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Norbert Hofer's new slogan translates as "So help me God" which his party says reflects "a strong anchorage in Christian and Western values". But leaders from Protestant churches said God was the defender of the weak, "who today include refugees". Mr Hofer's Freedom Party has campaigned against immigration. The Christian leaders - not including the country's dominant Catholic Church - also said God was not Western, but universal. "God cannot be manipulated for personal intentions or political purposes," Bishop Michael Buenker said in a joint statement with other Protestant leaders (in German). "We consider that mentioning God for one's own political interests and using him along with reference to the Christian West to indirectly attack other religions and cultures amounts to an abuse of his name and of religion in general. "We reject the use of God for political campaigning." In response, Mr Hofer tweeted the lyrics to the Austrian national anthem (in German), which mention God, a picture of a US dollar note bearing the slogan "In God we trust" and a picture of the cover of a book about German Chancellor Angela Merkel, entitled So wahr mir Gott helfe. Mrs Merkel used the optional phrase at her swearing-in ceremony. It is the exact same slogan as Mr Hofer used, and translates to "So help me God". Mr Hofer is facing an independent Green-backed candidate, Alexander van der Bellen, in an election which is being rerun because of procedural irregularities. If he wins, he will become the first far-right head of state in Europe since the EU was founded. In May, he lost by 31,000 votes to Mr van der Bellen, but the Freedom Party's claim of procedural irregularities was upheld in court and the election will be re-run in December. The re-run had to be postponed after an October attempt was curtailed due to postal vote envelopes not being sticky enough. The Freedom Party said Mr Hofer's slogan had come directly from his heart. Party official Herbert Kickl said the phrase was "in no way a misuse of the concept of God" and that mentioning God was "deeply rooted in our tradition and culture". His other slogans included "Norbert Hofer: for Austria with heart and soul". Mr Hofer was born into a Roman Catholic family but has since become a Protestant. His wife and children are Catholic.
Christian leaders in Austria have criticised a far-right presidential candidate for invoking the name of God in a political campaign slogan.
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Surveys of a large forest near Loch Ness have recorded rare insect species, including a midge not previously found in the UK - that does not bite. The work at Findhorn-based Trees for Life's Dundreggan Conservation Estate also found a pseudo-scorpion called knotty shining claw. The charity said it was the first time the creature had been recorded in Scotland north of the River Tay. Two rare kinds of gnats were also detected in the forest in Glenmoriston. The name Dundreggan is derived from Gaelic's Dul Drea-gain - the Dragon's Haugh. Finds made in the latest surveys of the area, which were carried out last year, included: The non-biting Chironomus vallenduuki does not pose the same irritation to animals, and human visitors to Dundreggan, as the vastly more common Scottish biting midge does. Previous surveys have uncovered other hard to find invertebrates, and rarely seen behaviour by insects. The previous discoveries have included species new to the UK such as a sawfly known as Nematus pravus and an aphid named Cinara smolandiae. A strawberry spider, Araneus alsine, found at Dundreggan in 2010 had only been recorded seven times prior to being found in the Highland forest. Two years later, a biting midge was also observed feeding on a larger cranefly. This behaviour had not previously been recorded in Europe, according Trees for Life. Alan Watson Featherstone, Trees for Life's founder, said: "Dundreggan is a special part of the Caledonian Forest that keeps on revealing beautiful, interesting and rare species. "The surprisingly rich wealth of life in this corner of the Highlands highlights the importance of concerted conservation action to protect and restore Scotland's wild places."
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The Premier League's current leading goalscorer reaped the benefits of the loan system during his early development years, spending temporary stints at Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich and, of all teams, Leicester. But he is not alone. In fact, only six of Roy Hodgson's 21-man England squad to face Germany and the Netherlands have not benefitted from a loan spell at one point in their career. The ease of which players do so may all be about to change, though, with Fifa planning to end the current emergency loan system in England's Football League. That would mean no more loan windows - the current one shuts on Thursday - outside of the normal transfer windows. Fifa are scrapping it to protect the "sporting integrity of competitions" and, after a one-season reprieve from changes, the Football Association rules will now fall in line with Fifa's desire from next term onwards - something many in the Football League are not happy about. "Where are they going to play?" Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy asked BBC Look East. "You're only allowed three overage players in the under-21s. If you've got a squad of 24 or 25 and some need to have some football, somebody beneath us could loan one of our players - what's wrong in doing that? "Harry Kane wouldn't be the England striker without him going to Millwall, Leicester and Norwich. Without having those experiences going out, they don't get to be the players they are today." The changes will bring an end to 28-day and 93-day loans outside the transfer window, meaning the only loan Kane would not have been able to go on was the one to Leicester, but a different system may have meant different planning for buying clubs. This season, McCarthy has brought in Arsenal's 18-year-old winger Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who has since gone on to make 31 appearances, a total he would probably have got nowhere near if he had stayed with the Premier League title hopefuls. "It seems to get good young players, who are never, ever going to play in the top team's first team, some experience," said McCarthy. "Where are they going to get it? "The big teams still won't put them in to their first team, they'll buy somebody else." But it is not just about developing youngsters. This season, Ipswich's stuttering Championship play-off charge was given new life by bringing in midfielder Ben Pringle from Fulham in February, and he has scored the only goal in two 1-0 wins during his seven games so far. Under the new rules, McCarthy would have needed to sign him two weeks earlier in the January transfer window. That gives clubs a new headache to deal with. "Once the window shuts, it shuts," said Peterborough director of football Barry Fry. "What do clubs do? Do they carry a bigger squad to compensate for injuries or suspensions or do they go with what they've got, and if they do pick up a load of injuries, they've got to rely on their youth players. Now are the youth players good enough to make that jump into the first team? "I can see some clubs carrying 35 or 40 players, which is far too many because they won't be able to afford them anyway and won't be able to get them off the wage bill by loaning them out. It's a crazy decision by Fifa." However, their feelings are not shared by all in the Football League, with Exeter City manager Paul Tisdale seemingly not too fussed by the changes. "I'm not passionate about it one way or the other," he said. "We prefer to bring our own players through and if we have the choice to play a developing player at Exeter or someone else's developing player we will go for our own. "I'm not particularly driven to offer too much of a comment, because it's not something we often use." One player the League Two club do have on loan is striker Jayden Stockley, signed in January and currently in his ninth loan spell away from parent club AFC Bournemouth. He is the exact type of player the new ruling will impact. So why go out on loan in the first place? "I wanted to get out and make my own successes and hopefully build up a career I can be proud of," he told BBC Radio Devon. "Ultimately this is the level I need to prove myself so I'm not looking at the Premier League, that's a long way off. "I want to climb the leagues at a steady pace, in a way in which you lay foundations at a steady pace to play higher." Changes to the loan system may mean that young players at Premier League clubs will end up playing more of their football in the under-21s league. But, in the words of former Stoke youngster James Alabi, if you are not a player on the verge of the first team or over the age of 18 playing in the under-21s, "you're wasting your time" because of the gap to the senior squad. Alabi was one of the many players sent out of top-flight clubs to get some experience in the lower-leagues. He scored 10 minutes into his Football League debut for Scunthorpe but, after a nine-game loan spell at Glanford Park, he then only made a combined total of three starts in his next four loan spells. It is safe to say he is not a fan of short-term loans. "As a footballer you need to settle in, get to know players well and they get to know you well," he said. "You can't make as much of an impact as you'd like to unless you have a decent few games, but in football that doesn't always happen. "It 100% hindered my development. I felt like I didn't have enough time to show what I'd do, the month went by quickly and what happens if you get an injury or a red card? "I went on loan and got a red card in the first game and they didn't extend the loan." Via a brief spell at Ipswich, Alabi now finds himself at National League side Chester, where in his sixth match he scored four goals in the first half. Whatever he or the rest of English football feels about these changes to the loan system, all of the Football League will need to adapt to the changes in a bid to unearth the next Harry Kane.
It is quite a strange sight seeing a fresh-faced Harry Kane celebrating a goal for Millwall, isn't it?
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Media playback is not supported on this device Monday's 3-0 defeat by Crystal Palace left Arsenal in sixth place, seven points adrift of fourth-placed Manchester City with eight games left. Wenger, whose deal ends this summer, has led Arsenal to top-four finishes in each of his 20 seasons in charge. Media playback is not supported on this device On the top four, he said: "We might get there, we might not get there." The Frenchman has been offered a new two-year deal, although he is yet to announce whether he will continue. Five defeats in their past 10 Premier League games have prompted some Arsenal fans to call for Wenger to leave the club. Asked on Friday about his future, Wenger said: "What is happening at board level is not down to me. "I focus on what is down to me, the performance of the team and what the fans are interested in is the performance of the team." The Gunners are at struggling Middlesbrough on Monday (20:00 BST). Wenger refused to comments on reports forward Alexis Sanchez had been offered a new £300,000-a-week deal. The Chile international, 28, who is contracted to the Gunners until the summer of 2018, was nominated for PFA Player of the Year award this week after scoring 18 goals and assisting nine in the league this season. "I'm very happy because it rewards a very strong season if you look at his numbers," added Wenger. "He basically prefers to play wide rather than up front because he can get the ball more. He has to keep that balance between providing and goalscoring because he has both in the locker." Pick your Team of the Year from our list and share with your friends.
Arsenal face a "massive" challenge to qualify for the Champions League, says boss Arsene Wenger, who added "nothing" has changed about his future.
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Live experiments with video assistant referees are set to begin by the 2017-18 season after being voted in by the game's law maker, the International Football Association Board (IFAB). "We will definitely offer it," said Glenn, when asked whether England games could be a testing ground. England and Scotland are among 13 countries offering to help testing. "It would be a Uefa decision," added Glenn. "The whole point of doing it is to avoid there being bad decisions made, so it would have to be at the top end because only at the top end will you have camera systems to make it work. "The limiting factor is it can only work properly if there are a lot of cameras." Glenn added that he would also like to trial the technology in FA Cup ties but has already raised the issue of cost and feasibility with IFAB.
The Football Association is open to trialling video technology in England games, says FA chief Martin Glenn.
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Lloyds is selling 632 branches and £36bn of deposits, after being ordered to by the European Commission following the bank's rescue by the UK government. The government currently still holds a 41% stake in Lloyds. BBC business editor Robert Peston said so far Lloyds had received only one bid, of about £1.5bn, from NBNK. NBNK was co-founded by Lord Levene, chairman of insurer Lloyd's of London, in 2010 as a business set up to establish a UK retail bank. The bid from the Co-op came in the same week as LLoyds chief executive Antonio Horta-Osorio decided to take a temporary leave of absence, to recover from exhaustion. Co-op chief executive Peter Marks said: "We have a clear strategy for driving the Co-operative Group forwards. As part of this we remain interested in the Lloyds Banking Group's branch assets as we believe this would support our moves to grow our relationship banking business in the UK. "Our bid for the assets is non-binding and we would only proceed if we could reach an agreement that was in the interests of our members and other stakeholders."
The Co-operative Group has confirmed it will submit a second-round bid next week for the hundreds of branches being sold by Lloyds Banking Group.
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The fly-half and prop Allan Dell only learned of their selections on the team bus after Scotland's tumultuous 24-19 win over Australia in Sydney. "Nobody really wants to go on tour just to make up the numbers," said Russell. "Everyone is going there pushing for positions. The three stand-offs are there just now, so it'll be tough." Welsh quartet Cory Hill, Kristian Dacey, Tomas Francis and Gareth Davies have also been added to Warren Gatland's squad. Russell and Dell had heard Lions' rumours before the Test against Australia but didn't know if they were true. South Africa-born Dell, 25, came off the bench in Australia to win his 10th cap, while stand-off Russell, 24, was magnificent at the Allianz Stadium, scoring a try and kicking three conversions. "I'm so happy, I'm just lost for words," was all Dell could manage. The pair will leave for New Zealand on Sunday with Russell saying that he will have a big job on his hands to learn the game plan as quickly as possible. "I have to get up to speed," he said. "I'm looking forward to meeting up with everyone and getting to know the guys." "We've just come off the back of a big win and I'm celebrating that, but I'm pretty tired from the game, so it hasn't really sunk in. "I'm just going to try to take it in my stride." After the thrilling victory against the Wallabies, head coach Gregor Townsend said that Russell had probably played his greatest ever game. "Everybody played amazingly," responded Russell. "It makes it easier for me when everybody else does their job. It was a tough game, especially defensively, but it went all right, so happy with that." Russell was a contender for Gatland's original squad but missed out to Dan Biggar of Wales, with Johnny Sexton and Owen Farrell the other number 10s on Lions duty. He didn't harbour any frustration, however. "You find out the Lions squad that's travelling and after that you just focus on Scotland," he said. "I haven't thought too much about it. "That's just sport for you, that's the team that Gatland picked. There would have been a few boys who would have been disappointed but you have to go with these things, you have to move on to the next thing quickly. It was tough, but you get on with it." Russell wore a protective plaster under his right eye against the Wallabies and suffered a blow to a previous cut during the game. "A couple of stitches and it'll be fine. I got an elbow in it today," he explained. "I'm good to go. It was awesome to beat Australia anywhere but to beat them here is amazing. "We had grit and determination to come away with a win. After the game it was nice to think that we'd done them on their own soil. You could say revenge, but to do them over here makes it more satisfying after the last couple of games."
Finn Russell aims to force himself into the Test reckoning in New Zealand following his late call to the British and Irish Lions squad.
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The US Justice Department is looking into claims the bank broke sanctions against Sudan, Iran, and Cuba. In April, the bank said it had already set aside $1.1bn to cover the cost of the violations. BNP shares fell more than 6% before recovering slightly. In April, BNP wrote in a document: "A high degree of uncertainty exists as to the nature and amount of penalties that the US authorities could impose on the bank following completion of the ongoing process: there is the possibility that the amount of the fines could be far in excess of the amount of the provision." If approved and if BNP admits to criminal wrongdoing, the settlement would be the largest criminal penalty in US history, surpassing oil giant BP's $4bn agreement with the US Department of Justice in 2012. France's far-right Front National party waded into the negotiations, demanding that the French government shield the bank from such a large fine. US regulators have recently stepped up their actions against banks that violate laws against money laundering and tax evasion, amongst other violations. Earlier in May, Swiss bank Credit Suisse agreed to a $2.6bn penalty and admitted criminal wrongdoing in helping "tax cheats" avoid paying US taxes. To date, the largest fine levied against a bank by US regulators for sanctions violations was the $1.9bn HSBC paid in 2012.
Shares in French banking giant BNP Paribas have fallen sharply after US media reports said the bank might have to pay $10bn (£6bn; 7.3bn euros) over allegations it broke trade sanctions.
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Police said four men slashed the man and his Staffordshire bull terrier with a "bladed weapon" at the property in Redford Close, off Marsden Road. The man, 26, is in a serious but not life-threatening condition and the dog is recovering at a local veterinary surgery. Detectives said they were unsure what the motive for the attack was. Det Insp Mark O'Brien, of Eastbourne CID, said, "Four men in dark clothing forced their way into the house and slashed at the man with some sort of sharp instrument. "It is possible that people in the vicinity may have seen or heard signs of a disturbance or noticed suspicious vehicles or people." He appealed for anyone with information about the attack, which happened at about 22:00 BST on Thursday, to contact police.
A man and his dog have been attacked by a gang of intruders at a house in Eastbourne.
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She will be the eighth female bishop to be announced by the Church of England. The Bishop of Sherborne works in the Diocese of Salisbury and mainly has responsibility for parishes in Dorset. Archdeacon Gorham said it had been "a real privilege" to serve the church in Buckinghamshire and work in the Diocese of Oxford. The Right Reverend Graham Kings left the post in July. She said: "I now look forward to getting to know the people and places of Dorset, an area I have loved since childhood holidays." The Bishop of Salisbury, the Right Reverend Nicholas Holtam, said Archdeacon Gorham "emerged as the right person for this post from a company of excellent men and women considered equally". She will be consecrated as a bishop on 24 February at Westminster Abbey. Women Bishops in the Church of England
The Archdeacon of Buckingham, the Venerable Karen Gorham, is to be the new Bishop of Sherborne.
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Compared with 2014, it says the outlook for advanced countries is improving, but growth in emerging and developing economies is projected to be lower. It says there will be weaker prospects in 2015 for some oil-exporting nations. The IMF's World Economic Outlook said growth was likely to be 3.5% this year, in line with its January forecast. Despite the sluggish outlook for 2015, it said growth in emerging markets is expected to pick up in 2016, which will drive an increase in global growth next year to 3.8%. The outlook document is the IMF's bi-annual analysis and projections of economic developments. It also publishes further interim forecasts. It foresees varying fortunes for Brazil, Russia, Ukraine - all contracting this year - and India, which will experience growth of 7.5% this year and next. "The outlook for Brazil is affected by a drought, the tightening of macroeconomic policies, and weak private sector sentiment, related in part to the fallout from the Petrobras investigation," said the IMF, adding that the country's economy is projected to contract by 1% this year, more than two percentage points below the body's October 2014 forecast. "The growth forecasts for Russia reflect the economic impact of sharply lower oil prices and increased geopolitical tensions," it added. "For other emerging market commodity exporters, the impact of lower oil and other commodity prices on the terms of trade and real incomes is projected to take a toll on medium-term growth." Russia's economy is now expected to contract by 3.8% this year - a downward revision of 0.8 percentage points since January - and by 1.1% in 2016. It also says that neighbouring Ukraine's economy is expected to bottom out in 2015, "as activity stabilises with the beginning of reconstruction work", with the economy projected to contract by 5.5%. Inflation this year is forecast at 33.5%, reflecting currency depreciation. Meanwhile, the eurozone economy is projected to grow by 1.5% this year and 1.6% in 2016. UK growth is forecast as 2.7% for 2015, unchanged from the IMF's January forecast, and 2.3% next year, revised down by 0.1%. "In the United Kingdom, lower oil prices and improved financial market conditions are expected to support continued steady growth," said the IMF. There is no change to the forecast for China, namely a continued slowdown to 6.8% this year and 6.3% in 2016. The US is seen as growing by 3.1% in 2015 and 2016, down 0.5 and 0.2 percentage points on the previous forecasts.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that global growth remains moderate, with "uneven prospects" across the main countries and regions.
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Media playback is not supported on this device The Scottish full-back was dismissed in the 22nd minute for a late shoulder charge on Wales fly-half Dan Biggar, with the hosts leading 10-3 at that point. Referee Jerome Garces initially showed Hogg a yellow card, but changed it to a straight red after watching a replay on the stadium big screen. Wales exploited the extra man with tries by George North (2), Jamie Roberts (2), Taulupe Faletau, Liam Williams and Rhodri Williams. Greig Laidlaw's fourth minute penalty briefly gave Scotland the lead, while Biggar kicked two penalties and four conversions, with James Hook adding a fifth. It completed a disastrous Six Nations for the Scots, whose previous heaviest defeat in the tournament was their 38-3 defeat by France in 2003, with a narrow win in Rome their only reward for a disappointing campaign. And new coach Vern Cotter, who will take over before their tour to North America in the summer, will be under no illusion about the size of the task he faces. Wales' victory margin of 48 points exceeded their previous record winning margin, which came in the 47-8 win against Italy in 2008, by 11 points. It also doubled their previous best over the Scots, in the 46-22 win during their 2005 Grand Slam season. But there will be no Grand Slam or third consecutive title for the Welsh this season, and the fact they played against 14 men for an hour will cast some doubt over the significance of this performance, coming after their poor display in the 29-18 loss against England. It was, however, a fitting tribute to Wales loose-head Gethin Jenkins, who became his country's most-capped player on his 105th appearance. Scotland were trailing 10-3 when Hogg - chasing his own high kick - caught Biggar on the jaw with a shoulder charge. Referee Garces quickly handed the British and Irish Lion a yellow card, but called the player back on to the pitch and showed him a straight red after watching replays of the incident on the stadium screens. (provided by Opta) Hogg did not complain as he became the third Scotsman to be sent off in internationals - following in the footsteps of Scott Murray and Nathan Hines - and the Scottish challenge ended with his departure. Until that point Scotland had been competitive, although the Welsh pack had shown ominous signs of recapturing the power game which made them Six Nations champions in 2012 and 2013, particularly in the build-up to Liam Williams' opening try. After Hogg's dismissal, Wales changed their emphasis - attacking out wide to exploit the extra man and the power of their three-quarter line and full-back Williams, making an impressive appearance in the absence of the injured Leigh Halfpenny. Tries by North, after a superb break by Williams, and Roberts before half-time underlined the size of Scotland's task. And when Faletau touched down for the sixth try in the 53rd minute it was a question of damage limitation, which the battling Scots achieved until substitute scrum-half Rhodri Williams crossed for his team's seventh in the 75th minute. The cheers that greeted James Hook's conversion were an amusing post-script, but the serious lesson was that you cannot take on an international side with only 14 players. And with cameras covering every angle, match officials are increasingly willing to use replays to amend their decisions. For Scotland in Cardiff, there was nowhere to hide. Wales: L Williams; Cuthbert, Davies, Roberts, North; Biggar, M Phillips; Jenkins, Owens, R Jones, Charteris, A Jones, Lydiate, Warburton, Faletau. Replacements: Hook for L Williams (63), Priestland for Biggar (63), R. Williams for M. Phillips (55), James for Jenkins (58), Hibbard for Owens (58), A Jones for R Jones (58), Ball for Charteris (63), Tipuric for Lydiate (55). Scotland: Hogg; Fife, Dunbar, Scott, Evans; Weir, Laidlaw; Grant, Lawson, Cross, R Gray, Hamilton, Wilson, Brown, Denton. Replacements: Taylor for Fife (67), Cusiter for Laidlaw (62), Dickinson for Grant (46), Ford for Lawson (46), Swinson for Hamilton (55), Strokosch for Brown (9). Not Used: Murray, Cuthbert. Sent off: Hogg (23). Att: 73,547 Ref: Jerome Garces (France).
Wales romped to their biggest ever Six Nations win - and handed Scotland their record defeat in the Championship in the process - as they ran in seven tries against a visiting side reduced to 14 men when Stuart Hogg was red carded.
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Sheffield student Bryony Hollands, 19, from Berkshire, died after being struck by a car in Nottingham, in August. She was walking along Woodthorpe Drive with her boyfriend, 20-year-old Ben Evans, who was left with permanent deafness in one ear. Thomas Burney, of no fixed address, was believed to have taken cocaine and was three times over the drink drive limit. Burney, 26, had pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and causing injuries by dangerous driving at an earlier hearing. At Nottingham Crown Court, Judge James Samson told him: "You got out [of the car] only thinking of yourself, you tried to dispose of a syringe and a wrapper and wanted to remove evidence of your drug taking. "You wanted to remove data from your telephone, no doubt evidence of your dealer. "You smelled of alcohol and were unsteady on your feet, you told a member of the public you had been taking cocaine and said 'no police'." Miss Hollands, from Maidenhead, was studying music in Sheffield and had planned a career in music therapy. Mr Evans said in an impact statement: "The whole thing was surreal, a huge nightmare that I thought I would wake up from but then it finally hit me that it had happened. "He has destroyed our future. I cannot believe that this has been ripped away by this man's stupidity. I wish every day it had been me." Outside of the court her father paid tribute to all of those her tried to help his daughter. Mark Hollands said: "Their selfless actions made this a little easier for us to bear [in] sharp contrast to those of Thomas Burney whose irresponsible behaviour has inflicted on us as a family, Bryony's boyfriend Ben, and so many of her young friends, a grief and loss that we will bear a lifetime. "Bryony gave us 19 years of selfless fun and smiles, words cannot come close to describe how special she was to us."
A man has been jailed for eight years for causing the death of a university student by dangerous driving.
