document
stringlengths 0
39k
| summary
stringlengths 1
329
| id
stringlengths 8
8
|
|---|---|---|
Media playback is not supported on this device
The brothers finished 0.53 seconds behind France's Pierre Houin and Jeremie Azou, who won gold.
Norway's Kristoffer Brun and Are Strandli were edged out for bronze.
"It's brilliant, said Gary O'Donovan. "We're Ireland's first Olympic rowing medallists ever and we're so proud to come home with a medal."
Find out how to get into rowing with our special guide. | Brothers Gary and Paul O'Donovan won rowing silver in the lightweight men's double sculls to give Ireland their first medal of the Rio Olympics. | 37062479 |
She said women were a resource that Wales could not afford to waste.
Dame Rosemary said it was important women were "not just implementing decisions that men had made".
Ahead of International Women's Day on Sunday, she said she had tried to get women as school governors, magistrates, health board members and politicians.
Speaking to BBC's The Wales Report, the Newport West AM said she agreed with political parties prioritising women, but warned opportunities were being missed.
"When the assembly started in 1999 we had a blank canvas. They were empty seats, so women were not seen to be taking men's seats.
"And I think that we missed the boat as women, that we didn't continue the momentum to try and encourage more women."
The Wales Report with Huw Edwards is on at 22:40 GMT, 4 March, on BBC One Wales. | More needs to be done to get women into positions of influence in Wales, assembly Presiding Officer Dame Rosemary Butler has said. | 31731123 |
The 31-year-old ex-Wigan trainee spent four seasons with the Brewers, helping them reach the Championship, but spent last season on loan at Oxford.
He has also played at Morecambe, Accrington, Stevenage and Rochdale.
"Phil is very much like Jermaine Beckford in that he has been successful in gaining promotion out of this league," said boss Lee Clark.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. | League One side Bury have signed right-back Phil Edwards on a two-year deal after his release by Burton. | 39914151 |
Shomsu Miah housed the woman who had been trafficked to the UK and was being kept against her will.
She and another woman were brought into the country by co-defendants Istvan Vinter and Maria Gaspar, who were jailed last month.
Miah, 44, pleaded guilty during his trial at Nottingham Crown Court and was given a two-and-a-half year sentence.
Hungarians Vinter, 57 and Gaspar, 23, were sentenced to eight and six years respectively last month.
Police said Vinter and Gaspar trafficked two women having promised them work in a hotel.
A jury was told Miah, from Nottingham, had travelled to Hungary to meet the pair before the trafficking took place.
One victim, who was kept against her will in August and September, was forced to have sex with men and had her identity documents taken so she could not flee.
She was offered for marriage to one man and taken to a nightclub where she was offered for sex.
The other victim was sold for marriage in London but managed to escape and return home to Hungary.
All three men were charged with conspiracy to arrange or facilitate travel of another person with a view to their exploitation, and conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration to a member state. | A man who was part of a gang which forced a Hungarian woman into prostitution has been jailed. | 36005442 |
Last season's treble winners are now 14 points off leaders Warrington and could potentially miss out on a place in the top four.
BBC Sport looks at the contributing factors to the disappointing start to the season at Headingley.
10 October, 2015 probably feels like a long time ago to Leeds Rhinos fans right now.
A long season ended at Old Trafford with a hard-fought Grand Final win over Wigan, which completed an historic treble for the club.
The game also brought down the curtain on the rugby league careers of club legends Jamie Peacock, Kevin Sinfield and Kylie Leuluai.
The experienced trio had helped the club to victories in Grand Finals, Challenge Cups and World Club Challenges and coach Brian McDermott openly admitted that he "could not sign a player in the world" who could replace Peacock.
However, even McDermott could not have envisaged just how much the side would miss their input in the dressing room and on the field.
Pretty much since day one of the campaign, Leeds have had considerable talent within the squad in the treatment room at Headingley rather than out on the pitch.
Captain Danny McGuire was injured on the opening night of their treble defence, ruling him out until round nine's home defeat by Wakefield, and, following the exit of Sinfield, Peacock and Leuluai, his leadership has been even keenly missed.
Tom Briscoe, Ashton Golding, Carl Ablett, Brett Ferres, Brett Delaney, Beau Falloon, Stevie Ward, Jamie Jones-Buchanan, Joel Moon, Ryan Hall, Jimmy Keinhorst and Keith Galloway have all missed games this season, the first three all in the same game at Widnes.
Other clubs, notably Wigan, Huddersfield and Castleford have experienced similar injury problems, but Leeds' situation has been exacerbated by the departure of those talismanic figures at the end of 2015.
It was a wet rather than a white Christmas in Leeds in 2015.
The rain that came on Christmas Day had a devastating impact on thousands of people in the area, with 1,732 homes and 519 businesses flooded.
The Rhinos' training base at Kirkstall was also badly damaged after the River Aire burst its banks - and the club are yet to return to their regular home.
Chief executive Gary Hetherington put the financial cost of the floods in excess of £1m, but it seems that the floods are costing the team just as much on the field.
Prop Jamie Jones-Buchanan told BBC Radio Leeds after the defeat by Hull KR: "We are not in our usual environment which we have become akin to in the last 10 or 15 years. There is a lot of uprooted things to start with."
Forward Adam Cuthbertson added: "We need to get back to how we were training before Kirkstall was taken away from us. It's made it hard for us because the facilities we've had have been very inconsistent. We've been able to get back down there for the first time this week and that is great for us."
Leeds hope to be back in familiar surroundings full time sooner rather than later.
"It's hard to pin the Rhinos' plight down to one particular issue. Their nomadic pre-season will undoubtedly have unsettled the squad. Players, after all, are very much creatures of habit and routine.
"The amount of injuries suffered by the squad has also taken its toll, as has the subsequent challenge of re-integrating players back into the side. Dare we also mention the players that the Rhinos lost at the end of the season?
"While the expertise of Sinfield, Peacock and Leuluai was always going to take some replacing, the loss of their combined experience has been more costly.
"However, one thing is beyond debate. The fact that the Rhinos team just hasn't been playing well enough. They've conceded too many line breaks to the opposition and, while at times they've scrambled back to rescue the situation, it's left the team devoid of energy to mount a meaningful response.
"Moreover, if the last 22 years at BBC Radio Leeds has taught me anything it's not to write off the Rhinos. They are the reigning champions after all." | Saturday's defeat by Salford Red Devils leaves Leeds Rhinos 11th in Super League with eight defeats from their opening 10 fixtures. | 35969615 |
Under new rules, bins will be inspected and stickers will be placed on those containing food. If it happens three times, black bins will not be emptied.
Enforcement will begin when all homes receive food caddies - small plastic baskets designed for food waste.
But the council admits caddy supplies are low after "unprecedented demand".
Since the ban was announced at the start of this month, staff have been bombarded with thousands of calls from householders who are still waiting on the delivery of food caddies and biodegradable bags to line the caddies.
Some are also still waiting on the delivery of large brown compost bins, which is now the only wheeled bin into which Belfast households are permitted to place food waste.
In a message to ratepayers on its Facebook page, the council said it had received orders for 10,000 food caddies over the last two weeks alone.
Their post added that "due to the high demand, our delivery time has been a little longer than usual as we work our way through orders".
The council thanked residents for their "patience" while the recycling changes are rolled out.
Despite the delay, food waste stickers have already started to appear on black bins across the city, which has caused some concern among residents.
One Facebook user complained to the council that the implementation of the changes had been a "shambles".
"I had to explain to a very upset OAP that she wasn't going to get fined because of the sticker," he wrote.
The man complained that his "entire street hasn't received brown bins yet, while most have requested weeks ago".
In a statement to the BBC, a council spokeswoman said: "Stickers that are being put on bins at the moment are reminders only - not warning stickers".
"We haven't started enforcement yet as we're aware some residents are still waiting for their food caddy and/or brown compost bin."
She clarified that the reminder stickers are being being placed on all black bins, regardless of their contents, and that the move was in conjunction with leaflets sent out by the council explaining the changes.
A date for the start of bin inspections and enforcement has not yet been confirmed.
The aim of the food waste ban is reduce the amount of un-recycled rubbish that is currently been thrown into black bins, which ends up on landfill sites.
Councils are required by law to reduce landfill waste, or face fines which will ultimately have to be paid by ratepayers.
Belfast City Council currently supplies biodegradable bags to line food caddies free of charge, at householders' request.
However, several Facebook users replied to the council's message, complaining that bags they had recently ordered had not been delivered.
The council replied: "We understand some residents have been having issues when requesting green bags, and this is something we're working hard to address."
Its spokeswoman told the BBC that during the last two weeks the council's recycling team had handled "almost 18,000 calls and we've distributed almost 23,000 rolls of green recycling bags".
"We still have orders for 15,000 green bags which will be delivered in the coming days.
"It is keeping up with the unprecedented demand for caddies and green bags that is causing delays, not a supply problem." | Belfast City Council is struggling to keep up with demand for food recycling bins and bags after it announced a ban on putting food waste into black bins. | 39973539 |
The union Unite said the company, which announced 1,800 job cuts in October, was "keeping them in the dark over its plans for the future".
Members will strike for 24 hours on 13 and 24 April and two days on 20 April. It follows four other days of action.
The firm has a range of businesses in the UK, employing 14,000 people.
Workers in Crewe, Edinburgh, London, Manchester, Stevenage, Wakefield, Warrington, Basingstoke, Belfast, Birmingham and Bracknell will be involved.
Ian Tonks, Unite national officer, said: "The way Fujitsu is treating its workforce and keeping them in the dark over its plans for the future is beyond contempt.
"This is a workforce that has worked hard to make Fujitsu in the UK highly profitable, yet their reward is job cuts and pension reductions, while the company frustrates Unite's attempts to minimise compulsory redundancies."
Announcing the cuts last year, Fujitsu said it was part of a "transformation programme" within the company and not linked to Brexit, although Fujitsu chairman Masami Yamamoto said last May the firm would reconsider its investments in the UK if it left the European Union.
Fujitsu has not commented on the strike announcement. | Staff at Japanese electronics firm Fujitsu are to take further strike action in the UK as part of a dispute over cuts to jobs and pensions. | 39552332 |
The Prospect union said staff at AMSL - now part of Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (Hial) - had received "inferior terms".
The 48-hour strike will start from midday on 7 April.
Hial said its sites would be open as normal and the staff had been asked to consider a "realistic" pay claim.
The Scottish government-owned operator runs airports on the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland, Argyll, Inverness and Dundee.
Hial said the union had sought a 30% pay claim, which the company described as "unreasonable".
Prospect has disputed the 30% figure and said its members were seeking 5% increase in pay and fairer overtime, weekend working and sick pay terms.
In a ballot, 87% of the union members voted in favour of a strike on a turnout of 85%.
Prospect national secretary Alan Denney said the date of the action avoided the busy Easter weekend.
He said: "The company and Scottish government should be in no doubt that members have had enough."
"Our dispute is with Hial and Scottish ministers, not passengers, so our representatives decided to avoid travel disruption over the Easter weekend."
In a statement, Hial said it had taken steps to improve pay, terms and conditions for AMSL staff.
It added: "We are prepared to discuss further improvements with Prospect.
"However, the union has refused Hial requests to enter into negotiations or consider a more reasonable pay claim." | Security staff working at Scotland's regional airports have voted in favour of taking industrial action over their terms and conditions, including pay. | 32085739 |
Rose Gentle's 19-year-old son Gordon was killed by a roadside bomb while serving in Basra in 2004.
She became an outspoken critic of the UK government's handling of the war and set up Military Families Against the War and Justice 4 Gordon Gentle.
Ms Gentle said her son would be "laughing his head off" at the thought of her going to university.
The 53-year-old holds former prime minister Tony Blair responsible for the death of her son and welcomed the publication of the Chilcot report last year, describing it as "comeuppance".
During her campaign for answers from the government, Ms Gentle contested the 2005 general election against then armed forces minister Adam Ingram in East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow but lost out.
She met then prime minister Gordon Brown in 2009, having had a number of meeting requests with Tony Blair turned down.
Ms Gentle said she was genuinely surprised to be given the award.
"I was told it was for campaigning and it's lovely to see that campaigning for justice for Gordon and for other families in the Iraq War is being recognised," she said.
Ms Gentle will receive her honorary degree at a service held at the university on 30 November.
Others being honoured by the university this year include Nobel Prize-winning biologist Sir Paul Nurse, DC Comics artist Frank Quitely and John Shaw, vice chairman of India's largest biopharmaceutical company Biocon Limited.
Prof Anton Muscatelli, principal and vice-chancellor of the university, said honorary degrees provided an opportunity to recognise the achievements of individuals from across all walks of life.
He said: "We look forward to celebrating the successes of all our honorary graduands, and we also look forward to working with them in the future, for the common good." | The mother of a soldier killed in the Iraq war is to be awarded an honorary degree by the University of Glasgow. | 40245265 |
The Labour MP is urging people to "break the silence" about the issue, a taboo subject he says must be tackled.
He told the BBC it "hurts like hell" to talk about his father, who died in the run-up to May's general election.
Children at risk must be identified and adults given the right help, he said.
Mr Byrne, who served in the cabinet under Gordon Brown, said he was going public about the subject for the first time to draw attention to the plight of families whose lives had been damaged by alcohol abuse, a problem which he said was "cascading down the generations".
The MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill has used a parliamentary debate in Westminster Hall to draw attention to the issue, saying he had lived with the effects of his father's drinking on his family since he was seven years old but many families had had it "much worse".
Earlier, he told BBC Radio 4's Today. "My Dad was an amazing guy, a very charismatic guy, a great public servant who inspired me to go into politics."
"He struggled with alcohol addiction for 30 years. That struggle, that addiction hurt us as a family and before the election it killed him."
While alcohol addiction affected different families in different ways, he said he was conscious of the "sense of shame" that he felt about it and the fact that the illness often transcended generations of the same family.
"Children of alcoholics are three times more likely to become alcoholics themselves and that was the same for my Dad. He was the child of an alcoholic.
"So if we are to break the cycle, I think we have to break the silence about the damage that it is doing to children and to our country."
Referring to the public reaction to Charles Kennedy's death earlier this year, he said the subject of alcohol addiction - from which the former Lib Dem leader suffered and which contributed to his death - was too often swept under the carpet or talked about in coded language.
Like discussions about mental health, he said the subject must be brought out into the open.
"When Charles died a lot of people started talking about demons and I just thought 'it was not demons, he was addicted to alcohol'. Unless we normalise the conversation about this we are not going to make progress."
With only one in 20 "dependent drinkers" receiving help and alcohol-related admissions to Accident and Emergency departments increasing in two thirds of the country, Mr Byrne said urgent action was now required in three areas.
He wants a major public health information campaign to make parents aware of the damage they are doing to their children while dependents must be put in touch with professionals who can help them, such as GPs, nurses or social workers.
Finally, he said "we have to make sure that the right treatment is in place so when parents ask for help, it's there".
Speaking in Parliament, childrens' minister Edward Timpson praised Mr Byrne's "courage" for speaking out and his "determination to give a voice to the many thousands of children who find themselves in the same predicament".
Mr Timpson said social workers and teachers must be equipped to respond to alcohol-related distress, while the public sector as a whole must be more consistent in its approach to ensure "families who feel unsupported and children who feel lonely no longer have that as a feature of their lives."
He added: "I will undertake to talk with ministerial colleagues around how we raise public awareness of this issue in a similar ilk to the way we have on smoking." | Ex-minister Liam Byrne has called for more to be done to help children whose parents are "hazardous drinkers" after speaking publicly about his father's fight with alcohol addiction. | 34908611 |
There are clear skies in Misrata, Libya.
It means hundreds of people who have left their homes in Sub-Saharan African countries like Senegal and Eritrea will attempt to cross to Italy by boat in search of a better life.
The European Union says more than 7,000 migrants have been rescued from the Mediterranean since Friday.
Summer brings calmer waters, waves of migrants and death to the Mediterranean. Three boats - 250 people rescued in 24 hours.
Ali, right, is from Gambia. It's his second attempt crossing to Italy. "I've had enough. I want to go home to my mum".
Ninety-seven men were crammed on this boat, rescued by Libyan coastguard, stuck at sea for 24 hours, not all survived.
When they saw how flimsy the dinghy was, many refused to board. The people smugglers forced them at gunpoint.
A year since we visited Libyan jails holding migrants fleeing to Europe: it's worse than before.
This kid, 14 years old, is from Eritrea. "Is this a jail? Are we refugees?" some ask, and tell us they've been held for seven months.
A thousand men and women, migrants, are crammed in here. The jail has doubled in numbers in less than a week.
A smaller EU rescue mission only means more of these people are dying. They aren't discouraged from crossing.
Migrant graffiti in Libyan jail: I spend ma life to search the freedom. I spend ma life to bee in Italy.
The Libyan coastguard rescues hundreds of migrants from the Mediterranean - they have few working boats.
Already this Libyan jail contains hundreds. Standing room only. | The BBC's Quentin Sommerville has been visiting the port of Misrata and a detention centre holding migrants wanting to flee to Europe. | 32314562 |
The Pratt family, from St Ola, had given up hope of ever seeing two-year-old tortoise Tux again.
Their pet was allowed out in the garden for some exercise at the end of July last year.
No sign of Tux was found despite extensive searches, however, the missing tortoise was found in a field and reunited with 10-year-old Eve.
Her mother Tracey said Tux would be confined to a vivarium from now on. | An Orkney schoolgirl has been reunited with her pet tortoise six months after it went missing. | 35408808 |
The same can be said for books, as official figures show the number borrowed from libraries fell in almost every area of England over two years.
Rising use of e-readers, coupled with funding cuts, library closures and reduced book stocks, have resulted in big changes in the borrowing figures recorded by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA).
Councils in the North East and North West of England made up nine of the 10 areas showing the biggest fall in lending between 2012 and 2014, along with the London borough of Camden.
Scale of cuts to libraries unveiled
In Doncaster, where just five libraries are still run by the city council and 19 entrusted to community groups, there were 628,709 book "issues" in 2014, compared with 1.2 million two years earlier.
Nick Stopworth, Doncaster's head of libraries and culture, said: "The aim has been to sustain libraries at a time of huge financial challenge, so that they may ultimately thrive.
"Our e-book usage is slowly increasing. Libraries are being used in new and different ways which reflect community need, shaped by the community. And whilst the numbers of books being issued has fallen, the value for money achieved in terms of cost per loan has improved hugely."
It is not just the book borrowing that has changed.
There were 96 areas out of 138 where the number of hours clocked up on library computers fell between 2012 and 2014.
Experts suggest it is down to more people being able to use their own smartphones, tablets and laptops to connect to library wi-fi.
Cliff Dalton, head of CIPFA's local government faculty, said: "Libraries aim to provide the services that local people want. Last year Arts Council England funded a major drive to get wi-fi into libraries. In many cases it's likely that library users connect to the internet through their own devices, meaning reduced demand for terminals.
"Libraries have faced £180m cuts in five years. Of course this will reduce services and there are fewer books. However, many councils are testing really innovative ways to run libraries and I'm confident they will remain at the centre of community life for a long time to come."
The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham recorded a 51% fall in computer use, the biggest drop in England.
This compared with a 249% rise in Nottinghamshire over the same period.
A spokesman for Barking and Dagenham council said the authority had reduced the number of computers in the wake of £100m of cuts to its government funding.
The spokesman said: "The number of hours used by the public has been affected by several factors.
"A computer subscription was introduced in 2012 as demand was very high and there was pressure on use of the computers. However, young people under the age of 19 and those over 60 are able to use the facilities for free."
He said the council had "some issues around printing" in 2014 which played a role in falling computer use, adding: "In July 2014 we introduced a free half hour for all users to increase use of the computers and in March 2015 we installed wi-fi in all of our libraries and have seen an increase in people using this service."
Even though they have had to close libraries, councils still see investing in computer equipment as an important part of the service.
Sefton Council in Merseyside closed seven out of 13 branches since 2010. However, official figures from CIPFA show it went from 6.6 computers per 100,000 people in 2012 to 50.5 by the end of 2014, a rise of more than 665%.
A spokesman for the council explained: "The library service was re-modelled to better suit the needs of our users, including the introduction of free reservations for books, free wi-fi and free access to public computers."
Despite the rise of e-readers and smartphones, libraries have been seen as irreplaceable by those who benefited from them growing up.
Times columnist and author Caitlin Moran and her sister Caroline wrote Channel 4 sitcom Raised By Wolves and based it on their time as home-schooled teenagers.
Caroline said: "Without Wolverhampton's libraries I'd never have discovered George Orwell, Diana Wynne-Jones, Janet Frame or any of the other authors who've had a huge influence on my life. Most of my early education came from books my family could never have afforded to buy.
"It makes me very sad to think of a generation of young people who won't know the excitement of walking into their local library armed only with huge curiosity and a desire to see the world through someone else's eyes.
"If we think the internet can replace that, we are wrong. It's good for many things (for those who are lucky enough to have access to it, which isn't everyone) but it can't replicate time spent with an excellent book." | Almost every part of our lives can now be conducted online, from catching up with friends to applying for jobs. | 35788332 |
England were third in Canada and the top European team after their third-fourth place play-off win over Germany.
Estonia are ranked 77th in world, 72 places behind England.
"We saw an England team that believed they could genuinely compete against Germany, we have to keep growing that mentality," Sampson said.
"It's great doing it once but we have to do that on a consistent basis. I'm not sure we are quite there yet but the players definitely have the hunger to get there."
England's 1-0 win over world number two side Germany was their first in 31 years, but on Monday they will come up against the lowest ranked team in Euro 2017 qualification Group 7, with Serbia, Belgium, and Bosnia-Herzegovina making up the group.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Sampson has made seven changes from the World Cup squad, with Manchester City midfielder Isobel Christiansen, Chelsea pair Gilly Flaherty and Gemma Davison, plus Arsenal striker Danielle Carter among those included.
Several World Cup players including Lucy Bronze are injured, but Sampson said the introduction of a new group had been inspirational and would allow him to experiment in the build-up to the Euros in France in two years' time.
The Welshman said: "It was great to see the new players come in and stand up and talk about what it means to play for England.
"All of them have talked about what has gone on in the summer and how that has inspired them. Danielle, Gilly and Issie stood up and said they watched the tournament and wanted to be part of this team, so if that is happening for some senior players, I'm hopeful it will happen for the younger generation."
Sampson added: "It's a good chance to experiment a tiny bit, bring some new players in and look at some different shapes." | England boss Mark Sampson will use his team's World Cup success as a source of motivation as they return to action with a Euro 2017 qualifier in Estonia. | 34305418 |
They include two Israelis with dual US nationality, and an Iranian. Another 36 were injured in the blast near a government building.
No-one has admitted carrying out the attack, the latest in recent months.
The Turkish government has blamed Kurdish militants for previous attacks and has retaliated against them.
Saturday's attack on Istiklal Street in Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, occurred at about 11:00 local time (09:00 GMT).
Uwes Shehadeh was some 500m (1,640ft) away when he heard "a horrific and horrible noise".
"People didn't know what was going on. It was very chaotic. Everyone was screaming and running away," he told the BBC.
"Istanbul is on high alert and people are very worried as to what will happen next."
Eleven Israelis were among the injured. Two Irish citizens and one person each from Germany, Iceland, Dubai and Iran were also injured.
Both the so-called Islamic State (IS) and Kurdish militants have claimed recent attacks in Turkey.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said terror groups are targeting civilians because they are losing their struggle against Turkish security forces.
Turkey is part of the US-led coalition against IS and allows coalition planes to use its air base at Incirlik for raids on Iraq and Syria.
"Let's not meet outside", is what many were saying to each other in Istanbul, after the suicide bombing in the heart of Ankara less than a week ago. Concern and caution travel fast between Turkish cities.
On Thursday and on Friday, Germany closed its consulate near Istiklal Street, because of a security threat. Istanbul's local government underestimated the German concern. Unfortunately, the Germans have been proved right.
Istiklal Street is a popular place for locals and tourists to gather. Now people from different backgrounds share the same fear.
Turkey has never witnessed successive suicide bombings like this before. It is hard to take in what is happening and harder to see what may come next. In this limbo, fear and worry come and go - or stay.
Turkey has also been carrying out a campaign of bombardment against Syrian Kurdish fighters of the People's Protection Units (YPG), which it regards as a extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
A two-year-old ceasefire between Turkey and the PKK broke down last summer.
Since then, more than 340 members of Turkey's security forces have been killed along with at least 300 Kurdish fighters and more than 200 civilians.
Soon after the Istanbul blast, a tweet from a woman claiming to be a junior official of Turkey's governing AKP party caused consternation on social media.
Irem Aktas, described as head of public relations for the women's branch of a local AKP bureau in Istanbul, tweeted that she wished "all Israeli citizens in the area had died."
The Twitter account now seems to have been taken down.
Another official from the same AKP party branch later confirmed Ms Aktas was a party member, but said her tweet did not reflect the party's position and that the process of expelling her had started.
How dangerous is Turkey's unrest?
Tears and destruction amid PKK crackdown
Turkey in midst of hideous vortex | A suicide bomb attack at a busy shopping area in the Turkish city of Istanbul has killed at least four people, officials say. | 35850625 |
The pop star has said he wants to talk to Mr Putin about his "ridiculous" attitude to the issue - but previously fell victim to prank callers pretending to be the Russian leader.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4, the star said he had now received a genuine call from the president.
"He was very affable, he was very apologetic, he was very sincere.
