document
stringlengths 0
39k
| summary
stringlengths 1
329
| id
stringlengths 8
8
|
|---|---|---|
It is thought to be the first time a judge has implemented a 2008 law under which perpetrators of "terrorist activities" can lose their citizenship.
Alla Zayoud, from northern Israel, was convicted of four counts of attempted murder for the attack in October 2015.
Israeli civil rights groups said the ruling set "a dangerous precedent".
In his decision, Judge Avraham Elyakim of Haifa district court said victims' right to life took precedence over "those who choose to violate the trust of the state of Israel and carry out acts of terrorism in its territory".
Interior Minister Arieh Deri had filed the request to revoke Zayoud's citizenship in 2016. Zayoud has the right to appeal.
Zayoud, who comes from the town of Umm al-Fahm, is serving a 25-year sentence for the attack in which he drove his car into a group of soldiers and then started stabbing people.
It was one of the first such incidents in what has become a wave of so-called "lone wolf" attacks on Israelis predominantly by Palestinians or Israeli Arabs since October 2015.
The court's ruling was condemned by rights groups.
"The decision to revoke Mr Zayoud's residence would render him stateless, in violation of Israel's obligations under international human rights law," said Sari Bashi of Human Rights watch.
"Citizenship is a precondition for a host of other rights, including the right to political participation and social and economic rights."
The removal of citizenship for terrorism had been applied by Israel in rare instances prior to the 2008 law but the latest case could pave the way for similar rulings in the future, local media said. | Human rights groups have criticised a decision by an Israeli court to remove the citizenship of an Israeli Arab who attacked people with a car and a knife. | 40847922 |
The 2-0 loss in Cyprus was interrupted by flares from the home fans and marred by trouble in the stands afterwards.
But the Dons manager said: "I felt this was a tie we could get through, but we were beaten fair and square and only have ourselves to blame.
"It is a missed opportunity for us. I really believe that."
The 3-2 aggregate defeat means it is the fourth consecutive season that Aberdeen have exited in the third qualifying round.
An early Andre Schembri strike tied the scores on aggregate and, with the Dons chasing an equaliser as Apollon had the advantage of an away goal, Emilio Zelaya added a second four minutes from the end of normal time.
"I thought we played our more natural game in that second half," said McInnes.
"We were brave to get on it, we moved the ball from side to side, we were putting extra passes in.
"In the first half, everything was too rushed and we were in too much of a hurry to get to goal.
"What we didn't give was that bit of experience, nous and quality that would maybe get us through the tie."
McInnes believed his side had enough chances to win the tie despite Apollon being the better side in the opening 45 minutes.
"We gave away possession of the ball and got too easy beat in the wider area, but we can still defend the cross better," he said.
"The away goal they got at Pittodrie then comes into play for them and it means the onus is on us to score a goal.
"It was early enough in the game that we still backed ourselves to score a goal.
"They were happy with the 1-0 and made it difficult and we really had to search for those opportunities, but we had good opportunities to get that goal ourselves and we throw caution to the wind a bit at the end and get caught with the second goal."
Apollon's victory - they had lost at the third qualifying round stage for the last two seasons running - leaves the Dons to concentrate on Sunday's opening Scottish Premiership visit by Hamilton Academical.
McInnes is aware that a tough game in Mediterranean heat will have sapped the energy of his players.
"A lot of them will have to go back in, but we will try to freshen it in certain areas," he added.
"However, I am pleased with the early signs of what we're going to get this season." | Derek McInnes lamented a wasted opportunity and blamed Aberdeen's shortcomings after their Europa League qualifying defeat by Apollon Limassol. | 40817569 |
Scotland's Jane Ross headed City into a first-minute lead and Izzy Christiansen doubled the advantage from close range.
After the break, Christiansen's England team-mate Lucy Bronze headed in a third and Daphne Corboz fired in the fourth goal from the edge of the area late on.
The Belles are six points behind Sunderland but have four games in hand.
City, who have played two games more than second-placed Chelsea, remain unbeaten in the league in 2016.
Manchester City Women defender Lucy Bronze: "It doesn't get much better. But we have to focus on getting three points in our next match.
"It's a good position for us to be in but we have to make sure we're focused and we go out and win those last few home games we have especially."
Doncaster Rovers Belles midfielder Katrin Omarsdottir: "There are positives to take from the last month or so, but sooner or later we need to start winning games.
"We try to go into every game to get three points but obviously people from the outside won't expect us to get something from teams like Manchester City and the bigger teams.
"We just have to keep going, this is football and we're in a bad situation right now but we have to try and win every game we play so we can stay in this league."
Match ends, Doncaster Rovers Belles 0, Manchester City Women 4.
Second Half ends, Doncaster Rovers Belles 0, Manchester City Women 4.
Attempt missed. Toni Duggan (Manchester City Women) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Daphne Corboz.
Goal! Doncaster Rovers Belles 0, Manchester City Women 4. Daphne Corboz (Manchester City Women) left footed shot from outside the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Nikita Parris.
Attempt saved. Katrin Omarsdottir (Doncaster Rovers Belles) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Mayumi Pacheco with a cross.
Foul by Nikita Parris (Manchester City Women).
Leandra Little (Doncaster Rovers Belles) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt blocked. Lucy Bronze (Manchester City Women) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Attempt saved. Jennifer Beattie (Manchester City Women) header from the right side of the six yard box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Toni Duggan with a cross.
Corner, Manchester City Women. Conceded by Mayumi Pacheco.
Attempt blocked. Toni Duggan (Manchester City Women) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.
Attempt missed. Nikita Parris (Manchester City Women) right footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Lucy Bronze.
Nikita Parris (Manchester City Women) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Sophie Barker (Doncaster Rovers Belles).
Corner, Manchester City Women. Conceded by Kasia Lipka.
Corner, Manchester City Women. Conceded by Mayumi Pacheco.
Substitution, Doncaster Rovers Belles. Lauren Cresswell replaces Christie Murray.
Offside, Manchester City Women. Lucy Bronze tries a through ball, but Nikita Parris is caught offside.
Attempt blocked. Toni Duggan (Manchester City Women) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Demi Stokes.
Substitution, Manchester City Women. Daphne Corboz replaces Tessel Middag.
Attempt missed. Katrin Omarsdottir (Doncaster Rovers Belles) right footed shot from the right side of the box is too high. Assisted by Carla Humphrey.
Attempt missed. Rhiannon Roberts (Doncaster Rovers Belles) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Leandra Little.
Toni Duggan (Manchester City Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Kasia Lipka (Doncaster Rovers Belles).
Attempt missed. Katrin Omarsdottir (Doncaster Rovers Belles) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Rhiannon Roberts.
Foul by Jennifer Beattie (Manchester City Women).
Katrin Omarsdottir (Doncaster Rovers Belles) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Offside, Doncaster Rovers Belles. Emily Simpkins tries a through ball, but Mayumi Pacheco is caught offside.
Attempt blocked. Carla Humphrey (Doncaster Rovers Belles) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Rhiannon Roberts.
Foul by Keira Walsh (Manchester City Women).
Carla Humphrey (Doncaster Rovers Belles) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Goal! Doncaster Rovers Belles 0, Manchester City Women 3. Lucy Bronze (Manchester City Women) header from the centre of the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Toni Duggan with a cross following a corner.
Corner, Manchester City Women. Conceded by Leandra Little.
Corner, Manchester City Women. Conceded by Mayumi Pacheco.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Sophie Barker (Doncaster Rovers Belles) because of an injury.
Attempt missed. Mayumi Pacheco (Doncaster Rovers Belles) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.
Substitution, Manchester City Women. Nikita Parris replaces Georgia Stanway.
Offside, Manchester City Women. Jane Ross tries a through ball, but Toni Duggan is caught offside.
Attempt missed. Rhiannon Roberts (Doncaster Rovers Belles) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Emily Simpkins with a cross following a set piece situation. | Manchester City Women moved 10 points clear at the top of Women's Super League One with a convincing victory at bottom side Doncaster Rovers Belles. | 36971988 |
Konta, ranked 18th, played superbly to win 6-4 6-2 and set up a final against Venus Williams (22:00 BST on Sunday).
The 25-year-old Briton hit seven aces and dropped just six points on serve as she won in one hour and 14 minutes.
"It's just a release of emotions," said a jubilant Konta, who later lost in the doubles semi-finals with Maria Sanchez.
Konta and her American partner Sanchez were beaten 6-4 6-2 by Darija Jurak of Croatia and Australian Anastasia Rodionova.
But asked about her singles success against Cibulkova, she said: "I needed to do a very good job of just focusing on myself.
"It was about focusing on breathing and enjoying playing in front of such a great crowd."
Top seed Williams beat fellow American Alison Riske 6-1 7-6 (7-2) to progress.
Konta reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open in January, and again at Eastbourne in June.
She is playing her first tournament since losing to Eugenie Bouchard in the second round at Wimbledon last month and is the first British woman to reach the final at Stanford since Virginia Wade was runner-up in 1981. | British number one Johanna Konta is through to the first WTA final of her career after beating world number 12 Dominika Cibulkova in Stanford, USA. | 36876477 |
Coe was vice-president in 2007 before becoming president in August, with The Sunday Times claiming widespread doping occurred between 2001 and 2012.
Coe told a select committee on Wednesday that as vice-president he had not been oblivious to doping claims.
"Were all our systems good enough - I doubt it," he said.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Coe said that much of his time as vice-president had been spent delivering the London 2012 Olympics.
"I was aware we had a problem, but the specific numbers, I did not," he said.
"Every six months the anti-doping unit would deliver its progress - that was the extent of information we were given. Was I aware the problem was escalating? Yes."
Accusations about doping in athletics in recent months have included an independent World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) report that alleged "state-sponsored doping" in Russia.
Two-time Olympic 1500m champion Coe had initially been called before the Commons culture, media and sport select committee to explain earlier criticism of The Sunday Times investigation, which he called "a declaration of war on my sport".
The newspaper investigation stated that a third of medals in endurance events at the Olympics and World Championships over 11 years were won by athletes who had recorded suspicious tests, but Coe said his comments were not an attack on the media.
"My observation at the time was that it was reckless use of data, to actually imperil the reputation of clean athletes and [Britain's marathon world record holder] Paula Radcliffe's treatment was a clear example of that," he added.
"I stick by the sentiments. I probably might have chosen different language. It probably expressed my frustration and yes, anger at the time.
"I'm sorry this has mutated into an attack on the media. I will die in a ditch for the right for media groups to question my motives, to call to task the sport I'm currently head of."
During more than two-and-a-half hours in front of MPs, Coe addressed a number of other questions about doping and the IAAF.
Asked what he has done since becoming International Association of Athletics Federations president and if he thinks he is the right man:
"I have the experience to do that and I have the support of the sport. Have there been failures? Yes. Will I fix them? Yes.
"Returning trust will be a longer journey, and probably see out my mandate."
Asked if he thinks the blood data of all athletes should be published to improve transparency:
"No. The way that some of those profiles have been used has damaged the reputation of clean athletes. The issue for us is clear - we need systems in place that can follow up on suspicions. We do - we've just taken medals away from some athletes from the 2005 World Championships."
Asked if there is an acceptance within the IAAF that doping is acceptable:
"If I go back to the immediate challenge we have, there is Russia's ban and allegations made about some people in the IAAF. If you say the IAAF has acceptance that doping is acceptable, I don't accept that."
Asked, following recent allegations regarding doping in Kenyan athletics, whether he has suspicions about other federations:
"Dick Pound, the chair of independent commission, has made it clear this is not simply about Russia, and not simply about athletics. People tend to forget this is not simply about athletics."
Is there more to come from the second part of the Wada report?
"I genuinely don't know the answer to that. There's a lot of speculation around it, but we have no prior knowledge of what is in the report. If it shows there is systematic failure, we will address it."
Asked about ending his ambassadorial role with Nike following conflict of interest claims over the 2021 World Championships going to Eugene, Oregon, where the company is based:
"This had become a monstrous distraction. Reality and perception had become horribly entangled and I didn't want anything to distract from changes I have implemented. In hindsight, if I thought the noise would have escalated would I have got rid of it beforehand, yes I would have."
Asked if he regrets taking the role as IAAF president?
"Not for one moment. The sport has been very good to me. I started life as an athlete. Athletics will always define me." | Lord Coe has defended his record at the IAAF but says there have been failures in detecting blood doping during his time at athletics' governing body. | 34984593 |
Theresa May had made the call after his predecessor Sir Paul Stephenson, and his assistant John Yates, quit amid criticism of the Met's role in the phone-hacking scandal.
And the former Merseyside Police chief was well-placed to take on the job of the UK's top police officer, having been called on to act as the Met's deputy commissioner in the wake of the resignations.
During five years on Merseyside to 2009, Mr Hogan-Howe developed a high profile via regular web chats and broadcasts, appearances on local radio phone-ins and horseback rides through the city centre.
And he earned admirers for his tough approach to anti-social behaviour and stance on gun crime in the wake of the fatal shooting of 11-year-old Rhys Jones.
Born in Sheffield, the football enthusiast's rise through the ranks began with South Yorkshire Police in 1979.
He worked as a traffic officer, detective and district commander, gaining an MA in law from Oxford University and a diploma in applied criminology from Cambridge University along the way.
In 1997 he moved to Merseyside police and four years later joined the Met as an assistant commissioner, before returning to Liverpool in 2004.
1979: South Yorkshire Police
1997: Assistant Chief Constable, Merseyside
2001: Assistant Commissioner, Metropolitan Police
2004: Chief Constable of Merseyside
2009: HM Inspectorate of Constabulary
Radio 4's Profile of Bernard Hogan-Howe
During that time, crime dropped by a third, and the force claims anti-social behaviour rates were cut in half through a zero-tolerance approach.
He hit the headlines in 2006 for sprinting after a suspected drink-driver after spotting him from his chauffeur-driven car.
Mr Hogan-Howe was the man in charge in 2007, when 11-year-old Rhys Jones was shot dead as he walked home from football practice.
The killing horrified the nation and there were grumblings from some in the media when there was no immediate arrest.
But Mr Hogan-Howe got his man in December 2008 when Sean Mercer, 18, was jailed for life and several members of his gang were also locked up.
That year, he accused some judges of being lenient on gun crime by overlooking mandatory five-year sentences for possession of a firearm.
He also called for those shielding gun criminals from police to be evicted from homes.
Mr Hogan-Howe set up the specialist Matrix team to tackle gun crime - the first of its kind outside London
The unit's former head, Det Supt Geoff Sloane, said: "When he came he had a clear philosophy. It was to tackle organised crime, gang-related crime but also to make sure victims were properly supported, which was backed up by strong neighbourhood policing."
Before leaving Merseyside, he applied to succeed Sir Hugh Orde as chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
However, he withdrew from the application process to take up a role with Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabularies.
He was called back to the Met in July to support Acting Commissioner Tim Godwin - later a rival for the top job - in bringing stability to the force after Sir Paul Stephenson's resignation.
The home secretary and London Mayor Boris Johnson said they were "of one mind" in their decision to appoint Mr Hogan-Howe.
Mrs May cited his "excellent track-record" in reducing crime had proven the deciding factor. | Bernard Hogan-Howe, the newly-appointed Metropolitan Police Commissioner, fits the bill for the "single-minded crime fighter" sought by the home secretary. | 14888782 |
Doctors decided - with family support - to turn off the life support ventilator of 20-year-old Lee Pei-yu on Monday.
She suffered second-degree burns over 90% of her body and is the first fatality from the disaster. About 500 people were injured in the blaze.
Saturday's fire started when coloured powder sprayed from the stage onto the audience near Taipei suddenly ignited.
At least 200 people remain in hospital in a critical condition, including the woman's 12-year-old brother. Eight patients are reported by local media to have life-threatening injuries. More than 1,000 people were near the stage at the time.
It is thought that the coloured, flammable powder - used to create a party atmosphere - was sprayed into the crowd and then set alight either by cigarette embers, a lighter, or electrical sparks, officials say.
Amateur video footage showed young revellers dancing in front of a stage and cheering as clouds of green and yellow powder covered them.
But the party atmosphere descended into terror when the powder abruptly burst into flames engulfing them in an inferno as they ran screaming for their lives.
The organisers have been questioned about the disaster and the authorities have banned the use of coloured powder at events while its safety is assessed. The water park itself remains closed.
"It's still not clear what happened, but there were a number of people smoking and the weather was warm," New Taipei City news department head Lin Chieh-yu was quoted by the AP news agency as saying.
Temperatures around greater Taipei topped 36C (96.8 F) before the party.
The seller who provided the powder told AP that the buyer was warned about the risk of fire.
Police say that party organiser Lu Chung-chi and two technicians were arrested but released on bail. They have been ordered not to leave the island and are likely to face charges of professional neglect and public endangerment.
The Taiwan News website said Mr Lu had apologised for what had happened and pledged to take responsibility for it.
The BBC's Cindy Sui in Taipei says that video shot by a eyewitness at the scene showed the crowd immersed in the thick powder with no time to escape.
"We saw a lot of people whose skin had been seriously burned. It was just like hell," a witness said.
The incident occurred at about 20:30 (12:30 GMT) on Saturday. | A woman who was injured after a fire tore through the crowds at an amusement park in Taiwan has died, officials say. | 33308416 |
Two adults got into difficulty in the water after they went to help the boys when their inflatable boat got caught in a rip tide at Mewslade Bay on Sunday.
The Horton and Port Eynon lifeboat was launched and a boat from Gower Coast Adventures went to help.
The boys were pulled from the sea, while the adults swam to rocks onshore.
They sustained minor cuts but the children were uninjured.
Jeff Payne, of Horton and Port Eynon lifeboat station said: "I do not want to think of the possible consequences had a boat not been on hand to rescue the boys."
He warned people using inflatable boats to check local conditions, in particular rip tides and offshore winds, and advised adults to keep boats on a line when children are using them. | Four people, including two children, were rescued off the Gower coast after their dinghy got swept out to sea. | 28520374 |
Greg Gianforte is accused of attacking a reporter from the UK's Guardian newspaper a day before his election.
He has donated $50,000 (£38,000) to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) as part of an apology.
Mr Gianforte will plead guilty on Monday to a criminal charge of misdemeanour assault, AP reports.
It carries a maximum penalty is a $500 fine and a six-month jail term.
Gallatin county attorney Marty Lambert told AP the congressman had requested the court hearing after reaching a civil settlement this week.
Alicia Acuna, a reporter from Fox News who witnessed the attack, said Mr Gianforte grabbed reporter Ben Jacobs by the neck with both hands and slammed him into the ground", before he began "punching" Mr Jacobs.
The politician had initially claimed Mr Jacobs had grabbed his wrist, pulling them both to the ground. His spokesperson called it "aggressive behaviour from a liberal journalist".
But in his formal apology to Mr Jacobs on Wednesday, he said: "Notwithstanding anyone's statements to the contrary, you did not initiate any physical contact with me, and I had no right to assault you. I am sorry for what I did and the unwanted notoriety this has created for you.
"I take full responsibility," he added. | A Montana congressman who "body slammed" a journalist is intending to plead guilty to assault next week, the state's attorney has said. | 40230787 |
Vice-captain when the United States regained the trophy last year in Germany, the 45-year-old Swede said: "I can not tell you how excited I am.
"I had hoped and dreamed that this opportunity would come along. This is really going to be a lot of fun."
Europe will attempt to win back the trophy at Des Moines Golf Club in Iowa next August.
Sorenstam played on two winning sides, at Loch Lomond in 2000 and at Barseback in 2003, and was also instrumental in two victories as a vice captain in 2011 and in 2013.
No player has won more matches for Europe than Sorenstam.
Her record of 22 victories is equalled by England's Laura Davies, who played in nine more matches than the Swede. | Annika Sorenstam says she is going to have "fun" being European captain at the 2017 Solheim Cup. | 35931917 |
Gunmen stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery cafe in Dhaka late on Friday before troops entered almost 12 hours later.
Six attackers were also killed and one was arrested, officials said. Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina has declared two days of national mourning.
Nine Italians, seven Japanese, one US citizen and an Indian also died.
Bangladesh Army Brig Gen Naim Asraf Chowdhury said the victims had been "brutally" attacked with sharp weapons.
Italy's Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said one other Italian was still unaccounted for. Many of the Italians reportedly worked in the garment industry.
Japan said one of its nationals was among 13 people rescued. The seven that died were consultants for Japan's foreign aid agency and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said they "were giving their all for the development of Bangladesh".
Two Sri Lankans were among those rescued.
Nine Italians named by the Italian foreign ministry as: Cristian Rossi; Marco Tondat; Nadia Benedetti; Adele Puglisi; Simona Monti; Claudia Maria D'Antona; Vincenzo D'Allestro; Maria Rivoli and Claudio Cappelli
Seven Japanese. Names not released
Three Bangladeshis named in national media as Faraaz Ayaaz Hossain and Abinta Kabir, both students at Emory University in the US, and Ishrat Akhond. It is believed Abinta Kabir could also be a US citizen
One Indian. Tarushi Jain, 18, who was a student at the University of California, Berkeley
More about the victims
IS later released pictures online of five men it says carried out the attack. The smiling militants are shown posing in front of a black IS flag.
The SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist networks, said the images identified the attackers by noms-de-guerre indicating they were Bangladeshi.
The siege began as diners gathered to break their fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Bangladesh's Daily Star newspaper said the gunmen tortured anyone who was unable to recite the Koran. They provided meals overnight for only the Bangladeshi captives, it said.
"It was an extremely heinous act," Ms Hasina said in a televised statement. "What kind of Muslims are these people? They don't have any religion.
Sumon Reza, a supervisor at the cafe in the Gulshan district of Dhaka, managed to flee to the roof when the attackers burst in.
"The whole building was shaking when they set off explosives," he told local media. He later jumped from the roof and escaped.
Street 79 in Dhaka's upmarket Gulshan area is remarkably quiet. The street is barricaded with scores of heavily armed police.
"Please sir, please move back," one police officer tells us, politely but firmly.
The tension in the air is palpable. As more media teams arrive, the officer loses his temper and screams at his men, telling them to make sure no-one crosses the barricade.
The Holey Artisan Bakery is known as a bustling cafe popular with expats and wealthy locals.
"There is an open-air terrace overlooking a lake," Dhaka Mayor Annisul Huq tells me.
"That's why it was so popular. It was so serene. I can't believe that this has happened to my Dhaka, I simply cannot."
He has cut short a trip to Moscow and is visibly shaken.
People mill around, talking in whispers. There is fear in the air, but also disbelief at the nature of the attack and the brutality of it - the selective targeting of foreigners and the manner in which they were killed.
The attack began when the armed men burst into the cafe at about 21:20 (15:20 GMT) on Friday and opened fire.
Media reports quoted witnesses as saying that they shouted "Allahu Akbar", meaning "God is great".
At least two police officers were killed in exchanges of fire and 30 police officers were injured.