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Prof John Field of Liverpool University says planning should start now for nationwide screening of older smokers by the end of 2016. US data suggests screening can detect lung cancer early, leading to 20% fewer deaths, he told Nature journal. Currently, 75% of lung cancer patients are diagnosed too late to save them. Prof Field, who is leading the UK Lung Cancer Screening trial (UKLS), said that in 2012 someone died of lung cancer in the European Union every two minutes. "The good news is that screening for lung cancer using low-dose computed tomography [CT scans] could reduce this enormous burden of mortality, through early detection and treatment that improves survival," he said. "Every year we delay could needlessly sacrifice tens of thousands to the world's biggest cancer killer." US guidelines suggest older people with a history of heavy smoking should be offered annual low-dose CT scans to screen for lung cancer. The test is recommended for people aged 55 to 80 who smoked a packet of cigarettes a day for 30 years, or the equivalent. Private insurers already cover the scans, while Medicare, the federal agency that insures Americans, is expected to make a decision in November. In Europe, health authorities are waiting for the findings of screening trials in Belgium and the Netherlands (Nelson trial), and several other pilots, including in the UK. "It's important that we start to plan for lung cancer screening in the UK. We now have a window of opportunity to do this as we await the Nelson and pooled European trial data, which will provide us with both cost-effectiveness and mortality data," Prof Field told the BBC. "We would hope we will have this data by the end of 2016 and if it confirms the benefits of CT screening, we will be in a position to take lung cancer screening forward." While the US evidence suggests that low-dose CT screening can reduce lung cancer deaths, the possible harms must be balanced with the benefits. Concerns include false positive results, radiation exposure and costs. Dr Anne Mackie, director of programmes for the UK National Screening Committee (NSC), part of Public Health England, said the committee recognised that lung cancer was "an incredibly important public health issue". "A large European research study is testing whether screening can save lives and a UK pilot of lung screening in Liverpool is evaluating the effectiveness within the UK. "We are in contact with scientists working in both studies and the results, as soon as they are available, will contribute to the UK NSC's recommendation on whether to introduce a screening programme. "A screening programme will only be recommended if the benefits clearly outweigh the harms following an assessment of the evidence against internationally agreed criteria." Lung cancer kills more than 35,000 people a year and is the biggest cause of cancer death in the UK. About 70% of patients will survive their disease for a year or more if it is diagnosed at its earliest stage.
Delays introducing lung cancer screening in the UK could cost thousands of lives, warns a leading cancer expert.
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Housing Minister Gavin Barwell said there would be minimum tenancies and more homes built for rent in a "change of tone" from previous Tory policy. He said the government had not given up making home ownership available to all. Labour said ministers "do next to nothing" to help those renting from private landlords. Speaking on the BBC's Sunday Politics, Mr Barwell said the government had to have "something to say" to renters who were facing unaffordable costs. Mr Barwell said a package of measures would be in the White Paper due to be published on Tuesday. These will aim to encourage more investment in building homes for affordable rent, which he defined as at least 20% below the market rate, with councils encouraged to get more involved. Ministers have previously announced letting agents in England will be banned from charging fees to tenants. The last Conservative general election manifesto said "everyone who works hard should be able to own a home of their own", and Mr Barwell said the government was still committed to reversing the decline in home ownership. But he said policies were also needed to support tenants in the private rental market, who are estimated to number about 4.3 million. "Whether you're trying to buy or you're trying to rent, housing in this country has become less and less affordable because for 30 or 40 years governments have not built enough homes and this White Paper is fundamentally trying to do something about that," he said. Mr Barwell acknowledged that the most recent figures showing the number of new affordable homes at a 24-year low were "embarrassing", but said this was because they came at the start of a new five-year programme. And he insisted the government was committed to building one million new homes in England by 2020, despite being "behind schedule". He said the government would not make any changes to the current rules on the green belt, which allow building only in "exceptional circumstances". "This idea that we can only fix our broken housing market by taking huge swathes out of the green belt is not true," he added. But Labour has said the proposals on build-to-rent fall far short of what is needed. Shadow housing secretary John Healey said: "Ministers continue to do next to nothing to help people who rent from a private landlord and have consistently blocked Labour's attempts to change the law to control costs and give renters security." Where can I afford to live?
The government is promising a new emphasis on people who rent their homes when it unveils its housing strategy this week.
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Senator Philip Bailhache said a UK exit from the EU would have "substantial implications" for the crown dependency. Prime Minister David Cameron has promised a referendum on EU membership if he wins the 2015 general election. Self-governed Jersey is not part of the UK or EU but its trade relationship with Europe is governed via the UK's membership. During States questions on Monday, Deputy John Le Fondre asked Senator Bailhache what preparation Jersey was making should Britain leave the EU. "A great deal of work has been done and is being done to try to evaluate the different possibilities open to Jersey in such a scenario," said Senator Bailhache. "But there are numerous different permutations which make it difficult to formulate any precise plan at this stage." Alastair Sutton, an EU law expert who has advised both Jersey and the European Commission, said Jersey's relationship with the EU amounted to free trade in goods. Such trade was wholly dependent on the UK's EU membership, he told BBC News. "Jersey is only associated with the EU in any shape or form by virtue of the fact that it falls under the sovereignty of the UK," said Mr Sutton. "If the UK were to leave, that relationship would fall. "There would be no question of Jersey negotiating its own relationship unless it became sovereign, because the EU does not negotiate with non-sovereigns." Senator Bailhache said full independence would be considered if it was in the interests of the island.
The UK's potential exit from the EU is under "very close consideration", says Jersey's external relations minister.
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Reform said committees which scrutinise the work of government departments should take on more responsibility for debating and amending new legislation. The 180 members who sit on committees should get a £10,000 top-up to their pay and the 18 committee chairs £9,000. But it said they should be docked pay if they did not turn up to meetings. The UK's 650 MPs are currently paid £67,060 but are in line for a 9% pay rise later this year after the independent watchdog said pay should rise to £74,000 after the election. David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg have all criticised an increase on such a scale at a time when public sector pay rises are capped at 1%. Select committees have grown in stature and influence in recent years and the role of chair, which have been elected since 2010, are highly coveted. MPs are not paid extra for their committee work although committee chairs get a £14,000 supplement, taking their pay to £81,642. Reform, which focuses on public service improvement, said select committees should take over the work of public bill committees, ad hoc bodies that are set up specifically to scrutinise new legislation and to take evidence from interested parties, including members of the public. It said the work of public bill committees, which debate every clause of a proposed bill and any amendments, was "woefully inadequate" due to a lack of expert knowledge, insufficient time and an often partisan approach taken by MPs. Select committees, in contrast, have a higher degree of independence from the government and can draw upon specialist support, it argues. "Weak scrutiny threatens the quality of legislation, hindering efforts to build a stronger economy and society," said Camilla Hagelund, the author of the report. "Giving select committee members a salary boost would improve the status of select committees. It would also create a separate career path for MPs, lessening the power of patronage enjoyed by party leaders, which is weakening Parliament's ability to hold the executive to account." Under Reform's proposals, MPs would lose half of their salary supplement if their attendance levels at committee hearings dropped below 95% and would see the entire sum docked if they fell below 90%. Reform said the Commons should also be cut in size from 650 to 600 so there are "fewer members working harder". The move would save at least £11m, it says, with some of money being re-invested in strengthening the secretariat of individual committees. The government abandoned plans to slim down the Commons in 2012 at the same time it dropped proposals for elections to the House of Lords following disagreements between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.
MPs who sit on Commons select committees should get a £10,000 pay rise as part of a shake-up of the legislative process, a think tank says.
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Ian Shaw, 34, spent nine years in secure hospitals before being moved into community care last year. The cancer was found and his parents say the units should have spotted it. Sir Stephen Bubb, author of two reports on secure units, has told Theresa May Ian's case highlights ongoing failures. Sir Stephen told the BBC that Ian's story was "all too typical". "It has led me to believe that institutional care is at root abusive and we must close these institutions." In his letter to Theresa May, he says that half of all deaths of people with a learning disability in 2015 were recorded as avoidable, "compared with 23% for the general population". He urges her to look again at a recommendation he made in his second report, last year, that the government should set up an office of a Commissioner for People with Learning Disabilities. The aim would be to uphold the rights of learning disabled people similar to the way Children's Commissioners uphold those of children. "People with learning disabilities are among the most vulnerable in our community. They need support and they need protection. They and their families face immeasurable odds in tackling the system that often neglects them," he writes. Sir Stephen wrote his reports after the Winterbourne View scandal, which was exposed by BBC Panorama six years ago. Six care workers at the private secure hospital were eventually jailed for the neglect or abuse of patients and five others were given suspended sentences. In December 2012, the government announced plans for a "dramatic reduction" in the number of people with learning disabilities kept in hospitals in England, with more appropriate care provided closer to people's families. But five years on, about 2,500 people are still in secure assessment and treatment units. Ian, who also has autism and epilepsy, spent nine years in secure hospitals before being moved into community care last year. He is now living at the family home in Essex and he draws comfort from having his favourite song on repeat. It is the 1980s hit Mad World and his parents, who look after him, are finding the words particularly hard to bear: "The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had." Ian's disability means he is unable to speak for himself. His mother, Jan, says the family has been told there is no treatment as his testicular cancer is too advanced. "Because it had been there a long time and they couldn't treat it because it would be too much, the treatment just wouldn't work. the disease had gone too far," she explains. Ian was sent to the first of three secure units in 2007 when his behaviour became increasingly challenging. The family say, pain from his conditions caused him to throw things or bang his head against the wall, scarring himself. His mother believes "the secure units were the wrong places" but it proved very difficult to get him out. Jan raised numerous concerns about levels of medication which she believed were too high. The family kept records of the times Ian was restrained and fought to have him transferred to a supported home in the community. His cancer was found soon after he was finally moved and the family believes the secure unit failed to spot and investigate early signs of the disease. Bernadette Adams, of the charity Autism Inclusion, who supported the family in their battles, believes Ian has been failed. "Jan has been saying for many, many months that Ian was in pain or Ian had infections and she was on many occasions, if not all occasions, just ignored." The call for a Learning Disability Commissioner has been welcomed by charities such as the Challenging Behaviour Foundation, which works to support families of people like Ian. Chief executive Vivien Cooper called the suggestion helpful but added that it needed to be part of a "clear strategy, resources and implementation framework... so that children and adults with a learning disability can exercise their rights and enjoy the same life opportunities as anybody else". The Department of Health said ministers had no plans for a learning disability commissioner, saying that the government had ensured considerable independent scrutiny of learning disabilities in recent years, including by Sir Stephen. A spokeswoman said: "For too long, people with learning disabilities have not been treated equally by the health service and we're determined to change this. "In recent years we've made significant improvements by closing inpatient facilities and moving towards personalised community-based care, supported by rigorous independent inspections to stamp out poor care and abuse, to give people the support they deserve." NHS England said it had set out a clear programme to improve services for people with learning disabilities who display challenging behaviour. Key aims include reducing unnecessary hospital admissions and lengthy hospital stays as well as giving patients and their families more choice in their care, alongside more care in the community and personalised support.
The "shocking" case of a man with learning disabilities and terminal cancer has led to a call for the prime minister to appoint a commissioner for learning disabled people's rights.
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With no obvious Middle East connections other than the fact that she was studying Arabic, Miss Karaulova made headline-grabbing news after she disappeared from the Russian capital and was reported to be heading to Syria to join the Islamic State (IS) militant group. Her story was closely followed by all of Russia's major media outlets until she was detained near the Turkey-Syria border, flown back to Moscow and handed back to her relieved father, who had initiated the search for his daughter. Ms Karaulova's case is not unique. Two weeks after her return, Mariam Ismailova, another young woman studying at a well-regarded university in Moscow, went missing amid suspicions that she was also on her way to join IS. Several other students attending universities in large Russian cities are reported to have followed suit. Their fate remains unknown but the considerable media interest in their stories has prompted senior officials to start disclosing figures on just how many Russian nationals are believed to be fighting for IS. Russia's Federal Security Service estimates that Russian passport-holders could account for as many as 8% of IS fighters. "The numbers are becoming really upsetting," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Syromolotov said on 7 July. "There are currently about 2,200 people from Russia taking part in military operations in Iraq and Syria," he revealed. According to Alexei Malashenko, from Moscow's Carnegie Centre, Russian is now the third most used language within IS's self-proclaimed caliphate, after Arabic and English. And IS has increased its Russian-language propaganda output over the course of this year. In March, IS began broadcasting its daily Al-Bayan Radio news bulletins online in Russian in a range of formats. In early May, the group released the first edition of a new Russian-language magazine called Furat.Press. Later the same month, IS's multilingual media outlet, HMC, published a more sophisticated Russian-language magazine called Istok (The Source). Many officials and observers agree that IS propaganda has steadily become more effective. They note that at least a few of the Russians leaving the country to join IS come from regions other than Muslim-majority areas in the south. Students and young people are often recruited through social media, and leave Russia with the promise of love, affection and a better life under IS. Many Russians were already familiar with reports of militants from the North Caucasus joining IS. More people are leaving the Muslim-majority southern republic of Dagestan to join IS than any other Russian region, according to Varvara Parkhomenko, an expert at the International Crisis Group. Many of the recruits are from Chechnya as well as from Orthodox Christian North Ossetia, she said. And they come from all walks of life, she pointed out. "Poor or rich, well-educated or not... people are going not only to battle but to live, to marry, to preach." The reports have prompted pundits and officials alike to voice concern about the extent of the IS recruitment network in Russia and the effectiveness of the messages that the group directs at Russian audiences. 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.
In the first two weeks of June, Varvara Karaulova, a 19-year-old Russian student at Moscow State University, received more air time on Russian television than even President Vladimir Putin.
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Mervyn Storey said the main business organisations had called for the move. The last valuation for business rates was completed in 2015, but that followed a 10-year gap. Decisions on more controversial changes to the system, like ending exemptions for charity shops, are being left for the next Northern Ireland Executive. Mr Storey said he would like to see the executive keep any increases in rates "at no more than inflation". "There are no viable alternatives to the existing system," he said. The Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association welcomed the commitment to valuations every three years. Its chief executive, Glyn Roberts, said other changes should be "a top economic issue" after the Northern Ireland Assembly elections in May. "With the chancellor announcing last week that many small retailers in England will now be paying no rates at all, the executive has some serious catching up to do," he said.
Businesses in Northern Ireland are to have their rates bills revalued every three years beginning in 2019, the finance minister has said.
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Media playback is not supported on this device Australia thrashed Ireland, who were already eliminated after losing their first three group games, by seven wickets in Delhi. But they needed New Zealand to beat South Africa to clinch their place in the last four. The White Ferns duly recorded a seven-wicket victory to top the group with four wins from four matches. Australia finished second and could face England in the semi-finals on Wednesday if England beat Pakistan in their last group game in Chennai on Monday. England lead Group B with six points, while West Indies and Pakistan have four each and India have two. Ireland's openers failed to score from the first 11 deliveries as Australia bowled a tight line. Clare Shillington broke the shackles with a six and then hit three successive boundaries before falling for 22. Cecelia Joyce hit three fours in her 22, but the Irish managed only two boundaries in the last 15 overs. Kim Garth top-scored with 27, but took 46 balls to do so, and in total there were 65 dot balls in Ireland's 91-7. Ciara Metcalfe dismissed Australia's Alyssa Healy for six, courtesy of a superb one-handed catch by skipper Isobel Joyce. Garth saw off Meg Lanning, the top-ranked international women's batter, but Elyse Villani stroked six boundaries in her 43 from 35 balls, before being well caught by Lucy O'Reilly off Garth with just seven required. Ellyse Perry finished unbeaten on 29 as Australia eased home with 40 balls to spare. In Bangalore, South Africa were bowled out for 99 after being sent in to bat by New Zealand, with Sophie Devine and Leigh Kasperek grabbing three wickets each. The White Ferns replied with an opening stand of 57 between skipper Suzie Bates, who hit 29 off 25 balls, and Rachel Priest, who smashed a run-a-ball 28. Both openers fell in the space of two overs, but Devine hit an unbeaten 27 with three fours and a six to complete a dominant all-round performance.
New Zealand and defending champions Australia have qualified for the semi-finals of the Women's World Twenty20.
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Coach trips that travel from pub to pub on the Llyn Peninsula have been barred from many hostelries in the popular tourist area. The move comes after concerns rowdy behaviour may be bad for business. Ian Roberts, landlord of Aberdaron's Ty Newydd Hotel and vice-chairman of the village's tourism group, said he had "no choice" but to introduce a ban. The trips had become a popular tradition, particularly with stag and hen parties. But Mr Roberts said: "We used to welcome these trips, many of which were well behaved. But the behaviour of some were appalling. "It's not an ideal situation to have a bar full of drunk people at the same time as families eating at the hotel. These drunks can appear threatening to some people. "Usually, Aberdaron is one of the final destinations on the tour, so people tend to be drunk when they get here and the noise and swearing tend to be higher by then. "Aberdaron is not a big place and gangs of drunk people gathered around the village started to affect other businesses as well, which is why the group has decided not to allow these tours from visiting." Not all pubs have banned them though - Caroline Lee, of the Lion in Tudweiliog, directs boozy coach trips to the back of the pub, away from other punters. "They can be a nuisance, especially when six vehicles arrive at the same time and the swearing can be unpleasant. But most loyal customers enjoy seeing them because they come and lighten the place up, especially if they're in fancy dress," she said. One of the pubs where many begin their journey is the community-run Tafarn y Fic in Llithfaen. Myrddin ap Dafydd, one of the directors, said: "It's nice to see Welsh people visiting us from areas like Conwy, Caernarfon, Bala and Anglesey. These trips have been going for some time and we've always welcomed them at the Fic." Various pubs in Abersoch have also told the BBC they have stopped welcoming such coach trips. David Carl Jones from Caernarfon said he was "very disappointed" to hear of the ban. "These trips have always been fun events. We've always received a warm welcome at most of the pubs along the way, but I also know about quite a few instances where the boys have gone overboard."
Some landlords in a Gwynedd beauty spot have banned pub crawls following "appalling" behaviour.
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The fast food giant's latest British advert features a boy who struggles to find something in common with his dead father, until it is revealed they shared the same favourite menu item. The campaign has attracted criticism from widows who called it "offensive". A McDonald's spokesperson said: "This was by no means an intention of ours." "We wanted to highlight the role McDonald's has played in our customers' everyday lives - both in good and difficult times," the spokesperson added. The campaign, from London-based advertising agency Leo Burnett, first aired on 12 May and is scheduled to run for seven weeks. In the advert, the boy asks his mum about his absent dad, who then goes on to reminisce about him. The boy is left to wonder whether he and his father had anything in common, until he arrives at a McDonald's restaurant and orders a Filet-o-Fish and the mother says: "That was your dad's favourite too." Bereavement charity, Grief Encounter said it had received "countless calls" from parents saying their bereaved children had been upset by the advert. Sarah Fox's husband died two years ago. The 37-year-old from London said her seven-year-old son, who saw the advert, had only just started to understand the implications of his loss. She said: "The advert was confusing for him and really upset him. He asked me why the boy on TV wasn't 'sad' and how he could feel happy again? "It's an unnecessary subject to exploit for the gain of a brand." Tania Richman, 44 from Brighton, East Sussex, said her teenage children, whose father died last year, were also "upset and offended" by the advert. She said: "I didn't know how to handle them afterwards." Leah Miller, 42 from London raised concerns about the lack of support advice offered after the advert. "What are children supposed to think after watching it? That a simple meal can solve their emotional pain? "It's irresponsible not to include any support advice or information for families affected by this issue." The Advertising Standards Authority said it had received complaints regarding the advert, and would "carefully assess them to see whether there are grounds to investigate". One in 29 children are bereaved of a parent or sibling by the time they are 16, according to Grief Encounter, which offers support to bereaved children and their families. Dr Shelley Gilbert, founder and president of the charity, said: "McDonald's have attempted to speak to their audience via an emotionally driven TV campaign. "However, what they have done is exploit childhood bereavement as a way to connect with young people and surviving parents alike - unsuccessfully. "We fully support children and surviving parents remembering loved ones with memory boxes, family experiences which remind them of happier times and openly talking about the member of the family that has died. "But trying to insinuate that a brand can cure all ills with one meal is insensitive and shouldn't be a way to show that a brand recognises 'the big moments in life'."
McDonald's has apologised for "upset" caused by a TV advert that charity campaigners have said "exploits childhood bereavement".
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The Mourne County led 0-3 to 0-0 but Cork hit back to hand a sixth straight defeat to Down on a 0-12 to 0-7 margin. After being level 0-6 to 0-6 at half-time against Kerry, Monaghan collapsed to a 1-17 to 1-9 defeat at Clones. A Darren Hughes goal gave Monaghan hope in the second half but David Moran's immediate penalty sealed Kerry's win. Kerry dominated the second half as Moran and the outstanding Kieran Donaghy lorded possession in midfield. With Mayo beating Roscommon 1-11 to 1-7 at Dr Hyde Park, Monaghan are now in the relegation spot ahead of next weekend's round of games. Even victory over Donegal at Castleblayney may not be enough to save Monaghan from the drop as Mayo, who like the Farney County are now on four points, will be fancied to account for Down in their final game. Donegal are not even guaranteed safety on six points although their scoring difference is considerably superior to that of both Monaghan and Cork. However, Donegal will be fancied to win in Castleblayney against a Monaghan team whose form has dipped alarmingly since their opening wins over Roscommon and Down. The Mourne County's expected relegation was confirmed as Cork rarely had to get out of second gear to record a comfortable victory at Pairc Ui Rinn. Two Donal O'Hare frees helped Down to an early three-point lead and Cork didn't open their account until Colm O'Neill's 22nd-minute free. Mark Collins tied the scores at 0-3 apiece with the game's first point from play a minute before the break before O'Neill edged Cork ahead in injury-time. However, Down keeper Michael Cunningham had needed to make two fine stops to prevent Cork goals in the first period and the home side hit four unanswered scores after the break to establish firm control. Cork led 0-10 to 0-5 with eight minutes left and the margin remained five at the finish. Monaghan looked a far cry from the side which defeated Donegal in last summer's Ulster Final as they were outclassed by the Kingdom at Clones. The first half was even, but Monaghan once again had to rely on Conor McManus for more than half their scores as he contributed four frees. However, Kerry cut loose after the break to hit six unanswered points as Monaghan were starved of midfield possession with Donaghy and Moran winning a series of Farney kick-outs. Half-time substitute Alan Fitzgerald also made a significant contribution as he fired three points from play. Totally against the run of play, Darren Hughes, who like several Monaghan forwards struggled for the most part, bundled in a 57th-minute goal to cut Kerry's lead to three. However, Donaghy's superb long-range point in response was quickly followed by Moran's successful penalty after a misdirected Rory Beggan kick-out had forced Drew Wylie to concede a penalty, as he bundled over Paul Murphy. Colm Cooper was taken off late on after notching six points and his replacement Barry John Keane, who surely would be a regular starter for virtually every other county, contributed two late Kingdom scores. To finish off a miserable afternoon for Monaghan, they had Dessie Mone sent off late on after he was handed a second yellow card. Kerry's victory puts them on course for the semi-finals although they may need to avoid defeat against Cork in Tralee next weekend to be absolutely certain of progressing to the last four. ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE RESULTS Sunday Division One Cork 0-12 0-07 Down Monaghan 1-09 1-17 Kerry Roscommon 1-07 1-11 Mayo Division Two Derry 2-12 2-12 Meath Cavan 1-17 0-15 Laois Galway 0-15 0-15 Fermanagh Division Three Westmeath 1-09 0-09 Offaly Clare 1-17 0-15 Longford Sligo 3-10 1-12 Limerick Division Four Waterford 0-12 0-13 London Wicklow 1-12 2-13 Antrim Louth 0-13 0-11 Wexford Saturday Division One Dublin 1-10 0-07 Donegal Division Two Tyrone 0-13 1-10 Armagh Division Three Tipperary 1-05 2-13 Kildare Division Four Leitrim 1-04 0-12 Carlow
Down have been relegated from Division One of the Football League and Monaghan are also now in danger of the drop after they were well beaten by Kerry.
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The previously undisclosed material came to light after the Director of Public Prosecutions, Alison Saunders, demanded a review into the conviction of Nigerian politician James Ibori. The internal investigation followed allegations by defence lawyers that prosecutors had "wilfully misled" judges about the existence of evidence that could support corruption claims. Now defence solicitors are being sent previously unseen documents discovered during the review. In a statement the CPS reveals how "the review team found material to support the assertion that a police officer received payment in return for information". "The review team has now concluded that this material should have been disclosed to the defence and the process of disclosure to relevant parties is under way." Prosecutors had previously denied there was any undisclosed material to support the corruption allegations and the admission that considerable documentation exists and should have been handed over, represents an embarrassing climb-down for the CPS. Ibori, a former governor of one of Nigeria's oil-producing states, pleaded guilty in 2012 to laundering millions in the UK through the purchase of property and expensive cars. Eight Ibori family members and associates, including former London solicitor Bhadresh Gohil, were convicted of linked crimes. The convictions were hailed as a victory for the Department for International Development (DfID), which had funded the prosecution as part of its campaign against state corruption in Africa. The project included a special anti-corruption unit operating from Scotland Yard. Questions about the safety of the convictions emerged after a bundle of documents was sent to the authorities purporting to show that police had accepted bribes from private detectives hired by Mr Ibori. Ibori's solicitor, Bhadresh Gohil, had sent the documents anonymously while he was in prison. He protests his innocence and claims he is a whistleblower exposing possible police corruption. It was alleged that the officer heading the DfID-funded unit, DS John McDonald, received payments in return for providing information to Ibori about the case. He has always denied any wrongdoing. The allegations were investigated by Scotland Yard's Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS), which identified "no misconduct" and concluded the documents were forgeries. Mr Gohil was subsequently charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice. Prosecutors alleged that he had faked the documents to try to get his conviction overturned on appeal. But the Crown Prosecution Service abandoned a planned trial in January this year amid defence claims that crucial evidence of alleged police corruption had been covered up. DS McDonald's status was reviewed internally earlier this year, but he has since returned to normal duties, deployed to an operational post in Scotland Yard's specialist crime and operations unit. Scotland Yard said it is "not aware of any new information or evidence previously received regarding this matter, but we have made it clear to the CPS that should they have any such material as a result of the review, we would wish to receive it." Despite its discovery of previously undisclosed documents supporting claims of corruption, the Crown Prosecution Service says it "is confident that these prosecutions, which included four guilty pleas, remain safe". However, in a press statement, lawyers for Gohil say "the question of whether any of the convictions are safe is a matter which is currently sub judice". Asset confiscation proceedings for Ibori are still on-going and defence lawyers have lodged appeals against the conviction of Ibori and others. "Defendants in the cases have submitted grounds of appeal to the Court of Appeal, Criminal Division and the proceedings will not be litigated before the Court until 2017," the statement on behalf of Gohil says. "The principal question before the court is whether the convictions are safe by virtue of the CPS and prosecuting counsel having deliberately misled the courts on a number of occasions in respect of a number of defendants over a period of five years."
