets and travel, a Reuters investigation has revealed.
Media playback is not supported on this device In a tight first half Virimi Vakatawa and Damien Chouly crossed for France, but a Carlo Canna drop-goal and Sergio Parisse's try kept Italy in touch. Canna finished off a burst by Parisse to put the visitors in the ascendancy. France retook the initiative with Hugo Bonneval's score, but they still needed a late penalty from Jules Plisson to hand a win to new coach Guy Noves. This was first sporting event held at the Stade de France since the attacks on Paris in November last year. Former Toulouse boss Noves, 62, had promised to build a more entertaining French side from the one that went out in the quarter-finals of last year's World Cup and finished a disappointing fourth in the 2015 Six Nations. There was certainly a sense of adventure about Noves's side, personified by powerful sevens international Vakatawa who showed guile and fleet of foot on the wing to score the opening try. Gael Fickou's quick-tap penalty opened the door for Chouly to cross for their second and Jonathan Danty drew in defenders expertly to release Bonneval for the third, but there remained a fragility to the home side. Italy, inspired by their captain Parisse, almost took full advantage with a structured, organised performance, in which they won seven turnovers to France's three. Parisse, who plays his club rugby in Paris with Stade Francais, has for so long been Italy's talisman and the number eight stepped even closer to legendary status for his country with this all-action performance. The 32-year-old touched down from a catch and drive in the first half and came agonisingly close to finishing off a barnstorming burst after the break, before Canna applied the finishing touch regardless. In fact, he almost snatched it at the death with an audacious drop-goal attempt that drifted wide, but in the end it was Plisson's monster penalty from near the halfway line that ended up being the difference maker. France: Medard; Bonneval, Fickou, Danty, Vakatawa; Plisson, Bezy; Ben Arous, Guirado, Slimani, Jedrasiak, Maestri, Lauret, Chouly, Picamoles. Replacements: Doussain for Medard (77), Mermoz for Fickou (56), Atonio for Ben Arous (50), Poirot for Slimani (50), Flanquart for Jedrasiak (72). Not used: Chat, Camara, Machenaud. Italy: Odiete; L. Sarto, Campagnaro, Garcia, Bellini; Canna, Gori; Lovotti, Gega, Cittadini, Biagi, Fuser, Minto, Zanni, Parisse. Replacements: McLean for Odiete (55), Haimona for Garcia (70), Palazzani for Canna (77), Zanusso for Lovotti (65), Giazzon for Gega (56), Castrogiovanni for Cittadini (65), Bernabo for Biagi (43), van Schalkwyk for Zanni (66). Referee: JP Doyle (England)
France edged to an unconvincing win over Italy to make a successful start to their Six Nations campaign.
Liverpool City Region, in case you were wondering, includes Merseyside's five councils (Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens, and Wirral) as well as Halton in Cheshire. Who are the eight candidates desperate for your support on 4 May, though, and what are their priorities? BBC Radio Merseyside's political reporter Claire Hamilton has produced a potted biography for each of them. We're also asking all of them for a "minute manifesto" video. Candidates are listed below in alphabetical order Roger Bannister, Trade Union & Socialist Coalition Veteran trade unionist Roger Bannister believes the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority should never have approved the contract for a fleet of new driver-only Merseyrail trains. He says he would seek to reverse this decision. He also believes local authorities have passed harmful austerity budgets on people struggling to make ends meet. He stood for Liverpool city mayor in 2016, coming fourth with 5% of the vote. Paul Breen, Get the Coppers off the Jury Paul Breen is a resident of Norris Green, Liverpool and became the last candidate to be nominated. He is listed as treasurer of the party on the Electoral Commission's website, with Patricia Breen listed as deputy treasurer. He has not yet released any material detailing his manifesto but told the BBC the title of his campaign speaks for itself. He simply does not believe that police officers should be allowed to serve on juries. Mr Breen declined to provide a "minute manifesto" Tony Caldeira, Conservative Born in Liverpool and educated in St Helens, Tony Caldeira started out working on a stall selling cushions made by his mother at Liverpool's Great Homer Street market. His business expanded and now operates in Kirkby, distributing world-wide. Mr Caldeira has stood for Liverpool mayor twice, coming sixth in 2016 with just under 4% of the vote. He has pledged to improve the area's transport network, speed up the planning process and build homes and workplaces on brownfield sites rather than green spaces. Carl Cashman, Liberal Democrats Born in Whiston, Knowsley, Carl Cashman is leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Knowsley Council. He and his two Lib Dem council colleagues were elected in 2016, breaking a four-year period when Labour was the only party represented. Aged 25, he's the youngest of the candidates. Mr Cashman believes maintaining strong ties with Europe and the region will be key, and has pledged to open a Liverpool City Region embassy in Brussels. He also wants to better integrate ticketing across public transport and make the current Walrus card more similar to the Oyster card used by Londoners. Tom Crone, Green Party Tom Crone is leader of the Green group on Liverpool City Council. He won 10% of the vote in the mayoral elections in Liverpool in 2016 and came third. Originally from Norwich, he has lived in Liverpool since 2000 after arriving as a student. Mr Crone is keen to see a shift away from traditional heavy industry in the city region towards greener "tech" industries. He's also passionate about making public transport more affordable and environmentally friendly. He says he'll look to prioritise new routes for cyclists and pedestrians. Tabitha Morton, Women's Equality Party Tabitha Morton was born in Netherton, Sefton. She left school with no formal qualifications, and started work at 16 at a local market, and later in cleaning. She was taken on for NVQ training by a company in Liverpool, and stayed on to train others. She now works for a global manufacturer, in what she describes as "a male-dominated industry". She says she would prioritise grants for employers offering equal apprenticeships for young women and men and ring-fence funds for training women in sectors in which they're underrepresented. Steve Rotheram, Labour Born in Kirkby, former bricklayer Steve Rotheram was a city councillor in Liverpool and also Lord Mayor during the city's European Capital of Culture year in 2008. He was also elected MP for Liverpool Walton in 2010, and re-elected to the seat in 2015. Mr Rotheram is pledging to cut the cost of the fast tag for motorists driving through the Mersey tunnels. He wants to improve education and offer better careers advice for young people, and also wants to make brownfield sites more attractive to developers. Paula Walters, UKIP Wallasey-born Paula Walters is chairman of UKIP in Wirral and lives in New Brighton with her family. She has campaigned to scrap tunnel tolls for several years. She says her local UKIP branch is one of the most thriving in the North West. A civil servant, she studied English and biomolecular science at degree-level. She has also lived in South Africa where she attended the University of Pretoria. She believes Liverpool city centre has attracted money at the expense of outlying areas, one of the things she wants to tackle.
Those hoping to become the first mayor of the Liverpool City Region have less than a month remaining in which to secure your vote.
Media playback is not supported on this device The Gunners have exited at the first knockout stage for the past six years, having finished second in their group in five of those campaigns. But they topped their section thanks to a 4-1 win in Basel and Ludogorets' shock 2-2 draw at Paris St-Germain. "We wanted to do our job and got lucky with the PSG result," Wenger said. Arsenal will avoid Monaco and Barcelona, who eliminated them in 2015 and 2016 respectively, as well as Atletico Madrid and Napoli in Monday's draw. However, teams they could still be paired with include Bayern Munich, who knocked them out in 2013 and 2014, and one of Borussia Dortmund or Real Madrid. "We can still have a difficult draw," said Wenger. "But there's less guilt when you finish first in the group because you feel you have done your job and you play the second leg of the first knockout tie at home. "It is what we wanted but, at the moment, the difficulty of the draw will not be much different." Arsenal's win in Switzerland came thanks to a Lucas Perez hat-trick, the Spaniard more than doubling his Gunners goal tally after making a £17m move from Deportivo La Coruna in August. He twice tapped into an empty net, and got his third with a neat finish from just inside the 18-yard box. "The first two were quite easy goals, created by the team," said Wenger. "But the third goal is a real striker's goal. "He scored over 20 goals in Spain last year and tonight he showed why. He has a real eye for goal." BBC Sport chief football writer Phil McNulty Arsenal's success in topping their group is a tribute to their growing resilience, which saw them draw home and away to PSG in games where they were forced to suffer and battle for long periods. They also showed the swagger when they needed it to ruthlessly put Basel away to fulfil their side of the bargain while Ludogorets delivered the big favour in Paris. The different facets the Gunners have shown in coming out on top of the group suggests increasing maturity in Arsene Wenger's team and more justification for his belief they can make their mark in the Champions League this season. The Guardian, Metro, Daily Star and I newspapers all led with Arsenal on their Wednesday back pages.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger says he will feel "less guilt" if his side get a tough draw in the Champions League last 16 after they topped Group A.
