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Rose Week is taking place at Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park, with a host of competitions and children's activities to mark the occasion.
Thousands of visitors have already turned out to see the park's award-winning gardens.
This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the City of Belfast International Rose Garden.
The garden was established by Belfast City Council, in partnership with the Rose Society of Northern Ireland (RSNI).
On Thursday, judges from New Zealand, the United States and Norway will deliver their verdicts on this year's competing entries for the City of Belfast International Rose Trials.
With points awarded for flowering, fragrance, foliage, disease resistance and length of flowering period, the standard of entries is expected to be very high.
Brian McKinley, from Belfast City Council's parks and leisure services, said visitors return to the event every year because of the number of activities on offer.
"The success of the rose garden and Rose Week is down to the beautiful smell and fragrance that you get from the garden, and the array of colours that you see in the park," he said.
Belfast city councillor Gareth McKee said a plaque would be unveiled on Thursday to celebrate the rose garden's status as a "garden of merit".
"The garden is recognised by the World Federation of Rose Societies as a 'garden of merit' - meaning it is one of the best in the world," he said. | International judges have arrived in Belfast for the city's annual horticultural event this week. | 28430795 |
HIE, along with other enterprise and skills agencies, has been the subject of a review.
The process sparked a political row with opposition parties concerned HIE's board could lose its independence or be wound up altogether.
HIE supports businesses in the islands, Highlands, Argyll and Moray.
It began as the Highlands and Islands Development Board 50 years ago, becoming HIE in 1990.
The first phase of the Enterprise and Skills Review was published in October last year and recommended that a new national board co-ordinate the activities of HIE, Scottish Enterprise and other bodies.
In January, MSPs voted to demand the Scottish government allow HIE to retain its own board.
In his response, Mr Brown said HIE would "continue to be locally based, managed and directed" under his plans.
A report was recently published on the scope, structures and functions for a new board.
Prof Lorne Crerar's publication recommended HIE and the others retain their independent boards.
A new national strategic board would oversee the organisations' activities, it was suggested.
Ahead of Mr Brown's statement in the Scottish Parliament, former Labour MSP Maureen Macmillan has present a petition to Holyrood's public petitions committee.
The petition asks for the Scottish government "to reverse its decision to move power from the region to a centralised body".
Ahead of the statement, Mr Brown said the proposals were part of a wide-ranging programme to improve services for businesses and individuals.
He said: "It is essential that we do not lose sight of our aim of enhancing our enterprise and skills services to boost Scotland's economy, which will help to deliver our ambition of ranking among the top quartile of OECD countries in terms of productivity, equality, wellbeing and sustainability.
"In order to achieve this, our agencies must align behind a common purpose and be driven by strong leadership.
"Far from diminishing the role of agencies, the review will strengthen their capability and grow their capacity to jointly step-up the services and support they provide to businesses and individuals across Scotland."
HIE's work in recent years has included providing funding to upgrade a fabrication yard at Arnish, near Stornoway on Lewis, and helping to secure the future of jobs at a call centre in Forres.
It is involved in the roll-out of superfast broadband to rural areas and initiatives to encourage young people to live and work in the Highlands and Islands.
HIE has also flagged up the need to better tackle gender imbalance in the workplace.
In 2015, it officially opened its Inverness Campus, a large area of land at Beechwood in Inverness which HIE has made available for businesses and research organisations.
Inverness College UHI built a new college on part of the campus.
However, during the early stages of planning the campus, HIE was criticised by Western Isles Council - Comhairle nan Eilean Siar.
It said the agency should be investing in fragile areas of the region and not "booming" Inverness. | Economy Secretary Keith Brown is expected to make a statement on the future of the board of Highlands and Islands Enterprise later on Thursday. | 39430177 |
Enda Dolan, 18, from County Tyrone, was in his first term at Queen's University when he was struck by a van on Belfast's Malone Road in October 2014.
David Lee Stewart, 31, of Gray's Park Avenue, admitted a series of charges linked to the teenager's death.
He will spend three and a half years in prison and the same amount of time on licence.
Speaking outside Belfast Crown Court, Enda's father Peter Dolan said the family was "disappointed and disgusted" at the length of sentence handed down.
"Our lives have been ruined, shattered and damaged beyond repair," he said.
Describing Northern Ireland's legal system as "a disgrace", Mr Dolan said: "We have been left with a life sentence. So many parents have stood in our shoes...and many more will in the future, unless something is done to deter individuals from driving under the influence of drink and drugs."
Enda was walking to his student accommodation when a van mounted a footpath and hit him.
He sustained a broken neck and head injuries.
A judge described the death as "senseless and needless".
Stewart was also disqualified from driving for 12 months.
The passenger in the car with Stewart, William Ross Casement, 21, from Belvoir Drive, Belfast, was given 50 hours community service and two years on probation.
He was also disqualified from driving for 12 months.
During his trial, the court heard that Stewart, who had consumed drink and drugs before driving his van, drove with the teenager on the roof of his van for about 800 yards before he stopped.
The court was told Stewart took 13 drinks, including six pints of beer and four Jagerbombs, a mix of a spirit and an energy drink.
Traces of drugs, including cocaine, were also found in his system.
Peter Dolan described Enda as "an adored son, big brother, grandson, boyfriend and friend" who was "so full of excitement during his last three weeks of life since he started Queen's".
He said the student loved to return to his home in Killyclogher at the weekends to see his family and girlfriend before his life was "brutally ended on the the night of his sister's 16th birthday".
"We have to deal with the loss of Enda every hour of every day for the rest of our lives. The missed family celebrations, the Christmases, the 21st birthday he won't have and the wedding and grandchildren that will never be." | A drunk driver who knocked down and killed a student has been sentenced to seven years. | 36151003 |
More than 375,000 people signed the petition to bring home Iceberg - an Argentine mastiff - from Denmark, where she faced being put down.
Iceberg's owner, Giuseppe Perna, had not realised the breed was considered dangerous under Danish law.
Danish authorities bowed to pressure and now say they will amend the law.
Arrangements are now being made to return Iceberg home to Italy, campaigner Rinaldo Sidoli told the BBC.
He said he had the guarantee of Denmark's environment ministry that the dog was safe.
"I am very happy because we put the pressure on. I thank the Danish ambassador to Italy, who met me on 26 June and listened to the proposals from myself and more than 375,000 signatories.
"Giuseppe must be able to embrace his friend again."
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Mr Perna took Iceberg with him when he accepted a job as a chef in Denmark, gaining the correct documentation to take the dog through the border.
But when Iceberg had a fight with another dog and was seized by police, her status as an illegal dangerous dog came to light and authorities said she would have to be put down.
As well as Mr Sidoli's petition, Italian animal rights' organisation Enpa led a drive to save the dog, urging supporters to lobby the Danish embassy. Italian pop singer Noemi joined a protest outside the Danish embassy in Rome.
Italy's foreign minister also added his voice to those demanding Iceberg's return.
Mr Perna told the BBC he was waiting to collect the dog and they would both now move back to Italy.
Not only has Iceberg been saved, but the campaign seems to have prompted a change in the law.
Danish Environment Minister Esben Lunde Larsen says he will propose legislation allowing dog owners who brought their animals to Denmark in good faith to be given the option of returning them to their home countries, rather than being put down.
The amendment will go to parliament after the seasonal recess. | An Italian campaigner has told the BBC he is "very happy" after launching a petition which helped save a dog's life. | 40454802 |
Kevin Myers was working for RTÉ when 15-year-old Manus Deery was killed in Londonderry's Bogside in 1972.
A fresh inquest into the boy's death was adjourned on Wednesday.
The soldier who fired the shot was identified at the beginning of the inquest as William Glasgow, who died in 2001.
Mr Glasgow maintained, up until his death, that he was firing at a gunman, but missed and accidentally killed the teenager.
The Deery family has always rejected the Army's version of events and claim he was unlawfully killed.
On Wednesday, the inquest heard that Mr Myers was at the Bogside Inn on the night Manus was shot.
He reported on the shooting the following morning for RTE news.
In his TV report from 20 May 1972 - which was played to the coroner's court - Mr Myers stood in the archway where Manus was shot and described the events of the previous night.
In his report, Mr Myers said there was no gunman in the area and that the teenager had no gun.
Mr Myers said he had been in Derry briefly working at the time. He told the court he heard the fatal shot and said it was unlike any shot he had ever heard.
He said there was an enormous reverberation and he thought a bomb had gone off.
He said he then saw Manus lying on the ground to his left and heard a woman shrieking.
His first instinct was that it had been a loyalist attack and he went back inside the Bogside Inn.
He described the scene inside as "bedlam".
Mr Myers appeared to become emotional and had to pause briefly in court before he recalled what happened next.
He then told the court: "I think everyone knows the situation that was there. There was a young man giving him (Manus) the kiss of life.
"The chips were on the ground and the ricochet mark was on the wall."
The inquest has already heard that Manus Deery and his friends had bought chips in a local shop shortly before they walked to the archway, where he was shot.
The inquest has been adjourned until next month. | A journalist giving evidence to the inquest of a teenager shot dead by a soldier has said there were no signs of a weapon at the scene of the shooting. | 37782349 |
Nichola Sturgeon said she believed Holyrood would have to give legislative consent to remove the UK from the EU.
She told the BBC she would "of course" ask MSPs to refuse such consent.
However, Ms Villiers told BBC NI's Sunday Politics that the British parliament was sovereign.
"In the weeks and months ahead we will be working with both the Scottish government and the Northern Ireland Executive on all these matters," Ms Villiers said.
"But ultimately it is parliament's decision whether we repeal the 1972 European Communities Act or whether we don't."
Meanwhile, Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has said he has requested an urgent meeting with the taoiseach to discuss the EU referendum result.
Mr McGuinness said Enda Kenny needed to defend the wishes of the majority of people of Northern Ireland who voted to remain in the EU.
Northern Ireland voted to remain in the EU by 56% to 44% in Thursday's referendum.
However, the UK as a whole voted to leave the EU.
Mr McGuinness said the taoiseach's focus should be on the democratically expressed wishes of those people.
"I think in the immediate future the focus needs to be on the whole issue of how we can maintain our relationship with Europe which has been so beneficial to us over the course of the last number of decades," he said.
"There needs to be special arrangements which take account of the democratically expressed wishes of the people of the north of Ireland and Scotland."
The Irish parliament (Dail) is to be recalled on Monday to discuss the impact of Brexit on the Republic of Ireland.
Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt said there were two audiences that particularly needed to be listened to in Northern Ireland.
"Young people, because a lot of them are very angry at this result," he said.
"Also nationalists. There are quite a number of nationalists who over recent years have been relaxed about their aspiration for a united Ireland and have seen it as an aspiration, rather than something they want to act to make a reality, and they are very angry."
Economy Minister Simon Hamilton said Brexit negotiations would have to take account of the particular circumstances in Northern Ireland.
"Certainly we as an executive should be going into those negotiations making it very clear to the new prime minister and the government in London and through them to the European Union, that there are particular circumstances in Northern Ireland," he said.
"We need to recognise the system of government that we have, aspects of our economy and elements of our economy that have different needs than perhaps England or Scotland or Wales."
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said he believed the Northern Ireland Assembly and Scottish parliament could reject a Brexit
"We believe that the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Scottish parliament have the opportunity to say no," he said.
"We will do everything in our power to stop us leaving the European Union."
However, Naomi Long of the Alliance Party said ultimately there was nothing the regional parliaments could do.
"We would have the opportunity to make decisions over specific EU rules and laws that actually apply in Northern Ireland," she said
"However, parliament remains with primacy , it can take back power from Holyrood, it can take back power from the assembly, so let's not kid ourselves." | NI Secretary Theresa Villiers has dismissed the Scottish first minister's suggestion that the Scottish Parliament could effectively veto the UK's exit from the European Union. | 36633939 |
The tiger was killed when it caught hold of the guard who was tying a buffalo calf as a bait to a tree in the Bandipur forest range, officials said.
The animal, described as a "man-eater" by authorities, had attacked another man about a month ago, they said.
There are about 1,700 tigers left in the wild in India.
It is estimated India had 100,000 tigers a century ago, but their numbers have declined sharply since then, due to poaching and rapidly shrinking habitats.
With increasing human encroachment into their reserves, tigers often compete for resources with nearby villagers, leading to conflict.
The latest incident took place on Wednesday when more than 60 forest department personnel along with their colleagues from the Special Tiger Protection Force were sent to capture the tiger.
As tigers tend to return to the same spot, the team tied a goat as a bait at the place where the animal had killed and partially eaten a 55-year-old farmer, forest officials said.
The tiger evaded the bait but left behind enough pug marks for the forest department officials, armed with tranquilisers and bullets, to remain on the track.
The tiger was killed in a rather dramatic manner when it pounced and caught forest guard Shiv Kumar.
"It was when Shiv Kumar was trying to tie the bait that we suddenly heard the tiger's growl and the guard's shriek. That's when our sharpshooter Sushil Kumar shot the animal," Ravi Ralph, chief wildlife warden of Karnataka, told BBC Hindi.
Mr Kumar was taken to a hospital where his condition is described as "out of danger".
Last year, in the Doddabetta Forest range near the town of Ooty in Tamil Nadu, forest workers shot dead a tiger blamed for killing three women over two weeks.
Wildlife experts say most attacks on people are chance encounters gone wrong, and victims of such attacks are rarely dragged away as prey.
But a series of attacks on people in quick succession is a tell-tale sign of a man-eater at work.
Fewer than 85 humans are killed or injured by tigers every year in India and the country's strong animal welfare lobby has been campaigning that "man-eaters" should be captured rather than shot.
Forest officials, however, say sometimes prompt action is crucial in saving lives. | Forest workers say a tiger who killed and ate a farmer a few days ago has been shot dead after attacking a forest guard in southern India. | 34876745 |
About two-thirds of the cuts will be in the rail division, Bombardier Transportation, with the rest in the aerospace division.
The move will prompt a restructuring charge of $225-$275m (£184-224m) in the fourth quarter and through 2017.
The company has said it has too many sites producing similar components.
In February, Bombardier said it was cutting 7,000 jobs. Nearly half of these cuts are being made in its rail division, which has a large workforce in Europe.
The latest round of cuts includes 2,000 workers in Canada - 1,500 of them in Quebec. Nonetheless, chief executive Alain Bellemare said he was taking this action "because we want to save jobs in Canada".
The company said it would streamline its administrative and non-production operations and reorganise its design, engineering and manufacturing activities by creating new "centres of excellence".
Mr Bellemare said: "We understand these are difficult decisions... but in the end, what we are going to be left with is a leaner, stronger organisation."
Bombardier has a strong presence in Northern Ireland, employing 6,000 people and is responsible for 10% of Northern Irish manufacturing exports.
There, it makes major aircraft structures including fuselages and wings.
Bombardier Belfast said it was not yet clear how the new round of cuts would affect it: "We will be evaluating the impact on our Belfast operations and will communicate with our employees when that is completed. We are not in a position to elaborate further at this time."
In the rest of the UK, Bombardier has about 3,500 employees at eight sites and 23 service locations, including Crewe, Plymouth, Derby and Burton-on-Trent.
It also operates from several locations in and around London, including its heavy maintenance depot at Ilford.
Bombardier's Derby site has produced trains for both mainline operations and the London Underground.
The GMB union said it would work to minimise the impact on its members.
In relation to Bombardier's Derby operations, Mick Cash, leader of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, said: "RMT is keeping a close watch on any potential impact of today's Bombardier announcement on the train-building operations in Derby.
"We have been in contact with the company today and we are seeking firm assurances from them.
"The union will, of course, continue to campaign to defend and expand train-building in the UK." | Canadian plane and train maker Bombardier has announced significant job cuts for the second time this year, shedding another 7,500 posts. | 37728761 |
Susan Jane Owen, 50, from Pentre Berw, Anglesey, was in a white BMW which was involved in an incident with a VW Transporter van near Bangor, Gwynedd, on Friday.
It is believed an item fell from the roof of the VW and hit the BMW travelling in the opposite direction.
Her son Steffan Lloyd Owen said on Facebook she always put others first.
He added: "Mum believed in me when no one else did. The most beautiful, kind, thoughtful and lovely woman I know."
Her husband, Rem Owen, said: "I lost my wife, my love and my best friend in the entire world. There are no words that can describe this huge loss in our family." | A woman who died following a crash has been described as "beautiful, kind, thoughtful and lovely". | 37472573 |
17 April 2017 Last updated at 17:17 BST
The public have been asked to help track down those responsible for the massive piles of refuse at a warehouse near Newton Mearns.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) said calls about the former Netherplace Dye Works would be treated in confidence.
The waste has been blamed for an infestation of flies in Glasgow's southern suburbs. | Efforts are under way to clear a major illegal waste dump which has seen swarms of flies bothering homes to the south of Glasgow. | 39621599 |
Shawn Tyson was found guilty of killing friends James Cooper, 25, of Hampton Lucy, Warwickshire, and James Kouzaris, 24, from Northampton, in April 2011.
Circuit Judge Charles E Roberts told the Florida court Tyson "killed in cold blood two men who posed no threat".
Tyson's earlier conviction was thrown out in 2014 because he was 16 when the crime was committed.
Sentencing Tyson to two life terms at Lynn N Silvertooth Judicial Center on 8 June, Mr Roberts said: "The defendant's motive was robbery, but when he realised he would not get what he wanted, he made the conscious decision to kill both victims."
In September 2014, the appeal court upheld Tyson's conviction but his sentence was thrown out because he was a juvenile when the crime was committed.
Mr Roberts acknowledged there were special considerations when sentencing a juvenile on murder charges, but added: "On April 16, 2011, Shawn Tyson killed in cold blood two young men who posed no threat."
The killings impacted not only the victims' families but also the community, the judge said, stating that witnesses were afraid to assist with the investigation.
"This was not a spur-of-the-moment, one-shot event," Roberts said. "I have not been persuaded, based on everything I've heard, that he can be rehabilitated."
A spokesperson from Lynn N Silvertooth Judicial Center said law changes made by the Florida Supreme Court mean the "juvenile homicide offender cannot be sentenced to life without parole", so his case will be up for review after 25 years. | A man has been re-sentenced for murdering two British tourists in Florida five years ago. | 36548494 |
He was speaking following an incident involving at least 40 dissident republican inmates at the jail.
Prison management withdrew staff from the landings in Roe House which contain dissidents. However, the prisoners later returned to their cells.
Mr Ford rejected claims that an inmate had been seriously injured.
Visits to inmates were cancelled on Tuesday because of a security alert outside the perimeter of the prison.
Police were sent to the scene following a telephone bomb warning.
The security alert ended on Tuesday afternoon after a search found nothing.
No buildings were evacuated during the security operation.
It is understood that during the incident on Monday, prison service management withdrew staff from Roe House landings because of verbal abuse and threats from dissident inmates.
A protest, involving about 200 people, took place outside the prison in support of the republican prisoners.
At one stage some of the protesters attacked the car of a prison officer arriving for work.
A group that represents some of the dissident republican inmates has claimed the increased tensions were because of the failure to implement independent recommendations, including an agreement to relax security measures from August 2010.
Mandy Duffy of the Irish Republican Prisoners' Welfare Association said the situation is "very tense".
"Last night was a demonstration of anger in republican communities," she said.
Mr Ford said prisoners must "live up to their side of the agreement to ensure that they end intimidation within Roe House and intimidation of prison officers through social media and with external activities as well".
"I will be getting a report on the incident yesterday as to what exactly happened and what lessons may be learned," he said.
"There are clearly issues from the agreement that was made almost five years ago that should see the prison running in a normal way, provided that there is appropriate behaviour on the part of prisoners.
"That is what is sadly lacking at the moment."
DUP assembly member Paul Givan said it was "an orchestrated attempt by republican prisoners so that they can get their demands met".
Maghaberry Prison is Northern Ireland's only high-security jail.
It houses men who have been convicted of serious offences as well as remand prisoners awaiting trial.
The inmates are held in both separated and integrated conditions. | Inmates at Maghaberry Prison must accept their part in lowering tensions by ending intimidation of jail staff, Justice Minister David Ford has said. | 31108415 |
Speaking on Saturday just before the finale, she told me that if she finished in first place after the public vote her success would not be just personal, but a victory for all members of Israel's Arab minority.
"I'm happy with people who are voting for me because they think I sing well, but I'm also happy for people who vote for me because I'm representing a sector in Israeli society," she said just before going on stage.
"If I win, it will be a triumph of not just this sector, but an entire nation."
Lina, who is 19, was born to Christian parents in Acre, northern Israel. She put her studies in biology at the prestigious Technion Institute on hold during the contest.
Although she is not the first Arab-Israeli to have won a prominent singing competition in Israel, she was the first to take the top prize in a prime-time TV show on the leading commercial channel.
Her final performance was in one of Tel Aviv's biggest arenas in front of thousands of fans where she beat three other competitors. As winner she received a music school scholarship and a record contract.
On stage, she told supporters that she had been the victim of racism over the course of the season but that she also received a lot of positive responses to her appearances. "The majority rules, right?" she said to the cheering audience.
Some well-wishers held up signs with her name written in both Hebrew and Arabic.
"I was drawn to her from the early stages of the show. She's able to melt my heart no matter what language she chooses to sing in," said Ella Golan, 26, who was yelling her support for Ms Makhoul.
About 20% of Israel's population are of Arab-Palestinian descent. They routinely complain that they are treated like second-class citizens.
During US President Barack Obama's long speech to young Israelis last week, he was heckled by an Arab-Israeli political science student who objected to his strong support for Israel as a Jewish state.
He later complained that he had expected a "democratic speech" but said that Mr Obama's words were "provocative".
In the first selection sessions for The Voice, music industry professionals choose who will go through to the next stage of the competition without seeing the contestants. They only listen to them sing.
"When I first heard Lina I was only hearing her unique voice," says noted Israeli singer, Shlomi Shabbat, who went on to mentor Ms Makhoul.
"I didn't know she was Arab and I didn't care when I did. It doesn't matter if someone's Arab, religious, Ethiopian, Georgian. She could be anything, but her voice is one of a kind."
In one of the highlights of the season, Lina Makhoul chose to perform the Arabic version of the song Les Feuilles Mortes, made famous by the revered Lebanese singer Fairouz.
Her fellow contestant, Dan Salamon, says it was a bold move.
"I remember listening to her singing in Arabic, not being able to understand a word but still getting chills. This is a moment that shows you what music's about, listening to someone's voice and talent and not judging by his or her background and race."
"I think the crowd now sees it this way too," he adds.
