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Sweden's prime minister said it was "a disaster", Swedish media reported.
Reports say that confidential data about military personnel, along with defence plans and witness protection details, were exposed by the Transport Agency.
They were visible to workers without security clearance during the transfer.
Last month, the agency's former director general Maria Agren, who left her role in January, was fined 70,000 Swedish krona (£6,500, $8,500).
There is no suggestion that IBM Sweden, the outsourced company with which the data was shared, was in the wrong - and the tech giant declined to comment.
Operations to ensure that only security-cleared staff have access to the data will be completed by the autumn, the Transport Agency said in a statement (link in Swedish).
It explained that Ms Agren had "decided to abstain" from the National Security Act, the Personal Data Act and the Publicity and Privacy Act when dealing with the outsourcing.
The agency declined to elaborate on the confidential data it holds but said it did not have a register of military pilots, airports or aircraft.
However said it did have information about people with "protected identities" - but added that they should not be worried.
"We have no indications indicating that data was disseminated improperly, so we do not see any direct cause for concern," it said.
All of the data remained housed in Sweden, it said.
"I take this seriously and action has been taken," said the agency's new director general Jonas Bjelfvenstam.
"Obviously, we as an authority must comply with the laws, regulations and security requirements that apply in our area of activity. We are doing everything we can to avoid such a situation in the future."
Rick Falkvinge, head of privacy at Private Internet Access and a founder of the Pirate Party, wrote in a blog that he believed it demonstrated that governments were not reliable guardians of data.
"Let's be clear: if a common mortal had leaked this data through this kind of negligence, the penalty would be life in prison," he said. | The Swedish government has admitted to a huge data leak made by one of its own departments during an IT outsourcing procedure in 2015. | 40705473 |
The Cardiff University study found levels last year were broadly the same as in 2014. Previously, numbers had dropped each year since 2008.
But the study found there was an 8% rise in victims over the age of 50.
The survey collected data from A&E departments, minor injury units and walk-in centres.
Last month the Home Office launched a crime reduction strategy which it said would make the most of new technology.
An estimated 210,000 people attended hospital emergency departments for injuries as a result of violence last year.
According to the survey it was the first year since 2008 that there was "no real change" in the figures, after successive annual falls.
Prof Jonathan Shepherd, director of the Violence Research Group at Cardiff University, said: "After successive annual falls in overall levels of violence in England and Wales, this is the first time since 2008 violence in England and Wales serious enough to result in hospital treatment shows no real change.
"This finding is also consistent with the latest report from the Crime Survey for England and Wales, which also found that rates of violent incidents were no different in the year ending September 2015, compared with the previous 12 months.
"It is possible that the long steady decline in violence in England and Wales has come to an end."
The researchers said one possible reason was that local authorities and police were spending less money on monitoring in real time footage from CCTV cameras which it is thought can help prevent violent incidents from escalating. | A long-term decline in violence in England and Wales seems to have levelled off, a study of data from 91 accident and emergency units suggests. | 36088234 |
It is one of very few manuscripts from the head of the team that cracked the Germans' Enigma code.
The handwritten notes, dating from 1942 when he worked at Bletchley Park, were entrusted to mathematician Robin Gandy after Turing's death.
The notebook was sold at Bonhams for $1,025,000 (£700,850) to an unnamed buyer.
BBC iWonder – Timeline of Alan Turing’s life
Mr Gandy deposited Turing's papers at the Archive Centre at King's College in Cambridge in 1977.
But Mr Gandy retained the 56-page notebook because of a deeply personal message written in the blank centre pages of the notebook which he wanted to keep private.
The notes remained hidden among personal effects until after his death.
Scholar Andrew Hodges, said: "Alan Turing was parsimonious with his words and everything from his pen has special value.
"This notebook shines extra light on how, even when he was enmeshed in great world events, he remained committed to free-thinking work in pure mathematics."
Turing killed himself in 1954 after hormone treatment to "cure" his homosexuality which he was undergoing as an alternative to imprisonment.
The story of his life was told in the 2014 Oscar-winning film The Imitation Game. | A scientific notebook compiled by World War Two codebreaker Alan Turing has sold for $1m in New York. | 32294655 |
Jay Whiston was 17 years old when he was murdered by Edward Redman in Colchester in 2012.
Jay's mother Caroline Shearer, of Clacton, became an active campaigner on the dangers of knife crime after her son's death.
She said she had decided to stand as an independent for the Clacton seat, which has been held by Douglas Carswell.
LIVE: For more on this and other Essex stories
In her message on Facebook, Mrs Shearer said: "I've gone and done it.
"I will now be intending to stand for Independent MP for Clacton and Tendring.
"I'm not interested in what other parties have done. It is about what we can do.
"I've created a charity to help reduce crime in the community. That's been my life since my son died.
"I'm now prepared to hand that all over so I can help people."
She said she wanted to try and solve the various problems in the Tendring area of north east Essex.
Former major UKIP donor Mr Banks admitted earlier this week knowing "nothing" about Clacton despite announcing he would be standing for election there. He has not confirmed which party he will stand for.
Following his announcement, the incumbent Mr Carswell, an independent who previously represented UKIP and the Conservatives, said he would not be seeking re-election. | The mother of a murdered teenager has announced she will be standing against Arron Banks in the General Election. | 39672433 |
BMW, Daimler, Ford and Volkswagen Group, including Audi and Porsche, say they will build 400 charging sites.
The plug-in points will provide ultra-fast charging for cars along major roads.
Tesla cars will not be able to use the charge points as they use different systems.
The network will be based on combined charging system standard technology. Drivers will be able to top up using plugs charging at a speed of 350 kW, which is considerably faster than the current market leader.
A statement from the car companies said their goal was the quick build-up of a sizeable number of stations in order to enable long-range travel for battery electric vehicle drivers.
"This is fantastic news, exactly what the industry needs," said Ben Lane, director of Zap-Map, an app which plots where electric-car owners can charge their cars in the UK.
"As batteries get bigger, the time needed to charge them is longer so more rapid chargers on the roads is a good thing."
Work on the network is expected to begin in 2017.
If there were no petrol stations, would you buy a petrol-powered car? Of course not. Daft question.
But that is precisely the problem carmakers are facing in their efforts to bring electric cars into the mainstream market. Put simply, the infrastructure needed to recharge electric cars quickly and easily is lacking. That makes planning long journeys a logistical nightmare.
It's a chicken-and-egg situation. Few people are likely to replace their conventional cars with electric ones until the charging infrastructure exists. But why would you bother to build an expensive charging network when it has no cars to service.
So the move that has been announced by BMW, Daimler, VW Group and Ford is a very logical one. They can pool their resources and build a network which they can all use. Once the charging infrastructure is up and running, more people will be tempted to buy electric vehicles.
All four manufacturers are investing heavily in the development of electric cars - to see off the twin threats of ever tighter exhaust emissions regulations and the giants of Silicon Valley potentially moving on to their patch.
But can electric vehicles (EVs) ever be as practical as conventional cars? Tesla has shown with its supercharger network that fast charging is possible. It now takes about 40 minutes to bring a Model S up to 80% of a full charge. It wants to bring down the charging time further, to between five and 10 minutes.
If the four carmakers can achieve something similar - and provide a sufficiently large charging network - then EVs still won't be quite as convenient as "normal" cars - but they won't be a million miles off either. | Several large car firms are working together to create a high-powered, electric-vehicle-charging network across Europe. | 38147478 |
The victim, in her 20s, was dragged into bushes and found near recycling bins after being assaulted in Victoria Park on Monday night, police said.
She remains in a critical condition in hospital.
The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at Leicester Youth Court and was remanded in custody.
He will appear again at Leicester Crown Court on 21 July. | A 17-year-old boy has been charged with attempted murder, robbery and two counts of rape after a woman was attacked in a park in Leicester. | 40529081 |
Five rescue helicopters were sent to the scene, 2,900m (9.500ft) above sea level in the Zillertal Alps.
The climbers were roped together when one of them slipped, pulling the rest of the group with him, police said.
They fell 200m (650ft) down a slope before landing in a crevasse. Only one survived, and was flown to hospital in Salzburg, about 80km (50 miles) away.
Officials say the climbers were below the Mannlkarscharte pass near Krimml, in an area where a heightened risk of rockslides made recovery of the bodies more difficult.
"We think a rope may have come loose," said Anton Voithofer, head of the Red Cross rescue team.
Three of those who died were over 60 years old. The climber who was seriously injured is in his 70s.
The names and nationalities of the victims have not been released at this stage.
The accident is believed to be the deadliest so far this season in the Austrian Alps, where several dozen mountaineers die annually.
In a separate accident, three Italian climbers are believed to have died on a glacier in the Ademello Brenta Park near Trento, in the Italian Alps.
Two of them perished after falling into a crevasse. The Associated Press reports that a third was rescued but died later.
They were climbing as a group of nine mountaineers roped together, and their six companions all sustained injuries.
On Saturday, an Italian climber died after he was hit by rocks in the Valtellina valley near the Swiss border. | Five German climbers were killed and another climber was seriously injured after an accident in the Austrian Alps. | 41067598 |
Where the Boks were big, strong and predictable, Fiji - who won sevens gold as rugby union returned to the Olympics in Rio this summer - are as explosive, creative and off-the-cuff as you get in Test rugby.
They love to throw it around and offload out of contact but the likes of Leone Nakarawa, who won gold in Rio, will not get nearly the same kind of time and space they did in the sevens.
The 6ft 7in second row and his colleagues will probably still produce some moments of magic, but Saturday's game will be a very different kettle of fish to their Rio romp.
Fiji may be a very different side to South Africa but they still present a very physical challenge.
They are one of the most skilful rugby nations in the world but they are also big, big men, second behind only the Tongans in size.
Trying to tackle them can be a nightmare. If you go high you can get bounced off, but if you go low they've got a high-quality offloading game.
They also anticipate what is going to come off more than any other team and more often than not there is someone there to take the pass, no matter how unexpected it might seem.
When you play the likes of South Africa and they give it to one of their big blokes, you know he's going to run straight at you.
But against Fiji there are five or six thoughts going through your head when they've got the ball because these guys can produce all manner of offloads, if they haven't skinned you first.
The key is to hunt in pairs - one goes high, the other low - because you can't afford to let them have a one-one-one because they are quick, powerful and have great footwork.
More so than any other national team they want to play an expansive, loose game, so you have to impose your game-plan and play smart rugby. Its a case of worrying about yourselves first and foremost, and the Fijians second.
During the week, England head coach Eddie Jones has talked about boring them to death.
England have an exciting style of rugby but Fiji want you to play a high-paced game, so you have to ensure everything is done on your terms.
That means if you want a set-piece battle - historically Fiji have not had the best scrum, for example - you'll go to it. However, like any team they will be aware of their weaker areas and will no doubt put in loads of work.
But teams will also practise different scenarios so you've got the ability to match them in other areas - it's crucial to have a couple of game plans.
Fiji are always full of surprises.
I would expect them to try to keep things away from the set-piece, so look for quick-tap penalties as they try to get one-on-ones for their big, quick, power runners.
The biggest and quickest of those is the world class winger Nemani Nadolo, who now plays for Montpellier in France having starred in Super Rugby for the Christchurch-based Crusaders.
He also played four games for Exeter - I'm almost disappointed he's not tearing up the Premiership, but then I remember I'd have to tackle him. Well try to tackle him.
I've played against him a few times and he's a devastating player - such size, speed, footwork and skill is some package. And he can kick goals too…
They also have Olympic sevens gold medallist Nakarawa in the second row - his off-loading game is something special.
Go low on him and he offloads, go high and you can knock over and he'll just reach around the back to give the pass.
Fiji have so many powerful guys that the first 20 minutes are always a case of venturing into the unknown. You need to settle the game down, deal with the initial enthusiasm and physical endeavour, and get yourselves in the game. First-up tackles and discipline will be key.
Every team will have their defensive leaders, guys who will set the mood and who live and breathe defence, but it's up to all 15 England players to go out and defend on Saturday.
Fiji will try to do the unexpected. Expect cheeky pick-ups at the breakdown and players going through the middle of the breakdown - you can see Nakarawa doing just that for Racing 92 to score his first try for the French champions on YouTube.
The biggest tackle I was ever on the receiving end of came from Sam Tuitupou when I was playing for Wasps against Worcester.
He's not that big but boy can he hit. He must be made of concrete. It also helps that he loves smoking people. You can see it in his face. He will go hunting for big hits.
I was flat out, on the way to score,, and he came out of my blind-spot and smashed me sideways, knocking the ball out of my hands in the process. I was a little winded and wondered where he had come from. I also thought 'I wish I had been good at another non-contact sport'.
Later I watched it with one of the old England coaches, who told me: "You can give a bit more there, hold onto the ball."
I was just looking at him like 'are you kidding me? Keep hold of the ball'? I was completely ended. The only way I could have held onto the ball was if it was strapped to me like a car roof rack.
Some wags might suggest the biggest tackle was by the post I ran into in Cardiff in the win over Wales in 2015. It was certainly effective at stopping me. I still get heat for that every day. I still maintain there was not much I could do.
The biggest I ever dished out was a huge hit against Jordan Crane playing for Wasps against Leicester. And no, it's not the late one you can see on the internet, this one was perfectly timed. It was a clean dump tackle.
The one on David Pocock in the second-Test win over Australia this summer was also quite satisfying, I have to admit.
Mind you, I once lined up scrum-half Niko Matawalu, who is on the bench for Fiji on Saturday, and he stepped one way, then stepped the other, and ran right round me, leaving me clutching at thin air. Embarrassing to say the least.
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Listen: Fiji players getting £400 is farcical - Dawson
There's also been talk of Ben Ryan, who coached them to Olympic sevens gold, looking to get a Super Rugby team for Fiji, and I think it would be amazing as they have such unbelievable players scattered across the world.
So many clubs have players from the Pacific Islands and they're often the best players within those teams.
The game is growing so rapidly around the world, and China recently announced a $100m, 10-year investment in the sport by Alisports in partnership with the Chinese rugby authorities.
I think it will be amazing if China develops the game.
They have more than a billion people and you can see by what they do in the Olympics that if you distil that talent and get the country behind it, something impressive could occur.
I will be interested to see what happens. I've never been to China but in a few years, once Eddie Jones and Dai Young have retired me, maybe I'll have a look at the Beijing Dragons.
There is money coming into the sport but I don't think the game's values are being compromised.
I was saying just the other day that we are still the most accessible sport and the only one where - from club to international level - fans have total access to players.
I love interacting with fans but there has to be a balance. Someone grabbing you in a headlock for a selfie is not always great, and the other day at Twickenham someone was gesturing for me to come over and sign something when I was on air. They then look disappointed. I always stop for everyone, but sometimes it's not possible.
I was pointing at the headphones to suggest I was literally on television but he kept going. Generally the fans are great though and I think that relationship between players and fans is still one of the best things about rugby. Social media has broken down those barriers even more. It's just important to understand that not everything you see or read is real.
England will win. I just think that with the structure they have it will give them the edge.
They will try to meet fire with fire in defence but will worry about themselves and have the game plan in place to secure victory.
There was some disappointment after last week because there were certain things that didn't go well in the win over South Africa, and Eddie and his coaching staff will have been tough on the players this week because he aspires to excellence. .
The players will also have wanted to crank things up. The environment is such that it's so competitive, everyone wants to work hard and improve.
Fiji will produce those individual moments but hopefully England will close them down and not allow them time on the ball to produce those sevens skills.
I know England have silky skills of their own.
Whatever happens, the neutral or die-hard rugby fan will enjoy a great spectacle.
Hopefully it will be a cracker.
James Haskell was speaking to BBC Sport's James Standley.
For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter. | England welcome Fiji to Twickenham on Saturday and they are polar opposites of last weekend's opponents South Africa. | 38020623 |
Rebels fired rocket launchers on an army post in Hakkari province just after midnight, NTV in Turkey said.
Military jets are pursuing them and bombing their escape routes, NTV said.
The interior minister says at least 115 rebels have been killed in a large-scale military offensive in the area in the last two weeks.
Idris Naim Sahin said the offensive close to Semdinli town - also in Hakkari province - was ongoing and that troops were taking steps to prevent rebels fleeing into northern Iraq.
The offensive is one of the biggest in years, with NTV reporting that about 2,000 troops are involved.
Several thousand Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) rebels are believed to be based in hideouts in northern Iraq.
According to the governor for Hakkari province, Orhan Alimoglu, six soldiers, two village guards and 11 Kurdish rebels were killed in the attack near the village of Gecimili.
He said 15 soldiers were injured in the incident.
The number of clashes between the PKK and the Turkish armed forces has risen in south-east Turkey over the past year.
A series of clashes in June left dozens dead.
The PKK is classified as a terrorist organisation by the EU and the US.
It launched a guerrilla campaign in 1984 for an ethnic homeland in the Kurdish heartland in the south-east of Turkey.
It has now dropped its claim to an independent Kurdish state, but says it is fighting for autonomy and the cultural rights of the Kurdish people. | At least 19 people have died in south-east Turkey after Kurdish rebels launched an attack on a Turkish border post, according to local media. | 19134339 |
However, Mr Kogan will only revive the firm's online retail business, not its physical stores.
Dick Smith, which employs about 2,500 staff in Australia and New Zealand, went into receivership in January.
No details were available about the future of the retailer's staff, a Kogan.com spokesperson told the BBC.
Dick Smith Holdings has some 360 stores across Australia and New Zealand and receivers Ferrier Hodgson said there would be "a transition period" during the closure of its bricks and mortar network .
Kogan.com, Australia's biggest online-only retailer, will operate the new online business from 1 June 2016. It did not disclose how much it paid for the company.
Receivers Ferrier Hodgson said last month that Dick Smith Holdings owed 390m Australian dollars ($271m; £187m) to creditors.
The founder and chief executive of Kogan.com said he was "thrilled" to be able to keep the Dick Smith brand alive and to keep it "Aussie owned and run".
"I remember as a kid always visiting Dick Smith to look for parts to upgrade my computer," Mr Kogan said.
"There is a strong history of passion in the Dick Smith community for how technology can improve our lives, and we look forward to helping make it more affordable and accessible for all."
The receivers said they had received "a significant number of expressions of interest" for the business, including from local and overseas buyers, but that that none of the bids had been acceptable.
"The offers were either significantly below liquidation values or highly conditional or both," said Ferrier Hodgson's James Stewart.
Several big brand names in Australia, such as Harvey Norman, had said they were not interested in buying any parts of Dick Smith.
The electronics giant was founded in 1968 by entrepreneur Dick Smith - who was at the time a young electronics technician. He started the company as a car radio installation business in Sydney.
It was later taken over by Australian supermarket giant Woolworths, which expanded the company quickly.
Anchorage Capital Partners then bought the firm in 2012 and it was listed in Australia in December 2013. Its shares were halted from trade earlier this year. | The brand behind struggling Australian electronics retailer Dick Smith has been scooped up by online retail entrepreneur Ruslan Kogan. | 35808863 |
The 2014 Ryder Cup winner says he has been troubled by the problem since last May, when he was forced to pull out of the PGA Championship at Wentworth.
Gallacher will have his arm in a sling for 10 days.
The 41-year-old, who is 47th in the 2016 Ryder Cup qualifying standings, hopes to return to action in the Spanish Open at Valderrama in April.
Gallacher said the injury had hindered him "on the course, on the practice range and also in the gym". | Stephen Gallacher will be out of action for about a month after having an operation on a hand injury. | 35802123 |
John Stones, Raheem Sterling and Brahim Diaz scored as City dominated last season's Premier League runners-up.
"OK, it is pre-season, but we didn't have a performance last season of that quality and intensity," Guardiola said.
City beat Real Madrid and lost to Manchester United in their other two International Champions Cup games.
Spurs' only win in the competition came against Paris St-Germain, with Saturday's defeat adding to a loss against Roma.
"They have invested more money than us and you can see we have a lot of young players on the bench," said Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino, who is yet to add to his squad this summer.
"We are a little bit behind but we are working hard to try to sign players that will help us, bring us some new energy and make our team more competitive."
Spurs fell behind when Stones nodded in Kevin de Bruyne's deflected free-kick after 10 minutes in Nashville, USA.
Gabriel Jesus missed an open goal and Sergio Aguero twice hit the post, before City increased their lead with 17 minutes remaining when Sterling scampered clear to slide a low shot past Michel Vorm.
Spanish 17-year-old Diaz added a third in stoppage time after two shots had been blocked.
One feature of City's performance was the display of goalkeeper Ederson, who arrived from Benfica for £35m in June.
The Brazilian looked uncomfortable on his debut against Manchester United, but excelled against Real and made a series of fine saves against Spurs.
Furthermore, his ability to send goal-kicks into the opposition penalty area also caught the eye of former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss Guardiola.
"When I was at Bayern, I played a Champions League game against Benfica and we saw it four or five times," said the Spaniard.
"You cannot be offside so it creates a chance and we can have more space in the middle."
Guardiola has signed six players already this summer and further changes to his squad are expected before the 31 August transfer deadline.
He remains interested in Monaco's 18-year-old France striker Kylian Mbappe and Arsenal and Chile forward Alexis Sanchez, and he also wants another central defender.
Players will leave, too. Strikers Wilfried Bony and Kelechi Iheanacho have both been left at home in anticipation of moves, with Guardiola confirming he expects the latter to join Leicester.
Midfielder Samir Nasri impressed against Tottenham, with his manager praising the 30-year-old's "unbelievable ability" and "special quality" - but the former France international's future still remains unclear.
"He knows the situation, we have a lot of midfielders. That's a decision he has to take with his agent," said Guardiola when asked about the former Arsenal playmaker's chances of staying. | Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says the display in Saturday's 3-0 friendly win over Tottenham was better than any his side produced last season. | 40767442 |
Williams was playing for the first time since last September and scored in the 11th minute and had a hand another try.
The Wales international was substituted after 52 minutes to save him for next week's Pro12 showdown with Munster.
"I didn't expect him to go that well to be honest with you. If anything I thought he over-achieved," said Pivac.
"I thought he played very very well first game back.
"His decision making, the timing of the pass just to hold the defenders and put guys away - that's class.
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"I guess it would have put a smile on [Wales coach] Warren Gatland's face with the summer tour just around the corner."
Wales play a three-test series against New Zealand in June.
Williams suffered knee ligament damage in Wales' 2015 World Cup pool win over England at Twickenham.
The match against Dragons was the centre's first of the season for Scarlets, who could yet claim a place in the Pro12 play-offs.
If they beat Munster in Thomond Park next week and Ulster lose at Ospreys, Scarlets will clinch fourth place.
Williams said he wanted to get "a good week training" before the match in Munster after a pleasing return.
"It was better than I thought," he said.
"It's great to be back - it's been a long time and I'm just happy to be back with the boys.
"But it was tiring and I thought I might not make it to half time."
Asked about his Wales tour prospects, Williams said he was just concerned with the Scarlets' remaining match.
"Those things are out of my hands," he added. | Coach Wayne Pivac praised Scarlets centre Scott Williams after his try-scoring return in the 34-20 Pro 12 win over Dragons on Judgement Day IV. | 36180200 |
Less than two years ago Turkey was a major player in Central and South Asia.