Claims that Scotland Yard and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) covered up evidence of police corruption in a high-profile money-laundering case have been given new weight after the discovery of a substantial number of documents suggesting an officer did take bribes.
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Several sections of her speech in Villepinte, north of Paris, appear to repeat almost word-for-word comments Mr Fillon made in an address on 15 April. An official of her National Front party said she had made a "nod" to Mr Fillon and it showed she was "not sectarian". Ms Le Pen faces centrist Emmanuel Macron in the final round on Sunday. The similarity in the speeches was pointed out by the Ridicule TV YouTube channel, initially set up by François Fillon's supporters to attack Mr Macron before the first round of voting that saw Mr Fillon eliminated from the contest. Ridicule TV said the far right presidential candidate had plagiarised Mr Fillon's speech "word for word" and set the two speeches side by side, inviting viewers to make up their own minds. The videos were also posted on Twitter. Several passages imitated Mr Fillon's address word-for-word: The Liberation newspaper said that what was supposed to have been a key speech for the second phase of voting in the election became instead a focus of ridicule for social media users. But Florian Philippot, deputy chairman of the National Front, told Radio Classique the party had owned up to the similarities and that Ms Le Pen's speech was "nod-and-a-wink" to Mr Fillon's speech to "launch a real debate" on French identity. He earlier told Agence France-Presse that the speech showed "she is not sectarian". Ms Le Pen's campaign manager, David Rachline, also played down the accusations of plagiarism, saying the speech was a form of tribute to Mr Fillon, which "was appreciated" by his supporters. % Emmanuel Macron % Marine Le Pen Please enable Javascript to view our poll of polls chart. Last updated April 25, 2017 The polling average line looks at the five most recent national polls and takes the median value, ie, the value between the two figures that are higher and two figures that are lower. RTL said there was a fairly simple explanation for the similarities, in that one of those who helped with the Le Pen speech, Paul-Marie Coûteaux, had written the speech for Mr Fillon. However, Le journal du dimanche quoted Mr Coûteaux as saying that, although he had provided material for Mr Fillon, he had not done so for the National Front. How politicians created a sense of déjà-vu Mr Fillon was a leading candidate for the presidency, representing the establishment conservative Republicans, but his campaign foundered after a funding scandal and he did not get through the first round of voting. Recent opinion polls suggest Mr Macron is heading for victory on Sunday, carrying around 60% of the vote. In a speech on Monday he said he would fight "until the last second" against Ms Le Pen's ideas "of what constitutes democracy". The two candidates will go head-to-head in a TV debate on Wednesday evening.
French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has been accused of plagiarising defeated rival François Fillon in a speech she delivered on Monday.
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Momentum Kids says it will provide childcare to facilitate "political engagement" for single parents. It will also include "fun, engaging and child-friendly" political activity for youngsters. Momentum was formed from Mr Corbyn's successful 2015 leadership campaign and is attempting to get him re-elected over Owen Smith on Saturday. The group aims to create a "mass movement for real transformative change" and says it is committed to securing general election success for Labour. But Mr Corbyn's critics say it is being used to take over the party and force out MPs who do not want him as leader. The group is holding a four-day festival next week in Liverpool, where Labour is holding its annual conference. The World Transformed event will include a creche to encourage parents and carers who would otherwise struggle to attend, organisers say. There will also be storytelling and workshops on campaigning aimed at young people. Organisers of Momentum Kids, which hopes to expand across the group's 150 local branches, said it would "create a space for questioning, curious children where we can listen to them and give them a voice". They also said women were often "shut out of many political spaces" because they do a "disproportionate amount of caring work". Mr Corbyn recently said companies that encourage after-work drinking were guilty of discrimination against women, "who want to obviously look after the children that they've got". Children's author Alan Gibbons said: "As young people grow, they need stories, poems, songs, drama and play to develop as complete human beings. An education system that treats them only as future productive drones develops only part of their personality." His leadership has divided Labour, with most MPs wanting him replaced. Mr Corbyn has promised to "reach out" to MPs if he is re-elected, but one of his predecessors, Lord Kinnock, said he doubted whether he would see another Labour government in his lifetime if there was another Corbyn victory.
The Jeremy Corbyn-backing Momentum group is launching an initiative aimed at children and their parents.
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Police said the man, who has not been named, was found in the Guardwell Glen area of the city at about 23:00 on Saturday. Officers described the killing as an "isolated incident" and have appealed to the public for information. Police Scotland have set up a major inquiry unit to help investigate the death. Det Insp Bruce Coutts, who is leading the inquiry, said: "Detectives from Edinburgh, supported by the major inquiry team, are progressing all inquiries. "A member of the public may hold a key piece of information that could assist with the investigation, and we are appealing to anyone who saw anything in and around Guardwell Glen about 11pm on Saturday night to get in touch as soon as possible." Ch Insp Mark Rennie, the area commander for south east Edinburgh, said: "We are keen to reassure residents that, at this stage, the incident appears to be isolated. "Officers will be carrying out inquiries and on patrol in the area over the next few days to provide support and information to residents."
A murder inquiry has been launched following the death of a 34-year-old man in Edinburgh.
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Although this girl went to the same school in Chibok, she was abducted in a separate incident, Femi Adesina said. The 15-year-old girl was found by government troops while she was escaping. Boko Haram has captured thousands of people in north-eastern Nigeria. The abduction of the 276 Chibok girls is the most high-profile case but many others have never had any media attention or support, aid organisations say. Three years since the abduction, 113 Chibok girls remain in captivity. A total of 103 of the girls have been released so far, including 82 earlier this month in a prisoner swap. The 82 girls, who met Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on 7 May, are expected to be reunited with their families later this week. They are believed to have been swapped for five Boko Haram commanders. Last month, President Buhari said the government remained "in constant touch through negotiations, through local intelligence, to secure the release of the remaining girls and other abducted persons unharmed". Aside from the Chibok girls, Boko Haram has kidnapped thousands of other people during its eight-year insurgency, which is aimed at creating an Islamic caliphate in north-eastern Nigeria. The government says more than 30,000 people have been killed, and hundreds of thousands forced to flee their homes. Aid agencies are warning of a famine in the area, as people have not been able to farm for several years.
A schoolgirl who escaped Nigeria's militant Islamists is not one of the 276 Chibok girls abducted in 2014, contrary to earlier reports, a presidential aide has told the BBC.
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"We believe that we can win," they chanted as they waved at passing cars. While their candidate still has an uphill climb to the Democratic nomination, the odds are better than they were just 24 hours earlier, when the Vermont senator pulled off an improbable upset in Michigan's primary. Prior to that victory, it seemed the Democratic race was settling into a pattern that was increasingly discouraging for the Sanders camp. While he found success in smaller, less ethnically diverse states, Hillary Clinton was posting convincing victories in larger states with sizable minority populations. The former secretary of state was steadily increasing her lead among delegates to the Democratic National Convention, with little indication that the trend would reverse. Then the trend reversed, thanks to Michigan. More than a million Democrats and independents, in a state that is about a quarter non-white, gave Mr Sanders a narrow win, despite polls predicting an easy Clinton victory. Now the polls showing Mrs Clinton with solid leads in the next states to vote have been cast into doubt. If the Vermont senator can post a win in Michigan, why can't he also beat Mrs Clinton in nearby Illinois and Ohio, for instance? The changing nature of the Democratic race was clearly on display during Wednesday night's debate. Mr Sanders appeared more confident thanks to his recent success, and quickly went on the attack against Mrs Clinton over her ties to big business. He called on her to disclose the text of a highly-paid speech to investment bank Goldman Sachs and noted that she had accepted millions in campaign donations from Wall Street firms. "When you get paid $225,000, that means that that speech must have been an extraordinarily wonderful speech," he said. "I would think that a speech so great that you got paid so much money for, you would like to share it with the American people." Mrs Clinton put up a spirited defence, but she was clearly humbled. When asked why some Democratic voters seemed to be reluctant to support her, she admitted her shortcomings. "I am not a natural politician, in case you haven't noticed, like my husband or President Obama," she said. "So I have a view that I just have to do the best I can, get the results I can, make a difference in people's lives, and hope that people see that I'm fighting for them and that I can improve conditions economically and in other ways that will benefit them and their families." The two candidates also sparred over immigration reform, foreign policy, healthcare and climate change. It was in these last two exchanges that the real differences between the candidates were exposed. Mrs Clinton preached pragmatism, while Mr Sanders painted in bold colours. His plan to enact universal healthcare coverage involved having "the American people stand up and fight back". His solution to climate change was a "political revolution in this country". "I'm the only candidate who says no president, not Bernie Sanders, can do it all," he said. Outside the debate hall, the Sanders supporters revelled in what they see as a potential turning point in the campaign. "When I saw he won Michigan I was absolutely shocked," said Patrick Mesa, a recent graduate of Miami-Dade College. "I've never been so passionate about anything. I feel like I'm actually growing as a person along with this campaign." Melanie Larson, a senior at nearby Coral Gables Senior High School, said the recent upset showed that Mr Sanders could also win on Tuesday in Florida, where he trails in polls by margins similar to those in the days before the Michigan vote. While the crowd had harsh words for Mrs Clinton, whom they called inconsistent and out of touch, they reserved some of their sharpest criticism for the press, which they say has been underselling their candidate. "The media can do whatever they want to prevent us from getting Bernie's ideas out, but what they don't realise is that they can no longer control the internet," said Karen Caudillo, a student at Miami-Dade college. "We no longer need the media. We are our own media." After his victory in Michigan, however, the media coverage of Mr Sanders has largely been favourable. A winning story is a positive story. Now the challenge for Mr Sanders is to capitalise on the momentum generated by his Tuesday night surprise. Florida, which is much more like the southern states Mrs Clinton dominated, could give Mrs Clinton a boost. But Mr Sanders' sharp anti-trade rhetoric and blue-collar economic appeal may be taking hold in the Midwest. Success in Illinois, Missouri or Ohio could mean next Tuesday's results are at least a draw - and then the Democratic race heads to locations that could be friendlier to Mr Sanders, with caucuses in Idaho, Alaska and Washington, and primaries in Utah and Arizona. He'll need to post some solid victories as the days go by to eat into the lead Mrs Clinton has built so far. The Sanders supporters in Miami believe their man can win. We'll know soon if it's anything more than just an optimistic chant. 15 March: Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio Primaries 22 March: Arizona Primary, Utah Caucuses, Idaho Caucuses (Democratic) 26 March: Alaska, Hawaii, Washington Caucuses (Democratic) 1 April: North Dakota Caucuses (Republican) 5 April: Wisconsin Primary 9 April: Wyoming Caucuses (Democratic) 19 April: New York Primary
It was a small, exuberant crowd of Bernie Sanders supporters that gathered near the site of the Democratic debate at Miami-Dade community college on Wednesday night.
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The hull of the 40ft vessel was found on Friday with its life raft still on board but there was no sign of the crew. The yacht began taking on water on its way to the UK after an Antigua regatta. The search for the crew, which included Paul Goslin, 56, from West Camel and Steve Warren, 52, from Bridgwater, has since been suspended by the US. Yacht skipper Andrew Bridge, 22, from Farnham, Surrey, and 22-year-old James Male, from Romsey, Hampshire, were also on board. Mr Goslin's family said they were deeply saddened by the news of the wreckage and were "trying to take some comfort" from the fact he was "fulfilling one of his lifelong dreams" by sailing across the Atlantic Ocean. A statement from the family said: "Paul was deeply loving and exceptionally intelligent and we know will be missed by everyone that knew him. Paul had been a passionate sailor for many years and loved everything to do with the water." Reverend Rose Hoskins, associate vicar in West Camel and rural Dean of the area in Somerset, said the whole community was "absolutely devastated". "We've all been on a rollercoaster all week. Hopes raised and now really hopes finally dashed," she added. "[We're] also aware of the immense support. The hopes and prayers of so many people out there and for that, I think everybody is very, very grateful." The Cheeki Rafiki was returning from Antigua Sailing Week on 15 May when it began taking on water. The crew diverted to the Azores and contact was lost early the following day. A US Coastguard-organised air and sea search commenced about 620 miles (1,000km) east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, but was called off on 18 May. The families of the missing men appealed to the US Coastguard to resume the search, and a public campaign followed, with more than 239,000 thousand people signing a petition asking rescuers not to give up. On 21 May, news emerged that the US Coastguard had resumed search efforts following an official request from the UK government. Debris was spotted on 22 May but it was later confirmed that it had nothing to do with the Cheeki Rafiki. The upturned hull of the yacht was found on 23 May. Its life raft was still on board and there was no sign of the crew. The US search ended at midnight local time on Friday (05:00 BST Saturday). On Saturday, Mr Bridge's family said they were "shocked and deeply saddened by the news" and he would be "dearly missed by everyone who knew him". "We have been overwhelmed and strengthened by the public support we have received and would like to thank the media for their support and treating us in a respectful and dignified way," the statement added.
Prayers have been said in Somerset for the four UK sailors missing from the Cheeki Rafiki in the North Atlantic.
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Longbourn, by Jo Baker, was snapped up by US and UK publishers last week. "Jane Austen was my first experience of grown-up literature," said Baker. "But as I read and re-read her books, I began to become aware that if I'd been living at the time, I wouldn't have got to go to the ball; I would have been stuck at home with the sewing." The 39-year-old British author said she drew her inspiration from her family's years in service. "Aware of that English class thing, Pride and Prejudice begins to read a little differently," she explained. Longbourn follows a romance between a newly arrived footman and a housemaid in the Bennet household that runs parallel to the love story between Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. "I sent it out last week," said Clare Alexander, Baker's agent. "[US publisher] Knopf bought it Monday. On Wednesday, it was bought by Doubleday in the UK. "By Thursday the film rights had gone. By Friday, we had signed up two foreign translations." "Longbourn is a piece of art that emerges from a much-loved classic," said Alexander of Baker's fifth novel. "It is immensely satisfying to have worked with a talented writer from the outset and to see her take flight. Longbourn will make her a literary star." Translation rights have been sold in Spain, Italy, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Brazil, France and Sweden, according to the book's UK publisher Transworld. Film rights have been bought by Random House Studio and Focus Features, which distributed the 2005 film version of Pride and Prejudice in the US. "Jo Baker fully inhabits the lives of her characters, and in Longbourn they are ones who previously existed in the background only," said Focus Features' James Schamus. "By compellingly exploring new avenues in the world of Pride and Prejudice, she has fashioned a tale of a calibre that film-makers dream about." Two centuries on from her death, Austen's novels continue to inspire adaptations and spin-offs both in book and film form. A contemporary version of Sense and Sensibility, written by Joanna Trollope, will be published later this year, one of six Austen re-workings by modern-day writers. This year's Sundance Film Festival saw the premiere of Austenland, a comedy about a girl obsessed with the BBC's 1995 production of Pride and Prejudice. Longbourn will be published in hardback and e-book format later this year, with a paperback release to follow in 2014.
A new novel that retells the story of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice from the point of view of its servants has been sold around the world.
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The Republic won 1-0 on Wednesday to secure a match against the hosts at the Stade de Lyon in the last 16. "I don't think you would want to head out of the competition meekly," said the Republic manager, 64. "You want to go out blazing if you can and we want to try to stay in it because we feel we can do something." The Republic's midweek heroics in Lille echoed their achievement in beating world champions Germany 1-0 during the qualifying campaign. They go into Sunday's match as underdogs once more, but O'Neill has suggested his team do not necessarily need to be defensive. "I have spent my time in the last two-odd years here in qualification sending out what I would consider adventurous teams to win games," the manager said. "We played a very adventurous game against Sweden. We weren't allowed to play well against Belgium and that can happen because they are a top-class side. "In the game against Italy, we knew we needed some extra energy in the team. "We have some older players playing, certainly in their 30s, so we had to get that energy into the side, which we did - and not only did we have that energy, we played brilliantly in the match, so we have those things to look forward to." Shane Duffy, Richard Keogh, James McClean and Daryl Murphy were all drafted into the team to impressive effect against the Italians and O'Neill must decide whether to tinker with his starting line-up once more. The Republic's preparations for the Lyon contest has included regular penalties practice, with a view to a possible shootout. "We have practised the penalties pretty well consistently, replicating that on the training ground where all players want to take the penalties - all of them, including the goalkeepers," added O'Neill. "I wonder what it will be like if we do get to a shootout? That might be slightly different. "If we go get to penalties, there are at least three players I know who won't take them - who haven't been able to hit the target too often. I shall not name them."
Martin O'Neill has called on his Republic of Ireland side to repeat the intensity of their win over Italy when facing France at Euro 2016 on Sunday.
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The Aberystwyth store is due to open in spring 2017. M&S announced this month it would shut 30 of its clothing and homeware shops and convert dozens more into food stores. It said it was "really excited" about its Aberystwyth plans and had received positive feedback from the community. It is due to open as part of a development in the town centre alongside Tesco, which opened its doors this week. Twelve homes were demolished to make way for the stores.
The chain store Marks and Spencer has confirmed it will open a new branch in Ceredigion next year, despite announcing closures across the UK.
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At $5.6m per kilometre for the track alone, Kenya's line cost close to three times the international standard and four times the original estimate. So it is perhaps not surprising that Kenyans have been asking why they seem to have paid so much. Kenya's new 472km (293 mile) railway is the country's biggest infrastructure investment since its independence in 1963. Built to a modern "standard gauge", it runs parallel to the now-dilapidated metre gauge railway line from the colonial era. While everyone agrees that Kenya desperately needs more infrastructure, not everyone agrees that this was the most economically sensible solution. Cost comparisons have been made between this line and Ethiopia's 756km Addis Ababa-Djibouti line launched last year. Both are Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) projects financed by Chinese loans, costing $3.4bn (£2.6bn) for Ethiopia and $3.2bn for Kenya. Ethiopia's line is more than 250km longer and is electrified, which is typically more expensive; trains running on Kenya's line will be diesel-powered. The Kenyan government has said the reasons for this high cost include the terrain that required many bridges and tunnels, land compensation and a need for specifications that would handle greater cargo volumes than Ethiopia's line. Therefore, it says, the two projects are not directly comparable. About 80% of the money for the new railway came through loans from China. The loans are the country's biggest yet - amounting to roughly 6% of Kenya's gross domestic product (GDP), which is a measure of a country's economic activity, including all the services and goods produced in a year. Before Kenya started building the railway, government advisers Canadian Pacific Consulting Services (CPSC) challenged its economic viability in a 2009 study. It concluded that the benefit of building a new standard gauge railway would be marginal. It was considered "cost prohibitive" using "even the most optimistic" traffic and income projections, it said. But Transport Minister James Macharia has said the Kenyan government expects the new line to boost GDP by 1.5%, allowing the Chinese loans to be paid back "in about four years". That projection runs counter to recent fears that Kenya may soon become unable to pay the large amounts owing on existing loans. Heavy borrowing has seen public debt rise to more than half of GDP in the last four years, yet there has been no corresponding growth in revenue. Most of the railway's revenue is expected to come from transporting cargo. Only 5% of cargo is currently being transported on the old railway line while 95% goes by road, but Kenya Railways is aiming to push its share to 40% by 2025 with the new track. It is possible that a law will be passed requiring certain goods to be transported by rail to ensure a massive transfer of freight away from the roads. The new railway also faces a regional contest. Tanzania and Kenya compete to serve the transit trade of landlocked Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. A 2013 World Bank study predicted that freight traffic on the entire East Africa Community rail network would grow to approximately 14.4 million tonnes per year by 2030. The same study found that investment in a standard gauge railway appeared "only to be justified if the new infrastructure could attract additional rail freight in the order of 20-55 million tonnes per year". By that measure, the railway would need to win all of the freight currently trucked to and from Mombasa - and more. According to the Kenya Ports Authority, Mombasa port handled a total of just over 26 million tonnes of cargo in 2015. Despite these challenges, the new railway will undoubtedly bring several long-term economic benefits. Passengers will enjoy a faster, cheaper journey and the increased freight-carrying capacity reduces wear and tear on the roads. Freight costs per kilometre in the region are more than 50% higher than in the United States and Europe, so a more affordable rail option is a relief for businesses. Jobs have been created directly from the construction and maintenance of the SGR, and more opportunities could come as towns and businesses grow along the railway line. Kenya is the largest exporter and importer in East Africa, and the new railway is a critical part of the plan to connect neighbouring states by rail, making it easier to trade with each other and the rest of the world. There is no doubt that the project is a gleaming symbol of progress, but now it is up to the volume of business it can attract to prove that it was worth the cost.
The first major new railway line in Kenya for more than a century, running between the capital Nairobi and the coastal city of Mombasa, faces an immediate challenge of justifying its relatively high cost.
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It is the second time Sisu will take the council to court. A judicial review previously found for the council. The row concerns the council's sale of its 50% share in the arena to Wasps Rugby Club in 2014. Coventry council leader George Duggins said they would "meet the challenge in court". Sisu has not yet commented. The row stems back to 2012 when the club was taken to court by then-stadium operator ACL over an unpaid rent bill, which resulted in the Sky Blues played home games at Northampton Town's ground for the 2013-14 season. The club's owners said the rent was too high and should be renegotiated, but weeks later the council loaned £14m in public funds to ACL saying it was protecting an asset for the city. Sisu questioned the legality of the council's move, but it was upheld by a judicial review in 2014 and in December 2016, the Supreme Court said there were no grounds to appeal. The city council said it had been notified of Sisu's latest proceedings. It is understood Sisu will argue it was not offered the same terms as Wasps over the sale of the ground. Mr Duggins said there was a "substantial legal bill" from the first judicial review for £750,000 which he said "will be on its way to the owners". In a statement, the club said: "Coventry City FC does not pay any attention to, or concern itself with, off-pitch legal matters. "The football club is solely concentrated on matters on the pitch, and securing enough points to maintain our League One status beyond the current season." The latest development comes after fans were arrested following a pitch protest over the way the club is run. Mr Duggins told fans: "Continue the protest, if you must do, you have public opinion on your side - not just in Coventry but nationally - but don't spoil that by stepping outside the law"
Fresh legal proceedings are being launched by Coventry City FC's owner against the city council over the sale of the Ricoh Arena.
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In addition to stories carried on our E3 index, our North America Technology correspondent Richard Taylor and technology writer Dave Lee will both be tweeting from the show, while Marc Cieslak and others from the BBC Click team will also be providing updates. The event and its associated press conferences are not open to the public, but the firms involved are making it possible to watch some of the key announcements live. Here are some of the relevant details and links: Microsoft hosts the first of the major press conferences at 09.30 local time (17:30 BST) on Monday. It can be viewed on the firm's website, as well as via Xbox consoles, Spike TV and a special Windows Phone app. Video games publisher EA is promising to show off Battlefield Hardline, The Sims 4, and EA Sports UFC among other titles at 12:00 local time (20:00 BST) on Monday. The event will be streamed on EA's site, as well as Spike TV and Twitch's site. France's Ubisoft is the other publisher hosting a major event on press day. It promises to show footage from Assassin's Creed Unity, Far Cry 4 and The Crew among other games at 15:00 local time (23:00 BST) on Monday. The event will be streamed on its YouTube channel and Twitch. Sony rounds off the press day's events with its event, starting 18:00 local time, Monday (02:00 BST, Tuesday). The firm is screening live footage to dozens of cinemas in the US and has also released a special app for the PS4. But if that's not an option, you can also watch the event on its website and via a Ustream feed. Nintendo has repeated last year's decision not to go to the expense of hosting a physical press conference. Instead it will stream a "digital event" at 09:00 local time (17:00) on Tuesday, during which it will show off new gameplay footage and announce new titles. The video can be watched at its site, which also lists three follow-up streams that will show live demos from the Nintendo team on E3's show floor. While the other games publishers don't have major events of their own, several have scheduled gameplay reveals on Twitch. CD Projekt RED's Witcher 3, Bethesda's Evil Within and 2K's Civilization: Beyond Earth are some of the titles listed on the site's schedule over the course of the week. Spike TV is promising its own "wall-to-wall" coverage, with a live demo of Alienware's Alpha Steambox and an interview with Oculus Rift's founder among promised coverage for PC gamers, as well as plenty of material for console owners. The expo's organiser, The Entertainment Software Association, will also be gathering together screenshots and trailers at its own site, E3 Insider, in addition to providing recordings of the main press conferences after they have happened. Several of the major video games sites are running special E3 sections, including Polygon, Gamespot, Kotaku, IGN, and CVG. Finally, a full list of attendees and their various press releases can be found on the official E3 Expo website.
