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Footage of the mass rendition of The Killers' song Mr Brightside has chalked up hundreds of thousands of hits on social media. The videos were filmed after the funeral of Ger 'Farmer' Foley on 24 March. The band tweeted that Brian O'Sullivan, who led the singing, could step-in for lead singer Brandon Flowers. "Brian O'Sullivan, if Brandon ever needs a fill-in, we're calling you!," the band said. "May we all have friends like this #farmersrule." The sing-a-long happened at Falveys Pub, Killorglin, County Kerry after Mr Foley had been buried that day. The 45-year-old had cystic fibrosis. The video shows Mr O'Sullivan, perched on the bar counter, encouraging everyone to sing with the track before taking off his shirt and crowd-surfing across the pub. Before launching into the song, Mr O'Sullivan told the crowd: "He was the salt of the earth, he will never be replaced and we will remember him forever in our lives. "I think that the most appropriate song that you can get for this man is Mr Brightside." Peter Teahan, who filmed one of the videos, said Mr Foley was a very popular member of the community. "It certainly wasn't a normal Thursday night in Falveys," he said, "A lot of people had been getting up to sing, one person had a guitar and did Raglan Road. "Brian was a good friend of Ger's, and that was one of Ger's favourite songs, so he got everyone going. "Most people in the area knew Ger, he was very popular. It was a very good send-off for him," he said.
Rock band The Killers have paid tribute after a pub sing-a-long at a wake in the Republic of Ireland went viral.
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Jamie Johnstone, 21, from Cranhill, died after being found with serious injuries in Balbeggie Street, Sandyhills, on 16 January. Nico Donnelly made no plea or declaration during a private hearing at Glasgow Sheriff Court where he was charged with murder. The 22-year-old, from Cambuslang, was remanded in custody.
A man has appeared in court charged with murder after the death of a man outside a Glasgow flat.
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Kevin Carr set off from Haytor, Devon in July 2013 completing one to two marathons a day. The route included deserts, arctic climes, high altitude mountains and covered 26,232km (16,299 miles). His challenge was to become the fastest person to run around the world. The attempt is yet to be ratified by the World Running Association. The previous record was set by Tom Denniss of Australia who also ran across 20 countries on five continents. Speaking on his return to Devon following his 621 days of running, Mr Carr said: "I'm overwhelmed. It was an amazing finish, the support and turnout was incredible. "It's been an incredibly huge strain these last few weeks to get here in time to do the record. It was never meant to come down to this much of a nail biter. "I had numerous set backs. I broke the record by less than one day." The challenge saw the fitness instructor run across: Europe, India, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA, South America and Ireland. Along the way he had to avoid snakes, scorpions, wild dogs, wolves, bears and mountain lions. Mr Carr said he saw 26 bears in five weeks during the trip: "One actually stalked me and that was probably the most terrifying moment of my life," he said. Through his late teens and early 20s the runner said he suffered with depression and went through a bad suicide attempt so wanted to compete the feat to raise money for mental health charity SANE and the British Red Cross.
A man who has run around the world in 19 months has completed his world record attempt.
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Aircraft will not be permitted within 1.5 miles (2.4km) of Anmer Hall - home of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The Department for Transport said it was required "in view of the need for security for the Royal Family". The rules will apply to Anmer Hall from 1 November. Similar regulations come into force for Sandringham House from 1 December to 1 March each year. The three-month restriction covers the Christmas period, when the Queen and other members of the Royal Family are in residence. Regulations issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) state no aircraft is to fly below 2,000ft (610m) within the restricted airspace. It does not apply to emergency services aircraft, including Prince William's employer, the East Anglian Air Ambulance, and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The Queen's helicopter and any aircraft flown by a member of the Royal family are also exempt, as are aircraft flown by guests of Sandringham House or Anmer Hall, who have permission to land there. It is not known whether any incident prompted the restriction. When asked, a royal communications secretary said it was in relation to "matters of security". In May, the media was warned in a letter from Norfolk Police not to harass the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge after "a number of intrusions" following the birth of Princess Charlotte. At the time, Kensington Palace said public interest had to be balanced with the couple's right to a "private family life". The letter expressed the hope that "acts of harassment and breaches of privacy" would cease. Anmer Hall, a Georgian mansion, is about two miles (3km) east of Sandringham House.
Flying over the Royal Sandringham estate in Norfolk is to be restricted at the request of security services.
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Police said there have been more than 20 reports of flooded roads, with the Carlisle and Allerdale areas the worst affected. They warned motorists not to risk their safety by driving through them. The Environment Agency has issued flood alerts for the rivers Lowther and Eamont. There are fears strong winds combined with high tides could lead to a coastal surge.
Heavy rain has been causing traffic problems across Cumbria.
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Half of English-medium schools should be doing it within 10 years but Welsh-speaking areas would be the priority for its new Foundation Phase policy. Education spokesman Simon Thomas said bilingualism was "a valuable skill". The National Union of Teachers said there was "merit" in the plan but asked if sufficient teachers could be found. Plaid Cymru was launching its language strategies ahead of May's general election at an event in Newcastle Emlyn, Carmarthenshire, on Friday. "Accessing services and operating in the workplace in their language of choice is a basic right for all the people of Wales," said Mr Thomas. "Nowhere is this right more important than in our schools and playgrounds where the foundations of children's confidence to converse in Welsh is formed. "We know that bilingualism is a valuable skill and benefits children's cognitive development." Owen Hathway, Wales policy officer for the National Union of Teachers, said there was "merit" in the plan but added that "finding enough teachers capable, and wishing, to teach through the medium of Welsh can be difficult". Rex Phillips, national official in Wales for the NASUWT, asked whether Plaid Cymru had considered "parental choice and the views of pupils, teachers and the wider education workforce before making this announcement".
Schools in Wales should teach three to seven year olds mainly through the medium of Welsh within 20 years, Plaid Cymru has said.
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But the research from Cardiff University also suggested the corporation still faces challenges posed by devolution. The study looked at the number of news stories devoted to the UK nations during certain periods in 2015 and '16. It also examined the depth of the coverage and the clarity of reporting. The original BBC Trust report, published eight years ago, concluded that the corporation needed to improve the range, clarity and precision of its network news coverage of the different UK nations. A follow-up published in 2010 found there had been "significant improvements" but added that some news reports still did not make clear which part of the UK a story referred to. The latest research looked at the way stories were covered on the BBC as well as on rival broadcasters. The study found that the BBC had got better at letting audiences know which stories applied only to England or to England and Wales. It said the BBC made clear a story only applied to certain locations in 78% of cases - which was "a big improvement in recent years and puts the BBC well ahead of other broadcasters". But the report added: "Issues remained with the accuracy of the way stories were delineated and signalled to audiences." The research also showed that overall since 2007 there had been an increase in the extent of BBC network news coverage of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. Stories from England are still more likely to dominate national bulletins, but the level of coverage from other areas was shown to be well above that of other broadcasters. In response, the BBC said it would continue to give high priority to reporting the news from across the UK. It also drew attention to recent initiatives such as the appointment of a Scotland editor and the introduction of a section of the News at Six dedicated to news from the nations. Richard Ayre, BBC Trustee and chair of the editorial standards committee said: "The Trust's monitoring of the BBC's network journalism during this time has shown some substantial improvements, but devolution rolls on apace - this year alone Parliament at Westminster has agreed to a further transfer of powers to Scotland and is debating greater powers for Wales - and this represents a growing challenge to UK-wide broadcasters. "Next year it will be essential for the new BBC board to continue our work and ensure that UK audiences receive BBC news services that best deliver information about, and understanding between, the four home nations." Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected].
The BBC's network coverage of news from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland has improved since 2008, a study published by the BBC Trust has found.
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1498 - Christopher Columbus visits the islands, naming Trinidad after the three peaks at its south-east corner and Tobago after a local type of tobacco pipe. 1597: Spanish rename original settlement "Puerto de Espana" 1958-62: Capital of West Indies Federation 1532 - Spain colonises Trinidad, appointing a governor to rule it. 1630s - The Dutch settle on Tobago and plant sugar-cane. 1781 - The French capture Tobago from the Spanish, transforming it into a sugar-producing colony. 1797 - A British naval expedition captures Trinidad from Spain. 1802 - Spain cedes Trinidad to Britain under the Treaty of Amiens. 1814 - France cedes Tobago to Britain. 1834 - Slavery abolished; indentured workers brought in from India to work on sugar plantations. 1889 - Trinidad and Tobago administratively combined as a single British colony. 1945 - Universal suffrage instituted. 1956 - Eric Williams, a moderate nationalist, founds the People's National Movement (PNM). 1958 - Trinidad and Tobago joins the British-sponsored West Indies Federation. 1959 - Britain gives Trinidad and Tobago internal self-government with Williams as prime minister. 1962 - Trinidad and Tobago leaves the West Indies Federation; becomes independent with Williams as prime minister. 1967 - Trinidad and Tobago joins the Organisation of American States. 1968 - Trinidad and Tobago and other English-speaking Caribbean states form the Caribbean Free Trade Area, which was replaced in 1973 by the Caribbean Common Market. 1970 - Government declares a state of emergency after violent protests by "Black Power" supporters who demand a solution to unemployment and an end to foreign influence over the economy. Hundreds of army soldiers mutiny in support, but their rebellion collapses within days. 1972 - State of emergency lifted. 1975 - Strikes by workers in the oil, sugar, transport and electricity sectors paralyse the economy. 1976 - Trinidad and Tobago becomes a republic with the former governor-general, Ellis Clarke, as president and Eric Williams as prime minister. 1980 - A rash of firebombings, arsons and political shootings afflict the country. 1981 - Agriculture Minister George Chambers becomes prime minister following Williams' death. 1986 - Tobago-based National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) headed by Arthur Robinson wins the general election. 1987 - Noor Hassanali becomes president. 1990 - More than 100 Islamist radicals blow up the police headquarters, seize the parliament building and hold Robinson and other officials hostage for several days in an abortive coup attempt. 1991 - Patrick Manning becomes prime minister after his PNM party wins general election. 1995 - Indian-based United National Congress (UNC) and NAR form coalition with Basdeo Panday as prime minister. 1999 - Capital punishment restored. 2000 - Basdeo Panday wins another term in general elections. 2001 December - General election yields an unprecedented tie, with the governing party and main opposition winning 18 seats each. 2002 April - Prime Minister Patrick Manning requests parliament be suspended amid continuing deadlock over tied elections. 2002 October - Third general election in three years ends months of political deadlock. Prime Minister Patrick Manning's ruling People's National Movement declares victory. 2003 March - President Maxwell Richards is sworn in after being elected by MPs in February. 2003 August - State-owned sugar company Caroni shuts down with the loss of more than 8,000 jobs. 2005 April - Regional leaders gather to inaugurate the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice, a final court of appeal intended to replace Britain's Privy Council. The court hears its first case in November. 2005 October - At least 10,000 people take part in a protest - named the Death March - against a soaring rate of violent crime. 2006 April - Former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday is sentenced to two years in prison for failing to declare an overseas bank account while he was in office. The conviction is quashed on appeal. 2007 January - Plans are announced to close the centuries-old sugar industry. Production had been hit by cuts in European subsidies. 2007 November - The governing People's National Movement is re-elected. 2007 December - Former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday is committed to stand trial over corruption charges relating to a construction project at Trinidad and Tobago's main airport. 2008 April - Mr Panday is ordered to face a retrial regarding false financial declarations made between 1997 and 1999. 2010 May - People's Partnership coalition wins snap elections. Kamla Persad-Bissessar becomes country's first female prime minister. 2011 August - State of emergency imposed, with an overnight curfew in six crime "hotspots", following a spike in violent crime.` 2011 November - Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says the security forces have uncovered a plot by "criminal elements" to assassinate her and several government ministers. 2013 March - Mr Justice Anthony Carmona is elected president. 2013 June - Chinese President Xi Jinping visits for talks on energy. 2015 June - Jack Warner, Trinidadian former deputy president of world football's governing body Fifa, alleges it interfered in the 2010 Trinidad general elections. The United States has accused him over the worldwide Fifa corruption scandal.
A chronology of key events:
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The fire broke out at about 23:00 BST on Sunday at JWS Waste in Frederick Road and was tackled by 40 firefighters from six fire stations. About 25 firefighters were still at the scene during the morning and fumes from the fire could be smelt more than three miles away. Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said the cause was not known. Firefighters are still damping down pockets of fire at a holding building, 195ft (60m) by 96ft (30m) in the plant, which deals with "general household waste". The fire crews found a large blaze and lots of smoke when they arrived, said Jon Aspinall, Group Manager for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service. Mr Aspinall said: "I would like to ask local residents to keep their windows and doors closed until further notice. "In addition to fighting the fire, we are also conducting an environmental plan to make sure that any water used is disposed of safely." Frederick Road, has reopened, after being closed both ways between Lissadel Street and Seaford Road to allow firefighters to take water from the River Irwell.
People in Salford have been warned to keep their windows closed after a large fire at a recycling plant.
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It's been quite a journey, in all senses, to the 29-year-old Scot's latest landmark achievement. Many highs, many lows, many many miles. These are six of my most memorable moments; four serious, two not so much. Andy Murray's first big win. And one of my first big tennis commentaries. I think it's the only one our "man of rugby" has done. Big John Beattie was my co-commentator that day on Centre Court, having talked our producers into taking the whole match live. It wasn't a Grand Slam title, but in many ways was just as good. In fact, Murray still refers to it as his favourite victory. A triumph made all the sweeter by the fact that London 2012 was a 'home' Olympics, the tennis tournament was played at Wimbledon and he defeated Novak Djokovic in the semis and Roger Federer in the final. Both in straight sets. It finally ended the argument over whether Murray had what it takes to win one of tennis's big honours. It came, you may remember, only weeks after another gut-wrenching Grand Slam final defeat on the same court, to the same opponent, in the Wimbledon final. Remember the tears afterwards (his, not mine) in the on-court, post-match interview: "I'm going to try this, but it's not going to be easy…."? They became tears of joy as he paraded around SW19's best manicured lawn with his shiny new gold medal. The Olympics play a key part in Murray's tennis evolution. It was after a first-round failure in Beijing in 2008 that he vowed to become more professional about every aspect of his game. Look where he is now. Coming full circle, could the Team GB flag-bearer truly lead by example and defend his title? Of course he could. What a final against a rejuvenated injury-free Juan Martin del Potro. The Argentine took bronze in London and made sure he was in for an upgrade, one way or another, by knocking out the world number one, Djokovic, in the first round. Murray's progress through the tournament was patchy, nearly faltering against Fabio Fognini and Steve Johnson along the way. Once in the final, though, there was no way he would relinquish his title. The battle was brutal. Four hours of inspired, courageous tennis across four sets, resulting in Murray becoming the first player in the history of tennis to successfully defend an Olympic singles title. For me, it was the stand-out gold medal of a stand-out Olympics for both Team GB and the Scottish athletes therein. Rower Heather Stanning and cyclist Katie Archibald also won terrific gold medals; the silvers for Marks Bennett and Robertson as part of the Rugby 7s team were perhaps a pleasant and unexpected surprise; the smile on Sally Conway's face as she took bronze in the judo lit up half of Rio. But to see the man who led the British team into those Olympics deliver another gold medal, in such a fabulous match against del Potro, was my highlight of a truly memorable Rio 2016. Seventy seven years had passed since the last British man had won Wimbledon. On the seventh day of the seventh month, in gloriously hot Wimbledon sunshine, could Murray finally banish the ghost of Fred Perry from the All England Club? A year earlier, he'd lost in the final to Roger Federer. Since which time, the Olympics and his maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open had been claimed, all under the watchful eye of new coach Ivan Lendl, a presence both inspiring and reassuring to a protoge approaching the peak of his powers. If you get a chance, go back and watch that Wimbledon final. It's a brilliant baseline battle between Murray and Djokovic in which both play some exquisite tennis. From memory, the very first point produced a long rally, setting the tone for all three sets. And then there were the multiple match-points. Could he get over the line? Surely his nemesis, Djokovic, wouldn't foil him again? I was doing ball-by-ball commentary with Murray's long-time friend and former Davis Cup doubles partner, Colin Fleming. I'm not sure who was the more nervous. When the winning point was played, Flembo was literally dumbstruck. Which makes for interesting radio, as you can imagine. Neither of us could truly believe what we were witnessing. Having fought off several match points, on the final one, a back-hand from Djokovic hits the net. Centre Court creates a noise we've never heard before. Murray lets his racquet drop to the ground. The boy from Dunblane is the Wimbledon champion. His good friend is choking back tears beside me and I'm on the microphone as history is made in front of my eyes. From Melbourne to Paris, from London to New York, Murray has competed in all the great tennis arenas around the world. But, when it comes to atmosphere, two very unlikely places stand out. The East End of Glasgow and Ghent. We're talking Davis Cup here, of course. I'm not sure I've ever heard a noisier venue than the Emirates Arena, which hosted two Davis Cup ties last year and helped create another piece of British sporting history. A super-human effort from James Ward against John Isner gave GB the chance to beat United States in the first round. Then the Aussies came calling in the semi-final, when Murray and brother Jamie famously defeated Lleyton Hewitt and Sam Groth in an epic five-set doubles rubber on the Saturday before Andy sealed the deal the next day. Which took us all to the picturesque medieval town of Ghent for a final, on clay, against Belgium. There was extra security as the hunt continued for the Paris terror-attack suspects, but the tennis went ahead. The Murray brothers won the doubles - again - before Britain's first Davis Cup since 1936 was duly delivered by its best player since that era. Thanks to the most gorgeous backhand topspin lob on match-point. I had a perfect view of it from the commentary box high behind Murray's baseline. The perfect arc. The perfect shot. Game, set, match Great Britain, with Murray flat on his back on the red dirt. On rushed his ecstatic teammates to mob him. I joked that Dunblane had just won the Davis Cup. Not a million miles from the truth, was it? There are some people who, annoyingly, are good at most things they turn their hand to. Murray is one of them. We don't need to mention tennis, in this context, clearly. But he's a good golfer and was also offered the chance of a trial with Rangers as a youngster, when football might have been a viable career. So it shouldn't have come as to much of a surprise to me that he'd be pretty handy with a microphone too. He and Jamie had just got through to the doubles semi-finals at the early-season indoor event in Rotterdam. To mix things up a bit for the post-match interview, I ventured to suggest the brothers might want to interview each other for a change. Andy couldn't get the mic out of my hand quick enough. 'Yeah, I'll do it," as he brushed me aside. Needless to say, he made it look remarkably easy. Seems he could do my job no problem. If only the reverse were true too. Confessions of a sports reporter. I was Murray's "socks mule". It's one of the more unusual memories from my early days on the tour. Sports men and women are very particular about what they put on their feet, naturally. So much so that, when Murray realised he'd forgotten to pack the exact type of socks he likes to wear, there was an emergency call to mum Judy. Who made an emergency call to me, as I hadn't left for Dubai yet. And so it came to pass that I carried a brown envelope into the world famous Burj Al Arab Hotel (the big one that looks like the sail of a boat). I delivered it personally to Mr Murray in his swanky suite, which he was sharing at the time with his then coach, Miles MacLagan. Sadly, these weren't lucky socks. Murray had arrived in the UAE with a dodgy ankle, having hurt it the tournament before. He lasted two matches before giving Richard Gasquet a walkover win in the quarter-finals.