Turkish diplomats were mediating peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government and between India and Pakistan.
Turkey was creating a new regional co-operation over Afghanistan through its Istanbul process, while shoring up the resolve of the five Central Asian republics and making sure they did not all fall into the hands of Russia.
It was even mediating internal political disputes in Pakistan between the government and the opposition. Everyone it seemed trusted Turkey.
Then suddenly it all stopped.
Turkey disappeared from the world stage and became enmeshed in multiple political problems of its own.
Most importantly for the region, Ankara did nothing to stop foreign fighters crossing its border and joining the Islamic State (IS) group, which was wrecking havoc in Iraq and Syria and rapidly spreading its tentacles to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia.
Turkey's disappearance and then its apparent connivance in allowing IS fighters through its borders caused enormous consternation in the Central Asia region, because these countries were seeing hundreds of their youth joining up with IS every month.
Afghanistan became a virtual free for all, with Iran forcing Shia Hazara youth to fight for President Bashar al-Assad, while other mullahs recruited Pashtuns and Tajiks to fight for IS.
Meanwhile, China began to play a major role in the region - pursuing the same goals as Turkey - but more methodically, such as brokering peace between the Taliban and Kabul and between India and Pakistan and finally giving full membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to India and Pakistan.
Now at long last Turkey may be back as a key regional player.
In the last few days it has re-established its military presence in the Middle East by doing a much awaited U-turn against the IS.
It has promised to stop infiltration of foreign fighters through Turkey, crack down on IS cells and pledge to play a leadership role against IS in the entire region.
Only Turkey has the half a million strong army, NATO-level fire power and equipment and the will to take on IS and put boots on the ground to do it.
IS now represents, ''a national security threat to Turkey'' a senior official in Ankara told the New York Times recently.
All this is music to the ears of governments in South and Central Asia who are looking for a natural leader like Turkey to help forge a common strategy against IS.
The US is seen in the region as a retreating power, as it pulls out from Afghanistan and ceases to play any major role in mediating an end to conflicts either in Afghanistan or between India and Pakistan.
Moreover, there is little competition between Turkey, China and the US, as all want to achieve the same goals.
All these governments are deeply worried at the infiltration of IS into their countries. Afghanistan is already seeing an intense power play with young Taliban deserting their leaders and joining IS.
In Pakistan there is a race amongst some groups to declare themselves the leaders of the IS movement, even though, in reality IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has not anointed any such leader or group.
In Central Asia IS has penetrated the top echelons of government, with the desertion to IS of Colonel Gulmuod Khalimov, the commander of Tajikistan's Special Forces.
Even though these countries are facing similar threats from IS, al-Qaeda and the Taliban, there is no common strategy and only a minimum of military and intelligence co-operation.
This is where Turkey, which is well trusted by these states, could play a major role.
Turkey's Istanbul process, which aims to bring all the countries of the region together, could now enhance its role to bring about a joint military strategy to combat IS.
The next summit meeting of its members is due to take place in Islamabad in December.
IS has always been much clearer about its intentions.
It has always wanted to drag Turkey into the regional conflict zone, so that its Islamist government could be exposed as being pro-Western.
IS has also wanted to undermine Turkish power in the region and attack the seat of the last caliphate - the Ottomans - who ruled Turkey for half a millennium, so that IS can install its own caliphate.
IS has established cells in Turkey, one of which carried out the provocative suicide attack on 20 July that killed 32 and wounded 100 people in the border town of Suruc.
Turks held massive demonstrations demanding the state protect the people - a factor that led to the Turkish U-turn.
Now Turkey will bomb IS positions in Syria and those of Turkish Kurds.
It has allowed US fighter bombers to use its Incirlik air base in southern Turkey to bomb IS targets - hugely shortening the flying time for US aircraft.
Turkey's involvement could tilt the battlefield against IS and certainly contain the foreign recruits trying to join it.
All these reasons are why the leaders of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia have welcomed Turkey's return to playing a role against IS in the Middle East region.
They are hoping it can help coordinate their multiple wars against IS into one seamless strategy, which will effectively combat this latest menace to stability in the region.
Ahmed Rashid is a Pakistani journalist and author based in Lahore. | Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrives in Pakistan on Saturday for a meeting with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, as Ankara repositions itself as a key player in the region, writes author and journalist Ahmed Rashid. | 33736027 |
A gay couple popular in Poland, Jakub and Dawid, mime to George Michael songs, in a YouTube video promoted with the Twitter hashtag #Polandwakeup.
George Michael, who died in December, was "the greatest gay artist of our time", the LGBT activists said.
Poland's nationalist government, close to the Catholic Church, has been accused of restricting gay rights.
Jakub and Dawid plan to get married in June - but same-sex unions are illegal in Poland, so they will go to Portugal for the ceremony.
The campaigners said the video was aimed at an international audience, in the hope that "it might force the government to make at least civil unions legal".
A European Parliament resolution in 2007 condemned homophobia in Europe, including "the emerging climate of racist, xenophobic and homophobic intolerance in Poland".
It spoke of an anti-LGBT agenda in the Polish education system, and urged the Polish authorities to stop "public leaders inciting discrimination and hatred based on sexual orientation".
Among the Polish gay celebrities backing the George Michael video project were: dancer and singer Wiktor Korszla, vloggers Piotr Sokolowski and Pawel Dworak, hairdresser Tomasz Bozek, campaigners Marek and Jedrzej Idziak-Sepkowski and drag queens Charlotte Drag Queer and Aldona Relax. | Gay celebrities in Poland have turned to the late singer George Michael in a campaign against Polish homophobia. | 39935970 |
The facility is expected to open later this year at Dunscore Church in the village where Jane Haining was born.
It will feature photographs, documents and other personal effects.
The scheme is being part-funded by a £106,400 grant awarded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and Historic Environment Scotland (HES).
Ms Haining died in Auschwitz in 1944 at the age of 47.
She is the only Scot to be officially honoured at the Yad Vashem memorial in Israel for giving her life to help protect Jews during the Holocaust.
A copy of her handwritten last will and testament, which was found in the Church of Scotland offices in Edinburgh last year, is expected to go on display in the new centre.
The development has been welcomed by Rev Ian Alexander, secretary of the World Mission Council of the Church of Scotland.
He said: "This is an exciting development for the Dunscore congregation.
"The heritage centre will include information on the life of Jane Haining, a woman who was simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary, and will highlight how her life in the church, the village and the community shaped her, and prepared her for her future work.
"The life of faith weaves itself through the whole history of the village, and having a warm and welcoming church will offer opportunity for people to be transformed today and also go out and change the world."
The heritage centre will also focus on the history of Dunscore Church - the current building dates back to 1823 - and the village.
A memorial cairn for Ms Haining, who was the matron at the Scottish Mission School in Budapest before her death, already stands near Dunscore Church. | A new heritage centre is to be opened celebrating the life of a Scots missionary who died in the Auschwitz concentration camp. | 38532538 |
Anthony Martial created Jesse Lingard's first-half opener for United with a brilliant piece of skill on the left.
Casemiro levelled for Real from the penalty spot after United's new £31m defender Victor Lindelof brought down Theo Hernandez with a rash challenge.
Seven out of 10 penalties were missed in the shootout, with Casemiro's wild effort ensuring United edged it 2-1.
It was not a great night for Lindelof, who compounded his error during the game with a miss from the spot.
Another negative for United was Ander Herrera lasting only six minutes before going off with a hip injury.
They have now won all four of their matches in the United States and meet Barcelona in their final tour game in Washington on Wednesday.
Wales forward Gareth Bale started for Real in their first pre-season game.
They play Manchester City in Los Angeles on Wednesday before meeting Barcelona in Miami on Saturday.
Much of the noise around France forward Martial this summer has centred around him potentially being used as bait to lure Ivan Perisic to Manchester United from Inter Milan.
Considering Martial is 21 - seven years younger than Croatia winger Perisic - it would seem a strange move for United manager Jose Mourinho to agree to.
But Martial has had a largely inconsistent two years at Old Trafford and former United defender Gary Neville said in January the player needed to "realise his potential".
Watching him weave past Luka Modric and Dani Carvajal, then roll a pass to Lingard for United's opener as Raphael Varane closed in, it was easy to see why Mourinho's predecessor, Louis van Gaal, sanctioned his £36m transfer two years ago.
Those are the sparks Martial must show more often.
It says a lot about midfielder Modric that, despite being one of the quiet men at Real Madrid, he has been given the number 10 shirt this season following the departure of James Rodriguez to Bayern Munich.
There is more than one way to make a noise though.
Modric does not pout or posture. He simply plays, simply.
He seems to see passes half a second before anyone else. And then he delivers them, accurately.
The former Tottenham player was only involved for 45 minutes at the Levi's Stadium, but on three occasions he found team-mates with passes which, if they had been a bit sharper, they might have profited from.
Ronald McDonald walked out with the teams prior to kick-off. It felt like he was taking part during a shambolic penalty shootout.
Martial set the tone by blazing the first kick way over. After two penalties each, the score was 0-0.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan finally scored for United, only for Lindelof to miss with their next kick.
Real were even worse. Only Quezada scored for them, meaning United won when Casemiro blasted against the bar after Daley Blind's unconvincing effort had given the Premier League side the advantage.
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho: "It was a good training session. A very good first half against a top Real side. In the second half we lost motivation, intensity and appetite to play against their youngsters. My players in the second half were disappointed not to play against their best players.
"We have one injury to Ander Herrera, I don't know how he is but it has to be painful to come off so soon.
"Three out of 10 penalties - that's pre-season. I didn't choose my best penalty takers." | Manchester United beat Real Madrid on penalties after their pre-season game finished 1-1 in Santa Clara. | 40700516 |
Pictures show the damage caused by burglars in order to get access to Hatton Garden Safe Deposit Ltd in central London.
In the vault, discarded safety deposit boxes, power tools, including an angle grinder, and concrete drills and crowbars can be seen
No arrests have been made.
The image shows the hole made using a heavy duty drill, model hilti DD350. It measured 50cm deep, 25cm high, 45cm wide and 89cm tall.
Police said there was no sign of forced entry to the outside of the building. Burglars disabled the communal lift on the second floor, then used the lift shaft to climb down into the basement.
They forced open shutter doors into the basement and bored holes into the vault wall.
All but six of those thought to have been victims of the crime have been contacted, the force said.
It added an appeal will be broadcast on Crimewatch on BBC One on Thursday. | Images of the hole drilled by thieves into the vault at a Hatton Garden safe deposit company over Easter have been released by the Met Police. | 32414531 |
Fast bowler Kemar Roach took 5-43 as Essex declared midway through the final day on 185-9.
Opener Kraigg Brathwaite (3) fell cheaply and a first-ball duck for Kyle Hope left the Windies on 15-2.
However, Roston Chase (50 not out) and Shai Hope (46) steadied the innings before both sides shook hands.
The tourists begin their three-Test series against England at Edgbaston on 17 August. | West Indies drew their rain-affected tour match against Essex as they began preparations for their Test series against England. | 40817479 |
There's good and bad news. And on several fronts.
Diesel is today selling in some supermarket forecourts at less than £1 per litre. Nice if you use diesel.
Not so great if you produce it, or if you want to curtail burning of it for environmental reasons.
Industry analyst Douglas-Westwood has today warned that the backlog of work in subsea operations worldwide has disguised the falling away of orders.
It forecasts a 15% drop in the next year in sub-sea installations.
With budgets slashed, offshore discoveries last year were down 60% on 2013 and 45% down on 2014.
That looks bad, but it's a bust that could lead to a boom. If replacement reserves are not being discovered, there's a reasonable chance of a shortage of output a few years away, pushing prices up again.
Recent assumptions have been that a significant rise in world oil prices has not been expected until towards the end of this year. The word is that it's "lower for longer".
But then, you should expect the unexpected. One of the uncertainties around supply of oil is political tension around the Persian Gulf.
It doesn't take much of a threat to the Straits of Hormuz, between Iran and its Sunni neighbours, to make the market nervous.
With Saudi Arabia and Iran in a serious diplomatic tiff, that threat of disruption explains why oil prices have risen with the first day of 2016 trading.
At one point, it was up 4% at nearly $39, counter to the sharp downward plunge of stock markets.
[Note, 24 hours later: that boost to the price has been lost in subsequent trading. Brent crude has fallen back below $37 per barrel.]
We have also heard today that production in the UK offshore sector is well ahead of expectations.
It was thought that output would rise during 2015, but only a little, ending a 15-year decline from the North Sea peak, more recently steeper than anticipated.
It was clear that a bumper series of investments in new fields were sure to raise output of oil and gas, against the trend of declining output from older fields.
The drive to cut costs means non-essential maintenance may also have been postponed, meaning that production could continue.
So now, Oil & Gas UK, the trade body, is predicting the full year of 2015 is going to be at least 7% up on 2014.
UK government statistics for January to October show oil up 10.6% and gas by 6.1%. November and December rarely change that picture.
We're yet to hear of the long-delayed first gas from the Laggan-Tormore field, west of Shetland, but when it comes, that will boost 2016 figures.
So here's another combination of good news for the industry coinciding with the bad - production rises at the point when prices drop.
So would it not be more sensible to hold back on production until prices rise again?
Not in the offshore sector. Once £40bn of investment has been committed, as we've seen over recent years, oil companies don't have the patience or capital to wait until the price rises.
Nor does the technology lend itself to sitting idle while the markets make up their minds.
In the Arabian deserts or Texas, pumps can be switched off when the price falls - though this time, the Saudis have chosen not to do so.
In the Dakotas, fracked wells run out of pressure, and without renewed activity, output dwindles over time.
But in the hostile, corrosive waters around Britain, once you've committed, you have to keep up momentum.
You could say the same of Norway. But Norway has got lucky - or made its own luck? - with the timing of its production.
Britain's production peaked when prices and profits (the taxable bit) were low. Its offshore fields have been, on average, smaller than Norway's, and its tax rates lower.
The UK government chose to sell off its stake in oil companies and oil fields, losing out on the opportunity for profits.
As I've written before, an analysis of production, price, profits and tax revenue shows the UK and Norway have produced similar levels of oil and gas since 1971.
But the Norwegian state gained nearly $30 from each barrel of oil extracted, while the UK government gained only $11.
As the UK sector is now seeing an upward blip on the long-term downward trajectory of output, that is welcome for the beleaguered offshore energy industry. But it has come, again, at the wrong time. | The year begins with the same subject that featured in the global and Scottish economy in 2015: oil. | 35227451 |
Lee Min-bok said he had carried out the launches at night four times since January, most recently on Saturday.
The Seth Rogen comedy, about a fictional CIA plot to kill North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, enraged Pyongyang.
Sony initially pulled the film after a hacking attack and threats to attack cinemas which were screening it.
But it changed its mind and gave the film a limited cinema release after being accused of responding to an attack on free speech.
The FBI says North Korea was behind the hack and threats, though it denies this.
Mr Lee, a defector from the North, said he had tied the DVDs to balloons along with bundles of US dollars and leaflets criticising Mr Kim's regime.
He told AFP news agency: "I launched thousands of copies and about a million leaflets on Saturday, near the western part of the border."
He said the launches were all done in remote areas and without publicity but that the police "would have no right to stop me".
"'You know what's more destructive than a nuclear bomb? Words,' says North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (Randall Park), with a tear in his eye, in The Interview. It's a prophetic line in this otherwise limp comedy, which has stirred up a world of controversy it doesn't earn." Sara Stewart, New York Post
'Limp' and 'torture' - How critics reviewed The Interview
Mr Lee told CNN, which joined him on Saturday's launch, that he had not laughed at The Interview and found it vulgar.
But he said the North "hates this film because it shows Kim Jong-un as a man, not a God" and that he wanted to "tell the truth" to North Koreans.
Any North Korean who had access to a DVD player and was found to have watched the film would likely face a lengthy sentence in a prison camp.
South Korean activists have repeatedly carried out balloon drops across the border of material which they say shows the reality of life outside the restrictive country, in the hope of encouraging North Koreans to reject propaganda and stand up to their leadership.
The North has demanded the South stop such launches, saying they are provocative. Its border guards have in the past tried to shoot down the balloons.
But while South Korea says the activity is unhelpful - and potentially places people living near the border in danger - it says its citizens are entitled to distribute their opinions. | A South Korean activist says he has flown thousands of copies of controversial Sony film The Interview over the North Korean border. | 32213949 |
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Hamilton held on with a time set on his first flying lap despite not improving on his final run as Vettel got to within just 0.074 seconds of him.
The Briton's team-mate Nico Rosberg took third after appearing to delay the world champion on his penultimate lap.
Toro Rosso's Max Verstappen, 17, was a stunning sixth in only his second race.
The Dutchman was just behind the two Red Bulls of Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat.
Vettel's team-mate Kimi Raikkonen hit traffic on the only lap before a tropical downpour hit in second qualifying and will start 11th in the race which starts at 08:00 BST on Sunday.
The Finn, who had been neck-and-neck with Vettel all weekend until that point, said: "We got it wrong. We should have been out earlier but that's how it is."
Hamilton was right behind Raikkonen on the track after a delay exiting his garage, but managed to sneak through into the top 10 shoot-out in eighth place.
After a half-hour wait for the spectacular thunderstorm and torrential rain to abate, Hamilton set a blistering pace on his first lap, more than a second clear of Rosberg.
The two Mercedes came in for a fresh set of intermediate tyres and Rosberg returned to the track ahead.
After being delayed behind Williams's Valtteri Bottas at the first corner of what would have been his first flying lap, Rosberg backed off and in doing so it appeared as if he might have delayed Hamilton after the Englishman had just set what was his fastest first sector time to that point.
Hamilton backed off and then failed to improve on his final lap. Rosberg did, ending up 0.465secs off his team-mate but unable to beat Vettel.
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"The first lap was quite good," he said. "It's always difficult because none of us had driven this weekend in the wet and the first lap is an unknown. You don't want to take too many risks but you need a banker."
Hamilton set his fastest first sector time on his final lap but said that he "lost time" on the rest of the lap.
Ricciardo was more than a second back in fourth place but 0.4secs quicker than team-mate Kvyat, who snuck ahead of the impressive Verstappen by just 0.03secs.
The top 10 was completed by Williams duo Felipe Massa and Bottas, Sauber's Marcus Ericsson and Lotus's Romain Grosjean, who had qualified eighth but dropped two places after being punished for a pit lane infringement in Q2.
Jenson Button beat team-mate Fernando Alonso on the Spaniard's first race of the season but the McLarens could manage only 17th and 18th.
Alonso had been ahead on their first runs, as he had been all weekend on one-lap pace, but made a mistake on his final lap and Button edged him by 0.11secs.
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The Spaniard said he "lost the car in Turn Six" and lost several tenths of a second, but did not feel that was enough to prevent him progressing into the second part of qualifying.
Nevertheless, McLaren's performance was an improvement on the first race of the season. The team were 0.6secs away from making it through into second qualifying - a step forward of about a second a lap compared to Melbourne two weeks ago.
Manor Marussia, who failed to participate at the Australian GP, were given a reprieve by stewards and will start Sunday's race despite failing to set a qualifying time within the required 107% of the fastest time in Q1.
Roberto Merhi's best time fell short, while Will Stevens failed to get out in qualifying because of a fuel system issue.
Malaysian GP qualifying results
Malaysian GP coverage details | Lewis Hamilton took pole position for the Malaysian Grand Prix as Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel split the Mercedes in a rain-affected qualifying session. | 32099506 |
Cafe owner Lisa White, 56, from Broadstairs, claimed she needed an oxygen mask to breathe, and was paid more than £150,000 in benefits.
However, investigators obtained undercover footage of her working in the cafe, and a video of her dancing.
She admitted fraud and was jailed at Inner London Crown Court on Thursday.
White told Greenwich Borough Council she was living in a council home in Eltham, south east London, with her mother.
The council raised concerns after irregularities were found in payments to her carer.
Her husband, Andrew White, 56, was given a nine-month suspended prison sentence for his part in the fraud.
Mr White had given his address as being in Broadstairs while caring for his wife, who was living in the council's property in London.
Mrs White had been receiving direct debit payments of £135 per week from Greenwich council, but bank statements showed the amounts being paid to her husband and carer were lower, the council said.
She told Greenwich council the Eltham property was her only home, but records showed her name was linked to two properties in Broadstairs as well as a cafe and bandstand kiosk.
A council spokesman said: "She stated that she required care and assistance on a daily basis; that she could not dress herself without assistance; was unable to lift kitchen items such as pots and pans; required the assistance of oxygen tanks to regulate her breathing and had to use a walking stick indoors and a wheelchair outdoors in order to assist her mobility."
Fraud investigators filmed her running her business including serving customers and carrying heavy supplies, visiting a shopping centre, and dancing, the London authority said.
Her husband admitted one charge of fraud and one under the Proceeds of Crime Act. | A benefits cheat who claimed she could not walk unaided - but was filmed dancing and lifting heavy boxes - has been jailed for 18 months. | 39155543 |
Up to 40 staff at Access, an arms-length Glasgow City Council body, are taking action from 1-22 December.
It comes as the council considers whether to award the contract for its IT services to CGI Group.
The council said any deal would depend on the Canadian firm protecting staff terms and conditions for seven years.
In a message sent to staff about the dispute, council chief executive Annemarie O'Donnell said the union, Unison, was "targeting 40 staff who hold key posts in critical areas".
"They work in highly technical fields that support the council's business critical applications," she said.
"Because of the specialist roles they perform, there is very limited ability to move other members of staff to cover for them.
"We are exploring additional measures that could be put in place, but if these critically important systems and applications start to experience difficulties the impact will be significant."
Ms O'Donnell said that the union's grounds for the strike action were to protect terms and conditions, including pensions, to have no compulsory redundancies and no compulsory relocation from Glasgow.
She added: "The council has confirmed these are essential factors in any new contract and will be provided for the full seven-year term of the contract. No contract will be entered into without these protections.
"Given the severe financial situation facing local government, this assurance is unprecedented anywhere in the country.
"However, despite this guarantee, Unison has chosen to continue to strike and cause severe disruption to the people of Glasgow."
CGI Group signed a £92m deal with Scottish Borders Council in March to take over its digital services for 13 years.
The firm signed a similar deal with Edinburgh City Council, worth £186m over seven years, in August.
Glasgow is now considering a similar deal, potentially worth hundreds of millions of pounds, for CGI to provide IT services for areas such as payroll, schools and social work.
Any deal could potentially see hundreds of staff employed at Access transferred to CGI.
Unison officials, however, believe that this amounts to privatisation of the service and are concerned for their members.
The union has warned that the dispute could become long-running and says that if a settlement is not reached, strike action will resume after Christmas. | Dozens of specialist IT staff who serve Scotland's largest council have begun three weeks of strike action over fears the service may be privatised. | 38168391 |
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) "opened suspension proceedings" last month following the publication of another damaging report.
That report, compiled by Canadian law professor Richard McLaren, claimed Russia operated a state-sponsored doping programme from 2011 to 2015.
The Paralympics begin on 7 September.
The IPC is set to announce whether it will suspend the National Paralympic Committee of Russia at a news conference in Rio.
Should the NPC be suspended it will have 21 days to appeal against the decision.
Reacting to the McLaren report, IPC president Sir Philip Craven said: "McLaren's findings are of serious concern for everyone committed to clean and honest sport.