BBC Online's tech team will endeavour to keep you across the main news stories from the E3 video games expo in Los Angeles.
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Northampton's captain swore at referee Wayne Barnes and called him a "cheat" after a penalty decision went against his side in a 37-17 loss to Leicester. "Dylan Hartley will now have to face an RFU disciplinary hearing. I do not think he will be able to board the plane to Hong Kong with the Lions on Monday. You would think a ban will come. This story is far from over - his Lions place is in real jeopardy." Hartley, 27, who claims he was talking to Tigers hooker Tom Youngs, will face a disciplinary hearing on Sunday. The entry point for an RFU ban for abusing an official is six weeks. The Lions tour runs from 1 June-6 July. Any potential RFU punishment can be increased or decreased according to the severity of the offence. Although unlikely, it remains possible the dismissal alone could be deemed sufficient punishment. Hartley had already been warned by Barnes for speaking out of turn, before the dismissal late in the first half. If Hartley is banned, Ulster and Ireland hooker Rory Best would be favourite to replace him. A spokesman for the Lions said that if Hartley receives a suspension which was to rule him out of the second match of the tour, against Western Force on 5 June, then he would be replaced in the squad. "The coaches and the team re-gather on Sunday. There will be an assessment of the situation and it is out of our hands," the spokesman said. "Warren Gatland has always indicated that these players (competing in Premiership and Pro12 finals) would not play in the first match against the Barbarians but they would have to be available for the second match of the tour. "That is the criteria for Hartley coming on tour. If he gets a suspension that prevents him from making that second game then that is where we are." It's Dylan Hartley's own fault. Not only is it half-witted and wrong to talk to a referee like that but he doesn't know the rules of the game. Northampton kicked the ball straight out from a 22-drop-out which is completely stupid. Yes, Leicester pushed early at that scrum and the referee fell for it but Hartley is captain and he let his team down. The referee clearly told him it was his last chance after earlier dissent and has had to follow that through." Northampton coach Jim Mallinder said Hartley's claim was backed up by a number of other senior players. "I asked Dylan at half-time and I've just asked him again 'what happened? What did you say?' He said he was talking to Tom Youngs," said Mallinder. "If you talk like that to a player I wouldn't expect anything to happen. Clearly, Wayne Barnes has believed Dylan has spoken to him. "I support Dylan. He is my captain. If he says he wasn't speaking to the referee and he was speaking to a player on the floor I can only support what he says." Gatland's Lions squad board the plane to Hong Kong on Monday ahead of their opening match against the Barbarians on Saturday. Hartley could have become England captain in 2012 but missed out after being given an eight-week ban for biting Ireland's Stephen Ferris. He was also given a two-week ban in December 2012 for striking Best. Those incidents followed a 26-week ban in 2007 for "making illegal contact with the eye area" of Wasps players Johnny O'Connor and James Haskell. That ban ended his chances of making England's squad for the 2007 World Cup. Speaking on BBC Radio 5 live as a pundit at Twickenham, former Lions hooker Brian Moore said: "It's Dylan Hartley's own fault. "Not only is it half-witted and wrong to talk to a referee like that but he doesn't know the rules of the game. Northampton kicked the ball straight out from a 22-drop-out which is completely stupid. "Yes, Leicester pushed early at that scrum and the referee fell for it but Hartley is captain and he let his team down. The referee clearly told him it was his last chance after earlier dissent and has had to follow that through."
England hooker Dylan Hartley is set to miss the British and Irish Lions tour after becoming the first player to be sent off in a Premiership final.
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Famed for his role as the hapless Tom Good in the 1970s BBC sitcom The Good Life, Briers was an also an accomplished stage actor playing roles such as Shakespeare's King Lear and Chekov's Uncle Vanya. He also appeared in several films, including a cameo as a bishop in the Spice Girls' 1997 movie Spice World. Richard David Briers was born in London on 14 January 1934 to parents Benjamin and Morna. He was inspired by his mother, a music and drama teacher. Initially brought up in a flat above a cinema, Briers attended Rokeby Prep School in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, leaving at the age of 16 with no qualifications. He briefly studied electrical engineering but gave it up to become a filing clerk, a job he continued in the RAF when he was called up to do his national service. While serving at RAF Northwood in Hertfordshire, he met actor Brian Murphy (George and Mildred) who introduced him to the dramatic society at London's Borough Polytechnic Institute, now the South Bank University. Briers starred in a number of productions after catching the acting bug and, taking advice from his father's cousin, the comic actor Terry-Thomas, went on to study at Rada for two years. He was in a class with Peter O'Toole and Albert Finney, "who didn't need any lessons at all," he later recalled. "I was painstakingly slow in my progress in comparison with them," he added. "I knew nothing about acting, I had to be taught everything." Briers credited Rada director John Fernald with nurturing his talent. "He had a great confidence in me which allowed me to relax," he told the Guardian in 2008. The young actor soon won a scholarship with the Liverpool Playhouse, where he met Ann Davies, the stage manager for the company and herself an actress. The pair were married within six months. Briers made his West End debut in Gilt and Gingerbread at the Duke of York's Theatre in 1959 and two years later he got his big break in TV after landing the lead role in Marriage Lines alongside Prunella Scales. He went on to star in Brothers in Law, and appeared in several other popular television programmes, including the Morecambe & Wise Show and Dixon of Dock Green. In 1975 Briers was cast in the lead role for new BBC sitcom The Good Life - the part that would make him a household name. The part had been specifically written for him by the scriptwriters, John Esmonde and Bob Larbey. His character, Tom Good, decided to give up his steady office job on his 40th birthday and become self-sufficient. He and wife Barbara (Felicity Kendal) continued to live at their plush home in the Surrey commuter belt of Surbiton, but to the horror of their well-heeled neighbours Margo and Jerry (Penelope Keith and Paul Eddington) they turned their garden into an allotment where they kept livestock, and started making their own clothes. "I actually didn't think the series was going to be successful when I first read the script," he said last year. "I worried that it was all a bit mundane and middle class. "But the moment that my character, Tom Good, leaves his job as a draughtsman for a company that makes plastic toys for cereal packets and attempts to live off the land in Surbiton, he becomes much more interesting." The series, which came ninth in a 2004 poll to find Britain's best loved sitcoms, was hugely successful, with the last episode filmed in front of the Queen in 1978. It was often repeated over the years prompting Briers to quip that people still expected him to look the same 25 years on when in fact "I'm an old git with white hair". His distinctive voice was heard in a number of productions. He was the narrator on the popular 1970s children's TV series, Roobarb & Custard and was the voice of the rabbit Fiver in the animated film of Watership Down. He was a frequent voice on radio where he played Dr Simon Sparrow in BBC Radio 4's adaptations of Richard Gordon's comic novels Doctor in the House and Doctor a Large. He also made a number of appearances as Bertie Wooster in radio dramatisations of PG Wodehouse's Jeeves books. He appeared in a number of commercials, including voicing the griffin in advertisements for Midland Bank, now part of HSBC. Briers went on to star as the obsessive Martin Bryce in Ever Decreasing Circles, again written for him by Esmonde and Larbey. In 1987, hankering for more serious roles, he joined Kenneth Branagh's Renaissance Theatre Company where he took on a number of stage roles and appeared in Branagh's films of Henry V and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. In Frankenstein, he played alongside Robert De Niro, whose acting techniques were in stark contrast Briers' own, no-nonsense style. "I'd learn the lines and say them, hopefully at the right time," he told BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. But in one scene, Briers' character had to call De Niro, playing Frankenstein's monster, into a room. "I said, 'I know you are there, come in, come in' - but nothing happened. "Branagh was behind me saying, 'don't be a fool, you've got to make him come in. He's not like you. You've got to make him feel he must come in.'" "I said, 'I've read the script. I say 'come in' and he comes in." In 2000, he was catapulted back into the TV spotlight when he played Hector Macdonald, the ageing patriarch in Monarch of the Glen. In recent years he had roles in Extras, New Tricks and Holby City and in 2012 he appeared in film comedy Cockneys and Zombies, where he was a resident in a home under threat from a zombie apocalypse. He was appointed OBE in 1989 and CBE in 2003. As he got older he seemed to relish his new persona as a grumpy old man, particularly when it came to comedy. "They simply don't write funny stuff anymore," he once said. "A lot of it is very depressing. Or violent. Or both." Earlier this year, the actor revealed his struggle with the lung disease emphysema - caused, he said, by a 50-year smoking habit. "I get very breathless, which is a pain in the backside," he told the Daily Mail. "I haven't even got the strength to garden any more. Trying to get upstairs - oh God, it's ridiculous. "The ciggies got me. I didn't think it would go quite as badly as it has. It's a bugger, but there it is. I used to love smoking."
Richard Briers, who has died aged 79, was one of Britain's best-loved actors.
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Brown has agreed to a two-year deal at the Halliwell Jones Stadium. The 32-year-old made 97 appearances for Vikings after joining from Huddersfield ahead of the 2013 season. "The quality of person he is will add a whole lot to our team both on and off the field," Wolves head coach Tony Smith told the club website.
Warrington have signed England international stand-off Kevin Brown from Super League rivals Widnes for an undisclosed transfer fee.
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The artwork, which was painted on the side of the Thekla 10 years ago, had been on long-term loan to M Shed in Bristol by the ship's owners. The design will now take up permanent residence at the museum from 3 June. It was painted on the side of the Thekla, a ship and nightclub venue, just above the waterline on its steel hull. It was removed last August. Experts found that exposure to the elements was causing ongoing deterioration to the iconic artwork. While the Thekla was in dry dock last August, its owners removed the Grim Reaper and loaned it to Bristol Museums, Galleries and Archives on a long-term basis. It was also assessed by a conservator to prevent further damage, and was cleaned, before it went on display at M Shed. Ray Barnett, head of collections and archives at Bristol Museums, Galleries and Archives, said he was "very pleased" to have preserved the work of art. "The Thekla and its associated art has been an established part of the Bristol docks for a long time," he added. "Many Bristolians will be able to relate to the image but also, by association, to the contribution the Thekla has made to the city's night life." George Akins of DHP Family, which has owned the Thekla since 2006, said its aim was to preserve the art "before it deteriorated too much". The Thekla has been a fixture in the harbour since the early 1980s. The venue, at East Mud Dock in the city's floating harbour, completed a 13-week refurbishment last year. The boat has about 100,000 visitors a year, and celebrated its 30th birthday in May 2014.
An image of the Grim Reaper by street artist Banksy has found a permanent home following a restoration.
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In the first full month since the UK's vote to leave the EU, there were 6,638 applications for Irish passports from people living in the region. That is 2,568 more than July last year. Applications for Irish passports from people living in Great Britain also increased year on year in July, with a 73% rise. Post Offices in Belfast and elsewhere noted a sharp rise in applications in the immediate aftermath of the Brexit vote. But there is some evidence that this has slowed down in more recent weeks. Some unionists who had never previously considered an Irish passport started to apply in the wake of Brexit, but it is impossible to calculate how many. The statistics released on Friday by the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin include: Full details can be found at the Department of Foreign Affairs website.
The number of people in Northern Ireland applying for Irish passports rose by more than 60% in July, compared with the same period last year.
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The court decided in favour of entertainment company Marvel in its legal battle with the inventor of a web-shooting toy, Stephen Kimble, over royalty payments for expired patents. "With great power there must also come - great responsibility," wrote Justice Elena Kagan, referencing a famous line from the comics. The case was decided in a 6-3 ruling. At issue was whether Marvel should have continued paying royalties to the toy's inventor after a patent on the toy expired in 2010. Mr Kimble sold a patent on the toy to the entertainment company in 2001, with an agreement that he would receive royalty payments. Once the patent expired, Marvel stopped payments, citing the high court's ruling in the 1964 case known as Brulotte v Thys Co. Mr Kimble had argued that the court should over rule its previous decision which said royalties generally shouldn't be paid after patents expire. Justice Kagan acknowledged that the court can overturn its own precedents, but said the justices "should exercise that authority sparingly". "The parties set no end date for royalties, apparently contemplating that they would continue for as long as kids want to imitate Spider-Man (by doing whatever a spider can)," Justice Kagan said. The quote is an apparent reference to the theme song from the 1967 Spider-Man television programme that features the lyric: "Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a spider can". Mr Kimble has earned more than $6m (£3,789,409) in royalty fees for the toy from Marvel.
In a wink to comic book fans, a US Supreme Court justice has tucked several superhero references into a ruling involving a Spider-Man toy.
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The trouble was reported early on Monday, a day after the body of a man who escaped from the centre was found near cliffs. One man being held at the centre told New Zealand's TVNZ that guards had abandoned the centre after "riots". Australia's Department of Immigration said there were reports of damage. But it said in a statement that the perimeter of the centre remained secure and there were no reports of injuries. Australia sends asylum seekers to Christmas Island, a remote outpost 2,650km (1,650 miles) north-west of Perth and 380km south of Java in Indonesia. They are also sent to Manus Island in Papua New Guinea and Nauru in the South Pacific. The Christmas Island centre also houses New Zealanders facing deportation. The number of New Zealanders in the centre has increased since Canberra began cancelling visas of those with criminal records. Media in New Zealand said the man who escaped on Saturday was an Iranian Kurd named Fazel Chegeni. His body was found a day later, Australia's Department of Immigration and Border Protection said. The death is now being investigated. "Like so many others, Fazel was suffering the effects of long-term arbitrary detention," Ian Rintoul, of the Refugee Action Coalition group, told the Sydney Morning Herald. "He had told other detainees that he could no longer stand being in detention and just wanted 'to go outside'." Kelvin Davis, an MP with New Zealand's opposition Labour party, visited the Christmas Island centre last month and remains in contact with people there. "A detainee was asking a guard how that person died and got punched in the face for his efforts and that's what's really set things off," he told Radio NZ. One detainee, Ricky Downs, told TVNZ the guards "freaked out and left". "There are fires everywhere, holes in the wall and the canteen has been smashed to pieces," he said. The immigration department said it was working to "restore the good order of the centre". The government says the journey the asylum seekers make is dangerous and controlled by criminal gangs and they have a duty to stop it. Critics say opposition to asylum is often racially motivated and is damaging Australia's reputation. Its policy was branded a "disaster" by Human Rights Watch's Australia director in July. The group also raised concern over conditions at the Manus camp. Last February, an Iranian man was killed during a riot at the camp. The trial of a Salvation Army worker and a camp guard accused over his murder restarts later this month.
Australian immigration officials say a "disturbance" is taking place at a detention centre for immigrants on Christmas Island.
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Jose Fonte may replace Angelo Ogbonna, who will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury, while Robert Snodgrass is also set for his debut. Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho is available after completing a ban. City striker Sergio Aguero is back in contention after missing the FA Cup win against Crystal Palace with a knock. Simon Brotherton: "West Ham have already been beaten twice by Manchester City this season with an aggregate score of 8-1, but they at least go into this game with the Dimitri Payet saga over and two new signings in the squad. "City, meanwhile, return to the London Stadium less than a month after handing out an impressive 5-0 thumping when the teams met in the FA Cup third round. "It was the Hammers' heaviest home defeat in a competitive game in half a century. "Most bizarre, though, of all the pre-match statistics is the fact that City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo has faced nine shots on target in 2017 and saved only one of them, conceding eight goals." Twitter: @SimonBrotherton West Ham manager Slaven Bilic on the departure of Dimitri Payet: "Does he owe an apology? No. I wouldn't say that. "He is gone, he went home, that was his wish and I will not forget how good he was for us. "He was brilliant. I was so happy and proud, with my team, my staff, to help him achieve what he did. What he achieved with us was a great story for West Ham, for the Premier League and for France. "I want to thank him for everything he did for us - he was brilliant last year. We were brilliant for him also. Now that story's finished, I wish him luck and all the best in Marseille." Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola on Fernandinho's disciplinary record: "He's not an aggressive player. He's a tough, intense player, like English football is. "He is one of the nicest guys I've ever met... what happened against Chelsea [a shove on Cesc Fabregas] we have talked about a lot. "The other action [a two-footed tackle against Burnley] - I saw many of them here. We accept the ban, we don't complain, but he's not an aggressive guy. He's an honest guy." West Ham are improving but I am still backing City to win. Pep Guardiola's side took a bit of a battering when they lost to Everton on 15 January but they have put in some impressive performances since then. Prediction: 0-2 Lawro's full predictions v England cricketer Moeen Ali Head-to-head West Ham United Manchester City SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale at the University of Salford that is used to predict the outcome of football matches.
West Ham's Havard Nordtveit is absent with an ankle injury, while Cheikhou Kouyate will not feature after recently returning from international duty.
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But, as Sawyer arrived on New Year's Eve at 23:50, and Everett at 12:01 on New Year's Day, they were born in two different years! Mum Holly said that their arrival had been a "perfect birth." Husband Brandon added: "Everett was stubborn, hanging on until after midnight." He said: "I think it's mostly going to be Sawyer teasing Everett over him being the eldest."
Meet Sawyer and Everett Shay, two twins born just minutes apart in Arizona in the US.
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President Rafael Correa said he had contacted the Venezuelan authorities for help extinguishing 17 major fires across the country and that they had promised to send helicopters. He said he would also ask Brazil, Colombia and Peru for support. Ten people have been arrested on suspicion of setting fires in the vicinity of the capital. The government has asked people to denounce firebugs and has offered a $50,000 (£32,500) reward for information leading to their capture. One of the biggest fires is burning in the hills of Auqui, north-east of Quito. Dozens of firefighters are trying to stop the flames from spreading to residential areas. Three firefighters were killed last week and many more injured.
Quito was enveloped in smoke as forest fires raged around the Ecuadorean capital on Tuesday.
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One year on from the final triumph of his glorious 14-race winning run, the world's top-rated racehorse is now a stallion who commands a fee of up to £125,000 a time. By the end of his first year at stud, he will have earned about £15m - five times his total prize money from racing. And like any sought-after male escort, he comes with rave reviews - "super fertile", "alpha male", "thorough gentleman". He boasts a strike rate not far off his 100% record on the track - 126 of the 133 mares who visited him are expecting foals in the first part of next year. Six of the remaining seven were pregnant before suffering early foetal deaths although a "no-foal, no-fee arrangement" usually applies. Some of the healthy potential future equine stars will be bought at public sales in December before they are even born. "Frankel has started very positively. His libido is good, and a 95% success rate for a first season stallion is very good," said Lord "Teddy" Grimthorpe, racing manager to owner Prince Khalid Abdulla. The Saudi prince retired Frankel, trained by Sir Henry Cecil, after a rapturous reception in the winner's enclosure at Ascot racecourse on British Champions Day a year ago. In the next five months the colt, now aged five, was prepared for a stallion career, which started on Valentine's Day. While his diet and regime changed ahead of his new duties, his fitness was maintained by being taken on daily seven-mile walks around Banstead Manor Stud, owned by the prince's Juddmonte Farms breeding operation. Frankel was back at his birthplace when he moved from Warren Place training yard on the edge of Newmarket, where the Cecil family flag was raised after each Group One victory, to the stud about five miles away. He has other stallions for neighbours and lives in box number two. Well, even he can't be number one all the time. From that first Valentine with the mare Midday, he has bred with some of the finest mares around in a building the size of a small village hall officially called the covering shed and nicknamed the "love shack". "Frankel has been a true gentleman throughout the season," said Juddmonte general manager Philip Mitchell. On a tour of the impeccably kept stud, staff describe the horse as "super fertile". Of his first 133 matings, 113 were the winners of races, including 38 who had scored at Group or Grade One level. Their average age, of 10, is twice his own. At the peak of his powers, he was on duty three times a day - at 7.30am, 3pm and 9pm. Media playback is not supported on this device The first fruits of this labour of love will be on sale in December when 11 pregnant mares who visited Frankel earlier in the year go to Tattersalls horse sales in Newmarket. "We expect it to generate an enormous amount of interest and competition from breeders and owners who wish to buy into the legend that is Frankel," said Jimmy George, Tattersalls marketing director. While nothing is certain in this field, and not all great racehorses become stars at stud, bloodlines are crucial in producing future champions. "Dancing Rain, who won the Oaks in 2011, will be coming through our December sale carrying a first foal by Frankel. Even for us, that's a 'wow'," said George. "It is the ultimate package, an outstanding mare in foal to the best racehorse we've ever seen. There's no guarantees, but in thoroughbred racing, it's hard to beat that." With powerful bloodstock empires from Qatar, Ireland and Dubai among those pitting their financial muscles against each other at such sales, you might struggle to remember times are tough. Two unraced yearlings fetched a combined total of more than £8m as records tumbled during bidding earlier in October. When Frankel's offspring, or progeny as they are known in breeding circles, enter the sales ring next December, buyers will be seeking his hallmarks. "The expression used in the game is to stamp their stock. People will be looking to see Frankel in the make and shape of those foals," said George. What is it, then, that marks Frankel out as a unique thoroughbred? "You certainly know when he's in the room," jokes Grimthorpe. "He's an alpha male, no doubt about that." Grimthorpe, who was a close friend of Cecil and can casually reel off each of the great horse's victories if requested, said he had always been extremely willing to race. Frankel was even something of a tearaway as a youngster, before his exuberance was channelled expertly by the tender touch of 10-time champion trainer Cecil. "His cruising speed was equivalent to a lot of horses going flat out, and he had an incredible stride on him," said Grimthorpe. "You can see when horses were trying to match strides, they had to take one-and-a-half strides to his one. "If you look at his form, it was always franked. Horses beaten by him went on to win decent races." He is the son of 2001 Epsom Derby winner Galileo - now a prolific sire himself - and grandson of champion stallion Sadler's Wells, Frankel was champion aged two, three, and four. Those 14 victories included 10 at the highest Group One level, nine of which he won on the trot. And some at an apparent canter. He was victorious in his Champion Stakes swansong despite facing Cirrus Des Aigles, the second top-rated horse in the world, on soft ground which played much more to his opponent's strengths. Little wonder then that despite his lofty stud fee, Frankel was oversubscribed, with more than 220 potential suitors from around the world. Autumn brings about 30 mares from the southern hemisphere, including Australia, before a rest between November and February. He completed his first set of bookings in June at around the time Cecil died after a six-year battle with cancer. After the horse retired, the seriously ill Cecil would make weekly visits to see his one-time stable star at stud. The trainer may have sadly gone, but his champion racehorse's legacy is set to go on. It all has a touch of Hollywood about it. The horse named after one training legend who helped another achieve the highlight of a racing life in the sickness-ravaged twilight of his career. "The only way I can describe it is as an alignment of the stars. If you wrote the story as fiction, it would be rejected on the grounds it sounded like a fairytale," said Grimthorpe. With a standard 11-month pregnancy for mares, the first of Frankel's offspring will arrive in the early months of 2014. They will grace the track as two-year-olds in the summer of 2016, when Frankel's name will appear in racecards as the sire of a new generation of equine talent.
Unbeaten Frankel's achievements on the racecourse were legendary - but his new breeding career has already easily surpassed what he earned on the track.
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A negotiator for the rebels at peace talks in Havana, Victoria Sandino, read out a statement saying they would no longer recruit anyone under 18. The Farc last year said it would stop recruiting children under 17 and discharge those under 15. The government had said that move did not go far enough. Human rights groups define any member of a force aged under 18 as a child soldier. Army sources estimate that close to half of Farc members have been recruited as minors. One of those was Martin (not his real name). When I spoke to him, he told me how it was a natural thing for him and his brothers to end up in the Farc, a group that was consistently present in the area where they lived. They started, he said, doing errands for the rebels. When he was 11 he became a full member. "We joined because it was the only choice we had," he told me. He left when he was 16. "The important thing was to regain my freedom, to be able to do whatever I wanted," he said. The Farc has in the past said that its youngest members were the offspring of guerrilla fighters or had joined the Farc after they had been orphaned. In its statement on Wednesday, the Farc said that minors joined the rebel group because they had been left "unprotected" by the state. The rebels also urged President Juan Manuel Santos to end compulsory military service. The two sides have been engaged in peace talks since November 2012 and have reached agreement on four out of five main issues on their agenda. In September, President Santos set a deadline of 26 March 2016 for a final agreement to be signed, although Farc negotiators have since cast doubts on the probability of meeting that deadline. More than 220,000 people have been killed in almost 52 years of armed conflict in Colombia and more than six million people have been internally displaced.
