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Businessman Sindika Dokolo told the BBC that the conviction was politically motivated and that he will appeal against the one-year jail term.
Neither Mr Dokolo nor his co-accused and brother Luzolo, attended the hearing, over a property dispute.
Mr Dokolo is married to Isabel dos Santos, reported to be Africa's richest woman.
Africa Live: Updates on this and other stories
Cult of Dos Santos and the state of Angola
In recent months, Mr Dokolo, also a keen art collector, has repeatedly criticised DR Congo President Joseph Kabila and has signalled his support for opposition figure Moise Katumbi.
Relations between President Eduardo Dos Santos of Angola and President Kabila have cooled as the Congolese leader has signalled his reluctance to step down after 16 years in power.
Mr Dos Santos, who has been in power in oil-rich Angola since 1979, is not seeking re-election in the August poll. | The son-in-law of Angola's president has been sentenced to jail for fraud in the Democratic Republic of Congo. | 40605885 |
The Kingdom trailed 0-10 to 0-09 at half-time but fought back to come out on top in a closely-fought encounter.
Galway claimed their first win at Croker since 2001 to see off Kildare in Sunday's Division Two decider.
On Saturday, Tipperary beat Louth in the Division Three final and Westmeath defeated Wexford in Division Four.
Liam Casey scored Tipp's opening goal and Conor Sweeney got the other two as their side emerged convincing 3-10 to 0-19 victors.
Westmeath were crowned Division Four champions after an emphatic 2-24 to 2-11 success over Wexford.
Westmeath's goals came from a Ger Egan penalty and Shane Dempsey while Kevin O'Grady and Donal Shanley netted for Seamus McEnaney's Wexford.
Galway were level with Kildare at 0-6 apiece at half-time in the first of Sunday's finals, but the Connacht champions pushed on to triumph.
In a keenly-contested Division One final, a second-half purple patch saw Kerry open up a four-point lead, but a Paul Mannion goal for the Duns left just a point between the sides with 10 minutes to go.
It was nip and tuck from there, before a David Moran point helped Kerry open up a three point lead approaching injury time.
Two Dublin scores after the 70 minutes had elapsed reduced the deficit to the minimum before Bryan Sheehan made it a two-point game again.
There was still time for Mannion to add another score for Dublin before Moran was black carded for a foul just outside his own '45 that gave Dean Rock a chance to level matters once more.
However, the Ballymun man's effort hit the post and Kerry held on to take the title on a scoreline of 0-20 to 1-16. | Kerry ended Dublin's 36-match unbeaten run to secure the Football League Division One title with a narrow 0-20 to 1-19 triumph at Croke Park. | 39541860 |
A selection of your pictures of Scotland between 2 and 9 September. Send your photos to [email protected] or our Instagram at #bbcscotlandpics. | . | 37317410 |
Beck, 26, made his debut for the region in 2007, becoming their youngest player, a record he still holds.
The seven-cap centre has been out of action since damaging his ACL in the opening weekend of the Pro12.
"It's been a tough year for me but the good thing is that, fingers crossed, I'm raring to go and excited about getting back into action," he said.
"We've got a really young group at the moment, that's one thing that stands out for me.
"There's so much exciting talent coming through the ranks, it's really exciting to be a part of the squad at the moment and I'm looking forward to getting back out there and competing for a place."
"Ashley is someone who is Osprey to the core, who has immense pride in representing his home region, and who has gained enormous experience despite still being a young man whose best days are ahead of him," said Ospreys coach Steve Tandy.
"His talent on a rugby field is clear and obvious to anyone who watches him.
"He's had a pretty frustrating time with injury lately but his selfless attitude has been fantastic, contributing to the environment on a daily basis, driving high standards from the rest of the group.
"The challenge he faces now as he approaches fitness again is to get himself up to speed and try and force his way back into the starting fifteen.
"With his positive attitude, he's the kind of player who will thrive on that challenge which is great news for the Ospreys." | Wales' Ashley Beck has signed a new contract with Ospreys that will keep him at the Liberty Stadium until 2018. | 36086722 |
Here is a full list of candidates running, in seven District Electoral Areas (DEAs), for 41 seats on Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon. | Elections for Northern Ireland's 11 new councils will be held on 22 May 2014. | 27350994 |
Even at its emergence, it was dismissed as just another of the multitude taking advantage of the chaos created in Syria by the wide-ranging conflict with President Bashar al-Assad.
In January 2014, US President Barack Obama downplayed the capabilities and threats posed by those flying the al-Qaeda flag in Falluja and elsewhere across Iraq and Syria.
But within a few months, IS controlled a vast and valuable swathe of territory across northern Syria and Iraq.
Former US Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel described IS as being as "sophisticated and well-funded as any group that we have seen". "They're beyond just a terrorist group… they are tremendously well funded," he said.
Islamic State: sale of oil, tolls and 'taxes' $2bn
Afghan Taliban: donors, sale of drugs $400m
Al-Shabab: sale of charcoal and 'taxes' up to $100m
Boko Haram: kidnap for ransom, fundraising $10m
Al Nusra Front: donations, kidnap for ransom $ unknown
More than with any other militant group perhaps, the focus of the international community's attention is on the finances of IS - the revenue it earns from oil, taxation, extortion and looting.
The US-led coalition has directed a considerable portion of its air strike effort against the oil refineries and smuggling routes believed to be the mainstay of the group's financial survival in the belief that disrupting funding sources will ultimately precipitate its demise.
The importance of financing in conflict is as old as conflict itself. The Roman orator Marcus Tullius Cicero observed that "the sinews of war [are] a limitless supply of money."
More recently, during the Cold War, states sponsored political violence by funding and supporting proxies.
However, the end of the Cold War, and the use of UN Security Council resolutions against countries such as Libya and Sudan, saw a dramatic decline in state-sponsored terrorism.
Whilst organisations such as Hezbollah continue to operate with state backing, post-Cold War terrorist organisations have mostly been unable to rely on state sponsorship, thus needing to source their own financing.
Skilful financial management is at the heart of the success of any terrorist or insurgent organisation - it represents their lifeblood but is also one of their most significant vulnerabilities.
Securing and maintaining reliable funding is the key to moving from fringe radical group to recognised terrorist organisation - from a hand-to-mouth existence to a more planned and organised model.
Successful groups are often defined as much by their skills as financial managers as they are by their military expertise and ability to recruit fighters.
In general, terrorist groups can draw on financing from two primary sources
Donations are also sometimes transferred between like-minded terrorist groups. For example, the Nigerian group Boko Haram reportedly received $250,000 from al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in 2012.
In a letter from 2005, al-Qaeda's former deputy leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, called upon al-Qaeda in Iraq to transfer $100,000 (£63,700) because many of its own funding lines had been cut.
Whilst donations can provide a source of initial "seed-funding", they are vulnerable to disruption by the authorities and the supply is unreliable.
To establish financial independence, terrorist groups need to move from primarily external funding to internal, self-generated funding that is more difficult for the international community to disrupt.
Al-Shabab in Somalia is a good case in point. Whilst the group receives some limited funding from external sources, it has developed a highly effective charcoal export business which generates up to $80m a year, according to the UN.
Al-Shabab has also mastered another funding tool - business, personal and transport tax. Like IS, al-Shabab controls territory and population, operating a form of quasi-government in the areas under its control - raising taxes and offering some services, particularly security and justice, in return.
IS promises services and food supplies to Muslims in areas it controls.
The control of territory also allows lucrative businesses, such as the growing of opium poppies in Afghanistan, to flourish.
Over $7bn has been spent on fighting the drugs trade in the country yet despite 13 years of a Nato-led effort, poppy cultivation is at an all-time high, with the Taliban exploiting Afghanistan's position as the supplier of over 90% of global opium output to earn up to $150m a year.
But not all groups control territory containing populations ripe for taxation and extortion.
Based in the vast, sparsely inhabited regions across the Sahara and Sahel, AQIM raises its funding from two main sources
The Haqqani Network, based in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region, also relies on smuggling as a key source of finance.
With its roots in the opposition to the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, it controls long-established smuggling routes that benefit from the instability in Afghanistan and Pakistan to support the funds it raises from its extensive criminal activity.
Kidnap for ransom is increasingly used by terrorist groups.
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which is based in Yemen, is estimated to have earned $20m this way between 2011 and 2013.
The UN underlines the profitability of this trade, revealing recently that terrorist groups are estimated to have earned $120m in ransom payments from 2004-2012.
IS alone is believed to have raised up to $45m in just the past year.
So if terrorist groups are to establish themselves, survive and thrive, they need to develop reliable sources of financing based on the territory, population and resources where they operate.
That Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) recognised the critical importance of finance is clear from declassified documents captured in Iraq following the 2003 invasion in which the group identified poor money management and irregular income as critical contributors to the group's failure.
Funding is clearly the lifeblood of a terrorist organisation. It is also its Achilles' heel.
Since the 9/11 attacks, the international community has sought to disrupt terrorist groups by targeting their finances.
The first step in US President George W Bush's so-called "war on terror" was to launch "a strike on the financial foundation of the global terror network".
Yet, as we are witnessing across northern Syria and Iraq, starving extremists of financing is no easy task once they evolve from external reliance to internal self-sufficiency. | Twelve months ago, the group now known as Islamic State (IS) was little recognised on the international stage beyond those inspired to travel and join the group as fighters or those in the security and academic worlds monitoring developments in Syria and Iraq. | 30393832 |
Donna Marusamy, 37, was with her husband and children in Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, when she had a notification that sensors had detected movement in their back garden in the West Midlands.
The couple looked on in horror as the burglar walked into their living room.
She alerted her brother-in-law and the thief fled when he arrived.
The head teacher, of Streetly, said: "I wish to God I hadn't seen it unfold."
Wedding rings belonging to her husband, Nathan, 45, and his father were taken along with an Air-King Rolex, Indian gold jewellery and passports at about 22:15 BST on Friday.
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The footage on her mobile phone showed the burglar creep around the back garden, enter the house with a torch and roam around looking for things to steal.
Mrs Marusamy, who had just put her children to bed, said it "really ruined" their weekend break and they had to cut it short.
She said: "We thought it's either a ghost or someone is in our garden.
"We zoomed in and I said 'I think it is someone checking out our house'.
"He got in through our conservatory and removed the glass and put it to the side neatly.
"He then stepped inside, I was horrified, scared and helpless. My heart just went 'no'. I just wanted to scream and shout but we were just totally speechless."
She said her brother-in-law got there before police.
"He went on the driveway and shone a light through the house and the burglar then legged it.
"I thought I am splattering your face everywhere so I uploaded it to Facebook."
Mrs Marusamy said her children now sleep in the same bed as her.
Kevin Pitt, police, engagement and consultation officer with West Midlands Police, said: "The offender has gained entry to the rear garden and then removed the beading from a window to enter the house.
"The house alarm sounded and the offender was disturbed." | A horrified couple watched a burglar break into their home on a CCTV app while they were on holiday 120 miles away. | 40878133 |
Italian politicians denounced the ostentatious send-off for Vittorio Casamonica, 65.
Banners outside the San Giovanni Bosco church on the city's outskirts described him as the "King of Rome".
The priest said he had no control over what happened outside the church.
It comes amid a spiralling mafia investigation in the capital, in which local criminal bosses allegedly worked with city officials to secure lucrative public contracts.
Hundreds of tearful mourners gathered to pay their final respects to Casamonica, who reportedly died of cancer.
Officials identified him as one of the leaders of the Casamonica clan, which has been accused of racketeering, extortion and drug trafficking.
Politicians said the Hollywood-style funeral sent "a clear message of impunity" and demanded action to stop such events being used to honour criminal gangs.
A gilded horse-drawn coach carried Casamonica's body to the church, where mourners were showered with red rose petals.
"You conquered Rome, now you'll conquer paradise," read one banner affixed to the building's entrance.
The coffin was carried inside to the theme tune from The Godfather trilogy, which follows the rise and fall of a fictional Corleone Mafia family.
"Never again. Rome cannot be defaced by those who want it to became the set of the Godfather," Matteo Orfini, president of the ruling Democratic Party, said on Twitter.
Rome Mayor Ignazio Marino, who has previously refused to resign over the current anti-mafia probe, said he had called Rome's prefect demanding to know how such a scene could have taken place
He said it was "intolerable that funerals are used by the living to send mafia messages".
Meanwhile Arturo Scotto and Celeste Costantino, of the Left Ecology Liberty (SEL) party, called on Interior Minister Angelino Alfano to explain how such a funeral could take place.
"These funerals might seem like a folkloric custom, but in reality, they send a clear message of impunity on the part of the clans: we still exist and we are powerful," they said in a statement (in Italian).
Some 100 people are being investigated as part of the "Mafia Capital" inquiry into allegations that elected officials and business figures were part of a crime syndicate targeting Rome contracts.
Commentators noted that Thursday's funeral took place at the same church where in 2006 the Archdiocese of Rome blocked a ceremony for Piergiorgio Welby, then a symbol of Italy's right-to-die movement. | The funeral of an alleged mafia boss in Rome has sparked anger after a lavish cortege with black-plumed horses, petals dropped from a helicopter and the theme tune from The Godfather. | 34015420 |
He swore at his teacher (using a particularly offensive word he just happens to like the sound of), he went over to a bigger boy in the park and licked his ice cream, then he told a woman out walking her dog that he doesn't like dogs except when they are turned into hot dogs.
All quite amusing really - Bruce Willis language aside - and all quite typical.
Dylan is autistic, you see, and so sees the world a bit differently. He finds it a stressful place; there is too much going on so he is prone to sensory overload, he also doesn't really get social interaction - how to act with other people, how to build and maintain friendships, how conversations work. I'm with him on that one, to be honest.
What autism needs isn't a cure, quacks claiming gluten causes it, or jabs or whatever; what it needs is simply greater awareness. No two autistic kids are the same, but there are similarities - the differently-wired brain, the sense of unease with a world which isn't autism friendly and is becoming less so, with brighter lights, more noise, just busier.
One of the best ways to think of it is with your own stress levels.
Maybe they're at one or two out of 10 right now. If something annoying happens - the wifi drops, you spill tea on your desk - maybe it goes up one. An autistic kid starts far higher, maybe at seven out of 10 - they go into a supermarket, a toy makes an unexpected noise and they're going up a notch to eight and you're soon into full-on meltdown.
For Dylan, a hand dryer can cause a meltdown, or the sound of an ice cream van, or a dog barking. As a parent, what you have is a kid who can't control themselves at this point. To anyone else watching, you have a six-year-old having a massive tantrum and parents who are weak, or flawed, or whatever.
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That's the negative side, though. Autistic kids can also have a unique sense of humour and a different take on the world.
Dylan is without doubt the funniest person I know, even if I'm the butt of his humour sometimes - like when he told the entire queue at the cinema that his dad is a bad man who sells tickets for the circus. Who knows where that one came from.
On Sunday, I'm going to be running the London Marathon in support of the National Autism Society.
They do great work raising awareness and generally supporting both people with autism and their parents. My wife and I went on one of their courses which was incredibly valuable - it's the sort of course which used to have council funding but is one of the first things to be cut in the name of austerity.
The more awareness there is, the more kids like Dylan can just be themselves. People will realise they are different, not naughty; their unique viewpoint will be valued not stifled.
Next time you see a kid have a meltdown you might see it differently, when a random kid grabs your arm to ask you if you know what Minecraft is you might see it just as their way of trying to engage in conversation.
You can follow the full coverage of the 2016 London Marathon and we will be featuring more inspirational stories from you in our live text commentary on Sunday.
Get involved: Send us your London Marathon stories and messages by using the hashtag #GetInspired on social media
Feeling inspired? There are events for all abilities so use this handy guide to find the best one for you. | Yesterday was a fairly typical day for my son. | 36115646 |
Ellis, has represented England at under-18 and under-20 levels and also came off the Bath bench in their win over London Irish on Saturday.
"We've been speaking to Danny Grewcock about Tom and we're keen to give him some game-time," said Bristol director of rugby Andy Robinson.
"Daniel Brooks' short-term deal is over and he has returned to New Zealand." | Championship side Bristol have signed Bath academy lock Tom Ellis on a dual registration agreement. | 34769360 |
Mr Nemtsov, a prominent critic of President Vladimir Putin, was shot dead in central Moscow in February.
Russia's Investigative Committee (SK) is set to formally charge five Chechens - currently under arrest - with carrying out the "contract killing".
But Ruslan Mukhudinov - the suspected organiser - is still at large.
In a statement (in Russian), the SK said a separate indictment would be drawn up against Mr Mukhudinov "and other, as yet unidentified figures". An international arrest warrant was issued for Mr Mukhudinov last month.
Mr Mukhudinov served in the Chechen "Sever" (North) Battalion as the driver for Ruslan Geremeyev, an associate of Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov.
According to Vadim Prokhorov, a lawyer for Mr Nemtsov's family, the investigators have exaggerated Mr Mukhudinov's role, and "the masterminds are high-ranking people".
"Mukhudinov hasn't been caught, or questioned, his whereabouts are unknown, so you cannot talk about him being the one who ordered the killing," said Mr Prokhorov, quoted by Interfax news agency.
Mr Nemtsov - once a Russian minister - was shot on the night of 27 February on a bridge near the Kremlin.
The liberal reformer had sharply criticised high-level corruption in President Putin's Russia and the Kremlin's role in the Ukraine conflict.
In October the Moscow court handling the murder case rejected a request from Mr Nemtsov's daughter, Zhanna Nemtsova, for President Kadyrov to be questioned.
The Chechen president has run the Russian republic in the North Caucasus with an iron fist, enforcing Russian control there against separatist rebels and other opponents.
The alleged gunman in the Nemtsov case, Zaur Dadayev, was previously deputy commander of the North Battalion and was another ally of Mr Kadyrov.
In March, after Mr Dadayev's arrest, Mr Kadyrov wrote in defence of him, saying he was "sincerely devoted to Russia, ready to give his life for the motherland".
But he added that Mr Dadayev had been angered by French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo's cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. It has been suggested that the murder may have been a reprisal for comments that Boris Nemtsov made in support of Charlie Hebdo employees.
Besides Mr Dadayev, the other four facing murder charges are: the brothers Shagid and Anzor Gubashev, Khamzat Bakhayev and Tamerlan Eskerkhanov. | Russian investigators say a Chechen security officer ordered the murder of opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, but he is believed to have fled abroad. | 35192858 |
CTV News reports that Chris Lloyd resigned as the Conservative candidate for a seat in a liberal-leaning Montreal district on Tuesday, according to a Conservative party spokesperson.
Lloyd said he only became a candidate because he was the only applicant.
In interviews, he said he wanted to "mess" with the party.
Lloyd was considered an "interesting" but "unusual" candidate for the Tories. He was not projected to win this October, CTV News reports.
Lloyd has been sending letters to prime minister of Canada Stephen Harper since 2001, according to his "Dear PM" website. His Twitter feed has several photos of him with Stephen Harper.
In a "letter" to Harper on Tuesday, Lloyd wrote: "Though my candidacy with the Conservative Party was short-lived I remain hopeful that this experience provides fresh insights into the nature of, and the relationship between, the personal and the political in this, the age of social media. I hope the dialogue continues."
He wrote that with the "project" he wanted to test the limits of free speech and "explore the possibilities of voicing independent views," and that making art is an "inherently political act." | A Conservative Party candidate in Canada has resigned his candidacy, revealing it was a "performance art project". | 32729470 |
The advert, showing a lioness looking down the barrel of a gun with Mr Zuma in the background, was removed from the main airport in Johannesburg last year.
Campaign group Avaaz said airport authorities violated freedom of expression by pulling down its advert.
Asia is a lucrative market for lion bones, used in traditional medicines.
Official statistics show that South Africa increased its export of lion bones by 250% between 2008 and 2010, Avaaz says.
It placed the advert at OR Tambo International airport to target tourists, it says.
The Airports Company SA (Acsa) ordered its removal after nine days because of the potential "public relations disaster" for South Africa, the Johannesburg High Court heard, according to the South African Press Association (Sapa).
The advert said, "Our lions are being slaughtered to make bogus sex potions for Asia. Will President Zuma save them? Urge him to stop the deadly bone trade now."
Acsa communications chief Solomon Makgale had objected to the advert because of its "implicit message" that Mr Zuma was "standing by while our lions are being killed and is thus complicit in the killings", Avaaz lawyer Stephen Budlender told the court, Sapa reports.
However, the advert was not defamatory nor did it promote hate speech, he is quoted as saying.
Its removal was in breach of Avaaz's constitutionally enshrined right to freedom of expression, Mr Budlender added.
South Africa's Environment Minister Edna Molewa told parliament in May last year that a moratorium on the trade in lion bones could not be imposed because it did not "negatively impact on the survival of the species in the wild", local media reported at the time.
The lion bones being exported came from "canned hunting" farms, where lions are bred for commercial purposes, rather than from the wild, she was quoted as saying.
Many foreigners visit South Africa to see wild animals at famous game reserves such as Kruger National Park (KNP) and Hluhluwe Umfolozi.
In March, conservationists said the population of Africa's lions had fallen by about 80% over the last 50 years and there could be as few as 20,000 to 30,000 of the big cats left in the wild.
However, fencing at parks in South Africa and Tanzania had helped the populations to grow, they said.
Some of the big cats have been killed because they are perceived to be a threat to livestock, and competition for land and over-hunting of their prey have reduced their numbers even further. | A campaign group has taken court action in South Africa over the removal of an advertisement urging President Jacob Zuma to ban the trade in lion bones. | 22680606 |
Only about 40% of farmers have received their Common Agricultural Policy (Cap) claims, leading to warnings of a "cash flow crisis" in the industry.
Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead announced the fund as he addressed the NFU Scotland annual general meeting in St Andrews.
NFU Scotland said it was "imperative" the new fund was delivered quickly.
The union had accused the Scottish government of creating a "hole" in the rural economy because of delays in allocating the EU money to farmers.
Reforms to the Cap system saw the Single Farm Payment Scheme replaced by the new Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) last year.
The BPS is the main EU subsidy available to farmers in Scotland, with the money being allocated by the Scottish government.
The payments are designed to act as a safety net for farmers and crofters by supplementing their main business income.
But payments have been affected by major issues with the IT system used to administer them, with the Scottish government also saying the challenge of implementing the reforms had been "hugely difficult".
Speaking at the AGM, Mr Lochhead said that more than 7,300 payments had now been authorised, which he said equated to about 40% of the 18,000 eligible claims.
He said he recognised that some farmers and crofters were facing hardship as a result of the delays, coupled with bad weather and difficult market conditions.
Mr Lochhead added: "We are making progress. However the extreme complexity of the policy we agreed with industry in Scotland - which is being delivered by a brand new IT system that we are constantly working to improve - means it is taking longer than expected to process applications.
"That is why the Scottish government is taking further action to ease cash flow pressures in the sector by earmarking up to £20m to ensure those most in need can access the credit they require until their payments come through.
"We will work with NFUS, banks and others to finalise the detail of the scheme and ensure it is available as quickly as possible and simple to access."
Responding to the announcement, NFU Scotland chief executive Scott Walker said: "The Scottish government has recognised the severe financial pressures that many farm businesses are under.