I started following Andy Murray, the new world number one, around the world tennis tour back in 2009, which was the year he first reached number two in the rankings.
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Number eight Heaslip has had a back procedure, while full-back Kearney has had an operation on a knee injury. Neither player was able to take part in the final match of the Six Nations against England on Saturday and face several weeks out of action. Their club Leinster said it was hard to be specific about timelines. "Jamie just had a procedure done on his back. He had disc issues. Obviously they come on quite quickly," head coach Leo Cullen said. "It rules him out of the next number of weeks. When we get a report we will find out how long that will be. It sounds like they are reasonably standard procedures. "Rob had an issue with his knee. It happened early during training in the week of the England game. "He had a procedure done during the week after seeing a specialist on Tuesday. That's probably four to six weeks. We'll see how he comes through that." Both players have been involved in the past two Lions tours but face contrasting prospects of travelling to New Zealand this summer. Back row Heaslip could be squeezed out of contention by Billy Vunipola and Toby Faletau, but Kearney looks to have a good chance of being picked as one of the full-backs when the squad is named on 19 April.
Ireland's Jamie Heaslip and Rob Kearney have had their hopes of British and Irish Lions selection placed in doubt after having minor surgery.
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Justine Greening told MPs expanding grammar schools would help families who could not afford to buy houses in the catchment areas of good schools. Ms Greening said the proposals would create a "truly meritocratic" system. But Labour's Angela Rayner said: "Stop your silly class war." The plans for expanding selection in schools, announced by the prime minister last week, have been presented to Parliament. Ms Greening said it would increase the number of good school places and make sure there is a school system that "works for everyone, not just the privileged few". Labour's shadow education secretary Ms Rayner said the new mantra of the Conservative party should be "segregation, segregation, segregation". And she asked the education secretary to explain who would decide which non-selective schools should be able to convert to become selective. Ms Greening said: "We want to look again at selective schools and how they can open up excellent places to more children - particularly the most disadvantaged. "We will therefore look at how we can relax the rules on expanding selective schools, allow new ones to open and non-selective schools to become selective where there is a demand." The plans were challenged by former education secretary Nicky Morgan who asked how creating more grammar schools would help pupils who were already underachieving or in schools that were underperforming. Mrs Morgan's own flagship education policy - forcing all schools to become academies - was sunk this year by a backbench rebellion by Conservative MPs. But another former education secretary, Michael Gove, gave his backing to the plans. Another former Conservative education secretary, Ken Clarke, cautioned on the impact on those pupils who did not get into a grammar school and urged that it should not "distract from raising standards". Former shadow education secretary Lucy Powell said the school system should be based on examples, such as London, which had many successful schools without selection. Conservative backbencher Keith Simpson said he was uncertain about putting an emphasis on grammars, rather than focusing on the achievement of mainstream schools. But Conservative Edward Leigh backed the government plans, saying it was "perverse" not to allow good grammars to be able to take more pupils. And he supported the removal of the cap on faith group places in free schools - saying that it had been a mistake from the outset. If the government faces rebellions from its own MPs over grammars, there will be questions on whether the Scottish National Party would vote on this English issue. The party has kept its options open so far, saying: "We will closely examine any proposals brought to the House of Commons to identify any potential impact on Scotland's budget." But Lib Dem leader Tim Farron has written a warning to Conservative MPs saying that the proposals for grammars could be as damaging to them as tuition fees were to his own party. He said more admissions tests would not be popular with voters, who could find their children without places in a school which had become selective. Kevin Courtney, leader of the National Union of Teachers, said: "This is a backward-looking policy. Promoting grammar schools as the elite academic option instantly casts all other schools into the role of supporting actor." Head teachers' leader Russell Hobby said the "rhetoric does not match the reality" with grammars and "social mobility will be reduced, opportunities will be narrowed and life chances will be limited for the majority of pupils in this country".  A report published by the Institute for Fiscal Studies concludes that grammars can "stretch the brightest pupils, but seem likely to come at the cost of increasing inequality". The think-tank study argues that grammars do well for those who get places, but those who do not get in are likely to do "worse than they would have done in a comprehensive system". The education proposals include:
A new generation of grammar schools in England will widen access to good school places, said the education secretary - but Labour said they would produce more "segregation".
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Media playback is not supported on this device Ex-Liverpool boss Benitez guided Chelsea to victory in the Europa League and they are virtually assured of a top-four finish in the Premier League. The Europa League win with Chelsea means Rafael Benitez has won 10 trophies as a manager: But the Spaniard has remained unpopular with a section of Blues fans since replacing Roberto Di Matteo. "We're better off in our league position as it stands and we have just won a trophy," said Cahill. "You have got to give him credit for what he has done," added the England international. Benitez led Chelsea to a 2-1 win against Benfica in the Europa League final at the Amsterdam Arena on Wednesday. Only a mathematical miracle will prevent the Blues qualifying for next season's Champions League and victory against Everton at Stamford Bridge on Sunday will clinch third place in the top flight. Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech agrees with Cahill that Benitez, who took over from Di Matteo in November until the end of the season, deserves praise. "Ever since he came, we said we had to improve," said Cech. "He wanted to try and win a trophy and we've done that." Benitez also guided the Blues to the Club World Cup final - which they lost to South American champions Corinthians - and the semi-finals of both the FA Cup and League Cup since arriving at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea's Spanish duo Juan Mata and Fernando Torres are the first players to hold Champions League, Europa League, World Cup and European Championships titles at the same time. The 53-year-old, who admits he wants to manage another English club next season, said he was proud of his side's achievements. "We tried to finish in the top three and got to two finals, winning one of them, and two semi-finals," he said. "To be here with a shorter squad, young players, a transitional period and with all the problems we have had, it's good. "If people analyse the circumstances they will realise it is not an easy job and still we are lifting a trophy." After taking a second-half lead through Fernando Torres, Chelsea were pegged back by Oscar Cardozo's penalty for Benfica before Branislav Ivanovic headed an injury-time winner. Chelsea were forced to absorb a lot of pressure, particularly in the first half when the Portuguese side were on top, but could not convert possession and chances into goals. "It was very tough," Benitez admitted. "We knew Benfica were a good team, with their pushing and pressing. "After half-time the reaction of the team was pretty good and that was the difference." Benitez will take charge of Chelsea for the final time when they face Everton on Sunday in the 69th match of their season. Benitez, who won the Uefa Cup with Valencia in 2004 and the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005, hopes that fans who have struggled to accept him will recognise his side's achievements. "Everyone has their own opinions but I have received a lot of messages from Chelsea fans who see we are working hard and doing a good job," he said. "They say we have to carry on and not listen to the other people, so that's the main thing for me - concentrating on my job. "If some people are happy then fine. For some people who are not as happy then that's up to them." Media playback is not supported on this device
Chelsea interim manager Rafael Benitez deserves credit for his work at the club, says Blues defender Gary Cahill.
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The probe is investigating what went wrong with the £776m project which went massively over-budget and was completed five years later than planned. It was established in June 2014 by Alex Salmond, then first minister, who said it would be "swift and thorough". A spokesman for the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry said it was making "good progress". However they were unable to say when Lord Hardie, who is leading the inquiry, was due to report its findings. The spokesman said: "The Scottish ministers have been clear from the start that the inquiry should be timely and cost effective. "Lord Hardie's priority is to conduct a thorough investigation into the Edinburgh tram project and produce a report and recommendations that ensure lessons are learned for future major infrastructure projects." The details of the costs of the inquiry were published by Transport Scotland in response to a freedom of information request. It revealed that £1.822m has been spent on staffing costs, while legal fees have cost £716,000. And the costs are likely to increase further as the Scottish government has allocated it a total of £2.5m for 2016-17. The development has led to calls for the inquiry to be brought to a swift conclusion. Miles Briggs, a Conservative MSP for the Lothians, said: "Edinburgh taxpayers are quite rightly angry that the Edinburgh Trams inquiry has gone on for so long and at such a cost to the taxpayer. "It is essential that lessons are learnt from the inquiry and that the findings should be reported back as soon as possible so we can see what went wrong during the original project. "Too often public infrastructure contracts are allowed to overrun with Scottish taxpayers being exposed to the increases in costs." A total of 25 people are employed by the inquiry, which is currently reviewing more than six million documents. They are also taking statements from "witnesses of interest" before oral hearings begin. The inquiry will not determine why the project went ahead, nor will it decide if anybody was legally responsible or financially liable. It will examine why the project cost so much while delivering less than had initially been planned. The Scottish government has agreed to fund the costs of the trams inquiry until it is completed. A spokesman for the government said: "We have been clear from the outset that the inquiry should be efficient and cost effective, however, we know that major infrastructure projects do generate large quantities of documentation, and we understand the inquiry team has already gathered over six million documents. "Lord Hardie and his team is firmly committed to discerning the facts in a robust and thorough manner in order to ensure the final report is fair, balanced and offers clear recommendations for the planning and construction of future projects." The project was first mooted in 2003 when the Labour-led Scottish Executive proposed building a network of tram lines at a cost of £375m by 2009. When the SNP minority government was elected in 2007, they planned to scrap the project. But that decision was overturned when the other parties in the Scottish Parliament voted in favour of pressing ahead. After that, the government said it would not provide additional funding beyond the £500m committed by MSPs. By the time the first trams started running on the 8.7mile (14km) route in May 2014, the total cost of the project had reached £776m.
The cost of the inquiry into the Edinburgh trams fiasco has exceeded £3.7m, BBC Scotland has learned.
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Police were called to reports of a serious assault at around 02:20 GMT on Saturday at the event at Sandford Holiday Park, near Wareham, in Dorset. The victim, named locally as 36-year-old Dave "Chewie" Coxon, from the Cyder Commando Scooter Club, was found dead. Jason James, of Torquay, Devon, has been charged with manslaughter. He will appear at Bournemouth Magistrates' Court on Monday. The victim has not yet been formally identified, but his next-of-kin have been informed, according to Dorset police. Shaun O'Connor, of the South Devon Showmen Club, said: "He was a very good friend." Dave Robson posted on Facebook: "Sympathy RIP Dave." Detective Inspector Mark Samuel said: "Following a fast-moving and thorough investigation, we have consulted with the Crown Prosecution Service who authorised the charge of manslaughter. "Family liaison officers have updated the victim's family with this development and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time. "Detectives continue to work on this investigation and I would appeal to any witnesses at Sandford Holiday Park, who are yet to speak with police, to contact us urgently." The park had been hosting a 40th anniversary rally of the Modrapheniacs Scooter Club.
A 41-year-old man has been charged with manslaughter over the death of a man who was allegedly assaulted during a scooter rally at a holiday park.
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Eighty people were reported killed after gunmen burst into the Bataclan concert hall and took hostages before security forces stormed the hall. People were shot dead at restaurants and bars at five other sites in Paris. At least 180 people were injured. These are the deadliest attacks in Europe since the 2004 Madrid bombings. French President Francois Hollande, visibly shaken, called Friday night's almost simultaneous attacks "a horror" and vowed to wage a "merciless" fight against terrorism. Paris saw three days of attacks in early January, when Islamist gunmen murdered 18 people after attacking satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, a Jewish supermarket and a policewoman on patrol. Live: Follow the latest developments here In pictures: Paris shootings Eyewitness accounts from the scene The attack on the 1,500-seat Bataclan hall was by far the deadliest of Friday night's attacks. Gunmen opened fire on concert-goers watching US rock group Eagles of Death Metal. The event had been sold out. "At first we thought it was part of the show but we quickly understood," Pierre Janaszak, a radio presenter, told Agence France Presse. "They didn't stop firing. There was blood everywhere, corpses everywhere. We heard screaming. Everyone was trying to flee." He said the gunmen took 20 hostages, and he heard one of them tell their captives: "It's the fault of Hollande, it's the fault of your president, he should not have intervened in Syria". Within an hour, security forces had stormed the concert hall and all four attackers there were dead. Three had blown themselves up and a fourth was shot dead by police. La Belle Equipe, 92 rue de Charonne, 11th district - at least 19 dead in gun attacks Le Carillon bar and Le Petit Cambodge restaurant at rue Alibert, 10th district - at least 12 dead in gun attacks La Casa Nostra restaurant, 92 rue de la Fontaine au Roi, 11th district - at least 5 dead in gun attacks Stade de France, St Denis, just north of Paris - explosions heard outside venue, three attackers dead Bataclan concert venue, 50 boulevard Voltaire, 11th district - stormed by several gunmen, at least 80 dead What we know #Paris: Power, horror, and lies Meanwhile, not far from the Place de la Republique and the Place de la Bastille, three busy restaurants and a bar were targeted by gunmen armed with Kalashnikovs. Around 40 people were killed as customers were singled out at venues including a pizza restaurant and a Cambodian restaurant, Le Petit Cambodge. "We heard the sound of guns, 30-second bursts. It was endless. We thought it was fireworks," Pierre Montfort, a resident living close to Le Petit Cambodge said. The other target was the Stade de France, on the northern fringe of Paris, where President Hollande and 80,000 other spectators were watching a friendly international between France and Germany, with a TV audience of millions more. The president was whisked to safety after the first of at least two explosions just outside the venue to convene an emergency cabinet meeting. Three attackers were reportedly killed there. As the extent of the bloodshed became clear, Mr Hollande went on national TV to announce a state of emergency for the first time in France since 2005. The decree enables the authorities to close public places and impose curfews and restrictions on the movement of traffic and people. Paris residents have been asked to stay indoors and about 1,500 military personnel are being deployed across the city. All schools, museums, libraries, gyms, swimming pools and markets will be shut on Saturday as well as Disneyland Paris. All sporting fixtures in the affected area of Paris have also been cancelled, AFP reports. Police believe all of the gunmen are dead - seven killed themselves with explosives vests and one was shot dead by the security forces - but it is unclear if any accomplices are still on the run. US President Barack Obama spoke of "an outrageous attempt to terrorise innocent civilians". UK PM David Cameron said he was shocked and pledged to do "whatever we can to help". The Vatican called it "an attack on peace for all humanity" and said "a decisive, supportive response" was needed "on the part of all of us as we counter the spread of homicidal hatred in all its forms". Analysis: BBC's Europe correspondent Damian Grammaticas It's just 10 months since Paris was the scene of multiple terrorist attacks, first the massacre of staff at the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and then a hostage-taking at a Jewish supermarket. What happened in Paris on Friday night is exactly what Europe's security services have long feared, and tried to foil. Simultaneous, rolling attacks, with automatic weapons and suicide bombers in the heart of a major European city, targeting multiple, crowded public locations. The tactics have been used before, in Mumbai and elsewhere. But how they've come to Europe is one of many questions that will have to be answered. Were the attackers French citizens? If so, how they were radicalised, armed and organised - was it in France, in Syria, and by whom? Why weren't they detected? Is France, after two major attacks this year, uniquely vulnerable or does the carnage in Paris mean all of Europe faces new threats to our public places and events? And if a Syrian link is proven, will France recoil from that conflict or will it redouble its commitment to the fight against radical groups there?