"As soon as I can get a date in my diary that coincides with him, then I will be going... to Moscow and I will meet him," he told the Today Programme.
"Whether or not I make any progress, I don't know. I'm not going to go straight in there and go, 'come on, you've got to do this, you've got to do that.' This is the starting of a dialogue and you don't get anywhere without a dialogue."
Russia has faced international criticism for its laws on homosexuality, including a 2013 bill prosecuting people for providing information about homosexuality to people under 18.
A report by Human Rights Watch last year said Russia was failing to prevent and prosecute homophobic violence amid a rise in attacks against minorities.
Speaking to the BBC in September, Sir Elton said Mr Putin's attitude to gay people was "isolating and prejudiced".
He said he would like to speak to the president, although "he may laugh behind my back... and call me an absolute idiot".
Later, a message on the musician's Instagram account thanked Mr Putin for "reaching out" in a phone conversation.
But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said reports of a conversation were "not true" and a recording of the hoax phone call was later aired on Russian TV.
A few days later, Mr Putin contacted Sir Elton personally, and asked him not to be offended by the prank.
Speaking to Today presenter Justin Webb, Sir Elton also expressed his frustration with the lack of progress on legalising gay marriage in Northern Ireland.
Earlier this week, Northern Ireland's Assembly narrowly voted in favour of same-sex marriage for the first time - but the largest party in the devolved parliament, the Democratic Unionists, vetoed any change in the law, on the basis that only four unionists had backed the proposal.
"The politicians need to get their act together and enter the 21st Century," Sir Elton told Justin Webb, saying he was "sure" that a same-sex marriage law would "sail in" if the public were allowed to vote.
A survey by the BBC and Irish broadcaster RTÉ published yesterday suggested that almost two-thirds of people in Northern Ireland would feel comfortable if a family member had a same-sex marriage.
Sir Elton rejected suggestions he would avoid playing concerts in Northern Ireland as a result.
"I'm not a politician," he said, "but I will speak out for rights when I can, and especially LGBT rights as I'm an elderly gay citizen."
Sir Elton has also teamed up with the US government to donate $10m (£6,5m) to organisations in sub-Saharan Africa who work with lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender people suffering from Aids or HIV. He says the stigmatisation they suffer "allows Aids to spread".
"I think it's going to make an awful lot of difference because we can get medicine to people who [are] being ostracised," he said.
But the star admitted he would have to "tread carefully" around politicians and religious leaders in the continent, many of whom insist that homosexuality is an aberration.
"It's not going to be easy. But it's getting the medicine to the people who need it on a daily basis so the HIV and Aids epidemic doesn't spread any further.
"It is spreading because people are afraid for their lives, they're afraid to get tested, they're afraid to say they're gay. Unless we nip this in the bud now, it's going to cause awful havoc." | Sir Elton John says he is currently arranging to meet Russian president Vladimir Putin to discuss gay rights. | 34731125 |
Joshua Webb and Jamie Cobain are added to Killie's defensive options, as are loan arrivals Jonathan Burn, Mark Waddington and William Boyle.
Jordan Jones and Martin Smith are midfielders, while goalkeeper Oliver Davies returns for a second loan spell.
Strikers Souleymane Coulibaly and Flo Bojaj have also been recruited.
Meanwhile, Kilmarnock have announced that Miles Addison, who joined on a short-term deal in March, will sign a new three-year contract next week.
Four of the 11 new signings are compatriots of the English defender.
Manager Lee Clark, who took charge of Kilmarnock in February, told BBC Scotland: "I knew what I wanted and I've been working since the day I came through the door.
"These boys have been on my radar for a long time and I got them into the club to look at them and let the other staff look at them as well.
"They've had interest from other clubs, but because we've had them in and around the club, they've wanted to be apart of it."
Clark has returned to his former club, Huddersfield Town, to loan Kosovo-born striker Bojaj and left-sided central defender Boyle, with the 20-year-old pair signed to be with the Scottish Premiership club initially until January.
Huddersfield head coach David Wagner told his club website: "This is a great opportunity for Flo and William to go and play regular senior football at a good level."
Bojaj made eight substitute appearances for the Championship club last season, while Boyle has previously been on loan to Macclesfield Town, Kidderminster Harriers and, last season, York City.
The 21-year-old Coulibaly, a star at the 2011 Under-17 World Cup for Ivory Coast, arrives from Peterborough United and ended last season on loan at Newport County, scoring once in six appearances.
McFadzean, the oldest of the signings at 22, has been capped by Scotland at under-21 level and spent four years with the Blades but only featured twice for them last season and last played on loan to Stevenage in January.
Cobain, 19, arrives from Newcastle United, with former England Under-18 right-back Webb, 20, released by Aston Villa.
Clark, a former Newcastle player, has picked up winger Jones, 21, who played once on loan to Cambridge United last season, and Smith, 20, who had spells with Gateshead and Carlisle United, from Middlesbrough and Sunderland, respectively.
Of the loan signings, Welshman Davies, 21, returns from Swansea City to provide back-up for Jamie MacDonald.
Davies did not feature for Killie last term, with a shoulder injury curtailing his stay at Rugby Park.
Burn, 20, arrives from Middlesbrough having been on loan at Oldham Athletic last season, and Waddington, 19, from Stoke City.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. | Kilmarnock have bolstered their squad with a full team of new signings in one day, including former Sheffield United midfielder Callum McFadzean. | 36619171 |
A suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena killed 22 people and injured 116.
Organisers said the Games, an open and free event for the public, will take place on Friday as planned.
"I think it's really important that it does go on," Peake, who was raised in nearby Chester, told BBC Wales Sport.
"We [athletes] were asking the question if it was going ahead. I'm really glad that it is and I really hope the city pulls together and there's a great atmosphere, which I feel there will be.
"Pride is one of the words, the whole city is pulling together.
"Pole vault suddenly seems insignificant when things like that happen in life, but at the same time it's really great to be able to step up and get that community spirit in Manchester."
The women's pole vault will be the first event of Friday's Great City Games, with British Olympian Holly Bradshaw among those competing.
Peake, who won a silver medal for Wales at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, has spent much of her life in Manchester and taken part in the event in previous years.
"I grew up around that area. I know the area very well and I've been to the MEN [Manchester Arena, where the explosion happened] to see concerts myself," the 33-year-old added.
"It's very close to home. It will have extra special meaning jumping there.
"There are going to be extra security measures, so hopefully everything goes well." | Wales pole vaulter Sally Peake says athletes will be "proud" to compete at Manchester's Great City Games following the attack in the city on Monday. | 40051796 |
Mr Gove, one of five cabinet ministers calling for the UK to quit the EU, told the BBC the European Court of Justice could throw out some of the changes.
But attorney general Jeremy Wright said the deal was "irreversible".
He said that was not only his opinion, but also the view of the government's lawyers and European lawyers.
And Downing Street cited a former director of legal services at the EU, Alan Dashwood, who said the "Decision" was a binding legal agreement reached by consensus and could only be amended or rescinded by consensus - or, "in other words, with the agreement of the UK".
"So, in that sense, it is irreversible," he said.
In an interview with the BBC's political editor Laura Kuenssberg, his first since he opted to oppose Mr Cameron in the referendum, Mr Gove also said:
A UK referendum on whether to remain a member of the EU will take place on 23 June.
The reform deal paving the way for the referendum promises changes to the EU's binding treaties in two areas - exemption for the UK from an "ever-closer union" and protection for countries not using the euro - although it does not specify when this will happen.
Mr Gove said that without Treaty change all elements of the PM's renegotiation settlement were potentially subject to legal challenge.
"The facts are that the European Court of Justice is not bound by this agreement until treaties are changed and we don't know when that will be," he said.
He said Mr Cameron was "absolutely right that this is a deal between 28 nations all of whom believe it", adding: "But the whole point about the European Court of Justice is that it stands above the nation states."
Mr Cameron has "not been misleading anyone", Mr Gove went on, but he added: "I do think it's important that people also realise that the European Court of Justice stands above every nation state, and ultimately it will decide on the basis of the treaties and this deal is not yet in the treaties."
Is Michael Gove correct that the prime minister's renegotiation deal is not legally binding? Lawyers will argue it both ways.
The deal is not a formally ratified treaty, but would still be regarded by many as legally binding in international law.
The Vienna Convention on the law of treaties makes it clear that states can express their consent to an international agreement in a variety of ways - signature, acceptance or approval.
What is important is the substance of the agreement and not the label "treaty". As Mr Gove acknowledges, this is a "deal between 28 nations all of whom believe it". In other words all of whom intend to be bound by it.
The more significant question is, perhaps, what is the value and status of the deal as a matter of EU law?
It is intended to be fully compatible with the existing EU treaties - all of the member states agree on that. However it is not an amendment to the existing treaties and remains subject to the interpretation of the European Court of Justice (ECJ).
That may make it sound weak and vulnerable to legal challenge. However, all measures of EU law under the existing treaties are subject to interpretation by the ECJ.
Should any state subsequently raise the issue of the relationship between the deal and the existing EU treaties, that would be a matter for the ECJ to rule upon.
So, while some legal experts acknowledge that a legal challenge is theoretically possible, the ECJ would give substantial weight to the fact that all 28 member states have agreed both the deal and that it is compatible with the existing treaties. That makes the chances of a successful legal challenge slim.
On Monday, Mr Cameron told MPs: "The reforms that we have secured will be legally binding in international law, and will be deposited as a treaty at the United Nations.
"They cannot be unpicked without the agreement of Britain and every other EU country."
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) was set up in the 1950s to ensure EU law is interpreted and applied evenly in every EU country but many Tory MPs believe it has over-extended its jurisdiction and its powers should be rolled back.
Martin Schulz, the president of the European Parliament, said the guarantee that the UK would be exempted from ever-closer union would be "written exactly" into the treaties in the form it was agreed last week and "nobody can tell British voters other things".
Analysis: 'Europe could throw out the changes'
By BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg
Mr Gove's comments will be catnip for eurosceptics who've already been arguing that Mr Cameron's deal is hardly worth the paper its written on.
For David Cameron, maintaining the sense that the deal he's achieved can and will improve the UK's relationship with the rest of the European Union in a meaningful way is a vital part of his campaign.
It's one thing Tories from different parts, different generations of the party, disagreeing. It's quite another when it is two who have shared political hopes, ambition, and even family holidays.
Read more from Laura
Joshua Rozenberg: Does the EU impact on UK sovereignty?
Attorney general Jeremy Wright, the government's senior law officer, told the BBC that although challenges could be brought to the ECJ, the UK agreement had "very similar legal strength" to existing treaty obligations.
"The suggestion that this agreement does not have legal effect until it is incorporated into EU treaties is not correct. That is not just my opinion - it is the opinion of this government's lawyers, lawyers for the EU, and, I suspect, the majority of lawyers in this country."
And former attorney general Dominic Grieve told the BBC that Mr Gove was simply "wrong".
But the justice secretary's comments were seized upon by Conservative MPs campaigning for the UK to leave the EU.
Andrew Percy, the MP for Brigg and Goole, tweeted: "Increasingly clear the EU agreement has no force in law. Those arguing it does are having their argument undermined by EU politicians daily."
Ministers who want to quit the EU have been allowed special dispensation to oppose the government at the referendum, although strict rules have been put in place for the campaign.
In the BBC interview, Mr Gove rejected claims a vote to leave was risky, saying the EU was an "old-fashioned model" and departing would offer "a tremendous opportunity for Britain to recover its mojo".
"Optimists - people who believe in Britain, who believe in democracy - they're the people I believe who will vote for us to leave and take back control."
At the moment, he said the UK could not control overall levels of immigration or its composition and this needed to change.
"In my view our immigration policy means that we have some people who can come into this country who we might want to say no to and others, who we might want to attract, who can't currently come in.
"So it's not for me a matter of numbers, it's a matter of the type of people that we want in this country. That's why I think we need to leave, take back control and decide who we want in this country and at what rate."
Elsewhere in the EU referendum debate, 13 senior military officers have signed a letter to the Daily Telegraph saying being in the EU "helps us to safeguard our people, our prosperity and our way of life".
But UKIP defence spokesman Mike Hookem said it was "laughable" to say that the UK could not cooperate militarily with its allies unless it was part of a "political structure". | Justice Secretary Michael Gove has challenged David Cameron's claim his renegotiation deal with EU leaders over the UK's membership is legally binding. | 35646004 |
The first bomber struck inside the mosque, while the second blew herself up outside as survivors tried to flee, eye witnesses told the BBC.
Eighteen other people were wounded in the attack, the army added.
Maiduguri is the birthplace of Islamist group Boko Haram's insurgency which has killed 20,000 people since 2009.
"We were just a few metres away from the mosque when a loud bang erupted and all we could see was dark smoke and bodies littered around,'' another witness told Associated Press news agency.
The attack took place a few minutes after worshippers started an early morning prayer, the chief imam of Umarari mosque on the outskirts of the city told the BBC Hausa service.
"My hearing was affected by the blast. I can't hear well at the moment," he added.
A statement from Nigeria's army says all the wounded have been taken to a hospital in a nearby town.
Last year, a regional military offensive helped drive out Boko Haram from most of the areas it had seized in north-eastern Nigeria.
However, the group, which is linked to the so-called Islamic State, has continued to carry out suicide attacks in northern Nigeria and neighbouring Cameroon.
Surviving Boko Haram
On patrol with the army hunting Boko Haram
Using football to tackle Boko Haram | Two female suicide bombers have attacked a mosque in the north-eastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri, killing 22 worshippers, the army says. | 35820533 |
The Kiwis posted a total of 283-9 from their 50 overs, with Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson making half-centuries.
Rain in the interval restricted England's innings, and they quickly stumbled to 45-5.
But Jonny Bairstow's unbeaten 83 led the hosts to a victory over the World Cup runners-up with an over to spare.
The sides now meet again on Tuesday in a Twenty20 international at Old Trafford, which is England's final outing before the first Ashes Test in Cardiff on 8 July.
But before England turn their attentions to Australia, they can look back at a remarkable transformation in their one-day fortunes, after a disastrous period which culminated in their failure to get out of the group stages at World Cup just three months ago.
This game, which sealed a first home ODI series win for England since 2012, lacked the explosiveness, and runs, of the previous four in the series, but was not short on drama as England at one stage needed 54 off 35 balls with three wickets remaining.
Captain Eoin Morgan has tried to epitomise a new, attacking mentality for England, but his first-ball duck, finding the hands of Guptill with an attempted slog, summed up his side's struggles early on in their innings to chase down a target formulated by the Duckworth-Lewis method.
There was also a memorable moment for New Zealand debutant Andrew Mathieson, who has played just 19 first-class matches and has been representing Sidmouth in the Devon League, when he had Jason Roy caught with his first ball in international cricket.
But it took an 80-run sixth-wicket stand from Sam Billings, who contributed 41 from 40 balls, and Bairstow to spark England into life.
Bairstow, only in the side because of a hand injury to Jos Buttler, was in a destructive mood, crashing 11 fours on his way to a first one-day international half-century. He received support from Yorkshire team-mate Adil Rashid, who scored 12, to get over the line.
However, it was Rashid's bowling earlier in the day that may have piqued the interest of England's selectors ahead of the Ashes.
The 27-year-old took two wickets, and went for just 4.50 an over, in a disciplined display of leg-spin bowling.
Things had looked ominous for the Kiwis when captain Brendon McCullum, one ball after hitting a six, played Steven Finn on to his stumps.
And while Guptill and Williamson staged a recovery, before Ben Wheeler led a late charge with 39 from 28 balls, England's bowlers were patient and effective, with Ben Stokes finishing with admirable figures of of 3-52. | England chased down a revised target of 192 from 26 overs to beat New Zealand by three wickets and win the five-game one-day international series. | 33211580 |
On Friday, the US State Department said their move came after a Russian policeman attacked a US diplomat near the US embassy in Moscow.
That US diplomat has now been expelled from Moscow, along with one other embassy worker.
The Kremlin accused the men of being CIA agents.
Russia's deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said both US embassy staff were expelled for "activities incompatible with their diplomatic status".
State department spokesman John Kirby said the two Russian officials, who have not been named, were told to leave on 17 June.
Mr Kirby said that earlier that month, a Russian policeman attacked a US diplomat near the US embassy in Moscow.
"The action was unprovoked and it endangered the safety of our employee," he said. "The Russian claim that the policeman was protecting the embassy from an unidentified individual is simply untrue."
Russia said earlier this week that the US official was a CIA agent who had refused to provide his identification papers and hit the policeman in the face.
Last month, US officials said harassment against US diplomats by Russian security and intelligence services was on the rise.
The Washington Post said last month that included breaking into the homes of embassy staff, rearranging furniture and even killing a family pet.
Russia has denied the allegation that security staff mistreated the US diplomat. It said the diplomat worked for the CIA and had refused to show ID papers.
"Instead of the CIA employee, who was in disguise, as we understand, it could have been anyone - a terrorist, an extremist, a suicide bomber," Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
In response to seeing its two diplomats ordered to leave Washington, the Kremlin announced its move on Saturday.
"After their unfriendly step two employees of the United States embassy had to leave Moscow," Mr Ryabkov said.
"They were declared persona non grata for activities incompatible with their diplomatic status."
No official response has been made by Russia to the allegations of harassment of US diplomats. A statement to the Washington Post said there had been US provocation against Russian diplomats. | Russia has expelled two US diplomats from Moscow, after the White House said it had ordered two Russian embassy staff to leave Washington. | 36755173 |
The striker fired home from close range on 77 minutes from Rory Gaffney's cutback to earn all three points.
Gaffney had earlier opened the scoring for the Pirates with well-placed header from Billy Bodin's free-kick.
Leroy Lita's low finish made it 1-1, while Town's Marc Laird hit the bar with an injury-time header.
Rovers move into third place in League Two ahead of Accrington, who drew 2-2 with Morecambe to slip to fourth on goal difference. | Bristol Rovers moved into League Two's automatic promotion places as Matt Taylor's 27th goal of the season saw off Yeovil. | 36003509 |
The Belfast-born star was recognised for services to music, and tourism in Northern Ireland, the inspiration for many of his hits.
There were only eight new dames in the list, compared with more than three times as many knights.
But overall, more than half (51%) of recipients were women, outnumbering men for only the second time in honours history.
The dames include Frances Ashcroft, professor of physiology at the University of Oxford, known for her groundbreaking research into type two diabetes; Prof Anne Glover, former chief scientific advisor to the European Commission, and businesswoman Zarine Kharas, founder of the JustGiving.com charity website.
There are also damehoods for the deputy governor of the Bank of England Nemat Shafik and forensic scientist Angela Gallop.
Spacey, who is soon to step down after 10 years as artistic director of the Old Vic theatre in London, said he felt like "an adopted son" after his honorary award for services to British theatre and international culture was announced.
While Morrison said: "Throughout my career I have always preferred to let my music speak for me, and it is a huge honour to now have that body of work recognised in this way.
Former Welsh rugby captain Gareth Edwards is knighted, and there are OBEs for ex-England footballer Frank Lampard, and England's record-breaking cricketer James Anderson.
Long distance runner Jo Pavey and Ebola nurse Will Pooley are among the MBEs. Journalist Caroline Criado-Perez, who successfully campaigned to keep a woman on a British banknote, is made an OBE.
The same honour goes to Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne and entertainer Michael Ball, and Twelve Years A Slave actor Chiwetel Ejiofor and Paddington Bear creator Michael Bond become CBEs.
Ball, who described himself as "a proper royalist", said he was "chuffed to bits" and his 80-year-old father burst into tears on hearing the news.
There are 1,163 people on the list. Recipients range in age from 17-year-old Natasha Lambert, from the Isle of Wight, who was born with athetoid cerebral palsy and is recognised for her charitable fundraising, to 103-year-old allergy research pioneer Dr William Frankland.
1,163
people honoured
70%
for community work
103 age of oldest recipient, Dr William Frankland
17 age of youngest, Natasha Lambert
51% of recipients are women
Conductor Sir Neville Marriner and former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, Lord Woolf - who chaired the inquiry into the 1990 Strangeways prison riot - have been appointed members of the elite Companions of Honour.
Gareth Edwards's knighthood is for sporting and charitable work, while former Wales fly-half Jonathan Davies said he was "extremely humbled" to be given an OBE in recognition of his fundraising for Cardiff's Velindre Cancer Centre.
Cricketer James Anderson, who became England's record highest Test wicket-taker in April, said: "I'm very proud of my recent achievements, and this just caps it off."
Lampard, who is Chelsea's all-time leading goalscorer but spent last season at Manchester City ahead of a move to the US, described his OBE as "an extremely proud moment for myself and my family".
Meanwhile, England women's former football captain Casey Stoney, currently competing in the World Cup in Canada, was named an MBE, along with boxing super middleweight champion Carl Froch.
Stoney told the BBC: "My first reaction was compete and utter shock. Then I was completely overwhelmed and then obviously very, very proud."
And Froch told BBC Radio Nottingham: "It's fantastic for me, my sport, my city and my family. It was a massive honour and a big surprise."
Rugby Union star Jonny Wilkinson, whose name was wrongly reported to be in the last set of honours, becomes a CBE for his dedication to the game.
Laura Bates, founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, said the gender divide at the top of the list was reflective of wider society but she was encouraged to see so many women make the overall list.
The feminist writer, whose online project project to catalogue women's experiences of sexual harassment in the UK became a worldwide movement, was herself awarded a British Empire Medal.
Speaking of the lack of new dames, Miss Bates said: "This is a massive problem across society, but obviously I would like to see the [Honours List] balance redressed at the top, it's important."
Sir Jonathan Stephens, chairman of the Honours Committee, said there was "still a way to go", adding the committee works hard to ensure a wide pool of nominations.
Commonly awarded ranks:
Guide to the honours
The names of some high-profile winners were leaked, with newspapers reporting comedian Lenny Henry's knighthood and Sherlock Holmes actor Benedict Cumberbatch's CBE days ahead of the official announcement.
Sir Lenny, a long-time supporter of the BBC's Comic Relief, said the knighthood was "like being filled with lemonade", but also paid tribute to the thousands of people who have raised more than £1bn for the charity.
Broadcaster and chef Loyd Grossman is made a CBE for services to heritage. He is chairman of both the Heritage Alliance and the Churches Conservation Trust.
There are OBEs for BBC Radio 5 live presenter Nicky Campbell for his role as patron of the British Association for Adoption and Fostering, and Doc Martin and Men Behaving Badly actor Martin Clunes for services to drama, charity and the community in Dorset.
Steven Moffat, television writer and producer of Doctor Who and Sherlock, and actress Lesley Manville are both named OBEs for services to drama.
TV producer Nigel Lythgoe - dubbed "Nasty Nigel" on ITV talent show Popstars before going on to help create Pop Idol - is made an OBE for services to the performing arts, education and charity.
Will Pooley, 30, the first British person to contract Ebola, was named an MBE for his services in tackling the outbreak in Africa. The Suffolk nurse, who is now back in England, sparked an outpouring of support when he flew back to continue to help sufferers.
Also honoured for his major role in the Ebola crisis is Dr Oliver Johnson, who is made an OBE his overseas service in Sierra Leone. He paid tribute to "the efforts of extraordinary local health workers and international volunteers" while the Foreign Office said his swift actions in response to the initial outbreak saved many lives.
Among politicians on the list are Simon Burns, Conservative MP for Chelmsford for nearly 30 years, and former Lib Dem deputy leader Simon Hughes, who lost his seat in May. They were both given knighthoods for public and political service.
Also recognised with a knighthood is Michael Davis, chairman of the Prime Minister's Holocaust Commission, and Duwayne Brooks, who was with murdered black teenager Stephen Lawrence when he was killed in a racist attack in 1993 and is now a now a Liberal Democrat councillor, was made an OBE for public and political service.
GMB leader Paul Kenny said he saw his knighthood for his service to trade unions as a recognition of efforts to stand up against exploitation and bullying.
However, he went on to add that he would "swap it tomorrow for the introduction of the Living Wage", in an interview with the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.
The list acknowledges the work of a number of campaigners.
Gordon Aikman, a 30-year-old campaigner from Edinburgh, who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease, also receives the BEM. His campaign inspired Alex Salmond and Alistair Darling, opposing politicians during the Scottish referendum campaign, to undertake the ice bucket charity challenge.
In broadcasting, former director of the BBC World Service Peter Horrocks becomes a CBE. Veteran cameraman Peter Cooper, who spent 46 years working in BBC News Northern Ireland, including capturing many famous images of the Troubles and the Peace Process, was made an MBE.
A knighthood for Andreas Whittam Smith, former editor of the Independent newspaper, recognises his public service, particularly his work for the Church of England.
There were also MBEs for Philippa Langley and Louis Ashdown-Hill, two historians instrumental in the discovery of Richard III's remains in a Leicester council car park, and the campaign which resulted in his reburial in Leicester Cathedral earlier this year.
In education, Nicholas Weller, executive principal at Dixons Academies in Bradford, received a knighthood for his dedication to teaching. The announcement came in a difficult week for the chain of schools, following the stabbing of a teacher during a science class at Dixons Kings Academy on Thursday. And restaurateurs Henry Dimbleby and John Vincent have been made MBEs for their work in improving school lunches.
Nearly three-quarters of the list is made up of people who have dedicated themselves to outstanding work in their communities.
Katie Cutler, from Gateshead, who set up a fundraising webpage to raise £500 for visually impaired mugging victim Alan Barnes, and went on to take in £300,000, was given the British Empire Medal.