A statement on IS's self-styled Amaq news agency said militants had attacked a restaurant "frequented by foreigners".
The attack comes after a spate of murders of secular bloggers, gay activists, academics and members of religious minorities, blamed on Islamist militants. | Twenty people, most of them foreigners, have been killed in an attack on a cafe in Bangladesh claimed by so-called Islamic State. | 36692613 |
It is one of eight projects aiming to develop driverless-car technologies that will receive a share of £20m, from the government's £100m Intelligent Mobility Fund.
Another will focus on driverless shuttles for the visually impaired.
Autonomous vehicles are already being tested, including in Milton Keynes.
Speaking at another test site, in Nuneaton, Business Secretary Sajid Javid said: "Our cars of the future will be equipped with the technologies that will make getting from A to B safer, faster, and cleaner."
"They will alert drivers of accidents ahead and be able to receive information from their surroundings about hazards, increasing the safety of drivers, passengers and pedestrians."
The eight projects are:
Prof Paul Newman, from the University of Oxford co-founded driverless car research company Oxbotica, which will receive some of the new funding, told the BBC: "It is part of the strategy that the UK is unfolding to support the future of transport.
"We are really excited about it."
The funding would support the testing and development of software for self-driving vehicles, Prof Newman said.
"It's all about vehicles knowing where they are and what is around them," he added.
The Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, called the announcement a "landmark moment". | More than 40 miles of roads in Coventry will be equipped with technologies to aid autonomous vehicles, the government has announced. | 35461596 |
The US central bank opted to keep rates between 0.25% and 0.5%.
The Fed said "near-term risks to the economic outlook have diminished," but inflation remained below the bank's target.
It is still expected to raise rates twice this year. Investors expect the first increase to come in autumn.
In a statement, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) said household spending was "growing strongly" and the unemployment rate had decreased for the last two months.
However, the Fed has held back from raising rates while inflation remains under its 2% target. The measurement used by the central bank lists current US inflation at 1.6% and it has hovered below the Fed's target since 2012.
The committee blamed low energy prices for weighing on inflation.
Investors had not been expecting the Fed to raise rates but had been looking for indications about the timeline for increases.
"[The statement] sounded a reasonably upbeat tone, not a big difference from last time, but a reasonably upbeat tone," said Kathy Jones, chief fixed-income strategist at Charles Schwab.
Global market uncertainty, stemming from the UK's decision to leave the European Union, led the central bank to refrain from increasing rates when it met in June. In the past slow economic growth in Europe and uncertainty about the Chinese economy have forced the Fed to delay a interest rate increase.
Speaking in advance of the 'Brexit' vote, Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen said that if the UK decided to leave the European Union it could have "significant economic repercussions" for the US economy.
US markets have shrugged off the initial shock of the Brexit decision, repeatedly hitting record highs and figures show the economy has improved at a moderate pace.
Only one member of the FOMC voted to raise rates.
Esther George, who leads the Kansas City Federal Reserve, has voted to raise rates several times in the past and said publicly she feels the central bank is being too cautious.
The Fed meets three more times this year and is not expected to raise rates in November because the meeting is just one week before the US presidential election.
FOMC members have acknowledged that the election has added a level of uncertainty to the US economy.
Most analysts expect an increase at its next meeting in September. | The Federal Reserve has decided not to raise interest rates, maintaining the ultra-low level they have been at since December 2015. | 36908353 |
The 34-year-old has won two Heineken Cups and a Pro12 title since joining the Irish side in 2009.
His international debut came in the same year, and the former Munster and Harlequins player has won 44 caps.
"I am happy to have re-signed with Leinster for another season - it is an exciting time to be involved with both Leinster and Ireland," said Ross.
"The next 12 months will be incredibly busy and challenging but also have the potential to be very rewarding too."
Ross played in all five games of Ireland's Six Nations Championship success this year.
His last appearance for Ireland was in the 26-23 victory over Australia in November.
"Mike has made a huge contribution to the Leinster environment since joining us in 2009," said Leinster CEO Mick Dawson.
"He continues to be an integral member of our squad and is also playing a key role in the development of emerging talent at the club.
"His performances for club and country this season illustrate his value to Irish rugby." | Ireland prop Mike Ross has signed a new contract which will keep him at Leinster until at least June 2016. | 30533467 |
His father, Meho, was reportedly shot in the hand and leg and had to go to hospital following a dispute in his native Bosnia-Herzegovina.
It is unclear how serious the injuries are.
Toffees boss Ronald Koeman said: "When I spoke to him, he said before the game he was ready and committed."
The Dutchman added: "I spoke to him yesterday evening. He spoke to his father. I don't like to talk in more detail. This is a family matter.
"We will see what happens after the game. I don't know exactly what happened, but what came out in the papers is true."
Bosnia international Besic, 24, came on at half-time in the Toffees' loss on Sunday. | Everton midfielder Muhamed Besic played in Sunday's 2-0 defeat at Chelsea, a day after discovering his father had been shot. | 41068282 |
A former rebel leader, Salvador Sanchez Ceren won the presidential run-off of March 2014 by a narrow margin.
As presidential candidate of the left-wing Farabundo Marti Liberation Front (FMLN), he beat Norman Quijano of the conservative Arena party by less than a quarter of a percentage point, becoming the first former guerrilla to lead the Central American country.
In his inauguration speech, he promised to fight corruption and violence, and "to serve as president of all Salvadorans".
Mr Sanchez Ceren, 69, also promised that "security, employment and education" would be the priorities of his government.
A former teacher, Mr Sanchez Ceren rose to become one of the FMLN's top commanders during the country's bloody 1979-1992 civil war. The FMLN became a political party after the 1992 peace accords.
As president, he succeeds Mauricio Funes, a former journalist whose FMLN government elected in 2009 ended two decades of conservative rule, mostly under Arena. Mr Sanchez Ceren was vice-president in the Funes government.
Among the challenges he faces are dealing with a resurgence of violence by criminal gangs, a struggling economy, and endemic poverty. | President: Salvador Sanchez Ceren | 19401934 |
He placed the £10 accumulator with Ladbrokes at the start of the season.
He predicted every Scottish league winner plus the top teams in the English Championship, League One and League Two.
However, he had a nervous wait as the Championship winners Newcastle only edged out Brighton in the closing minutes of the final day on Sunday.
An 89th minute equaliser from Aston Villa's Jack Grealish against Brighton effectively handed the title to Rafa Benitez's side.
The gambler does not wish to be named but it was revealed he was in his 50s and from the Scottish Borders.
In total he won £60,734.38 from his £10 bet.
Jessica Bridge of Ladbrokes said: "Hindsight has paid off big time here for this customer for such a small outlay."
It is the second big payout in the region in a matter of weeks.
Last month an apprentice joiner from Hawick won more than £20,000 from a £3 football bet. | A man from the Borders has scooped £60,000 by correctly guessing the winners of seven football leagues. | 39870743 |
Ed Burnett, 43, designed Gloriana for a huge parade up the Thames during the jubilee celebrations in 2012.
Police said he was found dead at his home in Totnes, Devon on 26 May and there were no suspicious circumstances.
Tributes have been paid by colleagues and friends to the "fiercely intelligent and astonishing" man.
A pageant of more than 1,000 boats involving some 20,000 people sailed down the Thames on 3 June 2012 to mark the Queen's 60 years on the throne.
Mr Burnett was also one of the rowers on board the 94ft (28.6m) barge as it led the Queen and Prince Philip up the Thames.
Mr Burnett ran a yacht design business in Totnes and had been a member of the local rowing club for several years.
Former club chairman Peter Rouse said: "He was an enormously accomplished naval architect, one of the leading timber boat architects in the world.
"He contributed to and improved every area of the club; he was really capable and talented and it's a tremendous loss.
"Everyone who knew him is absolutely devastated."
Damian Byrne, project manager for building Gloriana, paid tribute to Mr Burnett, saying: "There are notable naval architects practising today who declare an understanding for classic shapes, but few have shown the understanding of the subtleties of form that deliver a classic timeless vessel."
Mr Burnett's death has been referred to the coroner. | A naval architect who designed the Queen's Jubilee barge has been found dead at his home, police have confirmed. | 33001212 |
Launching Labour's final week of election campaigning, he told voters: "This is your time and your chance."
And he claimed that Labour has had "four million conversations" with voters on the campaign trail and set a target of one million more.
With one week to go, polls show Labour and the Conservatives neck-and-neck.
The latest BBC poll of polls put the Conservatives on 34%, Labour on 33%, UKIP on 13%, the Lib Dems on 9% and the Greens on 5%.
At a campaign event in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, the Labour leader said the election was "not just about parties or leaders".
Labour has claimed it has had "four million conversations" with voters on the doorstep since January.
"Because we've achieved that, I'm setting a new target," Mr Miliband said, aiming for a total of five million by polling day on 7 May.
He said Labour policies such as an £8 per hour minimum wage and an end to what the party calls "exploitative" zero-hours contracts would provide a "bedrock of security for working families".
He accused the Conservatives of "planning to devastate family finances" by cutting tax credits and child benefit in order to make £12bn of welfare cuts.
The Conservatives have dismissed Labour's claim and said their opponents would "wreck" the economic recovery.
* Subscribe to the BBC Election 2015 newsletter to get a round-up of the day's campaign news sent to your inbox every weekday afternoon. | Voters have "seven days to take your chance to run Britain for working people once again", Ed Miliband has said. | 32529134 |
Operation Neptune follows reports of dolphins being targeted off the coasts of Abersoch and Tywyn, Gwynedd.
MP Liz Saville-Roberts and North Wales Police's wildlife unit are among those who have joined to launch the campaign.
It aims to make it easier for people to report those they suspect of harassing marine wildlife.
Ms Saville-Roberts, Plaid Cymru MP for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, was joined by Abersoch councillor Robert Wyn Williams, Sgt Rob Taylor from North Wales Police's rural crime team and a local jet-ski owner in Abersoch to kick-start the campaign ahead of the summer season.
"The majority of boat and jet-ski users are responsible and adhere to the marine code of conduct, but those who wilfully frighten and intimidate marine wildlife should be held accountable for their actions," Ms Saville-Roberts said.
She said the campaign aimed to both "promote the responsible and safe use of marine craft" and inform the public of the best way to report "irresponsible behaviour on our coastline".
Sgt Rob Taylor added: "Coastal seas around north Wales support important habitats and wildlife and we urge all jet-skiers and boat owners to act responsibly at all times and respect this." | A campaign which seeks to prevent dolphins being harassed and intimidated by jet-skis has been launched in north Wales. | 36570636 |
From right and left, praise was showered on the commander-in-chief for acting against the Assad government after this week's chemical attack.
But one or two members of Congress and some of Mr Trump's right-wing fringe supporters are upset.
On the eve of the strikes, he was the most unpopular US president in decades.
His approval rating has fallen to 40% amid the collapse of his efforts to overhaul US healthcare, investigations into possible links between his inner circle and the Kremlin, and a narrative of general disarray in his administration.
But Republican senators whom Mr Trump ridiculed during last year's election wholeheartedly approved of the action.
John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina praised the president in a joint statement.
"Unlike the previous administration," they said, "President Trump confronted a pivotal moment in Syria and took action. For that, he deserves the support of the American people."
They also urged him to go even further and "take Assad's air force… completely out of the fight".
Florida Senator Marco Rubio, another former Trump punching bag, tweeted: "I know @POTUS was deeply moved by the images & stories emerging from #SyriaChemicalAttack".
"'Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished'" Proverbs 11:21," he added.
Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential candidate, said the action "needs to be followed by a broad strategy to end Syria's civil war".
Mrs Clinton backs the same hawkish Republican calls for the US military to take out the Syrian air force.
But she added that she hoped the administration "will recognise that we cannot in one breath speak of protecting Syrian babies and in the next close American doors to them".
On the orders of President Donald Trump, Navy destroyers USS Porter and USS Ross fired dozens of cruise missiles at Shayrat airfield in western Homs province at about 04:40 Syrian time (01:40 GMT).
They targeted aircraft, aircraft shelters, storage areas, ammunition supply bunkers and air defence systems at the Syrian government-controlled facility, according to the Pentagon.
Her husband, former US President Bill Clinton, was accused by critics of using Tomahawk missile strikes against Iraq in 1998 to divert attention from the burgeoning scandal of his affair with a White House intern.
One of Mr Trump's most outspoken critics, Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer, said the president's military action was "the right thing to do".
The reaction was also laudatory among conservative radio hosts.
"We're proud of you," said talk show presenter Mark Levin of the president.
Salem Radio Network host Hugh Hewitt tweeted that the strike was "justice for these children".
But not everyone approved.
Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky - often dismissed as an isolationist by the national security establishment - insisted that Mr Trump needed congressional authorisation for such action, adding: "The United States was not attacked."
Democratic Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, who met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in January, condemned the US strike as "short-sighted".
"This administration has acted recklessly without care or consideration of the dire consequences of the United States attack on Syria without waiting for the collection of evidence from the scene of the chemical poisoning," she said in a statement.
Ann Coulter, a conservative media personality who wrote a book titled In Trump We Trust, was not impressed either.
"Trump campaigned on not getting involved in Mideast," she tweeted. "Said it always helps our enemies & creates more refugees. Then he saw a picture on TV."
There was also dismay among the alt-right - a magnet for white nationalists and anti-Semites - some of whose members celebrated Mr Trump's election win with Nazi salutes.
Richard Spencer, a figurehead of the group, condemned the missile strikes.
Paul Joseph Watson, a London-based editor for conspiracy theory website InfoWars, tweeted: "I guess Trump wasn't 'Putin's puppet' after all, he was just another deep state/Neo-Con puppet.
"I'm officially OFF the Trump train." | President Donald Trump, buffeted by a sea of domestic troubles, has elicited almost universal approbation at home after his Syrian missile strike. | 39529605 |
A team of military chemical experts is testing for toxic gases at the scene and rescuers have been ordered to wear protective clothing, state media said.
At least 50 people died and hundreds were injured, 71 critically, in the explosions on Wednesday evening.
Meanwhile, search teams found a survivor in the debris on Friday.
The survivor, a firefighter, had been pulled from the ruins of a warehouse, officials said.
The warehouse that exploded in the port area is owned by a company called Ruihai Logistics, which reportedly handles toxic chemicals including sodium cyanide.
City officials said on Friday they still did not know what materials were at the warehouse, or what the cause of the blasts was.
Gao Huaiyou, deputy director of Tianjin's work safety watchdog, told reporters that there were major discrepancies between the accounts of company managers and customs officials. He said damage to the company's office also made it difficult to identify the chemicals.
But officials said the site had been sealed off and, as far as they knew, any contaminants were contained in that location.
Fires were still sending plumes of smoke over the destroyed buildings, burned out vehicles and crumpled shipping containers that bore the brunt of the explosions.
More than 3,500 residents made homeless by the blasts spent the night in temporary shelters.
The People's Daily, the official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party, said that emergency services were "trying to remove all the 700 tons of sodium cyanide" stored at the site.
The paper said that hydrogen peroxide had been prepared to detoxify the chemical.
It added that the facility's construction "clearly violated" safety rules.
The head of Tianjin's environmental protection bureau, Wen Wurui, said pollution levels were being monitored.
What we know about explosions: Much of what happened is unclear, but here is what we do know
Tianjin in profile: More about Tianjin, one of the busiest ports in the world
'Seismic scale' of blasts: The explosions were so large they registered on seismometers
Blast 'like end of the world': Residents' stories
Pictures reveal devastation: The latest images from Tianjin
'Netizens' critical of coverage silenced: Authorities remove posts from social media
"It would be harmful if you breathe in [this toxic air] for a long time," he said.
"But at present, it has not exceeded [the standard] too much based on our monitoring."
Water discharge points to the sea had been closed, he said.
At least 17 firefighters are among the dead, state-run news agency Xinhua said. Fire crews were already at the scene when the explosions took place, having been called to reports of a container fire.
The Tianjin Port Group Company said dozens of its employees were unaccounted for, Xinhua added.
The two explosions, seconds apart, caused a fireball visible from space and a shockwave that smashed windows several kilometres away.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has promised "open and transparent information disclosure" on the investigation. | Fires are still burning at the site of two massive explosions in the Chinese city of Tianjin, some 36 hours after the blasts. | 33924501 |
"There has never been a credible, concrete accusation against him," said Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi, adding he had never been charged.
The spokesman blamed the accusations on "anti-clerical left-wing elements that are used to attack the Church".
Jorge Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, led Argentina's Jesuits under the junta.
Correspondents say that like other Latin American churchmen of the time, he had to contend, on the one hand, with a repressive right-wing regime and, on the other, a wing of his Church leaning towards political activism on the left.
One allegation concerns the abduction in 1976 of two Jesuits by Argentina's military government, suspicious of their work among slum-dwellers.
By Michael HirstBBC News, Rome
The fact that the Vatican has come out with such a firm denial shows it understands the damage this story could do to the new Pope's image.
The former head of the Jesuits in Argentina stands accused of failing to confront the country's 1976-1983 military junta as it kidnapped and killed thousands in its "Dirty War" against leftist opponents.
One of two priests kidnapped in 1976 - who has since died - later accused Bergoglio of effectively delivering the men to the death squads by failing to publicly endorse their work.
But some say that in working to remove them from their posts he was trying to save their lives. The surviving kidnap victim, now in his eighties and living in a monastery in Germany, says he became reconciled with the current Pope over the issue more than a decade ago - and now considers it closed.
The Vatican, too, would like to put a lid on the issue. And Friday's denial showed an interesting development in papal communications. This was the Catholic Church trying to get ahead of the story, and thereby nip its potentially harmful impact in the bud. That in itself is new.
As the priests' provincial superior at the time, Jorge Bergoglio was accused by some of having failed to shield them from arrest - a charge his office flatly denied.
Judges investigating the arrest and torture of the two men - who were freed after five months - questioned Cardinal Bergoglio as a witness in 2010.
The new Pope's official biographer, Sergio Rubin, argues that the Jesuit leader "took extraordinary, behind-the-scenes action to save them".
Another accusation levelled against him from the Dirty War era is that he failed to follow up a request to help find the baby of a woman kidnapped when five months' pregnant and killed in 1977. It is believed the baby was illegally adopted.
The cardinal testified in 2010 that he had not known about baby thefts until well after the junta fell - a claim relatives dispute.
In his book The Silence, Argentine investigative journalist Horacio Verbitsky says the Jesuit leader withdrew his order's protection from Francisco Jalics and Orlando Yorio after the two priests refused to stop visiting slums.
The journalist is close to Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, who often clashed with Cardinal Bergoglio on social policy.
"He turned priests in during the dictatorship," Verbitsky was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.
The man who is now Pope once talked about the two priests to his biographer.
"I warned them to be very careful," he told Rubin. "They were too exposed to the paranoia of the witch hunt. Because they stayed in the barrio, Yorio and Jalics were kidnapped.''
Both priests were held inside the feared Navy Mechanics School prison. Finally, drugged and blindfolded, they were left in a field by a helicopter.
Orlando Yorio, who reportedly accused Fr Bergoglio of effectively delivering them to the death squads by declining to publicly endorse their work, is now dead.
AP news agency quoted Francisco Jalics as saying on Friday: "It was only years later that we had the opportunity to talk with Fr Bergoglio... to discuss the events.
"Following that, we celebrated Mass publicly together and hugged solemnly. I am reconciled to the events and consider the matter to be closed."
Adolfo Perez Esquivel, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for defending human rights during the dictatorship, believes Fr Bergoglio "tried to... help where he could" under the junta.
"It's true that he didn't do what very few bishops did in terms of defending the human rights cause, but it's not right to accuse him of being an accomplice," he told Reuters.
"Bergoglio never turned anyone in, neither was he an accomplice of the dictatorship," Mr Esquivel said. | The Vatican has denied that Pope Francis failed to speak out against human rights abuses during military rule in his native Argentina. | 21802684 |
The public voted for the bronze signs to be the latest installed on the NewcastleGateshead Initiative's Local Heroes Walk of Fame.
Television presenters John Grundy and Mike Neville will also be honoured with plaques which will be installed in May.
The walk along the Newcastle Quayside opened in 2014 and 29 plaques have so far been installed.
Sarah Stewart, from the group, said: "Those recognised... have all made a huge contribution to the region and are a driving force behind the NewcastleGateshead we have today."
Brian Johnson was born in Dunston, Gateshead, and became the lead singer of rock group AC/DC in 1980 after the death of former frontman, Bon Scott.
Tim Healy from Benwell in Newcastle, is an actor best known for roles in Auf Wiedersehen Pet and Benidorm.
TV presenter and author John Grundy specialises in the history of North East England and is also the chairman of Friends of Beamish Museum.
Mike Neville is best known for his work with the BBC and Tyne Tees Television. | Plaques commemorating actor Tim Healy and AC/DC singer Brian Johnson are to be added to a riverside walk. | 39770142 |
About 6,000 rocks are known in Britain to have ancient cup and ring carvings. More than 2,000 of the sites are found in Scotland.
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has been awarded £807,000 by the Arts and Humanities Research Council towards the five-year project.
The database would include 2D and 3D models of some of the decorated stone.
The project will be launched next year and involve the University of Edinburgh and Glasgow School of Art.
The purpose and significance of rock art to prehistoric and more recent communities is poorly understood, HES said.
Archaeologists believe the markings may have been made for a number of reasons.
These include for rituals, as territorial markers or mapping the stars. They could even be the "doodlings" of bored, ancient shepherds.
New examples of rock art are still being found. The discovery of a previously unrecorded example was made in the Highlands in 2014.
Rebecca Bailey, who led the grant application for HES, said: "We are absolutely delighted to have secured our first very substantial research grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
"The project will be a co-production between our expert staff, academic partners and community groups, in keeping with our vision that the historic environment is understood, shared and enjoyed by everyone.
"We look forward to the teams getting out into the field, making new discoveries, generating new knowledge, and sharing that on an international stage."
The project will be launched in early 2017. It will be led for HES by principal investigator Dr Tertia Barnett.
Co-investigators from the University of Edinburgh and Glasgow School of Art will also be involved and the project's partners include Archaeology Scotland, Kilmartin Museum and the North of Scotland Archaeology Society. | A digital database of Scotland's Neolithic and early Bronze Age rock art is to be created. | 36671897 |
Mr Trump has called this free trade agreement between the US, Canada and Mexico a jobs "killer" and a "disaster", and pledged to repeal it.
But in April, he pulled back and agreed to discuss "modernising" the North America Free Trade Agreement.
Talks between the three countries about overhauling the pact start in Washington on Wednesday.
Mr Trump has maintained his rhetoric against Nafta, blaming it for the country's large trade deficit with Mexico, and suggesting US manufacturing jobs have been lost across the border.
However, Canada and Mexico argue for updating the pact and business has lobbied in favour of an arrangement which now covers $1tn worth of trade across North America in a broad range of industries from dairy to automobiles.