"When I came here as a student nine years ago I felt that I had come into a very multicultural society and really wanted to be part of it. "I miss the food in Morocco and being around people who have known me my whole life, but London is my home now. My closest friends from university and from Morocco live here now, my values align more with London and I love being in a very multicultural environment where you get to meet people from all ends of the world." "Although I left Ireland 57 years ago, I still regard this country as my home. My family has moved back and I miss them. They're part of my identity. "Family is my community and has structured who I am." "It's interesting the opportunity that moving home has given me to start over and edit my story and identity in fresh and exciting ways. "I have moved about four or five times in my life; I've lived in countries in Africa, Asia and now, Europe. Flowers at my bedside, warmth, the smell of garlic and a sense of familiarity and light jazz music - that is home. A place of comfort, safety and beauty and a non-judgemental space where you can stare at the ceiling and know it's OK." "What makes me feel comfortable here is that I can sleep in peace. I can walk alone at night with my handbag. There is no dust, no insects. Food, shelter and security are abundant." "Getting to know a new place, learning a new language, landing a job, making new friends… these are processes that everyone goes through. It's just a matter of time before you start feeling at home." "My father sought asylum in the UK after the Iranian revolution. This country welcomed him with open arms. Community here is about listening to each other's stories and treating each other with compassion and respect. I hope you find the same things here when you arrive." "I love the diversity in London. When I'm on the bus - hearing different languages, seeing different faces - that richness is one of the things I find most beautiful about London. "Welcome to the UK. I hope you find friends, safety, a community for yourself and become part of this tapestry of London life." "My move to the UK from a village in Pakistan was a huge culture shock. My teacher was very helpful. She became another mother to me and encouraged me to work hard. I didn't even know how to write an essay, yet she gave me the courage to achieve. She made me realise that anything is possible. "We who come from a Third World country often feel like we can't compete but we have all the abilities to accomplish our dreams." "Moving from Turkey at a young age, I was excited to experience England. This ability here to experience two different cultures and feel safe in both - has made me feel like a global citizen. "As an academic I am connected to friends and colleagues from all over the world and being part of this one global community is an honour and a privilege. I hope one day everyone can have this feeling of inclusion and belonging." "We met when we were doing our master's degrees and are still friends. Don't believe the media narrative about people's perceptions of refugees and migrants. The average person on the street is friendly and accepting, and the UK is a very diverse place. "Most people here are open and interested in who you are. Be yourself and, if you feel like it, share your stories." "My grandfather came here just after World War Two, invited by Her Majesty to come and rebuild the country. He is now 90 years old, has five children, 12 grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. "When he arrived he worked in a factory making nuts and bolts to rebuild the East End. He realised that the food he was used to from India was not available, so he decided to do something about it and opened a shop to sell homemade food. The best thing you can do is to bring your food and recipes here. The UK loves food. We want to welcome you with food. Let's share some recipes." "There is no one way to be a part of British society. The people here have so much heart and joy and wonder. People here will help connect you to the community. Being in Britain doesn't mean telling each other how to be, but sharing who you are with others. "With shared experiences, we avoid misunderstandings and judgement, and we build a community together."
To celebrate International Migrants Day, Marcia Chandra invited members of the British public to a story booth, allowing them to tell their stories and offer up messages of greeting for arriving refugees.
Henry Bello had also been convicted of sexual assault a decade earlier, the New York Times reported. He opened fire with an assault rifle in the Bronx-Lebanon hospital, killing a female doctor and injuring six other people, five of them seriously. He then shot himself after attempting to set himself on fire, police said. Some New York newspapers quoted a doctor at the hospital as saying Bello had vowed revenge on his colleagues after he left. "We fired him because he was kind of crazy," Dr Maureen Kwankam told the New York Daily News newspaper. "He promised to come back and kill us then." In 2004 Bello was charged with sexual abuse and unlawful imprisonment after a 23-year-old woman said he had grabbed her crotch outside a Manhattan building, the New York Times reported. Bello walked into the 1,000-bed hospital at about 14:55 local time (18:55 GMT) with an assault rifle hidden inside his white medical coat, reports said. Mayor Bill de Blasio said the attack had been a "horrific situation in the middle of a place that people associate with care and comfort". Several of the injured are "fighting for their lives," he said. The attack began on the 16th floor and all the victims were shot on the 16th and 17th floors. An assault rifle was also discovered nearby, which a local politician separately said appeared to be a military-grade M16 rifle. Messages on social media spoke of doctors and nurses barricading themselves inside the building in the Mount Hope district. One patient in the radiology department, Felix Puno, tweeted: "Building is in complete shut down, I was in the middle of getting an X-ray when security alerted us to the active shooter situation." Garry Trimble, whose fiancée works at the hospital, said security was not good enough. He said: "I can walk through the back door with an employee. If the employee opens the door, I can walk in. I think every hospital should have one police officer at each entrance. They only ever do something when something happens." Bronx-Lebanon is a private, not-for-profit hospital that has been operating for 120 years. Shootings at hospitals are not common, but there have been several such instances in recent years. In 2015, a man entered a Boston hospital and asked for a cardiologist by name, shooting him dead when he arrived. During the investigation, it emerged that the man's mother had previously been a patient at the hospital. In July 2016, another man opened fire in a patient's room at a Florida medical centre, killing an elderly woman and a hospital worker. The suspect was later deemed to suffer from mental health issues, casting doubt over his competency to stand trial. In July last year, a patient at a Berlin hospital shot a doctor before turning the gun on himself. The city had also seen a shooting outside another hospital earlier in the year, in which no-one was killed.
The doctor who attacked his former New York hospital workplace had resigned in 2015 after being accused of sexual harassment, reports said.
Gladys Hooper, from Ryde on the Isle of Wight, became the country's oldest person on Thursday following the death of Ethel Lang, who was 114. Mrs Hooper is the UK's most senior supercentenarian according to the Gerontology Research Group records. On learning of her achievement, she said: "I am surprised, I thought I was just the oldest person on the island." Mrs Hooper, who has four grandchildren and six great grandchildren, was born in the same year as the Wright brothers invented the first aeroplane. Asked about the secret of her longevity, she said: "I have always been busy, I prefer being busy than being idle, that's what I don't like about now, I can't get about like I used to. "I have always lived a straight life, never done stupid things. I have never gone beyond the limit, always been active. I think always being active keeps you young. "I have done what I wanted to do and helped others as much as I could. "I do not feel anything like the age I am, I do not feel any different to when I was 70," Mrs Hooper said. Born in Dulwich, south east London on 18 January 1903 she was the oldest, and now the only surviving member, of six siblings - five girls and one boy. She was brought up in Rottingdean, east Sussex and went on to become a concert pianist before starting a car hire business in the 1920s. She later ran Kingscliff House School, which is now Brighton College. After being widowed in 1977 she moved to the Isle of Wight two years later to be near her son Derek Hermiston, an 84-year-old retired pilot. Members of Mrs Hooper's family travelled from across the UK and as far away as British Columbia to be with Gladys for her big day.
The oldest person in Britain celebrates her 112th birthday, just three days after assuming the mantle.
Academics from Edinburgh and Essex universities commissioned a survey of several thousand voters. The results indicated that just 3.4% of "No" voters saw "The Vow" as the main motivation for their decision. A spokesman for the SNP said polling immediately after the September vote produced a different result. The new research by the Centre on Constitutional Change found the biggest factor identified by opponents of independence in making their decision was "feeling British/believe in the Union", cited by 29.5%. Other factors highlighted included: Factors identified by Yes voters in explaining their defeat included: Report co-author Ailsa Henderson, of the University of Edinburgh, said: "There is clearly a divergence between the perception among Yes voters that the offer of more powers was an important aspect of the campaign and reality of how No voters reached their decision. "The issue of 'more powers' is not cited as the main reason for voting No. "However, Yes voters are convinced it caused a loss of nerve leading to support for the Union." Her colleague Dr Rob Johns, of the University of Essex, added: "The trajectory of opinion during the campaign suggests that the drift back to No predated the famous 'Vow' on the Daily Record's front cover. "It is not unusual for a misleading narrative to develop about what swung an election or referendum. According to our data, anyone who thinks 'it was the Vow wot won it' is exaggerating, to say the least. "However, once these narratives develop, they can be hard to shift. We may well see the effect of this one when voters turn out for the general election in May." YouGov questioned 4,849 people between 22 August and 17 September, 2014. They surveyed another 3,719 people from 22 to 26 September. Scottish Conservative chief whip John Lamont said: "All three pro-UK parties came up with plans for a more powerful Scottish Parliament before the referendum and, whoever is in power after the general election, those powers will be delivered to make Holyrood a more responsible and accountable parliament. "Contrary to Alex Salmond's bluster, we have all been good to our word on delivering these powers." A Scottish Labour spokesman commented: "While it is interesting to carry out these academic exercises, at the end of the day a substantial majority of the electorate voted to stay part of the UK." A spokesman for the SNP said: "While we were disappointed with the result of the referendum, this study shows that a clear legacy has been greater political involvement, particularly amongst young people, and that is something to be proud of. "Polling conducted immediately after the referendum showed that a quarter of No voters regarded the promise of extra powers as important in informing their decision - and nearly 10% of No voters only made up their mind in the last week. "Undoubtedly, the Westminster parties published the Vow because all of their information indicated that it would have a big impact on the result."
The promise of more powers for Holyrood made little difference to the outcome of the independence referendum, according to a new report.
Glen Daly, 24, of Essex, was riding a moped when he was hit by a lorry in June 2009. Stefanis Konstantino, then 46, was convicted in 2013 of negligent homicide and fleeing the crash. He was sentenced to 23 months in prison. Mr Daly's mother, Dorothy, said she dreaded the court hearing in June 2016. Under Greek law, Mr Konstantino was not required to serve time in prison but was able to complete his sentence by paying a fine to the court. He had pulled out of a layby, hitting Mr Daly, and drove off. The court's sentence angered Mrs Daly, her husband Les and son and daughter, who travelled to Heraklion for the case. Speaking to the BBC, Mrs Daly said they would return to Crete and hear the same harrowing evidence just four days after the anniversary of Glen's death. It is understood his lifelong friend Tony Atkins, who was holidaying with him and was riding a separate moped, will also be required at the hearing. "As if it is not enough what we have been through already," said Mrs Daly, of Chadwell St Mary, near Grays. "I still find it very hard to come to terms with. "That inhumane driver has destroyed our lives, and denied my son his life, and he still wants us to go through the court again. "That driver took my life when he took Glen's. Nothing has changed for me since the 6 June 2009, when Glen died. "I'm just existing, getting through every day. "I can't get it out of my mind, reliving every day what happened to Glen - why the lorry driver pulled out when he did, and seeing Glen in the mortuary." Mrs Daly said should Konstantino win his case the family would appeal the decision in the Supreme Court. "I made a promise to Glen the day he died and when we visited him in the Chapel of Rest, that I will never stop fighting for justice, even down to my last breath," she said. Mrs Daly has previously said the original criminal case would not have come to court were it not for her family's dogged persistence in finding witnesses. In 2012, Konstantino was found responsible for Glen's death in a civil case brought by the Dalys. The family's Crete-based lawyer, George Kopidakis, said a defendant had the right to appeal against a court's decision without justification. He said he believed the driver's conviction would be upheld.
A lorry driver who killed a British holidaymaker in a crash in Crete has been described as "inhumane" for appealing against his conviction.