"But for this money to be effective it must be delivered quickly. We will be working with the Scottish government on the details of this funding but it is imperative that it is put into place swiftly."
The issue had been raised by Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson in the Scottish Parliament on Thursday.
The party's MSP Alex Johnstone said: "Ministers are now having to set aside £20m of taxpayers' money to mop up their own failures to deliver this programme.
"It is a complete fiasco and rural Scotland has completely lost faith in this SNP government's ability to deliver."
Scottish Liberal Democrat rural affairs spokesman Tavish Scott said the creation of the hardship fund was an "admission of failure" by the Scottish government.
He added: "Why should farmers take out a government loan when they should be receiving the government farm payment?"
Speaking on Thursday, NFU Scotland president Allan Bowie said the majority of farmers were still "completely unaware" of when they will receive their Cap payments 20 months on from the cabinet secretary's initial statement on its implementation.
He added: "That is the hole in the Scottish rural economy that Scottish government is responsible for and the reason why the wheels have stopped turning in the Scottish countryside." | Farmers hit by delays to EU payments are to be offered loans from a £20m fund set up by the Scottish government. | 35556253 |
Typhoon Soudelor struck the south-east of the country in the Fujian province late on Saturday night, bringing heavy rain and gale force winds.
The tropical storm has already swept across island nation Taiwan, off the coast of China.
It ripped up trees and tore down billboards triggering a landslide in at least one village.
About two million households were left without electricity and at least five people are thought to have died.
Rail services and flights have been cancelled and all schools and offices are closed.
Ahead of Soudelour's arrival in Taiwan and China the authorities made thousands of people leave their homes for safety.
Although it has weakened, the typhoon is expected to continue moving across the south-eastern region of China in the coming hours.
Find out more about typhoons with our guide. | A powerful typhoon has brought chaos to parts of south-eastern China, with thousands evacuated and millions of homes left without power. | 33840289 |
Research published by business advisers BDO indicated that Edinburgh led other cities with year-on-year growth of 12%.
Glasgow was close behind with growth of 8.3%, while revenue in Inverness remained almost static.
BDO said "very difficult" conditions reported in the Aberdeen economy were reflected in the figure for hotel revenue declining by 43%.
The problems in Aberdeen dragged down the Scotland-wide figure, which was down 1.8%. The UK average was a decline of 1.5%.
Alastair Rae, BDO's head of audit practice in Scotland, said: "The hospitality sector in Edinburgh and Glasgow had an excellent March with considerable revenue increases in both cities.
"The early Easter and the Six Nations rugby helped Edinburgh increase revenues from leisure activities while Glasgow benefited from a number of concerts and events during the month. For Inverness the month was a 'steady as she goes period' with little change in occupancy or revenue."
But Mr Rae warned: "For Aberdeen's hospitality sector the situation remains very difficult.
"The considerable drop in revenue remains quite stark and is obviously linked to the double digit decline in occupancy.
"Although Aberdeen's revenue is falling from a very high figure a 43.0% drop in year-on-year numbers is a concern." | Hotels in Scotland's two largest cities have reported "excellent" revenue growth in March. | 36468440 |
Police were called to an address in Stadium Street, Chelsea, at about 01:20 BST on Sunday after reports a woman had been stabbed.
The woman was pronounced dead at the scene by the emergency services.
Tracy Phillips, 48, from Charlton, east London, is due to appear at West London Magistrates' Court later.
Officers are awaiting formal identification of the victim and a post-mortem examination will take place in due course, police said. | A woman has been charged with murder of a 35-year-old who was found dead at a house in south-west London. | 33755118 |
In his Sunday Times column, he said the incident came on his "most stressful day... in 27 years at the BBC" - but that other people facing stress "manage to cope better than I did".
He told the paper he later got the all-clear over a lump on his tongue.
He was dropped from Top Gear in March over what the BBC called an "unprovoked physical attack" on Oisin Tymon.
In his column, Clarkson wrote: "Two days before the 'fracas' I'd been told, sternly, by my doctor that a lump on my tongue was probably cancer and that I must get it checked out immediately.
"But I couldn't do that. We were in the middle of a Top Gear series. And Top Gear always came first."
The 55-year-old also described his obsession with the Top Gear job, especially after the break-up of his marriage and the death of his mother, and the "enormous" sense of loss he felt after his contract was not renewed.
"It was an all-consuming entity, a many-tentacled global monster that was dysfunctional and awkward and mad but I loved it with a passion. I loved it like my own child," he wrote.
"I felt sick because after I'd lost my home and my mother, I'd thrown myself even more vigorously into my job and now, idiotically, I'd managed to lose that too."
He told the newspaper he had initially thought about not doing any more television, but that he was now planning to "pick up the pieces" and do another car show - although he did not know whether he would be working with his former Top Gear co-presenters James May and Richard Hammond.
Clarkson was suspended by the BBC on 10 March, following the altercation with Mr Tymon.
The decision caused an outpouring of support from Top Gear fans, with more than a million people signing an online petition to reinstate him.
The row, which took place in a North Yorkshire hotel, was said to have occurred because no hot food was provided following a day's filming.
After an internal investigation, the BBC's director general Tony Hall confirmed Clarkson's contract would not be renewed. | Jeremy Clarkson has revealed that he thought he probably had cancer at the time he hit a Top Gear producer. | 32371111 |
A 27-year-old man has been taken to hospital with a head injury and is in a serious condition.
The incident happened at Margaret Street in the Waterside area of the city.
Two men, aged 37 and 31, were arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm and are assisting police with their enquiries. | Two men have been arrested following an assault in Londonderry on Monday morning. | 35461358 |
He pushed back against the negative tone of the current presidential race, arguing the US has the "strongest, most durable economy in the world".
"Anyone claiming that America's economy is in decline is peddling fiction," Mr Obama told lawmakers.
The speech to Congress highlighted his accomplishments such as health reform.
However, his focus was on cementing his legacy rather than unveiling new policies.
"For my final address to this chamber, I don't want to talk just about the next year," he said. "I want to focus on our future."
Mr Obama focused on tackling income inequality, using technology to combat climate change and how to maintain national security while not becoming mired in far-flung conflicts.
Finally, he talked at length about improving the state of politics and debate.
"Democracy does require basic bonds of trust between its citizens," he said.
He called on voters and members of Congress to change the divisive tone of politics and to "change the system to reflect our better selves".
Mr Obama said a major regret of his presidency is that Republicans and Democrats have become more divided.
Mr Obama took indirect aim to Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump who has been criticised for his comments about Muslims and immigrants.
"When politicians insult Muslims, when a mosque is vandalised, or a kid bullied, that doesn't make us safer," Mr Obama said.
"That's not telling it like it is. It's just wrong... And it betrays who we are as a country."
In the year ahead, Mr Obama said he wants to:
He also announced a new national cancer research initiative that Vice President Joe Biden will be leading.
He only mentioned guns briefly, despite a recent policy push for executive actions on gun control, though a chair was left empty in the chamber to symbolise victims of gun violence.
South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, delivering the Republican response to the address, said Mr Obama "spoke eloquently about grand things", but that his "record has fallen short of his soaring words".
"During anxious times, it can be tempting to follow the siren call of the angriest voices. We must resist that temptation," she said, likely referring to Mr Trump but not mentioning him by name.
She said Republicans must recognise their role in the declining trust in government in the US.
"We have big decisions to make. Our country is being tested," she said. "But we've been tested in the past, and our people have always risen to the challenge." | US President Barack Obama vigorously defended his legacy while striking an optimistic tone for the future in his final State of the Union address. | 35299364 |
Britain's largest mortgage lender said the last time that figure was greater was in July 2014, when prices were rising by more than 10%.
Prices increased by 1.7% between December and January.
The Halifax said that the average cost of a house or flat in the UK had now risen to £212,430.
However, rival lender Nationwide has said the annual increase in the year to January was just 4.4%.
"The imbalance between supply and demand continues to exert significant upward pressure on house prices," said Martin Ellis, Halifax's housing economist.
"This situation looks set to persist over the coming months. Further ahead, increasing affordability issues, as price increases continue to exceed wage growth, are likely to curb housing demand and cause price growth to ease."
IHS Global Insight economist Howard Archer said the market was being supported by "helpful fundamentals, notably including decent real earnings growth, high and rising employment, relatively elevated consumer confidence, and ongoing very low mortgage interest rates."
However he warned that not too much should be read into one set of figures. | House price growth in the UK increased to 9.7% in the year to January, up from 9.5% a month earlier, according to the Halifax. | 35482234 |
The 46-year-old's vice-captain will be Davis Love, a losing captain in 2012 but victorious in 2016 when the US beat Europe 17-11 to regain the trophy.
Furyk was on the winning side twice in nine Ryder Cup appearances as a player.
"I get chills thinking about all the events I've been lucky enough to take part in. To be sitting here as the 2018 captain is such an honour," he said.
Denmark's Thomas Bjorn was named as Europe captain last month.
The United States are the defending champions after winning at Hazeltine last year, their first success since 2008.
Furyk, the 2003 US Open champion, played in every Ryder Cup from 1997 to 2014 and was one of Love's assistants for October's triumph.
He added: "This is such an honour. I'm actually a little overwhelmed. It's no secret, it's been my favourite event my entire career. In my opinion the Ryder Cup embodies everything that is special about golf."
The 2018 Ryder Cup will take place at Le Golf National in the French capital from 28-30 September.
Media playback is not supported on this device | Jim Furyk has been named as the United States captain for the 2018 Ryder Cup at Le Golf National in Paris. | 38589334 |
Private rental prices increased by 2.3% in the year to September, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
This was a faster rate than the change in the cost of living as recorded by inflation - which was 1% over the same period.
The rising level of rents was driven by the South East of England.
Typical rents grew by 3.5% in the region - the fastest in any area, ahead of a 3% rise in the East of England.
Private rental prices grew by 2.5% on average in England and rose by 0,1% in Wales, but they fell by 0.1% in Scotland.
On average, rents have been rising at a slower rate than house prices.
"Residential house price growth in Britain has typically been stronger than rental price growth, with an average 12-month rate of house price inflation between January 2014 and August 2016 of 7.3%, compared with 2.1% for rental prices," the ONS said.
Where can I afford to live? | The cost of renting a home in Britain rose faster than the overall cost of living in the past year, official figures indicate. | 37797212 |
But Bilic says there was "no way" West Ham were going to sell the 28-year-old in the January transfer window.
The former Newcastle and Liverpool striker has scored six times in 12 Premier League appearances for the Hammers despite an injury-hit campaign.
"He is one of our best players and we want to keep him," said Bilic.
"Chinese clubs send their representatives over to investigate. They were watching other players, but they fell in love with Andy. The club didn't try to sell him."
Bilic says Carroll heard about the interest and was no doubt "flattered by it", but that it had not been discussed.
Former Hammers defender Bilic rejoined the club as manager in 2015 and has 18 months to run on his current deal, but cited ex-Leicester City boss Claudio Ranieri as an example when suggesting he was not stressing about his contract at the minute.
He said: "The way I see it. I'm very happy. I have a contract and I am very happy. I don't think that much about it.
"I wouldn't lie, yes, it would be nice but I have a year-and-a-half contract and there's no difference when you consider what happened to Ranieri. The biggest one and the best one.
"Who has the safest job? We would all say Ranieri. Everyone would have said that. Ranieri. And then what happened with that? So I'm not that bothered about that to be fair."
West Ham finished seventh in Bilic's first season in charge, but a move to London Stadium and the loss of influential playmaker Dimitri Payet to Marseille have contributed to a difficult second term.
Bilic said: "Well it was a hard season, but every season is hard. I consider this season as a great season for me individually for the team and club.
"This season we experience negative things, we moved the stadium, the training ground, a very strange pre-season. And then we were hit of lots of injuries, some positions we didn't have any players.
"To come out of that in such a good way, of course we want to improve but it looks pretty good now. It makes you stronger. It's different if you are eighth, ninth and 10th and stay there. This way you enjoy it and it gives you more experience for the future."
West Ham face Premier League leaders Chelsea on Monday, having knocked them out of the EFL Cup in October. And Bilic is a fan of Blues boss Antonio Conte.
He said: "I'm surprised how good they have been. I was expecting him to have a strong impact because he had it at Juventus.
"I watched Juve quite a lot and I was studying his game. I didn't know because no-one knows.
"I expected him to do great long term and it is a surprise they are 10 points clear. Conte is a great manager, he done it at Juve, he done it with Italy. A brilliant manager of course.
"It [the title race] is still very open. Many, many points. If they slip up, which you can in every game, other teams need to be ready." | Chinese Super League clubs "fell in love" with striker Andy Carroll when scouting the Premier League this season, says manager Slaven Bilic. | 39141348 |
Say the phrase "the party of crooks and thieves", and almost everyone knows who you are talking about - the ruling party, Vladimir Putin's United Russia.
Although United Russia looks likely to win again in parliamentary elections on Sunday, there is growing dissatisfaction in the country.
Over the past few years, people have seen bureaucrats and politicians buying mansions and luxury cars, way beyond anything their official salaries could pay for.
The word "korruptsiya" (corruption) is on the lips of businessmen and pensioners - and even Kremlin spin-doctors.
The most infamous recent case of alleged corruption centres on the death of Sergei Magnitsky.
He was a young corporate lawyer working on behalf of Hermitage Capital, a British investment fund specialising in Russia.
Sergei Magnitsky discovered what he thought was a massive tax fraud. He believed that officials had wrongly awarded a $230m (£145m) tax refund, which had ended up in criminal hands.
But the bureaucrats and policemen he accused turned the tables on him. He was arrested, and a year later he died in prison after a severe beating and months of medical neglect.
His fate contrasts with that of Olga Stepanova, the woman who authorised the tax refund. She is one of a group of officials who suddenly became very rich.
Her mother-in-law is now the registered owner of an ultra-modern country house outside Moscow worth an estimated $20m, and her husband owns luxury villas in Montenegro and Dubai.
She says the money came from her husband's business, but their annual joint tax returns show an income of around $38,000.
It is two years since Sergei Magnitsky died, but none of those he accused of the tax fraud has been brought to justice.
"It's terrible. I don't know how these people live with themselves," his mother Natalya Magnitskaya said. "They have no conscience. And I find it very difficult to come to terms with that."
For many observers the case of Sergei Magnitsky has come to symbolise much of what is wrong with modern Russia.
It exemplifies a system which seems to allow some officials to become very rich without any comeback. The era of the oligarchs was the 1990s; this is the age of the millionaire Russian bureaucrat.
Drive along Rublyovo-Uspyenskoye Shosse into the countryside to the west of Moscow, and the scale of the enrichment of officials becomes clear.
It looks like the sort of place where only millionaires would live, but here Russia's new rich reside - the ministers and officials.
Some of the money comes from legitimate businesses. But much comes from bribes, from government contracts given to friends and relatives, and from seats on boards with a clear conflict of interest.
Giorgy Dzagurov is the owner of Penny Lane Realty, one of Moscow's biggest real estate agents.
"I would say that 40% to 60% of buyers of top-end housing in Russia are Russian governmental employees," he said. "That does not necessarily mean it comes from corruption, but some properties are directly purchased from bribes."
The mansions on the Nikolino Elite Settlement are worth $20m or more, but among the residents is Boris Gromov, the governor of the Moscow Region.
He owns no businesses, and the only jobs he has ever done are soldier and politician. His official salary is around $125,000.
Then there are the luxury cars.
Gennady Gudkov, who is a member of opposition party Just Russia in parliament, carried out an investigation into expensive cars being bought with state funds.
He found that even small departments and universities were buying top-of-the-range Audis, BMWs and Mercedes Benzes.
"Our bureaucrats did not save any money. They spent a lot just for their luxury. Just for their pleasure. Taking no attention to the needs of the people, of common people," he complained.
"They do what they want, paying no attention to the needs of common people. That's the result of a lack of control and impunity.
"It's very dangerous when people start to hate those who must serve them. They see them using these luxury cars when salaries go down, and all other benefits go down."
In most democracies it is the parliament that gives the population an official voice, providing a check on the executive.
But Russia's parliament, the Duma, has had its wings badly clipped during the Putin years.
At a recent debate on corruption none of the deputies appeared to be listening to the speeches.
The voting was a bizarre charade in which deputies ran around pressing the voting buttons on behalf of absent colleagues - even the parliamentary procedures were a fraud.
Vladimir Pligin is one of the better-respected members of the ruling United Russia party. He says he knows the problems but asks people to be patient
"We have not achieved the proper balance between the executive, legislative power and also our court system. We are in the process of the construction of this balance," he explained.
He said that the process had been going on for "only 20 years - not a big period of time from the historical point of view".
The problem is that the system of corruption is becoming entrenched.
By the time democratic reform comes along, the patience of the people of Russia may have run out. | The most successful political slogan in Russia this year has been one coined by the opposition. | 15972326 |
Anderson was injured in the first half of Posh's 2-2 League One draw with Port Vale on Saturday.
The 20-year-old suffered ligament damage in his other knee in December which kept him out for eight months.
He also missed the final three months of the 2014-15 season after breaking his foot in February 2015. | Peterborough United midfielder Jermaine Anderson is likely to miss the rest of the season after suffering knee ligament damage. | 37352705 |
"Help," was the message he mouthed to his wife, Mary, as he stood holding a single ball.
Two years later Glyn and Mary are back in Wales and can only watch through a computer screen as a handful of those pupils take to the field for the final of the Rwandan National League.
What began as a trial training session has developed into a way of life for many young people growing up in a country still tainted by the 1994 genocide.
Mary and Glyn Watkins were volunteering as teachers at TTC Mururu school in Rwanda in early 2014 when the principal of the college invited them to dinner.
Archive: Bill McLaren fund backs African rugby scheme
"I know the Welsh are not very good at football, but you're good at rugby," was the candid conversation starter that led to the school's first training session. How quickly things can change in sport.
Glyn had never previously coached rugby at any level, but his befitting birthplace granted him all the credibility he needed.
The school's single ball would not suffice so the couple travelled six hours through the Nyungwe rainforest to seek assistance from Friends of Rwandan Rugby, a small charity started by Emma Rees - a former student and rugby player of Aberystwyth University - which promotes the sport in Rwanda.
They returned with three balls and the commitment of a few rugby development officers who would soon visit the school to coach the players.
This led to Mururu's participation in its first inter-schools national competition in which they finished fourth.
Word spread quickly and soon Mary found herself at the heart of her first international friendly.
"We were right on the Congo border and they heard about the training Glyn was doing, the next thing we knew we had a load of Congolese turn up," Mary said.
"I think that was the first Congo versus Rwanda international. The only problem was that the border closes at 6pm and it was about a 20 minute run for them to get back. So at half-past-five they would all disappear."
Border control wasn't the only obstacle to overcome. The pupils were also all too poor to afford any proper kit.
"In fairness to these lads, they don't have any money, they had one T-shirt for PE lessons and they complained they were getting ripped. So Caldicot RFC offered us some kit. Caerleon and Bedlinog RFC also helped out."
The team at least looked the part even if the pitch did not meet usual standards. Initially the markings were fictional which became the source of much dissent among opposing teams when tries were awarded.
"One game was delayed because none of the markings were set out and we had to wait for a guy to arrive on a bike that was loaded with sawdust - all the boys dived in and marked out the lines.
They play on a football pitch in which they strap massive bamboo poles to the posts to make rugby posts. I've also seen games played where the referee's flag is a leafy twig." Mary added.
By the end of 2015 many of the students had graduated but the team's captain Donatien Ufitimfura could not entertain the idea of life without rugby.
"I was wondering how am I going to spend two months of the holiday without playing the game so I came up with the idea of creating a team," he said.
"I started coaching newcomers from my district Rusizi and worked hard to increase the number of people interested in the sport."
From here Rusizi Resilience was born.
Media playback is not supported on this device
The team became the eighth member of the country's national league which led to its official recognition by World Rugby. The only problem?
They had only ever played sevens in school and their first 15-a-side match was a competitive game in the national league. However, they won that match 36-6 against Muhanga RFC.
The team went on to win every match of their opening season until the league's final against Thousand Hills RFC on Saturday which they lost 45-0.
Mary arranged for the team to play in Oakdale RFC kit and is proud of their achievement.
"The team they were playing on Saturday is made up almost exclusively of international players. What Donatien has done is incredible," she said.
"He stood out from the very first training session for us. He is a very intelligent young man and he does an awful lot of research."
Donatien was invited to train with the national team, but fell just short of making the final squad.
He has turned down the opportunity to attend university to take up a post as a rugby development officer with 'Friends of Rwandan Rugby.'
He has already set up tag rugby teams in eight local primary schools.
For a country with such a turbulent history as Rwanda, Mary was quick to discover that rugby provided the pupils with a refuge, free from any painful historical references.
"Rugby is a post-genocide sport. When you were out there you realised that everyone was affected," Mary said.
"There were a lot of people that were killed in football stadiums. In village football sides you'd maybe play opposition that maybe killed your family.
"All the sports can be tainted but there are no bad memories associated with rugby."
Donatien admits the sport has become much more than a pastime.
"Rugby has eased the wound of genocide especially for the youth. Rugby has contributed for developing the sociability of Rwandans," he said.
"I could not envisage life without it. Only war, disaster or other conditions out of my control could stop me from playing now.
"Nobody can forget it all because what happened was so bad, but rugby can help me forget all the bad things I have seen.
"When I play rugby I can feel nothing in my heart but enjoyment." | When volunteer Glyn Watkins was asked to hold a rugby training session in a school in western Rwanda, he was not expecting to be greeted by 200 pupils. | 37607879 |
Nick Medlin, 57, died at the scene outside the Rose Inn pub in Pier Street, Ventnor, on the Isle of Wight early on Christmas Day.
Two men, aged 31 and 26, had been bailed after being held on suspicion of murder at the end of December.
Michael Hudson, 32, of no fixed address, is due to go on trial charged with manslaughter in June.
Mr Medlin, a father of two from Ventnor, worked at HMP Parkhurst and played bass in a punk band called Manufactured Romance. | Two men who were arrested following the death of an off-duty prison officer will face no further police action. | 39590862 |
About 70 police officers were involved in the operation on Thursday, which saw four addresses searched in Cheltenham.
Nobody was arrested and all of the children, of various ages, are now back with their families.
A "significant" inquiry into current and historical sexual abuse had been opened, Gloucestershire Police said.
Det Ch Insp Chris Hanson said several warrants were executed at a number of addresses simultaneously, and a "large amount" of "computers, phones, data devices and tablets" were recovered.
"They will be examined by specialist officers.... to establish if there are any indecent images or any other evidence relating to the sexual abuse of children," he said.
He added that specially trained police officers, along with colleagues from social services, spoke to the 16 children and arrangements were in place to monitor them at home.
Police said the operation was in response to "information received around non-recent and current sexual abuse against children".
A Gloucestershire County Council spokesperson said: "We can confirm that we supported a police operation yesterday and we continue to offer support and advice.
"Our primary concern is to look after vulnerable people who need our protection." | Sixteen children have been spoken to by detectives and social care workers as part of an investigation into child sexual abuse, the BBC has learned. | 40683903 |
Poppi Worthington died after being found with a serious injury at her home in Barrow, Cumbria, in December 2012.
Her father, Paul Worthington, 47, was later questioned on suspicion of sexual assault but never charged with any offence. He denies any wrongdoing.