Retired lollipop lady Hazel Joan, who worked at Maes-Y-Coed School in Cardiff, was given a British Empire Medal for services to children and road safety.
Vera Selby, Britain's first ever female professional billiards and snooker referee, was made an MBE for services to snooker and billiards. The 84-year-old from Newcastle is nine times British Women's Billiards Champion and five times British Women's Snooker Champion.
An MBE also goes to Jimmy Jukes, Pearly King of Camberwell and Bermondsey in south-east London, for his charity work with homeless ex-servicemen and women. | Singer-songwriter Van Morrison and US actor Kevin Spacey have been given knighthoods in the Queen's Birthday Honours list. | 33109755 |
State media say two soldiers and six attackers died in clashes after an ambush on troops, which led to air support being called in.
There are reports of villages burning in the northern region of Rakhine.
Photos released by Human Rights Watch seem to show charred villages, with the group reporting 430 burnt buildings.
The satellite photos were taken between 22 October and 10 November, following reports of fighting and civilians fleeing last month.
Rohingya activists say the government is trying systematically to drive the Muslim minority from their villages.
Attacking the Rohingya is a popular move for the military, the BBC's Jonah Fisher reports from Myanmar's largest city, Yangon.
They are disliked by many, if not most, Burmese who consider them illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, our correspondent says.
Glimmer of hope for Myanmar's Rohingya?
Rohingya migrant crisis in 90 seconds
The 'abandoned' people in Myanmar's election
The latest outbreak in fighting was triggered by an attack on three police checkpoints just over a month ago.
The Burmese government is not allowing independent journalists into Rakhine, so it is impossible to verify claims about the scale of the fighting.
According to the latest official statement on Saturday, troops were ambushed and then clashed several times with armed men, presumably Rohingya Muslims, equipped with guns, knives and spears.
At one point, when faced by about 500 men, the soldiers called in air support and two helicopter gunships fired on the Rohingya village.
Casualty figures vary widely, our correspondent says.
Brad Adams, the Asia director for Human Rights Watch, said the new photos showed "widespread destruction" that was "greater than we first thought".
"Burmese authorities should promptly establish a UN-assisted investigation as a first step toward ensuring justice and security for the victims," he said.
The government - led by Aung San Suu Kyi - talks of "clearance operations" as part of the search for the attackers. | The government of Myanmar (Burma) has admitted firing on villages occupied by the Rohingya Muslim minority with helicopter gunships. | 37968090 |
Once again, politicians are debating what to do about gun laws in the US following a tragedy.
There were similar moves after the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, which left 26 people dead, most of them children.
But those pushing for change see signs that things might be going their way, while those opposed to reform can point to several factors that suggest the status quo will remain.
Led by Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, whose state went through the Sandy Hook school shootings, the filibuster lasted 14 hours.
Mr Murphy said he wanted to force Republicans and Democrats to agree on legislation to deny terrorism suspects the right to buy guns and require universal background checks.
As a result of the filibuster, the Senate will hold a vote on gun control measures next week, though passing a bill is unlikely.
President Barack Obama has challenged the Republican-controlled Congress to pass new gun laws.
And Democratic presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton has also been campaigning on the issue.
But gun control is a very divisive issue in the US, where the right to bear arms is enshrined in the constitution.
Likely Republican nominee Donald Trump has pledged to protect gun rights and has said he would get rid of "gun-free zones".
He said more guns in the Orlando nightclub might have saved lives.
"Not one of Donald Trump's reckless ideas would have saved a single life in Orlando," Mrs Clinton said.
In the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting, many states tightened up their gun laws, including Connecticut, California and New York.
Six states have expanded background checks. But people wishing to purchase guns can usually travel to another state to do so.
And Kansas, Texas, Arkansas and Wisconsin, are a few states that have made gun rights more expansive than ever since Sandy Hook.
Lawmakers are increasingly being lambasted for only offering "thoughts and prayers" following shootings.
A visibly emotional Tammy Baldwin, a Democratic senator from Wisconsin, displayed a photo board of the victims as she spoke during the filibuster late on Wednesday, saying repeatedly: "Our thoughts and prayers are no longer enough."
Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan called for a moment of silence on the House floor on Monday and Democrats shouted him down, with a handful walking out.
This week Mr Trump said he was speaking to the National Rifle Association (NRA) on how to keep guns out of the hands of terrorists.
Republican Senators John Cornyn (Texas) and Pat Toomey (Pennsylvania) are both working on proposals that would be an alternative to the Democrats' plan for banning suspected terrorists from buying guns.
Mr Cornyn's plan has been endorsed by the NRA while Mr Toomey hopes to strike a deal that would please both Democrats and Republicans.
There used to be an assault weapons ban in the US, but it expired in 2004 and has failed to pass again. After the Sandy Hook shootings, President Obama included an assault weapons ban in his proposals for sweeping gun reform, but it went nowhere.
Vice-President Joe Biden said this week that it took seven years for Congress to approve the assault weapons ban, and there is "no reason" why Democrats should ever stop trying to get it passed again.
Harvard University researchers published a study in 2014 that showed that, according to their calculations, there has been a rise in public mass shootings and that they tripled from 2011 to 2014.
However, homicides with firearms have declined from a decade ago, and the overall murder rate in the country has gone down in recent years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The powerful National Rifle Association still influences many lawmakers.
The group says it has about five million members, though it is hard to confirm that number.
Membership increased sharply following the Sandy Hook massacre, though its financial disclosure forms for 2014 show its revenues dropped by $47 million (£33 million) from 2013 to 2014.
Wayne LaPierre, the president of the organisation, and officials who lobby Congress have been blamed by President Obama for preventing gun-control legislation and having an "extremely strong grip on Congress".
NRA supporters say their group is being unfairly blamed for shootings it did not commit and that mental health is the issue, not guns.
Why is US gun lobby NRA so controversial?
Many agree with Donald Trump when he says more "good guys with guns" would save lives.
One survivor of the Pulse nightclub shootings told the BBC that she wishes she had had a firearm to defend herself.
Kassandra Marquez, 23, survived the attack, but her cousin died.
"They need to have a gun control, but from my experience, the way I'm looking at things, until then, get your gun licence, because you're not safe anywhere."
The majority of vendors at gun shows are licensed but often, unlicensed sellers meet at the shows to show off their collections or sell guns, and unlicensed sellers do not put buyers through a federal background check.
Alleged Charleston gunman Dylann Roof was able to buy a gun because the FBI did not complete a background check on him within three business days, due to a clerical error. Arms dealers, under current law, can sell guns to individuals if they have not been notified by the FBI within three days that the sale would be illegal.
Despite lobbying from medical groups, the Centers for Disease Control is still banned from using federal funds to research gun violence in the US, thanks to a provision enacted in 1997.
Just this spring, a group of 141 medical organisations sent a letter to lawmakers urging them to restore funding for gun research. They wrote that the provision "has had a dramatic chilling effect" on researching gun violence.
"A central part of preventing future tragedies is through conducting rigorous scientific research as this has been a proven successful approach in reducing deaths due to other injuries," the letter reads. | The worst mass shooting in recent US history in Orlando on Sunday left 49 dead with dozens of people remaining in a hospital, some in a critical condition. | 36552219 |
Former French Open champion Moya, 40, joined Raonic's team in January and helped the 25-year-old Canadian reach the final of Wimbledon in 2016, where he lost to Britain's Andy Murray.
Raonic, who also lost to Murray at the semi-finals of the Australian Open, ended the season at a career-high third in the world rankings.
He confirmed the split on Instagram and said the pair remain "close friends".
He wrote: "Thank you to Carlos Moya for helping me tremendously this year, alongside my team, to get the best out of me.
"Under Carlos' direction and tutelage I have played my best yet to date. We will no longer be continuing our coaching relationship but remain close friends. I wish him all the best."
Raonic also worked with three-time Wimbledon champion John McEnroe for the grass court season and during the ATP finals. | Milos Raonic has parted company with coach Carlos Moya. | 38164483 |
The Heritage Journal said restrictions should be made after the monument was vandalised during the winter solstice.
But King Arthur Pendragon said: "It is a living, working temple; you can't wrap it up in cotton wool and say you can no longer go there."
He also rejected the group's claim that vandalism was a recurring problem.
In December, some 1,500 revellers gathered at the ancient landmark to watch the sunrise and mark the winter solstice.
The damage caused included graffiti and chewing gum left on the stones.
King Arthur Pendragon said: "I think it's a sledgehammer to crack a nut, really.
"Obviously we are against the vandalism, but we are also against what we see as organised vandalism like digging up bodies and taking them away.
"That's as much a desecration of our temple as people putting graffiti on the stones."
In 2008, the cremated remains of more than 40 bodies were removed from the site and some were put in display at the new £27m visitor centre.
The druid led a campaign against the exhumation and the bones being displayed.
He added: "It's elitism, they believe that it is a very special place, we believe it is a very special place - but we believe it's a very special place to worship and to honour what it was built for, which was the longest and shortest day.
"They want to wrap it up in cotton wool, keep everybody away from it and make money out of it."
English Heritage has previously said damage to Stonehenge is "not characteristic of solstice celebrations". | A call to stop revellers from getting close to Stonehenge during solstice celebrations is "elitism", a senior druid has said. | 31734720 |
Reuters has quoted one of the Taiwanese manufacturer's executives as saying the device had been
designed to compete with Amazon's handheld computer
.
The article is the latest to suggest Asus is building a tablet for the Android developer despite Google's purchase of Motorola, which also makes tablets.
Google declined to comment.
A keynote speech at the start of its annual I/O conference in San Francisco later is also expected to contain details about the next version of its Android operating system.
In addition the firm may provide updates about its Google TV platform and its Glass augmented reality headwear project.
Reuters quotes the unnamed Asus executive as saying: "It's targeting Amazon. The Kindle is based on Google's platform but with its own service, so Google has to launch its own service too."
Bloomberg has also reported that "two people familiar with the matter" had
confirmed an Asus-made Google-branded 7-inch tablet
was set to be unveiled.
According to research firm Comscore,
Amazon's Kindle Fire accounted for 54% of the Android tablet market
in the US in February. The machine has yet to be released in other countries.
"Google is probably going to want to distinguish itself from the iPad as much as possible," David McQueen, principal analyst at the tech consultancy, Informa, told the BBC.
"Beyond running Android one way to do that is to offer a high-quality device with a smaller screen.
"Of course other firms have tried to do that. But apart from the Kindle Fire most have been significantly more expensive than $200 [£128]. If Google can hit that price point with more impressive features it should be able to grow the market for its mainstream Android system."
Amazon may be prepared for the challenge. Tech site Cnet has reported that an
updated Kindle Fire
could be announced next month.
Any new devices will also face competition from Microsoft later in the year when it releases its Windows 8-powered family of Surface tablets. | Speculation that Google will shortly unveil an own-brand tablet appears to have been confirmed by Asus. | 18609969 |
In all the fuss and dust surrounding the referendum, the Tory leadership campaign and the creation of a brand new cabinet it has been easy to lose sight of this fact.
George Osborne has been chancellor of the exchequer for six long years of austerity.
He and his government told us time and again that balancing the budget was their first and most important job.
Now without even an election that policy has been abandoned, the government's aim to bring in more in tax than it spends by 2020 has been dropped, but what has replaced it?
Mr Hammond has given us some clues but to be perfectly honest we will not have the complete picture until the Autumn Statement later this year.
However, the new chancellor has already declined to say when the government's budget will be in surplus, if ever.
Mr Hammond has also said that "increasing taxes is not the way to support the economy, maintain consumer confidence and to make sure that we continue to grow the economy in future".
Nor is it likely that a massive round of new spending cuts is going to help the economy at the moment.
In fact with falling business and consumer confidence, worries over delays or even the cancellation of private investment and a construction industry that looks to be slowing down; many would see an increase in government investment as the obvious solution.
Sajid Javid, the former business secretary, has called for the government to fund an extra £100bn of infrastructure spending over the next five years.
Unless there are huge tax rises or spending cuts that money will have to be borrowed.
Fortunately the chancellor can now borrow at historically low rates, for long periods of time. The markets are so jittery they are willing to put their cash into ultra-secure government bonds for little or no return.
But it is not just money for new infrastructure that the government will have to find, with the economy likely to slow or even go into a recession its existing borrowing targets are meaningless.
A cautious estimate is that the government will have to borrow another £50bn a year by the end of this parliament just to balance the books.
Any borrowing to help boost the economy will be on top of that. Just last month that would have been denounced by the chancellor and his cabinet colleagues as reckless, dangerous and counter-productive.
That is how much things have changed in the last few weeks.
To borrow one of George Osborne's favourite sayings "you have to fix the roof when the sun is shining", and these huge changes in economic policy suggest that the government's forecast is looking distinctly overcast. | Britain's economic policy has changed radically almost overnight. | 36807403 |
The South Korean company forecast that its operating profit from April to June is likely to fall 4% from a year ago to 6.9tn won ($6.13bn; £3.9bn), lower than forecasts of 7.2tn won.
Its sales also fell 8% to 48tn won, below expectations of 53tn won.
The company is struggling to see growth in a saturated smartphone market.
The launch of its latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S6, has been plagued with supply shortage issues, affecting its sales in the quarter, say analysts.
But Samsung has said that it has resolved the supply issue and expects the combined sales for the flat-screen and curved screen S6 models to hit a new sales record for the firm.
The earnings are expected to be the company's highest quarterly profit since the same period last year.
Samsung has been facing stiff competition for its smartphones with US rival Apple at the top end and cheaper Chinese smartphone makers such as Xiaomi at the bottom end.
Andrew Milroy, tech analyst at consulting firm Frost & Sullivan said while Samsung had come out with innovative features such as curved edges on smartphones, the market was catching up with them.
"Some of the other innovations they've had - the big screens - other manufacturers have caught with that," he told the BBC.
"The larger screens was their biggest competitive differential in some of their models."
Samsung shares closed up 0.8% after reversing early losses on the earnings guidance in Seoul.
The company's final detailed results will be released at the end of this month. | Second quarter earnings for the world's biggest smartphone maker, Samsung Electronics, are likely to miss expectations, the tech giant has said. | 33421438 |
The Super League side brought in Josh Jones last week after the centre was released from his short stint in rugby union with Exeter Chiefs.
Jones, 22, became the 10th new signing ahead of the upcoming season.
"Tim Sheens (director of rugby) was always keen on keeping something in the background, keeping your powder dry as he calls it," said Watson.
The 39-year-old told BBC Radio Manchester: "Obviously you like to have your squad in place, but it was also making sure we didn't panic and rush into it.
"We got what we needed to get in. From there we can pick if something becomes available, and luckily for us Josh has become available and we've been able to move on that.
"I believe we still have room in the cap if the situation arrives again now."
One of Salford's new arrivals is half-back Robert Lui, who has joined from NRL premiership winners North Queensland Cowboys on a one-year contract.
Asked what the biggest change has been since his move to England from Australia, Lui said: "To be honest, it's just catching the footy.
"When you're training it's real cold - your hands freeze. When I first came over the first two or three weeks were tough.
"I'm not going to say I'm used to it, it froze over on the weekend when I was playing, but I try not to think about that as this is what I sign up for." | Salford Red Devils still have money available in their salary cap to bring in players, says head coach Ian Watson. | 35370737 |
But in the murky waters of Western Australia's Fitzroy River, it offers little defence against sharks or crocodiles.
A new study, published in the journal Ecology, details the dangers posed there to the critically endangered species.
In it rare photos show a freshwater crocodile preying on a young sawfish.
The river system is a spawning area and a habitat for juvenile sawfish before they journey to the ocean to mature and breed.
Researchers and wildlife rangers examined 39 sawfish in the river and found evidence of bite marks on around 60%. Based on the appearance of the bite marks, the predators responsible were crocodiles and bull sharks, the study concludes.
Lead author, Associate Professor David Morgan, a fish biologist from Murdoch University said water levels are related to the survival of the young.
"The less water the more likely they are to encounter a predator such as a saltwater crocodile, particularly in the lower reaches of the river," he told the BBC.
Their unique snout, or rostrum, are prized as trophies and also make sawfish especially prone to entanglement in fishing nets.
Prof Morgan suggests that river crossings, weirs and dams be modified to allow the species to migrate upstream more safely.
"We now know that the Kimberly region of Western Australia is arguably the most important region for freshwater sawfish left on Earth," he said.
"They need the habitat and they need the water." | The freshwater sawfish's signature snout makes it one of nature's most stealthy predators. | 39550816 |
Last week, Canadian singer Shawn Mendes replaced Justin Bieber at the top of the charts. Nothing strange about that, you might think - clean-cut teen stars are the staple diet of the music industry.
But, crucially, both artists were signed before they'd proved their ability to play in front of an audience. Bieber was discovered through his YouTube channel, while Mendes amassed 3.8 million followers on the video-sharing app Vine.
They're not alone. The Weeknd, Jessie J, 5 Seconds of Summer, Halsey and Soulja Boy all built an audience online before eager record labels snapped them (and their fanbases) up.
Canadian star Alessia Cara, who recently came second in the BBC Sound of 2016, is a typical YouTuber. She amassed millions of views for cover versions of Jessie J and Lorde - but she hadn't performed in public until she auditioned for her management company in New York.
"It was so scary because that was probably one of the first times I really sang in front of anyone," she told the BBC. "It was terrifying - but I did it."
But with so many artists emerging this way, what happens to the dingy pubs and sweat-soaked clubs that used to be the lifeblood of the music industry?
The statistics don't look good. In London alone, 35% of small venues have shut in the last decade.
Places like the Sheffield Boardwalk, the Princess Charlotte in Leicester and the Cockpit in Leeds have also shut their doors in recent years.
The cull of club culture has prompted a new initiative, Independent Venue Week, which aims to remind people of the value of live music.
"It's very easy to take small venues for granted," the event's founder, Sybil Bell, told BBC 6 Music.
"What's happened recently, with a lot of venues closing, is that people are jumping up and saying, 'we need to save our venues'. But what would be more productive is if they went to the venues more frequently before that even became the case."
She says people have become lazy, streaming shows at home, or liking bands on Facebook instead of watching them at a local venue.
"There's no night on your sofa that's better than a night out at a gig," she protests.
"You never know who you're going to see, you don't know how great the band is going to be, you never know if they're going to mess up and recover. There's a real romance to it."
"It's really sad to see these places closing," agrees Brit Award winner Mark Ronson. "They're incredibly important to a band on the way up. Even The Beatles played 10,000 hours in Hamburg. Bands need those spaces to practise."
"They're integral to being able to grow as a performer," agrees Jack Garratt, who recently supported Mumford and Sons on tour, after crafting his show at 200-capacity venues.
"You have to start small to understand what needs to happen when you get bigger. Without that grounding, you don't have the ability to go onto a bigger stage and entertain the person way back at the end of the room."
Yannis Philippakis, frontman of rock band Foals, says the Oxford venues where his band learned their trade - The Wheatsheaf and The Cellar - are still around, but he worries for the future.
"They were the places we cut our teeth [but] without the oxygen they afford young bands, you can't expect Britain to be able to create great music like it has been doing.
"If you cut that beginning step out, the things that will filter to the top will come through other avenues, whether that's X Factor or whatever."
But is that really the case? Maybe not. Everyone we spoke to in the music industry said live venues were still a crucial testing ground.
"Personally I would never sign a band without seeing them live," says Chris McCourt, who helps find and develop new talent for Atlantic Records.
"Live music is the band's bread and butter these days, and if they can't play live, I don't think they're going to have a career.
"On our roster, Ed Sheeran is probably the shining light for what constantly touring can bring you."
Indeed, the star says he couldn't have sold out three nights at Wembley Stadium last year without paying his dues on the "toilet circuit" (a network of venues so small that bands have to get changed in the lavatory. Either that, or they smell like toilets).
"I feel like I've done every venue on the ladder in England," Sheeran told the BBC last year. "My first ever gig was above a place called the Liberties Bar in Camden. It was in an upstairs back room. I had no PA - it was unplugged to about 13 people."
After five years of learning his craft, the star knew how to hold people's attention without expensive light shows, or even a full band.
"The UK is a very unforgiving audience," he says. "If you mess up, people here will say: '£50 to go and see him? We probably shouldn't do that again'."
One of the first people to spot Sheeran's potential was Jamal Edwards MBE - the entrepreneur and owner of multi-million pound YouTube channel SBTV. He featured the singer in 2010, a year before his first record deal, and has also helped break artists such as Tinchy Stryder, Jessie J and Wretch 32.
But although his channel exists exclusively online, he insists on seeing new bands perform live first.
"I first saw Ed Sheeran in the Proud Galleries. I first saw Jessie J live in a club on Brick Lane. Sometimes I go to open mic nights. I think it's important. You experience whether someone can actually sing when you go to live music events."
"Every artist I've worked with, they've built themselves up doing their stuff on their YouTube channel, then when they're ready to take it into a live music space, they've got a following who'll go with them to that show."
It's a pattern he's followed himself - putting on "SBTV Presents" nights at clubs and festivals around the UK.
"I feel it connects people," he says. "The audience might not have met each other but they have the same interests, they watch SBTV, they can bond for a few hours. So it's important."
The 25-year-old, who was appointed MBE last year, says he has seen dozens of his old haunts shut down in recent years. "It's crazy. The events that get put on at these clubs have to move - and that's very disruptive. But there are still a few left that we need to make sure can carry on."
Rock band Wolf Alice agree. "In London at the moment, the rate they're closing is shocking," says bassist Theo Ellis, "especially the independently run ones".
"I think it's important to spread awareness that it's happening. A lot of people don't realise - and then one week their favourite venue will be a flat."
Steve Lamacq's BBC 6 Music show is touring the UK this week to take the temperature of the live music scene. Listen to the programmes on the 6 Music website and iPlayer. | Are small music venues being put out of business as more and more artists are discovered online? | 35399194 |
The 29-year-old ex-Scarlets captain, has left "by mutual agreement".
He played for Wales Under-21s and Wales Sevens before a senior call-up to tour New Zealand in 2010.
McCusker's Wales debut against South Africa in November that year and won his last cap in the 22-18 tour win over Japan in 2013.
He joined Scarlets in 2003 and went on to make 135 appearances, scoring six tries and led them in 2012-13 before being a joint captain with Jonathan Davies the following season.
McCusker said: "There have been some memorable experiences over the years including great Heineken Cup victories over Perpignan and Racing Metro and a big thank you must go out to the fans who support us through the highs and lows.
"It's been an honour to have played for such a fantastic club for so many years, but I'm looking forward to new challenges with London Irish."
Scarlets general manager of rugby Jon Daniels said: "At this stage in his career Rob understandably needs to be playing regular rugby, an opportunity which I am sure he will grasp with both hands at London Irish.
"On behalf of the Scarlets I would like to thank Rob for his contribution and wish him the very best for the future." | Six-times capped Wales back-rower Rob McCusker has left Scarlets to join Aviva Premiership side London Irish on a one-season deal. | 34333625 |
On 29 September a virtual demolition will be projected onto the facade of the town's Imax theatre.
The actual demolition of the building, on the town's seafront starts next month.
The cinema which opened in 2002 was once voted one of the UK's most hated buildings.
John Beesley, leader of Bournemouth Borough Council, said: "It will be a memorable moment that many local people, who have repeatedly told us how much they hate the building, will want to see."
The event, which will include lighting, animation, music and sound effects, is part of the Bournemouth Arts by the Sea Festival.
Evan Grant, founder of Seeper, the company behind the 3D installation, remembers the construction of the building when he studied in Bournemouth.
He said: "As I approached the pier there was a beautiful vista looking over the beach across the water to Old Harry Rocks. Within the blink of an eye this view was replaced by a rectangular block of concrete.
"To my dismay the block wasn't even open, and across its life it never really was. It's such an amazing peace of real estate and such a badly designed and planned structure.
"Architecture should be sympathetic to its surroundings and usage. Why on Earth does a 3D cinema, an ugly one at that, need to be on the seafront?"
The Waterfront complex building was constructed in 1998.
The Imax cinema inside opened nearly three years behind schedule and then closed in 2005 after having problems showing 3D films.
At the height of its infamy in 2005 the structure was voted one of the UK's most hated buildings in the Channel 4 programme Demolition.
Bournemouth Borough Council granted planning permission for its construction in 1997. The hung council voted 35-7 in favour of the project.
In 2010 the council bought the leasehold and wanted to lower the building's height to reclaim views, but got "no suitable bids" from developers.
So instead, the local authority has decided to build a new seafront entertainment space on the site.
The facility has been granted planning approval and will be open next summer for theatre and arts performances, music and dance, sports and community events.
The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Pavilion Dance have both already expressed an interest in staging performances there.
Members of the public wishing to witness the virtual demolition can gather at Pier Approach at 21:15 BST on Saturday 29 September or watch the display streamed on the council's website. | Residents in Bournemouth who have wanted to see a cinema building disappear for more than a decade are about to get their wish. | 19543328 |
The Claim: 1.2 million small and medium businesses are involved in exports to the European Union.
Reality Check verdict: This figure is based on imperfect data which means assumptions have been made, some of which are open to challenge. The definition of "involved" includes firms anywhere on the supply chain of an exporter, which is why the figure is so high.
This is an estimate that comes from the Department for Business Innovation and Skills. These figures were released on Monday last week so as not to contravene the civil service regulations about what may be released in the month before the referendum.
The first thing to say is that the government is not claiming that all of these businesses export to the EU - it says 400,000 of them are actual exporters and the rest are suppliers to companies that export, or suppliers to companies that supply companies that export and so on down the supply chain.