The Copyright Alert System (Cas), notified internet subscribers whose accounts had been used to download copyrighted content for free. Copyright holders hailed the scheme a success, despite its closure. But critics said there was no evidence to show that the system had brought down piracy levels. Content bodies, such as the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America ) and the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) have long lobbied for greater punishments for content-stealing and finally agreed the "six strikes" plan with several of the US's large internet service providers in 2013. Under the scheme, millions of notices were sent to consumers believed to have downloaded content without paying for it. The system was complex - the first two notices were purely educational, the third and fourth required a response from the consumer and on the fifth and sixth notices, consumers might face punishments - such as having their internet speeds throttled. This was left up to the internet service provider, which could also terminate the account if it wanted to. The Center for Copyright Information, which administered the system, explained that it had now been dropped. "After four years of extensive consumer education and engagement, the Copyright Alert System will conclude its work. The programme demonstrated that real progress is possible when content creators, internet innovators and consumer advocates come together in a collaborative and consensus-driven process." Little information was available about how successful the scheme had been although it appears that no action was taken against those who received six strikes. According to the Center for Copyright Information, 1.3 million alerts were sent out in the programme's first 10 months and fewer than than 3% of those were sixth strikes. MPAA lawyer Steven Fabrizio said in a statement: "While CAS demonstrates that a significant number of users who received alerts stopped engaging in piracy, fulfilling CAS' educational goal, a persistent group of hard-core, repeat infringers are unlikely to change their behaviour. Ernesto van der Sar, editor of piracy news website TorrentFreak told the BBC, copyright holders and ISPs have been working on an improved version of the Cas for more than a year but had failed to reach agreement. "In recent years a lot of copyright infringement has moved away from BitTorrent networks to streaming and direct downloading, which isn't covered by the programme. This has made the warning system less effective on a grander scale," he said. In May 2015, the Internet Security Task Force, which represents a range of film studios, criticised the system as ineffective. It used the example of the film Expendables 3 which it claimed had been illegally viewed "more than 60 million times". Mr van der Sar added: "The news doesn't reflect well on the Get it Right programme, which is the UK equivalent of the Copyright Alerts System without the mitigation measures." UK ISPs have just begun sending out warning emails to customers identified as having their connection used for illegally downloading content. The notifications advise consumers about legal alternatives, rather than threaten any form of punishment.
A controversial programme that could have seen persistent content-pirates have their internet access cut off, has been stopped in the US.
The Oxford English Dictionary definition of Pidgin is: A language containing lexical and other features from two or more languages, characteristically with simplified grammar and a smaller vocabulary than the languages from which it is derived, used for communication between people not having a common language; a lingua franca. Simply put, Pidgin English is a mixture of English and local languages which enables people who do not share a common language to communicate. Most African countries are made up of numerous different ethnic groups who do not necessarily have a lingua franca, so Pidgin has developed. It is widely spoken in Nigeria, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon. There are differences, because English is mixed with different languages in each country but they are usually mutually intelligible. A form of Pidgin has developed into a mother tongue for the Krio community in Sierra Leone, which non-Krios can find difficult to understand. "It's quite fluid, it keeps changing all the time and it's expressive as well," says Bilkisu Labran, head of the new BBC language services for Nigeria. "Sometimes, if you don't have a word for something, you can just create an onomatopoeic sound and just express yourself. And it will be appreciated and understood. "I can talk about the gun shots that went 'gbagbagba' and you get my gist. So it vividly captures it instead of describing or trying to find a word to say: 'The gun shots were very loud'." Also, Pidgin hardly follows standard grammatical rules so "you can lose things like verbs", by saying: 'I dey go' to mean 'I'm going'. Other examples are: It is difficult to know the precise number of speakers across the region as it is not formally studied in schools and is spoken in varying degrees of proficiency. But many millions of people undoubtedly speak it on a daily basis, especially young people. Nigeria is estimated to have between three and five million people who primarily use Pidgin in their day-to-day interactions. But it is said to be a second language to a much higher number of up to 75 million people in Nigeria alone - about half the population. Although it is commonly spoken, Pidgin is not an official language anywhere in West Africa. In many schools, children are disciplined if they are caught speaking Pidgin, rather than English. However, some local radio stations do broadcast in Pidgin. West African Pidgin English, also called Guinea Coast Creole English, was a language of commerce spoken along the coast during the Atlantic slave trade in the late 17th and 18th Centuries. This allowed British slave merchants and local African traders to conduct business. It later spread to other parts of the West African colonies, becoming a useful trade language among local ethnic groups who spoke different languages.
The BBC is launching 11 new language services and one of them is English-based Pidgin, which is one of the most widely spoken languages across West Africa, even though it is not officially recognised.
The teams are tied 1-1 after the Lions won the series opener and the Jones says Gatland must ponder changes beyond those forced by injury. "The final Test... will define Warren Gatland's coaching career with the Lions," said pundit Jones. Parling is lightweight and ineffectual as a second row, so I wouldn't be surprised if there's a change there The former Llanelli and Cardiff flanker, whose career was ended by a serious neck injury in 1997, believes Gatland is likely to replace injured skipper Sam Warburton with Ireland's Sean O'Brien. But he says if fit, England prop Alex Corbisiero (calf) and Wales centre Jamie Roberts (hamstring) should come in. Jones would also select Wales number eight Toby Faletau ahead of Ireland's Jamie Heaslip and Wales hooker Richard Hibbard's added scrum power over England's livewire Tom Youngs. And Jones also says England lock Geoff Parling, who took over from injured Irishman Paul O'Connell (broken arm) for the second Test defeat, should also make way. "I think Parling is lightweight and ineffectual as a second row so I wouldn't be surprised if there's a change there," said Jones. "And I think if you're going to pick a big team to scrimmage Australia to win the final Test, I think Hibbard probably comes into the reckoning. Media playback is not supported on this device "And for me, I think Faletau has been the better eight than Heaslip. "But then you're making seven changes to the team for the final Test, the deciding Test; and the Test, really, that will define Warren Gatland's coaching career with the Lions. "And that's a big gamble to make for 80 minutes of rugby - to completely change half your side. "I don't know if we'll see that many changes, but there will have to be at least four or five. "He's not that much of a gambler. He's bold occasionally with individuals." Jones doubts the Lions will change their powerplay approach - dubbed "Warrenball" in the Australia media - or that Warburton's Wales open-side rival Justin Tipuric will earn a Test start. "The natural replacement for Warburton would be O'Brien, who plays the same type of game as a competitive tackle-area seven rather than the more open and looser player that Tipuric is," said Jones. "Having said that, the last game anyway was run by Australia. "It was open, it was fluid and in those sorts of environments I think that Tipuric would be more effective. "But I doubt whether he'll get the start."
Warren Gatland's British and Irish Lions coaching reputation will be on the line in Saturday's decider against Australia, says ex-Wales captain Gwyn Jones.
Twenty thousand properties in Lancashire were left without power after a high voltage fault. The Metrolink suspended all tram lines due to lightning strikes and Manchester Airport had to divert incoming flights. Surface water caused delays on the roads and to trains in the region. Electricity North West said homes in Colne, Burnley and Nelson have been affected by the power cut. The Environment Agency issued a number of flood warnings for south Manchester, with Fallowfield, Chorlton-cum-Hardy and Rusholme among the areas affected. Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) reported "high numbers" of 999 calls made after the storms hit. GMFRS said it received 106 calls between 18:30 and 20:00 from people reporting flooding and weather related issues. They included a woman and children trapped inside a car in flood water under a railway bridge in Stockport and electrical faults caused by flooding water. Manchester Airport was unable to accept any incoming flights during the height of the storm and had to divert a number of planes to other airports. Manchester City's Champions League group clash at home to German side Borussia Mönchengladbach was postponed less than half an hour before kick off due to a flooded Etihad Stadium pitch. It has been rearranged for 19:45 BST on Wednesday. The cosmetics counters at Manchester's Harvey Nichols department store were flooded as well. Meteorologist Mark Wilson said there was a lot of rain in a "very short space of time" in the region and "a lot" of thunder and lightning. Mr Wilson said: "Prestbury had 32.4mm of rain in an hour - which is pretty exceptional." He added the band of rain and thunderstorms looks set to push eastwards into Yorkshire and up to Scotland over the course of the night.
Torrential storms have struck the north west of England's transport system and caused the postponement of Manchester City's Champions League game.
Ideye has not played for the Super Eagles since November 2013 and he also missed out on the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. He was named in a 28-man squad for Nigeria's fixtures against Uganda and South Africa on 25 and 29 March respectively. We wish him a speedy recovery and hope to see Ideye when the Nations Cup qualifiers start in June But the 26-year-old did not play in his club's 3-0 loss at Manchester City on Saturday, with West Brom medical staff telling Ideye he would be out of action for a week. As a result, he was forced to withdraw from the squad on Sunday, according to Super Eagles officials. "A minor injury has forced Brown Ideye to pull out of the Super Eagles friendlies against Uganda and South Africa," national team spokesman Toyin Ibitoye told BBC Sport. "It's only a minor setback for him. We all know it would have been a good return to the international fold after a long absence. "But his health is more important. We wish him a speedy recovery and hope to see Ideye when the Nations Cup qualifiers start in June." Ideye has scored five goals in 24 appearances for Nigeria. In 2013, he helped his country clinch their third Africa Cup of Nations title, scoring in the 4-1 semi-final victory over Mali. A member of their 2010 World Cup squad in South Africa, Ideye was omitted from the Nigeria squad that reached the second round at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
West Bromwich Albion striker Brown Ideye's return to international football has been stalled by a 'minor injury' that has forced him out of the Nigeria squad for two friendly matches next week.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the gap between imports and exports narrowed to £8.1bn in June, down from £8.7bn in May. The ONS also said construction output grew more in the second quarter of the year than it had first estimated. The data rounds off a week of positive economic news. The trade gap in goods with non-EU countries fell sharply from £4bn in May to £2.6bn in June, well below forecasts of a £3.8bn deficit. UK manufacturers have been urged to trade with countries outside Europe - which have been growing far more quickly in recent years - rather than with those in the eurozone, where growth is much weaker. However, the UK's single biggest trading partner remains the eurozone. Although the UK usually imports more goods from other countries than it exports, it normally makes more from services sold abroad than it imports, and taking this into account the overall trade gap, including both goods and services, was £1.55bn, the lowest since January. Over the three months to June, export volumes grew by 5.9% almost twice as fast as the growth in imports. June exports were worth £26.9bn, taking the total for the three months to the end of June to £78.4bn, a record sum. "This positive trade data supports our view that the manufacturing sector will gain momentum and will be a source of growth for the UK economy over the coming years," said Rachel Pettigrew, senior economist at the EEF manufacturers' organisation. The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said the fall in the trade gap was "welcome", but added that the deficit was "still too large". "We aren't making enough progress in rebalancing our economy towards net exports," said David Kern, chief economist at the BCC. "Our recent surveys reveal huge untapped potential among British exporters, especially in the service sector, and unleashing this potential will help to secure a sustainable recovery." Separately, the ONS released data on construction output, showing it rose by 1,4% in the three months to the end of June, up from the previous estimate of 0.9%. Earlier in the week, ONS figures showed that manufacturing output rose in June at the strongest pace since the end of 2010. Other surveys have also pointed to strong growth in the service sector and in retail sales.
