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Hang Yin Leung, 64, was knocked over and held down after she opened her door to six men who pushed into her home and stole cash and jewellery.
It happened at about 18:00 GMT on 31 January at Orne Gardens, Milton Keynes.
She died in hospital on 11 February. Thames Valley Police are treating her death as murder.
Keith Leung said: "When you think of burglary, you think of lost possessions, lost petty cash, but I lost a dedicated mother and a lifetime friend.
"She was also a dutiful officer in the Hong Kong Police and she spent her whole life helping others where she could."
Mrs Leung was at home by herself on 31 January when she answered a knock on her door.
Police said a man asked if she was alone - and left. A short time later Mrs Leung answered a second knock. This time six men forced their way in and ransacked her home.
She was held down on the ground with a hand over her face.
The men, who were white and wore dark clothing and covered their faces, left by running down Orne Gardens towards Lacy Drive.
Mrs Leung was able to give police a statement the following day before becoming ill.
Det Supt Simon Steel, of Thames Valley Police, confirmed she died in Milton Keynes Hospital as a result of the injuries she received in the assault.
He said some items were recovered near Aylesbury on the day of the burglary, but appealed for two missing pieces - a 1991 Oyster Rolex watch and Mrs Leung's Hong Kong police long service medal.
"This is a despicable crime that has targeted a frail woman, at home, alone," he said. "They stole not only her possessions, but her life." | The son of a "dedicated mother" who died 11 days after a cold caller assaulted her has appealed for information about her killing. | 39142703 |
You wanted to know why parts of Leicestershire have a Coventry postcode.
You asked about the origins of some unusual street names in Shropshire.
And you were curious to find out why Longton in Stoke-on-Trent was known as "neck end". Here is how we got on answering your questions.
Shrewsbury has many narrow, cobbled and winding streets with names including Bear Steps, Fish Street and Grope Lane.
Historian Keith Pybus said he believed it could be because the town retains a lot of old alleys.
He said while the names of larger roads were renamed for big historical events and important people, the smaller ones preserved their medieval names.
Another historian, David Trumper, said the town once had more of these medieval names, such as Ox Lane, Corvisors Row and Pig Hill, but they have either been re-named or absorbed into other streets.
He also explained that Bear Steps was named after the Bear Inn pub, which used to be there and Fish Street was named after an open air fish market.
Meanwhile, Grope Lane got its name because it's where prostitutes used to gather - use your imagination on that one.
Places like Market Bosworth, Higham on the Hill and Congerstone in Leicestershire all have a CV13 postcode which stands for Coventry.
It can cause confusion over the whereabouts of local attractions, like Twycross Zoo, which has a CV9 postcode but is within the Leicestershire border.
Royal Mail said postcodes started in 1959 to ensure the accurate sorting, routing and delivery of post and do not necessarily reflect geographical boundaries.
The postcode for a street is determined by its nearest postal town, not the county it is in. So as parts of west Leicestershire are closer to Coventry than Leicester, they have a CV postcode.
Royal Mail said organisations who use postcode data shouldn't solely rely on the post town and recommend using other ways to identify locations.
Longton is one of the six towns which make up Stoke-on-Trent.
Richard Cresswell, president of the Longton Chamber of Trade, said the nickname came about because Longton "rests" at the southernmost tip of the city.
Hence it's seen by some living there as at the "neck end" of Stoke-on-Trent.
Have you got a question about the West Midlands?
Is there something you have seen or heard you would like us to investigate?
It could be a burning issue or something you have always wondered about the area or its people.
Use the tool below to send us your questions.
We could be in touch and your question could make the news. | People have been using Your Questions to ask us what they want to know about the West Midlands. | 39230777 |
But Marcus Hutchins' own lawyer says he denies six charges of creating and distributing the Kronos malware.
The 23-year-old from Ilfracombe, Devon, who helped stall the WannaCry cyber-attack which hit the NHS, was arrested on Wednesday in Las Vegas.
He was granted $30,000 (£23,000) bail, but will spend the weekend in prison after not being able to pay on Friday.
As he left the courtroom Mr Hutchins was ordered to walk with his hands behind his back but he was not shackled.
No members of his family were present, but defence lawyer Adrian Lobo presented the judge with a bundle of letters.
She said they were from friends and relatives showing support for a client who had never been in trouble with the law in the US or the UK.
Mr Hutchins' mother, Janet Hutchins, has said her son's involvement is "hugely unlikely" because he has spent "enormous amounts of time and even his free time" combating malware.
Defence lawyer Ms Lobo told the BBC: "He's pled not guilty. He is standing by that and he fights the charges and we intend to fight the case in Wisconsin."
She described the federal indictment against him as "pretty flimsy, it's pretty slim compared to what we normally see in a United States indictment."
Prosecutors told a Las Vegas court on Friday that Mr Hutchins had been caught in a sting operation when undercover officers bought the code.
They claimed the software was sold for $2,000 in digital currency in June 2015.
Dan Cowhig, prosecuting, also told the court that Mr Hutchins had made a confession during a police interview.
"He admitted he was the author of the code of Kronos malware and indicated he sold it," said Mr Cowhig.
The lawyer claimed there was evidence of chat logs between Mr Hutchins and an unnamed co-defendant - who has yet to be arrested - where the security researcher complained of not receiving a fair share of the money.
There was no missing Marcus Hutchins as he was brought into courtroom 3C of the US District Court in Las Vegas.
The "surfer who saved the world" was wearing a bright yellow custody-issue T-shirt and trousers along with luminous orange socks and sandals.
Judge Nancy Kobbe was sympathetic to the defendant's plea to be released on bail, waving away a claim from a government lawyer that the cyber-security expert posed a risk to the public because he had gone shooting on a gun range popular with tourists.
Mr Hutchins was so softly spoken that several times Ms Kobbe had to ask him to raise his voice.
Ms Lobo said Mr Hutchins denied he was the author of the malware and said he would plead not guilty to all of the charges, which date between July 2014 and July 2015.
"He has dedicated his life to researching malware, not trying to harm people," she said. "Use the internet for good is what he has done.
"He was completely shocked, this isn't' something he anticipated. He came here for a work-related conference and he was fully anticipating to go back home and had no reason to be fearful of coming or going from the United States."
Mr Hutchins came to prominence in May this year after finding a "kill switch" to stop the WannaCry ransomeware attack that hit the NHS, as well as other organisations in 150 countries.
Also known as "MalwareTech" online, Mr Hutchins was hailed as an "accidental hero" after registering a domain name to track the spread of the virus, which actually ended up halting it.
Mr Hutchins, who works for Los Angeles-based computer security firm Kryptos Logi, had been in Las Vegas to attend the Black Hat and Def Con cyber-security conferences.
He was arrested at Las Vegas airport minutes before he was due to fly home.
District judge Nancy Koppe, who was presented letters of support from Mr Hutchins' cyber-security colleagues, ordered his release on bail as he had no criminal history and because the allegations dated back two years.
However, friends and family were unable to raise the bond money before the court closed on Friday, so he will not be released until Monday.
The conditions of his bail include him not being allowed to access the internet and to stay in Clark County, Nevada, and within the Eastern District of Wisconsin, where he will appear in court on Tuesday.
He must also be monitored by GPS and surrender his passport.
Kronos is a type of malware known as a Trojan, meaning it disguises itself as legitimate software. It is thought to be named after a mythological creature.
Kronos first came to light in July 2014, when it was advertised on a Russian underground forum for $7,000 (£5,330) - a relatively high figure at the time.
It was marketed as way to steal logins for banking websites and other financial data.
Its vendor boasted it could evade existing anti-virus software and said it worked with the latest versions of Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome web browsers. In an unusual step, the developer promised free upgrades and bug fixes and the option of a $1,000 one week trial.
After much publicity it faded from view until October 2015, when IBM researchers reported that Kronos had been spotted in attacks on UK and Indian bank websites.
Kronos then struck again in Canada in May 2016, and in November reports surfaced that it had been spotted being distributed via emails.
IT security consultant Robin Edgar said Mr Hutchins' own code had been incorporated into the malware, but he had not done anything wrong.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Mr Hutchins posted a tweet saying, 'look, this Kronos thing has taken my code, stolen my code and used it in it'.
"He was very unhappy his code had been stolen and used within Kronos. He didn't write Kronos, it looks like, but he wrote a little piece of code which was used in the malware."
Mr Hutchins' local MP in North Devon, Peter Heaton-Jones, said he shared the "shock" of the local community over the charges.
The Conservative politician has written to Foreign Office minister Sir Alan Duncan to seek assurance that Mr Hutchins is receiving adequate consular assistance.
Whilst Mr Heaton-Jones acknowledged the UK cannot interfere with court proceedings in the US and said he has made no judgement about his constituent, adding: "People who know him in Ilfracombe, and in the wider cyber-community, are astounded at the allegations against him.
"This is particularly so given his role in helping to protect the NHS and many other institutions from what could have been a devastating cyber-attack just a few months ago.
"I will continue to monitor his case carefully and to seek the necessary assurances from the government that the UK is doing everything in its power to assist Marcus and his family at this very difficult time."
Digital rights group the Electronic Frontier Foundation said it was "deeply concerned" with his arrest, whilst Naomi Colvin, from civil liberties campaign group Courage, said Mr Hutchins "did the world an enormous service" when he stopped the WannaCry attack.
Get news from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning | US prosecutors say a British computer expert has admitted to creating software that harvests bank details. | 40833951 |
Ross Wright, 19, attacked the 25-year-old woman at a house in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, on 24 May.
He claimed the woman was awake and had consented to have sex but was convicted following a trial last month.
Wright was on early release from detention for a serious assault charge when he carried out the rape.
Jailing him at the High Court in Edinburgh, temporary judge Kenneth Maciver told Wright: "You took sexual advantage of a woman who you knew from prior observation to be fully asleep through the effects of a alcohol.
"It is clear to me that from the evidence that was placed before the court that you waited for your opportunity to enter her room before sexually assaulting her.
"You have been convicted of a despicable crime and I have to make it clear to you that an extended sentence is appropriate."
The judge ordered Wright to be supervised for 21 months following his release from jail. The 19-year-old was also placed on the sex offenders' register.
Wright's trial heard how the woman and friends had been at an 18th birthday party which was also attended by Wright.
At the end of the evening the woman went to sleep in a bedroom of the house and was woken up by Wright having sex with her. | A teenager who raped a sleeping woman months after being released early from prison has been jailed for six years and three months. | 30481171 |
The incident happened on the road between Aberystwyth and Ponterwyd on Friday.
The A44 was closed until Saturday between the A4159 at Lovesgrove roundabout, Capel Bangor, and the A4120 at Ponterwyd. | The A44 in Ceredigion has been reopened after being closed to allow the recovery of a lorry which left the carriageway. | 29957068 |
Artist Chris Rutterford spent more than a year completing the giant work, which has gone on show ahead of the 701st anniversary of the battle.
The mural was crowd-funded, with people making donations to have their faces included as soldiers in the conflict.
Famous faces appearing alongside Robert the Bruce include Lorraine Kelly and former Scotland rugby star Al Kellock.
One of the warriors is even pictured holding his pet cat in one hand and a battle axe in the other.
Mr Rutterford, who has previously painted murals depicting Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations and Robert Burns' poem Tam O'Shanter, said he wanted to "emphasise the heartbeat of humanity at the historic site".
He said: "As a proud Scot the Battle of Bannockburn is something I've always wanted to paint. It's a defining moment in Scottish history and such a powerful story.
"To have it hung on the battlefield is a huge honour.
"I think you need real diversity in the crowd, and everyone is allowed to have their own perspective on it. For me, allowing people to add their character to the image is the only way to give it a ring of truth."
Robert the Bruce won a famous victory against King Edward II of England at the battle on 23 and 24 June, 1314.
The mural will be on show in the courtyard of the Bannockburn visitor centre until 31 October. | A 30-metre mural depicting the Battle of Bannockburn has gone on display at the battlefield it depicts. | 33164525 |
Mission controllers cheered as the Falcon 9 rocket remained upright on the platform off Florida.
It was returning from delivering an inflatable habitat into space for Nasa.
The inflatable room will attach to the International Space Station (ISS) for a two-year test and become the first such habitat for humans in orbit.
It is due to reach the ISS around 09:00 GMT on Sunday along with other freight aboard the Dragon capsule.
Built by Nevada company Bigelow Aerospace, the habitat is intended to pave the way towards the use of such rooms for long space trips, including to Mars.
Nasa had not attempted a cargo run with SpaceX since a June 2015 mishap, when an unmanned cargo rocket exploded soon after take-off.
The Falcon 9 lifted off on schedule at 16:43 local time (20:43 GMT) on Friday from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
After propelling the Dragon capsule into the upper atmosphere, the main-stage booster of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket separated and landed on the floating platform, known as a drone ship.
"The rocket landed instead of putting a hole in the ship - or tipping over - so we're really excited about that," SpaceX founder and chief executive Elon Musk told reporters in Florida.
At the company's mission control centre in Hawthorne, California, employees cheered wildly, jumping up and down and chanting "USA, USA, USA!"
SpaceX is seeking to kick off a new era of reusable rockets and affordable private space travel.
Bigelow Aerospace, the project of real estate billionaire Robert Bigelow, launched prototype expandable habitats before but none have been occupied by humans.
This 1,400kg contraption, once attached and inflated in about a month's time, will be visited periodically by ISS personnel.
Made of many layers of fabric and covered with a flexible Kevlar-like material, the Beam will be tested to see how well it stands up to fluctuating temperatures and high levels of radiation. | The US aerospace company SpaceX has successfully landed a resusable rocket on an ocean platform, after four previous attempts failed. | 35997794 |
Police said they were called to reports of a body at a property in Templehill in Troon at 17:15 BST on Saturday.
Jonathan Adair junior, who was 32, had recently been released from prison.
Officers said they were treating the death as unexplained and a post-mortem examination would be carried out. A report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.
Jonathan Adair's father, Johnny Adair, is a former leader of the outlawed Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF).
The family was forced to flee Northern Ireland in 2003 after a series of murders linked to a loyalist feud.
When he was 18 and still living in Northern Ireland, Jonathan Adair was shot in both legs in the loyalist lower Shankill area of west Belfast. | The son of former loyalist paramilitary leader Johnny Adair has been found dead in South Ayrshire. | 37334319 |
Without more staff to meet the demand, long waits for test results could become the norm, says Cancer Research UK.
One in two of us will have cancer at some point, and getting it diagnosed early is vital.
The government says it is investing in cancer services, which includes having the right number and mix of staff.
According to the report:
Cancer Research UK says that in the next five to 10 years there will be a shortage of consultants across all areas of pathology.
It says the same problem applies to other cancer diagnosis services such as scans and endoscopies.
Prof Manuel Salto-Tellez, a Cancer Research UK pathology expert, said: "We need to act now before this situation gets worse. It's vital that patients are diagnosed at an early stage when treatment is more likely to be successful and pathology plays a crucial role in this.
"The number of cancer cases diagnosed each year is set to rise and the already stretched pathology services won't cope unless we ensure more people are trained and employed in pathology. We must also make sure that existing staff have the support they need to do their job."
Dr Suzy Lishman, president of the Royal College of Pathologists, said: "Having the right staff with the right skills will make sure people referred for cancer tests are diagnosed as quickly and accurately as possible."
There were around 352,000 new cancer diagnoses in the UK in 2013. Cancer Research UK estimates this will rise to 500,000 a year by 2035.
A Department of Health spokesperson said: "Early and fast diagnosis is crucial in improving patient outcomes and experience. Getting pathology test results to patients quickly is a key part of this. That's why we have invested over £2.5bn on efficient and robust pathology services across the NHS." | Tests for cancer diagnosis are under threat as labs struggle to cope with rising demand, a charity says. | 38062966 |
The move follows claims in the Commons that top employment agencies have been needlessly selling personal accident insurance to low-paid workers.
The shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna accused the agencies of "profiteering" out of the practice.
But the industry said such firms are doing nothing wrong or illegal.
Mr Umunna named six agencies - Blue Arrow, Acorn, Taskmaster, Randstad, Meridian and Staffline - as being involved in the practice.
He said the insurance was often sold to workers on the Minimum Wage. He said that the personal accident policies were often not needed as workers were already covered by their employers.
"There is even a company - Gee 7 Group - which specialises in putting together these dubious arrangements for agencies," Mr Umunna said in the Commons.
However Gee 7 denied being involved in such insurance policies.
"We have never ever got involved in temporary accident cover," said Jon Pardoe, the managing director of Gee 7.
"We are aware of companies that do it, but we've always disagreed with the principle," he told the BBC. Such cover provides limited benefits and is in most instances unnecessary, he said.
The business secretary Vince Cable said if the practice had been happening, "it would be indefensible, and I think it is unlawful".
"I will commit to ensuring that we have a proper enforcement procedure," said Dr Cable.
He added that the companies would be investigated, and that he would also consider a more broad-based enquiry.
The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), which represents recruitment agencies, said the companies concerned were offering a useful service.
Tom Hadley, the REC's director of policy, said many trade unions offer similar products.
"Let's be clear, employment agencies are not doing anything wrong by offering workers the opportunity to purchase accident insurance," he said.
"It's a product that many other organisations offer to their members, including trade unions."
But he added that profiteering was a very serious allegation, and asked Mr Umunna to hand over any evidence he has about the organisation's members.
He also said that many workers need insurance, to cover them for accidents when not at their place of work.
"Personal accident cover can be appropriate for workers in high risk sectors such as rail and construction and can also cover them for accidents off-site that would prevent them from working," he said.
One of the firms under attack from Mr Umunna, Blue Arrow, said the insurance was "offered," not "sold."
"Our consultants are fully trained and regulated in line with the Financial Conduct Authority's guidelines and are not paid commission as personal accident insurance is not a sales initiative," a spokesman said.
"We do not believe that any of our employees take out personal accident insurance without fully understanding the benefits and cost," he added.
Acorn, another agency involved, said it wholly rejected the allegations.
It said it introduced the policies when two foreign workers died in the UK, and their families were unable to fly the bodies home.
In answer to the claims about profiteering, a spokesman told the BBC: "We do make a small margin on the policy to cover the administration of the scheme but that is certainly not the primary reason we introduced it." | The government is to investigate claims that some of Britain's top employment agencies have been mis-selling insurance to thousands of workers. | 25860958 |
Various factors make it "incredibly difficult" for some inmates on Imprisonment for Public Protection sentences to find such proof, he said.
He wants new criteria for freeing IPP prisoners in England and Wales.
The Ministry of Justice said the suggestion had been "taken on board".
IPP sentences were introduced by Labour in 2005 as a way of stopping the release of dangerous prisoners.
But courts were banned from imposing any more IPP sentences in 2012 amid concerns they were being used to hold people for periods which their original offence did not warrant.
In March, 4,133 IPP prisoners continued to be detained, the majority of whom had been convicted of "violence against the person", sexual offences or robbery.
The Parole Board can approve a prisoner's release after the minimum term - the "punishment" part of their sentence - but only if it is satisfied it is not necessary to hold the inmate in the interests of public protection.
It means the prisoner has to prove they do not present a risk and can be safely managed in the community.
In March, about 80% of IPP prisoners - 3,347 - had already served their minimum term but were still locked up.
In his first interview since taking up his post in March, Prof Hardwick told the BBC that procedural delays, problems accessing offending behaviour courses and finding suitable accommodation made it "incredibly difficult" for some IPP prisoners to prove that it was safe for them to be let out.
"Some of them are stuck, festering, in prison long after the punishment part of the sentence," he said.
Ministry of Justice figures show more than 500 IPP prisoners given tariffs of less than two years were still in prison five or more years later.
"Once it gets to that point, they stop making progress and they start going backwards," said Prof Hardwick.
"So this is, I think, a blot on the justice system and I'm very keen we can do something about it."
He said Liz Truss, the new justice secretary, should consider activating Section 128 of the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.
The clause allows the justice secretary to alter the test which the Parole Board has to apply when releasing prisoners.
Both houses of Parliament would have to agree to the change, but fresh legislation would not be required.
"There are legislative options that will enable us to change the risk test so it's more about 'is there proof that they're dangerous rather than proof that they're safe?' and there are some other measures that can be taken... to try to cut into that group," Prof Hardwick said.
The former Chief Inspector of Prisons said there were three categories of IPP inmate who would benefit most: Those on very short tariffs but still in custody; prisoners held beyond the maximum sentence for the offence they had committed; and offenders who were too frail or elderly to pose a danger.
The Parole Board is also trying to cut the backlog of prisoners awaiting decisions on their release, by hiring more parole panel members and dealing with cases more efficiently.
Prof Hardwick said it was "crazy" to be paying out compensation to inmates held in custody because their cases were delayed due to a lack of resources.
In 2015-16, there were 463 damages claims lodged, five times the number the previous year, with £554,000 paid out in compensation, compared to £144,000 the year before.
"It's not a good use of taxpayers' money," Prof Hardwick said.
"It would be much better to put the money into ensuring that the system is working efficiently so that people get dealt with fairly and get out when they're supposed to and when the courts intended."
The Ministry of Justice said: "The chair of the Parole Board has made a number of recommendations to improve the parole system and reduce the backlog of IPP prisoners.
"Work is ongoing within the department to address these issues and his recommendations have been taken on board". | Prisoners held indefinitely after serving their minimum term or tariff should not have to prove it is "safe" to release them, new Parole Board chairman Nick Hardwick has said. | 36889768 |
The standard of care in homes in England is "not good enough at the moment", Andrea Sutcliffe admitted.
CQC publishes new plans for how it will regulate, inspect and rate care homes on Thursday.
Ms Sutcliffe said CQC's reputation was improving.
The commission has faced severe criticism after a series of abuse scandals in residential homes.
On Thursday, Ms Sutcliffe will announce a new rating system for care homes, which will be ranked in the same way Ofsted judges schools.
They will be graded as either outstanding, good, requiring improvement or inadequate.
But Ms Sutcliffe said the level of care in England could be better.
"It's not good enough at the moment," she told BBC Breakfast.
"There is too much awful care that is actually happening and calling time on poor care is something that we have got to do."
But she said CQC's standing was improving.
"I'd say that the reputation of the CQC as we are speaking now in 2014 is improving," she said. "What we have recognised is that some of the ways we have been working needed to absolutely improve." | Too much "awful care" is happening in care homes in England, the chief inspector of adult social care at the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has told the BBC. | 29547598 |
The Middle Bronze Age field system at Ormesby St Michael in 2010 is not unique to the area, Nick Gilmour said.
Mr Gilmour, who will feature in The Flying Archaeologist on BBC One, said aerial photos suggest clear signs of life well before the Broads were dug.
"The more you look the more you start seeing Bronze Age everywhere," he will say on the programme, at 19:30 BST.
Mr Gilmour was involved with the discovery of the complex field systems, which date back to about 1,500 BC.
It was previously thought the systems had not existed further east than the Cambridgeshire Fens.
The presenter of the Flying Archaeologist, Ben Robinson, said the area had proven a "real challenge" for archaeologists due to the landscape being flooded to create the broads in the 9th or 10th Century.
"Traces of settlement are lost underwater or flattened by the plough," Mr Robinson said.
"But they don't disappear completely because history leaves a footprint."
The programme explores how these footprints, crop marks which were spotted by archaeologists ahead of the Ormesby dig, were best viewed by air.
"An ancient ditch or pit that has been filled in long ago will show up as different colours across the fields - crop marks," he said.
Mr Gilmour said the Ormesby dig had revealed evidence of settlers' activities, such as weaving, and objects including a whetstone.
"If you've got a whetstone you need something to sharpen on, which means in this case bronze.
"In order to get bronze you need copper and tin so that must have come from somewhere as well.
"So you start putting in these links to other settlements much further afield across potentially the whole of Britain.
"It's really the beginnings of the mass altering of the landscape."