Nafta, which came into effect in 1994, lowered tariffs for most traded goods and services and established rules covering food safety, intellectual property rights and dispute settlements.
Since the deal was signed, trade between the three countries has more than tripled.
Political ties between the three countries have also strengthened.
Apart from Mr Trump's long-touted push for a better overall deal for the US, there are a number of specific areas which will be on the negotiating table.
All three countries have said they plan to revisit labour and environmental rules.
They have also said they are focused on updating the agreement to capture changes due to online businesses and other technology advances.
The talks will unfold over several rounds, rotating from Washington to cities in the other two countries.
Negotiators will be under pressure to conclude before the issue can become a political football during election cycles.
In the US, Mr Trump will want to claim a new deal as a political victory before mid-term elections in 2018.
And there is a general election due in Mexico in July 2018.
The deal has been a boon for US industries such as agriculture, but Mr Trump blames Nafta for a decline in US manufacturing jobs. (Others say automation and opening trade with China had a bigger impact).
In July, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said the administration is focused on changes that will reduce the trade deficit, or imbalance between imports and exports. That means the US importing less from its neighbours, especially Mexico, or boosting US exports.
The US said it would push for greater access to the Canadian market for US dairy, wine, grain and other products.
It has also said it wants to tighten rules that identify where items come from. That's drawn opposition from groups such as the automobile industry, whose supply chains now involve moving raw materials and parts across multiple borders throughout the Nafta area.
The US may also seek to strengthen its hand to promote American goods for "Buy America" government programmes.
Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland has said Nafta has benefited the Canadian economy, making it 2.5% larger annually than it would otherwise be.
She described the talks this week as an opportunity "to make what is already a good agreement, even better".
Ms Freeland said Canada wants to make the agreement more progressive, by addressing labour, environment, gender and indigenous rights, among other items.
"If we get this right, the working people of all three countries will benefit," she said.
Mexico says Nafta has helped its manufacturing plants and agricultural sector become more globally competitive.
Negotiators say they would raise issues that include easing and clarifying migration rules for seasonal workers, better border infrastructure and greater integration of telecom markets. | Trade talks might in the past have signalled a dry and dusty item on the news agenda, but the renegotiation of Nafta under President Trump has become a political hot potato. | 40943041 |
The Edinburgh East MP had originally put himself forward to succeed Angus Robertson who lost his seat in last week's general election.
However, Mr Sheppard has now announced he will not be standing as he does not have "majority support".
His decision leaves three people in the running for the job - Ian Blackford, Joanna Cherry and Drew Hendry.
The party said it would announce the new group leader on Wednesday evening.
Mr Blackford represents Ross, Skye and Lochaber, Ms Cherry is the MP for Edinburgh South West and Mr Hendry was elected for the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey constituency.
Mr Blackford represents Ross, Skye and Lochaber, Ms Cherry is the MP for Edinburgh South West and Mr Hendry was elected for the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey constituency.
In a statement, Mr Sheppard, who was elected to the House of Commons in 2015, said while there is "widespread support" for many of his ideas, he does not have "majority support for becoming leader" from his colleagues at Westminster.
He said the SNP must work to win back previous supporters who voted Labour in the election as a result of the "Corbyn surge".
With a second election possible in the coming months after the Conservatives lost their parliamentary majority, Mr Sheppard said: "We need to win these voters back and we might not have long to do it.
"In my view this means our priority should be to focus on our left flank and take the battle to Labour in Scotland.
"It is clear to me that whilst there seems widespread support for many of the ideas I am arguing, I do not have majority support for becoming leader.
"The message is more important than the messenger and so I have decided not to contest the election for group leader."
Mr Sheppard added: "It goes without saying that I will fully support whoever is successful in the contest."
The contest comes after Mr Robertson lost the Moray seat he had held since 2001 to Douglas Ross of the Scottish Conservatives.
The SNP won 35 seats in last week's election, down 21 from 2015, with the Tories, Labour and the Liberal Democrats all making gains across Scotland. | SNP MP Tommy Sheppard has pulled out of the race to be the party's new Westminster leader. | 40267571 |
The New Zealander, 28, has had an injury-plagued two seasons in Edinburgh, making only 16 appearances.
Manu has almost certainly played his last game for Duncan Hodge's side, as he continues his rehabilitation from shoulder surgery.
He co-captained the Highlanders to the 2015 Super Rugby title before his switch to the Scottish capital.
Edinburgh are ninth in the Pro12 with three games remaining after a league campaign that has yielded just four wins.
Treviso prop up the table, eight points behind Edinburgh. The teams meet in round 20 this Saturday at the Stadio Monigo. | Edinburgh back row Nasi Manu will join Treviso when his contract expires at the end of the season. | 39575822 |
Rescue crews have also spotted an oil sheen on the water in the hunt for the 224m (735ft) El Faro, but cannot confirm the finds are from the ship.
Twenty-eight Americans and five Poles were on board the vessel.
It was last heard from on Thursday and was reported to be taking on water.
The El Faro - which was travelling from Florida to Puerto Rico - was also believed to be listing at 15 degrees after losing power and issuing a distress signal.
The US Coast Guard said it could not confirm that the objects spotted in the water were from the El Faro.
"The debris is scattered about over several miles," said Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Ryan Doss.
"It's going to take some time to verify. The items would appear to be consistent with the missing ship."
The owners of the El Faro, Tote Maritime, said two vessels it dispatched to the scene had found a container "which appears to be from the El Faro".
There had been no sighting of the El Faro or any lifeboats, Tote Maritime Puerto Rico president Tim Nolan said in a statement.
"Our thoughts and prayers remain with the 33 individuals aboard the ship and their families," he added.
Joaquin brought heavy rains to the Bahamas, damaging a number of houses.
The now-weaker Category Two storm - with sustained winds of 105 mph (165km/h) - has moved away from the island nation in the Atlantic after battering it for two days.
It is heading towards Bermuda. | US Coast Guards searching for a cargo ship with 33 crew on board that vanished in Bahamian waters during Hurricane Joaquin say they have spotted life jackets, rings and containers. | 34434213 |
Using computers to trawl through vast amounts of medical data speeds up the diagnosis process.
The system will help assess individual tumours and suggest which drug should be used to target them.
Doctors have welcomed the new computer which will learn from each case it examines.
"When you are dealing with cancer, it is always a race," said Dr Lukas Wartman, assistant director of cancer genomics at the McDonnell Genome Institute at Washington University in St. Louis, one of those signed up to use the Watson system.
"As a cancer patient myself, I know how important genomic information can be.
"Unfortunately, translating cancer-sequencing results into potential treatment options often takes weeks with a team of experts to study just one patient's tumour and provide results to guide treatment decisions. Watson appears to help dramatically reduce that timeline," he explained.
Most people currently diagnosed with cancer will receive surgery, chemotherapy or radiation treatment.
But as genetic sequencing becomes increasingly accessible and affordable, some patients are starting to benefit from treatments that target their specific cancer-causing genetic mutations.
However the process is very time-consuming - a single patient's genome represents more than 100 gigabytes of data - and this needs to be combined with other medical records, journal studies and information about clinical trials.
What would take a clinician weeks to analyse can be completed by Watson in only a few minutes.
"The technology that we're applying to this challenge brings the power of cognitive computing to bear on one of the most urgent and pressing issues of our time - the fight against cancer - in a way that has never before been possible," explained Steve Harvey, vice president of IBM Watson Health.
According to Mr Harvey, Watson "will look for actionable targets", although he acknowledged that, "when institutions do genetic sequencing, only about half the cases come back with something actionable".
Sometimes it is impossible to identify the main mutation and, in other cases, no targeted therapy currently exists.
Those collaborating with IBM include the Cleveland Clinic, the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Centre in Omaha and the Yale Cancer Centre.
Eleven others will join the programme by the end of 2015 and each will pay an undisclosed subscription fee to IBM.
The link-up is part of an increasingly close relationship between the medical community and technology corporations.
Apple revealed this week that it plans to develop apps for the iPhone that will allow users to take DNA tests which may reveal which diseases and health conditions they are likely to develop
It also recently teamed up with IBM to allow the software that helps gather health data from iPhones to be used by Watson.
IBM is convinced that Watson can "help change the face of healthcare" but it has even bigger ambitions for its cognitive computing platform.
Speaking at an IBM event this week, the firm's chief executive Ginni Rometty made a bold prediction for the technology, saying: "in the future, every decision mankind makes, every decision, is going to be informed by a cognitive system like Watson and, as a result, our lives in this world are going to be better for it." | IBM's supercomputer Watson will be used to make decisions about cancer care in 14 hospitals in the US and Canada, it has been announced. | 32607688 |
Gary Owens, 38, previously admitted a string of firearms offences committed between 1 February and 16 April 2014 at his home in Jamaica Mews.
The offences included manufacturing a prohibited weapon and possessing homemade firearms.
Owens said he had made the weapons in order to commit suicide.
Unemployed Owens, who was said to suffer from depression, said he had built the firearms through a process of trial and error and had bought matches and party poppers to supplement parts he had found abandoned.
He created the weapons in his flat and test fired one in his hallway, where shotgun pellets were found embedded in a door.
Lord Uist said the firearms could have come into the hands of others who could have used them for any purpose they wished.
He pointed out that Owens had a lengthy criminal record and a chronic drug abuse problem, and said Owens had made the devices knowing the harm they could cause.
Advocate depute Susanne Tanner had earlier told the High Court in Edinburgh: "He claimed not to have researched it in any way on the internet saying he had never used a computer in his life."
Defence solicitor advocate Robbie Burnett said of Owens: "He is very much a loner. He tells me he has no real friends. He has been depressed for some considerable time and had on various occasions attempted suicide." | An Edinburgh man who built potentially lethal firearms from items found in the streets and skips has been jailed for five years and nine months. | 30311861 |
Cardinal Vincent Nichols said the ban supported the "false notion" that Islam and Christianity were in conflict.
This comes as the president's attempt to reinstate the ban for seven mostly Muslim countries was blocked on Friday.
Meanwhile, an ex-church leader accused Mr Trump's critics of "overreacting".
Mr Trump's executive order sought to suspend the US Refugee Admissions Programme for 120 days, as well as impose an indefinite ban on all Syrian refugees.
It also aimed to impose a 90-day visa suspension on anyone arriving from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan or Yemen.
Speaking to BBC Radio Four's Westminster Hour, Cardinal Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster, said he thought Mr Trump's ban would "increase the determination of terrorists to make US objects a target".
He said: "I think safety, in the long run, is not secured by fear, it's secured by improving relationships, it's secured by getting to know people around you, and in that sense opening up things, not shutting them down."
Cardinal Nichols acknowledged that political leaders had a duty to protect their country "but I think it's a question of how you exercise that duty".
"Safety can never be the overall and ultimate aim because if we try and live safely by simply identifying others as our enemies then we live in an increasingly closed mentality, a closed environment, and that is not a good way to live," he added.
But the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey, accused critics of Mr Trump of a "hysterical overreaction" after protests against the president were held across the UK.
Writing in the Sunday Express, Lord Carey said: "British opposition and hysterical overreaction to Trump itself poses a danger to the constructive relationship we should have with him, or indeed, any new and untested American president.
"He and his team are learning the art of governing.
"Though the executive order banning travel from certain destabilised Muslim-majority countries has misfired, the principle behind the order is surely not in itself wrong."
You can listen to Westminster Hour at 22:00 GMT on Sunday here. | US President Donald Trump's travel ban will not improve safety in the country and could put Christians at risk in the Middle East, the head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales has warned. | 38872676 |
I was doing some ironing when my mum came in to tell me that a family friend had been killed in a road accident in Thailand.
My phone was on the worktop behind me.
But the next time I used the search engine on it, up popped the name of our friend, and the words, "Motorbike accident, Thailand" and the year in the suggested text below the search box.
I was startled, certain that I had not used my phone at the time I had had the conversation - my hands had been full.
Had I started to look the details up later on and forgotten? Or was my phone listening in?
Almost every time I mentioned it to people they had a similar story, mainly based around advertising.
Cybersecurity Alert special index
How to hack the average home
Hanging out with the script kiddies
Ukraine blackout hacks 'could happen elsewhere'
One friend complained to her boyfriend about a migraine, her first ever, only to find the next day she was being followed on Twitter by a migraine support group.
Another had an in-depth chat with her sister about a tax issue, and the next day was served up a Facebook advert from tax experts offering advice on that exact issue.
Many said they were discussing particular products or holiday destinations and shortly afterwards noticed advertising on the same theme.
Community website Reddit is full of similar stories.
One reporter mentioned his male colleague seeing online adverts for sanitary pads after discussing periods with his wife in the car.
But surely if the microphone was activated and the handset was sending data, battery life would be even worse than it is now and individual data usage would be through the roof?
I challenged cybersecurity expert Ken Munro and his colleague David Lodge from Pen Test Partners to see whether it was physically possible for an app to snoop in this way.
Could something "listen in" at will without it being obvious?
"I wasn't convinced at first, it all seemed a bit anecdotal," admitted Mr Munro.
However, to our collective surprise, the answer was a resounding yes.
They created a prototype app, we started chatting in the vicinity of the phone it was on and watched our words appear on a laptop screen nearby.
"All we did was use the existing functionality of Google Android - we chose it because it was a little easier for us to develop in," said Mr Munro.
"We gave ourselves permission to use the microphone on the phone, set up a listening server on the internet, and everything that microphone heard on that phone, wherever it was in the world, came to us and we could then have sent back customised ads."
The whole thing took a couple of days to build.
It wasn't perfect but it was practically in real time and certainly able to identify most keywords.
The battery drain during our experiments was minimal and, using wi-fi, there was no data plan spike.
"We re-used a lot of code that's already out there," said David Lodge.
"Certainly the user wouldn't realise what was happening. As for Apple and Google - they could see it, they could find it and they could stop it. But it is pretty easy to create."
"I'm not so cynical now," said Ken Munro.
"We have proved it can be done, it works, we've done it. Does it happen? Probably."
The major tech firms absolutely reject such an idea.
Google said it "categorically" does not use what it calls "utterances" - the background sounds before a person says, "OK Google" to activate the voice recognition - for advertising or any other purpose. It also said it does not share audio acquired in that way with third parties.
Its listening abilities only extend to activating its voice services, a spokesperson said.
It also states in its content policy for app developers that apps must not collect information without the user's knowledge. Apps found to be breaking this are removed from the Google Play store.
Facebook also told the BBC it does not allow brands to target advertising based around microphone data and it never shares data with third parties without consent.
It said Facebook ads are based only around information shared by members on the social network and their net surfing habits elsewhere.
Other big tech companies have also denied using the technique.
There is of course also a more mathematical explanation - the possibility that there is really no connection at all between what we say and what we see.
Mathematics professor David Hand from Imperial College London wrote a book called The Improbability Principle, in which he argued that apparently extraordinary events happen all the time.
"We are evolutionarily trained to seek explanations," he told the BBC.
"If you see a sign you know is associated with a predator you run away and you survive.
"It's the same sort of thing here. This apparent coincidence occurs and we think there must be explanation, it can't be chance. But there are so many opportunities for that coincidence to occur.
"If you take something that has a tiny chance of occurring and give it enough opportunities to occur, it inevitably will happen."
People are generally more alert to things that are currently occupying them, such as recent conversations or big decisions like buying a car or choosing a holiday, he added.
So suddenly those sorts of messages stand out more when they may have been in the background all the time.
Prof Hand is not immune to the lure of coincidence himself.
When his book was published another author published a very similar title at the same time. The author of The Coincidence Authority, John Ironmonger, shared the same birthday as Prof Hand and was based at the same university as his wife.
"These sorts of things happen," he said.
"Just because I understand why it happened doesn't make it any less beautiful." | It all began with a car crash. | 35639549 |
O'Neill is among several names to have been linked with the Premier League side since Claudio Ranieri's sacking.
Caretaker boss Craig Shakespeare has strengthened his prospects after guiding the Foxes to two straight wins.
"You have to consider these things if the opportunity is presented to you," said O'Neill, 47.
"I don't think you can ever say 'no' in football but equally I'm not actively looking for another job.
"When vacancies have arisen particularly in England this year, my name has been mentioned but I actively haven't sought another job outside of the one I'm in. That won't change over the course of my contract.
"It's always nice to be linked with jobs. It's the nature of football now and the media that surrounds football."
Media playback is not supported on this device
Leicester, who won the Premier League last season, are believed to have spoken to a number of potential candidates to replace Ranieri, including former England manager Roy Hodgson.
O'Neill added that all his focus at the moment is on Northern Ireland's crucial home World Cup qualifier against Norway on 26 March.
"As a squad and as a team, we want to do the country proud and give ourselves the opportunity of going to Russia."
The Northern Ireland boss was appointed in December 2011 and has three more years on his current contract.
Media playback is not supported on this device
O'Neill's four-year deal, signed last March, included a release clause which would see the Irish FA being entitled to compensation if the Ballymena man was lured into club management.
He guided Northern Ireland to their major finals in 30 years as his side qualified for Euro 2016.
O'Neill's side qualified for the knockout stages in France before a second-round defeat by Wales and his team lie second in their World Cup qualifying group after four series of fixtures. | Northern Ireland boss Michael O'Neill says he could be "tempted" by the Leicester City job but insists he is not "actively seeking" a new post. | 39182985 |
Support staff in County Durham say a council plan to pay them only during term time would result in a salary cut of up to 23%.
Further action will be taken on 1 December, followed by 6-8 December.
Durham County Council has said it could face equal pay claims from other employees if it does not make changes and cannot afford to raise wages.
It has proposed ending the contracts of support staff and re-engaging them on amended terms.
Unison, which represents many of the teaching assistants, has described the planned cut to salaries as "heartless and cruel".
About 100 schools had to close or cut lessons during a two-day stoppage earlier this month.
The latest 48-hour strike affected 87 schools - 70% have been partially closed with 19 shut both days, the council said. | Teaching assistants striking over a pay dispute have announced four further days of industrial action. | 38095368 |
McLaren are exploring splitting with partner Honda after three years plagued by poor reliability and performance.
Renault emerged as their only remaining option if they can negotiate an exit from their contract, after Mercedes and Ferrari rejected their approaches.
Renault F1 boss Cyril Abiteboul said a McLaren deal was appealing but not if it compromised the company's own team.
"I like the idea of working with great teams and McLaren is a great team but not at any cost," he said.
"I'm not talking about the price. Clearly one thing I do not want is to jeopardise what we are building for the Renault team, which has to be our main focus."
The Frenchman said he was "not really keen on" the idea of supplying a fourth team and that doing so "would not be without huge concessions on the sort of service we could deliver to a fourth team as long as Renault is concerned".
He added: "It's quite obvious we do have some difficulty this year with reliability and adding another customer is clearly not going to go in the right direction even if our assumption next year is that we will become more reliable. It is becoming very late to add a customer and we have no such confirmation."
Last month, McLaren were working on a deal whereby they and Red Bull's junior team Toro Rosso effectively swapped engines next year, with Toro Rosso using Honda and McLaren Renault.
Those negotiations have stalled and are waiting on a resolution of McLaren's position with Honda.
One senior source close to the situation said he "wouldn't be surprised if when everything shakes out everyone ends up staying where they are".
Abiteboul said: "If we were to stick with that same number of customers - three customers - we are open to some discussion."
He pointed out that if Honda made the decision to pull out of F1 completely, one of the remaining engine manufacturers would be under an obligation to supply McLaren.
McLaren executive director Zak Brown said he would be "very supportive" of Honda joining forces with Toro Rosso. | Renault say they are "open" to supplying engines to McLaren next season "but not at any cost". | 41055116 |
The Orkney infant needed treatment in Aberdeen last Friday, however the fixed-wing air ambulance was sent to Shetland.
The Scottish Ambulance Service said the patient was later safely transferred to Aberdeen.
NHS Grampian said a member of staff had made an error.
An NHS Grampian spokeswoman said: "Following an initial analysis of the timeline of last Friday's events, it is clear that a member of NHS Grampian staff made an error during the process of arranging transport.
"This led to the Scottish Ambulance Service aircraft wrongly travelling to Shetland.
"We must stress that this is an extremely unusual incident. We have seen nothing to suggest this was anything other than an isolated mistake.
"NHS Grampian would like to apologise unreservedly to the family involved in this incident.
"We would also wish to apologise to our colleagues in the Scottish Ambulance Service."
A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesman said: "We received a request from a member of NHS Grampian staff in Aberdeen to retrieve a patient from hospital in Shetland.
"We dispatched our fixed-wing air ambulance from Aberdeen and it dropped off our team and equipment in Shetland.
"Shortly after arriving in Shetland, our team was advised that the patient they had been sent to retrieve was actually in Orkney.
"Once we were made aware of the error, our fixed-wing air ambulance returned to Shetland to transfer the team and equipment to Orkney.
"Our aircraft arrived in Kirkwall to retrieve the patient from Balfour Hospital. The patient arrived safely at Aberdeen Maternity Hospital."
The spokesperson added: "This is an extremely unusual occurrence and we have been reviewing the circumstances around the initial request with NHS Grampian.
"We have written to the family inviting them to meet with us to discuss the circumstances around the transfer."
Orkney MSP Liam McArthur said: "This incident understandably raised serious concerns with people in Orkney, and the agencies involved were right to initiate urgent investigations.
"NHS Grampian's confirmation that this situation arose as a result of a mistake by one of its staff is helpful and I welcome the board's offer to meet with the family involved to discuss any concerns in more detail.
"The apology to the SAS crew is also entirely appropriate, given that they were clearly blameless in what happened.
"Obviously, the risk of human error is difficult to remove entirely, but if lessons can be learned from this event, it is important that this happens". | NHS Grampian has apologised after an air ambulance meant to airlift a sick baby to Aberdeen was sent to Shetland instead of Orkney. | 39367772 |
The 28-year-old central defender, who has signed a three-year deal, has left Bournemouth for a reported £3m fee.
Elphick captained the Cherries to promotion from the Championship in 2015, having also led them up from League One two years earlier.
He made just 14 appearances during Bournemouth's first season in the top flight because of an ankle injury.
He cut short his honeymoon to report to the Midlands, undergo a medical and complete his transfer negotiations.
Di Matteo is looking to Elphick to help lead Villa back to the Premier League at the first attempt following their drop to the Championship.
The former Brighton apprentice has so far spent all of his career on the south coast.
He made his debut for the Seagulls in 2005, scoring nine goals in 182 appearances before joining the Cherries in 2012, since when he has scored a further six times in 145 appearances.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. | Tommy Elphick has joined relegated Aston Villa to become new manager Roberto di Matteo's first signing. | 36579937 |
The move is aimed at the 10 million customers currently paying too much for energy but who are reluctant to switch.
Both Npower and EDF Energy told MPs that they were considering starting reward programmes to help customers who stay with them.
Npower said that could include a free boiler service for such customers.
It follows pressure from the Business Secretary, Greg Clark, last month.