France has declared a national state of emergency and tightened borders after at least 128 people were killed in a night of gun and bomb attacks in Paris.
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Media playback is unsupported on your device 20 May 2015 Last updated at 19:05 BST Martin Galbraith, 18, had just been escorted off the A13 at Grays for speeding when he drove his BMW into officer Paul Hills. Police said Mr Hills was pushed 35 yards (32m) into the roundabout before he crashed. Officers believe Galbraith then tried to run the officer over, but was blocked by another car. Galbraith, of Boscombe Avenue, Grays, was eventually caught and jailed for six years for admitting attempted grievous bodily harm with intent, aggravated vehicle taking, driving without insurance and having no driving licence.
A police motorcyclist is "lucky to be alive" after being rammed into a roundabout and almost run over, Essex police said.
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His suspicious death on 6 June, just days after he vowed to press ahead the fight for universal suffrage, has caused an uproar in Hong Kong, where public opinion has forced the Chinese government to promise to re-open a criminal investigation into his final moments. Mr Li's death at a hospital in the central province of Hunan was initially ruled a suicide, before it was re-classified as an accident. He was reportedly found hanging from the hospital window with a strip of cloth around his neck. But the public, as well as Mr Li's friends and supporters in China, believes the disabled activist, who was in his 60s, may have been murdered because of his politics. His death has special resonance in Hong Kong, where the 1989 Tiananmen Square killings highlighted the former British colony's fears about Chinese rule, and because one of his last interviews was with a Cantonese-language cable television station. "Each ordinary man has a responsibility for democracy, for the well-being of the nation. For China to enter a democratic society sooner, for China to realise a multi-party political system sooner, I will not look back even if I have to risk my head," he was quoted as telling Hong Kong's iCable. Mr Li's supporters doubt whether a fair, objective assessment will be made. That is why volunteers gathered in Hong Kong on Sunday to urge passers-by in the busy commercial district of Mongkok to sign a petition demanding a proper, transparent investigation. A steady stream of people stopped to sign the petition, which has garnered 50,000 signatures. The youngest signatory was five-year-old Christopher, who scribbled his name alongside his mother Coris Leung. "We are from Hong Kong, but we are also Chinese. I want him to understand our culture, our history and what really happened to this man," she said. Don Mak, who describes himself as largely apolitical, said he felt angered and frustrated by Mr Li's death. "One of the fundamental rights of a human being is the right to live and the right to free speech. He was deprived of both," said the 22-year-old university graduate. Volunteers plan to gather 100,000 signatures before presenting the petition to Chinese President Hu Jintao, who is expected to visit Hong Kong at the end of June to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the city's return to China - again highlighting the case's potential sensitivities. Hong Kong is a city split between two political camps: the pan-democrats who are generally critical of the authoritarian rule of the Communist Party in Beijing, and the pro-establishment lawmakers who generally support the central government. But in the Li Wangyang case, the two sides have largely come together to demand accountability. Lee Cheuk-yan, chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China and head of the pan-democratic Labour Party, believes anger from all strata of Hong Kong society has put pressure on the pro-establishment lawmakers. In September, the members of Hong Kong's parliament, called the Legislative Council, will face re-election. All eligible voters are allowed to participate. On 10 June, Mr Lee led 25,000 people on a protest march that culminated in a gathering at Beijing's Liaison Office in western Hong Kong. He said it was the biggest-ever protest at the central government's representative office. Police, who fired tear gas to keep the protesters at bay, said 5,000 people attended the march. "We protested over the jailing of Ai Weiwei and Chen Guangcheng," said Mr Lee, referring to two of China's best-known dissidents. "But this case is different. This time somebody died. Li Wangyang is obviously a victim of Tiananmen. He was maimed, blinded and made deaf during his imprisonment. His death is a very clear case of the high-handed, tyrannical way the government dealt with a citizen. We are demanding justice." Rita Fan, Hong Kong's delegate to the elite Standing Committee in China's parliament, has written to the National People's Congress to express the people's doubts. And over the past week, senior civil servants in the Hong Kong government, from Food and Health Secretary York Chow to Chief Executive Donald Tsang, have made rare public statements saying Mr Li's death was indeed suspicious. Civil servants are meant to be above the political fray, so their comments demonstrate the amount of official support for a thorough investigation. A report last week from the Beijing-backed Hong Kong China News Agency quoted a public security official in Hunan province as saying forensic experts from outside the province had been commissioned to carry out an autopsy. Experienced criminal investigators were also now involved, the spokesman said. But Mr Lee, the pan-democrat lawmaker, said there was widespread doubt on the mainland and in Hong Kong whether the investigation would be effective. Most of the evidence seems to be gone. Mr Li's body was taken away by police just hours after it was found, according to his family and friends. The body was reportedly cremated a few days later on 9 June, against the wishes of the family. It is unclear how, without the body, a new autopsy can be conducted. But even with little evidence left, Mr Li's supporters in Hong Kong demand an investigation. They fear democratic rights in their own city may someday be curtailed if they do not make a stand now. Even though this city is part of China, it is guaranteed the right to free speech and free assembly, both of which are unknown on the mainland. "In Hong Kong, we have a saying, 'Today's mainland is tomorrow's Hong Kong'," said Claudia Mo, a politician for the pan-democratic Civic Party, who helped to gather signatures on Sunday. "Some people ask us, 'What's the point? He is already dead!' Well, we may or may not win this fight. But we are here to answer to history. We are here to answer to the next generation."
Blind and deaf after two decades of imprisonment as a Tiananmen Square activist, Li Wangyang was a defiant symbol of the unrealised promises of democracy in China.
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MPs were told it was "not easy" to balance noise disruption with the economic impact of a reduction. The Airports Commission has recommended a third runway but also a ban on flights between 23:30 and 06:00. One committee member, Conservative mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith, criticised the "absence of clarity". Giving evidence to the Environmental Audit Committee, Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye said the west London airport could comfortably expand to include a third runway and still stay within environmental targets. He also added that road traffic would not increase. He said night flights were "something that we are looking at and we will make a comment on in due course". There are "huge benefits" for local communities in stopping arrivals scheduled between 04:30 and 06:00, he said, but there was also "a big cost" to the UK economy as they involve "valuable trading routes to the Far East, Singapore and Hong Kong". He added: "It's not easy to resolve that. We are working on it. I'm confident that we will be able to find a way through that and that there's a real opportunity to significantly reduce night flying at Heathrow with expansion." Heathrow's director of environment and sustainability, Matt Gorman, added: "We can reduce night flying at Heathrow. "This is a significant change. We're not saying exactly what yet but it is a clear commitment." Mr Goldsmith, the Richmond Park MP who has campaigned against a third runway, asked Mr Holland-Kaye if he expected the government to make a decision on expansion "in the absence of clarity from you on that very core condition" of night flights. Mr Holland-Kaye said this was a question for the government, which has yet to announce its final decision. Also giving evidence was Sir Howard Davies, who led the Airports Commission. He said he did not want to "add or take away" anything from his report, adding that a fourth runway, which campaigners fear could follow if permission is granted for a third, would not be manageable "in air traffic terms" as the skies would become too congested. Mayor of London Boris Johnson claimed the session showed Heathrow was "willing to undermine the Airports Commission in pursuit of its own ends".
Heathrow bosses have given MPs a "clear commitment" to reduce night flights if a third runway is built, but would not say "exactly what" would be done.
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The Turkish foreign minister said it had summoned the US ambassador, John Bass, and asked for an investigation. During the key visit, a brawl erupted between protesters and Turkish security personnel, injuring 11 people. Police called it a "brutal attack" on protesters, but Turkey blamed the violence on pro-Kurdish demonstrators. Meanwhile, US State Department spokesman Heather Nauert said "the conduct of Turkish security personnel... was deeply disturbing". "The State Department has raised its concerns about those events at the highest levels," she added. The incident happened on Tuesday outside the Turkish ambassador's residence in Washington, hours after Mr Erdogan met US President Donald Trump. Video footage of the clash showed men in suits charging past police to kick and punch protesters. "A written and verbal protest was delivered due to the aggressive and unprofessional actions taken, contrary to diplomatic rules and practices, by US security personnel," the Turkish foreign minister said in a statement. The "lapses of security", it added, "were caused by the inability of US authorities to take sufficient precautions at every stage of the official programme". US officials have already summoned the Turkish ambassador over the violence, which was described by Washington police as a "brutal attack on peaceful protesters". But the Turkish embassy said the demonstrators were linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), and had aggressively provoked Turkish-Americans gathering to greet the president. They in turn had acted in self-defence. The incident drew an outcry among US lawmakers, and Senator John McCain called for the Turkish envoy to be expelled.
Turkey has blamed US officials for "aggressive and unprofessional actions" and "security lapses" during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit last week.
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A spokesman for one faction told the BBC that the jihadists had been forced to retreat from some positions. Residents earlier told the Reuters news agency IS had largely withdrawn to the neighbouring area of Hajar al-Aswad. IS overran much of Yarmouk, where 18,000 people have been besieged by the Syrian army for two years, on 1 April. The United Nations is extremely concerned about the safety of the Palestinians and Syrian civilians trapped inside, which it has described as "the deepest circle of hell". On Wednesday morning, several Yarmouk residents told Reuters that hundreds of IS militants had returned to their stronghold in Hajar al-Aswad, from where they launched their assault on the camp two weeks ago. However, a spokesman for the Popular Front for Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC), which supports the Syrian government, denied the reports of a withdrawal. Anwar Raja told the BBC that while Palestinian factions were advancing and had regained control of some areas inside the camp, fighting was continuing. Sami Hamzawi, a Palestinian activist from Yarmouk who currently lives outside Syria, also told the Associated Press that Aknaf Beit al-Maqdis, the Palestinian faction that has led the defence of the camp, was advancing from areas it holds in the north. The Palestine Liberation Organisation's envoy to Damascus told Reuters that the withdrawal of IS would leave al-Nusra Front, al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, as the biggest force in Yarmouk. "They and Nusra are one. They are changing positions," Anwar Abdul Hadi said. Al-Nusra was not believed to have been involved in the recent fighting inside Yarmouk, but was accused by rivals of facilitating the IS assault on the camp. Although the rival jihadist groups have fought bloody battles elsewhere in Syria since early 2014, they share a loathing for Aknaf Beit al-Maqdis, according to Reuters. Last Thursday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed alarm at the plight of Yarmouk's residents, among them some 3,500 children, who have suffered chronic food shortages and limited medical care because of the Syrian government siege to force rebels sheltering there to surrender. "A refugee camp is beginning to resemble a death camp," he told reporters.
Palestinian fighters have advanced in clashes with Islamic State (IS) militants in the Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus, Palestinian officials say.
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The authority has to implement more than 170 language standards imposed by Welsh Language Commissioner, Meri Huws. But it appealed against three concerning meetings between members of the public and council officials that would not allow for the use of a simultaneous Welsh translator. They have been granted by Ms Huws. The regulations, which came into force in March, include requiring public bodies to make it clear they welcome correspondence with the public in Welsh and giving the language priority on bilingual signs. Organisations involved include the Welsh Government, local councils and the three national parks. Welsh language campaign group Cymdeithas yr Iaith strongly criticised Carmarthenshire council's decision to appeal. It told BBC Wales' Newyddion 9 programme the decision "sends the wrong message" and instead of providing leadership, it "gives the impression that Carmarthenshire council is trying to avoid its responsibilities". But the council said it was committed to developing the Welsh language as the main administrative language of the authority.
Carmarthenshire council has won an appeal against three Welsh language standards and will not have to implement them.
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His ministerial return, as secretary of state for the environment, food and rural affairs, has prompted a wave of claims that Mr Gove tried to remove the teaching of climate change when he was in charge of the education department. "This is a man who tried to stop young people in our schools learning about climate change, who tried to take it out of the geography curriculum," said Caroline Lucas, co-leader of the Green Party. On social media, these claims about climate change have been linked with pictures of Mr Gove's visit to the newly elected President Trump, as though their awkward thumbs up were evidence of some kind of global compact. But is there any substance to the claims? Anyone taking geography GCSEs or A-levels this summer will wonder what the row is about, because pupils will have been grilled - probably the wrong word - about climate change and global warming. And there are plenty of references to climate change in the national curriculum for younger years. But the row about "climate change denial" goes back to a controversial rewriting of the geography curriculum when Mr Gove was education secretary. In a draft version, climate change was conspicuous by its absence, prompting a wave of petitions and lobbying demands for its re-inclusion. And when the final version was produced, climate change had been reinstated. But instead of ending the argument, there was still a lingering fog of claims about political attempts to stifle the subject. And the Department for Education had to publish a statement denying that climate change had been removed. But what really happened? People who were close to Mr Gove during this time say that the climate change allegations have taken on a life of their own, a Westminster version of an urban myth, without any foundation. They say it's a complete misreading of what happened - and that rather than downplaying the teaching of climate change, it was to be bolstered by moving it to science. And in the end, after a consultation, Mr Gove took the decision to keep teaching it as part of geography. Another source said that climate change ended up being taught in geography and in science, so it hadn't been cut - so it was a meaningless row. But there are also different versions of events. Another very senior figure, close to the curriculum reforms, said that shifting climate change into science might have been the "formal" argument. But they suggest that there was also an "instinctive" distrust of the topic, with lessons about climate change seen as having an underlying, politically driven agenda. This became a political "tussle", it's claimed. Another person involved in the rewriting of the geography curriculum remembers ministerial interventions and political horse-trading. They describe attempts not to "stress the human causes" of climate change as an attempt to placate the "right wing of the Conservative party". This was the era of the coalition government - and it is claimed that the row was resolved behind the scenes after the intervention of the Department for Energy and Climate Change. It was also suggested that "Nick Clegg was deployed" - as the deputy prime minister was sometimes involved with such departmental disagreements. Although Mr Gove might have become the lightning rod in this row, it's worth noting that much of the controversial coverage about cutting climate change from geography was not about Mr Gove at all. Tim Oates, who chaired the panel reviewing the national curriculum, argued it should be about core scientific knowledge, rather than issues, such as climate change, that might stem from that. Such topics should be left to teachers to decide to teach rather than be prescribed, he said. This had prompted reports that climate change "propaganda" was going to be dropped. In a statement on Monday, Mr Oates said there had been "a lot of knee-jerk reaction and misunderstanding in media reports at the time". "The debate the national curriculum panel had was not over whether children should understand climate science - I believe that they should. "The debate was about what fundamental concepts they needed to learn at an early age in order to understand climate science." "I am not a 'climate change denier' and I never have been," said Mr Oates. There are other arguments underlying all this. Should ministers, political figures moving in and out of departments, really get involved in the detail of what pupils are taught? Or should this be the domain of subject specialists and education professionals? And the school climate has changed too. Academies do not have to follow the national curriculum - so for most secondary schools, such requirements no longer even apply. A spokesman for Mr Gove's new department, Defra, said: "The secretary of state wanted to enhance climate change in the national curriculum when he was education secretary. It was never his intention to remove it."
Did Michael Gove really try to stop schools in England from teaching about climate change in geography?
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Barrow took a fortuitous early lead as Torquay goalkeeper Brendan Moore's clearance hit team-mate Exodus Geohaghon, allowing Ben Tomlinson to volley home from close range. Courtney Richards levelled from 30 yards before Ben Gerring hit the bar with a header for Torquay. Nathan Blissett put the Gulls in front before Cook's close-range leveller.
Barrow's Andy Cook scored late on to ensure ex-Torquay boss Paul Cox's return to Plainmoor ended in a draw.