Colombia's largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), has announced that it will stop recruiting minors.
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That will follow a bidding process which will see a new contract in place from June next year. The contract length has been extended to 12 years, taking the service through to 2029. Bidders will be required to provide a 40m (131ft) boat, up from the 26m (85ft) "Argyll Flyer". As part of the new contract there will be penalties for service disruption. Transport Minister Humza Yousaf set out conditions for the subsidised public service contract for the Cowal Peninsula to Inverclyde route. The current service is run by Argyll Ferries, a subsidiary of David MacBrayne Ltd, which is wholly owned by the Scottish government. It has been criticised for technical problems and disruption to the service when there is bad weather. The passenger-only service competes with privately-owned Western Ferries, which operates a car ferry between Gourock and Dunoon. The next operator of the public service contract will be allowed to run a car ferry with passenger capacity, but because there is already a commercial operator, the vehicle business cannot be subsidised.
The Clyde passenger ferry between Gourock and Dunoon is to run with a bigger boat designed to operate in rougher weather.
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The warning comes in a letter from the finance director at the Department of Education (DE), Gary Fair. Mr Fair said that the department was not in a position to confirm individual school budgets for 2017/18 yet. However, he said schools would need to make "difficult decisions" in advance of the start of the new financial year. The letter, sent on 15 March, is addressed to chairs of boards of governors of all schools. Mr Fair said that as a 2017/18 budget was not agreed before the assembly was dissolved, school budgets cannot be finalised. However, he said that DE, like other departments, had to "plan for a level of reductions to inform their spending plans in the initial months of the year". "In light of this, the Department of Finance has advised that departments should plan on the basis of potential reduction scenarios of 2%, 4% and 6%," he added. Indicative or provisional budgets for each school have been placed on DE's website, but Mr Fair said these were for planning purposes only. "The budget outcome for your school in 2017/18 will only be known following discussions taken by the incoming administration," he writes. "There is likely to be an extremely challenging budget position in 2017/18. "It is therefore essential that you identify those areas of spend that can be deferred until there is more certainty over the budget position and the scale of any reductions required. "While I fully appreciate the difficulties surrounding the financial position facing the education sector, I regret that I cannot provide any more certainty about 2017/18 budgets at this stage."
Schools have been told that they face "an extremely challenging budgetary position in 2017-18".
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Media playback is not supported on this device Emotional night at the Reebok thank you all for the wonderful reception. Proud of the lads hopefully we pick up 3 points next game Fabrice Muamba on Twitter Muamba, 24, suffered a cardiac arrest during Bolton's FA Cup tie at Spurs on 17 March and he was released from hospital on 16 April. "I'm happy I'm here," he said. "It's a special place - anyone who has played for this club will knows that. "I'm glad I came today, I really wanted to come and support the boys." Media playback is not supported on this device Muamba was returning to Bolton's ground - and conducting his first TV interview - since being discharged. "I'm happy to be back, I'm happy to see the fans outside and for the support I got," said the midfielder. "I'm happy to be able to speak to people again and walk freely. The support has been overwhelming, I'm very grateful for it. "The support helps me every single day - I've still got six or seven boxes of well-wishes to go through. The support stays in my mind every single day, keeps me going every single day." Muamba paid special tribute to the fans who have sent messages of support regardless of which club they follow. "Thank you from the bottom of my heart, thank you for your support," he added. "Not just the Bolton fans, the whole country. "I'm grateful I can walk again and do things normally again. My message is thank you." Muamba was technically dead for 78 minutes after collapsing on the pitch during his team's quarter-final at White Hart Lane. The former England Under-21 international started talking again two days after the incident and was walking just over two weeks later. Since he left the London Chest Hospital, Muamba has continued his rehabilitation at home but it is not yet known if he will play professional football again. Bolton, who have a game in hand on the teams around them, have the chance to move out of the relegation zone with victory over Spurs.
Fabrice Muamba said he was delighted to be back at Bolton after arriving to watch their crucial meeting with Tottenham at the Reebok Stadium.
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The aero engine maker said the savings would be at the top end of its target amid a challenging period ahead. The company said demand for its engines for extra wide body aircraft had stayed strong. However, Rolls was losing ground in business aviation, while problems in offshore oil and gas markets meant its marine orders were "very weak". In a trading update, the group maintained its outlook for lower revenues as well as profits this year. Chief executive Warren East said: "We have made steady progress in 2016 to date, delivering a ramp up in large engine production and implementing the first stage of our transformation programme. "At the same time we have managed well mixed markets for our marine and power systems businesses." The group will switch to a new accounting method in 2018. George Salmon, equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said that would result in last year's profits being restated and adjusted down by £900m. "Five profit warnings in the 20 months up to November 2015 means Rolls-Royce shareholders have had anything but a smooth ride recently," he said. "Operationally, the group is undergoing some major restructures. Investors will hope that it emerges as a leaner and more transparent company. However, the road ahead could be a long one." Shares slid 2.7% to 734p, making it one of the biggest fallers on the FTSE 100.
Rolls-Royce has raised its cost-saving targets in a bid to cut between £150m and £200m from its budget.
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At 95.7%, the figure - which relates to June - is the best monthly performance for A&E departments since July 2014. A total of 139,300 people were either admitted to hospital, transferred or discharged in the period. The Scottish government said Scotland's A&E departments were outperforming those elsewhere in the UK. The Scottish government recommends that health authorities should assess, treat or discharge patients attending accident and emergency departments within four hours. Health Secretary Shona Robison said the figures were the best for the month of June for five years: "Today's figures show that Scotland's A&E departments are continuing to build on the improvements we have seen over the last year." She added: "Nationally, our core accident and emergency performance has remained better than elsewhere in the UK for the last 15 months of published data, from March 2015 to May 2016. And we are continually working to retain and build on this improvement to ensure patients get the service they rightly deserve." The statistics cover treatment and discharge at Scotland's 30 large "core" 24-hour A&E departments. Also published were performance statistics for the week ending 24 July, which showed that 94.4% of patients were seen within four hours.
More than 95% of patients attending accident and emergency departments across Scotland were seen within four hours, according to the latest figures.
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An analysis of 13,000 IVF pregnancies suggested the freezing process might be better for the mother and the baby's health. However, some fertility specialists argue there would be fewer pregnancies if freezing was more widely used. The study's findings were presented at the British Science Festival. Most of the time in IVF clinics in the UK, eggs are taken, fertilised and the resulting embryos implanted. This is thought of as using fresh embryos. However, about one in five cycles of IVF in the UK uses frozen embryos - these were "spare" embryos kept from a previous IVF attempt. There have been concerns that freezing may pose a health risk. However, the latest analysis, which is also published in the journal Fertility and Sterility, suggests that freezing may have better results. It reported a lower chance of haemorrhage, premature birth and deaths in the first few weeks of life. Lead researcher Dr Abha Maheshwari, from the University of Aberdeen, said: "Our results question whether one should consider freezing all embryos and transfer them at a later date rather than transferring fresh embryos." She told the BBC more research was needed and that it was "a controversial topic". "It is a debate we should be having now," she added. "It needs further exploration about what we do in the future." Why frozen embryos might have better results is unknown and the researchers acknowledge the results are "counter-intuitive". One theory is that stimulating the ovaries to release more eggs, as part of normal IVF, may affect the ability of the womb to accept an embryo. Freezing the embryo until later would allow it to be implanted in a more "natural" womb. However, data from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority says that in 2010 frozen embryos were less likely to result in pregnancy. There was a 23% success rate for frozen and a 33% chance for fresh embryos. Dr Maheshwari argues that new techniques in the past few years have greatly increased the success rate. However Prof Alison Murdoch, the head of the Newcastle Fertility Centre at Life, Newcastle University, said: "It is of some concern that conclusions have been drawn, incorrectly, that we should routinely freeze all embryos and transfer them in a future menstrual cycle. "There is ample evidence to show that this would result in fewer pregnancies even if the outcome for those pregnancies were better." The director of IVF at Hammersmith Hospital in London, Stuart Lavery, said it would be "incorrect to conclude from these findings that we should stop performing fresh transfers and freeze all embryos". However Mr Lavery said it provided reassurance that frozen embryos were as safe as fresh ones. It was a view shared by Dr Allan Pacey, the chairman of the British Fertility Society and a researcher at the University of Sheffield. He said: "I think this is interesting because some people are nervous about frozen embryos and there have been various headlines about this study or that which suggest that frozen embryos may be a worry. "What's really useful is that it shows that from the point of view of the woman's health during labour, and some early measures of the baby's health, frozen embryos do all right and are arguably better."
Fertility doctors have called for a debate around whether freezing embryos should become the main option for IVF treatment in the future.
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Valerie Hunter Gordon's family said she died on 16 October in Beauly. She created the first "Paddi" after having her third child, Nigel, in 1947 and becoming fed-up with washing traditional nappies. The two-part garments were initially made out of old nylon parachutes, tissue wadding and cotton wool. Mrs Hunter Gordon made hundreds of the nappies using a sewing machine at her kitchen table, supplying friends with the product and constantly modifying the design. Her husband, Major Pat Hunter Gordon, was also pressed into helping make the nappies when he returned from fighting in Borneo. Speaking to the BBC in 2015, Mrs Hunter Gordon said she had found washing nappies much too laborious and so began searching for disposables. "I thought you must be able to buy them - but you couldn't, not anywhere," she said. "It seemed extraordinary that it hadn't been done before. I thought, it's easy, I'll make them. But it wasn't easy. It was quite tricky. "Everybody who saw them said, Valerie, please would you make one for me? And so I ended up by making about over 600 of them. "I spent my time sitting at my mother's sewing machine, making these wretched things." Paddis replaced absorbent cotton towelling nappies, which had to be washed after each use. "Everybody wanted to stop washing nappies. Nowadays they seem to want to wash them again - good luck to them," Mrs Hunter Gordon said last year. The couple applied for a patent in 1948 and signed an agreement with Robinsons to manufacture the nappies in 1949. The first nappies were modelled by her son, Nigel. Possible names for the product included Valette, Snappy, Napkins, Lavnets and Drypad. The name Paddi was chosen after a meeting between Major Hunter Gordon and a group of senior executive Army officers at The Army Staff College in Surrey, according to the Paddi website. At first, there was resistance to the nappies from doctors, who thought it would harm babies' skin, and a general public not used to throwing things away in the post-war years. However, an article in Lancet written by an Army doctor who used Paddis for his baby helped change medical opinion and they began to be stocked by Boots. They were advertised as "A really attractive garment, skilfully designed by a Mother, to make the whole-time use of disposable nappies a practical possibility". The company eventually went into decline in the 1960s, with the arrival of the American brand Pampers. Mrs Hunter Gordon's daughter, Frances Ross, said her mother had been survived by six children, 19 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren, with another due in a few months.
The mother-of-six who invented the disposable nappy has died at her home near Inverness aged 94.
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Media playback is not supported on this device The Crues lead Linfield, who lost 1-0 at Glenavon, by nine points, with just five sets of fixtures remaining. Neil McCafferty gave the Bannsiders the lead with a penalty but goals from Billy Joe Burns and Jordan Owens (2) put the Crues in control at half-time. Paul Heatley scored twice after the break and Michael Doherty was sent-off. Crusaders could effectively win the Premiership by beating Linfield at Windsor Park next Saturday as that would extend their lead at the top to 12 points, with a much superior goal difference. Doherty produced a fine save from Heatley in the opening minute, while the home keeper made another impressive stop from a Colin Coates drive. The Bannsiders took the lead on 20 minutes when McCafferty rolled the ball into the corner of the net from the spot after Darren McCauley had been tripped by Josh Robinson, his 12th league goal of the season. Burns replied two minutes later by drilling a low free-kick into the net and the full-back turned provider in the 28th minute, crossing the ball for Owens to head home unmarked from six yards out. Owens grabbed his second when he swivelled and fired into the bottom corner from inside the box four minutes later. A minute after the interval, Heatley rifled in a left-foot shot across Doherty, who should have done better. The livewire winger added another soon after with a glancing back-post header into the bottom corner. Crusaders manager Stephen Baxter: "We were magnificent today - we blew Coleraine out of the water after going behind. "We played really well. If you play the right balls to the right players in the right positions, then you are going to score goals. "There were a few harsh words said at half-time, we scored two goals soon after the break and that was the game over. "We're not getting carried away though. We will just prepare in the normal fashion and get ready for a huge game next Saturday."
Crusaders took a massive step towards winning the Irish League title for the first time in 18 years by hammering 10-man Coleraine at Ballycastle Road.
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The St John's forward impressed during the team's promotion-winning Division Four league campaign in the spring. John Carron makes his first championship start since an All-Ireland qualifier defeat by Louth in 2013. Otherwise the saffrons field a hugely experienced side as they bid to avenge two losses to Fermanagh last summer. Kevin Niblock has been passed fit to start despite suffering from a bout of tonsilitis last week. Carron came on as a sub in Antrim's Ulster SFC defeat by Monaghan in 2013, but Sunday's game will be his first provincial championship start. Media playback is not supported on this device Antrim badly missed the leadership and influence of key players such as Michael and Tomas McCann and Kevin Niblock who opted out last year. Brian 'Bam' Neeson, who also missed last year's defeats to the Erne county in Ulster championship and All-Ireland SFC second round qualifier, is another player Fermanagh will be wary of. He scored 1-6 in Antrim's 2-18 to 3-13 victory over Fermanagh in the Ulster SFC in 2014. Antrim SFC (v Fermanagh): C Kerr; K O'Boyle, R Johnston, N Delargy; P McBride, M Johnston, J Laverty; N McKeever, C Murray; M Fitzpatrick, K Niblock, J Carron; B Neeson, T McCann, M McCann. Subs: R Hanna, S McVeigh, C Burke, R Murray, P McAleer, P Gallagher, S Burke, M Armstrong, M Sweeney, D McAleese, J Dowling.
Matthew Fitzpatrick will make his senior championship debut for Antrim in Sunday's Ulster SFC preliminary round clash with Fermanagh at Brewster Park.
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Ansar Beit al-Maqdis announced the move on a Twitter account in Arabic, saying IS promised "a new dawn raising the banner of monotheism". IS has taken over large parts of conflict-racked Syria and Iraq, declaring a cross-border caliphate. Ansar Beit al-Maqdis had previously denied allying itself with IS. The group used the same Twitter account last week to dismiss reports that it had pledged allegiance to the IS leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. In its latest pronouncement, Ansar Beit al-Maqdis - or Champions of Jerusalem - made no reference to its previous denial, but said Baghdadi had been chosen by God to set up a new caliphate. The group promised to "listen and obey" him and appealed to Muslims everywhere to pledge allegiance. The whereabouts of Baghdadi remain unclear after the Iraqi authorities said on Sunday that he had been wounded in an air strike by US-led fighter jets. The US is leading a coalition effort providing air support to forces trying to defeat IS on the ground. President Barack Obama said at the weekend that the battle against IS was entering a "new phase" with the deployment of 1,500 more troops - non-combat advisers - to Iraq. Ansar Beit al-Maqdis' pledge of loyalty to IS is being seen as a further sign of IS's growing appeal to other Muslim militant groups. Militants in Sinai have stepped up their attacks on Egyptian security forces since the military's overthrow of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in July 2013. Dozens of troops were killed in an attack on an army checkpoint in northern Sinai last month, though it is not clear which group carried it out. In response to this attack, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi gave the military extra powers in October to combat militant groups in Sinai. In its statement, Ansar Beit al-Maqdis called on Egyptians to rebel against President Sisi, who led the overthrow of Mr Morsi and cemented his succession in an election earlier this year.
A jihadist group which has carried out a series of attacks on security forces in Egypt's Sinai peninsula has pledged allegiance to Islamic State (IS).
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The 56 cabins are to be built at Glentress Forest near Peebles. They will be part of a £11.3m investment as part of a partnership between Forest Enterprise Scotland and Forest Holidays. The plan also includes new biking trails and a walking route through the area. Scottish Borders Council backed a masterplan for the area in 2015. Glentress Forest attracts more than 300,000 visitors a year.
The backers of a new plan for luxury eco-cabins have claimed they will boost the Borders tourism economy by £1m each year.
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The 28-year-old victim was suffering from depression and had been undergoing treatment when she went missing in the northern Haryana state. Her body was found in a field, three days later. An autopsy revealed that she was gang-raped and had stones, blades and sticks forced inside her. The female judge said she wanted to send a strong message to the public. "I award the death sentence to all these accused in the case, and they should be hanged till death," said Judge Seema Singhal, according to the Hindustan Times. "Besides a judicial officer, I am also a human being and can hear the groan of the victim," Judge Singhal added. "Women are still facing crime and discrimination from males in our society and we still see gender bias in our system, but the judgement should send a strong message to the people and that is the need of the hour." An eighth accused attacker, a minor, is being tried in a juvenile court. A ninth suspect killed himself soon after his arrest. The victim had travelled to Rohtak in Haryana state a few months before the attack, to live with her sister while she underwent treatment for depression at a local hospital. The doctor who carried out the post mortem examination told India's the NDTV channel at the time he had "never seen such a horrific case" in his 29-year-long career. The death sentences came on the same day that India's top court rejected an appeal against the release of the youngest attacker in a fatal gang-rape of a student in New Delhi in 2012. The savage attack on Jyoti Singh, who was travelling on a bus with a male friend, sparked a huge public outcry in India. The youngest of her attackers was sentenced to three years - the maximum allowed for a minor under Indian law - and released on Sunday. Singh's mother Asha, who revealed her daughter's name, led protests over the weekend against the man's release. Scrutiny of sexual violence in India has grown since the Delhi bus attack and the outrage that followed prompted the government to tighten the law. But experts say tougher laws have failed to bring down the number of rape cases and a series of high-profile crimes have taken place since.
A court in India has sentenced seven men to death for the brutal rape and murder in February of a Nepalese woman.
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The singer says the guitar-led feel to their latest music came naturally. "There wasn't some sort of big burning of banjos meeting," he told Annie Mac on her new Radio 1 evening show. "It was just the noise we wanted to make and we've always followed our noses on that. The first rule of rock 'n' roll is, do what you want." The band's first single from Wilder Mind, Believe, had its first play on Radio 1 on Monday night. Marcus Mumford says it was written after a friend's wedding in America last year. "The boys wrote it in Texas," he says. "We were all at a wedding and we were on this ranch. "One of our best mates got married and the parents of the bride kindly let us stay on in this little outhouse for a week. "I left a day early and by the time we'd met up again in London the boys had written this song, Believe. And then I got in and started singing it and it was just great because normally there's a guitar in my hands. "This is the first time in the band that I've just got to sing without having to worry about faffing with instruments. I really enjoyed it." Following the success of the band's 2012 release, Babel, Marcus Mumford and bandmates Winston Marshall, Ben Lovett and Ted Dwane took some time off. Marcus says they got back together at the beginning of last year in America to write new material. "We started doing demos at Aaron Dessner's garage [from The National] in Brooklyn, New York, about a year ago and started getting some songs together. "And then when we were ready we went ahead in the autumn of last year and smashed it out. "And now we're running around trying to learn how to play it live." Last week the band revealed they will be headlining this year's Reading and Leeds Festivals as well as announcing their own Stopover Festival, a two-day music and arts event which will take place near Aviemore. Marcus Mumford says fans are in for something a little bit different with that one. "That's going to be a lot of music," he says. "We're putting on these festivals. It's kind of our favourite thing that we get to do as a band actually, to curate our own festivals, put together the line-ups. "And it's not a headline Mumford & Sons show. It's a festival in small, out of the way towns. "It's cool, because it's a destination gig, you will travel somewhere interesting and watch music for the weekend. It's great fun." Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube
Marcus Mumford says there was a conscious decision from Mumford & Sons to go for a new sound on their third studio album, Wilder Mind.
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The squad, including former Chelsea striker Samuel Eto'o, had refused to fly to South America on Sunday morning. But they eventually agreed a financial package with the nation's football federation after an emergency meeting. The squad left from Yaounde at 06:00 on Monday, more than 20 hours later than had been scheduled. Team coach Volker Finke had said players were complaining that the £61,000 they were due to be paid for figuring in the World Cup was not enough. After agreeing an end to the row, Cameroon Football Federation president Joseph Owona said: "Everything has been resolved. "We have opted for transparency. There is no problem and I think the team needs to be mobilised for all to look in one direction." Cameroon are in Group A with the hosts, Croatia and Mexico.
Cameroon finally arrived in Brazil for the World Cup on Monday after a dispute over bonus payments that delayed their journey for almost a day.
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Adrian Evans, 44, from Tipton, West Midlands, died along with his father, 78-year-old Patrick Evans and nephew Joel Richards, 19, from Wednesbury. Mr Richards's 16-year-old brother Owen is reported to have survived the attack. Sandwell Council Leader Darren Cooper said colleagues of Mr Evans, a gas manager, were in a "state of shock". At least 30 Britons were among 38 killed when a Tunisian student opened fire on a beach on Friday. Mr Evans had worked for the local authority for the last 30 years and was "very, very popular", Mr Cooper said. "I've had staff on the phone in tears," he said. The three men were big fans of Walsall FC and a spokesperson for the club said their thoughts were with their family. Fellow fans have been asked to show their support by laying scarves outside the main entrance on Monday morning. Mr Richards was a local football referee and student at the University of Worcester. A spokesperson for the local FA described him as "talented", with "the world at his feet". University of Worcester Vice Chancellor Prof David Green said: "It's a real tragedy, we're all deeply affected. Joel was a particularly popular and outgoing student." Flowers and other tributes had already started appearing at the Malvern Gate, on the St John's campus, according to the university. Teachers and fellow students have posted dozens of comments on the university's Facebook page. Sports psychology lecturer Dr Andrea Faull wrote: "Joel was one of my most wonderful students. Words cannot express how I feel but I have so much love and sympathy at this time." Sue Davey, 44, from Tamworth, and her partner Scott Chalkley, 42, from Derby, were also among those killed in the attack. Ms Davey's son Conor Fulford told BBC WM on Saturday he was searching for news of her, but later took to Twitter to confirm she was among the dead. He said his mother was a "strong" woman, adding: "Love you always Mom, I've got my teddy bear you got me tonight, Rest easy." Both Ms Davey and Mr Chalkley worked for Severn Trent. The water firm tweeted: "We are immensely saddened by the news of Sue and Scott. They were much loved by colleagues." Mr Chalkley's son Ross Naylor said he had discovered on Saturday afternoon the pair were among those killed. He said his fears had increased after hotel staff told him his father and partner were on the beach and had found some of their bags on the sand. Some families of holidaymakers said they had struggled to get information from Tunisia. Simon Boon, from Felixstowe in Suffolk, said his sister, Alison Heathcote, 48, was badly injured, while there was no update about her husband Philip, 53. "Alison was on most news channels, being stretchered off on a sunbed," Mr Boon said. Mrs Heathcote underwent surgery to remove a kidney on Saturday and her brother said she was now "critical, heavily sedated". Her son is planning to travel to Tunisia later. "We've received very little information from the Foreign Office. All the information is what we've sourced ourselves from phoning the four hospitals around Sousse," he said. Home Secretary Theresa May suggested British officials were also facing difficulties. As the attack took place on the beach, few of the victims had been carrying passports or other means of identification, she said. Ms May added that some of those injured were being moved between hospitals in Tunisia. Relatives of many of the Britons have turned to social media in a desperate bid to track them down. Adam Fisher, from Redhill, Surrey, said he had not spoken to his parents since they left for their holiday. He told the BBC he felt "powerless". Danny Clifford said initial information that his parents-in-law Denis and Elaine Thwaites, from Blackpool, were in hospital turned out to be wrong. "We are now back to square one and fearing the worst," he said. Another person awaiting news is Cheryl Mellor, from Bodmin in Cornwall. Father Graham Minors, the vicar of St Petroc's Church, told BBC Radio Cornwall he had been informed on Friday night that she and her husband Stephen were caught up in the shooting. He said he understood Mrs Mellor had been shot in her arm, but had heard no news of her husband. "She's had no official confirmation, but is fearing the worst," he said. Father Minors said the last thing Mrs Mellor remembered was seeing her husband shot while trying to protect her. Graphic designer, photographer and blogger Carly Lovett was among the first named dead after the attack, while her fiancee is understood to be travelling back home. The 24-year-old, from Gainsborough in Lincolnshire, was a graduate of Lincoln University. Ex-students joined friends to pay tribute on social media. Some described it as a "waste of a young life", while another described Carly as "a lovely colleague", who was "always making us laugh". Lincolnshire Police said they had appointed a family liaison officer to support Miss Lovett's family. Claire Windass, from Hull, also died in the attack, her family have confirmed. A neighbour of the 54-year-old described her as a "lovely lady who would do anything for anyone". Mrs Windass was on the beach with her husband, who survived and is reported to have returned to Hull. In nearby Goole, the family of Bruce Wilkinson paid tribute to the 72-year-old grandfather. They described him as a "loving family man". "He was fun-loving and will be deeply missed by friends and family alike," his family said in a statement. Grandmother Lisa Burbidge, from Whickham, Gateshead, has also been named locally as one of those killed. Her granddaughter, Chloe Thompson, posted a tribute online, describing her as "my best friend". One of Mrs Burbidge's daughters is believed to have been on holiday with her in Tunisia, according to neighbours. "It's been a massive shock to the whole street. It'll be a massive shock to anyone from Whickham," one neighbour said. She told BBC Look North Mrs Burbidge had been killed almost exactly 10 years after the death of her husband. The Foreign Office has updated its travel advice to warn further terrorist attacks in Tunisia are possible and urged people to be "especially vigilant". Thousands of tourists are believed to have flown back to the UK from Tunisia on Sunday as part of efforts by holiday companies.