He told MPs on the Business and Energy Committee that customers who had been on standard variable tariffs for a long time should be rewarded, rather than necessarily being persuaded to switch supplier.
Simon Stacey, the managing director of domestic markets for Npower, told the same committee that his firm was now actively looking at the idea.
"For example, could we provide our standard customers with a free boiler service? We've done a trial of that, to see whether it resonated with customers," he said.
"We want to try and reward customers in a way they wouldn't expect."
Dan Hopcroft, the residential sales director of EDF energy, said it too was looking at a loyalty proposition.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has said that up to 10 million customers have been on expensive standard tariffs for at least three years.
Simeon Thornton, project director at the CMA, told the MPs that 56% of consumers have never switched supplier, or don't know if they have.
Earlier this week the regulator, Ofgem, announced that it was going to start trials to see whether there are more effective ways of persuading people to change supplier.
It follows recommendations from the CMA, who carried out a two year study into the market.
As part of the trial, suppliers will be asked to tell reluctant switchers that they could benefit from a cheaper deal from a rival supplier.
They will also experiment with different names for standard tariff, such as "emergency tariff" or "out-of-contract tariff".
The trials are likely to start later this year, and could involve as many as tens of thousands of consumers.
At the moment suppliers are obliged to show their own cheapest tariff on bills, but not the tariffs of rivals. | Two of the Big Six energy providers are considering introducing a loyalty programme to alleviate the extra expense of standard tariffs. | 38807915 |
Top-flight clubs have already paid out over £150m and a final flurry of activity could see the total spend pass the £225m mark of January 2011.
Players may be leaving rather than joining the top sides, with Chelsea keeper Asmir Begovic and Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho perhaps moving.
The transfer window closes at 23:00 GMT in both England and Scotland.
You can follow all the deals and Tuesday's seven Premier League fixtures across the BBC on TV, radio, online, the BBC Sport app and social media.
BBC Sport chief football writer Phil McNulty
January's transfer window is traditionally less hectic and with less quality on offer than August - but that does not mean Tuesday will be calm rather than chaotic.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will be low key on incomings but one of the biggest deals of the day may yet be an Anfield outgoing, with Liverpool still hoping to secure nearly £20m for outcast France defender Sakho.
The 26-year-old has drawn interest from Premier League rivals Southampton, Spanish side Sevilla and Turkish club Galatasaray - but word from inside Anfield is that this one could go down to the wire.
Chelsea may see some departures as the day progresses, with Bosnia goalkeeper Begovic the subject of a £12m bid from fellow Premier League side Bournemouth and veteran defender Branislav Ivanovic wanted by Russian club Zenit St Petersburg.
Begovic's departure will depend on the league leaders signing a replacement, so will they further pursue their interest in Craig Gordon from Scottish champions Celtic?
Southampton may be consolidated in the Premier League and in the EFL Cup final against Manchester United, but manager Claude Puel is in the market for attacking reinforcements with Napoli's Manolo Gabbiadini in his sights.
Gabbiadini was a target for Everton last summer only for a deal to fall down. His recent form does not inspire confidence, but the Saints have agreed a fee of about £14m for the player, who is set to have a medical on Tuesday.
Down at the bottom of the table, Crystal Palace manager Sam Allardyce says he has been trying to sign between 20 and 30 players - and could David Moyes be tempted to test Everton boss Ronald Koeman's resolve to keep his former captain Phil Jagielka at Goodison Park?
Koeman is a firm admirer of Burnley's fine young defender Michael Keane but faces a tough task prising him out of Turf Moor by close of play on Tuesday. This is one that might have to wait until the summer.
West Ham United are in the mood to spend some of the £25m they reluctantly accepted from Marseille for Dimitri Payet - so expect them to head in the direction of Brentford for £15m-rated striker Scott Hogan.
The race for promotion from the Championship may also spark some high-profile deals.
Newcastle United would like Everton's James McCarthy, but a £20m price tag and reluctance to sell makes that a tough deal for Magpies boss Rafael Benitez.
Will Benitez also pursue a return to St James' Park for winger Andros Townsend, such a success on Tyneside last season but seemingly not to Allardyce's liking at Selhurst Park?
Goals will make a difference in that division, so someone may be tempted to overlook Ross McCormack's attitude - so heavily criticised by Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce - and take a chance on his goalscoring.
And if Bruce can sell McCormack, it would be no surprise to see him direct some of the cash towards Middlesbrough's out-of-favour Scotland international Jordan Rhodes.
The names may not be A-List - but there are still potentially plenty of big deals to provide the usual ration of deadline day excitement.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Online
Our transfer deadline day live text commentary gets under way at 08:00 GMT and you can access it from your computer, tablet or mobile via the BBC Sport website or app.
We will bring you the latest news, analysis, gossip and done deals from our reporters around the country and worldwide.
You will also be able to have your say as the transfers are completed.
Our transfers page will capture every confirmed move, while each club page will be updated with the latest transfer stories.
Later, we will have three separate live pages for all of the Premier League, English Football League and Scottish Premiership action.
Social media
You will be able to follow all the deadline-day deals via BBC Sport's Twitter account and share your views using #bbcdeadlineday.
There will also be the opportunity to give your reaction on the BBC Sport and Match of the Day Facebook pages.
Radio
There will be regular transfer updates on the BBC's national and regional radio stations.
On BBC Radio 5 live, Mark Chapman hosts a specially extended edition of 5 live Sport that will not only keep up with all the transfer news, but also bring you live commentary of Liverpool v Chelsea and all the goals as they go in from the other six Premier League matches.
The show will be on the air from 19:00-23:00 GMT. You can also watch what is going on in the studio on the BBC Red Button.
Chapman will be joined by former England defender Danny Mills and senior football reporter Ian Dennis, while football correspondent and former England winger Chris Waddle will be at Anfield.
TV
Gary Lineker hosts Match of the Day at 22:45 GMT (23:10 in Wales and Northern Ireland, 23:45 in Scotland) with highlights from all seven Premier League matches.
Lineker will be joined by former England internationals Danny Murphy and Jermaine Jenas to analyse the action and all of the transfer activity.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Everton have spent the most by a Premier League club on a single player, paying Manchester United £24m for France midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin.
But that fee is dwarfed by the £60m paid to Chelsea by Chinese Super League side Shanghai SIPG for Brazil attacking midfielder Oscar.
At the other end of the financial scale - and in one of the most unlikely moves of this or any other transfer window - Arsenal recruited left-back Cohen Bramall from non-league Hednesford Town for £40,000.
The 22-year-old was a part-time footballer who had just been made redundant from his job in a car factory before he had his trial with the Gunners.
As it stands, that is the only cash paid out by the Premier League's top six, with spending mainly being done by teams trying to stay in the top flight - a trend that is likely to continue on Tuesday.
Crystal Palace stumped up £12m for Leicester City left-sided utility man Jeffrey Schlupp and another £14m for Sunderland defender Patrick van Aanholt.
Swansea recruited defender Martin Olsson and midfielder Tom Carroll for a combined £8.5m.
Sunderland, the Premier League's bottom club, recruited Everton pair Darron Gibson and Bryan Oviedo on Monday, while second-bottom Hull have sold midfielders Jake Livermore and Robert Snodgrass to West Brom and West Ham respectively for a total in excess of £20m.
For the Hammers, the money spent on Snodgrass was less than half of the fee received for Payet, the France playmaker who refused to play in order to force a return to Marseille.
Who do you think is the best January signing? Use the selector below to pick from our shortlist. Once you are done download your image and share with your friends.
Keep up to date with all the Premier League transfers in January as we track and profile all the players leaving or joining a club this month.
This site is optimised for modern web browsers, and does not fully support your browser | Premier League spending in the January transfer window could reach a record level on deadline day on Tuesday. | 38788444 |
The leg-spinner was banned in June 2012 after being found guilty of corruption while playing for Essex during a one-day match in 2009.
Kaneria, 33, denies wrongdoing but the Court of Appeal said his application was "totally without merit".
"It means Kaneria has exhausted all the legal options available to him," the England and Wales Cricket Board said.
ECB chairman Giles Clarke welcomed the decision, adding: "Kaneria acted as a recruiter of potential 'spot-fixers' and used his seniority and international experience to target and corrupt a young and vulnerable player.
"It is high time that Mr Kaneria came clean about his involvement in these corrupt activities and stopped misleading the Pakistan cricket fans and wider public with his empty protestations of innocence.
Media playback is not supported on this device
"We once again urge him to apologise publicly for his past actions and to start the process of redeeming himself."
Kaneria's Essex team-mate Mervyn Westfield was jailed for four months after admitting a corruption charge relating to a 40-over game against Durham.
During Westfield's trial, Judge Anthony Morris said the scam had been orchestrated by Kaneria, who spent six seasons at Essex from 2004.
But Kaneria, who played 61 Tests and 18 one-day internationals for Pakistan between 2000 and 2010, was never charged by the police, on the grounds of insufficient evidence. | Former Pakistan bowler Danish Kaneria's application to appeal against a life ban for spot-fixing has been refused. | 28756825 |
The 20-year-old centre-back is yet to make his debut for the Blues but has been a regular for the club's under-21 side over the last two seasons.
"Dion has to force his way into the side but this move will be good for his development," Shots manager Garry Waddock said.
"The physical demands of the league will be a learning curve for him."
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. | National League side Aldershot Town have signed Chelsea defender Dion Conroy on loan until January 2017. | 37233897 |
Natalia Wilkanowska, 50, disappeared in 2003 after visiting her ex-husband Gerald Doherty in Luton.
Joseph Doherty, 73, of Port Glasgow, Renfrewshire, denied helping conceal her remains and lying to police.
The jury at Luton Crown Court could not agree on the charges against him. The prosecution intends to seek a retrial.
LIVE: Updates on this story and other Bedfordshire news
Ms Wilkanowska's body was left under builder's rubble in the garden in Icknield Way, Luton, and was not discovered until December 2015.
The jury had been considering its verdict since Friday.
Mr Doherty, of Old Greenock Road, Port Glasgow, denied one charge of perverting the course of justice, one of obstructing the coroner by giving a false account of Ms Wilkanowska's death and one charge of preventing her lawful burial.
The case will be mentioned again in court on 3 February.
Last week the judge directed the jury to clear his younger brother 67-year-old Daniel Doherty, who owned the house where the remains were found.
The judge said that having heard the prosecution evidence, he concluded he had no case to answer.
Ms Wilkanowska's ex-husband hanged himself in July 2003 in a flat in Robert Street, Port Glasgow. | The jury in the trial of a man accused of keeping the murder of his sister-in-law secret for 12 years has been discharged. | 38733786 |
North Yorkshire Police said a report was made of a woman being attacked as she walked along a riverside path between Bridge Street and the Park Inn, York, in the early hours of 15 July.
Officers continue to investigate a second alleged attack on a woman who left a nightclub in the city on 13 July.
The man is due to appear at York Magistrates' Court later. | A 32-year-old man from York has been charged with sexual assault. | 40691422 |
It is believed they were trying to cross the Mediterranean to Italy.
Migrant deaths have risen to record levels along this smuggling route in recent months.
A torn rubber boat was found nearby, and it is feared more bodies may surface as such vessels usually carry up to 120 people.
Some of those who died are believed to be children.
A spokesman for the Libyan Red Crescent - the country's Red Cross - said the bodies were retrieved by its workers.
Mohammed al-Misrati said local authorities would take the bodies to a cemetery for unidentified people in the Libyan capital, Tripoli.
The Red Crescent posted photographs on its Twitter account showing dozens of body bags along the shore.
The UN's migration agency, the International Organisation for Migration, said the boat that sank had left Libya on Saturday with 110 people on board.
At least 5,000 people drowned last year while trying to reach Europe via the Mediterranean.
Libyan coast guard spokesman Ayoub Gassim said over 500 migrants were rescued at sea on Friday and Saturday near the city of Sabratha, to the west of Zawiya.
The boats were between five and seven miles (8-11km) from the coast of Libya.
Mr Gassim said the smugglers were now using larger rubber boats in order to pack more migrants in, some carrying up to 180 people.
The boats are weak, and loading them so heavily dramatically raises the risk of sinking.
"We are seeing the new boats, which are not equipped with anything, but they carry more people," he said.
"This is going to be even more disastrous to the migrants."
A note on terminology: The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people on the move who have yet to complete the legal process of claiming asylum. This group includes people fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria, who are likely to be granted refugee status, as well as people who are seeking jobs and better lives, who governments are likely to rule are economic migrants. | The bodies of 87 African migrants have washed ashore in the Libyan city of Zawiya, in the latest drowning tragedy to hit the region. | 39037251 |
Public Health England (PHE) said they were from the same family as two children being treated in hospital for serious kidney problems following E. coli 055.
PHE has informed schools and workplaces linked to the household. Results on another possible case are awaited.
A cluster of cases of the bacterial illness in Dorset was investigated last year but no common source was found.
The two children are currently in hospital with haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) - a complication of E coli infection.
Verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) 055 has been confirmed in one of the children in hospital, with test results still awaited on the second child.
PHE has also said it is reviewing the places the family had visited and the food they had eaten in the last two weeks.
GPs and hospitals have also been alerted about the infections.
Parents in the county are being urged to make sure their children wash their hands thoroughly, especially after playing outside or with pets, and to cook meat well.
Ten people in the Blandford area of Dorset were diagnosed with E. coli 055 between July and November 2014.
A further two cases were identified in Portland, four in Bournemouth and Poole as well as three cases outside the county which had links to people from Dorset.
Nursery children were among those infected with the bacterial illness, which can lead to kidney problems in some cases.
Earlier this week PHE said the strain seemed to be "particular to Dorset" and it would most likely remain in the general environment.
Source: Public Health England | Two new cases of an E. coli infection in Dorset have been confirmed. | 32942413 |
A report to Ceredigion's scrutiny committee on Friday recommended shutting Bodlondeb in Aberystwyth, with the loss of 33 jobs.
If closed, its 13 residents would have to move to other homes - potentially long distances away.
The council's scrutiny committee said full council should decide whether to launch a consultation on the closure.
Members recommended a 12-week consultation to start in July.
Staff at Bodlondeb told BBC Wales they found out about the proposed closure via social media.
They said the report went online before staff were told, with employees receiving letters after the document had been published and highlighted on social media.
One employee said it was "disgraceful" the document was linked to via Facebook on Monday before residents, families and staff were informed.
"Total lack of respect shown for any of us," they added.
Ceredigion council said it had contacted residents and families on Tuesday and Wednesday, and had met regularly with unions and staff.
"This is a very sensitive matter for all involved," a spokeswoman added.
A GMB spokeswoman said it and Unison had successfully campaigned against the home's closure in 2011.
"We are disappointed at this latest decision, the news of which was broken to both unions at the same time as letters were being sent out to staff," she said.
"Indeed, some staff saw the plans on social media.
"This decision will result in a lack of necessary social care in this area."
Elwyn Williams from Aberystwyth, whose brother has lived at the home for six years, said the closure would "break his heart" and he was concerned residents may all be relocated separately.
"They all know each other. There'll be three here, three there, two somewhere else. All their hearts will be broken," he said.
"I think people are starting to wonder whether it's worth fighting for this, but we will."
The report said Bodlondeb had been operating at a loss of nearly £400,000 per year - more than £7,600 per week.
It has 44 beds but only 26 are registered as the rest do not comply with standards.
If the report is approved and agreed by cabinet members next Tuesday, new admissions to the home would cease immediately and a final decision would be made after the consultation.
Care Forum Wales interim chief executive Mary Wimbury said: "We so often see local authorities spending more per resident in their own care homes than they are prepared to spend on those at care homes in the private sector so they have to appreciate that they need to be prepared to pay a viable rate.
"We're sad to hear about a possible disruption to the lives of frail elderly people and of their families and friends who visit them.
"The welfare of those people still resident at Bodlondeb needs to be of paramount concern." | The closure of a residential home would leave a "huge hole" in care provision in mid Wales, the GMB union has warned. | 40276669 |
WhiteHat Security provides web security services to businesses, including e-commerce, financial services and healthcare companies.
The new jobs will be created following the establishment of a threat research centre, customer support and software engineering operation.
Invest NI has offered the company an employment grant of £400,000.
WhiteHat Security will also get £80,000 of support under the agency's Skills Growth Programme to develop its Belfast team, while the Department for Employment and Learning has offered support of up to £240,000, towards pre-employment training costs.
The company will recruit 50 security engineers, 20 software engineers and 10 customer support staff over the next three years.
Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster said: "It is very welcome news that another leading ICT company has decided to locate in Northern Ireland.
"WhiteHat Security is a rapidly expanding company that is leading the field in the area of web security.
"The ICT sector is an important and growing cluster for Northern Ireland; and WhiteHat is a welcome addition to our important IT security sub sector." | Eighty jobs are to be created in Belfast by an American web security firm. | 30391712 |
He was jailed in 2016 after being convicted of bribery and obstruction of justice while a trade minister.
Olmert was the first former Israeli head of government to be jailed.
He became prime minister in 2006 but resigned three years later when police recommended a series of charges against him.
The 71-year-old did not speak to reporters as he left Maasiyahu prison in central Israel.
Earlier, the Israeli parole board said Olmert had undergone a "significant rehabilitation process" in prison and his behaviour had been largely "impeccable".
He is however currently being investigated by the state attorney's office over suspicions he smuggled a chapter of a book he is writing out of prison, raising fears that it might compromise national security.
There had been calls for leniency after a leaked picture of him in a hospital gown looking gaunt circulated on social media last week.
He had been taken to hospital complaining of chest pains but was given the all-clear and returned to prison.
In 2014, Olmert was convicted of bribery in connection with a property development dating to his period as mayor of Jerusalem between 1993 and 2003.
He was also convicted of fraud, breach of trust and obstructing justice when a trade minister, in a series of separate trials, and acquitted of other charges. | Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has been released from prison on parole after serving two-thirds of a 27-month sentence for fraud. | 40472158 |
A group has raised more than £40,000 to build a bronze statue of the founder of the Tudor dynasty, who was born in Pembroke Castle in 1457.
The 2.4m (8ft) statue has been modelled in clay and is soon to be cast in bronze.
But a further £5,000 needs to be raised to install it on the bridge overlooking the castle.
Pembroke Castle attracts more than 100,000 visitors every year, but the group feels the town should have more to celebrate the king's birthplace.
They want it to be put on the Tudor trail alongside the likes of Hampton Court.
The campaign for a statue gathered pace in 2013 following the discovery of Richard III's remains in Leicester, who was defeated by Henry VII at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485.
Pembroke Cllr Linda Asman went to Richard III's reinterment at Leicester Cathedral and said the city has "really grasped the power of heritage", bringing "massive attention."
Since Richard III's tomb was officially unveiled in 2015, Leicester Cathedral has seen visitor number increase from 20,000 to 25,000 a year to around 220,000.
Cllr Asman said: "In the end Richard III was defeated by Henry, and Henry should be getting far more attention." | Plans to erect a statue of Henry VII in Pembrokeshire have moved a step forward. | 37695578 |
There are currently 38 cancer drugs available to patients elsewhere in the UK that are not readily available to critically ill people in Northern Ireland.
This is despite the fact that research and clinical trials for some of the drugs have been carried out at Queen's University, Belfast.
Una Crudden, who has ovarian cancer, said getting treatment should not be a postcode lottery.
"There is no point in having a top research centre if the use of it is not going out to the people in Northern Ireland," she said. | The charity, Cancer Focus, is calling on the public to get behind a campaign to secure equal access to drugs for patients in Northern Ireland. | 27877636 |
The plant's Thai owner announced on Monday that there was "no other option", and 1,700 jobs would be lost.
Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald said once contractors and the supply chain were taken into account, the number of job losses could be as high as 9,000.
Some suppliers have already begun laying off staff.
Neil Doyle, from Peterson's Engineering in Redcar, said his company was owed more than £150,000 by SSI.
"It's been really difficult, we had to cut deep and hard straight away", he said.
"Six weeks ago we had 21 employees, and we're now down to 14, and they're all on three months' notice.
"The directors are looking elsewhere for other contracts, and we'll just have to see what happens in the next couple of months."
Andy Kelly from the nearby Workx cafe, which is used by workers at the plant, said he was looking at "survival plans".
He said: "We've decided we're not going to take a wage for the next 12 months if we have to, to keep the business going.
"What we'll do after that I do not know." | As unions and SSI executives discuss the mothballing of the Redcar plant, there are fears of a knock on effect on other businesses in the area. | 34388485 |
The West Ham winger slotted in a penalty on 32 minutes after captain Asamoah Gyan had been pulled back.
Ghana also threatened through two Gyan headers, while Ayew and Christian Atsu tested Uganda goalkeeper Denis Onyango.
Uganda came close when Faruku Miya hit the outside of a post but they could not force their way back into the game.
It was a disappointing return for Uganda, who are playing at their first Nations Cup since 1978 when they lost in the final to then-hosts Ghana.
The Cranes created few opportunities of note and struggled against the Black Stars, who were happy to defend their lead.
Ghana were far more positive in the first half, with Andre Ayew, his brother Jordan and Atsu posing a huge problem for the Uganda defence.
Andre Ayew should have scored from a great cut-back by Jordan, while Atsu relentlessly tormented defender Isaac Isinde, whose conceded a penalty by tugging back Gyan after losing control of the ball.
The spot-kick gave Andew Ayew his seventh Nations Cup finals goal - one more than the number scored by his father and legendary former Ghana captain, Abedi Pele. But he remains one African title behind his father, who lifted the trophy in 1982.
Ghana had a good chance to add a second late on when Atsu was clean through but his 12-yard drive was superbly saved by Onyango.
The only downside for Avram Grant's side was an injury to defender Baba Rahman, who was taken off with what looked like a hamstring injury after 39 minutes.
Ghana will next take on Mali on Saturday while Uganda will face record seven-time champions Egypt on the same day.
Match ends, Ghana 1, Uganda 0.
Second Half ends, Ghana 1, Uganda 0.
Offside, Ghana. Mubarak Wakaso tries a through ball, but Emmanuel Badu is caught offside.
Joseph Ochaya (Uganda) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by André Ayew (Ghana).
Foul by Hassan Wasswa (Uganda).
André Ayew (Ghana) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Offside, Ghana. Mubarak Wakaso tries a through ball, but Christian Atsu is caught offside.
Joseph Ochaya (Uganda) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Emmanuel Badu (Ghana).
Attempt missed. Faruku Miya (Uganda) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Geofrey Massa.
Attempt saved. Christian Atsu (Ghana) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Harrison Afful.
Substitution, Ghana. Afriyie Acquah replaces Jordan Ayew.
Emmanuel Badu (Ghana) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Geofrey Serunkuma (Uganda).
Attempt saved. Jordan Ayew (Ghana) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Mubarak Wakaso.
Jordan Ayew (Ghana) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Hassan Wasswa (Uganda).
Offside, Ghana. Frank Acheampong tries a through ball, but Jordan Ayew is caught offside.