In the end, the finale of The Voice somewhat reflected the diversity of Israeli society.
As well as Ms Makhoul there was Ofir Ben-Shitrit, a religious teenager who managed to join the show despite restrictions on religious Jewish women singing in public, and an Ethiopian-Israeli soul singer, Rudy Beinsin.
After taking the top prize, Ms Makhloul told me: "I'm speechless. It will take a while for the triumph to sink in".
"I'm so pleased that we've reached a place where the crowd was able to distinguish between the mind and the heart. I hope that I was able to excite them and make them understand me.
"By voting for me it shows that the people followed their hearts. That is the most important thing of all". | It was an impressive performance of Hallelujah, a song by Jewish-Canadian musician Leonard Cohen, that ultimately gave Lina Makhoul, an Israeli Arab, victory in Israel's version of TV talent show The Voice. | 21942020 |
The probe was due early on Wednesday to make the first of 22 dives in between Saturn's cloudtops and the inner edge of its spectacular rings.
The daredevil flights are designed to gather pictures and other science data of unprecedented resolution.
But Cassini was out of radio contact for the duration of the plunge and is not scheduled to re-establish communications for another day.
Because the probe was moving so fast - at over 110,000km/h (70,000mph) - there was some risk attached to flying through the ring plane.
An impact with even a tiny ice or rock particle at that velocity could do a lot of damage, and so the decision was made to point Cassini's big antenna in the direction of travel, to act as a shield.
But, of course, that meant it could not also then talk to Earth at the same time.
Assuming all goes well, 21 similar dives will be made over the course of the next five months before the probe dumps itself in the atmosphere of Saturn. With so little fuel left in its tanks, Cassini cannot continue its mission for much longer.
The US space agency (Nasa) is calling the gap-runs the "grand finale", in part because of their ambition. They promise pictures of unparalleled resolution and science data that finally unlocks key puzzles about the make-up and history of this huge world.
"We're going to top off this mission with a lot of new measurements - some amazing new data," said Athena Coustenis from the Paris Observatory in Meudon, France.
"We're expecting to get the composition, structure and dynamics of the atmosphere, and fantastic information about the rings," she told the BBC.
A key objective is to determine the mass and therefore the age of the rings. The more massive they are, the older they are likely to be - perhaps as old as Saturn itself.
Scientists will do this by studying how the velocity of the probe is altered as it flies through the gravity field generated by the planet and the great encircling bands of ice.
"In the past, we were not able to determine the mass of the rings because Cassini was flying outside them," explained Luciano Iess of the Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
"Essentially, the contribution of the rings to the gravity field was mixed up with the oblateness of Saturn. It was impossible. But by flying between the rings and the planet, Cassini will be able to disentangle the two effects.
"We're able to tell the velocity of Cassini to an accuracy of a few microns per second. This is indeed fantastic when you think Cassini is more than one billion kilometres away from the Earth."
Having the mass number might not straightforwardly resolve the age issue, however, cautioned Nicolas Altobelli, who is project scientist for Nasa's Cassini mission partner, the European Space Agency.
"We still need to understand the rings' composition. They are made of very nearly pure water-ice. If they're very old, formed at the same time as Saturn, how come they still look so fresh when they're constantly bombarded with meteorite material?" he pondered.
One possibility is that the rings are actually very young, perhaps the remains of a giant comet that got too close to Saturn and broke apart into innumerable fragments.
Coustenis, Iess and Altobelli discussed the end phases of the Cassini mission here in Vienna at the General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union.
The earliest that Cassini is expected to radio home is 07:00 GMT (08:00 BST) on Thursday. Contact should come through Nasa's 70m-wide Deep Space Network antenna at Goldstone, California.
If a stable communications link is established, pictures and other data ought to start coming down about half an hour later.
[email protected] and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos | Controllers and scientists must wait until Thursday to hear from Cassini. | 39701671 |
Day will be Wales' sole representative at Sheffield's Crucible.
The 37-year-old was runner-up to Barry Hawkins at February's World Grand Prix in Preston and wants to build on that.
"One of the main goals at the start of the season was to push back inside the 16 - that's happened," Day told BBC Wales Sport.
He continued: "I want to cement my place in there for the next couple of years so going deep in this event would be a big plus."
This year will be the first time since the competition was first staged at the Crucible 40 years ago in which Wales will have only one representative.
Two-time world champion Mark Williams and four other Welsh players lost their matches in the last qualifying round.
Day is surprised he is the only Welshman at the Crucible but will not be dwelling on that disappointment as he aims to go beyond the first round for the first time since 2014.
"It was amazing really watching that last day of qualifying unfold," Day told BBC Wales Sport.
"It was a massive shock that all five players were beaten. It's a shame because we're all good friends but I'm not going to be thinking about that.
"It's an individual sport and I'm competing for myself and my family.
"Hopefully a lot of people back in Wales will get to cheer me on for longer than they have done in the last couple of years."
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Day, who has reached the World Championship quarter-finals on three occasions, will face Xiao Guodong in the first round.
The 28-year-old from China is ranked 44 in the world, 28 places below Day, but the Welshman is wary of his opponent after he beat world number 21 Mark King 10-4 in the last qualifying round.
"Xiao has been a good player for a long time and his results have been improving in the last few months," Day said.
"He got through qualifying quite comfortably and it's going to be a tough match."
Should Day beat Xiao he faces an even tougher match in the second round against defending champion Mark Selby who beat Fergal O'Brien 10-2 in the first round.
Selby won 5-4 against Day at March's Players Championship in Llandudno but he is encouraged by the fact he took the world number one to a deciding frame.
"It's not going to be easy to say the least but we had a good game in Llandudno. If I bring my 'A game' I can give Mark a match," he said. | Ryan Day says a good run in the World Snooker Championship would be "a big plus" after he regained his place in the world's top 16. | 39615752 |
Small tax cuts and spending on health, infrastructure and education are likely to be part of Tuesday's package.
The cost of these will likely be offset by pension changes and closing tax loopholes for multinational companies.
The budget is expected to form the backbone of the Liberal coalition's manifesto for an election.
Meanwhile Australia's Reserve Bank cut interest rates by 0.25% to a historic low of 1.75% on Tuesday in a bid to fight deflation.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has said he will dissolve both houses of parliament after the budget and call an election by 11 May. Australia will almost certainly go to the polls on 2 July.
The opposition Labor party says the reforms - also believed to include a hike in tobacco prices and pension concessions for the wealthy - are too modest and favour the rich. It has been piling on the pressure with a raft of populist policy suggestions, say analysts.
For a moment on Monday, Mr Morrison appeared to forget the date for his own budget, insisting in parliament it was two days away.
He might well be wishing he had 24 hours up his sleeve. A lot is riding on his economic plan, which doubles as the government's pitch to voters. As the official announcement of an early election draws near, the resurgent opposition Labor Party has been piling on pressure with its populist policies.
It appears this year's budget is about two things: neutralising Labor's lines of attack for the election, while emphasising a few key differences that play up the government's economic management credentials.
Of course, there are also the minor issues of setting up Australia's economy for future prosperity and reducing a ballooning deficit.
Five things to watch on Australia's budget day
The budget announcement begins at 19:30 AEST (10:30 GMT) - the treasurer and the prime minister say it will create additional jobs and grow the economy.
The government will create a A$5bn (US$3.8bn; £2.6bn) fund for critical infrastructure in cities, Mr Morrison announced on Monday.
There will almost certainly be small cuts in the company tax rate and those earning more than A$80,000 will also benefit as the earning threshold for the second-highest tax bracket is pushed higher.
Additional spending on health and education is also being promised, but at more modest levels than in the opposition Labor party's proposals.
Labor has already announced a number of policies, including a plan to end "negative gearing" tax concessions for property investors buying existing homes that would raise money to pay for its spending.
The government opposes Labor's policy to end negative gearing and says it will cause house prices to crash. | Australian Treasurer Scott Morrison is set to announce the budget on Tuesday, which will double as the unofficial start of an election campaign. | 36168393 |
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The champions host the Reds in one of the 34-year-old's final matches for the Anfield club (16:00 BST kick-off).
"My dear enemy, he has made me a better manager because to stop him has been very difficult," Mourinho said, adding that he tried to sign him three times.
"I am very sad this is the last time I will face him."
Gerrard almost signed for Chelsea during Mourinho's first spell in charge of the Blues in 2005, and the Portuguese revealed he also wanted him at Inter Milan and Real Madrid.
He said of the LA Galaxy-bound player: "It's too late to sign him. He can't play against Liverpool.
"He's done an amazing career with his people. He refused to play in other big clubs, other big leagues, to play only for Liverpool and this is a feeling that stays together.
"Who knows if I'll play against Steven as a Liverpool manager some day?"
If he had convinced Gerrard to join the Blues, Mourinho said he would have successfully paired the midfielder with Frank Lampard - something successive England managers were accused of failing to do.
"I always thought that both were the best two number eights in Europe," he said.
"In my opinion and my vision with them you don't play a number 10, you play with one number six and give the freedom to the two number eights because they score more goals than any number 10.
"So Lampard with 30 goals a season from midfield and Gerrard with 25, they score more goals together than a No 10 and the striker."
Gerrard was in the Liverpool team that defeated Chelsea in the 2005 Champions League semi-final, and then went on to lift the trophy.
However, his connection with the London club will also be remembered for the mistake which led to Demba Ba's goal in the 2-0 win for the Blues at Anfield last season.
The defeat cost Liverpool the advantage in the race for the Premier League title, eventually won by Manchester City. | Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho says Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard made him a "better manager", before their final Premier League meeting on Sunday. | 32662464 |
The scheme will focus on parts of the M60 and the M62, creating a 17-mile "smart motorway".
Technology will be installed to monitor traffic, provide information to drivers, and ease congestion by using variable speed limits.
The network between junction 8 of the M60 near Sale and junction 20 of the M62 near Rochdale, will be upgraded.
Stephen Greenhalgh, project manager at the Highways Agency, said the work was expected to create more than 1,000 jobs to help deliver the scheme.
"Once completed, the smart motorway will tackle the congestion and unpredictable journey times that users of the M60 and M62 experience every day," he said.
Site surveys will begin this week, meaning some sections of the hard shoulder will close.
From 21 July, a 50mph temporary speed limit will be enforced near junction 18 of the M62, and then widened along other sections affected by the work.
The project is due to be completed in 2017.
By that time more than 200 new electronic signs will warn drivers of changes in the mandatory speed limit, lane closures, and road obstacles.
CCTV will also be used to monitor traffic levels from the Highways Agency's control centre at Newton-le-Willows in Merseyside. | A £208m project to cut congestion along two key dual carriageways in Greater Manchester has begun. | 28283849 |
Opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party activists disrupted a service near the capital, Pretoria, and a tent was burnt down in the fracas.
Pastor Penuel Mnguni gained notoriety after photos showed him dangling a live snake into a man's mouth.
However, police withdrew charges of animal cruelty against him.
Police spokesman Mathews Nkoadi said in July that there were no witness statements and insufficient evidence to bring a case.
Dubbed the "snake pastor", Mr Mnguni runs the End Times Disciples Ministries in Soshanguve, north of Pretoria.
The EFF said that they had raided a service on Sunday because they wanted Mr Mnguni to "lead by example" and eat snakes and rats.
But EFF spokesman Mbuyiseni Ndlozi tweeted that the pastor "ran away" so they were unable to confront him. Mr Mnguni has not commented on the raid.
EFF activists advanced on the church carrying mice and small lizards, South Africa's Pretoria News reports.
"We are fighting corruption and this man is [allegedly] a prime example of that," EFF official Mandisa Mashego is quoted as saying.
EFF activists left after a tent from the church was brought down and set ablaze; the congregation then continued with the service.
In one instance, a young man attacked a journalism student and tried to bite her hair after being told by a preacher that there was food in it, Pretoria News reports.
Last week, the mainstream South African Council of Churches condemned such churches as "heretical".
"There are people who are trying to make money off the desperation of people, and that is exactly why you need some sort of mechanism for serving a standard on how churches are run," said its general secretary Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana.
South Africa is one of the most unequal countries in the world, with a high rate of unemployment and poverty. | South African police are investigating the raid of a church run by a self-styled prophet accused of making his followers eat snakes, rats and hair. | 33846897 |
Monday is the deadline for interested parties' bids and between one and three companies are expected to go forward to the next stage.
Tata is aiming for the end of June to complete the sale.
It has already confirmed seven bidders for the steel plants and businesses, involving more than 11,000 jobs.
It comes after it emerged that two of the bidders have said they are willing to work together,
Liberty House and the management buyout group, Excalibur Steel, will submit separate bids for Tata UK, the BBC understands.
However, they plan to state in the bid documents that they are willing to work in partnership on a takeover.
Only bidders that are willing to buy the whole of Tata's UK operations, including the loss-making Port Talbot steelworks, have reached the current point in the sale process.
UK Business Secretary Sajid Javid will be meeting Tata bosses in Mumbai and the crucial issue of the £485m deficit in Tata Steel's pension fund is expected to be on the agenda, amid reports potential buyers are balking at taking on the deficit.
The parties involved have had to sign a non-disclosure agreement as part of the process of reviewing Tata's business so much of the detail of those involved remains unclear.
Two companies declared themselves publicly before that process began, while there has been speculation about who the others are.
So who is reported to be interested - and what will they bring to the table?
Excalibur
This is the management and worker buyout team led by the senior Tata director, Stuart Wilkie, who has taken leave from the company to organise the bid.
It has the backing of technology tycoon Sir Terry Matthews, his associate Simon Gibson and Roger Maggs, who has a long career in the steel industry. Its plan is to continue with the improvements that are already under way at Port Talbot in the belief that it will return to profit within 18 months.
Excalibur was set up in a rush as a reaction to Tata putting its operations up for sale. Its challenge is to get the significant financial backing it needs to progress in the process.
Liberty House
Liberty was the first company to express an interest and it has certainly made a name for itself during the process.
It has already taken over smaller struggling operations such as parts of Caparo and Tata's Scottish plants.
Executive chairman Sanjeev Gupta reopened the Liberty Steel plant in Newport in November after it had been mothballed. The Gupta family also has interests in the energy sector including Uskmouth power station.
Taking over Port Talbot is a much bigger step. Liberty has a global reach with headquarters in London, Dubai, and Singapore. It operates in the energy and financial markets too and has the resources to take over Port Talbot.
However, its plan will be to move away from producing steel from scratch in the blast furnaces to recycling it in arc furnaces. That would mean the end of primary steelmaking in the UK. Some feel such liquid steel production must be retained. But bear in mind the decision on who to sell to will be taken by Tata who might be less concerned about that issue.
Greybull Capital
Recently bought Tata's Scunthorpe-based long products division. The London-based business turnaround specialist is headed by two families - brothers Marc and Nathaniel Meyohas and Richard Perlhagen. It rescued Monarch Airlines.
Port Talbot is on a much larger scale and Greybull had previously ruled out a bid. It is not a specialist steel company so has no particular expertise. Greybull had also bid for the Murco oil refinery in Milford Haven two years ago but pulled out of the deal at a late stage due to the challenges of the industry.
Hebei Iron and Steel Group
China's largest iron and steel company, founded in 2008, employing more than 120,000 workers and producing about 30m tonnes of steel a year.
It may seem strange to think that a Chinese company would be interested in Tata's UK operations given so many of the company's problems here are blamed on cheap Chinese steel imports.
It is obvious why Hebei would be interested in parts of the business such as the innovative products produced at Shotton. But of course Tata has made clear that it will not allow buyers to cherry-pick bits of the company. The question would be why would Hebei want to make steel at Port Talbot when it can do it much more cheaply at its Chinese sites? It would certainly be interested in Port Talbot's customer base and order book.
JSW Steel
Indian steel company producing 14.3 million tonnes per annum but looking to expand, including setting up plants in new locations. JSW has six manufacturing plants across India. It also operates in the energy and cement industries. Much of Tata's UK business would compliment JSW. However, will Tata want to sell its operations to another Mumbai-based competitor?
Nucor
Formed at the end of the 1960s in South Carolina, Nucor is North America's largest recycler - it recycled 16.9 million tons of scrap in 2015. It specialises in "mini-mills" - smaller scale production on one site - which many analysts believe is the future of the steel industry.
Nucor has been generating profits at a very difficult time when competitors have been struggling. We do not know the details of the bid but it might be assumed that it would involve Port Talbot becoming a recycling facility.
Endless
Leeds-based private equity firm and turnaround specialists. It said it focuses on UK businesses with a turnover between £10m and £1bn - has taken stakes in businesses ranging from steel to Cornish pasties. It turned around Crown Paints before selling it on.
Wilbur Ross
Over the weekend it emerged that Wilbur Ross - US billionaire Wall Street investor and chairman of WL Ross & Co merchant bankers - could be another possible bidder.
He has been called a "vulture investor" and a "shark", although he prefers the comparisons to a phoenix or a porpoise. He was behind the sale of Northern Rock in 2011 and also took a share in the Bank of Ireland.
Back in the United States, Ross formed International Steel Group, taking on struggling plants, and later sold it to Mittal Steel to become the biggest steelmaker in the world. He is still a director of ArcelorMittal. | Tata in India is expected to decide this week which bidders will go forward in the sale process for its UK steel operations. | 36342462 |
Hardy told a club Twitter Q&A that efforts to sign players would now be made before the end of the January transfer window.
The Magpies were under embargo for failing to make required payments to HM Revenue & Customs and other clubs.
Manager Kevin Nolan said on Thursday he was hopeful the Magpies could sign players "within 72 hours".
Former West Ham United striker Carlton Cole was named by Nolan as one player who could join Notts.
Hardy, who completed his takeover of the club on 11 January, also identified ex-Nottingham Forest defender Kelvin Wilson was another possible new arrival.
Meanwhile, Notts have appointed Richard Thomas - who worked alongside Nolan at his previous club Leyton Orient - as their new assistant manager. | Notts County's transfer embargo, imposed under EFL rules, has been lifted, owner Alan Hardy has confirmed. | 38776868 |
The ex-minister had shared the findings of an inquiry into Regulating Consumer Credit with a Wonga employee in 2013.
The Privileges Committee found he "committed a contempt" and said his actions "constituted substantial interference" with the inquiry.
Addressing the Commons on Thursday, Mr Tomlinson, North Swindon MP, issued a "full and unreserved apology".
The House is due to vote on the MP's proposed suspension when Parliament returns from the conference recess in October.
The incident happened when Mr Tomlinson was a member of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in May 2013.
He gave a confidential draft report on regulating consumer credit to an employee from payday lender Wonga, who replied with comments and suggested amendments to the report.
The MP said at the time that his judgement had "been clouded", apologised and accepted he broke the rules.
An inquiry was launched by Parliament's Standards and Privileges Committee, and in a report published on Thursday, it recommended "that Mr Tomlinson apologise to the House by means of a personal statement and that he be suspended from the service of the House for two sitting days".
"These days should be consecutive and not be divided by non-sitting days or recesses which would inadvertently extend the period of suspension beyond that specified," it added.
Mr Tomlinson apologised to the House of Commons on Thursday, his voice appearing to waver at times during his statement.
He told MPs: "I accept that my actions in sharing the report constituted an interference in the work of the PAC and for this I am truly sorry. This was never my intention."
He said his actions were a result of his "own naivety, driven by a desire to strengthen legislation on payday lenders and protect vulnerable consumers".
This had been confirmed by the Privileges Committee, which found that he was "not motivated by financial gain" nor with the intention of reflecting Wonga's views, he said. | Conservative MP Justin Tomlinson faces a two-day suspension from the Commons for leaking a draft committee report. | 37371984 |
Katherine Soper won the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting with Wish List, about young carers dealing with benefit cuts.
She will receive a £16,000 cheque and a residency at Manchester's Royal Exchange Theatre, where the Bruntwood Prize ceremony took place on Tuesday.
All 1,938 of this year's entries were submitted anonymously.
Soper, 24, said: "It is a huge vote of confidence. Anyone who knows me and knows that I write will know that I suffer a lot of confidence issues with my work."
Her winning script tells the story of Tasmin, who cares for her housebound brother Dean and takes on a zero-hours factory contract after his benefits are cut.
She also meets a young man who "seems to offer her a different option", Soper said.
"Wish List is about work and our attitudes to work and our attitudes to the unemployed," she said.
"There are fleeting moments of hope in the play as well, and it's about love in lots of ways. It's about human kindness and how deep that can go, even in the most inhumane of systems."
Former National Theatre artistic director Sir Nicholas Hytner chaired the judging panel and described Wish List as a "really important play".
"It's a big play, beautifully written about small lives, which because of the skill of the playwright become magnificent lives," he said.
"Katherine is very young and at the beginning of her career, and if this is the quality she's able to deliver at this stage in her career I expect her to have a long, distinguished and exciting career."
Soper wrote Wish List as her dissertation play at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.
She will be back at work at Penhaligon's perfumers on Regent Street, where she has worked for two years, on Wednesday. "I do that part time, and the rest of the time I try and write," she said.
Writers of all levels of experience were invited to submit new and unperformed scripts for the prize.
Four further judges' awards were given to:
The Bruntwood Prize is handed out every two years and this marks its 10th anniversary.
Previous winners and runners-up include Anna Jordan, whose play Yen was staged at the Royal Exchange earlier this year; and Alistair McDowall, whose Pomona is currently playing there. | A shop assistant who works in a luxury London perfumery has won Europe's most lucrative scriptwriting award with her debut play. | 34843025 |
The two pieces of debris were found separately by members of the public and were flown to Australia for analysis.
Darren Chester said the finds were "consistent with drift modelling" of how debris from the missing plane may have been carried by ocean currents.
MH370 vanished in March 2014 with 239 people on board.
It was flying from the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur to Beijing and is widely believed to have gone down in the Indian Ocean after veering off course.
The fate of the plane, its passengers and crew remains one of aviation's biggest unsolved mysteries.
The only confirmed piece of debris found so far has been a section of wing called a flaperon, which was found on the Indian Ocean island of Reunion.
One of the parts retrieved in Mozambique was found on a sandbank by an amateur US investigator in late February and the other in December by a South African tourist.
Mr Chester said the investigation team had finished examining the debris and found both were "consistent with panels from a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 aircraft".
"The analysis has concluded the debris is almost certainly from MH370," he said in a statement.
He said it showed that the vast deep-sea search for the plane in the southern Indian Ocean, being led by Australia, was focusing on the right place.
The search, also involving experts from China and Malaysia, is scanning the sea floor, much of it previously unmapped, in the hope of locating the wreckage.