Three members of the same family were among those killed in the Tunisian gun attack, the BBC has learned.
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The ban comes after members of Cardiff's Somali community previously called for khat to be outlawed while others say it does not have a negative effect. But opponents to the ban say alcohol has a wider effect on people. The move will stop the UK from becoming a hub for trafficking khat to countries where it is banned, says a minister. Khat, which users say makes them feel more alert, happy and talkative when chewed, is now banned as a class C drug despite advice from the UK government's official advisers that it should not be classified. However, Nasir Adam, a community regeneration officer in Cardiff, said he expected the majority of the city's Somali community would welcome the ban, saying excessive use has an effect on people's mental health and has caused the break-up of families. He explained it was traditionally chewed by older men before its frequency of use increased and widened to younger members of the community. And although he said the "community has been fighting for this" ban, he questioned whether police, health and council officials have done enough to prepare people for the change in law. Hewete Haileselassie, BBC Africa: Meru is a county where everyone seems to have one thing on their minds: The khat ban. And for good reason. It's their main cash crop and many people's livelihoods depend on it. This area is particularly hard hit because some farmers specialise in the type of khat that can be exported long distances. Atherogaitu market, where most of the stimulant leaf destined for the UK passes through, was packed with people, young and old. Most were idle and chatting in groups. Earlier in the morning many of those who would have been picking khat instead met at the marketplace and held a prayer session in the hopes of divine intervention to lift the ban. Khat exporter Mattheus Githonga told us that the ban was "inhuman" and appealed to the UK government to "lift the ban, even for a year, so that we can prepare ourselves". Another woman, Bessie Kathure, said: "I've lost all hope. I don't know how I'll feed my children and pay their school fees as a result of this ban." National policing lead for drugs, Chief Constable Andy Bliss, said the police were working with healthcare providers and community leaders to ensure people are aware of the change in law and that there was support available to them. In Bristol, almost 30 businesses previously selling khat say they may have to close as a result of the ban. Danny Kushlick, director of Transform Drug Policy Foundation, a charitable think tank campaigning for the legal regulation of drugs, said it was unfair that khat was being banned whereas alcohol if used in excess. "Yet again the government has ignored the advice of its experts and prohibited another drug," he said. "As ever, it will serve to create a new income stream for organised crime. "At the same time it will unnecessarily criminalise a minority group of Somalis and Yemenis, and deprive producers overseas of much needed legitimate revenue." In a written statement last year, Home Secretary Theresa May said despite the recommendation of the Advisory Council on Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) not to ban khat, the body acknowledged that there was an absence of robust evidence in a number of areas. She said the whole of northern Europe, most recently the Netherlands, and the majority of other EU member states have banned khat, as well as most of the G8 countries including Canada and the USA. Mrs May said failure to take action in the UK would place the country at serious risk of becoming a single hub for the illegal onward trafficking of khat to countries where it is banned. The ban comes into force from 24 June and means people found with khat for personal use could be fined £60 and those said to be "supplying" khat could receive up to a 14-year jail sentence.
Possessing khat, a plant used as a stimulant by Somali communities, has been made illegal in the UK.
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Over 90 minutes on Thursday night, Mrs Clinton and Bernie Sanders fought over where the heart and head of the Democratic Party should be. In often contentious exchanges the two candidates offered starkly different views of what it means to be a Democrat - and the best way to implement liberal policies. Both candidates spent time on the offensive, pushing their advantages, and defending their weaknesses. In the end, the evening boiled down to five key questions and what they say about the state of the Democratic race. The term "progressive" has recently come into favour as a way for those on the US left to identify themselves, as conservatives have successfully tarnished "liberal" with negative connotations. But what is a progressive? On Wednesday, Mr Sanders sent out a series of tweets alleging that Mrs Clinton, because of her support of international trade agreements, the death penalty and the Keystone XL oil pipeline, wasn't worthy of the progressive label. Mrs Clinton once professed to be a moderate, Mr Sanders said during the debate. "There's nothing wrong with being a moderate," he continued. "But you can't be a moderate and be a progressive." Mrs Clinton defended herself by saying that she was a progressive who can "get things done". "The root of that word, progressive, is progress," she added. By Mr Sanders's definition, she said, even President Barack Obama couldn't be called a progressive. Take-away: This is the heart of the difference between Mrs Clinton and Mr Sanders. Is it right for Democrats to dream big and endorse aggressive liberal policies, as Mr Sanders suggests? Or is incremental improvements and an emphasis on what is clearly achievable the way to go, as Mrs Clinton asserts? One of Mr Sanders's sharpest critiques of Mrs Clinton is that she is beholden to corporate campaign donors that have helped her raise more money than any other candidate running for president today. It's a point he returned to when asked whether Mrs Clinton represented the Democratic "establishment". "What being part of the establishment is, is, in the last quarter, having a super-PAC that raised $15m from Wall Street, that throughout one's life raised a whole lot of money from the drug companies and other special interests," he said. "To my mind, if we do not get a handle on money in politics and the degree to which big money controls the political process in this country, nobody is going to bring about the changes that is needed in this country for the middle class and working families." Mrs Clinton took offence at that, accusing Mr Sanders of making an "artful smear". "If you've got something to say, say it directly," she said. "But you will not find that I ever changed a view or a vote because of any donation that I ever received." When later asked whether she'd make public the transcripts of speeches she made to the investment firm Goldman Sachs, for which she was well compensated, she dodged. "I don't know the status, but I will certainly look into it," she said. Take-away: This was Mrs Clinton at her most defensive. Given the concerns Democratic voters have with the influence of money in politics, Mrs Clinton will always struggle to explain how her views were not influenced by a personal bank account that swelled thanks to the financial industry. "The business model of Wall Street is fraud," Mr Sanders asserted during Thursday night's debate. "I believe that corruption is rampant." It's part of his standard stump speech, and it's perhaps notable that while such assertions likely cause conservatives to cringe - and the 55% of Americans who own stocks to raise an eyebrow - Mrs Clinton did not so much as challenge Mr Sanders as say he doesn't go far enough. "I care deeply about this because just like you I have met so many people who had their life savings wiped out, who lost their homes, who are barely back with their heads above water," she said. She then went on to say that she has a more comprehensive plan to address the financial industry's excesses. Take-away: There's been some concern among Democrats that a protracted fight against Mr Sanders will push Mrs Clinton too far to the left, making her an easier target if she wins the nomination and faces off against a Republican in the autumn. Moments like this make that possibility seem increasingly likely. When the subject of the debate turned to foreign policy, Mrs Clinton - who was often on the defensive during the first 45 minutes - seemed on firmer ground. Several times, when pressed on his foreign policy credentials, Mr Sanders pointed to his vote against authorising the Iraq War in 2003. Mrs Clinton voted for the war - a fact that anti-war Democratic voters did not forget when she ran against Mr Obama in 2008. It's been 13 years since then, however, and Mrs Clinton was ready with her counter-attack when Mr Sanders cited his vote while talking about current policy in Syria. "A vote in 2003 is not a plan to defeat ISIS [so-called Islamic State]," she said. "We have to look at the threats that we face right now, and we have to be prepared to take them on and defeat them." Mr Sanders again turned to the war vote when pressed on his lack of foreign policy experience, saying it showed he had good judgement. Mrs Clinton again was quick with a response. "When it comes to judgement, having run a hard race against Senator Obama at the time, he turned to me to be secretary of state," she said. Take-away: Mr Sanders likely benefitted from the fact that this exchange happened well into the debate, when the attention of viewers may have been flagging. And it's clear at this point that, unlike Republican voters, most Democrats are more concerned with economic interests than foreign policy. Time and time again Mrs Clinton has stumbled when questioned about her use of a private email server while secretary of state and the possible security vulnerabilities such a set-up may have created. This time, however, Mrs Clinton had a new response - thanks to revelations that Colin Powell, secretary of state under Republican George W Bush, also received emails that were later deemed classified on his private email. "I agree completely with Secretary Powell, who said today this is an absurdity," she said. "And so I think the American people will know it's an absurdity." She painted the entire email scandal as a Republican attempt to derail her presidential bid - and Mr Sanders, who last week had said the situation was a "serious issue", seemed to back off. "The secretary probably doesn't know that there's not a day that goes by when I am not asked to attack her on that issue, and I have refrained from doing that and I will continue to refrain from doing that," he said. Take-away: Mrs Clinton said she was "100% confident" that nothing would come of the government investigation into her handling of classified material on her private email server. She may have a well-honed response now, but if circumstances change, it could prove her undoing. Hillary Clinton's emails: What's the deal?
At the end of the Democratic debate, Hillary Clinton said New Hampshire Democrats should vote with their hearts and their heads when they head to the polls on Tuesday - the next round in the process of selecting candidates for November's presidential election.
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Britain are playing in Division 1, group B against Croatia, Estonia, Lithuania, Netherlands and Japan. The winners qualify for next year's group A, and the top two from that tournament advance to the 2019 Worlds. "The home crowd can be important," said Murphy, who plays for Belfast at the SSE Arena, which hosts the tournament. Murphy added: "The home crowd can be very important. Everyone is excited to be playing on home ice this year, it will be something very special. "UK hockey fans are very passionate and that is obvious throughout a league season. Players who come to this country from abroad often comment about the passion shown in the stands. "Then there's the GB Barmy Army who support us across the world and are like an extra man out on the ice for us. "We can achieve something special here but we know there are no easy games at this level. Hopefully we can perform throughout the week to set us a chance of winning the gold medal and promotion." GB begin their campaign against Croatia on Sunday. It's the first men's World Championship event to be held in the UK for 25 years. The 2017 Worlds will be hosted in Paris, France and Cologne, Germany and run from 5-21 May. Netminders: Ben Bowns (Cardiff Devils), Stephen Murphy (Belfast Giants), Thomas Murdy (Cardiff Devils, reserve) Defence: Mark Garside (Belfast Giants), Steve Lee (Nottingham Panthers), Ben O'Connor (Sheffield Steelers), David Phillips (Sheffield Steelers), Mark Richardson (Cardiff Devils), Paul Swindlehurst (Manchester Storm), Jonathan Weaver (Telford Tigers) Forwards: Brendan Brooks (Fife Flyers), David Clarke (Nottingham Panthers), Russell Cowley (Coventry Blaze), Robert Dowd (Sheffield Steelers), Sam Duggan (Orebro, Sweden), Robert Farmer (Nottingham Panthers), Robert Lachowicz (Nottingham Panthers), Evan Mosey (Rockford Ice Hogs, USA), Matthew Myers (Cardiff Devils), Craig Peacock (Braehead Clan), Jonathan Phillips (Sheffield Steelers), Colin Shields (Belfast Giants), Liam Stewart (Coventry Blaze)
Playing in Belfast could be key to Great Britain's hopes of qualifying for the 2019 World Championship, says Team GB netminder Stephen Murphy.
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Phillip Tunoi denies taking money to rule in favour of Evans Kidero, whose election as Nairobi governor was challenged in 2014. Mr Kidero, who became governor in March 2013, has also denied that he paid a bribe to influence the ruling. Both men deny meeting the person who alleges that he was their intermediary and facilitated the bribe. Chief Justice Willy Mutunga said he had ordered the inquiry into Geoffrey Kiplagat's allegations because of their "gravity" and "the public interest this matter has generated". "We are committed to running a clean judiciary and any matter that is brought before us is investigated and acted on fairly without prejudice to individual rights or public interest." After chairing a special session of the Judicial Service Commission on Wednesday, Mr Mutunga said a six-member committee had been formed to investigate the allegations within seven days. Judge Tunoi says the allegations are a smear campaign ahead of a decision over who should succeed the chief justice, who plans to retire. "I would not hesitate to leave the judiciary immediately if my accuser can prove an iota of my wrongdoing," he told Kenya's NTV station.
Kenya has begun a judicial inquiry into allegations that a Supreme Court judge accepted a $2m (£1.4m) bribe.
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Windsor Road bridge, which connects Adamsdown with Splott, will be closed until spring 2016 with diversions of up to two miles in place. The new bridge is needed to accommodate heavier loads and allow to extra headroom needed for the future electrification of the railway by 2017. Cardiff council said it had worked with Network Rail to minimise disruption.
Work to rebuild a 102-year-old Cardiff road bridge over south Wales' main railway line will begin on Monday.
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Back in July, not that anybody is in any danger of forgetting, Celtic lost the first leg of a Champions League qualifier to Lincoln Red Imps, a team from Gibraltar that had in their ranks a labourer, a shipping agent, a customs officer, a civil servant, two policemen and just five professional footballers. Everybody went barmy. The defeat was deemed the worst in Celtic's history. There were calls, by Celtic's own supporters, for much of the team to be binned. Joey Barton - then at Rangers - went on Twitter and posted emojis of faces crying tears of laughter and tears of sadness. There were GIFs of a slapstick Efe Ambrose, there was thunder and lightning about the ineffectiveness of Scott Brown, who was deemed, by Celtic people, "an embarrassment to the club" and "our worst captain ever". This was not how Rodgers imagined life to be in a job he described as a dream come true. Media playback is not supported on this device In the chronicling of Celtic's sixth successive title win there are many landmarks and even though that Red Imps game was in a different competition in a different country, it has its place in the story. It showed Rodgers how desperately lax Celtic could become, how a lack of professional pride could dog them in the most extraordinary and humiliating of ways. He kept a calm demeanour but that loss was an affront to the values he holds dear - hard work, honesty, bravery. Rodgers tells a story about Dedryck Boyata that cuts to the heart of what he looks for in a player. Boyata was out of the Celtic team and almost a forgotten man. Rodgers had given him things to work on to improve his performance but the centre-half was still nowhere the first team. One evening Rodgers had to run a late-night errand to Lennoxtown. It was around midnight when he left. He heard some noise coming from the gym and poked his head around the door. In there on his own, working away, was Boyata. Rodgers knew in that moment that the Belgian was not finished at Celtic. A player with that kind of desire is exactly what the Northern Irishman wants at his club. Everything changed under Rodgers - and quickly. When Celtic needed a player to step up and convert a penalty in the last minute of a game against Astana that would put them into the final round of Champions League qualification, one of Rodgers' new signings did the job. On his 20th birthday, Moussa Dembele gave the first small sign of what a sensational signing he was going to become, what a coup Rodgers had pulled off in getting him for the trifling sum of £500,000. Dembele is on 32 goals for the season and is one of the most talked-about young players in Europe. He is just one feelgood story among several. Four days later, on the opening weekend of the league season, Celtic were level at 1-1 after an hour. Rodgers turned to his bench and brought in another of his recruits, Scott Sinclair. With nine minutes left, Sinclair got the winner, an early illustration of what he was going to bring to the table in the months ahead. The 28-year-old former Chelsea and Manchester City forward was a busted flush until Rodgers renewed their relationship that had blossomed so well at Swansea. He has got 21 goals. Even at that early stage of the campaign, Celtic fans were noticing a difference in their team. Brown was slowly getting back to his combative best, James Forrest was more of a consistent performer than before, Dembele and Sinclair were scoring goals and creating goals, and in late October a new and improved Stuart Armstrong emerged. Armstrong had been shunted out on the left side of midfield under Ronny Deila despite everybody telling the manager he needed to play in a central role. His confidence had become shot, his role in the team peripheral. Rodgers had not started Armstrong in some key games early in the season - both legs of the Hapoel Beer Sheva tie, the thumping victory over Rangers at Celtic Park, the ill-fated trip to Barcelona, the huge occasion that was the home game with Manchester City, the home game with Borussia Monchengladbach, the League Cup semi-final against Rangers. It was only when Armstrong started, and scored, in the league win against Ross County on 26 October that he got a sustained run in the team. And he was different player. Strong, influential, a creative threat, a leader, a goal-scorer. He has 13 goals this season and is now a Scotland international. In helping his club, Rodgers is also helping his adopted country, not just in the fantastic renaissance of Armstrong, but in the reinvigoration of Brown and the continuing development of Kieran Tierney, a young player whose future gets brighter by the month. Celtic have all the financial advantages, it's true. They were always going to win the league, that's obvious. Even those who believe in miracles gave up all hope of a title race as early as late October when Celtic held a nine-point advantage over the field. Nine became 13, then 16, then 19. This is what they should be doing, of course. But they didn't do it last season. At this point of the season 12 months ago, Celtic held just a four-point advantage over Aberdeen, albeit with a game in hand. It was only in April that they kicked on and stretched clear. This season, Celtic were out of sight even before the marketing people had a notion of dressing-up Leigh Griffiths as a Christmas elf. They'd disappeared over the horizon by the turn of the year. It's understandable to downplay Celtic's domestic dominance, but it's worthwhile exploring it all the same. We think of them rampaging their way to the title, unbeaten and largely unthreatened. We think of the hammerings they've dished out. In league matches they've scored four or more goals against eight out of the 11 teams in the Premiership. They got five against Rangers, St Johnstone and Motherwell. They got six against Kilmarnock. Easy? Unquestionably. But they've had to graft at times. Before this weekend they'd won 27 league games and 12 of them had been by a goal. This cuts to what some rival managers say about the greatest improvement that Rodgers has introduced - hard work and improved fitness. They have the talent, but what other managers keep saying is that as much as Dembele and Sinclair and Armstrong and Brown have made them borderline unbeatable domestically, it's their physical and mental robustness that is the key change. As one Premiership manager said recently, "They're relentless. When they have you on the ropes their hunger to finish you off is greater than it's been for a long time." That's backed up by their scoring record. In all competitions, Celtic have scored 28 goals after the 80-minute mark in matches this season. That playing to the last whistle is down to Rodgers. He's trying to create a culture that's not just going to work domestically but internationally. The chants of 'Here we go, ten in a row' are all very well to him, but what he wants is not just success at home but growth in Europe - the true testing ground. Winning the title was a formality, but it's how they won it that counts. They've found new players and reawakened others. It's not just another league title that Celtic fans are celebrating, it's the belief that better days lie ahead for this team on a bigger stage, if only they can keep it together and add to it. Rodgers is not the type of manager to settle for what he has. A title is always to be cherished, but he'll see it as just another stop on a much longer journey.
In the beginning, people laughed, people mocked, people went on television and radio and on social media and had a hoot at Brendan Rodgers' expense.
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The DJ referred to a man called Rob in a chat about the elusive graffiti artist on the Distraction Pieces podcast. But Goldie didn't elaborate beyond the first name and there was no follow-up question from presenter Scroobius Pip. There are two possible figures who have been linked to Banksy in the past, who the DJ could have been referring to. The first is Massive Attack's Robert Del Naja. His name has come up in connection with the Bristol street artist - a Scottish journalist linked him to being Banksy in an investigation last year. Other reports have claimed that Banksy is a collective group of artists headed by Del Naja. Another possible candidate is Robin Gunningham. A Mail On Sunday report "revealed" him to be the man behind Banksy in 2008. The report said Gunningham was from a comfortable, middle-class background and was privately educated at Bristol Cathedral School. Goldie told Scroobius Pip: "For something like graffiti, which has inspired the world with font or anything to do with anyone wearing a baseball cap and sneakers, at its centre it is still misunderstood. "But give me a bubble letter and put it on a T-shirt and write Banksy on it and we're sorted… We can sell it now. "No disrespect to Rob, I think he is a brilliant artist. I think he has flipped the world of art over." There have also been reports that Banksy's real name is Robin Banks - but this may have been one of Gunningham's street nicknames. We may never know for sure, but Goldie's slip of the tongue will likely reignite the rumour mill. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected].
There are more rumours about the identity of Banksy, after Goldie appeared to reveal who he is in an interview.
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1 January 2016 Last updated at 01:24 GMT The realistic simulations can bring people face-to-face with their phobias in a manageable and controllable way. BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones visited one woman who faced her horror of using the lift by wearing a VR headset.
Psychologists in London are helping people overcome their fears using virtual reality.
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Daniel Rooney was 18 when he was shot in St James Crescent in west Belfast in September 1972. He died later in hospital. His body has been exhumed at Milltown cemetery, as part of an investigation into the Military Reaction Force (MRF). The circumstances leading to his death are disputed. The MRF was an Army unit operating in Belfast in the early 1970s. Det Ch Insp Neil McGuinness, said on Tuesday that Mr Rooney's body had been removed to allow some forensic work to be carried out. "However at this stage, we can confirm that we have found an object of interest that will be submitted for further forensic tests in due course," he said. "We are continuing to liaise with the family in relation to this and will keep them informed of any further developments. "I would once again ask media to treat this sensitively, being mindful of the fact this is a difficult time for the family. "There are no further details available at this stage." In 2013, former MRF members told the BBC's Panorama programme that as well as "hunting down" IRA members in Belfast, they shot and killed unarmed civilians. The investigation into the unit began two years ago, and encompasses 10 shootings. It has been described as a "very large undertaking". No post-mortem examination was conducted when Mr Rooney died in 1972. A team of experts including pathologists and forensic anthropologists has been involved in removing his remains. Previously, Mr McGuinness said it was the most complicated case he has worked on during his 20-year policing career. Detectives from the Legacy Investigation Branch have finished the exhumation process at Milltown cemetery. On Monday, solicitor Paidraig O Muirigh, representing the Rooney family, said there was a chance a bullet would be found in the coffin. The 2013 Panorama programme was told the MRF consisted of about 40 men handpicked from across the Army. Before it was disbanded 40 years ago, plain-clothed soldiers carried out round-the-clock patrols of west Belfast in unmarked cars. One of them described their mission as "to draw out the IRA and to minimise their activities... if they needed shooting, they'd be shot". Panorama identified 10 unarmed civilians - including Daniel Rooney - who were shot by the MRF, according to witnesses.
An "object of interest" has been found during the exhumation of a man shot by the Army, police say.
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Media playback is not supported on this device The wicket is the same one used for the Test match between the sides and England's tour game against Pakistan A. England lost the Test by 127 runs, although Taylor scored 76 in the first innings. "The good thing is that some of the guys will be used to the surface," Taylor told BBC Sport. "Me and Rooty (Joe Root - who scored 59 in the tour match) have spent a lot of time on this particular wicket. "It is slow and low and it turns similar to the first one-day game in Abu Dhabi (which England lost by six wickets). "We will relay that information back but these guys have spent some time out here so they should be used to it." England levelled the one-day series at 1-1 with a 95-run win in the second game in Abu Dhabi, thanks in part to an opening stand of 102 between Jason Roy (54) and Alex Hales - who went go on to make 109 - and a 63 from number three Root. "The guys can take a lot of positives from the way we played in the second one-dayer against some exceptional spin bowlers as well as a good pace attack," said Taylor. "In any form of cricket it is important to be dominant, whether that is spin bowlers or seam bowlers and the guys did that exceptionally well, right from the top. "Alex Hales and Jason Roy took it to them and that is how we want to play - a positive brand of cricket." Taylor also praised the work of coach Trevor Bayliss and captain Eoin Morgan, who he says have created an "extremely relaxed atmosphere" around the squad. "Trevor and Eoin work very well together. I love the way they go about their business," he added. "We come together as a team nicely and we can go out and enjoy ourselves and express ourselves to the world. "It is probably the most I've enjoyed my cricket."
James Taylor hopes familiarity with the pitch in Sharjah will help England when they take on Pakistan in the third one-day international on Tuesday.