"The additional information we have been provided with by Richard McLaren includes the names of the Para athletes associated with the 35 'disappearing positive samples' from the Moscow laboratory highlighted in the report.
"We are also urgently following up on McLaren's recommendation for 19 samples from the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Games to be sent for further analysis, having been identified as part of the sample-swapping regime in place during the Games."
Craven said Russia's NPC would be given the chance to make its case before a decision is made.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) originally said individual sports' governing bodies should decide if Russian competitors were clean to compete at the Olympics, which begin on 5 August.
But it now says a newly convened three-person panel "will decide whether to accept or reject that final proposal".
More than 250 Russian athletes have so far been cleared to compete.
The IOC says it plans to re-test all Russians who competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.
Russia topped the medal tables at both the Winter Olympics and Paralympics in the Russian city of Sochi, winning 113 in total, 43 of them gold.
Commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency, it looked into claims by Grigory Rodchenkov, the ex-head of Russia's national anti-doping laboratory.
He alleged he doped dozens of athletes in the run-up to the 2014 Winter Games with the help of the Russian government, which exploited its host status to subvert the drug-testing programme.
Rodchenkov, now in hiding in the United States, also alleged that he doped athletes before the 2012 Games in London, the 2013 World Athletics Championships in Moscow and the 2015 World Swimming Championships in Kazan. | Russia is set to find out on Sunday if it is to be banned from the 2016 Paralympics in Rio as a result of the ongoing doping crisis in the country. | 36864379 |
The Minstermen dominated from start to finish at Bootham Crescent, with Jon Parkin and Rhys Murphy both troubling visiting goalkeeper Brendan Moore on numerous occasions.
Parkin lobbed Moore - and the crossbar - before stabbing wide in the first half, while Murphy came closest with an attempt at the near post in the 78th minute.
Torquay's best opportunity came in the third minute, Kyle Letheren forced into a smart one-handed save to deny Ben Gerring from close range.
Report supplied by the Press Association.
Match ends, York City 0, Torquay United 0.
Second Half ends, York City 0, Torquay United 0.
Sean Newton (York City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Substitution, Torquay United. Paul Rooney replaces David Fitzpatrick.
Ben Gerring (Torquay United) is shown the yellow card.
Substitution, York City. Callum Rzonca replaces Daniel Nti.
Substitution, Torquay United. Brett Williams replaces Jamie Reid.
Second Half begins York City 0, Torquay United 0.
First Half ends, York City 0, Torquay United 0.
Rhys Murphy (York City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Jon Parkin (York City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Courtney Richards (Torquay United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
First Half begins.
Lineups are announced and players are warming up. | Bottom-of-the-table York came close to securing their first National League victory since September but Torquay forced a goalless draw. | 38273127 |
The Derby teenager and Marcus Willis reached the third round of the men's doubles after being handed a wildcard.
And he has been hitting with Murray before and during the Championships.
"Playing with a top-10 player can only improve your game," Clarke, 18, told BBC Radio Derby.
"He was really good. I ask a lot of questions and he always has answers but you don't really need to ask too many questions because you see what he does, where he hits the ball, his shot selection and what he works on.
"There are a lot of things you can learn by just being on court."
World number 368 Clarke flew out on Murray's private jet to practise with the two-time Wimbledon champion prior to the French Open and has also been hitting with the Scot at the All-England club.
"It's so different at the top," Clarke said.
But the taste of the high life and experience of mixing with the best seemed to spur him on. Clarke reached the final round of Wimbledon qualifying and was equally impressive in the doubles alongside Willis.
The British number eight teamed up with Willis for just the second time at SW19 and the duo won two matches, including a stunning victory over 2016 champions Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut in the second round.
They went out in the last 16 to Austria's Oliver Marach and Croatia's Mate Pavic.
"It was great," Clarke added. "Playing in front of a home crowd and playing with Marcus was special. He is really good to play with and great to to play relaxed and free."
Find out how to get into tennis in our special guide.
Now he wants to continue his progress after a steady first year as a senior.
"The progression in juniors has been quite slow but since then I have climbed really well," he said.
"I have worked hard and smart and to be in the doubles and make the last round of qualifying in the singles at Wimbledon has been huge.
"I want to make the Aussie Open qualifying from my own ranking and keep rising." | Jay Clarke says his senior Wimbledon debut and the chance to rub shoulders with world number one Andy Murray have left him even more determined to continue his rise up the rankings. | 40567208 |
European Council President Donald Tusk said the plan was "below expectations" while German Chancellor Angela Merkel said there had been "no breakthrough".
Theresa May conceded there were differences between the two sides.
But the prime minister said those who had "made their lives and homes" in the UK would have their rights guaranteed.
She also suggested that while rights would be enforced by British courts, they could also be enshrined in international law if the agreement was included in the final treaty of withdrawal.
Both the UK and the rest of the EU say they want to come to an arrangement to secure the status of the 3.2 million EU citizens in the UK and the estimated 1.2 million Britons living in EU countries.
Under plans announced on Thursday by Mrs May, the UK envisages giving all EU citizens the right to stay after the UK's exit - due on 30 March 2019 - and granting those resident for at the least five years the same rights to welfare, pensions and education as UK citizens.
However, no cut-off date for the package has been specified by Downing Street and further details of the plans will not be released until Monday.
The offer has received a mixed response from EU leaders with some describing it as a "good start" but calling for more detail.
Speaking at a joint press conference with French president Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said there was a "long way to go".
"That was a good beginning but - and I'm trying to word this very carefully - it was not a breakthrough," she said.
"We don't want a wedge to be driven between us. We do want to make our interests very clear and if there is no guarantee for the full freedoms, then this exercise will have to lead to a situation where there are certain effects on the future relationship between the UK and the 27 member states."
Mr Tusk, who represents the other EU 27 nations, said the EU would "analyse line by line" the UK's proposals when they were published in full but his "first impression is that the UK's offer is below our expectations and that it risks worsening the situation of citizens".
And Joseph Muscat, the prime minister of Malta - who currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU - warned of people being "treated differently" depending on when they arrived in the UK.
By political editor Laura Kuenssberg
While complex, this summit was perhaps a brief respite from the brooding turmoil in her own party, where questions about the viability of her leadership lurk. Governing is doing, not fending off enemies - and at least today, Theresa May has done that.
There was also a big hint about how the British negotiators hope to get round one of the big obstacles. As we've discussed before one of the big gaps between the two negotiating sides here are who will police the rules on citizen's rights. So, if something goes wrong, who can they appeal to, how will their rights be protected.
The EU side is adamant that it can only be the European Court of Justice. Theresa May has been totally insistent that it can't be them.
At the press conference this afternoon she repeated that it would be the British courts in charge. So far, so the same. But she then tantalisingly - if you are a nerd like me - said that because the rights would be agreed as part of the withdrawal treaty, they would be therefore subject to international law.
Therefore, theoretically, that means they could be enforced by an international court of some variety. Lawyers suggest that is not likely to be the Hague, but could be some kind of new organisation that had British and European lawyers involved. Read more
EU nationals in the UK currently have a right to permanent residence, granted after they have lived in the UK, legally and continuously, for five years.
The European Union has said EU citizens should continue enjoying the same rights as they do now on a lifetime basis, enforceable by the European Court of Justice. But the UK's view is that British courts should have jurisdiction as they will be enshrined in UK law.
Mrs May said there had been a "very positive" discussion with other EU countries. She acknowledged differences over their enforcement but said she "remained of the view that this is a fair and serious offer".
"Let's be clear about what we're saying. What we're saying is that those citizens from EU countries who have come to the United Kingdom, those EU citizens who have made their lives and homes in the UK will be able to stay and we will guarantee their rights," she said.
The PM said the issue would be one of the first to be discussed and she wanted an agreement as soon as possible.
In response to claims by the former chancellor George Osborne, in an article for the Evening Standard, that she had "blocked" calls for the UK to offer a unilateral guarantee of rights in the aftermath of last year's referendum, she said that was "certainly not my recollection" of events.
Anne-Laure Donskoy, founding member of the 3million - which aims to protect the rights of EU citizens living in the UK - said the UK's offer was "disappointing" and "really falls short of our expectations".
"It is like a teaser this statement, it gives you general direction of travel potentially, but there are things in the statement that need to be unpicked."
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn urged the government to guarantee all UK-based EU citizens full residency rights, saying the current offer "doesn't go far enough and leaves uncertainty for those who have been here for less than five years".
"These are people who are working here and have families here - we have to end their uncertainty." | European leaders have criticised the UK's offer to EU nationals after Brexit - with one senior figure claiming it could "worsen the situation" for them. | 40378913 |
Andre Marshall, 29, was found dead next to a car at Manor Park in Urmston, on Wednesday.
Police said Marshall, a member of the Moss Side Gooch Gang in Manchester who was jailed in 2008 for a gun attack, had been shot in his torso and leg.
An 18-year-old from Trafford is being held over his death, said Greater Manchester Police.
Marshall was jailed for assault and possession of a firearm following an attack at a gym in 2007.
His former gang was involved in clashes with rival gangs during the 1990s. | A man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a former gang member in a shooting in Greater Manchester. | 32885347 |
Two diplomats were killed and a third wounded in a shooting at a restaurant in Cebu City on Wednesday.
Police have taken a woman who works at the consulate and her husband into custody.
They have diplomatic immunity and will be sent back to China.
The suspected shooter was identified by police as Li Qing Liang. Mr Li's wife, Guo Jing, who works in the consulate's visa section, was also held for questioning.
Beijing has invoked the couple's diplomatic immunity under the United Nations' Vienna Convention, foreign ministry spokesman Charles Jose said.
The 1961 Vienna Convention spells out protections afforded to diplomats and embassy staff, including immunity from local laws and criminal prosecution.
China says it is investigating the shooting.
The deputy consul and the finance officer for the Chinese consulate in the city were killed and the consul general wounded, police said.
The consul general, Song Ronghua, who was celebrating his birthday at the restaurant, is in a stable condition after being shot through the neck.
"We're still trying to determine the motive for the shooting," said Chief Superintendent Prudencio Banas.
The consul general's deputy Sun Shen was shot in the neck and finance officer Li Hui was shot in the head, police said.
A handgun has been recovered from the scene, police spokesman Wilben Mayor told AFP.
The attack occurred at 13:30 (05:30 GMT) at Lighthouse, a popular restaurant.
Restaurant manager Stephen John Patero said the shooting occurred in a private room, which is a favourite among local politicians.
He said waiters who served the diners heard the guests shouting at each other before the shots were fired.
"They are all friends who apparently figured in an argument," he said. | The Philippine Foreign Ministry has said it will give China custody of the two suspects involved in the killing of two Chinese diplomats in the Philippines. | 34603097 |
Ethan Roser, 19, was accidentally struck by the hammer on Saturday afternoon at the campus of Wheaton College in suburban Chicago.
The 19-year-old, who was volunteering at the event, died in hospital after paramedics treated him at the scene.
In track and field the hammer is a metal ball, weighing between 9-16lb (4-7kg), attached to a thin wire.
The competitor usually spins around several times before throwing the ball.
Mr Roser, a first-year student from Cincinnati, Ohio, was the son of Christian missionaries who spent his early years in Zimbabwe, reports the Washington Post.
His brother, Johnathan, wrote on Saturday on Facebook that his sibling had been "called home to be with our Lord".
"We are in shock and struggling to comprehend how we will live without him."
Wheaton College President Philip Ryken asked the campus community to pray for Mr Roser's loved ones. | An Illinois college student has died after being hit by a hammer during an athletics competition. | 39695666 |
It has committed £3.34m to the planned stop at Dalcross, east of Inverness.
In a separate announcement, the government has said a new group is to co-ordinate efforts to improve services on the Highlands' Far North Line.
It connects Inverness to Wick and Thurso. There has been criticism of the performance of services on line.
A station at Dalcross close to the airport has been a long standing aspiration of Hitrans, which promotes improvements to public transport in the Highlands.
It has proposed constructing the station on the Inverness to Aberdeen line.
Earlier this year, Hitrans said it could be open in 2018, if planning permission and funding are secured, and constructed at an estimated cost of £2m.
The group said it could become the second busiest station in the Highlands after Inverness.
As well as people travelling to the airport, the group believes the station would be used by residents of a new village being built at Tornagrain.
Announcing the government's financial support for the project, Transport Minister Humza Yousaf said: "This substantial funding package brings a station at Dalcross a step closer to reality is a welcome boost to passengers and communities along the Inverness to Aberdeen corridor.
"The track infrastructure required to support the new station is already being delivered through the Aberdeen to Inverness Improvements project.
"The funding announced today will support the delivery of the actual station facility itself."
There have been concerns from rail experts and politicians about the quality of services on the Far North Line.
But ScotRail Alliance, which involves Abellio ScotRail and Network Rail and operates the line, said it has been investing in the route.
The Far North Line Review Group is being set up by the Scottish government to co-ordinate activities and look at opportunities to improve performance on the line.
It was announced by Cabinet Secretary Fergus Ewing at Hitrans' annual rail stakeholder conference in Inverness.
He said: "The Scottish government is determined to improve overall performance on our longest rural railway line and it is imperative we look at options to achieve that.
"It is essential we make the most of this important asset for passengers, for sustainable freight transport, and for the communities and businesses along the whole route." | The Scottish government has announced funding to help towards the cost of building a railway station near Inverness Airport. | 38344959 |
And for many struggling in the weather in this East Midlands city, working out the referendum repercussions made heavy weather.
"England may well lose out. We'll be worse off," one shopper told me.
I went to Leicester to gauge reaction to the Scottish referendum decision to stick with the UK.
There was an early sign among some that it may carry a big political price.
"They've got their parliament, but we haven't. That's just not fair," I was told in no uncertain terms by another local. She wanted a parliament for England and more powers for her city.
So in English cities like Leicester, the debate is already under way about any post-referendum powers.
Leicester City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said any deal should include giving city halls the ability to raise tax.
"We should have the same range of powers to raise revenue as our continental cousins and our American friends," the Labour mayor said.
"That will enable us to re-empower local democracy. This is a wonderful opportunity for us in the cities to be able to govern ourselves."
The prime minister has already hinted at devolution for English cities.
"It is also important we have wider civic engagement about how to improve governance in our United Kingdom, including how to empower our great cities," said David Cameron in his Downing Street statement.
"And we will say more about this in the coming days."
It will now be up to English MPs to start to shape it all.
But Leicester South MP Jon Ashworth said it's important not to rush ahead of public opinion.
"I've got views on having more powers for cities like Leicester, Nottingham and Derby and the county councils, but we have really got to listen to what people in the East Midlands want," the Labour MP told me.
"We've got to think carefully about this and not have David Cameron in Downing Street telling us what we are going to have."
Government minister and Broxtowe MP Anna Soubry is also cautious, but for other political concerns.
"We have (Labour) one party states in cities like Leicester and Nottingham, and just look at the things they have done.
"I don't believe they are inclusive. And they don't represent the views of all of the people of the city," she said.
"I'm not in favour of regional devolution. Labour tried that and it was a disaster. But I accept there is a good argument for cities and our shire county councils to have more powers, and these are the discussions we now need to have," she added.
Even before the political dust from the referendum vote has settled, the debate over the extent of devolution for our English cities has begun already. | Even the weather in Leicester felt Scottish today... dreek. | 29283155 |
Bashir Naderi, who has lived in the UK for nine years, had his deportation halted by a judge just hours before his flight on 31 October.
More than 30 friends attended a 'Stand up for Bash' awareness event on Tuesday and his old school showed its support.
"The support has overwhelmed Bashir," said friend Gemma Summers, 24.
"He can't put into words how much it means to him, Bash can't believe all of these people would care so much. He's humbled."
Mr Naderi, who was a painting and decorating student at Cardiff and Vale College until his threatened deportation, is with his adopted family in Cathays.
His solicitors have launched a judicial review and Cardiff Central MP Jo Stevens is working with his legal team to keep him in the city permanently.
Mr Naderi's girlfriend Nicole Cooper, 24, thinks the Home Office is deporting him now he is an adult, so launched an online petition to give to Home Secretary Amber Rudd.
The Home Office said it could not comment on individual cases.
Mr Naderi's mother paid for her youngest son to be trafficked to the UK aged 10 after his father, an Afghan police officer, was murdered by the Taliban. He has not spoken to his family in Afghanistan since.
AMs Jenny Rathbone, Julie Morgan and Lynne Neagle will show support to Mr Naderi's cause on the Senedd steps on Wednesday by wearing a blue ribbon - the symbol his supporters have adopted.
"I raised concerns in the Senedd last week about the threatened forced removal of Bashir," said Cardiff Central AM Ms Rathbone.
"Events like Stand Up for Bash are critical in both raising awareness of why Bashir should stay and to show the massive support he has from the community and the people of Wales.
"No family in Wales should have to go through this type of forced separation. Holding a Stand Up for Bash event in the assembly shows he has support at the highest level of government here." | A petition to save a 19-year-old from Cardiff being deported to his home-land of Afghanistan has gathered more than 11,000 signatures. | 37916495 |
Juhel Miah, 25, was escorted off a connecting flight heading to New York from Iceland on 16 February.
David Lidington, leader of the House of Commons, said the incident ran contrary to the US policy on British citizens.
Labour MP Kevin Brennan said US president Trump was treating UK school teachers "like criminals".
Mr Miah had flown to Reykjavik, Iceland, with a party from Llangatwg Community School in Aberdulais, Neath, before boarding an onward flight to New York on 16 February.
But before the plane took off he was escorted off by security staff.
Mr Lidington made his comments after Cardiff West MP Mr Brennan raised the case in the House of Commons.
Mr Brennan said: "Isn't there a contrast between the way we are rolling out the red carpet for (US) President Trump, whatever our views on that, whilst he's treating our school teachers like criminals?"
In response, Mr Lidington told the chamber it was "perfectly fair" for Mr Brennan raise the case, which was "disturbing because it went contrary to the declared policy of the United States government as regards British citizens.
"My understanding is that this was down to the way in which a decision was taken at a more local level in that particular case."
He said he would raise Mr Brennan's concerns with Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.
Mr Miah earlier told BBC Wales he has a British passport and does not have dual nationality. His family's ethnic background is Bangladeshi.
He said he had never been to any of the seven Muslim-majority countries included in an executive order signed by US President Donald Trump, temporarily barring people from those places.
A US executive order suspending immigration and non-immigrant entry to the US for people from Libya, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen was suspended by a legal ruling earlier in February.
Prior to the suspension, the UK government had been told British citizens were not affected. | The case of a Welsh-Muslim teacher denied entry to the United States while on a school trip his "disturbing", a UK cabinet minister has said. | 39065293 |
A cagey National League encounter took until the stroke of half-time to liven up when Dan Johnson swung in a fine cross towards Martin, who unleashed a superb volley into the top corner to put the home side in front.
In-form Boreham Wood applied serious pressure after the break, and Bromley defender Rob Swaine had to block a close-range shot on the line from Morgan Ferrier.
Julian also saved his side just after the hour mark, tipping a Conor Clifford penalty on to the underside of the bar and away, dramatically rectifying an infringement made by Jack Holland.
Report supplied by the Press Association.
Match ends, Bromley 1, Boreham Wood 0.
Second Half ends, Bromley 1, Boreham Wood 0.
Substitution, Bromley. Adam Cunnington replaces George Porter.
Substitution, Boreham Wood. Jamie Lucas replaces Morgan Ferrier.
Substitution, Bromley. Jordan Higgs replaces Dave Martin.
Substitution, Boreham Wood. Kenny Davis replaces Conor Clifford.
Second Half begins Bromley 1, Boreham Wood 0.
First Half ends, Bromley 1, Boreham Wood 0.
Goal! Bromley 1, Boreham Wood 0. Dave Martin (Bromley).
Conor Clifford (Boreham Wood) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
First Half begins.
Lineups are announced and players are warming up. | A Dave Martin strike and a penalty save from Alan Julian helped Bromley see off Boreham Wood at Hayes Lane. | 37881697 |
Speaking at the G20 summit in Hamburg, he said he would visit London. Asked when, he said: "We'll work that out."
In one-to-one talks, Mr Trump and UK Prime Minister Theresa May agreed to prioritise work on a post-Brexit trade deal, a UK government official said.
Mrs May said she was "optimistic" about a deal, but warned there was "a limit" to what could be done before Brexit.
She told a news conference that world leaders - including those from China, India and Japan, as well as the US - had expressed a "strong desire" to forge "ambitious new bilateral trading relationships" with Britain.
The prime minister hailed it as a "powerful vote of confidence" in Britain.
Asked about Mr Trump's visit the UK, Mrs May said: "We don't have a date yet, we are still working on a date."
Earlier, during a 50-minute meeting with Mr Trump - which overran by 20 minutes - the two leaders spent a "significant" amount of time on trade, in a discussion described as entirely "positive", Downing Street said.
Before their meeting, Mr Trump hailed the "very special relationship" he had developed with Mrs May.
"There is no country that could possibly be closer than our countries," he told reporters.
"We have been working on a trade deal which will be a very, very big deal, a very powerful deal, great for both countries and I think we will have that done very, very quickly."
Under EU rules, formal talks between London and Washington cannot begin until after the UK leaves the EU in March 2019, without EU agreement.
Sir Christopher Meyer, a former British ambassador to Washington, said Mr Trump's statement of intent was a "very good sign for the future" and would be "useful" to Mrs May.
However, Sir Simon Fraser, a former diplomat who served as a permanent under-secretary at the Foreign Office, cast doubt on how soon any trade deal could be reached.
"The point is we can't negotiate with them or anyone else until we've left the European Union," he said.
"And the Americans and others will not negotiate with us until they know what our relationship with the EU is going to be, because the access we have in Europe is hugely important for the advantages that they can get from their relations with us."
Mr Trump has previously accepted an invitation for a state visit to the UK - a prospect that has caused controversy - although no date has been given.
Mr Meyer said his visit would be a "very important moment" to nail down Mr Trump's commitment to a strong bilateral agreement.
By Rob Young, BBC business correspondent
Under EU rules, formal talks between London and Washington cannot begin until March 2019, unless Brussels agrees the UK can make a start earlier.
Trade talks tend to be complex and technical, lasting several years.
The EU and Japan took four years to reach an agreement in principle. But those discussions involved 29 nations; UK-US talks would involve just two.
With strong political will and determination, a transatlantic agreement could perhaps be completed more speedily than has been the norm for trade pacts.
Talks would cover cutting customs duties, making products such as cars and food cheaper.
The average UK-US tariff is relatively low anyway, at 3%, and huge amounts of trade already take place.
Negotiations usually cover thornier topics, such as food safety and environmental standards.
If one side agreed to accept the other's rules, a deal could be done quickly. But that would be controversial in various sectors. That's when negotiations can begin to drag.
Mrs May later said she was "dismayed" Mr Trump had withdrawn the US from the Paris Agreement on climate change.
The accord, signed in Paris in 2015, is an international agreement on how to deal with greenhouse gas emissions.
Mrs May said she raised the issue during one of "a number" of conversations she had with Mr Trump at the summit - not during the official bilateral talks.
The prime minister said she had "urged President Trump to rejoin", adding: "I continue to hope that is exactly what the United States will do."