Mr Chester said it would continue for now, with 25,000 sq km (10,000 sq miles) of ocean still be to searched.
"We are focused on completing this task and remain hopeful the aircraft will be found."
But the three countries have said that barring significant new evidence, they will end the operation once the area has been fully searched. The search is expected to be completed in the coming months. | Australia's transport minister says two plane parts found in Mozambique "almost certainly" came from missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370. | 35888405 |
The 790ft (241m) El Faro disappeared while sailing from Florida to Puerto Rico with 33 crew on board.
A US Navy ship using sonar equipment has now located a vessel at a depth of 15,000ft.
The El Faro sent out a distress signal on 1 October, saying it had lost power and was taking on water.
Debris was spotted in the ocean in the days after it disappeared, and one body was recovered.
In a statement, the US National Transportation Safety Board said a remotely operated vehicle would be deployed "to survey and confirm the identity of the wreckage".
It added that the wreckage was "consistent with a 790ft cargo ship, which from sonar images appears to be in an upright position and in one piece".
The statement went on to say that if the wreckage was confirmed to be the missing cargo ship, attempts would be made to locate and recover the voyage data recorder. | Searchers say they believe they have found the wreckage of a cargo ship which went missing off the Bahamas during Hurricane Joaquin last month. | 34691321 |
He was found not guilty on a second-degree depraved heart murder charge, the most serious count sought against the six officers charged in the case.
The officer drove the van in which Mr Gray rode before he died.
The verdict is a blow to prosecutors, who have yet to win a conviction connected to Mr Gray's death.
Freddie Gray, 25, was arrested in April 2015 for running away from police officers. He died a week after sustaining a spinal injury while in the back of a police van.
His death sparked civil unrest in Baltimore, part of a wider national debate on police brutality and the death of unarmed black men at the hands of police.
Baltimore Circuit Judge Barry Williams also acquitted Mr Goodson on charges of manslaughter, assault, misconduct in office and reckless endangerment after the five-day trial.
The judge said the state failed to show that Mr Goodson was aware he had injured Mr Gray or that he needed medical care.
Prosecutors had argued that Mr Goodson was criminally negligent when he failed to use a seat belt to secure Mr Gray and intentionally gave him a "rough ride" while transporting him to the police station.
The van made six stops during the ride to the police station. Mr Goodson was the only officer present at each of the stops.
"The state had a duty to show the defendant corruptly failed in his duty, not just that he made a mistake," the judge said in his ruling.
The same judge cleared Officer Edward Nero on misdemeanour charges in connection to Mr Gray's arrest last month and declared a mistrial in December after a jury failed to agree on charges against Officer William Porter.
Officer Garret Miller and Lt. Brian Rice are the two remaining policemen scheduled to stand trial in July on charges of assault, reckless endangerment and misconduct in officer.
Mr Rice also faces a charge of manslaughter.
State Sen Catherine Pugh, the Democratic nominee to become Baltimore's next mayor, issued a statement urging protesters to be patient.
"Protests are a vital part of democracy, but to destroy the homes and businesses many people have worked very hard to build is unacceptable," she said. "Although people may disagree with the verdict, it is important to respect each other and to respect our neighbourhoods and our communities." | Baltimore police officer Caesar Goodson has been found not guilty in his trial for the murder of black detainee Freddie Gray. | 36610395 |
Overflow pipes at the Burry Inlet near Llanelli are used to help stop flooding.
But the European Court of Justice ruled this broke clean water laws in a special conservation area.
The Welsh Government, Natural Resources Wales and Welsh Water said they were investing in improvements.
Though the UK has not been fined, it will have to pay legal costs in a case that also found a number of other breaches around the handling of waste water in England and Gibraltar.
The problems stem from the UK's ageing Victorian sewers, engineering marvels of their time, but now out of date.
The pipes were designed to mix both sewage and rainwater but over the years new housing developments and more frequent storms as a result of climate change have put pressure on the system.
Welsh Water has 3,000 special overflow pipes which act as relief valves to deal with the extra sewage and rainwater but go straight into rivers and the sea.
At the Burry Inlet there are 14 overflow pipes which discharge into an area supposed to be protected by UK and EU laws.
It includes salt marshes and is a habitat for tens of thousands of wild birds during the winter.
2,200
hectares of saltmarsh - largest continuous area in Wales
20,000 waterfowl are supported
13,590 oystercatchers
35,000 wildbirds spend winter including curlew, godwit and shelduck
The local cockling industry has also been hit but Welsh Water insisted this was not due to their discharges.
It is investing in a £113m project to reduce the number of spills.
RainScape involves reducing the amount of water that reaches the sewers through planting green spaces on streets and roofs to absorb rain and building channels to capture surface water.
The UK argued the improvements would mean it could comply with EU clean water laws by 2020.
However, the ECJ - which rules on disputes involving EU legislation - found the UK had acted "too late" and was failing in its obligations.
Judges ruled spills contributed to the deterioration of water quality in the Loughor Estuary.
A Welsh Government spokesman said: "We will continue to work with Natural Resources Wales and Dwr Cymru on a £113m programme to reduce the number of spills, improve water quality and reduce the risk of local flooding by 2020."
Welsh Water added: "We have met the legal permits for water quality in the Loughor estuary and are aware of ever increasing environmental standards and the need to manage long-term challenges, such as climate change, in a truly sustainable away."
The UK Government said all sites in England included in the judgement "now comply with the directive and plans are in place elsewhere across the UK to deliver compliance by 2020 at the latest". | The UK has been found to be in breach of EU laws over the amount of sewage and waste water discharged into the sea off Carmarthenshire. | 39805395 |
The Catalonia high court accuses Mr Mas of disobedience, abuse of power and embezzlement of public funds.
Two days ago his pro-independence alliance won a majority of seats in elections for the regional parliament.
The Catalan regional government has denounced the lawsuit as politically motivated.
The separatist alliance, Together for Yes, said Sunday's result gave the parties a mandate to push for independence from Spain.
Mr Mas and two colleagues - Joanna Ortega and Irene Rigau - are accused of breaking the law by staging an unofficial ballot on 9 November last year.
The vote, which was not binding, went ahead despite fierce opposition by the Spanish government and an injunction by Spain's constitutional court.
Catalan officials said more than 80% of voters backed independence in the 2014 vote, although turnout was only around 40%.
Following an investigation dating back to late last year, the court called Mr Mas to go before a judge on 15 October.
If found guilty, he and the two officials could face a ban from public office and a possible prison sentence.
Josep Rull, a spokesman for Mr Mas's Democratic Convergence of Catalonia party, said the case showed the "central state's political cowardice".
He said the indictment would not stop the separatist leader running for president of the region.
Spain's central government has refused to allow a referendum on independence and says it will use all legal means to prevent Catalonia from breaking away.
After Sunday's result, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said he was ready to listen to Catalonia's new regional government - but would not discuss the country's unity.
Katya Adler: Looming independence or little change in Spain?
Tom Burridge: Independence debate gets personal
The main separatist alliance, Together For Yes (Junts pel Si), won 62 of the 135 regional parliament seats but won a majority in parliament with the support of a smaller radical pro-independence party, the CUP, which had 10 seats.
Despite their parliamentary majority, the separatists secured 47.8% of votes cast.
The CUP, a radical anti-capitalist group, says it will back the Together for Yes separatist alliance but will not help Mr Mas become regional president.
Pro-independence Catalans argue that their region gets an unfair deal, contributing too much tax to Madrid in return for insufficient state investment. In terms of GDP theirs is the richest region in Spain. | Catalonia's acting regional head Artur Mas has been summoned to court for his role in staging a vote on independence last year. | 34390530 |
The idea behind the Revo Build is to make it easy to customise a computer without having to unscrew parts of its body to install new components or connect it to other kit via cables.
A series of pins at the top and bottom of each part allows them to be stacked and connected together.
The concept echoes an approach others are taking to mobiles.
"Various companies have modular phones in the works that will allow you to snap on extra features," commented Chris Green, at tech consultant at Davies Murphy Group.
"Google has Project Ara and there's some interesting start-ups as well.
"It's logical to extend the idea to desktop PCs. A modular PC for a gamer would be perfect as it would let them add in extra capabilities without having to get their hands dirty.
"They currently have to crack open the case and fiddle around with cables and wires."
Mr Green noted, however, that the introductory base units had relatively limited processing power - they initial choice will be between Intel's Celeron and Pentium processors rather than its Core family of chips - which might limit their appeal to gaming enthusiasts.
Acer unveiled the machine at Berlin's Ifa tech show.
The Taiwanese firm said that when the product goes on sale in October, the cheapest base unit - containing a processor and eight gigabytes of RAM - would cost £199.
Initially, the only add-on part will be a 500GB or one terabyte portable hard drive.
But over the following months the firm plans to release:
It said each of the blocks was designed to work independently or with other PCs.
The company's chief executive Jason Chen also invited users to suggest ideas for new modules to Acer.
"It's easy for users to add things as they need them, [it provides] flexibility and a sense of empowerment that they can build a system themselves," commented Intel's Kirk Skaugen, who was invited on stage for the launch.
Although the pricing of the add-on blocks has yet to be announced, users are likely to pay a premium for the freedom to easily swap parts in and out.
That investment might only make sense if Acer remains committed to developing the new ecosystem over the long-term, and there is no way of knowing whether this will be the case.
"Two to three months down the line, customers should have no problems customising their machine, but obviously three to four years on it could be a different matter," noted Mr Green. | Acer has unveiled a desktop PC whose parts are designed to be fitted together like building blocks. | 34130098 |
Officers were called to the Xscape retail park in Castleford on Sunday night where up to 30 men were fighting.
The incident took place at about 18:30 BST after an argument inside a pub. One man was treated in hospital for a head wound.
A 31-year-old man from Normanton was arrested on suspicion of affray and has been released on police bail.
Sgt Alex Macleod said: "Inquiries are ongoing regarding this incident and we would like to speak to anyone who recognises any of the men pictured in the CCTV images." | CCTV images of a mass brawl in a shopping centre car park in West Yorkshire have been released by police. | 32157482 |
Last week it was announced Whitmire was to be replaced but no reason was given.
Whitmire has told the Hollywood Reporter it was because he spoke up against changes being made to the character he felt were against what creator Jim Henson would have wanted.
"They felt I had been 'disrespectful' in being outspoken," he said.
A statement from the Muppet Studios said it was due to his "unacceptable business conduct."
"The role of Kermit the Frog is an iconic one that is beloved by fans and we take our responsibility to protect the integrity of that character very seriously.
"We raised concerns about Steve's repeated unacceptable business conduct over a period of many years and he consistently failed to address the feedback. The decision to part ways was a difficult one which was made in consultation with the Henson family and has their full support."
Jim Henson's son and daughter Lisa Henson and Brian Henson, President and Chairman of the Jim Henson Company, both spoke to the New York Times about backing the decision.
Whitmire took over as Kermit's handler and voice actor after creator Jim Henson died in 1990.
When it was revealed last week he had been let go, Whitmire said he was "devastated to have failed in my duty to my hero".
Now he has revealed he was actually fired in October and he said it was for two reasons.
One involved the production of The Muppets TV show, which was cancelled after one series.
"The first issue was that they felt I had been 'disrespectful' in being outspoken on character issues with the small group of top creative people during the ABC series.
"I have been outspoken about what's best for The Muppets since The Muppets came to Disney [2004], but the fact is I have respect for everyone who was involved in the creation of that series for their own particular contributions.
"At the same time, I also have insight into their limitations with respect to how well they know The Muppets."
He said one instance was over an episode in which Kermit lied to his nephew, Robin, about his break-up with Miss Piggy.
"I don't think Kermit would lie to him... Kermit is too compassionate to lie to him to spare his feelings.
"I thought I was aiding to keep it on track, and I think a big reason why the show was cancelled was because that didn't happen. I am not saying my notes would have saved it, but I think had they listened more to all of the performers, it would have made a really big difference."
He said the other reason he was fired was over a union issue.
Whitmire is going to be replaced by Matt Vogel as the voice of Kermit.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]. | The Muppets Studio have said they fired Steve Whitmire, who had voiced Kermit the Frog for 27 years, for "unacceptable business conduct". | 40641830 |
The six-tonne gun, which dates back to the 15th century, was removed from the castle in January for specialist repairs.
It was the first time it had left the site in 30 years.
Over the past two months the previous coat of paint was removed by bead blasting. It was scanned to create a 3D record of its condition and repainted.
The 1934 oak carriage which Mons Meg sits on also underwent conservation and repair works by Historic Scotland's expert joiners and blacksmiths.
The cannon arrived back at Edinburgh Castle on Sunday and was lifted by crane to its display position on Monday.
Nick Finnigan, executive manager of Edinburgh Castle, said: "To many people, Mons Meg is synonymous with the castle and visitors travel from all over the world to see her and be photographed by this most famous of historical icons, and I am sure they will be thrilled to see her back on display."
The cannon was given to King James II by Duke Philip of Burgundy as a gift in 1457 and was considered cutting-edge military technology at the time, capable of firing 150kg "gunstones" up to two miles.
It was used in battle for almost 100 years, then used to fire salutes.
Richard Welander, head of collections at Historic Scotland, said: "Mons Meg undergoes regular 'health checks' and inspections, but this was the most detailed and intricate work we've carried out on her in almost 30 years, when she last left the castle.
"The cannon was heavily over-painted, which obscured the iron underneath. The conservators carefully removed all the paint using bead blasting, which gently removed all paint layers, without damaging the metal below.
"Stripping all the paint off Mons Meg allowed us to carry out a detailed assessment of her condition.
"She looks like a robust bit of artillery, but she's actually quite vulnerable and we were able to see up close the damage done when she burst her barrel in 1681.
"Mons Meg is one of Edinburgh Castle's most-beloved treasures and carrying out these essential works ensures she'll be in top condition for visitors to enjoy for years to come." | Historic cannon Mons Meg has returned to Edinburgh Castle after undergoing two months of conservation work. | 32021029 |
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The New Zealand-born back made himself available for England in March after completing three years of residency.
Solomona represented Samoa in rugby league last year before his controversial cross-code switch to Sale that will be settled in the High Court.
"The main thing is I need to come in and learn," the 23-year-old said.
"Obviously I'm still new to the game as it has changed since I played in school.
"There is Eddie Jones and the experienced players there like Mike Brown and everyone, I'm just going to keep learning."
Solomona, who scored 42 tries for Super League side Castleford last season, has continued his try-scoring feats since his switch to Sale in November with 11 in his first 13 games.
"I think my biggest buzz is contributing to a win," Solomona said. "I prefer wins than tries, they're the most important to me. If I'm contributing to that then I'm doing my job."
He has received a call from England captain Dylan Hartley about what to expect going into camp but got his news from an unexpected source.
"I was with my partner at the time and they announced it on Twitter and it just went from there - I was quite excited actually," he added.
"My mum texted me first and said congratulations and I didn't know what she was talking about, so I checked my Twitter and found out."
Four Sale players in total were called up as well as Solomona, including centre Sam James and identical twins and flankers Ben and Tom Curry.
The 18-year-old twins only both made their professional debuts this season and helped the England Under-20 side win a Six Nations Grand Slam earlier in the year.
"I was scrolling through some of the names and I was lost for words really when I first saw it," Ben told BBC Radio Manchester.
Tom added: "It was the first time I felt like I couldn't speak, I didn't know what to say. I still don't think it has really settled in much.
"I still think it's a massive shock to be playing for Sale so to go further than that is absolutely amazing." | Sale Sharks winger Denny Solomona is hoping to tap into the knowledge of England's senior players after his call-up for June's tour of Argentina. | 39709049 |
The 10p-sized flowers have been hand-crafted by volunteers from around the world for the Alzheimer's Society branch in Weston-super-Mare.
The society said its initial appeal for 1,000 forget-me-nots had been "quickly met".
The knitted and crocheted flowers are on display on Weston's Grand Pier.
Hayley Pope, from the society, said: "We started off by asking for 1,000 - which we though was quite achievable - but very soon we were overwhelmed with these little forget-me-nots coming in, so we put the target up to 3,500 to represent the number of people in North Somerset with dementia.
"So many people are affected by dementia, so many people have parents or family members who have dementia - I think everybody really wants to help."
Volunteer Karen Burt said: "It takes seconds to do one. I've made 300.
"My father suffers from dementia - he's been diagnosed for six years now and it's something that everybody needs to know about it. It's a horrible disease." | A charity has said it is "overwhelmed" after it received more than 20,000 knitted forget-me-nots to mark Dementia Awareness Week. | 36329485 |
Jakub Gorski was found stabbed in the chest following reports a fight broke out in Hope Street, in Salford, at about 19:45 BST on Friday.
The 19-year-old was taken to Salford Royal hospital where he later died.
Piotr Olejarczyk, 28, of Knoll Street, Salford, has been charged with murder and is due to appear at Manchester and Salford Magistrates' Court later. | A man has been charged with murder following a fatal stabbing in Greater Manchester. | 36516760 |
The Campbell Sisters Dancing a Waltz by Lorenzo Bartolini depicts the lives of fashionable and wealthy Britons in Florence in the early 19th Century.
The statue was sold to a foreign bidder at auction but was prevented from leaving the country in case the sale price could be matched in the UK.
A group of arts charities helped raise the required £500,000.
The statue in white carrara marble shows Emma and Julia Campbell dancing in flowing dresses and sandals.
Their uncle, the 6th Duke of Argyll, is thought to have commissioned the piece from Bartolini in 1821 for about £500.
It had been on loan from the duke's descendants to the National Galleries of Scotland until the family decided to sell it at Sotheby's last year.
It was deemed to be of outstanding importance as one of the leading commissions showing the British presence in Florence in the early 19th Century by arguably the greatest living Italian sculptor at one point.
The money was jointly raised by the National Heritage Memorial Fund, the Art Fund Charity, National Galleries of Scotland and the V&A, where it can now be seen.
V&A director of collections Beth McKillop said: "We are excited that we have the opportunity to display The Campbell Sisters Dancing a Waltz at the V&A.
"Bartolini's sculpture is a delightful work and an outstanding addition to the national collection of sculpture housed at the museum."
Thousands of objects request an export licence every year and about 20 to 30 are deferred in case money can be raised but only about a third these stay. | A classical sculpture has been saved for the nation by London's V&A museum and the National Galleries of Scotland. | 34013502 |
Aliaskhab Kebekov, head of the Caucasus Emirate, died with two other militants after special forces surrounded a house in Buynaksk, the Russian sources said.
Kebekov took charge of the militant group in March last year after the death of its founder, Doku Umarov.
The group was linked to al-Qaeda, but Kebekov did not support Islamic State.
The official Twitter feed of the emirate's Dagestan section - (@VDagestan_Arab) - also reported that Kebekov had been killed in a battle with Russian forces. However, there has been no official confirmation yet from the rebel command.
Kebekov was also known as Ali Abu Mukhammad al-Dagestani.
The Caucasus Emirate consists of militants fighting to set up an independent Islamic state in the North Caucasus. Islam is the dominant religion in Dagestan and neighbouring Chechnya.
Doku Umarov had claimed responsibility for major attacks in Russia and had been Russia's most-wanted man. Reports say he was poisoned in 2013. | Russian anti-terrorist officials say their forces have killed a North Caucasus jihadist leader in a shoot-out in the troubled republic of Dagestan. | 32383809 |
"My tent was set on fire. My clothes were stolen. My sleeping bag was stolen."
Louise is sitting, begging, in a shop front on Aberdeen's Union Street.
She says nowhere is safe if you are rough sleeping on the city's streets or in its parks.
I talk to her as she is hungrily eating lentil and smoked bacon soup from a plastic carton - served to her by Bobby Beasant and his friend Jerry.
Bobby works as a chef in one of the Granite City's restaurants. But spends his days off cooking and distributing healthy food to people like Louise.
I met him first at his home at Seaton, near the city centre.
As he chopped carrots, onions and celery he said it is important to give healthy food to rough sleepers and the homeless.
"They can get very ill, when they're out on the streets," he says.
"It's cold. So it's very important to offer nutritious food that's hot."
Then the portions are served out, and the containers packed into a box. And it's off, out, into the rain.
First stop a hostel for the homeless. One man, just out of jail, takes a carton of soup.
Then a sheltered housing scheme - a half-way house for people who have been rough sleeping.
Bobby distributes half a dozen containers.
Then we're off to the shopping streets. Plenty of money here. You can see it in the shop fronts. And in the shoppers passing-by.
The man who always sits near the Trinity Centre steps is not out today.
But there's a couple, begging in a bus shelter. They gratefully accept some food. And Bobby and Jerry stay for a chat.
Then there's Louise. She explains that a drunken brawl one night at the end of last year forced her out of her home.
Someone threatened to stab someone. Someone got "battered". I don't like to ask for too many details.
But, Louise says, she's been sleeping on Aberdeen's streets, and in the city's parks, for the past five months.
"I had everything, up until October", she says.
"I had my house. My wee boy stayed with me."
She says was using her past experience as a heroin addict to train as a drugs counsellor. And she was a volunteer with a project in Arbroath.
"I had everything. But now I've got nothing."
And there's a twist to the story.
The real reason Bobby Beasant does it.
"I went through it myself. I was homeless for six months.
"I ended up in the hostels. It's not very nice. You've got to fend for yourself.
"Yeah, there are people there to give you support and help you. But food-wise and that sort of stuff, you've got to do it yourself. If you've got no money, it's very hard."
And this is all happening at the same time as the subject of what homeless people eat, and the role it plays in their health, is starting to provoke academic interest.
Researchers at Robert Gordon University, and several homeless organisations in Aberdeen, have just completed their first study of the health of the city's homeless population.
It focused on access to healthcare, and how well homeless people follow the instructions doctors give them about taking prescribed medicines.
But researchers say there's much more they need to find out, if they are to help tackle health inequalities.
"We're looking, in the next phase, at wider aspects of self care. And this includes diet", lead investigator Dr Vibhu Paudyal told me.
"As well as physical and mental health, avoidance of alcohol or illicit substances, and sleep quality.
"Maintaining a good diet is really important, and particularly important for this population because of all the hazards that they are vulnerable to."
Meanwhile, back on the streets, Bobby insists he is in this for the long haul. He is already planning for the next 10 to 15 years of feeding Aberdeen's homeless. | A former homeless chef is on a one-man mission to serve healthy food to Aberdeen's homeless and rough sleepers. | 33552075 |
The Premier League side went ahead when summer signing Kenedy crossed for Ramires to nod home.