Mr Robinson said hundreds of archaeological sites in the Norfolk Broads could now be re-evaluated.
"We've got other crop mark sites that look similar," he said.
"Maybe there's an extensive pattern - a Bronze Age world out there that we are only just beginning to understand."
The Flying Archaeologist - The Broads is broadcast at 19:30 BST on BBC One East. The full series will be shown nationwide from Monday, 29 April at 20:30 BST on BBC Four. | Proof of Bronze Age activity can be found throughout the whole of the Norfolk Broads, archaeologists claim. | 22199507 |
Keshi won the Africa Cup of Nations as both captain (in 1994) and manager of the Super Eagles (in 2013).
The man affectionately known as 'Big Boss' was twice voted as Africa's top coach, by the Confederation of African Football (Caf), in 2005 and 2013.
He died of sudden medical complications in his home in Benin City in June.
I can't believe that Stephen is gone
A huge personality in the continental game, playing in five Africa Cup of Nations finals (1982, 1984, 1988, 1992 and 1994), the former Anderlecht, Strasbourg and RWD Molenbeek central defender, had also managed Togo - earning them a 2006 World Cup place - and Mali, before taking up the Nigeria job in 2011.
"I can't believe that Stephen is gone," said Uche Okechukwu, the former Brondby and Fenerbahce central defender, who played with Keshi in the Super Eagles in the 1990s.
"I was to have called him a few days before he passed. But I forgot.
"Days later, my brother banged on my door one early morning and told me to check my Facebook page, as he clearly did not know how to break the new to me.
"It was a very big shock. It still is a very big shock," Okechukwu said.
A large group of Keshi's former Super Eagles teammates, including Okechukwu, Mutiu Adepoju, Augustine Eguavoen, Victor Ikpeba and Peter Rufai, attended the memorial service at St. John's Catholic Church in Ilah, which took place before the burial, in Keshi's home.
"Keshi was a man that knew his own mind. He was a very strong personality," Ikpeba, the former AC Monaco, Borussia Dortmund striker and 1997 CAF African Footballer of the Year, told the BBC.
"As a member of the NFF's technical committee, we often had to exchange strong words, over the way that he managed the national team.
"I was a young player under his captaincy, during the start of my career in the national team, so Keshi always felt that I should support him totally as coach. But this was not always possible, as I had my own opinion, which sometimes differed from his.
"But despite our occasional differences, over technical issues, I've always had a great deal of respect for him. He was, truly, the "Big Boss," Ikpeba said.
Keshi controversially lost his job as Super Eagles coach in 2014, after the Pinnick Amaju led Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) claimed that he had "violated" the terms of his employment contract, by "seeking" to take up work with the Ivorian national team.
Kate, to whom Keshi was married, for over 30 years, died in December last year, after losing a three-year battle with cancer. He is survived by four children. | Stephen Keshi, the former Nigeria captain and manager, was buried on Friday in his country house at Ilah, in Nigeria's Delta State. | 36928970 |
The Accies manager has added centre-half Xavier Tomas and goalkeeper Ryan Fulton to his squad this summer.
But he is looking for two forwards.
"The guys you know can make a difference, every other team wants them and the boys think they can play at a higher level for much bigger clubs," said Canning.
"At this stage, for clubs of our size, it's not easy to get in the guys you want to get in.
"So you've got to be patient, keep working at it.
"A lot of the players you know can make a difference think they can play in the English Championship or English Premier League and, rightly so, want to play at the highest level they can.
"Probably towards the end of the transfer window, it starts to get to the point where they realise that's not going to happen for them and have to broaden their search."
Accies were the last club in the Scottish Premiership to make a signing this summer and it was not until the day before the season kicked off against East Kilbride in the League Cup that Tomas was signed for an undisclosed fee from Swiss top-flight outfit Lausanne-Sport.
However Canning, who has since added goalkeeper Fulton from Liverpool, insists that fans should not be concerned about the lack of changes to a squad that only avoided relegation thanks to a play-off win over Dundee United.
"The club have been great this year in backing us as much as they can," he said. "We weren't targeting eight, nine or 10 players.
"We are looking to bring four or five guys that will make a difference because this year we are in a good place again.
"Our young kids are coming through to give us squad players. We've got young Ryan Tierney, Ross Cunningham, Ronan Hughes, Shaun Want, Steven Boyd.
"If these guys were not coming through, I would probably be running about trying to bring in another five or six players from all over the place just to bulk up the squad."
Canning thinks some of the players breaking through have the potential to match the success of former Accies midfielders James McCarthy and James McArthur, who went on to command sizeable transfer fees and win caps for Republic of Ireland and Scotland respectively.
In the short term, he hopes they will follow the example of defender Scott McMann, who became a first-team regular after progressing from the youth ranks last season.
Canning needed another central defender after the summer exits of Jesus Garcia Tena and Danny Seaborne, plus long-term injury to captain Michael Devlin.
Meanwhile, Fulton is a replacement for Remi Matthews, who returned to Norwich City after his loan spell.
"We have been looking for a big dominant centre-back all summer," added Canning.
"It has been a long process and I can assure you you spend lots of hours on the computer looking at CVs - you get hundreds of them sent through every week and you're constantly looking through them, scared not to look at one just in case you miss something.
"So it's very time-consuming and Xavier stood out about a month ago and it was something we have been working on.
"Ryan, we kept an eye on him right from the end of last season when we knew Remi was going back.
"Initially, we were looking at getting him in on loan, but eventually we got a deal to make him our player, which is even better." | Hamilton's Martin Canning is biding his time to sign a striker - because his targets are waiting for approaches from clubs in England's top two divisions. | 40660163 |
Addressing the European Parliament, he called Ceta "a comprehensive blueprint for responsible economic co-operation".
MEPs approved Ceta on Wednesday, after nearly eight years of negotiations.
Most trade tariffs will be removed. But critics say Ceta could erode hard-won welfare and environmental safeguards.
Mr Trudeau said: "Some people are worried that the current system only benefits society's narrow elite - and their concern is valid."
But Ceta, he argued, "will result in the creation of good, well-paying jobs for middle-class workers.
"It will put food on the table for families, and help grow and strengthen our communities."
It is seen as a possible model for a future EU-UK trade deal, as the UK heads towards exit from the 28-nation bloc.
Mr Trudeau recognised widespread "anxieties" about globalisation, but said Ceta provided adequate safeguards for governments to maintain welfare standards.
98%
The number of tariffs between the EU and Canada that would be eliminated
€500 million
The estimated amount that EU exporters would save in duties annually
3.6m The population of Wallonia
36.3m The population of Canada
508m The population of the EU
The deal comes as US President Donald Trump challenges the liberal free trade agenda, vowing to put "America first". He plans to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) between the US, Canada and Mexico.
Mr Trump has also criticised the EU's position on free trade.
In contrast, Mr Trudeau said "the European Union is a truly remarkable achievement, and an unprecedented model for peaceful co-operation.
"Canada knows that an effective European voice on the global stage isn't just preferable - it's essential."
There were chaotic scenes outside the parliament building in Strasbourg on Wednesday, as protesters blocked access ahead of the vote - only to be dragged off by riot police.
The vote was passed comfortably, though not overwhelmingly, with 33 MEPs abstaining.
Ceta will take effect provisionally this year. But some more controversial aspects of the deal, such as the investor court system, will require ratification by EU member states, which could take years.
Last year objections by Belgium's Wallonia region threw the deal into jeopardy.
Ceta will see the removal of 99% of non-farm duties between the EU's market of 500 million people and Canada's 35 million - trade worth €63.5bn ($67bn; £54bn) in 2015. That will boost growth and jobs on both sides of the Atlantic, supporters say.
But the deal has been extremely divisive, says the BBC's Europe reporter Gavin Lee.
It has triggered many demonstrations across Europe, with critics arguing it will erode labour laws, environmental standards and allow multinational companies to dictate public policy. | Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his country's Ceta trade deal with the EU will help middle-class families and set the standard for future trade deals globally. | 38991597 |
It said the result of last month's referendum, in which the UK voted to leave the European Union, will lead to a slowdown in the UK economy.
The firm has also forecast a gradual recovery later in 2017 as immediate post-referendum shock starts to fade.
PwC's Esmond Birnie said the main reason for the slowdown is projected to be a decline in business investment.
Mr Birnie, who is the firm's chief economist in Northern Ireland, said investment from overseas would be particularly affected.
He added that it is not certain that a recession will be avoided.
PwC said that UK growth had already eased from about 3% in 2014 to about 2% before the EU referendum, due primarily to slower global growth.
However, it added that the vote to leave the EU is likely to lead to a "significant further slowdown" with UK GDP growth forecast to decelerate to about 1.6% in 2016 and 0.6% in 2017.
For Northern Ireland, that means forecast growth of about 1% 2016, falling to 0.2% in 2017, making it the poorest-performing of the 12 UK regions.
PwC Northern Ireland chairman, Paul Terrington said that action by the Bank of England should help confidence.
He added that the post-referendum economic downturn should not be anything like as severe as that following the global financial crisis of 2008-9.
"Our main scenario projections suggests that the UK should narrowly avoid a recession over the next year, although we recognise that risks are weighted somewhat to the downside at present.
"It that forecast proves accurate, Northern Ireland should also avoid recession, although that may be a close call," Mr Terrington said. | The Northern Ireland economy will grow by just 0.2% in 2017, the consultancy PwC has forecast. | 36829588 |
Bisping's opportunity comes after Chris Weidman was forced out of UFC 199 on 4 June in Los Angeles with a neck injury.
Manchester middleweight Bisping's last fight was a unanimous-decision win over Anderson Silva in London in February.
However, the 37-year-old lost to Rockhold in their only previous meeting, submitting in the second round of their November 2014 fight. | Michael Bisping has a chance to become the UK's first UFC champion after stepping in to fight Luke Rockhold. | 36328130 |
The 26-year-old has won six caps for Scotland, but was left out of the 2015 World Cup squad and has not featured in this year's Six Nations.
Tonks joined Edinburgh from Northampton Saints in 2012, scoring six tries in 79 appearances for the Pro12 club.
The South-Africa born player, who can also play full-back, started his career at Leicester before joining Saints.
Tonks is reunited with London Irish head of rugby Glenn Delaney, having played on loan with Nottingham while the Exiles coach was director of rugby at the Green and Whites.
"I am delighted that we have secured the services of a player of Greig's calibre," Delaney told the club website.
"He brings a lot of experience to the team and we look forward to welcoming him to the club." | Premiership side London Irish have signed fly-half Greig Tonks from Edinburgh with immediate effect. | 35688327 |
Detectives said they want to question Martin Burke, the sports director of the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI).
Two other Irishmen, Pat Hickey and Kevin Mallon, are facing charges as a result of the investigation which began as the Games opened in Rio last month.
Both men, who were arrested, imprisoned and released on bail, deny wrongdoing.
Mr Hickey, 71, was the most senior Olympic official in Ireland before his dramatic arrest in a Rio hotel room on 17 August.
He has since temporarily stepped aside from his roles as OCI president, president of the European Olympic Committee and his post in the International Olympic Committee (IOC) while the investigation continues.
An OCI spokeswoman told the BBC the organisation was "aware of press reports" that Brazilian police were now seeking a warrant for Mr Burke's arrest.
"The OCI has not been contacted by the Rio authorities with regard to Mr Burke nor indeed has Mr Burke been contacted by the authorities," she said.
"Mr Burke returned to Ireland from the Rio Games with the Irish Olympic team."
The BBC is seeking a response from Mr Burke to the police statement.
On Thursday, Brazilian police said they also wanted to speak to the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, but were treating him as a witness, not a suspect.
It followed the discovery of emails from Mr Bach to Mr Hickey.
Police alleged that the IOC president received personal requests from Mr Hickey for hundreds of high-value tickets for the Olympics opening ceremony, the 100m final and the football final.
They added that Mr Hickey received 296 tickets after his written request to the IOC president.
Mr Bach cancelled a planned appearance in Rio this week at the opening of the Paralympic Games, for personal reasons.
On Tuesday, a Brazilian state prosecutor, said he had decided to charge Mr Hickey and nine others with ticket touting, conspiracy and ambush marketing.
Mr Mallon is facing the same charges and both men had their passports confiscated until the investigation is complete.
The eight other suspects are businessmen who are not in Brazil. | An arrest warrant for a third Irishman is being sought by Brazilian police in their investigation into the alleged illegal sale of Olympic tickets. | 37315631 |
The telephone conversation is the second between the two leaders since they met in Florida earlier this month.
It highlights Chinese fears that tensions between the US and North Korea could erupt into conflict.
Mr Trump criticised Pyongyang's belligerence, the White House said.
On Sunday state media said North Korea's forces were "combat-ready to sink" US aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, which the US says is due to arrive off the Korean peninsula "within days".
The aircraft carrier was despatched by Mr Trump amid a warning that US "strategic patience" over the North's nuclear ambitions had come to an end.
The bombastic message - the ruling Workers' Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun called the carrier a "gross animal" - was the latest in a series of bellicose statements and threats from Pyongyang.
In the telephone call, Mr Xi urged all parties to "maintain restraint and avoid actions that would increase tensions", according to the Chinese foreign ministry.
The White House said Mr Trump "emphasised that Pyongyang's actions are destabilising the Korean Peninsula".
The two leaders met on 7-8 April at Mr Trump's Florida resort and then spoke about North Korea by telephone on 12 April, as tensions rose.
Pyongyang says it will press ahead with missile tests despite Mr Trump's warnings. Experts also believe that it may be preparing for another nuclear test, defying UN resolutions.
Tuesday is the 85th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Army and North Korea has previously marked such anniversaries with missile or nuclear tests.
China has traditionally been North Korea's ally and the nation with the most influence over Pyongyang, but its stance towards its northern neighbour appears to be hardening.
In recent weeks it has faced repeated calls from the US to impose tougher financial sanctions that would hurt the regime in Pyongyang.
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said that call between the two leaders was a sign of their close communication.
The US president also held telephone talks on North Korea with Japanese leader Shinzo Abe on Monday. The two agreed to "keep a high level of vigilance and respond firmly", Mr Abe said afterwards.
Two Japanese destroyers have joined the carrier group for exercises. Envoys from the US, South Korea and Japan are also due to meet in Japan on Tuesday to discuss the current crisis.
North Korea says its nuclear programme is defensive but it is trying to develop weapons small enough to put on ballistic missiles.
There is no evidence yet it has done so or that it has missiles with the range to reach long-distance targets like the US mainland, but experts believe it will achieve these goals in the future. | China's president has called for "restraint" from all parties in a call with US President Donald Trump, a day after Pyongyang said it was "ready" to sink a US aircraft carrier. | 39695503 |
The first VR headsets were released earlier this year, and have already been selling in their thousands.
The PS VR even outsold every other console on the market, during its first week of release in Japan.
Tech expert Mark Zuckerberg, who created the social media site Facebook and owns a VR company, thinks that Virtual Reality is: "going to change the way we live and work and communicate in the future."
So, we asked four tech fans to put some of the best VR headsets through their paces, and find out what they think...
The Playstation VR is the most recent VR headset to hit the market, being released on the 13th October 2016.
Although it is the cheapest of the four VR headsets we reviewed, you still have to have a Playstation 4 console and a Playstation camera to play it, which can more than double the overall price!
However, like the Oculus, it is not "fully immersive" - you can only sit or stand and look around whilst using it, you cannot walk around.
One of the major points about the PS VR, which separates it from the other headsets, is that there are already lots of games available for it, with more on the way.
It's one of the more technically advanced headsets available and is completely immersive - meaning you can walk around freely - well, as far as the cable will let you!
Its sensors help to warn you of objects around you, and stop you from bumping into things.
However, you do need a very powerful computer to be able to run it - and its costs a lot more than the PS VR and the Oculus Rift.
Also, there aren't as many games as some of the other consoles.
The Oculus was the first VR Headset to hit the market, and as a result, has lots of games available for it.
However, the Oculus was released without a specific controller - and when the controller does come out in December, it will be around £190. Currently you can use an XBox controller, and need a powerful computer to run it.
Like the PS VR, you can't move around whilst playing on the Oculus just yet, however they are looking into changing that by the end of the year.
The Oculus has built-in headphones, which makers say makes it feel more "immersive" - like you are in the game.
This high-tech headset is only available to developers at the moment, who can try it out and help the makers to improve it.
It combines virtual reality with augmented reality - meaning you can see digital things in the real world - similar to mobile apps like Pokémon Go.
It doesn't come with a controller, as you control it by moving your hands around and using key words to tell it what to do.
It also doesn't have any cables, like all of the other headsets - meaning you have completely free movement.
People have said it can be a bit difficult to adjust to your head, and it is quite heavy at the front, meaning it can slip down your nose.
You can also only see the virtual shapes directly in front of you, meaning there is a bit of a gap around the edges of where you can see.
Microsoft haven't given a specific date as to when the HoloLens will be available to buy in a shop, but they have hinted that it might be a few years away yet.
Virtual reality is still pretty new, and scientists aren't sure how it will affect people's health in the long-term, especially eyesight.
So most VR makers have guidelines which recommend that only people over the age of 13 play them.
Some people have also reported feeling a bit seasick whilst playing on them.
Game footage courtesy of
PS VR: Robots Rescue, Playroom VR, Japan Studio Sony
HTC VIVE: TiltBrush - by Google
Oculus Rift: Lucky's Tale - Playful Corp
Microsoft HoloLens: RoboRaid - Microsoft | Virtual reality or VR headsets are one of the biggest tech trends of the year, and could soon be part of our daily lives. | 37949547 |
This year British Gymnastics and Boots have teamed up to launch a new campaign to get you active as well as helping raise money to fund projects for disadvantaged children and young people around the UK.
You can join in and celebrate with one of our challenges from the handy booklet - find out more here.
All you need to do is get your friends, family or colleagues to sponsor you for each jump and see how many you can do.
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You can run your challenge on any day between October and December, and as often as you want. We want to see how many jumps you can do by Appeal Night on Friday, 18 November, so don't forget to add your jumps to our totaliser.
And if you are a gymnast, a gymnastic club or a leisure centre looking to get involved then you can get some helpful resources from British Gymnastics here.
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So what are you waiting for? Turn jumps into pounds and help BBC Children in Need fund projects all around the UK! | Whether it's jumping, leaping, bouncing or hopping you can help Children in Need by 'Jumping for Pudsey'! | 37714913 |
The annual ceremony, now in its 23rd year, celebrates "the most egregious passage of sexual description in a work of fiction".
The former Smiths frontman has been nominated for his first novel, List of the Lost.
It includes a reference to "one giggling snowball of full-figured copulation" and a "bulbous salutation".
Other books nominated so far include Erica Jong's Fear of Dying, which includes the passage: "You raised the kundalini... like an electric snake in your spine", and celebrated screenwriter George Pelecanos' The Martini Shot.
Michael Ashcroft and Isabel Oakeshott's Call Me Dave, an unauthorised biography of Prime Minister David Cameron, was brought to the judges' attention because of an allegation, by an unnamed source, about an initiation ceremony in which Mr Cameron is said to have taken part.
However, the Review said: "That assertion was so flimsily corroborated as to resemble fiction but, regrettably, the biographers displayed insufficient literary brio to merit serious consideration."
The purpose of the prize is "to draw attention to poorly written, perfunctory or redundant passages of sexual description in modern fiction, and to discourage them".
It does not cover pornographic or expressly erotic literature.
Last year's prize went to Booker Prize winner Ben Okri for The Age of Magic.
The winning content read: "When his hand brushed her nipple it tripped a switch and she came alight. He touched her belly and his hand seemed to burn through her.
"He lavished on her body indirect touches and bitter-sweet sensations flooded her brain."
Other winners of the prize include Melvyn Bragg, Norman Mailer and AA Gill.
This year's award will be announced at the aptly named In and Out Club, in London. | Morrissey is the favourite to win Literary Review's 2015 Bad Sex in Fiction Award. | 34855267 |
He will be replaced by property developer Adama Barrow, who won more than 45% of the vote. After his win, Mr Barrow hailed a "new Gambia".
Mr Jammeh, who came to power in a coup in 1994, has not yet spoken publicly.
The West African state has not had a smooth transfer of power since independence from Britain in 1965.
Electoral commission chief Alieu Momar Njie appealed for calm as the country entered uncharted waters.
"I am very, very, very happy. I'm excited that we won this election and from now hope starts," Mr Barrow told the BBC's Umaru Fofana, adding that he was disappointed not to have won by a larger margin.
Mr Barrow won 263,515 votes (45.5%) in Thursday's election, while President Jammeh took 212,099 (36.7%), according to the electoral commission. A third party candidate, Mama Kandeh, won 102,969 (17.8%).
Who is Adama Barrow?
Born in 1965 in a small village near the eastern market town of Basse, Mr Barrow moved to London in the 2000s where he reportedly used to work as a security guard at an Argos catalogue store, while studying for real estate qualifications.
He returned to The Gambia in 2006 to set up his own property company, which he still runs today.
The 51-year-old won the presidential nomination in 2016 to lead an opposition coalition of seven parties - the largest alliance of its kind since independence, according to the AFP news agency.
On the electoral campaign, Mr Barrow - who has never held public office - promised to revive the country's economy, which has forced thousands of Gambians to make the perilous journey to Europe.
He has criticised the lack of a two-term limit on the presidency and says he would introduce a three-year transitional government made up from members of the opposition coalition.
How has the current president reacted?
The president has yet to give a public statement on the result, but he has spoken to his successor on the phone, according to the president-elect.
Mr Barrow told the BBC that President Jammeh had accepted his defeat and congratulated him.
President Jammeh also instructed his successor to arrange a time to meet and organise the transition process.
Mr Jammeh, a devout Muslim, had once said he would rule for "one billion years" if "Allah willed it".
"It's really unique that someone who has been ruling this country for so long has accepted defeat," the electoral commission chief, Alieu Momar Njie, said on Friday.
Why is it such a shock? By Alastair Leithead, BBC Africa correspondent
President Jammeh's defeat comes as a huge surprise. Despite a surge of support for an opposition broadly united behind one candidate, most people expected the status quo to prevail.
Hopes weren't high for a peaceful transfer of power, with a crackdown on opposition leaders months before the polls, the banning of international observers or post-election demonstrations, and then the switching off of the internet.
But in a place where glass beads are used in place of ballot papers, it seems that the marbles have spoken.
The unseating of an incumbent president is not the usual way politics goes in this part of the world - but it's becoming popular in West Africa at least, with Muhammadu Buhari unseating Goodluck Jonathan in Nigeria just last year.
Former businessman Adama Barrow now has his chance to tackle the poverty and unemployment which drives so many young Gambians to join the Mediterranean migrant trail every year.
What was it like living under President Jammeh?
Mr Jammeh seized power in a bloodless coup 22 years ago and has ruled the country with an iron fist ever since.
Human rights groups have accused Mr Jammeh, who has in the past claimed he can cure Aids and infertility, of repression and abuses of the media, the opposition and gay people.
In 2014, he called homosexuals "vermin" and said the government would deal with them as it would malaria-carrying mosquitoes.
Several previous opposition leaders were imprisoned after taking part in a rare protest in April.
Mr Barrow has previously described him a "soulless dictator" and promised to undo some of Mr Jammeh's more controversial moves, including reversing decisions to remove The Gambia from the Commonwealth and the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Was the election fair?
Celebrations erupted in the capital, Banjul, with Gambians shouting: "We are free. We won't be slaves of anyone."
During the campaign, the country's mostly young population seemed to be yearning for change, said the BBC's Umaru Fofana in the capital, Banjul.
On voting day the internet and international phone calls were banned across the country.
Observers from the European Union (EU) and the West African regional bloc Ecowas did not attend the vote.
Gambian officials opposed the presence of Western observers, but the EU said before the vote it was staying away out of concern about the fairness of the voting process.
The African Union did despatch a handful of observers to supervise the vote, however.