Mrs May also held a 20-minute meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and a 25-minute meeting with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi.
Talks with Mr Abe focused on trade and North Korea's nuclear missile programme.
Japan's new trade deal with the EU, signed off on Thursday, "could form the basis" of an agreement between London and Tokyo following Brexit, Mrs May told her fellow leader.
Meanwhile, Mr Modi told Mrs May he wanted to see economic links with the UK deepen now and after Brexit, according to a UK government official.
After a meeting on Friday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said China and the UK were in a "golden era" of relations and increased investment from his country since the Brexit vote showed its confidence in Britain.
The G20 summit is the first gathering of world leaders since the UK's general election last month, during which Mrs May's Conservative party lost seats and her performance was widely criticised.
The two-day meeting is being held against a backdrop of violent protests on the streets of Hamburg, with demonstrators and heavily-armed police clashing into the early hours of Saturday.
The protests centre mainly on the presence of Mr Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, climate change and global wealth inequalities. | US President Donald Trump has said he expects a "powerful" trade deal with the UK to be completed "very quickly". | 40540340 |
6,368,509
Children's accounts affected
4,854,209 parent accounts accessed
US, France and UK Countries most affected
0 Number of credit card details stolen
The stolen data includes names and addresses, as well as, reportedly, pictures and chat logs.
Vtech said they were still investigating the full extent of the hack.
On Tuesday, the company shared more information about the breach.
It admitted: "Our database was not as secure as it should have been."
Here's what we now know:
6,368,509 children's accounts affected
4,854,209 parental accounts accessed
Countries most affected:
- USA (2,894,091 children)
- France (1,173,497)
- UK (727,155)
In total, 16 "countries" are affected - Vtech lists Latin America as a single country, so the actual number is unclear.
The hack occurred on 14th November 2015. The company discovered the breach, after being contacted by a journalist, 10 days later on the 24th November.
Customers were informed on 27th November, 13 days after the initial breach.
Number of credit card details stolen: 0
Vtech services currently offline: 14
Vice technology site Motherboard reported that chat logs had been accessed too - the company said only undelivered messages were stored on the company servers, and these get deleted after 30 days. The messages were unencrypted.
Contained in the hack data (according to Vtech):
Not included in the hack:
Customers affected by the breach have been contacted by email, the company said. | Children's toy company Vtech announced it was hacked last week - with millions of children's accounts accessed. | 34980655 |
Proposals to build new stands and turnstiles at the ground were submitted to the council in April by Yorkshire County Cricket Club and Leeds Rhinos.
The rugby club wants to sell its land in Tingley and Weetwood to housing developers to fund the project.
Leeds-born Mellor, who wrote ITV's Band of Gold, said it was "a veiled threat".
Under the plans, the sports clubs want to demolish and rebuild two existing stands and turnstiles and create new car parking facilities at the shared stadium.
Nearly 100 letters have been sent opposing the sale.
Leeds Rhinos said the sale of the two plots would "create over 200 new homes in the city with 100% of the net receipts from the sale of the site being invested in the improvements" of Headingley.
In her letter, Mellor, who also wrote for Coronation Street and Brookside, said: "...I feel a responsibility to protect the beneficial and beautiful green belt we have, not only for my generation but also for my children and my grandchildren's generation. I think it is my God-given duty."
She continued to write that the sale of the two plots, known locally as Tetley field, would "have a permanent and irreparable impact on our community and the green belt".
"It is inappropriate and an aggressive tactic to even suggest harming the green belt and leisure assets in the Meanwood Valley Urban Green corridor to build houses which are not needed in this area," she said.
"Trust me Headingley stadium will develop without destroying the environment elsewhere. The cash tills will still ring with entrance money pouring into the stadium owners pocket..." | TV writer Kay Mellor has objected to plans to sell off greenbelt land in Leeds to fund a £40m expansion of Headingley Stadium. | 36754781 |
Mr Baird was not hit, though some eggs struck his motorcade.
Canada is considered one of Israel's closest allies.
It voted against the Palestinians' successful UN bid to become a non-member state and has opposed their recent move to join the International Criminal Court.
Mr Baird was in Ramallah to meet Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki, during a five-day trip to the region. His visit came a day after the ICC said it was opening a "preliminary examination into the situation in Palestine".
Mr Baird said he and Mr Malki had held "cordial and constructive" talks that included "candid and frank exchanges on areas where we differ in opinion".
"I asked that the minister strongly reconsider the consequences of moving forward with any action that may be counterproductive to a negotiated solution with the state of Israel."
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat, who did not meet Mr Baird, issued a statement expressing his anger at Canada's backing for Israel.
"We regret the Canadian government's decision to stand on the wrong side of history by blindly supporting the Israeli occupation and its apartheid policies," he said.
Harsh critics of Israel level the charge of apartheid - the system of state-sanctioned racial discrimination once practised by South Africa - against the Jewish state over its treatment of Palestinians and Israeli-Arab minority. Israel says the accusation is baseless and a part of efforts to demonise it.
He criticised Mr Baird for meeting Israeli officials in occupied east Jerusalem in 2013.
Later on Sunday, Mr Baird met Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman in Jerusalem. Arriving there, he said an ICC decision to open its preliminary examination was "deeply regrettable".
Mr Lieberman thanked Canada for its support. "The opposition of one of the founders of the ICC is very important, maybe crucial," he said.
The Palestinians will formally join the ICC on 1 April and have asked it to investigate Israeli "crimes" since June 2014.
This covers events prior to and during last summer's conflict between Israel and militants in Gaza.
Israel and the US have strongly criticised the Palestinians' move. | Palestinian protesters have thrown eggs at Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird as he was visiting the West Bank city of Ramallah. | 30871252 |
Lauren-Paige Smith said she was "only feeding the birds" when she first received a litter fine from a council worker.
The 19-year-old refused to enter a plea at Swansea Magistrates as she did "not believe a crime was committed."
Swansea council said throwing food is a "littering offence" and anyone caught risks a fine.
Representing herself against Swansea council's legal team, Miss Smith, from Rumney, Cardiff, said she had "never been in trouble before."
"The person who approached me did not give me any warning or tell me to pick anything up," she told magistrates.
"I had colleagues with me at the time who also couldn't believe it."
Footage taken by the council worker heard him tell Miss Smith: "You could feed them seeds but not chips, that's human waste."
Speaking before the case, Miss Smith said: "There are so much worse things going on in the world.
"I can't believe I'm being penalised for doing a kind act.
"I thought it was a wind-up but now the fine has escalated and I'm being hauled into court."
District judge Neale Thomas said he wanted to speak to the council worker and other witnesses before continuing the case.
He adjourned proceedings for two weeks.
Before Tuesday's hearing, a Swansea council spokesman said they have an ongoing campaign in the city centre to discourage people from throwing food on the ground for seagulls and pigeons.
"City centre businesses raised concerns about aggressive birds attacking shoppers," he said.
"Throwing food on the ground is a littering offence and anyone caught doing it risks being issued with a fixed penalty.
"Discarded food and other types of litter can have a negative impact on the look of our city centre and we are doing what we can to make sure the city centre is an attractive place for visitors to come and enjoy." | A woman has begun her legal battle to overturn a £100 fine for feeding a chip to a pigeon in Swansea. | 37992996 |
Bothies - remote shelters in the wilderness where walkers can spend the night free of charge - have long been one of Scotland's best-kept secrets. A new book has revealed the location of 80 of the mountain huts.
For more than 50 years the Mountain Bothies Association (MBA) has maintained an eclectic network of shelters across the wilderness areas of Scotland.
The vast majority are single-storey crofts or huts for shepherds which have long since been abandoned.
The secluded hideaways became popular with ramblers and hillwalkers but many were falling into ruin before a group of climbers and walkers formed the MBA to take on their upkeep, with the permission of the owners of the vast estates on which they sit.
The bothy network has never been advertised to tourists and information was always spread by word of mouth between those in the know.
But long-time bothy enthusiast Geoff Allan decided five years ago that the time was right to produce the definitive guide to Scotland's bothies.
The author of the Scottish Bothy Bible told BBC Scotland: "Part of the reason it took so long was that I only went out in weather windows to get all the photography in good weather.
"In Scotland that takes quite a bit of time."
Mr Allan, 47, originally from Suffolk, has been based in Edinburgh since he was at university in the city.
He says he joined the mountaineering club at Edinburgh University and soon started to use the bothy network.
"I come from a youth hostelling background," he says.
"So free accommodation out on the hills caught my imagination.
"Basically I have never really had any money. I would have had many more weeks in self-catering accommodation but it always seems to have been bothies."
Mr Allan, who was a surveyor but who now works as a photographer and creative artist, says: "I had a car when I was planning the bothy research but it got scrapped because I could not afford to run it so I have been to all the bothies by bike and public transport."
The Mountain Bothy Association (MBA), which does not own the buildings it maintains, said it had no input into Mr Allan's book but that the author was acting as an "ambassador" for the movement.
Neil Stewart, a trustee of the MBA, said it had published the grid references of the bothies online in 2009 so the "genie was out of the bottle".
He said he was happy for Mr Allan to promote the work of the bothy movement as long as people who used the shelters stuck to the strict code of "respect for the buildings, for the environment and other people using the bothy".
One of the few purpose-built shelters on the list is built in memory of Dr Arthur Gilbertson Hutchison, a keen outdoor enthusiast from Aberdeen who died in a climbing accident in 1949. It is located high on the north flank of Derry Cairngorm.
East of Plockton there is almost 40 miles of wilderness all the way to Cannich. Maol Bhuidhe lies within this area.
It is a remote roadless area between Glen Carron and Glen Shiel.
The cottage was occupied by shepherds until it was abandoned in 1914. It fell into disrepair and for the next decades it was only used by tramps and vagabonds, people who took to "stravaigin" the country during the mass unemployment of the 20s and 30s.
The Bothy Bible offers two routes to the bothy, both challenging walks of more than 10 miles which would take upwards of four hours.
Geoff Allan says: "There are three rivers so when it is bad weather you can get stuck quite easily cause you have to wade the rivers to get out and there are no tracks or passes. You really need to know what you are doing."
This battered old estate cottage sits on the vast empty moorland south of Cape Wrath in the far north of Scotland.
It is where hermit James MacRory-Smith lived until as recently as 1996.
Inside the cottage, it is just as he left it 20 years ago, with the murals he painted still on the walls.
Geoff Allan says: "It is really spooky when you are in there because it feels like he's still there.
"It is like a living museum and because it is so far north and so few people go, it hasn't been vandalised or anything. It has been left, a bit like the Marie Celeste."
"It is basically a glorified garden shed," says Geoff Allan. He says it is more of a lunch stop than an overnight destination.
Inside there is a small table and chair and a long wooden bench that is not really wide enough to lie on.
There is room on the floor for three people to sleep very closely together.
The cabin sits in woodland in Wester Ross.
"If I was to recommend a bothy to someone in the pub I'd say 'go to Peanmeanach'," says Geoff Allan.
If you take the Mallaig road from Fort William you will pass the Ardnish peninsula.
Peanmeanach is located on a raised beach on a rugged headland.
"It is relatively easy to get to," says the author.
"It's in its own little raised beach. There is just something about it.
"It has all of the best west coast magic. There is very little to do other than just go to the bothy so you just tune out and escape."
This is one of the most famous bothies looked after by the MBA.
It lies south of An Teallach, one of the most well-known Munros in an area of mountains called "The Great Wilderness".
It sits on the edge of Fisherfield Forest. "It is amazing scenery," says Geoff Allan. "It is busy during the summer. Best to take a tent, just in case."
Lots of the bothies have long histories. So Geoff Allan has chosen the oldest settlement.
There was a crofting township which was cleared in the 1700s and there was a shepherd's cottage built in the 1840s.
"Before all that there was an archaeological dig nearby which dated the settlement back 7,500 years, to the Middle Stone age," says Geoff Allan.
"There is a seam of jade close to the bothy called Bloodstone and people would come and mine it make it into ornaments and tools. It is one of the oldest settlements in Scotland."
East of Oban, high above on Loch Etive's west shore, there is a bothy that inspired one of Scottish folk singer Dougie Maclean's songs.
Geoff Allan says Maclean's grandfather was brought up in the cottage.
The songwriter wrote the lyrics: "Standing here on Cadderlie, between the burn and the turning sea,
"I gaze across at these golden hills, I'm looking all the way to eternity."
Until the 1700s there was a good-sized crofting community here but it dwindled following the Highland Clearances.
The current bothy is probably not much more than 100 years old and was used to house shepherds and their families.
This bothy is in the Scottish Borders, not commonly thought of as a bothy area. It is located in Eskdalemuir, close to the Samye Ling Tibetan monastery.
"It is very peaceful," says Geoff Allan.
An obvious "Romantic" place is An Cladach, says Geoff Allan.
"There is Islay and there is whisky. There is a wee bothy .
"Only half of it was rebuilt. It is just 20 yards from the Sound of Jura. It has got two double bunk beds. It is very well equipped with a library and a fireplace.
"If you get that to yourself it is a very romantic spot. | . | 39205436 |
It follows criticism that many houses with small annexes would be liable for a 3% surcharge on Stamp Duty.
Since 1 April, anyone buying a second home has had to pay the higher rate.
Now the Treasury has announced a new set of rules, which will mean that fewer homes with annexes will be liable for the surcharge.
Any annex that is worth less than one third of the total property value will no longer qualify for the extra charge.
The Treasury described it as a change "to iron out technical unfairness".
Previously it said that only about 1,000 sales of homes with annexes a year would be affected by higher rate Stamp Duty. Now it says the number will be even smaller than that.
To be liable for the higher rate, annexes must also:
However, where a home with an annex or cottage does qualify for the Stamp Duty surcharge, the higher rate applies to the value of the whole property, not just the annex.
So if someone buys a home worth £300,000 - with an annex worth £100,001 - they will face a Stamp Duty bill of £14,000. Before 1 April they would only have had to pay £5,000.
The government had been lobbied for a change by Sir Eric Pickles, the former Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.
The Treasury said that anyone who had paid too much would now be able to apply for a refund. | The government has announced a surprise change in the tax rules for anyone buying a house that includes a "granny flat", or annex. | 36023867 |
One force, West Mercia, saw the equivalent of more than five call-outs a day to homes in 2014-15, the Howard League for Penal Reform found.
It said children were being wrongly "criminalised" because staff often called the police over minor incidents.
But the Independent Children's Homes Association said homes were "rigorously inspected" and staff well-trained.
The majority of children legally defined as "looked after" in England and Wales are placed in foster care, but in 2014, some 5,220 were living in residential care homes.
The Howard League's findings included:
The report also highlighted Department for Education figures which show a 13 to 15-year-old in a home is almost 20 times more likely to have contact with police than a child living with their family.
Taken together, the Howard League said it was clear children living in children's homes were "being criminalised at excessively high rates".
Staff are calling police too frequently, often over minor incidents that would never come to officers' attention if they happened in family homes, the charity said.
"There appears to be a 'tipping point' around the age of 13, at which time these children lose society's sympathy and, rather than being helped, they are pushed into the criminal justice system," the report added.
Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League, said: "They are wonderful young people who have had a really bad start in life.
"Private companies, charities and local authorities that are paid a fortune by the taxpayer should give these children what they need and deserve."
The report also said:
Figures from different forces are not directly comparable because some include call-outs for missing or absent children, while others only relate to reports of criminal behaviour.
Children's homes are also not evenly distributed across the country, and West Mercia Police pointed out that its area contained more than any other force in England.
It said in a statement: "We work closely with partner agencies and each reported incident is carefully managed on a case-by-case basis. Police work with care homes and children exploring alternatives including restorative justice."
Restorative justice enables victims to meet or communicate with offenders to explain the real impact of the crime.
A West Midlands Police spokesman said: "Clearly there are times when an arrest is the most appropriate course of action when a serious offence has occurred and the suspect is a child; however for more minor incidents we utilise a variety of resolutions rather than an arrest."
Jonathan Stanley, from the Independent Children's Homes Association, said children's homes were "the most scrutinised and accountable service for young people".
"It seems that what is being reported here is history. Police and children's homes work closely together and meet regularly in local areas," he said.
"That's not to say there aren't some particular issues but this needs real life, detailed evidence in order for them to be understood."
Olivia Pinkney and Nick Ephgrave, from the National Police Chiefs' Council, said police "should not be called to minor incidents which would otherwise be dealt with in a family environment".
They said where intervention was necessary, officers should consider tools like restorative justice, and make every effort to avoid holding young people in cells overnight.
They added: "By engaging with 'looked after' children in non-crisis situations we can help build positive relationships and earn their trust.
"All of this will be impossible, however, without better data - which is currently lacking."
Children's Commissioner Anne Longfield said: "Ensuring that staff are able to work in partnership with the police to positively deal with difficult behaviour will be essential if we are to offer children with particularly challenging behaviour the guidance and support of a parent - in this instance a corporate parent." | Police in England and Wales are being called to children's homes thousands of times a year, according to figures. | 35919074 |
The Scottish Atlas of Palliative Care has been compiled by academics based at the University of Glasgow's Crichton campus in Dumfries.
It includes maps, tables, lists and diagrams showing which services are available, at what level, and where.
The atlas contains previously-unavailable data on palliative care services across Scotland.
The team behind it is led by Prof David Clark of the Crichton-based End of Life Studies Group.
He said it would be a vital resource for policy-makers, decision-makers and "thought leaders" across Scotland.
The project was part-funded by the Scottish government.
A spokesperson said the atlas would support a range of work to fulfil a vision that, by 2021, everyone in Scotland who needed palliative care would have access to it. | A new publication is offering a comprehensive guide to end of life care facilities across Scotland. | 37433630 |
During her final appearance on the show on Monday afternoon, she thanked viewers and her fellow panellists for their support over the years.
Hewson said: "Thank you to everybody out there who has cared about me and my family, and watched them grow up.
"It has been fantastic. Thank you so much for everything, every tweet, every message you have sent me."
Hewson received a collage of some of her most memorable moments on the show and one of her co-stars, Coleen Nolan, sang her a song in tribute.
She thanked her fellow panellists for being there for her during "those very bad times" over the years.
"I love them all, they've been so good and wonderful," she added.
Hewson was also surprised by appearances from her Benidorm co-star Jake Canuso and former Coronation Street co-star Kevin Kennedy.
This Morning presenters Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes also paid tribute to Hewson in pre-recorded messages.
Hewson announced in August that she would be stepping down from her role as a Loose Woman, stating that the programme was "in my DNA".
Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or if you have a story suggestion email [email protected]. | Sherrie Hewson has bid an emotional farewell to Loose Women after 14 years on the panel. | 37275718 |
Hendry, 49, admitted sending unwanted text messages and emails to beautician Sarah Kinder after she ended their relationship in March.
An allegation of common assault against Hendry was dropped after Ms Kinder retracted her statement.
Blackpool magistrates adjourned sentencing until 20 August for a Probation Service report.
The court heard Hendry, of Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, accepted he made unwanted visits to Ms Kinder's home in the town and twice threw stones at her bedroom window.
Ms Kinder retracted her allegation the ex-footballer grabbed her arm several times as she tried to get in a taxi.
She attended Blackpool Magistrates' Court but was not required to give evidence in a scheduled trial.
Hendry began seeing Ms Kinder after his wife Denise, 42, passed away in 2009 as a result of botched cosmetic surgery.
Ms Kinder broke off the relationship in late December 2014 but they were reunited on 21 February, the court heard.
Hendry was told sentencing options ranged from a custodial sentence to a community order.
Ms Kinder finally ended the relationship on 3 March and Hendry's catalogue of harassment followed from that date until 18 April, it was said.
He said in a basis of plea he was "extremely upset and confused" by the March break-up and accepted his behaviour which followed was "unacceptable".
Hendry would check "if she was okay" by sometimes driving past her home and entered it once through an unlocked front door.
He saw Ms Kinder in two bars in Lytham on 17 April and had been told she was "very drunk, upset and walking barefoot". He went over to help as she got into a taxi but added: "I accept she did not want my help."
Hendry received a 17-month driving ban earlier this year after admitting drink-driving in Lytham early on 21 February.
He was previously reported to have "bombarded" Ms Kinder with text messages following the first split and was given a harassment order.
The central defender captained his country in the 1998 World Cup and appeared for a series of clubs including Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City, Bolton Wanderers, Blackpool and Rangers.
He also managed Blackpool and Clyde. | Former Scotland and Blackburn Rovers captain Colin Hendry has pleaded guilty to harassing his ex-girlfriend. | 33755590 |
The club received £1m in transfer income after the sales of Nadir Ciftci, John Souttar and Ryan McGowan.
But United's revenue fell by 21% to £4.61m through reduced prize money and match-day attendance income.
The club say they expect to make £1.5m in cost-savings this season as they bid for promotion from Championship.
Administrative costs rose during the period by more than a third to £1.8m. The board say these were mostly football-related as the club took steps to avoid relegation.
United sacked two managers in that time, parting company with Jackie McNamara and Mixu Paatelainen respectively.
The Terrors are currently second in the Championship table, seven points behind league leaders Hibernian.
A club statement read: "The latest annual accounts show the adverse economic effect of a season of poor football results which led to eventual relegation.
"Revenue dropped by 21% to £4.61m through reduced prize money and the associated drop in match attendance income related to sitting at the foot of the Premiership from October 2015 through to the season end in May 2016.
"Broadcast revenue was also down as the club featured in fewer live televised cup games." | Dundee United have reported annual losses of £1.55m, following their relegation from the Scottish Premiership last season. | 39133188 |
Forster, 23, had a year remaining on his contract with Hibernian, who won the Scottish Championship in 2016-17.
However, the former Plymouth loanee has left Easter Road in search of regular first-team football.
"It's great to have a player with as much experience as him at the age of only 23," manager Gary Johnson told the club website.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. | Defender Jordon Forster has joined English League Two side Cheltenham from Scottish Premiership club Hibernian. | 40481977 |
Brian Lightman, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said some people were giving up and taking teaching assistant jobs.
He said confusion around the five different routes into teaching was contributing to recruitment shortages.
The Conservatives say their reforms have helped produce the best-qualified school workforce on record.
They introduced two new school-based routes into teaching: School Direct and Troops to Teachers and expanded Teach First, which fast-tracks highly-qualified graduates into schools.
These came on top of School-Centred Initial Teachers Training and the traditional post-graduate route.
Although the entry requirements are the same for each option, the training and methods of assessment vary.
Mr Lightman said: "We recognise the value of having a variety of routes into teaching. We don't want to turn the clock back. Different people are suited to different approaches.
"But it is an issue at the moment that people have found it very confusing to understand how to go about getting into teaching and it has not always been obvious to them where they should look for objective advice about all the different routes.
"This confusion has deterred people at a time when there are significant recruitment problems."
He added that in the past there was a very straightforward central registry through which potential teachers applied but now candidates had to apply to numerous places.
"Many schools all over the country report great difficulties in recruiting trainee teachers of the right calibre, newly qualified teachers in specialist subject areas and also recruiting people into more senior posts, especially heads of departments in core subjects.
"It is also particularly difficult to recruit people in challenging schools."
Mr Lightman added: "There's no doubt that there's a big recruitment crisis and we are not getting newly-trained teachers in the right places."