Remy doubled their lead with a powerful finish, but Walsall responded quickly when James O'Connor tapped in after Milan Lalkovic's free-kick was parried.
Kenedy's goal ended the League One side's hopes of an upset before Pedro added a fourth from distance.
The scoreline was perhaps harsh on the Saddlers, who competed strongly throughout, but Chelsea never looked in danger of a first League Cup defeat to lower-league opposition since 1989.
It was Brazilian Kenedy, signed from Fluminense, who particularly caught the eye on his first start for the Blues.
The 19-year-old reacted quickly when Walsall keeper Neil Etheridge lost possession to set up compatriot Ramires, and took his goal superbly with a firm strike through Etheridge's legs.
Walsall, who are currently second in the third tier, have now failed to reach the fourth round for the last 18 seasons.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho: "We were not here to throw away a competition. When you start the season with bad results like we did you cannot lose against a League One team.
"To lose a game against a League One team now would not be good for us. We don't need that bad feeling now. We need good feelings.
"The team was strong, played well and I'm happy with the result."
Walsall manager Dean Smith: "The team talk was: 'We're not here to try not to lose, we're here to try and win.'
"They make it very difficult for you and they protect their back four very well. We gave it a go and we're disappointed with the scoreline a little bit. Maybe 4-1 flattered them."
Manchester City v Crystal Palace
Liverpool v Bournemouth
Manchester United v Middlesbrough
Everton v Norwich City
Southampton v Aston Villa
Sheffield Wednesday v Arsenal
Hull City v Leicester City
Stoke City v Chelsea
(Ties to be played on 27 and 28 October)
Match ends, Walsall 1, Chelsea 4.
Second Half ends, Walsall 1, Chelsea 4.
Substitution, Chelsea. Papy Djilobodji replaces Falcao.
Goal! Walsall 1, Chelsea 4. Pedro (Chelsea) left footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner.
Attempt saved. Pedro (Chelsea) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Attempt saved. Ramires (Chelsea) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Attempt missed. Sam Mantom (Walsall) right footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the right.
Corner, Walsall. Conceded by Nemanja Matic.
Corner, Walsall. Conceded by Pedro.
Substitution, Walsall. James Baxendale replaces Jordan Cook.
Anthony Forde (Walsall) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Anthony Forde (Walsall).
Falcao (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Reece Flanagan (Walsall) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.
Corner, Walsall. Conceded by Nemanja Matic.
Attempt blocked. Kieron Morris (Walsall) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Attempt missed. Falcao (Chelsea) left footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left.
Attempt missed. Romaine Sawyers (Walsall) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high.
Corner, Walsall. Conceded by John Obi Mikel.
Attempt blocked. Anthony Forde (Walsall) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Rico Henry (Walsall) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Gary Cahill (Chelsea).
Reece Flanagan (Walsall) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Pedro (Chelsea).
Substitution, Walsall. Anthony Forde replaces Milan Lalkovic.
Substitution, Walsall. Reece Flanagan replaces Adam Chambers.
Substitution, Chelsea. Nemanja Matic replaces Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
Substitution, Chelsea. Pedro replaces Kenedy.
Attempt missed. Jason Demetriou (Walsall) right footed shot from outside the box is too high.
Foul by Romaine Sawyers (Walsall).
Kenedy (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Loïc Remy (Chelsea) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.
Adam Chambers (Walsall) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Adam Chambers (Walsall).
Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Milan Lalkovic (Walsall).
Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Jordan Cook (Walsall) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Kenedy (Chelsea).
Goal! Walsall 1, Chelsea 3. Kenedy (Chelsea) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Ruben Loftus-Cheek. | Chelsea eased through to the fourth round of the League Cup with a comfortable win over Walsall. | 34265632 |
Gunman Seifeddine Rezgui opened fire indiscriminately at tourists on sunloungers on the beach at the five-star Hotel Rui Imperial Marhaba in Sousse on 26 June 2015.
These are their stories.
Teenager Owen Richards tried to shield his grandfather during the Tunisia terror attack in which his brother and uncle were also killed.
Mr Richards, who was 16 at the time, was helping Charles Patrick Evans, 78, try to escape as gunman Seifeddine Rezgui hunted for victims at the beach hotel.
Mr Evans, his son Adrian Evans, 49, and Owen's brother Joel Richards, 19, were all shot dead at the Sousse beach resort.
The West Midlands family were enjoying the first day of their "jolly boys' outing", inspired by their favourite TV programme "Only Fools and Horses", when they heard gunshots from the direction of the beach.
They fled into the indoor pool area and as Rezgui approached, Mr Evans - known to his family as Pat - fell to the floor.
"I was hugging granddad on the floor and then I could see out of my right-hand corner my brother and seeing him dive to the floor," Mr Richards said.
"He lifted the gun up and I closed my eyes, then I heard a bunch of shots."
The four relatives had booked the holiday to celebrate Owen finishing his GCSE exams, his mother Suzanne Richards said.
Adrian Evans worked for Sandwell Council in Oldbury as a manager in the gas services department and Joel was a student at the University of Worcester and a keen football referee.
Mrs Richards said: "We take comfort that they stayed together in their last moments - protecting each other."
Liam Moore battled to save the life of his fiancee Carly Lovett during the attack, the inquest heard.
The couple ran from the beach into the hotel after hearing gunshots, and were hiding in a staff area. Mr Moore said: "We were standing close to each other, just hugging each other and holding each other's hands.
"Carly was saying that she was scared and I said I was too, but that we would get out of there."
The 24-year-old beauty blogger was then injured in an explosion.
"She said that shecouldn't move her legs and that shewas blacking out and she told me that she loved me and I told her that I loved her too," Mr Moore said.
He began CPR on her when she stopped responding.
Ms Lovett, from Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, had recently got engaged to Mr Moore, her childhood sweetheart of 10 years. This was the first couple's holiday together.
Her family described her as "a kind,caring, intelligent,beautifulwoman with a wicked sense of humour".
Cheryl Mellor said her "hero" husband Stephen, 59, sacrificed his life to protect her during the attack.
She told the inquest that her husband of 10 years climbed on top of her as they lay on the beach in between their sun beds when the gunman shot at them.
In her statement, read out at London's Royal Courts of Justice, Mrs Mellor said: "I am only here today due to the bravery of my husband, Steve.
"We were being shot and he protected me. Steve stayed and saved me. He sacrificed himself. Steve is a hero to me."
Yorkshire-born Mr Mellor, a father of three from Bodmin, Cornwall, died after being shot in the chest and abdomen.
Mrs Mellor, who was shot in the leg and wrist, suffered life-changing injuries.
Mr Mellor did not live to see the birth of his third grandchild, a boy called Thomas Stephen, who was named after him.
Sports fan Mr Mellor had a "huge interest" in golf and was "so well†| Heroic tales of holidaymakers protecting loved ones and attempts to save lives have emerged from the inquest into the deaths of 30 British people killed in the Tunisia beach attack. | 38878783 |
President Bashar al-Assad soon announced he would recognise some of the rights demanded by the Kurds and allowed them to register as citizens and hold an identify card, a right they have been deprived of since 1962.
But the Kurds rejected the concessions, saying they would wait to get their rights once all Syrians achieved freedom and democracy.
Five years on the scene is different. As the war has dragged on in Syria, Kurdish groups have taken the opportunity to gain more power.
The PYD (the Democratic Union Party) declared self-administration in the Kurdish region of Syria in November 2013.
Other Kurdish parties formed the Kurdish National Council, which is part of the main anti-Assad opposition group, the Syrian National Coalition.
The PYD is close to the Kurdistan Workers' Party - the PKK - which is banned in Turkey and regarded by many Western governments as a terrorist organisation.
"The PYD had popularity on the ground as they were addressing the Kurdish population's concerns. They are pragmatic and organised, unlike other Kurdish parties who failed to deliver," says Farooq Haji Mustafa, a Syrian Kurd journalist and founder of the Barchav Centre for Media and Freedom, in Gaziantep, southern Turkey.
"The Kurds were attacked by some Islamist groups like Jabhat al-Nusra, therefore they felt they were not part of the Syrian revolution. They thought they should seize the opportunity and protect Kurdish interests.
"The PYD delivered and were supported by regional and international agreements since they were the only force that is reliable in the fight against Islamic State," he added.
But Mr Haji Mustafa says the PYD is a totalitarian party, doesn't like opposition to its rule and has acted violently against some in their community.
The PYD later came to form the Syrian Democratic Forces, along with some Arab tribes, and it's the SDF which has become one of the main powers inside Syria fighting so-called Islamic State (IS) - with support from Western coalition forces.
But there is criticism of the SDF over how they have allegedly acted towards Kurdish opponents and civilians in areas in which they have been fighting.
Some have gone so far as to accuse them of being another face of the Syrian regime.
Shero Alo is an opposition activist from Ifrin in Aleppo province in the north of Syria. He was part of the Kurdish opposition but had to leave his town due to, he said, threats from the PYD.
"They threatened, arrested and beat us up during our protests. Anyone who opposes them is sent to prison. Some have been jailed for two or three years," Mr Alo said.
This view is shared by some Arab activists who say they witnessed abuses in Tal Abyad, a predominantly Arab town on the outskirts of Raqqa, captured from IS last year by the YPG, the military wing of the PYD.
"When the PYD entered Tal Abyad in 2015, they pushed all the Arabs out of their homes," said Ahmad Haj Saleh, who has been documenting the activities of the PYD since 2015.
"They looted and tortured and imprisoned people. They used a hole to bury people alive in the same place that Islamic State fighters used to have mass graves.
"Most of the Arabs who were pushed out were not allowed into certain parts of Tal Abyad and families of the Kurdish fighters now inhabit their houses. The ones who were allowed back needed a Kurdish guarantor before they could get to their own towns," he said.
However, a PYD spokesman, Dr Juan Mustafa, told the BBC that Kurdish forces had not carried out any abuses.
"There are no violations at all in Tal Abyad. All the families who left came back," he said.
"When Syrian Democratic Forces enter a town or an area it is due to calls from the families to come and liberate them from the atrocities of IS."
The PYD/YPG have previously acknowledged what they called some "isolated incidents" of forced displacements.
A picture of alleged abuses has not emerged in the current battle for Manbij - a predominantly Arab city held by Islamic State fighters near their stronghold of Raqqa.
This offensive is being carried out by forces including the US-backed SDF and SDF-allied Manbij Military Council (MMC).
MMC spokesman Shervan Darwish says they are doing everything they can to protect civilians while they push IS out of the city.
"We have nothing to do with who will rule Manbij - or how it will be ruled. The civil council will decide there," he said.
"We are here to protect the civilians and to free their city. It is up to them how to rule it after."
The PYD has made calculations in its own long-term interest. It seized control over most territories with a Kurdish population in Syria and now considers them as a federal region.
It has presented itself as a partner for the international community in fighting terrorism and just recently announced a constitution that would govern what it calls Rojava - the Kurdish areas of Syria - as well as other parts of northern Syria in partnership with some Arab tribes there.
This territorial expansion and new power for the PYD has been supported by the US - who are partners in the fight against IS - and Russia.
But it alarms Damascus and the Turkish government, a foe of President Assad.
Recent reports say that Algeria is brokering talks between Damascus and Ankara over a common Kurdish threat.
Although some believe that the Syrian government helped facilitate the PYD's role in the north at the start of the conflict, the fact that the group has become more powerful now makes Damascus wary.
Turkey does not want a Kurdish state on its own border and the PYD is linked to the PKK - which Ankara blames for many attacks in Turkey.
While the Kurds have proven to be reliable in the fight against IS in the north of the country, there is some unease about their ambition to separate entirely from the rest of Syria.
Ismail Sharif is a Kurdish journalist from Amouda. He wants a democratic and united Syria and left his town due to fears of reprisal attacks from the PYD.
He still believes it is hard for them to create a Kurdish state and to split the country.
"Unfortunately now there is a proxy war and there are many dictators in Syria. I don't think there will be a division of Syria," he said.
"The PYD cannot rule one area from Kobani to Ifrin with many Arab towns and villages in the middle.
"They cannot continue ruling across this area without an agreement between all Syrians in a free and democratic country that ensures equal and full rights for all its citizens." | When the Syrian protest movement started in 2011, it was young Kurds in Amouda, in the north of the country, who took to the streets, calling for freedom and democracy. | 36773195 |
IS gave no details about when or where Ole Johan Grimsgaard-Ofstad, 48, from Norway and Fan Jinghui, 50, from China were killed. It had demanded ransoms from their countries.
Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg said there was no reason to doubt the claim, and called it a "barbaric act".
Chinese President Xi Jinping also condemned the killing.
"Terrorists are the common enemy of humankind," he said, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
IS Dabiq magazine published what it said were photographs of the men, alive and dead. They appeared to have been shot.
Ms Solberg said: "There are no excuses for the treatment our countryman has been subjected to, it can't be found in religion, nor ideology."
"This is a despicable and barbaric act," she added.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said in a statement China has noted the report and is "deeply shocked".
"Ever since the Chinese citizen was held hostage by the Islamic State group, the Chinese government has been sparing no effort in rescuing him," Mr Hong said. "We are still verifying the information."
The militants announced the two men's capture in a previous issue of Dabiq, which showed them in yellow jumpsuits, but gave no detail about their capture. | The Islamic State (IS) militant group says it has killed two hostages - a Norwegian and a Chinese citizen. | 34860261 |
In France, Le Figaro's managing editor Alexis Brezet uses a front-page editorial to call on the EU not only to reform - a common European media theme in recent days - but to rebuild itself through a new treaty that must be ratified by referendums in all member states.
He warns France and Germany to avoid the "temptation to try to patch things up".
They should offer real protection against the pressures of globalisation, from "multicultural naivety, dogmatic free trade, and abstract universalism" to "uncontrolled immigration, persistent unemployment, and a squeezed middle class".
The alternative is to accept that the people will "return to the only protection worthy of the name - that of the nation".
He acknowledges the risk of new treaty referendums, but insists that "Europe will not change without the people, and we cannot make them happy against their will".
The idea of a specific French referendum plays out in other papers, with former prime minister and conservative Republican party presidential hopeful Alain Juppe firmly ruling it out as "irresponsible".
"France has no future outside the EU," he tells Le Monde.
The paper's Benoit Hopquin "dives into the France of 'Frexit'", and warns that the contrast between prosperous, metropolitan areas and these "almost nameless towns... with their idling factories and children who've left, never to return", is "similar to the divide in Britain".
Liberation interviews the Republicans' deputy chairman, Laurent Wauquiez, who applauds Brexit as a chance to "consolidate the Europe Union around a core of seven to twelve countries that share a common vision... and are ready to harmonise their social and fiscal policies".
He thinks EU leaders should acknowledge that a "similar referendum would have gone the same way in any European country, and in France by perhaps a larger margin".
Like Figaro's Alexis Brezet, he recalls that the EU "hasn't won a single referendum in 20 years" and needs to move away from neo-liberal economic policies, but in the form of a "two-tier Europe".
German commentators agree that the EU's distance from ordinary voters is the issue, rather than the particular attitudes of the British.
Die Welt's publisher, Stefan Aust, has no doubt that the vote was a "come-uppance for Brussels, whose policies are ever more impenetrable, and for the high-handedness of a bureaucracy whose decision-making process are increasingly removed from the public".
He thinks Britain may have done the EU a favour in revealing the "great project to have been a great illusion, a colourful soap bubble" and in forcing it to decide on whether to accept differences among member-states rather than "fake a consensus".
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung's Brussels economics correspondent Werner Mussler demands the resignation of EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker for pledging deeper currency union, complaining that his "anti-British passions have made him forget that that the need for 'more Europe' is the last thing that should be learnt from the British referendum".
Elke Schmitter of influential news magazine Der Spiegel looks on the bright side, saying that at least there is "clarity now on what it means to be an EU member or not".
Georg Loewisch in Tageszeitung agrees that any "New Deal for Europe" must bind its members closer together in a common identity, and that its terms cannot be negotiable.
Federico Fubini in Italy's Corriere Della Sera sees the British vote as indicative of a new fault line in Europe "not between left and right... but rather between nationalists and internationalists", those who want to deal with global problems by "raising the drawbridge... or working together for prosperity, culture and our open society".
Guido Gentili in the business paper Il Sole 24 Ore does not envy European leaders their task of "reigniting enthusiasm" for an EU whose "wrong or failed answers are at the root of this risky transition".
Like his peers elsewhere in Europe, he calls for a "genuine debate based on the disenchantment of European citizens, their questions and their concerns - primarily growth, employment and immigration".
Not all commentators are as understanding of the Brexit mentality. A searing piece in Austria's Der Standard by London-based German journalist Sebastian Borger uses a topical footballing analogy.
"No football team, no matter how bad its current form, can afford a moaning player who won't contribute, and insists on a transfer but won't leave the bench," Borger writes. "The player has to be got rid of".
In Vienna's Die Presse, Wolfgang Boehm is more understanding of the desire for a sense of "safety and being protected", but fears it is ultimately unrealistic.
"The dream of total sovereignty in a neatly arranged state is not possible anymore," he says. "The British are dreaming of going back to the 18th Century."
Further down the Danube, legal analyst Tamas Adany does not expect Britain to receive much sympathy in the eventual negotiations.
He tells Hungarian conservative daily Magyar Hirlap that EU states "don't want an easy or comfortable divorce, to avoid making the idea of leaving attractive to any other member state".
Czech commentator Ondrej Stindl does not defend the EU elite, but does not spare the "ordinary people" either.
"Perhaps the problem is that both sides are in many ways alike - irrational, self-absorbed, with a tendency to groupthink, conformism, and hysteria," he says on the Echo24 news site.
There is also deep concern in the media of Eastern and Central Europe at the increase in xenophobia in Britain, aimed in particular at Polish migrants.
Influential Polish website NaTemat is typical in reacting with shock to anti-Polish leaflets and graffiti, describing them as "just the tip of the iceberg" of a wave of hatred "hitting all migrants".
Czech newspaper Tyden also covers the graffiti and attacks, and raises fears that the referendum will "encourage extremist elements in society".
BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook. | The prospect of Brexit-style referendums in other European countries is a major concern of European commentators today, against the background of a growing consensus that the EU needs root-and-branch change if it is to survive this challenge. | 36641827 |
The upright piano appears in one of the film's most iconic scenes, in which Humphrey Bogart's character Rick utters the line: "Here's looking at you, kid."
It was sold to an unknown buyer at Sotheby's in New York.
The piano had been offered for sale by its Japanese collector owner to mark the film's 70th anniversary.
It was expected to sell for as much as $1.2m, The owner originally paid about $154,000 for the piano at auction in the late 1980s.
It is used in the film by pianist Sam, played by Dooley Wilson, to play the song As Time Goes By during a key flashback scene set in a Paris bar.
Rick Blaine, played by Humphrey Bogart, delivers the famous line as he and Ingrid Bergman's character Ilsa Lund lean on the piano, toasting with glasses of champagne.
The piano's sale marks the 70th anniversary of the Oscar-winning World War II classic, which is largely set in the Moroccan port city of Casablanca, then part of unoccupied French North Africa. | A piano that features in the classic 1940s film Casablanca has been sold for more than $600,000 (£370,000) at an auction in New York. | 20734605 |
The Liberal government says the jets will close the "capability gap" in Canada's air power as it seeks a permanent replacement to its CF-18 fleet.
It will also launch a five-year procurement process in 2017 to find a replacement, which could include F-35s.
Ottawa will continue to participate in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program.
Federal Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said on Tuesday that Ottawa will immediately begin discussions with the US government and Boeing, which manufactures the Super Hornet fighter aircraft, on the purchase of the stop-gap fleet.
Public Services and Procurement Minister Judy Foote was unable to provide an estimated cost for the 18 new jets, saying it would depend on the negotiations.
Canada cannot currently meet its commitments to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the North American Aerospace Defense Command with its aging fleet of CF-18s.
But the procurement process to replace the 30-year-old fleet has been rife with problems and politics.
The former Conservative government originally intended to buy 65 Lockheed Martin F-35s, with deliveries slated to begin in 2016.
In 2012, the country's auditor general criticised the sole-sourced procurement process for the fighters. Cost overruns and other issues also hampered the planned purchase.
In the last federal election campaign, the Liberals unequivocally ruled out buying the stealth bomber for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and promised to purchase a "lower priced" option.
Canada has been involved in the JSF program, the development and acquisition program for the F-35s, since its inception in 1997.
Other countries involved in the JSF project include the US, the UK, Turkey, Italy, Australia and the Netherlands. | Canada will explore buying 18 new Boeing Super Hornet fighter jets. | 38068875 |
The 40-year-old has spent years trying to discover her true identity and find the woman who gave birth to her.
Karen is one of thousands of people who were adopted under the Republic of Ireland's secretive adoption system, which has been in force since 1952.
This week, the government announced plans to end that secrecy, but not all the measures have been welcomed.
Karen was born in 1974 and was raised on a farm in County Cavan by a couple she believed were her parents.
But when she reached the age of about 10, she found out she was not who she thought she was, when she discovered her adoption certificate.
"Growing up, I always knew there was something different," she said.
"I always knew I didn't look like either of my parents or even my brother, I don't look like him, and I always knew I didn't fit in. There was something I felt was missing".
She had been issued with a false baptism certificate in the name Catherine Maguire, but her adopted family always referred to her as "Karen". Neither name was real.
Despite the revelation, she said she maintained a good relationship with her adoptive mother, who died when Karen was 18. Her adoptive father died last year.
The fake certificate was signed by a priest in Drogheda, County Louth, and around the time of her adoptive mother's death, Karen, then 18, wrote to him, asking for information.
The priest replied, saying he had passed her letter on to the Health Service Executive (HSE), the body that runs all public health services in the Republic of Ireland.
Karen decided not to pursue the matter with the HSE at that stage. She later got married, took her husband's surname and is now raising a family in Omagh, County Tyrone.
But having children of her own made the search for information about her birth family more important than ever. She started asking questions again in 1996, when she gave birth to a second son who was very ill.
"I pushed it then, to try to find some medical information but all they would tell me was that there was no history of any diseases in the family or any conditions that I should be concerned about."
She was also told, at that stage, her mother had got married and had other children.
At present, adopted people in the Republic of Ireland do not have an automatic right to information that would help them apply for their birth certificate, although the new law will go some way to redressing the balance in their favour.
Adoption authorities are, however, able to release basic facts known as "non-identifying" information about birth parents.