The figure for businesses exporting to the EU is a considerable increase on the 200,000 used by Britain Stronger in Europe earlier in the campaign.
These are difficult figures to calculate, because large numbers of very small businesses are not registered because they do not have any employees and are too small to be above the threshold for VAT.
To be registered for VAT you need to be selling at least £83,000 of goods or services.
The figures for the proportion of companies that export come from the Office for National Statistics Annual Business Survey, which does not include unregistered businesses. As a result, the government has assumed that the same proportion of unregistered businesses export as the smallest registered businesses. This seems like a big assumption to make because surely having no employees or having a turnover of less than £83,000 a year would be expected to make a business less likely to export.
The survey also doesn't cover Northern Ireland, so this research assumes that firms in Northern Ireland behave in the same way as those elsewhere in the UK.
So the final estimate is that 8% of small and medium-sized businesses export to the EU and another 15% of businesses are involved in their supply chains.
The latest figures from 2015 found that there were 5.4 million private sector businesses in the UK, 23% of which is 1.24 million.
There are also assumptions in the methodology that would depress the estimate of the number of businesses involved, such as that businesses are assumed to sell either to consumers or to other businesses, but not both.
Read more: The facts behind claims in the EU debate | Business Secretary Sajid Javid says: "Figures that have been released today show that 1.2 million SMEs (small and medium enterprises) are involved in exports to the European Union." | 36417237 |
Alex McDonald, 27, of Hilly Park, Norton Fitzwarren, denies murdering Catherine McDonald, 57, in their home.
During the first day of the trial, the jury was told the accused had drunk at least four bottles of wine and had taken cocaine hours before the attack.
Exeter Crown Court heard she was killed in a "deliberate and determined way".
Prosecuting, Simon Laws QC, said: "He used a number of weapons and the attack was sexual as well as physical.
"This was not a case in which there was an argument that got out of hand, nor a man landing an unlucky blow."
A kitchen knife, knitting needle, a pair of scissors and power cord were used in the attack, he said.
The prosecution alleged Mr McDonald held a pair of scissors to his mother's throat as he sexually assaulted her.
When he had achieved that, he killed her, Mr Laws said.
The prosecution also suggested there were tensions between the two during the three months prior to her death.
He had moved back home having worked in bars along the Kent coastline since 2010.
The court also heard Mr McDonald was a recreational drug user and his drug taking and the effect on his mental health had worried his ex-girlfriend, who gave evidence.
On the night of the attack, the jury heard Mr McDonald had been exchanging texts of a sexual nature with a man he had been involved with in Kent.
The prosecution said it was fair to conclude by the end of these texts Mr McDonald was in "a state of sexual arousal".
So far, the accused has refused to give any account of what he did, the jury heard.
The prosecution also said people who knew the pair said they had a close and affectionate mother-son relationship and there was no evidence to show he had been violent to her before.
The accused has pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
The trial continues. | A man sexually assaulted, stabbed and strangled his mother with a power cord while she lay sleeping in her bed, a court has heard. | 33140551 |
But the rise was offset by a decline in non-food sales, according to the KPMG Scottish Retail Sales Monitor.
The figures came as retailers were warned to be prepared for the impact of Brexit amid early indications of faltering consumer confidence.
Overall, sales decreased by 1.4% in June compared with the same month the previous year.
Adjusted for deflation, measured at 2%, sales increased by 0.6% in real terms.
KPMG said grocery sales were up 0.1% in June compared with the same month in 2015.
It is the first reported sales growth since December 2015 and only the third time sales have increased in the last two years.
However non-food sales dropped by 2.6% compared to June 2015.
David McCorquodale, head of retail at KPMG, said: "Although total sales are down on last year, the grocery sector saw a change in fortunes, registering its first growth in sales since December.
"Big ticket items in the non-food category continued to perform strongly.
"Bolstered by a summer of sport, electricals fared particularly well, as consumers looked to buy the latest televisions to watch the football, tennis and golf.
"That being said, the food retail market continues to face challenges and we can't yet fully predict how the cost impact of leaving the EU will trickle down to the consumer.
"Where we have already seen an impact is on the rising cost of family holidays abroad. As a result, we expect to see retailers try to benefit from staycations and overseas tourists in the short term."
He added: "June also saw high street retailers, once again, fall victim to inclement weather. Introducing early sales didn't prevent seasonal lines being hit by an unpredictable weather front which, after an initial sunny spell, dominated from the second week in June through to the end of the month.
"One thing for certain is that regardless of the weather forecast, the retail sector should be braced for further change and uncertainty as the politicians begin the process of brokering a new deal with Europe."
Ewan MacDonald-Russell, of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said it was too early to say if Brexit would have an impact on retail sales or shop prices.
"Scottish retailers remain open for business, and the vote has not changed their commitment to deliver for customers," he said.
"However, there are signs that customer confidence may have faltered since June 23." | Food sales from Scotland's shops increased last month for the first time since December. | 36836768 |
Laura Martin, from Kingussie in the Highlands, was chosen from more than 2,400 people for the job previously undertaken by Amy Kincaid, from Oban.
Ms Martin did not tell her former room-mate at University of St Andrews that she had applied for the post.
The 25-year-old will start her stint in the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust post office in November.
The office in Port Lockroy, which is part of the British Antarctica Territory, handles mail for scientists and others working in Antarctica.
Another St Andrews University graduate, Florence Barrow, landed the same job in 2012.
Like Ms Kincaid and Ms Barrow, Ms Martin will do other duties while in Antarctica. | A woman is to take over from her former university room-mate as the operator of the world's most southerly post office. | 34474990 |
The All Party Parliamentary Group on Drug Policy Reform says there is clear evidence cannabis could have a therapeutic role for some conditions, including chronic pain and anxiety.
It says tens of thousands of people in the UK already break the law to use the drug for symptom relief.
But the Home Office says there are no plans to legalise the "harmful drug."
Plant cannabis contains more than 60 chemicals.
The All Party Parliamentary Group wants the Home Office to reclassify herbal cannabis under existing drug laws, from schedule one to schedule four.
This would put it in the same category as steroids and sedatives and mean doctors could prescribe cannabis to patients, and chemists could dispense it.
Patients might even be allowed to grow limited amounts of cannabis for their own consumption.
People with multiple sclerosis can legally take a cannabis-based medicine.
This licensed medicine, called Sativex, is a mouth spray and contains two chemical extracts (THC and CBD) derived from the cannabis plant.
Under current laws in England and Wales, cannabis is not recognised as having any therapeutic value and anyone using the drug, even for medical reasons, could be charged for possession.
The NHS warns that cannabis use carries a number of risks, such as impairing the ability to drive, as well as causing harm to lungs if smoked and harm to mental health, fertility or unborn babies.
The All Party Parliamentary Group on Drug Policy Reform took evidence from 623 patients, representatives of the medical professions and people with knowledge of how medical cannabis was regulated across the world.
37
average age of patient
67%
try conventional medicines first
37% don't tell their doctor
72% buy street cannabis
20% grow their own
Co-chair Baroness Molly Meacher said: "Cannabis works as a medicine for a number of medical conditions.
"The evidence has been strong enough to persuade a growing number of countries and US states to legalise access to medical cannabis.
"Against this background, the UK scheduling of cannabis as a substance that has no medical value is irrational."
The group commissioned a report by an expert in rehabilitation medicine, Prof Mike Barnes, which found good evidence that medical cannabis helps alleviate the symptoms of:
And there was moderate evidence that it could help with:
But there was limited or no evidence that cannabis helps:
It found short-term side-effects of cannabis were generally mild and well tolerated, but that there was a link with schizophrenia in some long-term users.
"There is probably a link in those who start using cannabis at an early age and also if the individual has a genetic predisposition to psychosis. There should be caution with regard to prescription of cannabis for such individuals," says the report.
Also, there is a small dependency rate with cannabis at about 9%, "which needs to be taken seriously but compares to around 32% for tobacco use and 15% for alcohol use".
The evidence for cognitive impairment in long-term users is not clear but "it is wise to be cautious in prescribing cannabis to younger people, given the possible susceptibility of the developing brain", says the report.
Smoking cannabis in a joint rolled with tobacco can make asthma worse and probably increases the risk of lung cancer.
Prof Barnes said: "We analysed over 20,000 scientific and medical reports.
"The results are clear. Cannabis has a medical benefit for a wide range of conditions.
"I believe that with greater research, it has the potential to help with an even greater number of conditions.
"But this research is being stifled by the government's current classification of cannabis as having no medical benefit."
Cannabis is currently classified as a Class B drug, with possession carrying a maximum sentence of five years in jail or an unlimited fine.
Those supplying or producing cannabis face tougher penalties, with a maximum of 14 years in jail.
The drug comes in many different forms - hash is cannabis resin, while marijuana is the dried leaves and flowers of the plant.
A Home Office spokesman said: "There is a substantial body of scientific and medical evidence to show that cannabis is a harmful drug which can damage people's mental and physical health.
"It is important that medicines are thoroughly trialled to ensure they meet rigorous standards before being placed on the market.
"There is a clear regime in place, administered by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, to enable medicines, including those containing controlled drugs, to be developed."
About 24 US states, Canada, Israel and at least 11 European countries already allow access to cannabis for medical use.
Follow Michelle on Twitter | Taking cannabis for medical reasons should be made legal, says a cross-party group of UK politicians. | 37336678 |
The wild bird was found on Moseley New Pool at Swanshurst Park, Swanshurst Lane, Moseley, by a passer-by.
It was taken to the RSPCA Birmingham Animal Hospital for emergency treatment. Vets said it was expected to make a full recovery.
The bird is now recovering and the charity has appealed for witnesses to the attack on Saturday to come forward.
More stories from Birmingham and the Black Country
Insp Boris Lasserre said: "The bolt has gone right through the lower part of the goose's head. Incredibly he was still alive.
"He was taken to the RSPCA Birmingham Animal Hospital for treatment and X-rays to establish the damage that has been caused by the bolt and the safest way to remove it.
"This poor bird was the victim of a mindless cruelty. It beggars belief that someone would get enjoyment out of doing something like this." | A goose has narrowly survived after being shot through the head with a crossbow bolt at a Birmingham park. | 37925645 |
The 24-year-old from Québec was with Czech Republic side HC Dynamo Pardubice before signing for the Giants.
"We're excited to be able to bring in a player of Jerome's quality - he'll add stability to our d-corps," said Steve Thornton, Head of Hockey Operations.
Leduc is available for this weekend's two games against leaders Cardiff, with the Giants three points back.
He was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the third round, 68th overall, of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
Following his draft year, in the 2011/12 season Leduc led the Québec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) in both goals as well as points by a defenceman.
Leduc spent the following four seasons in the AHL with the Rochester Americans, the Buffalo Sabres affiliate, where he posted 19 goals and 38 assists in 228 games played.
The Ottawa Senators traded for Leduc in a seven-player deal in February 2016 and he was directly assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Senators, for the remainder of the season.
Leduc then signed a one-year contract with HC Dynamo Pardubice, posting four goals and five assists in 41 games played, before joining the Giants.
Thornton added: "Unfortunately we received news that Alex Foster will miss a significant number of games following an injury sustained in the game against Fife and we made sure to move quickly to bring in the best possible player available." | Canadian defenceman Jerome Leduc has joined the Belfast Giants for the remainder of the season. | 38994470 |
Bola, 19, signed a professional deal with the Gunners in April after playing regularly for their under-21 side.
Midfielder Grant, 22, has played 17 league games for Forest since joining the Championship club in 2013.
Clackstone, 20, can play at right-back or centre-half, with all three players joining for the rest of the season.
Grant lined up against Notts in a Central League Cup match on transfer deadline day before the deal was agreed.
The trio join on the same day that Notts County boss Kevin Nolan was registered as a player and West Brom forward Tahvon Campbell arrived on loan.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here. | Notts County have completed the loan signings of Arsenal defender Marc Bola, Nottingham Forest's Jorge Grant and Hull defender Josh Clackstone. | 38820082 |
It's like combustion in reverse, and in essence it is what powers plants: CO2 and water in, energy-rich sugar molecules out.
But in matters of energy, nothing comes for free.
Just as plants need sunlight to pull off the trick, Air Fuel Synthesis, the firm profiled in the UK's Independent newspaper, need to use good old-fashioned electric energy to pull off theirs.
As with any novel fuel production or energy storage method, it is the numbers that matter: efficiency is king.
The degree to which this technique can fulfil its promise to lower CO2 and provide a sustainable fuel source depends crucially on the balance of energy it requires and the energy it stores.
First things first - squashing CO2 back into a molecule packed with energy is not a new idea.
For example, work done at Princeton University in the US and published in 1994 to make the fuel additive methanol from CO2 has more recently been refined and spun into a company called Liquid Light that is aiming to do the same thing.
In Iceland, Carbon Recycling International opened a plant at the end of 2011 drawing waste CO2 from a power station, with capacity to produce five million litres of methanol per year.
Air Fuel Synthesis build on these methods by turning the methanol into something more like petrol, using processes well entrenched already in the petroleum industry.
The firm, so far, has made five litres of their fuel in a two-year demonstration experiment in which they have invested £1m.
Peter Harrison, the firm's chief executive, told BBC News that the demonstration did not focus on efficiency, but rather a proof of principle.
"All we're trying to demonstrate is that here in the UK we can make petrol from air," he said.
"[These processes] are all capable of working at industrial scale, and we've brought it down to container scale. There' a lot of work to do to develop the supply chains and to reduce the costs.
"We've got a design now for a one-tonne-a-day unit, and we expect to be in production by 2015."
Their first market is "greening the motorsport industry" by offering their pure fuels to racing teams.
But in the bigger picture, the petrol-from-air idea joins a legion of others that are trying to crack the far bigger problem of storing energy produced by renewable sources.
Like the recently reported "liquid air" approach, Air Fuel Synthesis wants to use renewable energy which may come when there is no consumer demand for it.
Mark Carpenter, research fellow at Cranfield University's Chemical Safety, Fuels and Environment Group, said that hydrocarbon fuels were "a very good way of storing energy" but that linking the process to renewable energy was the only way to make it tenable.
"If they can get enough renewable, low-cost electricity, that's a big determinant," he told BBC News. "It could be a very clean and green way of producing hydrocarbon fuels."
"But it'll be a minority player in terms of trying to meet global fuels demand - very, very small.
"It's certainly interesting that someone's considered this as a method, it's just whether you can make the chemistry work and get a reasonable degree of efficiency."
As with many other energy production and storage methods, only time and market forces will determine how far the petrol-from-air idea can go. | An idea has hit the news on Friday to produce petrol from air and water - removing CO2 from the atmosphere, combining it with hydrogen split from water vapour and turning it into a fuel that can go straight back into the petrol tank. | 20003650 |
Officers have been conducting a full scientific examination of part of Monkland Canal in an effort to find the remains of 11-year-old Moira Anderson.
She left her grandmother's house in Coatbridge on 23 February 1957 to go to the shops but she never returned.
Police divers are expected to begin searching the canal on Monday.
A specialist search team began the first phase of the search of the canal earlier this week.
The operation focused on a 170m (185 yards) stretch of canal at Carnbroe. Although it is 3.5m (11.5ft) deep, around 2m (6.5ft) of that is silt.
The team were joined by leading experts including soil forensic expert Professor Lorna Dawson and forensic anthropologist Prof Sue Black.
Geoforensics expert Prof Alastair Ruffell, as well as a national search advisor from the National Crime Agency and representatives of the Home Office's applied sciences and technology department have also worked on the operation.
The search involved the use of ground penetrating radar, sonar scanning and magnetometry, which identifies magnetic anomalies within the water and silt layer of the canal.
The force said the techniques resulted in the identification of "five distinct areas of anomalies".
Divers from its marine unit will begin their investigation of those areas on Monday, when they will focus on identifying and removing any relevant items.
Bus driver and convicted paedophile Alexander Gartshore, who died in 2006, is suspected of Moira Anderson's murder.
When she left her grandmother's house during a heavy snowstorm, she boarded a Baxter's bus that was driven by Gartshore.
Later that year, he was jailed for raping a 17-year-old babysitter.
In 1999, convicted child abuser James Gallogley named his former friend Gartshore as Moira's murderer.
Gartshore's own daughter Sandra Brown was convinced he was the killer and campaigned to have him charged.
In 2014 prosecutors took the unusual step of announcing that Gartshore would have faced prosecution for the schoolgirl's murder if he were still alive.
In 1957 a witness reported seeing a tall man carrying a large, heavy sack towards the canal the morning after Moira disappeared but the possible sighting was not followed up. | Police searching a North Lanarkshire canal in a bid to find a schoolgirl who disappeared 60 years ago have identified five "areas of interest". | 39310285 |
Sir Moir is a former chief executive of the transport operator FirstGroup.
He led a management and employee buyout of the company, formerly Grampian Regional Transport, in 1985 before steering it to become a £6bn business employing almost 130,000 people.
Sir Moir said: "I am relishing the chance to join this wonderful charity."
NTS is the country's largest conservation charity and cares for 129 properties.
Sir Moir said: "Heritage means a great deal to me - I am fascinated by the stories of people and places and how we were all shaped by our environment and our past.
"Ken Calman will be a hard act to follow. He has guided the trust away from its most difficult of times and established the foundations for an assured and vibrant future.
"I look forward to building on his achievements, and those of many dedicated volunteers and staff, and helping the trust to reach a new level where it will earn its rightful place in the hearts of all Scots and all who care about Scotland."
Sir Moir, whose family has a cattle farming estate in Aberdeenshire, was awarded an OBE in 1996 for services to the bus industry and knighted in 2008.
He was awarded the VisitScotland Silver Thistle Award in 2010 for outstanding services to the tourism industry in Scotland.
The trust said Sir Moir would lead the charity as it sets out "a new vision and strategy" for its long-term future.
Lesley Knox, chairwoman of the trust's nominations committee added: "Sir Moir's record of leadership, his ability to motivate staff and volunteers and his wide experience of business, academia and not-for-profit organisations will be of enormous benefit to the National Trust for Scotland.
"He has a reputation for making things happen and will be the ideal appointment to the role of chairman as the National Trust for Scotland gears up to take on the challenges of conserving and promoting the best of Scotland's past for the needs of the future." | The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) has announced that Sir Moir Lockhead is to succeed Sir Kenneth Calman as chairman when he retires next year. | 30536581 |
The American, 41, pulled out of this month's Dubai Desert Classic before the second round with the injury.
The former world number one, who returned in December after two back operations, has said his playing schedule will now be reassessed.
The Masters, the first major of the year, takes place from 6-9 April.
"My doctors have advised me not to play the next two weeks, to continue my treatment and to let my back calm down," said the four-time Masters winner.
"This is not what I was hoping for or expecting. I am extremely disappointed."
Woods' first return to competitive action after his lengthy lay-off came at the Hero World Challenge - an 18-man tournament in the Bahamas - in December and he finished 15th at the PGA Tour event.
Afterwards, he expressed concerns over the physical challenge of being scheduled to play four full-field tournaments over five weeks.
His next outing came at the PGA Tour's Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines where a first-round 76 and level-par second round of 72 meant he missed the cut.
He struggled in the first round in Dubai as he shot a five-over 77, before ending the tournament prematurely.
BBC golf correspondent Iain Carter
Once again Tiger Woods is under doctor's orders, the advice is not to play for the next two weeks. During the Dubai Desert Classic week he said he felt good, but admitted he would never again feel great, such is the legacy of his recent back surgeries.
The 41-year-old is becoming an increasingly frail figure and there is no word on his chances of being fit for April's Masters. | Fourteen-time major winner Tiger Woods has withdrawn from next week's Genesis Open and the Honda Classic on 23 February with "ongoing back spasms". | 38935967 |
The appointment followed David Thorburn's decision to stand down after almost four years in the role.
With almost three decades of international banking experience, Mr Duffy, 53, has held a number of key senior roles.
He joins from Allied Irish Banks, where he has been chief executive since December 2011.
Parent company National Australia Bank (NAB) said late last year that it was looking for ways to exit the UK, where it also owns Yorkshire Bank, after several years of poor performance.
The UK business has been hit with high charges to compensate customers for Payment Protection Insurance mis-selling.
In October, NAB announced it was looking at all options for the future of the Clydesdale and Yorkshire banking division.
Those options could include a sale or initial public offering of the business.
Mr Duffy was a former CEO of Standard Bank International with responsibility for operations in the UK, Europe, Latin America and Asia.
He was also previously head of Global Wholesale Banking Network with ING Group and president and chief executive officer of the ING wholesale franchises in the United States and Latin America.
He has been invited to join the boards of Clydesdale Bank PLC and National Australia Group Europe Limited as an executive director.
It is anticipated that, subject to regulatory approval, he will be in the post within the next few months.
Clydesdale Bank board chairman Jim Pettigrew said: "David is a highly effective and motivational leader with a wealth of international banking experience and a strong track record in retail banking.
"In the past three years with AIB, he has delivered an impressive programme of positive change which has been built around the needs of customers.
"A passionate and genuine customer champion, David's broad-based skills, leadership, energy and strategic vision will be invaluable as we move into the next phase of our development."
NAB Group chief executive, Andrew Thorburn, added: "David is uniquely qualified to meet the challenges and opportunities of this important role, particularly as we are examining the broader range of options we announced in October 2014 to accelerate NAB's exit from the UK Banking business." | David Duffy has been confirmed as the new chief executive officer (CEO) of Clydesdale Bank. | 30879001 |
Calls had been made for the Charity Commission to investigate claims of financial mismanagement at Capricorn Animal Rescue in Mold.
The commission confirmed it was looking into the administration of the charity by trustees after a visit revealed "serious" issues.
The charity's trustees said they were working with the commission.
The watchdog said it had given regulatory advice and guidance to trustees on how to improve running the charity.
A spokesman said it had monitored the charity's compliance with its guidance, visited its sites in October 2016 and then inspected its books and records.
It found "clear and on-going serious regulatory issues" including inadequate financial controls, failure to safeguard and properly account for the charity's assets, and potential unauthorised trustee benefit.
The inquiry, which started on 9 February, will examine:
In order to protect the charity's assets, the commission said it has frozen its bank accounts.
In a statement, Capricorn Animal Rescue trustees said: "The trustees are aware of the investigation and are working with the Charity Commission in this matter."
The sanctuary has also been the subject of a BBC Wales Week in Week Out programme which exposed animals being kept in poor conditions.
The watchdog said it was aware of concerns from members of the public about the welfare of animals in its care.
But it said this did not fall within its remit and any concerns should be directed to the RSPCA.
The RSPCA said it had been working to help improve animal welfare standards.
A spokesman added: "The statutory inquiry being undertaken by the Charity Commission for England and Wales into Capricorn Animal Rescue and Sanctuary does not relate to animal welfare and, as such, is not within the remit of the RSPCA.
"However, the RSPCA will provide any appropriate assistance which the Charity Commission requests." | An inquiry into a Flintshire animal sanctuary has been opened by a charity watchdog. | 39051112 |
The dating site for married people was hacked in the summer.
Security expert Graham Cluley blogged he had received "a steady stream of emails" from the site's users worried about the hack.
Mr Cluley advised anyone receiving such a letter to "ignore it".
Ashley Madison - which has the tagline 'Life is short, have an affair' - was hacked in July, and data belonging to its 33 million members was leaked on to the so-called dark web, meaning it was accessible via encrypted browsers.
A month later, police in Canada reported that two individuals associated with the leak of data had taken their own lives.
It has left many members concerned about how their data could be misused.
One such user wrote the following note to Mr Cluley: "I just received a physical postal letter to my house asking for $4,167 [£2,748] or exposed my AM account to people close to me."
In response, Mr Cluley blogged: "I understand how it would be distressing for Ashley Madison members to receive a letter like that through the post, but I'm strongly of the opinion that - in the majority of cases - blackmailers are trying their luck, hoping that a small percentage of those targeted will pay up."
He advised users to ignore the demands but also to share the letter with the authorities.
"If you pay up, there is no guarantee that the blackmailer won't ask for more," he told the BBC.
It has previously been revealed that blackmailers were sending emails to users of the dating site, asking for money.
Mr Cluley told the BBC that he received up to "half a dozen" notes a week from Ashley Madison users who had received such threatening emails but added that the news some were now also getting letters "stepped it up a gear".
He thinks it is unlikely that it is the original hackers who are sending such letters.
"Typically they like to cover their tracks," he said.
"This is more likely to be opportunists who have got their hands on the data."
He believes that hack-mailing will become a common threat in 2016.
"Increasingly we will see hackers stealing companies' databases and then demanding cash to stop them exposing the data on the dark web," Mr Cluley said. | Blackmailers are reportedly sending letters to users of the Ashley Madison dating site, threatening to reveal their membership to friends and family unless they pay money. | 35101662 |
Analysis by Clydesdale Bank found total income from farming (TIFF) fell from £775m in 2014 to £653m in 2015.
However, initial estimates for 2016 have forecast a rise to £749m.
The bank said its own lending figures to the sector showed a 15% increase last year, adding that the industry had shown "great resilience".
The report found that 2017 also looked "positive" as a result of the fall in the value of sterling following the Brexit vote.
It said: "With the level of subsidy to agriculture in sterling worth 10% to 15% more in the current year, and the price of almost all agricultural products 10% to 15% higher than this time last year, there are genuine grounds for optimism in terms in terms of TIFF for 2017.
"In addition, with a significant strengthening of sterling unlikely in the next couple of years during the Brexit negotiations, this should provide a good level of support for agricultural prices in the UK, making exports more attractive."