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The 22-year-old made 44 appearances for Falkirk last season, helping Peter Houston's men to the play-off final. His performances earned him a place in the PFA Scotland Championship team of the year. "You know what you get with Danny, a solid, hardworking goalkeeper and a great all-round character," Houston told the official Falkirk website. "The improvement in his game throughout last season was fantastic and I'm sure he will continue that development over the course of this season." Falkirk just missed out on promotion last season after losing 4-1 on aggregate to Kilmarnock in the Premiership play-off final. Rogers, who has been capped at under-21 level for the Republic of Ireland, said: "I'll never forget those play off matches last year and the atmosphere at them all was incredible. "That was my final memory of last year and I can't wait to make many more this season." He also told the Aberdeen website: "Obviously I would like to be the number one at Aberdeen, but at the moment it is just important that I continue to develop and I think the best place for me to do this at present is Falkirk. "I had a couple of different options on where I could head, however after enjoying a great season last time out it only made sense to return."
Aberdeen goalkeeper Danny Rogers will return to Scottish Championship side Falkirk on a season-long loan.
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A2Dominion said that a "small number" of the "severely damaged" properties in Gibbs Crescent, Osney, will be dismantled after an explosion. A three-storey block of flats fell down in the explosion on February, and others were damaged. Thames Valley Police said human remains found at the scene were thought to belong to resident Guido Schuette. Residents of the severely damaged flats are still in temporary accommodation. A2Dominion director Dawn Wightman said: "Our priority at the moment is to retrieve as many personal belonging as possible from these flats for the residents who will not be able to return. "Once we have completed this, we will finalise arrangements with our structural engineers for the damaged properties to be taken down safely. We are aiming to do this as soon as possible." The housing association has not said when the flats will be demolished, or where residents will be housed. An investigation into the cause of the explosion continues, and an inquest into the death of Mr Schuette will be held at Oxfordshire Coroner's Court. The 48-year-old was missing and believed dead before test results proved human remains found in the rubble of the explosion were his.
Flats damaged in an explosion in Oxford will be demolished, the housing association which owns them confirmed.
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Oxfordshire County Council made the decision on Monday to allow the vehicles to use the B4449 through Sutton. Roadwork delays of up to 40 minutes have caused about £22,500 of concrete to be wasted, contractor Hanson said. The route will now be used by up to 10 loaded mixing trucks daily. Residents campaigned to stop the lorries passing through the village, claiming their homes were being "shaken" by the large vehicles using the narrow road. The ready-mixed concrete company has also been criticised for using the route before permission had been given. The authority said the agreement would be in place until the completion of the roadworks on the Cutteslowe and Wolvercote roundabouts, expected in November 2016. County councillor for Eynsham, Charles Matthews, said it would be "to the considerable inconvenience of the local residents". The shopping centre is scheduled to open in Autumn 2017.
Concrete mixer lorries delivering to the site of a new shopping centre in Oxford have been given permission to take a shortcut through a village.
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Henderson was skipper for Southgate's second game in charge, a 0-0 draw in Slovenia on Tuesday after a 2-0 win against Malta on Saturday. Southgate, 46, has the job initially for four games after he succeeded Sam Allardyce in September. "The manager has been brilliant. The players have got on really well with him this week," said Henderson, 26. "We need to put in the performances, not just for ourselves, but the fans and him and the coaching staff as well to make sure we keep working together for a long time." Southgate - who said after the Slovenia game that he has "inherited a mess" - gave the Reds midfielder the captain's armband after dropping Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney to the bench. Former Middlesbrough manager Southgate said: "It's been a remarkable experience. And I feel stronger and more confident for it, and I recognise the responsibility it brings." He now has a World Cup qualifier against Scotland at Wembley on 11 November and a friendly against Spain four days later to persuade the Football Association to give him the job full time. "He gives responsibility to players and he listens. It's been a good week," said Henderson. "It would have been better with two wins, but we've got to take the positives; beating Malta and getting a good point from this game." Media playback is not supported on this device Southgate stepped up from his role as England Under-21 boss to take temporary control of the senior team following Allardyce's departure. Allardyce, 61, left his post after just one game and 67 days following a Daily Telegraph investigation claiming he offered advice on how to "get around" rules on player transfers. That followed England's disastrous Euro 2016 campaign, which saw Roy Hodgson resign after an embarrassing last-16 defeat by minnows Iceland.
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson wants Gareth Southgate to secure the England manager's job for a long time.
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Relatives say the cousins were raped by men from a neighbouring village in Badaun district late on Tuesday. The girls, said to be 12 or 13, have been examined and medical reports are awaited. Five men have been detained. Badaun gained notoriety last year after two girls were found hanged - relatives alleged rape and murder but authorities concluded they took their own lives. The latest incident happened in Jareef Nagar, at least 50km (31 miles) away from Katra Sahadatgunj, where last May's incident took place. The father of one of the girls lodged a complaint with police saying that five men living in a neighbouring village had gang-raped the two girls at gunpoint. Senior police official Saumitra Yadav told BBC Hindi that the girls went missing when they had apparently gone out to relieve themselves as they had no toilet at home. Last May two cousins were found hanged from a tree in the village of Katra Sahadatgunj. At the time a local post-mortem examination confirmed multiple sexual assaults and death due to hanging. But in August, federal investigators said new forensic tests had concluded the girls had not been sexually assaulted. Three men who had been arrested were freed in September. Earlier this year the girls' families challenged the investigators' report in the district court, demanding further investigations in the case.
Police in India's Uttar Pradesh state are investigating the alleged kidnap and gang rape of two girls at gunpoint.
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Coutinho drove in a shot for the opener before Neymar, who might have conceded a penalty for handball earlier, slotted in to extend the hosts' lead. The visitors and star player Lionel Messi struggled to make an impact and Paulinho added Brazil's third. Argentina are now sixth in the 10-team South American qualifying group, with the top four automatically qualifying. The fifth-placed country in the group will go into a play-off with the Oceania group winners. Argentina have 16 points from 11 games, one point adrift of fourth-placed Ecuador but eight behind leaders Brazil, who have 24 points. "When they hit us hard, we struggled to recover," said Messi, who plays alongside Neymar at Barcelona. "We are more than aware that we have to change a lot. Of all the bad points, the good one is that we depend on ourselves but we can't be giving away any more points." All teams have seven games remaining, with the next round of matches on Tuesday when Brazil visit Peru while Argentina host Colombia. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.
Neymar and Philippe Coutinho each scored as Brazil beat Argentina 3-0 in their 2018 World Cup qualifier.
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A bright and colourful ceremony at Rio's Maracana stadium, celebrating Brazil's history and natural beauty, kicked off the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. It's the first time the Games has been held in South America. The Olympic torch was lit by former marathon runner Vanderlei de Lima, and tennis champion Andy Murray led the Great Britain team into the arena. The audience inside the Maracana were treated to an amazing display of light, colour, dancing and a few hundred fireworks! Huge projections lit the floor showing different images to tell the story of Brazil, from ancient history to modern day, as performers jumped and danced. Millions of people around the world watched the ceremony.
The 2016 Olympics has officially begun!
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Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, better known as "Ahok", is accused of insulting Islam during election campaigning. On Wednesday, Indonesian prosecutors confirmed his case could go to trial. Mr Purnama is Christian and ethnic Chinese - a double-minority in Muslim-majority Indonesia, where ethnic Chinese are about 1% of the population. In a surprise move, President Joko Widodo, a political ally of Mr Purnama, appeared at the gathering and listened to a sermon delivered by one of his own fierce critics, radical Islamic Defender Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab. Ahead of the rally, police announced that they had detained eight people for suspected treason. The group includes the sister of former president Megawati Sukarnoputri and musician Ahmad Dhani. Mr Widodo has blamed "political actors" of trying to take advantage of the furore over Mr Purnama to destabilise his government. The BBC's Ging Ginanjar, at the rally, says organisers told police it would just be a public sermon and mass prayer, but many attendees are carrying banners condemning Jakarta's governor and calling for him to be jailed. A large protest against the governor on 4 November turned violent, leaving one man dead and dozens of police and demonstrators injured. In a campaign speech in September, Mr Purnama said Islamic groups who were using a Koranic verse to discourage support for him were deceiving voters. The verse is interpreted by some as prohibiting Muslims from living under the leadership of a non-Muslim. Islamic groups said he had criticised the Koran and lodged complaints with the police. Mr Purnama later apologised but denied committing blasphemy, which carries a maximum five year jail sentence. He has promised to continue campaigning for the governorship, a role he inherited when his predecessor Joko Widodo became president in 2014. The election is to be held in February. Police have said they will not arrest the governor, but he is barred from leaving the country while the case continues. While polls suggest the straight-talking governor's popularity has been hurt by the allegations, he is popular for his stances against corruption and in favour of public transport and greater access to healthcare and education.
At least 200,000 conservative Muslims have gathered for Friday prayers and to protest against Jakarta's governor, at a rally in the Indonesian capital.
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The wrongful-death suit seeks a minimum of $75,000 (£50,000) compensation. The shooting of the unarmed 18-year-old by white police officer Darren Wilson in Missouri became a national cause and sparked protests, some violent. The shooting was reviewed by a grand jury, which decided in November not to charge Mr Wilson. However, the family say they have new forensic evidence that raises questions about the police version of events. Civil cases generally require a lower standard of proof than criminal cases. If the lawsuit does come to trial it could force Darren Wilson to testify in court. "The narrative of the law enforcement all across the country for shooting unarmed people of colour is the same: That they had no other choice," attorney Benjamin Crump said. "But time and time again, the objective evidence contradicts the standard police narrative." 93% of people arrested are African Americans, whereas only: 67% of Ferguson population is black 96% of people arrested for outstanding municipal warrants are African American 95% of "Manner of walking in roadway" charges were against black people 90% of documented force was against African Americans 30% of searches of white suspects resulted in a contraband finding - compared with 24% of black suspects Along with seeking punitive damages from the City of Ferguson, the suit also calls for a court order prohibiting the use of police techniques "that demean, disregard, or under-serve its African-American population". A St Louis County grand jury and the US Justice Department had declined to prosecute Mr Wilson, who resigned in November. He had argued that he was acting in self-defence. A scathing federal report by the US Department of Justice following the protests alleged widespread racial bias in the Ferguson justice system. The report led to several high profile resignations, including the chief of police. This is not the only current civil case involving the police killing of an unarmed black man. In New York, the family of Eric Garner is seeking $75m in damages. Mr Garner's death sparked protests after a video was posted appearing to show a plain clothes officer choking him during an arrest.
The parents of Michael Brown, whose shooting by police in the US city Ferguson sparked riots in August 2014, are suing the authorities.
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The corpse was discovered in a BMW outside West Bromwich police station on Thursday morning. Formal identification and a post-mortem examination of the dead man will take place in due course, West Midlands Police said. Sukhwinder Singh, 40, of MacDonalds Close, Tividale is due to appear before Walsall Magistrates' Court on Saturday.
A man has been charged with murder after driving to a police station with a man's body in a car.
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Prof Michael Scott announced in November he was leaving some time in 2015. His departure had been agreed for the end of March but he has left his post. The vice chancellor has been granted a leave of absence from 1 January. Deputy vice chancellor Peter Excell will give "academic leadership" until an interim vice chancellor is appointed. Sir Jon Shortridge and Derek Griffin, chair and vice chair of the board, will manage the administration of the university. In a statement to colleagues, Mr Scott said: "The chairman and board of governors have kindly granted me leave of absence to pursue my research and other academic activities from 1 January 2015, although I will be on hand should there be issues which they feel need my involvement. "I understand interim measures are being put in place to allow this to happen."
The boss of Wrexham's Glyndwr University has quit his post.
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It is a year since Ken Cresswell, 57, John Shaw, 61, Michael Collings, 53, and Christopher Huxtable, 34, were killed when the boiler house came down. Relatives are due to visit the site where a memorial will be held later. RWE Npower planned to have it cleared by the end of 2017, but an expert said the collapse had delayed it until 2019. A minute's silence will be held at the site at 14:00 GMT. Mark Coleman, chairman of Coleman & Company, which employed the four victims, said: "Today is the saddest of days. It is exactly one year since the tragic events at Didcot claimed the lives of Chris, John, Kenny and Mick." Speaking on behalf of the families, lawyers Irwin Mitchell said: "The families want to know why this terrible event occurred and we will support them in getting the answers they deserve." Thames Valley Police said the investigation, which the HSE are also involved in, is continuing on-site. Det Ch Insp Craig Kirby said: "To date more than 1,300 statements have been taken, over 2,600 physical and documentary exhibits have been collected, along with 60,000 still images and video footage." RWE NPower has not announced a new demolition contractor and said there was currently no timescale for work being completed. An Npower spokeswoman said "due diligence" and consultations with various agencies would have to be completed again once a new firm was appointed. Mark Anthony, editor of Demolition News magazine, said at the moment the site was "in limbo". Debris from part of the building brought down in a controlled explosion in July still remains, and the three cooling towers and a chimney also need to be demolished. The four deceased demolition workers were employed by Coleman and Company, which withdrew from its contract in September. The coal-fired facility was closed in March 2013 after 43 years of service, and a major incident was declared on 23 February. The last of the bodies was not discovered until September and the cause of the collapse is being investigated jointly by police and the Health and Safety Executive. Mr Cresswell and Mr Shaw, both from Rotherham; Mr Collings, from Teesside; and Mr Huxtable, from Swansea; will be remembered at the site with the laying of flowers and a period of silence. Mr Anthony said it was "too early to know what went wrong" and any prosecution resulting from the collapse might not be concluded until 2020. RWE Npower said a new contractor should be in place "within weeks" but there was currently no timescale for work to be completed.
Demolition of the decommissioned Didcot Power station has been set back at least two years after a collapse that left four dead, the BBC has been told.
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State-run telecommunications company Etecsa will install internet in some 2,000 homes in the capital's colonial district, Old Havana. The company has also reduced by 25% the fee charged to connect to the web, which most Cubans can only access from public wi-fi hotspots. Cuba has one of the lowest online connectivity rates in the world. Dissidents accuse the government of not providing affordable home internet access for political reasons. The Cuban government blames the US for the poor state of telecoms infrastructure, which it says is caused by the American economic embargo imposed in the 1960s. Details of the news scheme are scarce, but the authorities say the experiment will be extended if it is approved after the two-month trial period. Many Cubans hope the country's communist government will eventually expand the scheme, says the BBC's Will Grant in Havana. Last week, Etecsa signed an agreement with Google to provide faster access to content including Gmail and YouTube. Google will install local servers that will speed up connection to its services. Much of the island's internet infrastructure is obsolete. Google and Etecsa reached agreement in the final weeks of Barack Obama's presidency, but it is not clear whether his successor, Donald Trump, will change US policies towards Cuba.
The Cuban government has announced a two-month trial scheme to allow internet access in private homes.
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The S-400 Triumph missile systems were earmarked for troops in Crimea last month, Russian media said at the time. Moscow also announced exercises in Crimea next week to simulate an attack by weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Russia, which annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, said this week it had foiled a Ukrainian sabotage mission. It accused the Ukrainian government in Kiev of trying to send saboteurs into Crimea and reported the deaths of a soldier and a secret police officer in an operation to foil the alleged plot. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Moscow might be forced to cut diplomatic ties with Ukraine if the crisis worsened. Denying the accusations, Ukraine placed its troops on alert along its de facto border with Crimea, and along its front line with Russian-backed rebels holding parts of Donetsk and Luhansk in the east. A column of Ukrainian tanks could be seen rolling towards Crimea on Friday. A statement by Russia's Southern Military District, which incorporates Crimea, said the missiles had been received by an air defence regiment in Crimea. According to the statement, quoted by Russian news agencies, the missiles were successfully tested on the Kapustin Yar test range in southern Russia. Russia's Interfax news agency says the missiles are designed to hit airborne targets at a range of up to 400km (249 miles) and ballistic missiles at a range of up to 60km, flying at speeds of up to 4.8km per second. The missiles are being installed in Crimea to protect Russia's Hmeimim air base in Syria among other things, it adds. Last November, Russia deployed S-400s at Hmeimim, after Turkey downed a Russian Su-24 bomber. The Russian defence ministry announced (in Russian) exercises in Crimea and the Volgograd region for 16-19 August to simulate the effect of an enemy attack using WMD. Radioactive, biological and chemical defence troops will be deployed in the manoeuvres, which will involve the use of Solntsepyok rocket systems in Volgograd, as well as an artificial smoke screen to block any surveillance. Separately, the ministry said (in Russian) it would be sending an additional 40 aircraft to the Southern Military District this year. Ukraine's envoy to the UN asked Russia on Thursday to prove its allegations, and said some 40,000 Russian troops were massed on the Crimea-Ukraine border. His Russian counterpart told the UN Security Council of Moscow's "concern and outrage" at the alleged incursions. Russian state TV broadcast an apparent confession by a man named as Yevhen Panov, saying he was part of a Ukrainian defence ministry force sent into Crimea "to carry out acts of sabotage". He said the group also included officers of Ukraine's military intelligence. Reports in Ukraine say Mr Panov is a former volunteer fighter who has more recently been associated with a charitable organisation called Heroes of Ukraine. Crimea was annexed by Russia after a majority of its mostly ethnic Russian population voted to secede in an unrecognised referendum on self-determination, held under military occupation. The annexation was relatively bloodless, in sharp contrast to the ferocious fighting which followed in Donetsk and Luhansk.