When I ask Karen what she knew for certain about the woman who gave birth to her, she replied: "She was in her early 20s, she was a catering assistant, and I just have (information on) height and colour of eyes, and things like that."
She had another breakthrough recently though, when the Catholic Church published Irish parish records online, including baptismal records.
By cross-referencing her date of birth with babies born to single mothers, a friend of Karen's tracked down what they now believe is her real baptism certificate.
She was named Jennifer and was born to a single woman in a Drogheda hospital in October 1974. She was adopted weeks later from a baby home outside the town.
She has since tried to make contact with her birth mother, through social workers in Drogheda.
Unfortunately, her mother's sister - Karen's biological aunt - replied on the family's behalf saying her mother did not want any contact.
The news was "devastating" for Karen, but she said she will not give up her search.
"I hope that at some stage I would be given the opportunity to send her a letter personally, and just to know that she is happy. If she doesn't want contact, I'm not going to turn up on somebody's doorstep and destroy somebody's family," said Karen.
"I assume, from what they had told me, that her husband and her family don't know. I would just like to know the truth of what happened to me and what happened to her."
Karen says she holds no bitterness towards the woman who gave her up for adoption but is angry with the system that denied her the right to know the truth.
"I feel bitter that I had such a struggle, that I had to go begging, nearly, to find information," she said.
"I don't feel bitter towards her because I can understand, back then in 1974 she was on her own, I assume, and she had no support from family probably.
"I can understand being a single parent because I've done it myself and it's not an easy job and back in those days it would have been a lot harder."
The new legislation should make it easier for someone like Karen to find the basic personal details that she had to spend years tracking down.
However, she said she was "insulted" by plans to make adoptees sign a statutory declaration, promising to respect the wishes of parents who do not want contact.
"To me personally, it's making us out like we're just going to turn up on somebody's doorstep, which is not what any adoptee I've ever spoken to wants to do.
"All we really want is to have the basic right, that everybody else has, to know who were are and where we come from and to know the stories around our birth.
"I think to be made to sign [declarations] sounds like it's going back years, to where the mothers were forced to sign their children away - we're going to be forced to sign our rights away."
Asked what she would say to her mother if she ever agreed to a meeting, Karen said: "I would just like to know how she is and whether she had a good life and what the story of my birth was, did she marry my father?
"I just want to know that she didn't suffer." | Karen Droogan has spent almost all of her life not knowing who she really is or where she came from. | 33684620 |
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Andy Murray's singles win over David Goffin in Ghent on Sunday secured Britain a 3-1 win over Belgium.
"Hopefully we will use this; we've got to inspire more players in Britain," Lloyd told BBC Sport.
"When they see this event, surely people will be inspired by it."
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Lloyd was part of the last Great Britain team to reach the final in 1978, when they were beaten 4-1 by the United States in California.
But, led by world number two Andy Murray, the class of 2015 went one better as they brought the title back to Britain for the first time since 1936.
"It is the most amazing achievement when you think about where we were and where we are now - champions of the world," Lloyd added.
"Andy's performance was staggering. To go up against this crowd and to win in three straight sets - it's just tremendous."
Murray, 28, joins John McEnroe and Mats Wilander as the only men to have an 8-0 singles record in a Davis Cup year, while his doubles victories make him only the fourth man to win 11 rubbers in a single year.
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His latest success follows him ending Britain's 77-year wait for a men's Wimbledon singles champion in 2013.
Behind him, the next highest ranked player in the team is Kyle Edmund at 110, with James Ward 156th.
"The responsibility is to take this success and to spread it. Share it and learn from it and tell people about it - and broadcast the message that this is great fun and a sport for life," said former British Davis Cup player Andrew Castle.
"If you've got the Davis Cup on the back of a truck, take it round and show it off - it was hard won."
Politicians were also quick to pay tribute to Murray and his team-mates, with sports minister Tracey Crouch saying: "This win gives a massive boost to British Tennis and I hope the LTA can capitalise on it and bring even more people into the sport."
There can be few - if any - trophies in the world of sport that weigh more than the 231 pounds the Davis Cup totals on the scales.
At 5ft 8ins, Indy 500's Borg-Warner trophy is taller but it weighs almost 100 pounds less.
The Davis Cup is the only major sporting cup to have lasted a full century and has been presented 102 times since it was first contested in 1900.
Names of the players from both the winning team and the beaten finalists are engraved on the trophy, so the need for space has led to the addition of accompanying silver tablets on circular bases.
The third and most recent plinth, the largest, was added in 2002, increasing the height of the trophy to 3ft 7in.
It is estimated it would cost around £398,620 to reproduce.
World number one Novak Djokovic: Congrats #teamGB on DC win! Andy Murray seeing your reaction after winning made me relive again how it was for us in '10. Well done, you deserve it.
Former world number one Boris Becker: Amazing Andy Murray !!! Well done Captain Leon Smith and rest of Tennis GB ! You guys made history today...
Britain's former world heavyweight boxing champion David Haye: "So happy for Andy Murray, another great moment & another British World Champion this weekend! Congratulations mate!!"
Actor Kevin Spacey: Congrats Andy Murray on Davis Cup win! Makes 79 years fly by for GB when you play like that. Congrats to entire team!
Former England football captain David Beckham: What an amazing achievement ... Congratulations to our guys it's been a long time since getting our hands on the Davis Cup but what a way to finish... Well done to the boys and all the team behind them for making us so proud ... | Great Britain's first Davis Cup final win for 79 years needs to be used to inspire the next generation of tennis players, says former British finalist John Lloyd. | 34959325 |
Mitchell Bailey, 58, died at the crash scene - a roundabout at the junction of York Way and Old North Road in Royston - at 20:45 GMT on Wednesday.
Hertfordshire Police said the vehicle was turning right when "for reasons unknown" it lost control.
Officers said the four firefighters were left with minor injuries. Two were taken to hospital as a precaution.
Live: Follow the latest updates on this story
The house fire which the crew was on its way to was put out by another team, Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said.
The county's chief fire officer, Roy Wilsher, said the crash was a "tragic incident".
"Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service is working with the police to establish exactly what happened and why," he added.
The fire engine has been removed from the scene and is to be examined as part of the investigation, a Hertfordshire Police spokesman said. | A pedestrian has died after being hit by a fire engine that lost control and overturned while on a 999 call. | 38674166 |
Wall, 40, shot a four-under-par 68 to tie with South Africans Zander Lombard and Haydn Porteous on 15 under.
Wall's only win on the European Tour came at the the Alfred Dunhill Championship in 2000.
Overnight leader Ross McGowan from England shot a 73 and is two adrift of the lead in a group that also includes Ireland's Paul Dunne, who had a 68.
Porteus, 21, finished strongly with birdies at the 17th and 18th holes on the East Course at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club, while Lombard's round of 65 saw him move up the leaderboard two days before his 21st birthday. | England's Anthony Wall is in a three-way share of the lead after the third round of South Africa's Joburg Open. | 35334800 |
MPs voted by 522 votes to 13 - with Labour and Lib Dem helping secure the two-thirds majority needed to bring forward the election from 2020.
The prime minister urged voters to give her "the mandate to speak for Britain and to deliver for Britain".
Jeremy Corbyn said a Labour government would stop Mrs May from using Brexit to make the UK an "offshore tax haven".
Speaking in Croydon on his first campaign stop, the Labour leader said if elected, he would raise the minimum wage to £10 an hour and increase spending on the NHS, social care and council housing.
The BBC's political editor Laura Kuenssberg said sources suggested Mr Corbyn wanted to frame the election as being about the delivery of public services, and the kind of economy the UK will have after Brexit.
She said she understood that Mr Corbyn had ruled out "progressive alliances" with other parties, such as the Greens, as a way of thwarting Conservative attempts to increase their majority.
The Labour leader confirmed there would be no coalition deal between his party and the SNP.
In other election developments:
The next general election had been expected in 2020, but the Fixed Term Parliaments Act allows for one to be held earlier if it has the support of two-thirds of MPs. The Commons backed holding a poll in 50 days time by a majority of 509.
Defending the move, Mrs May told MPs there was a "window of opportunity" to hold a poll before Brexit negotiations began in earnest in June.
The prime minister is hoping to significantly boost her current Commons majority of 17 to increase her authority, ahead of 18 months of talks which will determine the manner of the UK's exit from the EU.
Mrs May, who became PM last July after the EU referendum, told MPs that it would be wrong for the UK to find itself reaching the most "difficult and sensitive" phase of Brexit negotiations in late 2018 and early 2019 at a time when a general election was "looming on the horizon".
During a special Commons debate, she said it was the "right and responsible" thing to do hold the election now to help the UK prepare for life outside the EU.
BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg
What will you hear a lot of from the Tory leader? Well if her very first campaign visit is anything to go by, David Cameron and George Osborne's "long-term economic plan" mantra will be replaced by the phrase "strong and stable".
On the stump you'd be forgiven for losing count of the number of times she used the phrase. One totting-up puts it at 13 mentions.
Brexit has undoubtedly set the backdrop for this election, and provided the catalyst for its timing. But the Conservatives plan to win to deliver their version of Brexit by again and again comparing what they claim is the "strong and stable" leadership provided by the sitting prime minister, and the alternative put forward by Jeremy Corbyn.
Tomorrow he'll make his first big election speech, his first big chance to recast that argument.
Read the rest of Laura's blog
Speaking later, on her first campaign speech in Bolton, Mrs May contrasted the "strong and stable leadership" she could provide with what she warned would be a "coalition of chaos" if Jeremy Corbyn was elected.
The Lib Dems, she said, were willing to "prop up" Labour, while she warned the SNP's "tunnel vision" over Scottish independence risked destabilising the country.
The SNP, whose MPs abstained in Wednesday's vote, has accused Mrs May of political opportunism and said only it stands in the way of a "hard-line" Tory government.
Nine Labour MPs opposed the snap election as did three independents and the SDLP's Alasdair McDonnell.
Although Parliament will not be officially dissolved until early May, campaigning is already under way - with Lib Dem leader Tim Farron addressing a rally of activists in south-west London earlier on Wednesday.
Mrs May has said she will not take part in any TV leaders' debates, leading to criticism from Mr Corbyn and other party leaders that she is "running scared".
As the Commons backed the General Election - which will be held just over two years after the Conservatives won a narrow victory in the May 2015 poll - senior politicians from all parties have been clarifying their intentions.
Former Conservative chancellor George Osborne said he would not be standing again in Tatton in order to concentrate on his job as editor of the Evening Standard, although he hinted at a possible return to frontline politics in the future.
Also standing down is Labour MP Gisela Stuart, who chaired the winning Vote Leave campaign in last year's referendum.
But former Lib Dem deputy prime minister Nick Clegg has said he will stand in Sheffield Hallam, and Conservative grandee Ken Clarke will again contest Rushcliffe, a seat he has represented since 1970. He had previously said he intended to stand down in 2020.
Meanwhile, Labour's ruling National Executive Committee has confirmed that existing MPs who wish to stand again will be automatically selected and that any unsuccessful candidates from 2015 will be asked to put themselves forward.
The NEC will directly fill any vacancies in England triggered by retirements while the parties in Scotland and Wales will handle their own procedures.
In a statement, it said it regretted that local parties in England would not be able to select candidates as normal but it would be "simply impossible to hold trigger ballots, selection hustings and meetings in the 631 Parliamentary constituencies" before the 11 May deadline for nominations.
Sign-up to get news from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning | Campaigning is under way after the House of Commons backed Theresa May's call for a general election on 8 June. | 39643804 |
The Seagulls turned down several bids from Premier League side Burnley for the 27-year-old this summer.
Stephens posted on Twitter he had been "reluctant" to submit a transfer request but wanted an opportunity to play in the top flight.
The ex-Charlton man is out of contract at the Amex Stadium next summer.
"The club have been aware for five weeks I wanted to leave to fulfil my ambition of playing in the Premier League," Stephens said in a message to Brighton supporters.
"I'm 27 and recognised this could by my final opportunity to do so, which is why I feel disappointed my chance was taken away.
"I prefer to give you honesty rather than shy away from my actions now the window is closed."
Stephens missed one Championship game for Brighton last season but he has only made two appearances for Chris Hughton's side in the new campaign.
Former Brighton midfielder Warren Aspinall told BBC Sussex:
"All Dale Stephens is trying to do is play at the highest level he can.
"Maybe he can get to the Premier League with Brighton and if not there will be a few takers sniffing around in the summer.
"It is a brave decision from Brighton to waive a supposed £8m fee for him but hopefully it will pay off for the club and the player.
"He is a lad who has always given everything. If he doesn't give it his best shot for Brighton and perform to his highest ability the manager will take him out of the equation." | Brighton midfielder Dale Stephens says he will honour his contract, despite having a transfer request rejected by the Championship club on deadline day. | 37245047 |
It is the first title the Northern Irishman has won in Europe following World Opens in China in 2012 and 2013.
Allen, 30, led 6-3 at the end of the first session before being pegged back to 7-6 by England's Walden.
But two half-century breaks helped Allen close out victory, which he wrapped up with a 67 break.
Allen, ranked number five in the world, had earlier recovered from 3-1 down to win five successive frames before the evening session.
Walden, 33, hit the highest break of the match, a 92 in the 12th frame, but could not prevent Allen from going on to collect the £100,000 prize.
Allen said: "From 3-1 down I found a bit of form. I won six frames on the spin and got my confidence back.
"But tonight I was very nervous. I just wanted to get out there and get the job done. It means so much to me.
"I just want to win tournaments. I think I am good enough to compete at the highest level. I just haven't showed it." | Mark Allen beat Ricky Walden 10-6 in the final of the Players Championship in Manchester to claim his third world-ranking title. | 35908214 |
A man was flown to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness by air ambulance after an accident on the B9025 at the Ord crossroads between Aberchirder and Portsoy.
It involved a tractor and a van and happened at about 07:30.
Another man was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary after a car crashed into a house on the A92 near Stonehaven. | Two people have been taken to hospital after separate serious crashes in the north east of Scotland. | 28980648 |
The Briton ran a personal best in Helsinki in June but finished 2.01 seconds behind winner Arzhakova.
Sharp, 22, said on Twitter: "Just woken up to the news I will be upgraded to European champion from last year as a result of Arzhakova's ban.
"It makes me sick that I was denied the opportunity to do a lap of honour."
The 23-year-old Arshakova has 45 days to appeal against her ban.
There is a bit of anger there at missing out on a place on top of the podium to someone who has now failed drug tests
Of Sharp's possible gold, Nigel Holl, chief executive of scottishathletics, said: "We are delighted she will now be recognised as a European champion.
"It is another boost for Lynsey's career and a reward for last summer when she won the UK Champs, did so well a few days later in Finland and represented Team GB and NI at the London 2012 Olympics."
Arshakova was banned following an "abnormal haemoglobin profile in her biological passport". Should the Russian fail with her appeal or decide against challenging her suspension, scottishathletics could host a proper medal ceremony for Sharp, possibly at their annual awards dinner in the autumn.
"You always feel more than a little sorry for athletes in these circumstances, because the very nature of testing afterwards and retrospective bans means they are denied that wonderful and deserved moment of glory standing on top of the podium," said Holl.
"We would love to be involved in any formal presentation to Lynsey of a gold medal by European Athletics and make that as grand and as fitting an occasion as possible."
Despite her performance in Helsinki, Sharp had been a controversial pick for Team GB for London 2012.
She was chosen ahead of Jemma Simpson, Marilyn Okoro, Emma Jackson and Jenny Meadows despite failing to record the Olympic qualifying time.
She reached the semi-finals but fell short of qualifying for a final in which Arzhakova finished sixth. The gold medal was won by Russia's Mariya Savinova.
Sharp, who is training in the United States, was informed of Arshakova's ban in a telephone call from mum Carol.
"She just broke down in floods of tears," said her mother. "It is nice, yes, but there is a bit of anger there at missing out on a place on top of the podium to someone who has now failed drug tests.
"It might be the only chance she ever has to top a podium at a major international event like the European Championships.
"It may not - we don't know that yet - but you do feel bitter that you have been robbed of that moment.
"One good thing is there is no European Championship this year, so at least she is the champion now until they are held again in 2014. That's a bit of a consolation."
The Russian athletics federation (VFLA) has also handed a 10-year suspension to Olympic discus silver medallist Darya Pishchalnikova after she failed a drugs test for the second time.
A sample taken from the 27-year-old in May was re-tested and proved positive for the anabolic steroid oxandrolone, the VFLA said on its website.
The VFLA annulled all of Pishchalnikova's results from 20 May 2012, meaning she is set to lose her London Olympic medal.
She had already served a doping ban from July 2008 to April 2011. | European 800m silver medallist Lynsey Sharp could be upgraded to gold after Russian champion Yelena Arzhakova received a two-year doping ban. | 22357135 |
The deal will see its Inchinnan site, near Glasgow Airport, produce parts for engines which power Hawk trainer aircraft - also used by the Red Arrows.
The contract is expected to reduce the risk of job cuts through restructuring.
Rolls-Royce has also confirmed that it will now go-ahead with plans announced last year for a £60m investment at the Inchinnan site.
The £79m contract is part of a £372m investment announced by the Ministry of Defence for continued in-service support of Hawk fast jet training aircraft.
The MoD said this would secure about 700 jobs around the UK until 2020.
Under the terms of the contract, Rolls-Royce will provide support to all main operating bases where the Hawk is stationed.
Repair and overhaul activities will be carried out at the firm's plants in Bristol and Inchinnan.
Chris Cholerton, of Rolls-Royce, said: "This MissionCare contract will enable us to maximise the number of engines available to power training missions, driving higher levels of customer capability.
"The solution was developed in a partnered approach between Rolls-Royce and the UK Ministry of Defence, ensuring that we meet the operational needs of the training fleet while providing value for money for the UK."
Rolls Royce confirmed that it had now approved a competitive business case by the Inchinnan plant which will secure £60m investment there.
This will see the site become a Centre of Competence for making aerofoils and engine shafts.
Renfrewshire Council leader Mark Macmillan said: "This significant investment is a tremendous news for workers and management at Inchinnan and also the broader Renfrewshire economy.
"First and foremost it will boost security of employment for the highly skilled workforce.
"It is also further confirmation of Renfrewshire's continuing ability to provide the location, workforce, and economic environment that can deliver long term business advantage for internationally renowned companies." | Hundreds of jobs have been secured at a Rolls-Royce plant in Renfrewshire after it won a £79m UK government contract. | 35916261 |
Dame Sally Davies faced criticism for her remarks to a science and technology select committee hearing in February.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4, she claimed she wanted to highlight the low-risk guidance for drinking.
But she said she could have framed her comments better.
Dame Sally made the admission during her guest-editing slot on the Today programme where she discussed alcohol with wine writer Jancis Robinson.
Dame Sally said: "Let me start by saying I could have framed that better, couldn't I, when I was in front of the select committee.
"And everyone knows, who knows me well, that I enjoy a glass of wine too. What I was trying to get over is, what are the low-risk guidance for drinking?"
In January, tough new guidelines were issued which cut the recommended drinking limit to 14 units a week for both men and women.
The chief medical officer told the Today programme there is a "straight line" in the relationship between the amount of alcohol consumed and breast cancer.
She said she will be enjoying a glass of champagne on New Year's Eve like many others and the revised advice was aimed at those who were drinking harmful levels.
She added: "I think my job is to tell them the evidence, it is not to be nanny and tell them they must, but they do need to think about it."
Dame Sally, who is the first woman to hold the post of chief medical officer, said references to her being the country's "nanny in-chief" were "sexist" as the name would not have be used for her male predecessors.
She recognised her role was to give advice to the public on various health issues such as obesity and smoking.
Addressing concerns about the number of deaths caused by air pollution, Dame Sally said diesel cars should "steadily be phased out" but it would not happen overnight.
She also spoke about criticisms levelled at the government's child obesity plan which was attacked for being "weak" and "watered down".
"The plan is a great start. This is a journey. Look at tobacco. It took 20 years to build the public and political consensus to put through the law on smoking bans," she said.
"This year you'll begin to see the biting of plain packaging. It will take time to get a regulatory approach over and above the sugar tax." | England's chief medical officer has admitted she could have chosen her words better when she told women to "do as I do" and consider the risks of breast cancer when drinking wine. | 38466507 |
The Reds have agreed to pay the £48m release clause that will allow the 22-year-old to move next summer, plus an undisclosed premium.
Keita had been one of Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp's primary targets this summer, but Leipzig refused to sell.
The deal will surpass the £35m paid to Newcastle for Andy Carroll in 2011.
RB Leipzig finished second behind Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga last season, meaning they qualified for the Champions League group stage.
Liverpool had already had two offers for the Guinea international rejected this summer - the second understood to be about £70m - but now a compromise deal has been reached where Leipzig keep their prize asset this season and Klopp gets the player next summer.
So far this summer, Liverpool have signed winger Mohamed Salah from Roma for £34m, full-back Andrew Robertson from Hull for £8m and striker Dominic Solanke after his contract at Chelsea expired.
The Anfield club are also prepared to test Monaco's resolve to keep midfielder Thomas Lemar with an offer of about £60m before Thursday's transfer deadline.
BBC World Service Sport reporter Steve Crossman
Earlier this month, Naby Keita was described by Schalke sporting director Christian Heidel as being like "two players". He is right.
While Liverpool won't be able to get away with playing with 12 men, as Heidel joked at the time, he does effectively play two positions at the same time.
He is both a number eight and a number 10 in that he wins plenty of tackles and has that wonderful ability to emerge with the ball when it looks almost impossible to do, and at the same time his dribbling skills are reminiscent of Sadio Mane. He will pick apart a defence with a clever through ball too.
It's pointless to talk about whether he is worth the club record fee. It is 2017 and these days buying a footballer is no different to buying a house - they are worth what someone is willing to pay.
The concept of purchasing someone you won't be able to play for a year is alien to the Premier League, but it is commonplace in Germany.
I suspect Jurgen Klopp will have had no qualms with it and the former Borussia Dortmund manager will have been one of the key factors in Liverpool getting their man. | Liverpool have agreed a club record deal to sign RB Leipzig's Naby Keita, with the midfielder moving to Anfield in July 2018. | 41075272 |
The statement comes as a committee of AMs found the number of stillbirths in Wales to be "unacceptably high" at an average of 180 each year.
They say evidence from a one-day inquiry into stillbirths held last June showed 64 babies could be saved each year if Wales could emulate Scandinavian success in reducing the rate.
Julia Chandler, national officer for the RCM in Wales, also told BBC News the way foetal growth was measured needed to be standardised, and customised growth charts which made allowances for things like the mother's ethnic group should be rolled out across the country.