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Centre De Villiers, who was injured during Saturday's 46-6 win over Samoa, played 109 times for his country. That makes the 34-year-old Stormers man the fourth most-capped player in the history of South African Test rugby. "Rugby will be poorer without Jean," said coach Heyneke Meyer. "He is a true ambassador for South Africa." De Villiers said he knew as soon as he left the field on Saturday that he had played his last Test. He added: "Injuries are part of rugby and I've had my fair share, so by now I know how to cope with them. It's very sad, but life goes on." De Villiers said he would be "eternally grateful" for the time he had as a South Africa player. "I would like to wish the team all the very best," he added. "I'm now their number one supporter. "The last time I got injured in a World Cup match and had to go home was in 2007, also against Samoa, and that finished well for the Boks, so hopefully it will happen again." South Africa won the 2007 World Cup by beating England 15-6. Springboks coach Meyer, who has called up Jan Serfontein to replace De Villiers, said: "Jean is a true ambassador for South Africa and a person everyone in our country can be immensely proud of. "He will go down as one of the greatest Springboks ever and, in my eyes, he is probably one of the best captains in the history of world rugby, who always put the team first and gave his time for any player, young or old without ever changing who he is. "Jean enriched my life and I hold him in very high regard, as person and rugby player." De Villiers captained the Springboks 37 times, a tally only bettered by John Smit (83).
South Africa captain Jean de Villiers has retired from international rugby after being ruled out of the rest of the World Cup with a fractured jaw.
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Daniela Ruggiero, 18, and her passenger Charlotte Dove, 17, were on the A10 in Hertfordshire when Luiz Rocker's car hit the back of their vehicle. Rocker, 48, admitted causing death by careless driving and was cleared of the more serious dangerous driving charge. He was given a 16-month jail sentence suspended for two years. At St Albans Crown Court, judge Mark Dennis QC also disqualified Rocker, of Selwyn Court, Tower Road, Ware, from driving for 18 months. Addressing the public gallery, he said: "I hope the families and friends will come to terms with the approach I have had to take." During the trial, the court heard Ms Ruggiero, from Hoddesdon, was driving on the northbound carriageway between High Cross and Standon at about 07:45 BST on 15 October 2013 when the deer leapt over the central barrier. She and Ms Dove, from Cheshunt, who were both dancers, were left shaken but unhurt as their Citroen came to a stop. Rocker's car then smashed into the back of their vehicle at 68mph, causing the Citroen's fuel tank to rupture and catch fire when ignited by a spark, with the teenagers trapped inside. Prosecutors argued Rocker had failed to brake in time or reduce his speed before crashing. But Rocker said there was nothing he could have done to prevent the collision. The jury heard he got out of his car to try to rescue the teenagers, but was unable to do so because of the severity of the flames. Judge Dennis QC said Rocker had made "determined and repeated efforts to rescue Daniela and Charlotte". "No-one hearing about this case could have anything but the deepest sympathy," he told the court. "One's heart goes out to the families and friends for their loss."
A driver who smashed into two teenagers' car when they had stopped after hitting a deer has avoided being sent to prison.
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14 April 2016 Last updated at 07:40 BST The 12-year-old actor plays Mowgli, the boy who was raised by wolves in the classic story. The live action remake of the cartoon classic features animals made with CGI. "It was actually puppets that I was interacting with and that made it very easy for me," he explained. Neel said "it was fun to talk to puppets all day". Watch his full interview with Ricky. Film footage courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures.
The Jungle Book star Neel Sethi says the worst thing about filming the movie was having to get muddy.
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That was the heartbreaking reality of a life stolen from Sonia 'Sunny' Jacobs, who was imprisoned for a crime she didn't commit. Sunny was accused of killing two police officers at a highway service area in Florida and sentenced to the electric chair. She was later exonerated, but not before spending more than 15 years in prison. When Sunny was released, she found the outside world tough to adjust to - and has now dedicated her life to making the transition through exoneration more manageable for others. Along with her husband, Peter Pringle, - who she met while giving a talk about her death-row experience - Sunny runs a retreat for other victims of wrongful conviction. Peter was able to empathise with Sunny when he met her at the talk in 1998 - as he had had a remarkably similar experience of wrongful conviction. He also spent many years in prison for a crime he didn't commit, accused of killing two police officers, this time in rural Ireland in a botched bank robbery. He too was exonerated after 15 years in prison. Peter is from Dublin, a tall, thin man with a white beard, a former fisherman and lifelong republican. Sunny is American, she's frail and birdlike but has a real spark behind her eyes. They live happily with a menagerie of goats and cats and dogs, eating fresh home-grown food and open their home to other exonerees from around the world as a halfway house, to help their 'guests,' as they call them, find their place in society again. It's a place you would never find by accident, in the heart of the Connemara Gaeltacht, amid stone walls, lakes and hills, along roads that twist, turn, rise and fall. When you eventually arrive at the house Peter and Sunny share, you understand that you're meeting two people who want to be removed from the world - which is understandable given what they've both been through. Stories in Sound: Exonerated, will be on BBC Radio Ulster on Sunday 29 January at 12:30.
"I went to jail a mother, a daughter and a wife, by the time I came out I was a grandmother, an orphan and a widow."
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Briton Cummings - riding for Team Dimension Data - leads Tom Dumoulin, of Giant Alpecin, by 49 seconds after finishing Friday's stage in eighth. Overnight leader Julien Vermote faded on the final climb to finish 24th and surrender the leader's yellow jersey. Team Sky rider Poels beat BMC's Rohan Dennis by seven seconds to win the 149.9km stage from Sidmouth. On Saturday, Bristol hosts a double stage, with riders completing both an individual time trial and a circuit race. 1. Wout Poels (Ned/Team Sky) 3hrs 56mins 15secs 2. Rohan Dennis (Aus/BMC Racing) +7secs 3. Tom Dumoulin (Ned/Giant Alpecin) +8secs 4. Dylan van Baarle (Ned/Cannondale Drapac) +12secs 5. Xandro Meurisse (Bel/Wanty-Groupe Gobert) +17secs 6. Nicolas Roche (Irl/Team Sky) same time 7. Tony Gallopin (Fra/Lotto-Soudal) 8. Steve Cummings (GB/Dimenson Data) +21secs 9. Erick Rowsell (GB/Madison-Genesis) +31secs 10. Gorka Izagirre (Esp/Movistar) same time 1. Steve Cummings (GB/Dimension Data) 27hrs 04mins 11secs 2. Tom Dumoulin (Ned/Giant Alpecin) +49secs 3. Rohan Dennis (Aus/BMC Racing) +51secs 4. Tony Gallopin (Fra/Lotto-Soudal) +53secs 5. Dylan van Baarle (Ned/Cannondale Drapac) +57secs 6. Xandro Meurisse (Bel/Wanty-Groupe Gobert) +58secs 7. Nicolas Roche (Irl/Team Sky) +1min 06secs 8. Ben Swift (/Team Sky) +1min 14secs 9. Jacopo Mosca (Ita/Trek Segafredo) +1min 20secs 10. Guillaume Martin (Fra/Wanty-Groupe Gobert) +1min 24secs
Steve Cummings claimed the overall lead in the Tour of Britain as Wout Poels won the sixth stage at Haytor.
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Mr Wright has faced calls to step down after a report on child abuse in Rotherham, where he managed children's services between 2005 and 2010. The report said at least 1,400 children were sexually exploited from 1997-2013, mainly by gangs of Pakistani heritage. A Labour MP now wants a possible misconduct case against Mr Wright. The report also revealed there had been three previous inquiries, including one written in 2006 during Mr Wright's tenure in children's services, which provided "stark evidence" of the situation in Rotherham. Meanwhile, the former director of children's services in Rotherham, Sonia Sharp, said she was briefed by politicians, senior managers and frontline staff about the issue of sexual exploitation of young people when she took up her post in 2005. She left Rotherham Council in 2008. Dr Sharp said it was already known when she joined there were "many children in the community at risk" and staff feared "this was the tip of an iceberg". Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles attacked poor scrutiny in local government. He said: "It is appalling that institutionalised political correctness led to the council turning a blind eye to heinous crimes. "Britons across class, colour and creed will be appalled at the criminal acts that were committed and the failure of municipal governance. "The biggest enemy to good community relations is failing to confront and challenge those who do wrong. "This is a wake up call for local government - from the inadequate scrutiny by councillors of protection for the vulnerable to the conspiracy to cover up uncomfortable truths to avoid awkward questions, and the subsequent failure to sack those guilty of gross misconduct." In a statement, Mr Wright said he had "formally" tendered his resignation from the Labour Party. But Mr Wright insisted he was the most appropriate person to hold the office of commissioner (PCC). "I remain committed to, and intend to remain in, my role as an Independent Police and Crime Commissioner for South Yorkshire," he said. "As a father, and a citizen of South Yorkshire, my thoughts are with the victims and their families and I reiterate my apology to them and take full responsibility for my part in the collective failures which took place at Rotherham Council during the time I was in office, and indeed to that end I resigned in 2010," he continued. "I stand by my earlier comments that I've taken that experience to deliver a major transformation in the way South Yorkshire Police deals with horrific crimes such as child sexual exploitation, and much progress has been made since I was elected as commissioner in terms of supporting victims, taking preventive action, increasing awareness of the issue and bringing criminals to justice." Rotherham isn't alone in facing the distressing problem of child sexual abuse. But the report exposed a deeply dysfunctional system here. The council insists things have improved significantly in recent years. Many, though, are still shocked that efforts to confront exploitation fell woefully short. Was there a particular problem specific to Rotherham? Did Labour's total dominance of this authority allow a complacent, rotten culture to develop? Was the political opposition so enfeebled that effective challenge to the leadership was striking by its absence? As people here reflect on these political questions, it's worth thinking for a moment about the complex, corporate identity of modern councils. Social workers report to safeguarding managers, child protection co-ordinators, directors of services, and chief executives. All overseen by 63 elected councillors. Such a complex web of relationships. So many different chains of command - making true accountability very hard to establish. While Mr Wright's has refused to to stand down, Rotherham Council leader Roger Stone resigned with immediate effect on Tuesday. Mr Stone, who had been the leader since 2003, said: "I believe it is only right that as leader I take responsibility for the historic failings described so clearly." Shadow policing minister Jack Dromey had earlier told the BBC Mr Wright would be suspended from the Labour Party if he had not resigned by Thursday morning. Now Labour backbencher John Mann MP is to write to Home Secretary Theresa May asking for the police to investigate whether a case of misconduct in public office could be brought against Mr Wright and others involved in the allegations in Rotherham. Mr Mann said the inquiry should not be carried out by South Yorkshire Police, but by another force. Mrs May has said Mr Wright should "heed calls" to resign, though she stressed it was not her job to hire and fire PCCs. "I think he has real questions to answer," she said. Rotherham MP Sarah Champion has also called for Mr Wright's resignation, along with shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper, shadow chancellor Ed Balls and shadow youth justice and victims minister Dan Jarvis. The BBC has asked the Labour Party to comment on why Mr Wright was selected as its candidate for the PCC elections in 2012 but has not yet received a response. Deputy Prime Minister and MP for Sheffield Hallam Nick Clegg has also called on Mr Wright to quit. Speaking on his weekly LBC Radio phone-in, he said his message to Mr Wright was: "Please do the decent thing and stand aside because you have to take responsibility." Shaun Wright, 46, was born in Royston, near Barnsley in South Yorkshire. He lives in Rawmarsh, Rotherham, with his wife Lisa and two sons. In 2000 he was elected as the councillor for Rawmarsh and in 2005 he was appointed as the cabinet member for children and young people's services. In 2010 he stood down from the post and in 2011 was appointed mayor of Rotherham. The following year he was elected as the Police and Crime Commissioner for South Yorkshire, earning a salary of ??85,000. Shortly after he was elected PCC he stood down from his role as councillor for Rawmarsh. Mr Wright is also a former vice chair of South Yorkshire Police Authority, a magistrate, a school governor and a trustee of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust. Harry Harpham, chairman of South Yorkshire's police and crime panel, which scrutinises the work of the South Yorkshire PCC, told the BBC's Today programme Mr Wright's position had become "untenable" and he should go "at the earliest opportunity" He said: "He can only be removed from office by resigning or unless he commits a criminal offence. "We are not able to remove him, however, I will seek an urgent meeting with Shaun to let him know my position." Under the legislation that created the roles in 2012, a PCC can only be suspended if: (a) the commissioner has been charged in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man with an offence, and (b) the offence is one which carries a maximum term of imprisonment exceeding two years Meanwhile, former Rotherham council chief executive Mike Cuff has also said he had to "take my share of responsibility for the council's failure to prevent the appalling abuse which has been so clearly described in this independent report". He added that he was "truly sorry". Mr Cuff, who was the council's chief executive from 2004 to 2009, echoed Mr Wright's apology. "It was on my watch that the organised abuse of young girls by a gang of Asian men came to light," he said. "This led eventually to their conviction in 2010. I know that professional social workers and the police worked well together to support the abused girls and to secure the successful prosecution of their abusers." This "close co-operation" between agencies "holds the key to the effective protection of vulnerable young people in the future", he added. The report, commissioned by the council, was published on Tuesday and revealed the massive level of abuse in Rotherham, mainly by Pakistani heritage criminal gangs. The inquiry team noted fears among council staff of being labelled "racist" if they focused on victims' descriptions of the majority of abusers as "Asian" men. 1,400 children were abused, 1997-2013 13 of victims were already known to social services 157 reports concerning child sexual exploitation made to police in 2013 10 prosecutions were made between 2013 and April 2014
Under-pressure Shaun Wright has resigned from the Labour Party but has insisted he will remain police and crime commissioner for South Yorkshire.
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Patrick and Gillian Kettyle were found with stab wounds at their house in Fetcham, Surrey, on 27 November. The Old Bailey was told Viktoras Bruzas, 39, believed his ex-wife was having an affair with Mr Kettyle and carried out a revenge attack. The Lithuanian national, who admitted two counts of murder, was ordered to serve a minimum of 33 years in prison.. He changed his plea on Wednesday after denying the charges at a previous hearing. The Kettyles, who were both in their 50s and known as Pat and Gilly, were described as the "most fantastic parents" and a couple who "dearly loved" each other. Bruzas, from Walton-on-Thames, attacked Mr Kettyle with a kitchen knife in a "particularly brutal" manner because he blamed him for "ruining his life" and the failure of his marriage, according to prosecutor Alan Kent QC. The Old Bailey was told it was likely that Mrs Kettyle was stabbed as she tried to protect her husband. The pair's teenage son, who cannot be named for legal reasons, hid after being woken by screaming and shouting and held the handle of his door when the killer approached his bedroom. But the court heard Bruzas told the boy through the closed door: "I have no issue with you, boy, or your mother. It's Patrick, he's ruined my life. I'm not scared of prison." Mr Kent told the court: "On that evening he left his flat armed with a knife, intending to take the ultimate revenge, and that's what he did. "The victims were a perfectly normal middle-aged couple who were, in their own home, murdered by this defendant. "Patrick Kettyle was clearly a very charming man. It seems the defendant's wife began to talk to Patrick Kettyle about the state of her marriage. "She would complain that the defendant was a violent and controlling man and had been that way throughout their marriage," added Mr Kent. Bruzas learnt of "flirtations" after he logged into his wife's email account. He made threats against the property developer several months before the murders and was issued with a police notice. On one occasion he drove to Mr Kettyle's house in the early hours and shouted: "Why are you trying to take my wife away from me?" He also emailed him saying, "My family going to sort out." Surrey Police launched a manhunt for Bruzas, who was thought to have fled to West Sussex, following the discovery of the couple's bodies. The court was told he asked officers, "How long do you get for murder in this country?", when he was caught driving his car through the nearby village of Oxshott 18 hours later. Det Ch Insp Mark Preston said: "This deeply saddening incident has been devastating for the family and friends of Patrick and Gillian and left the close-knit community of Fetcham in shock. "I welcome today's guilty plea and lengthy custodial sentence and I hope that it will bring some form of closure to the family. "I would like to recognise all the officers and staff who worked tirelessly on the operation to find and capture Bruzas as quickly as possible and on the murder investigation itself to ensure he was brought to justice."
A builder who murdered a property developer and his wife in a frenzied knife attack has been jailed for life.
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HNA became a major shareholder in Europe's largest investment bank after acquiring a 4.8% stake in March. Its financial unit, HNA Capital, reportedly has ambitions of becoming a global investment bank. Deutsche Bank has been looking to raise funds after incurring major losses due to legal probes and misconduct charges. Earlier this year, the German lender abandoned plans to sell its Postbank unit and sold 8bn euros ($8.8bn) of shares instead. HNA, which is privately run by billionaire Chen Feng, has been on a major acquisition spree in recent years. The Chinese group owns stakes in a range of companies including Hainan airlines, hotel operator Hilton Worldwide and Singapore-listed logistics firm CWT.
Chinese conglomerate HNA has overtaken Blackrock to become Deutsche Bank's biggest shareholder after increasing its stake in the firm to nearly 10%.
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The governor of Japan's Kagoshima prefecture gave his approval, marking the final hurdle for the restart, which is now likely to happen next year. Before the accident, caused by a massive quake and tsunami, about 30% of Japan's power was nuclear-generated. All 48 plants were shut down but PM Shinzo Abe has lobbied for a restart. Mr Abe's government has argued that the shutdown has hurt the economy, forcing Japan to import expensive fossil fuels to make up the power shortfall. Despite public anxiety, earlier this year Mr Abe approved an energy plan backing the use of nuclear power. Local authorities were given the final say on whether to restart their commercial plants. The plant's host town, Satsumasendai, had already voted in favour. "I have decided that it is unavoidable to restart the No. 1 and No. 2 Sendai nuclear reactors," Kagoshima Governor Yuichiro Ito told a news conference on Friday, reported Reuters news agency. "I have said that assuring safety is a prerequisite and that the government must ensure safety and publicly explain it thoroughly to residents." The reactors, operated by Kyushu Electric Power, will likely restart next year as further operational checks need to be passed. In a vote on Friday 38 out of 47 of the Kagoshima's prefectural assembly backed the restarting of the reactors. Protesters present in the assembly hall stood up before the vote with pink signs that said "NO restart", reported Reuters. Yelling from opponents drowned out the final vote. In September, Japanese regulators gave the Sendai reactors their final approval saying safety standards introduced after the Fukushima disaster had been met.
Two reactors at Japan's Sendai nuclear plant are due to become the first to be restarted in the country since the 2011 meltdown at the Fukushima facility.
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Four events will be held inside the grounds of Windsor Castle between May 12 and 15, with members of the Royal Family due to attend each night. The Queen will herself attend the last event, a theatrical show that will be broadcast live on TV. The birthday events will feature more than 1,200 participants and 550 horses. Performers will include singers - including Katherine Jenkins - musicians and dancers as well as actors, actresses and artists. The event is also expected to celebrate her "dedication to the Commonwealth", with international performers due to come from New Zealand, Fiji, Canada, Oman, South Africa and Chile. Event producer Simon Brooks-Ward, who was responsible for the Diamond Jubilee Pageant in Windsor, said there would be "a very happy and celebratory feel" to the event. "We have been delighted with the level of response from funders and participants. It should be a very special and memorable occasion," he added. Any proceeds from the event will be donated to a number of the Queen's charities, which will be selected by an advisory committee.
Plans to mark the Queen's 90th birthday next year will celebrate her "love" of horses and "deep involvement" with the Armed Forces, organisers have said.
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David De Silva, who worked at Pimperne Primary School in Blandford, pleaded guilty to false accounting. He submitted two fake invoices to the school's education finance officer to gain £3,300 but was cleared of fraud. The 39-year-old was ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and a 10-day rehabilitation activity. De Silva took out two legitimate loans of cash totalling £3,300 in 2013 from a school account that included charity payments and money paid by parents for school trips, Bournemouth Crown Court heard. Victoria Hill, defending, said the "hardship loan" was agreed by the chair of governors at the school. But the court heard "repeat attempts" were made to retrieve the cash from De Silva until 2016 when he announced he would be leaving the school for a new job. He then submitted two fake invoices totalling £3,300 for supposed computer work carried out on behalf of the school in 2013 by an IT company that did not exist until 2015. De Silva, of Organford Road, Holton Heath, Poole, left the school earlier this year and the cash owed was repaid. Sentencing, Judge Recorder Donald Tait said De Silva had "fallen a long way", but added: "No child suffered as a result of your stupidity." At the time of the offence De Silva had marriage problems and was going through "a lot of stresses and strains", Ms Hill said. In a statement, chair of the school's governors Steven Fielding said: "All at Pimperne CE VC Primary School were saddened to discover the financial irregularity and took steps to report it correctly that has resulted, following a full investigation, in the court case. "At no time did the matter affect the excellent teaching at the school or impact upon the pupils. We continue to deliver a high quality education."
A former head teacher who made a "stupid" attempt to gain more than £3,000 of school money has been handed a two-year community order.
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Brian McKandie, 67, was found at Fairview Cottages in Badenscoth, Rothienorman, on Saturday 12 March. Two men were reportedly seen speaking to him the Friday before. Det Ch Insp Iain Smith said a "heavy weapon" had been used. Police Scotland officers are carrying out searches for the murder weapon, and have also asked for dashcam footage from drivers. One of the men said to have been seen with Mr McKandie was in his 50s and heavy set. The other was a younger man. They were beside a burgundy or maroon estate car, possibly a Saab or Volvo. They were seen talking to Mr McKandie between 13:00 and 14:00 on the Friday. Officers have also appealed for two men seen talking to Mr McKandie between 17:00 and 18:00 on the Friday. One was described as in his 20s, and the other in his 30s or 40s. Det Ch Insp Smith said: "It may be that the second set of men we are looking to speak to are the same as the first two or it could be another pair however we are appealing for these men to come forward or to anyone who may have seen them talking to Mr McKandie. "A number of members of the public have come forward with dashboard camera footage and information and we continue to appeal for people to do so as this may be relevant to our enquiries. "We can confirm that a weapon was used during this brutal murder and we are carrying out searches for any kind of instrument which may have been used."
A weapon was used in the "brutal" murder of a 67-year-old man at his Aberdeenshire home, police have said.
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He replaces Rob Page, who was sacked on Monday after a run of nine defeats for the Cobblers in their last 11 games. They are 16th in League One, eight points above the relegation zone. Edinburgh, 47, was dismissed by Gillingham on 3 January after less than two years in charge, with the club then 17th in the table. He began his managerial career with Billericay Town, Fisher Athletic and Grays Athletic, before moving to Northamptonshire with Rushden & Diamonds, who he left when the club went into administration. He then spent over three years with Newport, who he led back into the Football League via the 2013 Conference play-off final. "We spoke with a lot of managers this week and had a lot of applications, but Justin's teams have always impressed me with the energy they play with, even back to his Rushden days. "His career has seen a solid progression upwards from non-league through to League One and he is has managed a lot of games in his time, so the experience is there," said Northampton chairman Kelvin Thomas. The Cobblers have a home game against Scunthorpe on Saturday but Edinburgh will watch from the stands, with Paul Wilkinson in charge of the team, before formally taking over on Monday. "Northampton Town has a reputation of being a very well-run club, with some fantastic training facilities and an excellent fanbase. There is potential there to take the club forward and I will work very hard to do just that," he said. "My teams are known for strength, high energy and playing on the front foot and I want to continue that here. "I know how much the Northampton Town supporters get behind their team and I have experienced some fantastic atmospheres at Sixfields as an opposing manager, and hopefully we can work together to enjoy some good times."
Northampton Town have appointed former Newport County and Gillingham boss Justin Edinburgh as their new manager on a two-and-a-half-year contract.
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The five North East sculptures were all erected after 1945 and include one which doubles as a ventilation shaft for the Tyne and Wear Metro. Historic England described the works as "striking examples" of how art became a symbol of revival after World War Two. The announcement coincides with an exhibition in Newcastle exploring the region's lost and damaged post-war art. The five pieces are already Grade II Listed, but have now been given further protection by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport after being recommended by Historic England. A Historic England spokeswoman said: "These pieces depict a range of themes each encapsulating different aspects of the North East's diverse identity. "Two in central Newcastle are among the newly listed sculptures. Parson's Polygon on Blackett Street is an intriguing sculpture with a hidden function as it doubles up as a ventilation shaft for the underground Metro. "A few streets away is another important sculpture made of folded metal with a protruding antenna, it was erected to complement the modernist architecture of Newcastle University. "Most were part of a movement which saw art and sculpture being used to bring public spaces back to life after the Second World War as England repaired shattered towns and cities. "But like many others, some were unpopular, being seen as too unsettling or too avant-garde. "Only now are they being recognised as part of our irreplaceable national collection of public art." Heritage Minster Tracey Crouch added: "It's vital that important parts of our heritage are secured for generations to come, so I'm delighted that these fantastic post-war public sculptures, which transformed public spaces across the North after the Second World War, will now be protected. " Some of the stories behind the sculptures feature in an exhibition at Bessie Surtees House in Newcastle which runs until 23 December.