Thomas Partey (Ghana) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Muhammad Shaban (Uganda).
Offside, Ghana. Christian Atsu tries a through ball, but Jordan Ayew is caught offside.
Attempt saved. Faruku Miya (Uganda) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Geofrey Massa.
Substitution, Ghana. Emmanuel Badu replaces Asamoah Gyan.
Substitution, Uganda. Geofrey Serunkuma replaces Isaac Isinde.
Attempt missed. Thomas Partey (Ghana) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Jordan Ayew.
Attempt saved. Geofrey Massa (Uganda) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Moses Oloya.
Attempt missed. Geofrey Massa (Uganda) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high from a direct free kick.
Foul by André Ayew (Ghana).
Geofrey Massa (Uganda) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt missed. Joseph Ochaya (Uganda) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Faruku Miya.
Foul by Mubarak Wakaso (Ghana).
Moses Oloya (Uganda) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Tonny Mawejje (Uganda) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left following a corner.
Corner, Uganda. Conceded by Daniel Amartey.
Attempt missed. Tonny Mawejje (Uganda) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Geofrey Massa.
Foul by André Ayew (Ghana).
Tonny Mawejje (Uganda) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by John Boye (Ghana).
Muhammad Shaban (Uganda) wins a free kick in the attacking half. | Ghana's Andre Ayew surpassed his father's record by scoring the goal that beat Uganda 1-0 in their Group D match at the Africa Cup of Nations. | 38565673 |
I'd Much Rather Be With the Girls was written by Keith Richards and Andrew Oldham, the former manager of The Rolling Stones, in the 1960s.
Originally called I'd Much Rather Be With The Boys, it previously appeared on The Stones' 1975 album Metamorphosis. The new song had its first play on BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Friday morning.
When The Ronettes first toured in England in 1964, The Rolling Stones were their support act. The song was written while the groups were travelling together.
"They would write and do stuff on the bus", Ronnie Spector told the BBC "All bands back then they would write on napkins or anything they could get their hands on."
"I had no idea they had written this song," she continued. "Two months ago my managers brought it to my attention, but it was called, I'd Much Rather Be With the Boys. I just changed it to I'd Much Rather Be With the Girls."
Asked why she altered the title, Spector said: "You know my past life. I think everybody knows who I am singing about. There is a line in the song, 'I don't need you anymore'. By listening to the lyrics I think you'll understand why I'd much rather be with the girls."
The singer was famously married to the record producer Phil Spector, who was responsible for The Ronettes' greatest hits, including Be My Baby and Walking in the Rain. But after their wedding in 1968, Ronnie said Phil deprived her of the limelight and virtually imprisoned her in his Los Angeles mansion.
"The only time I was allowed out was once a month," she said. "I was so unhappy." They divorced after seven years.
Phil Spector is currently serving a prison sentence for murdering an actress in 2003.
Ronnie, now 72, formed The Ronettes with her sister and cousin in New York's Spanish Harlem in the 1950s. They scored five top 10 hits but broke up in 1966, after disappointing sales of their final single, I Can Hear Music.
The new song was recorded in New York with her late sister's daughter and another cousin. "I wanted to keep that blood sound in there," she said.
The recording will appear on a new CD, English Heart, described as the singer's tribute to the days when she worked and toured with British bands The Beatles and The Yardbirds, as well as The Rolling Stones.
Ronnie Spector also confirmed that a film about her life is currently in development. Asked who she would like to play her, she said: "I think Selena Gomez would be good." | Sixties girl group The Ronettes are releasing a new track for the first time in 50 years. | 34733727 |
The National Development and Reform Commission said it was investigating several foreign firms for possible anti-trust violations.
The foreign manufacturers say they will co-operate with the probe.
Foreign brands are popular because tainted milk scandals in China have created a distrust of local rivals.
Foreign brands now account for about half of all infant milk sales in China, reports say.
Parents who can afford it purchase foreign brands, which cost more than their Chinese counterparts, reports the BBC's Celia Hatton from Beijing.
The companies involved - which include Nestle SA, Danone, Mead Johnson Nutrition and Abbott Laboratories - have announced plans to co-operate with the investigation.
China has faced a series of milk-related scandals over the years.
In 2008, six infants died of severe kidney damage and an estimated 300,000 babies suffered from kidney stones after drinking tainted baby formula.
After testing, formula from several major Chinese dairy companies was found to contain melamine, an additive that falsely boosts the protein levels in milk.
In December 2011 and July 2012, two Chinese companies recalled baby formula containing high amounts of aflatoxin, a carcinogen produced by fungus in cows' feed.
Last year, another company issued a separate recall after "unusually high" levels of mercury were found in its main line of infant milk powder.
Because of this, Chinese consumers have increasingly been looking to overseas brands, but this has led to shortages in places such as Hong Kong.
The probe has gained support from some Chinese social media users.
One user of Sina Weibo, a Chinese version of Twitter, wrote: "They should have done this a long time ago!"
Another, Sasha Xiaolei, wrote: "Global milk products are increasing in supply, yet the price of Western milk powder in China continues to increase. Is there really insufficient supply, or distributors controlling the prices? This investigation has come a little late, but is still to the satisfaction of everyone!"
However, many also expressed scepticism of the move, and concerns about the quality of Chinese milk powder.
"Whatever the outcome of the probe, local milk will still be local milk," Sina Weibo user xinhua909 wrote.
"The investigation may struggle to convince popular opinion," lawyer Deng Zhisong wrote on his microblog.
"As a father, I know that the fault with Chinese milk powder is not that it is too expensive, but that there are fundamental problems with its safety."
"Why should they point fingers at others, when they can't even regulate their own poisonous milk powder?" another user, called Securities Trader, wrote. | China's top economic planning body has launched a probe into alleged price fixing by some foreign manufacturers of infant milk formula. | 23157982 |
Emergency services were called to McDonald's on Eccleshall Road, in Stafford, at about 20:30 BST on Monday.
Two girls, 17 and 18, were taken to Royal Stoke University Hospital with respiratory and abdominal problems.
An 18-year-old girl and two 17-year old boys have been arrested on suspicion of administering a noxious substance and are being questioned.
Twelve people inside the restaurant at the time were examined by paramedics after "suffering varying degrees of respiratory and stomach irritation", West Midlands Ambulance Service said.
More on this story and others from Staffordshire | Two teenagers have been hospitalised after a canister was set off at a fast-food outlet. | 36080557 |
It's hoped the cells can be used in a cure if the children develop a disease later in life.
The American company BioEden will cryogenically store the cells in return for a monthly fee.
Relatively few stem cell therapies are currently in use but hundreds more are being researched.
The company - and its customers - are pinning their hopes on the promise of regenerative medicine.
That aims not just to halt the attack of a disease but repair the damage it has done. Scotland is already a major centre for research in the field.
Tony Veverka, BioEden's group chief executive, said the company is pitching its product squarely at the parents and grandparents of children aged between five and 12, when stem cells are vigorous and teeth get wobbly.
"We harvest the stem cells from teeth - the young teeth of children," he explained.
"So BioEden are effectively the 21st century tooth fairy."
BioEden, which is headquartered in Austin, Texas, says it was the world's first tooth stem cell bank.
It has 20,000 customers in 60 countries worldwide.
Mr Veverka said: "We are a commercial operation and we offer a commercial service.
"We charge a monthly subscription fee to harvest the stem cells and store them.
"Effectively, it costs £12.95 a month."
When the tooth fairy calls, BioEden's customers pop a child's milk tooth into - appropriately enough - a little milk to help preserve the cells.
If they are in Europe it arrives at the Motherwell laboratory of BioEden's partner Precious Cells.
There the tooth is cleaned and the stem cells extracted.
Each tooth contains a relative handful of cells but they can be grown in the lab until they number several million.
They then go into cryogenic storage at BioEden's facility in Yorkshire.
Because they have been extracted from teeth, these are mesenchymal stem cells capable of becoming one of a number of cell types: bone, cartilage, muscle or fat.
The Precious Cells lab is already experienced in handling another type: hematopoietic stem cells, which can give rise to all the other types of blood cells.
They are extracted from a baby's umbilical cord.
As well as banking blood cells as a commercial service the company has set up a charity, Precious Cells Miracle, which seeks donations of umbilical cord blood.
The aim is to create a database of hematopoietic stem cell to help fight blood diseases worldwide.
The head of clinical services at Precious Cells, Dr Victoria Robertson, concedes it's still early days for stem cell research but it has huge potential.
"Stem cells are probably the most exciting cell type that there is out there at the moment," she said.
"They have the potential to regenerate tissue, to modulate the immune system, depending on what kind of stem cell they are.
"The possibilities in some ways are endless - but obviously there's still a lot of work to do to find out what all those possibilities might be."
Hundreds of stem cell research projects are under way. Some may never lead to treatments, others may be years away.
But for some ailments stem cell therapy is already a reality. BioEden say there have already been some withdrawals from their bank to treat conditions such as Type 2 diabetes and cleft palate.
And because the stem cells have come from the donor's own body they can't be rejected.
In an ideal world, customers of a stem cell bank would never have cause to make such withdrawals.
Others will hope that, by the time disease does strike, research has produced a therapy capable of being treated by their child's banked cells.
BioEden are in effect inviting parents and grandparents to invest not just in their children's futures, but in the future of science itself. | A laboratory in Lanarkshire has started harvesting stem cells from children's teeth. | 38098733 |
Wight wrote books which inspired the film and TV series All Creatures Great and Small.
The statue cost £60,000, including £25,000 left in a will to the World of James Herriot museum in Thirsk.
Museum director Ian Ashton said fundraising would continue for a fund for people working with animals.
The James Herriot books were loosely based on Alf Wight's own experiences as a young vet working in rural North Yorkshire.
Mr Ashton said: "The aim of the James Herriot Legacy Fund is to provide bursaries for people wishing to embark on a career concerning the welfare of animals, and for whom the James Herriot stories may well have been an inspiration."
"It began with a very generous bequest by the late Mr Thomas Blinks who lived in Robertsbridge, East Sussex, and was a life member of the Friends of the World of James Herriot.
"Fundraising is now a continuous part of our activities to ensure that the vets and veterinary nurses of the future can apply for support from the Legacy Fund."
Alf Wight's children Jim Wight and Rosie Page said their father would be "proud" to be associated with the legacy fund and the statue was a "fitting tribute".
It was installed in the garden at the World of James Herriot in Thirsk, on what would have been the 96th birthday of Alf's wife, Joan.
His books were followed by two films in the mid 1970s, and the BBC television series All Creatures Great and Small from the late 1970s to the early 80s. | A life-size statue of a Alf Wight, better known by his pen name James Herriot, has been installed in a North Yorkshire market town. | 32099945 |
Lee Hollender, 39, smashed a Boots store window in Prestatyn, Denbighshire, before filling the bin.
He was caught after leaving blood at the scene on 28 August.
Hollender, from Birmingham, previously admitted burglary but an arrest warrant was issued on Thursday when he failed to turn up at Caernarfon Crown Court for sentencing. | A thief who stole £9,000 worth of perfume by loading it into a wheelie bin is wanted by police. | 34479116 |
It appears likely the decommissioned craft came down between 03:23 and 05:09 GMT - with a best estimate of 04:16.
If correct, this means any debris that survived to the surface probably went into water and not on land.
The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) is the largest American space agency satellite to return uncontrolled into the atmosphere in about 30 years.
The fall to Earth was monitored by the Joint Space Operations Center (JSPOC) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Its best estimate for the timing of the re-entry would have seen UARS come in at a point well out into the North Pacific.
However, if UARS re-entered many minutes after 04:16, it is possible debris could have reached the American landmass.
There were some unconfirmed reports of glowing wreckage moving across the sky in western Canada, but Nasa said it had yet to receive credible evidence that this was so, less still that any debris items had been found.
"I've got no reports that I've seen that talk about people who think they might have recovered debris," Nick Johnson, Nasa's chief scientist for orbital debris at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, told reporters during a media teleconference.
"Obviously, we're going to continue to keep our eyes and ears open, and if we receive any reports like that we'll try to go verify."
Most of the 20-year-old satellite should simply have burnt up on re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, but modelling work indicated perhaps 500kg could have survived to the surface.
Calculations estimated this material would have been scattered over an 800km path. Nonetheless, with more than 70% of the Earth's surface covered by water, many experts had offered the view in recent weeks that an ocean grave was going to be the most probable outcome for UARS.
"Because we don't know where the re-entry point actually was, we don't know where the debris field might be. If the re-entry point was at the time that JSPOC has its best guess of 04:16 GMT then all that debris wound up in the Pacific Ocean," Nick Johnson reiterated.
UARS was deployed in 1991 from the space shuttle Discovery on a mission to study the Earth's upper atmosphere.
It contributed important new understanding on subjects such as the chemistry of the protective ozone layer and the cooling effect volcanoes can exert on the global climate.
In the past few days, Nasa had warned members of the public not to touch any pieces of the spacecraft that might survive the fall to land, urging them to contact local law enforcement authorities instead.
"I've seen some things that have re-entered and they tend to have sharp edges, so there's a little concern that they might hurt themselves if they try to pick them up," said Mark Matney, an orbital debris scientist from Nasa's Johnson Space Center.
Under the terms of the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, the US government retains ownership of the debris and could, if it so wished, seek to take possession of any items found on the ground.
With those ownership rights also comes absolute liability if a piece of UARS is found to have damage property or injured someone.
"There is something called international responsibility; they're internationally liable," explained Joanne Wheeler of law firm CMS Cameron McKenna, and an expert representative for the UK on the UN Subcommittee for the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.
"The Americans have to retain jurisdiction and control, and that pretty much can be interpreted as ownership. So they own it up there, they own it if it comes down to Earth and they're liable if it crashes into something."
Tracking stations will typically witness the uncontrolled return of at least one piece of space debris every day; and on average, one intact defunct spacecraft or old rocket body will come back into the atmosphere every week.
Something the size of UARS is seen perhaps once a year. Much larger objects such as space station cargo ships return from orbit several times a year, but they are equipped with thrusters capable of guiding their dive into a remote part of the Southern Ocean.
[email protected] | Nasa says its six-tonne UARS satellite plunged to Earth over the Pacific Ocean, off the US west coast. | 15034073 |
Daw penderfyniad Mr Law yn dilyn ymddiswyddiad y prif weithredwr, Don Bircham a chyfarwyddwr y clwb, Barry Horne gyda'r clwb yn 15 safle yn y Gyngres.
Mae Ymddiriedolaeth y cefnogwyr yn berchen ar 100% o'r clwb ond dywedodd Law ei fod yn parhau i gefnogi "delfryd yr Ymddiriedolaeth ond rwyf yn dechrau meddwl tybed a yw'n gweithio yn y ffordd orau i'r clwb."
Roedd Mr Law yn llywydd ymddiriedolaeth y cefnogwyr ers 2010. | Mae llywydd Ymddiriedolaeth Cefnogwyr clwb pêl-droed Wrecsam, Bryn Law, wedi camu i lawr ac wedi cwestiynu perchnogaeth y cefnogwyr o'r clwb. | 38614104 |
Lyle Taylor turned in Callum Kennedy's cross for his 23rd goal of the season.
And substitute Adebayo Akinfenwa netted a penalty in the 11th minute of injury time after a foul on Adebayo Azeez.
The Dons achieved a sixth promotion since their formation in 2002 by fans of the old Wimbledon FC following their relocation to Milton Keynes.
Argyle, who topped the Championship back in August 2004, will remain in League Two for a sixth season, having almost gone bust in 2011.
Neither goalkeeper was troubled until after the break, when Argyle midfielder Graham Carey's free-kick forced an excellent diving save from goalkeeper Kelle Roos.
A game of few chances was lit up with Taylor's goal, as Wimbledon edged towards a deserved win in front of 57,956 fans.
As Argyle pushed forward the Dons had chances to seal the game, but Luke McCormick made excellent saves from Barry Fuller as he broke through, Akinfenwa's close-range header and from Taylor, who shot tamely when clean through.
Having seen semi-final hero Peter Hartley carried off on a stretcher in the closing moments after a clash with Akinfenwa, the Plymouth defender's replacement Jordon Forster fouled Azeez after he cut in from the left in the box.
That allowed Akinfenwa to step up and send McCormick the wrong way from the spot.
Promotion for AFC Wimbledon keeps the remarkable story of the club's rise from the aftermath of Wimbledon's move to Milton Keynes going.
They have now won six promotions since they first took to the field in the Combined Counties League in the ninth tier of English football.
While the club still hope to return to their home borough of Merton, next season raises the tantalising prospect of two league fixtures with MK Dons, who were relegated from the Championship.
The clubs have played three times before in cup matches - all at Milton Keynes - with AFC Wimbledon getting the better of MK Dons once.
In a game short on memorable moments, Taylor's goal stood out as a piece of class, taking the ball well as it came across his body.
A thorn in Argyle's side throughout, he was an excellent foil to first Tom Elliott and then his replacement Akinfenwa up front.
He should have had a second late on when through on goal, but he will not mind his weak effort as he created a memory that will last a lifetime both for him and the fans of AFC Wimbledon.
AFC Wimbledon manager Neal Ardley: "It's surreal at the moment. It hasn't really sunk in.
"Once we got to Wembley, we prepared them to the letter about trying to win this game.
"To pull it off, to stand there in front of 25,000 people who 14 years ago had their club ripped away from them and have been through so much, to stand there as one of their own who's come through the ranks at the age of 11 - you can write anything you want, it doesn't get any better than that."
Plymouth manager Derek Adams: "We didn't perform well enough today, we weren't composed enough at times when we had possession.
"It's a huge disappointment, but we've come a long way. We've been working with a threadbare squad and it's a testament to the players to get here.
"We didn't pass the ball well enough and we didn't open up Wimbledon through the wide areas or down the middle.
"We've put a lot of pride back into Plymouth Argyle this season, and hopefully that can continue."
Match ends, AFC Wimbledon 2, Plymouth Argyle 0.
Second Half ends, AFC Wimbledon 2, Plymouth Argyle 0.
Adebayo Akinfenwa (AFC Wimbledon) is shown the yellow card for excessive celebration.
Goal! AFC Wimbledon 2, Plymouth Argyle 0. Adebayo Akinfenwa (AFC Wimbledon) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
Penalty conceded by Jordan Forster (Plymouth Argyle) after a foul in the penalty area.
Penalty AFC Wimbledon. Adebayo Azeez draws a foul in the penalty area.
Corner, AFC Wimbledon. Conceded by Jordan Forster.
Attempt blocked. Adebayo Akinfenwa (AFC Wimbledon) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Substitution, AFC Wimbledon. Adebayo Azeez replaces Lyle Taylor.
Attempt saved. Lyle Taylor (AFC Wimbledon) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Adebayo Akinfenwa with a headed pass.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Darius Charles (AFC Wimbledon) because of an injury.
Corner, AFC Wimbledon. Conceded by Luke McCormick.
Attempt saved. Adebayo Akinfenwa (AFC Wimbledon) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Lyle Taylor with a cross.
Attempt missed. Lyle Taylor (AFC Wimbledon) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Jake Reeves.
Hiram Boateng (Plymouth Argyle) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Adebayo Akinfenwa (AFC Wimbledon).
Foul by Kelvin Mellor (Plymouth Argyle).
Jake Reeves (AFC Wimbledon) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Substitution, Plymouth Argyle. Jordan Forster replaces Peter Hartley because of an injury.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Peter Hartley (Plymouth Argyle) because of an injury.
Substitution, Plymouth Argyle. Reuben Reid replaces Gregg Wylde.
Attempt saved. Barry Fuller (AFC Wimbledon) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Jake Reeves with a through ball.
Carl McHugh (Plymouth Argyle) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Adebayo Akinfenwa (AFC Wimbledon).
Lyle Taylor (AFC Wimbledon) is shown the yellow card for excessive celebration.
Goal! AFC Wimbledon 1, Plymouth Argyle 0. Lyle Taylor (AFC Wimbledon) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Callum Kennedy with a cross following a corner.
Corner, AFC Wimbledon. Conceded by Gary Sawyer.
Substitution, AFC Wimbledon. Adebayo Akinfenwa replaces Tom Elliott.
Gary Sawyer (Plymouth Argyle) is shown the yellow card.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Andy Barcham (AFC Wimbledon) because of an injury.
Offside, Plymouth Argyle. Curtis Nelson tries a through ball, but Jamille Matt is caught offside.
Hand ball by Tom Elliott (AFC Wimbledon).
Substitution, AFC Wimbledon. Jonathan Meades replaces Connor Smith.
Attempt saved. Craig Tanner (Plymouth Argyle) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Jamille Matt with a headed pass.
Substitution, Plymouth Argyle. Craig Tanner replaces Jake Jervis.
Darius Charles (AFC Wimbledon) is shown the yellow card.
Jamille Matt (Plymouth Argyle) wins a free kick in the attacking half. | AFC Wimbledon were promoted into the third tier for the first time in their history after beating Plymouth Argyle in the League Two play-off final. | 36355814 |
North Yorkshire Police said a member of the public spotted the body in the river near Holly Terrace in Acaster Malbis at about 13:30 GMT on Sunday.
He has now been identified by officers as 42-year-old Craig Batters who lived in York.
Anyone who had contact with Mr Batters between Friday and Sunday has been urged to contact police.
Mr Batters' body was recovered with the help of North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.
There have been concerns about the number of deaths in the Rivers Ouse and Foss in the York area in recent years.
Three people died in 2011, including 21-year-old Richard Horrocks, who jumped from a balcony to celebrate his last shift at a bar.
York student Megan Roberts, 20, soldier Tyler Pearson, 18 and Ben Clarkson, 22, all died in 2014.
Soldier Stephen Fry, 20, died in 2015 and student Christian Palmer, 20, died in July 2016. | Police have identified a man whose body was pulled from the River Ouse near York on New Year's Day. | 38496055 |
The potential move is contained in a report to the council's policy and resources committee.
The region is expected to welcome about 20 families over the next five years who could be helped with their language needs.
If successful, the scheme could be rolled out across Scotland.
A report to the local authority said the Scottish government and academic institutions could provide some funding for the scheme.
Council leader Ronnie Nicholson said one of its priorities was to protect vulnerable people.
"Helping vulnerable families who are innocent victims of war and persecution is simply the humanitarian thing to do," he said.
"Our council, through the Dumfries and Galloway Refugee Crisis Project Board, is working with a range of appropriate professional and volunteer groups to prepare our region to host refugee families.
"The local response to the refugee crisis from our volunteer partners has been quite outstanding and I am proud of the work done by them and local agencies." | Dumfries and Galloway could become a pilot region for a project to teach English as a second language to Syrian refugee families. | 35658922 |
Tasked with saving £3.8m by 2020, Cheshire Fire Service wants to change staffing arrangements and reduce one of its three aerial appliances.
The FBU says the changes will mean full-time firefighters are replaced with on-call staff and that incident response times will increase.