The UK goods trade deficit shrank to its smallest amount in almost a year in June, official figures have shown, helped by a rise in exports.
The victim, 78-year-old Brian Hurry, was found at an address in Bramwoods Road, Chelmsford, on Saturday, Essex Police said. The arrested woman, aged 41, and the men, aged 24 and 43, all from Chelmsford, are being held in custody. Investigators are at the scene, which remains cordoned off. A post-mortem examination is yet to take place.
Two men and a woman have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man was found dead in Essex.
The proposed £6.5m station in Ilkeston is one of four schemes that successfully applied for money from a £20m Department for Transport fund. Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said the scheme had been awarded £4.5m from the New Station Fund. The station will open in 2014 and will connect Ilkeston to Northern Rail's Sheffield to Nottingham route. Mr McLoughlin, who is also a Conservative MP for Derbyshire Dales, said: "Ilkeston is one of the largest towns in the country that doesn't actually have a railway connection. "The truth of the matter is we've seen massive growth on the railways over the past 15 years. The pressure on me as secretary of state is to provide more services." Ilkeston once had three railway stations but lost the last one in 1967 after it was axed in the Beeching Report. The new building will be located near the site of Ilkeston's last station. It will have two platforms, automated ticket machines, a 150-space car park and a taxi rank. Jessica Lee, Conservative MP for Erewash, said: "This is fantastic news for Ilkeston. We need a station to help people get out and about for training and jobs and also to bring businesses into the town. I have no doubt at all, this is a real win for the town." Derbyshire County Council has agreed to provide £750,000 of funding for the station. Additional contributions will come from Erewash Borough Council and other funding sources. Glennice Birkin, a Labour county councillor for Ilkeston, said the fact the scheme was going ahead was wonderful news. "People have signed petitions for years and years to get a station in Ilkeston," she said. "I imagine it will be very popular." Other new stations to benefit from the funding were schemes in Newcourt in Devon, Lea Bridge in London and Pye Corner in Newport.
A new railway station is to be built in a Derbyshire town after the scheme got government backing.
Tom the cat had taken to the tree near his owner's home in Sawston, Cambridgeshire, on Friday, while being looked after by a neighbour. Having tried everything to get the forlorn feline down, they eventually called the RSPCA who turned to the county's fire service to rescue him. Tom was safely back on all four paws on solid ground after about an hour. Officers from Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service came to Tom's rescue at about 13:45 BST on Wednesday. "The cat was about 40ft up in a tree. We had to cut through brambles to even get to the tree," crew commander Jason Leach said. "The owners were away on holiday and the neighbour who has been looking after him tried everything to get him down." The neighbour had done the right thing by not attempting to rescue the moggy themselves, he said. "It is important members of the public do not attempt to carry out rescues which could put themselves in danger," Mr Leach said. The cat was said to be none-the-worse for his ordeal, although "a little hungry". "We're happy Tom the cat is safe, and hopefully he won't go on any more adventures while his owner is on holiday," Mr Leach added.
A cat pining for its holidaying owners had to be rescued after spending six days stuck 40ft (12m) up a tree.
By far the most numerous victims of violence in these conflicts were Muslims. Another study looking at six conflicts worldwide in 2012 - in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sudan, Somalia, Syria and Yemen - found that the majority of armed/insurgent groups involved had a jihadist ideology. While the world as a whole is arguably becoming less violent, certain regions, in particular the Middle East, are going in the opposite direction. It is in that context that Tunisia's declaration of a state of emergency - a week after the mass killings in Sousse - takes on added meaning. Tunisia's leader blamed the poor security in neighbouring Libya for the country's problems. He also took aim at the international community for what he claimed was a lack of resolve in tackling the so-called Islamic State. He said Tunisia was a target because it had a functioning, secular democracy and that terrorists posed an existential threat to the nation. It is recognition of the scale of the radical jihadist threat in countries, big and small, throughout the region. The scale of the long bloody war in Syria, the ongoing battle for control of parts of Iraq, and the collapse of Libya have inadvertently taken attention away from the growing threat to stability and security elsewhere in the region. Tunisia is not alone. Algeria is another country that continues to face sporadic violence. Serving as the gateway between Africa and Europe, it has been torn by conflict over the last half-century. Although political violence has declined since the 1990s, the country has been shaken by a campaign of bombings by a group calling itself Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). Similar but separate jihadist groups have emerged in recent years throughout the Sahara region, reinforced by weapons obtained through militias operating in neighbouring Libya. In Mali, jihadist insurgency continues. Earlier this year, militants attacked the northern town of Nampala, killing five people. The militants have been fighting the Malian army for a number of years. The latest phase of the insurgency began after a French-led military intervention in 2013, aimed at driving out jihadist militants from towns they had seized in northern Mali and declared to be an "Islamic state". The French military action dispersed but did not destroy the extremists, and sporadic attacks have continued. Egypt under President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, the former military chief, is cracking down hard on internal threats, perceived or real. The Muslim Brotherhood is outlawed and its leading lights face execution. Yet the regime faces a growing jihadist insurgency in Sinai. The most lethal insurgent group seems to be Sinai Province, and was previously called Ansar Beit al-Maqdis. It is an affiliate of IS, and has operated there since 2011. The group has launched frequent attacks against security forces and military infrastructure, and seems to have adopted some of the techniques used by IS in terms of recruiting new members using online propaganda. Libya is a failed state, overrun by militias and with no real functioning government. Increasingly though, the country is posing even bigger problems for its neighbours, serving as a pathway for weapons and Islamists intent on exporting terror further afield. Jordan remains perched on a delicate precipice. It lacks wealth or natural resources but has been a dependable strategic ally for America and others in the Middle East. But militant groups have established a growing presence on Jordan's borders with Syria and Iraq. The country has a long history of trouble with extremist groups. IS carried out the killing of a captured Jordanian pilot earlier this year. Some 2,000 or so Jordanian nationals are believed to have joined jihadist groups in Iraq and Syria. King Abdullah is in the sights of the extremists, in part for joining the international coalition against IS. The conflict in Syria shows no sign of an early resolution and highlights yet again how conflict within one country can ignite much wider repercussions. From week to week the apparent winners and losers change form. It's increasingly hard for outside observers to know who is fighting who. This is because Syria has become a proxy war between regional powers -Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Iran - as much as a fight between the Assad regime and its various opponents, of which the jihadists - split into at least two groups - are but one. Some observers speak now not so much of a generational Sunni-Shia conflict but more of a Cold War between Sunni power Saudi Arabia and Shia rival Iran. To understand what's going on in the Middle East, they say, requires us to look at everything through this prism. In this analysis, Iran has emerged as a stronger power in the wake of the 2003 Iraq war. It now has a wide influence throughout the region, in particular over Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. The Saudis, according to this thesis, have belatedly woken up to the Iranian threat. They are fighting back by supporting Iran's enemies in Syria and Iraq and more recently anti-Iranian factions in Yemen. The conflict in Yemen - bloody and in danger of being forgotten by the wider world - can also be seen through this prism, although a temporary ceasefire has just been put in place. The Saudis are determined to persist with their military action in Yemen, bombing the Shia Houthi rebels in that country, to ensure that Yemen does not fall under the influence of Iran (although the stated aim is to restore the government) The Saudis accuse Iran of arming the Houthis, something which the Houthis and Iran deny. Same too for the uneasy peace in Bahrain, home to the US Fifth Fleet, and a small but important battleground for bigger regional forces. It too potentially lies at the heart of a tussle between Iran and the Saudis. The country's Sunni monarchy, backed by the Saudis, rules over a restive Shia majority population, many of whom look to Iran. Here too, say some observers, a Sunni-Shia conflict might just as plainly be stated as a Saudi-Iranian stand-off. All in all, the populations of the Middle East find themselves victims to spreading conflict within and beyond their borders. The very meaning of nationhood, say some, is under threat from the resurgence of sectarian and ethnic identities. The extremists are filling the vacuum.
According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a significant proportion of all the fatalities in armed conflicts around the world last year were in wars in the Middle East.
Fox-Pitt, 47, made the decision after his intended Badminton ride, Parklane Hawk, fell at a cross-country event at Weston Park earlier this month. In a message posted on his website he said: "I have decided that we have run out of time for Badminton." He won Badminton last year aboard the stallion Chilli Morning. Fox-Pitt, Britain's most successful rider with 20 major championship medals, was placed in an induced coma after a serious fall in France last October. The 2016 Badminton Horse Trials take place between 4-8 May.
Defending champion and Britain's former world number one William Fox-Pitt has withdrawn from next month's Badminton Horse Trials.