He said a snapshot survey of members had revealed shortages were not just appearing in the normal areas, but in all areas and at all levels.
Department for Education statistics from last autumn showed primary school training courses had recruited 93% of their target. This is the third shortfall in a row.
In December, schools inspectorate Ofsted warned that the number of new teachers had dropped by 16% over the last five years - with 8,000 fewer trainees in secondary schools alone.
ASCL has produced a route map in response to requests from school leaders who were themselves confused about the array of options.
It is calling for a future government to review the current teacher supply model and assist teacher training providers in areas where recruitment is difficult.
A Conservative spokesman said it had created new high-quality routes into the profession.
"We're proud of having delivered programmes like School Direct which allow teachers to train in the classroom from day one and having supported the expansion of Teach First so that more exceptional graduates are tackling educational disadvantage and transforming children's life chances.
"The results are clear to see, with the best qualified school workforce on record, higher standards and one million more pupils in good or outstanding schools. The next Conservative government will introduce a National Teacher Service to build on this progress, ensuring we have excellent teachers in every school across the country."
A Liberal Democrat spokesman said: "To attract more teachers we need to show that teaching is a high status and rewarding profession. That's why Liberal Democrats will require every teacher to hold Qualified Teacher Status, will support the Royal College of Teaching and will invest in high quality professional development.
The party said it was protecting per pupil spending in real terms so that teachers have the money they need to deliver great lessons.
Labour has criticised the Conservatives for failing to secure enough trainee teachers for three years in a row.
"Labour will focus on raising the status of the teaching profession to attract new talent and retain the best teachers. And we will end the waste caused by the free schools programme, targeting spending on areas of need so we can cap class sizes for five, six and seven-year-olds at 30," said a spokesperson. | Would-be teachers are being put off by a complexity of routes into the profession, a heads' leader has said. | 32350041 |
Thornhill and her sighted pilot Hall added the kilometre time trial title to the pursuit crown they won on Thursday.
They led a British clean sweep ahead of Aileen McGlynn and Louise Haston with Alison Patrick and Helen Scott third.
Jon Gildea and men's tandem pair James Ball and Matt Rotherham claimed their first World titles.
It takes GB's gold medal tally to five with more medal chances to come in Sunday's final session.
Thornhill and Hall finished in a time of one minute 9.552 seconds to beat 43-year-old McGlynn, who is in her first GB outing since 2012, and Haston by 1.537 seconds.
Paralympic triathlon silver medallist Patrick, who is making her debut in international track cycling, and Scott were a further 0.026 seconds back.
"To stand up there with our team-mates was brilliant. I've never experienced that before," Thornhill told BBC Sport.
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Hall added: "More GB riders coming through is good; it pushes us along and keeps the competition high."
Ball and Rotherham were the penultimate pair to ride in the men's event and after clocking 1:00.727 seconds. They watched on as Commonwealth Games champions Neil Fachie and Craig Maclean failed to better their time [1:02.39).
"It's one of the greatest feelings I've ever had," said Welshman Ball, who finished fifth with Maclean at the Rio Paralympics
"I'm really happy with how it turned out and I'm hoping for good things on Sunday in the sprint."
Gildea's success in the C5 4km pursuit comes off the back of missing out on selection for Rio 2016.
After qualifying second behind Lauro Cesar Chaman of Brazil, the 38-year-old from Sale, who became eligible for Para-sport in 2013 after breaking his leg badly in a mountain bike accident, dug deep in the final to beat his rival by 1.985 seconds.
"It's nice to come back and get a world champion's jersey. That's the starting point for getting on my way to Tokyo," he said. | British tandem pair Sophie Thornhill and Corrine Hall won their second gold medal at the Para-cycling Track World Championships in Los Angeles. | 39170417 |
Known for his provocative pictures and poetry, Ren's often explicit work had been exhibited in galleries all over the world. He shot for major fashion brands and magazines such as Gucci and GQ China.
Details of his death on Friday are still emerging, but he is believed to have taken his own life.
Dian Hanson, editor at German publisher Taschen, said Ren had fallen into a "crushing depression" in October which was "intensified by global political instability. The months of pain finally proved too much".
Born in Changchun in north-east Jilin province, Ren first picked up photography when attending college in Beijing. He began shooting pictures of his friends out of boredom.
Over time he gained fame for his striking photographs, often featuring young naked Chinese models in unusual and sculptural poses. He roped in friends and acquaintances for many of these pictures, even his own mother for one series.
A true child of the social media generation, he freely shared his works on his website and his Facebook, Instagram and Flickr accounts, accruing thousands of devoted young fans, some of whom would apply to model for him.
Many have seen his works as a commentary on evolving sexual mores and the struggle for creative and sexual freedom in a conservative, tightly controlled society.
The British Journal of Photography quoted him as once saying: "I don't want others having the impression that Chinese people are robots.... Or they do have sexual genitals but always keep them as some secret treasures."
But his explicit works inevitably provoked a strong response from authorities in China, where pornography is illegal and where artists have often fought against censorship and state interference. He was arrested several times, his work confiscated.
He consistently denied that his photography had a political message. "My pictures' politics have nothing to do with China. It's Chinese politics that wants to interfere with my art," he told digital magazine Dazed in 2015.
Along with his photography, Ren Hang frequently posted emotional erotic poetry on his social media accounts. Here is an extract from a 2016 poem called Love:
My kisses can be finely linked into a line, just like
a snake slithers across every rugged reef rock on
your trembling body, afterwards you turn
into a snake, I turn into a rock, still afterwards we
all turn into snakes, intertwined together, we
all turn into rocks, hitting each other.
Ren Hang exhibited prolifically, staging more than 20 solo and 70 group art shows, and publishing several monographs of his work. At the time of his death he had just released a new book with Taschen, and launched an exhibition at an Amsterdam gallery.
Ren Hang long struggled with depression, which he talked about openly. On his website, he wrote candid entries about his struggle with the illness, which included frequent hallucinations and hearing voices.
Among his latest entries on his Weibo microblogging account, posted at the end of January, was a stark one-liner: "Every year I always have the same wish: to die an early death." It was followed up with another line: "Hope that it comes true this year."
Since his death, grieving fans have been posting tributes online. One commenter on Weibo wrote: "I am not sad, because you weren't happy here." | The Chinese art world was rocked over the weekend by news that famed erotic photographer Ren Hang had died at the age of 30. | 39100128 |
The Colorado-based Briton lifted her fourth title in a time of eight hours, 55 minutes and eight seconds, to beat Mirinda Carfrae and GB's Leanda Cave.
The 34-year-old from Feltwell, Norfolk suffered heavy bruising in a training accident, preparing for the race.
"It's the hardest-fought victory of my career and definitely the one I'm most proud of," she told BBC Radio Norfolk.
"The grazes on my leg and elbow were the least of my worries, the internal bruising to my upper chest and hip caused the most pain.
"That's why I feel so proud. The mind is an amazing thing. The body may scream in agony but you can overcome that."
World record holder Wellington, unbeaten over the 140-mile distance - which comprise a 2.4 mile swim, 112-mile cycle and full marathon - finished just under three minutes ahead of Australia's reigning champion Carfrae in Kona.
"I'd have preferred a bigger cushion," she said. "But it was a true race. Normally, I lead from the front but I had to dig to the very depths of myself emotionally and physically.
"I came off the bike in sixth and had to run my way to victory, so it was a very different event this year, a phenomenal race."
Wellington, who missed the event in 2010 due to illness, was particularly pleased to claim back her title.
"To be crowned four-times world champion means everything," she said. "I'm so proud to hold that title and wear that crown.
"To be the figurehead and representative of our amazing sport is a dream come true," she added.
Fellow Britons Cave and Rachel Joyce finished third and fourth respectively, making it the nation's best-ever World Championships.
In the men's race, Australia's 2008 and 2009 champion Craig Alexander secured a third title with fellow Australian Pete Jacobs second and Germany's Andreas Raelert third.
In September, GB's Alistair Brownlee was crowned tritahlon world champion after pipping his brother Jonathan in the season-ending Grand Final in Beijing. | Chrissie Wellington made a winning return to the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. | 15231761 |
Among them are well-known names like Debenhams, Subway, Lloyds Pharmacy and St Mirren Football Club.
More than 15,500 workers had to be paid back nearly one million pounds.
But that may represent just the tip of the iceberg: The Office for National Statistics has calculated that 362,000 jobs did not pay the NMW in April 2016.
The biggest offenders were employers in hairdressing, hospitality and retail.
One worker at a dental practice in London's Harley Street was refunded nearly £12,000.
The fashion store Debenhams had to re-pay £134,000 to more than 11,000 staff - more than half of its shop workers - after an accounting error left each of them around £11 short in wages.
The company was fined £63,000.
A spokesperson said, "As a responsible employer Debenhams is committed to the National Minimum Wage, and as soon as the error was identified by a routine HMRC audit last year, we reimbursed all those affected."
See the full list of businesses here.
Excuses used by businesses for not paying the full basic wage included using tips to top up their pay, making reductions to pay for a Christmas party, or making staff pay for their own uniforms.
For the first time the list includes firms which failed to pay the National Living Wage, which was introduced on 1 April 2016 for workers over the age of 25.
The current rate is £7.20 an hour. Those under 25 receive the NMW, currently £6.95 for 21 to 24 year-olds, and £5.55 for 18 to 20 year-olds.
'Higher fines'
In total the 360 businesses that broke the law were fined £800,000.
However the TUC said that was not a big enough deterrent. It called for higher fines, and more prosecutions.
"This should be a wake-up call for employers who value their reputation. If you cheat your staff out of the minimum wage you will be named and shamed," said the TUC's general secretary, Frances O'Grady.
"But we also need to see prosecutions and higher fines for the most serious offenders, especially those who deliberately flout the law."
The ONS has said that 1.3% of employees are not being paid the minimum, amounting to 178,000 full-time workers, and 184,000 part-time workers.
But the TUC believes that even that number is an under-estimate, as it does not take into account those working in internships, or those who may be wrongly classified as self-employed. | The government has named 360 businesses which have failed to pay either the National Minimum Wage (NMW) or the National Living Wage (NLW). | 38979368 |
The film company's lawyer David Boies has sent a letter to the social network demanding that accounts sharing information be shut down.
US website Motherboard has posted a letter sent from Boies to Twitter.
In it one user is singled out, Val Broeksmit, who tweets screenshots of Sony emails as @BikiniRobotArmy.
In the letter to Twitter, Sony's lawyer says Twitter should "comply with all future requests with regard to any other account holder seeking to disseminate the Stolen Information via Twitter".
The letter also asks the network to send a copy to @BikiniRobotArmy user Val Broeksmit, advising him to stop publishing stolen information.
It continues: "If Twitter does not comply with this request, and the Stolen Information continues to be disseminated by Twitter in any manner, SPE will have no choice but to hold Twitter responsible for any damage or loss arising from such use or dissemination by Twitter."
Sony Pictures warned some American news outlets about using information from leaked emails earlier this month after its internal computer system was hacked.
The US accused North Korea of orchestrating the cyber-attack on the company in November, although the country has denied that.
The hack resulted in unreleased films and the script for the next James Bond movie being leaked online.
Details of corporate finances and private emails between producers and Hollywood figures were also released.
It also led Sony to cancel the Christmas release of The Interview, a film about the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Meanwhile, North Korea's entire internet went down early on Tuesday.
The US had warned the country that it would launch a proportional response to the cyber-attack on Sony Pictures but would not comment on any American involvement in the outages.
Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube | Sony Pictures Entertainment is threatening to sue Twitter if the company doesn't suspend accounts containing links to hacked emails. | 30585914 |
The 27-year-old, who has 41 caps, played every minute of his country's World Cup campaign in Brazil as they finished third in Group E.
Granada, who, like Watford, are owned by the Italian Pozzo family, only signed Paredes from Ecuadorian side Sporting Barcelona earlier this summer.
The transfer is still subject to international clearance.
The terms for Paredes's move to Watford are undisclosed.
He will be Watford's seventh summer signing, following striker Matej Vydra, winger Lloyd Dyer, midfielder Daniel Tozser, defenders Craig Cathcart and Gabriel Tamas, and goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes. | Watford have signed Ecuador right-back Juan Carlos Paredes from Granada on a five-year contract. | 28342457 |
The 74-year-old was best known for her role as Edna Birch in the ITV soap, which she played for the last 15 years.
In a statement, her agent said she had been diagnosed with cancer and passed away on Monday.
ITV executive producer, John Whiston paid tribute, saying: "The family here at Emmerdale are deeply saddened by Shirley's passing, it is hard to imagine Emmerdale without her."
He added: "We offer our condolences to Shirley's family and share our feeling of loss with the millions of viewers who will miss Edna enormously."
Stelfox trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), and went on to star in numerous well-known TV shows.
She was the first Rose in Keeping Up Appearances and also starred in The Bill, Coronation Street and Crossroads.
Her film credits included a role opposite John Hurt in the movie adaptation of George Orwell's novel 1984, and alongside Julie Walters in Personal Services.
She also had a successful career in the theatre, with her stage work including Not Now, Darling, Toad Of Toad Hall and Cavalcade at the Chichester Festival Theatre.
She was married to actor Don Henderson from 1979 until he died in 1997.
Former Emmerdale star Verity Rushworth, who played Donna Windsor in the soap, led the tributes on Twitter, writing: "Thinking of the entire @emmerdale family and the loved ones of the legendary Shirley Stelfox. Taight me so much when growing up. xxx."
Actress and comedienne Kathy Burke tweeted a photo of Stelfox and Henderson saying: "RIP beautiful Shirley Stelfox seen here with the love of her life Don Henderson." | Emmerdale actress Shirley Stelfox has died following a short illness. | 35039710 |
Police searching for Xavier Thomas, 45, recovered a body from the Thames on Tuesday evening. The discovery pushed the overall death toll to eight.
Although Mr Thomas has not been formally identified, his family have been informed.
Sebastien Belanger, 36, and Alexandre Pigeard, 27, also died in the attack.
President Emmanuel Macron confirmed the French death toll on Wednesday, adding that eight citizens were also among the injured.
"It is a heavy price that we pay in these attacks," he said.
French chef Sebastien Belanger, who worked at the Coq d'Argent restaurant near Bank, was also killed during the attack.
The 36-year-old had been watching the Champions League final with friends at a nearby pub.
His girlfriend's sister told the Evening Standard newspaper that they left the pub just before the attack.
"When the van hit, they thought it was just a car accident. Then after a few seconds they saw people running, screaming, and a guy with a knife attacking," said Greta Tubutyte.
She said a woman was stabbed right in front of them, and two of his friends managed to run away, losing him in the commotion.
After confirmation of his death, his girlfriend posted his picture on Facebook, with the French caption "Mon amour" (My love).
A waiter at Boro Bistro, Alexandre Pigeard, 27, died after being stabbed.
According to French media, Mr Pigeard was from Caen, in Normandy, but had been living in London for more than two years.
Vincent Le Berre, a manager at Boro Bistro, told the Brittany news outlet Le Telegramme how his colleague was attacked by a terrorist in a bar near Borough Market.
"I managed to escape him, but my friend Alexandre did not have that chance," he said. "He was hit in the neck with a knife."
A college friend of Mr Pigeard's told the BBC the victim's mother was devastated by the news.
His father told French media he was a "marvellous son" and a "radiant young man".
He was also a DJ.
Xavier Thomas was walking along the bridge with his girlfriend, Christine Delcros, on Saturday night.
The couple had come to London for the weekend.
It is thought he was propelled into the River Thames after being hit by the white van driven into pedestrians by the three attackers.
A body was found in the water downstream, near Limehouse, at 19:44 BST on Tuesday.
Ms Delcros was seriously injured.
Her sister, Natalie Cros Brohan, posted Facebook on Wednesday morning, saying her sibling had been operated on and was in a stable condition. | Three French men are among those killed in the London Bridge attack on Saturday. | 40192321 |
A window in the Wetherspoon Rodborough Buildings in Guildford was broken in two places in the attack on Wednesday.
"People were pretty frightened and were hiding under the tables and running down the stairs," said BBC Surrey reporter Adrian Harms.
Surrey Police said it was believed stones were thrown at the window.
"I did see people standing on the roof of the Friary Centre opposite who looked as though they were throwing objects in the direction of the pub," said Harms, who was in the pub at the time.
Police officers searched the area with the help of the National Police Air Service but no culprits were found.
Nobody was injured.
The town centre was closed for 45 minutes after the attack at 21:00 GMT.
Richard Potts, operations manager at The Friary, said: "We are aware of an incident that took place yesterday evening close to The Friary and have liaised with Surrey Police.
"The incident did not take place in The Friary, which was closed at the time, and The Friary opened this morning as usual." | A Surrey town centre was closed and the police helicopter deployed after diners were showered with glass in an attack of vandalism on a pub. | 34664658 |
Mars said the products, for sale in the UK and Ireland, should not be eaten.
The recall began after tests showed salmonella may be in ingredients.
"We are working closely with the relevant food safety authorities and our customers to ensure that the affected products are no longer available for purchase," Mars said.
Mars said thousands of potentially affected chocolates - fewer than 3,000 - could already have been sold to customers.
Products including Galaxy Milk 200g bars, Minstrel 118g pouches and Maltesers Teasers 35g bars with best-before dates of 6 May 2018 and 13 May 2018 are affected.
Other products included in the recall include Galaxy Milk 4x42g multipacks and Galaxy Counters 78g and 112g pouches with the 6 May 2018 and 13 May 2018 best-before dates.
The company has asked food retailers across the UK and Ireland to pull the affected products from shelves immediately.
Tesco told the BBC that it wasn't going to sell any of the affected products it had in stock, whatever the best before date, as a temporary measure to help avoid any customer confusion.
The chocolate products affected were made at Mars' Slough factory.
People who have purchased the affected confectionary should contact the Mars customer call centre for "returns and reimbursement", it said.
The Food Standards Agency said the recall "is for a small number of products and is on a precautionary basis."
Mars said no other brands or varieties of chocolate, pack formats, bar sizes or best before dates had been affected.
The products being recalled are:
Mars said UK consumers can call 0800 952 0084 for reimbursement and Irish consumers can contact 1890 812 315. | Chocolate maker Mars is recalling some bars of Galaxy, Maltesers Teasers and bags of Minstrels due to the "potential presence of salmonella". | 40226415 |
Officials say at least 15 people survived, with some found alive inside the submerged hull of the Eastern Star.
The captain and the chief engineer, who both survived, have been detained. They say the boat, which sent no emergency signal, was caught in a cyclone.
The rescue is continuing into the night but is being hampered by bad weather.
Chinese media quoted the captain as saying the vessel sank within minutes, while many people were asleep. BBC weather forecaster Peter Gibbs says there were severe thunderstorms in the area.
Most of those on board were tourists aged between 50 and 80 travelling from the eastern city of Nanjing to Chongqing in the south-west - a journey of at least 1,500km (930 miles).
The ship sank in the Damazhou waterway section of the Yangtze, where the world's third longest river reaches depths of about 15m (50ft).
Analysis: John Sudworth, BBC News
No doubt for some of those on the Eastern Star it would have been the trip of a lifetime.
And the Three Gorges Dam - a place of pilgrimage in its own right and a powerful symbol of China's rising economic might, attracting about two million visitors a year - now has its part to play in the rescue. The dam's engineers have been ordered to reduce the water volume flowing through the giant turbines.
The sinking of the Eastern Star will resonate widely.
A boat full of everyday Chinese tourists - from grandmothers and grandfathers down to the youngest listed passenger at just three years old - has been lost in the waters of the country's best-loved river.
Yangtze River tragedy on trip of a lifetime
Shock and questions over Yangtze sinking
Tears and anxiety as relatives wait
At least 15 people have so far been rescued and some with minor injuries have been taken to hospital, officials said.
One survivor, tour guide Zhang Hui, told the Xinhua state news agency that heavy rain had come through cabin windows and many passengers went into the ship's hall to keep sheets and other items dry.
He said the ship then began to toss violently, to an angle of 45 degrees.
Mr Zhang said he had "30 seconds to grab a life jacket" and tried to hold on to what he could find to keep his head above water as the vessel overturned.
He clambered out of a window in the torrential rain. "Wave after wave crashed over me; I swallowed a lot of water," he said.
Mr Zhang said he heard the cries of at least a dozen other people in the water but after about 30 minutes, they all fell silent and he finally drifted into reeds and was rescued.
Three other survivors were rescued from inside the upside-down hull of the ship after it was cut open, Xinhua said.
According to the People's Daily, three bodies were recovered in Yueyang, Hunan province, some 50km away.
Could weather front be behind Yangtze sinking?
Some 150 boats and 4,000 emergency personnel are involved in the rescue.
Footage on state TV showed divers knocking on the submerged hull with hammers to try to make contact with trapped people.
Chinese premier Li Keqiang has arrived at the scene, according to the People's Daily.
Eastern Star - Dongfangzhixing in Chinese - had been carrying 405 Chinese passengers, five travel agency employees and 46 crew members.
The 76m-long ship weighs 2,200 tons, and could accommodate a maximum of 534 people.
The boat sank at about 21:30 local time on Monday evening (13:30 GMT), but rescuers did not reach the vessel until at least two-and-a-half hours later.
CCTV said the vessel was owned by the Chongqing Eastern Shipping Corporation which runs tours to the scenic Three Gorges area along the Yangtze.
Relatives scuffled with officials at a local government building in Shanghai, frustrated over the lack of information, Reuters reports.
They had earlier gathered outside the closed offices of the travel agency, Xiehe Travel, which made the bookings for the cruise.
They told reporters that phone calls to their loved ones on board were not getting through.
Sina News reported that a young man was seen sobbing by the door, saying: "Mum and Dad I was wrong, I shouldn't have let you go off on your holiday."
Another relative, Huang Yan, says she believes her husband and father-in-law were on board, but she could not be sure because she had not seen the official passenger manifest, the AP news agency reports.
"Why did the captain leave the ship while the passengers were still missing?'' she asked. | Five people have died and hundreds are missing after a cruise ship carrying 456 people capsized on the Yangtze River in China's Hubei province. | 32969861 |
Anthony Charnock, 82, was not used to his new Skoda's automatic gearbox when he crashed into the Hungerford branch of Tesco on 8 December.
His wife Colombine, 86, was a passenger in the car and died of her injuries, Reading Coroner's Court heard.
The coroner recorded a conclusion of death by road traffic collision.
More on this and other stories from across the south of England.
The inquest was told that Mr Charnock was attempting to park in a blue badge space when witnesses described his car crashing into a number of vehicles before hitting the front of the store.
He suffered only minor injuries.
Mr Charnock, who said he had no memories of the events immediately before the crash, was inexperienced at using his Skoda Yeti, the court heard.
He added that he had since surrendered his license and never wanted to drive again.
The car did not have any defects and there was no medical reason for the crash, the court heard.
David Russell, a police forensic vehicle advisor, said the collision was the result of "unintended acceleration".
He said it was a "well-known, common scenario" particularly with older or younger people driving automatic cars.
Berkshire coroner Peter Bedford praised nurse Rachel Davies who was shopping in Tesco and administered emergency treatment immediately after the crash.