A family court hearing in Liverpool has been reviewing the medical evidence.
Forensic physician Dr Victoria Aziz told the hearing she disagreed with a claim Poppi died as a result of a sexual injury, saying she would have expected there to be more injuries on the child's body if she had been sexually abused.
Pathologist Dr Alison Armour, who carried out the post-mortem examination, has said she believes Poppi died from such abuse.
Dr Armour, who spoke at the hearing last week, said that the passing of time and the opinions of other doctors had not changed her mind.
Cumbria Police has been criticised by the judge, Mr Justice Peter Jackson, for not carrying out a proper investigation into Poppi's death for nine months.
A spokesman for the force said three officers had been suspended.
Dr Aziz, who has many years of experience dealing with sexual abuse victims, said she disagreed that the baby had suffered the kind of attack Dr Amour believed she had.
Dr Aziz told the hearing she would have expected to have seen more significant injuries on Poppi's body.
Jane Cross QC, representing Cumbria County Council, said there was evidence that Poppi was bleeding when she was taken to hospital and asked Dr Aziz what could have caused it.
Dr Aziz said she could not answer the question because she was not a paediatrician.
Dr Aziz was then asked what could have been the reason for the bleeding.
She replied that although she accepted there was blood, she had no plausible explanation for what could have caused it.
Dr Aziz added it was not her field of expertise to say what had caused the bleeding.
The hearing continues. | A claim that the death of a 13-month-old girl may have been caused by a sexual assault has been questioned in court by a forensic expert. | 34975319 |
The fans were due to fly to Gatwick with Easyjet at 20:00 BST on Friday before travelling on to Paris.
However, after a number of delays the flight took off with only a small number of the 160 passengers on board.
Dozens of others were left behind.
Easyjet has apologised for any inconvenience.
Banbridge man Alan Hylands was due to travel on the flight and had booked an overnight bus to Paris.
He said there were a number of delays before passengers were told at about midnight that the flight was boarding.
Mr Hylands said at this stage, because he had missed his bus connection, he booked a train to Lille online and then another to Paris.
However, he said when passengers were at the gate a member of staff told them the flight was cancelled.
"It was pandemonium at that stage," he said.
"There were families with wee kids in buggies, there were elderly couples - it wasn't just Northern Ireland fans, although there was a good few of us.
"Everybody was in good form, surprisingly, up until that point because we thought we were going to get away and then it went nuts."
He said another member of staff came out and told them he would escort them back to the EasyJet desk where they would be told what was happening.
He said they were taken back through the airport to the desk where one member of staff was on duty.
"Everybody was climbing over each other trying to get in, shouting at him," he said.
He said that went on for about half an hour before the staff member said the flight had not been cancelled, that they had got a slot and were going to fly.
Mr Hylands said everyone calmed down and they were told they would have priority through security.
He said the security line was moving very slowly when there was "a bit of a commotion at the front of the queue" and some people came back through.
He said they told other passengers "they took the first 20 [passengers] down there and they boarded them and took off".
Mr Hylands said he was told by the EasyJet staff member that because the flight had not been cancelled he was not entitled to a refund.
He said he and his friend were out about £1,500 between them, but more than this they had missed out on a once in a lifetime trip.
He said he understood that flights got delayed or cancelled, but said the lack of staff on duty and the lack of communication was "quite frankly disgusting".
Mr Hylands said he was now resigned to watching the match on TV in Banbridge.
Another Northern Ireland fan, Alan Roper, told a similar story.
He had been due to travel with his 17-year-old son and had booked trains and an overnight ferry.
He said people felt let down and angry and there was little assistance at the airport or explanation of what was gong on.
Mr Roper said it was particularly disappointing as a father and son trip could not go ahead.
In a statement, Easyjet said: "Due to air traffic control restrictions at Belfast International yesterday it was expected that the flight would need to be cancelled and so our ground agents transferred passengers back through security.
"However, during this time it was confirmed that the flight could depart in a limited time window. As a result unfortunately not all passengers had time to return through security for the departure."
The company added: "Passengers who did not travel yesterday were offered overnight accommodation and transfers on to other flights from Belfast this morning.
"We would like to sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused." | A number of Northern Ireland fans have had their dreams of watching their team in the last 16 of the Euros shattered after being left stranded at Belfast International Airport. | 36629020 |
21 July 2016 Last updated at 08:00 BST
Over the past forty years whales, dolphins and harbour porpoises have been monitored all around the coast.
Sea Watch hope to improve the protection of whales and dolphins around Britain and Ireland by keeping track of them and teaching people about the threats they face.
So Martin's been to Cardigan Bay in Wales - home to the UK's largest population of Bottlenose dolphins - to join in with an annual watch.
But will they spot any dolphins? | Scientists from the Sea Watch Foundation want to get you guys, and grown ups, out and about around the UK learning more about marine mammals. | 36853190 |
The house was badly damaged in the attack at Killyglen Road on Sunday.
The man, who is 34, has also been charged with making threats to kill, intimidation and wasting police time by making a false report.
He is expected to appear before Antrim Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.
Paramedics were called to the scene after the stolen silver Peugeot was set on fire outside the house at about 16:45 BST on Sunday, but no-one was taken to hospital.
Two other men, aged 23 and 32, who were also arrested after the attack have been released on police bail pending further inquiries. | Police have charged a man with arson endangering life with intent after a burning car was abandoned outside a house in Larne, County Antrim. | 39700661 |
Tinker and Flash had cancerous tips, which the RSPCA said sun cream could have helped prevent.
The two domestic shorthair crossbreeds, who were taken to the charity's centre in Bryn-y-Maen, were more at risk to sun damage due to the pigment of their skin and less fur on their ears.
The charity said both were recovering well at the centre, near Colwyn Bay.
Tinker, who is about four, is ready for rehoming after her owner died. Flash is about nine and is still recovering.
Animal centre manager Victoria Williams said: "It is such a shame that Tinker and Flash have lost part of their ears - but they are both adorable cats and will make lovely pets."
The RSPCA has warned people to be aware of the damage the sun can do to cats over the summer months. | Two white cats in Conwy county had to have parts of their ears removed due to sun damage. | 36852983 |
The members of The AutistiX, as the name suggests, all have autism, but they have not let any of their disabilities get in the way of a tour in Spain and recording their first album.
Luke Steels, 17, electric guitar and bass, Jack Beavan-Duggan, 18, electric guitar, and Saul Zur-Szpiro, 20, on the drums, practice at least once a week and have played gigs including the Beatles Day in Hastings, but this will be the first time they have gone on tour.
Saul's mum, and band manager, Susan Zur-Szpiro, said: "They started producing their own music and creating these very beautiful, quite biographical songs.
"It's not about getting the sympathy reaction, they just happen to have their disabilities which makes them interesting and quirky as an act."
Jack, the lyricist, penned songs including The Good and Bad in All of Us and Hard to Reach and says music is about "writing songs and showing who I am".
Carol Povey, the director of the Centre for Autism, said: "Autism is a social and communication difficulty and affects the way people interact with other people and the world around them.
"Some people will have very high support needs, no language or communicative ability and challenging behaviour, right the way through to people who have very high IQs but may struggle to relate to other people.
"You wouldn't normally think of people working together [like The AutistiX] and I think it's fabulous and it really blows apart most people's expectations."
The Camden-based group who are joined on stage by Jack's father John, Saul's dad Michael and musician Jim Connelly, will play three gigs with Spanish group Motxila 21 who all have Down's syndrome between 24 and 30 May.
But The AutistiX have come a long way to get there.
Mrs Zur-Szpiro said: "My son could really do nothing, he was blind, he couldn't move, he was really very low-functioning so we just took it a step at a time and he's way beyond anyone's expectations.
"He can't dress himself, he can't feed himself and can't look after his own basic needs but he's the drummer and it's mostly learning through his auditory skills, he hears something and he knows it."
Before The AutistiX set off on tour there were a lot of things to consider including the fact that they would be relocating each day.
"Change is an issue because they like the familiar and they can be thrown by anything changing", Mrs Zur-Szpiro said.
"I'm very aware of the sensitivities and so we're doing all the major transitions during the day so they adjust and see it [each town], each of them have a parent or carer with them so they have that continuity and we've looked at YouTube so they know what Motxila 21 look like.
"We are embarking a little bit into the unknown and it's going to be hard work but it should be amazing."
As well as musical experiences there are other benefits for The AutistiX too.
The manager said: "They lack a normal peer group and this band has been amazing in providing a social network for them, they're the centre of each others lives.
"And there's no drinking and drugs going on, that just doesn't happen."
The AutistiX also have a natural ability on stage which many performers might be envious of - they do not get stage fright.
Mrs Zur-Szpiro said: "Sometimes they've performed in front of several hundred people, but they don't have any concept of being judged. He [Saul] loves being up on the stage and has music in every cell of his body."
The band will play their gigs in Pamplona, Durango and Getaria and once they return to London they will be looking forward to releasing their first EP, Butterflies and Demons, which they recorded at EMI Roundhouse in February.
And although they might be a "quirky" rock band Mrs Povey, added: "The important thing is the audience is not looking at the disabilities and not looking at what they can't do, but looking at what they can do." | A group of north London musicians who have overcome extraordinary obstacles are about to embark on their first international tour. | 22608055 |
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A seven-wicket win over New Zealand took Morgan's side into Sunday's final against India or West Indies - 12 months after England exited the World Cup at the group stage.
"Everybody involved has worked tirelessly to get us to this stage and to get us to play in this fashion," Morgan said.
"We've come out and we've delivered."
England have won 19 out of 31 limited-overs games since the World Cup - including nine out of 12 Twenty20 matches - with much of their improvement down to a more aggressive and enterprising approach, especially from the batsmen.
And Morgan says the team will be told to continue to play that way in the final on Delhi.
"The later the stage you get to at a World Cup, the more licence you have as a team and as individuals to go out and express yourself as much as you can, so we'll be encouraging our guys to go out and do that," he said.
Batsman Jason Roy, who hit 78 in England's chase, described the achievement as "overwhelming".
"A lot of hard work has gone into it by all the team and to be in a final with this group of boys is extremely special," he said.
Roy averaged just 13 in this format before the World Twenty20, but is now the tournament's third-highest run scorer.
"People who don't realise how much hard work you put in in the nets and how tough it is mentally," he said.
"I am glad I have been able to right those wrongs and gain a few more people who back me."
Moeen Ali: What a win. Jason Roy - unreal innings. Well played brother and to the team.
James Anderson: Brilliant England. Serious performance. Go on and win it now.
Stuart Broad: The perfect game! Won the toss, bowled well, took chances, had some luck, caught NZ on an off day and Roy lashed it! Final time! #WT20
Ben Stokes: What a team performance that was, great atmosphere at the ground. How good was Jason Roy?
Michael Vaughan: Boooooommmmmm... World Cup Final... Get in, you young England beauties...
James Vince: Que sera sera, whatever will be, will be, we're going to Kolkata, que sera sera.
Brian Lara: Big and brave move @Eoin16 to bowl first and it paid off. Excellent bowling performance set up a great victory. #betterteamwon #goodeffortNZ
Phil Tufnell: What a result for England. I don't think it could have gone much better #top drawer
Mitchell McClenaghan: Really proud of our boys - not quite enough on the day. Credit to England and wish them all the best for the final.
Ross Taylor: England were just too good tonight. Great campaign and thanks to all the fans for all the support over the last month. | England captain Eoin Morgan has hailed the team's "amazing turnaround" after they reached the World Twenty20 final. | 35930620 |
Kris Faulds' free-kick for Shire was glanced in by the head of East Fife player-manager Gary Naysmith.
It was all square through Kyle Wilkie and the visitors took the lead when Nathan Austin scored the rebound after his penalty had been saved.
The visitors wrapped up the win when Scott Mercer's corner fell to Alistair Coote and he drilled into the net. | East Fife moved level on points with second-placed Queen's Park by beating East Stirlingshire in League Two. | 35331329 |
Sixteen teams started the first group stage of the competition on 16 March, with hosts Bangladesh and the Netherlands securing their places alongside the major nations in the Super 10s.
The top two teams from each Super 10 group progress to the semi-finals, with the final scheduled for 6 April.
BBC Sport takes a look at the contenders and players to watch, while cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew gives his assessment of every team.
World T20 history: Losing finalists in 2009, and again in 2012 on home soil. Runners-up at the last two 50-over World Cups, they have often been the bridesmaids at recent ICC events.
One to watch: Evergreen, elegant left-hander Kumar Sangakkara has stroked his way to scores of 128, 67, 103 and 76 in successive one-day international innings in February and March and, even at 36, remains a class act on the international stage.
Did you know? Sri Lanka have been in Bangladesh since January, playing the tournament hosts in two Tests, two T20 internationals and three ODIs before contesting the Asia Cup.
Jonathan Agnew's verdict: "The losing finalists from 2012, their side remains packed with experienced batting and plenty of spinning options. However, while spin will be key, this will be hampered by the heavy evening dew."
World T20 history: Lifted their only global ICC trophy in 2010, but have failed to make it past the Super Eights every other time.
One to watch: Having played most of his international career in the shadow of Graeme Swann, off-spinner James Tredwell has now established himself as England's number one limited-overs spinner and should relish Bangladesh's spin-friendly conditions, where his control will be vital.
Did you know? Five of England's original 15-man squad were born outside England - Jade Dernbach and Michael Lumb (South Africa), Chris Jordan (Barbados), Eoin Morgan (Republic of Ireland) and Ben Stokes (New Zealand) who was ruled out by injury after being selected. Injury replacement Craig Kieswetter (South Africa) was also born overseas.
Jonathan Agnew's verdict: "It's difficult to be positive about their prospects except that T20 is unpredictable. Morgan and Buttler apart, no-one else will intimidate the opposition."
World T20 history: As tournament favourites in 2009, the Proteas were beaten in the semi-finals. Have otherwise failed to make it past the Super Eights.
One to watch: Wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock has been in sparkling form at the top of the order, hitting three successive centuries in the recent ODI series against India.
Did you know? Before his recall for the recent T20 series with Australia, all-rounder Albie Morkel had not played for South Africa since their final Super Eight game of the 2012 tournament.
Jonathan Agnew's verdict: "Plenty of batting, but I'll be surprised if their pace-based attack is effective here."
World T20 history: Semi-finalists first time out in 2007, but have not made it past the Super Eights since then.
One to watch: Big-hitting left-hander Corey Anderson smashed the fastest international century in any format against West Indies on New Year's Day, reaching three figures from only 36 balls and finishing with 131 from 47. His left-arm seam is useful enough to have earned a five-wicket haul against India later that month.
Did you know? Wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi made his international debut in 2008 - for Australia. After re-qualifying for his native New Zealand, he averages 133 with the bat from four T20 internationals.
Jonathan Agnew's verdict: "Well worth a punt because of Brendon McCullum, Cory Anderson and Ross Taylor, decent spin options and traditionally snappy fielding."
World T20 history: Shocked hosts England in a last-ball thriller in the opening match of the 2009 tournament, but were beaten heavily by Pakistan in their only other game.
One to watch: Along with captain Peter Borren, left-arm spinner Pieter Seelaar is the only survivor from the XI that beat England in this year's squad, and will remain a key part of their attack.
Did you know? All-rounder Logan van Beek, born in Christchurch, represented New Zealand Under-19s at both cricket and basketball, while his late grandfather Simpson "Sammy" Guillen, born in Trinidad, played Test cricket for West Indies and New Zealand.
Jonathan Agnew's verdict: "Netherlands will go into the Super 10 with their confidence soaring after demolishing Ireland, but should find the opposition bowling attacks more challenging."
World T20 history: Defending champions after winning in Sri Lanka in 2012, having been semi-finalists in 2009.
One to watch: Having bamboozled England on slow Caribbean pitches in the lead-up to the tournament, young Trinidadian spinner Sunil Narine will look forward to unleashing his array of off-breaks and carrom balls in Bangladesh.
Did you know? Captain Darren Sammy, Chris Gayle and Andre Fletcher played for the ill-fated Stanford Superstars in the "$20m match" against England in 2008.
Jonathan Agnew's verdict: "Apart from the absence of Kieron Pollard, little has changed in the past 18 months in terms of personnel and conditions so I make the holders the favourites to win again."
World T20 history: Inaugural winners in 2007 but have since failed to progress past the Super Eights.
One to watch: All-rounder Yuvraj Singh starred in India's World Twenty20 win in 2007 and was named player of the tournament in their World Cup success four years later. If anyone thought his T20 skills were on the wane, he fetched the highest price at this year's IPL auction.
Did you know? India won the only bowl-out in World T20 history, after a tied game against Pakistan in the group stage of the inaugural tournament in 2007. Bowl-outs have since been replaced by "super overs".
Jonathan Agnew's verdict: "The most experienced T20 players in the world with every option covered, and their recent form should not count for much. If they fire, they will win."
World T20 history: One of the most successful teams in the tournament's history - finalists in 2007, winners in 2009 and semi-finalists on the last two occasions.
One to watch: Wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal has been recalled after nearly a year out of the side. With Pakistan having tried a number of glovemen behind the stumps - including two of his brothers - Kamran will hope to kick-start a career which has brought him over 250 international appearances, but no Tests since 2010.
Did you know? Fast bowler Umar Gul has twice claimed figures of 5-6 in T20 internationals - against New Zealand at the 2009 World T20, and against South Africa a year ago. The only man to better that is Sri Lanka spinner Ajantha Mendis, who has twice taken six wickets.
Jonathan Agnew's verdict: "As mercurial, unpredictable and irresistible as ever but I'm not convinced they will score enough runs."
World T20 history: Runners-up in 2010 and semi-finalists in 2007 and 2012, this is the only global ICC trophy to elude them.
One to watch: Opener Aaron Finch smashed the record for the highest individual innings in a T20 international when he flayed England for 156 from 63 balls at Southampton last summer, hitting an astonishing 14 sixes.
Did you know? All-rounder Shane Watson is the only player to have been in Australia's squad for the 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2014 tournaments, although recalled veterans Brad Hodge and Brad Hogg featured in the 2007 party.
Jonathan Agnew's verdict: "Many people's favourite, and not just because they are on a roll. Explosive batting and in 43-year-old spinner Brad Hogg evidence that T20 is not necessarily a young player's game."
World T20 history: Made the Super Eights at West Indies' expense in 2007 but have not won a game since and lost to Ireland in 2009.
One to watch: His T20 appearances have been limited, but off-spinning all-rounder Sohag Gazi has a unique place in cricket history: he became the only player in history to score a century and take a hat-trick in the same Test, against New Zealand in Chittagong last October, and now looks set to be a regular in all formats.
Did you know? Batsman Tamim Iqbal, who hit a Test hundred against England at Lord's in 2010, will return to the 'Home of Cricket' this summer to play in an MCC v Rest of the World game to mark the ground's bicentenary.
Jonathan Agnew's verdict: "Recent defeats by Afghanistan and Hong Kong in familiar conditions hardly bode well for the hosts, who were fortunate to qualify for the Super 10 stage." | The Super 10 stage of the fifth World Twenty20 got under way in Bangladesh on 21 March, with West Indies aiming to defend the title they won in 2012. | 26316092 |
Mayor Frank Jackson said on Tuesday that the police will adhere to the most exacting standards in the US.
The US Department of Justice settlement comes after a series of cases where officers killed unarmed people.
The rules prohibit officers from using force against people for talking back or as punishment for running away.
Pistol whipping is prohibited, as is firing warning shots, the agreement says.
An independent monitor will track the police department's progress.
The department will be required to collect data on use-of-force incidents, will be banned from neck holds, and won't be able to use Tasers targeting head, neck or genitalia.
Officers will also undergo mental health consultations.
If the city does not carry out the terms of the settlement, known as a consent decree, a federal judge has the authority to demand them.
Mr Jackson said all police officers will have body cameras by the end of 2015.
The DOJ report does not lay out this specific goal about body cameras but states that the department will arrange for 'body-worn camera video downloads.'
Cleveland's police force most recently come under criticism in November 2014, when an officer fatally shot 12-year-old Tamir Rice after mistaking his toy gun for a real one.
The caller who contacted police that day told them the gun was 'probably fake.'
Cleveland police are still investigating Rice's death.
Protesters took the streets after a judge acquitted white police officer Michael Brelo on 2012 charges of voluntary manslaughter of Malissa Williams and Timothy Russell, two black people.
Mr Brelo fired multiple rounds into the car Williams and Russell were in after police chased the car.
Just after Rice's death, investigators released a report on harsh and abusive police practices in Cleveland.
In another case, 37-year-old Tanisha Anderson, who had a heart condition and bipolar disorder, died in Cleveland police custody when she was handcuffed and restrained in prone position.
More than 71 people were arrested in Cleveland over the weekend during mostly peaceful protests.
"Today marks a new way of policing in the city of Cleveland, one built on a strong foundation of systemic change," Jackson said of the agreement with the DOJ.
The agreement comes on the heels of racial tensions and police-involved shooting deaths of Freddie Gray in Baltimore, Maryland, Eric Garner in New York City and Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.
Baltimore and Ferguson's police departments have also came under close scrutiny of the Department of Justice. | The Cleveland police department, which has been criticised for aggressive tactics against African Americans, has agreed to strict federal reforms. | 32887033 |
A study by Swansea and Milan universities found young people had "negative moods" when they stopped surfing the net.
Heavy internet-users also tended to be more depressed, the research found.
Internet addiction is said to be a clinical disorder marked by out-of-control internet use.
Swansea University said around half of the 60 young people it studied spent so much time on the net that it had negative consequences for the rest of their lives.
The results are part of a study looking at the negative psychological impacts of the internet.
The university said over the past decade internet addiction had became widely debated in medical literature.
Its research said the so-called addicts' web usage was varied, but it was common for them to gamble and access pornography online.
Prof Phil Reed, of Swansea University's college of human and health sciences, said: "Although we do not know exactly what internet addiction is, our results show that around half of the young people we studied spend so much time on the net that it has negative consequences for the rest of their lives.
"When these people come off-line, they suffer increased negative mood - just like people coming off illegal drugs like ecstasy.
"These initial results, and related studies of brain function, suggest that there are some nasty surprises lurking on the net for people's wellbeing.
"These results corroborate previous reports regarding the psychological characteristics and traits of internet users, but go beyond those findings to show the immediate effect of the Internet on the mood of those who are addicted."
The study explored the immediate impact of internet exposure on the mood and psychological states of internet addicts and low internet-users.
The 60 volunteers, made up of 27 men and 33 women aged in their 20s, were given psychological tests to explore levels of addiction, mood, anxiety, depression and autism traits.
They were then given exposure to the internet for 15 minutes and re-tested for mood and anxiety.
The research found the mood of high internet-users suffered after internet use compared to low internet-users.
Scientists said this could possibly trigger them to log back on to the internet to "remove these unpleasant feelings".
Research into internet addiction has also been carried out in China.
Last year experts there said web addicts had brain changes similar to those hooked on drugs or alcohol.
They scanned the brains of 17 young web addicts and found disruption in the way their brains were wired up. | Internet addicts can suffer a form of cold turkey when they stop using the web - just like people coming off drugs, according to research. | 22966536 |
It follows a £330m deal announced last month involving Liberty House and Simec to take over the Rio Tinto site.