The Italian Ducati rider, 27, finished 0.938 seconds ahead of compatriot and team-mate Andrea Dovizioso to give the team its first win since 2010. Reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo was third, while fellow Spaniard Marc Marquez was fifth but retains his lead in the overall standings. Britons Scott Redding and Bradley Smith finished in eighth and ninth. Austrian MotoGP result: 1. Andrea Iannone (Ita) Ducati 39 mins 46.255 seconds 2. Andrea Dovizioso (Ita) Ducati +0.938 seconds 3. Jorge Lorenzo (Spa) Yamaha +3.389 seconds 4. Valentino Rossi (Ita) Yamaha +3.815 seconds 5. Marc Marquez (Spa) Honda +11.813 seconds 6. Maverick Vinales (Spa) Suzuki +14.341 seconds 7. Dani Pedrosa (Spa) Honda +17.063 seconds 8. Scott Redding (GB) Ducati +29.437 seconds 9. Bradley Smith (GB) Yamaha +29.785 seconds 10. Pol Espargaro (Spa) Yamaha +37.094 seconds Also: 15. Cal Crutchlow (GB) Honda +1 minute 3.246 seconds Overall standings (after race 10 of 18): 1. Marc Marquez (Spa) Honda 181 points 2. Jorge Lorenzo (Spa) Yamaha 138 3. Valentino Rossi (Ita) Yamaha 124 4. Dani Pedrosa (Spa) Honda 105 5. Maverick Vinales (Spa) Suzuki 93 6. Andrea Iannone (Ita) Ducati 88 7. Andrea Dovizioso (Ita) Ducati 79 8. Pol Espargaro (Spa) Yamaha 78 9. Hector Barbera (Spa) Ducati 65 10. Scott Redding (GB) Ducati 53 11. Eugene Laverty (Ire) Ducati 53 12. Aleix Espargaro (Spa) Suzuki 51 13. Jack Miller (Aus) Honda 42 14. Bradley Smith (GB) Yamaha 42 15. Cal Crutchlow (GB) Honda 41
Andrea Iannone won the Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg to claim his first Moto GP victory.
Charity Bristol Mediation has been given £10,000 of public money to "bring road users together". But doubts about the plan have united some. Cyclist Hugh Marshall called it a "cosmetic exercise" and the Alliance of British Drivers said "it's a joke". The council said it looked forward to "seeing positive results". Bristol Mediation, which helps neighbourhoods to resolve conflicts and disputes, is running the Road Sharing Restorative Approach scheme. It said the city was well known for its clogged streets as cars, bikes, buses, taxis and lorries competed for space which "can lead to road rage and conflict". Some road users who spoke to BBC Bristol did not think the project was a solution to the issue. Mr Marshall, who has been cycling for 40 years, said there had been an "explosion in cycling" in the past five years and suggested an adult cycling test. "Quite a good percentage of these new cyclists are either contemptuous of the Highway Code, or completely ignorant of the Highway Code," he said. Bob Bull, from the Alliance of British Drivers, said: "The problem is that cyclists can do what they like, where they like, when they like and there's no repercussions. That clearly isn't the case for motorists. "These are the circumstances that breed people's feelings, so you end up with the situation where motorists are seen as anti-cyclist. It's a complete waste of money." The project, which will also produce a short film, is one of several community safety projects to be awarded funding from the office of Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens. The council, part of the Safer Bristol Partnership which distributes the money, said it was "always supportive of any project that encourages positive relationships between all different road users".
Cyclists and drivers are being asked to find ways to share Bristol's "congested streets" without resorting to road rage.
Simon Chaplin, 62, of Hebron, rigged a bucket of diesel, a pump and pipes in his Peugeot 309. He activated it after a police officer tried to pull him over for speeding near Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire. Chaplin must do 100 hours unpaid work and was given six points on his licence at Swansea Crown Court on Tuesday. PC Dafydd Burge of Dyfed-Powys Police said Chaplin filled the road with fumes as he followed him along country lanes. He finally pulled over after about five miles and PC Burge, who was forced to keep a distance from him, was able to follow the trail of smoke to find him. Chaplin was convicted of causing a danger to other road users by deliberately causing smoke to be emitted and admitted driving without insurance and threatening behaviour. He said he "sort of panicked" when he saw the policeman's flashing blue lights and told the court the device, which he borrowed from another man, was used to kill moles. Judge Elwen Evans QC, said: "It is in very unusual circumstances that you find yourself before the court. I do not want to see you here again."
A Carmarthenshire driver who tried to shake off a chasing police officer by deploying a smokescreen has been given a community order.
Medway NHS Foundation Trust said its death rate was now 100.19, almost in line with the national average of 100. The latest statistics were revealed weeks ahead of a full inspection of the hospital, which will take place at the end of the month. Medical director of Medway Maritime Hospital Diana Hamilton-Fairley said a range of changes had been put in place. "It's no secret that our high mortality rate was one of the overriding reasons we were placed into special measures back in 2013," she said. She said the NHS trust had made changes to ensure patients received safe and compassionate treatment with a better safety culture throughout the hospital, and a focus on recognising and responding quickly to patients whose conditions deteriorated. Staff had also been trained on using the National Early Warning Score which determines the severity of a patient's illness and when critical care is required, she added. New procedures had been brought in for emergency admissions, frail, elderly patients and those with chronic respiratory and cardiac conditions, she added. Ms Hamilton-Fairley said other positive outcomes had also been seen which the trust hoped would stand it in good stead for the forthcoming inspection. The hospital was placed in special measures after the Keogh review. Fourteen NHS trusts were found to have high death rates in 2010-11 and 2011-12, and 11 were placed in special measures.
A hospital placed in special measures because of high death rates has seen its mortality figures fall.
Former drug addict Blair Bell gave a statement to police in 2013 in which he said Paul Sands asked him about a gun. But in a second interview he said he was not sure if Mr Sands, or another man who was present, had asked him. Mr Sands, Anton Duffy, Martin Hughes, and John Gorman, deny plotting to kill Johnny Adair and Sam McCrory. The High Court in Glasgow has already heard that Mr Adair and his best friend Mr McCrory were both former members of prohibited Loyalist terror organisations the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) and its paramilitary wing the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF). They were involved in the Good Friday agreement in 1998 which brought peace to Northern Ireland, and both have been living in Ayrshire for a number of years. The court heard that Mr Bell, 28, gave a statement to police in October 2013 in which he claimed to have given his friend Robert Telfer, in the company of Mr Sands, a lift to Asda in Prestwick, South Ayrshire. During that drive he initially told police that: "Sands once asked me where I could get a gun, but I didn't entertain him." In a second police interview Mr Bell claimed that he was not sure if it was Mr Sands or Mr Telfer who had mentioned guns. In evidence, Mr Bell was asked by prosecutor Paul Kearney: "Who asked you to source a gun," and replied: "One of then - Robert Telfer or Paul Sands." Mr Kearney asked: "What type of gun was it," and Mr Bell replied: "It was never mentioned." The prosecutor then asked: "What was the gun for," and Mr Bell said: "It was never mentioned." Defence QC Donald Findlay, representing Mr Sands, suggested to Mr Bell that the conversation about a gun never took place, but he denied this was the case. When asked why people would think he knew how to source a gun, Mr Bell replied that he had boasted to a friend about being shown a gun by Gambian drug dealers in 2007. He told the court that the Gambians were called Disco Dave, Mo and Sidu and claimed he had met them in a pub in Ayr. Mr Bell told the court that he drove these three men between Glasgow and Ayr around 2007 and claimed that on one occasion they took him into their flat and there was a gun on the table. He was asked how often he had discussed guns with the Gambians and replied: "Four or five times." He said he had mentioned this to a friend and added: "I was boasting about it." Mr Duffy, 39, Mr Hughes, 36, Mr Sands, 31, and Mr Gorman, 58, deny plotting to murder Mr Adair and Mr McCrory. It is also claimed Mr Duffy and Mr Gorman were allegedly part of a plan to murder the governor of Barlinnie jail Derek McGill in a car bomb attack. Three other men - Craig Convery, 37, Gary Convery, 34, and Gordon Brown, 29, - deny organised crime charges. The trial before judge Lady Scott continues.
One of four men accused of plotting to kill two former UDA leaders in Scotland allegedly asked a man if he could obtain a gun, a court has heard.