The report also found that agricultural businesses were investing in research and development, renewables and technology to help "future proof" their operations.
Brian Colquhoun, from Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks, said: "Farmers have demonstrated genuine entrepreneurial spirit by investing to generate new income streams.
"We are fortunate to have the opportunity to work with many forward-thinking customers and it is incredibly important they know they have the support behind them when exploring these options." | The agriculture sector in Scotland is showing signs of growth despite economic uncertainty, a report has claimed. | 40369450 |
Hannah Stewart and Chloe Fitzpatrick both scored doubles as the Dons completed the quarter final line-up a week on from last week's games.
Holders Hibernian Ladies will host Rangers Ladies, and champions Glasgow City will play Stirling University.
Hearts, the only SWPL2 team left in the competition, will travel to Celtic.
Ties will be played on Sunday 26 March.
"A great victory to build on as we approach the start of the league campaign," said Aberdeen head coach Stefan Laird of the win against Glasgow Girls.
"The players worked hard in tough conditions and created enough chances to score more than the four we got." | Aberdeen Ladies beat Glasgow Girls 4-0 to set up a Scottish Women's Premier League Cup quarter-final tie away to Spartans. | 39098601 |
The FTSE 100 index clawed back some of the losses triggered by last week's announcement of a general election, closing up 2% at 7,264.68.
France's Cac 40 index soared 4% to 5,268.85 and Germany's Dax climbed 3.4% to 12,454.98.
Bank shares across European markets were among the best performers.
The FTSE 250 Index, seen as a better barometer of the health of UK business than the more international FTSE 100, rose 1.3% to reach an all-time closing high of 19,602.83.
The rise in shares follows news that centrist Emmanuel Macron topped the voting in France on Sunday, going through to the final round with far-right candidate Marine Le Pen.
Markets now expect Mr Macron to beat Ms Le Pen in the second round of the vote, installing a French president seen by investors as pro-Europe and pro-business.
Barclays finished 5.4% up, Standard Chartered advanced 4.75%, and Royal Bank of Scotland rose 3.96%.
Energy stocks were among a small number of fallers, with investors reacting to news that the Tory manifesto may include a policy to cap energy bills.
Centrica and SSE were among only three FTSE 100 stocks to fall, ending down 3.5% and 1.9% respectively.
The other faller was Randgold Resources, 1.4% off as the price of gold, seen as a safe-haven asset, fell more than 1%.
On the currency markets, the euro charged ahead.
Sterling was down 1.3% against the euro at 1.17, while the pound dropped 0.2% versus the US dollar at 1.27.
On the oil markets, Brent crude fell 0.8% to $51.55 a barrel amid concerns over an increase in US drilling activity. | UK shares joined in a European rally in equities following the first round of France's presidential vote that also sparked a jump in the euro. | 39691366 |
The carcasses - in various stages of decomposition - were found lying in the open in bushland outside Bundaberg.
A 71-year-old man and a woman, 64, have been charged with unlawful possession of a firearm.
The woman, who is a licensed greyhound trainer, was also charged with obstructing the police.
The discovery of the body dump on Tuesday came weeks after a scandal erupted over the illegal use of live bait to train Australian greyhounds for racing.
An investigation broadcast by ABC Four Corners in February showed live possums, pigs and rabbits being tied to lures to be chased and killed by dogs at one facility.
A number of trainers have been suspended in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, while six Queensland trainers were issued with lifetime bans from the sport.
The chairman of Greyhound Racing Victoria and the entire board of NSW Greyhound Racing also resigned.
Michael Beatty, RSPCA Queensland
"We've always known that there's wastage within the industry, but to find 55 bodies in one spot is a bit disturbing."
Abuse and 'wastage' in Australia's greyhound industry
A spokesman for the RSPCA, which is working alongside police on an investigation in the industry, said the Bundaberg pair were arrested following interviews with others in the industry.
"It was as a result of information given to us that the joint Queensland Police Service and RSPCA investigation team made those arrests," said Michael Beatty.
The pair will appear in court on Friday.
Investigators had gone to the dumping site on Wednesday after a tip-off from a member of the public.
Detective Superintendent Mark Ainsworth told local media the greyhounds appeared to have been dumped over a period of time.
Some appeared to have been shot and shell casings were found at the scene. No attempt had been made to bury the dogs, he said, describing the killings as "nothing short of abhorrent".
Queensland Police Minister Jo-Ann Miller tweeted that she was "sickened" and that animal cruelty would not be tolerated in Queensland.
The head of Racing Queensland, Darren Condon, said his organisation would assist the police and take "the appropriate response". | Australian police have charged two people in connection with the discovery of 55 greyhound carcasses in Queensland earlier this week. | 32157834 |
Albert Owen, who retained the marginal Ynys Mon seat for Labour, attributed his victory to a young vote.
And Ben Lake, Wales' youngest MP at 24, who took Ceredigion for Plaid Cymru, said young people "created excitement" in his local campaign.
The overall turnout out in Wales this year was 68.6%, up from 65.6% in 2015.
But figures showing the turnout broken down by age group will not be published until next week.
Prof Laura McAllister, based at Cardiff University's Wales Governance Centre, told BBC Radio Wales that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn had managed to attract 18-25-year-olds to vote.
The party took back Gower, Cardiff North and Vale of Clwyd from the Tories and they also fought off fierce Tory battles for Bridgend and Wrexham, winning 28 seats, three more than 2015.
Prof McAllister added: "It looks like we have seen a kind of parity now between young people, 18-25-year-olds, voting in almost the same numbers the groups that have historically always been relied upon to go out and vote which is the 55 to 65.
"And if that is the case, and I think it is certainly the case in some key constituencies, then that is a remarkable turnaround and probably down to the Corbyn factor by and large in terms of how the election has gone."
Mr Owen said a number of young people had registered with Labour for the first time, to help the party's campaign.
"One of the things I'm going to do as the MP now is to get a youth forum and crystallise that enthusiasm that they've got so young people's voices get heard loud and clear in Westminster," he said.
Welsh Labour leader Carwyn Jones partly attributed the night's successes to young voters, saying "one of the things that Jeremy did is capture young voters".
"For years young people have felt ignored, they've thought 'let's not bother to vote, they're not listening to us anyway,' he said.
"Yesterday was a turning point and that's why it's important to continue to listen to young people and do right by them."
New Cardiff North MP Anna McMorrin said: "Young people wanted change; they saw Labour was going to offer that change."
Plaid Cymru's Mr Lake, who defeated the Lib Dem's leader in Wales to take Ceredigion, said: "It was really great to see so many youngsters come out to help me over the course of the campaign so I think that created a certain type of excitement that was just enough to tip us over the line." | Young voters have been key to Labour's successes in the general election in Wales and beyond, according to politicians and academics. | 40217701 |
Brazilian authorities say there will be no risk to athletes and spectators, except pregnant women, when the Rio Games take place in August.
Modern pentathlete Samantha Murray, 26, said the virus was a concern.
But she said she had been assured by British officials that "everything is being done to prepare the team".
Murray won a silver medal at the 2012 Games in London and is hoping to be on the podium again in Rio.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Zika virus a global public health emergency.
That puts it in the same category of importance as Ebola.
No vaccine or treatment exists for the virus.
The International Olympic Committee has said Rio will be safe and venues will be inspected daily before and during the Games to minimise the impact of the virus.
Carried by mosquitoes, it has been linked to thousands of babies being born with underdeveloped brains.
There have been about 4,000 reported cases of microcephaly in Brazil alone since October.
There is no vaccine or medication to stop Zika.
The only way to avoid catching it is to avoid getting bitten by the Aedes mosquitoes that transmit the infection.
Badminton player Gail Emms, who won Olympic silver in the mixed doubles at the 2004 Games, said the virus would be playing on her mind if she was due to compete in Rio.
"I'd be in a very uncomfortable situation," she said. "You would feel frustrated, angry, and really worried about your friends and family."
"It's just devastating because this is something that's your dream and you want it to go perfectly.
"As a mother, I can only hope the best solution can be found quickly. I see the pictures and reports and I cry."
British rower Kath Grainger, who is attempting to qualify for Rio, described the situation as "sad".
"From a selfish point of view, this is the culmination of our careers where we try and make our mark on the world of sport," the 2012 gold medallist told BBC Sport.
"Yet suddenly you have this flip side which is quite a serious health hazard and potential risk."
The 40-year-old Scot added it was reassuring to know the British Olympic Association was seeking advice and taking precautions.
"I think it is important to keep informed but not to raise the fear factor," she said.
European 10,000m champion Jo Pavey said her "heart goes out" to parents of children with microcephaly.
She added that every athlete, official and spectator going to Rio would have to "think carefully" about the dangers posed to their health.
The Briton, 42, also said she would think twice about taking her family to Rio should she gain selection.
"I wouldn't want to put my family or children at risk," she told the BBC.
A spokesperson said Rio organisers had not yet seen evidence of people cancelling travel to the Games.
Communications director Mario Andrada said the organising committee would follow travel guidelines issued by the WHO.
He has advised that athletes and tourists should wear appropriate clothing, close windows and use repellent.
He also pointed out that August, when the Games take place, is the Brazilian winter, when mosquito numbers fall sharply.
Double Olympic backstroke champion Kirsty Coventry says she still intends to travel to Rio as she chase more Olympic success.
"My aims and goals are still set on going to Rio and competing," the 32-year-old Zimbabwean told BBC World.
"I think we athletes are going to be safe. There is no sense of putting on the brakes in terms trying to get to Rio."
One of Africa's most successful swimmers, she added: "It seems like a terrible virus, especially for pregnant women, but I believe there is enough time to get a better understanding of what is going on." | British Olympians have warned against feeding the "fear factor" but admit the rapid spread of the Zika virus is "scary", "daunting" and "worrying". | 35473816 |
11 July 2017 Last updated at 07:55 BST
Scrappy the fire dog helps the fire teams in the North East of England.
But he's now putting his paws up and retiring.
So who will take over his job, and what does it take to be a brilliant fire dog? | Tackling a blaze isn't just a job for firefighters - fire dogs play an important role too! | 40566196 |
The central defender took a kick to the leg during the 2-1 win against Slovakia on Saturday - Wales' first victory at a major championship finals since 1958.
He finished the game, but suffered some swelling which needed treatment.
"We've started working on it already and we've got a few days before the next game so I'll be fine," he said.
"It was a kick and luckily it was on the pad, but it's come up and swollen a bit through the pad - but it's fine."
Media playback is not supported on this device
Williams stayed down for several minutes after one Slovakian attack and was clearly limping in the later stages.
Wales are in a strong position in their qualifying group after England and Russia drew 1-1 in Marseille on Saturday night.
The top two teams from each group qualify for the knockout stages, along with the four best third-placed teams.
Williams said the win over Slovakia was "a great day for Welsh football", but that they were taking nothing for granted against England.
"As I've said before, it's another game," Williams added.
"We understand everything that comes with it, but it's another three points we'll be trying to get.
"I'm just happy that we've got a good start to the campaign. It's exactly what we needed to settle the nerves and give ourselves a chance of getting out of the group." | Wales captain Ashley Williams insists he will be fit to face England in Thursday's crucial Euro 2016 Group B match in Lens. | 36510868 |
Media playback is not supported on this device
Now 30 years old, Murray will be aiming to win Wimbledon for the third time and equal Fred Perry's record when the tournament starts next month.
In a wide-ranging interview with BBC Sport, the Briton discussed being the world's top player, his love of Wimbledon, "making mistakes" and life after retirement.
The Scot, who was knighted in the New Year Honours, turned 30 in May and all of the top five players on the men's tour are in their 30s. Spaniard Rafael Nadal is 31, Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland is 32, Serbia's Novak Djokovic is 30 and Swiss Roger Federer 35.
But Murray said that despite players continuing to compete at the highest level into their 30s he accepts that he may not have long left at the top.
"My coach, Ivan Lendl, was still competitive at the top until he was about 32 but, generally, over the past 20 to 30 years, normally by early 30s is when players have struggled to stay at the top.
"I know some of the players have been doing really well until their mid-30s recently, but that might not be the case with me. Maybe the next couple of years are the last few where I have a chance to compete for the majors and the biggest tournaments.
"Most of the players are travelling with physios now, spending a lot more time working in the gym to protect their bodies from the kind of pounding you give it on the court as well. I think some of that explains it.
"I don't know how long I'm going to be playing for any more. I want to make the most of every tournament I compete in. If I'm going to be away from my family, I'm not going to do that and not do my best, be totally professional and take every tournament as seriously as I can.
"I'll continue to play and so long as my body is fine. I would like to hope that I would continue to do that whilst I'm still enjoying it.
"I enjoy being away from the court. I have a family now - I have more interests away from the court than I did in my early 20s or mid 20s - so obviously it will be sad to stop. But I think I'll be all right."
Wimbledon, which Murray won in 2013 and 2016, begins on 3 July and the defending champion says expectations will be high that he can repeat his previous successes.
"For me, it is obviously always going to be the biggest tournament during the year," said Murray, who begins his grass-court season at next week's Aegon Championships at Queen's.
"A lot of pressure comes with it as well. There's a lot of expectation during this period, so it can be a bit stressful - but I'm able to get away from that as well because I'm at home, I'm sleeping in my own bed and I have all my family around me.
"I'm older and more experienced in dealing with it. The pressure and stress that goes with it maybe doesn't affect me quite as much when I was younger.
On the possibility of equalling fellow Briton Perry's Wimbledon record of three wins, he added: "It would be amazing, I never expected to win it once, never mind twice. It had been such a long time since any British man had won that.
"I'll give it my best shot for sure. I'll prepare as best I can and if I play well then I definitely have a chance of winning."
Find out how to get into tennis in our special guide.
Since becoming world number one in November last year he has struggled with injuries and for form. So has the pressure of being top of the rankings taken its toll?
"It hasn't for me," he said.
"I mean, I've been asked that question lots over the past few months. I didn't play particularly well from February through to the French Open, but at the French [where he was knocked out in the semi-finals by Wawrinka] I felt I played quite well.
"It [the world ranking] isn't something I think about when I'm on the court or when I'm preparing for matches.
"Obviously when you get asked about it, you spend a little bit of time thinking: 'Maybe, could it be because of that?' But I really don't think it has been the reason why I struggled for a few months - but everyone will have their own opinion on that.
"It's been a frustrating few months because I picked up a couple of injuries, including one to my elbow, and a couple of illnesses.
"I was still pretty nervous going into the French because I'd hardly won any matches for a while, but with each match that I got through, I started to build confidence, started to play a little bit better and was very close to reaching the final by the end.
"Form can turn around very quickly providing you're mentally in the right place and you're doing the right things and training. And I feel I'm in a good place now to go on a good run during the grass."
After reaching the quarter-finals at the French Open, Murray paid tribute to the victims of the recent attacks in Manchester and London.
Wimbledon organisers are preparing for the biggest security operation in the Championships' 140-year history, and Murray admits safety is now a concern.
"I do think about it - when you're playing in front of huge crowds, or you're in walking around the grounds and there's huge, huge amounts of people.
"But we do also see the security that goes into sporting events now and it's been fine throughout my career -but it is something that is a concern from time to time."
Media playback is not supported on this device
Murray is already starting to think about what to do when he steps away from the court and advising young players, possibly in a sports management capacity, is something he is considering.
"I wish I'd enjoyed my career more when I was younger. I enjoy it a lot more now than I did when I was 19, 20, 21," added the three-time Grand Slam champion.
"I certainly wasn't prepared for the attention that came with becoming a professional athlete or a top tennis player.
"I didn't feel ready for that. I really struggled with the attention that came with that, and I think throughout my career I've made lots of mistakes - maybe some that could have been avoided.
"That's something I would like to pass on to young British athletes, how to avoid [mistakes] because so many athletes go through the same thing.
"It's about surrounding yourself with people who have been down that road before, people who can give you the best advice possible." | World number one Andy Murray says he may only have "a couple of years" left at the top of tennis but insists he will "make the most of every tournament". | 40295412 |
"Loss and damage" is the idea that compensation should be paid to vulnerable states for climate-related events that they cannot adapt to.
The issue has provoked heated arguments and walkouts at previous conferences.
But here in Paris, negotiators from the US and small island states are said to be "closer" to an agreement.
For small island states and some of the least developed countries, the question of loss and damage has become one of the most important aspects of the climate negotiations in recent years.
While the vulnerable countries believe there are many impacts of climate change that they can adapt to, they have been seeking a mechanism that would compensate them for those events that they cannot cope with.
They argue that in the future, the human influence on the climate is likely to lead to more extreme storms and rising sea levels. As such, the developed nations bear a responsibility for the losses and damages that might be caused.
The very idea is anathema to the US and the European Union, among others. They are concerned that if liability and compensation were linked to this, it could become a massive legal and financial headache.
At COP19 in Warsaw in 2013, discussions over the issue broke down leading to a walkout by the poorer countries.
The issue has continued to rumble since then, despite the setting up of a Warsaw International Mechanism on loss and damage.
Poorer countries have come to COP21 looking to have loss and damage inserted in the legally binding text of the main agreement.
In an effort to find a compromise, the US has been meeting with the AOSIS group, representing 44 small island states.
Speaking to the BBC after a bilateral meeting on Frirday, St Lucia's environment minister Senator James Fletcher said that he had been "heartened" by the discussions.
"I believe there is language, and I've been speaking to both the US legal people and our legal people, and urging them to come up with language that I believe will address this.
"I think we are closer now. I have seen language that might even suggest that, I think, that there is a solution. But it's not left to me."
There have been hints at previous climate meetings this year that the parties were edging towards a compromise. In September at a gathering in Bonn, the US was said to concede that the Warsaw Mechanism should be extended and made permanent. They would also "respond to the concerns of developing countries".
Speaking at a news conference in Paris on Friday, US lead negotiator Todd Stern said that compensation and liability was a "line we can't cross" but also indicated that progress was being made.
"We are working in a very co-operative and constructive way right with both the islands and the G77 on developing an outcome and a solution here, there are many players in this but we have been very engaged on this issue.
"The President met with leaders of five islands when he was here and from the President on down the US is quite focussed on this issue and I think we will land it."
The constructive spirit seems to be leading to a trade-off where the issue of loss and damage will be inserted in the main body of the agreement but the language will rule out issues of compensation.
"I think we can come up with something that allays the fears of the EU and US where liability and compensation is concerned without us giving up any rights that we currently enjoy under existing international agreements," Senator Fletcher said.
Meanwhile, the Philippines Commission on Human Rights has announced that it will launch an investigation into 50 large fossil fuel companies to see if they should be held responsible for the impacts of climate change, such as extreme weather events. The action is being supported by Greenpeace, Amnesty International and the Union of Concerned Scientists.
At the Le Bourget conference centre, negotiators were working into the night to try and agree the text of the agreement that can go forward to ministers next week.
The latest version has seen the document slim down to 36 pages from a previous 50. The progress has been welcomed but as the French president of the conference Laurent Fabius commented:"We aren't there yet."
Follow Matt on Twitter @mattmcgrathbbc.
COP 21 - the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties - will see more than 190 nations gather in Paris to discuss a possible new global agreement on climate change, aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions to avoid the threat of dangerous warming due to human activities.
Explained: What is climate change?
In video: Why does the Paris conference matter?
Analysis: Latest from BBC environment correspondent Matt McGrath
More: BBC News climate change special report | Negotiators are edging towards a compromise on one of the most divisive issues between countries at the COP21 climate change talks in Paris. | 35012781 |
It has traditionally stated its general aim as being to "safeguard the freedom, common heritage and civilisation" of its members by promoting "stability and well-being in the North Atlantic area".
Members agree that an armed attack against one shall be considered an attack against them all, and that they will come to the aid of one another.
Profile compiled by BBC Monitoring
Originally consisting of 12 countries, the organisation expanded to include Greece and Turkey in 1952 and West Germany in 1955. However, then, as now, the alliance was militarily dominated by the United States.
In 1955 the Soviet Union created a counter-alliance called the Warsaw Pact, which dissolved after the break-up of the USSR in 1991.
The Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland became the first former Warsaw Pact countries to gain Nato membership in 1999.
The next historic step came in 2004 when Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, republics of the USSR until its collapse in 1991, along with Slovenia, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Romania were welcomed as Nato members at a ceremony in Washington.
Bosnia, Montenegro and Serbia have joined Nato's Partnership for Peace programme - a first step towards membership. At a summit in Bucharest in early April 2008, NATO countries invited Albania and Croatia to join on schedule.
Greece vetoed Macedonia's application, but the alliance agreed that the country would be invited when it settles its dispute with Greece over its name. The International Court of Justice ruled in 2012 that Greece had been wrong to veto the application. This opens the way to a new Macedonian bid.
Nato was set up in the post-World War II atmosphere of anxiety, largely to block Soviet expansion into Europe. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and subsequent demise of the Warsaw Pact, therefore, left Nato with no obvious purpose.
Since then Nato has used its defensive role to justify a more proactive approach to "out of area" activities - arguing that instability in any part of Europe would constitute a threat to its members.
Thus, at the end of 1995 it organised its first ever multinational Implementation Force (Ifor), under a United Nations mandate to implement the military aspects of the Bosnian peace agreement.
In 1999 the alliance launched an 11-week campaign of air strikes against Yugoslavia to push Serb forces out of Kosovo. The strikes were the largest military operation ever undertaken by Nato, and the first time it had used force against a sovereign state without UN approval. The Nato peacekeeping force remains in Kosovo, although it has been scaled down from 16,000 to about 6,000 by 2012.
In 2003 Nato took its operations outside Europe for the first time when it assumed strategic command of the UN-mandated peacekeeping force in and immediately around the Afghan capital, Kabul.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Nato embarked on a series of steps designed to build new relationships with former Warsaw Pact countries and particularly with Russia, which was profoundly suspicious of the alliance's plans to expand eastwards.
In 1994 Nato offered former Warsaw Pact members limited associations in the form of the Partnership for Peace programme, allowing them to participate in information sharing, joint exercises and peacekeeping operations.
But this simply appeared to confirm Russian fears that Nato posed a creeping threat to its security.
The Nato-Russia Permanent Joint Council was established in May 1997 to give Russia a consultative role in discussion of matters of mutual interest. While Moscow was given a voice, it rarely felt that it was really listened to.
Russia's fears intensified when in 1999 the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland became the first former Soviet bloc states to join Nato, bringing the alliance's borders 400 miles closer to the Russian frontier.
The 11 September 2001 attacks on targets in the US were a pivotal moment for Nato. The US did not involve the alliance in the international military campaign that followed, even though Secretary-General George Robertson quickly invoked Article Five of the Nato constitution declaring an attack on one member to be an attack on all.
Russia's supportive reaction following the attacks proved to be the catalyst for a thaw in relations with Moscow. The establishment of the Nato-Russia Council was agreed in May 2002. This body gives Russia an equal role with the Nato countries in decision-making on policy to counter terrorism and other security threats.
However, the relationship with Russia continued to be difficult. Russia was unhappy that the Nato expansion of early 2004 brought the alliance to its borders. Relations took a marked turn for the worse after the brief Russo-Georgian war of August 2008, when Nato announced that cooperation would be suspended until Moscow pulled all its troops out of Georgia.
Relations improved after Barack Obama assumed the US presidency in January 2009, and Nato announced in March 2009 that it would be resuming high-level contacts with Russia.
However, relations took a turn for the worse in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine and was accused of supporting separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine. The developments appeared to give Nato, which some described as a Cold War relic, new relevance.
Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the Ukraine crisis "reminds us just how important Nato is. The idea of collective defence has become more important given how Russia is using force to change borders in Europe."
Disputes between Germany, France and the US over the 2003 invasion of Iraq caused one of the worst crises in Nato history. The alliance itself played no part in the invasion, although most member countries did. It later assisted in training Iraqi security forces.
Nato has since shaped a new role for itself. It took command of the international peacekeeping force in Afghanistan in 2003 as part of a growing awareness of the global terrorist threat, and set up a 9,000-strong rapid reaction force for swift deployment to trouble spots anywhere in the world.
However, the reluctance of many Nato governments to supply reinforcements for the Afghan mission raised questions about the alliance's ability to sustain such large-scale operations.
At a key summit held in Lisbon in November 2010 the alliance adopted a new "strategic concept" or mission statement that pledged it to cut costs while prioritising defence against new emerging threats, such as cyber attacks.
Nato allies also agreed to deploy a missile defence system to cover all of the territory of its European members, complementing US plans for a missile defence shield.
And agreement was secured on moving towards Afghan control of internal security, which is due to begin in July 2011 and envisages full Afghan control by the end of 2014.
The imposition of a no-fly zone over Libya in March 2011 posed a tricky problem for the alliance. Although countries such as Britain and the US were keen for Nato to play a major role in heading the operation, some Arab governments were initially uneasy at the prospect of Nato command.
Following a period of disagreement and confusion, Nato agreed to take on the responsibility of enforcing the no-fly zone, which proved crucial in defeating pro-Gaddafi forces in October. | Formed in 1949 to counter the threat of post-war communist expansion as the Soviet Union sought to extend its influence in Europe, Nato - the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation - is the world's most powerful regional defence alliance. | 18023383 |
Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group, Nationwide, NatWest, Santander and Virgin Money have confirmed they will offer the savings product.
It is aimed at helping first-time buyers save for a deposit and includes a government top-up.
The industry has said the scheme should run alongside building more homes.
First-time buyers purchasing an owner-occupied home worth up to £250,000, or £450,000 in London, will be eligible for a Help to Buy Isa when it launches on 1 December.