Previously Mr Charnock's family paid tribute to his partner as a "beloved wife, mother and grandmother". | An elderly woman was fatally injured when her husband crashed their car by stepping on the accelerator instead of the brake, an inquest heard. | 40105830 |
The new series - which is the first since the show left the BBC - sees Paul Hollywood joined by fellow judge Prue Leith, with Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig on presenting duties.
An average of 5.8 million viewers watched the show - rising to 6.5 million when those watching on +1 are included.
The first episode of the series broadly won over the critics, but it's the viewers Channel 4 needed to convince.
"I feel like I'm breaking some kind of law by watching this without Mel, Sue and Mary," tweeted Kelly as the episode started.
But with other viewers declaring the show "the best thing about being British," most stuck with it and had been won over by the time it ended.
Toksvig was popular on Twitter, with Mary writing: "Sandi is a natural to give this show coherence and polish."
Michelle said Sandi's co-host Noel was "pretty adorable" while Rob said he was "totally on board" with the Mighty Boosh star as a presenter.
Greg wrote that Fielding was going to "single-handedly save this series".
But Stephanie said: "It's like Top Gear all over again 🙈"
(We don't think that's a compliment given how Chris Evans's season went down.)
End of Twitter post by @747Captain
Chloe said Sandi and Noel were "no Mel and Sue", while Hannah tweeted: "The word bake just doesn't sound the same coming from them."
But former contestant Rav Bansal spoke for many when he said: "Although Mel and Sue will always have my heart, Sandi and Noel are doing brilliantly."
Very diplomatic.
Not everybody was a fan of the commercial breaks, and many viewers were quick to tweet their thoughts when the ads started rolling.
"Adverts in GBBO is just wrong," was one of the more printable reactions to the first break.
By the third, Julie said she was getting "fed up" with the interruptions and Gemma tweeted they were the "only thing I hate about the new GBBO".
Former winner Nadiya Hussain even said she was holding off on watching the show until she could skip the adverts:
End of Twitter post by @BegumNadiya
But Pauline pointed out: "Don't mind the adverts - allows me to make tea!"
Similarly, Katie felt the ads "built the tension" while Vicky said they "give you a chance to debrief in between segments".
Line-up changes and ad breaks aside, many viewers said the show felt reassuringly familiar.
Sue tweeted: "Hats off to Channel 4 - well done for keeping GBBO the same great format.
"Yes the ads aren't great but they weren't too badly placed! 👠| The Great British Bake Off's first episode on Channel 4 has gone down well with viewers - although some took time to adjust to the new line-up and advert breaks. | 41089946 |
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The loss, Liverpool's second in a row, left them seven points adrift of the Champions League qualification places.
It led to reports of an acrimonious team meeting after the match.
But Rodgers said: "The team might be short of certain elements but in terms of commitment and focus, it's pretty clear."
He added: "We have lots of meetings here analysing performance and this one was no different."
The Liverpool manager also said he had not given up hope of finishing in the top four, despite saying on Saturday he "very much doubted" they would qualify for the Champions League.
"After the game I gave an answer which was logical in terms of the difficulty we have but it is not certainly a mindset," he said.
"Our attitude is to go right to the end. We would have to win our seven games but it is certainly something we will go into in order to do that."
And Rodgers says Wednesday's FA Cup quarter-final replay against Blackburn provides the perfect opportunity for Liverpool to get back to winning ways.
"It's important to have a game quickly when you lose," he said. "The group's very committed to winning this trophy.
"We know Blackburn will be a difficult game for us, but getting to a final and winning a trophy is what we want." | Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has defended the "commitment and focus" of his players after Saturday's 4-1 defeat by Arsenal. | 32194136 |
Gary McMillan had died in the city's Lawton Terrace in the early hours of Tuesday.
Mr McMillan was pronounced dead at the scene, close to Dundee Law, after the emergency services were called at about 02:25.
A 31-year-old man being held by police is expected to appear at Dundee Sheriff Court on Thursday.
A police spokesman said: "Inquiries continue, and the patience of the local community is appreciated." | Police have arrested a man in connection with the the death of a 44-year-old in Dundee. | 39950798 |
Bricklayer Jason Baker, 31, from Plymouth, found the very rare bar, called a pig, near Wells.
The 2ft (60cm) ingot dates from AD 164 and is inscribed with the name of emperor Marcus Aurelius Armeniacus.
Auctioneers Bonhams said it was the only known pig found in the UK to survive from the Antonine period, the 2nd Century AD.
More on the Roman ingot auction, plus more Devon and Cornwall news
Four ingots bearing the same inscriptions are known to have been discovered, all found within 18 miles of Charterhouse in Mendip, Somerset - the supposed point of manufacture, said Bonhams.
The first two, found in the 16th and 18th Centuries, have since been lost.
The third, consisting of two fragments, is on display at the Museum of Somerset in Taunton.
Mr Baker has been metal detecting for two years when he found the pig on a rally with the Southern Detectorists Club.
He said: "Normally I find just a couple of Roman coins and that's normally a good day, so to find something like this has just changed my life.
"I knew I had found something because it was a really good signal. I dug down about two and a half feet and saw this thing with writing all over it. I didn't have a clue what it was.
"I was just happy to have found something, I don't do it for the money - I do it for discovering history."
Mr Baker added: "On the day when I found it me and the farmer had a chat. I said 'I found it on your land' and he agreed to go halves on the profits."
He has also agreed to give half of his profits to his friend Zack Littlejohn, who taught him "everything he knows" and has become a good friend, meaning the builder will only get a quarter of whatever it sells for.
Siobhan Quin, Bonhams' senior antiquities specialist, said the ingot was worth between £40,000 and £60,000.
"This is a wonderful discovery," she said.
"The Mendips were a major source of lead for the Romans who cast the metal into ingots for ease of transportation.
"Some lead was sent back to Rome and some used locally - the great bath at nearby Bath, for example, is lined with original Mendip lead."
The auction takes place at Bonhams in London on 30 November. | An ingot of Roman lead unearthed on a farm is expected to fetch up to £60,000 at auction. | 38027798 |
The US Army said it would not authorise the final section of the Dakota Access Pipeline to allow alternative routes to be considered.
The decision is a win for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe who have protested against the pipeline for months.
But the next US president, Donald Trump, says he supports the project.
The multi-billion, 1,200-mile (1,900 km) pipeline, crossing four states, is intended to slash the costs of transferring crude. It is nearly complete except for a section planned to run under Lake Oahe, a reservoir on the Missouri River.
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and their supporters fear it will contaminate drinking water and run over sacred burial sites.
Months of protests, on federal land, have seen clashes between the demonstrators and law enforcement.
The final stretch required a permit from federal authorities but on Sunday, the US Army Corps of Engineers refused to grant it so it could undertake "an environmental impact statement to look at possible alternative routes".
The two firms involved, Energy Transfer Partners and Sunoco Logistics, attacked the move as a "purely political action".
Noting that the project already has court approval, the companies accused the White House of abandoning the rule of law "in favour of currying favour with a narrow and extreme political constituency".
The Battle of Standing Rock is far from over.
A memorandum from the US Army Corps of Engineers might strongly suggest that the pipeline will be re-routed but it does not actually say that will happen.
It talks of "consideration" and "discussion" of other locations and of a "more robust analysis of alternatives" before permission "is granted for the Dakota Access Pipeline to cross the Missouri river on Corps land".
The Corps also acknowledges that the project has been ruled lawful by the courts.
Plus it hardly needs pointing out that Barack Obama, whom the protestors praise for this decision, will soon be succeeded by Donald Trump, a supporter of the project who has previously invested in Energy Transfer Partners and may still hold stock in a related firm, Phillips 66.
It would be a very big surprise indeed were Mr Trump not to try to reverse a move by the Corps of Engineers which one Republican in North Dakota said sent a "very chilling signal" for the future of infrastructure in the US.
Both companies added they "fully expect to complete construction of the pipeline without any additional rerouting in and around Lake Oahe".
Republican North Dakotan politicians too have piled in, with Governor Jack Dalrymple calling the decision a "serious mistake"
In contrast there has been jubilation among protesters, who have numbered in their thousands, enduring bitter cold at encampments.
Adan Bearcub, a Native American and military veteran, said "this is the best news that I've heard forever - best news for Native people, native country, the whole United States - all the people. Water is so precious."
The US army's decision has delighted high-profile opponents of the pipeline, such as actress Shailene Woodley, who was arrested at a protest in October.
Singer Alicia Keys shared a picture and a famous Native American quote. | Two firms behind a controversial oil pipeline in the US have accused the White House of political interference for failing to approve its completion. | 38206347 |
The match was called off at 9:30 GMT after referee Anthony Taylor had inspected the playing surface.
Altrincham are currently 19th in the table, while Dover occupy the last play-off spot in fifth. | Saturday's National League game between Altrincham and Dover Athletic has been postponed because of a waterlogged pitch at the J Davidson Stadium. | 35389752 |
The 81-year-old told police the haul was taken from his house at Blofield near Norwich between Wednesday evening and Friday morning.
The thefts included his 1964 FA Cup medal, 1965 European Cup Winners Cup medal from his West Ham days, and his 1985 League Cup medal when he managed Norwich.
"My wife and I feel violated," he said.
Norfolk Police said a set of Winston Churchill gold medals, cash and jewellery were also stolen.
"I had such a great time with both Norwich City and West Ham United and feel a huge amount of pride when I look back at my medals and to think that someone has entered my home and taken them hurts me a lot," said Mr Brown.
"I have grandchildren who play football and I love being able to show them the medals when they visit.
"They won't like to see their granddad upset but unfortunately that's how I feel at the moment."
He continued: "My wife and I feel violated that someone could take items of such personal significance and I can only hope those responsible for doing this can see how pointless it is to take something that has no value to them and such great value to us."
A Norwich City Football Club spokesman said: "Norwich City Football Club is shocked and saddened by the theft.
"Hopefully the publicity surrounding the case will tweak someone's conscience and lead to the recovery of the items." | The former West Ham footballer and Norwich manager Ken Brown has had his cup winners' medals stolen in a burglary at his Norfolk home. | 32556319 |
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The 34-year-old matched Steffi Graf's Open era record with a 7-5 6-3 victory over Angelique Kerber at the All England Club on Saturday.
Williams was one title away from the record when she won Wimbledon in 2015, but had lost in the Australian and French Open finals this year.
"It was really tough," Williams told BBC Sport.
"I came so close at the last three Grand Slams and was not able to pull through but I felt when I came into Wimbledon I had taken the pressure off, I didn't feel it any more. I just have to win.
"It was definitely a lot of relief. This was never my goal growing up and all of a sudden it became my goal and felt like the world's goal as well. So I was excited to get to that 22. "
Graf reacted to Williams equalling her record by writing on Facebook: "What an incredible performance by Serena at Wimbledon. Such a gift to all sport fans who get to continue to watch her add to an already amazing career #22."
Williams' win on Saturday means she has now won seven singles titles at Wimbledon.
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Kerber, 28, stunned Williams to win the Australian Open title in January - the German's first major victory.
But the fourth seed could not find a way past the American world number one on Centre Court, and earned only one chance to break her opponent's serve.
"I think I played what I could today. Serena's serving was unbelievable," said Kerber.
"At the end I was trying everything, but she deserved it. I think I was not the one who lost the match, I think she won the match. Today, Serena deserved it."
Williams is now level with German Graf in the all-time list of Grand Slam singles champions, but remains two behind overall leader Margaret Court, the Australian who won 13 of her 24 major titles before tennis turned professional in 1968.
When asked if surpassing Court was her next aim, Williams responded: "Oh God, no.
"I've learned a lot about 22. I learned not to get involved in those debates and conversations. I just learned to just play tennis. That's what I do best.
"One thing I learned about last year is to enjoy the moment. I'm definitely going to enjoy this."
You can now add tennis alerts in the BBC Sport app - simply head to the menu and My Alerts section | Serena Williams says she felt "relieved" after ending her wait for a 22nd Grand Slam title at Wimbledon. | 36755963 |
The former Democratic White House candidate shared a graph suggesting her former rival spent 25 hours on the links during his first month in office.
Mr Trump made his sixth trip to the golf course on Sunday, joined by professional golfer Rory McIlroy.
The Republican was a frequent critic of Barack Obama's fairway excursions.
According to an analysis of Washington Post pool reports that was retweeted by Mrs Clinton, the president has dedicated 21 hours to foreign relations, 13 hours to tweeting and six hours to intelligence briefings in his first weeks.
What do you do when your life's goal, a dream that was nearly realised, slips away in a flash? That's the question Hillary Clinton has faced since Donald Trump smashed her presidential hopes last November.
In the ensuing days, the former secretary state has taken long walks in New York woods with her husband, Bill. She's given a few speeches and caught some shows on Broadway, where she's always warmly received. And she's tweeted.
Haltingly, at first. A few Thanksgiving messages here, a get-well note to George HW Bush there. She stood firmly on uncontroversial ground
Now, however, her voice is sharpening. She celebrates the anti-Trump protests that have swept across the country. She's poked fun at the president and taken more pointed shots at his policies and positions. As the president has stumbled, she's tiptoeing closer and closer to the land of "I told you so".
What's next for a woman in her life's third or fourth act? Rumours of a run for New York swirled then receded. When the presidential prize was so close, will anything else bring satisfaction?
Given that the Clintons have been in the national spotlight for decades, a quiet exit seems increasingly unlikely.
Mr Trump joined Rory McIlroy, one of the world's highest ranked golfers, at Trump International Golf Club on Sunday.
The Irishman later told a golf blog he had played a full 18 holes with the president, as well as the chief executive of Clear Sports and former New York Yankee Paul O'Neill.
But McIlroy's account contradicted White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
She said Mr Trump had only "played a couple of holes" on Saturday, as well as Sunday.
When pressed about McIlroy's comments on Monday, she said Mr Trump had "intended to play a few holes and decided to play longer".
The White House has otherwise declined to say who plays with Mr Trump, drawing backlash from US media over how much time he spends on the green.
But the president's golf hobby also recalls his repeated criticism of President Obama.
Mr Trump regularly accused Mr Obama of spending too much time golfing before and throughout his presidential campaign.
"Can you believe that, with all the problems and difficulties facing the US, President Obama spent the day playing golf. Worse than Carter," he tweeted in October 2014.
Ten days later, he tweeted: "President Obama has a major meeting on the NYC Ebola outbreak, with people flying in from all over the country, but decided to play golf!"
Mr Trump also said he would be too busy to swing at a tee if elected.
"I'm going to be working for you. I'm not going to have time to go play golf," he said last August.
But he later softened his tone toward the game, which he said could be used as a tool of diplomacy.
"I don't think you should play very much," he told the Golf Channel in July.
"But if you're going to play, you should use it to your advantage, and the country's advantage."
Earlier this month, the president hosted Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and played a full round with the foreign leader as well as professional golfer Ernie Els.
However, his foursome on Sunday did not include any political types.
Former Presidents George W Bush and his father, George HW Bush, were also criticised for their golf outings, at the outsets of the first and second Iraq wars. | A Hillary Clinton retweet has drawn attention to President Donald Trump's golf outings, which critics are hoping to turn into a political handicap. | 39054971 |
Town winger Sean Scannell (ankle) is out, along with midfielder Jonathan Hogg.
Port Vale will be without striker Alex Jones after Birmingham City recalled the loanee and sold him to Bradford City.
The absence of Jones means that veteran winger Jerome Thomas could be used as a striker. | Huddersfield Town could include forward Izzy Brown in their squad after he joined on loan from Chelsea on Friday. | 38475367 |
The Old Bailey jury decided unanimously that Humphrey Burke, 23, caused "catastrophic" brain injuries to Lorraine Barwell.
Burke had been assessed as unfit to plead to murder due to mental illness.
Mr Justice Singh imposed a hospital order and said Burke should remain at Broadmoor secure hospital.
Following a trial of the facts, the jury deliberated for just 20 minutes before deciding Burke did kick Mrs Barwell in the head at Blackfriars Crown Court in June last year.
Gia Sofokli was on her first day in the job and was "shadowing" the 54-year-old, who had worked at security firm Serco for more than 10 years.
She said: "He just literally pulled his leg back and kicked her... she screamed quite loud and then it was about two seconds before he swung again with his foot but this time it got her in the face.... her head went back but it did not smack the floor. It just snapped back."
Prosecutor Duncan Penny QC said Burke had been "unpredictable" at previous Blackfriars hearings where he had pretended to faint, collapse and go limp.
At the time of the attack a psychiatric report had been prepared but no definitive diagnosis of mental illness had been made.
Mr Justice Singh imposed a hospital order with a restriction order under the Mental Health Act.
He formally adjourned the Blackfriars case as well as the murder charge, saying Burke could still face trial if he becomes fit to plead in the future.
The judge said Mrs Barwell had been "clearly close to her family who loved her".
Referring to a victim impact statement by her daughter Louise Grennan, he said: "She described in very clear detail the devastating impact that there has been to members of Lorraine Barwell's family over her death."
Det Ch Insp David Reid from the Metropolitan Police said: "Lorraine Barwell was not a threat to Humphrey Burke; she was merely doing her job - the same job that she had carried out with dedication and professionalism for many years." | A custody officer died after being kicked in the head by a prisoner she was escorting to court, a jury has concluded. | 36044269 |
The 22-year-old American won by a technical knockout after the fight was stopped in the fifth round in Detroit.
Shields is already a double Olympic champion after picking up gold medals at London 2012 and Rio 2016.
She turned professional in November after winning 77 fights and losing only one as an amateur.
Adler, from Germany, was previously undefeated in 16 fights but was undone by Shields in just her fourth pro fight.
In March, Shields contested the first women's boxing match to achieve main-event status on premium television in America. | Claressa Shields beat Nikki Adler to win the IBF and WBC super-middleweight belts in her first title fight since turning professional. | 40836122 |
Web-based Luvo will be able to answer simple queries such as how to order a replacement card.
Designed using IBM Watson technology, the virtual agent is able to understand and learn from human interactions.
In future, Luvo may be able to understand if a customer was feeling frustrated or unhappy and change its tone and actions accordingly, IBM said.
The service will initially be rolled out to RBS and NatWest customers, starting in December with about 10% of RBS customers in Scotland.
Previously, Luvo had been piloted among 1,200 RBS and NatWest staff.
For the bank, the chatbot is complementary to existing customer service agents.
"Luvo frees advisers from spending time on simple, easily-addressed queries so they can help customers with more complex issues," said Jane Howard, head of personal banking.
It will start off with about 10 questions it is equipped to answer but as the cognitive system learns over time, IBM is confident it can be expanded to "more complex areas".
The bank will make it clear to customers that they are talking to a bot, and they will have the option to move the conversation to a human agent at any point.
"We will monitor customer feedback and, if we find that customers are getting frustrated, we will quickly look to address that," Ms Howard told the BBC.
IBM is not the only company using artificial intelligence in banking. This week, rival IPsoft, which already employs its virtual agent Amelia in a range of industries, announced a similar deal.
Amelia will provide customer service in one of Sweden's largest banks, SEB.
Chetan Dube, IPsoft's chief executive, said that virtual staff represented a "fundamental shift in the way that banks manage their operations".
"Virtual agents never deviate from regulations and provide a full audit trail of every interaction," he said. | Customers at Royal Bank of Scotland and NatWest may soon be sorting out issues with help from a virtual chatbot. | 37565653 |
The 12 are professional journalists, originally from Syria, Somalia and other countries. Some are new arrivals; others have lived in Denmark for years.
The editor of Information, Christian Jensen, said refugees had become "extras in a political debate".
Denmark's centre-right government has promised to get tough on immigration.
Since its election in June it has slashed benefits for new arrivals and restricted the right to residency.
The edition (in Danish) led with an article by a journalist from Iraqi Kurdistan focusing on the plight of women left behind when men migrate.
The initiative drew praise on the newspaper's Facebook page although some readers were disappointed they were unable to find a physical copy of the paper, with the edition selling out in many places.
"We all talk about refugees, but today it is the refugees who talk to us," Mr Jensen wrote in an editorial.
He also criticised Danish Integration Minister Inger Stojberg who he said had not responded to interview requests.
The Information is one of Denmark's smaller newspapers, with a circulation of about 20,000. It was founded during the resistance movement to Nazi Germany during the Second World War.
Denmark's governing Venstre party won power in June after running on an anti-immigration platform and recently tightened citizenship rules. | Refugees have guest-edited Friday's edition of a Danish daily newspaper to give their views on Europe's migration crisis. | 34490577 |
The beer, usually made from millet, may have been contaminated with crocodile bile, a health official said.
A toddler was among those killed after apparently drinking the beer at a funeral in Tete province on Saturday.
An official said it was the worst such tragedy to hit Mozambique, with 39 people still being treated in hospital.
The government declared three days of national mourning in a decree published on Sunday.
The beer, known as "phombe", is traditionally served at functions in Mozambique's Tete province. Deaths from drinking it are rare, correspondents say.
Carle Mosse, the province's health director, said it was suspected that the poisoning had been caused by crocodile bile although this had yet to be confirmed in tests.
It was not immediately clear how the beer had been contaminated and whether it was intentional.
The woman who brewed the beer and several members of her family were among the victims, Radio Mozambique has reported. | The number of people killed after drinking a "poisoned" homemade beer in Mozambique has risen to 69, state radio has reported. | 30777316 |
The group urged the US and European Commission to revise and clarify several points in the proposed Privacy Shield agreement in order to safeguard EU citizens' personal information.
The Privacy Shield is meant to replace an earlier data transfer pact called Safe Harbour.
Safe Harbour was invalidated by a court decision last year.
The Article 29 Data Protection Working Party said it was still concerned about the possibility of "massive and indiscriminate" bulk collection of EU citizens' data by the US authorities.
It added that it wanted further guarantees about the powers a US official would have to handle complaints from EU citizens.
"We believe that we don't have enough security [or] guarantees in the status of the ombudsperson and in their effective powers to be sure that this is really an independent authority," said Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, the chairwoman of the group.
The group's recommendations are not binding on the EU or US, but should prove influential as the watchdogs can suspend data transfers they are concerned about.
"I am grateful to the experts for their thorough analysis," responded Vera Jourova, European Commissioner for Justice.
"[They provided] a number of useful recommendations and the Commission will work to swiftly include them in its final decision."
The European Court of Justice effectively brought an end to Safe Habour in October when it ruled that the pact did not eliminate the need for local watchdogs to check that US firms were protecting Europeans' data.
The agreement had been used for 15 years to allow American firms to self-certify that they were carrying out the necessary steps.
But a privacy campaigner challenged the process after whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed details about US authorities spying on foreign citizens' data held in the country.
The EU privacy regulators are concerned that a similar challenge could be brought against the proposed Privacy Shield unless its language is toughened up.
Earlier in the week, Microsoft had endorsed Privacy Shield on the basis that the US could take "additional steps" to protect data at a later point.
One US-based lawyer expressed concern that the matter had not been resolved.
"The working party's opinion today can really be summed up in two words: transatlantic chaos," said Phil Lee from the law firm Fieldfisher.
"If the Privacy Shield doesn't get adopted, countless US businesses will be left scratching their heads in wonder as to how they can continue to service their EU customers lawfully.