A study published by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) in January concluded better monitoring of pregnancies including measuring foetal growth, using scans at a later stage and recording the movements of foetuses more accurately could save up to 600 babies a year in the UK.
It came two days after the RCM warned a shortage of midwives and a fall in students and any future cuts would risk the quality of services.
Ms Chandler said all midwives used tape measures to monitor foetal growth past around 24 weeks of pregnancy.
However she said one thing which both midwives and doctors seemed to find very hard to do was to talk to pregnant women about the possibility of stillbirth occurring.
A sign that something may be wrong is often a reduction in foetal movements, and getting that investigated promptly can make a difference to the outcome.
"What the reduction of midwives will do is reduce the amount of time midwives have with women. You need some continuity with someone so that they trust them," she said.
"You need some time with people and it's not the sort of thing you can do if you only have two minutes with them.
"It's easier to have a difficult conversation if the mother knows someone.
"If you have just met somebody it's difficult to say midway through, 'we need to have a chat about stillbirth'."
She said since the inquiry into stillbirths had begun, many people had commented on how common stillbirth was but it was not in the public's consciousness in the way other types of perinatal deaths were.
It is the most common form of infant death at around five per 1,000 births, with babies more likely to be stillborn than to die of sudden infant death syndrome (Sids), meningitis or road accidents.
Ms Chandler said the Back to Sleep campaign which encouraged parents to put their babies to sleep on their back rather than their stomachs to prevent Sids had "hugely changed" practice, and rates of what was known as cot death had plummeted.
"Maybe there ought to be a campaign, but the difficulty is whether you frighten people," she said.
"We seem to have been afraid to have that conversation."
"However we do screen for all sorts of things that could be health problems like Down's syndrome. It's better to get it out in the open."
One suggestion has been to offer blanket screening to all pregnant women at around 35 weeks of pregnancy to pick up on reduced growth that may have been missed by external measuring.
However Ms Chandler said there were mixed opinions on that.
She said: "It's a huge undertaking. It's bad enough getting people in for one [at 20 weeks].
"We're not really sure that scans are 100% safe because we have only been doing them for 30 years [even though] it seems at the moment that there are no ill-effects.
"It's capacity, costs and that as well."
She said where they knew there was a risk to the baby, then repeated scanning was recommended because the benefits clearly outweighed the risks, but if a mass screening programme was introduced, plenty of healthy women and babies would be scanned unnecessarily. | The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) says a drop in midwife numbers in Wales could be taking vital time away from appointments which could be used to talk to women about the risks of stillbirth and how to help avoid it. | 21589252 |
The authority previously had no overall control, with a power struggle between the Tories and Independents.
The Tories retained control of Hampshire, winning 56 of the 78 seats with a turnout of 36 per cent.
UKIP failed to win a single seat across the region, losing two seats on the Isle of Wight and 10 in Hampshire compared to the last election in 2013.
Councillors across all parties on the Isle of Wight said the majority result would be good for the island.
Election 2017: Full results from across England
Conservative council leader Dave Stewart said: "I'm very pleased.
"The problem with a no overall control council is you're always trying to please everybody and you can't always do that. This shows democracy in action."
In the 2013 election Independents won 20 seats and the Tories 15, while UKIP took two seats, the Liberal Democrats one and Labour two.
Independents now hold 11 seats with Jonathan Bacon - a former leader of the council who resigned in January - among those to miss out.
He said: "Obviously I'm disappointed. Our problem with the previous council was that it was run largely as a no overall control council and the majority of the councillors on the other side eventually chose to abuse that and stop work being done, so a majority council will be a good thing."
In Hampshire, Liberal Democrats won 19 seats, while Labour won two and the Community Campaign group took one seat.
UKIP lost all representation on the authority. | The Conservative Party has seized control of Isle of Wight Council after winning 25 of the 40 seats. | 39814368 |
Effigies of Rangers fans were hung from the stands during the match.
Toilets in the away end of the ground were vandalised and both clubs later released statements over fan behaviour.
Four people have so far been arrested over the two blow-up effigies, one of which was draped with a Rangers scarf, the other with an Orange sash.
The match, which Celtic won 5-1, took place at Parkhead on 10 September.
Anyone with information about the people pictured has been asked to contact Shettleston police office or use the dedicated email address. | Police have released images of 10 people they want to speak to in connection with disorder at the Celtic v Rangers game last month. | 37588452 |
Naidoo, of Indian and African heritage, has sold millions of albums in Germany, but songs such as 2012's Wo Sind (Where Are) have been widely criticised.
Anti-racism groups complained after his selection, on Thursday, for the Stockholm contest.
Public broadcaster ARD denied the "brilliant" singer was racist.
Executive Thomas Schreiber added: "It was clear that his nomination would polarise opinions, but we were surprised about the negative response.
"The Eurovision Song Contest is a fun event, in which music and the understanding between European people should be the focus.
"This characteristic must be kept at all costs. The ongoing discussion about Naidoo could harm the image of the Eurovision Song Contest.
"This is why Naidoo will not represent Germany. We will quickly decide now, how the German entry for the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest will be found".
In 2014, when Germany marked the 25th anniversary of reunification, Naidoo was criticised for appearing at a rally of the controversial Reichsbuerger group, which wants the re-establishment of Germany as a two-border state.
On Friday, Germany's most popular newspaper, Bild, questioned his selection, on its front page.
Anti-racism group the Amadeu Antonio Foundation also described the choice as "problematic".
In response, Naidoo, 44, said on Facebook, in his native language, that it was "OK for me" and that ARD had urged him to compete in the first place.
He also said he represented a Germany that was "open to the world" and tolerant of different religions and lifestyles.
This year's contest was won by Swedish singer Mans Zelmerlow with his upbeat pop track Heroes, which was accompanied by innovative animated visuals.
Germany, which came last in this year's competition, with zero points, would name a new contender as soon as possible, Mr Schreiber said. | Germany has withdrawn its act for the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest, following criticism singer Xavier Naidoo's lyrics are anti-Semitic and homophobic. | 34878932 |
The rare malt was among seven bottles of whisky taken from Tullibardine Distillery's shop in Blackford at the weekend.
About £14,000 worth of whisky and two glasses were stolen from the shop during the break in.
Police want to trace a man seen walking with two bags near the A9 at Blackford at about 21:55 on Saturday.
He was described as between 25 and 35-years-old, of medium build, and was wearing a red top, light-coloured shorts and worker boots.
Police Scotland said the Stirling Street shop was broken into between 17:00 on Saturday and 09:25 on Sunday.
A typical branded whisky sold in a UK supermarket can cost about £14. Cheaper blends can be bought for less, a single malt would be about twice as much.
But, at the top end of the market, a rare bottle might fetch many thousands of pounds.
In some examples, luxury packaging (think crystal decanter, encrusted with jewels) makes up much of the cost.
In others, the rarity of the drink itself, from casks matured decades ago, pushes up the price tag.
The top prices in auction can match works of art. In 2010, an auction house in New York sold a decanter of whisky for $460,000 (£353,000). | A bottle of malt whisky worth £12,000 has been stolen in a raid on a Perth and Kinross distillery. | 37417537 |
He has long made a commitment to holding the referendum by the end of 2017. But even after difficult talks, here was what seemed a new confidence from David Cameron that he can achieve a deal and then a public vote next year.
He was careful to say the timetable might slip, acknowledging it is tight. But there is a new urgency.
Mr Cameron came to Brussels promising to inject political momentum into his attempt to change the rules of the EU. It is arguably the biggest project he has undertaken as prime minister, and indeed, his biggest political risk.
He leaves with a promise on paper at least, from the rest of the EU to try to find a deal on all of the four areas of European law that he wants to change - slimming down rules and regulation, slowing down political integration, cutting back on EU immigration and protecting Britain's interests as a country inside the EU but not in the euro.
Even this formal commitment to help has taken time and persuasion, and is a very long way from conclusion.
And the prospect of banning some benefits for EU workers in the UK for four years as David Cameron wants is tiny. For Eurosceptics in his own party his proposals are not enough to change their minds.
There are few clues of how final agreements will be reached, although opt outs of EU law rather than a whole new treaty are possible.
To keep the timetable he has publicly set today, getting to a yes in Brussels, then at home will occupy much of David Cameron's time from now on.
But his officials are somewhat relieved that they have got this far - confident that there is a path towards a deal, rather than a road to nowhere. | There was no Brussels bust up, no leaders flouncing out, instead, the beginnings of an agreement and the biggest hint yet from the prime minister that you will get a vote on staying in or out of the EU next year. | 35133271 |
Highways England said the thefts, linked to electronic signs on the M5, M6 and M42, cost it ??400,000.
Michael Jensen, Jamie Thompson and Michael Thorpe-Farrell pleaded guilty to joint enterprise theft and joint enterprise criminal damage at Birmingham Crown Court.
They stole more than 1.2 miles (2 km) of cable between April and June 2014.
Jensen, 28, of Hurley Grove, Kingshurst, and Thompson, 28, of Barle Grove, Birmingham, were sentenced to three-and-a-half years.
Thorpe-Farrell, 27, of Doncaster Road, Bromford, was jailed for three years.
Det Insp Anthony Jones, of British Transport Police (BTP), the men had travelled around the West Midlands and Warwickshire stealing cable mainly from the M42, between J1 and J3a.
"Our investigation also unearthed significant forensic evidence tying each of the men to the crime scenes as well as mobile phone data which confirmed this was an organised and complex conspiracy to steal." | Three men have been jailed after cables were stolen from motorways across the West Midlands. | 33677403 |
Pupils and staff at the Baverstock Academy, Druid's Heath, were told of the plans at an assembly earlier. A four-week consultation has begun.
The Department for Education (DfE) said a new sponsor had not been found for the school, which has been in special measures since 2014.
The school featured in a BBC Panorama film in 2014.
The documentary looked at whether the academy could honour its pledge to keep disruptive pupils in school and help them achieve five GCSEs.
Its future was plunged into uncertainty in 2015 following financial difficulties.
Nearly 2,400 people signed an online petition which called the school "a constant force of stability to the community".
However, regional schools commissioner Chris Quinn said potential sponsors felt the "financial and educational issues" affecting the school were "too complex to guarantee the improvements needed".
She has asked for views on the proposed closure by 7 February.
Steve McCabe, Labour MP for Birmingham Selly Oak, said the government had treated the parents, pupils and community "with utter disregard".
"It is a complete disgrace and my constituents will not forgive this betrayal," he said.
He called for an urgent meeting with the education secretary to ask what efforts were made to save the school and about costs of closing it.
The DfE said the school was "undersubscribed", adding it would be working with LEAP, the trust which runs the school, and the local authority to find alternative places to ensure students' education "is not disrupted." | A Birmingham secondary school is set to close in August despite a campaign to save it by hundreds of residents. | 38572684 |
The structure, found in woodland in Brackla, contained a "dealing table" carved into the trunk of a fallen tree, South Wales Police said.
Officers targeted the wooded area after reports of people acting suspiciously nearby.
Two men were arrested and cautioned for cannabis possession in connection with the investigation. | A drugs den - "camouflaged" with twigs and branches - has been destroyed by police in Bridgend. | 34212085 |
The aim of a single "mega-database" is to fight identity fraud and improve efficiency. But, as Paul Kirby explains, there are fears the database could be abused not only by hackers but by state intelligence too,
The single database would not be used in judicial investigations, ministers insist. Rather, it would help tackle identity fraud by comparing one set of digital fingerprints with another.
France's interior ministry wants the Secure Electronic Documents (TES) to collect all the information on an individual held on two separate databases that have details of people's passports and national ID cards. Only children under 12 would be exempt.
It would include an individual's name, address, martial status, eye colour, weight, photograph and fingerprints.
It's merely an administrative register, argues Justice Minister Jean-Jacques Urvoas. Its only legal use would be when data need to be requisitioned.
First of all, there are very real security concerns. A centralised database of that magnitude, in the words of France's CNNum digital watchdog, would create a "target of inestimable value" in a data world where no system is impregnable.
Then there's privacy, a highly sensitive issue across Europe, particularly as it is enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights.
One centre-right senator spoke of a "time bomb for public freedoms" and the digital watchdog warned that democracy was on the retreat in Europe and the US.
France's Socialists objected to an earlier database on grounds of privacy when the centre-right government suggested one in 2012. That database would have been used to investigate crime. It was eventually slapped down by the constitutional court because it did not protect against "arbitrary use".
Now the Socialist government has steered through a revamped database by government decree, during a holiday weekend, without the agreement of France's National Assembly.
Every country is having to balance privacy and security, especially in Europe. Earlier this year, the European Parliament backed a joint system on airline passenger data on flights in and out of the EU and there's a push for greater information sharing across police forces.
For Joe McNamee of European digital rights group Edri it's becoming "an ideology rather than a tool".
"You're creating a specific privacy risk for the individual vis-a-vis the state. We're getting to a stage where the question is how much bang for a buck are you getting."
In Denmark, a personal ID number works across all the public service databases and campaigners worry that safeguards are insufficient.
For some countries, such as Germany and Spain which suffered decades of state surveillance in the 20th Century, personal privacy is seen as essential.
The UK is due to pass by the end of 2016 the Investigatory Powers Bill which will allow security agencies to access databases held by private and public organisations. Critics have dubbed the law a "snooper's charter" but the House of Lords has inserted an amendment emphasising privacy as a fundamental priority.
It is real and it has happened before:
If the French database does get off the ground, an estimated 10,000 staff would have access to it, raising further questions about the system's inherent security.
It would cost more, but there was a plan for an electronic chip to be inserted on the ID card with details of the holder's biometric data.
Either way, the database was set to be launched as a pilot scheme on Tuesday despite the controversy. The Socialist minister responsible for digital affairs, Axelle Lemaire, said she was appalled at the secrecy behind the government's decree. | A French state watchdog has called for the suspension of a database that could end up holding the biometric details of 60 million people. | 37894968 |
A record number of presidents and prime ministers are here for the opening of this year's 70th annual session.
Each has their own national interest and agenda to pursue, of course, but few dispute that the crisis which overwhelms all others is the agony of Syria, and the Syrians.
But, and it is a very big but, the UN's dominant body, the Security Council, has been impotent in the face of more than three years of civil war.
That's precisely because the most powerful members of the Security Council, Russia and the United States, are on opposite sides in the Syrian war.
President Putin increasingly arms and supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his embattled government in Damascus. President Obama and his Western allies call Mr Assad a war criminal and a butcher.
When Mr Obama sat down with Mr Putin on Monday night, after almost a year without face-to-face contact, expectations were already low.
In the event, the two leaders opened with a brief, unsmiling handshake for the cameras. They barely made eye contact, hinting at the scale of the gulf between them, before disappearing for talks.
An American official said the two men met for about 90 minutes and apparently spent half their time discussing Syria, the other half on Ukraine.
It was a "business-like back and forth. I think they worked through a lot of different issues. This was focused".
The Americans say the two sides fundamentally disagreed on the role that President Assad would play in resolving the civil conflict there.
The Russians see Mr Assad as a bulwark against extremists; the Americans see him as continuing to fan the flames of sectarian conflict in Syria.
So how about this for understatement? "I think the Russians certainly understood the importance of there being a political resolution in Syria and there being a process that pursues a political resolution," said the American side.
"We have a difference about what the outcome of that process would be," particularly as it relates to Mr Assad, they said.
Now for the Russian version of what happened.
There's a fascinating contrast here. President Putin himself spoke to Russian reporters, as if to emphasise the confidence he apparently feels about his position. He told them that Russia had not ruled out air strikes in support of Syrian forces fighting Islamic State militants and was thinking about how to strengthen further the Syrian army.
Mr Putin pointedly said any Russian strikes would respect international norms such as a request from Syria's government, unlike the strikes carried out by the US-led coalition.
An extraordinary situation is now emerging, with both sides - American and Russian - apparently directing their militaries to talk to each other to avoid conflicts between their operations in Syria: in other words, making a terrible and very risky mistake and fighting each other.
The Americans sounded conciliatory, insisting that the United States does not view Russia's military build-up in Syria as necessarily destructive to a positive outcome in Syria, provided Moscow's military are solely used to fight the extremists of so-called Islamic State (IS).
"That might be OK," the official suggested. But if the Russians used their might to continue to strengthen Mr Assad's battle against his own people, that would be negative.
Does any of this imply a meeting of minds between the two presidents? Far from it. Nothing either side said appears to bring the prospect of peace any closer.
Still, it's clear the West is willing to climb down from its previous insistence that President Assad had to go before - not during - any process of transition to end the civil war.
That concession is supremely distasteful to the United States, the UK and their allies. It also seems to contradict the Western logic which argues that Mr Assad cynically and deliberately gave space to extremists in Syria, including IS.
But the real question may be: Who is now the larger enemy of the West? From an American perspective, it's no longer Mr Assad, however much he may profit from the particular horrors IS has unleashed. Mr Obama didn't quite admit that, but he came close.
All of which apparently leaves Washington somewhat reliant on Russia's political co-operation, hoping Moscow will eventually ease Mr Assad from power, even if they clearly won't drive him out.
Diplomatically, it feels like a horrible mess. Mr Assad continues to play with awful skill what looked originally, more than three years ago, like a very bad hand of cards. And there does not yet seem to be any prospect of reviving or recasting the series of Syrian peace talks which have so far led precisely nowhere.
Part of the analysis in Washington, and in Whitehall, is that Mr Putin has been weakened by overextending himself in Crimea and in eastern Ukraine, as well as by the spectacular fall in the oil price on which Russia's failing economy so heavily depends.
The argument goes that he should now be ready to drop Mr Assad - another liability - as an ally in Syria.
The problem for the United States and her allies is that Mr Putin does not seem to be following that script. | There's no bigger world stage than the United Nations General Assembly. | 34387967 |
Then five men, ranging in age from 86 to 89, officially handed it over to Great Aycliffe Mayor Val Raw for "safekeeping".
Facing declining numbers and increasing frailty, this group of men who fought for their country during World War II has disbanded.
Wilf Coates, 87, was a pathfinder, one of the first in on D-Day in June 1944, reconnoitring and marking out the landing zone for the rest.
"It's sad that we're having to break up," he said. "Lack of members, people dying off. It won't get any better.
"There'll be no Normandy veterans left in time to come."
Ed Murray, 86, is dying of cancer but was determined to take part in the ceremony - and not in his wheelchair.
"I only went to Normandy to complain about the noise," he joked. "I couldn't get back."
Formed in 1982 the Durham branch of the association - the twelfth - had made pilgrimages to northern France and regularly attended Remembrance Sunday events.
Michael Dalton, whose father was in Normandy, said men now in their eighties and nineties were finding it difficult just to attend the association's monthly meetings.
He said some were frail and in ill health and the group felt it was "the right time to call it a day".
Mayor Val Raw promised the standard would be one of the town's "most treasured possessions".
"I know it is given with great pride and it is with great pride that we receive it," she said. "It will be treasured here."
The standard will be put on display in the council chamber at Great Aycliffe Town Council offices. | The standard of the Durham Normandy Veterans Association was dipped once, in a final salute to those "no longer with us". | 19637833 |
Scotland's first minister was speaking as she called for a "short pause" in the Brexit process so consensus can be built on the best way forward.
She wants membership of the European single market and the customs union to be at the heart of the process.
But Prime Minister Theresa May has insisted the UK will be leaving both.
The UK government has also previously rejected Ms Sturgeon's calls for the Scottish government to be involved in the Brexit talks, and for Scotland to keep its single market membership even if the rest of the UK leaves.
Responding to Ms Sturgeon's call, a spokesman for the prime minister said: "We gave a commitment right at the very outset of this process to consult with the devolved administrations and that remains the case."
He went on to say "there would be no change" to the government's plans.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn confirmed on Sunday that his party - like Mrs May - was also committed to leaving the EU and pulling out of the single market, while seeking a "jobs-first Brexit".
But some senior Conservatives - including Chancellor Philip Hammond and the party's Scottish leader, Ruth Davidson - have called for the economy to be prioritised over immigration control.
Ms Davidson, who met Mrs May in Downing Street on Monday, wants a new approach that would build cross-party support for an "open Brexit".
Formal talks between the UK and EU are due to begin on 19 June - although there have been suggestions they could be delayed by a few days.
Ms Sturgeon argued that the instability caused by last week's election result meant the UK's approach to the negotiations had to change.
Speaking as she met her party's MPs at Westminster, Ms Sturgeon said the approach Ms May was taking to Brexit "simply cannot stand" after the Conservatives lost their Commons majority in the election.
She said: "I'm calling today for a process that is opened up to include more voices, all parties and all four nations of the UK and an approach that has continued membership of the single market at its heart.
"The prime minister has got to recognise that she asked for a strengthened mandate for a hard Brexit, and voters across the UK refused to give her that, and she cannot simply carry one as if nothing has changed.
"The Tory cabal kicking up a hard Brexit approach is dead in the water."
Ms Sturgeon also questioned whether the prime minister could form a functioning government, adding: "The idea that the UK led by this prime minister and this government can just blunder into negotiations starting one week today, I just don't think it's a credible proposition."
Mrs May is currently attempting to secure a deal that would see the Democratic Unionist Party support her minority government, which has confirmed that next week's Queen's Speech could be delayed.
Ms Sturgeon's proposals for Brexit include the involvement of the UK's devolved governments in the negotiations, and the re-establishment of the Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) on EU Negotiations.
She also wants a cross-party advisory group to be set up, including representatives from the devolved administrations, to agree a new position for the UK and oversee the Brexit negotiations.
The SNP won 35 seats in the general election, down 21 on the 56 MPs it returned in 2015 but still enough to give the party a majority of the seats in Scotland.
Among the SNP MPs to lose their seat was the party's Westminster leader Angus Robertson. Stewart Hosie has been confirmed as its acting leader in the Commons with a new permanent leader due to be selected this week and announced on Wednesday evening.
Tommy Sheppard, Joanna Cherry, Ian Blackford and Drew Hendry are all standing as candidates.
The UK government's rejection of a special Brexit deal for Scotland prompted Ms Sturgeon to demand a second independence referendum when the Brexit process was formally triggered in March.
The first minister has since admitted the issue of another referendum was a factor in last Thursday's vote, and stated the party would reflect on its plans amid calls for it to be taken off the table.
She has turned her focus to the UK's Brexit approach as other political leaders, including Ms Davidson and Scottish Secretary David Mundell, called for more consensus on Brexit.