Where is The Gambia?
The Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, with a population of fewer than two million.
It is surrounded on three sides by Senegal and has a short Atlantic coastline popular with European tourists.
Tourism has become The Gambia's fastest growing sector of the economy, and it is known to travellers as "the smiling coast of West Africa".
Last year, President Jammeh declared the country an Islamic Republic in what he called a break from the country's colonial past.
Read more on The Gambia | Yahya Jammeh, The Gambia's authoritarian president of 22 years, has suffered a surprise defeat in the country's presidential elections. | 38183906 |
Fox, who won the supporters' player of the year award this season, follows Craig Curran,Ryan Dow and Alex Schalk in committing to the Dingwall outfit.
The 29-year-old keeper joined County from Partick Thistle in 2015.
He has also played for East Fife, Queen of the South and Dundee in a career amassing over 240 appearances so far. | Ross County have agreed a deal that ties goalkeeper Scott Fox to the Scottish Premiership club for a further two years until 2019. | 39951924 |
The last time Fernando Alonso joined McLaren, he left the team one season into a three-year contract after falling out spectacularly with the team's figurehead, Ron Dennis.
Seven years on, the two men find themselves cast together all over again, in the hope that this time the story ends a little more happily.
Up and down the Formula 1 paddock, the thought of the single-minded two-time world champion and McLaren's overbearing chairman working together again continues to be viewed with incredulity.
How, many people ask, can McLaren have voluntarily re-signed a man who effectively cost them nearly £50m and got them thrown out of the 2007 constructors' world championship?
It's an important question in the context of the 33-year-old rejoining McLaren - if, to some extent, a misleading representation of what happened.
So, before we turn our attention to 2015, and the prospects for driver, team and their new engine partnership with Honda, we have to take a closer look at what happened a little over seven years ago during that tumultuous summer.
Alonso joined McLaren in 2007 straight after winning two consecutive titles with Renault. They were symbolic of the passing of the flame from one generation to the next. Michael Schumacher, beaten in a straight fight in 2006, had retired, and Alonso was established as the new standard in F1.
His season with McLaren coincided with their involvement in the 'spy-gate' scandal, in which their chief designer was found in possession of 780 pages of confidential Ferrari technical information.
At an initial hearing by governing body the FIA, McLaren were found guilty of breaking the rules, but escaped punishment on the grounds there was no evidence the information had benefited the team.
That seemed to be that until a few weeks later when, in the course of a bitter row with Dennis over the weekend of the Hungarian Grand Prix, Alonso threatened to reveal to the FIA potentially incriminating email conversations with McLaren test driver Pedro De La Rosa on the subject of the Ferrari information.
A little while later, Alonso's adviser came back and apologised, explaining the Spaniard had been upset and wanted to take back the threat.
But rather than wait for Alonso to calm down and talk it over again, Dennis had panicked and phoned FIA president Max Mosley to tell him of the existence of the emails, while assuring him there was "no information, nothing to come out".
It was a miscalculation, albeit an understandable one in the context of the febrile, paranoid atmosphere at the time and Dennis's antagonistic personal relationship with Mosley.
And despite Dennis's reassurances, the case was reopened and McLaren were hit by the aforementioned punishment.
As it turned out, Dennis's phone call made no difference. Mosley already knew about the emails and was planning to re-open the case.
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The point, though, is that Dennis's actions were a reflection of how bad his relationship with Alonso had become, in the context of the knowledge that Alonso's manager was Flavio Briatore, then the team principal of Renault.
Briatore was a close friend of F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone and - like Mosley and Ecclestone - no fan of Dennis on a personal level.
Whether or not Alonso's threat was real did not really matter. Once he made it, the result was inevitable. If Alonso knew, Dennis figured, so did Briatore - and, given the relationships involved, it was asking too much for that information not to make it to Mosley one way or another.
And Dennis was right - Mosley says now that he knew about the emails because Alonso had told Briatore about them, and Briatore had blabbed.
Why, you might wonder, would McLaren want Alonso back, after all that?
The first and most important reason is obvious - because they believe he is about the best driver out there.
The second is that McLaren need to make a statement of intent at the start of their relationship with Honda, and signing Alonso is a big one.
The third is that Honda badly wanted him - the Japanese company have long been huge fans of the Spaniard.
In tempting him away from Ferrari, McLaren-Honda have secured a magnificent driver, as his former colleague Rob Smedley can attest.
Before joining Williams this year as head of performance, Smedley spent 10 years at Ferrari, gaining three years of first-hand experience of Schumacher and spending his final four years as Felipe Massa's race engineer, with Alonso on the other side of the garage.
"Fernando is the very best driver of his generation," Smedley says. "I would go so far as to say if not the best ever. He is that good. He brings that much performance to the team. I am a massive fan of his.
"To have Fernando as your team-mate, as most people have found out - Kimi Raikkonen has certainly found out this year - is not easy. You are talking about very good drivers who sit beside him on the other side of the garage. I don't think there is anyone in this paddock who could live with him."
On the day of the row in Hungary, McLaren's then managing director Martin Whitmarsh tried to persuade Dennis to sack Alonso immediately - before that weekend's race.
Yet, some years later, Whitmarsh admitted he did not at that point have all the relevant information and when he did, he was more understanding - if not forgiving - of Alonso's actions.
The issue at the heart of the problems within McLaren all that year was Alonso's demand for the team to focus their title challenge on him, rather than split their efforts by giving team-mate Lewis Hamilton equal status.
That was true to McLaren's long-stated ethos. But Whitmarsh later discovered that when Dennis signed Alonso he had indeed promised him priority status, only to go back on his word.
As for Dennis, when he was asked about Alonso's behaviour following the FIA's punishment of McLaren, he said, almost admiringly: "Competitive animals know no limits."
It was Whitmarsh, who became team principal at McLaren in 2009, who started the process that has led to Alonso rejoining the team.
Whitmarsh approached Alonso as long ago as the summer of 2013 to make it clear he wanted him back. And the process of wooing him continued despite Dennis's ousting of Whitmarsh late last year.
Whitmarsh's effective replacement, McLaren's racing director Eric Boullier, has been instrumental in convincing Alonso that he has a better chance of winning the elusive third title he craves at McLaren than at Ferrari, even though their competitive positions in 2014 suggest otherwise.
Part of Boullier's sales pitch has centred on Honda. The Japanese company and McLaren are intent on reviving the glory days of their original relationship a quarter of a century ago, when with Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost they won four drivers' titles in a row from 1988-91.
Alonso, who has had a year of watching Ferrari's new turbo hybrid V6 engine pummelled into the ground by that of Mercedes, has been informed of Honda's progress and apparently been convinced that the Japanese engines have a better chance of taking on Mercedes than those from Maranello.
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Equally, although McLaren's car has clearly been well behind the best in the past two years - and well off Ferrari's, too, for that matter - the team have been making changes.
Specifically, these include the signing of aerodynamicist Peter Prodromou from Red Bull, where he was the right-hand man of design guru Adrian Newey on the cars that romped to four consecutive world titles from 2010-13. In three of those years a frustrated Alonso was second.
There have been all sorts of rumours over the past few weeks about how exactly Alonso came to be leaving Ferrari two years before the end of his contract.
But the man himself says that his intentions have never wavered. "In the summer, I took the decision," he says. "I followed that direction and only time will tell whether it was a good one or a bad one."
Sources close to Alonso and Ferrari insist that is true.
They say that he simply wanted to leave Ferrari, having lost faith that they would ever get into a position to challenge for the title within the timeframe of the years he has left at his peak - which, at 33, is probably only a handful more.
Mercedes, where there is no seat open for 2015, were his first option; McLaren his second.
Walk up and down the paddock and it is not hard to find people who will say Alonso is a disruptive influence and hard to handle, while, equally, there are also those who have worked closely with him who will barely say a bad word about him, and insist that he is "only as difficult as you allow him to be".
But whatever Alonso's actions, they are based on his overwhelming will to win. He is desperate to win a third title, and with it the status he rightly feels he deserves in the F1 pantheon.
He gives everything in his quest to achieve that and he expects his team to provide him with the equipment to do so.
If there is going to be a problem between Alonso and McLaren in the next little while, its root will likely be there.
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Alonso and Dennis have apparently buried the hatchet. But they will never be bosom buddies. After all, Dennis, a difficult and complex character, has fallen out with every good driver who has ever raced for him - Prost, Senna, Niki Lauda, Mika Hakkinen, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kimi Raikkonen, David Coulthard, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.
But Dennis and Alonso will likely rub along well enough as long as things are going well, especially with Boullier acting as a buffer.
The issue will be if they are uncompetitive.
Alonso has gone to McLaren to win, and win big. Perhaps not next year, but sooner rather than later. If they don't deliver, or if they don't at least look like they are going to, the fall-out is unlikely to be pretty. | Can it really work this time? | 30291496 |
The Labour MP said it was a "huge amount" and the party would not commit to doing it "unless we can afford to".
The Conservatives said it was a "shambolic" proposal, which Labour had no idea how to fund and would lead to higher taxes.
Labour has pledged to scrap university tuition fees if it wins power.
But leader Jeremy Corbyn went further in an interview with the NME during the election campaign, suggesting existing debts could be wiped.
He told the music magazine: "There is a block of those that currently have a massive debt, and I'm looking at ways that we could reduce that, ameliorate that, lengthen the period of paying it off, or some other means of reducing that debt burden.
"I don't see why those that had the historical misfortune to be at university during the £9,000 period should be burdened excessively compared to those that went before or those that come after. I will deal with it."
The Greens were the only party at the general election to include a commitment to wipe all student debt in their manifesto.
Quizzed by the BBC's Andrew Marr on how much it would cost, Ms Rayner said: "It is a huge amount, it is £100bn, which they estimate at the moment, which will increase.
"It's a huge amount of money but we also know a third of that is never repaid."
Ms Rayner said Mr Corbyn had said it was an "ambition", but she added "we will not announce that we're doing it unless we can afford to do that".
She added: "I like a challenge, Andrew, but we've got to start dealing with this debt crisis that we're foisting on our young people. It's not acceptable.
"They are leaving university with £57,000 worth of debt, it's completely unsustainable and we've got to start tackling that."
Last month, the Student Loan Company said that outstanding debt on student loans had increased by 16.6% to £100.5bn at the end of March.
Only about a third of the students who have taken out £9,000-a-year loans are expected to pay them back fully, meaning the government will have to pick up part of the bill.
Lord Adonis, who came up with the student fees policy as Tony Blair's policy director, has called for them to be scrapped or vastly reduced, saying in an article for the Guardian that he had never meant to create a "Frankenstein's monster of £50,000-plus debts for graduates on modest salaries".
He blamed "greedy" university vice-chancellors, who successfully lobbied the coalition government to increase the £3,000 cap on fees to £9,000.
Conservative First Secretary of State Damian Green, who is effectively Theresa May's second-in-command, has called for a "national conversation" on tuition fees, to consider whether they should be paid out of taxes.
Angela Rayner has previously called on the government to reverse the abolition of student maintenance grants to help the most disadvantaged students.
She also wants to reduce the interest rate that students have to pay on their loans, which has gone up to 6.1%.
Asked by Andrew Marr if fewer working class youngsters were getting into university education as a result of tuition fees, she said: "I don't believe that that's the case actually, but I do believe that many working class and part-time and older mature students are actually leaving university."
Conservative MP Luke Hall said Ms Rayner's comments contradicted Mr Corbyn's claim that fewer people from disadvantaged backgrounds were going to university.
He said: "The truth is that the number of people going to university from disadvantaged backgrounds has never been higher.
"Now Labour are making shambolic promises to spend £100bn extra, without any idea of how to fund it, that could only be paid for through higher taxes on families.
"This government is committed to making sure that everybody has the chance to go to university no matter their background, so that we can build a country that works for everyone." | Labour's "ambition" is to write off all student debt, which would cost £100bn, shadow education secretary Angela Rayner has said. | 40547740 |
Head coach Simon Amor has said he is looking for 15-a-side players to reinforce his squad, but time is against them integrating in time.
Varndell previously played for Leicester and Wasps and was capped four times by England between 2005 and 2008.
"I would love a shot at the Olympics," the 30-year-old told BBC Radio Bristol.
"I am in talks with Simon Amor about doing some training and seeing where I am fitness-wise.
"The Olympics is a once in a lifetime opportunity and Rio is not a bad place to go to either," he added.
Bristol are currently vying for promotion to the Premiership, after losing to Worcester in last year's Championship play-off final.
And Varndell, whose try tally in the Premiership is only five short of Mark Cueto's record, admitted the stature of the club made them a major scalp for other teams.
"Everybody has been saying we will be the big team to be promoted," he added. "Bristol are the team to beat in the Championship and that makes our job a little bit harder every single time." | Bristol winger Tom Varndell has set his sights on playing for Great Britain when rugby sevens makes its Olympics debut in Rio this summer. | 35363505 |
The 24-year-old made 15 appearances for the Championship side, scoring once, after moving to Carrow Road in January.
But talks with Dijks' representatives have broken down and he will remain with the Europa League finalists.
"Unfortunately, we couldn't come to an agreement and will now be moving onto other targets," said Canaries sporting director Stuart Webber. | Norwich City will not take up the option to make left-back Mitchell Dijk's loan spell from Ajax permanent. | 40165809 |
Results from every official women's international have been assessed to produce the inaugural standings.
"It's a positive step for one of the fastest growing team sports in the world, as it brings parity with the men's game," said World Rugby chairman Bernard Lapasset.
France are second, with Ireland fourth, Wales 10th and Scotland 13th.
All four join England and Italy, who are eighth, in the Women's Six Nations, which begins on Friday.
Points awarded to teams in future Tests will be dependant on the difference in ranking points between the teams.
Lapasset added: "World Rugby is committed to driving forward the competitiveness of the women's game and the new rankings are yet another significant milestone." | New Zealand top the first rankings for women's Test rugby, with World Cup holders England third. | 35460059 |
Jeff Bray, who won former party donor Arron Banks's support, decided not to compete for selection after the Huffington Post claimed on Tuesday he had posted controversial tweets.
He then later changed his mind and stayed in the selection race.
The district councillor told the BBC his Twitter feed had been doctored.
Mr Bray won by three votes against London-based barrister Paul Oakley.
Clacton's sitting MP Douglas Carswell had been UKIP's only MP until he quit the party and later announced he would not stand for re-election. | A UKIP councillor has been chosen to contest Clacton in the general election for the party after earlier nearly abandoning his bid over a Twitter row. | 39722878 |
A study of 814 expectant women, published in JAMA Psychiatry, showed that infection made bipolar four times more likely.
The overall risk remained low, but it echoes similar findings linking flu and schizophrenia.
Experts said the risks were small and women should not worry.
Bipolar leads to intense mood swings, which can last months, ranging from depression and despair to manic feelings of joy, overactivity and loss of inhibitions.
Researchers at the Columbia University Medical Center identified a link between the condition, often diagnosed during late teens and twenties, and experiences in the womb.
In their study looking at people born in the early 1960s, bipolar disorder was nearly four times as common in people whose mothers caught flu during pregnancy.
The condition affects about one in 100 people. The lead researcher, Prof Alan Brown, estimated that influenza infection during pregnancy could lead to a 3-4% chance of bipolar disorder in the resulting children.
However, in the vast majority of cases of bipolar disorder there would no history of flu.
So in the list of things pregnant women have to worry about, how high should it rank?
"I wouldn't say high," Prof Alan Brown told the BBC.
"The chances are still quite small. I don't think it should raise alarms for mothers."
He said seasonal flu vaccination, which is advised for pregnant women in many countries, would reduce the chances of catching flu.
Similar studies have shown a link between flu and schizophrenia
How flu could affect the foetal brain has not been completely explained.
Influenza is not thought to directly affect the foetus, but the mother's immune response to the virus could affect development.
Dr Fiona Gaughran, lead consultant psychiatrist at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, said: "This highly regarded group of researchers has reported similar links between schizophrenia and various maternal infections.
"If future work confirms the link reported here, policymakers may need to consider implications for flu prevention pre-pregnancy, but mothers need not be worried.
"The overall risk of offspring developing bipolar disorder is low, even if one did get flu in pregnancy." | Flu during pregnancy may increase the risk of the unborn child developing bipolar disorder later in life, research suggests. | 22447160 |
However, she sued the historically black Howard University, for favouring African American students over herself as a white student.
On Monday, Ms Dolezal resigned from the anti-racism organisation NAACP, after her parents said she was in fact white.
She has previously claimed to be the victim of hate crimes for being black.
Ms Dolezal, then known as Rachel Moore, received a Master of Fine Arts degree from Howard University in 2002.
Court documents obtained by the Smoking Gun website show that she sued the university that same year for "discrimination based on race, pregnancy, family responsibilities and gender".
As part of her claim, she alleged that some of her artwork had been removed from an exhibition in order to favour black students.
She said the art was removed from the 2001 exhibition because Howard University was "motivated by a discriminatory purpose to favour African-American students over".
The case was dismissed in 2004, with no evidence found that Ms Dolezal had been discriminated against. That decision was upheld by the Court of Appeal in 2005. She was ordered to pay costs of $2,728.50 (£1,752) to Howard.
It is estimated that 93% of Howard University students are black, while only 1% are white. Its alumni include the writer Nobel Prize winning novelist Toni Morrison.
Ms Dolezal's estranged parents say her origins are mostly white, with a small amount of Native American ancestry. They say that she has no black origins.
Her mother, Rutheanne Dolezal, told the Victoria Derbyshire programme on Tuesday that her daughter had become "disconnected from reality."
She has produced childhood pictures of her daughter with pale skin, freckles and fair hair.
On Monday, Rachel Dolezal resigned as president of the The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's Spokane Chapter in Washington in the wake of the race row.
"In the eye of this current storm, I can see that a separation of family and organizational outcomes is in the best interest of the NAACP. Please know I will never stop fighting for human rights," she wrote on the group's Facebook page.
An online petition calling for her to step down received hundred of signatures.
She had already lost her job as a lecturer in African-American studies at a local university.
In an interview Ms Dolezal said that she would like to be described as black. "I prefer black, and I would say that if I was asked I would say that... I do consider myself to be black."
According to the Spokesman-Review newspaper, Ms Dolezal said she was a mix of white, black and American Indian on her application to serve on Spokane's citizen police ombudsman commission in January.
The city's ethics committee said it was investigating the allegations, in addition to a separate investigation related to Ms Dolezal on a different matter. | Rachel Dolezal, the US race activist accused of "pretending to be black", once sued her university for racism, according to US media reports. | 33146378 |
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Debts of £3.8m were cleared by a financial aid package from the England and Wales Cricket Board.
In return, the county were relegated, deducted points for 2017 and stripped of Test ground status.
"The most important thing is Durham are still here," Harmison said.
He told BBC Look North: "At places like Ashington Cricket Club where people like myself and Mark Wood (came from), Durham gave us a chance to play first-class cricket.
"Because the ECB has bailed Durham out, we still have a club to aim for. The same with players at Shotley Bridge, where Paul Collingwood was from, and Annfield Plain, where Neil Killeen was from.
"Players from this area have had something to aspire to. We have to be thankful for that.
"The issues have been nipped in the bud, we've got a chance to remodel and go forward on the right footing."
There was anger and frustration from the players at Durham, who fought to preserve their Division One status and eventually finished fourth before relegation was imposed.
The ECB has benefitted directly from the infrastructure at the Riverside, with a list of local players playing international cricket including Harmison, captain Collingwood and currently, Ben Stokes and Wood.
Finances will be restricted with a revised salary cap from 2017 to 2020, meaning the reliance on locally produced talent will be even more imperative.
"We will still produce cricketers from the North East potentially to play for England," Harmison added.
"If we do that then Durham will be successful, but the other side needs looking after by experts." | Durham's survival is a boost in spite of their "heartbreaking" relegation, allowing North East players a crucial pathway to international cricket, says ex-England fast bowler Steve Harmison. | 37566599 |
The unadjusted rate in Germany declined to 6% from 6.3% in April, the Federal Labour Office said.
That was the lowest level since German reunification in 1990.
Differences remain between the formerly divided country: it was just 5.5% in what was West Germany, but 8.4% in the once-Communist east.
The fall reflected the strength of the labour market in Europe's largest economy.
The eurozone jobless rate was down from 11% in April last year and the lowest figure for the 19 countries using the euro since August 2011, Eurostat said.
Across the 28 countries in the European Union, unemployment fell to 8.7% in April, down from 8.8% in March and 9.6% in the same month last year.
That was the lowest rate for the EU since April 2009.
However, seven countries still have double-digit unemployment, with Italy at 11.7%, Spain at 20.1% and Greece at 24.4%.
The April unemployment rate for those aged 15 to 24 was 18.8% in the EU, down from 20.7%, and 21.1% in the eurozone, compared with 22.5% in the same month last year. | Germany's unemployment rate fell to a record low in May, while the jobless rate across the eurozone fell to 10.2% in April. | 36415422 |
The former lock, 40, who joined the Scotland coaching staff in May 2015, will follow national boss Vern Cotter when he moves from Scotland to Montpellier in June.
"There wasn't anything in Scotland available of the same profile," Hines told BBC Scotland.
"So, if I wanted to advance and become better as a coach, I had to leave."
Australian-born Hines won 77 Scotland caps between 2000 and 2011 and toured South Africa with the British and Irish Lions in 2009.
His club career included stints with Perpignan and Clermont - where he played under Cotter - in the cash-rich French Top 14.
Privately-owned clubs in the French top-flight, and England's Aviva Premiership, have the financial capacity to attract many of the game's leading lights, but Hines feels Scotland's union-run teams can still compete in European tournaments.
"You can have money and pay players as much as you want, but if you don't have the culture in the club, ultimately it's not going to work," he said. "You might be able to attract players, but it doesn't guarantee you success.
"If you look at Edinburgh when they made the Heineken Cup semi-final (in 2012), they had a smaller budget and beat Toulouse in the quarter-final.
"In France, it's pretty much like for like and, if you're talking about the Aviva Premiership and the Top 14, the salary cap isn't that much different anyway.
"In Scotland, they're probably a bit behind the eight ball when it comes to the amount of money they've got to attract players, but I don't think it's going to be a massive problem.
"Glasgow Warriors are punching way above their weight if you're looking at the league table of budgets."
In October, Scottish Rugby's member clubs voted unanimously to allow the union to seek external investment in the two professional sides.
Hines, however, is not convinced an influx of private cash would significantly boost either team's performance.
"Glasgow have got 28 international players, so I don't know how much more you can fit into the same squad," he said.
"Facilities-wise, it might make a bit of a difference, but I think what you want Edinburgh and Glasgow to do is breed and produce Scottish players.
"With a massive injection of cash, you might be able to pay them a bit more and provide a little bit more structure underneath with the academies.
"The French players in France now are more valuable than international players because they have a rule where a certain number of French players have to be part of the match-day squads, so if you're a decent French player, you can demand a little bit more money.
"I'm not sure how the private investment will work in Scotland; it might ease the burden on the union a little bit, but I'm not sure how much difference it'll make." | Scotland resource coach Nathan Hines says he "had to leave" the country to continue his own development. | 38346719 |
The Safe Haven bus will be outside Doncaster's Mansion House in High Street on "Mad Fridays" in the run-up to Christmas.
Those behind the project said it was the first of its kind in Yorkshire.
They said they hoped the service would help take pressure off local A&E services.
Emergency attendances to Doncaster Royal Infirmary increased by 13% in 2015, compared with 2013.
A social worker, mental health worker, street pastors, nurses and healthcare assistants will offer practical and medical support.
The project is a collaboration between Doncaster's Public Health Team, Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH), Street Pastors, Pubwatch, South Yorkshire Police, Doncaster Council and the local Clinical Commissioning Group.
Project manager Andy Collins said: "It's not just about reducing the amount of people who head to A&E due to excessive alcohol or alcohol-related injury or illness.