The monthly maximum contribution from savers into a Help to Buy Isa will be £200, following an initial deposit of up to £1,000, with the government adding £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.
Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that a typical first-time buyer faces paying 5.1% more for a property than they did a year ago. The average price paid for a starter home in May was £211,000.
Data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders showed that the typical first-time buyer needed a deposit of 18.6% in May.
Earlier in the week, accountancy firm PwC predicted more than half of the under-40s would be renting homes from private landlords in the UK in 10 years' time. | Some of the banks and building societies participating in the government's Help to Buy Isa scheme have been named. | 33658144 |
Her case was dismissed on the basis that it was brought well outside a 14-day time limit for seeking to judicially review her exclusion.
The inquiry was announced by the Northern Ireland Executive in 2010.
It followed a damning report in the Republic of Ireland into decades of abuse in some religious institutions.
With the inquiry set to get under way early next year, a judge said it was never intended to widen the tribunal's scope.
Any extension of its remit would mean it could not complete its work on time or in budget, Belfast High Court was told.
Mr Justice Treacy's verdict appears to have closed the door to others who claim they were abused while being fostered.
Headed by the retired judge Sir Anthony Hart, it will examine claims of abuse in children's homes, care institutions and borstals between 1922 and 1995.
The woman at the centre of the legal challenge cannot be identified.
She claims she was abused after being taken into care and put into a foster home by social services in the early 1990s.
Although she wanted to participate in the inquiry, she was informed earlier this year that her case did not fall within its terms of reference.
Seeking to judicially review that decision, her legal team contended it was the state who placed her into foster care.
According to them the inquiry is looking into any alleged failings by institutions or the state.
Counsel for the inquiry argued, however, that foster care cases were never intended to be part of its remit.
The court was also told of a stipulation that any judicial review proceedings must be brought within 14 days of being informed of the inquiry's decision.
It made little difference whether that was in April or June this year in the woman's case, according to Mr Justice Treacy.
"The proceedings were issued in either event well outside the time limit," he said.
"No sufficient reason has been advanced to explain the delay, and no sufficient reason was given to persuade me that it would be appropriate to extend time."
Dismissing the application for leave to seek a judicial review, the judge added that neither the Stormont Executive or Assembly intended the inquiry's remit to include investigating alleged foster care abuse. | A woman allegedly abused in foster care has failed in a legal challenge to being kept out of an inquiry into historic abuse at children's homes. | 25238373 |
1.HRH has awesome style
Have you ever seen the Queen in an outfit that wasn't perfectly put together? Hat, shoes and coat are all matched to pantone colour book levels of detail. Rarely caught without some fabulous millinery, her Majesty said wearing bright colours is the best way to maximise her presence when she meets her subjects. She even goes as far as matching the trim on her umbrella, getting them made bespoke by a company in London's East End.
2.She's a keen animal lover
The Queen is well known for her cavalcade of corgis. She's owned over 30 of them since she took the throne in 1952, but she's also a keen horsewoman. There aren't many 90 year olds who are frequently out riding, but Her Majesty is one of them. During her time as Queen she's also been presented with two tortoises, a bull elephant called Jumbo, a sloth, a jaguar and two black beavers who were all then dispatched into the capable hands of London Zoo.
3.Has zero issues with wearing a tiara
First up, there aren't many women who can rock the tiara with confidence after the age of 10. However they're pretty much work attire for the Queen, the equivalent of her skirt suit, and she looks flipping fabulous. Secondly have you ever tried to wear a tiara? They are high maintenance head gear, so to wear one with grace and ease is an achievement in itself.
4.She strikes fear into the world's best rugby players
Back when England was hosting the Rugby World Cup in 2015, Buckingham Palace hosted an event for the World Cup teams, attended by the coaches and captains of each nation. Richie McCaw, captain of the All Blacks, and thoroughly intimidating guy on the rugby pitch, confessed he was a little nervous about meeting the Head of the Commonwealth.
5.Best Bond girl ever
Who could forget her appearance alongside Daniel Craig at the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics? She was picked up in suitable fashion by 007, hopped in a helicopter and then skydived into the stadium (ok maybe the last bit wasn't really her). Apparently she was delighted with her appearance and even managed to get the corgis involved. Honey Ryder who?
6.Loves to photobomb a selfie
Her Royal Highness is down with the kids, as everyone wants a selfie with The Queen. At the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Australian Hockey player Jayde Taylor was the unwitting victim of a photobomb by our longest serving British monarch. | 2016 marks the Queen's Birthday - here are six things we here at BodyPositive HQ love about Her Maj. | 36093965 |
Both vehicles burst into flames after they collided on the Banchory to Torphins road near Glassel shortly before 15:00 on Tuesday.
Police have yet to release any details of the man who died. Two men who were in the van were uninjured.
The road surface was left badly damaged and the A980 was closed for emergency repairs. Police Scotland appealed for witnesses.
Sgt Stephen Milne said: "This was a very tragic incident and we are still piecing together exactly what happened.
"I would appeal for anyone who saw the collision who have not yet spoken to us to contact us with any information that they may have." | A male motorcyclist has died in a crash involving a van in Aberdeenshire. | 37427144 |
Venezuela's Linares relieved Crolla of the WBA lightweight title with a unanimous points victory in Manchester.
However, Crolla gave such a good account of himself that the rematch would probably generate more money.
"There's a rematch clause. It's the biggest fight for Linares. I don't envisage any problems," said Hearn.
"Because Anthony put up such a good fight the 12-13,000 that were in the Manchester Arena for the first fight will increase next time.
"And because the money will be big and Linares will think he can win again, they'll be thinking 'bring it on'."
The 29-year-old Crolla was making the second defence of the title he won from Colombia's Darleys Perez in November 2015.
And former three-weight world champion Linares was a big step up in class, the 31-year-old challenger's boxing ability ultimately trumping Crolla's pressure.
Bizarrely it was the first time Linares had gone 12 rounds in 44 professional fights, including three defeats, especially given that he first boxed for a world title in 2007.
"I felt I had Jorge where I wanted him and he was feeling a few shots, and then he hit me with a hell of a shot and wobbled me in round six," said Crolla.
"It gave him that bit of belief that he needed at the time. I'd love a rematch but I'd have to come back better in order to win. But sharing a ring with a great fighter like Jorge can only benefit me. I'll be smarter than I was this time."
The only realistic alternative is Crolla's old school-mate and WBO champion Terry Flanagan, although promotional differences have nixed the fight before.
Earlier this year, Flanagan accused Crolla of ducking him, only for Hearn to counter that Flanagan did not bring enough money to the negotiating table.
"If there was a huge offer to fight Flanagan we'd consider it," said Hearn.
"But Flanagan is looking for a huge fight himself and Anthony isn't going to be ready until next year."
It has been a chastening few weeks for British boxing, what with Kell Brook losing to middleweight king Gennady Golovkin, Liam Smith losing his WBO light-middleweight title to Saul Alvarez and now Crolla losing to Linares.
In addition, Joe Gallagher, the Ring magazine's 2015 trainer of the year, has seen three of his fighters lose world titles this year, the defeats of Smith and Crolla following on from Scott Quigg's defeat by Carl Frampton in February.
But Hearn added: "A loss at the highest level is never the end of the world. You're not going to win all these fights against great fighters.
"Brook-Golovkin was a war, Liam Smith did great and Anthony just had a great fight against Jorge Linares. It's all about fighting the best guys, that's why British boxing is in such great shape."
Despite recent reverses, Britain still has 12 current world champions. | Anthony Crolla will get the chance for revenge against Jorge Linares next February or March, says the British fighter's promoter Eddie Hearn. | 37465735 |
The event is the first in a new three-year partnership between the EIFF and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.
It will take place on Saturday 24 June at the Usher Hall.
The full programme for the festival, which first ran 70 years ago, will not be released until May.
Steven Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark was a massive global hit on its release in 1981.
It starred Harrison Ford as archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones, who is recruited by the US government to find the Ark of the Covenant.
John Williams' famous score for the film will be performed live by the RSNO during the festival screening.
EIFF artistic director Mark Adams said: "Indiana Jones is undoubtedly one of cinema's greatest heroes and it will be exciting to see this wonderful, rollercoaster adventure up on the big screen accompanied by the RSNO's orchestra."
RSNO chief executive Dr Krishna Thiagarajan said: "From the phenomenal success of our first EIFF performance two years ago with Back to the Future we knew we were on to something special.
"The RSNO has pedigree in the field of music for films, recording and performing numerous soundtracks over the years, and to lend our expertise to one of the world's notable celebrations of contemporary and classic cinema whilst broadening the audience for live orchestral music presents a most complementary cultural partnership."
The 71st Edinburgh International Film Festival runs from 21 June to 2 July. | A screening of Raiders of the Lost Ark accompanied by a live orchestral performance will be one of the highlights of the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF). | 39113682 |
"It will require a response that is about years, even decades, rather than months," Mr Cameron said.
"What we face is an extremist, Islamist, al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group. Just as we had to deal with that in Pakistan and in Afghanistan so the world needs to come together to deal with this threat in north Africa."
The group responsible for the incident in In Amenas in Algeria appears to have been led by Mokhtar Belmokhtar, a local jihadist-criminal who had been a commander of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
He left or was asked to leave AQIM late last year. Branching out, he founded an independent faction called the Signed-in-Blood Battalion that seems to have operated out of territory controlled by the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (Mujao) in northern Mali.
Belmokhtar's faction claims that the assault in Algeria was conducted to avenge the French decision to attack northern Mali.
But, with his organisation reportedly having agents within the compound, it seems likely that this was a longer-term plot that was brought forward in response to the French assault.
It was in fact Belmokhtar's close companion, Omar Ould Hamaha, a leader in Mujao, who declared in response to the French intervention in Mali that France "has opened the gates of hell [and] has fallen into a trap much more dangerous than Iraq, Afghanistan or Somalia".
Interactive timeline with satellite photos
That Belmokhtar's faction would want to attack a Western target is not entirely surprising.
He has a long form of kidnapping foreigners and AQIM - to which he belonged until last year - has a long and bloody history.
Originally born as the Armed Islamist Group (GIA) in the wake of the military annulling elections that the Islamic Salvation Front was poised to win in Algeria in the early 1990s, the group evolved first into the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), before adopting the al-Qaeda mantle in 2007 to become AQIM.
The GIA, in particular, has been linked to attacks in the mid-1990s on the Paris metro system, the GSPC to plots in Europe and North America prior to the attacks in New York on 11 September 2001, and the groups across North Africa have historically felt particular enmity towards former regional colonial power France.
What is worrying about events in Africa, however, is that violent groups espousing similarly extreme rhetoric can be found in a number of countries.
In Mali alone, alongside AQIM, Mujao and the Signed-in-Blood Battalion is Ansar Dine, another splinter from AQIM that has held large parts of the north since last year and has been imposing its version of Islamic law.
In Nigeria, Islamist group Boko Haram has conducted a destabilising and bloody campaign of terrorism in a fight that is rooted in longstanding local social and economic tensions.
Reports emerged last week that a leader from the group may have found his way to northern Mali, while American military commanders have long spoken about the connection between AQIM and Boko Haram.
Further demonstrating the potential links to Nigeria, back in July last year, a pair of men were accused in an Abuja court of being connected to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which is al-Qaeda's Yemeni affiliate.
And across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen is Somalia, a country that has been home to al-Shabab, a jihadist group that last year aligned itself officially with al-Qaeda.
There have been reports of Boko Haram fighters training alongside al-Shabab fighters and the Somali group is known to have deep connections with AQAP.
Profile: Mokhtar Belmokhtar
Profile: Al-Qaeda in North Africa
Particularly worrying for Western security planners, many of these groups have attracted an unknown number of foreign fighters.
In al-Shabab, some, like Omar Hammami, the American-Syrian who rose up in the Somali group's ranks before recently falling out of favour, have become minor celebrities in their own right.
AQIM's networks are known to stretch into France, Spain, Italy and even the UK.
Mujao's Omar Ould Hamaha claims to have spent some 40 days towards the end of 2000 in France on a Schengen visa, whilst there have been numerous reports of Westerners being spotted or arrested trying to join the jihadists in northern Mali.
And now in In Amenas it appears a Canadian citizen may have been one of the attackers.
Seen from Western Europe, a dangerous picture emerges, potentially leading back home through fundraising networks and recruits.
But the risk is to overstate the threat and focus on the whole rather than the individual parts.
While links can often be drawn between these groups - and they can maybe be described as "fellow travellers" ideologically - it is not the case that they operate in unison or have similar goals.
Often local issues will trump international ones, even if they claim to be operating under the banner of an international organisation such as al-Qaeda.
And looking back historically, it has been a long time since AQIM-linked cells have been able to conduct or plot a major terrorist incident in Europe.
While a number of plots over the past few years have been connected to al-Shabab, so far there is little evidence that they have actually directed people to attack the West.
The bigger threat is to Western interests in Africa - sites such as In Amenas that will now be reassessed as potential targets for groups seeking international attention, or revenge for French-led efforts in Mali or Western efforts to counter groups elsewhere. | UK Prime Minister David Cameron has said that Islamist extremists in North Africa pose a "large and existential threat" - a comment he made following the siege of a gas facility in Algeria, where dozens of people, nearly all of them foreigners, were killed. | 21126533 |
Tobias Ellwood was criticised after he said that a planned 10% pay rise for MPs was "well overdue".
He said he had been trying to make a point about not deterring future MPs who were not wealthy, but recognised his comments were "insensitive".
The Bournemouth East MP earns a basic salary of £67,000 plus about £20,000 for his Foreign Office role.
MPs salaries are to rise from £67,060 to £74,000 - backdated to 8 May.
The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) - put in charge of MPs' pay after the 2009 expenses scandal - approved the salary increase despite appeals from Downing Street and many MPs who said it was inappropriate.
Ipsa says in future MPs' pay would rise in line with average rises in the public sector.
During Ipsa's consultation, Mr Elwood, a junior Foreign Office minister, wrote to support the proposed pay increase.
In his submission, he said: "I know I speak for the silent majority (who are not millionaires) to say this increase is well overdue.
"I never expected to be watching the pennies at my age and yet this what I now have to do."
The Conservative MP had said he would be earning much more if he had stayed in his job in the armed forces.
However, his comments attracted criticism - prompting the minister to issue an apology "for the offence I've caused".
In a statement on his official Facebook page, he said he recognised that the remarks in his "confidential submission" were "inappropriate and insensitive" and an "error of judgment".
"Constituents' comments have been a stark personal reminder of the challenges everyone is facing and I am the wiser for it." he added.
Mr Ellwood said the submission had been a "private attempt" to express "a genuine concern" about MPs pay, which he said was lower than in other public sector jobs.
"Good candidates who are not so financially secure are being deterred from entering politics and this is not good for Parliament or the country.
"We need to attract the best from all walks of life to ensure that Parliament is as representative as possible of our society in terms of its diversity," he said.
But the MP said his comments had "underlined the perception that MPs are out of touch".
"That is something I very much regret and must now focus on repairing." | A government minister has apologised for saying he had to "watch the pennies" on his almost £90,000 salary. | 33585341 |
The law provides for jail terms for libel or sedition. Journalists are regularly arrested on "flimsy and superficial" charges, says Freedom House.
State-run Radio Gambia broadcasts tightly-controlled news, which is relayed by private radio stations. Radio France Internationale is available on FM in Banjul.
The government operates the only national TV station.
There were 272,000 internet users by July 2014 (InternetLiveStats.com). Many news websites and blogs are based overseas and some are run by exiled journalists, says Freedom House.
The authorities block websites that are critical of the government. | A "pervasive climate of fear" forces most journalists to practice self-censorship or flee the country, says Reporters Without Borders (RSF). | 13378353 |
They might be glancing at this on their mobiles on a beach somewhere, just to get a certain sense of satisfaction that they're not stuck reading something even duller in English lessons.
Schools in Sweden, Iceland, Finland and Ireland are also empty - and Bulgaria's primary schools have been closed since the end of May.
And don't feel too sorry for pupils in Italy and Hungary, because they are almost ready for their end-of-year goodbyes.
Instead reserve your sympathy for another group of European countries with many more weeks to tear off the calendar before escaping into the sun.
Liechtenstein keeps going into the first week of July, while classrooms in England and Wales are running a school-year marathon, staying open until the third week of July.
Source: Eurydice/ EU
But they are not the very last students in Europe to be stuck inside in summer. That honour is reserved for the Bavarians.
Germany has a six-week break staggered in different regions - and it means that pupils in Bavaria do not break up until the end of July, beginning a holiday that lasts until mid-September.
Unfortunately a late start to the holiday is usually no promise of a late return. Quite the opposite.
Those Latvian teenagers, already basking in their summer sojourn, stay off school for 13 weeks. The Italians are tucking into a big slice of the dolce vita with a 12 to 13 week break.
Those freewheeling Bulgarian primary school pupils are going to be out of the classroom until mid-September.
The Finns have 10 to 11 weeks off in the summer, Iceland, Portugal, Spain and Ireland have 12 weeks, Norway and Poland about eight weeks.
The length of a summer holiday seems to defy any clear geographical or cultural pattern. It's not a case of the southern European countries taking the academic equivalent of a siesta.
There are even big differences within countries. Parts of Switzerland have the shortest holidays, five weeks, while other parts have 10 weeks.
Within the UK, there are different patterns. While England and Wales keep studying deep into July, schools in Scotland have emptied by late June to return in mid-August and in Northern Ireland they finish at the beginning of July for a two-month break.
It's more about tradition and what's come to be expected.
And it's not all about a legacy of an agricultural past. There have been longstanding challenges to the idea that summer holidays were created to allow children to help with the harvest.
Many 19th Century state school systems were driven by the demands of an urban population, rather than rural. In the United States pressure for a longer summer break came from middle-class families wanting to get out of the unhealthy, overheated cities.
Another theory is that the school holidays followed the pattern of other institutions, such as universities, law courts and private schools.
But is there any connection between the length of the summer holiday and achievement in school?
The evidence once again is inconsistent. Liechtenstein, with only a modest six-week summer break, has the highest maths results in Europe, according to the international Pisa tests run by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
But the best in Europe at reading are youngsters in Finland and Ireland, who have some of the longest summer holidays. Perhaps they spend the time reading. Finnish schools are away from the beginning of June until mid-August and it's even longer in Ireland, where they are on holiday until September.
If pupils are meant to forget everything they've learned over a long summer, then someone has forgotten to tell that to the Estonians, who combine a very long holiday with being among the most successful in both maths and reading tests.
And if long holidays were such a bad thing, why is it that high-achieving private schools often have more weeks off than their state school neighbours?
The OECD has its own rather nuanced conclusion. It says there is "some relationship between the time students spend learning in and after school and their performance". But looking across a range of countries and education systems there is "no clear pattern".
It means that spending more time in school might help, but again it might not help that much. The quality of teaching and learning is going to be much more important than the quantity.
Of course it's more complicated than counting the weeks off in the summer. There are other holidays during the school year and the length of the school day can vary.
As a more precise measure, the OECD makes comparisons about the average number of lessons in key subjects each year.
In this global ranking, the countries where pupils get the most lessons are Chile, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Portugal and Singapore.
Again there is no clear link to how well pupils perform in the Pisa tests. Canada and Singapore have lots of lessons and are high achievers - but Portugal, with the most lessons in Europe, does not make the top 30.
Shanghai, the Chinese city which has topped the Pisa rankings, is in ninth place in terms of the volume of lessons, behind countries such as Tunisia and Peru. But where Shanghai really stands out - far above anyone apart from Singapore - is the amount of homework set by teachers.
The UK is ranked 23rd in terms of the amount of lessons each year - exactly the same place as its ranking in the maths test results.
On this global scale, the UK is above average in terms of the number of lessons per pupil each year, while France, Germany, Spain, Ireland, Finland and Poland are all below average.
Whether it counts as first place or last place - they're on holiday so they probably won't care - Bulgaria has the lowest number of lessons each year. | If this article is of any interest to teenagers in Estonia or Latvia, it will only be to give them a chance to feel really smug - because their schools are already shut for the summer holidays. | 27762108 |
Firth, who will transfer from ITM Cup side Counties Manukau, made two appearances for the Chiefs in Super Rugby last season.
"We've been tracking Jarrod for some time in the ITM Cup," Warriors head coach Gregor Townsend said.
"He's built a very good reputation as a strong scrummager."
Townsend added: "Initially, he'll be working with our conditioning staff as we start to get him integrated into the rugby we aspire to play.
"Jarrod has made a big commitment in coming to Scotland and we believe he'll fit in really well at Scotstoun and add further competition in our front row."
Firth, who has made 25 appearances for Counties Manukau over the last three seasons, said: "Everyone I spoke to had great things to say about the club and the city, so I jumped at the chance to get over here.
"Glasgow have had a few Kiwis before and they've always done well, so there is no reason why I can't be successful too."
Firth knows Warriors scrum-half Grayson Hart, having faced him in New Zealand.
"I played against Grayson in my younger days and it's good to see him doing well here," he said.
"I hope I can earn the chance to pull on the jersey." | Glasgow Warriors have signed New Zealand-born prop Jarrod Firth on a two-and-a-half-year contract subject to the 24-year-old receiving a visa. | 35483455 |
The Tory peer, sacked as a government adviser after defying the whip over Brexit, said the Germans had lost World War Two but the UK was now giving them the "opportunity to win the peace".
"I find that quite unacceptable," he told the House Magazine.
UKIP said the comments showed Lord Heseltine was "utterly out of touch with the modern world".
"If I was German I would be deeply offended," a UKIP spokesman told the BBC.
In a wide-ranging interview, Lord Heseltine questioned how Theresa May could campaign to remain in the EU as home secretary but "within a few weeks" of becoming PM, insist "Brexit means Brexit".
The prime minister, he added, had seemed to change her mind on the issue, suggesting "this lady was for turning".
Lord Heseltine, who was deputy prime minister between 1992 and 1997, said he would continue to argue against the decision to leave the EU, believing it was against the UK's historic national interest.
The 83-year old said he was "now free" to speak out after he was relieved of his five economic advisory roles after defying party managers to vote against Brexit in the House of Lords.
"If anyone is listening, I will continue to play a role in trying to avert what I perceive to be a disaster of British self-interest," he was quoted as saying.
"The letters keep flowing, the invitations keep coming...They haven't kicked me out of the party yet. They kicked me out of my advisory jobs but as yet there is no suggestion I should be asked for my membership card."
Not only would Brexit alter the balance of power in Europe, he suggested that for many people of his generation, the UK's decision might be regarded as a betrayal of the country's fight against the Nazis.
"For someone like myself, it was in 1933, the year of my birth, that Hitler was democratically elected in Germany. He unleashed the most horrendous war.
"This country played a unique role in securing his defeat. So Germany lost the war. We have just handed them the opportunity to win the peace."
He dismissed those who argue Britain's standing in the world would be unaffected by EU withdrawal, saying the UK would lose its ability to act as a bridge between both the Commonwealth and the US and Europe.
"The Americans will shift the focus of their interest to Germany."
Lord Heseltine has long been one of the most pro-European voices in his party but has rejected the Europhile tag often given to him - saying that EU membership is about enhancing the UK's national interest not giving up power and identity.
He said he had "no complaints" about the way he had been treated by the prime minister, saying they came from a different political generation and had never met, let alone discussed Europe.
But he suggested that she had not shown the iron resolve of her predecessor Lady Thatcher, who the peer served under and later helped to depose as prime minister.
Lady Thatcher famously told the 1980 Conservative party conference, at a time of intense calls for the government to reverse its economic policies, "you turn if you want to, this lady's not for turning."
Pointing to a speech Mrs May made two months before the EU referendum - in which she called for Britain to "stand tall and lead in Europe" - Lord Heseltine said: "I don't know how someone who made that speech can, within a few weeks, say Brexit is Brexit and ask the nation to unite behind it...This lady was for turning."
Lord Heseltine also urged Chancellor George Osborne not to rule out a return to frontline politics and disclosed that he did not vote for Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith as London Mayor because of Mr Goldsmith's pro-Brexit stance.
He also advised the prime minister to resist the "powerful" temptation to call a snap election, suggesting the result of the Richmond by-election, won by the Lib Dems, showed the "deep and bitter fury" of many voters who wanted to remain in the EU.
Conservative MP David TC Davies said he respected Lord Heseltine and the generation whose world view was shaped by war but their outlook was not shared by others.
"For them the EU was not just a trading arrangement. It was a way of avoiding a third world war," he said.
"But it is an analysis that is decades out of date. We can't carry on as if we are all still living in the 1950s."
Mr Davies, who is vice chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on British-German relations, added: "There is no chance of a war between Germany, France and Britain. We all share the same values and we are all open to each other for trade."
Responding to Lord Heseltine's comments, a UKIP spokesman said: "What an extraordinary thing to say. Has he lost his marbles?
"I never realised the purpose of Britain's membership of the EU was to stop German domination of Europe.
"For someone who is deeply pro-European to basically say he doesn't trust the German people not to misbehave shows how utterly out of touch he is with the modern world and the modern, democratic and free Germany." | The UK is handing control of Europe's destiny to Germany by leaving the EU, Lord Heseltine has claimed. | 39380606 |
The Scotland full-back is recovering from shoulder surgery and will miss the start of Warriors' Pro14 campaign.
New head coach Dave Rennie took over at Scotstoun on Monday and has told Hogg he will have to earn his jersey.