The Russian military has announced the delivery of new air defence missiles to Crimea, in a move scheduled before the latest tension with Ukraine.
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A judge earlier ruled against the trust which is claiming that the government, which wants a cull to help combat cattle tuberculosis, acted illegally. The trust said it was appealing on three grounds , including one that a cull would prompt a spread of the disease rather than prevent it. A cull is likely to go ahead in west Gloucestershire and west Somerset. A spokesperson for The Badger Trust said it had not taken the decision to proceed to the Court of Appeal lightly. "It underlines the trust's strong belief that the government's proposals to kill badgers in England are likely to do more harm than good," the spokesperson added. The trust has said it will do "everything possible to ensure the safe survival of this iconic species". The Court of Appeal in London confirmed it had received an application on Thursday. According to the government, cattle tuberculosis costs the UK more than £100m per year and needs to be tackled. After the ruling last week, a Defra spokesman said: "No-one wants to cull badgers, but last year bovine TB led to the slaughter of over 26,000 cattle. "We will continue to work with the farming industry so badger control in two pilot areas can start as soon as is practical." Natural England is currently processing the Somerset and Gloucestershire applications.
The Badger Trust has lodged an appeal after failing in a legal bid to block a badger cull in England.
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The International Development Committee (IDC) said £20,000 would go to UNICEF in the Philippines with £30,000 helping the Human Appeal International. More than a million people were displaced when Typhoon Koppu struck in the Philippines last October. In Greece, work is continuing to help provide food for those fleeing Syria. IDC chairman Phil Gawne said: "These charities urgently need funding to deliver vital food, shelter and medical supplies in countries devastated by conflict and natural disasters. "The support from the Isle of Man will add to donations from other nations to improve the lives of thousands of vulnerable people."
The Isle of Man has donated £50,000 to two charities, one helping children affected by Typhoon Koppu and the other helping Syrian refugees.
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She told the BBC Labour's big defeats in the last two elections meant it could not adopt "blanket opposition". She said the party must listen to the views of those who had put off having "bigger families" for financial reasons as well as those getting state support. But Labour leadership contender Jeremy Corbyn said he could not support this. And a spokesman for fellow candidate Andy Burnham said the government had "no mandate" for the cuts to tax credits. In other Budget reaction on Sunday, outgoing Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said the overall direction of Chancellor George Osborne's package was "quite unfair" and he accused the Conservatives of "cosseting the old" at the expense of younger voters. Mr Osborne has said he will restrict access to tax credits as part of his goal of cutting £12bn from welfare by 2019-20. From April 2017, new claimants for child tax credit will not be able to claim for the third, or subsequent children, while from next April the income threshold at which households' working tax credits will begin to be withdrawn will fall from £6,420 to £3,850 a year. In the immediate aftermath of Wednesday's Budget, Ms Harman criticised the welfare changes, saying they would leave thousands of working families worse off. But in an interview on the BBC's Sunday Politics programme, Ms Harman said Labour would not oppose the government's plan to reduce the overall household benefit cap to £20,000 a year outside London and hinted it would also back the third child limit on future tax credits claims. Labour must be "understanding" about the size of the welfare bill at a time when many families who did not receive in-work benefits were struggling to make ends meet and having to make difficult decisions, she said. "When I was going around the country on the pink (election) bus, talking specifically to women, so often they would say we've got one child, we'd really love to have another but we just can't afford it, what with our homes not big enough and the childcare is too expensive," she said. "They're working hard and they feel it's unfair on other people that they can have bigger families that they would love to have if they were in the position to do that. We have to listen to that." Labour, Ms Harman said, would oppose the reduction in the tax credit threshold to £3,850 a year and the faster withdrawal of it, saying it would leave families an average of £1,000 a year worse off. But she said the temptation to oppose everything in the Budget was not a luxury open to Labour since, at this moment, it was seen as being a party of opposition not a government in waiting. "We can't simply say to the public you were wrong, 'we're going to carry on saying what we said before the election', we have to listen to that... We're not going to do blanket opposition because we've heard all around the country that whilst people have got concerns, particularly about the standard of living for low income families in work, they don't want just... blanket opposition to what the government are proposing on welfare." But Ms Harman's comments were criticised by Jeremy Corbyn, one of the four MPs vying to be the next Labour leader, who is basing his campaign on an anti-austerity message. "If it is proposed that Labour MPs are being asked to vote for the government's plans to cut benefits to families I am not willing to vote for policies that will push more children into poverty. Families are suffering enough," he said. "We shouldn't play the government's political games with the welfare if children at stake." And a spokesman for Mr Burnham said he had consistently spoken out against taking away support for working families with children on modest incomes. "Andy will not offer blanket opposition and, where we agree with a government policy, we won't oppose for the sake of it," a spokesman said. "But these tax credit changes are regressive, they are wrong, they hit families in work and Andy opposes them." And the SNP said it would also continue to oppose cuts to tax credits. "In Scotland 95% of tax credits are paid to families with children," its welfare spokeswoman Eilidh Whiteford said. "So it makes it all the more worrying that Labour are supporting these cuts as we know they will hit working families hardest." Speaking on BBC1's Andrew Marr Show, Business Secretary Sajid Javid acknowledged there would be "winners and losers" from the Budget but that its proposals on a national living wage and cuts to income tax, alongside the welfare curbs, were "fair and well-balanced".
Labour will not oppose Conservative plans in the Budget to limit child tax credits to the first two children, its acting leader Harriet Harman has said.
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The bird-like object was carved from granite - without the benefit of metal tools, as it dates from the Final Neolithic period. The 36cm (14in) statuette has a pointed nose, round belly and cylindrical legs. But it has mystified archaeologists, who do not know exactly what it is or where it came from. The museum says the figure is asexual, with no sign of breasts or genitals. But it says it is difficult to say whether that is a result of the challenge of carving granite without metal tools, or whether it was deliberate and could tell us something about the place of gender in Neolithic society. The piece is on display until 26 March as part of the Unseen Museum display, a temporary exhibition of some 200,000 antiquities held in the museum vaults and not on permanent show.
A statuette which Greek archaeologists are calling a "7,000-year-old enigma" has gone on show in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.
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The company says the fault is rare but can prevent airbags from deploying during a crash. Seat belts may also fail, it adds. Trucks, cars and SUVs from the 2014-17 models are to be recalled. The company said it would contact customers and update their software for free. General Motors, which is based in Detroit, said the recall would not have a material impact on its financial results. Of the 4.3m vehicles, 3.6m are in the US, where the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced the recall on Friday. The company says the defect concerns the sensing and diagnostic module. In rare cases it can go into test mode, meaning airbags will not inflate in a crash. The recalled vehicles are: In 2014 the company recalled 2.6 million vehicles in connection with an ignition switch fault that disabled the airbags. It also paid compensation for 124 deaths.
The US car company General Motors is recalling more than four million vehicles worldwide due to a software defect linked to at least one death.
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Palestinian flags were visible during the Champions League play-off first leg at Celtic Park on 17 August. The Scottish champions progressed to the group stage 5-4 on aggregate. Meanwhile, Legia Warsaw have been fined 80,000 euros (£69,085) and told to play their next home Uefa competition match behind closed doors. That followed a series of incidents during their Champions League Group F match against Borussia Dortmund on 14 September. Uefa's control, ethics and disciplinary body listed charges of crowd disturbances, setting off of fireworks, throwing of objects, insufficient organisation, racist behaviour and stairways blocked at the Polish champions' home ground. Legia, who host Real Madrid in their next home Group F game on 2 November, lost 6-0 to Dortmund.
Celtic have been fined 10,000 euros (£8,635) by Uefa for the displaying of an "illicit banner" during a match against Israeli side Hapoel Beer Sheva.
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Her state, Manipur, is going to polls in the ongoing nine-phase general election on Thursday. The Armed Forces Special Powers Act (Afspa), against which Ms Chanu is protesting, gives sweeping powers to the security forces when they fight separatist insurgents or leftist radicals - powers which critics say are often misused. "I didn't think much of my voting rights earlier, but now I feel the value of my one vote. I want to cast my vote," she tells me, in her small hospital room in the capital, Imphal, where she has been force-fed through a pipe in her nose since November 2000. But her wish will be denied as Indian laws prohibit people in custody from voting in an election. Ms Chanu, 42, says she never voted as she had lost faith in democracy, but the rise of the new anti-corruption party, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has changed her view. The AAP made a surprisingly strong showing in the state elections in Delhi in December by promising to fight corruption, and now has ambitions to repeat its success against major political parties in the ongoing general election. "I heard about the work of the AAP when they governed Delhi for a little over a month, in the 49 days they ruled for common people and I believe if they come to power, things will change in the parliament too," Ms Chanu says. "Also as far as Afspa goes, they know what I want and they regard my struggle." Earlier, the AAP had offered her a ticket to contest the election, but she refused. "I don't want to enter politics, I want to be a simple woman." Ms Chanu says she should be freed and allowed to continue her protest. "Mahatma Gandhi was allowed to disagree by going on hunger strikes, but I am not. I feel discriminated against as an Indian citizen. I want to be freed to continue my protest outside this hospital." Ms Chanu began her fast 13 years ago after 10 civilians were killed by Indian soldiers in Manipur. The state has a population of about 2.5 million people and a huge force of army, paramilitary and state police are deployed there to fight at least 12 insurgent groups since 1980.
Irom Sharmila Chanu, who has been fasting for 13 years against a draconian law in India's north-eastern state of Manipur, says she wants to cast her vote for the first time.
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The latest monthly YouGov poll for ITV Wales puts Plaid Cymru ahead of the Conservatives on constituency votes with UKIP gaining ground on both. Prof Roger Scully of Cardiff University projected Labour falling short of a majority on 28 seats based on the poll. He projected 12 seats for Plaid Cymru, Tories 10, UKIP eight and Lib Dems two. On constituency votes the data, compiled for the Welsh Election Study in April, put Labour on 35% (up 1% since February and March), Plaid Cymru 21% (no change since March, up two since February), Conservatives 19% (down three since February and March), UKIP 17% (up two since March, down one since February), the Liberal Democrats 6% (no change since March, up one since February) and others 3% (no change since March, up one since February). For the regional lists, where 20 of the 60 AMs are elected using a form of proportional representation, the research has Labour on 31% (no change since February or March), Conservatives 20% (down two since February and March), Plaid Cymru 20% (down two since March, up one since February), UKIP 16% (up two since March, down four since February), the Liberal Democrats 5% (no change since March, up one since February), Greens 4% (no change since March, up one since February) and others 3% (no change since February or March). "We see a very modest apparent strengthening of support for Labour and slightly more for UKIP, since our last poll," said Prof Scully. "But the largest change is clearly the slide in Conservative support - and one, moreover, which builds on a further modest fall in our February barometer poll from the 23% support the party enjoyed in December." Prof Scully said support for Labour was "far short" of where it was at the same point before the 2011 election, but added that the party still had a "big advantage" in the "divided nature of the opposition".
A close battle for second place behind Labour at May's assembly election is shaping up, the first opinion poll of the campaign has suggested.
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The Gulls were undone by a dreadful opening 20 minutes as Odubade pounced for the away side after Aman Verma had given the ball away in his own area. Then, when a free-kick was deflected into the path of Liam Enver-Marum, the striker made no mistake, beating Brendan Moore with a fierce shot. Nathan Blissett changed the half-time team talks, scoring after Luke Young opened up the chance with a clever through-ball. Odubade collected a poor header by Lathaniel Rowe-Turner to make it 3-1, despite an initial save by Moore, before Dan Sparkes jabbed in to respond quickly for Torquay. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Torquay United 2, Maidstone United 3. Second Half ends, Torquay United 2, Maidstone United 3. Substitution, Torquay United. Chay Scrivens replaces Jamie Reid. Substitution, Maidstone United. Ben Greenhalgh replaces Yemi Odubade. Substitution, Torquay United. Joe Ward replaces Courtney Richards. Substitution, Maidstone United. Tom Murphy replaces Liam Enver-Marum. Jack Paxman (Maidstone United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Substitution, Maidstone United. Jack Paxman replaces Alex Flisher. Courtney Richards (Torquay United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. James Rogers (Maidstone United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Substitution, Torquay United. Sam Chaney replaces Damon Lathrope. Goal! Torquay United 2, Maidstone United 3. Dan Sparkes (Torquay United). Goal! Torquay United 1, Maidstone United 3. Yemi Odubade (Maidstone United). Second Half begins Torquay United 1, Maidstone United 2. First Half ends, Torquay United 1, Maidstone United 2. Jamie Coyle (Maidstone United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Goal! Torquay United 1, Maidstone United 2. Nathan Blissett (Torquay United). Goal! Torquay United 0, Maidstone United 2. Liam Enver-Marum (Maidstone United). Goal! Torquay United 0, Maidstone United 1. Yemi Odubade (Maidstone United). First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.
Yemi Odubade scored twice for Maidstone in a pulsating win at Torquay United.
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30 January 2015 Last updated at 08:16 GMT It's racked up more than seven million YouTube views in less than a week! The video sees theatre arts teacher Scot Pankey dancing through the corridors with his students at A. Maceo Smith New Tech High School in Dallas. Mr. Pankey said he wanted to do something fun after Christmas. He got all six of his classes involved and they rehearsed for about two weeks. Believe it or not - they filmed the video in one take! It's even had approval from Bruno Mars. "I cried at the end," the singer wrote online. "Thank you to everyone involved in making this video." Uptown Funk is currently spending a sixth week at the top of the UK singles chart. Watch a clip from the video. Pictures courtesy of Scot Pankey/A. Maceo Smith New Tech High School
An American school's dance video tribute to Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars' number one hit Uptown Funk has gone viral.
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The crash happened on the A465 near Pandy at about 15:40 on 30 March. Gwent Police said on Sunday that one of the drivers, David Charles Price from Abergavenny, had died from his injuries on 6 April.
A man who was involved in a four-vehicle crash in Monmouthshire has died from his injuries.
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A court heard that David Crammond, 28, kept the drugs and drug paraphernalia in his car as he lived at home and did not want his mother to find out. Text messages found on his phone confirmed he was supplying the drug. He admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine at Broxden in Perth on 22 January. Depute fiscal Carol Whyte told Perth Sheriff Court: "Police officers stopped the vehicle the accused was driving because of a faulty lamp. "They thought they could smell cannabis so they detained the accused. "During a search of the vehicle 30 snap bags, scales, a bag of white powder and a mobile phone were recovered." Solicitor Paul Ralph, defending, said: "It is his position that he is the one who gets it and his pals are then benefiting from it at weekend get togethers. "He has confessed to his parents. "He understands the position he has put himself in and he has hopefully learned his lesson."
A drug dealer caught with almost £1,000 of cocaine in his car after police pulled him over for a faulty headlight has been jailed for six months.
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Up to 70 firefighters tackled the blaze in Foulridge, near Colne, Lancashire, after flames from the barbecue set grass alight on Sunday. The fire service said it had smouldering bread on it when crews arrived. No-one was injured. It said those responsible were "not only careless but very irresponsible, ducking out" of reporting it.
Smouldering bread was found on a disposable barbecue that caused a fire on 50 hectares of moorland.
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Natalie Bennett said a membership surge made hers the "third biggest party in England" after the Tories and Labour. The Greens are looking to add to the one MP they gained in Brighton Pavilion five years ago. Speaking as the campaign officially got under way, Ms Bennett said voters were "desperate for change". She told BBC News people were "fed up" with the current first-past-the-post electoral system, seen as a disadvantage to smaller parties. "We've got the kind of politics we have now through people, through generations, voting tactically," she said. "And that's let the biggest parties focus on the swing voters in the swing seats. "If we want a different sort of politics, it's in the voters' hands." The Greens have been polling in similar numbers to the Lib Dems and say their membership quadrupled in the past year. With polls suggesting a hung parliament could be likely after the general election, the party has previously floated the idea of a "progressive alliance" also involving the SNP. Ms Bennett said the Greens would "not in any way" support a Conservative minority government, but would consider a "vote by vote" arrangement with Labour. Policy guide: Where the parties stand The Green Party in England and Wales is fielding its largest ever slate of candidates, aiming to stand in 90% of parliamentary seats on 7 May. The Green parties in Scotland and Northern Ireland are separate organisations. Ms Bennett also said her party would offer a "message of hope" and that people were "sick of business-as-usual politics". Her party's policies include building 500,000 social rented homes, a new "wealth tax" on the richest 1%, and increasing the minimum wage to £10 an hour by 2020.