"When people have had a drink they are more likely to be vulnerable and we can offer help and support to keep them safe."
The converted bus was outside Doncaster Mansion House on Saturday night giving out advice and contraception, and phoning homes.
An ambulance is stationed alongside the bus will be there for paramedics to decide whether to send someone to A&E.
"We're trying to get people in taxis to go to A&E rather than phone ambulances, and provide a safe place for young people to sit and wait for a taxi or for their parents," Mr Collins said.
It will return on 16 and 23 December from 20:00 until 04:00 GMT.
There are plans to set up the bus in the town centre on Saturday nights and bank holidays from June to September. | A bus with nurses, a social worker and a mental health worker on board has been parked up in a town centre for Christmas revellers in need of help. | 38289011 |
The sum was about £2.1m more than had been estimated ahead of the vote.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney said the additional expenditure was due to the very high turnout.
A total of 3,619,915 people - 84.5% of the electorate - voted on 18 September. Voters backed Scotland staying a part of the UK by 55% to 45%.
Mr Swinney confirmed the Scottish government's final bill for running the poll in an answer to a parliamentary question.
The total of £15.841m included almost £10.9m which was spent on providing counting officers across Scotland to tally up the votes in each council area.
The chief counting officer's costs for administering the ballot amounted to just under £510,000, mainly reflecting the expenses associated with holding the "international event to declare the referendum result" at Ingliston on the outskirts of Edinburgh.
In his answer, Mr Swinney described the referendum as a "triumph for democracy and participation, with the highest turnout of any UK ballot for over a century".
He added: "In anticipation of a high turnout, the chief counting officer provided guidance to counting officers on issues such as printing additional ballot papers, to ensure that replacement ballot papers were available to cover for any damaged or misprinted ballot papers, and limiting the number of electors attending individual polling stations, to avoid queues.
"In addition, additional staff were employed at count centres in order to ensure a prompt result. These, and other similar sensible contingency measures, added to counting officers' costs but ensured that the poll ran smoothly on the day."
Scottish Conservative chief whip John Lamont said: "Everyone accepts the independence referendum was a historical constitutional event and, therefore, will have had cost implications.
"But the fact remains the SNP said the eventual bill for the taxpayer was going to be much lower. Many voters will feel this was a lot of money to spend for the nationalists to be told that most people prefer Scotland to remain in the UK." | The cost of staging last year's Scottish independence referendum amounted to just over £15.8m, it has been revealed. | 34157264 |
Mairi Holden wanted to create a "snowball effect" from the "random act of kindness" by raising money for the Royal Hospital for Sick Children.
The 35-year-old had parked in Sylvan Place on Wednesday.
On returning to her car on Thursday she found £25 towards the ticket.
Ms Holden had been rushing her son, Oscar, 4, to the hospital after he developed breathing difficulties and had not thought she would have to stay the night when she parked her car on a single yellow line.
She returned to find two parking tickets but also a note from a mystery person, which read "Pay it then forget it happened!" with £25.
Ms Holden, from Restalrig, told BBC Scotland how she did not want to take all the credit for the fundraising effort which came after she opened a Just Giving page.
She said: "It's a collective effort of everyone who has donated.
"We have all done this and we should all feel proud, it's not about me.
"Everyone who has donated should be feeling good about themselves. It shows the kindness of people.
"It also shows the effect a random act of kindness can have and how it can snowball.
"I can't believe the reaction I've had, so many people have been touched by the story all around the world."
Ms Holden said the money was left on the windscreen of her pink Honda Jazz.
An Edinburgh city council spokeswoman said: "Anyone is entitled to appeal a parking ticket, and we do take a sympathetic view of those fines incurred as a result of a medical emergency and other extenuating circumstances." | A mother fundraising for an Edinburgh hospital after a mystery donor left money for a parking ticket she received while there with her ill son has raised more than £10,000. | 35631112 |
The most recent case was in February when undercover agents were offered a large amount of radioactive caesium, the Associated Press reports.
Investigators say much of the material is believed to come from Russia.
They say some gangs have alleged links to Russia's intelligence services.
Police and judicial authorities in Moldova shared information with AP to highlight how dangerous the nuclear black market has become, the news agency says.
They say the deterioration in relations between Russia and the West has made it more difficult to know whether smugglers are succeeding in selling radioactive material originating from Russia abroad.
Moldova is a former Soviet republic.
"We can expect more of these cases," said Moldovan police officer Constantin Malic, who investigated all four cases.
"As long as the smugglers think they can make big money without getting caught, they will keep doing it."
In many cases seen by AP, deals were broken up by police in the early stages but ringleaders managed to escape - possibly with their nuclear contraband.
In the case involving the Caesium, the would-be smuggler wanted ???2.5m (??1.8m) for enough radioactive material to contaminate several city streets.
At a club in the Moldovan capital Chisinau he told a potential client - who was really an informant: "You can make a dirty bomb, which would be perfect for the Islamic State. If you have a connection with them, the business will go smoothly."
A sample vial of less-radioactive Caesium-135 was produced and police pounced, arresting the man and two others.
It is not clear whether the cases in Moldova indicate a more widespread nuclear smuggling operation, the report says.
Eric Lund, spokesman for the US State Department's bureau in charge of non-proliferation said Moldova had taken "many important steps" to strengthen its counter nuclear smuggling capabilities. | Moldovan police working with the FBI are reported to have stopped four attempts by smugglers to sell nuclear material to extremists in the Middle East over the past five years. | 34461732 |
Welsh ceased to exist as a professional club when they were expelled from the RFU Championship in January after going into liquidation the previous month.
Former Wales centre Parker, 39, will be assisted by former Ospreys and London Welsh prop Cai Griffiths.
Welsh's amateur side will represent the club next season in level nine.
Parker, capped 31 times by Wales and part of the 2008 Six Nations Grand-Slam winning squad, finished his playing career at Welsh before joining their coaching staff.
Welsh, who will play in Herts and Middlesex League 1 next season, have drawn up a five-year plan in their bid to return to the National League structure.
"I want to help get the club back to where we want it to be, and I believe the five-year plan is an achievable one," Parker said.
"The first year is going to be the real indicator, but the ambition is definitely there to make the plan a realisation." | Former Wales Grand Slam winner Sonny Parker has been handed the task of helping revive London Welsh after being appointed director of rugby. | 39805086 |
Bryony Nierop-Reading's home fell into the sea in Happisburgh in Norfolk in the 2013 tidal surge.
The 71-year-old set up in a caravan in a nearby field but was embroiled in a planning wrangle over living there.
She was due to be evicted on Saturday but found out just hours beforehand she would not be forced to go on that day.
The former teacher said her daughter spoke to North Norfolk District Council on Friday and was told the eviction would not take place on the date originally set.
"But that's not to say they are not going to do it on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday," said Ms Nierop-Reading.
The eviction date was set after she had been in talks for a number of years with the authority, which has said she could not live there without planning permission.
Ms Nierop-Reading said North Norfolk District Council in December extended the period she could stay and offered a container for her belongings.
"I am hanging on to the hope that until the container arrives that they can't throw me out," she said.
"I am living day-by-day and it's very wearing on the nerves."
She moved to Beach Road in 2008 but as the cliff-face disappeared, her neighbours accepted compensation and moved, however she declined the offer.
Asked why she had not moved before, she said: "It's been money, or lack of money.
"Although I am overwhelmed by despair an awful lot of the time, I try not to be. I do know it will work out."
A council spokesman said the authority was working with Ms Nierop-Reading.
"The notice was upheld by the planning inspector at appeal and we have a duty to the residents of Happisburgh to ensure compliance and ensure we apply a fair and consistent approach to all." | A grandmother who lost her bungalow to the sea and who faces eviction from her temporary home says at times she has been "overwhelmed by despair". | 38531860 |
The growth rate is measured using Gross Value Added (GVA) per head.
In crude terms, it is calculated by adding up the incomes generated by people and companies and dividing that sum by the population.
GVA per head in Belfast grew by 4.7%, compared to 4.5% in Edinburgh, 2.6% in Cardiff and 1.6% in London.
However, Ulster University economist Esmond Birnie warned: "Some caution needs to used in interpreting the growth of GVA per head at the level of cities."
He said the output level is sometimes boosted considerably by commuters who travel across the city boundary to work within the city.
The GVA produced by those commuters counts toward the total GVA of the city, but that figure is then divided by the smaller number represented by city residents.
Outer Belfast as well as the east and north of Northern Ireland all experienced a slight fall in GVA per head.
Growth in the west and southern areas was just 1.3%.
For Northern Ireland as a whole, growth was just 1.4% - the second lowest of the 12 UK regions.
In monetary terms, the average GVA per head for the UK in 2015 was £25,351, however, that is skewed by London, which is much higher than other regions at £43,629.
Northern Ireland had GVA per head of £18,584 - just ahead of Wales on £18,002.
That means Northern Ireland's GVA per head was just 73.3% of the UK average in 2015.
In 1997, when the data was first published, it was 83.6% of the average.
The gap with the rest of the UK narrowed in the boom years and peaked at 84.5% in 2007, before falling away sharply during the recession.
Dr Birnie said the continuing widening of the gap is "deeply concerning".
"Here we see a fundamental strategic weakness of the Northern Ireland economy and it is one which should be given priority in the next Programme for Government," he said.
"If not, we may simply continue to slip further and further behind in terms of comparative productivity, competitiveness and living standards." | Belfast experienced the strongest economic growth of any UK city in 2015, official figures suggest. | 38329159 |
The club is challenging a search-and-seizure order obtained by HM Revenue and Customs as part of a National Insurance fraud investigation.
A lawyer acting for the club said the warrants were "excessively wide" and other methods were available for obtaining information.
The hearing at London's High Court is expected to last two days.
In April, St James' Park - along with West Ham United's ground - was raided by HMRC in an investigation into football agents and payments made in transfer dealings between English and French clubs.
Richard Lissack QC, appearing for NUFC, told Lord Justice Beatson and Mrs Justice Whipple: "There were no reasonable grounds for believing Newcastle was engaged in suspected tax fraud."
It was also argued the legal procedures followed when the warrants were obtained at Leeds Crown Court were flawed, and no proper reasons were given.
The hearing continues. | Tax officials "had no reasonable grounds" for believing Newcastle United was engaged in fraud, a court heard. | 40740458 |
It will increase from £5,953 to £7,792 after the proposal was backed by 17 votes to 11 at a meeting on Thursday.
The authority said the figure was "historically low" and the increase would "broaden the range of people" who would consider becoming councillors.
The rise was described as "distasteful" by one opponent at the meeting.
Hartlepool had the lowest allowance of the five councils in the Tees Valley and the increase was recommended by an independent remuneration panel.
It will now be the second lowest, ahead of Middlesbrough which pays £6,130.
Redcar and Cleveland Council pays the highest, with a figure of £9,550. | Councillors in Hartlepool have approved a 30% rise in their basic allowance, which they say will bring them into line with neighbouring authorities. | 40379840 |
A 20-year-old man was stabbed on Butcher Street in the town sometime after 23:00 GMT on Monday.
The victim's injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.
A man, 19, is due to appear at Carndonagh District Court on Tuesday. | A 19-year-old man has been arrested following a stabbing in Lifford, County Donegal. | 33327799 |
Rabbis Mendel Epstein and Martin Wolmark asked for more than $50,000 (£32,000) to hire "tough guys" to attack a recalcitrant husband with cattle prods, authorities said.
The men and eight other suspects appeared in federal court on Thursday.
Under Orthodox Jewish belief, a husband must grant permission for a divorce.
The permission comes in the form of a document known as a get.
In some Orthodox communities a woman who has not obtained a get may not marry again even if a civil divorce is finalised.
She may sue in rabbinical court, but some men ignore an unfavourable ruling, even if it means being estranged from the religious community.
The FBI investigation took place in Ocean and Middlesex counties in New Jersey and Rockland County in New York, and involved raids in both states, according to agency officials.
Two undercover FBI agents posing as a woman seeking a divorce and her brother called Rabbi Wolmark for help, and he connected them to Rabbi Epstein, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court in New Jersey.
The undercover agents videotaped their meeting.
"Basically, what we are going to be doing is kidnapping a guy for a couple of hours and beating him up and torturing him and then getting him to give the get," Rabbi Epstein is quoted as saying during the conversation, according to the complaint.
He added that the "tough guys" would use electric cattle prods and handcuffs and place a plastic bag over the man's head, according to the complaint.
Rabbi Epstein also allegedly told the undercover agents that such instruments were unlikely to leave a mark, avoiding attention from authorities.
"Basically the reaction of the police is, if the guy does not have a mark on him then, uh, is there some Jewish crazy affair here, they don't want to get involved," he said, according to the criminal complaint.
The FBI said the price was more than $50,000, including $10,000 for a rabbinical court to approve the action. They had wired $20,000 to the accused before the arrests.
"They did it for money," Assistant US Attorney Joseph Gribko said during a hearing on Thursday.
"They didn't do it out of religious conviction."
Rabbi Wolmark's lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, argued his client was caught up in a case where religious law involving "an old tradition" collided with federal statutes.
No pleas were entered for the suspects, and all ten have been ordered held in federal custody until a hearing currently scheduled for next week. | Two New Jersey rabbis have been arrested and charged with plotting to kidnap and torture a man to force him to grant a traditional Jewish divorce. | 24485128 |
It happened at about 15:45 on Friday in the old Co-operative car park on Bridge Street.
The man was sitting in his silver Skoda Octavia when two men got out of a white Vauxhall Corsa and attacked him.
Police said it was "frightening" experience which happened when there were members of the public, including young children, about.
They have appealed for witnesses to come forward.
The victim suffered serious cuts to his hands and arms and was taken to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley. He remains there, in a stable condition.
The first suspect was described as white, in his 20s, 6ft tall, of broad build, wearing dark clothing with a waist-length waterproof jacket.
The second man was also white, in his 20s, wearing dark clothing with a short waist-length jacket and a black and orange hat.
Det Sgt Ally Semple said: "The motive for the attack is still to be established. It was vicious and I have no doubt that the two suspects were determined to inflict serious injury to the man and cause significant damage to his car.
"It is entirely possible that he will be permanently scarred and could have long term impairment to his hands and arm as a result of the attack.
"This all took place in the middle of the afternoon in an area where members of the public, including young children, were about. Very frightening for anyone to witness, let alone experience."
He added: "The white Corsa, which we believe was fairly new; about two years old and had black alloy wheels, was driven at speed in to the car park and made off again, also at speed, so someone may have noticed it as a result." | A man has been seriously assaulted in what police have described as a "vicious" attack in Linwood in Paisley. | 35084048 |
The Cumbrians lie seven points off the last play-off spot with two of their final three matches away from home.
"Sometimes you think it might be a slight advantage playing away from home," Curle told BBC Radio Cumbria.
"Supporters get nervous which affects the players. Anxiousness can creep on and players go into their shell."
Carlisle travel to Crawley on 23 April, face Oxford at home on 30 April and play their final League Two game of the season away at Notts County.
"We will do what we have done all season and take each game as it comes," Curle continued. "The opposition will be given the respect they deserve but ultimately we can be competitive in every single game.
"The important thing is we keep our own house in order and what the others do is down to them. We've got a full squad and I've got to pick the right team and the players have got to perform."
Despite being forced to play home matches at Preston, Blackburn and Blackpool after their Brunton Park home was flooded in the aftermath of Storm Desmond, Carlisle's fortunes have fared better on the pitch this term.
He added: "As a football club we've come a very long way in a short space of time. It's a massive turnaround, not just from the players and coaching staff, but everybody associated with the football club.
"There's been a lot of distractions this season but we're on an upward spiral." | Carlisle United boss Keith Curle has said playing away could benefit his side as they bid to maintain their slim chances of a League Two play-off place. | 36101237 |
Ifor ap Glyn, who writes in Welsh, takes over from Gillian Clarke, who has held the post since 2008.
While the job does not carry a salary, the national poet is expected to compose new works in response to significant national events.
The Caernarfon-based poet was unveiled as Wales' fourth national poet in March.
Mr ap Glyn's first engagement was a joint reading with Ms Clarke.
He sees the job as an "ambassadorial role" and has promised to bring his own distinctive style to it.
"Obviously I write in Welsh so there's a challenge to get people who read Welsh to engage with poetry," he said.
"Then there's a challenge of getting stuff over into other languages, because it's important that the national poet represents all languages of Wales."
Ms Clarke said she would continue to champion poetry for the young and for the masses. | The new national poet of Wales has officially started work after a formal handover at the Hay Festival. | 36417971 |
Pendyffryn Medical Group in Prestatyn announced it was terminating its contract as it was unable to recruit enough doctors to continue to run it.
The local board has had to take over three other practices in north Wales in the last 18 months due to GP shortages.
A doctors' leader said it was an "emerging trend".
Practices can be run by GPs who run them as their own business or by GPs employed by health boards directly, such as three practices in north Wales which are being run by Betsi Cadwaladr health board - in Wrexham, Conwy county and Gwynedd.
Earlier this year, the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) in Wales highlighted a "desperate workplace crisis" with too many GPs leaving and a slump in the young medical graduates looking to train as GPs.
"It is a crisis but there are solutions," said Dr Rebecca Payne, chair-elect at RCGP in Wales, referring to health boards managing practices directly.
She said the Welsh government, which announced a range of proposals including an extra £4.5m towards recruitment and training, was moving in the right direction although action was needed sooner rather than later.
Analysis by Owain Clarke, BBC Wales health correspondent
Several GPs I've talked to describe it as a "perfect storm".
They say they're working harder than ever - partly because they're seeing more elderly patients who often have several health problems at the same time. As demand goes up also we see increasing concern about staff shortages especially in north and west Wales and some valleys communities.
It's not uncommon to hear of surgeries closing, or having to be taken over by health boards who have to employ temporary staff to keep them open. Several things are going on here.
A generation of GPs are retiring - with almost a quarter of GPs in Wales aged over 55.
Younger doctors often choose to stay near to where they trained at medical school or are drawn to the big cities, or even to work abroad.
Meanwhile, the traditional model, where a GP or a group of GPs own and run their own surgeries, is becoming less attractive to those who don't want the burden of paper work, don't want to commit to working in one place or want to work flexibly.
And, it's claimed, there's a perception that general practice isn't popular perhaps as specialist medicine or hospital care.
None of these issues are confined to Wales. Yet the effect here can be more pronounced, especially when you consider Wales has a higher proportion of elderly people than many other parts of the UK with many choosing to move to rural areas to retire - the very parts of Wales where the shortages are most acute.
In a joint statement with the Pendyffryn Medical Group, Betsi Cadwaladr health board said: "The health board is responsible for making sure that people in north Wales have access to these services.
"It is therefore working closely with Pendyffryn Medical Practice to plan how their patients will continue to get the local services that they need from April 2016 onwards."
A Welsh government spokesman said: "We are pleased the practice is working with the health board to ensure services are maintained while new management arrangements are put in place.
"We recognise the importance of primary health care, which is why this year we have allocated £40m new funding to work together with our new Primary Care Workforce Plan."
Geoff Ryall-Harvey, chief officer for patient watchdog the North Wales Community Health Council, said increasing numbers of salaried GPs to run practices for health boards was only one way forward and other solutions should also be indentified.
He said the situation going forward at Pendyffryn Medical Group would be watched by other GPs given it was regarded as the biggest practice in north Wales. | Health officials have vowed to maintain care for 18,000 patients at a GP practice in Denbighshire after doctors said they could not continue. | 34391655 |
The Myanmar Times says that while there appears to have been a clear political decision, questions remain over the future role and influence of Ms Suu Kyi.
"Will the country's military obey this new president? " the newspaper asks. "These are puzzles for the NLD and Daw [Aunt] Aung San Suu Kyi to solve… As someone who has finally tamed Myanmar's military masters, it should be a cinch."
The Irrawaddy says that all eyes will be on the NLD leader and how she manages the military in Myanmar, also known as Burma.
"National reconciliation across ethnic, political and institutional lines is key to Burma's future," it says. "All will be watching to see that the establishment's old authoritarian tactics do not resurface.
In Thailand and Bangladesh - who share borders with Myanmar - commentators also express concern over whether the military will allow the NLD to take the helm, recalling the 1990 elections when the junta ignored the party's victory.
"The fears of a reprisal are not without foundation," writes a commentator in Dhaka's Daily Star.
But The Bangkok Post says "all indications are that the army realises the country has gone too far with political reform to step backward," adding that Myanmar has an "excellent" chance now to "break free of repression and advance on the democratic front".
However, a columnist in The Malaysian Insider reminds the NLD that it must put right the military's wrongs.
"Integration and inclusivity are two important elements that can stabilise democracy," it writes. "Therefore the onus is on them to grant the [minority Muslim] Rohingyas equal rights."
Chinese official media are downplaying Myanmar's poll, saying that China should develop its own style of democracy.
The state-run Beijing Times warns that Myanmar is still "in the infancy of democracy", adding that its new and inexperienced leaders will face problems dealing with the country's economic and ethnic problems.
But Hong Kong's Apple Daily notes that Myanmar's poll does pose a dilemma for Beijing, quoting a lawyer as saying that the military government gave "only a tiny bit of freedom to people but still managed to hold a peaceful, orderly and competitive election".
The South China Morning Post predicts that the NLD will have to "work pragmatically within existing confines" in tacking the country's challenges and furthering democracy. "All will not be smooth," it says.
Other Asian papers hope their countries will strengthenn ties with Myanmar and help it on its path to democracy.
Indonesia's Jakarta Post urges its government as an ASEAN member to send a clear message of engagement with Yangon. "Indonesia should be much more proactive… in encouraging both the winner and the loser of Myanmar's election to accept the people's choice," it says. "The question is do we dare take the risk?"
But Indian papers look forward to helping the NLD work with the military, noting that Delhi maintained ties with the junta even when the West imposed sanctions.
"India too must seize the opportunity to launch a new partnership with a much neglected neighbour that is also its only link and gateway to the East," The Hindu says.
Australia's Sydney Morning Herald says that the NLD will need to negotiate with minor parties and find a "workable relationship" with the ruling military-backed Union Solidarity Development Party (USDP).
"Even if all the formidable political hurdles can be overcome, it might not turn out to be the fairytale government we all want to believe in…Ms Suu Kyi will need to be every bit as formidable and extraordinary as she has so far shown herself to be."
BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook. | Papers in Myanmar and its neighbours have hailed the historic win by Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) - but warn of possible political hurdles ahead in working with the military. | 34808415 |
Aldeburgh Music has rigged up the phone box with a headset showing 360-degree footage of a performance inside its Snape Maltings Concert Hall in Suffolk.
Visitors can listen to the music and move the camera to offer different views of the stage and audience.
The video of Frank Bridge's The Sea is also available on YouTube.
Matt Jolly, digital manager at Aldeburgh Music, said: "We are trying out a number of ways that digital technology can help us make our venue and our work accessible to more people.
"We hope the Concert in a Phonebox and online video will give visitors to the site and viewers at home a fun and immersive introduction to Aldeburgh Music and Snape Maltings Concert Hall."
The phone box has been in its current position since 1990 when it was used to provide a hotline to venue's box office which was five miles away in the town of Aldeburgh
There was no box office at Snape Maltings on non-concert days, but that has since changed. | A red phone box has been turned into a "virtual reality concert hall" at the music venue founded by composer Benjamin Britten. | 34395451 |
The Investment Guaranteed Growth Bond (IGGB) was promised by the chancellor in last year's Autumn Statement.
Savers will be able to invest between £100 and £3,000 at any time over the next 12 months.
The return exceeds the best three-year bond advertised on the Moneyfacts website, which is currently 2%.
Anyone depositing £1,000 can expect to earn about £67 in interest, if they make no withdrawals over the three-year period. Those investing the full amount of £3,000 can expect to make about £202.