"The working party's opinion creates a real problem for the commission. Does it go against the view of the working party and adopt the Privacy Shield anyway? Or does it go back to the drawing table with the US Department of Commerce and try to negotiate a better deal?"
An Edinburgh-based lawyer echoed his concern.
"The reality is that international transfers of data are vital to economic growth and there needs to be a pragmatic solution adopted by the courts, policy makers and data protection authorities to recognise this," said Kathryn Wynn, a data protection expert at the law firm Pinsent Masons.
But Max Schrems - the campaigner who challenged Safe Harbour - welcomed the latest development.
"I personally doubt that the European Commission will change its plans much," he said.
"There will be some political wording, but I think they will still push it through.
"Given the negative opinion, a challenge to the Privacy Shield at the courts is even more promising. Privacy Shield is a total failure that is kept alive because of extensive pressure by the US government and some sectors of the industry." | A panel of EU privacy watchdogs has demanded changes to a pact meant to govern cross-Atlantic data transfers. | 36036531 |
Hill, one of football's most influential figures, died in December 2015 aged 87.
The garden will be officially opened before the Sky Blues' final home game of the season against Sheffield United on Saturday, 30 April.
The memorial will have a specially-carved plaque in tribute to Hill and some of his ashes will be scattered.
"This is the last journey - I'm sure we will have a lot of people wanting to pay their respects to Jimmy," former city chairman Joe Elliot told BBC Coventry and Warwickshire.
"People will be able to have their plaques and scatter their ashes in the Jimmy Hill Garden - it will be for supporters.
"But Jimmy will have the centrepiece - it will look fantastic."
Hill, who had played nearly 300 games for Fulham in his career, helped end the maximum wage for players as chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association.
He had a six-year stint as Coventry manager in the 1960s before moving into broadcasting in 1968 after guiding the club into the First Division for the first time.
Hill went on to present more than 600 episodes of Match of the Day before returning to the Sky Blues as chairman.
It was during his memorial service at Coventry Cathedral that Hill's widow, Bryony, suggested the idea of returning some of his ashes to the city.
"So many people come to the memorial garden and now it's going to be doubled in size," Elliot said.
"There is part of Jimmy Hill coming back to the city he loved." | A memorial garden honouring ex-Coventry City manager and chairman Jimmy Hill is to be created at the Ricoh Arena. | 35969690 |
Prime Minister David Cameron has responded to the historic decision by announcing he will step down by October.
Here's how some of the key figures in Scotland have been reacting.
The SNP leader said Scotland had delivered a "strong, unequivocal vote" to remain in the EU.
Speaking at a news conference in Edinburgh on Friday morning, she said the result meant that a second referendum on Scottish independence was "highly likely".
She said: "As things stand, Scotland faces the prospect of being taken out of the EU against our will. I regard that as democratically unacceptable."
She said the option of a second independence referendum was "now on the table" after the UK voted to Leave the EU.
"We will begin to prepare the legislation that would be required to enable a new independence referendum to take place if and when Parliament so decides," she added.
Reacting to the news that Mr Cameron will step down, Mr Mundell described him as "a great leader of my party and of our country".
He went on: "As the prime minister made clear this morning, the UK government is absolutely committed to working closely with the Scottish government to ensure they are fully involved in the negotiation process.
"The prime minister has already spoken to the first minister and I have today offered to meet with the Scottish government in Edinburgh to discuss next steps.
"The United Kingdom has fundamental strengths and this is a time for calmness and deliberation - not pushing other personal or political agendas."
Following Mr Cameron's announcement that he is to step down by October, Ms Davidson said: "His decision to remain in post over the short term is the right one, and will help ensure greater stability in the days ahead.
"It is right that he has already spoken to Nicola Sturgeon to ensure the Scottish government is involved in the negotiations that will follow."
Speaking later at a news conference, she said: "There can be no avoiding the fact that the days ahead will not be easy. We are being tested."
However, she said she did not believe that a second independence referendum was "in the best interests of the people of Scotland".
She added: "We do not address the challenges of leaving the European Union by leaving our own Union of nations, our biggest market and our closest friends.
"I believe in Scotland's place within the United Kingdom today as much as ever.
Ms Sturgeon's predecessor, Mr Salmond, said the result could lead to a second independence referendum.
Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland, he said: "Nicola Sturgeon has to go forward with the manifesto, which as you remember said the Scottish Parliament should have the right to call a second referendum on Scottish independence if there was a material, significant change in circumstances like Scotland being dragged out of the European Union against the will of the Scottish people.
"Now that has happened, and I am certain Nicola Sturgeon will go forward on that manifesto commitment."
The former Labour MP said: "We don't need a failing EU to hold our hand, we don't need to send millions every week to Brussels, and we don't have to accept uncontrolled EU migration.
"We can take back control."
He also told BBC Scotland that he guaranteed there would not be a second independence referendum after the EU result.
"I spoke to Nicola Sturgeon this afternoon. We both have profound disagreements about the constitutional future of Scotland, but I stand ready to work with her in the best interests of the people of Scotland," she said.
"Now is the time for calm heads. Labour's manifesto ruled out a second referendum in the lifetime of this parliament - we won't be changing our minds any time soon.
"One thing we know for sure is that we know very little about what will happen next.
"However, on the question of independence, many of the fundamental questions that were unresolved and unanswered in 2014, remain so. Not least the question of currency. What we don't need today is more turmoil, more upheaval and more economic chaos."
Mr Rennie said he was "angry" that Scotland had lost its place in Europe.
"It is bad for our country and the people who live here. It means cutting our ties with our biggest economic market despite the consequences for trade, business, jobs and incomes," he added.
Mr Rennie said he was "embarrassed by the signal it sends to the rest of Europe and the rest of the world".
"It's devastating to see that the deceitful, manipulative and at times downright racist Brexit campaign has succeeded south of the border, and looks set to tear up the many benefits of EU membership and play fast and loose with our economic future," he said.
"The Leave campaign claimed to be defending democracy, but they now propose to remove the rights of EU citizenship from Scotland regardless of the way people living here voted."
The MSP called for cross-party action at Holyrood to protect Scotland from the result.
Scotland's only UKIP MEP said it was "fantastic" that "we're out".
He added: "Whatever nonsense Nicola is coming out with, all this nonsense of another referendum, another neverendum - she's talking through her hat - because 40% of the population don't want anything to do with the EU."
Speaking as he arrived for the opening of his hotel and golf resort in Ayrshire, the US billionaire said it was a "great thing" that the people of the UK had "taken back their country".
He tweeted: "Just arrived in Scotland. Place is going wild over the vote. They took their country back, just like we will take America back. No games!"
The senior spokesman for the Remain campaign in Scotland said: "We are proud that every single local authority area in Scotland voted Remain with an overall lead of 24 points over Leave - that clearly stands out as an exceptional result compared to the rest of the UK.
"We are pleased to have won well in Scotland, but of course the only result that decides the issue is the UK-wide vote."
He said the process of leaving the EU would "inevitably generate significant uncertainty".
He added: "Of course, we are confident Scotch whisky will remain the pre-eminent international spirit drink.
"But equally, there are serious issues to resolve in areas of major importance to our industry and which require urgent attention, notably the nature of future trade arrangements with both the single market and the wider world."
He said most of his organisation's members had wanted out of the EU.
"European Union fisheries policy is flawed - that is why so many fishermen voted to leave," he added.
"But we need to recognise that there are significant dangers to the industry if the UK and Scottish governments do not react to the very clear message by focusing on a new approach that recognises fishermen themselves and their communities as the key stakeholders."
He said the result would mark a period of "great uncertainty for Scotland's farmers and crofters".
He added: "The vote for the UK to leave the European Union brings few certainties as to what will happen in the weeks and months ahead but an intense period of negotiation will begin and a negotiated exit from the EU is expected to take a minimum of two years.
"NFU Scotland will be at the centre of any discussions on new arrangements for our food and farming sector. There is a need for these discussions to commence quickly so that the many businesses who benefit from support from the CAP and value the markets we have established for our produce in Europe and further afield can plan for the future."
The STUC general secretary described the result as "desperately disappointing".
He said: "The economic consequences are likely to be severe with a significantly detrimental impact on Scottish jobs and investment.
"With growth currently very weak and employment falling rapidly, the now unavoidable extended period of uncertainty is the last thing the Scottish economy needs."
He added: "We expect early discussions with the Scottish government over the economic and social impact of leaving the EU and its role in and approach to Brexit negotiations. There are many issues to consider not least our future trading arrangements and the status of the many and valued EU workers settled in our country."
The FSB's Scottish policy convenor, said firms would be looking to the Scottish and UK governments, and the Bank of England, to provide leadership.
"We welcome the prime minister's assurance that the Scottish government, and the other devolved administrations, will be fully involved in the negotiations associated with the UK's departure from the EU," he said.
"While questions about a second independence referendum will inevitably dominate the headlines, there are more immediate matters for small firms - from clarity over access to the single market to the free movement of people."
Said there was "mixed reactions" to the news that the majority of the UK had voted to leave the EU.
She said: "We would urge a level of calmness - our products and services will continue to be traded throughout Europe and beyond.
"The priority for Scotland now is for our governments and businesses to carry on and show great leadership in order to stabilise the markets and begin to plan our new relationship with Europe.
She added: "Businesses will also be looking to understand the potential advantages that the UK's exit from the EU might bring. In particular, we are keen to understand how governments in Edinburgh and London might be able to more explicitly support Scottish businesses to win local contracts from the public sector."
"This is an incredibly disappointing result, and one that Scotland clearly took a different stand against", she said.
"In the coming weeks and months it is vital that the UK government works closely with the devolved governments, and with all of us who stood up proudly for our EU membership ensuring we do all we can to stem the damaging consequences we know this result could have."
The convener of the Kirk's church and society council said: "The UK has voted to leave the EU at the end of what has been, at times, a bitter and polarising campaign.
"I believe this is a decision which many people will regret.
"In Scotland, the majority voted differently and this will inevitably raise questions about Scotland's future in the rest of the UK. That is for another day."
He added: "The UK has made a momentous decision but it must not be construed as us pulling up the draw bridge. We are citizens of Europe and the world - and our future and the future of others is dependent upon us working together."
The society's president said: "The vote to leave the EU marks the start of monumental change for the UK and our relationship with the rest of Europe.
"While we cannot predict the full economic effects of the vote to leave on business decisions of law firms or those of their clients, it's important to understand that the UK remains a full member of the EU until the terms of our withdrawal agreement are negotiated.
"There will be no immediate change to the current legal position so solicitors' day to day practice and the advice they provide for clients won't yet be affected."
Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland, he said people in Scotland had been "totally mislead" by those backing a "No" vote in the Scottish independence referendum in 2014.
"They were told to vote against Scottish independence because otherwise we would find ourselves outside the European Union," he said.
"How ironic that the very same people, many of them campaigning with Nigel Farage, are the people who are dragging us out of the European Union today. I think that is more than disappointing, it is democratically unacceptable."
The Harry Potter writer had previously come out in support of the Remain campaign.
She tweeted: "Scotland will seek independence now. (David) Cameron's legacy will be breaking up two unions. Neither needed to happen." | Scotland has voted in favour of the UK staying in the EU by 62% to 38% - but the UK as a whole has voted to leave. | 36616118 |
Across the city centre glossy office blocks are sprouting up in a tangible sign of Ireland's economic recovery.
There are more than 30 tower cranes across the skyline and construction firms are hiring.
When the outgoing government took power in 2011 unemployment was over 14% and the economy was barely growing.
Today, unemployment is below 9% and Ireland probably has the fastest growing economy in Europe.
In an election campaign, that fact should give a huge advantage to the centre-right Fine Gael and the centre-left Labour who have been in power for the last five years.
But the polls indicate they will struggle to form a majority. Labour could lose as many as half its seats.
Economic growth has not translated into a feelgood factor.
Architect Hugh Wallace believes the coalition deserve more credit for their economic management.
At the peak of the boom his studio employed 160 people, but in 2009 the economic crash pushed the business into liquidation.
Now he's back, employing a team of young designers and working on projects from Belfast to Oman.
"I think Noonan [the Irish finance minister] has done an amazing job. People forget what 2011 was like here. Nobody knew what was going to happen.
"But Labour, I think, have been kicked for the wrong reasons."
Sources of dissatisfaction are easy to find.
Citizens have been hit with a raft of spending cuts and tax rises over the last five years as the coalition continued to implement the austerity demanded by the international institutions which bailed Ireland out.
There is a housing crisis in Dublin. A dysfunctional market which delivered too may houses in the wrong places now can't provide enough in the right places.
The Capuchin Day Centre in the north inner city is at the sharp end of that crisis.
It provides food and medical help for hundreds of homeless people every day.
It is run by Brother Kevin Crowley who says his main concern is "the number of family and children coming in here every day.
"It's absolutely appalling to see the number of children who are leaving here to live in hotel rooms," he said.
"The government has done nothing in the last number of years for housing."
Only a small minority of people will have experienced the trauma of homelessness but there is a widespread feeling that the fruits of recovery have not been widely shared.
There is a perception that the winners have been been people in Dublin who work for multinationals.
When it comes to job creation that is not necessarily borne out by the numbers.
Prof Alan Barrett, from the Economic and Social Research Institute, says most regions have benefited.
"Dublin is experiencing the greatest growth and things are not good in the west, but places like the border regions and the south east are experiencing employment growth," he said.
"Over the last two years we've created about 100,000 jobs and something like 20% are in construction. So it is broadly based."
The coalition has just two weeks to convince the electorate that it is best placed to build on that progress. | In Dublin, the builders are back. | 35551646 |
At the ceremony in London's Green Park, Chief of the Air Staff Sir Stephen Dalton said Bomber Command's "service and raw courage" had been recognised.
Some 6,000 veterans and families of the deceased watched a Lancaster bomber drop thousands of poppies in a flypast.
Criticism of large-scale area bombing by the RAF near the end of WWII had stalled plans for a memorial for years.
Veterans from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and other countries who served alongside the British crew also attended the ceremony.
By Alex KleidermanBBC News
Hundreds of Bomber Command veterans have been taking a close-up look at the new memorial in London's Green Park honouring the sacrifice of 55,573 of their comrades.
They crowded around the bronze statues of seven Lancaster bomber airmen and had their pictures taken with family members.
Earlier, there had been applause as the Queen unveiled the memorial.
Veterans described it as "impressive" and "moving".
About 5,000 had watched the dedication service on a big screen in the "salute area", a short walk away. The event was organised by the RAF Benevolent Fund, which will look after maintenance of the memorial and is now seeking to raise £1.5m to help cover costs.
Russell Oldmeadow, 90, from Canberra, Australia, a Lancaster pilot during WWII, was one of a number of Commonwealth airmen present.
"My brother was killed - that's one reason why I'm here," he said.
"But it's also a great occasion and I'm privileged. The memorial is absolutely magnificent."
Air Chief Marshal Dalton said: "Many of those who gave us our freedom, and to whom this memorial is dedicated, cannot join us physically, but their spirit is certainly here.
"For their bravery and sacrifice which helped to give us our freedom, we will never forget them."
Doug Radcliffe, secretary of the Bomber Command Association, read an extract from the WWI poem "For the Fallen".
The repetition of the final words, "We will remember them," by all gathered at the ceremony, was followed by a trumpeter playing the "Last Post" while veterans and current service personnel saluted.
The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh departed after the dedication ceremony, leaving the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall to meet Bomber Command veterans.
The London Ambulance Service later said 24 elderly people at the event were treated and five taken to hospital with dehydration and other heat-related problems.
The memorial, designed by Liam O'Connor and built in Portland stone, features a bronze 9ft-high sculpture of seven aircrew.
Sculptor Philip Jackson said the tone of the work was reflective and portrayed men returning from a mission: "I chose the moment when they get off the aircraft and they've dumped all their heavy kit on to the ground."
The memorial also has a roof made of aluminium reclaimed from a Handley Page Halifax III bomber shot down over Belgium in May 1944.
An inscription says the memorial "also commemorates those of all nations who lost their lives in the bombing of 1939-1945".
Pilot Alan Biffen, 87, said: "I am so glad that at long last Bomber Command is being remembered not only for what it achieved but also for the lives of the young men who never came back."
Almost half of the 125,000 men of Bomber Command died, many killed by night fighters and anti-aircraft fire in raids over occupied Europe.
The ceremony is the culmination of a five-year campaign, spearheaded by the late Bee Gees singer Robin Gibb.
The Bomber Command Memorial Appeal secured funding from public donations and private donors John Caudwell, Lord Ashcroft and Richard Desmond.
There were no campaign medals specifically for Bomber Command after the war and no mention of it in Prime Minister Winston Churchill's victory speech.
It was criticised by some for raids on Dresden in the closing months of the war, causing fire-storms which killed about 25,000 civilians in the destruction of the city centre.
The RAF Benevolent Fund will take over guardianship of the memorial.
A special programme about the ceremony, Bomber Command: A Tribute, is being shown at 17:00 BST on BBC Two on Thursday. | A £6m memorial to the 55,573 airmen of Bomber Command who died during World War II has been unveiled by the Queen. | 18600871 |
The Scottish Avalanche Information Service (SAIS) has wound up its latest forecasting season with its lowest number of recorded avalanches in almost 10 years.
There were 83 avalanches between December last year and this month, according to the service's initial figures. It will provide an official tally in an annual report later this year.
Last season, there were 207 avalanches and 305 in 2014-15, 350 in 2013-14, 129 in 2012-13, 154 in 2011-12, 178 in 2010-11 and 220 in 2009-10.
The snow slides that are recorded occur naturally - often after a cornice, snow overhanging a slope or cliff, collapses - or have been triggered by walkers and climbers accidentally or deliberately by ski patrols to make an area used for snowsports safe.
SAIS assesses for the risk of avalanches in six areas: Lochaber, Glen Coe, Northern Cairngorms, Southern Cairngorms, Creag Meagaidh and Torridon.
This winter and spring, conditions have included periods of freezing temperatures and heavy snowfalls but also mild weather and high winds, which strip snow from hillsides.
SAIS has just announced the winding up of its latest season.
However, it said: "We will continue to monitor weather and snow conditions leading up to and during the Easter holidays.
"Mountain information will continue to be provided on the SAIS blogs for the next period and for the Easter weekends.
"We recommend that mountain-goers venturing into the hills continue to observe weather forecasts prior to their excursions, and visual observations of conditions during their trip.
"This information is important in making good plans and allowing for flexible decision-making when in the mountains and hills."
It warned that late spring snow falls could still occur and cause a hazard high up in the Cairngorms, Ben Nevis and Aonach Mor. | All images copyrighted. | 39258229 |
Paul Briggs, 43, of Merseyside, suffered a brain injury in a crash in July 2015.
Lindsey Briggs told Manchester Court of Protection he would not have wanted to live and would have been "horrified knowing his daughter was scared of him".
Doctors are opposing the application.
Mr Briggs, a Gulf War veteran, suffered a bleed on the brain, five fractures in his spine, bruising to internal organs and several other severe injuries in the collision and is being kept alive through medical intervention.
His wife and mother to his daughter Ella, five, said he did not recognise her or respond to her when she went to see him.
The court heard medical experts predicted even in a best case scenario, PC Briggs would remain severely physically disabled and could live nine or 10 years.
Mrs Briggs said he valued his independence and having this taken away would be "torture" for him.
She said: "I think he would see it as torture, just as hell, that everything he believes in and he lives for would just be taken away from him.
"He would be living for no reason."
Mrs Briggs told the court her husband had been active, sociable and a "hands on father" before the crash.
When asked what her husband might think of his situation now, she said he would be horrified and "horrified for his daughter, that she's scared of him".
PC Briggs's mother, Jan, said she agreed with her daughter-in-law, adding it was "very, very difficult" to see him as he is now.
She told the court: "I just don't want him to suffer any more."
Conrad Hallin, representing Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust and Wirral Clinical Commissioning Group, said doctors had noticed some signs of improvement in his condition.
Chelsea Rowe, 26, was given a 12-month prison term in July after admitting causing serious injury to PC Briggs by dangerous driving in Birkenhead.
The hearing, expected to last four days, continues. | The wife of a police officer left in a coma after a crash has asked a court to withdraw his life-support treatment as he would have seen living as "hell". | 38135063 |
Media playback is unsupported on your device
13 October 2014 Last updated at 20:29 BST
The police have recruited Humza Arshad, also known as Badman, to make the film.
Jeremy Ball reports from Leicester. | A new short film from a Muslim comedian aims to stop teenagers in the East Midlands from being radicalised by extremist groups. | 29603798 |
The 30-year-old South Africa international was the county's top score 931 Championship runs in 2015.
"Having a full season here last year has given me a great insight, there was some really good stuff that I picked up," said Ingram.
He is likely to play against Leicestershire on Sunday despite missing the match against Cardiff MCCU.
Ingram scored two centuries in the last three Championship matches of 2015 after hitting three tons in just five One-Day Cup innings.
But he has not played since mid-February after missing the last few games of the season for his South African side, the Warriors.
"Batting-wise it went really well and I've had a good rest the last six weeks so I'm feeling feeling nice and fresh.
"They [Warriors] are in a rebuilding phase and I had a little bit of a knee niggle so it was a great time to take time out and view a few of our young players."
The left-hander was taking part in nets and warm-up sessions during the friendly match against the students.
"The county season is long and hard, I'm looking forward to spending as much time out there as possible during the full six months.
"You can't really frown on [931 runs] in your first full season, but I was a little disappointed at stages.
"I got a lot of starts (to my innings) and my goal for this season is to make sure that if I do get in, to make it really count."
Ingram faces a busy time, with the prospect of 18 months of round-the-calendar cricket.
He is under contract with Glamorgan until 2017 and has a further year to go with Warriors. | Glamorgan batsman Colin Ingram says he will be a better player in his second full season of UK cricket. | 36052130 |
President Obama has said the actions are in his executive authority and that they will save lives.
The president said he recognises that the measures will not prevent all violence or mass shootings in the country.
"This is not going to solve every violent crime in this country," Mr Obama said. "It's not going to prevent every mass shooting; it's not going to keep every gun out of the hands of a criminal. It will potentially save lives and spare families the pain of these extraordinary losses."
What do the executive actions include?
Under the executive action, more sellers would have to register as federally licensed gun dealers, eliminating certain loopholes.
Gun sellers can be divided into two categories: federal firearms licensees and private sellers. The former is regulated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), which conducts background checks.
Private sellers, on the other hand, largely do their business without government oversight.
There is much talk about the "gun-show loophole", but in reality, the majority of vendors at gun shows are licensed dealers, and unlicensed sellers meet at the shows to bring attention to their collections or sell guns.
Gun sellers also currently evade background checks by selling guns online and in other settings.
Some people sell guns out of their personal collection simply to get rid of ones they are not using anymore, and those people are exempt from the background check requirement. But many profit from selling guns without a license and are involved in illegal gun trafficking. Because current law is vague, it is hard to prosecute these cases, and many go unchecked.
"Those folks who are engaged in the business illegally are a small share of all unlicensed gun sellers, but they are contributing disproportionately to gun trafficking," Ted Alcorn, research director for gun violence prevention group Everytown for Gun Safety, told the BBC.
According to research by Mr Alcorn's group, just last year 600,000 guns were for sale on a website called ArmsList by dealers not under the federal background check requirement.