By bringing together some of the best content we remember the moments that made us 'ROFL' or 'SMH' or both. (That's 'roll on the floor laughing' or 'shake my head' for anyone over 30). So enjoy, relive and share. It would be folly to start anywhere else but Leicester City. The naysayers declared there was more chance of finding Elvis alive than the Foxes winning the title. In fact the odds for both occurrences were the same - a generous 5,000-1. The bookies forked out an estimated £20m on Leicester's achievement, now if 'The King' reappears that would definitely have them all shook up. Media playback is not supported on this device One Leicester fan who should keep his hip swinging to a minimum at the start of next season is Gary Lineker. This is what the Match of the Day presenter tweeted in December: And this is a mock up of what it could look like (a bit generous perhaps): Week after week Leicester and their players were among the top trending topics, culminating in the explosion that occurred on 2 May moments after Tottenham's dreams were obliterated. By this point the 'Vardy Party', which will undoubtedly become a club night in the city, was well and truly under way at the striker's home. England player Jamie Vardy, or was it his lookalike, partied like it was 1999 (RIP Prince) with as many of the squad he could cram into his... eight-bedroom £1m mansion. It was perhaps fitting that captain and tattoo parlour aficionado Wes Morgan, having performed heroics throughout the campaign, provided one of the moments of the social season when he was dragged along the kitchen-come-dancefloor. There weren't too many other clubs who deserve a slap on the back, but a special mention should go West Ham, Bournemouth and Watford. The Hammers' beanie-wearing manager Slaven Bilic inspired his side to some memorable wins - coming back from 2-0 down to beat Everton, the FA Cup extra-time victory over Liverpool, to name two. A top-seven finish is a great way to say #FarewellBoleyn. His chief playmaker in the success was Dimitri Payet - a summer signing who turned free-kicks into an art form, literally. Cherries boss Eddie Howe, who we discovered has a penchant for breakfast-time news conferences, and Hornets counterpart Quique Sanchez Flores, fresh from apparently filming The Night Manager, ruined many a pre-season Premier League prediction. Including this one: Where do we start? Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and, of course, Everton all underwhelmed. Chelsea's implosion was perhaps the most spectacular. They were a strong tip to retain their title, but by the end of December they were 16th and an outside bet to go down. The ultimate ignominy was having to again sack the club's Special One, Jose Mourinho, resulting from several contributing factors. Or perhaps the ultimate jibe was West Ham's co-owner's tweet after his side defeated the beleaguered Blues back in October. As for another strong favourite, Manchester City, their season followed a similar trajectory to this trending graph below which highlights the moment when it was confirmed Pep Guardiola would be taking charge of the team from next season. The red half of Manchester spent an astonishing £36m (rising to an even more astonishing £58m) for a teenage forward many of us only became familiar with on the day he signed. Louis van Gaal's side were beset by injuries during a curious campaign which finished with the side missing out on a Champions League spot but with a place in the FA Cup final. Van Gaal out? Read below. As for Arsenal, move aside 'Brexit', the big 'in or out' debate trotted out was whether Arsene Wenger should remain manager of the Gunners or not. Aside from the fact the Frenchman led the side to second place and a 20th (TWENTIETH) successive Champions League qualification, he continues to be pilloried more by his own supporters than those who don't follow the club. The committed leader of 'Wengxit' was in full campaign mode when in April the Gunners boss suggested that his side played in a "difficult climate" at home. And Everton? All those very good international players and a manager who endeared himself to many with his football philosophy and dancing to Jason Derulo - where did it all go wrong? Will they? Won't they? How dare they! There is a lot to be said for managing a so-called lesser club whose seasonal expectations do not amount to more than mid-table safety. The pressure gauge was ticking low for the likes of Howe, Mark Hughes and, to a lesser extent, Alan Pardew, but for others speculation of their futures was rife. City's Manuel Pellegrini seemed to be the last person to know he was going to be replaced by Pep Guardiola, although he does have a great poker face. And, as touched on above, Van Gaal's future has been questioned - often directly at the man himself - since it was reported United chiefs had spoken to Mourinho about taking over next season. The Dutchman is contracted at Old Trafford until the end of the 2016-17 campaign. Fans have had a love-hate relationship with him. They've been baffled: Puzzled: Media playback is not supported on this device And amused: Whether the Premier League is treated to another season of the Dutchman's idiosyncrasies remains to be seen. There were 10 'partings of company' this season - up five from the previous season, but down two from the 2013-14 campaign. The first of those took place one Super Sunday at the beginning of October when both Sunderland's Dick Advocaat and Liverpool's Brendan Rodgers were booted from the boot rooms. The live announcement of Rodgers' sacking on Sky Sports prompted the normally unruffled Thierry Henry to ruffle the trousers of fellow pundit Jamie Carragher, which in turn became one of the most shared football clips of the season. Tim Sherwood was next to depart later that month after leading Aston Villa to rock bottom, where they remained. Remi Garde, another young gaffer but minus the rogueish Home Counties charm, also went the same way in March. In what was a disappointing season for gilet-wearing managers, Garry Monk cleared his desk in December after leading Swansea to only one win in 11 league games. Chairman Huw Jenkins said: "The decision has been made very reluctantly and with a heavy heart." So perhaps you should have kept him? The big one came a week before Christmas when Mourinho, who had been on the brink for a while, was sacked by Chelsea for a second time. His side had almost done an 'anti-Leicester' by winning the title then performing dismally the following season. It seems to be either Manchester United or... Indonesia (?!) for the Portuguese. Next on our list is Steve McClaren, who held his brolly firmly to protect himself against the hail of criticism during his nine months at Newcastle. He spent north of £80m on transfers and departed with the club in 19th - best to leave that off the CV. Everton's Martinez had been hanging on a thread for a couple of weeks, until somebody grabbed the scissors on 12 May. Media playback is not supported on this device Both Pellegrini and Sanchez Flores said their goodbyes on the final day. The fate of the Spaniard - who led the Hornets to the FA Cup semi-finals and 13th place in the Premier League - was decided last week after both parties failed to agree whether the season was a success or not. The league will be a poorer place without his rustic appearance. Not since X Factor series one has there been this much excitement about up-and-coming British talent. Dele Alli took to the Premier League like a bottle to a Manchester United coach, with 10 goals in his debut top-flight season including that incredible strike against Crystal Palace in January. The 20-year-old was voted the PFA Young Player of the Year, and was shortlisted alongside team-mate Harry Kane, 22, who had another stellar campaign - that's now 59 goals in two seasons. Kane ditched his vanilla demeanour to post a photo of hunting lions in April to suggest Tottenham were closing the gap on leaders Leicester. Foxes counterpart and England colleague Vardy responded during some respite from the 'Vardy Party': At Manchester United, even the hardcore fans were asking "Who?" when first defender Cameron Borthwick-Jackson and more notably striker Marcus Rashford were introduced to the fold. Rashford was a last-minute addition to the starting line-up for their crucial second-leg match against Midtjylland in the Europa League. He scored twice to help United to a 5-1 victory and then grabbed two more against Arsenal on his Premier League debut, on his way to seven goals in 16 appearances. With the addition of an England call-up, how is he supposed to concentrate on his A-levels? France forward Martial, 20, who in September cost £58m more than Rashford, began his Old Trafford career in spectacular fashion with four goals in five games during what has been an impressive debut campaign. He was rewarded for his exploits with the Facebook Football young player of the year award. Like. Perhaps Manchester City's Kelechi Iheanacho might feel slightly hard done by that he was not in the running for any major awards having netted 13 times this season, often after coming on as a substitute. If the 19-year-old goes on to great things then Pellegrini would have left one heck of a legacy, though not many City fans would be about to praise him. Honourable mentions to Tottenham midfielder Eric Dier, Stoke keeper Jack Butland, Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho and forwards Arsenal's Alex Iwobi and Everton's Romelu Lukaku. With the exception of Aston Villa, who appeared hell bent on finishing bottom, all the relegation issues were not decided until the final week of the season. The fight for the remaining two places - aka the Race for the Championship - was settled last Wednesday when Sunderland secured their Premier League status with a 3-0 win over Everton and in turn sent both Norwich and Newcastle to the gallows. The Magpies replaced McClaren with Rafael Benitez, but to no avail. Former midfielder Joey Barton targeted owner Mike Ashley, who in his nine years at the helm has overseen two relegations. Do you get a Blue Peter badge for that? The Canaries' recent league status record reads like this: Championship, Premier League, Premier League, Premier League, Championship, Premier League and now Championship. The satirical Suffolk Gazette could not resist having a pop at Norfolk's beloved TV cook and Norwich's majority shareholder: The final word belongs to Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce, who was brought to the club in October with the Black Cats 19th and winless in their opening eight games. A few months later and he has managed to maintain his record of never taking a club down. Here's the Bleacher Report's take on Big Sam's great escape. With all the major issues decided, it seemed like the Premier League season would ease into a Yaya Toure jog on the final day. How wrong we were. By this stage, large sections of Old Trafford had already been evacuated. Speculation followed as to what the suspect package was and who could have been the perpetrator(s). The Greater Manchester Police stated it was an "incredibly lifelike" device, before it was later revealed to be a dummy device accidentally left behind after a security exercise. As you do. Away from those explosive events, we witnessed one of the most remarkable results of the season at St James' Park where relegated Newcastle defeated Tottenham 5-1. Benitez, still pondering whether a wet Tuesday night in Rotherham is enough for him to commit to the Magpies, roused both the fans and players as Spurs capitulated. What was more galling for Spurs was that by caving in they also lost second spot to north London rivals Arsenal. Gunners fans celebrated 'St Totteringham Day' on social media - the point in the season where Spurs can no longer finish above Arsenal. The league campaign eventually came to a conclusion on Tuesday, 18 May when Manchester United played their delayed game against Bournemouth. The match finished 3-1 to the men in red. They thought it was all over, it is now. Have you added the new Top Story alerts in the BBC Sport app? Simply head to the menu in the app - and don't forget you can also add score alerts your football team and more.
Tweeting explosions, biting memes and vines looping the exquisite farce of the Premier League soap opera - the twists, turns, highs and lows of the 2015-16 season were captured brilliantly on social media.
The 26-year-old Scot had previously won eight other world championship medals but clocked two minutes 54.369 seconds, to win the title, 0.12 seconds ahead of Canada's Marianne St-Gelais in second. She also reached the 500m final, but finished last of the four competitors. Christie has the chance of another gold in the 1000m on Sunday. "I never expected to win the 1500,'' said Christie. The world title represents an impressive resurgence from Christie, who said she was considering her future in the sport after being disqualified from all three of her events at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. Livingston-born Christie has been focusing on the shorter distance events this season and has already set a new 500m world record of 42.335 seconds. In the 1500m final, South Korea's Shim Suk-hee was third with her compatriot and defending champion Choi Min-jeong a distant fifth. Christie was unable to challenge in the 500m final, recording a time of 43.835 seconds, with China's Kexin Fan winning in 43.605.
Elise Christie became the first British woman to win a World Short Track Speed Skating Championships title with victory in the 1500m in Rotterdam.
Several MPs are to put their concerns to Southern and Network Rail at a transport task force meeting. Southern was severely criticised before Christmas after passengers faced major delays because of signal faults. The operator said services had been hit by infrastructure and train problems and staffing issues. At the time, it apologised "for the level of service" passengers had experienced but said it was "working very hard on the prevention of further issues". Commuters in the South East have also suffered months of disruption because of rebuilding work at London Bridge. Conservative Maria Caulfield, who represents Lewes, said the meeting on 18 January would give the region's MPs a chance to question Network Rail and Southern about the situation. "As it is in the first few weeks of the new year we'll be able to see what improvements they've made." Ms Caulfield, tweeted that it was "almost quicker to fly to space station by rocket than get home to Lewes by train" the day after British astronaut Tim Peake took six-and-a-half hours to reach the International Space Station. She told the BBC constituents were missing flights from Gatwick and important meetings because of problems on the network. Southern services were also branded "an appalling joke" in parliament on 17 December by Labour MP for Streatham Chuka Umunna, and criticised by Reigate's Conservative MP Crispin Blunt. In May, figures from the Office of Rail and Road revealed a fifth of trains operated by Southern did not meet arrival time targets.
Railway bosses are to be quizzed about train services in the South East which were branded an "appalling joke" by MPs.
The London-born, USA-raised 21-year-old will count as a foreign import because of his overseas junior development. "My dad loves it," he said. "It's different from soccer, but he loves the intensity of it. "He's only an hour and a half away, so he'll be able to get to watch me play more than he's ever done." Asked whether his football-mad dad, a former Brentford trialist and passionate Celtic and Scotland fan, understands the game, Stewart added: "I've told him that, whenever we score, or the opposition score, he's just got to make sure he cheers for the right team." "Liam is a very important signing for us," said Blaze head coach Danny Stewart. "He adds to our depth which will be crucial next season." Blaze, who won the Elite League five times in eight seasons between 2003 and 2010, finished sixth last season. Liam Stewart first developed an interest in ice hockey after moving to America to live with his mother in Southern California at the age of three. He played at a junior level with the Spokane Chiefs, before making two play-off appearances for the Quad City Mallards, and then making 13 appearances last season for the Alaska Aces. "I was there for a couple of months before I got injured," he said. "The injury is fully recovered now and I am itching to get back on the ice to start the season."