The Green Party could be in a "very decisive place" in a hung parliament after the general election, its leader in England and Wales has predicted.
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The 27-year-old had an ovary removed at age 13, just before she began invasive treatment for sickle cell anaemia. Her remaining ovary failed following the treatment, meaning she would have been unlikely to conceive without the transplant. Experts hope that this procedure could eventually help other young patients. The woman gave birth to a healthy boy in November 2014, and details of the case were published on Wednesday in the journal Human Reproduction. The woman, who has asked to remain anonymous, was diagnosed with sickle cell anaemia at the age of five. She emigrated from the Republic of Congo to Belgium where doctors decided her disease was so severe that she needed a bone marrow transplant using her brother's matching tissue. But before they could begin the bone marrow transplant, they needed to give her chemotherapy to disable her immune system and stop it from rejecting the foreign tissue. Chemotherapy can destroy the ovarian function, so they removed her right ovary and froze tissue fragments. At that time, she was showing signs of puberty, but had not yet started her periods. Her remaining ovary failed at 15. Ten years later, she decided she wanted to have a baby, so doctors grafted four of her thawed ovarian fragments onto her remaining ovary and 11 fragments onto other sites in her body. The patient started menstruating spontaneously five months later, and became pregnant naturally at the age of 27. The gynaecologist who led the treatment to restore the patient's fertility, Dr Isabelle Demeestere, told the BBC the patient was very stressed during the procedure because it was her only option to have a child, but that now she "is of course very happy and is enjoying her new life". Dr Demeestere said it was now hoped the procedure could help other young people, especially given there is an increasing number of long-term survivors of haematological diseases diagnosed in childhood. She said it was suitable for those who were at high risk of ovarian failure, such as survivors of treatment for lymphoma, leukaemia and sarcoma. She said thousands of people had now undergone the procedure to freeze tissue and in Dr Demeestere's clinic, 20% of them were children. "However, the success of this procedure requires further investigation in very young pre-pubertal girls, as our patient had already started puberty even though she had not started menstruating," she explained. She also warned that it would only be suitable for patients at high risk of ovarian failure, because the procedure itself carries risks such as damaging the removed healthy ovary or reintroducing malignant cells at the time of transplant. Professor Adam Balen, chairman of the British Fertility Society, welcomed the news. "One would anticipate that young ovaries should have lots of eggs in them, the concern was whether those eggs might develop to maturity, if the ovarian tissue was taken at such a young age and frozen and then re-implanted," he told the BBC. "So, this is proof of that concept... it's very important information." About 40 babies have already been born across the world using frozen ovarian tissue taken from older women.
A woman in Belgium is the first in the world to give birth to a baby using transplanted ovarian tissue frozen when she was still a child, doctors say.
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I've been contacted by someone who spent 30 years in corporate IT with some interesting theories. The man - who doesn't want to be named - says airlines probably invest more in IT than any other organisations apart from banks, so this kind of thing just should not happen. But he has three questions. BA blames a power cut but in the words of my expert, it shouldn't have caused "even a flicker of the lights" in the data-centre. The UPS - the uninterruptible power supply - should have kicked in immediately. The only issue should have been making sure the back-up generator was kept fed with fuel. Even if the power could not be restored, the airline's Disaster Recovery Plan should have whirred into action. But that will have depended in part on veteran staff with knowledge of the complex patchwork of systems built up over the years. Many of those people may have left when much of the IT operation was outsourced to India. And there may have been a situation where one team was frantically trying to restore the original system while elsewhere another team was attempting to fire up the back-up - with managers unsure which of the two workstreams to prioritise. One theory of my IT veteran is that when the power came back on, the systems were unusable because the data was unsynchronised. In other words the airline was suddenly faced with a mass of conflicting records of passengers, aircraft and baggage movements - all the complex logistics of modern air travel. He says: "This would have meant that BA would need to restore to a known synchronised back-up point (potentially days old), which brings in the previous argument about the hands-on skills required to achieve this." In summary, complex IT systems do fail from time to time, but smart organisations have the people and processes in place to recover quickly. BA has said little so far about what went wrong. However, it will now be under pressure from investors, staff and passengers to provide some answers.
As British Airways (BA) finally starts to recover from a disastrous IT failure, an inquest is under way into what went wrong and why it has taken so long to fix it.
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Tidal Lagoon Power (TLP) received backing by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) in June. TLP said it had taken a "pragmatic" decision to delay construction, as talks are ongoing over how much electricity subsidy will be paid. Work was due to get under way in 2016. TLP is also waiting for a marine licence from Natural Resources Wales and a lease from the Crown Estate. A spokesman for TLP said: "Our Board has updated the target for the construction programme. "The building needs to start in the spring, but first we need the remaining permissions, CfD (contract for difference) and financial close. So the pragmatic decision for spring 2016 is to move to spring 2017." The CfD deal is crucial - as it sets out how much the government is willing to pay towards the energy generated. The Welsh government accused the UK government of "dithering over funding". A spokesman said: "Earlier this week we saw the closure of Mabey Bridge in Monmouthshire due to disarray in the UK Government's energy policy and now we face the prospect of a delay to this major project because of dithering over funding from the UK Government. "We will continue to push the UK Government to ensure this ambitious project is realised and brings significant benefits to Wales." The tidal lagoon on the eastern side of Swansea Bay, between the docks and the new university campus, would use the flow and ebb of the tide to generate energy, which would then be converted into electricity. But before the lagoon becomes a reality, there are two main challenges that need to be met: Thousands of construction and manufacturing jobs could be created, especially if five much bigger lagoons are built in the Severn estuary and off the north Wales coast. It could also boost to the UK's standing as a generator of clean, green energy. Three elements are needed before Swansea's lagoon can be built - a marine licence by NRW, a lease agreement with Crown Estate and most importantly a subsidy for the power generated of £168 per megawatt hour (pmh) of energy generated. So far DECC officials and ministers are taking their time. Why? Well because this governmental support that's been requested is the most expensive yet. Hinkley C's proposed nuclear plant will - if built - receive between £89-£92.50/pmh. Also, the support requested is over a 35 year period. This support is public money, at a time when austerity cuts have come thick and fast in many public services. According to DECC there's no specific timetable for the financial negotiations, and it is pursuing a diligence process to assess TLP's plans. The weather is also of critical importance - any construction out to sea has to start during the spring to allow enough work to be done at a time of expected good weather. It's thought to be too much of a risk to start work mid-summer or during the autumn. What excites the UK government is that the Swansea lagoon if seen to be successful, could lead to a string of other lagoons - much larger ones near Cardiff, Newport and Colwyn Bay. They could be generating power for up to a 120 years through the regularity of the tides. Another pressing issue is that a quarter of Britain's power plants could be decommissioned in the next 10 years, and the fear is there won't be enough replacement power in the national electricity grid. That could lead to sporadic blackouts. Source: Tidal Lagoon Power Ltd
The building of a £1bn tidal energy lagoon in Swansea Bay has been delayed by a year as negotiations over the level of UK government funding for the project continue.
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The New Zealand-born 37-year-old, who previously played for Newcastle Falcons and Northampton Saints, has made 82 appearances for Bristol since 2013. "It feels like the right time for me to take on a new chapter and retire," he told the club website. "The game has given me incredible opportunities and I have enjoyed every minute of it."
Bristol lock Mark Sorenson will retire from professional rugby at the end of the Premiership season.
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Police were searching for ecstasy pills following the deaths of three men in Suffolk and one in Shropshire. Tests showed the pills contained PMMA, which was being linked to the deaths of two men in Ipswich and possibly with the other two. Officers will be out in Ipswich this weekend highlighting the dangers. The ecstasy pills were red, triangular and embossed with the Superman "S" logo. A batch of 400 similar ecstasy pills was found in a public place off Norwich Road in Ipswich on Sunday and tests showed they contained PMMA, which police said made them more dangerous. Supt Louisa Pepper said: "Our number one priority is to prevent other people suffering the tragic consequences of this dangerous drug. "We successfully seized a large quantity of drugs, but there may still be some out there so if you do come across them please don't take them, and if possible hand them over to us." The two men who died in Ipswich have been named locally as Justas Ropas, 22, and Gediminas Kulokas, 24. The deaths of John Hocking, 20, from Rendlesham in Suffolk, and a 27-year-old from Telford, have been "potentially" linked to the drugs. Ms Pepper, from Suffolk Police, said: "We're urging anyone who has tablets matching this description not to take them or pass them on, and to hand them in to us or one of the agencies listed." A 28-year-old man has been charged with being concerned in the supply of ecstasy over the Telford death. A 19-year-old from Ipswich has been charged with being concerned in the supply of controlled drugs (ecstasy) and possession with intent to supply a Class B drug.
Illegal drugs containing a substance believed to be responsible for at least two deaths may still be in circulation, Suffolk Police warn.
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Her lawyer successfully argued that she might be regarded as "some kind of hero" if she was sent to prison. At Livingston Sheriff Court the 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted shouting homophobic abuse at the couple. A television news crew recorded her comments as they filmed the pair arriving at court for their trial. They were found guilty on Tuesday of murdering Rachel's son, Liam Fee, and of abusing two other children. The teenager, from Livingston, pled guilty to behaving in a manner likely to cause a reasonable person fear or alarm by shouting and swearing aggravated by sexual orientation. Sheriff Jamie Gilmour took other unrelated offences into account when he sentenced her to be electronically tagged on a nine-month curfew. He also placed her under supervision for two years and ordered her to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work within nine months.
A teenager who hurled abuse at child murderers Rachel and Nyomi Fee outside court has been spared jail.
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The airline forecast underlying pre-tax profit of between A$875m ($635m; £419m) and A$925m for the period. Qantas has been aggressively reducing jobs and cutting capacity in recent months. Shares initially rose 1% on the news, however, later closed down 2.4%. The airline's shares have risen by almost 50% this year. Airline analysts said they were surprised by the share price eventually closing lower. "It is interesting," Flightglobal's Ellis Taylor told the BBC. "The guidance that came out was very good, but perhaps some investors were hoping for better figures." However, Mr Taylor added that some aviation analysts had forecast the airline would exceed the billion dollar mark for the half year. "And against that, the lower end of its guidance band doesn't look as good," he said. Earlier this year, Qantas reported a return to annual profit for the 12 months to June and also announced plans to buy new planes. The airline reported a full-year profit of A$975m (£457m; $717m) - a dramatic reversal after posting a loss of A$646m for the previous year. It will report its half-year results on 23 February. As part of its frequent flyer programme overhaul, the airline is set to renew its partnership with supermarket giant Woolworths - albeit with a slightly different structure. The partnership programme faced criticism from consumers when an earlier agreement was changed to give shoppers discounts rather than points. Woolworths, Australia's largest supermarket chain, said the new agreement would allow shoppers to convert their Woolworths dollars into Qantas points at a rate of 870 Qantas points for every 10 Woolworths dollars, rather than receive A$10 off their grocery bill.
Australia's Qantas has said it expects to report better-than-expected profits for the six months to December, boosted by lower oil prices and a continued focus on its revival plans.
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Gross domestic product (GDP) expanded 0.3% in the first quarter, compared to 0.5% in last month's preliminary reading. The annualised rate of growth was cut to 1% from the initial reading of 2.2%. The data was weaker than expected and was due to an unexpected decline in oil inventories and private consumption. Business investment increased though, rising by 0.6% in the quarter compared with the first estimate of 0.2%. Japan's central bank meets next week and is now expected to keep policy unchanged following the latest data. However, analysts say the outlook remains positive for the world's third-largest economy and that its recovery is set continue. "Both retail sales and core household spending recorded strong gains in April, and industrial production finally surpassed the peak reached before 2014's sales tax hike," Marcel Thieliant from Capital Economics said. "The current [economic] expansion already is the longest in more than a decade," he added. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been pushing Japanese consumers and companies to spend more in the run-up to the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. Private consumption accounts for about 60% of GDP. Exporters have been helped by a weakening currency, which has made their products more competitive and has boosted the value of profits earned overseas.
Japan's economy grew slower than initially estimated in the first three months of the year, according to revised figures.
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People are using social media to not only express their grief, but in some cases, to extend their help. Many dead as lorry hits Bastille Day crowd Live coverage of attack aftermath Latest images from Nice Porte Ouverte, or Open Door, has been used by many Twitter users in Nice offering their homes to those needing somewhere to shelter. Users encouraged each other not to share their addresses online, but to privately send them through direct messages. This post used the hashtag #Nice06, a reference to the postcode of the district where the tragedy occurred, which has also been trending on social media. According to Twitter users, taxi drivers were also offering free rides to those in the area. Thousands have also posted under the hashtag #RechercheNice, or "search Nice", in the hope of finding their friends and loved ones. Pictures of those missing have flooded social media, with brief descriptions of each individual. An account called @NiceFindPeople was quickly set up, which circulated a note bearing the names of all those reported lost. It has since been retweeted almost 500 times. A story from a Facebook user named Tiava Banner who lost her baby has also been widely shared. "We've lost our 8-month-old baby. Friends in Nice, if you've seen him, if you were there, if you've picked him up please contact me," said Tiava on Facebook. The post was later updated to say the baby had been found, and thanked a woman named Joy Ruez. "Thank you Facebook to all those who helped and sent messages of support," Tiava Banner wrote, also adding hashtags associated with the Nice attacks. The BBC has not been able to independently verify this story, but its spread shows perhaps how much people want to hear of a happy ending in the midst of the tragedy. The #JeSuis hashtag first emerged during France's Charlie Hebdo attacks, and has since been used routinely to show solidarity with terror victims around the world. As news of the attacks spread, #JeSuisNice quickly emerged online. However, many have taken to twitter to express their cynicism. #PrayForNice also quickly made the rounds on Twitter, with many expressing their sentiment and disgust at the attacks. Here are some of the celebrities and political figures who used the hashtag to extend their thoughts and sympathy. Facebook quickly activated its safety check feature, which automatically sent users in the affected area a message to ask if they were safe. The feature acts as a way of letting friends and family know if the user is alright. France had been on high alert following last November's attacks in Paris in which 130 people died and hundreds were wounded. The state of emergency had been due to end on 26 July but will now be extended.
First there was #JeSuisCharlie, then #JeSuisParis and now #JeSuisNice has emerged on social media in response to an attack in the southern French city of Nice that has left at least 80 people dead and many injured.
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Rail, Maritime and Transport union members will vote in the coming weeks amid claims that industrial relations have "comprehensively broken down". The union is also seeking a four-hour cut in the working week to 35 hours. A Southern spokesman said the rail operator was aware of the issues and "dialogue with the union is ongoing". He added that it had received no formal notification from the RMT union that it intended to ballot its members. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said the union would not stand by while "agreed policies, procedures and agreements are unilaterally ripped up by Southern". "Southern is a company intensively under the spotlight over its performance at the moment and RMT will not have our members scapegoated for failures at the top by outrageous and intimidatory demands to meet impossible work targets and through attacks on working conditions. "The union is in no doubt that the pressure on these staff to deliver impossible targets compromises safety in what is clearly a safety-critical environment," he said. Southern runs services between London, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Kent.
More than 200 engineers at Southern rail are to be balloted for industrial action over issues including new rosters and "impossible work targets".