"He just said that reputations go out the window and it's all about hard work - and, for me, that's right," Hogg told BBC Scotland.
"We've got reputations that are all in the past - we're in control of what happens in the future.
"Everyone has a hard work ethic at Scotstoun and that's what drives us on to become better every year.
"All the international boys have only been in two or three weeks - boys have done the full block of pre-season, they're in unbelievable condition.
"It's not just a case of slotting back into the team - we're going to have to earn it. But that's very much what happens at Glasgow Warriors."
A facial injury forced 25-year-old Hogg's premature withdrawal from this summer's British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand before he had an underlying shoulder complaint operated on during June.
He and lock Jonny Gray, who had injured a wrist, were at that time given recovery periods of between four and six months, but Hogg was non-committal on the prospect of the pair returning for Glasgow's opening European Champions Cup pool matches in October.
"We've got the timescale that we'd like to be back for and, for me, that will remain in-house," Hogg said.
"We're very much on-target and we'll keep working hard and try to hit our daily and weekly targets.
"But it's not an injury I'm going to come back from in no time - it's going to take a lot of time, effort and hard work - and I want to be in a position where I'm getting the best out of myself.
"I'm not going to come back at 80-85%, I want to be 100% and I'm very excited to get back on the pitch."
Rennie, 53, arrives in Glasgow having led the Chiefs to consecutive Super Rugby titles in 2012 and 2013 in his native New Zealand.
His appointment marks a period of major upheaval at Scotstoun, with 11 new players signed and former Scotland assistant coaches Jason O'Halloran and Jonathan Humphreys joining from the national side.
Hogg signed a new two-year Warriors deal in October and admits the capture of Rennie was a major factor in his decision to stay.
"For us to get a guy of Dave Rennie's calibre and Jason and Humphs, cracking coaches, it does feel like a new club coming in over the last few weeks," Hogg said.
"But it's the same players, we all know how each other play, it's just a case of buying into the way Dave wants to play.
"For us, it's exciting times. We had a couple of chats over here, he came over to see how everything was working and he was hugely key to me staying on at Glasgow again.
"I've heard nothing but good reports about him. I've got a lot of time for him already."
Glasgow will face two new opponents on league duty this season, with South African franchises - the Cheetahs and Southern Kings - joining the expanded Pro14.
Fellow Lion Tommy Seymour says tackling unfamiliar foes will help him and his team-mates improve.
"It's the closest thing now, maybe other than Super Rugby, to a globally inclusive league," Seymour said. "South African rugby is very strong and played slightly differently to northern hemisphere rugby.
"Unless you play a friendly against a southern hemisphere team, which is very rare indeed, or international rugby, you wouldn't get a chance to play these guys and wouldn't maybe experience this brand of rugby.
"For us at club level to come up against top-level sides from South Africa gives us an opportunity to learn new bits about ourselves and them, adapt and grow as players, playing a different style of rugby." | Stuart Hogg has been warned he faces a fight to regain his place in Glasgow Warriors' starting line-up. | 40926837 |
US Secretary of State John Kerry welcomed the decision, taken at talks in Istanbul, calling it "courageous".
The aim of Geneva II is to start the process of setting up a transitional government to end the war in Syria.
The three-year conflict has claimed the lives of more than 100,000 people.
By Jim MuirBBC News, Beirut
The fateful meeting of the Syrian opposition coalition had been delayed while desperate efforts were made to persuade back more than 40 delegates who had walked out. The advocates of going to Geneva wanted to mobilise a display of unity and purpose to back the negotiating team.
Their fear was that, otherwise, it would start off looking weak, and with big questions about its claims to represent even the opposition political leadership, far less the fighting forces on the ground and the Syrian people as a whole.
That looks like being the case. The 58 members who said Yes made up a good majority of the 73 who voted, but it's less than half of the body's 120 members. The onus on those going to Geneva will be to produce convincing results, and that is far beyond their own control.
The coalition had no choice but to go. Its Western backers made it clear that if it said No, they would not be able to continue supporting it. They were damned if they did, and doomed if they didn't.
An estimated two million people have fled the country and some 6.5 million have been internally displaced.
Of the delegates who voted, 58 were in favour, 14 were against, while one abstained.
The coalition's leader, Ahmad Jarba, said it was going to the talks "without any bargain regarding the principles of the revolution and we will not be cheated by [President Bashar al-] Assad's regime".
"The negotiating table for us is a track toward achieving the demands of the revolution - at the top of them, removing the butcher from power," he said.
Mr Kerry said in a statement: "This is a courageous vote in the interests of all the Syrian people who have suffered so horribly under the brutality of the Assad regime and a civil war without end."
UK Foreign Secretary William Hague also praised the SNC's "difficult decision", adding: "As I have said many times, any mutually agreed settlement means that Assad can play no role in Syria's future."
The BBC's Jim Muir in Beirut says Western powers will be relieved at the vote, although it is less than the display of unanimity the advocates of the talks had hoped for.
Syrian opposition figures had earlier expressed reluctance to go to Switzerland unless President Assad was excluded from any future transitional government.
Syria says there cannot be any pre-conditions.
Last week, Syria's National Reconciliation Minister Ali Haidar said no-one should expect a breakthrough at the talks, adding: "The solution has begun and will continue through the military triumph of the state."
However, Syria on Friday did offer a prisoner exchange with rebels and Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said he had also presented a ceasefire plan for the second city of Aleppo during talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov.
In another possible gesture of goodwill, the Syrian government allowed the first aid in months to be delivered to the besieged Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk in Damascus on Saturday.
Mr Kerry had previously urged the opposition to join the 22 January talks, arguing that they were aimed at establishing a process necessary for the formation of a transitional governing body in Syria.
Mr Lavrov is keen for Iran to be part of the peace talks, but Mr Kerry has said that Tehran must first agree to the Geneva I communique which calls for a political transition in Syria. | Syria's main political opposition group, the Syrian National Coalition (SNC), has agreed to attend next week's so-called Geneva II peace talks, to be held in Montreux, Switzerland. | 25796643 |
The actress-director attracted criticism over her description of the casting process for her film about the Khmer Rouge.
She described how directors had played a game which involved giving money to poor children then taking it away.
Jolie has fiercely denied playing tricks on the children.
She said this week that "every measure was taken to ensure the safety, comfort and well-being of the children" and that the report was "upsetting".
The film, First They Killed My Father, was directed by Jolie and is based on a true-life account of a survivor of the Khmer Rouge genocide. It is told through the eyes of a child.
In a statement on Thursday, Vanity Fair said it had been contacted by Jolie's lawyer who accused the interviewer, contributing editor Evgenia Peretz, of "mistakenly" reporting about the audition.
The magazine said it was asked to remove the paragraph describing the casting process from Peretz's report online, and run an apology and statement saying that the children were not tricked.
But Vanity Fair refused, saying it stood by Peretz's story after reviewing audiotapes of the interview.
It also ran a section of the interview's transcript. In it, Jolie says that she was not at the auditions herself, but that the casting team had told the children "a camera's coming up and we want to play a game with you".
"And the game for that character was 'We're going to put some money on the table. Think of something that you need that money for.' Sometimes it was money, sometimes it was a cookie. [Laughter] 'And then take it." And then we would catch them."
Shortly after the original report was published, Jolie was accused on social media of manipulating and emotionally abusing the children.
She responded earlier this week saying that "the suggestion that real money was taken from a child during an audition is false and upsetting".
She added it was "a pretend exercise in an improvisation, from an actual scene in the film", which was "written about as if it was a real scenario" in the magazine's report.
First They Killed My Father is Jolie's directorial debut for streaming giant Netflix.
Jolie told the BBC earlier this year that she hoped the film would help Cambodians speak more openly about their period of trauma. | US magazine Vanity Fair says it is standing by an interview with Hollywood star Angelina Jolie which she has claimed misreported her. | 40822755 |
The Cuckoo's Calling and The Silkworm will form the basis of the serial, which will be made with the assistance of the Harry Potter author.
The BBC said it was a "coup" to secure the books, which feature private detective Cormoran Strike.
Filming details for the series have yet to be determined.
The number of episodes for the series are still in discussion, and it is not yet clear when it will be broadcast.
The BBC - together with US broadcaster HBO - has already made a small screen version of Rowling's A Casual Vacancy, which is due to be aired in February.
Production company Bronte Films, which made the mini-series, will also be responsible for the new crime drama.
BBC director of television Danny Cohen said: "It's a wonderful coup for BBC TV to be bringing JK Rowling's latest books to the screen.
"With the rich character of Cormoran Strike at their heart, these dramas will be event television across the world."
It emerged Rowling had written The Cuckoo's Calling under a male pseudonym last year, which immediately propelled the book into the bestsellers' list, three months after publication.
She said it had been a "liberating experience" writing under an unknown identity and had hoped to "keep this secret a little longer".
It later transpired a legal firm was the source of the leak of information to The Sunday Times, which revealed the news.
At the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival earlier this year, Rowling revealed the series of books were open-ended and she would produce more than her seven Harry Potter books.
"It's not seven. It's more. It's pretty open ended," she said, adding she could keep giving more cases to Strike.
At the event in July, the author said she had begun work on plotting the fourth book. | A series based on the detective novels written by JK Rowling under the name Robert Galbraith is to be made for TV, the BBC has announced. | 30409174 |
The bikes have similar functionality to helicopters, but overcome some of the older technology's design limitations.
The devices can be used in military as well as emergency and aid operations, the developers told the Reuters news agency.
Further research and development will take place in Harford County, Maryland.
The prototypes are reminiscent of the racers that Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia used to zoom around the forest moon of Endor in the film Return of the Jedi.
"The Department of Defense is interested in Hoverbike technology because it can support multiple roles," said Mark Butkiewicz, who works for Survice, the US firm that will be developing the technology. "It can transport troops over difficult terrain and when it's not used in that purpose it can also be used to transport logistics, supplies, and it can operate in both a manned and unmanned asset."
Grant Stapleton of the UK firm Malloy Aeronautics explained to Reuters what advantages the bikes have over traditional helicopters: "Primarily there's safety. With adducted rotors you immediately not only protect people and property if you were to bump into them, but if you ever were to bump into somebody or property it's going to bring the aircraft out of the air."
Government officials in the state of Maryland are welcoming the development saying that it will provide several high-paying jobs to the state.
"I think there can be a lot of applications, and maybe I'll be the fifth or sixth person to ride it. I'm going to wait until a couple of people ride it before me," joked Maryland Lieutenant Governor Boyd Rutherford. | Star Wars-style hoverbikes could be coming to the US military after engineers in the UK and US struck a deal with the US Department of Defense. | 33244861 |
Hedley McCarthy has been leader of Blaenau Gwent council since May 2012 and leader of the Labour group for eight years.
He said the council is having to make more "stringent reductions" than they did under ex-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s.
Mr McCarthy will continue to serve as a ward councillor for Llanhilleth.
"To have to make cuts on the scale that we're having to do in local government is horrendous - horrific," he said.
"This has been the most difficult and challenging time in the history of local government - worse than the Thatcher years - and I am weary of the cuts imposed by the Conservative government," he said.
"I do not believe I am necessarily the right person to lead Blaenau Gwent into the Welsh assembly election next May, given that I have serious concerns about the way the so-called local government reorganisation has been handled, or for that matter even share the definition of the word local."
Mr McCarthy will be replaced by his deputy, Stephen Thomas, from Wednesday. | The leader of a south Wales council has quit after enduring what he calls "horrific" Tory government cuts. | 34979628 |
In a film shown on The Guardian, the Labour leader said he was experiencing a problem "many passengers face every day" on the London to Newcastle train.
But Virgin said CCTV showed Mr Corbyn and his team walking past available seating before starting filming.
It says the crew helped him to a carriage where seats were available and he sat for the rest of his journey.
According to The Guardian's report last week, the footage of the Labour leader was taken by Yannis Mendez, a freelance filmmaker who volunteers for his campaign.
The Labour leader chose the spot on the floor instead of upgrading to first class, it said.
In the footage, Mr Corbyn said: "This is a problem that many passengers face every day, commuters and long-distance travellers. Today this train is completely ram-packed.
"The staff are absolutely brilliant, working really hard to help everybody.
"The reality is there are not enough trains, we need more of them - and they're also incredibly expensive."
Mr Corbyn said the episode made the case for the railways to be renationalised, one of his key policy pledges.
He had been travelling to Newcastle to take part in a hustings against Owen Smith, who is challenging him for the leadership of the Labour Party.
Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson tweeted a link to the CCTV images, saying Mr Corbyn had "walked past empty unreserved seats then filmed claim train was 'ram-packed'".
The company said that after Mr Corbyn's team had finished filming: "The same footage then shows Mr Corbyn returning to coach H and taking a seat there, with the help of the onboard crew, around 45 minutes into the journey and over two hours before the train reached Newcastle.
"Mr Corbyn's team carried out their filming around 30 minutes into the journey."
It said the first stop on the journey, on 11 August, had been York - 1:50 hrs after leaving London.
Mr Corbyn's campaign team said: "When Jeremy boarded the train he was unable to find unreserved seats, so he sat with other passengers in the corridor who were also unable to find a seat.
"Later in the journey, seats became available after a family were upgraded to first class, and Jeremy and the team he was travelling with were offered the seats by a very helpful member of staff."
They released photos of other people sitting on the floor and comments from a fellow traveller who said the service was "very overcrowded".
Asked about the CCTV footage apparently showing Mr Corbyn walking past seats without "reserved" signs on them, the Labour leader's team said some of these seats had bags on them which appeared to belong to people who had gone to the toilet.
On one level, this is a story that appears trivial - about whether a politician could find a seat on a train.
But it is fast developing into a political row between the leader of the opposition and one of Britain's biggest rail firms.
Jeremy Corbyn's video on the floor of the train made a political point - that the "ram-packed" train showed the case for the renationalisation of the railways.
Here was a Labour leader attacking the performance of private train companies in a vivid and visual way. The response: Richard Branson today tweeted the claim that Mr Corbyn had walked past empty seats - complete with CCTV picture.
Team Corbyn's statement appears to add another perspective about events on the 11:00 Kings Cross to Edinburgh: That other passengers sat on the floor too.
It will be important for a leader who promised a "new kind of politics" and authenticity not "spin" - his opponents would waste no time attacking him if they believed the video was stage managed.
At a leadership rally in east London, Sam Tarry - Mr Corbyn's campaign spokesman - accused the Virgin boss of taking a "pop" at the Labour leader for challenging the status quo.
He said the "spat" illustrated that the "establishment is absolutely petrified at what this campaign and what this movement is all about" - adding that Labour's commitment to renationalise the "failed" railways had "great resonance" with the public.
Virgin Trains, which runs the service as part of its East Coast franchise, thanked Mr Corbyn for his praise for its staff and said more capacity was being introduced at peak times.
The operator told Press Association that two passengers were moved from standard to first class so that Mr Corbyn could sit next to his aide.
It added: "But we have to take issue with the idea that Mr Corbyn wasn't able to be seated on the service, as this clearly wasn't the case.
"We'd encourage Jeremy to book ahead next time he travels with us, both to reserve a seat and to ensure he gets our lowest fares, and we look forward to welcoming him onboard again."
On Twitter, Mr Smith said his campaign remained "on track" and that he was "proud to be genuinely standing up for ordinary people".
The Transport Salaried Staffs Association said Virgin Trains was being "disingenuous", claiming the empty seats were in fact reserved.
Manuel Cortes, the union's general secretary, said: "Passengers fully empathised with this story because far too many of them are having to put up with the sort of travel that Jeremy was right to highlight on a regular basis and have had to pay through the nose to do so.
"No amount of spinning by Virgin will dent the people's will to see our railways brought back into public ownership." | Virgin Trains has questioned footage showing Jeremy Corbyn sitting on the floor of a "ram-packed" service. | 37167700 |
After a quiet first half, Mesut Ozil, on his 150th appearance for the Gunners, fired home from the edge of the box after being gifted possession by Jose Fonte.
And the German, after playing a one-two with Alexis Sanchez, crossed for Theo Walcott - captain for the day in the absence of the injured Laurent Koscielny - to turn home from eight yards out.
Olivier Giroud curled in a fantastic third after being picked out by fellow substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
The Gunners are now up to fifth in the table, only four points behind fourth-placed Manchester City, with a game in hand on Pep Guardiola's side.
West Ham are five points above the bottom three, although it could have been a lot worse had Swansea not collapsed late on to lose 3-1 to Tottenham.
The Gunners had only won one and drawn another in their past six Premier League games, to leave their hopes of Champions League qualification - having reached the last 17 tournaments - in real jeopardy.
There were more protests against long-serving manager Arsene Wenger - with some Gunners fans not taking their seats until the 13th minute. It has been 13 years since they last won the league.
But it did not distract the team too much, admittedly against opposition in even worse form than themselves.
Arsenal had the best of the first half, but it was after the break they took control of the game.
Hammers keeper Darren Randolph was unhappy with Ozil's opener as he felt Sanchez was offside and blocking his view, but referee Martin Atkinson did not care for his appeals.
The two Gunners stars both linked up to set up Walcott's second, and then Giroud scored the game's outstanding goal to clinch the match. The French striker, who replaced Danny Welbeck, has scored more Premier League goals as a substitute than anyone else this season - five.
Arsenal should have had a penalty in injury time when Sam Byram brought down Nacho Monreal.
The Gunners had to play their third-choice keeper, Emiliano Martinez, after injuries to Petr Cech and David Ospina. But the 24-year-old, on his first Premier League appearance since 2014, only had to make two saves in the game.
West Ham have not won a game in more than two months and have Tottenham to thank for them not being dragged closer into the relegation zone.
Before Spurs' comeback against Swansea [West Ham's opponents on Saturday], the Hammers looked set to be only three points above the relegation zone. Instead it is five.
In the first half, the Hammers were OK, but they collapsed after the Gunners - who are short of confidence themselves - scored their opener.
The Hammers' only two shots on target - from Manuel Lanzini and Edimilson Fernandes - came after the game had already gone.
Michail Antonio, returning from a hamstring injury, only lasted 45 minutes before being replaced at half-time by Robert Snodgrass.
Striker Diafra Sakho made his first appearance since November after recovering from a back injury, although he only touched the ball eight times after his second-half introduction.
Wenger on Ozil: "I feel that he's back physically with focus.
"I know him quite well and I felt that he got hit hard from us going out of the Champions League and it took him some time to recover from that mentally.
"I feel for a few weeks now in training he's really focused again - and that comes out in the game.
"Of course [he deserves credit]. We live in a world of extremes... we are always praised maybe more than we deserve it and punished more than we deserve it when it doesn't go well - but that's our world."
Media playback is not supported on this device
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger told BBC Sport: "West Ham defended well in the first half and we needed to find a solution in the second half. We were convincing after the break.
"Ozil and Sanchez are important players but everyone did well. You could not say any player had a bad performance.
"We come out of a difficult period and our confidence goes quickly and comes back slowly.
"We are in the final sprint in the Premier League. Consistency will be very important.
"We have a little handicap on the points front. We have less possibilities to drop points."
Media playback is not supported on this device
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic told BBC Sport: "Arsenal deserved to win. The first half was OK, not only because of the score but we were good. We defended well with numbers. And we were also good on counter-attacks.
"In the second half they raised the tempo and scored a goal, and they were the better team. They were sharper than us tonight.
"We wanted to keep a clean sheet and the draw as long as possible, or even better to score, and make their fans and players a bit more nervous. But they started to play with more freedom after scoring.
"Of course we are [in a relegation battle]. We don't have to hide it. It's not being negative, it's being realistic. I told the players to forget today - we have big games ahead of us. It's a massive game against Swansea on Saturday. We are in a fight to keep our Premier League status. We have to start winning games.
"To get that confidence back is the key point. One win will change everything for us. Because three points at this stage of the season are massive."
Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright: "I'm just delighted Arsenal got something from the game. Mesut Ozil does what he does. It's his demeanour which upsets people, throwing his hands up in the air. It's unfortunate for him that because of his languid style he gets a lot of stick. As a forward, I'd want him behind me.
"I do feel for Slaven Bilic. I have a lot of time for him. The board have said they will back him. I just hope it's not lip service."
West Ham face a match against relegation rivals Swansea on Saturday at 15:00 BST. Arsenal face another London derby - at Crystal Palace - next Monday (20:00).
Match ends, Arsenal 3, West Ham United 0.
Second Half ends, Arsenal 3, West Ham United 0.
Attempt blocked. Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Granit Xhaka.
Attempt saved. Edimilson Fernandes (West Ham United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Manuel Lanzini.
Foul by Granit Xhaka (Arsenal).
André Ayew (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Granit Xhaka (Arsenal).
André Ayew (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Goal! Arsenal 3, West Ham United 0. Olivier Giroud (Arsenal) left footed shot from the right side of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Substitution, Arsenal. Aaron Ramsey replaces Mohamed Elneny.
Substitution, Arsenal. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain replaces Theo Walcott.
Substitution, West Ham United. Edimilson Fernandes replaces Mark Noble.
Attempt blocked. Olivier Giroud (Arsenal) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is blocked.
Attempt saved. Granit Xhaka (Arsenal) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Mohamed Elneny.
Sam Byram (West Ham United) is shown the yellow card.
Alexis Sánchez (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Sam Byram (West Ham United).
Attempt saved. Manuel Lanzini (West Ham United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Substitution, Arsenal. Olivier Giroud replaces Danny Welbeck.
Attempt missed. Héctor Bellerín (Arsenal) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Alexis Sánchez with a through ball.
Goal! Arsenal 2, West Ham United 0. Theo Walcott (Arsenal) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Mesut Özil.
Offside, West Ham United. Sam Byram tries a through ball, but Diafra Sakho is caught offside.
Attempt saved. Mohamed Elneny (Arsenal) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Mesut Özil with a cross.
Attempt missed. Danny Welbeck (Arsenal) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Mesut Özil.
Substitution, West Ham United. Diafra Sakho replaces Andy Carroll.
Attempt missed. Manuel Lanzini (West Ham United) right footed shot from a difficult angle and long range on the left is just a bit too high from a direct free kick.
Shkodran Mustafi (Arsenal) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Shkodran Mustafi (Arsenal).
Robert Snodgrass (West Ham United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Attempt saved. Danny Welbeck (Arsenal) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Theo Walcott with a through ball.
Attempt blocked. Andy Carroll (West Ham United) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Robert Snodgrass with a cross.
Goal! Arsenal 1, West Ham United 0. Mesut Özil (Arsenal) left footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner.
Attempt blocked. Mohamed Elneny (Arsenal) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Granit Xhaka.
Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Arthur Masuaku.
Offside, West Ham United. Robert Snodgrass tries a through ball, but Sam Byram is caught offside.
Attempt blocked. Alexis Sánchez (Arsenal) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Mesut Özil.
Mesut Özil (Arsenal) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by José Fonte (West Ham United).
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Arthur Masuaku (West Ham United) because of an injury. | Arsenal boosted their Champions League hopes with a deserved victory over West Ham, who remain in relegation trouble after a fifth consecutive Premier League defeat. | 39426761 |
In an exclusive interview with BBC Music, founder member, guitarist and co-writer Jack Patterson tells the BBC he wishes he'd put money on the single weeks ago.
Congratulations on being Christmas number one! How will you celebrate?
I imagine we'll have some very large shots of Baileys!
When you first released Rockabye, did you think it would become this big?
We had no idea whatsoever. We were just putting out some music hoping for the best and it's gone crazy.
Why do you think people have connected with it so strongly?
I don't know. I remember I played it to my girlfriend when we were in the car on holiday and she started crying. I was like, "What's going on?".
I never felt quite so emotionally affected by it - so that was the first moment where I thought, "Hang on, there's something interesting going on here,".
When we spoke to Sean Paul recently, he said the lyrics affected him because he was raised by a single mum. Could that be the key?
I think so, for some people. I've noticed a lot of comments on YouTube and I've had a lot of direct messages to our Facebook page. People have been really affected by it. They even asked for a hotline number to be put on the video. I just couldn't believe that.
It's quite serious but, at the same time, there's a positive feel in the music, so I wonder if it's where those two places meet? The energy in the music and the emotion in the lyrics?
You beat Little Mix and Rag N Bone Man to reach number one. What did you think of their songs?
I have to be honest, I haven't actually heard them! I keep my head in the sand when it comes to current, popular music. I mostly listen to Fleetwood Mac on my record deck at home.
The success of the single means people are even more eager for your new album. How far along is it?
Quite far, actually. It's not quite finished but it's pretty much there.
Our label want us to focus on releasing singles, so we're doing that and hopefully at some point they'll say, "Now you can release an album." I think that'll be early next year.
You told us you'd been recording with Elton John. Will that song still be on the album?
It's not quite finished because the focus shifted to Rockabye - but in the New Year we've got a bit of time in the studio and we're definitely going to work on that.
Your violinist, Neil Amin-Smith, quit earlier this year. How have the dynamics of the band changed?
It's different. He was a great performer and a brilliant violinist. But the band's always changing because we don't have a regular singer. We're always changing personnel because they get fed up of us and move on to other things. And that's happened with Neil… Well, he didn't get fed up, but he moved on!
But we've got to keep the show on the road, and we're working with another couple of violinists, who have been fantastic. It's a real laugh.
He left in the middle of recording sessions, so will he still appear on the album?
Kind of. The way we work is that, mostly, we do the strings last. The vocals unfortunately end up being the priority because, I guess, that's the first point of contact for most people, and certainly for our label. A different singer might want to sing a semi-tone lower, so until we get the vocals right, we don't record the strings.