Most include: arrests, felony or misdemeanours, court records, warrants, sex offences and incarceration records.
If the FBI needs to follow up on something in a background check, they currently have three days to do it. If the agency does not do so in three days, the person wishing to buy a gun can go ahead with a purchase.
This is how Dylann Roof, who police say killed nine people in Charleston, South Carolina, in June obtained a gun despite having a drug charge.
The new actions would allow for 24/7 background checks, eliminating the loophole that people who should not be able to get guns are able to do so because the FBI did not process their check fast enough.
"It's absolutely going to make a difference," Mr Alcorn said. Someone illegally engaged in gun selling can put hundreds of firearms in illegal markets in the US in cities like Chicago and New York City, he said, with "devastating consequences" as a result.
"Clarifying the law will make a difference... it's also a symbolic gesture," Mr Alcorn said. "In face of Congress' refusal to take meaningful action, [Obama] is willing to put his team's attention and creativity into determining the ways the executive branch can make a difference."
The actions do not limit capacity on ammunition magazines or ban assault rifles, which gun control groups have repeatedly called for. Still, many are pleased with the actions.
Mr Obama has "answered the calls of moms, gun violence survivors, community leaders and every day advocates across the country who worked tirelessly to support the President in taking meaningful action to prevent gun violence," said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.
The National Rifle Association, a powerful group that ranks lawmakers on how gun-friendly they are which opposes nearly every new piece of gun legislation, tweeted that Mr Obama's "rhetoric does not match his record" and that the group had been "calling for the full enforcement of the law for... a while now."
"Funny how @POTUS invokes civil liberties while trying to restrict one of them," the group tweeted.
These are executive actions, not orders, meaning they are not legally binding.
"They represent less formal guidelines that the ATF will implement for gun dealing," gun violence news website the Trace explains. "Which means that Obama may wind up facing criticism not just from those who think he's overstepped, but those who could conclude he has not gone far enough."
The funding for mental health services will require congressional approval, and the funding to hire more agency workers may as well.
Some of the actions are likely to be challenged in court.
These actions can all be overturned by the next president-and the Republican candidates are all promising they would do so on day one.
Why Obama is powerless - the roadblock at Congress
Are you mad or criminal? - the question a gun seller asks
Texas women and their firearms - a photographer taught to shoot at an early age
Do tighter gun laws work? - a state where guns are a way of life
Guns at home - the question parents hate to ask before a playdate | The White House has announced numerous executive actions aimed at decreasing gun violence in the US. | 35228354 |
The three-part adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's novel stars former Downton Abbey star Jessica Brown Findlay.
Some viewers said they had to use subtitles to understand the "mumbling".
Comedian Al Murray wrote on Twitter: "Find out what happens next in Jamaica Inn by getting your ears syringed!"
Actor John Challis, who is best known for playing Boycie in Only Fools And Horses, wrote: "Jamaica Inn LOOKS very good but I haven't heard a single word...Either the actors are mumbling or the sound track is faulty."
The BBC later apologised to viewers, claiming the "issues with the sound levels" could not be altered while the drama was on air.
"We are adjusting the dialogue levels in episode two and three to address audience concerns so they can enjoy the rest of the drama and would like to apologise to those viewers who were affected," said a statement, ahead of Tuesday's second instalment.
Those complaining that they had "trouble hearing" included choreographer and former Strictly Come Dancing judge Arlene Phillips.
The drama's own screenplay writer Emma Frost was also quick to react, blaming a technical fault.
"No surprises here - I'm told there was a major sound problem for tonight's broadcast of Jamaica Inn - not surprised you couldn't hear it," wrote Frost on Twitter.
"It sounded like listening through mud... Complaints were relentless - quite rightly. None of (the) production team know what happened with the TX (transmission) sound. It was fine before."
Many viewers also took to the BBC's online message board to complain, with some revealing they had resorted to subtitles and another claiming: "Watched the first half of this and gave up."
"The mumbling was the worst I have heard in a TV drama but it does seem to be very fashionable," added one viewer, echoing BBC director general Tony Hall's comments on "muttering actors" last year.
"I don't want to sound like a grumpy old man, but I also think muttering is something we could have a look at," said Lord Hall last July.
"Actors muttering can be testing - you find you have missed a line... you have to remember that you have an audience."
Jamaica Inn is set in 1821 against the windswept Cornish moors and was directed by Philippa Lowthorpe, whose credits include Call The Midwife.
The drama follows Mary Yellan (Brown Findlay) who is forced to live with her aunt and domineering uncle following the death of her mother. | Monday's launch episode of new BBC period drama Jamaica Inn sparked more than 100 complaints, after sound issues left viewers struggling to understand what was being said on screen. | 27116881 |
Mia Ayliffe-Chung, 21, was killed in Home Hill, near Townsville, last month while working for a second visa.
Rosie Ayliffe, believes her daughter was aware of "dangers" and avoided one farm "because they only took young girls."
Visitors must complete three months of "specified work" to get another visa.
Smail Ayad, 29, has been charged with Mia's murder and that of fellow backpacker Thomas Jackson.
Ms Ayliffe is now campaigning for regulation of Australian farm work.
"They've (girls like Mia) gone into the farm work knowing the dangers," she told BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour.
"She chose not to go to one farm because they only took young girls.
"She was [aware and] worried about sexual exploitation and that is another thing that is an issue."
Source: Australian Government
Stefan Wathan, chief executive of the Year Out Group, said the majority of farms would want to appeal to travellers.
"I don't think it is in the best interests of farmers to have bad practice on their farm.
"Having people getting injured earns them a bad reputation and the Australian economy relies on working holiday visas.
"My advice would be to live by your instincts, if something doesn't feel right, act."
Ms Ayliffe says the Australian authorities are aware of her campaign but have yet to contact her.
She also understands Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will be "watching the media" for any developments in the case. | The mother of a woman stabbed in an Australian backpackers' hostel believes her daughter was "worried about sexual exploitation". | 37494002 |
Only 276 Swallow Dorettis were made in the West Midlands and about 100 remain unaccounted for.
The car was designed chiefly for US car buyers, but this latest find was in Bovey Tracey.
It will be auctioned on 21 February with an estimate of about £11,000.
The Doretti, built by Swallow Coachbuilding in Walsall, was an attempt to attract car buyers on the west coast of America who liked Italian sounding sports car names.
But it was actually named after Dorothy Deen, who managed sales distribution in America.
Adverts boasted about its "100 mph elegance" and the car's acceleration of 0-60 mph in 12.3 seconds.
One even made an appearance in a Gregory Peck and Fred Astaire film called On the Beach.
Most of the cars made at the time were left-hand drive. However the one discovered in Devon is a right hand drive.
Rendells Stonepark, the auctioneer and valuer which discovered the car, said although it was built at some stage between 1954 and 1955, it carries a 1965 registration plate.
Its last MoT test is believed to have been 1976 in Hammersmith, west London. | A rare sports car built in the 1950s and found in a Devon barn will go under the hammer next month. | 25978362 |
They had been standing outside a government office since 9 July to press their claim for land and amenities.
They were demanding that the government deliver on its promise of giving land, water and electricity to the community.
Tribespeople comprise nearly 500,000 of Kerala's 33 million people and are mostly landless and desperately poor.
The protesters, who had travelled to the capital, Trivandrum, from their faraway villages would stand uninterruptedly for nearly 11 hours every day outside the main government office.
They blamed the authorities for failing to keep their promise of providing them land and amenities agreed with a previous government in 2001.
The government says it has so far been able to provide more than 9,000 acres of land to 6,887 families.
But the protesters say the number of landless tribal families has now grown to about 75,000 - up from 35,000 during the 2001 protest.
Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said on Thursday that landless families would be "immediately" allocated more than 19,000 acres of land for their rehabilitation.
The remaining families would get land as soon as more cultivable land becomes available to the government, he said.
"This will go a long way in protecting their land and ensure their right to live in dignity," Mr Chandy said.
Protest leader CK Janu said the government had agreed to "100% of our demands", which would "ensure rights of livelihood and dignity of nearly half a million tribespeople" in Kerala.
"This is a historic win for our long struggle for land and self-rule," she added. | Tribespeople in the southern Indian state of Kerala have ended a 'standing protest' after the government acceded to their demands | 30527605 |
Both sides have one win from two matches so far, the Scots following up an opening day win over Ireland with defeat to France in Paris.
"I've learned in the last couple of years that our Six Nations can make or break with only one game," said the Harlequins wing.
"It's important we get a result here."
Wales opened their campaign with a resounding win over Italy in Rome, but are also now in need of a win to keep their title challenge alive having lost to England in Cardiff last time out.
Scotland have not beaten the Welsh since 2007 but Visser insists that fact is not weighing heavily on the squad.
"The stats don't lie. Wales are a good team," he said.
"We've had some narrow defeats against them in recent years. I remember losing here by three points a couple of years back.
"Going to the Millennium Stadium is hard but it's obviously a different game at Murrayfield. I remember sitting in a press conference before we played France last year and it was a similar story and we beat them.
"Statistically it (the third game) is always a key game. If we get a win then we are in a good position going forward and a position we want to be in."
Visser will start on the wing in place of the injured Sean Maitland and is looking forward to linking up with in-form full-back Stuart Hogg, who has scored three tries in two matches in the tournament so far.
"I remember when I first joined Scotland back in 2012," Visser recalled.
"He was just a young boy and seeing what he's grown into in the last couple of years has been brilliant. It's only going to benefit the players around him, especially the wingers when we link up with him.
"There's some stiff competition at full-back worldwide but especially in attack he's one of the best out there."
Wales' record points-scorer Neil Jenkins echoed Visser's view that this is a match neither side can afford to lose if they wish to retain any hope of competing for the title.
"If you win one out your first two then the third game is always massive," said Jenkins, now the Wales kicking coach.
"It can get you back in the mix for the championship. For both sides this is huge and both need to win to give ourselves a chance of staying in the championship and winning it.
"Scotland have been very good. They had an outstanding win against Ireland and were very close in Paris a week later to coming away with a victory. Probably looking back they will be disappointed they didn't win that game. We know it's going to be a tough game, it always is up here." | Tim Visser admits Saturday's match against Wales will go a long way to determining if this is a successful Six Nations for Scotland. | 39077338 |
South Africa started brightly, with Bryan Habana crossing for his 66th Test try to give the visitors an early lead.
However, Elton Jantjies' spilt restart led the Springboks to concede both the lead and the momentum, with Israel Dagg crossing from the resultant scrum.
Last year's champions Australia beat Argentina 36-20 in the later fixture to move into second in the table.
New Zealand have made a habit of starting slowly before impressing in the second half throughout the tournament.
Saturday was no different, with Habana picking an excellent line to penetrate the New Zealand defence after 20 minutes.
However, when fly-half Jantjies fumbled Beauden Barrett's restart, the All Blacks seized the initiative.
Within 10 minutes they had a clear lead after Julian Savea scored from a fine offload by hooker Dane Coles - and they went into the break 15-10 up.
New Zealand ended any thoughts of a South Africa fightback early in the second half when Ben Smith finished a slick move that featured two impressive Ardie Savea breaks.
Savea ran over from close range soon afterwards following sterling work from scrum-half Ben Smith, then lock Sam Whitelock crossed on the wing after more impressive play from Coles, before TJ Perenara rounded off the scoring.
Australia started strongly against Argentina, scoring three tries in the first 12 minutes before surviving a second-half fightback.
Each team has two remaining matches, with South Africa hosting Australia next on 1 October, before New Zealand travel to Argentina. | New Zealand won the Rugby Championship with two matches to spare after beating South Africa 41-13 in Christchurch. | 37395041 |
Corey Whitely fired over in the early stages and although Maidstone twice came close, with Jamar Loza's shot narrowly missing the target and Alex Flisher's free-kick well saved by goalkeeper Elliot Justham, the visitors went ahead.
Whitely was the provider, finding Guttridge in the area to slot past Maidstone goalkeeper Lee Worgan.
Justham again had to come to the Daggers' rescue either side of half-time to first deny Jack Paxman's low strike then Loza, who went through on goal.
The crossbar denied on-loan striker Jordan Maguire-Drew as Dagenham sought to double their lead but they claimed all three points to hand Maidstone a fourth defeat in a row in all competitions.
Report supplied by the Press Association.
Match ends, Maidstone United 0, Dagenham and Redbridge 1.
Second Half ends, Maidstone United 0, Dagenham and Redbridge 1.
Substitution, Maidstone United. Liam Enver-Marum replaces Bobby-Joe Taylor.
Substitution, Maidstone United. Bradley Hudson-Odoi replaces Jamar Loza.
Substitution, Maidstone United. Yemi Odubade replaces James Rogers.
Second Half begins Maidstone United 0, Dagenham and Redbridge 1.
Substitution, Dagenham and Redbridge. Paul Benson replaces Scott Doe.
First Half ends, Maidstone United 0, Dagenham and Redbridge 1.
Alex Flisher (Maidstone United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Andre Boucaud (Dagenham and Redbridge) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Jamar Loza (Maidstone United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Goal! Maidstone United 0, Dagenham and Redbridge 1. Luke Guttridge (Dagenham and Redbridge).
First Half begins.
Lineups are announced and players are warming up. | Dagenham & Redbridge are up to third in the National League after Luke Guttridge's goal gave them a victory at Maidstone. | 37983016 |
The Edinburgh-based bank issued half-year figures showing underlying pre-tax profits up 37% to £82m.
Gross mortgage lending was up 44% to £23.6bn. Virgin Money had 3.8% market share of the lending market at the end of May.
Retail deposits were up 3% to £22.8bn, meaning 88% of lending is funded by depositors.
Virgin Money is building its credit card business rapidly, following the transition of 675,000 accounts from card specialist MBNA earlier this year.
Virgin now has £1.1bn loaned through credit cards, and plans to build that to £3bn by the end of 2017.
However, reaching its target for earnings has been postponed as a result of the bank surcharge introduced in the most recent UK Budget.
While underlying profits were up strongly, the statutory profits were up much more sharply, from £6m to £55m.
That is because they compare with the first half of 2014, when a large payment was made to the Government as part of Virgin's agreement to take over part of Northern Rock.
Jayne-Anne Gadhia, Chief Executive Officer said: "Gross mortgage lending increased by 44% to £3.6 billion in the first half of the year, representing a 3.8% market share of gross lending and a 20.5% share of net lending to the end of May.
"We remain focused not only on delivering growth but also generating sustainable returns to shareholders."
Virgin Group continues to hold a 35% stake in Virgin Money.
Another Edinburgh-based bank, Royal Bank of Scotland, announced it is to continue its retreat from foreign markets, by selling 14% of Citizens Bank, its former US retail subsidiary. It is expected to raise more than £1.3bn.
Having floated the company on the New York Stock Exchange in September, a sale of the full stake being put on the market will take the RBS holding to below 27%.
RBS retains a veto on some decisions. And while the liabilities of Citizens Bank remain on RBS's books for now, the Royal Bank wants to remove them to improve its capital ratios.
Owning less than half the company, It is to remove Citizens Financial Group results from its financial reporting.
Citizens has gained 21% in valuation since the float in September.
RBS bought it in 1988 in the early stages of its global expansion. It is to issue its half-year results on Thursday. | Virgin Money has reported a boost to profits with significant growth of its mortgage lending. | 33699494 |
Leonard, who was born Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, had four Top 40 UK albums with the band from the late 1960s.
He recently returned to his home town with his long-term partner Mary.
Friend Kevin Allen, who directed the film Twin Town, said: "Deke was a true gentlemen of acid rock and he had a fantastic presence on stage."
Man toured across Europe and America and could include Frank Zappa among their admirers.
As well as working as a radio and television panellist, Leonard was a regular guest at the Laugharne Festival.
Mr Allen added: "Deke was such an interesting, gentle and lovely person and he was part of a dying breed - he'll be really missed."
Another friend, Paul Durden, who co-authored Twin Town, said: "I am really very sorry for both Mary and his daughter Kate. It is very sad news.
"Deke was an old mate, who I had known since the '60s. He was an elder statesman of rock music and was a brilliant man himself."
Leonard's bandmate, Micky Jones, died in 2010 at the age of 63. | The guitarist for Welsh progressive rock band Man, Deke Leonard, has died at the age of 72. | 38827091 |
The Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport, Karen Bradley, said she had extended the deadline because of the forthcoming general election.
Regulators were examining the deal in the light of media plurality and broadcasting standards.
European competition authorities had already waved the deal through.
Fox has agreed to pay £11.7bn to buy the 61% of Sky that it does not already own.
Sky shareholders would receive £10.75 cash for each share, valuing the entire company at £18.5bn.
Both Sky and Fox are controlled by businessman Rupert Murdoch, who also owns the Times and the Sun newspapers.
Part of Ofcom's investigation will include whether Sky's potential new owners are "fit and proper". Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan Murdoch are both joint chairmen of 21st Century Fox and News Corp, while his other son, James Murdoch, is chief executive of Fox.
Ofcom and the Competition and Markets Authority were due to report back by 16 May.
Ms Bradley said: "Given the proximity of this decision to the forthcoming general election and following discussions with the parties, Ofcom, the CMA and the Cabinet Office Propriety and Ethics team", she had extended the deadline until Tuesday 20 June after the state opening of Parliament. | The government has given regulators more time to investigate the proposed takeover of broadcaster Sky by 21st Century Fox. | 39664291 |
Slains Castle, near Cruden Bay, was cordoned off after police received a report of an unconscious woman.
The woman, who has not been named, was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.
Police Scotland said her death was currently being treated as unexplained, but there were no suspicious circumstances. | The body of a 54-year-old woman has been found at a ruined castle in Aberdeenshire. | 40631039 |
Neilson's side will unfurl the Championship flag at home on Sunday before taking on St Johnstone in their first game back in the top flight.
"We want to get to the top six and I think we've got a squad capable of getting there and hopefully get a decent cup run," said the head coach.
"I think we're prepared. We've got a good squad in."
Neilson was critical of his side's performance as they opened their season with a 4-2 win over Arbroath in the Scottish League Cup on Thursday.
Hearts were 1-0 down at half-time to the League Two side and their manager stressed that they would have to improve in time for Sunday's opening league game at home to St Johnstone.
"There are always expectations when you are a club of Hearts' size and there should be expectations," Neilson told BBC Scotland.
"We've got to remember that we're a Championship team who got promoted in the summer.
"We're back in the top flight, it is going to be difficult, but we want to try to get top six - that's where we want to be.
"That's where we believe we can be this season and then hopefully build from there."
None of Hearts' summer signings started against Arbroath, with defender Blazej Augustyn rested and forwards Juanma and Igor Rossi coming on as substitutes.
Nigeria full-back Juwon Oshaniwa is poised to complete his move following a wait for paperwork.
Neilson thought the additions were necessary to cope with the demands of the Scottish top flight.
"We had a good season last season, but you are coming up against better teams, more organised, faster, stronger, fitter," he said.
"We want to carry the momentum from last season. The jump is the consistency you need to have.
Media playback is not supported on this device
"Last season, we had a strong squad, we carried a lot of momentum, a good home crowd, so we could go through games at 60-70% and still get a result.
"This season, we are going to need to be at 90-95% minimum to get a result out of games."
Neilson was looking forward to celebrating last year's title win, but stressed that getting off to a good start against St Johnstone was more important.
"We want to enjoy the day but approach it properly and work hard," added the head coach, who is expecting a full house at Tynecastle with 14,000 season tickets having been sold.
"But it will only be a great day if we can get three points." | Robbie Neilson says a top-six Scottish Premiership finish would be success this season for Hearts. | 33733132 |
After a first half of few chances, Wednesday improved after the break and Lucas Joao slotted in their opener.
The Owls looked in control, but Piero Mingoia's brilliant long-range shot put the fourth-tier U's level.
George Maris fired wide for the hosts, before Berry's late left-footed effort earned them a spot in the second round.
Cambridge manager Shaun Derry: "These are special nights. I've been on the receiving end of them so I know what it's like when you lose against lower-level opposition.
"I've never been in the dressing room on the better side and I'm really proud of them. It's another night where Cambridge United are in the press for absolutely the right reasons once again."
Sheffield Wednesday head coach Carlos Carvalhal: "We did well. Not fantastically well but we managed the game, we had the game under control. We had chances and Cambridge also had some chances.
"They scored a fantastic goal, 1-1. After this the game is a lottery. They scored the goal. We must give congratulations to Cambridge."
Match ends, Cambridge United 2, Sheffield Wednesday 1.
Second Half Extra Time ends, Cambridge United 2, Sheffield Wednesday 1.
Corner, Cambridge United. Conceded by Liam Palmer.
Goal! Cambridge United 2, Sheffield Wednesday 1. Luke Berry (Cambridge United) left footed shot from the left side of the six yard box to the bottom right corner.
Corner, Cambridge United. Conceded by Jeremy Helan.
Attempt missed. Joe Pigott (Cambridge United) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left.
Corner, Sheffield Wednesday. Conceded by Greg Taylor.
Corner, Cambridge United. Conceded by Jeremy Helan.
Attempt blocked. Liam Palmer (Sheffield Wednesday) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Attempt missed. Piero Mingoia (Cambridge United) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
Attempt blocked. Ben Williamson (Cambridge United) right footed shot from very close range is blocked.
Corner, Cambridge United. Conceded by Josè Semedo.
Attempt missed. George Maris (Cambridge United) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.
Attempt blocked. George Maris (Cambridge United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Attempt missed. Liam Palmer (Sheffield Wednesday) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
Attempt missed. Josh Coulson (Cambridge United) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high following a corner.
Corner, Cambridge United. Conceded by James Murphy.
Second Half Extra Time begins Cambridge United 1, Sheffield Wednesday 1.
First Half Extra Time ends, Cambridge United 1, Sheffield Wednesday 1.
Attempt saved. George Maris (Cambridge United) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Jeremy Helan (Sheffield Wednesday) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Piero Mingoia (Cambridge United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jeremy Helan (Sheffield Wednesday).
Attempt missed. George Hirst (Sheffield Wednesday) right footed shot from outside the box is too high.
Conor Newton (Cambridge United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by George Hirst (Sheffield Wednesday).
Luke Berry (Cambridge United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Atdhe Nuhiu (Sheffield Wednesday).
Tom Dallison (Cambridge United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Josè Semedo (Sheffield Wednesday).
Corner, Sheffield Wednesday. Conceded by Sean Long.
Substitution, Cambridge United. Greg Taylor replaces Blair Adams.
Corner, Sheffield Wednesday. Conceded by Tom Dallison.
Substitution, Sheffield Wednesday. George Hirst replaces Lucas João.
First Half Extra Time begins Cambridge United 1, Sheffield Wednesday 1.
Second Half ends, Cambridge United 1, Sheffield Wednesday 1.
George Maris (Cambridge United) is shown the yellow card for hand ball.
Goal! Cambridge United 1, Sheffield Wednesday 1. Piero Mingoia (Cambridge United) left footed shot from outside the box to the top left corner.
Substitution, Sheffield Wednesday. James Murphy replaces Ross Wallace.
Corner, Cambridge United. Conceded by Liam Palmer. | Luke Berry's extra-time goal helped League Two side Cambridge United beat Championship club Sheffield Wednesday in the first round of the EFL Cup. | 36948720 |
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