Examples of post-war public art have been listed by the government to "protect them for future generations".
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The 33-year-old attended free classes at the Nottingham Television Workshop twice a week from the age of 11. The charity offers free training for people aged between seven and 21 in performance skills for television, film, radio and theatre. The actress, from Wollaton in the city, made a plea that "there should be places like that in every city". She told Radio Times: "It's striking how many successful actors came out of Nottingham. "We don't need to send people to expensive drama schools. "When I went to the Nottingham Television Workshop it was free. Even now it's affordable - £100 a term - and if people don't have that there are bursaries and sponsors." Ms McClure was discovered by Nottingham-based director Shane Meadows while training at the after-school drama workshop. At the age of 16 she made her movie debut in his film A Room For Romeo Brass. In 2011, the actress won a Bafta and a Royal Television Society Award for her part in the film This Is England 86 - also a Mr Meadows project. Workshop director Nic Harvey said its ethos has been that "talent comes first, then we work out how their training can be paid for". "Drama schools have a responsibility to go out there and attract hard-to-find talent with bursary and scholarship schemes," he said. "If an aspiring young actor from a hard-up background can't see opportunities to develop their potential and make a road into the industry, then professional drama training will be the privilege of those who can afford to take financial risks. "Great actors need great empathy, a chemistry with people from all walks of life."
Line of Duty and This Is England actor Vicky McClure has called for more affordable drama schools in the UK.
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He signed the Rome Statute, the ICC's founding treaty, at a Ramallah meeting. Membership could see the Palestinians pursue Israel on war crimes charges, and the move was quickly condemned by Israel's prime minister. It follows the rejection of a UN Security Council resolution demanding an end to the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories by late 2017. Eight members of the 15-strong Security Council voted for that resolution, while the US and Australia voted against. The resolution, condemned by Israel as a "gimmick", needed the support of at least nine members in order to pass. The Rome Statute was among some 20 international agreements signed by Mr Abbas at the meeting in Ramallah, in the West Bank. Signing up to the statute is seen as the first move to joining the ICC. "We want to complain. There's aggression against us, against our land," Mr Abbas was quoted as saying. "The Security Council disappointed us." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded quickly, saying Israel would take "steps in response and defend Israel's soldiers". Israel, which is not a member of the ICC and does not recognise its jurisdiction, says joining the court would expose the Palestinians to prosecution. "It is the Palestinian Authority - which is in a unity government with Hamas, an avowed terrorist organisation that, like ISIS, perpetrates war crimes - that needs to be concerned about the International Criminal Court in the Hague," Mr Netanyahu said in a statement. The US state department released a statement condemning what it called "an escalatory step" on the part of the Palestinians, saying negotiations between the two sides were the only "realistic path" towards peace. "Today's action is entirely counter-productive and does nothing to further the aspirations of the Palestinian people for a sovereign and independent state," it said. Palestinian chances of joining the ICC were improved in 2012 after the UN General Assembly voted to upgrade their status to that of a "non-member observer state" in November of that year. Membership is not guaranteed but correspondents say the application is a highly political move that carries great symbolism. Less than 24 hours after the Palestinian Authority failed to bring about a UN vote to end the Israeli occupation, President Mahmoud Abbas has made good on his promise of a different approach - joining the International Criminal Court, and threatening Israel with charges of war crimes. Instead of negotiating his way to statehood, he hopes that pressure from international bodies will bring it about. It's been a bloody year for Palestinians and Israelis - the war in Gaza, kidnappings, and murders in Jerusalem. There's little hope of peace. Internationally, there is a growing sense of frustration that bilateral talks have made little progress. The last attempt at peace negotiations, led by the US Secretary of State John Kerry, collapsed earlier this year, having achieved almost nothing. Mr Abbas had been under increasing domestic pressure following months of heightened tension and violence after the collapse of peace talks in April. More than 2,100 people, mostly Palestinians, died in a 50-day conflict between Israel and Hamas in the summer, according to UN figures. Israel said 67 of its troops and six civilians died. Analysts say signing the Rome Statute could stir up tensions with the US and other major donors to the Palestinian Authority - as well as a response from Israel. Based in The Hague, the ICC can prosecute individuals accused of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed since 1 July 2002, when the Rome Statute came into force. Earlier this year Mr Abbas signed applications by the "State of Palestine" to join 15 UN treaties and conventions, beginning with the Fourth Geneva Convention.
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has signed papers to join the International Criminal Court (ICC).
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As Munster produced late pressure, they won a penalty in front of the posts but prop Dave Kilcoyne took a tap penalty as he chased a try only to knock on. Johnny Sexton scored all Leinster's points including a first-half try. Johnny Holland's try helped Munster move 13-10 up but two more Sexton penalties proved enough for Leinster. Leinster's win in the tense but stop-start contest moves them level on points with Connacht but Leo Cullen's side lead the table through having won more games. Munster's failure to land more than a losing bonus point at the Aviva Stadium drops them to sixth in the table and struggling to qualify for the play-offs. After a nervy contest where both teams struggled for fluency, the game finished amid high drama as replacement prop Kilcoyne's decision to take the tap penalty backfired in heartbreaking fashion for Munster. Leinster looked to be comfortably running down the clock before Cian Healy's sin-binning for a no-arms tackle on Kilcoyne gave Munster a scent of victory in the 76th minute. With the man advantage, Munster mauled their way to within inches of the Leinster line and referee Ian Davies inevitably blew for a penalty after home lock Devin Toner had been lucky not to be blown up moments earlier for offside. But instead of Munster composure, Ireland international Kilcoyne opted for the quick tap and after almost losing control of the ball in his first movement, he then knocked on to effectively hand Leinster victory. Had replacement fly-half Ian Keatley landed the penalty from in front of the posts, Connacht would have remained top of the table. As defences dominated, the early scores came from the boot as Sexton's first penalty came either side of two successful Holland kicks. However, Leinster exploited Robin Copeland's sin-binning just before the break as Sexton barged his way over the Munster line, with his head glancing off the base of the cushioned upright for good measure. Sexton's conversion increased Leinster's lead to 10-6 at the break but his opposite number Holland replied in kind in the 47th minute to restore Munster's lead. Munster's advantage was short-lived as a blatant Francis Saili infringement allowed Sexton to level within four minutes. After Holland's replacement Keatley missed a good chance to restore Munster's advantage, Sexton made no mistake from 40 metres in the 64th minute although there was a suggestion that the Ireland fly-half had ignored the referee's time limit. Then came the late drama which will be the main talking point from the contest. Leinster: Zane Kirchner; Isa Nacewa (capt), Garry Ringrose, Ben Te'o, Dave Kearney; Johnny Sexton, Eoin Reddan; Jack McGrath, Sean Cronin, Tadhg Furlong, Devin Toner, Hayden Triggs, Rhys Ruddock, Jordi Murphy, Jamie Heaslip. Replacements: Richardt Strauss for Cronin 50, Cian Healy for McGrath 68, Mike Ross for Furlong 63, Ross Molony for Triggs 63, Josh van der Flier for Murphy 50, Luke McGrath for Reddan 68, Ian Madigan for Sexton 76, Fergus McFadden for Kearney 68, McGrath for Kirchner 78. Munster: Simon Zebo; Andrew Conway, Francis Saili, Rory Scannell, Keith Earls; Johnny Holland, Conor Murray; James Cronin, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer; Donnacha Ryan, Billy Holland; Dave O'Callaghan, Tommy O'Donnell, CJ Stander (capt). Replacements: Mike Sherry for Niall Scannell 48, Dave Kilcoyne for Cronin 48, John Ryan for Archer 72, Robin Copeland for Ryan 26, Jack O'Donoghue for O'Callaghan 64, Ian Keatley for Holland 56, Darren Sweetnam for Conway 75. Not used: Tomas O'Leary
Leinster moved back to the top of the Pro12 table as they edged out Munster after the visitors declined a late penalty chance to snatch a draw.
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Prosecutors allege some of the girls were befriended and given drink and drugs before being forced to have sex. Sheffield Crown Court was told one girl was tied to a chair in a bedsit by four of the defendants and made to have sex with men for money. The offences are said to have taken place in Sheffield between 2005 and 2012. The defendants deny the charges. For live updates and more stories from across Yorkshire Prosecutor Peter Hampton said brothers, Christopher, Shane and Matthew Whiteley, Andre Francis-Edge, Taleb Bapir and Amanda Spencer "in differing ways sexually abused and facilitated the sexual abuse of teenage girls". He told jurors that Christopher Whiteley and Amanda Spencer had "played a key role in the abuse". The court was told Christopher Whiteley, who was aged 13 in 2005, would appear "charming" at first before being "aggressive, intimidating, threatening and on occasions violent". The jury heard that at the time the alleged offending began he had already been convicted of two sexual offences. Mr Hampton said Miss Spencer had "likely" been the victim of child sexual exploitation but had "turned her dreadful situation on its head and she became a facilitator of sexual abuse herself". The jury heard Miss Spencer was convicted of 16 child prostitution offences in 2014. Christopher Whiteley, 23, of Weakland Crescent in Hackenthorpe, Sheffield, is charged with 13 counts of rape, two counts of conspiracy to rape, two child prostitution offences, two counts of sexual assault on a child under 13, one count of theft and one count of sexual assault; Shane Whiteley, 30, also of Weakland Crescent, is charged with three child prostitution offences and two counts of conspiracy to rape; Matthew Whiteley, 24, also of Weakland Crescent, is charged with two child prostitution offences, two counts of conspiracy to rape and two counts of sexual activity with a child; Amanda Spencer, 26, of Canklow Road, Rotherham, is charged with eight counts of aiding and abetting rape and 12 child prostitution offences; Andre Francis-Edge, of Wheatley Road in Parson Cross, Sheffield is charged with one count of rape, one count of conspiracy to rape and one child prostitution offence; Taleb Bapir, 39, of Verdon Street, Sheffield, is charged with one count of rape. Outlining the case in relation to one girl Mr Hampton said she had been befriended by the Whiteley brothers and Mr Francis-Edge after meeting them at Sheffield's former Castle Market. He said the girl was later taken to a flat in West Street and tied to a chair. "She was prostituted to men who visited the flat," he said. "She would tell them she did not want to do it but if she refused she would be subjected to violence by the brothers." The prosecutor said another girl had been forced to stand on a street corner in Sheffield's red light district by Shane Whiteley as "pay back" for an alleged burglary. The court heard Miss Spencer was "pimping out" one girl to Christopher Whitely and also took her to an address where she threatened her with violence if she did not have sex with an older man. Taleb Bapir is said to have paid Miss Spencer £60 to have sex with another 15-year-old girl. The trial continues.
Five men and a woman have gone on trial accused of the rape, sexual abuse and prostitution of nine girls.
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Scottish Borders Council and community groups in Jedburgh hope to establish a Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme. It could allow access to a funding programme managed by Historic Environment Scotland. It is hoped an application could be submitted later this summer. If the bid is successful it would run for five years from April 2017 to March 2022. Among the building repair projects which could be funded are works at the Port House building, the Abbey ramparts and the Canongate Bridge. A similar scheme has already been delivered in Kelso which saw improvements to eight priority buildings and repairs to 30 other properties. Another project is ongoing in Selkirk. Councillor Ron Smith said: "As we have seen with the successful Kelso scheme, the funding, including that leveraged from the private sector, can make a significant positive impact on the town with a much improved town centre and retail vacancy rates significantly reduced, and I wish the same success for Jedburgh. "This partnership approach has also helped to stimulate the private sector in Kelso and we now have a very proactive Chamber of Trade working together to promote the town and encourage new visitors to stay and spend." Councillors Jim Brown, Sandy Scott and Rory Stewart, who represent Jedburgh said they were fully supportive of the bid. "Following the success of the Kelso scheme, we welcome the opportunity to bid for additional funding for Jedburgh's historic town centre," they said in a joint statement. "The town is an important gateway to Scotland and we are keen to work with all our partners to encourage new spend and investment in the town to ensure Jedburgh remains a key visitor destination."
A bid is being worked up which could attract about £1m for the regeneration of a historic Borders town centre.
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The Android-powered device, which was funded by a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign, will now launch in June, manufacturer Playjam said. In a statement, the company said it was victim "of the success we have created". The console faces competition from other similar products, including the Ouya which began shipping in March. Gamestick will be sold exclusively at Game stores in the UK, with other retail partners set up in 26 other countries. Over $600,000 (£392,000) was raised when Playjam placed the Gamestick on the Kickstarter website. In a message to its 5,691 backers, the team explained the setback. "The main production run has gone from a few thousand units to tens of thousands of units. This has meant that we have had to change production methods and move to high-volume tooling." The company now predicts the first backers will receive their consoles in the last week of June - more than three months later than planned. Many backers reacted angrily to the update. "The biggest problem with this update is that there is no apology for the delay to all the Kickstarters who are eagerly waiting for Gamestick to ship," wrote one backer, Sandesh Deshmukh. "Looks like Gamestick is taking its backers for granted and I do see a hint of arrogance in that attitude." Others lamented that due to their nature, Kickstarter projects are prone to delays. "Shame about the news, but I can live with it," wrote Simon Dick. "It's not as if Kickstarter is like placing an order on Amazon, I'd be way more concerned if they were silent about anything." Upon its release, the Gamestick will enter a small but rapidly growing market for cheap games consoles. The Ouya console, also a Kickstarter project, began shipping last month.
The UK-designed Gamestick handheld console, due to launch this month, has been delayed due to "high demand".
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It is illegal to bring dairy and meat produce from outside the EU into Northern Ireland. Robert Huey said if something like foot-and-mouth disease was accidentally introduced it would have huge animal welfare and economic costs. He urged those travelling abroad to check the rules at ports and airports. Checks are in place at points of entry. Any banned goods are seized and destroyed and the person responsible is liable to prosecution and a fine. As well as meat and dairy produce there are strict controls on things like potatoes, plants, fish, honey, eggs and certain fruit and vegetables. Foot-and-mouth could be introduced through the import of infected meat and dairy produce. "Should a major disease such as that enter Northern Ireland trade and jobs will be at risk," said Mr Huey. Northern Ireland last had an outbreak of foot-and-mouth in 2001. It led to a widespread cull of livestock, the cancellation of public gatherings and other restrictions.
Northern Ireland's chief vet has warned holidaymakers about the dangers of bringing animal and plant diseases home with them.
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The Paralympics face major budget cuts and, although delayed travel grants will now be paid, 10 countries may struggle to get teams to Brazil. "The IOC have very full coffers after London 2012," said Sir Hugh Robertson. "They did much better financially than they would reasonably have expected out of London. They have capacity to help." Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live, Robertson, a former government minister who had day-to-day responsibility for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London, added: "The sponsors have the capacity to help. "The Brazilian government have a moral obligation to do everything possible. "My guess is that if this goes wrong they will be in breach of the host nation contract so they are morally and legally obliged to do things." The International Paralympic Committee says Rio's organising committee has not raised enough money to fund the Paralympics. Brazil's struggling economy and the fact that only 12% of available tickets have so far been sold have been blamed for the shortfall in funding for the Games, which start on 7 September. Cuts are being made to venues, the workforce and transport, and retired British Paralympian Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, who has won 11 gold medals, believes some wealthy nations can also help out. "Where we are really lucky in the British team is having the resources and set-up to mitigate much of this," she told 5 live. "It's desperately disappointing for athletes who potentially can't get there. Maybe some of the better-off countries can step in and do whatever we can." Organisers were meant to pay travel grants to all 165 participating countries by the end of July. The grants, paid to national Paralympic bodies, cover the travel costs for athletes and officials. "The support grants should have been paid by the organising committee at the end of July and they have now committed to paying them this week," said IPC media and communications director Craig Spence. "For 10 countries, those grants may be too late for them to afford their flight tickets - the IPC is working with them this week. "If needs be, we will purchase their air tickets in advance and then receive the grant money on their behalf, so we are confident we will have everyone there."
The International Olympic Committee should help with funding for the Rio Paralympics, says the vice-chairman of the British Olympic Association.
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Sidecar driver Dwight Beare, 27, crashed near the Rhencullen section of the Mountain Course at about 14:10 BST. His passenger, Benjamin Binns, was airlifted to the island's Noble's Hospital, with a fractured ankle. His condition was described as "stable". Later, Paul Shoesmith, 50, died in a crash on Sulby Straight during solo practice. The session was abandoned. Shoesmith, from Poynton in Cheshire, made his TT races debut in 2005 and had a highest placed finish of 15th on the TT Mountain Course in both the Superbike and Senior Races in 2011. He achieved his fastest ever lap around the TT Mountain Course in Saturday's Superbike Race, lapping at 125.896mph and finishing 29th. Beare was originally from Melbourne, in Australia, but lived in Onchan, on the Isle of Man The sidecar race was immediately red-flagged following the accident but was later re-run. Beare made his debut at the annual road-racing event in 2014 and finished 12th in the second race of the week, with his father Noel as his passenger. He returned last year and secured a 17th-place result.
Two competitors were killed during the opening day of the Isle of Man TT Races on Saturday.
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Stevie Mallan starred for the hosts, opening the scoring from close range before netting a second with a deflected 20-yard free kick. Rory Loy diverted Gary MacKenzie's header for the Buddies' third. Mallan capped a wonderful personal and team performance by curling into the top-right corner from 25 yards, then teed up Lewis Morgan for a fifth. The emphatic victory means St Mirren leap-frog the Rovers in the league and might even end Saturday as high as seventh depending on Dumbarton's result at Dundee United in the evening kick-off. Saints have now scored 20 goals in their last six games and Mallan turned in the first from eight yards after Kyle Magennis and Cammy Smith combined to capitalise on a poor defensive header from Raith's Jean-Yves Mvoto. The second goal also originated from the right boot of Mallan, but his 20 yard free-kick nicked Declan McManus and wrong-footed Rovers goalkeeper Pavol Penksa. Raith offered very little and things got worse for the Kirkcaldy men soon after half-time. Mallan's corner was headed goal-wards by MacKenzie and Loy innovatively nodded it into the bottom corner of the net from close range. Any contest was over at that point, but St Mirren strived to boost their goal difference even more before next Saturday's final-day visit to champions Hibernian. Mallan did just that in absolutely spectacular fashion. Working hard to win back possession, the 21-year-old played one-twos with Morgan and Loy before curling a brilliant shot into the top-right corner which left his team-mates with hands on heads in amazement. It was his 11th goal of the season. After that there was still time for Mallan to find Morgan, who netted his 10th of the season with a low left-foot drive from an angle that was too powerful for Penksa to keep out. St Mirren manager Jack Ross: "The performance is indicative of how we've been for a few months - we're capable of producing results like that. "But when you put it in the context of the pressure that was on this game today, then it's a terrific performance from the players. "We've given Stevie Mallan the hat-trick. His contribution in this half of the season has been outstanding and he deserves every plaudit he gets. "Goal difference has become an important factor for us and might benefit us. We still have to go to Easter Road and try and get something from the game." Raith Rovers manager John Hughes: "The bottom line is that they were a little bit scared to get on it and pass it. "The game is hard enough without you thinking you're something that you're not. Everything you get you have to go and graft for. "If you've got good hard-working values, what comes out of it is a good will to win, but we were second best today." Match ends, St. Mirren 5, Raith Rovers 0. Second Half ends, St. Mirren 5, Raith Rovers 0. Foul by Jonathan Court (Raith Rovers). Gary Irvine (St. Mirren) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Goal! St. Mirren 5, Raith Rovers 0. Lewis Morgan (St. Mirren) left footed shot from the left side of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Stephen Mallan. Attempt saved. Declan McManus (Raith Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Kevin McHattie (Raith Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Stelios Demetriou (St. Mirren). Substitution, St. Mirren. Andy Webster replaces Gary Mackenzie. Mark Stewart (Raith Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Adam Eckersley (St. Mirren). Substitution, St. Mirren. Rocco Quinn replaces Kyle Magennis. Daniel Handling (Raith Rovers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Daniel Handling (Raith Rovers). Kyle Magennis (St. Mirren) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Jonathan Court (Raith Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Lewis Morgan (St. Mirren). Substitution, St. Mirren. Stelios Demetriou replaces Cameron Smith. Attempt saved. Stephen Mallan (St. Mirren) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Kevin McHattie (Raith Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Gary Irvine (St. Mirren). Daniel Handling (Raith Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Stephen McGinn (St. Mirren). Corner, St. Mirren. Conceded by Kevin McHattie. Foul by Jordan Thompson (Raith Rovers). Cameron Smith (St. Mirren) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Jason Thomson (Raith Rovers). Adam Eckersley (St. Mirren) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Jordan Thompson (Raith Rovers). Kyle Magennis (St. Mirren) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Delay over. They are ready to continue. Delay in match Pavol Penksa (Raith Rovers) because of an injury. Stephen McGinn (St. Mirren) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Jordan Thompson (Raith Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Stephen McGinn (St. Mirren). Goal! St. Mirren 4, Raith Rovers 0. Stephen Mallan (St. Mirren) right footed shot from outside the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Cameron Smith. Attempt saved. Lewis Morgan (St. Mirren) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Jonathan Court (Raith Rovers) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Gary Mackenzie (St. Mirren). Attempt missed. Lewis Morgan (St. Mirren) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.
St Mirren took a huge step towards Scottish Championship survival by thumping fellow strugglers Raith.
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Interference may also damage developing US-China relations, a spokesman said. Under the "One China" policy, the US has formal ties with China rather than the island of Taiwan, which China sees as a breakaway province. However, US President-elect Donald Trump has expressed doubts about continuing to abide by the policy. Mr Trump had already angered China by taking a phone call from Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, and then tweeting about it. On Monday, China said it was "seriously concerned" by Mr Trump's comments, and urged sensitivity around the issue. But An Fengshan, a spokesman for China's policy-making Taiwan Affairs Office, went further on Wednesday, warning of more serious consequences. "Upholding the "One China" principle is the political basis of developing China-US relations, and is the cornerstone of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," he said. "If this basis is interfered with or damaged then the healthy, stable development of China-US relations is out of the question, and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait will be seriously impacted," he added. Mr An's comments came as Admiral Harry Harris, head of the US Pacific Command, vowed the US will keep challenging Beijing's "assertive, aggressive behaviour in the South China Sea". Speaking to Australian think tank the Lowy Institute in Sydney, Admiral Harris said: "We will not allow the shared domains to be closed down unilaterally, no matter how many bases are built on artificial features in the South China Sea. "We will co-operate where we can but we will be ready to confront where we must." Beijing has been developing artificial islands capable of hosting military planes in the region. It also insists on sovereignty over virtually all the resource-endowed South China Sea, despite rival claims from its South East Asian neighbours. Washington has repeatedly said it does not recognise the claims, and has sent warships into the area to assert the right to freedom of navigation.
Beijing has warned the incoming US administration that any attempt to challenge the "One China" policy could affect peace in the Taiwan Strait.
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As we've been reporting in the last few days, there's been a frenzied guessing game, stoked by some cabinet ministers themselves, over the future for the pay of nurses, teachers, police officers, and the rest of the five million or so people who work in the public sector. In the aftermath of the election, some in cabinet argue that scrapping the pay cap would be a way of showing they had heard the electorate's call, proof they had listened to public concerns. No politician, not least one clinging on in a minority government, wants to appear deaf to the concerns of the public. One senior figure arguing for a relaxation of the cap argues that the Tories have to get out in front of the issue, to neutralise it, before what could be a long, hot summer of political discontent, claiming that Cabinet is moving towards a consensus position to "scrap the cap", at least showing willing to accept the recommendations of the independent pay bodies as they report over the coming months. But after an election defeat where the Tories ditched their core script on sound money, others are in a very different position. One minister said, it would be "utter madness" to ditch a central part of their economic programme, their "record for stewardship", questioning whether an "utterly useless" election campaign should result in junking the economic discipline the government should be proud of. Another questioned "the idea you can just walk away from the cap without serious consequences". Yes, sticking to the cap causes the Tories political damage, but so might raising taxes, or making cuts somewhere else to do it. Arguably the simpler part of the debate has been had - many public sector workers are feeling the pinch, and there is more and more pressure to remove the limit on pay rises. The more complicated bit, who or what would pay for the increase, is a conversation that's yet to happen. Whatever Boris Johnson and Michael Gove have said in the last twenty four hours, don't expect anything to happen in a hurry. The first pay review body is not due to report for another few weeks. It seems unlikely that the government will announce any plan to either ditch the cap or promise to accept the decisions of the review bodies before then. It's not in either Theresa May or Philip Hammond's DNA to make quick decisions. One of her allies reports there is simply no decision. But how they show they are in tune with volatile public opinion while going through a decision making process is not straightforward either.
Will they or won't they?
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