Their plans include creating an aluminium wheel manufacturing facility, and a further 300 jobs directly, with another 300 in the supply chain.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon visited the site on Monday.
Liberty said it aimed to protect the existing 170 jobs in Lochaber and expand metal manufacturing and downstream engineering there.
The purchase by Liberty and Simec - both members of the GFG Alliance - includes the hydro power plants at Fort William and Kinlochleven and more than 100,000 acres of land hosting the water catchment area, including Ben Nevis' foothills.
The Scottish government is supporting the plans by guaranteeing the power purchases of the aluminium smelter.
Ms Sturgeon said the proposals reinforced the link between the smelter and the hydro station at Fort William.
She described it as a "historic day" for the smelter and said she looked forward to hundreds of new jobs in the area in the coming years.
She added: "Today is the start of an exciting new chapter in Scotland's manufacturing story and the Scottish government and its agencies will keep working with Sanjeev Gupta and the GFG Alliance to help them realise their enterprising vision for Lochaber."
Sanjeev Gupta, executive chairman of Liberty House Group and of the GFG Alliance strategic board, said: "We hope this day will come to be recognised as the start of a bright new future for Highland industry.
"It puts Lochaber right at the heart of our vision for sustainable and integrated local production that can revitalise British manufacturing."
Mr Gupta and Ms Sturgeon were among those who attended the announcement who wore a bindi, a symbol of Mr Gupta's Hindu faith.
Jay Hambro, chief investment officer of the GFG Alliance, and chief executive of Simec energy & mining divisions said: "These hydro-power stations have enough capacity to power around 83,000 homes.
"Today Lochaber provides the power required to produce 47,000 tonnes of aluminium. We have already identified investment programmes to significantly increase power generation from the existing assets and are studying how to create further capacity locally."
The purchase of Lochaber represents a major escalation of the GFG Alliance's investment in Scotland, following Liberty's acquisition of the Dalzell and Clydebridge Steel plants earlier this year.
Dalzell formally restarted in September after being mothballed by its previous owners. | Plans to create up to 600 jobs and invest £120m at the site of the UK's last remaining aluminium smelter yard at Fort William have been announced. | 38347572 |
Jordan Henderson remains a doubt but Daniel Sturridge, Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firminho are all in contention.
Everton's Ramiro Funes Mori and Seamus Coleman will not play again this season following injuries suffered on international duty.
Morgan Schneiderlin has a calf injury and is also unavailable.
Guy Mowbray: "Does form go out of the window for derbies? With both teams in fine fettle before the break, let's hope not.
"Everton's upturn goes back to December's derby. Beaten only once since losing at home to Liverpool in the last seconds, they've narrowed the gap on their rivals from 16 points on 1 January to six on 1 April.
"Might a win across the park for the first time this century even prompt thoughts of pipping the Reds (and two other reds) to a top-four finish?
"It might, although Liverpool's performances under Jurgen Klopp in the biggest games means that remains a far-flung thought for now.
"Anfield expects. The match SHOULD deliver."
Twitter: @Guymowbray
Everton manager Ronald Koeman on the injury to defender Seamus Coleman: "It's a big, big blow for the player and a big, big blow for the club.
"In all my years in football, Seamus is one of the best professionals I've ever worked with at any club.
"That mentality will really be helpful to him now in not only coming to terms with what has happened but in setting out on the road to recovery and, over time, in him building himself once more to the level he has maintained over many years here at Everton."
Head-to-head
Liverpool
Everton
SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale at the University of Salford that is used to predict the outcome of football matches. | Liverpool are without Adam Lallana for the 228th Merseyside derby because of a thigh problem sustained playing for England earlier this week. | 39390276 |
Dr Sabah Usmani and her five children, Maheen, Rayyan, Muneeb, Hira and Sohaib Shakoor died in the blaze in Barn Mead, Harlow in Essex on 15 October 2012.
Det Supt Rob Vinson told Chelmsford Coroner's Court all the evidence pointed towards murder but firefighters could not rule out an accidental cause.
Coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray recorded an open verdict.
Dr Usmani's husband, Dr Abdul Shakoor, was the only survivor of the fire, which may have reached temperatures of 800C (1,472 F), experts said.
All members of the family, originally from Pakistan, died from their injuries and inhalation of fumes, a post-mortem examination found.
Dr Usmani, 44, had wrapped herself around her three-year-old daughter, Maheen, in an attempt to save her, the court heard.
Her sons Muneeb, nine, Rayyan, six, and daughter Hira, 12, died soon after the blaze.
A third son Sohaib, 11, and Maheen were taken to hospital. He died later that morning while she lived for three more days.
Retired fire investigation officer, David Hajicostas, said Dr Usmani was found crouched over Maheen, an act which gave the girl three further days of life and a chance of survival.
"She was gathered over her on all fours, with a blanket over her," he said.
He told the court an accidental cause could not be ruled out but was "minded to think" it was deliberate.
Det Supt Vinson told the hearing the front door of the house was open, a laptop was missing and there had been a series of burglaries in the area that night.
He said no-one had been charged but it remained an "active investigation".
Ms Beasley-Murray said: "In order to record a conclusion of unlawful killing, I would have to be sure that somebody killed another without legal justification and intended to kill or cause serious injury.
"Sadly, there is also insufficient evidence to say it was an accident.
"Not all of the pieces of the jigsaw are there yet." | Six members of the same family who were killed in a fire could have been murdered, an inquest has heard. | 30341525 |
They begin their Division Two campaign against Nottinghamshire on Friday with a 48-point deduction.
"You can feel sorry for yourself and sulk, or say 'right, we'll show you'," Botham told BBC Sport.
"It won't be any fun for teams coming to Durham. We will be the side the rest are looking over their shoulder for."
Former England all-rounder Botham took charge at Chester-le-Street after Durham were punished for their financial issues.
The county, who finished fourth in Division One last year, accepted a £3.8m financial aid package.
As well as the County Championship sanctions, they were given a four-point penalty in the T20 Blast, a two-point deduction in the One-Day Cup and stripped of the right to host Test matches.
"It's hard that the players are on minus 48 points because you are penalising them when they have done absolutely nothing wrong," added Botham, who ended his playing career at Durham.
"They have all stood together. We have lost Scott Borthwick and Mark Stoneman to Surrey but the rest are still here with a point to prove."
Durham, who only became a first-class county in 1992, won three County Championships between 2008 and 2013.
"If we don't get out of Division Two, it won't be for the lack of trying," added Botham. "We could get off to a flyer and be in contention within four matches. I think that anything is possible.
"I don't give up and I don't think the players will give up. The supporters won't. Everyone at Durham is pulling together." | Durham chairman Sir Ian Botham says his club have a point to prove after being relegated from County Championship Division One for financial problems. | 39582280 |
The game ended with honours even between the two teams likely to be contesting the title when it reaches its decisive stage, and the 1-1 draw gave both City manager Manuel Pellegrini and Chelsea's Jose Mourinho an indication as to how their seasons may unfold.
Chelsea stay five points ahead of City and three points clear of second-placed Southampton - so what are the sub-plots that will accompany their fight for the title?
Manchester City and Chelsea have the look of two clubs who will dominate the Premier League title race - and who will have a managerial rivalry to go along with it.
Sir Alex Ferguson's relationship with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger in the "Pizzagate" years - which began when Ferguson was struck by flying foodstuffs hurled from Arsenal's dressing room in 2004 - only truly thawed once the Gunners were no longer deemed a serious threat to Manchester United's supremacy.
And when Liverpool briefly emerged as a possible danger to United, what had started as a cordial relationship between Ferguson and Rafael Benitez degenerated swiftly, culminating in a famous monologue from the Spaniard bemoaning the Scot's influence over officials and the game in general.
Do we have the natural succession in the barely-concealed contempt between Manchester City's Pellegrini and his Chelsea counterpart Mourinho?
The relationship was already fractured from the days when Mourinho succeeded Pellegrini at Real Madrid and appeared to scoff at the fact that the Chilean then went to Malaga to rebuild the next phase of an excellent coaching career.
And judging by their antics after Sunday's draw at Etihad Stadium, it is likely the pair will provide a running sub-plot to this season's Premier League title battle.
It was behaviour that did little credit to either man, who should have far more pressing issues to attend to as the season progresses.
Mourinho performed his usual trick of getting the City's manager's name wrong with references to "Pellegrino", while Pellegrini delivered a nonsensical barb about Chelsea playing like "a small team" - reviving memories of a Benitez insult aimed at Everton after a goalless Merseyside derby at Anfield.
The mischief of Mourinho is long in the making and is, according to his detractors, well-practised, but Pellegrini's reputation is that of the measured, quiet man.
Appearances can be deceptive, as those present when he lambasted the officials after last season's Champions League loss at home to Barcelona, and after last weekend's draw at Arsenal, will testify.
It is clear the Portuguese can get under his skin and you suspect Chelsea's manager may take the opportunity to indulge himself further should the stresses of the title race increase.
Frank Lampard's goal for Manchester City against the club he served with such distinction prevented Chelsea from opening up an eight-point gap over the Premier League champions, who are regarded as the team that will run them closest this season.
The advantage may not have been a deal breaker in title terms but would certainly have established an imposing lead with arguably Chelsea's toughest league fixture of the season out of the way,
The Stamford Bridge club have still made an outstanding start, despite losing their 100% league record, and hold a three-point lead over Southampton.
City are only five points behind and the suspicion remains that there is so much more to come from Pellegrini's team, who also showed great spirit and resilience to come back from a goal behind following Pablo Zabaleta's sending-off.
As for Lampard, what a moment it was for the 36-year-old, who attained legendary status at Chelsea after becoming their all-time record scorer with 211 goals in 648 appearances before leaving and securing a move to New York City FC.
The former England midfielder is on loan at City until January and demonstrated that plenty of his footballing faculties remain intact as he punished Chelsea for failing to track him into the area with five minutes left, a volley expertly slid beyond Thibaut Courtois providing the evidence.
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If there is one exception to the latter-day, and ridiculously overdone, habit of refusing to celebrate against a former club, Lampard scoring against Chelsea probably provides it.
He was understandably suffering mixed emotions as he turned away: a job completed with his trademark professionalism on one hand, while also respecting the Chelsea fans who gave him a rapturous reception throughout on the other, and who set aside their own disappointment to repeat the acclaim after the final whistle.
Lampard took the applause of both sets of supporters, but there was poignancy as he fell into the arms of long-time Chelsea team-mate Petr Cech in front of the travelling fans.
He will not be around when the Premier League title is decided, but Lampard has once again made his contribution.
Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany confirmed he is in the elite bracket of the world's defenders with a magnificent performance in a fierce physical battle with Chelsea's Diego Costa.
And Martin Demichelis has done much better than he has been given credit for in recent months, playing a key role in City's title win last season and also playing in the World Cup final for Argentina when they lost to Germany in Rio de Janeiro.
But the partnership between Kompany and Eliaquim Mangala on Sunday was a glimpse of the long-term future at City and the fans will have loved what they saw.
Both big, quick, powerful and tremendous athletes, they were a formidable barrier and looked the identikit of what is required in the modern defender.
Mangala has had to bide his time after his £32m summer move from Porto, but the 23-year-old French defender looked the part from the first whistle against such a dangerous Chelsea attack.
Jose Mourinho's side have been accused of sacrificing some of their trademark defensive steel in exchange for the attacking options offered by the arrival of £32m striker Costa and midfielder Cesc Fabregas.
Questions were raised, not least by the manager, after his side were opened up in the 6-3 win at Everton and even in the 4-2 victory against Swansea City at Stamford Bridge.
Here at Manchester City, the steel at the back made its return as Chelsea stood firm in the face of City's attacks and showed again that they have a worthy goalkeeping successor to Cech in Courtois, an authoritative and commanding figure.
Chelsea have shown their potency in attack but Mourinho will have been reassured by how his defence and goalkeeper performed against such dangerous opponents. | Manchester City's meeting with Chelsea at Etihad Stadium was a collision of the Premier League's two current superpowers. | 29304945 |
Her great uncle, Constable Charles McGee of the Royal Irish Constabulary, (RIC), was shot dead near Castlebellingham on Easter Monday 1916.
Sixteen policemen died after the British moved in to stop the Rising.
"He wasn't spoken much about in the family circle," said Dr O'Boyle who is a historian.
"There is a certain secrecy and a denial in speaking about family members who were in the Royal Irish Constabulary."
It was only in the 1980s when she chanced upon a book about Irish military history in a shop in Dundalk, County Louth, that the opportunity to find out more arose.
"Charles McGee was a single man and he was 23 years old when he died," she told BBC Northern Ireland's Good Morning Ulster.
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"He was born on the remote island of north west Inishbofin in County Donegal. He was the first member of the family to become involved in any type of profession. He was a fisherman before joining. At that time, fishing or emigration were the only options for young men from that area.
"A small group of men from there had joined the British Army and some had died in World War I. He had expressed the idea of leaving the force and going to work as a detective in Scotland but that wasn't to be."
Dr O'Boyle set out to discover how Constable McGee died and to ensure that he, also, should not be forgotten in the story of the foundation of the Irish state.
He was shot while on duty in Castlebellingham, County Louth.
"I found out that his death was due to a combination of things: lack of proper planning and training of volunteers in County Louth and the confusion caused by Eoin McNeill's countermanding the order on Easter Sunday, as well as the use of outdated and poor ammunition on that day. It was man made, it proved deadlier and was worse than the usual type used."
Historian Eamonn Phoenix told the story of that shooting.
"Twenty-five year old Seán MacEntee from Belfast was the commandant of those volunteers. He was just leaving when shots rang out.
"The young constable, an Irish speaker, had been carrying dispatches which had been taken from him. He was lined up with other prisoners. Lieutenant Dunville from Belfast, one of the famous distilling family was there in full military uniform and he made some sort of motion. One of the volunteers fired killing Constable McGee and wounding the officer.
"The interesting thing is MacEntee was sentenced to death for the murder, but his life was saved by a Belfast unionist councillor who was also there and said he had kept his men well. Three people come out of that story, the tragic victim was Constable McGee."
For Madge O'Boyle, the centenary celebrations are particularly poignant.
"I am proud that the memory of Charles McGee has finally been recognised after 100 years," she said.
"Up until now, only the leaders and those who proclaimed the republic were mentioned.
"I set out to ensure that his memory would live down through the generations. I know now that I have finally achieved that." | The story of the first policeman to die in Ireland's Easter Rising was barely spoken about in Irish woman Madge O'Boyle's family as she grew up. | 35910413 |
The 28-year-old Ospreys flanker has built a reputation for his ankle-high 'chop tackle' but was recently shown a yellow card for not using his arms.
He was also penalised in Wales' 19-10 win over France and says he has been honing his technique.
"It's something that I work on in training, making sure I pay special attention to using my arms," he said.
"If I'm using my hands then it's the most I can do.
"But if it's something that's not working then you've got to change up your game almost. But as long as you're using your arm then it's legal so I make sure I wrap my arms."
Lydiate will make his 55th appearance for Wales when they run out against England at Twickenham.
England are one point clear of Wales at the top of the table with three wins from three games.
Warren Gatland's team won 28-25 against England in last year's World Cup and are aiming to record back-to-back wins at Twickenham for the first time since 1978.
Lydiate played in the 2012 Grand Slam and the 2013 Championship win, and says the team are in a positive mood.
"We take confidence from our performances in this competition," he said.
"We felt disappointed coming away from Ireland with a draw, but we haven't lost any and neither have England, so we're looking forward to the challenge.
"It would be nice to score a few more tries.
"In the second half against France, our defence stepped up a gear and got back to where we sort of saw ourselves at the World Cup.
"England are just starting to hit their stride and I'm sure they'll up it again at the weekend." | Dan Lydiate says he is not concerned about his tackling style for Wales' Six Nations match with England on Saturday. | 35779175 |
Barnes, who has spent two seasons with American team UHC-Healthcare, won the white jersey for the best young rider at this year's Women's Tour.
"It's been really good in America but I'm happy to come back to Europe," said the 22-year-old from Northamptonshire.
"My whole goal for 2015 was to get some good results and then come back here."
Joining Barnes on the team are the overall winner of the Women's Tour, German time trial star Lisa Brennauer, and RideLondon Grand Prix winner, Italy's Barbara Guarischi.
The team will ride the full 17-race Women's WorldTour calendar in 2016.
Germany's Canyon will supply the bike frames, with American firm SRAM providing the components.
The team's nine riders, from six countries, will wear kit from British company Rapha, which has recently announced it will no longer be supplying elite men's outfit Team Sky after 2016.
The team will begin its 2016 season when Tiffany Cromwell rides in the Australian national championships in January, with the first full race being the Ladies Tour of Qatar in February.
Helping riders qualify for the Rio Olympics will be a focus for the team, as will the big American races, the Tour of California and Philadelphia Cycling Classic, as well as Britain's Women's Tour and the women's race at the Tour de France, La Course.
"My main goal for the year is to make the team for the Olympics but with this injury I don't really know," said Barnes, who broke her ankle in August.
"I'd like to go back to California and do the Tour there too." | Rising British star Hannah Barnes will ride for the newly-formed Canyon//SRAM team in next year's inaugural UCI Women's WorldTour circuit. | 34880390 |
However, think tank "dpart" concluded teenagers were more likely to vote if they talked politics with family.
The September 18 independence referendum is the first time in the UK that 16 and 17-year-olds will be allowed at the ballot box.
They will be asked: "Should Scotland be an independent country?"
Research by Dr Jan Eichhorn, Anne Heyer and Christine Huebner
Lead researcher for dpart, Dr Jan Eichhorn, told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme: "We were not only looking into whether [young people] were leaning yes or no, but whether some of the critics were right in saying that young people simply follow the lead of their parents or what is told in school, and they don't.
"They really make up their mind in quite a complex way themselves and that is really encouraging to see."
Dr Eichhorn added: "We actually found that only just over half of the young people had the same voting intention as one of their parents - so it is nearly 50/50 which clearly does not present a picture of young people who simply follow their parents."
The academic believed, that like the rest of the electorate in Scotland, young people wanted more information. But where are they getting it from?
As well as parents and teachers, those involved with the Scottish Youth Parliament are doing their bit to engage young people through a series of sessions up and down the country.
Kyle Thornton, chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament, said the aim was to educate young people in a more "fun engaging manner".
"The people who take part in our sessions come out of it feeling they've actually learnt something and a lot of the time, it just starts that spark and thought process about the referendum," he said.
Seventeen-year-old Christopher Clannachan, who took part in one of the events, in the chamber of East Ayrshire Council, said: "I feel more informed than I did before the session.
"I still don't fully understand all the issues around the referendum but I do feel like I'd know how to vote now.
"And I'll definitely go online and do some research before I make an informed decision."
Another participant, Rachael Robertson, 16, added: "I'll watch more debates and read up on the referendum now."
The two official campaigns for independence and the Union - Yes Scotland and Better Together - have their own strategies targeted at young voters.
Source: About My Vote
Yes Scotland operations manager Sarah Jane Walls said the organisation had enlisted young people to get involved in its campaign.
She said: "We will continue speaking to schools, and so far the number of young people involved in the campaign has hit such a level that we will soon be creating local youth groups that are independent of our already established local groups."
Ms Walls added that the youth groups would be tasked with organising activities in their local areas, like speaking to youth clubs and hosting social events, and social media was an important factor too.
Ross MacRae, from Better Together, said it had a team of more than 300 youth representatives.
He added: "To compliment the work of our youth reps the campaign has developed a raft of materials for young voters with the help of our youth reps.
"These materials are available to schools, colleges and youth groups on request and the feedback we've had has been very positive." | Researchers have found no clear evidence young people would vote the same as their parents in the Scottish independence referendum. | 26265299 |
The National Museum of the Royal Navy (NRMN) is undertaking the project.
The vessel is the last survivor of the 1916 Battle of Jutland.
Last month it was announced that the ship, which has been berthed in Alexandra Dock in Belfast since 1923, would stay here and be restored "to her former glory".
Prof Dominic Tweddle, NMRN director general, said: "Many of us breathed a huge sigh of relief and following our collective efforts to rescue this magnificent piece of history, we want to bring Caroline back to life and collect as many stories from relatives of those who served on her and possibly actual veterans themselves."
NI Tourism minister Arlene Foster has described the ship as "an important part of Northern Ireland's maritime history".
"HMS Caroline is a strong and distinctive part of Belfast's Titanic Quarter and it is important that the full story is told," she said.
"So many people from different walks of life will have had a connection with the ship, whether themselves or through a family member, during the 99 years of its life.
"If these memories can be recorded, they will add to what is already a rich tapestry of maritime history in Northern Ireland."
The National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) has pledged £1m to help to restore the warship.
Mrs Foster's department has set aside up to £100,000 this year for "remedial work" on HMS Caroline and is also in talks with the Heritage Lottery Fund.
There was controversy earlier this year over plans to move it back to England.
In June, the National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN) said it was planning to lift the vessel and move it to Portsmouth where it would be restored.
Days later, a campaign aimed at keeping the ship in Northern Ireland was officially launched.
In October it was announced that it would remain in Belfast.
HMS Caroline was built at Birkenhead in 1914 and was one of the fastest warships of its time.
It is the last survivor of the Grand Fleet that fought at Jutland.
When the ship came to Belfast in 1923 it acted as a floating administrative base in World War Two.
It was decommissioned as the headquarters of the Ulster Division of the Royal Naval Reserve in March 2011.
Anyone with information relevant to the oral history is asked to contact the National Museum of Royal Navy through the Friends of Caroline organisation by emailing Pete Bleakley at [email protected]. | Veterans and relatives of those who served on World War One warship HMS Caroline are being asked to contribute to an oral history project. | 20425799 |
The 20-year-old set four European marks at the IPC Grand Prix event, including breaking two records which were held by 11-time Paralympic gold medallist Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson.
"Tanni is the greatest role model in Para-sport, and is the one who people know, so to break her records is special," Kinghorn told BBC Sport.
"I've known her since I started wheelchair racing. The records have always been there and I've always wanted to get them but I never thought it would be this quick."
Kinghorn started wheelchair racing in 2012, less than two years after being left paralysed following an accident on her family's farm where she was crushed by a beam on a forklift driven by her father.
But she admits her performances across the four days of competition were a surprise, having missed her first couple of competitions of the year after being hospitalised with blood poisoning in her elbow.
"I was hoping to get some personal bests but I didn't think I would do that well," she says. "I had a good winter's training so maybe I just needed a bit of rest.
"It is a worry when things like that happen because you want to wrap yourself in cotton wool, but I can't help things like that, so as long as I can look after parts of my body like my shoulder and wrist, then you just have to hope for the best."
Kinghorn clocked 29.48 seconds for the T53 200m, beating Grey-Thompson's record of 29.66 which had stood since 2004, and 55.27secs for the 400m, surpassing the 56.28 from 2003 and also set new bests in the 100m (16.62) and 800m (1:53.40).
And Grey-Thompson showed her appreciation for the efforts of the Scot, who will find out in mid-July whether she has made the GB team for Rio where she would compete in the 100m, 400m and 800m.