Speaking on Saturday, Ms Davidson said: 'I want to ensure that we can look again at issues like Brexit, which we know we are now going to have to get cross-party support for, and move to a consensus within the country about what it means and what we seek to achieve as we leave."
She has previously said she wants the UK to have the "largest amount of access" to the single market after Brexit.
And there have been suggestions she will use the influence of her party's new Scottish MPs to push for what she describes as an "open Brexit" that prioritises the economy over curbing immigration.
Mr Mundell told BBC Scotland that he had always believed it would be possible to build a consensus, particularly in Scotland, for what the Brexit negotiations should achieve. | Nicola Sturgeon has claimed any plans for a so-called hard Brexit are "dead in the water" following the election result. | 40245650 |
22-year-old James signed for Yeovil on Tuesday after her departure from the defunct Notts County Ladies.
The former Arsenal and Bristol Academy player has won more than 50 caps for her country.
"Yeovil have been great to me and it's great to now have a club sorted," she told BBC Radio Wales Sport.
She continued: "I'm hoping that finding a club will help me stay in the squad and the team."
Wales boss Jayne Ludlow and assistant Rehanne Skinner will name her side for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers later in the year and James says she was given plenty of support from the pair after Notts County folded.
"They [Ludlow and Skinner] put no pressure on me finding a club, they understood the circumstances I was going through.
"It was important for me to find a club to get minutes to be in Jayne's mind for the selection of the next squad."
James will see some familiar faces at Yeovil, having linked up with Wales internationals Nadia Lawrence, Nia Jones and Sarah Wiltshire at the club.
"It was easy for me to settle in. I've only been to a few sessions so far," she added.
"The transfer across was good. I know most of the players there from previous clubs and playing with Wales, so it was an easy decision for me to make." | Yeovil Town Ladies midfielder Angharad James says signing for a new club will help her chances of selection for the Wales national team. | 39949924 |
Lynne Sandford, 41, from Dorking, Surrey, has argued for her son Michael, 20, to be returned home after he was placed on suicide watch in prison.
He is due to stand trial in Las Vegas in August and denies several charges.
Ms Sandford said her son has OCD, severe depression and Asperger's syndrome.
It is alleged Mr Sandford tried to snatch a policeman's gun during a rally at a Las Vegas casino on 18 June. Officials claimed he said his plan was "to shoot and kill Donald Trump".
He denied charges of disrupting government business and official functions and being an illegal alien in possession of a gun.
Ms Sandford said: "If found guilty of the charges, Michael could face up to 30 years in prison in the USA.
"He is now shackled and handcuffed in a US mainstream prison, and has been put on suicide watch."
Ms Sandford has set up a crowdfunding campaign on the Crowd Justice website to raise money for his legal team.
She said her son was "totally unable" to deal with the "threats and stresses" of being in a US mainstream prison.
Ms Sandford added: "Because of his severe mental health problems, his family, who love him very much, want him returned to the UK.
"We want him to serve his sentence in a safe institution for vulnerable people, where he can receive appropriate help."
Michael Sandford is due to attend a court hearing on 11 August and stand trial on 22 August. | The mother of a Briton accused of trying to shoot Donald Trump said he was being held "shackled and handcuffed" in a mainstream US prison. | 36932210 |
Manned checkpoints, rising street bollards and crash-proof barricades are among the measures proposed.
It follows advice from MI5 and counter-terrorism police.
A Corporation of London report said they "had identified that the area was highly sensitive to... a hostile vehicle-borne security threat".
The advice comes in the wake of the Berlin Christmas market terror attack on Monday in which Tunisian Anis Amri, drove a lorry at shoppers, killing 12 and injuring 49 people.
The ring of steel is believed to be the best way to protect the heart of London's financial district.
London's first ring of steel was a response to IRA bombs in the Baltic Exchange in Bishopsgate in 1992.
It would be the first time since the late 1990s that manned checkpoints were used.
Such checkpoints were phased out after the IRA announced a ceasefire in 1994.
The new protective ring will border Liverpool Street, the Bank of England and Fenchurch Street - an area which is home to some of the capital's newest and most recognisable skyscrapers.
"This eastern section of the City of London is especially of importance in as much as there are going to be a number of major landmarks developed around the area that could be of interest," the report said.
The new plan would be subject to a consultation but could be fully implemented by 2022.
Will Geddes, founder of International Corporate Protection said: "Although we've seen of late 'lo-fi type' attacks, like the Berlin Christmas market where a lorry that was hijacked and driven into a crowded area, we cannot discount the type of attack that will... include a large truck packed with explosives" | A new "ring of steel" costing £5m has been proposed to protect the skyscrapers in London's "Square Mile" from terrorist attack. | 38418877 |
Officers boarded the plane at about 08:00 BST following reports a passenger had become abusive in an argument over luggage.
Sussex Police said a 37-year-old man had been arrested and detained under the Mental Health Act.
Witness statements were taken from passengers and crew on the plane.
A police spokesman said the man, from Belfast, was arrested on suspicion of breach of the peace and obstructing/resisting a constable in the execution of their duty.
Following an examination by doctors, he was detained under the Mental Health Act for admission to a psychiatric unit for further assessment and treatment, Sussex Police added.
In a statement, Easyjet said police were called to the aircraft "due to a passenger behaving disruptively".
Niall Copeland tweeted: "Man getting arrested on @easyJet flight home to #Belfast because he wants 2 pieces of hand luggage!"
He then posted: "All because he was insistent of wearing his man purse."
The other passengers were taken off the plane following the arrest, police said.
Gary Trainor tweeted: "Back in the departure lounge after a man was tasered on my flight in a baggage dispute! #gatwick #easyjet"
Flight EZY831 was delayed by just over two-and-a-half hours and the plane took off just before 10:55. | A passenger on an Easyjet aircraft at Gatwick Airport was Tasered by police shortly before the plane was due to take off for Belfast. | 34003547 |
Moktar Ali Saad Mahmoud, 33, and Ibrahim Abugtila, 23, were stationed at Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire, at the time of the alleged attack.
The defendants both deny rape and aiding and abetting rape.
Mr Abugtila was speaking through an interpreter as the defence opened its case at Cambridge Crown Court.
The alleged victim, in his 20s, was attacked on Christ's Pieces, a park in the centre of Cambridge, in the early hours of 26 October.
Both defendants accepted they had sex with the man but said he consented and invented the rape claim after stealing money from them.
Mr Abugtila told the court he had been walking around Cambridge drunk on the night of the alleged attack, after being turned away from a party at a nightclub.
He and Mr Mahmoud had struck up a conversation with the man in the park at about 03:25 BST, he said. He told the court they had met him earlier in the evening.
Mr Abugtila told the jury the man had touched his groin through his clothing, before kissing him.
"I told him, 'Do you want to have sex with me?' He said 'Yes'."
Both he and Mr Mahmoud then had sex with the alleged victim, he said, but insisted it was consensual.
Last week, prosecutor John Farmer told the jury the alleged victim had been at a wedding, had drunk "formidable" amounts of alcohol and "was in no fit state one way or another to consent".
He said the defendants "behaved like two hunting dogs who had seen a wounded animal".
More than 300 Libyan cadets training at Bassingbourn were sent home early after the allegations came to light.
Up to 2,000 soldiers were expected to undergo basic infantry and junior command training at the barracks under a scheme supporting the Libyan government's efforts to improve the stability of the country following the collapse of the Gaddafi regime in 2011.
The trial continues. | One of two Libyan cadets accused of raping a man in Cambridge has told a court the alleged victim initiated sexual contact with him. | 32704753 |
Officers said the trio caused "significant damage" to the building during the incident at a farm in Town Yetholm, near Kelso.
They made off with the metal safe, which contained about £20, after removing it from a concrete slab at around 02:00 on Thursday.
PC Suzanne Hall said the actions of the three men were "disgraceful".
"As well as the box being taken which contained approximately £20, a substantial amount of damage has been caused to the shed and the actions of those responsible is disgraceful," she said.
"Anyone who may have seen suspicious behaviour in the area between these times is asked to get in touch as soon as possible."
The men were all of average build and they were wearing dark clothing. One man had a distinctive number three on the back of his top. | Police are hunting for a gang of men who managed to pull down a farm shed as they ripped out an honesty box. | 39816936 |
The city's Guildhall is the backdrop to new film trailer Their Finest, starring Gemma Arterton, Sam Clafin, Bill Nighy and Jeremy Irons, due for release in April.
Set in the early 1940s, it tells the story of filmmakers trying to make a patriotic film about Dunkirk, to boost British morale during the Blitz.
It is not the first time the building has featured on the big screen.
In 2014, Elijah Wood graced the Guildhall in Set Fire to the Stars - a story of Dylan Thomas' New York years.
It also featured in many scenes in The Collection, a TV series on Amazon Prime, set in a post-war Paris fashion house.
Based on a 2009 novel by Lissa Evans, the cast and crew in Their Finest spent several weeks filming at the Guildhall last autumn.
Councillor Robert Francis-Davies, cabinet member for enterprise, development and regeneration, said TV and movie filming was "very positive news for the city".
"It raises Swansea's profile, helps attract tourism and offers direct economic benefit," he added.
Other sites around the city to appear in the film include Glamorgan Street and areas of Brynmill, close to Rhyddings Park Road. | Swansea cinema-goers could be forgiven if a new release seems a tad familiar. | 38634294 |
To the Italians, she is Francesca Marina. To her mother, she is simply called Gift.
Just four days old, the baby was born on an Italian naval rescue ship, the Bettica.
Her mother, Stephanie Samuel, is recovering in the same hospital in Ragusa. They endured a 10-hour boat ride, and eight hours of labour.
Stephanie Samuel had worked as a housemaid in Tripoli but after two years, and with a deteriorating security situation in Libya, she decided that even though heavily pregnant, she had to escape.
"I think that Italy is more good than Libya, so I decide to come to Italy," she explained in broken English. "I thought I would come to Italy and have the baby a week later."
Despite the dangers of the crossing - it cost her $600 (530 euros) in a boat packed with nearly 100 other people - she was prepared for the risk.
"I'm not scared," she said. "I make up my mind, and I'm not scared, because I believe there is God."
Her husband, Valentino, is still in Libya. He received news of the birth in a telephone call.
"I told him I'm here safely and I have a baby, a baby girl, and he was happy," she said.
"I'm happy to have Gift, she's my first daughter, my first born," she added.
Stephanie Samuel had been brought on board unconscious. She was having fits, and the medics had to administer a sedative to allow her to give birth.
Dr Sara Modde, of CISOM, the emergency services of the Order of Malta, was the doctor on board. She had only delivered two babies previously.
"The labour was really intense and exhausting, because the mother was continually sedated - to prevent her epileptic attacks we used Valium," she explained.
"It was difficult since it was her first pregnancy, and she was delivering in a very difficult situation."
A tent was set up on deck to allow privacy, but when the baby finally arrived, the whole ship heard about it.
"With one last push Stephanie let out a great cry. So everybody outside knew that a baby girl had been born," she said.
"The other migrants started clapping, and singing hymns. Even though it was the middle of the night, the entire crew, including the captain, joined in."
Dr Modde explained that the crew chose the name Francesca after Francis of Assisi. And Marina means "navy" in Italian.
Without the Italian rescue services, Stephanie and Gift's journey could have ended in tragedy.
But despite the pain and the suffering of their crossing they made it to here in Sicily and the promise of a better life.
And for the tens of thousands of other migrants, still waiting to cross the Mediterranean, that story is likely to inspire, rather than deter them from making their own journey.
Gift is still in a serious condition in the intensive care unit.
Stephanie Samuel says their journey is far from over. When she recovers, she expects to go to a reception centre on the island.
She hopes that they can stay in Europe, and that her husband may yet get to meet his baby daughter. | In an incubator in an Italian maternity hospital lies a baby with two names, and an incredible story. | 32621301 |
The 30-year-old spent the last five years with the Bantams but turned down a new contract.
He made 183 league appearances for the Valley Parade side, helping them win promotion to League One and reach the League Cup final in 2013.
McArdle told the club website: "I've met the manager for a chat and his objectives are similar to mine."
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. | Scunthorpe United have signed Bradford City defender Rory McArdle on a three-year deal. | 40358888 |
James Stewart, 46, said he and his brother Peter were attacked at Wardieburn Street West last April.
He told the High Court in Livingston: "I thought I was dying."
Ryan Ellis, 31, and a 17-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons deny robbing and attempting to murder Peter Stewart and assaulting James Stewart.
Mr Stewart said: "I didn't know if I was going to die. I didn't know if I was going to see my kids or anyone again. I was in a strange place. I was panicking."
The jury heard a recording of the 999 call in which Mr Stewart said he could see "serious bleeding" from his brother.
He said: "It's really pretty bad. Peter, are you OK? Peter, who am I?"
The court has heard Peter Stewart was stabbed through the heart and lung and would have died from his injuries without medical intervention.
Under cross examination, Mr Stewart admitted that he and his brother were regular cannabis users.
However, despite being offered immunity from prosecution for drugs offences by the prosecution, he firmly rejected suggestions that he and his brother had gone to Edinburgh to buy cannabis.
The trial, before Lord Glennie, continues. | An Aberdeen man has told a High Court jury he thought he was going to die after he was stabbed during a trip to Edinburgh to buy a car. | 35586389 |
The farmers are suing the company in a civil court in The Hague, claiming oil spills ruined their livelihoods.
Shell denies any wrongdoing, saying that the leaks were caused by sabotage and theft and that it does try to clean up oil spills.
A defeat for the company could pave the way for multinationals to face thousands of other compensation claims.
The case is being brought against Shell by the four farmers and the Dutch arm of the environmental group Friends of the Earth.
It is the first time a Dutch multinational has been taken to a civil court in the Netherlands in connection with damage caused abroad.
The case is linked to spills in Goi, Ogoniland; Oruma in Bayelsa State and a third in Ikot Ada Udo, Akwa Ibom State.
The prosecution asked the judges to force Shell to do three things: clean up the mess created by oil leaks in the three villages, repair and maintain the defective pipelines and pay compensation.
But Shell has previously blamed "widespread and continual criminal activity, including sabotage, theft and illegal refining, that causes the vast majority of oil spills".
It has said it does try to clean up regardless but is hampered by insecurity in the region.
It is the potential implications of this case which makes it so compelling, says the BBC's Anna Holligan in The Hague.
If the judges find Shell guilty, other multinationals may be held accountable at home for damage done overseas, our correspondent says.
In a key 2009 ruling, a district court in the Netherlands declared itself "competent" to handle claims for alleged damage caused by the oil company's activities in the Niger Delta, contrary to Shell's argument that the court did not have the jurisdiction to rule on its Nigerian subsidiary.
A report by the United Nations Environment Programme in 2011 said that more than half a century of oil operation in the region, by firms including Shell, had caused deeper damage to the Ogoniland area of the Niger Delta than earlier estimated.
The company has accepted responsibility for two specific spills in the region in 2008, saying it would settle the case under Nigerian law. | Four Nigerian farmers are due to hear whether their case against Dutch oil giant Shell has been successful. | 21254890 |
It says trade with fellow EU nations makes up no more of the UK's trade with all top economies now than it did when it first joined the EEC in 1973.
The benefit of collectively negotiated EU free trade deals is also questioned.
The government says the EU share of UK trade has remained consistent because of a huge growth in other markets.
It seems to contradict analysis by the Confederation of British Industry.
The Civitas report - called Where's the Insider Advantage? - adds that EU membership does not appear to have benefitted UK service industries either, although it admits the data available on this is not so detailed.
The report, by corporate market researcher Michael Burrage, says: "There is no evidence to suggest that the 'heft' or 'clout' of the EU has helped secure more FTAs than those that might have been secured by independent negotiations.
"There were 25 EU FTAs in force in 2012 while the Swiss had independently negotiated 26, 13 of which came into force before those of the EU and three in the same year." It adds that there is no evidence that the quality of the EU's trade agreements is any higher.
The report concludes: "The evidence presented contradicts again and again those who wish to claim that the UK has enjoyed insider advantages in the single market."
Civitas says the UK's trade with other EU nations accounts for no more of its trade with all leading economies than it did on joining the European Economic Community in 1973.
The CBI's recent Our Global Future report said full membership of the EU was "a better vehicle for harnessing the global trends reshaping the world economy than all the alternative options put forward".
"The European Union also supports UK business in realising its global ambitions by providing significant influence over the rules, policies and priorities that allow British-based firms to seize opportunities across the globe," it stated.
"It anchors UK trade around the world through the signing of high-quality, ambitious Free Trade Agreements and the creation of globally recognised standards that open markets.
"And in a world of competing ideas and ideals - where international action is increasingly the avenue for addressing problems across the globe - UK membership of the EU amplifies Britain's voice internationally."
BBC political correspondent Chris Mason says the contrasting views illustrate the growing intensity of an argument now raging at the heart of British politics - should the UK's future be inside or outside the EU?
The rise of the UK Independence Party has made this a mainstream political talking point in the run up to the European Parliament elections later this month, the general election in a year's time and the in-out referendum on EU membership in 2017 promised by the Conservatives if they win the next election, he adds.
A spokesman for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said: "The European Union remains the UK's most important export market - half of our trade goes to the single market and around 3.5 million UK jobs are linked to UK exports to EU member states.
"Through the trade agreements that we negotiate as part of the world's largest economic area, we are able to gain access to important and rapidly growing global markets.
"The EU's share of UK trade has remained consistent because of the huge growth in other markets in the same period." | EU membership has not given the UK any "insider advantages" in trade with other European countries, a report by social policy think tank Civitas says. | 27284489 |
The Bevan Foundation said eight new taxes would help make Wales "greener, healthier and better off".
The Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru welcomed the report.
But UKIP said the taxes would make Wales "more miserable" and the Conservatives said the report "smacks of nanny statism".
Under the Wales Act 2014, the Welsh Government has the power to establish new taxes in devolved areas.
The taxes proposed by the think tank are:
Bevan Foundation director Victoria Winckler said the sunbed tax would need to be "fairly substantial" to deter people.
She said: "We think taxes are actually really important. We've got used to talking about taxes as if they're a bad thing.
"But actually taxes pay for all the good things we have."
Cabinet secretary for finance Mark Drakeford said: "The power to introduce new Welsh taxes could be used to improve the lives and wellbeing of people across the country.
"This is a very helpful report and raises awareness of these new powers."
UKIP assembly group leader Neil Hamilton said: "The Bevan Foundation wants to make Wales a more miserable place by taxing the people's pleasures."
He added: "Mark Drakeford's refusal to rule out these killjoy taxes shows the danger of giving tax-raising powers to a Welsh Labour government, as the Tory government in London proposes in the Wales Bill now going through Parliament.
"Wales should be given the referendum on tax-raising powers we were promised before giving Labour the power to tax us out of existence."
Welsh Conservative economy spokesman Russell George said: "The report, while well-intentioned, smacks of nanny statism and will serve only to discourage entrepreneurs, boost the black market economy and create another unnecessary layer of bureaucracy."
He added: "Arbitrary taxes will do nothing but leave the people of Wales worse off at a time when gross disposable income already lags behind the rest of the UK."
The Bevan Foundation's research was funded by a grant from the anti-poverty charity the Joseph Rowntree Trust.
Plaid Cymru's shadow cabinet secretary for external affairs, Steffan Lewis, said: "Plaid Cymru was the first major party to propose the introduction of a levy on sugar drinks and we are a party committed to embracing new ideas in other areas of fiscal policy too.
"Over the coming period, the priority will be to secure enhanced fiscal responsibility for Wales so that we can deliver accountability and greater levers for social justice and prosperity."
ENDS | Charges on sunbed use and take-away food packaging are among a number of taxes the Welsh Government should introduce, according to a think tank. | 36532013 |
Everton defender John Stones has been linked with moves, while Leicester striker Jamie Vardy is reported to have a £25m release clause in his contract.
"This group of players know and have accepted very well that when you are on England duty, you are on England duty," Hodgson said.
The manager must name his final 23-man squad for the finals by Tuesday.
He called up 26 players for their penultimate warm-up match, in which they beat Australia 2-1 at Sunderland's Stadium of Light on Friday.
England will play their final pre-tournament friendly on Thursday, against Portugal at Wembley.
Hodgson added: "We are not trying to block players' futures or transfers, but as far as we are concerned, our ongoing theme is 'England's England, your club's your club'.
"When you're with England, we want you to stay focused on us." | England manager Roy Hodgson does not want transfer speculation to distract his players during Euro 2016. | 36406223 |
Gawker founder Nick Denton told staff on Thursday afternoon, a post on its website said.
Media firm Univision agreed to buy Gawker Media for $135m (£103m) at a bankruptcy auction.
Gawker filed for bankruptcy after losing a $140m privacy lawsuit brought by former wrestler Hulk Hogan, paid for by Paypal co-founder Peter Thiel.
Mr Thiel funded Mr Hogan's case saying he wanted to curb the company's "bullying", after the site published an article that outed Mr Thiel as gay.
Gawker rescued by US media group
Peter Thiel a 'serious threat' to press
Founded 14 years ago, Gawker is known for its no-holds-bar approach to reporting, including breaking gossip stories on high-powered celebrities and business leaders.
Univision is most commonly known in the US as the country's biggest Spanish-language media company. It also owns a 40% stake in the satirical website The Onion.
In a memo to his staff, seen by the news agency AP, Mr Denton said: "Sadly, neither I nor Gawker.com, the buccaneering flagship of the group I built with my colleagues, are coming along for this next stage.
"We have not been able to find a single media company or investor willing also to take on Gawker.com. The campaign being mounted against its editorial ethos and former writers has made it too risky. I can understand the caution."
He added that he would move out of the news and gossip business but "work to make the web a forum for the open exchange of ideas and information".
A US bankruptcy court later approved Univision's purchase of Gawker Media, which owns seven websites in total.
They are: Gawker.com, Deadspin, Lifehacker, Gizmodo, Kotaku, Jalopnik, and Jezebel.
The post on Gawker's website said plans for future coverage and its website's archives had not yet been finalised.
Gawker employees took to Twitter to express their sadness about the decision to shut down the sites.
"Our other sites, including Kotaku, live on, but losing the vibrant Gawker.com hurts," tweeted Stephen Totilo, editor-in-chief of Kotaku.
Bobby Finger, a staff writer for Jezabel, tweeted, "I'm one of countless people who owes Gawker so, so, so much."
Another staff writer, Jordan Sargent, wrote: "Gawker is dead because Peter Thiel (w the help of Charles harder) has succeeded in creating a world where owning gawker is simply not viable."