Elite League side Coventry Blaze have signed Liam Stewart, son of music legend Rod and former model Rachel Hunter, for the 2016-17 season.
A new personal savings allowance of £1,000 will be introduced in April next year, removing the first £1,000 of savings income from income tax. From later this year, people will be able to move money in and out of Isas without infringing their tax free contribution limit. And a new "Help to Buy" Isa will be launched to help people save for a deposit. As announced a few days ago, the government will consult on letting people who have bought annuities with their pension pots sell them, in return for a lump sum. Mr Osborne said the new personal savings allowance would come into effect in April 2016. This would, he said, create tax-free banking for almost the entire population. However, higher-rate taxpayers will benefit from a smaller personal savings allowance of only £500. Users of the BBC News app tap here for the Budget Calculator. And anyone earning more than £150,000 a year will not receive the benefit of the new savings allowance at all. This change, along with more flexibility for Isas, will cost taxpayers more than £1bn in 2016-17 and more than half a billion pounds each year thereafter. An important knock-on effect of these changes will be that from next April, banks and building societies will no longer deduct 20% income tax automatically from savings held outside an Isa. The chancellor hailed this as a major piece of tax simplification. "People have already paid tax once on their money when they earn it. They shouldn't have to pay tax a second time when they save it," he said. "With our new personal savings allowance, 17 million people will see the tax on their savings not just cut, but abolished." Richard Lloyd of the consumers' association Which? said: "The tax break and new flexibilities on savings will prove popular with the millions who have got a raw deal on their savings in recent years. "But there are still many savers whose money is languishing in extremely poor paying accounts, so the financial industry must now play fair and help people get a better return." On the new Isa rules for what he called a "fully flexible Isa", Mr Osborne explained that so long as Isa money is taken out and replaced during the same tax year, such a move would not count towards the annual Isa contribution limit, which is due to rise in any case to £15,240 this coming April. "If you take that money out, you lose your tax-free entitlement, and so can't put it back in," he said. "With the fully flexible Isa, people will have complete freedom to take money out, and put it back in later in the year, without losing any of their tax-free entitlement." However, this new flexibility will apply to cash Isas only, and not to stocks and shares Isas. Mr Osborne said the change would be scheduled for this autumn after consultation. Iain McCluskey of accountants PwC said: "The very significant Isa allowance increase over this Parliament has meant that many savers already pay no income tax on their savings. "The additional flexibility on Isa contributions is a further move to encourage saving through Isas and will be welcome for those who have to dip into Isa savings on those all too frequent rainy days." HM Revenue & Customs confirmed that this new flexibility meant that someone could move out their entire Isa savings, accumulated over many years, and then reinstate them within the current tax year to resume their tax-free status. As a further attempt to help first time buyers save a deposit to buy a home, a "Help to Buy" Isa will be created. Within this, the government will add 25% to whatever is contributed by a saver. The monthly maximum contribution from savers will be just £200, with the government adding just £50 a month at the most. The accounts will run indefinitely once opened. But if someone accumulates £12,000 over that time, a maximum of £3,000 will be added by the taxpayer. "Savers will have access to their own money and will be able to withdraw funds from their account if they need them for another purpose, but the bonus will only be made available for home purchase," the government said. The payment of the government bonus will only be triggered if the saver buys a home worth less than £450,000 in London, or less than £250,000 anywhere else. Paul Smee of the Council of Mortgage Lenders said: "Such steps are welcome. But as saving for a deposit will never become easy, we still need a clear focus on the supply of new housing that will help deliver a sustainable, affordable housing market over the long term." The cost of the tax subsidy to the Help to Buy Isa is estimated to rise from £230m in 2016-17 to £835m by 2019-20. To help pay for some of these tax concessions, the chancellor announced plans to further restrict pension tax relief. From 2016-17, the lifetime allowance - for pension savings that can be accumulated free of tax - will be cut from £1.25m to £1m. That will save the taxman £300m in 2016-17, rising to nearly £600m in 2019-20. From 2018, that allowance will be indexed to the consumer prices index (CPI) and will therefore start to rise again. Steven Cameron of insurance firm Aegon was disappointed. "A £1m pension pot may seem huge, but with improvements in health and life expectancy, people who retire at 60 may need to use their pension income to cover their costs for 30 years or more," he said. "If you want your pension to continue to your partner and rise with inflation, £1m will buy you less than £30k a year. Many people aspire to more than that." There will be no change to the annual allowance for pension savings, which stays at £40,000. Mr Osborne said changing that would have involved "penalising moderately-paid, long-serving public servants, including police officers, teachers and nurses, and instead rewarding higher-paid graduates". The change that will come into place will only affect the wealthiest pension savers. Government statistics show that among people about to retire, only 4% have pension savings worth more than £1m. It also justified its move by pointing out that in 2013-14, income tax relief for pensioners was worth a total of about £34bn, and of that about two-thirds went to people in the higher-rate or additional-rate tax bands.
Four big planned changes to encourage saving were outlined by the chancellor.
But Portugal will be without Bale's club-mate Cristiano Ronaldo, who has been granted time off after winning the Champions League with Real Madrid. Hodgson thought facing Ronaldo would be good preparation for facing Bale. "We were thinking about Gareth Bale," Hodgson said when he explained why Portugal had been chosen as opponents. Bale, the world's most expensive player, scored seven goals in qualifying as Wales reached a major finals for the first time in 58 years. "Of course he [Ronaldo] has been an unbelievably influential figure for all the clubs he has played for and Portugal as well, and we were thinking that Gareth Bale is in a somewhat similar position," Hodgson said. "So when we thought Portugal, we were thinking not only about their technical qualities and the fact they are a very good football team, but they also have a special individual." Wales and England meet in Lens on 16 June in Group B, which also contains Slovakia and Russia. "I believe now that might not be the case [that Ronaldo will play] but we're happy with the two opponents we've had so far [Australia and Turkey]. They've certainly put us to the test," Hodgson said. "I've been able to use quite a lot of players in those two games and we expect another tough test [against Portugal]. "But if we can get through that test and come away satisfied with what we've done and I can be satisfied with what I've seen, then I'd have to say the three preparation games have served their purpose."
England manager Roy Hodgson says he had been hoping to use Thursday's friendly with Portugal as a dress rehearsal for dealing with Wales winger Gareth Bale.
The preliminary figures show that operating profit will be 6.1tn won ($5.1bn; £3.5bn) for the October to December period, from 5.29tn won a year earlier. Analysts had expected the amount to be 6.6tn won, fuelling growth concerns. Samsung products have been hit by weak demand in China and currency woes. Operating profit fell 7.5% from the previous quarter. Sales at the world's biggest maker of memory chips and smartphones also missed forecasts at 53tn won for the period. Samsung does not break down its earnings results in the preliminary report, leaving analysts to speculate on how each business division is doing. But analysts predict that the latest forecast is a sign that the tech giant will face another tough year of weaker gadget sales as the smartphone market is saturated. Samsung is facing stiff competition at the top end of the market from Apple, while cheaper Chinese rivals are gaining ground in the mid to low level range for mobile devices. On Monday, chief executive Kwon Oh-hyun had warned that the firm faced challenges on weak global economic growth prospects. Final earnings results for the quarter are due to be released at the end of January.
Samsung Electronics says its operating profit is likely to rise 15% in the fourth quarter from a year ago, missing market expectations.
The 23-year-old is a centre who can also play wing and full-back. Asquith has played for Australia Sevens and Melbourne Rebels in Super Rugby. He said: "I believe that their style of play will suit my game and it will be beneficial for me to be able to develop my game alongside experienced players like British and Irish Lion Jonathan Davies and Scott Williams." Scarlets general manager of rugby Jon Daniels said: "He is a versatile player who can play right across the backline as well as giving us another kicking option. "Having experienced the Super Rugby and Australian Sevens environments Paul is keen to challenge himself in the northern hemisphere and we feel his skill set is a great match for our style of play."
Pro12 champions Scarlets have signed versatile back Paul Asquith from Australian club Western Sydney Rams.
People fled the airport on Sunday night amid the shooting reports, with scenes of abandoned luggage on pavements. Traffic to the terminal was halted and no flights were allowed to land, but operations have now resumed. LA police tweeted that no shots had been fired and there were no injuries. They are investigating the noises. The incident follows another case of panic at a US airport, when parts of New York's JFK airport were closed two weeks ago amid reports of gunfire that later proved to be false. The police and fire departments had deployed many units to the Los Angeles airport after reports of a "security situation" and a possible "active shooter". Los Angeles airport tweeted that an individual in a "Zorro" costume had been detained. Footage on social media showed the man sitting on a bench at a bus bay outside the airport, surrounded by armed police. He gets on the floor as requested and places his arms out wide before officers move in to detain him. It was unclear whether he was responsible for the noises. One passenger, Scott McDonald, told Associated Press he had been trying to disembark from a plane and had been told to get back on. He said he had seen many people gathered on the tarmac. Actress Anne Dudek told the LA Times she had been on an escalator when a man ran past saying people were being shot. "People started dropping bags and running out of the terminal," she said. "Panic spread." She said she had also left the terminal and run through a parking area to her car and left the airport. The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily held some Los Angeles-bound flights. Passengers were later allowed to return to the terminal to gather luggage left behind. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is the world's seventh busiest by traffic.
Unconfirmed reports of gunshots, later described by police as just "loud noises", have sparked evacuations at Los Angeles airport.