"She tweeted me congratulations which was really nice," said Kinghorn, who travels on Tuesday to the USA for two more competitions next weekend before going back into hard training to peak again in Rio. "You don't want people to break your records but you want the sport to move on.
"I think the 400m is my best event - I enjoy it more. I tend to panic in the 100m because I get nervous at the start and if you muck up the start that's it, whereas in the 400m you get to relax, look around, see who is in front and chase them. It is the one I am ranked highest in.
"I've no idea what I can achieve in Rio. It will be my first Paralympics so top six in the world would be great but it is exciting for me to know I'm up there and racing against the best in the world." | After her European record haul in Switzerland last weekend, Scottish wheelchair racer Sammi Kinghorn now has the Rio Paralympics firmly in her sights. | 36416731 |
When the cast was announced, host Chris Evans remarked, "We really do have a bit of everything for everyone."
It led to some people suggesting the show's creators had taken the idea of balance a little too far:
The photo released by the BBC press office was quickly turned into a meme on social media, as people added their own faces or subtitles to the original picture.
In one, the faces were all replaced with characters from the US sitcom Friends; in another the diverse line-up included Scotland's former First Minister, Alex Salmond and Prince Charles.
One of the most shared tweets honed in on the fact that the solo female presenter, Sabine Schmitz, is pictured in a tee-shirt with the symbol of a woman.
Lots of people shared pictures of mass crowds, introducing them as the new Top Gear line-up. Even Virgin Trains got in on the gag.
Soon social media was exploding with other "new Top Gear line up" memes based around well-known groups. They included a group shot of the US Republican candidates, the fictitious Addams family and the popular BBC 1970s series, It Ain't Half Hot Mum.
And what about the new Top Gear presenters themselves? Newcomer Rory Reid and fellow co-presenter Chris Harris shared their news in rather more understated tweets.
Compiled by Alison Daye | Rory, Sabine, Matt, Chris, Chris and Eddie - everyone is talking about the new supersized Top Gear line-up. | 35549427 |
Julian King told Germany's Die Welt newspaper that even a small number of militants would pose "a serious threat that we must prepare ourselves for".
Iraqi forces launched what is expected to be a lengthy offensive on Monday.
As many as 5,000 IS fighters are believed to remain in Mosul.
Government troops, moving in from the south, are currently some 40km (24 miles) from the city, while Kurdish fighters are some 30km to the east.
Aid agencies are bracing themselves for what they say could be the largest man-made humanitarian crisis of recent times.
Julian King, a British diplomat recently made the EU's security commissioner, told Die Welt (in German) that the threat of IS fighters returning to Europe after the fall of Mosul was "very serious".
There were currently about 2,500 fighters from EU countries in the combat zones, he said.
However, he stressed that it was "very unlikely that there would be a mass exodus of IS fighters to Europe".
Similar cases in the past had shown, he said, that "only a few fighters come back".
"I don't want to talk the risk down," he added. "Even a small number constitutes a threat."
A coalition of some 34,000 Iraqi security personnel, Kurdish fighters, Sunni Arab tribesmen, and Shia paramilitary forces - backed by the US and other nations - took a string of villages and districts in the south and east of Mosul on day one of the offensive.
700,000
estimated population left
3,000-5,000 estimated number of fighters from Islamic State group
25,000 troops expected to take part
The BBC's Ahmed Maher, reporting from the front line, says the strategy is to encircle the city before moving in on the centre itself.
US Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said late on Monday that the campaign was "ahead of schedule" but warned it was early days and it was not yet known whether IS fighters would "stand and fight".
France's Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Tuesday "it could be a long battle" lasting several weeks, if not months.
An Iraqi-American journalist who has been on the outskirts of Mosul and has relatives in the city said the situation there was currently calm.
Steven Nabil said people were feeling a mixture of excitement at the prospect of being liberated, and "stress and worry" over what dangers the offensive would bring.
Phone lines had been re-established with the city in recent days, giving residents access to a free phone line.
"They've actually sent out hundreds of messages in the past hours telling the coalition" where IS locations are, particularly as they have moved into local neighbourhoods, he said.
The UN is working to create new refugee sites outside Mosul amid fears that as many as a million people may be forced from their homes.
Lise Grande, the UN's humanitarian co-ordinator for Iraq, said the organisation was working on the assumption that as many as 200,000 people might need shelter in the first days and weeks of the operation.
There are also fears the fighters might use civilians as human shields as the offensive continues.
Ms Grande said Iraqi security forces planned to vet fleeing civilians to ensure militants were not hiding among them.
Voices from Mosul as the battle nears
The oil-rich capital of Nineveh province was Iraq's second-largest city when IS militants overran it in June 2014, but many inhabitants subsequently fled.
Its capture became a symbol of the group's rise as a major force and its ability to control territory, and it was there that IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclaimed a "caliphate" in parts of Iraq and neighbouring Syria.
The city was one of Iraq's most diverse, comprising ethnic Sunni Arabs, Kurds, Assyrians and Turkmens, as well as a variety of religious minorities.
While members of those minorities largely fled the onslaught by IS, many local Sunni Arabs initially welcomed the militants, angered by the sectarian policies of the previous Shia Arab-led central government.
But after two years of brutal IS rule, opposition has reportedly grown inside Mosul.
One major concern for those still there is the involvement of Shia militiamen in the offensive, after they were accused of sectarian abuses in other cities that have been recaptured.
Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has sought to reassure people by saying only Iraqi security forces will be allowed to enter Mosul.
Even if IS is driven out of Mosul, the group will still control areas of northern and eastern Iraq.
UN prepares for aftermath 'chaos' | The European Union should be prepared for returning jihadists if the so-called Islamic State (IS) is driven out of its Iraqi stronghold, Mosul, the EU's security commissioner warns. | 37689210 |
It was the weekend result that no-one wanted (unless, of course, your name was Leo Santa Cruz).
"Our champ Framp", as the Mirror calls him, suffered his first professional defeat, when a poor start left him playing catch-up.
It was a tale of heartbreak in Las Vegas for the Belfast-born fighter, and he didn't try to hide his feelings when speaking to journalists ringside.
"I'm extremely disappointed because I am a winner," he said.
And while Santa Cruz and Frampton are now one a piece, the Mirror focuses on the line which could reassure fans that the story isn't over yet - a promise from Frampton that the next big fight will be in his own backyard, in Belfast.
The Jackal praised the army of green fans who travelled to the States to support him and pledged Belfast would host the third in an epic trilogy of fights between himself and the Mexican.
He said: "Me and Leo have now had 24 rounds with each other and they've all been pretty competitive.
"I want to fight in Belfast next, that's what I want to do."
The Mirror quotes Rory McIlroy who welcomed the call for a fight in Belfast.
Elsewhere, the Belfast Telegraph also features a distraught-looking Carl Frampton on its front page and continues inside, focusing on the reaction of the Jackal's family.
His father Craig said he was touched by the way his son handled the defeat.
"It's not hard to be polite, that's what I expected of him," he said.
Frampton makes an appearance on the front pages of the Irish News and News Letter, but you'll have to turn to page 3 in both papers to get the full story.
Also, inside the News Letter, forensic tests have shown bullets fired during the attempted murder of a police officer last weekend hit several spots on the forecourt in Crumlin Road, Belfast, which police say could have blown up if one of the fuel pumps had been struck.
The Irish News lists 42 towns which will no longer have regular patrols by traffic wardens.
It says new Stormont plans mean areas with fewer than 10 parking tickets issued on average per month will be removed from the schedule for routine visits.
They include Lisnaskea in County Fermanagh, Maghera in County Derry and Fivemiletown and Moy in County Tyrone.
The paper also looks ahead at the meeting of Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Enda Kenny and Prime Minister Theresa May's meeting in Dublin later.
The talks are expected to focus on Brexit and the current political situation in Northern Ireland.
The paper reports the Taoiseach's office said the summit was an opportunity for the two leaders to exchange views on a wide range of issues of mutual interest and concern, especially in light of the recent developments in Northern Ireland.
Discussions will cover the political situation in the north, the UK/Ireland Joint Work Programme and key bilateral issues that the UK and Ireland are committed to working closely on as the UK prepares to leave the EU. | He may have failed to retain his world title in Las Vegas, but Carl Frampton dominates the front pages on Monday. | 38793810 |
The Czech, seeded 14th, won 6-1 6-1 in 63 minutes to claim her second Wuhan title and her first of the 2016 season.
Kvitova had beaten world number one Angelique Kerber, Britain's Johanna Konta and fourth seed Simona Halep on her way to the final.
She will move up to 11th in the new world rankings on Monday.
Kvitova, 26, could yet qualify for the season-ending WTA Finals with another good run at next week's China Open - she currently lies 12th in the Race to Singapore, four places off qualification.
"It's great for sure to win it for a second time," said Kvitova "I'm happy for that, how I played all week. I think it was amazing really.
"I do like the conditions here. I feel that it's a little bit faster. I really can play my game here."
She made a blistering start to Sunday's final, firing down five aces as she won 17 of the first 18 points to take a grip on the contest.
Cibulkova, who will return to the top 10 next week, could make little impact, managing one break of serve in the first set and a solitary hold in the second as Kvitova hammered 28 winners.
"She was just really hitting everything full power," said the Slovak. "She was just serving really well, going for returns.
"I couldn't really play my game that I played during this week. I Couldn't get in the long rallies or in the rhythm because she didn't let me.
"She was really powerful from the first strokes. That's how she overpowered me today." | Petra Kvitova produced another sensational performance to beat Slovak 10th seed Dominika Cibulkova and win the Wuhan Open in China. | 37528373 |
Honda's Crutchlow, 30, is the first Briton since Barry Sheene in 1979 to win more than once race in a season.
"People think you can only ride in the rain when you win in it," Crutchlow said. "So it's nice to win in the dry."
He held off Italy's Valentino Rossi to win after Spanish world champion Marc Marquez crashed on lap 10.
Rossi, who started the race in 15th, finished second with Spain's Maverick Vinales taking third place.
Australian GP result:
1. Cal Crutchlow (GB) Honda 40 minutes 48.543 seconds
2. Valentino Rossi (Ita) Yamaha 40:52.761
3. Maverick Vinales (Spa) Suzuki 40:53.852
4. Andrea Dovizioso (Ita) Ducati 40:57.700
5. Pol Espargaro (Spa) Yamaha 41:02.842
6. Jorge Lorenzo (Spa) Yamaha 41:08.668
7. Scott Redding (GB) Ducati 41:16.912
8. Bradley Smith (GB) Yamaha 41:17.324
9. Danilo Petrucci (Ita) Ducati 41:17.335
10. Jack Miller (Aus) Honda 41:17.358
MotoGP standings
1. Marc Marquez (Spa) Honda 273
2. Valentino Rossi (Ita) Yamaha 216
3. Jorge Lorenzo (Spa) Yamaha 192
4. Maverick Vinales (Spa) Suzuki 181
5. Dani Pedrosa (Spa) Honda 155
6. Cal Crutchlow (GB) Honda 141
7. Andrea Dovizioso (Ita) Ducati 137
8. Pol Espargaro (Spa) Yamaha 117
9. Andrea Iannone (Ita) Ducati 96
10. Hector Barbera (Spa) Ducati 84 | Cal Crutchlow has become the first British rider to win the Australian Grand Prix as he secured his second MotoGP victory at Phillip Island. | 37743564 |
Collison played 121 times for West Ham, but suffered persistent knee problems.
He signed for League One Peterborough in 2015, playing 12 times, but will now focus on a coaching and media career.
"The nights I wake up in pain, or the mornings where I struggle to walk, will be a constant reminder I was lucky enough to play the game I love," said Collison, capped 17 times by Wales.
"I still wake up some mornings feeling good and think 'one more try'," said Collison, who dislocated a kneecap while playing for the Hammers in 2009.
"But that would be unfair on myself, my fellow pros and my family. I want to bow out with some pride intact." | Ex-West Ham United and Wales midfielder Jack Collison is retiring from football at the age of 27 because of injury. | 35568371 |
The 35-year-old managed a leap of 16.37m to finish fourth in the German city of Braunschweig on Sunday, as he represented GB for the first time since the 2012 London Olympics.
Idowu, who took a break from the sport last year, said: "It's always an honour to put on the red, white and blue."
Germany won the event from Russia.
Britain finished third when the competition was staged at Gateshead last year but fielded a developmental squad this time.
The 2009 world champion and 2008 Beijing Olympic silver medallist competed just once in 2013 before deciding to "take a step back from athletics".
There was doubt as to whether he would compete again after he lost his lottery funding, but Idowu is hoping to jump at the Commonwealth Games and European Championships this summer.
"Today didn't go as well as I would have liked," he told BBC Sport. "I still feel I have a lot in my legs. I haven't quite really nailed it yet but I'll keep pushing on.
"I'm enjoying it here and just want to keep going."
Idowu fell out with former GB head coach Charles van Commenee in the build-up to London 2012, where he failed to qualify for the final despite being favourite for gold.
"I needed a break and time to myself to freshen up," he said.
"I have no plan - I am just winging it right now. It's exciting for British athletics now and I'm happy to be part of it."
There were no GB winners on the final day of the competition, and the team were overtaken by Poland in the overall standings having been in fourth position overnight.
William Sharman, 29, set a new personal best of 13.21 secs as he finished second in the 110 metres hurdles, just 0.01 behind Russia's Sergey Shubenkov.
Sharman's time makes him the third-fastest British 110m hurdler of all time, behind Colin Jackson and Tony Jarrett.
James Ellington was third in the 200m in 20.60 secs, while Anyika Onuora also came third in the women's race, running 23.24 secs.
There were fourth-place finishes for Sophie Hitchon (hammer), Jonny Mellor (3000m), plus the men's and women's 4 x 400m relay teams.
Team captain Hannah England finished fifth in the 1500m and then watched her husband, Luke Gunn, place fifth in the 3000m steeplechase. Late replacement Beth Potter came fifth in the 5000m.
There were eighth-place finishes for Serita Solomon (100m hurdles), Brett Morse (discus), while Lee Doran (javelin) and Jazmin Sawyers (javelin) both came ninth.
Isobel Pooley (high jump) and Mukhtar Mohammed (800m) were 11th, with Rachel Wallader (shot put) 12th.
Steve Lewis failed to register a height in the pole vault. | Triple jumper Phillips Idowu said he was happy to be back in a Great Britain vest as GB finished fifth at the European Team Championships. | 27964719 |
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Lomu, 40, died on Wednesday at home in Auckland. He had been diagnosed with a rare kidney condition in 1995.
He was capped 63 times for the All Blacks and became a global star after scoring four tries against England in the 1995 World Cup in South Africa.
"He took rugby to a whole new level," Woodward told BBC Radio 4.
"There's very rarely one player who dominates a whole World Cup and he certainly did."
Lomu made his Test debut in 1994 and was only 20 years old when he faced England in the 1995 semi-final in Cape Town.
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Standing 6ft 5in (196cm) and weighing 18 stone (119kg), he famously bulldozed several players and ran straight over the top of full-back Mike Catt on his way to one of four tries in the Al Blacks' 45-29 win.
"He was unstoppable," said Woodward, who led England to the World Cup in 2003.
"For the first time ever you had this incredibly gifted, large, very fast athlete on the wing.
"Wingers are usually small and nimble. Suddenly you had this huge guy who was big and fast and amazing. He changed rugby."
Lomu's prominence at the 1995 World Cup helped him become one of the first superstars of the sport's professional era.
"It was great timing for rugby to enter into the professional era, and Jonah was instrumental after the way he played in that tournament," said former New Zealand team-mate Justin Marshall.
"He was a freak of nature at the time. He was 110kg but could run like the wind.
"Having that on the end of your chain rather than in the forward pack was a revolution of the game."
Lomu scored 37 tries for New Zealand and, despite never winning the World Cup, he is the joint top try-scorer in the competition's history - alongside South Africa wing Bryan Habana - with 15 in 11 games.
"He was very unique but also one of those guys who never had a big head. He knew his ability but he was very humble," former Australia winger David Campese told BBC Radio 5 live.
Former New Zealand All Blacks head coach Graham Henry described Lomu as a "magnet" for rugby who "came from no-where", and said: "He was not so good without the ball, so not perfect, but give him a bit of space and give him the ball - anything could happen."
Ex-South Africa captain Francois Pienaar and Lomu's former New Zealand team-mate Andrew Mehrtens also paid tribute on BBC Radio 5 live.
"He took the game of rugby to the living rooms of people that didn't know about rugby but appreciated that athleticism, skill and power," said Pienaar. "He became the hero of many, many kids, who wanted to emulate him. He was the first truly global rugby superstar on and off the pitch."
Mehrtens described Lomu as "awe inspiring" and "extraordinary".
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Ex-England fly-half Rob Andrew, who played against Lomu in the World Cup in 1995, told BBC Radio 5 live: "He was a blooming nightmare to play against.
"He was intimidating and he had a smile on his face when he did it, which made it even worse.
"We all just chased around after him like kids in the playground. Not many people could single-handily change rugby matches. He was a legend."
Ex-England centre Will Carling told BBC Radio 2: "He was so powerful, explosive and destructive on the pitch, and yet off it he was so gentle and quiet. It was an amazing contrast.
"He demolished England in 1995. I never would have thought he would have taken the game away from us in 20 minutes.
"He's one of those few players who could play in any generation. He could be as much of a superstar now as he was then."
Former England scrum-half Matt Dawson wrote on Twitter: "The greatest rugby player who globalised our game and inspired millions. I'll proudly say to my kids I knew and admired him."
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South Africa wing Bryan Habana wrote on Instagram: "His on-field fearlessness was matched by his off-field humility. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.
"It was a privilege to have met you, to have been inspired by you and to watch you make the biggest impact we have ever seen on the game we love so dearly."
Former Wales international Jonathan Davies told BBC Sport: "They'd never seen the likes of him before and he brought new supporters to the game of rugby.
"What he achieved on the field was absolutely incredible and he had such a massive impact on the game of rugby. I'm absolutely devastated. It's such a tragic loss at such a young age."
Wasps coach Dai Young, who worked with Lomu at Cardiff Blues, told BBC Sport: "I had the privilege of working with him and not only was he a real rugby legend and role model, he was a real gentleman.
"Everything that's good about rugby - the values and behaviours - he was a man that demonstrated that."
Listen again to BBC Radio 5 live's Jonah Lomu: The Man Who Changed Rugby | New Zealand great Jonah Lomu will be remembered for "changing rugby union", says former England head coach Sir Clive Woodward. | 34854279 |
Ellen White, who captained the side for the first time, lifted the ball over the head of goalkeeper Stina Lykke to score the opener just before half-time.
Denmark skipper Pernille Harder levelled in the second half with an impressive free-kick from just outside the area.
White then claimed her second of the night, poking home from inside the area after Simone Sorensen's bizarre backpass hit her own bar.
With a much-changed line-up, the Lionesses spent long periods of the first half defending, and Denmark had an early goal disallowed.
However, the second half brought an improved performance as England posed a constant threat to the side ranked 15th in the world.
The result sees England head into the Euros having gained four wins and a draw from their past six games.
Boss Mark Sampson made 10 changes to the side that beat Switzerland, with left-back Demi Stokes the only player to keep her place in the starting 11.
And several players used their last opportunity to impress with hard-working performances to give Sampson plenty to consider before the tournament.
White's two goals were indicative of a gritty performance, which saw the forward tirelessly chase down the Danish defence.
Midfielder Fara Williams, earning her 163rd cap, controlled the midfield impressively and produced set-pieces that handed England some of their more threatening moments in the game.
Stokes showed once again why she has been a permanent fixture in Sampson's squad since missing out on the World Cup in 2015.
Of the squad of 23 players, only left-back Alex Greenwood has not featured in the past two games as she returns from a long-term injury.
After their victory against Denmark, the Lionesses travel to Valencia on Sunday for a week of warm-weather training.
Following that, the players will be given two days off before travelling out to the Netherlands for the European Championships on 13 July, with the tournament set to begin three days later.
England open their campaign in Utrecht against Scotland on 19 July, before facing Spain on 23 July in Breda and finishing the group stage in Tilburg against Portugal.
There will be commentary on all of England's matches on BBC Radio 5 live.
England boss Mark Sampson: "I'm proud of the team and our supporters.
"It was a performance full of hard-work, resilience and grit - key qualities for us this summer."
Match ends, Denmark Women 1, England 2.
Second Half ends, Denmark Women 1, England 2.
Pernille Harder (Denmark Women) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Millie Bright (England).
Foul by Sanne Nielsen (Denmark Women).
Laura Bassett (England) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Pernille Harder (Denmark Women) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right.
Attempt missed. Maja Kildemoes (Denmark Women) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right.
Attempt blocked. Sanne Nielsen (Denmark Women) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Pernille Harder.
Substitution, England. Lucy Bronze replaces Fara Williams.
Foul by Simone Sørensen (Denmark Women).
Jodie Taylor (England) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Katrine Veje (Denmark Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Alex Scott (England).
Substitution, England. Jordan Nobbs replaces Karen Carney.
Offside, Denmark Women. Line Sigvardsen Jensen tries a through ball, but Pernille Harder is caught offside.
Substitution, Denmark Women. Janni Arnth replaces Luna Gewitz.
Attempt missed. Karen Carney (England) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the right.
Karen Carney (England) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Katrine Veje (Denmark Women) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Karen Carney (England).
Attempt missed. Pernille Harder (Denmark Women) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.
Goal! Denmark Women 1, England 2. Ellen White (England) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner.
Substitution, England. Carly Telford replaces Siobhan Chamberlain.
Substitution, England. Millie Bright replaces Isobel Christiansen.
Substitution, England. Jodie Taylor replaces Nikita Parris.
Hand ball by Maja Kildemoes (Denmark Women).
Attempt missed. Maja Kildemoes (Denmark Women) right footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Simone Sørensen with a headed pass following a corner.
Corner, Denmark Women. Conceded by Siobhan Chamberlain.
Corner, Denmark Women. Conceded by Demi Stokes.
Attempt blocked. Sanne Nielsen (Denmark Women) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Maja Kildemoes (Denmark Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Fara Williams (England).
Goal! Denmark Women 1, England 1. Pernille Harder (Denmark Women) from a free kick with a right footed shot to the top left corner.
Fara Williams (England) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Katrine Veje (Denmark Women) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Fara Williams (England).
Substitution, Denmark Women. Nicoline Sørensen replaces Stine Larsen.
Attempt missed. Simone Sørensen (Denmark Women) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Pernille Harder with a cross following a set piece situation.
Nikita Parris (England) is shown the yellow card. | England Women's final warm-up match before this summer's European Championship ended in a battling win against Denmark in Copenhagen. | 40452609 |
Ysgol Hafan Y Mor has been built in Tenby in response to the growing demand for Welsh-medium education in the area.
It opens along with the English-medium Tenby Church in Wales VC primary school, and together they cater for children aged three to 11 years.
The two new schools represent an £8.37m investment in education in the town from Pembrokeshire council and the Welsh Government.
They replace Tenby infants and junior schools.
The Tenby Church in Wales school is a new build, while Ysgol Hafan Y Mor is located in the renovated former junior school.
Pembrokeshire council's cabinet member for the Welsh language, Huw George said: "This is an historic time for primary education in Tenby and particularly for the Welsh language in Pembrokeshire.