At the time of the Autumn Statement, the chancellor said that two million people were likely to benefit from the new bond.
However, critics have described the interest rate as "underwhelming".
"The chance to earn 2.2% in today's depressed savings market may look appealing at first glance, but it's not that generous in the scheme of things," said personal finance expert Andrew Hagger of Moneycomms.
"With the maximum balance set at just £3,000 and having to lock your cash away for three years, it's scant reward for savers who have had to endure rock-bottom rates at the expense of borrowers for far too long."
Two years ago, so-called pensioner bonds offered a return of up to 4%.
The interest will be subject to income tax, although basic rate taxpayers can earn £1,000 a year in savings interest without paying tax. Higher rate taxpayers have a £500 allowance.
The new bond is only available online, from the National Savings and Investments (NS&I) website.
Anyone over the age of 16 can apply. | A new government savings bond, offering what the Treasury says is a "market leading" rate of 2.2%, is being launched online on Tuesday. | 39564014 |
In a bid to recreate a view painted in 1825, the cathedral wants to open up the grounds of the Cathedral School and relocate its works yard.
The cathedral said the view at the moment was "somewhat blighted" by its yard, a school swimming pool and trees.
A draft report is currently at the consultation phase.
The south side of Salisbury Cathedral has been closed to the public for many years.
As a result, the view shown in Constable's Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishop's Grounds can only be enjoyed from within the grounds of the Cathedral School.
As part of the cathedral's report, the school's playing fields would be opened up to the public and the cathedral's works yard moved to a new workshop.
The report, which sets down projects the cathedral wants to develop over the next five to 10 years, also includes plans to reclaim the Bishop's Palace - currently used by the Cathedral School - to house Magna Carta, cathedral archives and the library.
In an attempt to tackle the "unseemly and confusing" access to the cathedral, the report has recommended closing the Close to "non-essential" traffic and the High Street Gate entrance to all traffic at certain times of day.
An initial consultation with Wiltshire Council, local residents and businesses is currently being carried out. | Salisbury Cathedral is planning to reinstate a "John Constable view" of the medieval building which has been "inaccessible for several generations". | 33308819 |
The 38-year-old was walking near a children's play area in Everton at about 20:00 GMT on 11 February, when a man shouted racial abuse at her.
Another man then punched her repeatedly near to the junction of Thirlmere Road and Ullswater Street.
The woman suffered a fractured cheekbone and will need facial surgery following the "unprovoked" attack.
Appealing for witnesses, Det Sgt Jennie Keating said: "This was a particularly nasty assault on a woman who was simply going about her day-to-day business."
One man is described as slim with blonde hair and was wearing a black tracksuit. The other man had brown hair and was wearing a blue tracksuit.
Both are described as white and having Liverpool accents. | A woman has been repeatedly punched in the face during a racially aggravated assault in Liverpool, police have said. | 35605844 |
Footage published by the Guardian showed Jaiqi Liu falling off after Mr Grayling opened his ministerial car's door as he passed by.
A spokesman said Mr Grayling went to check the cyclist was fine and apologised for what had happened.
The two are then seen to shake hands, following the incident on 12 October.
The footage has only emerged now after Laurence de Hoest, who was cycling behind Mr Liu and wearing a helmet camera, decided to publicise it after a story in Cycling Weekly reported Mr Grayling saying cycle lanes "cause too much of a problem for road users" in London.
Mr Grayling's car was stationary in traffic outside the Palace of Westminster when Mr Liu passed it on the inside.
The accident happened on a busy road heavily used by cyclists, about 20 metres before a cycle lane is restored.
Mr Liu said he had informed the police to ensure the accident was logged but did not expect it to be investigated. He did not not know who Mr Grayling was at the time.
His bike sustained damage to its wheel, brakes and lights.
A Labour MP has made a complaint to the Met Police, asking it to investigate whether Mr Grayling had broken the law by "injuring or endangering" someone through his actions.
Ian Austin also said the police should investigate whether the fact Mr Grayling did not provide his details to Mr Liu or notify the authorities constituted an offence.
Asked whether he knew it was the transport secretary who was involved, the cyclist who filmed the incident, Mr de Hoest, told BBC Radio 2's Jeremy Vine show: "Not at the time, it was only a few days later that I recognised it was Mr Grayling.
"I only sent the Guardian after his article in Cycling Weekly when he talks about ...cycle lanes taking up space for motorists and that didn't really sit comfortably with me, so I sent them the footage."
He said it had been "quite a forceful impact" and Mr Liu had been "quite shaken up" at the time.
But there was some disagreement on the show about whether Mr Grayling, or Mr Liu, had been in the wrong. Martin Key, campaigns manager for British Cycling, pointed to the Road Vehicles Regulations 1986 and Rule 239 of the Highway Code which states: "You must ensure you do not hit anyone when you open your door".
He added: "I believe that it is a very, very clear case that the transport minister was in the wrong."
He added: "Cycle lanes are on the inside of traffic, there's a cycle lane just up ahead where the transport minister knocks the cyclist off his bike and that cycle lane is on the left hand side, so the road infrastructure is asking us to be on the left."
But motoring journalist Steve Berry told the programme: "Why are you saying that he knocked the cyclist off his bike? ... That man cycled into the door of a car that was being opened so somebody could step onto the pavement."
"Motorcyclists would never dream of undertaking on the left hand side because ... somebody is going to open a car door and you are going to be knocked off.
"The transport secretary is clearly on the back seat of that vehicle. How on earth is he supposed to use the rear view mirror which is set up for the driver, who is sat on the other side and on the front seat?"
A spokesman for Mr Grayling, who has been transport secretary since July, said: "Mr Grayling got out of the car, checked the cyclist was OK and waited until he was back on his feet. Mr Grayling spoke to the cyclist and apologised.
"They shook hands before he left." | Transport Secretary Chris Grayling knocked a cyclist off his bike outside Parliament in what his spokesman said was an "unfortunate accident". | 38340125 |
Volunteers will be taking part in a three-week dig on the farm near Llangwm with Dyfed Archaeological Trust.
It forms part of the Heritage Llangwm project, which aims to find out more about the village's 12th Century Flemish founders.
The dig site is home to a medieval dovecote and possibly a Flemish manor house.
James Meek, of Dyfed Archaeological Trust, said: "The ideal would be to find a rubbish tip with medieval artefacts and other material that's come from Flanders."
Heritage Llangwm has received grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Cadw.
Money has already been spent on restoration works to the village's St Jerome's Church, which was built by Flemish craftsmen about 800 years ago. | An archaeological dig is taking place on a Pembrokeshire farm in a bid to unearth more about its Flemish past. | 36009220 |
This is the one Nigerian president who will assume office on Friday with unprecedented goodwill across the country - even from people who did not vote for him in the presidential election held two months ago.
His pre-election albatross of being a stern disciplinarian during his first time as as military head of state in 1983 has suddenly transformed to a quality which Nigerians are yearning for in the face of the excruciating pains of mass poverty and social insecurity pervading the land.
With his inauguration, he will have achieved his long-cherished dream of becoming a democratically elected leader - having made history as the first opposition candidate to win a presidential election in Nigeria.
But he will need prayers to have the courage and wisdom to confront the huge tasks he will inherit immediately after he is sworn in.
Muhammadu Buhari profile
President Buhari's to-do list is indeed a long one.
Earlier this month, his deputy, Yemi Osinbajo, said that 110 million out of Nigeria's population of 170 million were living in "extreme poverty" while the largest chunk of the nation's wealth was going into the pockets of a small percentage of the population.
This situation has been brought about by the mindless corruption of the past six years, mainly fuelled by a cabal in the oil and gas industry.
When I walk through the streets of the commercial capital, Lagos, in the morning I pass endless groups of young men and women idling in front of houses and shops, most of them without any idea of when or if breakfast will come and what to do with themselves for the day.
They easily snap and lurch at one another in senseless fights.
You dare not try to make peace if you are not of their neighbourhood. Otherwise, they transfer the aggression to you.
Teenage prostitution and pregnancy are commonplace because the young have nothing else to do and also because the girls easily fall prey to the lure of a decent meal and gifts by men old enough to be their grandfathers.
Sola Odunfa:
"Was he not the same man who 32 years ago corralled scores of corrupt politicians into prison and forced Nigerians to imbibe the queue culture in public places, Nigerians ask?"
Naturally, the crime rate is very high.
All these are the first born of, again, corruption in high places.
Of the 110 million Nigerians suffering extreme poverty, many are young college graduates of the past seven years but who have no hope of gaining employment.
Several thousands more will join them when new sets graduate in a few months' time.
In the mainly Muslim north, many of the unemployed end up in the ranks of militant Islamist group Boko Haram which has been behind the six-year insurgency in the north-east.
Factories and other businesses are closing down at a rate which the government Office of Statistics cannot publish.
Social services hardly exist anymore in my country.
Public hospitals are short of everything - beds, drugs, nurses and doctors.
I have not had electric power in my residence in the past 10 days, like everyone else in my lucky economic situation I rely on a power generator - and I pay through the nose to fuel it.
Talking of fuel, transportation has been crippled in this Opec-member country this month because of a recent row between the government and petroleum importers over fuel subsidies.
The fuel business in Nigeria is a huge scam in which importers demand payment for cargoes which the government is convinced are never delivered - and the amount they are talking about is millions of US dollars.
Where does Mr Buhari begin to tackle Nigeria's problems?
Unfortunately my country people believe that he has the magic wand to command instant solutions and give us a better life within a few months.
He has had to come out to appeal for patience and confess that he does not have such magical powers.
Was he not the same man who 32 years ago corralled scores of corrupt politicians into prison and forced Nigerians to imbibe the queue culture in public places, Nigerians ask?
They want him to do it again - but without the horse whip. | In our series of letters from African journalists, Sola Odunfa looks at the challenges ahead for Nigeria's incoming President Muhammadu Buhari. | 32905067 |
Usually donor livers are kept on ice, but many become damaged as a result.
The patient, 62-year-old Ian Christie from Devon, is doing well after the operation at King's College Hospital.
The technology was developed by scientists at Oxford University who hope it could increase the number of livers available for transplant.
Its inventors are an engineer and a transplant surgeon.
Prof Constantin Coussios of the Department of Engineering Science has been working on the project for 15 years in partnership with Prof Peter Friend, of the Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences.
After being removed from the donor, the liver is placed in the machine and tubes are connected to the main blood vessels. Oxygenated blood and nutrients are pumped through the liver which continues to function and produce bile.
Prof Peter Friend said: "It provides an environment where the donor liver hardly knows it has left the body. Instead of cooling it to slow its metabolism we keep it functioning at normal temperature and with oxygen and nutrition."
At present many donor livers are rejected for transplantation because they are damaged. Some have been deprived of oxygen while others contain too much fat and do not survive the cooling process.
The Oxford inventors say their machine allows the liver to recover from damage it has sustained and enables medical staff to test the viability of the organ to see whether it is likely to work before being transplanted into the patient.
Ian Christie, the first patient to receive a liver using the new technique contracted hepatitis C from a blood transfusion 25 years ago, before blood could be screened for the infection. He developed liver cirrhosis and was told last year that without a transplant he might have about 18 months to live.
Mr Christie, who had the surgery last month, said: "I feel very proud and lucky to have been part of this medical advance. My health is better than it's been for years and I feel I can go on now instead of thinking that life is finished for me."
A second patient who received a liver using the same technique is also said to be doing well.
The livers given to Mr Christie and the other patient were preserved for five and nine hours respectively, but the Oxford team believes its system could allow donor livers to be maintained for much longer.
About 700 liver transplants are carried out in the UK each year, but more than 100 patients a year die while on the waiting list.
Prof Coussios said: "In experiments we have shown we can preserve a liver and monitor its function outside the body for periods up to 24 hours. By contrast livers kept on ice have to be transplanted with 10-12 hours at most."
If livers could be preserved for longer it would allow teams to organise transplant surgery more effectively and to find the ideal recipient.
King's College Hospital performs more than 200 liver transplants each year making it the largest unit in Europe.
Wayel Jassem, transplant surgeon who performed both operations, said: "I was impressed to see how quickly each liver started to function following the transplant. This technology has the potential to be hugely significant and could save lives."
But the inventors in Oxford and the transplant team in London stress it is too early to draw any firm conclusions as to the benefits of 'warm liver' transplantation. A further eight patients will receive livers using the new technique at King's College Hospital.
Following this initial safety trial a broader study across three European countries is planned. It may be several years before liver specialists can tell whether the technique has proven benefits.
Five years ago Oxford University set up a spin-out company, OrganOx, to commercialise the technology. It has financial support from the Royal Society and a venture capital fund. The company hopes its device will get European approval via a CE mark later this year.
The concept of keeping donor organs at body temperature and preserving their function is also being tested in heart and lung transplants. | Surgeons in London have carried out the first 'warm liver' transplant using an organ which was 'kept alive' at body temperature in a machine. | 21788533 |
Joyce, 30, who won gold at the European Games this year, beat Ali Demirezen of Turkey on points in the 91kg+ division.
He faces French fighter Tony Yoka in the semi-finals, an opponent he beat at the European Games earlier this summer.
Muhammad Ali lost to Elvin Mamishzade, Joe Cordina lost to Robson Conceicao and Josh Kelly lost to Mohammed Rabii.
Joyce is guaranteed at least a bronze medal, but will need to win gold to secure a place at next year's Olympics.
British boxers have three further opportunities to reach Rio 2016, at events in April, May and June of next year. | Great Britain's Joe Joyce secured a place in the semi-finals but his three team-mates all suffered defeat at the AIBA World Boxing Championships. | 34495122 |
Fast forward to 2016 and she is a double world champion and bidding for selection for the Rio Paralympics at this weekend's trials in Caversham.
But the 24-year-old Sheffield athlete still needs to pinch herself at times when she reflects on her sporting journey.
Clough was born with a condition called Erb's Palsy, where the nerves in the shoulder are damaged during birth.
She had two operations, at six months and seven years old, which have given her more movement, and she has never let her impairment stop her sporting career.
Basketball was her first love and she played for Yorkshire Under-16s and then captained her varsity team, as well as playing football while studying for a sociology degree at the University of Leeds.
Although Clough knew her impairment meant she could be classified for Paralympic sport, she never believed she would be good enough to take part.
In addition, because her legs are not affected by her condition, wheelchair basketball would not be an option for her.
A day that changed everything
In 2013, though, she saw an advert for a Paralympic talent day in Sheffield; going to it has opened up a new world of opportunities.
"I had three sports fighting over me by the end of the day," she tells BBC Sport.
"I walked in still wearing my normal clothes and rowing immediately jumped up and said they wanted me to try out for them.
"I thought it was primarily an upper-body sport - I didn't realise it was leg-driven so I tried cycling and athletics as well, but by the time I got home I had an email from rowing saying they wanted me."
At only 5ft 8in, Clough does not necessarily fit the archetypal profile of a rower but after being assessed at the GB team base in Caversham, she was asked to go on a two-week training camp in Spain.
By the end of that, she was invited to train full-time with the rest of the squad.
At the start of 2014, she made the move to become a full-time athlete and it has proved to be hugely successful.
However, she has still had to overcome challenges on the way.
"The coaches saw a lot of potential in me but not everything went to plan," she says. "I lost my first seat race but then I just kept training hard and improving.
"They called another seat race and I won that to get the slot in the mixed coxed four for the 2014 World Championships."
She teamed up with Pam Relph, Dan Brown, James Fox and cox Oliver James to beat the USA by five seconds for gold.
"At those Worlds I kept walking around in a bit of a daze," she recalls. "I didn't feel confident in my ability. I had worked really hard to be there but I didn't feel I was yet good enough to be competing for Great Britain.
"The highest level I had previously competed at was Yorkshire and there I was representing my country less than a year after taking up the sport. I still look back and think it is crazy."
Having faith in your abilities
Clough retained her seat for the 2015 season and the GB four won another World Championships gold, edging out the USA by less than half a second to ensure the boat will be at this year's Paralympics.
Now, all of her focus is on working hard in training to try to secure her place on the team for Rio.
She has teamed up with Relph to hone their race skills in domestic events, but apart from that it is a mixture of water-based, ergo training and weights sessions as they pursue the dream of Paralympic selection.
"In my first year it was a case of ignorance is bliss as I didn't know what to expect, but last year there were people who were also chasing the seat and that helped me learn what it is like in a high-profile competitive environment," she explains.
"But one of the hardest challenges for me was being in an environment where I couldn't talk about the sport. I had grown up playing basketball and knew everything. Now here I was in a sport I knew nothing about.
"I didn't know whether what I was doing was good or not so I had to have confidence I would get there one day, even if it wasn't then.
"My old basketball coach used to say to me 'I can teach an athlete to be a basketball player but I can't teach a basketball player to be an athlete'. So I had to remind myself that I might not yet be a rower, but I am a good enough athlete to get there."
To find out more about how to get into rowing, go to the BBC Get Inspired website. | Less than three years ago, Grace Clough knew little or nothing about rowing. | 35755022 |
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Ade Azeez headed against the crossbar before nodding Thistle in front from Abdul Osman's cross.
Azeez drew a save from Scott Bain shortly after the break but then set up Kris Doolan to score following Kevin Holt's mistake.
The Jags lost keeper Ryan Scully and Osman to injury late on after both were injured defending a corner.
Dundee's first-half problems stemmed from an impressive start for the visitors typified by a strong performance by Azeez.
The striker hit the woodwork, was perfectly tackled by Darren O'Dea in the act of shooting but was then well placed to angle a strong header across the Dundee goal and beyond the diving Bain for the striker's first goal in the Premiership this season.
There had been an air of inevitability about the goal and it added to the woes of the already impatient home support who took some solace from a more spirited end to the half by Dundee.
If Dundee had hoped that the new partnership between Marcus Haber, on his debut, and Rory Loy would spark quickly there was little evidence of that happening although the strikers could point to a lack of service.
Azeez and Doolan were combining for Thistle and Azeez should have done better when played through by his strike partner, his shot blocked by the advancing Bain.
Almost by way of apology for his poor finish, Azeez robbed the indecisive Holt deep inside Dundee's half and rolled into the path of Doolan to score easily.
Three points on the opening day of the Premiership season gave Dundee the perfect start and few would have suspected that their next 10 games would yield just three points.
With six consecutive defeats there is very little to comfort Dundee. The current run is reminiscent of the form that saw them relegated in season 2012-13 but with less than a third of the season gone they are still only a couple of wins away from moving back into the pack.
For Thistle it was their first win against Dundee in eight attempts but it came at a cost with Scully being led off the field in the final minutes and then taken to hospital with a suspected dislocated shoulder, having come into collision with Osman among others in a crowded box.
Osman also appeared to be in pain as he was replaced.
Thorsten Stuckmann got a brief debut in goal for the Jags and David Wilson also got on but the points were already safe for Alan Archibald's side, who move up to ninth.
Dundee manager Paul Hartley: "It was a real disappointing performance from us, it wasn't good enough and we didn't deserve anything from the game.
"We had a little spell in the first half for 15 minutes when I felt we were okay but overall the performance wasn't good enough.
"We have to look at a team for Saturday and try to pick the players up and try and get a result from somewhere. We are on a bad run, we are in a position where we are in trouble but we have to remain positive. We are not winning games and that cannot continue."
Partick Thistle manager Alan Archibald: "That is the performance we have been waiting for all season, getting it right at both ends tonight with both strikers scoring and getting a fantastic clean sheet as well.
"We are delighted for Azeez, he has worked ever so hard and most of the games he has had chances but he took his goal well tonight and also had an assist.
"We don't enjoy luck with goalkeepers, Ryan Scully has been taken to hospital with a suspected dislocated shoulder, fingers crossed he is okay but it doesn't look good."
Match ends, Dundee 0, Partick Thistle 2.
Second Half ends, Dundee 0, Partick Thistle 2.
Christie Elliott (Partick Thistle) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Christie Elliott (Partick Thistle).
Paul McGowan (Dundee) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Ryan Edwards (Partick Thistle) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Cameron Kerr (Dundee).
David Wilson (Partick Thistle) is shown the yellow card.
Substitution, Partick Thistle. David Wilson replaces Abdul Osman because of an injury.
Delay in match Abdul Osman (Partick Thistle) because of an injury.
Substitution, Partick Thistle. Thorsten Stuckmann replaces Ryan Scully because of an injury.
Delay in match Ryan Scully (Partick Thistle) because of an injury.
Corner, Dundee. Conceded by Ryan Scully.
Attempt saved. Darren O'Dea (Dundee) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
Foul by Abdul Osman (Partick Thistle).
Darren O'Dea (Dundee) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Delay in match Sean Welsh (Partick Thistle) because of an injury.
Adebayo Azeez (Partick Thistle) is shown the yellow card.
Paul McGowan (Dundee) is shown the yellow card.
Attempt missed. Abdul Osman (Partick Thistle) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.
Attempt blocked. Adebayo Azeez (Partick Thistle) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.
Corner, Partick Thistle. Conceded by Cameron Kerr.
Substitution, Dundee. Yordi Teijsse replaces Danny Williams.
Attempt saved. Adebayo Azeez (Partick Thistle) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Attempt missed. Danny Devine (Partick Thistle) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left.
Foul by Kostadin Gadzhalov (Dundee).
Kris Doolan (Partick Thistle) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt missed. Tom Hateley (Dundee) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
Goal! Dundee 0, Partick Thistle 2. Kris Doolan (Partick Thistle) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Adebayo Azeez.
Substitution, Dundee. Michael Duffy replaces Rory Loy.
Attempt saved. Adebayo Azeez (Partick Thistle) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Corner, Partick Thistle. Conceded by Tom Hateley.
Attempt missed. Christie Elliott (Partick Thistle) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
Foul by Tom Hateley (Dundee).
Sean Welsh (Partick Thistle) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Marcus Haber (Dundee).
Liam Lindsay (Partick Thistle) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Kostadin Gadzhalov (Dundee) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Kris Doolan (Partick Thistle).
Cameron Kerr (Dundee) wins a free kick on the left wing. | Partick Thistle claimed a first win in 10 to leave Dundee three points adrift at the bottom of the Premiership. | 37699946 |
In the Men's Hockey League Final, Gareth Furlong scored twice as Surbiton found the net three times in eight minutes to tie 3-3 with Wimbledon.
David Beckett then scored the final penalty to beat the defending champions 3-2 in the shoot-out.
Surbiton's women's team won their fourth consecutive title with a 3-1 victory over Holcombe.
Find out how to get into hockey with our special guide.
Eleanor Watton pulled a goal back from a penalty corner for Holcombe after Giselle Ansley and Rebecca Middleton had put Surbiton 2-0 up, but Naomi Evans' late goal secured the victory.
Meanwhile, Canterbury's men's team retained their place in the top flight with a 7-2 win over Sevenoaks, while Buckingham's women were promoted to the top tier with a 4-3 win against Wimbledon. | Surbiton's men's and women's teams have been crowned national hockey champions at the Lee Valley hockey centre. | 39693341 |
The private library was amassed by Mary Colette McAlister who died last year.
After her death, her house was sold and her book collection was transported to Matthews Auction Rooms in County Meath.
Auctioneer Damien Matthews told the Irish Times: "She didn't buy rubbish. The majority are first editions; serious books by serious authors."
The late Ms McAlister, who was from Bangor in County Down, managed to fund her "extraordinary" library by living an otherwise very "frugal" life.
The Irish Times reported that she was "happy to live on toast and margarine if it meant she could add to her collection of beloved books".
Ms McAlister was in her 80s when she died and the auctioneer told the paper it took six men almost a week to clear the books from the vicarage she called home.
Mr Matthews commissioned a carpenter to build bespoke shelves at the Duke Brothers building on Market Street, Kells, and then began the daunting task of cataloguing the many thousands of volumes.
Ms McAlister's library was opened for public viewing earlier this week and are now being sold in a two-day auction which began at noon on Saturday.