Managers insist they will "continue to deliver a high quality service".
Under proposals scheduled to be implemented in April, staffing arrangements will be changed at stations in Macclesfield, Wilmslow, Birchwood and Penketh.
Andrew Fox-Hewitt, from FBU Cheshire, said: "If you cut the number of full-time firefighters and appliances, you will see an increase in attendance times.
"This will ultimately lead to an increase in preventable injuries and deaths."
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said the service was "exceeding" its response targets and it has continued to recruit on-call firefighters - taking on a further 18 whole-time firefighters last year.
"We aim to get to all 'life risk' incidents, namely road traffic collisions or house fires, where there is a person reported as being in the property within 10 minutes on 80% of occasions - a target we are currently exceeding by 8%."
It said its average response time to such incidents is under eight minutes which has "remained the same for the past five years".
The service said it has kept its pledge of making no firefighters redundant, instead the reduction in full-time posts has happened naturally, as people have left or retired. | "Preventable deaths will increase" as a result of fire service budget cuts, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has warned. | 38584054 |
Unison says the Welsh government offer of a payment of £160 to all staff is not enough.
The Welsh government said it is disappointed with the ballot result as pay discussions were ongoing.
Unison said its members in Wales voted by almost 4-1 in favour of strikes and by 9-1 for other forms of industrial action.
More than 5,700 took part in the ballot.
Last week, thousands of health workers, including nurses, midwives and ambulance staff, took part in a strike in England and Northern Ireland in a dispute over pay.
Unison regional secretary in Wales Margaret Thomas said: "Our members working in the Welsh NHS have sent a clear message that they are worth more than a miserly £160.
"NHS workers in Wales have spoken loud and clear and it is time for the Welsh government to come to the table and negotiate a fair pay deal for our members."
She said the union's health committee will now consider its response to the result of the ballot and "how any potential action in Wales could be coordinated with future action taken on pay in England".
A Welsh government spokesperson said: "The reality is that by 2015-16 the Welsh government's budget will be 10% lower in real terms than it was in 2010-11 - a reduction which equates to £1.5bn less.
"With pay accounting for more than 60% of the NHS budget we have no choice but to consider some form of pay restraint to maintain jobs and frontline services." | Thousands of NHS staff in Wales have voted to take strike action in a row over pay. | 29694701 |
In a letter to Lesley Titcomb, MP Frank Field asks whether the pensions hole could be plugged by "acquiring assets other than cash" from Sir Philip.
Sir Philip's assets include yachts. He could not be reached for comment.
The regulator launched an enforcement action against Sir Philip after failing to reach a deal with him.
BHS was left with a near-£600m deficit when the department store chain collapsed earlier this year.
There have been reports that the billionaire has offered between £250m and £300m as part of a deal to restructure the collapsed retailer's pension scheme.
However, the Pensions Regulator has so far rejected the offer. The BBC understands that the regulator wants £350m in redress from Sir Philip.
The regulator has sent warning notices of enforcement action to Sir Philip, his retail group and Dominic Chappell - who was the owner when the department store chain collapsed.
The letter released by Mr Field asks for clarification on several points, including whether it is possible to go after the assets held by Sir Philip, his companies, and Mr Chappell.
Mr Field wants to know what powers the regulator has regarding "a person resident overseas or a company registered off-shore".
He asks "whether the regulator can settle a Contribution Notice or Financial Support Direction through acquiring assets other than cash from a person or company from which payment is being sought".
Mr Field later said that no assets were off-limits, including Sir Philip's yachts and property.
The businessman, whose retail empire includes Top Shop, has been strongly criticised by MPs and former BHS staff for taking delivery this year of another super-yacht - reportedly worth £100m - just as the BHS chain was being closed down with loss of 11,000 jobs.
MPs last month backed a call to strip Sir Philip of his knighthood for his role in the collapse of BHS, although that decision would have to be taken by the Honours Forfeiture Committee. | The chairman of a committee probing the collapse of BHS has asked the Pensions Regulator whether assets can be seized from former owner Sir Philip Green. | 38073017 |
He's criticising the designers after they called children born through IVF "synthetic" in a magazine interview.
The songwriter, who has two children with his husband David Furnish, had a go at the pair for rejecting same-sex families and the use of fertility treatment.
"How dare you refer to my beautiful children as 'synthetic'," Sir Elton wrote on Instagram.
"And shame on you for wagging your judgemental little fingers at IVF - a miracle that has allowed legions of loving people, both straight and gay, to fulfil their dream of having children.
"Your archaic thinking is out of step with the times, just like your fashions.
"I shall never wear Dolce and Gabbana ever again. #BoycottDolceGabbana."
Business partners Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, who are both gay and were a couple for 23 years until breaking up in 2005, have rejected same-sex marriage in the past.
But in an interview with Italian magazine Panorama this weekend they went further saying they also didn't agree with the idea of gay families.
"We oppose gay adoptions," they say, "The only family is the traditional one.
"No chemical offsprings and rented uterus: life has a natural flow, there are things that should not be changed."
Domenico Dolce went on to say that having children should be an "act of love".
He said: "You are born to a mother and a father - or at least that's how it should be.
"I call children of chemistry, synthetic children. Rented uterus, semen chosen from a catalogue."
Stefano Gabbana added: "The family is not a fad. In it there is a supernatural sense of belonging."
In an interview in 2006, Gabbana revealed in another Italian magazine that he had approached a woman to be the mother of his baby but said he struggled with the idea.
"I am opposed to the idea of a child growing up with two gay parents," he said.
"A child needs a mother and a father. I could not imagine my childhood without my mother. I also believe that it is cruel to take a baby away from its mother."
Newsbeat has contacted Dolce and Gabbana for comment but hasn't received a reply yet.
Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube | Sir Elton John is calling for a boycott of fashion brand Dolce and Gabbana. | 31896339 |
Legally, Cornwall Council cannot force concessionary passengers to pay.
However the authority, which needs to save £24m next year, has proposed a voluntary scheme urging passengers to "keep their pass in their pocket".
Campaign group Bus Users UK, said the proposal was not the solution.
Derek Potts, who represents Bus Users UK in Cornwall, said: "I am extremely concerned about any public transport cuts in this county.
"The proposal really isn't dealing with the problem, which is that there isn't adequate money for the operators to continue to accept these passes."
In a statement, the First Bus company said: "The concessionary fare scheme is set out in legislation and operators are not permitted to make any charge to such passengers."
Councillor Alex Folkes explained that the council is looking at a number of options to save rural bus routes.
He said: "Legally we can't, and morally we wouldn't want to force everybody to pay for every journey. But we do know some people can afford to contribute.
"I think it's fair to say to people if you can afford to, would you mind making a contribution. That will help to save our buses."
Mr Folkes said that an additional £750,000 would be available for buses after a £1m overspend - which was due to be repaid next year - would now will be repaid over four years, leaving £250,000 to be paid next year.
"We have found another £750,000 for the bus budget in the coming year and we have also pledged to use a further three-quarters of a million pounds given by the government to us for rural transport for local bus services," he said.
"The 'pass in your pocket' scheme is one additional measure we are looking at to encourage those who feel they can afford to pay occasionally for their bus journeys to do so.
"The amount we might raise from any such scheme might only be a small contribution, but every little will help to preserve rural bus routes on which so many people rely."
The council's cabinet will discuss the proposed bus changes on 12 November, before it is considered by full council at the end of the month. | Free bus pass holders could be asked to voluntarily pay for tickets in a bid to cut costs and protect rural routes in Cornwall. | 24863142 |
Leighton Andrews said Glamorgan and Newport universities want to merge sooner rather than later.
Cardiff Metropolitan University, which has opposed the merger plan, will not be forced to join them for the time being.
It welcomed the government's change in position.
Mr Andrews made a statement in the Senedd on Tuesday, outlining Glamorgan and Newport universities' decision to move ahead with a merger with effect from next April.
He said in the light of the "excellent progress" made by the two institutions on a merger, he had decided to cancel the consultation started involving Cardiff Met.
He said: "I will now await receipt of the business case being prepared by the University of Wales, Newport and the University of Glamorgan.
"I have of course made no decision at this stage and will carefully consider their case when I receive it."
Mr Andrews added that the Welsh government would work closely with the two institutions to ensure "a smooth transition, including consideration of any need for additional financial support".
Since November last year, he has made it clear he wants to create one new "super university" for the region.
But Mr Andrews told the chamber it was still his intention, so Cardiff Met may have only been granted a reprieve.
"The policy of the government remains that we wish to see a single post-92 university in south east Wales," he said.
Cardiff Met has fought to maintain its independence, claiming the merger plan was high cost and high risk, and not backed by a proper business case.
Barbara Wilding, chair of the board of governors at Cardiff Met, welcomed the dropping of consultation on a three-way merger.
"The university is pleased that the Welsh government has decided to cancel with immediate effect the statutory consultation process involving the dissolution of Cardiff Metropolitan University which we believe was legally and financially flawed," she said.
Both Glamorgan and Newport universities welcomed Mr Andrews' decision to allow their merger to progress.
A University of Glamorgan spokesperson said: "In this decision he has removed a potential risk of delay, clearing the way for us to move forward on schedule and to our robust timescale.
"The creation of a larger, modern combined university for our region will be hugely beneficial to the staff and students of both institutions and to the wider communities we serve."
In a statement, the University of Wales, Newport, said: "We are pleased that he has recognised the positive progress we have made towards the creation of a new university for south Wales."
Opposition parties in the assembly claimed the minister had been forced to back down because he was seeking to impose a decision.
Conservative education spokeswoman Angela Burns said: "This is a massive climb down for the education minister, but a win for diplomacy over belligerence and aggression.
"This entire sorry saga sends a clear message to the education minister that bully boy tactics do not work and the future of higher education should be based on collaboration and co-operation not enforced mergers."
Plaid Cymru's Simon Thomas said: "The Party of Wales warned from the beginning that the minister had gone about this the wrong way.
"From the outset, we called on the Welsh government to adopt a voluntary approach to the merger of universities because we do not believe that forcing a dissolution order on universities is the way to generate consensus and collaboration."
Liberal Democrat education spokesman Aled Roberts added: "I have always made it absolutely clear that my favoured way forward is one of voluntary mergers based on discussion and consensus." | The education minister has been accused of a U-turn after withdrawing a consultation forcing a three-way merger of universities in south east Wales. | 20225572 |
The body of Susan Ashworth, 47, was discovered at her home in Farfield Court, Garforth, on 29 April 2014.
Her husband, Martin Ashworth, 48, who had been released from a mental health unit 13 days before the fire, died in hospital after suffering serious burns.
Coroner David Hinchliff recorded an open verdict on his death following the inquests at Wakefield Coroner's Court.
For more stories from across Yorkshire
Mr Ashworth's mother Barbara had previously told the inquest her son had been sectioned after attempting suicide a month earlier as his marriage deteriorated.
She said he had been released from the Becklin Centre in Leeds on 16 April because the unit "needed beds".
The inquest also heard Mr Ashworth was controlling and emotionally abusive to Mrs Ashworth, with her mother telling the court he had "tried to impose control and power over Susan".
She also said Mrs Ashworth has asked for a divorce while her husband was in hospital.
The inquest heard she was only told of his release on the day and she had little choice but to allow him to return home.
At the time of the fire, West Yorkshire Police said the cause was being treated as suspicious, but they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the investigation.
Following the coroner's ruling, Anthony Deery, of Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, said he was "satisfied that we acted appropriately both in terms of the care provided to Mr Ashworth and the safeguarding referrals made on behalf of Mrs Ashworth". | A woman who was found stabbed to death in her burning home was unlawfully killed, a coroner has ruled. | 38656652 |
The reform grants couples now limited to civil unions full marital rights, and allows them to adopt children.
Mrs Merkel's political opponents were strongly in favour. But the chancellor, who signalled her backing for a free vote only on Monday, voted against.
The bill was backed by 393 lawmakers, 226 voted against and four abstained.
The German legal code will now read: "Marriage is entered into for life by two people of different or the same sex", AFP news agency reported.
Following Friday's vote, Mrs Merkel said that for her marriage was between a man and a woman. But she said she hoped the passing of the bill would lead to more "social cohesion and peace".
During her 2013 election campaign, Mrs Merkel argued against gay marriage on the grounds of "children's welfare," and admitted that she had a "hard time" with the issue.
But in an on-stage interview with the women's magazine Brigitte on 26 June, she shocked the German media by saying, in response to an audience member's question, that she had noted other parties' support for gay marriage, and would allow a free vote at an unspecified time in the future.
The usually-cautious chancellor said she had had a "life-changing experience" in her home constituency, where she met a lesbian couple who cared for eight foster children together.
As the news spread on Twitter, supporters rallied under the hashtag #EheFuerAlle (MarriageForAll) - and started calling for a vote as soon as possible.
'Now my brother can marry his boyfriend'
Mrs Merkel's current coalition partners - the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), who are trailing Mrs Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) in opinion polls - then seized the political initiative.
They called for a vote by the time parliament went into summer recess at the end of the week - prompting Mrs Merkel to complain she'd been "ambushed".
Yes - a recent survey by the government's anti-discrimination agency found that 83% of Germans were in favour of marriage equality.
The day after the Republic of Ireland voted to legalise gay marriage in May 2015, almost every German newspaper splashed a rainbow across its front page.
"It's time, Mrs Merkel" Green party leader Katrin Goering-Eckhart said then. "The Merkel faction cannot just sit out the debate on marriage for everyone."
Angela Merkel voted against legalising same sex marriage. Nevertheless, she'll go down in history as the chancellor who made it possible. Friday marks a historic victory for the political left who've fought for years to bring the bill before parliament.
The bill is one of the very last measures to come through parliament before the September general election. By voting against it, Mrs Merkel has appealed to the more conservative members of her electorate. But, by allowing it to happen, she's cemented her growing reputation as a defender of liberal values and, perhaps more importantly, seen off an issue which might have come to haunt her later on.
If Mrs Merkel wins a majority in September, she's likely to seek coalition with parties who'd already indicated that same sex marriage legislation would have been a condition of partnership.
Because of an upcoming general election. Germans go to the polls on 24 September, and continued opposition to a vote made Mrs Merkel risk looking anachronistic.
Mrs Merkel's coalition partners, the SPD, had ruled out a future coalition deal unless reform was agreed on. The Greens, the far-left Linke, and the pro-business Free Democrats took the same view.
The right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) is now the only party to oppose same-sex marriage.
But conservatives within Mrs Merkel's own CDU were against a change - as was the CDU's Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), whose votes Mrs Merkel needs in the September election.
Commentators say this partly explains why she has rejected a vote on marriage equality until now - and why she was taken off-guard by the snap vote.
A host of European countries have beaten Germany to a same-sex marriage law.
Civil marriages are legally recognised in Norway, Sweden, Denmark (excluding the Faroe Islands), Finland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Luxembourg, France, the UK (except Northern Ireland and Jersey), and the Republic of Ireland.
But in Austria and Italy - as in Germany before Friday's vote- gay couples are restricted to civil partnerships. | A clear majority of German MPs have voted to legalise same-sex marriage, days after Chancellor Angela Merkel dropped her opposition to a vote. | 40441712 |
The enormously powerful winds that blast Mount Everest relent for just a few weeks every spring.
They are precious weeks that provide climbers with a chance to claim the greatest mountaineering "scalp" of them all - the world's highest summit.
Those wishing to make the ascent must spend months preparing and thousands of dollars for a permit, even before they start.
Then, on the climb itself, they have to brave all that the mountain can throw at them - bad weather, the effects of altitude, even the sight of the corpses of climbers who have died making the attempt.
Four people died on their way down from the summit last weekend.
Two hundred climbers are expected to make an attempt on the mountain this weekend, which is likely to be the last of this year's season.
What is it about Everest that keeps them coming?
"It is really quite simple - it's the biggest mountain in the world."
Dawa Steven Sherpa runs one of the companies that guides climbers on the mountain.
His words echo those of George Mallory, who summed up the allure of Everest before his fatal attempt to climb it in 1924: "Because it's there".
That phrase has been described as the three most famous words in mountaineering, and the challenge proves irresistible to hundreds of climbers every year.
"On the mountain itself, there are around 1,000 climbers at the moment - but it's a big mountain, and if you compare it with Mont Blanc, say, that's not very many", says Dawa Steven Sherpa, speaking to the BBC from Everest Base Camp.
"The problem is everyone wants to go to the summit on the same day at exactly the same time."
That is because climbers are keen to take advantage of perfect weather conditions, which could disappear at any moment and not reappear for months.
On 23 May 2010, for example, 169 climbers reached the summit in a single day - more than the total number who had conquered the mountain in the 30 years following the first ascent in 1953.
More than 3,000 climbers had reached the summit by the end of the 2010 climbing season.
"We now have more than 50 years' experience of climbing this mountain. We know where to put the ropes, where people should put their feet. It's become a lot easier over the years", says Dawa Steven Sherpa.
And this creates another problem - many of those testing themselves against Everest fail the test.
"I think some people do underestimate it," says Rhys Jones, who in 2006 became the youngest British person to reach the summit.
"There's a price tag on it, and they think, 'why wouldn't I be able to climb it? If I just pay enough, I'll be able to get up it'."
Dawa Steven Sherpa agrees: "Many people do overestimate their abilities. They can be very fit - marathon runners, ultra-marathon runners, iron-man competitors - but they don't understand altitude, and they underestimate the mountain."
For many purist mountaineers, the process of climbing Everest is becoming too commercial, too orchestrated and too reliant on external help.
Reinhold Messner was one of the first people to climb Everest without oxygen, in 1978.
"The route is prepared by hundreds of Sherpas. Extra oxygen is available in all camps, right up to the summit. People will cook for you and lay out your beds. Clients feel safe," he said in a newspaper interview.
But Rhys Jones feels Everest will always be special, and won't ever be "just a treadmill".
"Everyone is aware of the risks", he told the BBC. "They have all read the books, which tend to be about the disasters and the fatalities.
"But actually, risk is part of the attraction - it makes it more of a test, it gives you more to aim for." | The world's highest mountain has claimed four more lives but such tragedies make no dent in the increasing number of people attempting its ascent. | 18202550 |
The alleged hacker told the New York Post that he had found work-related files such as Mr Brennan's application for a top security clearance.
The CIA said investigations were under way, but did not confirm whether the hack happened.
The teenager making the claim has remained anonymous.
He was described by the New York Post newspaper as "a stoner high-school student" who was angry about US foreign policy.
His Twitter account included links to files which he said were Mr Brennan's contact list, a list of phone calls by a former CIA deputy director and other documents.
There was also a tweet with a list of names - including one claiming to be John Brennan - alongside telephone numbers, email addresses and social-security numbers.
A statement from the CIA said: "We are aware of the reports that have surfaced on social media and have referred the matter to the appropriate authorities."
The alleged hacker also claimed to have breached an email account belonging to Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson.
The use of private email by senior US officials has become a major issue in recent months, since it emerged that White House hopeful Hillary Clinton had done so while secretary of state. | US authorities are investigating reports that CIA Director John Brennan's personal email account has been hacked by a high-school student. | 34553337 |
Paul Drinkhall converted his fifth match point, after saving one, to beat Emmanuel Lebesson 15-13 8-11 9-11 11-9 13-11 in Kuala Lumpur.
"We came here as a promoted team," said Drinkhall, 26, "Our aim was to stay in the division, now we are in the semi-finals. It is just beyond belief."
England face Japan on Saturday in their first semi-final since 1983.
Drinkhall and his team-mates Liam Pitchford and Sam Walker were not born when England, who are the only European team left in the competition, last reached the last four.
France had beaten England 3-0 in the group stages but Pitchford won both his games against Lebesson and Simon Gauzy.
England only qualified for this year's championships by securing promotion from the second division at the last World Team Championships, held in Japan in 2014.
England are picking up vital ranking points in the race to qualify for the Rio Olympics.
China face South Korea in the other semi-final. | England sensationally defeated France 3-2 to reach the semi-finals of the World Team Championships. | 35731040 |
He said the crowd had reached the Washington monument as he spoke at the US Capitol, despite photographic evidence to the contrary.
Later, his White House press secretary said it had been "the largest audience to ever see an inauguration, period".
On Saturday, millions in the US and around the world protested against Mr Trump's new administration.
The largest US rally was in the capital Washington, which city officials estimated to be more than 500,000-strong. By most estimates, it surpassed the crowd at Friday's inauguration.
The aim was mainly to highlight women's rights, which activists believe to be under threat from the new administration.
Mr Trump did not mention the protests during a bridge-building visit to the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, on Saturday but instead turned on the press.
He accused the media of inventing a feud between him and the intelligence community and he called reporters "among the most dishonest human beings on earth".
Mr Trump said TV footage and photos of his inauguration had painted an inaccurate picture.
"It looked like a million and a half people" there on Friday, he said, rubbishing media reports that there were as few as 250,000 people.
He also said the crowd extended all the way back to the Washington Monument, although this claim is contradicted by aerial shots from the day.
Later, White House press secretary Sean Spicer berated reporters at a news conference over photographs that had shown large, empty spaces during the ceremony.
"This was the largest audience ever to witness an inauguration, period. Both in person and around the globe," he said in a fiery statement.
"These attempts to lessen the enthusiasm about the inauguration are shameful and wrong."
In addition to the photographic evidence, Washington's Metro system said trips were down on previous inaugurations. Marketing firm Nielsen said television views in the US were less than Barack Obama's and Ronald Reagan's first inaugurations.
Mr Spicer, who did not take questions, added: "There's been a lot of talk in the media about the responsibility to hold Donald Trump accountable, and I'm here to tell you it goes two ways. We're going to hold the press accountable as well."
Outgoing CIA chief John Brennan accused Mr Trump of "a despicable display of self-aggrandisement" over the statement at Langley.
"Former CIA Director Brennan is deeply saddened and angered at Donald Trump's despicable display of self-aggrandisement in front of CIA's Memorial Wall of agency heroes," his former deputy, Nick Shapiro, said in a statement carried by CNN.
"Brennan says that Trump should be ashamed of himself."
Last week, Mr Brennan called on Mr Trump to be more "disciplined" in what he said and warned him not to underestimate Russian intentions.
Mr Trump's visit had sought to mend relations with the intelligence community after weeks of doubting their conclusions about alleged Russian interference into the US election.
"I love you, I respect you," he said, adding that he was "1,000%" behind the spy agency.
Mr Trump said the media had invented a feud between them, although in a recent row over a leaked dossier that alleged the Kremlin held compromising material on him, he had likened the actions of intelligence agencies to Nazi Germany.
Mr Trump's election has divided opinion in the US and around the world.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, writing in Bild newspaper on Sunday, warned that the world was headed "for turbulent times."
"With the election of Donald Trump, the world of the 20th century has definitely been overtaken," he said. | President Donald Trump has accused the media of dishonestly reporting the size of the crowd at his inauguration. | 38707722 |
Alex Rowley was speaking as the party's UK leader, Jeremy Corbyn, sought to clarify his position on immigration.