"Both ventures have our best wishes for the future." | South Pembrokeshire's first dedicated Welsh school is opening on Wednesday. | 37295755 |
The 300-year-old Llanfair Clydogau bridge, near Lampeter, was closed earlier this month after one of its arches collapsed in adverse weather.
The closure split the village, with residents having to make an eight-mile (13km) detour to get to the shops.
Ceredigion council said it hopes to restore the grade-II listed bridge as "quickly as possible".
The council is working closely with Cadw during the restoration, which it hopes will be complete by June 2016.
Huw Morgan, the council's strategic director for sustainable communities, said: "Restoring and conserving such unique and historical landmarks like this bridge is very important to the heritage of Wales."
Pedestrian access will be maintained during the work. | Work has started to repair a historical bridge in Ceredigion following a partial collapse. | 35928398 |
The first evening meeting takes place at Ysgol Dyffryn Ogwen in Bethesda on Monday, with informal drop-ins starting on Tuesday at Y Felinheli.
The council's Gwynedd Challenge consultation has been launched amid concerns it faces tough decisions due to budget cuts.
Councillors will decide which services to protect and which to cut in 2016.
One unpopular idea is to close public access on Barmouth bridge to save £30,000 a year, which would mean walkers and cyclists facing a 16-mile (26 km) diversion. | Gwynedd council is holding a series of meetings about plans to make £25m in budget cuts affecting public services. | 34382603 |
UK airline, LinksAir is launching the service to East Anglia after reporting a 30% rise in passenger numbers in 2015 between Cardiff and Anglesey.
An Anglesey council spokesman said: "The airport plays a crucial role in making north Wales an attractive place to do business and attract visitors.
The service to Norwich will operate on weekdays from Monday. | A new air service takes off on Monday that will enable people in Wales to fly from Anglesey and Cardiff to Norwich. | 32372407 |
The Federal Justice Office (FOJ) said the accounts were allegedly used for bribes connected with the granting of marketing rights to tournaments in Latin America and the US.
In addition, the FOJ said it had frozen some $80m (£54m) in 13 bank accounts.
The action was taken in response to US requests for legal assistance, it said.
"The US authorities can apply to have these assets handed over if they have a legally valid and enforceable seizure ruling from a US court," the FOJ said.
The statement provided no details on who the bank accounts belonged to.
World football's governing body has been in turmoil for several months, following numerous allegations of corruption.
A number of top Fifa officials were arrested at a hotel in Zurich, Switzerland, in May.
Some 14 people were indicted on corruption charges at the end of that month. Another 16 people were charged by the US Department of Justice on 3 December.
And US authorities have in all charged 39 football officials and sports business executives over more than £134m ($200m) in alleged bribes for football television and marketing deals.
Swiss prosecutors are also investigating Fifa's management as well as the award of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar.
And earlier this month, Fifa president Sepp Blatter and Uefa boss Michel Platini were suspended for eight years from all football-related activities following an ethics investigation.
They were found guilty of breaches surrounding a £1.3m ($2m) payment made to Mr Platini in 2011.
The Fifa ethics committee found the pair had demonstrated an "abusive execution" of their positions.
Both deny any wrongdoing. | Swiss justice officials say they have handed to US investigators documents relating to bank accounts allegedly used in the Fifa corruption scandal. | 35201389 |
Antonio Francisco Bonfim Lopes, also known as Nem, headed a drug gang in Rio de Janeiro's Rocinha neighbourhood.
Police arrested Lopes as part of their "pacification programme", an attempt to wrest control of poor parts of the city from criminal gangs.
They found Nem in November 2011. He was hiding in a car driving out of Rocinha as hundreds of officers moved in.
His driver tried to prevent the car from being searched by claiming diplomatic immunity. He said he was the honorary consul of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Brazil has been trying to clean up its most dangerous regions ahead of the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics.
Special operation forces have so far moved into more than 20 neighbourhoods and established a permanent police presence there. | One of Brazil's most wanted drug traffickers has been sentenced to 12 years in prison. | 21206389 |
Jon Parkin fired rock-bottom York into a third-minute lead by prodding Sean Newton's cross past Lee Worgan at the near post.
Parkin nearly doubled York's advantage 10 minutes later, but this time his close-range effort went wide, before Reece Prestedge equalised for Maidstone with a fine drilled effort from the edge of the area just after the break.
Maidstone have now won just one of their last nine games, while York are unbeaten in four, up to second from bottom and now three points off safety.
Report supplied by the Press Association.
Match ends, York City 1, Maidstone United 1.
Second Half ends, York City 1, Maidstone United 1.
Reece Prestedge (Maidstone United) is shown the yellow card.
Substitution, Maidstone United. Bobby-Joe Taylor replaces Jack Paxman.
Substitution, York City. Lanre Oyebanjo replaces Simon Lappin.
Seth Nana Ofori-Twumasi (Maidstone United) is shown the yellow card.
Goal! York City 1, Maidstone United 1. Reece Prestedge (Maidstone United).
Substitution, Maidstone United. Alex Flisher replaces Anthony Acheampong.
Second Half begins York City 1, Maidstone United 0.
First Half ends, York City 1, Maidstone United 0.
Goal! York City 1, Maidstone United 0. Jon Parkin (York City).
First Half begins.
Lineups are announced and players are warming up. | Maidstone salvaged a draw with York in a battle of the National League strugglers. | 38865521 |
Brahman Naman, an English-language film directed by Kolkata-based filmmaker Q and streamed exclusively on Netflix, has been declared a hit on many counts.
It's co-produced by Emmy award winner and Grammy-nominated Steve Barron of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fame. The film has been written by London-based Indian journalist, Naman Ramachandran.
Barron had watched Q's earlier Bengali works: the controversial and edgy Gandu (Loser) and the trippy Tasher Desh (Land of Cards), described as "Tagore on acid".
Now critics in India have woken up to the charms of Brahman Naman.
One called Netflix's first Indian film a "perverted American Pie"; another said it was an "enjoyable raunchy comedy that hit the spot". Variety magazine said the film's "mix of medium-grade raunchy humour and middleweight drama works fairly well", and in the "great tradition of teen sex comedies, however, the funniest gags here are (what else but) masturbation jokes".
But Brahman Naman is more than that.
Set in the city of Bangalore in the 1980s, the film's success lies in its authentic depiction of upper caste orthodox Brahmins in south India and the repressive social milieu that made it impossible to seek sex and company as a healthy rite of passage to adult life.
Given its rather explicit content and the nature of censorship of Indian films, the producers released it at the Wold Cinema Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival in January. The film got its global release on Netflix earlier this month.
"Brahman Naman is Indian cinema at its boldest: fast, furious and raucously funny," a Netflix representative says.
The 95-minute independent film breaks many traditional - and trite - Bollywood formulas.
For one, the film is in English with local south Indian phrases thrown in.
The four main characters are bumbling and awkward, chasing outrageous sexual fantasies, compared to the popular macho Bollywood heroes.
Naman, the lead character, is the leader of a quiz team, who hatches gross plans to approach the girl he fancies and fumbles badly.
In a moment of self-realisation, he says all he and his friends can peddle are "trivia".
The female characters are no pretty Bollywood faces singing and dancing around trees, but smart, sassy and much more self-aware than the men.
Naina, a woman quizzer from Chennai, whom Naman, puffed up with caste and class arrogance, develops a crush on, tells him: "It's a funny thing about knowledge; it's been known for more than one person to have it."
The music score is not standard Bollywood ditties, but rock music popular with English-educated Indian youngsters in the 1980s - Jethro Tull, The Doors and Rod Stewart.
The 22-day filming took place not in Bollywood's favourite European or American cities, but in the temple town of Mysore, and its quiet neighbourhoods in south India.
The film has received attention for shining a light on the nerdy fraternity of young Indian quiz geeks.
Writer Samanth Subramanian, co-founder of a quiz team, says: "What [script-writer] Ramachandran nails are the quizzers themselves: their psyches, particularly in the ripe swell of youth, and the social habitats from which they emerge."
The film is based in the two cities that were a hotbed for quizzing in India - Bangalore and Kolkata. There are caricatures of well-known Indian quiz masters of the 1980s.
The script writer, Naman Ramachandran, himself was a quiz enthusiast in the 1980s Bangalore.
"While parts of the story may be informed by some incidents in my past life, the film is also an observation of that period and the response from quizzers in India, not just in Bangalore, are that the film reminds them of their own past lives," Ramachandran told the BBC.
Brahman Naman is unapologetic about the traditional superiority and arrogance displayed by the male characters - a cohort of upper-caste Anglophone boys in Bangalore, which later became India's Silicon Valley.
They boys quote Shakespeare and Keats for grandiose effect (words like libations and hemlock are dropped easily) whilst uncapping a bottle of whisky or smoking a cigar.
The fathers are domineering and orthodox; the sons take their privilege for granted as knowledge seekers of society.
"The boys are terrible. They make mistakes, they are insensitive…but also confused," said Q in an interview.
That is what, many say, makes Brahman Naman an unusual - and an enjoyable - Indian coming-of-age film. | A wacky Indian sex comedy about four college-going quiz geeks and their unbridled fantasies has made audiences sit up and have a good laugh. | 36822490 |
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Clubb, 30, had an operation on 5 May after a complication with the organ and last played on 6 April.
But he has been named in the Wigan squad as they host Widnes on Sunday.
"Having a serious operation and losing a major organ and coming back, it is all credit to him," Wane said.
"It has been tough for the physios to try and stop him throwing his body in during training because he is full-on in everything he does."
A kink in the tube connecting to Clubb's kidney killed the organ off, leaving its removal as the best option.
He said in April that the pain was starting to affect his rugby and he was "glad" the decision to operate had been taken.
"It is so good for him and his family to be back and there will be no-one prouder than me to see him on Sunday," Wane said.
Clubb is set to return with Wigan eighth in the table looking to strengthen their grasp on a Super 8 place against 11th-placed Widnes.
"I am just trying to assess how long he can play," Wane said.
"He has not played for a long time but is fit ready to go. He might only play half an hour but it is just about picking a bench that can last for the minutes he can't." | Wigan Warriors coach Shaun Wane says there will be "no-one prouder" than him when prop Tony Clubb returns this weekend, less than two months after having a kidney removed. | 40447492 |
Barnsley Council in South Yorkshire announced term dates for academic year 2017-18 with a shorter summer break.
There will be a longer school holiday at October half-term.
Nick Bowen, principal of Horizon College, said the cut would "lead to difficulties in recruitment and retention of really good staff".
Councillor Tim Cheetham said: "The main differences to this year's dates from previous years will support educational outcomes for pupils by reducing the long summer break which can lead to learning loss.
"It also means that holiday weeks are distributed more evenly throughout the school year"
The 2018 summer holiday is to run from 31 July.
In 2017, schools are to break up almost a week earlier on 26 July.
This year the final day of term is to be 20 July, according to the council website.
Barnsley has 78 primary schools, 31 of which are academies, for children between the ages of five and 11. There are 10 advanced learning centres, four of which are academies, for 11-18-year-olds, said the council.
Mr Bowen said: "Half of Barnsley will be operating under this new system the other half, the academies, many of them are saying they're not going to do it."
Simon Murch, of the National Union of Teachers, said: "It seems a very poorly-thought-out idea.
"Anything that changes the system we've got at the moment that works really needs to be thought out."
The council said it had consulted teachers and parents on the changes.
Mr Murch said the union thought the consultation was continuing and no decision had been reached.
Parents have also commented the move on BBC Look North's Facebook page.
Colleen Bell said: 'I love the long summer break with my kids. Plus what a nightmare for parents with children in different schools or colleges that aren't doing this."
Sue Walker said: "Keep your thieving hands off my time with my kids. I'm already being told when I can and cannot go on my holidays with them, and now you want to cut short my holidays."
Claire Sutton supported the move, she said: "I think limiting the summer to four or even five weeks would be a good idea. An extra week or two somewhere else gives parents flexibility with regards to holidays and childcare." | A council has announced a cut in the school summer holidays to under five weeks, bringing criticism from some parents and teachers. | 36443336 |
George Lancelot, 61, was jailed for 20 months on Thursday at Exeter Crown Court for breaching an anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) banning him from swearing and drinking in public.
His latest offence was committed hours after he was released from prison.
As Lancelot was led from the dock on Thursday he shouted: "I'd get less for burglary." He then swore at the court.
Judge Phillip Wassall told Lancelot, of Higher Warberry Road, Torquay: "I am told there is unlikely to be any psychiatric disposition to help you.
"Unless you deal with this you could spend the rest of your life in prison."
Kevin Hopper, defending, said the court should order mental health treatment.
"He (Lancelot) cannot comply with the ASBO because he is mentally ill," said Mr Hopper.
"He faces a life term but I don't know what to suggest."
Andrew Neilson, of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: "We should not be filling our jails with people who have mental health needs, let alone someone who appears to pose no actual threat to the public." | A man with 176 convictions for repeated foul-mouthed outbursts risks spending the rest of his life in prison. | 30335266 |
Spaces at the 3,600-space park, in Stanford West, Kent, will be available from next summer in a bid to reduce congestion on the M20.
During Operation Stack, which was in force 32 times last summer, the motorway was turned into an HGV park for up to 5,000 lorries.
Critics have accused the government of being "too hasty" in its plans.
Stack was activated last year when cross-Channel services were disrupted by the Calais migrant crisis and French ferry worker strikes.
Follow the latest Stack news at our Live page
It was blamed for widespread congestion on the motorway and in the surrounding area - sparking concerns for the local economy and hauliers' income.
Ministers previously said it would provide up to £250m for a permanent lorry area.
In June, the contract to build the site was awarded to Balfour Beatty.
Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) said it was "dismayed" at the decision to build the lorry park at Sanford.
CPRE Kent tweeted: "Spending £250m on lorry park the size of Disneyland in Kent countryside is not the solution to Operation Stack - dismayed at today's decision."
Last month the Transport Select Committee listed possible alternatives, including upgrading the M20, the A2/M2, increasing the capacity of cross-Channel services, or building a network of smaller lorry parks.
During a public consultation, two thirds of those who took part said Stanford West should be the preferred site over the alternative - north of junction 11 at Westenhanger.
New entry and exit slip roads will be built on the eastbound carriageway of the M20, providing direct access to the lorry park, the Department for Transport said.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin, said: "Operation Stack is only ever used as a last resort but we recognise the impact it has on roads in Kent, and are determined to deliver an alternative solution.
"The new lorry area by the M20 will deliver better journeys for drivers and will not only support the region's economy but also businesses as far away as Scotland that rely on the M20 to access the Port of Dover and the Channel Tunnel."
3,600
lorries can use the proposed park
Ministers have pledged £250m
In summer 2015 Operation Stack was implemented 32 times
The cost to the Kent economy each day was estimated to have been £1.45m
Operation Stack was first introduced as a temporary measure in 1988
Matthew Balfour, the Kent County Council cabinet member for environment and transport said: "For years we have argued that a solution to the problem of Operation Stack - blighting not only Kent's residents and businesses but much of the UK - needs to be considered.
"Last year's Stack had an estimated cost to the Kent and Medway economy of around £1.45 million a day and across the country it was estimated to be about £250 million a day."
The Freight Transport Association has welcomed the announcement, saying the lorry park will "end the misery for thousands of residents and businesses".
Natalie Chapman, from the association, said: "However, the design of the lorry site is crucial to ensure that trucks can be quickly moved to the port and Eurotunnel as soon as capacity is available.
"It is important that the lorry park doesn't become out of sight, out of mind. We still need to tackle the causes of Operation Stack." | The site of a "Disneyland-sized" lorry park designed to ease tailbacks caused by Operation Stack has been announced. | 36723359 |
Arrests for thefts and numbers of bikes recovered by the police are also down on last year.
Cycle campaign groups say the figures only tell part of the picture as only one-in-four people report stolen bicycles to police.
The police say owners need to take more responsibility for their bikes.
Cyclist Rob Patterson has had two bikes stolen from the racks at Liverpool Street Station.
On the second occasion he told the police he had seen his bike on an online trading website, but the police did not return his call.
"It seems like they're resigned to the fact that bikes are going to get stolen," he said.
"I effectively did some detective work for them, and I was cast-iron sure I'd caught them a bike thief. They just weren't interested. It makes me really angry to be honest."
A Freedom of Information request by the BBC showed that despite more thefts being reported to the police, in the past 12 months arrests for bike thefts have fallen by 10% and the number of bikes recovered by the force is down for the second consecutive year.
Just under 1,000 bikes - less than 4% - were tracked down by Scotland Yard in the last financial year.
Mike Cavenett of the London Cycling Campaign group said the figures only gave part of the picture.
"Only about one in four bikes in London is reported stolen. That means there could be around 100,000 bikes stolen every year, which is clearly a huge problem.
"The government's spending a lot of money encouraging people to ride their bike and when their bike is stolen about two-thirds of them don't get back on a bike," he said.
But the Met's Cycle Task Force, set up in 2010, says owners can do more to safeguard their bikes.
Sgt Paul Davey said: "If everyone had their bike registered and we had a contact detail which is linked to a security marking which is linked to the frame number on a bike - they're both unique - we could get bikes back to people all the time.
"We could raise that number from 4% up to 100%." | More than 26,000 bicycles were reported stolen to the Metropolitan Police last year, up a third on five years ago, BBC London has learned. | 19266516 |
The pair, aged 25 and 32, were detained over the death of Jordan Thomas, 22, who was shot as he sat in a car at traffic lights in the city centre.
They are currently being questioned, South Yorkshire Police said.
The 27-year-old driver, who was seriously hurt in the shooting on Sunday in Derek Dooley Way, is in a stable condition in hospital.
Shots were fired at the victims as they sat in a silver Ford Mondeo, at about 22.15 GMT.
In a statement, Mr Thomas's family said: "Jordan truly was full of life, with his cheeky grin and quick wit. He was a charmer, anyone luckily enough to have met Jordan will attest to this and those that have met him truly did love him."
At a press conference earlier this week, Det Ch Insp Craig Robinson appealed for witnesses to the shooting to come forward.
"We believe the car was shot at from the passenger side, and then travelled down the Sheffield parkway after the incident, leaving at the first exit heading towards the markets, before pulling into a lay-by and contacting police," he said. | Two men are being held on suspicion of murder after a double shooting in a car in Sheffield that left one man dead. | 30602171 |
Foster and Partners will design a building at Central Square with a new bus station, shops, up to 200,000 sq ft (18,581 sq m) of offices and a 200-bed hotel.
The council aims to get 50% of people in the city using public transport.
The firm is also responsible for designing the new BBC Wales headquarters at the square.
The bus station will be designed around an enclosed public concourse, with a large waiting area. There will also be walkways giving access to the adjacent railway station, a bicycle hub, shops and restaurants.
It will close in August, with buses redirected until it reopens in December 2017. Detailed plans will be submitted to councillors at the end of 2015. | Plans for a transport hub in Cardiff have been revealed as the council announces its preferred architect. | 33286140 |
Last season's beaten finalists Aberdeen will be away to Motherwell when the ties are played next month.
Partick Thistle will host Glasgow neighbours Rangers in the third all-Premiership tie.
And Livingston, who are the only Championship side in the last eight, will visit Hibernian with the matches played on 19, 20 and 21 September.
Celtic and Hibs both recorded 5-0 home wins in Tuesday's second-round ties, beating Kilmarnock and Ayr United respectively, while Partick Thistle won 3-0 away to St Johnstone and Livingston beat Falkirk 2-1 after extra-time.
Then, on Wednesday, Rangers recorded the biggest win of the round with a 6-0 rout of Dunfermline Athletic at Ibrox.
Dundee beat city rivals Dundee United 2-1 at Dens Park and Aberdeen were 1-0 winners away to Hamilton Academical.
The final tie to be decided was Ross County's home meeting with Motherwell, the visitors edging it 3-2 after extra-time.
Scottish League Cup quarter-final draw:
Hibernian v Livingston
Motherwell v Aberdeen
Dundee v Celtic
Partick Thistle v Rangers
Ties to be played on 19/20/21 September | Holders Celtic will meet Dundee at Dens Park in the quarter-finals of the Scottish League Cup. | 40872806 |
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The victory was the German's third in a row, giving him a boost ahead of 2016 after Hamilton won the title last month with three races still to go.
Hamilton tried an off-set race strategy in an attempt to beat his team-mate but Rosberg had sufficient pace in hand.
Kimi Raikkonen finished third, his Ferrari team-mate Sebastian Vettel taking fourth from 15th on the grid.
The result easily secured the Finn fourth place in the championship behind Hamilton, Rosberg and Vettel after Raikkonen started the race a point behind his countryman Valtteri Bottas of Williams.
Hamilton had been determined coming into this final race to try to beat Rosberg and stop the German's run of five consecutive poles and two wins.
But experimenting with the car's set-up and tweaking an aspect of the suspension before qualifying backfired and Rosberg beat him to pole by more than 0.3 seconds.
Rosberg built up a five-second lead before his first pit stop on lap 10 but Hamilton came back at him in the second stint, closing the gap to just over a second before Rosberg's second stop on lap 31 of 55.
Hamilton then rolled the dice - he and engineer Peter Bonnington decided to delay his second stop to enable him to run harder for a shorter distance on his final set of tyres.
The decision was based on Hamilton's inability to pass Rosberg when following closely behind in the previous two races in Mexico and Brazil.
The idea was to allow Hamilton to have fresher tyres than Rosberg for the closing laps and therefore have a better chance to overtake.
Hamilton asked Bonnington before his final stop whether it was worth trying not to stop again and hold off Rosberg if he caught him. But he was told it was a "gamble that I guarantee would not pay off".
Hamilton made his final stop on lap 41, and rejoined 11.5 seconds behind his team-mate with 14 laps to go.
View BBC F1's developing Stars of the Season feature
"Pace is looking good," Bonnington said on Hamilton's second lap out of the pits, but although the world champion took more than a second off Rosberg on some laps in an initial burst of speed, his gains dropped off as the tyres wore out.
Rosberg was able to measure out his tyre life and pace and comfortably held Hamilton at arm's length to take his sixth victory of the year to Hamilton's 10.
"Austin was the low-point, it was a tough weekend," said Rosberg on the podium. "Since then I have come back stronger and I am excited about the way the end of the season went. Its great to end the season like this and go on holiday like this."
Hamilton said: "In hindsight, once Nico pitted I probably would have backed off and made the tyres go a lot longer. The tyres were fine at the end and I think I could have made them last. Going long was probably not the best thing to do but we gave it a try and I did the best I could."
"It has been an amazing year. I am happy. I am happy it is over for sure."
Raikkonen drove a controlled race to take third but the action at Ferrari revolved around team-mate Vettel, who started 15th after the team had made an error in qualifying and miscalculated the time needed to progress beyond the first knock-out session.
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In a mirror of his fightback following a pit lane start here in 2012, but without the luck he had in that drive when he hit a trackside sign and benefited from a safety car, Vettel lost no time in making up places.
He was quickly up into the top six and his race developed into a battle with Perez, who had impressed by qualifying the Force India fourth.
Vettel emerged from his second pit stop on lap 39 on the super-soft tyres about five seconds behind Perez and caught the Mexican within four laps, cruising past the Force India into Turn Nine shortly afterwards.
Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo finished sixth on a weekend when it emerged his team had finally secured a deal for engines for next season - they will continue with Renault.
McLaren's Jenson Button took 13th, one place down on his qualifying position, while team-mate Fernando Alonso had a torrid time on a weekend that had been dominated with speculation about the two-time champion's future.
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Alonso collided with Lotus's Pastor Maldonado at the start, pitted for a new front wing on lap one, then had to serve a drive-through penalty for the touch.
He managed to catch and pass the Manor cars but was a minute behind the rest of the field and midway through the race came on the radio to say he would retire the car if there was not a safety car to allow him to close up.
He did not, though, and continued to the end to finish 17th.
Full race results
Abu Dhabi GP coverage details | Nico Rosberg beat Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton to win the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. | 34958463 |
Umpires Nick Cook and Neil Bainton inspected the ground several times before finally calling the game off early in the afternoon at 14:15 BST.
Leicestershire, who have now lost two matches in a row to the weather, are still looking for their first win.
Worcestershire move up to second in the North Group after taking one point.
"It's desperately frustrating," Worcestershire director of cricket Steve Rhodes told BBC Hereford & Worcester. "At one stage, we thought we might some sort of game, maybe a 20-over match but that last huge downpour sadly put paid to that."
"We've had two wash-outs in a row," said Leicestershire's elite performance director Andrew McDonald: "It is one of those uncontrollable thing. We are playing an outdoor sport and when it rains, you can't play." | Worcestershire's One-Day Cup group game against Leicestershire at New Road was abandoned without a ball bowled after heavy rain left the outfield saturated. | 36530728 |
Hemmed in by mobile towers and squalid buildings, the ground in Salamatpur was an unusual venue for a government-sponsored programme to "spread cheer and happiness".
Undeterred by the surroundings and egged on by an energetic emcee, children in blue-and-white school uniforms, women in bright chiffon saris, and young men in jeans and t-shirts participated in games and festivities all morning. Under a tatty awning, people sprawled and a DJ played some music over crackling speakers. People left some food and old clothes for donation near a "wall of giving".
On the field, children raced in gunny sacks. A dozen girls, hands tied to their back, sprinted to get their teeth into knotty jalebis, a popular sweet. Women, squealing with delight, competed in tug-of-war contests. Jaunty men from a dancing school vowed the crowd with hip-hop dance moves. A four-year-old girl provided a rousing finale with her Bollywood-style hip-swinging gyrations. At the end of it all, beaming participants received glossy certificates.
On the dais crowded with officials and village leaders, there was mirthful insistence that "happiness week" had kicked off well. Videos and pictures of festivities from all over the state poured into the phones of excited officials: these included grannies tugging rope and grandfathers running with spoons in their mouths, among other things.
The fun and games were part of a week-long Happiness Festival, organised by the ruling BJP government in what is India's second largest state, home to more than 70 million people. They also provided a glimpse of the rollout of what is the country's first state-promoted project to "to put a smile on every face".
"Even in our villages, people are becoming introverted and self-centred because of TV and mobile phones. We are trying to get people out of homes, come together, and be happy. The aim is to forget the worries of life and enjoy together," said Shobhit Tripathi a senior village council functionary.
At the heart of this project is the newly-formed Department of Happiness - the first of its kind in India - helmed by the state chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan himself.
The yoga-loving three-term 57-year-old leader of the ruling BJP believes the "state can help in ensuring the mental well being of its people".
Under him a gaggle of bureaucrats and a newly formed State Institute of Happiness are tasked with the responsibility of "developing tools of happiness" and creating an "ecosystem that would enable people to realise their own potential of inner well being". The department also plans to run some 70 programmes and develop a Happiness Index for the state.
Mr Chouhan, who taught philosophy in a local college before embarking on a successful career in politics, told me he had been thinking for a long time of how to "bring happiness in people's lives".
He then had an epiphany. Why couldn't his government run programmes to help citizens have a "positive mindset"? One report said that he was prodded by a popular guru.
There is more joy sometimes, Mr Chouhan told me, "being poor than being wealthy".
But one wonders if people would be happy enough if the state was efficient in delivering basic services and be seen to be fair to all its people.
After all, Madhya Pradesh continues to be among India's poorest states. More than a third of its people are Dalits (formerly known as untouchables) and tribespeople, among the most underprivileged. The world's worst industrial accident happened in the state capital, Bhopal, in 1984, killing hundreds of people, and thousands of survivors are still fighting for compensation.
Despite impressive strides in farming, infrastructure and public services in recent years, illiteracy, undernourishment and poverty remain major challenges. Not many years ago, the state languished at the bottom of a human development index. When Mr Chouhan announced his plan last year, critics warned that the state would have to first deal with several "unhappy areas to make people happy".
Mr Chouhan agreed that providing food and shelter remained the primary responsibility of the state. But he said he was also worried about "families breaking up, rising divorces, and the increasing number of single people". He spoke about the anomie of modern life, and how unwieldy aspirations lead to "excess stress and results in high suicide rates".
He said that the state, borrowing from religious texts and folk wisdom, can help spread the virtues of "goodness, altruism, forgiveness, humility and peace".
"We need people to have a positive mindset. We will try to achieve this through school lessons, yoga, religious education, moral science, meditation and with help from gurus, social workers and non-profits. It will be a wide ranging programme," he said.
I wondered whether all this would spawn another gargantuan bureaucracy of happiness and invite allegations of cultural indoctrination by a Hindu nationalist government.
Don't worry, Iqbal Singh Bains, the senior-most official in the department of happiness assured me. He's also the top bureaucrat in the energy department.
"This is not about officials delivering happiness. This is not about preachy governance. You cannot deliver happiness to people. You can only bring about an enabling environment. The journey will be yours alone, the government is there to lend you a helping hand," he told me.
Lending a hand would be more than 25,000 "happiness volunteers" who have signed up with the government. Government workers, teachers, doctors, homemakers and assorted people will work in the state's 51 districts, holding "happiness tutorials and programmes". Some 90 of them have already been trained.
Sushil Mishra is one of them. The 48-year-old school teacher, who lives and works in remote Umaria, has already conducted four hour-long happiness classes at a secondary school, a student's hostel, and government offices.
The classes, as he tells me, essentially have turned into confessionals, where participants talk about their good and not-so-good deeds, and pledge to improve themselves. Mr Mishra says it's a challenge to create a relaxing, informal environment, where people can "wrestle with their inner demons".
"Then they can listen to the voice of their soul, they are in touch with inner feelings. Nothing is forced."
Madhya Pradesh is not the first place to try to "spread happiness". But the jury is out on whether the state can play the role of a philosopher-counsellor-evangelist and make citizens happy.
Three years ago, Bhutanese PM Tshering Tobgay cast doubts on the country's popular pursuit of Gross National Happiness (GNH), saying that the concept was overused and masked problems with corruption and low standards of living. In 2013, Venezuela announced a "ministry of happiness", but it did not stop the country from descending into social and economic chaos. Last year, United Arab Emirates announced the creation of a minister of state for happiness to "create social good and satisfaction".
Many like sociologist Shiv Visvanathan believe the state has no right getting into the business of spreading happiness. Happiness, they say, is no laughing matter and its relationship with ambition is complex.
"The state cannot start defining what exactly contributes to mental well being. The state cannot colonise the subconscious. What happens to dissenting imagination or civil society? Trying to impose something as abstract as happiness on its people is not only bizarre, but downright dangerous," said Dr Visvanathan.
Mr Chouhan obviously believes otherwise. In November, 24 of his ministers were sent five questions to find out how happy they were. A score of less than 22 meant that the respondent wasn't happy.
Nobody knows the answers yet. | On a crisp weekday afternoon recently, hundreds of men and women, young and old, thronged a dusty playground of a government high school in a village in Madhya Pradesh state. | 38741238 |
Cox, 25, will join Olympic taekwondo champion Jade Jones and Rio silver medal-winning gymnast Louis Smith on the show.
She won cycling and athletics gold at the Rio Paralympics.
British Athletics made the decision to withdraw Cox's funding with the support of British Cycling.
Cox, who has multiple sclerosis after a stroke in May 2014, later tweeted that her condition is a "ticking time bomb" which prompted her decision to go and "enjoy skiing".
UK Sport told BBC Sport the participation of funded athletes in the show was a matter for the individual sports concerned.
Cox does not have a major cycling event this year, with no Para-cycling Track World Championships officially confirmed, but she would be expected to take part in the Para Athletics World Championships in London in July.
"Due to the nature of the activities on the show, the athlete cannot continue to be supported by the WCPP (World Class Performance Programme) during this time," said a statement from British Athletics.
"Her UK Sport funding will be suspended until she returns to training and proves her fitness."
The medical teams from both sporting organisations are believed to have advised Cox against participating in the show but have allowed her to make her own decision.
"Kadeena enjoyed a fantastic 2016, making history by winning Paralympic gold in both athletics and cycling, and we respect her decision to take some time away from the sport to pursue the opportunities that her success has afforded her," added British Cycling.
Both organisations wished Cox well and said they look forward to her return after the show.
On Tuesday, GB Taekwondo said they "had reservations" but "understood" Jones' decision to take part and had held "extensive" talks with the 23-year-old about the risks involved.
Jones will still receive her full UK Sport funding during her time on the programme.
The show, which sees celebrities competing at winter sports, including ski-jumping, bobsleigh and speed skating, has seen a number of serious injuries.
Last year, Olympic gymnast Beth Tweddle needed surgery to have fractured vertebrae fused together after she was injured in training, while double gold medal-winning swimmer Rebecca Adlington suffered a shoulder injury.
Former Holby City actress Tina Hobley sustained knee, shoulder and arm injuries and has only recently stopped using crutches and Made In Chelsea star Mark-Francis Vandelli broke his ankle.
In addition, athlete Linford Christie pulled a hamstring, ex-EastEnders actor Joe Swash chipped a bone in his shoulder, Girls Aloud star Sarah Harding injured a ligament and model Heather Mills hurt her knee and thumb.
Channel 4 says there has been a "thorough review of safety procedures" before this year's series. | Paralympic champion Kadeena Cox has had her UK Sport funding suspended while she takes part in Channel 4 winter sports programme The Jump. | 38505652 |
An analyst says the channel sidelined her after she ended an extramarital affair with Making Money host Charles Payne, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Mr Payne said on Twitter the story is "an ugly lie I vehemently deny to my core".
Fox has been embroiled in a sexual harassment scandal for a year.
The cable news network said in a statement: "We take issues of this nature extremely seriously and have a zero tolerance policy for any professional misconduct.
"This matter is being thoroughly investigated and we are taking all of the appropriate steps to reach a resolution in a timely manner."
Mr Payne - who has worked at Fox Business Network since its 2007 launch - acknowledged to the National Enquirer on Wednesday that he had had a "romantic relationship" with a married female political analyst, who frequently appeared on Fox Business Network and Fox News Channel.
The presenter's statement to the supermarket tabloid included an apology to his wife, children and friends.
The unnamed accuser contacted 21st Century Fox's lawyers to allege her appearances on Fox were cut after she ended her affair with Mr Payne, reports the Los Angeles Times.
She said she only stayed in a relationship with Mr Payne because she hoped it would help her secure a permanent position at Fox, sources told the newspaper.
Neal Korval, Mr Payne's lawyer, told the Times his client denied sexually harassing the woman.
The attorney did not immediately return a request from the BBC for comment.
But Mr Payne said on Twitter: "That is an ugly lie I vehemently deny to my core. There is a mountain of proof that also proves its [sic] a lie."
He added: "I will fight this like a lion armed with truth. Thanks so much to all those that have reached out in support."
Earlier this week Fox Sports senior executive Jamie Horowitz was fired amid sexual harassment claims.
The scandal has also seen the late chairman Roger Ailes and star anchor Bill O'Reilly forced out.
The clampdown by the channel's owner, Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox, comes as it seeks British regulatory approval to take over broadcaster Sky. | A Fox Business Network presenter has been suspended amid reports of a sexual harassment allegation - the latest such claim to hit the cable giant. | 40533954 |
The London PC's dismembered body was found in the flat of Stefano Brizzi - the IT worker who has been found guilty of his murder by an Old Bailey jury.
The men met using Grindr, the smartphone app millions of gay men use to look up others nearby and send them messages, often to arrange dates or "hook-ups".
Sometimes that can involve finding partners willing to take part in extreme sexual activities while taking drugs, sold or exchanged when users meet up.
"Chemsex", as it is known, is a growing part of gay culture, and the Brizzi trial laid bare its darkest secrets.
Few of PC Semple's colleagues in the Metropolitan Police even knew he was gay. He had been with his partner for 25 years but, as he had told one or two people, he had found something that was giving him an exciting secret sex life.
He did it surreptitiously - slipping away from a job in which his seniority allowed him the freedom to decide his own schedule.
CCTV footage from the day of his disappearance in April last year shows PC Semple walking through London glued to his mobile. The data from that phone shows what he was doing.
PC Semple and Brizzi had discussed, through Grindr messages, their plans. They involved bondage, sadomasochism, suffocation and drugs.
At his trial Brizzi, who claims to have had a strict Catholic upbringing at odds with his homosexuality and had no obvious signs of a violent past, pleaded not guilty to murder, claiming PC Semple had died in a "sex game gone wrong".
Brizzi came to London from Tuscany, Italy, in 2011 and became an IT analyst at Morgan Stanley in the City - a job he lost after he began taking crystal meth, or methamphetamine.
He referred to the drug as Nutella in his online posts but it is more commonly known as "Tina". Other substances popular on the chemsex scene include M, or mephedrone, and G - GHB.
Experts refer to them as "party drugs", and describe how for some gay men they have replaced ecstasy and cocaine.
Monty Moncrieff, who runs the Antidote support group which is part of the London Friend counselling service, says the new drugs are more potent, and their availability has been enhanced through apps.
"The coming together of the drugs and the apps, it's like a perfect storm," he said.
Crystal meth use has grown among gay men, he says, because it "lends itself to sex", reducing inhibitions and allowing them to stay awake for longer.
But it is more intense than cocaine, and can be injected, raising the health risk. The comedown from the drug "can be intense", he says, and may result in hallucinations and psychosis.
This might explain, though not excuse, the horrific way in which Brizzi attempted to dispose of PC Semple's body.
Prosecutor Crispin Aylett QC told the jury that Brizzi, who had admitted a charge of obstructing a coroner in the execution of their duty, had dismembered PC Semple so no-one could find out exactly how the police officer had died.
Inspired by an episode of US TV show Breaking Bad, he cut up the officer's body and tried to dissolve it in an acid bath.
Crystal meth has become infamous in the UK from its portrayal in the same TV show in which a mild-mannered New Mexico suburbanite, Walter White, becomes a major dealer.
Brizzi was a huge fan of the show. It appears on a screen behind him in a selfie he posted on Facebook, along with a discussion of his intention to keep taking crystal meth.
Britain does not have a major problem with methamphetamine, apart from in the gay scene.
While Antidote's Monty Moncrieff says he has heard of drug-related deaths, what he is particularly concerned about is the impact on users' mental health.
Experts believe this has created something of a vicious cycle since psychological problems may be driving gay men towards the apps, the sex and the drugs in the first place.
Journalist Matt Todd argues in his book, Straight Jacket - How To Be Gay and Happy, that the legacy of a difficult upbringing, at odds with one's sexuality, can often be to blame.
"You are looking for ways to feel better about yourself. Taking drugs, having sex with people, being validated, it's a very heady mix.
"When these new drugs are mixed with apps which make it very, very easy to meet new partners it can be a very dangerous, compelling, compulsive, explosive situation.
"Drugs are passed around and sometimes people wake up and they don't know what's happened to them, or they may have been sexually assaulted, or they may have been raped." | PC Gordon Semple appeared settled in life but he had a secret - a dangerous lifestyle of extreme sexual activity, arranged over the internet and fuelled by drugs. | 37908407 |
Rohith Vemula, a PhD student, killed himself inside the campus of Hyderabad Central University last month.
He was one of five Dalit, formerly known as untouchables, students who were protesting against their expulsion from the university's housing facility.
Mr Vemula's friends have blamed the university's top officials and a federal minister for his death.
The BBC Hindi's Imran Qureshi says the protesting students decided to return to classes after arriving at a "conditional agreement" with the newly appointed vice-chancellor of the university.
The university has already revoked the suspension of the four other Dalit students following the uproar over Mr Vemula's death.
The university was shut on 18 January after Mr Vemula, a research scholar, took his own life.
Mr Vemula's friends want action to be taken against the university's senior officials as well as federal minister Bandaru Dattatreya, who is accused of pressurising university officials to take action against the Dalit students.
Students across India have held protests over the incident.
Mr Vemula and the four other students faced allegations last year that they attacked a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) - the student wing of India's ruling BJP. They all denied the charge.
The university cleared them in an initial inquiry, but reversed its decision in December.
The five Dalit students were subsequently barred from using the university's housing and other facilities, reports say, prompting their supporters to allege they had been subject to a "social boycott". | A university in south India has reopened after protests over the death of a Dalit student forced it to shut. | 35457270 |
Pending regulatory approval it would be a merger between two very different companies.
Time Warner creates content - TV shows, channels and movies.
AT&T's wireless, phone and cable networks are major platforms people access that content on.
For the consumer, this deal might affect price, choice and advertising - issues regulators will inevitably be examining before giving the go-ahead.
And politicians have already weighed in, with the two presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump both saying they were wary of the deal.
So what are the issues?
Whether it is hit series Game of Thrones or the Harry Potter movies, the CNN news network or NFL football on TNT - swathes of popular content is all owned by Time Warner.
And one big concern is that AT&T will use the deal to offer more of Time Warner's content for its existing customers, and woo new ones by offering perks to access Time Warner's hit shows.
It could, for example, make its own offerings available via "zero-rating" - allowing customers to stream certain content without it eating into their data plans.
This means that if you are on AT&T - you would be able to stream NFL games or Game of Thrones episodes without having to worry about hitting data usage limits.
That might be a good thing if you happen to be on AT&T (and of course if those shows interest you).
But for customers signed up to a rival telecoms company, there is already a fear they could find themselves having to pay more, switch providers, or go without.
There is a lot of very successful content assembled under the Time Warner umbrella: HBO, Warner Brothers film studios, CNN, TBS, and TNT. It also owns DC Entertainment, home to Batman and Superman and has a 10% stake in the Hulu streaming subscription service.
But media content companies like Time Warner are facing distribution challenges with rapidly changing audience behaviour. Younger viewers in particular are "cutting the cord", ditching cable and watching their favourite shows on mobile devices.
For any smaller media company without privileged access to a network like AT&T's, it will be increasingly hard to get noticed and push past the dominant market players.
And with media analysts expecting this deal to kick off more consolidation in the industry (Disney buying Netflix to help its distribution is one rumour doing the rounds, while a big tech firm like Apple or Google buying Disney is also seen as a possibility by some) things are only likely to get harder for small players.
The merger will also help AT&T "innovate on new advertising options, which, combined with subscriptions, will help pay for the cost of content creation," the company said over the weekend.
How would that work? Well AT&T's ability to gather data about user behaviour from its tens of millions of customers means the company can do a better job tailoring adverts and video to user preferences.
It could then create more attractive subscription packages suited for phones, which is the platform people increasingly choose for watching video.
Better targeted advertising would bring in more money to flow back into content creation, says AT&T. It could even make subscriptions cheaper - though without pressure from competition, there might be little incentive for AT&T to pass increased earnings on to their customers. | AT&T's planned takeover of Time Warner would be one of the biggest deals the industry has ever seen, and one that will almost certainly affect consumers - especially in the US. | 37748137 |
In all, 11,000 livelihoods and 20,000 pensions were affected when BHS collapsed with crippling debts. The mudslinging between a colourful cast of characters has only just started.
The opening exchanges between MPs and the pension regulator now give way to the principal cast in the ill-starred sale of BHS for £1 to a relative unknown with a chequered history.
The next few weeks of joint select committee investigations may at times seem like a game of Cluedo.
Was it the former racing driver, twice-bankrupt yacht enthusiast with no retail experience? Was it the straight-talking flamboyant billionaire retail tycoon and his glamorous Monaco-based wife?
Even the bit-players are important - the advisers from a variety of blue-chip firms who managed to combine in a way that effectively vouched for a buyer who many think shouldn't have passed the smell test.
For Sir Philip Green, the central question is this. Did he knowingly sell a struggling business to a retail novice in the knowledge that the company, its employees and its pensioners were doomed? Or did he receive enough reassurance from others and leave enough of a cash dowry to give BHS a fighting chance?
For Dominic Chappell, the inquiry should focus on whether he had any prospect or intention of turning BHS around - or whether he set about extracting as much cash in fees and management charges as he could from the business before the adminstrators stepped in to freeze the accounts.
For the various advisers (Grant Thornton, Olswang, Antony Gutman from Goldman Sachs, PWC, Linklaters etc), the question is whether this transaction satisfied the due diligence standards that blue-chip firms are expected and required to uphold.
Linklaters, who advised Sir Philip Green, and Olswang, who advised Chappell, are already in dispute over who did which background checks.
The most uncomfortable seat in the House of Commons today may be reserved for Anthony Gutman, Goldman Sachs banker and informal adviser to Sir Philip Green.
Though his firm was not engaged or paid by Sir Philip, he is thought to have vetted potential buyers for BHS - a process that seems to have badly wrong. Just how thorough was he at this early stage?
The box office attractions, however, will be the appearances of Dominic Chappell on 8 June and Sir Philip Green on 15 June.
It's a rich cast and a fascinating tale that promises to shine a light on the workings of corporate Britain.
Meanwhile, BHS continues to trade as the administrators evaluate proposals to find a new buyer offering a more sustainable future for the 90-year-old business. That process should conclude this week. Don't forget the popcorn. | Get your popcorn, take your seats and settle in for a piece of business theatre with elements of near-farce and tragedy. | 36357175 |
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Britain's leading female jockey is quitting the sport at the end of the Flat racing season in November.
The 32-year-old Nottingham-born rider told BBC East Midlands Today: "The time has come when I am ready to take my foot off the gas.
"I know I cannot succeed as a jockey if I carry on trying to do it."
Turner is the first female British jockey to ride 100 winners in a year, has more than 750 winners during her career and has ridden two Group One winners at the highest level in Britain.
She added: "To succeed as a jockey, you have to go all out, have your foot on the gas constantly and can't take days off. You can't pick and choose.
"It's what I have been doing for the last 15 years but I definitely feel like I have made the right decision.
"It has gone so fast. When I stop and look back it will be like 'that was a blur'."
Turner, who is based in Newmarket, will start working with the At The Races television channel before deciding on her next step.
"I have a few different things and don't want to say too much but I will see what drives me," she added. | Hayley Turner says she no longer has the motivation to maintain her high standards and is convinced it is the correct time to retire. | 34411115 |
Three people were convicted of child abuse which took place at the homes in the 1970s and 80s.
Abuse survivors believe there are other offenders who were never prosecuted.
They have compiled testimony which will be handed to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse.
Fifty-two houses on the 70-acre Shirley Oaks site, near Croydon, looked after children in care between the ages of eight and 14 from the 1950s to 80s.
The Shirley Oaks Survivors' Association launched a campaign video on Wednesday featuring accounts of adults who were brought up there.