The lots going under the hammer include an early edition of Darwin's 'On the Origin of Species' but many focus on Irish history.
There is a large book detailing the opening of the Stormont parliament in 1921 and a signed copy of Seán Mac Bride's Nobel Prize speech.
Mac Bride, a founding member of Amnesty International, was the son of one of the executed leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising and Maud Gonne - a political activist and long time muse of the poet, WB Yeats.
Another lot, Mr Keeling's Five Years in Russia, once belonged to another Irish republican rebel - Constance Markievicz - and bears her signature.
Other rare items include a copy of a 1777 survey of Irish road maps and a History of the Irish Parliament 1692 to 1800, which the auction house described as a "major reference resource for all aspects of 18th Century Ireland".
There are also several bound volumes of the Ulster Journal of Archaeology Belfast 1895 and a first edition of James Connolly's book, Labour in Irish History.
Ms McAlister had also purchased a volume on the book trade and records of Irish book auctions - suggesting that she was well aware of the value of her collection.
However, many of the books have been placed for auction without a reserve price.
"It's all to be cleared," Mr Matthews told the Irish Times.
"It doesn't matter if it's signed by Yeats or whoever else, I'm here to sell." | A Northern Ireland woman's personal collection of more than 25,000 rare books is being sold at the biggest auction of its type in 30 years. | 40391906 |
French firm EDF, which is financing most of the £18bn project, approved the funding at a board meeting on Thursday.
But the government has said it wants to review the project and will make a decision by the autumn.
The delay has been met with a mixture of support and frustration in Somerset.
Ian Liddell-Grainger, the Conservative MP whose constituency includes Hinkley Point, said he understood the government's position.
"Those of us who have been pushing for Hinkley have been closely involved in the project for nine and a half years and understand it inside out.
"Theresa May has had just three weeks to get her head round it, so it's hardly surprising she has called for a pause."
He said he is "100% confident" it will still go ahead.
Valerie Boxall, who lives in the village of Stogursey, near Hinkley Point, said she agreed with Mrs May's decision to delay the go-ahead.
"She's newly in power and she's got a new cabinet," she said. "I think it's right that they should look at it. What's another couple of months."
But Steve Willcox, from Clutton, believes postponing the final decision on the plant will make people "lose confidence" in the new prime minister.
"There are thousands of jobs and people all dependent on it. She could have used yesterday to show we're open to trade all over the world."
Jan 2006 - Government proposes nuclear as part of future energy mix
Mar 2013 - Construction of Hinkley Point approved
Oct 2013 - UK government agrees £92.50 per megawatt-hour will be paid for electricity produced at the Somerset site - around double the current market rate at the time
Oct 2015 - EDF signs investment agreement with China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN)
July 2016 - EDF board approves final investment decision, but the UK Government postpones a final decision on the project until autumn.
Conservative MP for Bath Ben Howlett said he was "disappointed" by the delay and feared it gave "a bad impression" in the wake of the EU referendum.
"We need to be doing all we can to show that the UK is open for business," he said.
Irene Dickson from Wells added: "Why delay further the inevitable? Let's get on with it now, especially after the events of Brexit."
John Spratley from Radstock said he was appalled the government has put things on hold.
"I felt that at last we might have a government of courage and conviction. It is obvious that our politicians lack the guts to take difficult decisions."
Dale Edwards of Somerset Chamber of Commerce remains positive the project will go ahead, but said it will "be very frustrating for the many businesses that have been awaiting the green light from EDF".
David Hall, deputy leader of Somerset County Council confirmed he will work with the government to "accelerate" the decision to go ahead, as it will be "hugely important to our economy." | Politicians, business leaders and residents have reacted strongly to the government's announcement to delay a final decision on Hinkley Point. | 36922295 |
Ilza Regina Defilippi, 69, from Brazil, was a pillion passenger on a BMW motorbike when the crash happened on 26 July.
The rider of the bike was seriously injured and was airlifted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
The occupants of the other vehicle, a Nissan Navara, were uninjured. Police have been appealing for witnesses. | A woman who died in a crash involving a motorbike and a car on the A939 near Tomintoul has been named. | 40791497 |
The shoulder bone of the Palaeoloxodon antiquus was found protruding from the sand on the west coast of the island by local resident Paul Hollingshead.
The bone is at the Dinosaur Isle museum in Sandown and is thought to date from the Eemian interglacial period.
Mr Hollingshead said: "I was shocked how big it was and spent around two and a half-hours digging it out."
He found the bone back in March but the museum said it had taken a long time to conserve so that it was fit for display.
Alex Peaker from Dinosaur Isle said: "You don't really associate elephants with the Isle of Wight but this find shows they did roam the island many years ago."
Mr Hollingshead, who has donated the bone to the museum, said: "I remember it was a big five-metre tide, so I knew the water would go out a long way, when I saw what looked like a bit of bone showing from the sand.
"I stopped and realised it was a bit bigger, so I started clearing all of the sand and stones away from it.
"I was hoping it was a dinosaur bone, so was quite shocked to find out it was from an elephant." | A fossil from an extinct species of elephant dating back 100,000 years has gone on display on the Isle of Wight. | 35213629 |
The referendum is due to take place on 22 May and voters are being asked if same-sex couples should be given the right to marry in a civil ceremony.
Irish citizens living abroad are eligible to vote provided that they are still on the Irish electoral register.
But if they left Ireland more than 18 months ago they are no longer eligible.
Many Irish emigrants who are no longer entitled to vote have used social media campaigns to urge those who can to make their mark.
Some expats who can vote are planning expensive journeys home, such is their strength of feeling on the issue.
They include Mark Govern, who is originally from Tallaght in Dublin but moved to Australia last summer.
He has spent almost 1,200 euros (£867) booking flights home from Sydney and plans to arrive in Dublin on the eve of the referendum.
Having already booked his summer holiday home in August, Mr Govern said next week's trip was specifically arranged so he could be in Ireland to witness "history in the making".
The 31-year-old Dubliner told the BBC that as a gay man he was "very passionate" about same-sex marriage rights and that securing a yes vote was extremely important to him personally and to his native country, politically.
"People think the Republic of Ireland is a Catholic, conservative, very traditional country - but that's not the country I grew up in. I grew up in a liberal country," Mr Govern said.
He said he believed that a 'no' vote would reinforce a mistaken "stereotype" of Irish conservatism abroad and could discourage young Irish emigrants from returning home in the future.
Mr Govern said he was confident the referendum would pass and wanted to be in his home city for the result on Saturday 23 May.
He objected to the 'no' campaign repeatedly raising concerns over adoption and surrogacy by same-sex parents in the debate, describing them as "red herrings".
However, central to those who have publicly opposed same-sex marriage is the belief that a child has a birthright to both a mother and a father. Many of them have expressed concerns about the potential consequences for the future development of Irish family law.
The campaign group Mother and Fathers Matter has claimed that if the referendum is passed, it will be "constitutionally impossible for the law to show any preference for a child having a mother and father in relation to adoption, surrogacy and Donor Assisted Human Reproduction (DAHR)".
Yes campaigners argue that same-sex adoption and DAHR are already being dealt with separately through the wide-ranging Children and Family Relationships Bill, which, among other changes, will allow same-sex couples to jointly adopt children.
But US-born Kathy Sinnott, from the campaign group First Families First, said she believes a 'yes' vote would not only "redefine marriage" in the Irish constitution, but also the meaning of family, severely downplaying the importance of a child's "biological link" with his or her parents.
The former Irish MEP said that after the raft of recent legislative changes, Friday's marriage referendum could remove the "final brick" that provides constitutional protection for relationship between children and their genetic parents.
Ms Sinnott said that it could have "huge ramifications" for biological parents - gay or straight - who have the misfortune to find themselves fighting custody battles in the family courts in the future.
But for yes campaigner and Irish expat Joey Kavanagh, the referendum is really about equality of treatment for all Irish citizens.
Originally from Ashbourne in County Meath, he has been living in London for the last 10 months.
When the Irish government confirmed the date of the referendum, Mr Kavanagh set up an online campaign - Get The Boat 2 Vote - to encourage emigrants to go home to vote yes.
Almost 300 people have signed up to his campaign's mailing list, and several hundred more have engaged with the campaign on social media.
On the day of the referendum, Mr Kavanagh plans to lead a group of about 30 Irish expats who will travel together on a ferry to Dublin to "make a statement".
He said the numbers were small but other supporters were making the journey across the Irish Sea in the days before the vote, as many still face long journeys to polling stations after arriving in Dublin.
Mr Kavanagh said he had no immediate plans to return to Ireland and marry, but hopes to "settle" in his native country in the future and as a gay man, he wants the option that is available to other Irish citizens.
He said in general, the Irish diaspora should be granted more of a say over important decisions taken in their homeland and more provisions should be made for postal and embassy votes.
The public debate on same-sex marriage has raised tensions both at home and away.
In a recent opinion piece for the Irish Independent newspaper, high-profile Gaelic Athletic Association player Ger Brennan wrote that he was "sick of the accusations being flung around that if you vote 'no' you are homophobic".
"I know I'm not homophobic; my gay friends and family can attest to that. I am voting 'no' because I don't want our constitution to deny that it is a good thing for a child to have a mother and a father".
According to the independent Referendum Commission, if passed, the referendum would mean a same-sex marriage would have the same status under the Irish constitution as a marriage between a man and a woman.
All married couples, heterosexual and homosexual, would be recognised as a family and entitled to the constitutional protection for families.
A separate vote, on a proposal to reduce the age at which candidates can run in the Irish presidential election from 35 to 21, is set to take place on the same day. | Irish people who have recently moved abroad have been encouraged to travel home to cast their vote in Friday's referendum on same-sex marriage. | 32736418 |
The Sunday Telegraph suggested the inquiry was to abandon examining allegations the former Labour MP abused victims between the 1950s and 1980s.
More than 30 complainants are due to give evidence against Lord Janner, who died in December.
The inquiry has faced various setbacks including the departure of two senior lawyers and three chairwomen.
The newspaper claimed Lord Janner's son, Daniel Janner, a QC, had been told by a source the investigation into allegations his father was a paedophile would be discontinued.
It quoted Mr Janner as saying: "A wholly reliable source has informed me the strand into my father is to be dropped".
But an inquiry spokesman said: "It is not being dropped."
Lord Janner, who was an MP in Leicester for nearly 30 years, died shortly after a judge had ruled that he was not fit to stand trial for alleged child sex offences.
The family believes Lord Janner is innocent and that the 33 men and women who have accused Lord Janner have fabricated their accounts.
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse was set up in 2014 to examine whether public bodies, including the police, in England and Wales had failed in their duty to protect children from sexual abuse.
It is investigating claims of abuse involving "well-known people" with one specific strand looking into allegations made against Lord Janner.
The inquiry has seen three of its chairwomen step down in the last two years.
It faced a further setback on Thursday when Ben Emmerson QC, the most senior lawyer working for the inquiry, resigned after saying he was no longer the "right person" for the role.
His colleague Elizabeth Prochaska, the second most senior lawyer on the team, had stepped down on 15 September.
Prime Minister Theresa May has said she still has confidence in the inquiry. | The independent child sex abuse inquiry has denied claims it has plans to drop the investigation into Lord Janner. | 37534301 |
The Guyanese left-hander, 37, joined former team-mate Brian Lara in reaching the milestone when he scored his 14th run in the second innings of the third Test against Australia in Dominica.
(current Test players in bold)
But he was lbw to Michael Clarke for 69 off the last ball of day four, leaving the Windies 173-5, chasing 370 to win.
Chanderpaul is only the 10th batsman in history to pass the 10,000 mark.
"It felt really good to reach this milestone," he said. "I have been batting well and spending a lot of time at the crease and to reach 10,000 Test runs is something special for me.
"It was one of the goals I set myself and I believe I have reaped the reward for the hard work I put in over the years."
Now playing his 140th Test, having made his debut against England in his native Guyana in 1994, Chanderpaul has often had to shoulder the burden of carrying a West Indies batting line-up that has struggled to match the feats of their 1970s and 1980s predecessors.
Nicknamed "The Crab" because of his unorthodox batting stance and reputation as a man difficult to dislodge from the crease, he is likely to once again play a key role when West Indies' tour of England begins next month.
However, his dismissal to Clarke's part-time left-arm spin leaves Australia as favourites to wrap up victory - and clinch the three-Test series 2-0 - when play resumes on Friday.
"Whenever you talk to Shiv and ask for advice he is willing 100%, each and every time," said team-mate Darren Bravo.
"We're very fortunate to have him in this team and we enjoy his company.
"He's going to be around for a very long time still, he's scored lots of runs and as young batsmen we should try to take a page from Shiv's book as much as possible. As long as we do, we're going to improve as a batting unit in the future." | Shivnarine Chanderpaul has become only the second West Indies player to pass 10,000 Test runs. | 17865680 |
It is the first confirmation of his whereabouts since Wednesday, when he fled rebel forces in the city of Aden.
Officials say he will now travel to Egypt for a two-day Arab league summit.
Saudi authorities began air strikes in Yemen on Wednesday night, a step Iran called "dangerous".
The jets targeted Houthi positions in the capital Sanaa, along with missile batteries and warplanes.
Saudi Arabia says it is "defending the legitimate government" of President Hadi.
Mr Hadi took refuge in Aden last month after fleeing Sanaa, where he had been under house arrest since the Houthis took full control of the capital in January.
On Thursday a Saudi official said he had travelled to Riyadh, but would attend the Arab summit in Egypt as the "legitimate" Yemeni president.
The Saudi ambassador to the US Adel al-Jubair said the Saudi operation would begin with air strikes, and vowed: "We will do whatever it takes in order to protect the legitimate government of Yemen from falling."
Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV reported that the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, Morocco and Sudan were also sending aircraft, while Egypt, Jordan, Sudan and Pakistan were ready to take part in any ground offensive targeting the Houthis.
The US said it was providing "logistical and intelligence support".
However, a Houthi official warned the coalition that it risked provoking a wider war.
Following the air strikes, people rushed to the military sites which had been targeted to check the level of destruction.
Dozens of families meanwhile have fled Sanaa to safe places outside the city, fearing new air strikes.
There are long queues of cars at petrol stations amid fears of fuel shortages, and many shops and firms have shut. School and university classes in Sanaa have been suspended for the time being.
Some Sanaa residents see the air strikes as a way of ending the crisis, which they blame on the Houthis for taking over their city.
However angry Houthi followers and supporters of the former president called for protests against the attacks.
On social media, Houthi supporters have been urging them to keep advancing to the border and storm Saudi Arabia, and to blockade the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait in the Red Sea.
Shia power Iran, which Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia accuses of backing the rebels, also demanded an immediate halt to the strikes, which it said violated Yemen's sovereignty.
But Turkey has accused Iran of trying to dominate the region.
President Tayyip Erdogan said he supported the operation against the Houthis, adding Iran's stance had begun "annoying us, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries".
"This is really not tolerable and Iran has to see this," he said.
A conflict that pulls in regional powers could disrupt global oil supplies, and the price of Brent crude rose almost 6% after the strikes began.
There were reports of explosions and airstrikes in the capital Sanaa, in the Houthis' northern heartland of Saada province, in Aden, and in the third city, Taiz.
Media reports said at least 13 civilians were killed in Sanaa, and 18 people were killed in clashes between rebel fighters and soldiers and militiamen loyal to Mr Hadi in southern Yemen.
Yemen's foreign minister, Riad Yassin, told the Saudi TV channel al-Hadath that the air strikes were welcome, adding: "I hope the Houthis listen to the sound of reason. With what is happening, they forced us into this."
The Houthis have said their aim is to replace Mr Hadi's government, which they accuse of being corrupt, and to implement the outcomes of the National Dialogue that was convened when Mr Saleh was forced to hand over power in 2011 following mass protests.
Yemen - who is fighting whom?
The Houthis: Zaidi Shia-led rebels from the north, who seized control of Sanaa last year and have since been expanding their control
President Hadi: Backed by military and police loyalists, and by militia known as Popular Resistance Committees, he is trying to fight back against the rebels from his stronghold in the south
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula: Seen by the US as the most dangerous offshoot of al-Qaeda, AQAP opposes both the Houthis and President Hadi.
Islamic State: A Yemeni affiliate of IS has recently emerged, which seeks to eclipse AQAP
Yemen crisis: An Iranian-Saudi battleground?
Yemen: Waiting for the war
Meeting the Houthis - and their enemies
The rise of Yemen's Houthi rebels
What are the differences between Sunnis and Shia? | Yemen's President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi has arrived in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, according to officials, as Saudi Arabia continues to launch air strikes against Shia Houthi rebels. | 32078817 |
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England were dismissed for 205 at Trent Bridge and the tourists have a lead of 205 in the second Test after reaching 75-1 at stumps on day two.
Former England captain Vaughan was critical of their approach during his analysis on BBC Test Match Special.
"The England batting has been appalling. Maybe it's a lack of respect about what the game is," he said.
"They look like they are playing a Twenty20 game. I look at the approach - yes, the ball has done a little bit but it's not been drastic.
"They have this approach of attack, attack, attack. There is no thought or feeling of seeing off a bowler or wearing a team down."
Vaughan believes the current crop of England batsmen could learn lessons from the way South Africa have approached batting at Trent Bridge.
"They [England's batsmen] don't trust their techniques to stay in long enough," said the 42-year-old, who captained England to victory in the 2005 Ashes series.
"That's a concern. England regularly collapse. It's always when the ball does a little bit. Look at the way South Africa played attritionally.
"A lot of England's players look like they are premeditating their shots. The best way is to watch the ball and react.
"I worry about the mentality of the Test batting because as soon as the things get difficult - it swings around or spins - they play aggressively."
Vaughan, who captained England in 51 of his 82 Tests between 1999 and 2008, also claims England's selectors need a rethink over the balance of the side.
"England are a batter light," he added. "You don't need six bowling options. This is the kind of team you pick after winning Test match after Test match.
"You have three all-rounders in Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow, so pack the batting. All the players from Joe Root down will give you chances.
"England lost eight Tests last year. They need to pack the batting. They are not good enough or winning enough games to go with that line up."
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England fast bowler James Anderson, who took 5-72 as South Africa crumbled from their overnight 309-6 to 335 all out, refused to criticise his side's batsmen.
"It was not a great day for us. We did well to bowl them out for under 350 but didn't get it right with the bat," said the Lancashire seamer.
"The batters have been fantastic over the previous months and you are going to have days like this, especially with a young side. You just have to keep them to a minimum.
"Joe Root was fantastic and played a great counter attacking knock when we were struggling. The first Test was plain sailing for him as captain but it's a real test here." | England's batsmen must "respect" Test cricket more after collapsing against South Africa, says Michael Vaughan. | 40621482 |
Sitting at the front of class four in her school uniform, Priscilla Sitienei listens intently while she writes the English names of animals in her notebook.
She joined Leaders Vision Preparatory School five years ago and has also served her village of Ndalat in the Rift Valley as a midwife for the last 65 years.
In fact, she has helped deliver some of her own classmates, who are aged between 10 and 14.
Affectionately known as "Gogo", which means grandmother in the local Kalenjin language, she says at 90 she is finally learning to read and write - an opportunity she never had as a child.
More comfortable speaking in Kalenjin than English, she explains why she wanted to return to school.
"I'd like to be able to read the Bible; I also want to inspire children to get an education.
"Too many older children are not in school. They even have children themselves."
Gogo says she confronts children who are not in school and asks them why.
"They tell me they are too old," she says, "I tell them, 'Well I am at school and so should you.'
"I see children who are lost, children who are without fathers, just going round and round, hopeless. I want to inspire them to go to school."
At first the school turned her away but soon understood how committed she was to learning.
Headmaster David Kinyanjui believes Gogo, who boards at the village school, is an example to the rest of her class.
"I'm very proud of her," he says.
"Gogo has been a blessing to this school, she has been a motivator to all the pupils.
"She is loved by every pupil, they all want to learn and play with her.
"She is doing well… considering her age I can say I have seen a big difference in this school since she came."
Ms Sitienei grew up in a Kenya occupied by the British and she lived through her country's struggle for independence.
Now a prefect, she takes part in all of the classes - Maths, English, PE, dance, drama and singing.
In her blue school uniform and green jumper, she also tells stories to her classmates under trees near the playing fields to make sure her knowledge of local customs is passed on.
The children sit and listen to every word she says.
An 11-year-old girl says she is Gogo's best friend "because she tells us stories and we go to PE together".
A 10-year-old schoolboy says the grandmother also likes to keep them in order.
"We love Gogo because when we make noise she tells us to keep quiet," he says.
The current record for oldest primary school pupil in the Guinness Book of Records is held by another Kenyan, the late Kimani Maruge.
He went to school at the age of 84 in 2004 and died five years later.
The primary school in Ndalat says it will write to the record keepers to inform them about their 90-year-old student.
Gogo says she also wanted to learn how to read and write so she could help pass on her midwifery skills and write down her knowledge of herbal medicines.
Expectant mothers still come to see her - usually on Saturdays - and she has been known to assist in births in her dormitory, which she shares with one of her great-great-grandchildren.
"I want to say to the children of the world, especially girls, that education will be your wealth, don't look back and run to your father," she says.
"With education you can be whatever you want, a doctor, lawyer or a pilot."
Gogo's own lesson is that it is never too late. | A 90-year-old Kenyan woman who goes to class with six of her great-great-grandchildren is believed to be the oldest primary school pupil in the world. | 30935874 |
The ceremony honours independent movies and is Hollywood's last big pre-Oscars ritual before Sunday's main event.
Silver Linings Playbook, up for eight Oscars, won Independent Spirit Awards for best film, director, screenplay and actress for Jennifer Lawrence.
John Hawkes took best actor for the part of the late disabled journalist and poet Mark O'Brien in The Sessions.
Hawkes said he hoped the film would help change perceptions of disability.
"Mark O'Brien said as a disabled man he felt invisible to people. I hope this film can change that a little bit and we all see each other a little more," he told the audience in his acceptance speech.
His co-star Helen Hunt - who plays a sex therapist in the film, based on an article written by O'Brien in 1990 - won best supporting actress.
Up for the same award at the Oscars, Hunt said backstage: "I'm proud of the movie, I can't believe we got it made."
Matthew McConaughey, who was also nominated for best actor for Killer Joe, picked up the best supporting actor prize for Magic Mike, in which he stars alongside his mother.
He praised the process of making independent films. "The vitality you get from not having enough money and not having enough time… that's what I love about independent films," he said.
The prize for best foreign film went to Oscar favourite Amour, directed by Michael Haneke.
"I feel wonderful, it comes as a complete surprise," he said, after collecting his award. "No-one would think a film dealing with ageing and death [would do so well]."
Best documentary went to The Invisible War, which addresses rape and sexual abuse in the US military.
Producer Amy Ziering made an emotional speech, saying: "This award says to our service members - you are heard, you are not alone and you are no longer invisible."
Like Silver Linings, Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom was up for five awards - but it went away empty-handed.
Accepting the best screenplay award for Silver Linings, writer and director David O Russell said: "The last time I held one of these was 19 years ago for best screenplay and best first feature [for Spanking the Monkey] and my son was one year old.
"Matthew's here today and he gave me this movie."
Russell's son has bipolar disorder and was the inspiration for the film, which features Bradley Cooper's character dealing with the same illness.
Speaking backstage of his Oscar chances, Russell said: "I'm very superstitious so I'm just very happy to be there."
Beasts of the Southern Wild picked up one award out of a possible four, for British cinematographer Ben Richardson.
He said nine-year-old Oscar nominee Quvenzhane Wallis was the reason he took on the job. "It was incredibly eye-opening, I could just see what she was going to do. Her performance is just incredible," he said.
The best first feature prize went to Perks of Being a Wallflower, starring Emma Watson.