Neil's departure was timed in such a way that he didn't actually record on Rockabye. He was on our last single, Tears, but not on Rockabye.
At one point, bookmakers were offering odds of 66/1 on Rockabye being Christmas number one. Did you have a flutter?
No! It's really annoying. But my dad put a bet on it - one quid, which shows his faith in the song! But we were 25/1 at the time, so he can get a round in at the pub!
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]. | Clean Bandit have claimed victory in the Christmas chart battle, as their single Rockabye spends a seventh week at number one. | 38408386 |
GAA history was made in the Section B game at Garvaghey as Maggie Farrelly from Cavan became the first female to referee an inter-county match.
In Wednesday's other McKenna clash, Antrim came from four points down to claim a 3-11 to 1-11 victory over Queen's University at the Dub.
The next McKenna action is on Saturday night when Cavan host UUJ.
Fermanagh and St Mary's were locked on six points each at half-time in their match at Tyrone's GAA Centre.
Tomás Corrigan landed four first-half points while Eoin Donnelly and Ciaran Flaherty also scored for Fermanagh.
Darragh Kavanagh bagged two early points for the students who were denied a goal when Chris Snow saved brilliantly from Matthew Fitzpatrick.
St Mary's scored four points in a row early in the second half but substitute Sean Quigley inspired an Erne County revival and the match was level at 12 points each.
The game remained in the balance with O'Flaherty's late goal proving decisive.
Meanwhile, Antrim defeated Queen's University by six points in south Belfast, where the competition saw the first game hosted by a college side.
A tight Section A contest was finally decided by a lobbed goal by Brian 'Bam' Neeson, who has returned to the county colours after a year away.
Marty Clarke edged the students ahead early on from a free, his potential return to Down colours remaining a mystery after two games in the McKenna Cup
Queen's led by 0-8 to 0-5 at the interval, but a Ryan Murray goal gave the Saffrons a timely lift shortly after the resumption.
Tomas McCann fired home a brilliant second goal for Antrim, but Gerard McGovern also hit the net for QUB as they continued to test their opponents.
But Frank Fitzsimons' side got the upper hand in the closing stages, pulling clear with a point from substitute Donal Nugent, before Neeson sealed it with a skilful finish in the closing stages. | Fermanagh saw off St Mary's by 1-13 to 0-14 in the McKenna Cup thanks to a late goal by Ciaran O'Flaherty. | 35244239 |
Several sporting fixtures in France have been postponed after a series of attacks across the capital, in which at least 129 people were killed and more than 350 were wounded.
All European Rugby Champions Cup and Challenge Cup matches set to be played in France this weekend are off.
Respects were paid to the victims of the attacks at sporting events around the world. | The world of sport has been paying tribute to the victims of Friday's deadly attacks in Paris. | 34821171 |
Arriva Rail North, Merseyrail and Southern RMT staff will walk out from Friday 1 September with the last strike on Monday 4 September.
The RMT said it still had concerns over safety and job loss fears.
Merseyrail said safety fears were unfounded, Arriva Rail North said it would keep jobs and Southern said it was "disappointed" by the action.
Arriva Rail North - which operates under the brand Northern - and Southern workers will walk out on Friday 1 September and Monday 4 September.
Staff at Merseyrail will be on strike on 1, 3 and 4 September.
RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said: "RMT is bitterly disappointed that Southern Rail have rejected our call for round-table discussions involving all parties with an interest in resolving this dispute."
After a meeting with Northern bosses Mr Cash said the "responsibility for the inevitable disruption lies wholly with the company".
He added: "It is disgraceful that Merseyrail continue to refuse all reasonable attempts by the union to settle this dispute.
"RMT has a clear plan for resolving this dispute but that requires round-table talks now to push forwards."
Alan Chaplin, Northern's managing director said: "Northern is prepared to guarantee jobs and current pay for all our conductors for the next eight years, until the end of our franchise.
"Our offers to discuss every detail on the future responsibilities and training for on-board colleagues have been rejected by RMT."
Jan Chaudhry-van der Velde, Merseyrail's managing director, added: "The RMT say this dispute is about safety. But a recent industry report (RSSB, Risk associated with train dispatch, July 2017) states that: '… there is no additional risk for passengers boarding and alighting driver-controlled operation/driver-only operation trains, and indeed that trains without a guard actually appear to lower overall dispatch related safety risk to passengers."
A spokesperson for Southern said they were "disappointed by this unnecessary action and the RMT's refusal to engage with us in modernising the railway".
"Modernisation is urgently required to future-proof and increase capacity on the busiest parts of the UK railway.
"This modernisation needs three things: investment in better infrastructure, new trains, and changes in working practices. The first two elements are being rolled out but the trade unions need to play their part if passengers are to benefit from service improvements." | Further England-wide rail strikes have been set for next month in the row over driver-only-operated trains. | 40975570 |
The deal comes seven months after the collapse of Publicis' bid to boost its US presence via a merger with Omnicom.
Sapient, an internet marketing specialist, made profits of $85.9m on turnover of $1.36bn last year.
Publicis, the world's third largest advertising group, is trying to catch up ground on its bigger rivals WPP and Interpublic.
Publicis chief executive Maurice Levy said the deal "will give Publicis access to new markets and create new revenue streams".
Sapient's clients include Fiat, Unilever, and Marks & Spencer.
Sapient boss Alan Herrick will continue to run the company and is to join Publicis' management team, while Jerry Greenberg, the current co-chairman of Sapient's board will become a board member of Publicis.
The collapse of the Omnicom deal, as a result of a failure to resolve tax issues and cultural differences between the companies, prompted a boardroom shake-up at Publicis.
The $35bn merger would have created an advertising giant to overtake WPP, employing 130,000 staff with annual sales of €20bn. | French advertising giant Publicis has agreed to buy US-based Sapient for $3.7bn (£2.3bn) in cash. | 29876565 |
Mr Breivik, wearing a bulletproof vest and tethered on a rope, was seen pointing to where he had fired shots. Police later said he showed no remorse.
Mr Breivik's attacks on 22 July also killed eight people in an Oslo bombing.
The 32-year-old far-right extremist admits the killings but denies any criminal guilt.
Norwegian prosecutor Paal-Fredrik Hjort Kraby said Mr Breivik described the killings in detail during his eight hours on the island with police.
"Regarding the suspect's explanations, he has been interrogated for almost 50 hours prior to this and he has remained calm, detailed and co-operative, which he also was at Utoeya," he said.
"Our assumptions that his presence at Utoeya would jog his memory was correct. Many new details emerged from his explanations."
Mr Hjort Kraby said some of the victims had drowned while trying to swim to safety.
"We feel we have a fairly good overview of how everyone died or was shot now, even though there are still details to fill in."
He continued: "The suspect showed he wasn't emotionally unaffected by being back at Utoeya... but didn't show any remorse."
Police filmed the reconstruction to use in evidence, Mr Hjort Kraby said.
The Verdens Gang newspaper published photographs of the reconstruction, saying Mr Breivik was taken to Utoeya at about 1400 local time (noon GMT) on Saturday, with police helicopters flying overhead.
He reportedly went on the same ferry that he took before carrying out the massacre.
Some of the Verdens Gang pictures showed Mr Breivik standing in a firing position, as if aiming a gun towards the water.
Mr Breivik's lawyer, Geir Lippestad, says Mr Breivik believes the massacre was necessary to save Norway and Europe from Muslim immigration. The lawyer has said his client is probably insane.
The attack on Utoeya targeted a summer camp of the youth wing of the governing Labour Party. Most of the victims were teenagers or in their 20s. The Oslo bomb was set off near government buildings.
Mr Breivik has been charged under the criminal law for acts of terrorism. The charges include the destabilisation of vital functions of society, including government, and causing serious fear in the population.
At a court appearance on 25 July, Mr Breivik admitted carrying out the attacks but did not plead guilty to the charges.
He was remanded in custody for eight weeks, with the first four to be in solitary confinement.
There was suspicion at first that he may have had accomplices but prosecutors and police later said they believe he acted alone.
The attacks traumatised Norway, one of the most politically stable and tolerant countries in Europe.
The government has set up an independent "July 22 Commission" to examine the attacks, including investigating whether police reacted too slowly to the shootings at Utoeya.
On Friday, Mr Lippestad said his client had called police 10 times during the shootings to try to turn himself in, but that eight were not answered. The police have not commented.
On Saturday, campaigning began for next month's local elections, with acts of solidarity among rival parties.
Politicians stood side by side and avoided any partisan comments. | Norwegian gunman Anders Behring Breivik has been taken back to the island of Utoeya for a police reconstruction of the killing of his 69 victims there. | 14521521 |
The Conservative-run authority has agreed to sell its share of the Northgate site, where Sedgemoor Splash swimming pool used to be, for £4m.
Sedgemoor District Council agreed to sell its share of the land to the company for nearly £6m in January.
The supermarket giant wants to develop the entire area with offices and shops.
It will also develop nearby Brewery Fields by building a play area and water features and new footpaths and cycle paths to the town centre and docks.
The county council said selling the land would cover the cost of moving staff who currently work in offices on the Northgate site into district council offices at Kings Square.
It also said the move would save money as well as helping to improve an area of Bridgwater.
The Conservative-led district council will also receive £1m to make up for losing one of its car parks.
Campaign group Bridgwater Forward said the town did not need another supermarket as the site was next to a Sainsburys and an Asda, and a leisure centre should be built there to replace Sedgemoor Splash.
It is hoped a new pool will be built at Chilton Trinity school in the town.
Tesco has 12 months to apply for planning permission for the development. | A new Tesco Extra superstore in Bridgwater has moved a step closer after Somerset County Council decided to sell land to the company. | 12627246 |
Saints have lost two of their opening three games so far this season.
Cunningham, 39, worked as assistant coach under Nathan Brown two years ago as they won the League Leaders' Shield, as well as the title at Old Trafford.
"It's stronger than the squad that won the trophy in 2014, a lot stronger - I'm more than convinced," he told BBC Radio Merseyside.
"People look back and talk about the old Saints sides, you're not going to see that side.
"Nowadays, if a St Helens side was around, when you've had Sean Long, Keiron Cunningham, Paul Sculthorpe, Paul Wellens, then you'd have a bunch of stocking fillers around them because of the salary cap.
"The value of those players now would be immense and you'd spend a lot of money to bring it in.
"We do our best within the remit of what we can do with the money that we have to spend." | St Helens' squad this year is better than the Grand Final winners in 2014, says head coach Keiron Cunningham. | 35654666 |
He told the BBC that Athletics Kenya (AK) was "fighting with fire".
Two leading sports agencies have been suspended for six months by AK.
AK's chief executive Isaac Mwangi said the suspension of the agency Rosa & Associates' related to its doping investigation and Volare Sports' suspension was "procedural".
AK said it would ensure that athletes did not miss international competitions.
For the latest news, views and analysis see the BBC Africa Live page.
Rosa & Associates is run by Italian Federico Rosa and Volare Sports is headed by Dutchman Gerard van de Veen.
One of Mr Rosa's recent clients was the Boston marathon winner Rita Jeptoo, who was banned for two years from athletics after failing a doping test.
His lawyers have written to AK demanding to know the exact allegations against his clients and what to do with the Kenyan athletes who are trained and ready for competitions in Spain, China, the Czech Republic and the UK.
Mr Kipsang, who is represented by Volare Sports, is also the president of the Professional Athletes Association of Kenya.
He told the BBC that AK did not have the knowledge or experience to represent athletes.
"We have confidential matters between an athlete and a manager which we can't discuss with Athletics Kenya," the former marathon world record holder said.
Last year, Mr Kipsang was furious after AK revealed that he had missed a doping test.
He said that he was representing Kenyan athletics at a conference in South Africa at the time.
Mr Mwangi did not give any details about the investigation into Volare Sports.
He told the BBC that a commission had been set up to look into the doping allegations and other issues.
The BBC's John Nene in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, says many athletes are very bitter about the suspensions.
They do not trust Kenya's athletics body with financial matters, he says.
The suspensions are also a blow for the agents, who represent some of the best athletes on the circuit.
Rosa & Associates handles 1,500m world champion Asbel Kiprop and Volare Sports counts Dennis Kimetto, the current marathon world record holder, among its clients.
There is no suggestion that either of these athletes are involved in any wrongdoing and both are completely untainted by the ongoing investigation. | Reigning London marathon champion Wilson Kipsang has hit out at Kenya's athletics authority for suspending his foreign agent without informing him. | 32301680 |
Media playback is not supported on this device
Officials at HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) had asked for the Exiles to be wound up at a Bankruptcy and Companies Court hearing in London on Monday.
But Registrar Christine Derrett adjourned the application until January 23 to give creditors time to meet.
Championship side Welsh entered voluntary liquidation last week.
They were disqualified from the British and Irish Cup after being unable to raise a side for Saturday's tie against Doncaster Knights.
For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter. | A winding-up petition issued against London Welsh, for an unpaid tax bill of more than £90,000, has been adjourned until next month. | 38295849 |
The 13-month-old was found with serious injuries at her home in Barrow, Cumbria, in December 2012.
A family judge later ruled she had been sexually assaulted by her father, Paul Worthington. He denies any wrongdoing.
In September the CPS said it would be carrying out a fresh review of the case, and it has now announced that the decision not to charge was correct.
A second inquest will be held on a date yet to be confirmed after the first, in October 2014, lasted just seven minutes and concluded Poppi's cause of death was "unascertained".
Key dates in the Poppi Worthington case.
A CPS spokesperson said: "Following a review of the original charging decision in this case, the CPS announced that there was not a realistic prospect of conviction in July 2016.
"The CPS subsequently received an application under the Victims' Right to Review Scheme in September.
"In accordance with the scheme, a CPS lawyer with no prior involvement in the case has completed a full review of the evidence and has concluded that the decision not to charge was correct."
Fiona McGhie, the lawyer representing Poppi's mother - who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: "Poppi's mother is understandably both distressed and disappointed by the CPS's decision not to bring a prosecution regarding her death.
"She has always been anxious to know exactly what happened to Poppi on the day of her death as well as to secure justice for her little girl.
"She hopes that an inquest, which was delayed while the CPS examined its decision, will shed some light on Poppi's injuries and create a path to justice so her daughter can finally be at peace." | The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has upheld a decision not to bring charges over the death of Poppi Worthington. | 38134680 |
Mr Bird had faced a disciplinary hearing over his relations with former party candidate Natasha Bolter.
In a statement, UKIP said it found no evidence to support the allegation.
It added that Mr Bird, who had been suspended on full pay, would leave his job due to the "unfortunate publicity" surrounding Ms Bolter's complaint.
Ms Bolter accused Mr Bird of propositioning her after he oversaw her completion of an exam for prospective candidates.
He denied that version of events, claiming he had a "consensual relationship" with her.
A disciplinary hearing was held earlier this month. UKIP said an independent HR consultancy had handled the inquiry.
The party said it accepted Mr Bird's statement that the relationship was consensual and agreed his actions "did not compromise the integrity of its candidate selection process".
It added: "Given the unfortunate publicity stimulated by media speculation, it has been mutually agreed to bring Mr Bird's fixed-term contract of employment to an earlier conclusion. The party would like to thank Mr Bird for his contribution and valued service over the past five months."
Mr Bird remains on the UKIP candidates list but will not now try to stand for Parliament.
He said: "I am very glad that the party has investigated and dismissed the allegations of sexual harassment and any impropriety regarding the selection of Ms Bolter as a candidate.
"I wish UKIP every success in the election campaign. I remain a member and keen supporter of the party and I will continue to make every effort to help our candidates to victory in May."
BBC political correspondent Ross Hawkins said it would be fascinating to know what Ms Bolter made of the outcome.
He added that the "big political question" would be whether the "internal allegations and wrangling" would damage UKIP's general election prospects.
Ms Bolter declined to comment. | UKIP has cleared its general secretary Roger Bird after a sexual harassment allegation but says he will leave his post early by mutual consent. | 30592072 |
Adam Gilmour was walking to meet a school bus with his mother and siblings when the accident happened near Cloughmills, County Antrim, last week.
His five-year-old brother needed hospital treatment.
Sarah Gilmour has blamed the North Eastern Education and Library board for Adam's death.
She said she has not heard from the education board since the crash.
Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster's The Nolan Show programme, she said they "had not had the decency to reply in any way" after she had flagged up concerns about the safety of the road on which she has to walk her children to school.
"I hold them responsible for this, if they had have sorted out the lifts, to come up that small distance in the morning, Adam would be here," she added.
"The news hasn't sunk in that he's gone. I don't think I'll ever get over it. I can't get my head around it. I can't believe it's true.
"You see all the television programmes with all the accidents and children being knocked down, I never, ever, ever thought in my life I would be burying one of mine.
"If I have to go back up to that house, I don't want to go back up to that house, none of my children will ever walk out that gate. Should I have to keep them off school and get in bother for doing that, I will, until there is a bus or a taxi to come in and lift them. There's absolutely no way.
"Transport was told about how dangerous the road was and the risks walking children down it, and it was like water off a duck's back.
"It's mindboggling. I said someone was going to get skittled, or something like that.
"I would rather put me and my children in a tent than go near that road or that house.
"I'm dreading Christmas. I know I have to do it for the other kids but it will never be the same, ever," she said.
Adam's grandmother, Marlene Hanna, has also blamed the education and library board for not providing a bus to take them to school.
The bus leaves some of the children home but does not pick them up there.
Education Minister John O'Dowd has asked his officials to seek a report on the accident from the board.
On Sunday, a private service was held at Adam's grandmother's house in the village of Cloughmills, close to where the accident happened, before a funeral service.
An 18-year-old man was arrested over the crash and was later released on police bail. | The mother of an eight-year-old boy who was killed after his family was knocked down by a car has said she cannot believe Adam "is gone". | 30094463 |
England's next game is against Lithuania in a European Championship qualifier at Wembley on 27 March.
The players and manager Roy Hodgson will meet at the national football centre at St George's Park.
Hodgson told the FA website: "We've all agreed we're going to get together. Unfortunately, my time with them won't really begin again until March."
England have a 100% record in the six games they have played since the World Cup, with friendly wins over Norway and Scotland book-ending four Euro 2016 qualifying victories.
They are six points clear after four games in Euro 2016 qualification group E.
Qualifying for the finals in France would provide Hodgson with the opportunity to make up for the dismal World Cup experience in Brazil, when England failed to win a game and were eliminated at the group stage for the first time.
"I am looking forward to seeing the team qualify for France in 2016," said Hodgson, as he looked ahead to the New Year.
"Most importantly, I am looking for constant progression.
"I am looking for us to be a better team at the end of 2015 than we are at the start of it.
"Hopefully we will be a serious competitor when we get to France." | England's players will meet at the end of January to review their win over Scotland and look ahead to 2015. | 30616713 |
The names will be honoured with plaques across the city as part of Hull hosting the City of Culture arts festival.
Plaques already unveiled feature the city's first female doctor and two men who sailed on Captain Scott's first journey to Antarctica.
Others include four women who campaigned for improved safety in the fishing industry in the 1970s.
More on this and other Hull stories
The new list of nominees include Trevor Bolder, who will join fellow musician Mick Ronson in getting a plaque. The pair played with David Bowie in the Spiders from Mars in the 1970s.
Film directors Gerald and Ralph Thomas who produced the Carry On and Doctor films are honoured, as well as actor and charity campaigner Brian Rix, who died last year aged 92.
Sporting heroes include rugby league players Clive Sullivan and Roger Millward and former Hull City player and manager Raich Carter.
The world of science is represented by mathematician John Venn, inventor of the Venn diagram, and astrophysicist Edward Milne, former president of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Labour councillor Mary Glew said hosting the City of Culture festival was a significant time to honour "all people who made a difference nationally and internationally".
"We are really proud of these pioneers that made a difference and the Made in Hull theme is further helping to engender pride in people about our history heritage and moving us forward in a really positive way," she said.
The plaques will be unveiled at places connected with the recipients throughout the year. | Hull residents have nominated 100 people to be recognised for their contribution to the city. | 38607406 |
Two years ago the American team travelled to Scotland in the knowledge that they would not be fielding their strongest possible line-up.
At the time, the most in-form US player was Billy Horschel. He had not been selected because the team was picked before his late surge through the PGA Tour play-offs, culminating in Tour Championship victory at East Lake.
Chris Kirk was similarly inspired, winning the Deutsche Bank Championship, finishing fourth at the season finale and second to Horschel in the play-off standings. He too was absent from the American team.
The US have ensured they don't suffer a similar fate this time by introducing what is unofficially known as the "Horschel rule".
It means one more wildcard decision still remains. It will not be made before the conclusion of the Tour Championship, with the recipient heading to the Ryder Cup the following week.
And come next Monday it could be Europe feeling as though they are travelling to an away Ryder Cup without their strongest line-up.
This is because Paul Casey has been the continent's most consistent recent force and Russell Knox is also in strong Stateside form. Both are playing to a standard that would make them big assets to skipper Darren Clarke's team.
But neither player is in the continental line-up even though they, along with Rory McIlroy, are the only Europeans competing in the PGA Tour finale.
Casey is ineligible for the Hazeltine match because he is not a member of the European Tour. Having played in three Ryder Cups, including Europe's 2004 and 06 victories, the Arizona-based Englishman would have brought welcome experience.
Now aged 39, he has been runner-up in the past two play-off events and was a combined 33 under par for those tournaments.
Currently fifth in the FedEx Cup, he knows victory in this week's 30-man Tour Championship would guarantee the $10m (£7.6m) play-off jackpot as well as plenty of headlines.
Casey can argue that his prominence, as the PGA Tour season reaches its climax, vindicates his decision to turn his back on the European circuit. He has followed a settled American-based schedule which has enabled him to maximise time with his family.
"Not being part of the Ryder Cup is a by-product of making that decision," Casey said.
"It was never part of that decision. I'm going to watch it with a sort of sadness that I can't be part of that."
Clarke was powerless once Casey turned his back on his native Tour. For months he has known that he will be without a player who is showing the standards that helped him to climb to number three in the world back in 2009.
With five rookies qualifying for his team, Clarke felt obliged to go for the experience of Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer for two of his three wildcard picks. He also preferred debutant Thomas Pieters which meant Knox misses out.
The 31-year-old joined the European Tour after winning last November's WGC Champions in Shanghai because it was clear the US-based Scot stood a chance of qualifying for the Ryder Cup.
Although he ultimately did not make Europe's automatic list, he now has a realistic chance of landing the play-off title this week.
Supremely accurate off the tee, such a key attribute in Ryder Cup foursomes, Knox also possesses a sure putting touch and sits eighth on the FedEx Cup list.
Victory at East Lake, combined with play-off leader Dustin Johnson finishing outside the top three and Patrick Reed and Adam Scott worse than second, and the Inverness man would take the vast spoils on offer.
He would also pile pressure onto Clarke.
Knox's prime motivation at the moment is to prove the skipper wrong by winning the American circuit's season-long shoot-out.
Although Clarke is a canny and shrewd interviewee, his week as Ryder Cup captain would, inevitably, begin with awkward questions over his wildcard picks.
A similar scenario beset US skipper Tom Watson two years ago. The then-65-year-old had completed his team three weeks earlier and was subsequently haunted by Horschel's absence.
"As much as you want to have the hottest players on your team, sometimes it just doesn't happen that way," Watson told reporters when he arrived at Gleneagles.
"I texted him and said, 'Horschel, damn you, you're a day late but not a dollar short.'"
Find out how to get into golf with our special guide.
Yes, he deflected a negative storyline with a nice turn of phrase but the scenario became one of a number of factors that combined to undermine the veteran's captaincy.
This week might be one of those rare occasions where Clarke could be forgiven for not rooting for European success at an American showpiece event. Unless, of course, it is provided by McIlroy, who will be such an important influence in the continent's Hazeltine line-up.
Having brilliantly edged out Casey in Boston at the beginning of the month, the Northern Irishman is sixth in the FedEx Cup. Victory at East Lake would almost certainly give him the play-off title, one of the few accolades missing from a glittering golfing CV.
Were the four-time major winner to win in Atlanta, the in-form Johnson would have to finish worse than runner-up to deny McIlroy the $10m (£7.6m) jackpot.
Such a triumph would give European golf a huge pre-Ryder Cup boost but it is much harder to make a similar case if, instead, one of its other two representatives prevail.
We've launched a new BBC Sport newsletter, bringing all the best stories, features and video right to your inbox. You can sign up here. | Europe's bid to defend the Ryder Cup could be hit this week by the sort of Tour Championship curse that undermined the United States before their most recent defeat at Gleneagles. | 37411965 |
The 28-year-old former Cameroon player had been expected to join Rubin on loan but has signed a permanent deal after terminating his Barca deal.
Song, who left Arsenal to sign a five-year deal with Barcelona in 2012, made 65 appearances for the Catalan club and scored one goal.
He had spent the last two seasons on loan at Premier League side West Ham. | Russian club Rubin Kazan have signed Barcelona midfielder Alex Song on a free transfer. | 36947131 |
The attack happened at about 22:00 GMT on 27 February on a grassed area close to the city's St Mary's car park.
David Carney of Hart Square, Sunderland, is accused of two counts of rape. He pleaded not guilty to both charges at Newcastle Crown Court on Wednesday.
The 27-year-old was released on bail and is set to appear for trial on 12 December. | A man has denied raping a 15-year-old girl near a car park in Sunderland. | 35924357 |
Subsets and Splits
No saved queries yet
Save your SQL queries to embed, download, and access them later. Queries will appear here once saved.