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The company said Glass Enterprise Edition had improved battery life and felt more comfortable during long-term wear than before. However, it still resembles the original model, with a small see-through display and built-in camera. It will face competition from Microsoft's HoloLens among others. Many had assumed the project had been cancelled after the executive in charge, Tony Fadell, resigned last year. However, parent company Alphabet's X division continued to develop the technology and has now revealed its efforts in a post on the news site Medium. "Workers in many fields, like manufacturing, logistics, field services, and healthcare find it useful to consult a wearable device for information and other resources while their hands are busy," wrote project lead Jay Kothari. "That's why we've spent the last two years working closely with a network of more than 30 expert partners to build customised software and business solutions for Glass for people in these fields." Mr Koathri revealed that logistics workers at the delivery company DHL, engineers at General Electric and medics at Dignity Health had been among those secretly using the eyewear over recent months. Wired magazine added that those involved had had to promise not to reveal the existence of Glass Enterprise Edition and pose with the old version in any photos showing them using the eyewear at work. Improvements over the earlier Explorer Edition include: Google sold the original prototype edition for £1,000. This time, the product will be sold via a range of specialised software companies, which are bundling it with their respective services. Germany-based Ubimax - which makes software for logistics and manufacturing workers - told the BBC it would charge about 1,500 euros ($1,735; £1,335) per unit on top of rolling fees for its own solutions. "It makes perfect sense to target businesses," said Chris Green from the technology consultancy Lewis. "While the original iteration of Google Glass had questionable consumer applications, we are already seeing that there is huge potential for augmented reality particularly in things like manufacturing. "For example, a floor worker can get a single view of all the sensor data across a production line, from data about output and wear and tear of components, to where the bottlenecks are, all in a way they wouldn't be able to do just by wandering the line normally." But in the period Google left the market, other companies, including Vuzix, Meta and Epson, have developed their own augmented reality eyewear targeted at businesses. And Microsoft began selling a "developer edition" of its more advanced - and more expensive - HoloLens augmented reality headset last year. It benefits from superimposing graphics over both eyes and can run more complex apps, since it is powered by a Windows 10 PC rather than a smartphone. However, at present, HoloLens offers only two to three hours of active use. Somewhere in a drawer at home is one of the most exciting - yet frustrating - pieces of technology I have ever used. I wore Google Glass for something like six weeks as a journalistic experiment. It flashed up news alerts and social media messages, it helped me navigate, but mostly it was a very handy wearable camera - capturing everything from my dentist leaning over me to a pitch invasion as Brentford won promotion. But when I stopped wearing the device, it was a relief - from the constant abuse from friends, family and colleagues who thought, correctly, that I looked like a fool. A few also thought it an invasion of their privacy, though the flashing red light made taking pictures a less covert activity than shooting with a smartphone. In retrospect, Google's decision to launch Glass as a consumer product was a clumsy error, driven by a desire for positive PR rather than any business case. In the enterprise world, where Microsoft has been quietly developing its HoloLens headset, this kind of device makes far more sense. Somehow, the aesthetics of putting something hi-tech on your face in a work setting are completely different. But I am wondering whether it is time to retrieve the Glass from my drawer and have another go.
Google is to sell a revamped version of its smart glasses to businesses, more than two years after the original version of the product was cancelled.
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You wanted to know how to track down a family in Stoke-on-Trent? We were also asked what good or charitable things were happening in Shropshire? And you were curious about how faggots became a Black Country delicacy? Here is a look at how we got on answering your questions. Outside of the phone directory for current names, the other way would be via the local archive services. In Stoke-on-Trent they suggest using online services such as The Staffordshire Collection on Findmypast which contains parish registers, marriage bonds and more. The Staffordshire archive service also suggest, apart from their online services, planning a visit to the record office to track down more details. We went to the Charity Commission, to ask how many charities it has registered in the county and found they have 1,655 registered in the Shropshire local authority area and another 368 in the Telford area. That list contains a number of charities which aren't based in Shropshire, but still operate in the county and some are more active than others - but there are a wide range of causes listed there. Faggots were developed as a way of using up all the bits of pig that would otherwise be discarded and have been on sale in the Black Country for more than a century. The meat balls made of minced offal are traditionally served with mashed potato, peas and gravy. Here is a BBC Good Food recipe you can try. Eve Billingham founded The Cook Shop in Old Hill, near Halesowen in 1889. She started out by used the front room of her home in Old Hill High Street, now Highgate Street, as a shop selling Black Country food, such as faggots she cooked herself. Her recipe for Black Country favourites including faggots have been handed down for generations up until recently, the shop was still being run by her great-grandson. Have you got a question about the West Midlands? Is there something you have seen or heard that you would like us to investigate? It could be a burning issue or something you have always wondered about the area or its people. Use the tool below to send us your questions. We could be in touch and your question could make the news.
People have been using Your Questions to ask us what they want to know about the West Midlands.
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The German, punched by Ukrainian Andriy Grivko on stage three, outsprinted Team Sky's Italian Elia Viviani, while Britain's Mark Cavendish was fourth. Cavendish gesticulated with frustration after failing to come round Kittel, who he had been following in the sprint. "I'm super proud. It's a nice start to the season," said Quick-Step Floors rider Kittel, who won three stages. "The final sprint didn't go according to plan because the chain of my lead-out man fell off so I had to go on my own." Kittel's defence was expected to come under most pressure on Friday's hilly stage four, but it was cancelled because of high winds. He ended up 18 seconds clear of Dutch rider Dylan Groenewegen in the overall standings with German John Degenkolb in third. Team Dimension Data's Cavendish, who won the race in 2015, finished eighth overall, two places behind One Pro Cycling's Thomas Stewart, who was the highest-ranked Briton on general classification. Stage 5 result: 1. Marcel Kittel (Ger/Quick-Step Floors) 2hrs 34mins 12secs 2. Elia Viviani (Ita/Team Sky) Same time 3. Riccardo Minali (Ita/Astana) 4. Mark Cavendish (GB/Team Dimension Data) 5. John Degenkolb (Ger/Trek-Segafredo) General classification: 1. Marcel Kittel (Ger/Quick-Step Floors) 15hrs 8mins 56secs 2. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned/Lotto Jumbo) +18secs 3. John Degenkolb (Ger/Trek-Segafredo) +24secs 4. Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux/BMC Racing) Same time 5. Elia Viviani (Ita/Team Sky) Selected: 6. Thomas Stewart (GB/One Pro Cycling) +24secs 8. Mark Cavendish (GB/Team Dimension Data) +26secs 10. Alex Dowsett (GB/Movistar) +27secs
Defending champion Marcel Kittel wrapped up victory in the Dubai Tour by winning the fifth and final stage.
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Danni Jordan put the home side up 2-0 at half time after Sian French opened the scoring with a fine strike. Poland replied through Amelia Kateria. Wales beat Poland 2-0 on Saturday and 3-0 on Friday. The series is preparation for the group stages of the Euro Hockey Championships being held in Cardiff from 6-12 August. "It took us some time to get going in the series but we're delighted to continue the momentum that we've been building for a while now and it's nice that we're putting in consistent performances," head coach Kevin Johnson said. "I'm pleased this weekend that as the games moved on we became more creative and I think we opened Poland up in a number of areas. "The atmosphere and everything around it will be completely different but I think the belief that we will gain from these results is obviously key. "We would much rather be in our camp having the momentum of having three wins against Poland but we are acutely aware that one match in August against them is going to be a different scenario to deal with." Wales beat Poland 2-0 for a second victory thanks to goals from Eloise Laity and Sophie Clayton. Captain Abi Welsford and vice captain Leah Wilkinson - a scorer in Friday's 3-0 win - each earned their 135th international cap in that match. That left Welsford and Wilkinson three caps shy of equalling Anne Ellis' record 138 Wales appearances. Jo Westwood and Sarah Jones joined Wilkinson in scoring the home goals on Friday. Find out how to get into hockey with our special guide.
Wales wrapped up a series sweep over Poland with a 2-1 victory on Sunday in Cardiff as they prepare for the Euro Hockey Championships.
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Malachi Halstead, 35, from Newport, attacked Teerath Mann in August 2016 because he thought he was stealing from him. Halstead, known as DJ Madskie, put the picture on the messaging app saying: "See that? I chopped that off." He was found guilty of wounding with intent at Cardiff Crown Court. His partner Nicole Seaborne, also from Newport, was cleared of providing him with the weapon. The court heard Mr Mann, 23, was selling drugs for Halstead but the DJ suspected money had gone missing. Heath Edwards, prosecuting, said Halstead lured Mr Mann into his car before telling him, "Tonight you're losing something". "Halstead drove to a nearby place and parked up, and both got out of the vehicle," Mr Edwards said. "Mr Mann was made to place his finger on a wooden pole, and when he did, Halstead chopped off a large part of that finger." The court was shown the Snapchat recording showing Mr Mann's severed finger and Halstead himself. Halstead denied the attack, claiming a man called Mr Biggs had ambushed Mr Mann. But Mr Edwards said Mr Biggs was "a figment of Halstead's imagination". Halstead also admitted escaping police custody, after running away from officers when he was initially being arrested. Sentencing, Recorder Christopher Clee called the attack "utterly barbaric" and said the footage was "chilling." Halstead would have to serve two thirds of his sentence before being considered for release, he said. After the case, Det Con Eirian Williams, of Gwent Police, said: "Malachi Halstead enacted a terrible, life-changing injury on the victim on what was effectively a vendetta crime. "We are delighted that this particularly violent individual has been convicted and we hope this lengthy sentence serves as a warning to others involved in organised crime."
A DJ has been jailed for 14 years for chopping off a man's finger with a meat cleaver and posting a picture of it on Snapchat.
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The victim, believed to be 22-year-old Joseph Hunt from Rugeley, was found with serious head injuries on Western Springs Road in the town in the early hours of Saturday, police said. An 18-year-old man has been arrested and police have seized a Skoda Fabia for detailed forensic examination. A member of the public contacted officers and subsequent inquiries led them to an address in Rugeley. A police spokesman said officers have not formally identified the victim but specialist officers are supporting Mr Hunt's family.
A man has been arrested over a suspected hit-and-run in Staffordshire.
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People on the Smiler ride were trapped 25ft (7.6m) up at an angle of 45 degrees for up to four-and-a-half hours when two carriages collided on Tuesday. It was 11 minutes before emergency services were called. The theme park is estimated to be losing up to £500,000 every day since closing. The worst injured were textile design student Joe Pugh, 18, of Barnsley, South Yorkshire; his girlfriend, Leah Washington, 17; Daniel Thorpe, 27, a hotel assistant manager from Buxton, Derbyshire; and Vicky Balch, 19, of Leyland, Lancashire. Mr Thorpe is being treated at University Hospital Coventry and the other three are being treated at Royal Stoke University Hospital. Alton Towers said it was reviewing its closure decisions on a daily basis. Theme park bosses were informed of the accident on Tuesday at 13:57 BST, but ambulance crews said a 999 call was not made until 14:08 BST. Alton Towers said one of its first responders was soon on the scene and security staff would have called 999 as soon as an assessment had been made. Crews from West Midlands Ambulance Service arrived on the scene at 14:35 BST and they called the fire service at 14:41 BST. Fire crews were not initially requested by Alton Towers but the park's staff did put their own call in requesting their assistance at 14:45 BST, the fire service said. Since opening two years ago the £18m Smiler rollercoaster, which boasts a world-record 14 loops, has been closed twice because of safety concerns. An Alton Towers spokeswoman said two hotels, including an indoor water park in one of them, and woodland lodges, remained open, but the theme park was closed. The park said that anyone with pre-booked tickets would be able to visit Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures, Warwick Castle or Legoland Windsor as an alternative.
Alton Towers is closed for a third full day as investigators assess the cause of a rollercoaster crash in which 16 people were injured, four seriously.
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Media playback is not supported on this device Britain won the Davis Cup for the first time in 79 years with victory over Belgium in Ghent over the weekend. Smith said the sport's governing body, the Lawn Tennis Association, needed to quickly create a long-term strategy. In praising Judy Murray's tennis programmes, Smith said: "She can't keep doing it on her own." Smith said Judy Murray, the mother of British number one Andy and doubles specialist Jamie, "needs a lot of help". Murray leads the LTA's Miss-Hits programme - an introductory course for girls aged between five and eight - and a Scottish-based scheme, Tennis on the Road. Media playback is not supported on this device Smith, who became Davis Cup captain five years ago with the team a play-off away from relegation to the event's lowest tier, added: "At the end of the day, we all care about British tennis a lot. "What we want to see is more people playing, so there should be a bigger talent pool in years to come. "It really is an important time to get strategies rolled out as quickly as possible, not only to get people on the court but to keep them on the court. We need to offer them good clubs and good coaches that turn up in all weather and bang out great sessions. Let's hope it has a positive influence, because it should do." The LTA was criticised for failing to capitalise on Andy Murray's Wimbledon victory in 2013 with participation levels remaining an issue. But LTA chief Michael Downey described the successful weekend in Belgium as "very, very special and emotional moments that can drive interest in our sport". World number two Andy Murray was the dominant force for the fourth Davis Cup tie running as he became only the third man after John McEnroe and Mats Wilander to end a campaign with an 8-0 singles record. He also matched American great Pete Sampras 20 years ago, the last man to win three live rubbers in a final. The former Wimbledon and US Open champion said winning the Davis Cup was a more emotional experience than winning Grand Slam titles or Olympic gold. The Scot also said the Davis Cup campaign had affected him physically, adding: "I'm 28 but my body feels a lot older right now. I still hope to play for the next five or six years."
Victorious Davis Cup captain Leon Smith says Britain needs to capitalise on his team's historic triumph to inspire a future generation of tennis players.
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But, the BBC's Our World programme asks, what will the arrival of air access really mean for the 4,000 people living in Saint Helena? Two-hundred years ago this October, the British warship HMS Northumberland anchored off a tiny island to disembark its most famous prize, Napoleon Bonaparte, who had recently been defeated at the battle of Waterloo. The former emperor had thought he was to be exiled to America. Instead, the man who had once ruled vast tracts of Europe, found himself on the tiny and remote British-ruled island of St Helena. There, in the first days of captivity - which would end with his death in 1821 - he snarled at those who had defeated him. "How can the monarchs of Europe permit the sacred character of sovereignty to be violated in my person? Do they not see that they are, with their own hands, working their own destruction at St Helena?" Situated in the middle of the South Atlantic, St Helena is 1,200 miles from the coast of West Africa. It is just ten miles (16km) long and six miles (10km) wide. Discovered by Portuguese mariners in 1502, St Helena - whose inhabitants call themselves "Saints" - was originally a Dutch possession before it passed to British control - initially under the East India Company, before becoming a British colony, now called a British Overseas Territory, The Saints, now numbering around 4,000, are the descendents of sailors, settlers and slaves. This tightly-knit community is currently linked to the outside world by a Royal Mail ship, the St Helena, which makes a five-day journey from Cape Town in South Africa, every three weeks. It carries passengers, mail and everything the island needs to survive, apart from petrol. But all that is set to change with the building of St Helena Airport - scheduled to open in February 2016. In November 2011, the UK government announced it was to invest around £250m in the building of an airport on the island's east coast. British Overseas Territories Territories are: Whitehall said this would boost St Helena's links to the outside world and increase the island's self-sufficiency, "with the ultimate aim of eliminating the island's reliance on aid". Each year the island receives, on average, $37m (£25m) from the United Kingdom. There is full employment, but 70% of the population works for the government and wages are low - while the cost of goods is high. Father Dale Bowers, one the island's Anglican priests, believes that history has a harsh lesson for the Saints. "The island lost all of its money from the East India Company and there was real poverty. The more educated, business-minded people all emigrated to South Africa and left behind were just the poor people - the ones who couldn't go any further." And, even today, many young Saints leave in search of a better life overseas. This growing trend in offshore employment is a major contributor to the breakdown of family life on the island, according to Fr Dale. And although he is reluctant to see the island undergo such a major overhaul, he is unsure it can carry on the way it is. Ivy Ellick, a retired civil servant whose late husband was in charge of customs and income tax on the island, looks at the airport as not only a way for Saints to leave the island, but also facilitate their return. "I am very pro-airport and I'm very pleased with what's going on," she said. "This was the only development that I thought would actually quench that thirst to leave the island... and will hopefully bring our Saints back." But not all the islanders are so optimistic. Many fear opening up to the outside world will create even more problems. Before his death, local fisherman Trevor Thomas outlined his concerns about the airport. "Britain is not going to put an airport here for £400m and then we live the same old way we did 20 or 30 years ago. They will want changes. It's coming." "People feel as though they are not being listened to and it makes you angry… and then when you say something that is contrary to what is being presented to you, you are being negative." While the British government says it does not wish to damage the island's sense of community or the environment, tourism is both a natural consequence of better transport links and a source of economic growth. The island's lush vegetation, rare plants and the relatively untouched sea surrounding it, could prove a draw, as could the Georgian architecture of the capital, Jamestown and Napoleon's former residence Longwood House. There is also a project in the works to build an eco-hotel on St Helena, and the aviation company Comair Limited has just been appointed as the preferred bidder to transport visitors from Johannesburg to the island in just four-and-a-half hours. But extra traffic to and from the island will not benefit the islanders directly, argued Mr Thomas. "They think that the airport is going to create a lot of opportunity and the young people are going to want to stay but for what? Make the beds, drive the taxis, sweep the floors? We can't all be chiefs. "There are other people out there who also believe there is a potential here - people with big money - and we may not be able to compete," he added. The threat to St Helena's strong sense of community is at the heart of much anxiety about the airport. Filmmaker Dieter Deswarte, who has visited the island on a number of occasions, says a lot of people see St Helena as a special place because it is protected from the outside world. He believes it's important for the Saints to make sure that change happens in a way they are comfortable with. "It's really the people there who need to take it in their hands and have the confidence to set things up." Also convinced that the Saints' own mindset has a crucial part to play in securing the future of St Helena is Ivy Ellick. "We have to be able to be more confident and believe in ourselves," says Mrs Ellick. "Who would know what is best for St Helena other than the people themselves?" All images courtesy of Dieter Deswarte. The full documentary St Helena: An End to Isolation will be broadcast on the BBC World News Our World programme on Friday 20 March at 20:30 GMT, Saturday 11:30 GMT, Sunday 17:30 GMT and 22:30 GMT. And in the UK on the BBC News Channel at 21:30 GMT on Saturday and Sunday and on the BBC iPlayer.