Presenters included Daniel Radcliffe, Salma Hayek and Jeremy Renner. | Silver Linings Playbook has won four Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica on the eve of the Oscars. | 21563644 |
The list, compiled using tips from more than 210 tastemakers - made up of music critics, editors, broadcasters and bloggers - aims to highlight the best emerging artists for the year ahead.
"This is the craziest thing we've ever done," Este Haim announces to London's O2 arena.
She is at the superdrome to support Florence and the Machine, and her band is about to end their set with a drum solo.
Discover the top five acts
Watch the top 15 acts on the Sound of 2013 site
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Heads down, arms flailing, they unleash a four-minute tsunami of percussion and hair. And the audience, primed for the tribal rhythms of the night's main act, absolutely love it.
Half an hour later, the three Haim sisters are back in their dressing room, looking a little less like cavewomen as they demurely sip tea while coming to terms with the fact they have just played on the same stage as the Rolling Stones.
"Don't even talk to me about that, because that is so insane," says 26-year-old Este.
"I've been crawling on the floor, trying to soak it all up," chips in her youngest sister, Alana, 21. "I think I have a little Mick Jagger in me."
An argument ensues as the siblings try to decide which of them is "the most Mick". It goes back and forth for a couple of minutes until Danielle puts her foot down.
"I feel like both of you would be Mick," she tells her sisters. "And I am in the middle of a Mick sandwich."
In fact, if anyone is the honorary Mick Jagger of Haim, it's 23-year-old Danielle. She earned her rock stripes on tour with Jenny Lewis and Julian Casablancas of The Strokes and has clearly picked up a few tips on poise and attitude.
Oh, and she has a lip curl that would put the senior Rolling Stone to shame.
The middle sister, and de facto frontwoman, she is also the quietest member of Haim. While her sisters goof around and riff on British television shows (Alana does a frighteningly accurate impression of Dragon's Den star Duncan Bannatyne), Danielle only really comes to life when talking about music.
Haim started playing together as youngsters, enlisted into a covers band by their estate agent parents.
As Rockinhaim, they covered Motown and Santana at street fairs and charity gigs around the San Fernando Valley. "It was really cool," says Alana. "Until we were about 11."
So in 2006, the girls gave their parents the elbow and ventured out on their own.
"We did what a lot of bands in LA do," says Danielle. "We played around locally, wherever we could play, and we invited all our friends.
"We were scared to ask the main bands for money," Este adds. "We were just so excited to play."
Much to their pleasure, Haim have frequently compared to soft rock dinosaurs Fleetwood Mac.
The sisters covered Hold Me for a tribute album and ordered tickets to the band's 2013 tour the morning it was announced.
But they will not be saying yes to a support slot. Este says: "We couldn't play before them. We would melt like sugar cubes in the rain."
"By the fourth year, we were having to beg our friends to come. Texting everyone, 'please come and pay $10 for the show.'"
Back then, Haim was not a full-time concern. Alana was at high school, Este studying "Brazilian carnival music" at UCLA and Danielle was on the road with Cee-Lo Green.
But it was one of her other touring partners, Julian Casablancas, that finally gave the band a kick start.
"He had seen us play and he said, 'what are you guys doing? What's going on?'" Danielle recalls.
"We didn't know what to do. We had songs on MySpace but no-one really cared. He said, 'just write. Write and come back and hit the ground running.' And that's kind of what we did."
"We went on Haim-atus," laughs Este.
Based in their parents' living room, the band took a year to develop their sound - blending the classic guitar chops of Rockinhaim with the staccato hiccups of their favourite bands TLC and Destiny's Child.
But, for some reason, they could not get the songs to sound right in the studio. There are "four EPs" that will "never be heard" in public, admits Alana.
"Whenever we recorded an EP and got it back, we would put it on our stereo and [after] the first five seconds we would cringe and shut it off."
"In the studio, everything sounds cool," explains Danielle. "But once you put it in your car... We would just throw it away."
The missing ingredient turned out to be sub-bass: The lowest frequencies audible to the human ear, used extensively by dance acts to give their rhythm tracks an added wallop.
Danielle credits TV composer Ludwig Goransson (New Girl, Community) with the discovery.
"We love rap and we love hip-hop," she says. "Ludwig had all these sub-bass samples and when we found them, we were like, 'oh my God. Put that on everything!'"
"He looked at us like we were crazy," adds Alana. "But we'd been searching for that for six years."
The first song Haim recorded with Goransson was Forever, which became the title track of their first EP. Released for free in June, it received near-universal acclaim from music blogs and alternative radio stations like BBC 6 Music and Australia's Triple J.
Bright, bold and melodic, it is not necessarily a musical revolution - but the combination of Fleetwood Mac folk-rock with the intricate hi-hat trills of '90s R&B is, at least, a fresher take on rock than recycled '60s guitar riffs.
That is why Haim were invited on tour by Florence, and by Mumford and Sons. Another stadium-level rock band invited them out on the road this year - but Haim turned them down so they can finish their album.
Their family are thrilled by the success. Grandma Haim flew in from Israel to see the O2 gig, while the girls' parents are vicariously living the dream.
"Before we got onstage for the soundcheck, my dad was up there playing drums," laughs Este.
"He was like, 'OK they're good, I checked them out for you.'
"And we said, 'oh, come on dad, you just wanted to play drums in the O2 arena. Let's be honest.'" | Freewheeling Fleetwood Mac-esque folk-rock trio Haim, a group of sisters from California's San Fernando Valley, have come top of the BBC Sound of 2013 list. | 20647027 |
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Six-time champion O'Sullivan is seeded number one after last year's 10-1 final win over Barry Hawkins, who plays Shaun Murphy in the opening round.
World number one Mark Selby faces Mark Williams, while Judd Trump comes up against Marco Fu.
Find out how to get into snooker, pool and billiards with our fully inclusive guide.
The event takes place from 15 to 22 January, live on the BBC.
"It's a real jamboree of snooker and it's great for the fans," said three-time winner and BBC Sport pundit Steve Davis of the tournament, which features only the elite top-16 players in the world.
"It's the cream of the cream. Now the standard of snooker is so high anyone can make a 147 at any time."
Masters draw:
Ronnie O'Sullivan v Liang Wenbo
Neil Robertson v Ali Carter
Judd Trump v Marco Fu
John Higgins v Mark Allen
Stuart Bingham v Joe Perry
Ding Junhui v Kyren Wilson
Shaun Murphy v Barry Hawkins
Mark Selby v Mark Williams
Sign up to My Sport to follow snooker news and reports on the BBC app. | Defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan will take on China's Liang Wenbo in the first round of the 2017 Masters at London's Alexandra Palace. | 38202305 |
More than a quarter (27%) of 853 parents of under-18s said they had cut winter spending to meet housing costs.
And 10% told researchers they feared being unable to pay rents or mortgages in January.
The government said its work to tackle the deficit was helping more people stay in their homes.
A shortage of affordable homes has left families struggling with sky-high housing costs, says the charity, while last year more than 100,000 people phoned its helpline for housing debt advice.
Families struggling with housing costs are advised to:
"We cut back on everything to pay the rent, including food," said Michelle, a mother from Cambridge.
Her husband Kevin, a builder, became self-employed last year and is now paid weekly.
The change in circumstances means the family are already in arrears on their rent to a private landlord and council tax.
They fear missing more payments could put them at risk of eviction.
Some 15% of the parents interviewed also said they had to economise on Christmas food and gifts.
"Even though my husband works as many hours as he can, it's constantly hand to mouth," said Michelle, a student midwife.
"When the children are at school, the heating isn't on at all, and over Christmas we had to cut back on presents and clothing," she added.
A Department for Communities and Local Government spokesman said: "The reality is mortgage repossession claims continue to fall and are their lowest since 1987.
"This is thanks to our work to tackle the deficit and keep interest rates low, helping more families to stay in their hard-earned homes.
"We've introduced measures to ensure tenants get a fair deal and are aware of their rights. We've also doubled the housing budget to deliver over 400,000 affordable homes and the number of new homes is up 25% in the last year."
The survey of a representative and weighted sample of adults was carried out online by YouGov late last year. | High rents and mortgages in England mean too many families are skimping on heating and winter clothes to make ends meet, says housing charity Shelter. | 35205076 |
Police said the men and women were found by officers in the back of the HGV.
They were given medical treatment by ambulance crews and then taken into custody by Border Force officers on suspicion of being in the UK illegally.
The driver of the lorry was also arrested, on suspicion of facilitating illegal entry into the UK. | A group of 28 suspected illegal immigrants discovered hiding in a lorry in Portsmouth have been detained. | 36350255 |
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The 67-year-old Arsenal manager is clearly not sentimental about his keepsakes - but the sub-plots surrounding this unlikely 2-1 victory meant it was impossible for him to disguise his pride and elation among the celebrations.
Wenger complained in the build-up that the criticism he has received this season was "a disgrace" and something he will "never forget".
And there was even more intrigue in the aftermath as his future after more than 20 years at Arsenal was still shrouded in uncertainty before a board meeting on Tuesday.
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Wenger was a contrast in moods in his post-match media briefing, heaping praise on his players while clearly bristling at his treatment from a section of Arsenal's support this season - with protest marches before matches, and banners calling for him to leave seen both inside and outside Emirates Stadium.
The man who has now brought a seventh FA Cup win of his tenure - as well as three Premier League titles, including two domestic Doubles - clearly believes he should have been afforded more faith, respect and support given his work and commitment.
It is a fanciful notion that, as he said, supporters should simply support once matches start but he has clearly been wounded by the discontent aimed in his direction this season.
Wenger confirmed his future would be clarified this week, with the smart money on an extension of his stay but still an air of uncertainty after a triumph that was fully deserved as Arsenal produced a magnificent display to overpower the Premier League champions.
He insisted he would never accept the "very hostile" environment Arsenal have faced at home this season, and there was a lingering sense that even if he stays, there will be something about his relationship with some supporters that will never quite be the same again.
Wenger was right to assert that an Arsenal career of more than 20 years, and effectively the immediate future of the club, should not come down to one game - but there is no escaping the significance of this FA Cup final win.
Had Arsenal lost, and lost heavily as many expected, the mood could have been so dark that even Wenger's most fervent supporters might have wavered after failure to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in two decades.
Instead, this was a win and a performance that demonstrated Wenger can still win major trophies, can still produce a gameplan to beat the best in the Premier League, and can still provide some sort of answer to those who believe he is the man who changed the face of English football but is reluctant to change himself.
When Arsenal's board meet on Tuesday, he can produce the FA Cup as tangible evidence to strengthen his hand in what he says will be a joint discussion about whether he and the club's decision-makers believe he is the man to take the club forward.
What Arsenal's board must decide is whether they can find anyone who is more likely to be successful than Wenger. And he may have to decide whether he can accept certain structural changes as Arsenal, as they have to do, look ahead to the post-Wenger years.
The joyous scenes at the final whistle, with Wenger arms aloft in triumph in front of Arsenal's ecstatic support, were a far cry from the tension around Gander Green Lane in February, when there was the whiff of an FA Cup shock in the air as the Gunners took on non-league Sutton United on the back of a 5-1 Champions League humiliation at Bayern Munich.
Amid the questions, one thing is certain - this victory, and the manner in which it was achieved, with the sort of aggression, commitment and attractive attacking football that is the Wenger hallmark, at least provides a highly satisfactory basis for discussions this week.
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Arsenal's third FA Cup win in four years is the sort of problem plenty of teams in the Premier League would love to have - but this does not mean serious matters can be ignored in a huge summer for the Gunners.
Aside from the pressing issue of Wenger's situation, Arsenal must also resolve the futures of their two most marketable and talented players - Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil.
Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown, a cornerstone of Wenger's early successes, believes the pair have been indulged, and there is plenty of evidence to suggest he has a point.
At Wembley, though, Sanchez and Ozil were in the sort of form that suggests their manager is right to afford them a little special treatment.
Sanchez, alongside the tireless Danny Welbeck, was Arsenal's spearhead. He scored their opening goal after four minutes, was a direct, aggressive, pacy threat and was a danger every time he got on the ball.
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Ozil was at his graceful best - although he should have scored in the first half - and raised gasps of surprise and joy from Gunners fans with a tackle of such weight it left Eden Hazard writhing in agony in a moment that summed up Arsenal's ferocity.
For all their high maintenance, this pair give Arsenal an extra dimension when firing and need to be kept. Granit Xhaka also finally looks like the player who cost £29m from Borussia Monchengladbach last summer.
And what of the future for men like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott? Once again, they have not produced consistently. Will Wenger continue to show patience with obvious, but often frustrating, talents?
Wenger insists Arsenal only need one or two players of the highest quality, but they must be mentally as well as physically strong because, while he pointed at a blip in March, Arsenal's problem is that blip usually occurs when the Premier League pressure is on, hence no title challenge for 13 years.
And yet, most of all, it comes back to clarity over Wenger's future.
He is clearly unhappy at the uncertainty and hostility this has caused, but he must share - with Arsenal's board - the blame for allowing the situation to drag on unresolved, and for discontent to fester in some quarters.
This is a summer of great significance for Arsenal - and the next few days will produce the most significant moment of all.
They say fortune favours the brave - and Wenger's willingness to take a chance with his team selection was rewarded with what he will regard as one of the sweetest triumphs of his career.
Injuries to Gabriel and Shkodran Mustafi, as well as the suspension of Laurent Koscielny - Arsenal's best central defender, meant Per Mertesacker had to blow away the cobwebs caused by having only 37 minutes of action this season.
The popular 32-year-old proved there was no substitute for experience, with a virtuous display of defending. No matter that he was short of game time, match sharpness and has never possessed serious pace - he was faultless.
Wenger was effusive in his post-match praise, saying: "Per Mertesacker is a perfect example for any young professional football player. What he did today was the consequence of an unbelievable attitude every day even when he was not selected.
"When he was not selected, he worked even harder and that is why I will pay a special tribute to him."
Mertesacker, a World Cup winner with Germany in 2014, used every piece of knowledge, every mile on his football clock, to compensate for a season of inaction to be in the right place at the right time every time.
It was his first start for Arsenal in 392 days - and yet it was arguably his finest performance since he joined the club in August 2011.
Wenger also took a big risk in playing goalkeeper David Ospina ahead of Petr Cech in what is likely to be his final appearance for Arsenal before a summer move.
Cech figured in the semi-final and will have been disappointed to miss out. And Wenger's decision looked in danger of backfiring when Ospina's weak attempt at a save resulted in Diego Costa's equaliser.
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Ospina was Wembley's most relieved man when Aaron Ramsey headed Arsenal back in front, then the Colombian redeemed himself with a crucial save from Costa to ensure the FA Cup was on its way back to Emirates Stadium.
This was Wenger's day. He got everything right and the FA Cup is his prize.
The FA Cup has faced the usual questions about whether it still retains its old glamour - but this was a final befitting what has been an outstanding competition this season.
Sutton United and Lincoln City, beaten by Arsenal in the fifth and sixth rounds respectively, provided the old-fashioned magical element, while the two semi-finals at Wembley were testimony to how seriously the FA Cup is taken by the heavyweights and how precious it remains on our sporting calendar.
Arsenal beat Manchester City, and Chelsea beat Spurs to set up a final that was a thriller from start to finish, with a controversial opening as Sanchez's goal was initially ruled out for offside then given, a contest flowing with chances and attacking football and a late twist when Costa's equaliser was answered instantly by Ramsey's winner.
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Chelsea were not at their best, Arsenal did not allow them to be.
Antonio Conte's side looked leg-weary and were overrun for long and painful periods, as if they had climbed the mountain once by winning the title and could not find the strength for a second assault on the summit.
Arsenal, in contrast, continued their recent upturn with an exuberant, fiercely competitive display and should have won more convincingly, with Welbeck and Ozil hitting the woodwork and Chelsea's Gary Cahill clearing off the line in the first half from Ozil and Ramsey.
The sun shone. Wembley basked in glorious sunshine. The final itself was close to a classic.
The FA Cup proved once again the old magic lingers on. | Arsene Wenger revealed his historic seventh FA Cup final success was so special he would be keeping his medal to remind him of the thrilling Wembley victory over Chelsea. | 40074415 |
The action took place between 1000 and 1700 BST as part of an ongoing national dispute over pension reforms.
People were urged to take care with barbecues and warned of the risk of accidentally starting grass fires.
The Welsh government said it was working with the fire authorities to minimise the impact of the strikes.
South Wales Fire and Rescue urged vigilance and issued safety advice, while North Wales Fire and Rescue warned because of the circumstances "services may be limited".
Before the strike, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said it had a number of staff who were not FBU-affiliated who would work as usual. It urged people to dial 999 in an emergency.
Assistant chief fire officer Rob Quin said: "During the summer grass and mountains can become very dry which means if you deliberately or accidentally start a fire outdoors it will spread very quickly destroying everything in its path.
"A lot of people will be thinking about having a barbecue over the weekend and you need to make sure you have it in a suitable and safe area, never leave unattended and always extinguish properly."
The fire service also warned motorists to be vigilant on the roads, in a week in which four members of a family were killed in a tanker crash on the A44 between Llangurig in Powys and Ponterwyd in Ceredigion.
After the seven-hour strike, the service said it had attended nine incidents, including a fire and a flood.
Assistant Chief Fire Officer Richie Prendergast said he was pleased with how South Wales Fire and Rescue Service had managed its services.
"As expected, the number of firefighters from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service who chose to strike was high, which resulted in a large reduction in the resources that we had at our disposal.
"As such, we were unable to provide the same high level of response to incidents as we normally would and as a consequence prioritised our response to those in most critical need."
The FBU was taking part in its 14th strike since last September. It wants firefighters to be allowed to retire earlier than other workers from the physically demanding job.
Matt Wrack, general secretary called for a "more affordable, workable and fair pension scheme than is currently on offer" for Wales and England.
The Welsh government said it was committed to collective pensions arrangements which follow similar approaches to those being taken elsewhere in the UK.
"We continue to work with the three fire and rescue authorities on contingency plans to minimise the impact this strike will have on Wales," said a spokesman. | Fire chiefs warned the public to take extra care in the dry weather, as the sunny spells coincided with the latest firefighters' strike. | 27943247 |
Organisers said turnout was 510,000, while police said about 98,600 took part during the peak of the march.
The annual rally, marking the day Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997, was to demand full electoral freedom.
It came after an unofficial referendum on how to choose Hong Kong's next chief executive drew close to 800,000 votes.
China says it will introduce universal suffrage for the 2017 election - but wants the final say over who can run.
The Hong Kong government said the 10-day referendum had no legal standing.
While organisers put the number of those joining Tuesday's rally from Victoria Park to the city's Central district at more than half a million, the University of Hong Kong's public opinion programme estimated a turnout of between 154,000 and 172,000.
The organisers' figure would make the march the largest since 2004, when 530,000 were estimated to have taken part in a pro-democracy demonstration.
The annual 1 July rally first gained prominence in 2003, when half a million people demonstrated against proposed anti-subversion laws which were later scrapped.
Roads around Victoria Park were closed off and footage showed key roads jammed with marchers.
Reports said protesters were still in the park as the first marchers arrived in the Central district four hours later, giving an idea of the scale of the rally.
Security was tight, with about 4,000 police officers on patrol.
After the march, hundreds of protesters staged a sit-in in the Central district. Police said the sit-in was "unauthorised" and began removing some of the participants in the early hours of Wednesday.
Some demonstrators linked arms in a bid to resist being moved.
At the scene: Juliana Liu, BBC News, Hong Kong
Chanting "genuine democracy" and "CY Leung step down", tens of thousands braved the heat and rain to march for full voting rights.
CY Leung, the current chief executive, was elected in 2012 by a committee of just 1,200 members, who were believed to be largely loyal to the Chinese government. The protesters fear that in 2017 the shortlist of candidates to replace him will selected by a similar group, making universal suffrage essentially meaningless.
But that is exactly what is likely to happen, unless there is some kind of compromise.
A senior Hong Kong government official told reporters recently that the next chief executive must be appointed by Beijing.
Speaking earlier at a ceremony to mark the 17th anniversary of the former British colony's return to China, Hong Kong leader CY Leung said that the government was trying hard to forge a consensus on political reform.
"Only by maintaining Hong Kong's stability can we sustain our economic prosperity. Only by sustaining Hong Kong's prosperity can we improve people's livelihoods," Mr Leung said.
The unofficial referendum, organised by campaign group Occupy Central, allowed the public to decide which of three proposals - all of which involved allowing citizens to directly nominate candidates - to present to Beijing.
Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997 following a 1984 agreement between China and Britain.
China agreed to govern Hong Kong under the principle of "one country, two systems", where the city would enjoy "a high degree of autonomy, except in foreign and defence affairs" for 50 years.
As a result, Hong Kong has its own legal system, and rights including freedom of assembly and free speech are protected. | Tens of thousands of protesters have taken part in what organisers say could be Hong Kong's largest pro-democracy rally in a decade. | 28102644 |
The Syrian army said its warplane was on a mission against the Islamic State (IS) group when it came under fire on Sunday, according to state television.
It said the incident would have "dangerous repercussions" on efforts to fight terrorism.
The US said it acted in self-defence after the Syrian regime dropped bombs near US-backed fighters.
"In accordance with rules of engagement and in collective self-defence of Coalition-partnered forces [the plane] was immediately shot down," said the US military in a statement.
The incident took place in the town of Ja'Din, which is held by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and lies on the outskirts of Raqqa.
The SDF rebel fighters, supported by US-led coalition air strikes, are encircling the IS stronghold of Raqqa.
Two hours before the plane was shot down, the US said forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad attacked SDF fighters, "wounding a number" of them and driving them from Ja'Din.
The US said it responded without hesitation, but emphasised that it did not seek to fight to the Syrian regime.
"The demonstrated hostile intent and actions of pro-regime forces toward Coalition and partner forces in Syria conducting legitimate counter-Isis operations will not be tolerated," it added.
Syrian pro-government forces are not fighting the battle for Raqqa, but they are making ground against IS in the surrounding area, south-west of the city.
Earlier this month, the US shot down a pro-Syrian government armed drone after it fired at coalition forces near the al-Tanf border crossing, between Syria and Iraq.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced on Sunday that it has launched several missiles into eastern Syria, targeting IS fighters.
IS claimed responsibility for an attack on Iranian parliament earlier in June, which killed more than a dozen people. | The US-led coalition in Syria has shot down a Syrian military jet in Raqqa province. | 40322666 |
Details of Friday's meeting between the two was revealed by General Than Shwe's grandson, who acted as intermediary.
He said in a Facebook post the meeting had lasted two-and-a-half hours.
Ms Suu Kyi led her National League for Democracy (NLD) party to a landslide election victory in November.
The election was the first openly contested general election in Myanmar (also known as Burma) in 25 years.
The BBC's Jonah Fisher in Myanmar says 82-year-old General Than Shwe, who headed the country's military junta until he stepped down in 2011, still wields enormous influence.
His grandson Nay Shwe Thway Aung quoted him as having said in the meeting: "It is the truth that she will become the future leader of the country," and "I will support her with all of my efforts".
It's not clear whether General Shwe's comments amount to a commitment to help Ms Suu Kyi change the clause of the constitution that bars her from becoming president because she has foreign children.
The last week has seen talks between all Myanmar's key players.
One topic on the table was the thorny question of who becomes Myanmar's next president.
Mrs Suu Kyi has previously told the BBC she would find a president as required, but "that won't stop me from making all the decisions as the leader of the winning party".
Full profile | Myanmar's former military ruler sees erstwhile foe Aung San Suu Kyi as the country's "future leader" and has pledged support for her in a secret meeting, the general's grandson said. | 35019032 |
The couple, who have been named locally as Donald and Maureen Macmillan, were discovered outside the house in Gravir in the South Lochs area overnight.
They ran the post office in the small community about 25 miles south of Stornoway.
Mr Macmillan was in his 70s and had been with the post office for almost 50 years.
It is not clear yet how or why the couple ended up outside as temperatures dipped below freezing.