Mr Corbyn is due to say in a speech that he is not "wedded to the idea" of free movement of people after Brexit.
But he has also stressed that he does not believe immigration to the UK is too high.
Mr Corbyn told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg that he was not proposing new restrictions on the rights of people to move to the UK.
Instead, he said he wanted an end to foreign workers being exploited in the UK under EU employment rules, which, he said, would "probably" cut numbers.
In his speech, Mr Corbyn was expected to say: "Labour is not wedded to freedom of movement for EU citizens as a point of principle...but I don't want that to be misinterpreted, nor do we rule it out."
He will add: "Labour supports fair rules and the reasonable management of migration as part of the post-Brexit relationship with the EU, while putting jobs and living standards first in the negotiations."
It came as Mr Rowley insisted economic migration had been "good for Scotland" as he launched Scottish Labour's "vision for local government" ahead of the council elections in May.
Mr Rowley told BBC Scotland: "We think there should be an honest discussion about Brexit, and how we move forward from here.
"We believe that people are concerned when they look at the difficulty they have in trying to access public services - but the answer to that is not to blame the free movement of labour, the answer is to invest in public services.
"So we're clear that economic migration has been good for Scotland, we need to be able to maintain the free movement of labour in Scotland and we need to invest in public services."
Mr Corbyn has also said he would like to see a cap on the maximum amount people can earn, arguing that it was indefensible for chief executives of some of the UK's largest companies to be earning 100 times what their employees were taking home.
Mr Rowley said the proposal was "interesting" and that a discussion on the issue "should not be dismissed".
He said the gap between high earners and those at the bottom of the pay scale had "grown incredibly over a period of years".
And he added: "What we're saying here is we would use the powers of the Scottish Parliament and those who earn more, pay more, that's the policy of the Scottish Labour Party."
The former leader of Fife council will head up Scottish Labour's council election campaign, which will be a key contest for the party after it slipped behind the Tories to become the third-largest party at Holyrood in 2016.
On Sunday, Theresa May told Sky News it would not be possible to hold on to "bits" of EU membership after Brexit, leading to widespread reporting that she was moving towards leaving the European single market, with restricting immigration a priority.
Scotland's first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, responded by claiming Mrs May has "no plan" for leaving the EU, and said the prime minister was prioritising "appeasing right-wing Brexiteers" over the UK's national interests.
Ms Sturgeon has suggested that a so-called soft Brexit - where the UK retains access to the single market - would see the prospect of Scottish independence "put aside" in the short term. | Scottish Labour's deputy leader has said it will be important not to restrict freedom of movement after the UK leaves the EU. | 38572026 |
However, pharmaceuticals companies slid following comments by President-elect Donald Trump that drugs companies were "getting away with murder".
The Dow Jones Industrial Average, was up 98.75 points at 19,954.28. The S&P 500 was up 6.42 points at 2,275.32.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq hit another record high at 5,563.65, up 11.86 3 points.
In his first formal news conference since his election last November Mr Trump said drugs companies were getting away with murder in what they charged the government for medicines.
He also said he had discussed making it easier to import cheaper drugs.
"When somebody that high profile says something that negative, people do not want to invest in it. They view the sector as uninvestible, and withdraw their money," Brad Loncar, manager of the Loncar Cancer Immunotherapy ETF.
The two biggest losers on the Dow were Pfizer, which lost 1.82% and Johnson and Johnson which shed 1.23%.
On the S&P 500 healthcare supplier Perrigo company dropped 6.9%, Mallinckrodt pharmaceuticals was down 6.16% and Bristol-Myers Squibb lost 5.3%. | (Close): The three key US stock indexes were all up on Wednesday boosted by rising energy and tech shares. | 38585810 |
The ruling party counted the cars a month after taking power following victory in December's elections.
After previous transfers of power, state-owned cars have been seized from officials who did not return them.
A minister in the former government said the implied allegation of wrongdoing by his colleagues was false.
Former Communication Minister Omane Boamah told the BBC's Thomas Naadi that this was "a convenient way for the new government to justify the purchase of new vehicles".
Africa Live: BBC News updates
Ghana's unstable Honourable House
Presidential spokesman Eugene Arhin told the press that officials could only find:
Ghanaian radio station Citi FM reported that the president has been "forced to use a 10-year-old BMW" as a result.
In making the statement Mr Arhin revealed the president's office was meant to have more than 300 cars but he did not divulge the purpose of these vehicles.
Nana Akufo-Addo from the the New Patriotic Party won the Ghanaian presidential election at the beginning of December, taking power from John Mahama, of the National Democratic Congress. | Ghana's new government is trying to track down more than 200 cars missing from the president's office, a government spokesman has said. | 38920928 |
And as a British exporting success, what it says on how to win in export markets should probably be heard more widely (and see more on this from my colleague Kamal Ahmed).
Which is why its view is so striking, that the UK should vote to leave the EU, unless the prime minister secures a reduction in EU red tape on British business.
Because there is no evidence that David Cameron has a UK opt-out from business red tape on his shopping list when he visits Berlin, Paris and Brussels.
According to senior members of the government, the big things he is looking for are:
The noises out of European capitals suggest it is moot whether he and his main negotiator, George Osborne, will get all or any of these - though it is also clear that no leader wants to bundle the UK towards the exit.
But there is no suggestion that Cameron and Osborne are looking for an opt-out for British business from EU regulatory requirements.
To be clear, the single-market voting protection they want is to prevent the eurozone discriminating against non-members of the euro such as the UK when determining the rules of EU markets.
But if the UK gets the kind of "double-majority" voting system for the single market that it secured at the end of 2012 for banking regulation, that is not a bulwark against red tape, just a protection against red tape that is perceived to be disproportionately harmful to euro "outs".
In fact, Osborne and Cameron might take the precise opposite view of JCB - that one reason to stay in the EU is to keep up the British fight against burdensome and over-the-top business rules,
And when I talk to German officials, the reason they normally cite for wishing and hoping that the UK doesn't take the one-way ferry out of the EU is that they don't want to lose the UK's liberal-market advocacy in EU debates.
Probably what matters more about JCB's intervention is the other point it makes, which is that - in its view - British exporters would cope perfectly well if the UK struck out on its own.
In other words, the rattle of JCB's machinery is music to UKIP and the sceptic wing of the Tories.
But it is headache-inducing cacophony for Cameron and Osborne - because they are acutely aware that very big international businesses based in Britain, some of them British, some foreign, take a view that is diametrically opposed to JCB.
For them, seamless access to EU customers - and those in countries where the EU has negotiated bilateral trade agreements - is one of the big reasons they are based in Britain and invest in Britain.
It is why when I asked the Bank of England's governor Mark Carney on Wednesday whether the uncertainty about Britain's future membership of the EU could on its own have a negative impact on our economy, he acknowledged that it could - in that there is a risk of an investment hiatus, pending the referendum result.
Perhaps what JCB's intervention shows more than anything else is that expectations of what Osborne and Cameron can and should try to achieve in their EU negotiations are all over the shop. | The views of JCB, one of the UK's biggest manufacturers, are widely seen to carry weight among ministers, because its owners, the Bamford family, are one of the Tory Party's top donors. | 32779476 |
The Imps missed a good early chance when Matt Rhead, having been fouled by Kai Edwards inside the area, saw his penalty saved by a diving Luke Coddington, low to his right.
Elliott Whitehouse, however, put the hosts ahead from a Nathan Arnold corner. The ball dropped to the midfielder, whose shot was deflected in by Hamza Bencherif.
However, they suffered a setback when Raggett was shown a straight red card for a foul on Rob Evans after just 27 minutes, forcing Imps boss Danny Cowley into an early change.
It handed Wrexham the initiative, but Lincoln kept their defensive shape for a full hour to prevent an equaliser and go top.
Report supplied by the Press Association.
Match ends, Lincoln City 1, Wrexham 0.
Second Half ends, Lincoln City 1, Wrexham 0.
Curtis Tilt (Wrexham) is shown the yellow card.
Substitution, Lincoln City. Jack Muldoon replaces Theo Robinson.
Substitution, Lincoln City. Alan Power replaces Matt Rhead.
Substitution, Wrexham. Callum Powell replaces John Rooney.
Substitution, Wrexham. Antony Barry replaces Kai Edwards.
Substitution, Wrexham. Jordan White replaces Gerry McDonagh.
Gerry McDonagh (Wrexham) is shown the yellow card.
Second Half begins Lincoln City 1, Wrexham 0.
First Half ends, Lincoln City 1, Wrexham 0.
Substitution, Lincoln City. Callum Howe replaces Terry Hawkridge.
Sean Raggett (Lincoln City) is shown the red card for violent conduct.
Hamza Bencherif (Wrexham) is shown the yellow card.
Luke Coddington (Wrexham) is shown the yellow card.
Goal! Lincoln City 1, Wrexham 0. Elliot Whitehouse (Lincoln City).
Kai Edwards (Wrexham) is shown the yellow card.
First Half begins.
Lineups are announced and players are warming up. | Sean Raggett was sent off as 10-man Lincoln battled to the top of the National League with victory over visitors Wrexham. | 38060224 |
Bernard Jordan, a former mayor of Hove, was honoured during a special meeting at Brighton Town Hall.
The 90-year-old sparked a police search last month when he left the care home unannounced to join fellow veterans.
He was called "a living legend" by the current mayor at the ceremony.
Brian Fitch said Mr Jordan's "recent exploits delighted the media, entertained the general public, worried his friends at The Pines and completely bemused his family".
"It's his mix of self-effacing bravery and humour, wisdom and warmth, experience and perspective that prompted me to nominate Bernie as honorary alderman," Mr Fitch added.
Mr Jordan, who lives at The Pines care home in Hove with his wife, disappeared the day before commemorations were due to take place.
Staff at his nursing home had tried to get him on to an accredited tour to Normandy with the Royal British Legion but it had not been possible to arrange.
Undeterred, the former navy officer decided he would go there anyway, sparking a police alert and throwing him into the media spotlight.
Asked why he travelled across to Normandy, Mr Jordan, said: "My thoughts were with my mates who had been killed.
"I was going across to pay my respects. I was a bit off course but I got there."
Brighton and Hove City Council said the honour was in "recognition of eminent past services" to Hove Borough Council.
Mr Jordan was a member of the council for 23 years and served as mayor from 1995 to 1996. | A World War Two veteran who disappeared from his nursing home to attend D-Day commemorations in France has been made an honorary alderman of Brighton and Hove. | 28343712 |
Police are looking into alleged irregularities with property transactions carried out on behalf of Michelle Thomson.
Ms Sturgeon said the matter deserved investigating.
Ms Thomson, who is MP for Edinburgh West, has denied any wrongdoing but has withdrawn from the party whip.
The first minister was asked by journalists at Holyrood to comment on the case.
Ms Sturgeon said she could not speak about Ms Thomson's business practices, adding that it was "not a situation she would have chosen to have".
The SNP leader said her party did not know about the allegations until they were revealed by The Sunday Times.
The police probe was prompted after property transactions in 2010 and 2011 led to solicitor Christopher Hales being struck off by the Law Society of Scotland.
It referred the case to the Crown Office, which has instructed the police investigation.
The BBC understands the initial inquiries will not involve Ms Thomson, who was the party's business spokeswoman at Westminster.
The 13 transactions that led to Mr Hales being struck off all involved Ms Thomson or M&F Property Solutions, a firm in which she was said to be a partner of.
After a hearing in May 2014, the Scottish Solicitors' Discipline Tribunal said Mr Hales failed to provide mortgage companies with key information used to prevent fraud and must have been aware that there was a possibility he was facilitating mortgage fraud, whether or not it occurred.
The Law Society said it first raised the case "informally" with the Crown Office in December last year but then made a formal referral in July 2015.
In a statement released on Tuesday evening, Ms Thomson said she would "cooperate fully" with the police inquiry if she was required to do so.
She added: "I have always acted within the law and look forward to being cleared of any wrong doing.
"I have this afternoon decided to withdraw from the party whip whilst an investigation takes place.
"Once the investigation is concluded I look forward to returning to play a full role in party activities."
Her withdrawal from the whip means she is no longer a member of the parliamentary party and will not speak for the SNP on business issues at Westminster.
An SNP spokesman said, in line with party rules, her SNP membership had also been suspended.
Ms Thomson was a leading figure in the pro-independence group Business for Scotland before she was elected an MP in May. | Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the first she knew about claims surrounding an SNP MP was when she read them in a Sunday newspaper. | 34405503 |
Anthony Pilkington's excellent curling strike and a header from debutant Frederic Gounongbe gave the dominant visitors a 2-0 half-time lead.
Cardiff made 11 substitutions after an hour and Tom James nodded in from Craig Noone's free-kick.
Kenneth Zohore then seized on a goalkeeping error to complete the rout.
The most useful exercise for recently-appointed Cardiff boss Trollope was arguably the switch to a 5-3-2 formation which had proved so successful for Wales during their run to the semi-finals of Euro 2016.
Trollope has been a part of the Welsh coaching set-up since July 2015, and his Bluebirds players adapted to the system with ease as they monopolised possession and scoring opportunities in an utterly one-sided encounter. | Cardiff City impressed in a new formation under head coach Paul Trollope as they coasted to an easy pre-season friendly win at Shrewsbury. | 36815564 |
Jose Juan Escalonilla said the bus could not move until the slogans, including "if you are born a man, you are a man", were removed.
The bus belongs to Catholic group, Hazte Oir, which had planned to take it on a nationwide tour of Spanish cities.
The public prosecutor is investigating whether it is a possible hate crime.
Other messages on the side of the bus state "boys have penises, girls have vulvas. Do not be fooled" and "if you are a woman, you will continue to be one".
Mr Escalonilla did not find the bus went as far as being a hate crime.
However, he said he believed the bus was an "act of contempt" meant to "injure" the dignity of people of a different sexual orientation, according to Spanish newspaper El Pais.
The bus is believed to be a response to posters put up in northern Spain by a transgender rights group, which read: "There are girls with penises and boys with vulvas. It's as simple as that."
The vehicle was impounded after it was spotted in Madrid on Monday.
Though the outrage centres on its message, the bus has technically been ordered off the roads for breaching municipal rules on outdoor advertising.
Councilman for Security Javier Barbero said on Tuesday that police had halted "the bus of shame".
Ignacio Arsuaga, the president of Hazte Oir, which translates as "Make yourself heard", argued that the group had a right to protest against "laws of sexual indoctrination" and had the right to freedom of speech.
The group argued Madrid City Council's "kidnap" of the bus was "clearly illegal".
Mr Arsuaga claimed the slogan on the bus stated only "a fact of biology that is studied in schools".
The group told the BBC on Wednesday it was not expecting to meet so much opposition.
Mr Arsuaga said: "We are going to appeal this unjust decision and file a criminal case against the extreme-left Madrid mayor."
Hazte Oir intends to visit nine Spanish cities over two or three weeks, and is looking at getting a second bus. | A judge has backed Madrid's decision to force a bright orange bus emblazoned with an anti-transgender message off its roads. | 39139750 |
The line between Reading and London Paddington will be closed on 27 and 28 December for engineering works.
The hourly services will be diverted via Banbury and Oxford ending at London Marylebone which is two stops away from Paddington on the Underground.
As usual, there will be no train services on Christmas and Boxing Days. | Rail passengers face journeys of up to 90 minutes longer if they are travelling between south Wales and London over the festive period. | 34696575 |
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt said the deal brokered by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday was "not enough".
Qatar's government "cannot be trusted", they added, citing previous agreements.
The four have accused the emirate of supporting terrorist groups across the region. It has denied any wrongdoing.
Qatar was presented with a list of demands two weeks ago that included shutting down the Al Jazeera news network, closing a Turkish military base, cutting ties with the Muslim Brotherhood and downgrading relations with Iran.
But after receiving what they called a "negative" response last week, the four states said they would take further "political, economic and legal measures".
Mr Tillerson flew to Doha on Tuesday to sign a memo of understanding between the US and Qatar on terrorism financing that was proposed when President Donald Trump attended the Arab Islamic American Summit in the Saudi capital in May.
"The agreement which we both have signed on behalf of our governments represents weeks of intensive discussions between experts and reinvigorates the spirit of the Riyadh summit," Mr Tillerson told a joint news conference with his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani.
"The memorandum lays out a series of steps that each country will take in coming months and years to interrupt and disable terror financing flows and intensify counter-terrorism activities globally," he added.
Sheikh Mohammed said Qatar was the first country in the region to sign such an agreement with the US and called on the "siege" nations to follow suit.
Qatar has acknowledged providing assistance to Islamist groups designated as terrorist organisations by some of its neighbours, notably the Muslim Brotherhood and the Hamas movement. But it has denied aiding militant groups linked to al-Qaeda or so-called Islamic State.
Later on Tuesday, the Saudi-led bloc issued a joint statement saying that while it appreciated US efforts to combat terrorism, more needed to be done.
"It must be stressed that this step is not enough and the four countries will closely watch how serious the Qatari authorities are in their fight against all forms of funding, supporting and embracing terrorism," the statement said.
The Qatari authorities needed to do show their "seriousness in getting back to the natural and right path" and "comprehensively implement the just demands" of its neighbours, it added.
Mr Tillerson, who has said the demands must be "reasonable and actionable" and called for "constructive dialogue", held talks on Wednesday with the foreign ministers of the four states in the Saudi port city of Jeddah. | The four Arab states leading a boycott of Qatar say it will continue despite a deal between Washington and Doha to combat the financing of terrorism. | 40580536 |
The two Jordanians were working for a furniture firm and entered the embassy before the shooting, police say.
Few details have been revealed and what sparked the shooting is unclear.
Security forces have sealed off the embassy with the Israeli authorities evacuating staff.
The shooting happened in a residential building used by the Israeli embassy, Jordanian police say.
The three people were hospitalised, with one of the Jordanians dying from bullet wounds, according to a statement. It said investigations were still in their "initial phases".
Israeli authorities are not commenting on the incident and have imposed reporting restrictions.
The heavily protected embassy is located in the Rabiyeh neighbourhood, an affluent part of Amman.
On Friday, thousands of Jordanians protested in Amman against Israel over the installation of metal detectors at a site sacred to both Muslims and Jews in East Jerusalem.
Jordan, which occupied East Jerusalem from 1949 to 1967, is the custodian of the site, which is known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif and Jews as the Temple Mount.
Tensions between Israelis and Palestinians over the site have surged in recent days in response to the metal detectors, which were put in place following the killing of two Israeli policemen.
Security cameras have now also been installed at a gateway leading to the site. | A Jordanian man has been killed, and an Israeli and another Jordanian wounded in a shooting incident at the Israeli embassy in Jordan's capital Amman. | 40700467 |
Media playback is not supported on this device
The Hammers had early chances but an unmarked Enner Valencia misjudged a header and Pedro Obiang volleyed wide.
Randolph twice blocked powerful Joao Teixeira efforts and also saved shots from Cameron Brannagan, Joe Allen and Christian Benteke.
But neither side could score and they will meet again in a replay in London.
Relive Liverpool's draw with West Ham as it happened.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp played a youthful side in the third-round match and subsequent replay against Exeter, but included a mixture of first-team players and youngsters for the visit of the Hammers.
Goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, 27, was the oldest player in the Reds' starting line-up, which also included four players - Brad Smith, Cameron Brannagan, Kevin Stewart and Joao Teixeira - who had never started a Premier League match.
This was the ninth game that Liverpool had played in January, and they desperately did not want another match, but that is exactly what they got.
It means their schedule in February will now include at least seven matches, including the League Cup final, two Europa League matches, three Premier League games and one, maybe two, FA Cup ties.
Nevertheless, Klopp will feel his side should have won. A poor touch when only six yards out to waste a chance summed up another ineffective performance from an out-of-form Christian Benteke.
Liverpool were the better team in the second half and created numerous chances, but stand-in captain Allen shot harmlessly over, and Brannagan, Teixeira and Benteke had shots saved by Randolph.
Generally, they were very impressive. Brannagan, 19, who consistently impressed with his set-piece delivery, nearly opened the scoring with a powerful shot from 20 yards out, but goalkeeper Randolph did well to push the ball around the post.
Brad Smith, 21, produced an energetic performance at left-back, often getting forward to help his side's attacks, while handling the threat from the quick Victor Moses with maturity.
Kevin Stewart, 22, a tough-tackling central midfielder, worked hard, making six tackles and two interceptions, and 23-year-old Joao Teixeira, playing on the left side of Liverpool's front three, was twice denied by a diving Randolph.
Three-time winners West Ham were aiming to reach the fifth round of the FA Cup for the fourth time in the last eight seasons - and will have been buoyed when they saw the Liverpool line-up.
They themselves made five changes, although fielded a team rich in Premier League experience apart from Randolph, who played because regular goalkeeper Adrian was back in his native Spain for family reasons.
Yet the Hammers could not take full advantage. They kept trying to utilise Victor Moses' pace against Brad Smith down the right wing, but the defender often came out on top before Moses was withdrawn midway through the second half.
Slaven Bilic will argue that West Ham should have had a penalty, when Steven Caulker appeared to handle in the penalty area, but the Hammers took 50 minutes to have their solitary shot on target.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said: "We had the bigger chances, but now we have to play again. West Ham have good quality in their team and play well in the league. We tried everything - you need a bit of luck.
"I was pleased with the whole team. Steven Caulker played for the first time in his position in defence and did well, but I cannot fault anyone, they tried and gave all. We played much better than we did at West Ham [in the league], but we didn't score so it is not over.
"The players we changed had the day off today so hopefully nothing happened to them."
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic said: "They had a few moments, we had a few moments. They were better in the second half - they could run more and were better at winning the second balls so it is a great result for us.
"We lacked that kind of quality we normally have in the last third of the pitch, so overall I am happy with the result.
"When you make two subs in the first half your hands are tied in the second half. It limited our options and we had to wait to make a third substitution. Kouyate should be OK for Tuesday hopefully."
Asked if they should have had a penalty for a Steven Caulker handball, Bilic said: "I didn't see the replays so I can't comment. I shouted a few times, they shouted a few times, the crowd shouted a few times, but that is part of the game."
Both teams are next in Premier League action on Tuesday. Liverpool travel to Premier League leaders Leicester City, while West Ham welcome the division's bottom team Aston Villa to Upton Park.
Match ends, Liverpool 0, West Ham United 0.
Second Half ends, Liverpool 0, West Ham United 0.
José Enrique (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Michail Antonio (West Ham United).
Foul by Christian Benteke (Liverpool).
Angelo Ogbonna (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Liverpool. José Enrique replaces João Teixeira.
Brad Smith (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Pedro Obiang (West Ham United).
Jerome Sinclair (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Pedro Obiang (West Ham United).
Corner, West Ham United. Conceded by Steven Caulker.
Attempt blocked. Michail Antonio (West Ham United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Dimitri Payet.