Former resident Raymond Stevenson said the video "will enable victims to tell their story through a medium that cannot be tampered with or edited".
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, chaired by Justice Lowell Goddard, announced in November that child abuse in Lambeth children's homes, including Shirley Oaks, will be among the first investigations it will carry out.
But Labour MP Chuka Umunna, a member of the Home Affairs Committee whose constituency is home to several survivors, called for the government to allocate specific funding for the police to investigate child abuse and for councils to be given money to pay compensation to victims.
Mr Umunna said he was concerned the inquiry could generate up to 30,000 cases, putting pressure on police resources.
Former residents said they were preyed upon, sexually abused and tortured for decades, some committing suicide.
They have called Shirley Oaks the "largest children's home in the world, with the largest paedophile ring".
There have been long-running accusations of a cover-up and survivors recently called for an investigation into a boy's death in 1977 to be reopened. | Campaigners on behalf of victims of child sexual abuse at the Shirley Oaks children's homes in south London have said they received allegations that 32 paedophiles were involved. | 35058827 |
The Hive, a 55ft (17m) high and 40 tonne work which incorporates lights and music, was originally created for the 2015 Milan Expo.
The lattice installation, which is made up of 170,000 parts, was designed by Nottingham artist Wolfgang Buttress.
It opens to the public on Saturday.
The designer said the piece was "a multi-sensory experience that integrates art, science and landscape architecture".
A Kew spokesman said the work was "inspired by scientific research into the health of honeybee and has become a visual symbol of the challenges facing bees today".
Buttress's daughter Camille worked with the bands Spiritualized and Amiina and sounds from nature, such queen bees buzzing and ducks quaking, to create a soundscape for the installation, while the light and sound intensity is controlled by instruments measuring the activity of bees in one of Kew's real hives.
The work will stand in the London gardens until the end of 2017. | A giant aluminium beehive that uses real bee activity to give visitors an "experiential insight" into the life of a colony has been installed in the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. | 36542080 |
Baseo, in Southend, posted a film of the incident on its Facebook page, saying the child was used as a "visual shield" during the theft.
As reported in the Echo, a Samsung Galaxy A3 worth £151 was taken on 2 July.
Essex Police said it was investigating and appealed for details about the man.
Follow the latest on this and other stories on BBC Essex Live
In the footage, the young girl can be seen perching on the edge of the shop's counter while the man stands beside her.
When a member of staff walks out of view, the man can be seen leaning over the counter to take something from a shelf.
He then appears to put it in his pocket before lifting the girl from the counter and putting her in a buggy.
The girl jumps out of the buggy to stand with a woman, while the man heads towards the exit.
Adam Keys, who runs the electrical shop's social media accounts, said the theft was "absolutely disgusting".
"The crime itself is enough, but to use a child to obstruct the view is something else completely.
"It's vile."
An Essex Police spokeswoman said: "Anybody who recognises the man, who is white, of a skinny build, in his mid to late 20s with dark hair, and was wearing a grey polo shirt, is asked to contact police on 101." | CCTV footage of a "vile" thief apparently using a child as a decoy while he steals a mobile phone from an electrical shop has been released. | 36763005 |
The portrait by Oscar Rialubin from the Philippines is called Xyclops.
Martin Samworth, chief executive of CBRE said: "The competition constantly provides us with new perspectives on working environments within cities. This year was no exception and Rialubin's intimate portrait of a watch repairman gives insight into a universal trade. Urban life is constantly changing and the beauty of the competition is that it has captured this every year through the winning images."
The Europe, Middle East and Africa prize was awarded to Armen Dolukhanyan for another black-and-white picture. This one shows a young couple, both in the Ukrainian police force.
Peter Graney's photograph of poultry being prepared for market in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, won him the Asia Pacific prize.
The other top award went to Christopher Martin, as the winner of the Americas prize for his picture Winter Work, which shows an aeroplane being de-iced at Calgary International Airport, Canada.
Cocu Liu won the mobile section of the competition, capturing this winter scene in Chicago on his phone camera.
There were two awards for younger photographers, with Diogo Miguel Carvalho Goncalves claiming the prize for the 13-15-year-old category with this picture taken at the Carreiros do Monte in Madeira.
The 16-25 age category was won by Belal Hossain Rana, who photographed technicians in Bangladesh working underground to repair electrical cables.
As well as these awards a picture is selected to depict each hour of the day around the globe - here is a small selection of them.
Pedro Lins's picture was taken during a series of protests in Rio De Janeiro in Brazil.
A construction site opposite Borna Mirahmadian's home in Tehran, Iran, is the subject of another image selected by the judges.
Mirahmadian said: "One night I noticed the employees were working double-shift throughout the night (apparently to finish their job on time). Contrasting colours of the lights and shapes of workers' silhouettes grabbed my attention and after a long wait, I could capture this shot from the window of my bedroom."
Johanna Siegmann photographed professional dog walker Leslie in Malibou, California.
Siegmann said: "She can walk up to 20 dogs at a time, although on this day she 'only' had 12. Here she is driving them to a dog park, where they will be allowed to run around, unleashed. The hardest part of her job, from what I witnessed, was unravelling the giant macrame knot of leashes created when the dogs weave in and out around each other."
Martin Faltejsek's picture was taken in London and captured a man with his smartphone.
Faltejsek said: "I was spending some time at my friends in London and one night we went out to buy some food. Walking through the little backstreets, we were passing by so many people standing in front of walls or sitting down on pavements, holding their smartphones and smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol.
"I love the simplicity in the picture, the symbol of an empty wall and one little man standing there. We tend to live our lives inside social sites and we prefer to spend our time swiping through our phones instead of communicating with people in real life. I find this reality very sad." | A portrait of a watch repairer has been crowned the winner of this year's CBRE Urban Photographer of the Year competition, beating more than 21,000 entries from 113 countries. | 34548394 |
Mr Nicklinson can do almost nothing for himself - nothing except make a few eye and head movements. But it is enough for him to make his views crystal clear.
Although he was paralysed by a stroke in 2005, his intellect is intact. I met him and his wife Jane at their home in Wiltshire in advance of his High Court hearing.
Mr Nicklinson wants the courts to allow a doctor to give him to give him a lethal dose - it is a direct challenge to the law on murder.
It takes Mr Nicklinson a minute or two to compose each sentence. A sensor at the bottom of the screen tracks his eye movements and when he settles on the letter or word he wants, he blinks. I interviewed him at his home in Wiltshire a few days ago.
His care needs are too complex to allow him to make the journey to court.
I have reported his case several times so I was glad to meet him and to try to understand a little more about his life and why he wants to be allowed to die.
He told me "each day is getting that little bit more uncomfortable and harder to bear".
You can watch the interview by clicking the box above.
The hearing at the High Court represents a fundamental challenge to the law on murder. In amounts to an appeal to allow euthanasia which is strictly prohibited.
It goes further than the case of Diane Pretty, who had motor neurone disease. The House of Lords rejected her appeal in 2001 to allow her husband to assist her suicide.
Tony Nicklinson is paralysed from the neck down so he could not pick up and drink a lethal cocktail prepared by another. Instead he wants a doctor to administer the lethal dose.
So what are the arguments which Tony Nicklinson's legal team will use in court?
First they will try the common law defence of necessity against a murder charge - arguing that the only way to end his suffering is to allow him to die. This is judge-made and judge-interpreted law - it's not written down in statute.
Necessity was used successfully in 2000 in the case of conjoined twins - doctors had to separate them in order to allow one to live. They knew the other twin would die, but necessity demanded they sacrifice one to save the other, otherwise both would have perished.
This case is very different, and I have re-read the judgement in the Pretty case at the House of Lords, and there the same argument of necessity was rejected.
Mr Nicklinson's team will also argue that his case is covered by Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights which deals with the right to respect for private and family life.
This does not mention a right to death, but this part of the Convention has been frequently used in assisted suicide cases.
Mr Nicklinson will not be at court as his care needs are too complex to allow him to journey from Wiltshire to London.
The hearing at the High Court will last a few days and then judgement is expected to be reserved until a later date.
The case raises huge ethical and social issues which will spark major debate in the weeks ahead. Win or lose, Mr Nicklinson can be assured that the issue of whether there is a right to die will be discussed in great detail by judges, politicians, the media and the public. | Tony Nicklinson scans the screen, blinks, and then his words - which he has painstakingly compiled - are read out by a computer-generated voice. | 18500155 |
The fire in Grantham began at 17:15 GMT and caused disruption to journeys on the East Coast Main Line, with trains having to pass the site at lower speed.
Five fire crews remained at the scene in Spring Hill Gardens, London Road, along with police and engineers.
Western Power Distribution said power had been restored to most customers but about 1,300 were still without supply.
Rail delays on Virgin East Coast services were expected to last until at least 21:30 GMT, the company said.
The fire has also caused severe disruption and delays on local roads including the A52 London Road.
Lincolnshire Police said no-one was thought to have been injured in the blaze and the cause was unknown.
Residents in the area of the fire have been advised to keep windows and doors closed by Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue. | A fire at an electricity sub-station in Lincolnshire cut power to more than 16,000 homes and disrupted trains. | 35876465 |
United made no comment after last week's reports that club officials had held talks with ex-Chelsea boss Mourinho's representatives.
Asked whether he thought there had been talks, Van Gaal said: "In football that is possible, but I do not think that."
He said he "had a relationship" with chief executive Ed Woodward and owners the Glazers and "they would tell me".
On the question of whether United's silence regarding Mourinho was unsettling, Van Gaal, 64, said: "You don't have to answer invented stories. I agree with this policy of the club."
United are out of the Champions League and are currently fifth in the Premier League table, six points adrift of Manchester City in fourth.
They face second-from-bottom Sunderland at the Stadium of Light in Saturday's early kick-off.
Van Gaal, who took charge in May 2014 and led United to fourth place last year, agreed with the suggestion that another fourth-placed finish would be regarded as a "good" season.
"I think so, but that analysis has to be made by the board and maybe also by the media," he said.
"I think that you have to always look at the circumstances, how you have to work, and I think this board is doing that." | Louis van Gaal says he would be "disappointed" if Manchester United have spoken to Jose Mourinho. | 35562445 |
A cross-party group of peers said Britain's financial sector must be offered a Brexit "bridge" to prevent firms moving to rival locations such as New York, Dublin, Frankfurt or Paris.
It urged the government to act to stop business tumbling off a "cliff edge".
It comes as Prime Minister Theresa May prepares to meet other EU leaders at a summit meeting in Brussels.
Mrs May will take part in EU-wide discussions on defence, foreign affairs, migration and the economy as well as holding bilateral meetings with the leaders of Latvia and Lithuania and the president of the European Parliament.
However, she will not be present for a dinner on Thursday evening - at which the EU's remaining 27 leaders are expected to discuss their approach to Brexit.
In other Brexit developments:
The UK is expected to begin official negotiations on the terms of its exit this Spring following the Leave vote in June's referendum.
Businesses are pushing for an interim arrangement to safeguard the interests of companies, investors and customers during the period between the UK's departure and when post-Brexit trading and regulatory arrangements are settled.
In the latest of a series of Lords Committee reports on Brexit, its EU financial affairs sub-committee said firms could decide to remove their operations from London because of uncertainty about what kind of agreement would be negotiated for cross-border trade.
Analysis by Simon Jack, the BBC's business editor
There are many definitions of what such a Brexit transition might look like.
Is it merely an implementation period for a largely agreed deal or is it a longer term arrangement that keeps the status quo in place while details are worked out more slowly?
Either way, the pressure for more clarity is growing. The Lords Committee is warning that thousands of banking jobs will go to Europe if some sort of transition deal is not made ready.
Lobbying group TheCityUK will endorse that view and privately bankers are finalising contingency plans and some are close to pressing "Go".
The chairman of HSBC, Douglas Flint, has told Bloomberg TV that the bank was looking at the option of moving staff to Paris if needed.
As one source told me: "There is no enthusiasm for leaving. Banks are looking for excuses to stay."
We'll soon see whether the sudden warmth towards a transitional deal is excuse enough.
Baroness Falkner, the Lib Dem peer who chairs the committee, said that while she did not detect any sense of panic in the City, it was important "red lines" were set out in areas such as passporting rights, which London firms need in order to trade freely across EU.
"Companies may decide that uncertainty is too high a price to pay so they might as well move to Dublin, they might as well move to Frankfurt - that is our great concern."
The Lords urged businesses to strengthen the government's negotiating hand by sharing internal analysis about their passporting rights as soon as possible.
It said a failure to do so could leave companies seeking equivalent provisions that are "patchy, unreliable and vulnerable to political influence".
However, it said building a detailed picture may prove a challenge for the government because some City firms do not fully understand their reliance on passporting.
"The committee got a sense that [government] engagement has been sporadic and it should be more consistent and there ought to be a clearer view," Baroness Falkner said.
The Lords also stressed the importance of firms being able to seamlessly move staff around Europe to ensure they and the growing FinTech sector continued to thrive.
Speaking on Friday, Mr Davis said his over-arching goal was "maximum access to markets with the minimum disruption" to firms as part of a "smooth and orderly" exit.
He said a transitional agreement was possible "if necessary" but he believed both sides should be able to conclude a full EU withdrawal agreement within the 18-month timeframe set out by EU negotiators. | Financial services firms could quit the City unless a transitional Brexit deal is secured, ministers have been warned. | 38319338 |
Hayley Pointon, 30, was shot at a house in Hinckley, Leicestershire, as she visited her on-off boyfriend Nigel Barwell, in February 2013.
Aaron Power, 25 and Aaron Newman, 24, both of Coventry, had blamed each other for the killing.
The pair were ordered to serve a minimum of 31 years each for murdering Ms Pointon, of Coventry.
The eight-week trial at Leicester Crown Court heard that Mr Barwell was the intended target for the shooting.
Ms Pointon had been leaving the property when shots were fired, and died from a single gunshot wound.
The judge, Mr Justice King, said: "The scars you have inflicted on each family member will be long-lasting.
"This was in truth a calculated, cold-blooded murder. This was a planned killing and each of you were part of that plan.
"It may never be known who fired the shot but what is sure is each of you were involved in the killing and each had an intention to kill."
Hayley's mother, Kerry Pointon, said the family would try to rebuild their "shattered lives".
She said: "She can never be replaced in our lives and therefore we feel that there can never be any true justice for Hayley and her children."
A third man, Dylan Whitty, 30, from Coventry, was found guilty of assisting an offender. He is due to be sentenced on 8 September.
Three other men were cleared of the same charge. | Two men who shot dead a mother-of-two by mistake have been jailed for life for her murder. | 33757609 |
The party launched the document in Wakefield and said it is fielding 21 candidates, up from the 14 it had in the 2015 election.
Stewart Arnold, the party's leader, said it wanted to "invigorate the often stale, tribal politics we have in Yorkshire".
Mr Arnold said the amount of devolution Yorkshire had received was "nothing".
Live updates and more stories from Yorkshire
It describes itself as a progressive political party campaigning for Yorkshire devolution.
"The transfer of real and meaningful powers from London to Yorkshire is the key to a better economy, better education, better housing and better democracy", he said.
Mr Arnold said the party would be campaigning "across the three Ridings".
Its manifesto claimed Yorkshire has a larger population than Scotland, an economy twice that of Wales and covered a bigger area than Greater London.
Two major parties have also chosen West Yorkshire for their manifesto launches.
The Conservative Party had earlier launched its document in Halifax.
Meanwhile, the Labour party launched its pledges in Bradford, on Tuesday.
Professor Martin Smith, from the University of York, said Yorkshire was being seen as a "central battleground" for the two parties.
"It is a crucial part of the campaign for both parties as they want to show that they are not just parties of the south but of what they see as ordinary working people," he said.
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Other Yorkshire Party pledges include "protection of greenbelt and a green Yorkshire" and "investment in our county's infrastructure". | The Yorkshire Party has demanded the setting up of a parliament for the county in its election manifesto. | 39963173 |
The Pilatus PC12 and Cessna C152 were on a collision course over Denham Airfield, Buckinghamshire last May, the UK Airprox Board (UKAB) report showed.
The Pilatus pilot saw the Cessna "very close" on his right and turned left.
The C152 pilot said he saw the gold aircraft 150-200m away but did not have time to take avoiding action.
UKAB said "chance" had played a large part in the two planes coming so close at an altitude of about 1,000 ft, just after 09:00 BST on 23 May, but the PC12 pilot "flew into conflict" with the C152.
The board said it was "unfortunate" the PC12 pilot had not seen the C152 earlier, but it was "fortunate" he did eventually see it, albeit at close range.
UKAB said both pilots shared equal responsibility for avoiding the collision, but the C152 pilot, who was instructing a student at the time, had right of way. He had recorded a "high risk" of collision.
"With a combination of a late sighting, relatively high overtake speed, and reported hard turn away, it was also agreed that separation had been reduced to the minimum, and that chance had played a major part in events," the report said. | Two light aircraft that came within 200m of colliding avoided a crash when one pilot spotted the danger at the last minute, a report said. | 34289666 |
The unnamed Slovakian national, who was being sought for multiple serious sexual offences in his native country, was found in Girlington on Saturday.
Officers searched three different homes before he was found at a fourth address.
He has been arrested and taken to a detention centre before being deported, West Yorkshire Police said.
In a Facebook posting, the force said it was "feeling accomplished" and several officers had "conducted enquiries" in that part of Bradford, looking for the man who they said had links to the area.
It added: "After speaking with members of the local community four different addresses in Girlington were searched by the above officers. The male was located at the fourth address hiding behind a wardrobe.
"Good mornings work!" | One of the UK's "most wanted" men has been found hiding behind a wardrobe in Bradford, police have said. | 39177620 |
Not everyone needs to buy an annuity, but those who do so only have one shot - as they are buying a retirement income for the rest of their lives.
The system has been described as "disorderly" by the City watchdog, and now Chancellor George Osborne has said that many people will no longer need to buy one.
So, what are annuities and how do they work?
Individuals save into a pension during their working life and so build up a pension pot.
At some point during the first years of retirement, they will usually use the money that they have saved to buy an annuity from an insurance company.
This is a transaction that occurs once, and only once.
An annuity is an annual retirement income that is paid to them for the rest of their life.
No. Those with final-salary pensions will be awarded a pension pot linked to their salary when they finish work, so will not need an annuity.
The state pension is also unconnected to annuities.
But, for many of those who save into a defined contribution pension, there was an effective requirement to buy an annuity or face a hefty penalty.
The latest estimate is that 420,000 annuities are sold every year. As more and more people are enrolled automatically into a workplace pension, these annuities were expected to become even more common.
But in the 2014 Budget, the chancellor said he planned to scrap the requirement for those with defined contribution pensions to buy an annuity. Instead they will get free advice to decide what is best for them with regards to their pension pot.
This could mean people taking a big chunk of their savings pot to spend early in the retirement, although they will have to pay income tax on that.
Essentially, if you have saved for a pension, you will have a pot of money and you can decide what to do with it.
You may invest it yourself, you may spend it on a property, or - unsustainably - have a very good holiday.
But many people may still think that an annuity remains the best option, although the chancellor's changes may affect the competitiveness of deals.
Absolutely not.
First, there are standard annuities - available to all. Then there are enhanced annuities that can be bought by people with a lower life expectancy, generally smokers or those with a medical condition.
The latter are more generous because the insurance company is betting that they will not have to make the annual payment for very long.
When it comes to buying an annuity, retirees need to look at the rates on offer.
Yes, a little like that.
Just like savings, the financial crisis has had a big effect on the rates on offer. For many years rates were falling, but they did start to recover last year.
Ultimately, retirees need to shop around for a good rate, and often take a guess on the best timing. If they think the annuity rate might rise, then they might delay buying an annuity.
When you hand over your pension pot to a provider, they tend to invest that money in long-term government bonds, typically a 15 year gilt. The return they can offer you depends on the interest rate, or yield, on that bond. Over the year to March 2014, those yields rose from around 2.2% to 3.2%. As a result overall annuity rates have risen from around 5% to 6%.
Longevity is also an important factor. As people live longer, insurance companies expect to pay out more, in effect lowering the returns that pensioners can get.
As mentioned above, this issue is already being investigated by the regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority. Some pension companies make up to 25% of their profits from annuities, according to analysts at JP Morgan.
Pensions expert Dr Ros Altmann believes that profit margins on some annuity products are as high as 18%.
No. You have the right to shop around.
A review by the Financial Conduct Authority found that six out of 10 people stick with their original pension provider.
Some 80% of those could have had a better deal if they had got their annuity from a different provider.
This is a big financial decision and one you only make once, so it is well worthwhile doing your homework.
The independent Pensions Advisory Service and the government-backed Money Advice Service offer explanation and calculators.
But the government has promised that everyone will have access to independent advice when the new rules come in. | Annuities have been a vital part of the pension system for millions of people, but the chancellor has announced plans that ride a coach and horses through the industry. | 26186361 |
Once a Conservative supporter, she distanced herself from the party and became an independent councillor in 2007, before joining UKIP.
One of UKIP's most fluent and reliable media performers, Ms James, 56, has held several high profile roles in the party, including the deputy chairmanship and spokeswoman for justice and home affairs.
She rose to prominence in the party after almost winning the 2013 Eastleigh by-election from the Lib Dems, coming within fewer than 2,000 votes of victory. She impressed journalists with her performance and relegated the Conservatives in to third place.
Ms James went on to enjoy greater electoral success the following year, when she was elected to the European Parliament as MEP for South East England - a position she still holds today.
As UKIP's deputy chair and home affairs and justice spokeswoman Ms James has maintained a high profile in the party's ranks.
The MEP was selected to stand as its parliamentary candidate in North West Hampshire in 2015, but she later dropped her bid "personal reasons". But she would go on to play a prominent role in UKIP's election campaign.
While seen as measured and steady, Ms James has not shied away from making the odd controversial comment, saying during an LBC radio interview in April 2015 that she "admired" Russian President Vladimir Putin for his leadership strength.
"I admire him from the point of view that he is standing up for his country," she said in response to a question about Russian aggression in Ukraine. "He's very nationalist... I do admire him. He is a very strong leader."
She also publicly criticised her predecessor as chairwoman, Suzanne Evans, describing her as "a woman scorned" after Ms Evans sought and lost a High Court bid to overturn a temporary suspension from the party - a ban which ultimately prevented her from running for the leadership.
In her pitch to succeed Mr Farage, who has led the party for almost all of the past nine years, Ms James pledged to bring a "different" leadership style to UKIP, saying she would harness the "scale of depth of talent" among the party's membership, local representatives and MEPs.
But she encountered criticism from some in the party during the leadership campaign, after failing to take part in hustings with the other candidates.
Philip Broughton, one of those candidates, accused her of "undemocratic" campaign tactics, but Ms James defended her decision, saying she could answer more of activists' questions at her own events.
Prior to entering politics, Ms James was a businesswomen and healthcare professional, specialising in healthcare strategy development, innovation and business transformation.
She was educated at Rochester Grammar School and Thames Valley University and lists fitness, dance, antiques and travel among her interests.
She is also fluent in French and German. | Diane James is the new leader of the UK Independence Party, after winning the contest to succeed Nigel Farage. | 37371978 |
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