People in the community have been shocked by the news, saying the Macmillans were well known in the community and a lovely couple.
Police Scotland said officers were at the scene and their investigation was at "a very early stage".
The deaths are currently being treated as "unexplained".
Murdo MacLennan, a local Free Church elder, has paid tribute to the couple, describing them as "lovely".
He said they would be missed in the local community. | The bodies of a man and a woman have been found outside their home on the Isle of Lewis. | 38026975 |
The UN has asked Israel to compensate Lebanon before but this is the first time a figure has been given.
The assembly voted overwhelmingly in favour by 170 votes to six, but its resolutions are not legally binding.
Israel's UN mission said the resolution was biased.
The slick was created when Israeli jets bombed a power station, releasing about 15,000 tonnes of oil into the eastern Mediterranean sea.
At its peak, it stretched for 120km (75 miles) along the shore.
The resolution calls the incident an "environmental disaster'' which caused extensive pollution.
The Lebanese ambassador to the UN, Nawaf Salam, said the resolution was "major progress".
But Israel's UN mission attacked the move, saying the country had already responded to the slick by working with the UN and other organisations.
"This resolution has long outlived the effects of the oil slick, and serves no purpose other than to contribute to institutionalising an anti-Israel agenda at the UN," a statement quoted by AP said.
The 2006 conflict began when the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah launched a raid into Israel and captured two Israeli soldiers.
Israel launched massive air and sea attacks on targets all over Lebanon, then invaded the south of the country.
More than 1,000 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and about 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers, died. | The UN General Assembly has passed a resolution asking Israel to pay Lebanon more than $850m (£544m) for a major oil spill during Israel's 2006 war with Hezbollah. | 30559670 |
Here, BBC News looks at the causes of the unrest and how it has developed.
What sparked the protests?
The unrest began on 28 May as a protest to stop the demolition of one of Istanbul's rare central green spaces. Gezi Park is located in Taksim Square, the heart of the modern city and a focal point of huge symbolic value to many Istanbul residents and Turks with secular leanings. The development plans envisage building a replica Ottoman-era barracks and a mosque on the square, in a city already well-served by Islamic houses of prayer, critics say. Tempers were already high after police stopped leftist marchers holding a May Day rally on the square this year.
How did the anger spread so fast and so far?
Originally, just a small group of protesters "occupied" Gezi Park but after riot police moved in to clear them out with tear gas and water cannon, the unrest mushroomed into huge demonstrations in Istanbul. On 1 June, thousands of people streamed towards the square across the Bosphorus suspension bridge. Solidarity protests have erupted in 78 Turkish towns and cities and public sector trade unions staged a sympathy strike. The government has since admitted that police overreacted. To date, at least 5,000 protesters have been injured across the country, many of them seriously. The Turkish Human Rights Foundation has said the number of deaths in the protests has risen to four. It says a man who died of a heart attack days ago had been exposed to "too much" tear gas. Two demonstrators and a policeman have also been killed. The government says 600 police officers have been injured.
Who are the protesters in Istanbul?
They range from young, secular-minded women students to football fans, from the urban middle class to "the typical urban poor youth", according to the BBC's Paul Mason, who has been reporting from Istanbul. A committee set up to negotiate with the government, the Taksim Solidarity Platform (TSP), is composed of academics, architects and environmentalists. No particular leader has emerged yet. It is also unclear how much influence the secularist opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has on the demonstrators, despite government allegations that it is playing a key role.
What are the demonstrators' demands?
The TSP has asked for the scrapping of plans to redevelop the park, the sacking of police chiefs in Istanbul and other cities, a ban on the use of tear gas and the release of detained protesters.
What other grievances are at work?
Some see a creeping Islamisation of their secular state by the AKP under its powerful leader, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Days before the unrest began, a bill to ban the late-night sale of alcohol in shops was passed by parliament. Protesters have been holding up cans of beer and mock-toasting Mr Erdogan as a gesture of defiance. He has also sought to roll back the constitutional ban on the Islamic headscarf, to ban adultery and kissing in public. Others are outraged by what they see as his authoritarianism - and a campaign against his critics in the media. Supporters of Turkey's traditionally secular status are opposed to his campaign to depower the military and his peace process with Kurdish militants. Others are equally concerned about his policy of supporting the opposition in Syria.
Is this a Turkish Spring?
Turkey is not comparable to those Arab countries which had never known democracy. Firstly, the government owes its legitimacy to three successive election victories. The AKP won the last polls, in 2011, convincingly with international monitors generally satisfied that they had been conducted fairly. Secondly, Mr Erdogan and his party appear to still enjoy a bedrock of support in the wider country. A Pew opinion poll taken before the protests suggested that 62% of Turks took a favourable view of him, though it found this support falling sharply in the Istanbul metropolis, and among secular Turks in particular. Thirdly, under the AKP, Turkey has enjoyed economic growth as well as growing prestige as a regional power.
Any other comparisons?
It is tempting to compare the Turkish protests with the unrest in Moscow after the 2011 Russian general election, when resentment at rule by the same party for more than a decade boiled over. In Russia, the protesters ultimately failed to connect with the wider public and the movement rapidly declined.
How has the Turkish government reacted to the protests?
Prime Minister Erdogan has said that, even though he is a devout Muslim, he is committed to Turkey's secular laws and he denies any charges of autocracy. But he and his government have consistently taken a tough stance. He recently asked: "Were we supposed to kneel before them? They can call me harsh, but this Tayyip Erdogan won't change." He has also vowed to press ahead with the Taksim redevelopment plans and dismissed the protesters as extremists. However, he is scheduled to meet a group of government-selected activists for talks. Riot police fought running battles with pockets of protesters in Taksim Square overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday. By the morning, the square was bulldozed and largely deserted.
What reaction has there been abroad?
The US, which has held up Mr Erdogan's Turkey as an example of Muslim democracy from which other Middle Eastern countries could learn, has expressed concern about events and urged dialogue between government and protesters. The German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle has said the Turkish government is sending the wrong signal at home and abroad, describing pictures from Taksim Square as "disturbing". He said he expected Mr Erdogan to "de-escalate the situation, in the spirit of European values".
Could Mr Erdogan lose his own party's support?
It is difficult to see how the party the prime minister founded would turn against him. There is little sign of differences emerging among party leaders. However, President Abdullah Gul, Mr Erdogan's old AKP ally, has taken a more conciliatory line towards the protesters, saying "democracy does not mean elections alone". | Turkey has been gripped by the biggest street protests since the Islamist-leaning Justice and Development Party (AKP) took power more than a decade ago. | 22780773 |
ITV will stop broadcasting from 09:30 on 27 August as part of the I Am Team GB campaign.
The move, organised with the National Lottery, will also see thousands of sports clubs open to let people try new sports for free.
Olympic medallists, including long jumper Greg Rutherford, will take part.
The Bank Holiday weekend event is part of the celebrations to welcome home Team GB from the Rio Olympics.
The Coronation Street and Emmerdale sets will be hosting events, along with the Copper Box Arena in London, Glasgow National Hockey Centre and Sport Wales National Centre in Cardiff.
Rutherford, who won a bronze medal in Rio, urged people to get involved, adding: "You don't have to be an Olympian to be part of Team GB."
ITV would usually show Murder, She Wrote at the time of the blackout, with the Coronation Street omnibus on ITV2.
A statement from I Am Team GB described the day as "a homecoming for our lottery-funded Olympic athletes when they return from Rio, inspiring everyone, no matter what their level of fitness, to come together with Olympic heroes and famous faces from ITV in the biggest ever UK-wide sports day".
Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram, or email [email protected]. | ITV is switching off all seven of its channels for an hour to encourage people to get off their sofas and take part in sport following Team GB's Olympics success. | 37116263 |
Reade, 25, described the move to the US as temporary and said her ultimate goal was to win Olympic gold for Britain.
"I'm looking forward to gaining more experience and using this in my campaign for Rio [in 2016]," she said.
Reade, team sprint world champion on the track in 2007 and 2008, has the "full support" of British Cycling.
Head coach Shane Sutton said: "The door is always open to her as and when she decides to return to BMX Supercross.
"Shanaze has been a real asset to us over the years and she is an inspiration to youngsters, which has always been great to see."
Reade had been leading this year's 2013 BMX Supercross Word Cup Series until a knee injury sustained in July prevented her from competing for the rest of the season. | Three-time world BMX champion Shanaze Reade is to leave British Cycling's Olympic Podium Programme next year to focus on the AMA BMX Series in America. | 24763187 |
At least 150 men booked in for the 20-minute procedure which involves severing the tubes that carry sperm.
Doctors performed the vasectomies on stage behind a curtain at the Kenyan National Theatre in Nairobi.
Kenyan men considering a vasectomy often fear the stigma of being seen as having lost their masculinity.
The World Vasectomy Day organisation was behind the event, which was broadcast on Facebook and included a panel of experts discussing "the myths and misconceptions about vasectomy".
Campaigners reiterated that it was a safe form of family planning and why it was important in terms of "the country and the planet".
"Many men have this perception that vasectomy causes a man to turn into a woman," Dr Jack Zhang, a Canadian doctor at the event, told the BBC.
"Some men fear that in Africa there's a high mortality rate so they need to have more children."
The BBC's Abdinoor Aden in Nairobi says some of the men who came to have a vasectomy were driven by economic concerns about having a large family.
Others said it was to help their partners.
"The family planning methods my wife was using have had bad effects on her so I opted to go and do vasectomy so that she can be relieved," one man told the BBC.
What is a vasectomy?
Source: World Vasectomy Day | Vasectomy operations on men in Kenya have been live streamed from a theatre in the capital as part a campaign to promote the sterilisation procedure. | 38027215 |
Former Irish League top scorer Gormley suffered the injury during a reserve team game against Norwich City last week and will have surgery next week.
Gormley, 25, starred in pre-season but struggled for form when Posh's League One season started.
The forward won back-to-back Irish Premiership titles with Cliftonville.
Gormley, 25, moved to London Road in June after scoring 40 goals in Northern Ireland for Cliftonville in 2014-15.
He was named the Northern Ireland Football Writers' Player of the Year in 2014. | Peterborough United striker Joe Gormley could be sidelined for up to a year after snapping the cruciate ligaments in his left knee. | 34389785 |
It said the cortege will leave a morgue on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday morning to go to the Union Buildings where his body will lie in state.
Mourners are being encouraged to line the route.
His family has expressed gratitude for the support it had received.
Family spokesman Lt Gen Themba Templeton Matanzima said the past two days had not been easy, after losing a "great man, a pillar of the family".
"But with the support we are receiving from here and beyond, and in due time, all will be well for the family," said spokesman Lt Gen Themba Templeton Matanzima.
Vigils for the former leader have been continuing across South Africa.
Hundreds of mourners have gathered outside Mr Mandela's home in Johannesburg's northern suburb of Houghton where he died, and thousands of flowers and candles have been laid outside.
1918 Born in the Eastern Cape
1943 Joins ANC
1956 Charged with high treason, but charges dropped after a four-year trial
1962 Jailed for five years for incitement and leaving country without a passport
1964 Charged with sabotage, sentenced to life
1990 Freed from prison
1993 Wins Nobel Peace Prize
1994-99 Serves as president
2004 Retires from public life
2010 Last major public appearance at football World Cup in Johannesburg
In pictures: Mandela vigils
Remembering the man
South African papers pay tribute
Mr Mandela died on Thursday evening aged 95.
On Saturday the government published further details of the 10-day state funeral, saying as many people as possible would be given the opportunity to pay their last respects.
On Tuesday, an official memorial service will be held at the FNB Stadium on the outskirts of Johannesburg.
When the three days of lying in state are over, Mr Mandela's body will then be flown from an air force base in Pretoria to Qunu in the Eastern Cape for burial.
Qunu is where Mr Mandela grew up and later retired to.
Flags at all official buildings will fly at half mast throughout the period and books of condolence are being circulated across the country and online for people to post tributes, record memories and express their emotions.
Sunday has been designated an official day of prayer and reflection and President Jacob Zuma urged South Africans to to go to stadiums, halls, churches, temples or synagogues.
"We should, while mourning, also sing at the top of our voices, dance and do whatever we want to do, to celebrate the life of this outstanding revolutionary who kept the spirit of freedom alive and led us to a new society. Let us sing for Madiba," he said, using Mr Mandela's clan name.
A government statement recalled the former president's own thoughts when asked how he wished to be remembered.
"It would be very egotistical of me to say how I would like to be remembered," Mr Mandela said.
"I'd leave that entirely to South Africans. I would just like a simple stone on which is written, 'Mandela'."
Ahmed Kathrada, Mr Mandela's friend of 67 years and his companion in prison on Robben Island, told the BBC of his "overwhelming emotion" at seeing his old friend in hospital earlier this year.
"For 67 years I knew him as a strong man. I was shocked [to see] this strong man, a shadow of himself. That was overwhelming... so much so that I told [his wife] Mrs Machel that I don't want to see him again. I thanked her very much but I said, please, I can't bear it."
Mr Kathrada said Graca Machel had sent him a message earlier on Thursday that the former leader would die that evening.
"They were told by the doctor that he was on his very last," he said.
Watch key moments in Nelson Mandela's life
See Nelson Mandela sworn in as president
Listen to Nelson Mandela in his own words
Hear how Mandela's autobiography was smuggled out of prison
Interview: Mandela's first steps to freedom
Outlook: Mandela, my friend
More from BBC World Service
Tributes to Mr Mandela have come from leaders, celebrities and members of the public around the world.
US President Barack Obama said Mr Mandela "achieved more than could be expected of any man".
Pope Francis said Mr Mandela had forged "a new South Africa built on the firm foundations of non-violence, reconciliation and truth".
The former South African leader spent 27 years in jail before becoming the country's first black president in 1994.
He served a single term before stepping down in 1999.
Mr Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 along with FW de Klerk, South Africa's last white president.
He suffered repeated bouts of ill health and since September had been receiving treatment at home for a recurring lung illness. | A funeral cortege bearing Nelson Mandela's body will travel through the streets of Pretoria daily on three days before his burial next Sunday, the South African government says. | 25280920 |
The workers, who went on strike over the issue, left 15 bodies abandoned at the city's main hospital.
One of the bodies was reportedly left by the hospital manager's office and two others by the hospital entrance.
The workers have now been sacked for treating the corpses in a "very, very inhumane" way, an official said.
Sierra Leone is one of the countries worst affected by this year's Ebola outbreak, with more than 1,200 deaths.
Kenema is the third largest city in Sierra Leone and the biggest in the east, where the Ebola outbreak first emerged in the country.
The burial workers told a BBC reporter they had not been paid agreed extra risk allowances for October and November.
The BBC's Umaru Fofana in Freetown says the bodies have now been taken away but the workers had refused to end their strike.
A spokesman for the government's National Ebola Response Centre, Sidi Yahya Tunis, said the workers had been sacked not for striking, but for indiscipline by treating the corpses in a "very, very inhumane" manner.
He said there would be an investigation into why workers had not been paid, since both the government and World Bank had released money for high-risk pay to district health management teams.
"Somebody somewhere has to investigate where these monies have been going, who have been paid these monies... Action will definitely be taken against those who delayed their pay," Mr Tunis told the BBC.
The burial workers' industrial action came two weeks after health workers went on strike for similar reasons at a clinic near Bo - the only facility in southern Sierra Leone treating Ebola victims.
Ebola has killed more than 5,000 people in West Africa this year, mostly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the outbreak a global health emergency.
People are infected when they have direct contact through broken skin, or the mouth and nose, with the blood, vomit, faeces or bodily fluids of someone with Ebola.
The virus can be present in urine and semen too.
Infection may also occur through direct contact with contaminated bedding, clothing and surfaces - but only through broken skin.
The virus is still dangerous and present in the body after death. Burial workers are at risk of infection and commonly wear protective clothing and take other precautions.
Health professionals say those who have died from Ebola should be buried promptly to lessen the risks of infection spreading. | Burial workers in the Sierra Leonean city of Kenema have dumped bodies in public in protest at non-payment of allowances for handling Ebola victims. | 30191938 |
The body of Helen Lancaster, 54, was found on Wednesday at the house in Kingston Road, Tewkesbury.
David John Lancaster, 59, of Kingston Road, was later arrested in Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset.
He was remanded in custody at Cheltenham Magistrates' Court to appear at Bristol Crown Court on Tuesday.
In a statement her family said they were "deeply saddened by the sudden loss of Helen".
"She will be greatly missed and was a much-loved mother, sister, daughter, aunty and friend." | A man charged with murdering a woman whose body was found at a house in Gloucestershire, has been remanded in custody by magistrates. | 34423130 |
Police said the men forced their way into the house in Ashley Road, Poole, at about 21:15 GMT on Friday.
Officers said the family's children were also threatened in what they said was a "very frightening ordeal". No-one was hurt.
The robbers are thought to be white, in their early-20s and were said to speak with a "local accent".
Dorset Police urged anyone who is offered "Asian jewellery" in "unusual circumstances" to contact the police. | Three men wearing masks threatened a family with tools before stealing jewellery and cash. | 38623701 |
PC Tariq Dost, who is based in Solihull, was first arrested last Thursday and released on bail. He was then re-arrested on Tuesday and later charged, the force said.
The 49-year-old, from Birmingham, appeared before magistrates in the city earlier and is due to appear at crown court on 10 February.
He has not been been suspended. | A West Midlands Police officer has appeared before magistrates accused of assaulting a child. | 35304012 |
Gloria Joseph, 80, from Leicester, fractured her hip after a fall and could not move from the floor.
Her son, Conrad Dore, said he was "angry and scared" while the family waited because he believed she "didn't have much time left".
East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) said the healthcare system was "under extreme pressure" on Monday.
Updates on this story and more from around Leicestershire
Mr Dore, who is first aid trained, said he called the ambulance service several times as his mother "was in too much agony".
"She was shaking, one side of her body was really hurting and the pain started to go up into her shoulder - she started to get pins and needles," he said.
He added the experience was "very distressing" for his mother, who is a diabetic, and the family.
Dr Bob Winter, medical director of EMAS, said: "Over the day we took about 2,400 emergency calls, that's one every 37 seconds.
"The wider healthcare system was extremely busy and that had a knock-on effect on our service.
"We had 10 ambulances waiting at Leicester Royal Infirmary to hand over patients."
Richard Mitchell, chief operating officer at Leicester's Hospitals NHS Trust, said delays in providing patients' care was "unacceptable" and the hospital had recently had its "highest number of emergency admissions in one week".
"To dramatically reduce the number of ambulance handover delays, we must reduce the numbers of people needing emergency care.
"I would like to say sorry to anyone who has experienced a delay."
EMAS, which responds to 616,000 emergency and urgent calls each year, failed to hit targets to reach the highest priority calls for a fifth year running in 2014/15. | A man said he feared for his mother's life after she "went into shock" while waiting two hours for an ambulance. | 34982588 |
In cold and windy conditions, the Down woman's time of 9:59.76 was over 17 seconds outside her personal best and Olympic qualifying mark set last year.
O'Flaherty, 34, was the second Irish finisher with another Rio qualifier Sara Treacy taking third in 9:56.81.
The Northern Irishwoman was in the leading trio for most of the race.
However, she was passed by Treacy and a couple of other athletes on the final lap at the Spitzen Leichathletik meeting.
After early leader Moroccan Fadwa Sidi Madane dropped out shortly after halfway because of injury, Swiss athlete Fabienne Schlumpf took victory in 9:53.61 ahead of Kenyan's Fancy Cherotich (9:55.76).
With Treacy in third spot, France's Claire Perraux also finished ahead of O'Flaherty.
Newcastle runner O'Flaherty will return to her French Pyrenees base of Font Romeu on Wednesday before travelling home for the Irish Championships on 25-26 June.
With the conditions badly affecting the sprints at Tuesday's meeting, Carlow man Marcus Lawler could only clock 21.58 seconds in the B 200m.
Lawler, 21, equalled his personal best of 20.74 in Spain last week. | Olympic Games qualifier Kerry O'Flaherty finished fifth as she ran her first 3,000m steeplechase of the summer at Tuesday's meeting in Lucerne. | 36534969 |
In the case of Stephen Adly Guirgis's play, it is because it contains a swear word.
For the purposes of this article we'll refer to it as The Mother with the Hat. The National Theatre prints the swear word on the programme with two asterisks.
Guirgis's play received six Tony nominations on Broadway and opened at the NT's Lyttelton Theatre last week to enthusiastic reviews. It runs until 20 August.
It is directed by Indhu Rubasingham and the cast includes Desperate Housewives star Ricardo Chavira as Jackie, a recovering addict just out of jail who has landed a job to impress his childhood sweetheart Veronica (Flor De Liz Perez).
But things take a turn when he notices another man's hat in their apartment.
On a recent visit to London, Guirgis told the BBC about the play's title, winning the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and his new Netflix project with Baz Luhrmann.
The reviews have been very good, so how does it feel to have a play at the National?
This is an important season at one of your most important theatres, so the fact they chose to do a play of mine is a real honour and the fact that it is apparently being well received makes me feel a sense of relief that it didn't let anybody down.
Does it bother you that the theatre has put asterisks in the title?
I get it. When I wrote the play originally I didn't think it was going to Broadway or the National. It felt like the right title for this play.
The title is a blessing and a curse. It's a curse because sometimes that's where the conversation begins and ends.
It's a blessing because it's like a disclaimer. You can't walk into a play with this title and be offended.
What I'd hoped for in London and New York is that when you come and see the play you'll have an experience that transcends your experience of the title.
Have producers ever suggested that the title might hurt the play's commercial prospects?
Initially producers didn't have any problem with it, but then they discovered it's difficult to figure out what to call it for the internet.
No-one ever told me to change it, so I didn't.
What sparked the idea for this play?
Some of the play I've experienced, for sure, other parts I haven't.
I'm interested in codes of conduct. When we're younger, our friendships are probably the things that are most prized, We have an organised set of rules built around them that we mostly follow.
But then when we get older, life gets more complicated and those loyalties and codes can be broken.
I'm interested in what is acceptable behaviour amongst friends.
Most of my plays, if you break them down, are about people who are past the age where they should have already grown up still trying to grow up.
How does it feel to have the Pulitzer Prize for Drama on your CV?
It's a little surreal. It's not tattooed on my arm but you're right, it's on my resume, and I figure in the worst-case scenario if I bomb out as a playwright I'll be able to get a job teaching.
If I'm in a plane crash maybe they'll put "Pulitzer Prize winner Guirgis dies".
I'm glad it happened. I have the plaque, I went to the ceremony and I'm grateful - but I've got to get on with what's next.
And that's a Netflix series called The Get Down with Baz Luhrmann about the birth of hip hop?
It's a coming-of-age story of these five kids in the south Bronx in the 70s and the cultural and artistic revolutions that came out of New York: hip hop, punk rock and the graffiti and breakdance scenes.
I grew up in New York, so I know a bit about it, but doing the research has been great.
Has it been a very different experience from writing a play?
I've done some television work before. There's less autonomy.
Working with Baz I learn so much about the execution of story.
We'll be talking about a character like a breakdancer or a drug dealer and he'll reference the Greeks and Shakespeare and connect the story to a continuum that's been going on for thousands of years.
As a Pulitzer Prize winner, what will your next play be about?
It's a boxing play, a period piece that goes from the late 40s to the early 70s.
It tells the story of a boxer who was great enough to become a champion for a minute, but lacked some of the intangibles and good fortune to stay a champion.
Most of my plays are set in New York but in this play there are scenes in the French Riviera and they go back in time; so it might take a little while.
Does it have a title?
Right now it's got the mundane title of Untitled Boxing Play. When you use boxing expressions as titles it either sounds really good or really stupid.
So far I've only been able to come up with the stupid ones. | It's not every day the National Theatre - and the BBC - is unable to broadcast the full title of a play. | 33238562 |
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