Former Gawker reporter Sam Biddle wrote simply, "I am heartbroken".
Earlier this year Gawker was sued by Hulk Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, after the website published a video of Mr Hogan having sex with the wife of a friend from 2007.
A three-week trial ended with the jury ruling in the former wrestler's favour and ordering Gawker to pay $115m in compensation and $25m in punitive damage.
Gawker asked the judge for a new trial, but that request was rejected. Many experts though expect that the original verdict will be overturned on appeal. | The news site Gawker.com will shut down next week, just days after its parent company was purchased by Univision. | 37125348 |
Michael Danaher, 50, from Peterborough, denies murdering Adrian Greenwood, claiming he killed him in self-defence.
The 42-year-old was found dead at his Oxford home in April and was allegedly on a list of rich people entitled "Enterprises" on Mr Danaher's computer.
But he told Oxford Crown Court a visitor had used his laptop.
He claimed the "unknown man" searched the internet for information on the addresses of high-profile people, including Gary Lineker and Louise Redknapp.
The prosecution alleges the motive for the killing was the theft of the valuable book, which was found in the defendant's home.
Oliver Saxby QC said Mr Danaher had a spreadsheet that listed "people of means" such as Kate Moss and Jeffrey Archer, who he intended to steal from or kidnap.
It had details of valuables, weapons and family members of his planned victims, with a stun gun listed in many cases. A stun gun was found in Mr Danaher's flat by police.
The trial continues. | A man accused of stabbing a book dealer to death over a £50,000 first edition of Wind in the Willows has denied targeting celebrities. | 37680601 |
Parkinson, 49, and 51-year-old Parkin were appointed in June 2016 and won promotion back to the Championship with the Trotters at the first attempt.
Former Bradford City boss Parkinson won League One manager of the month three times in his first season with Bolton.
"I'm delighted to agree the new deal and I'm looking forward to building on last season," Parkinson said.
The length of the pair's new deals have not been disclosed.
Parkin added: "I'm also delighted to have signed a new deal and we're all relishing the challenges that the Championship will bring this season."
Parkinson previously led Colchester United to promotion from League One in 2005-06 and Bradford City to the League Cup final in 2013 and promotion through the League Two play-offs in 2012-13. | Bolton Wanderers boss Phil Parkinson and his assistant Steve Parkin have signed new contracts with the club. | 40868134 |
News website Bloomberg said it had seen emails showing Kaspersky had developed tools for Russia's intelligence agency.
And, on Tuesday, the US government's General Services Administration removed Kaspersky Lab from a list of approved vendors.
But the company has now insisted it has "no ties to any government".
Kaspersky Lab is known for its anti-virus software and provides cyber-security products to businesses.
Bloomberg reported it had seen emails between chief executive Eugene Kaspersky and senior Kaspersky staff, outlining a secret cyber-security project apparently requested by the Russian intelligence service FSB.
In the emails Mr Kaspersky describes tools to "protect against attacks" and also engage "active countermeasures".
Bloomberg suggested that the tools not only deflected cyber-attacks, but also captured information about the hackers launching them, to pass on to Russian intelligence services.
In the emails, Mr Kaspersky said the software could one day be sold to corporate customers worldwide.
Refuting the claims, Kaspersky Lab said: "The communication was misinterpreted or manipulated to try to make the media outlet's narrative work.
"Kaspersky Lab is very public about the fact that it assists law enforcement agencies around the world with fighting cyber-threats, including those in Russia, by providing cyber-security expertise on malware and cyber-attacks."
However, the US General Services Administration said it had removed Kaspersky Lab from its list of government-approved suppliers "after review and careful consideration".
In a further statement, Kaspersky Lab said: "The company has never helped, nor will help, any government in the world with its cyber-espionage efforts.
"Kaspersky Lab believes it is completely unacceptable that the company is being unjustly accused without any hard evidence to back up these false allegations."
In the statement, Mr Kaspersky offered to meet US government officials and provide his company's software code for audit.
"Kaspersky Lab, a private company, seems to be caught in the middle of a geopolitical fight where each side is attempting to use the company as a pawn in their political game," the company said.
The Trump administration has been fighting allegations that it had contact with Russian officials during the US election in 2016. | Moscow-based security company Kaspersky Lab has denied working with Russian intelligence agencies, following US media and government suspicion. | 40580896 |
Sanchez got the first with a masterful chip from just inside the box.
Walcott powered a curling shot home after Ludogorets' Wanderson hit a post.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain smashed a loose ball into the corner for the third, before Ozil claimed the first hat-trick of his career.
The Gunners have won seven games in a row in all competitions - scoring 23 goals - and are unbeaten in 11 matches.
Their last defeat was at home to Liverpool on the opening day of the Premier League season.
Victory over Bulgarian champions Ludogorets means Arsenal top Group A ahead of Paris St-Germain, who beat Basel 3-0, on goal difference.
Media playback is not supported on this device
As Sanchez's drifting lob settled in the Ludogorets net, gleeful manager Arsene Wenger leapt from the bench in celebration. It was just the beginning.
The Frenchman's side were so dominant and full of confidence they perhaps should even have won by a greater margin.
Oxlade-Chamberlain certainly might have provided a better finish to Sanchez's beautifully disguised chipped through pass - the Chilean's second moment of genius on a night his hard running and quick mind came to the fore.
But the player who most obviously embodies Arsenal's new dynamic mood is Walcott. He impressively put two earlier missed chances out of mind when doubling the lead with a powerful strike that signalled the away side's slide towards heavy defeat.
It was the 27-year-old's seventh goal in his past six Arsenal games, having scored the same amount in his previous 42.
For 60 minutes, Walcott and Sanchez terrified the opposition backline with their pace, and he went off to huge round of applause when he was replaced by Lucas Perez.
There were big smiles as he took up a seat on the bench - from both Walcott and Wenger.
In each of the past six seasons, Arsenal have fallen at the first knockout stage, the last 16. In all but one of those seasons, they finished second in their group.
With Swiss club Basel and Ludogorets six points adrift with three matches to play, Group A will surely be won by Arsenal or French champions PSG.
The Gunners began their Champions League campaign with a battling point in Paris, and the two teams meet in north London on 23 November.
Wenger told BT Sport: "Let's qualify first. We go to Ludogorets in two weeks and they will want to show us they are better than 6-0, but if we win there it would come down to the game against PSG."
Sanchez was a close contender (the brilliant goal, determination and beautiful footwork) but this has to go to Ozil.
Having earlier assisted Walcott with a pin-point pass to the edge of the area, the Germany international fired in three excellent close-range finishes in just over 30 second-half minutes.
The first was a cool, calm finish with plenty of time to pick his spot after Santi Cazorla's ball over the top, the second he slotted home from Perez's cross, and the third was a sweet, low volley that sneaked in at the near post, with Perez the provider again.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger: "Our confidence is stronger with every win but we have to keep the vigilance and the urgency to bring that into the next game.
"Let's not be too quick on the verdict. We have a strong squad and a strong spirit, but you have to take care of it and keep your feet on the ground. The only way to win something big is to focus on the next one and work on humility.
"I feel that at the moment because we win game after game our confidence is high. Maybe we get over dodgy periods with less psychological damage.
"In the first half, it looked like a difficult game because they were dangerous going forward; they had good technique in short space; they are quick on the counter attack.
"I believe it was not easy but in the second half we took complete control of the game. I think we could have scored more."
Former England defender Rio Ferdinand on BT Sport: "I want to see [Arsenal play like this] for a sustained period of time.
"They always make you think they've got a chance, and then they let you down.
"Now they have to take things game by game, get through Christmas with this kind of form, and then you can start really judging them as a team. They need to win something."
Arsenal host Middlesbrough in the Premier League at 15:00 BST on Saturday. Their next match in the Champions League is the return fixture against Ludogorets in Bulgaria on Tuesday, 1 November.
Match ends, Arsenal 6, Ludogorets Razgrad 0.
Second Half ends, Arsenal 6, Ludogorets Razgrad 0.
Attempt saved. Héctor Bellerín (Arsenal) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Natanael Pimienta.
Jonathan Cafu (Ludogorets Razgrad) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Héctor Bellerín (Arsenal).
Goal! Arsenal 6, Ludogorets Razgrad 0. Mesut Özil (Arsenal) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Lucas Pérez.
Attempt missed. Yordan Minev (Ludogorets Razgrad) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right following a corner.
Corner, Ludogorets Razgrad. Conceded by Kieran Gibbs.
Goal! Arsenal 5, Ludogorets Razgrad 0. Mesut Özil (Arsenal) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Lucas Pérez with a cross.
Substitution, Ludogorets Razgrad. Jody Lukoki replaces Wanderson.
Attempt missed. Anicet (Ludogorets Razgrad) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Marcelinho.
Substitution, Arsenal. Alex Iwobi replaces Alexis Sánchez.
Attempt missed. Lucas Pérez (Arsenal) left footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain with a cross.
Foul by Claudiu Keseru (Ludogorets Razgrad).
Shkodran Mustafi (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Offside, Ludogorets Razgrad. Natanael Pimienta tries a through ball, but Claudiu Keseru is caught offside.
Substitution, Ludogorets Razgrad. Claudiu Keseru replaces Virgil Misidjan.
Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Vladislav Stoyanov.
Attempt saved. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Alexis Sánchez with a through ball.
Wanderson (Ludogorets Razgrad) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Lucas Pérez (Arsenal).
Substitution, Arsenal. Lucas Pérez replaces Theo Walcott.
Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Svetoslav Dyakov.
Attempt blocked. Theo Walcott (Arsenal) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Attempt missed. Virgil Misidjan (Ludogorets Razgrad) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.
Svetoslav Dyakov (Ludogorets Razgrad) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Francis Coquelin (Arsenal).
Substitution, Arsenal. Mohamed Elneny replaces Santiago Cazorla because of an injury.
Goal! Arsenal 4, Ludogorets Razgrad 0. Mesut Özil (Arsenal) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Santiago Cazorla with a through ball following a fast break.
Dangerous play by Yordan Minev (Ludogorets Razgrad).
Mesut Özil (Arsenal) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Offside, Ludogorets Razgrad. Marcelinho tries a through ball, but Yordan Minev is caught offside.
Attempt blocked. Marcelinho (Ludogorets Razgrad) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Attempt missed. Jonathan Cafu (Ludogorets Razgrad) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Marcelinho.
Offside, Ludogorets Razgrad. Natanael Pimienta tries a through ball, but Virgil Misidjan is caught offside.
Marcelinho (Ludogorets Razgrad) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Francis Coquelin (Arsenal).
Attempt saved. Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Shkodran Mustafi with a cross.
Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Vladislav Stoyanov. | Mesut Ozil scored a hat-trick after stunning goals from Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott as Arsenal dismantled Ludogorets Razgrad in a ruthless Champions League display. | 37688100 |
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9 September 2015 Last updated at 13:09 BST
Mr Wozniak did consultancy work for the film, but had expressed reservations about it after seeing its trailer.
Read the full interview | In an exclusive interview, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has praised a new movie about the tech firm's former chief executive Steve Jobs. | 34200232 |
The Croatia side ended Dinamo Zagreb's run of 11 league titles last season.
TNS overcame Europa FC in the first round - where Rijeka had a bye - after a thrilling extra-time win against the Gibraltar champions.
"Rijeka are a good team to watch... they've just beaten Lokomotiv Moscow 1-0 in a friendly," Ruscoe said.
"Friendly or not, if you're beating that standard of team and looking comfortable then you're obviously a good level.
"They've got good players, lots of international players so we'll be up against it, but we'll have a game plan again and give it our best.
"Like against the Gibraltar side, if we play at our maximum anything can happen." | The New Saints boss Scott Ruscoe expects a big step up in class against Rijeka in Tuesday's Champions League second qualifying round, first-leg tie. | 40554032 |
Officers were called to reports of a disturbance in Midcroft Avenue, near its junction with Ashcroft Drive, in the city's Croftfoot area at 02:25.
The injured man died at the scene a short time later.
Police Scotland said they were trying to establish the man's identity and a post mortem examination would be carried out to establish how he died. | Police are treating the death of a man who was found seriously injured in a Glasgow street as suspicious. | 35611959 |
United Utilities has been adding harder water from boreholes to the traditional supply of soft water from Ennderdale, which is running low.
This led to reports of "popping kettles" and complaints about rashes, mouth ulcers and upset stomachs.
The company said "numerous" safety tests had been carried out but to allay concerns it was altering the balance.
Copeland's Conservative MP, Trudy Harrison, was among those who lobbied United Utilities for a change, and a petition was also set up.
Mike Starkie, Copeland's elected mayor, said: "Our residents have been very concerned over the changes to the water supply, and many have been unhappy about the 'harder' water they are receiving.
"I am pleased that our drinking water will be a softer blend, balancing the wishes of the community with the environmental impact."
Martin Padley, from United Utilities, said: "We made the original changes to the supply to meet a requirement to reduce the amount of water taken from Ennerdale and so improve the ecology of the River Ehen.
"All our tests have consistently shown the water to be of the usual high quality, but we have taken on board the concerns of our customers who said they didn't like the harder water.
"I'm really pleased that we have been able to arrive at a compromise which will allow us to keep the amount of borehole water in the blend to a minimum, while still providing benefits for the local environment."
The company will stop taking water from Ennerdale once a £300m pipeline from Thirlmere Reservoir is complete in 2022. | Softer water will once again flow from taps in west Cumbria after complaints about a new, harder blend. | 41050869 |
Ireland's 21-13 defeat by England at Twickenham on Saturday, with O'Connell scoring Ireland's only try, came a week after a 16-10 loss to Wales in Dublin.
"I wouldn't say alarm bells are ringing but we're very disappointed," he said.
"In the last three games we've fallen short in a lot of the things we need to do to secure a result."
Ireland beat Wales and Scotland in their first two warm-up matches but performances have dipped in recent weeks, with the opening 40 minutes against England described by former international Shane Horgan as 'the worst performance under the Joe Schmidt era'.
"We started very poorly," said Ireland captain O'Connell.
"England dealt with the aerial threat very well, and when we had the ball in hand we dropped it.
"I think we put a lot of pressure on the England lineout but they got a seven-metre drive, forced a penalty advantage and scored a try off it. The same with seven-metre drive in the first half, we lost it and England stole it.
"We kept turning over the ball.
"You can't accumulate that many losses and expect to win the game." | Paul O'Connell admits Ireland have "fallen short" in their preparations for the Rugby World Cup after slipping to a second successive warm-up defeat. | 34164635 |
James Brokenshire made the comments after meeting Irish Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan.
Martin McGuinness resigned on Monday in protest against the handling of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme.
The Sinn Féin MLA said he was willing to meet the DUP about the crisis that looks set to spark a snap election.
After meeting Mr Flanagan on Thursday, Mr Brokenshire said they discussed "a way forward" to "support the parties to avoid an election".
The secretary of state added that "the clock is ticking down towards the start of next week" when an election would be inevitable.
"It's important for the parties to talk together and anything that indicates a move to encourage that type of discussion I take as helpful, albeit that position does remain serious and stark," he said.
"We are still looking at an election, but we are doing everything we can, as the two governments, to work with the political parties to see if there is a way forward that can be found," he added.
Mr Brokenshire and Mr Flanagan also held separate meetings with the political parties on Thursday.
The Sinn Féin delegation was led by Mr McGuinness and included Michelle O'Neill and Conor Murphy.
Mr Flanagan said that an election seemed "even more likely" and that there will be "an extremely difficult challenge following the election in putting together an administration".
Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Enda Kenny said any talks between parties would have the full backing of the governments in Dublin and London.
But Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams continued to insist there is no basis for any negotiation.
The party has also confirmed it will not be replacing Mr McGuinness as deputy first minister.
Under Northern Ireland's power-sharing agreement, his departure meant DUP First Minister Arlene Foster also lost her job.
Under Stormont rules, Sinn Féin have until next Monday to nominate a new deputy first minister, or the secretary of state must call an election.
Next Monday, Stormont's finance committee is having an additional meeting to discuss the budget.
Former first minister Mrs Foster has warned that if an election goes ahead, it will be "brutal".
She set up the RHI scheme in 2012 when she was enterprise minister, in an attempt by the NI Executive to increase consumption of heat from renewable sources.
However, businesses received more in subsidies than they paid for fuel, and the scheme became heavily oversubscribed.
Not for the first time the institutions at Stormont are on the brink of collapse, as efforts continue on both sides of the border, to break the deadlock.
On Wednesday night, Martin McGuinness told Enda Kenny he was willing to meet the DUP.
But in a statement later, party president Gerry Adams said while Sinn Féin was open to talks, it could see no basis yet for credible negotiation this side of an election.
From 17:00 GMT on Monday it will be over to the secretary of state to set a date for an election.
While both parties accept an election is the likely outcome, they will continue to use what little time they have left to try to save the institutions."
Sinn Féin Finance Minister Máirtín Ó Muilleoir told BBC's Good Morning Ulster on Thursday that while talks with the DUP were the "right thing to do", he did not hold think they were likely to resolve matters.
Sinn Féin is to hold the first of a number of election selection conventions on Sunday.
An election, which is widely predicted to take place in early March, could cost the taxpayer around £5m.
Ulster Unionist Party leader Mike Nesbitt said that direct rule from Westminster was a possibility should the two biggest parties returned in the election fail to reach agreement.
But Colum Eastwood, leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), said there could be no return to direct rule. | Northern Ireland's secretary of state has said that an election is now "highly probable" as talks so far have failed to break the political deadlock. | 38592818 |
Actor Mark Ruffalo who played superhero The Incredible Hulk, has written to the authorities in support of protesters.
They are campaigning against an exploratory oil well at Woodburn Forest near Carrickfergus, County Antrim.
Mr Ruffalo, who founded an organisation called Water Defense had written to Environment Minister Mark H Durkan outlining his concerns.
Water Defense is a non-profit organisation dedicated to clean water.
Mr Ruffalo's letter has been copied to First Minister Arlene Foster and the planning authority, Mid & East Antrim Council.
Northern Ireland Water has also received a copy.
In it, Mr Ruffalo said there are many "concerning facts" about the case.
Protesters have objected to the well because they say it is part of the catchment for a reservoir that supplies water to thousands of homes in Belfast and Carrick.
They claim chemicals used in the drill process could leach into the water table.
Northern Ireland Water, which has leased the drill site to oil company Infrastrata, said the project would not compromise the water supply.
Infrastrata has outlined measures that it will take to protect groundwater.
These include collection of surface water at the site and protection of the drill shaft by encasing it in steel and concrete.
In his letter, Mr Ruffalo said the "small amount" of oil and gas that might be found "pales in comparison" to the importance of protecting the water supply.
Water Defense said it would be sending testing kits to local residents and will be monitoring the situation. | A Hollywood superstar has weighed into a dispute over a controversial oil well in Northern Ireland. | 35639037 |
Evha Jannath, from Leicester, was on a school trip when she fell from the Splash Canyon ride at Drayton Manor Theme Park on 9 May.
An inquest into her death was opened and adjourned on Wednesday.
The South Staffordshire Coroner's office said she died from "blunt force chest trauma" and a further inquest hearing would be heard on Tuesday.
Staffordshire Police and the Health and Safety Executive are jointly investigating the incident at the park.
More updates on this story
More than 100 mourners attended Evha's funeral service at Saffron Hill Cemetery in Leicester on Tuesday.
The Muslim Burial Council of Leicestershire said Evha's death had "touched the hearts of many people".
The theme park, near Tamworth, Staffordshire, closed for three days following the death but reopened on Saturday. | An 11-year-old girl who fell from a theme park water ride suffered fatal chest injuries, police have said. | 39953060 |
Jacob and Ursula Kokotkiewicz, of Texas, were found on Thursday by police who went to investigate a vehicle parked on the side of the road.
Police say both had been shot in the head and the man had a handgun between his legs.
Investigators are trying to determine a motive.
Mrs Kokotkiewicz, 32, who was discovered in the front passenger seat of the vehicle, was a teacher in Dallas.
She had studied education and literature at the University of Toronto, according to her Facebook page.
Mrs Kokotkiewicz and her 31-year-old husband had been visiting National Parks, according to her Instagram feed.
In a recent post from Utah, she uploaded a photo with a comment: "To me, the journey matters as much as the destination. Savor the moments and enjoy life's detours."
Tributes have been flooding in on Instagram for her.
"I can't believe Ms K is gone," read one comment.
"I should have gotten a picture, a hug or something, and I didn't because I expected to see her again." | Police have identified a married couple discovered shot dead inside a pick-up truck parked along a highway in the US state of New Mexico. | 40488458 |
The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) has said it receives information on severe weather alerts.
However, it is concerned members are not informed of terror threats.
It is hosting its annual conference in Westport.
RTÉ reports that the AGSI has called on Garda Commissioner Nóirín O'Sullivan to provide it with appropriate training to deal with the current terrorist threat level.
Its president Tim Galvin said some intelligence is sent out, but for the most part the vast majority of information is confined to specialist units.
The association also wants a review of the effectiveness of the amalgamation of garda districts and the closure of 95 stations.
It has also said gardaí should be provided with anti-ballistic vests rather than only stab-proof ones in the wake of incidents such as the Dublin weigh-in murder at the Regency Hotel in February.
The AGSI is disappointed by the decision of the Irish Minister for Justice, Frances Fitzgerald, not to attend the conference.
It has also said its members will march on the Irish parliament on the first day of the new government in protest over pay and conditions. | Police sergeants and inspectors in the Republic of Ireland have said that as first responders, they do not have the capability to deal with the threat from radical extremism and international terrorism. | 36014504 |
The Toomebridge rider, who crashed out of the opener at the English circuit, lies seventh in the series and 66 points behind leader Shane Byrne.
Glenn Irwin retired in the first race and came in seventh in the second to leave him 14th in the standings.
Fellow Carrick man Alastair Seeley had a 14th-place finish before failing to complete race two.
Irwin's technical problem in race one led to Peter Hickman and Laverty taking a different line and both came off.
Andy Reid retired on lap 11 of the feature Supersport race after finishing sixth in the sprint race - he is third in the series.
Derriaghy's Carl Phillips was third in the Superstock 600 race with Keith Farmer fourth in the Superstock 1000 event.
Josh Elliott finished fifth in the Superstock 1000 race but was penalised 11 grid positions after a collision with Taylor Mackenzie.
The Fermanagh rider, demoted to 16th and out of the points, later apologised to Mackenzie. | Michael Laverty finished third in the second British Superbikes Championship race at Snetterton on Sunday. | 36759431 |
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