Media playback is not supported on this device The pair's history of animosity with Barcelona and Real Madrid in Spain's La Liga meant their first Premier League meeting since assuming control on either side of Manchester provided a colourful backdrop to the build-up to this derby. And when the action got under way on the field, it was City who put a marker down and put Manchester United in their place with a peerless first 40 minutes followed by resilience to maintain their 100% start to the season. This was always going to be much more than the Manchester derby - this was as much about Mourinho against Guardiola on the Premier League stage, fighting for supremacy in Manchester. And this was Spaniard Guardiola's day on every level as City claimed the win and his celebrated methods were on show for all to see at Old Trafford, the fiercest enemy territory. Mourinho was a chastened figure post-match, reduced to blaming referee Mark Clattenburg for not awarding two second half penalties for what he felt was City keeper Claudio Bravo's foul on Wayne Rooney and Nicolas Otamendi's handball. It was an act of straw-clutching, although the Portuguese fully accepted City's first-half superiority when he admitted he and his players got it wrong. Media playback is not supported on this device The bottom line is United were second best and this was something of a cold shower for the over-excitement of some who believed 'The Special One' could apply an instant fix to the faults of the past three seasons under David Moyes and Louis van Gaal. Mourinho's decision to play Henrikh Mkhitaryan on the right in his first start since his £25m summer move from Borussia Dortmund was a dismal failure - and he admitted some of his players struggled to cope with "the dimension of the game". The Armenia captain was removed at half-time in a reshuffle that also saw Jesse Lingard taken off, Marcus Rashford and Ander Herrera sent on, and the completely anonymous £89m midfield man Paul Pogba and Marouane Fellaini pushed forward, with Wayne Rooney shunted out to the right. In other words - Mourinho's selection went wrong. He said: "I had two or three players in the first half that, if I know what is going to happen, I don't play them. This is football, though, and sometimes players disappoint managers. "It's my fault because I'm the manager and it's always my fault because it's my choice." Guardiola was bold enough to play Kelechi Iheanacho as replacement for the suspended Sergio Aguero and the 19-year-old responded with his ninth goal from just 13 shots on target in the Premier League. And his introduction of Fernando for the youngster after 53 minutes demonstrated a pragmatism that is often overlooked amid Guardiola's purist instincts. He was prepared to use a shield when required. City were also prepared to work for their success, running a total of 119.63km in comparison to United's 111.34km. Guardiola demands the full package from his players. It was not all perfect as his selection of the uncertain Claudio Bravo in goal ran a fine line with failure - but all's well that ends well. The embraces with long-time foe Mourinho at the start and finish were cordial enough - and if Guardiola did get around to having that glass of wine in the Old Trafford manager's office when his media duties were completed it would have tasted sweet. Manchester City made their intentions clear when they lured the most coveted man in management to Etihad Stadium - and Guardiola's team have wasted no time in making big statements of their own. The Catalan has opened up with four straight Premier League wins, this victory at Old Trafford marking them out as the team to beat in the title race this season. It is, of course, early days but City's ability to win with key players either suspended, injured or working their way to full fitness means a significant marker was put down in this derby win. It was a win achieved without the banned Aguero and without influential captain Vincent Kompany who is nearing a return, as is summer signing Ilkay Gundogan, who was also absent. Leroy Sane, the £37m summer signing from Schalke, made a lively appearance as a substitute here and will be a formidable force when fully fit. John Stones was outstanding when United's second-half siege came, demonstrating why Guardiola was satisfied to spend £47.5m on the young England defender to bring him from Everton. Kevin de Bruyne was also a key figure, scoring one goal and being involved in the other. He has been directly involved in 32 goals in 46 appearances for Manchester City, scoring 17 and assisting in 15. And when Guardiola studies the statistics, an 81.8% passing success rate will please even this perfectionist, who expressed his satisfaction with this two-dimensional City display - glorious, clinical football in the first half and solid resilience in the second. City restricted United to their fourth lowest home possession share in the Premier League since the 2003-04 season, just 39.9% Manchester City's squad looked short of inspiration and motivation in the understated presence of Manuel Pellegrini last season - this problem looks to have been cured already by Guardiola. It has been an impressive start. Those with Premier League title aspirations now know what they have to beat. Media playback is not supported on this device Pep Guardiola has invested a lot of faith in Claudio Bravo after showing England goalkeeper Joe Hart the door and paying £17m to bring the 33-year-old Chile international from Barcelona. It was, therefore, no surprise to hear Guardiola mounting a passionate defence of his man despite a performance that left City and their supporters living on their nerves. In Bravo's defence, he has barely had any training sessions with his new team-mates and a debut at Old Trafford is always a daunting introduction. Guardiola's backing for his keeper, while understandable, was at odds with a display that occasionally threatened to spread panic in City's ranks. He was hesitant and occasionally too slow to clear with the ball at his feet and once he came from his line to claim a first-half free-kick, Bravo had to catch it. He did not, allowing Zlatan Ibrahimovic to score and give United hope. Guardiola praised Bravo's willingness to take responsibility and is happy for his keeper to take a high-risk approach in exchange for the rewards he believes it brings. It is too early to say whether Bravo will be an upgrade on the banished Hart but those who believe England's first-choice keeper has been sent into exile too soon will not have had their worries eased by this performance. They will have to trust Guardiola's judgement - and he has not got anything wrong so far. While Mourinho bemoaned those players who struggled to cope with the unique demands of the Manchester derby, he had no such complaints about Marcus Rashford. Mourinho said the 18-year-old looked like he was "playing against Salford City under-18s" in a second half performance that combined pace and a fearless approach - and almost an equaliser only for an offside Zlatan Ibrahimovic to get a touch on his goal-bound shot. The question will continue and the clamour will grow for Rashford to start in an area of Mourinho's squad that is starting to look over-crowded. Rashford was the player who put City on the back foot with his speed. It will be one of Mourinho's most urgent tasks to integrate this brilliant young talent into his team. It then begs further questions, with Ibrahimovic seemingly untouchable as the main man, about where Rooney fits in and how Mourinho can shuffle his resources to maximise the potential of Rashford, Antony Martial, Mkhitaryan and Juan Mata. Ibrahimovic had all of United's three shots on target as well as four of their six off target, so it is likely to a case of who plays with the 34-year-old Swede. Rashford, on this showing, cannot be denied his starting place for much longer.
Pep Guardiola delivered the first meaningful blow in a rivalry with Jose Mourinho that will become a central part of the Premier League's narrative as Manchester City recorded a well-merited win against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
About 120 pupils and staff at the Bristol Brunel Academy in Speedwell who had come into contact with the person involved were tested for the condition. Several people were, however, found to have a "latent" version of the disease. This means they could have been exposed to the bacteria at any time in their lives but are not a risk to others. However, there is a small chance that they may go on to develop active TB later on in life. The Health Protection Agency (HPA), which carried out the screenings, has treated those found to have the latent version of the disease with a routine course of antibiotics to clear it. TB is a serious but curable infectious disease which normally affects the lungs. The HPA's Dr Bharat Pankhania, said: "Our tests are very sensitive and pick up evidence if you have ever been exposed to TB bacteria at any time in your life. These bacteria are hidden away inside you and may never cause illness or disease. "But we further assess these people and make absolutely sure that they don't have any evidence of illness. "I am reassured that a transmission has not been occurring at the school." Principal Brigid Allen said: "The results of the screening show that TB has not been transmitted amongst either our pupils or our staff and we want to reassure parents that there is nothing to worry about. "We're so pleased and want to thank the HPA for their help in all this."
A tuberculosis (TB) screening exercise at a Bristol school has found the disease has not been transmitted after a case in March.

Dataset Card for xsum

This dataset is a collection of pairs of news articles and their summaries. See xsum for additional information. This dataset can be used directly with Sentence Transformers to train embedding models.

Dataset Subsets

pair subset

  • Columns: "article", "summary"
  • Column types: str, str
  • Examples:
    {
      'article': 'Denny Solomona crossed for Castleford, but Wigan led at half-time against the run of play through Lewis Tierney\'s try and Matty Smith\'s penalty kick.\nGrant Millington\'s try put the visitors back in front, before John Bateman went over to restore Wigan\'s two-point lead.\nNick Gregson got his first senior try and Bateman crossed again late on as Warriors climbed to third in the table.\nHaving suffered their heaviest defeat in Super League since 2005 with a 62-0 loss to Wakefield in their previous fixture, Wigan started slowl advantage when Luke Gale was sent to the sin-bin for dissent with the scores level in the first half, but Bateman\'s return to the side after two games out sparked the comeback.\nShaun Wane\'s team also welcomed back Dom Crosby, who made his first Super League appearance of the season having recovered from a hip injury.\nSolomona moved clear as Super League\'s leading try-scorer with his 13th of the season, but Tigers were frustrated by improved Wigan defence in the second period as they suffered their fourth defeat in a row at the DW Stadium.\nWigan coach Shaun Wane:\n"I don\'t want to keep going on about it. But, if you knew what we had gone through this week, there\'s so much toughness showed in that game against a really good Cas team.\n"The admiration I have got for my players, the desire to grind out the win with the circumstances that nobody knows about is unbelievable.\n"There were quite a few good performances, they are a good team and are well coached who know how to defend.\n"We\'re not the biggest team, but I thought the way we defended was outstanding."\nCastleford coach Daryl Powell:\n"That last try gave the score a bit of an easier look than it was. It was tight all the way through.\n"We lacked a little bit of quality in our play. I thought we defended awesome, they came at us in the second half with a game plan that put us under pressure.\n"They made minimal errors and kicked well and we couldn\'t find a spark to get us out of yardage and into good field position.\n"They deserved to win the game, they had more ball than us in decent field position and we had to work really hard to keep them out and that drained our energy reserves."\nWigan: Sarginson; Tierney, Bateman, Gildart, Charnley; Gregson, Smith; Mossop, Powell, Clubb, Tomkins, Isa, Sutton.\nReplacements: Crosby, Tautai, Burke, Bretherton.\nCastleford: Hampshire; Monaghan, Minikin, Webster, Solomona; Holmes, Gale; Lynch, Milner, Jewitt, Holmes, McMeeken, Massey.\nReplacements: McShane, Millington, Maher, Cook.\nReferee: Phil Bentham.',
      'summary': 'Wigan moved level on points with Super League leaders Warrington by coming from behind to beat Castleford.',
    }
    
  • Collection strategy: Reading the xsum dataset from embedding-training-data.
  • Deduplified: No
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