Substitution, Liverpool. Jerome Sinclair replaces Cameron Brannagan.
Attempt missed. Kevin Stewart (Liverpool) right footed shot from the left side of the box is high and wide to the right following a set piece situation.
João Teixeira (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Winston Reid (West Ham United).
Attempt missed. Joey O'Brien (West Ham United) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Dimitri Payet.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match João Teixeira (Liverpool) because of an injury.
Substitution, Liverpool. Sheyi Ojo replaces Jordon Ibe.
Attempt missed. Kevin Stewart (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Nathaniel Clyne.
Attempt saved. Christian Benteke (Liverpool) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Attempt saved. Joe Allen (Liverpool) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Attempt saved. Christian Benteke (Liverpool) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Jordon Ibe with a through ball.
Attempt saved. João Teixeira (Liverpool) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Jordon Ibe.
Substitution, West Ham United. Michail Antonio replaces Victor Moses.
Foul by Nikica Jelavic (West Ham United).
Simon Mignolet (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Christian Benteke (Liverpool) left footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Kevin Stewart following a set piece situation.
Attempt missed. Kevin Stewart (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left following a set piece situation.
Foul by Enner Valencia (West Ham United).
Kevin Stewart (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt missed. Brad Smith (Liverpool) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by João Teixeira.
Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Darren Randolph.
Attempt saved. João Teixeira (Liverpool) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Brad Smith.
Offside, West Ham United. Dimitri Payet tries a through ball, but Aaron Cresswell is caught offside.
Alexandre Song (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by João Teixeira (Liverpool).
Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Angelo Ogbonna. | An inexperienced Liverpool side were frustrated by West Ham goalkeeper Darren Randolph as their FA Cup fourth-round tie ended in a goalless draw. | 35389201 |
Currently, secondary schools can choose from textbooks published by eight different publishing companies.
However, the government says that from 2017, all secondary schools must only use history textbooks issued by the state.
The move has sparked fierce criticism from academics and opposition parties.
The government has argued that current history textbooks are too left-leaning and encourage anti-American and pro-North Korea feelings, the BBC's Kevin Kim in Seoul reports.
The new textbook, which will be called The Correct Textbook of History, will be written by a government-appointed panel of history teachers and academics.
Opposition politicians and some academics have protested against the move, accusing the government of "distorting history".
A student group also held a rally on Saturday, telling the Korea Times: "Such a textbook will allow the government to interfere with the interpretation and teaching of history... This infringes on the independence and political neutrality of education guaranteed by the Constitution."
Hwang Woo-yea, chairman of the ruling Saenuri Party, said in September that the government-issued textbooks would be "neutral" and that the change was necessary because "students and their parents are discontented with the current textbooks", Yonhap news agency reported.
History is a frequently contested issue in East Asia - often fuelling territorial disputes and diplomatic rifts in the region, including in China and Japan, our correspondent says. | South Korea's government has announced controversial plans to control the history textbooks used in secondary schools. | 34504142 |
The plans, which have yet to be officially unveiled, follow similar plans to make company boards liable if staff facilitate tax evasion.
Prime Minister Theresa May has vowed to end "boardroom excess" and make tackling corporate crime a key focus.
Downing Street said the government would announce its bill in due course.
A new criminal finance bill will extend legislation and make employers responsible for preventing money-laundering, false accounting and fraud, The Times newspaper reports.
It comes after a recent speech by the attorney general Jeremy Wright QC who suggested the government would consult on extending the planned law on tax evasion, announced earlier this year.
Speaking at a symposium in Cambridge, he is reported as saying: "When considering the question 'where does the buck stop?' and who is responsible for economic crime, it is clear the answer is to be found at every level, from the boardroom down."
He said companies facing prosecution would be more likely to "take the actions necessary to discourage such offending in the first place".
It follows claims that while individuals were convicted over the Libor rigging scandal, UK authorities lacked the powers to act against institutions.
David Green, director of the Serious Fraud Office, said while banker Tom Hayes was the first person to be convicted for Libor fixing his employers were only held to account for his actions in a US court, where the law makes a prosecution easier.
Six former City money brokers who were cleared of helping to rig the lending rate claimed they had been made scapegoats for the scandal and any questions about the affair should have been put to senior bosses. | Company bosses could be prosecuted for failing to stop their staff committing fraud under new laws being considered by ministers. | 37335744 |
This is one of the several corruption allegations engulfing Fifa, whose president, Sepp Blatter, has just announced he will be resigning.
If it was a bribe, it appears to have been a breathtakingly elegant, deniable one - performed both in broad daylight and years late.
In recent days I have been talking, mostly off-the-record, to some senior figures here in South Africa - including one at the heart of the alleged corruption.
As you would expect, the denials have come thick, fast and indignant.
"Everything was above board. There is no story," said Roland Williams, a spokesman for Danny Jordaan, who led the 2004 team that bid for the tournament.
South African officials have confirmed that $10m due to them from Fifa was, in effect, handed back to the football's world governing body with a note in 2008 that it should be given, instead, to the Diaspora Legacy Programme, to be "administered and implemented directly" by Jack Warner, president of Concacaf.
"What he or anyone else in the Caribbean did with the money subsequently is nothing to do with us. Our hands are clean," said one source.
Besides "that's just not how corruption works in Fifa - it's done pocket to pocket, in dark corners", said another well-placed official.
If the idea that South Africa's government might willingly forgo $10m, in order to help the "African diaspora", sounds suspicious to some jaded ears, remember that, at that time, then-President Thabo Mbeki was a staunch proponent of exactly this sort of philosophy.
South Africa's whole pitch for the tournament was based around the notion of 2010 being "Africa's World Cup" and in Mr Mbeki's eyes that was not just a geographical concept.
Indeed a 2011 interview has emerged in which Mr Mbeki, said that "by African we don't just mean... the continent, but we also mean the African diaspora.
"As a result of that it was then agreed that... funds that would be made available for the hosting of the World Cup in South Africa... other funds would also be made available in Trinidad and Tobago to develop soccer in the Caribbean."
Does that mean South Africa is off the hook?
Not yet.
We still know nothing, for starters, about the earlier Paris hotel room incident where, the FBI alleges, tens of thousands of dollars were handed over in a suitcase by a South African official to someone representing Mr Warner, who has denied all the US allegations.
We may learn a little more at a news conference on Wednesday in Johannesburg hosted by the Minister of Sports Fikile Mbalula.
One of his aides described it as an opportunity for the media "to drop your bombs on us".
In the meantime, a few other questions spring to mind.
Why has South Africa's Football Association (Safa) taken such pains to insist that "neither the [Fifa] Secretary General Jerome Valcke nor any other member of Fifa's senior management were involved in the initiation, approval and implementation of the Diaspora project," when a letter from Safa dated 2008 regarding the $10m donation is clearly addressed to Mr Valcke himself?
A minor bureaucratic detail or an attempt to protect someone senior? Mr Valcke, who denies any involvement in the scandal, is not under indictment and prosecutors have not accused him of wrongdoing.
When will we learn the identities of the FBI's South African co-conspirators #15 and #16?
What evidence - beyond the allegations of co-conspirator #1 who "understood the offer" to be a bribe - does the FBI have to show the South African government intended the $10m gift to be a corrupt payment to Mr Warner?
If you have other questions for South Africa's minister of sport, please tweet them to me @BBCAndrewH. | So did South Africa really pay a $10m (£6.5m) dollar bribe to make sure they won the right to host the 2010 World Cup? | 32985032 |
Has Slovakia, a small country that has clearly benefited from EU membership, suddenly become a nation of Eurosceptics?
Have Slovaks fallen out of love with the euro, less than three years after they became only the second former communist country (after Slovenia) to adopt it? Is Slovakia deaf to the calls of the financial and political world that the bailout fund must be bolstered to inoculate the eurozone from Greek contagion?
Not exactly. Enthusiasm for EU and euro membership is dampened, but it is still there. And Slovaks are as fully aware of the stakes as anyone else in Europe.
The answer lies in Slovakia's complex political landscape.
There are 150 MPs in the Slovak Parliament, known as the National Council, a squat concrete building that lurks behind the imposing edifice of Bratislava Castle. The majority of them - government and opposition alike - support beefing up the EFSF. So why did it fail?
It has been a difficult sell from the outset. Many in Prime Minister Iveta Radicova's four-party centre-right governing coalition expressed deep misgivings when the eurozone agreed in July to increase the EFSF to 440bn euros (£380bn) and give it new powers, including the ability to buy sovereign debt on secondary markets.
Gradually, as, one by one, the rest of the eurozone countries ratified the proposals and the debt crisis deepened, most of the Slovak coalition came around - except Richard Sulik, leader of the neo-liberal Freedom and Solidarity party, and his 21 MPs.
"There's a lot of talk at the moment about solidarity, that Slovakia must show solidarity with other countries," Mr Sulik told foreign journalists last week.
"The average pension in Slovakia is less than 400 euros (£350). The average pension in Greece is 1,400 euros (£1,200) - three, four times higher," Mr Sulik said.
"It's impossible to explain to a Slovak pensioner that he or she has to contribute - in the form of higher VAT for example - towards Greek pensions. Or towards Italian MPs' salaries, the highest MPs' salaries in Europe," he added.
"That's not solidarity. That's a perverse concept of solidarity," he explained.
That, in a nutshell, is the argument of those like Richard Sulik who oppose bolstering the bailout fund. Better to let Greece go bankrupt, he says, expressing a sentiment that many - although not most - Slovaks share.
Observers assumed, and Brussels hoped, that Mr Sulik would crumble under the weight of European pressure. He did not. Compromises - from both sides - were offered and rejected, although few were realistic. Mr Sulik stood his ground: no bailout.
Some placed their hopes in Robert Fico, former prime minister and leader of the leftist opposition, who is known to support the EFSF.
Changes to the bailout fund, the EFSF, include:
But Mr Fico sensed an opportunity to wound and perhaps bring down the government, hastening early elections he is likely to win. His party, Smer, would abstain from the vote. At least this vote.
All of a sudden, Slovakia began appearing on the front pages of the world's newspapers.
Foreign news channels began booking parking space in front of the parliament. Satellite vans began lumbering up the steep hill to the castle.
Analysts began looking beyond Tuesday's vote, to a second attempt.
Indeed, what will happen next?
A second vote will probably be held within days, a week at most. With Mr Ficos's support, that vote is likely to succeed.
With the EFSF ratified, the satellite dishes will be retracted, the generators silenced, laptops snapped closed. The world's media will hitch their wagons and move on, perhaps to Brussels, and the next euro crisis summit.
Slovakia - "the little big country" as it styles itself to tourists - will return to obscurity. Early elections will be planned.
Richard Sulik will be left to contemplate his future. And Slovakia will go down in history as the last eurozone country to ratify the bailout fund, and the first one to lose a government over it. | The rejection by the Slovak parliament of proposals to bolster the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF), designed to protect weaker economies in the eurozone from the sovereign debt crisis, plunges Slovakia into turmoil, reports the BBC's Rob Cameron. | 15266300 |
The procession, which included floats, pipe bands and dancers, set off at 12:00 GMT in the Digbeth area of the city.
Last year, more than 80,000 people turned out to celebrate the occasion.
The parade, which has passed through Digbeth since 1996, is regarded as the third largest in the world after those in New York and Dublin.
This year's celebrations have been taking place on the actual date of St Patrick's Day and have the theme of The Gathering, which organisers say is about encouraging people of Irish descent to visit the county, town and or village of their ancestry.
Pat Murphy-Wright, cultural development officer for the charity Irish in Birmingham, said: "The parade is about people embracing their roots and helps to teach children at local schools about their cultural background."
John Lines, the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, told BBC News the celebrations were going really well.
He said: "The weather looks fine and everyone's smiling. Such wonderful costumes - people must have spent all year preparing for this.
"Aren't we lucky in Birmingham?" | Tens of thousands of people have lined the streets of Birmingham for the annual St Patrick's day parade. | 21820893 |
The biggest riser was the giant mining group Anglo American, up 18p at 849p.
The biggest faller was the house builder Taylor Wimpey, whose shares fell 7p to 147p.
Shares in airline group IAG, which owns BA and Iberia, dropped despite Qatar Airways raising its stake in the company from just under 16% to 20%.
Shares in IAG were down 5p at 401p, a drop of just over 1% on the day.
Qatar Airways' move saw it take advantage of the recent fall in IAG's share price.
IAG's share price has dropped by a quarter since the UK's referendum vote to leave the EU.
The fall in the value of the pound has also made UK assets cheaper for buyers from abroad.
Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar al-Baker said: "The recent market valuation of one of the world's leading airline groups has provided what we believe is an attractive opportunity to increase our shareholding in IAG."
"We continue to be highly supportive of IAG's strategy and management team and we do not intend to increase our percentage shareholding further, unless there are material changes to the current situation."
Oil shares dropped with Shell down by 3% and BP down 2%. Among the banks, both Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays shares fell back, closing 1.7% and 2% lower respectively.
On the foreign exchanges, the pound fell after a survey suggested that activity in the manufacturing sector contracted sharply last month.
Sterling was 0.2% lower against the dollar at $1.32 and fell 0.2% against the euro to €1.186. | (Close): Shares on the London stock exchange fell back slightly on Monday and the 100 share index closed down 30 points at 6,694 - a fall of just 0.45%. | 36939731 |
The Sinn Féin leader's brother, Liam Adams, was convicted in 2013 of raping and abusing his own daughter, Aine Dahlstrom, in the 1970s.
She has waived her right to anonymity.
Mr Adams confronted his brother in 2000, who confirmed that he had abused Ms Dahlstrom. However, Gerry Adams did not report it to the police until 2007.
He made the report shortly after his party voted to accept the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).
When Ms Dahlstrom's case came to court, a decision was made to use Gerry Adams as a witness in the case.
Following Liam Adam's conviction, Northern Ireland's Attorney General John Larkin was asked to investigate the decision-making process employed by the Public Prosecution Service (PPS).
Mr Larkin made two recommendations, the first of which is procedural.
However, he found that further inquiry ought to have been made about how much Gerry Adams knew about the abuse, and the allegations of serious offences such as rape.
The PPS has re-interviewed the rape victim in the case, who has indicated that she does not want to pursue the matter.
There will be no prosecution for withholding information. | A decision not to prosecute Gerry Adams for allegedly withholding evidence about his rapist brother was correct, a review has concluded. | 33065655 |
Between five or ten athletes are expected to make up the final team.
They will use the Olympic flag and the Olympic anthem instead of their own countries flag or national anthem.
Athletes have been able to take part in the Olympic games under the banner of the Olympic flag and have been classed as independent athletes in the past.
Rio 2016 will be the first time that refugees, who have fled their home countries, will be able to compete in this way.
International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said: "By welcoming the team of refugee Olympic athletes to the Olympic Games Rio 2016, we want to send a message of hope for all refugees in our world.
"Having no national team to belong to, having no flag to march behind, having no national anthem to be played, these refugee athletes will be welcomed to the Olympic Games with the Olympic flag and with the Olympic anthem." | A team of refugees will be allowed to compete at the Olympics in Rio, in Brazil, under the Olympic flag. | 35724130 |
Users of BBC services can already create an online account - known as a BBC ID - but this is not currently required in order to access iPlayer.
From Tuesday, BBC ID holders also have to add a postcode to their account.
TV Licensing has access to the information but the BBC says it has no current plans to use it for enforcement purposes.
The corporation says the changes are part of an attempt to make its services more personal and localised.
Anyone watching BBC programmes via iPlayer has been required to have a TV licence since the start of this month.
A BBC ID - which allows users to personalise BBC content such as online news - currently requires only an email address and password, though anyone wishing to comment on stories must also provide a date of birth.
About seven million accounts already exist, the BBC said.
By David Sillito, BBC media correspondent
Coming less than a month after the extension of the licence fee to the iPlayer, it's hard not to see this as just a way of encouraging people to pay up.
The inclusion of a postcode as part of the new compulsory sign-up information certainly suggests it could be a way of alerting TV licensing to homes that currently don't have a licence but are watching the iPlayer.
The BBC says the information won't be used for enforcement - but adds it may be in the future.
The personalisation argument has some weight. With young people watching less and less "live" TV, the key to ensuring they are even aware of what is on offer is to find out who's watching, track their tastes and try to tempt them with programmes that reflect their age and where they live.
All broadcasters want to know more about their audience, especially the harder-to-reach younger viewers.
The rule change earlier this month closed the so-called iPlayer loophole.
Previously, a TV licence was only necessary for viewers watching live television, allowing iPlayer users who only watched programmes after they had been broadcast to avoid paying the £145.50 annual fee.
The BBC has said "significant numbers of new people" have bought a licence since the new rules came into effect.
BBC director of radio Helen Boaden said the move was not connected to changes to the supposed loophole, but was "about giving you a better BBC".
She added: "We will keep our processes under review to make sure they are effective. The government has asked us to review whether a verification system for accessing the iPlayer will be required in the future."
Tony Hall, BBC director general, said: "By learning about what you want and like we can take you to more of the great programmes you love, stories you might be interested in and content you might otherwise never have discovered.
"This is a real transformation - reinventing public service broadcasting for the digital age."
Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or if you have a story suggestion email [email protected]. | All users of the BBC's iPlayer service will have to log in with a personal account from early 2017. | 37477229 |
Florida Senator Marco Rubio landed some jabs on Mr Trump during Thursday night's debate, and the two of them continued their verbal assaults the next day.
Mr Rubio appeared on morning shows and then at Texas rallies to describe the billionaire businessman as, among other things, a "con-artist" who was hijacking the Republican party.
His rival, who has won three states and is the clear favourite to be the Republican nominee, hit back by calling the senator "low-life".
There were also some unexpected forms of mockery. Here's a selection.
Mr Trump ridiculed Mr Rubio for applying make-up backstage at the debate, saying it looked like he put it on with a trowel. He even suggested he needs make-up to cover up his ears.
Mr Rubio said he saw Mr Trump applying makeup backstage, as well, because he had a "sweat moustache" he needed to cover up.
People have been ridiculing Marco Rubio for his love of drinking water ever since he paused for a sip during his State of the Union response speech in 2013 on national television.
During his remarks in Texas on Friday, Mr Trump did an extended impression of Mr Rubio gasping for air.
He tossed a water bottle, sprayed the crowd with it and said "It's Rubio!"
Mr Trump poked fun at Mr Rubio's sweating habits, calling him a "nervous basket case" who perspires more than anyone he had ever seen.
"It's disgusting," he said. "We need somebody that doesn't have whatever it is that he's got."
Mr Rubio ridiculed Mr Trump for a series of misspelled tweets, which he later deleted. He misspelled "choker", "lightweight" and "honour".
He said the only way to explain the tweets is "that's how they spell at the Wharton School of Business," at the University of Pennsylvania, where Mr Trump attended, or "he must have hired a foreign worker to do his own tweets".
Mr Rubio said that backstage at the debate, Mr Trump requested a full-length mirror, presumably, "to make sure his pants weren't wet".
"He called me Mr Meltdown. Let me tell you something, last night in the debate, during one of the breaks - two of the breaks - he went backstage, he was having a meltdown," said Mr Rubio. | It's been an extraordinary 24 hours in the poisonous relationship between Republican presidential candidates Marco Rubio and Donald Trump. | 35674780 |
The handwritten notes, carried by an aide to Conservative MP Mark Field, included "what's the model? Have your cake and eat it" and "unlikely" in reference to the EU single market.
They were photographed after Mr Field and his aide left a meeting with the Brexit department at 9 Downing Street.
The government said the notes did not reflect its Brexit position.
"These individual notes do not belong to a government official or a special adviser. They do not reflect the government's position in relation to Brexit negotiations," a spokesman said.
The notes, held by Mr Field's chief of staff Julia Dockerill, were captured on a long-lens camera by photographer Steve Back.
"Difficult on article 50 implementation - Barnier wants to see what deal looks like first," they note, in an apparent reference to the lead EU negotiator Michel Barnier.
"Got to be done in parallel - 20 odd negotiations. Keep the two years. Won't provide more detail. We think it's unlikely we'll be offered single market," they also say.
Among the reaction from other EU members, Luxembourg PM Xavier Bettel said of the UK stance: "They want to have their cake, eat it, and get a smile from the baker, but not the other things... there are European values which cannot be separated. No cherry-picking."
The BBC's assistant political editor Norman Smith says the government's response, playing down the picture's significance, underlines just how "awkward" it is, because it does seem to be of a view held "within" the Brexit department.
"The real damage is that phrase 'what is the model? Have cake and eat it.' The damage is the way that will be read by other EU countries," he says.
It is not known who Mr Field - a vice-chairman of the Conservative Party and MP for the Cities of London and Westminster - was meeting, or if the page of scribbled notes being carried by his aide is definitely an account of talks at the department handling Britain's departure from the EU.
The notes appear to suggest that a transitional arrangement - which would allow the UK continued access to the single market after Brexit while it negotiates a new trade deal - is also unlikely.
"Transitional - loath to do it. Whitehall will hold onto it. We need to bring an end to negotiations," the paper reads.
The government's private Brexit planning has created a public vacuum, into which inky handwritten scrawls from an MP's assistant are easily drawn.
The notes are suggestive of a position broadly similar to what's become known as a "hard" Brexit - out of the single market, a deal for specific sectors (tougher to get for services than manufacturing), and a deal done in two years (no transitional agreement to cushion the changes).
And having the cake while wanting to eat it too - reflective of Boris Johnson's famous phrase meaning the desire to have free trade without accepting imposed immigration, or freedom of movement.
But one huge caveat: We don't know whose view - or views - are reflected in these notes. It is clear there are significant differences of opinion on Brexit strategy across government - not least between the EU exit department and the Treasury... and in the vacuum we don't know who will win the debate.
The document also says it is "unlikely" the UK will remain in the single market, and that a transitional arrangement, immediately after Brexit, will not happen either.
It says a deal on manufacturing should be "relatively straightforward", but one on services will be "harder" to achieve.
And in what appears to be a reference to the negotiating team the government will encounter in Brussels, the document says: "Very French. Need fair process guaranteed."
The government has refused to reveal details of its Brexit negotiation strategy in advance, saying it will not offer a "running commentary".
Debate has focused on the level of access the UK could secure to the single market, and whether this would come at the price of greater immigration controls.
For Labour, shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer called for the Government "to come clean, to end this unnecessary uncertainty and publish a clear plan for Brexit".
"These disclosures are significant because they suggest that the Government is not even going to fight for the single market or customs union in the negotiations. If that is the case, there are huge implications for the economy, for businesses and for jobs in the UK," he said.
Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said: "If this is a strategy it is incoherent. We can't have our cake and eat it and there is no certainty on the single market. This picture shows the Government doesn't have a plan or even a clue." | The government has distanced itself from a page of Brexit notes caught on camera in Westminster. | 38134859 |
Subsets and Splits
No saved queries yet
Save your SQL queries to embed, download, and access them later. Queries will appear here once saved.