The coming of an airport presents new opportunities and challenges to one of Britain's most remote outposts, ending 350 years of isolation.
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The A453, which runs from Nottingham into Leicestershire, is set to fully reopen this year. It bears the same number as that of the total of British military losses in Afghanistan. The favoured name is Remembrance Way, honouring those killed in all conflicts. The idea was suggested by the family of Warrant Officer Sean Upton, a Nottinghamshire soldier killed by an explosion while on patrol in 2009 in Afghanistan after first hearing about it on BBC Radio Nottingham. It was put out to two-week consultation with 1,630 responses. The leading suggestions were Heroes' Way, 453 Remembrance Way, Bastion Way, Hope Way and Helmand Way. Heroes' Way was the overwhelming favourite. Councillor Richard Butler, cabinet member for sustainability at Rushcliffe Borough Council, said: "We do have to be very careful we get it right; the last thing we want to do is cause offence. "[The preferred option] is Remembrance Way... because of course that will have memories for other people from other wars and conflicts."
A dual carriageway will be named in honour of British service personnel killed in combat, with more than 90% of people surveyed in favour of the idea.
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The US Treasury will now be able to target those attempting cyber attacks on US assets and infrastructure. Mr Obama said cyber-threats are "one of the most serious economic and national security challenges" that the US faces. The White House did not announce any new sanctions, only the authority to impose them when it deems necessary. In January, the US imposed new sanctions on North Korea in response to a cyber-attack against Sony Pictures. The new programme is the product of an executive order issued by the president on Wednesday. The authorisation gives the US Treasury Secretary - in coordination with the Attorney General and Secretary of State - the ability to sanction "individuals or entities" that pose a cyber threat to the "national security, foreign policy, or economic health or financial stability of the United States," Mr Obama said in a statement issued by the White House. Mr Obama created the new authorisations because of the "unusual and extraordinary threat" from cyber-attacks that the US faces from beyond its borders, the White House said. "Today's Executive Order allows us to expose and financially isolate those who hide in the shadows of the Internet to conduct malicious cyber activities," US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said. Officials at the White House and the Treasury Department stress that the tool will not be used to target free speech on the internet or to curtail digital innovation. They also say that this new authority will not replace traditional law enforcement responses to cyber threats. Instead, it is another tool for combating the threats when they originate from places with weak cyber security laws, or that have otherwise eluded traditional responses. Mr Obama's Special Assistant and Cyber Security Coordinator Michael Daniel said the tool is "not one that we are expecting to use every day, in most cases our diplomatic and law enforcements tools will be the ones we turn to first." US officials are particularly concerned with cyber threats originating from China and a select few other countries, that they say are capable of mounting large-scale cyber attacks. They fear that these attacks could shut down the electrical grid or other critical systems. In recent years, several major US retailers have been victims of data breaches that compromised the financial data of customers. In December, Sony Pictures was initially forced to pull its comedy The Interview from theatres after hackers released the personal data of its employees and embarrassing emails written by executives. The hackers also threatened violence at cinemas. Sony eventually decided to release the film in theatres and online. The White House blamed North Korea for the attacks on the movie studio and later imposed sanctions on the reclusive country.
US President Barack Obama has ordered the creation of a programme that would allow the government to sanction foreign hackers.
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Speaking to BBC Scotland, Mr Corbyn reaffirmed his long-standing opposition to Trident and said he would vote with the SNP at Westminster on the issue. Mr Corbyn said he would like to see jobs associated with nuclear defence in Scotland transferred to other forms of high-value engineering. The new party leader will be travelling to Scotland next week. Mr Corbyn won a decisive victory over his three rivals in the UK Labour leadership contest earlier this month, taking 59.5% of the votes cast. In his victory speech he promised to campaign in Scotland for those "great Labour traditions". Making his first in-depth comments on Scottish issues since being elected, the Labour leader acknowledged that Trident was a controversial matter and said it would be debated at the party's conference in Brighton next week. "My position on Trident has been very clear all of my life," he said. "I think Trident should go. I do not believe that it is a form of defence. I do not believe it is something that anyone in their proper mind would ever want to use, so I ask the question is it really sensible to commit such a vast proportion of our assets - £100bn over 25 years - to this when we could be spending it on developing our industrial infrastructure?" Asked if it was an issue he could work with the SNP on, Mr Corbyn said: "In the House of Commons I was chair of the CND group and one of the vice chairs is from the SNP and yes we will be voting with them on this, or they will be voting with us, whichever way you want to put it." The SNP's deputy leader Stewart Hosie said he was "very pleased, but not surprised" by Mr Corbyn's stance on Trident. "His big challenge comes in persuading his party conference that it is the right thing to do and of course his shadow cabinet, including his shadow defence secretary, who of course has previously voted for Trident renewal," Mr Hosie said. "This a welcome sign that he is prepared to stick to his own principles, and if we can work with the Labour party, if they are prepared to vote with us to remove Trident, then that would be a great result for the people of the UK." In August, Chancellor George Osborne was accused of pre-empting parliament's decision on the replacement of Trident by announcing more than £500m of contracts for the Royal Navy's submarine base at Faslane on the Clyde. Writing in the Sun newspaper then, Mr Osborne said the political consensus that Britain needed a nuclear deterrent "risks being shattered again by an unholy alliance of Labour's left-wing insurgents and the Scottish nationalists". In the BBC interview, Mr Corbyn also said his priority was to rebuild Labour support in Scotland. "I will be in Scotland next week campaigning on issues of jobs, issues of security, issues of welfare and issues that affect ordinary people in Scotland, particularly health inequalities," he said. "For the moment what we are doing is building Labour support in Scotland and it is going very well. We have recruited a lot of members to the party in Scotland."
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has said he is willing to work with the SNP to remove nuclear weapons from Scotland.
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The Newcastle-born sculptor, known for her large installations, was recently made a CBE for services to art. She will present a major solo show in the British Pavilion at what is seen as the most important contemporary art festival in the world from 13 May to 26 November 2017. Barlow said it was "an extraordinary privilege and honour". "I am astonished, thrilled and of course hugely excited. It is going to be a remarkable experience to begin to consider the work for the imposing architecture of the British pavilion. "I cannot imagine a more invigorating and wonderful challenge. The international diversity for which the Biennale is so renowned within the particular context of Venice is a unique and stimulating creative opportunity beyond my wildest dreams." The BBC's arts editor Will Gompertz called the 71-year old sculptor "an enlightened choice". Barlow's colossal sculptural projects are made of everyday household or DIY materials including plywood, cardboard, plaster, cement, fabric and paint. Her career has spanned over four decades and her work has been presented in solo exhibitions around the world. Her latest exhibition is the recently opened Artist Rooms at Tate Modern. British Council director Emma Dexter, who is chair of the Venice Biennale Selection Committee, said she was "truly delighted" at the choice. "Barlow's imposing sculptures and installations have enthralled and intrigued audiences around the globe in recent years. "Her work combines physical impressiveness with intricate and highly considered details with regard to materials and techniques, allowing questions of making and experimentation to be at the core of her work. "Barlow transforms and dynamically alters every exhibition space she encounters. I am hugely excited at the prospect of seeing what she will bring to the neo-classicism of the British Pavilion." Rickety and ramshackle, often colossal, Phyllida Barlow's sculptures are made out of what looks like frankly bric-a-brac - plywood, cardboard, plaster and cement. I'd maybe call her the Steptoe and Son of arts - a scavenger who makes sculptures that look like a village bonfire the day before fireworks night. She uses the destroyed and the discarded, the fragile and the overlooked, to make works that are often displayed in the marbled halls of the art establishment. I think she is an enlightened choice whose rag-and-bone sculptures will come to glorious life in the neoclassical British pavilion in Venice.
Sculptor Phyllida Barlow has been selected to represent Britain at the 57th Venice International Art Biennale.
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The current deferral period means that men cannot give blood within 12 months of having sex with another man. However, this will be reduced to three months under the change, ordered by Public Health Minister Aileen Campbell. LGBTI campaigners have welcomed the measure but said it does not completely eliminate "discrimination in blood donation". The change will be implemented by the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS). It follows recommendations from the UK's Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO). The new rules, which also apply to commercial sex workers and people who have sex with partners classed as high-risk, are being introduced in England as well. They are likely to come into affect in Scotland this November. Ms Campbell said: "The safety of blood supplies is paramount, and we have one of the safest supplies in the world. "After carefully examining the latest scientific evidence, SaBTO has concluded that shortening the current 12-month deferral period for men who have had sex with another man to three months since they last had sex with a man can be implemented safely. "That, along with the other changes proposed by SaBTO, will allow more people to give blood." Fears over infections being passed on through donations from gay men led to an outright ban at the height of the Aids epidemic, but that was cut to 12 months in 2011. Ms Campbell said she sympathised with the strength of feeling on the part of gay and bisexual men about the current deferral policies and said the SNBTS has been asked to look into the possibility of individualised risk assessments. Scott Cuthbertson, from LGBTI charity Equality Network, said the rule changes were a "significant step forward" and would allow more gay and bisexual men to donate blood. "We remain concerned, however, that many low risk gay and bisexual men, for example those in monogamous relationships, will still not be allowed to donate under this new policy," he said. "Crucially as part of these rule changes SNBTS have committed to explore ways in which a more personalised risk assessment could be introduced. "I'm pleased to have been asked by SNBTS to be a member of a new sub-group which will look at how an individual risk assessment, rather than a blanket deferment, could be made a reality." Changes have also been proposed for people who have undergone acupuncture, piercing, tattooing and an endoscopy - and for those with a history of non-prescribed injecting drug use. These will have to be implemented at a later date as they will require changes in UK legislation, officials said. Moira Carter, from the SNBTS, said: "We welcome the review by SaBTO and the recommendations - the updates for donor eligibility will allow more people the opportunity to give blood. "The changes take into account the latest available medical and scientific evidence about the risk of acquiring infections that can be passed on in blood, along with evidence supporting the reliability of the blood screening tests we use."
Changes making it easier for gay and bisexual men to give blood have been announced by the Scottish government.
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The RMT union said it was balloting members over a block on career progression, which it said had been imposed by London Underground. It said Night Tube drivers had been prevented from moving into vacant full-time jobs.
Drivers on the Night Tube are to be balloted over strike action as part of a long-running dispute over pay and jobs.
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No heat wave - that's for sure - but there have been plenty of showers. The result of showers will often mean pretty rainbows to look at. So how does a rainbow form? A rainbow is an arc-shaped spectrum of light caused by the reflection of sunlight in water droplets. The sun's rays hit the water droplet which reflects some of the light back. The water droplets are usually rain drops, but could also be spray from a waterfall, a fountain, or even fog. To see a rainbow, you must have the sun shining behind you and the water droplets in front of you. Sunlight is made up of a spectrum of different colours that look white when we see them all mixed together. These colours get reflected by slightly different angles inside the raindrop, so they get spread out. This is why we see the familiar colours of the rainbow which of course we all remember from school science classes ROYGBIV - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Sometimes we can see a second, larger, rainbow outside the main one. This is called a secondary rainbow. It is formed by rays of light that are reflected inside the raindrop twice. If you look carefully, you will see that the extra reflection means that the colours in the secondary rainbow are in the opposite order to the first, or primary, rainbow. The secondary rainbow is also less bright because the light is being spread over a larger area of the sky. Although quite rare, it is possible to see a rainbow at night. If the moon is shining brightly enough, light can be reflected through water droplets in the same way that a rainbow is created. As the moon is much less bright than the sun, moon bows are much fainter than day-time rainbows.
It's the last day of summer and what a summer it has been.
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The remains of L/Cpl Donald Noble and Pte Harold Lewis were discovered in 2013 during excavation works. The men belonged to the Wiltshire Regiment and were killed in October 1944. Former soldiers from the regiment attended the ceremony in which the men were given full military honours. Pallbearers from 5th Battalion The Rifles carried the coffins, and the service was delivered by Father Philip Smith of The Rifles Regiment. Ministry of Defence Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC) experts were unable to trace any surviving members of the Noble or Lewis families before the service. Louise Dorr, from the JCCC said: "Today has brought a mixture of joy and sadness; happiness that we have now been able to name these two brave soldiers and lay them to rest with dignity and honour, but sadness that they died so young and have no family here to share this occasion." Donald Noble was born on 22 March 1923. He joined the army straight from school, aged 16. He served in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, the Royal Berkshire Regiment and the Wiltshire Regiment, and was 21-years-old when he died. Harold Lewis was born on 30 March 1925. He joined the General Service Corps in 1943, aged 18 and subsequently served in the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshires and the Somerset Light Infantry before he transferred to the Wiltshire Regiment. He was aged just 19-years-old when he lost his life.
Two World War Two soldiers who were killed in action in the Netherlands more than 70 years ago have been laid to rest at a military cemetery.
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Clubs agreed to the decision on Thursday and it will be presented at the EFL annual general meeting in June. The Premier League started using Hawk-Eye technology in 2013 and it is already used in the play-offs. "This decision is about providing officials with as much support as possible," EFL chief executive Shaun Harvey said. The system notifies the referee if the ball has crossed the goalline via a vibration and optical signal sent to the officials' watches within one second. Goalline technology is currently used in the Premier League, Serie A, Ligue 1, the Champions League, the World Cup and the European Championship. Queens Park Rangers boss Ian Holloway called for the Championship to start using the technology after his side were denied a goal at Blackburn earlier this month when replays showed the ball had crossed the line. The R's went on to lose the match 1-0.
Championship clubs have agreed "in principle" to use goalline technology from the start of next season.
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The ENO is shortlisted in the opera and music theatre category. It comes after the ENO was placed under "special funding arrangements" by Arts Council England. In other categories, there are double nods for the Oxford Lieder Festival, the Royal Opera House and the Arditti Quartet, in its 40th anniversary year. The winners will be announced at a ceremony in London on May. Competing with the ENO in the opera and music theatre category is the Royal Opera House's production of Strauss's Die Frau ohne Schatten and John Metcalf's opera based on Dylan Thomas's radio play Under Milk Wood. In February, Arts Council England said the ENO must improve its business model or face funding cuts. It had already cut the ENO's funding by 29%, which prompted some of world's most prestigious opera companies to sign a public letter condemning the cuts. There is a strong showing in the RPS awards for younger artists with all the solo instrumentalists and three quarters of the conductors nominated being under 40. Percussionist Colin Currie, violist James Ehnes and violinist Lawrence Power are competing in the instrumentalist category. While in the conductor category John Eliot Gardiner, Andri Nelsons and Vasily Petrenko are nominated. In the singer category Swedish soprano Nina Stemme is up against English tenor Mark Padmore and German baritone Christian Gerhaher. A programme dedicated to the awards will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on 11 May at 19:30 BST. Audiences and Engagement Chamber Music and Song Chamber-Scale Composition Concert Series and Festivals Conductor Creative Communication Ensemble Instrumentalist Large-Scale Composition Learning and Participation Opera and Music Theatre Singer Young Artists
The English National Opera (ENO) is among the nominees for this year's Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) awards.
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Pte Cheryl James, 18, was found dead with a bullet wound to the head in 1995. She was one of four recruits to die at the base in seven years. Coroner Brian Barker QC said the wound was "self-inflicted" and Pte James fired the gun intentionally. Her father said the family did not believe evidence led to verdict. Des James said they were "deeply saddened" by the conclusions of the inquest. "The evidence has revealed serious and profound failures in the care and supervision that ought to have been provided to her, and to all of the other young people who joined the British army with her," he said. "Deepcut was a toxic and horrible environment for a young woman and we have no doubt that this would have had a terrible impact on those that were required to live there." Brig John Donnelly said the army was "truly sorry" for the low levels of supervision that provided for the trainees at Deepcut in 1995, and for using trainees for guard duties. "The army has made many profound changes since 1995, which the coroner has acknowledged, but we do recognise that change is a continuous process," he said. Pte James, from north Wales, had been carrying out lone guard duty at the barracks when she was found dead, something the coroner said was contrary to army policy. The risk of self-harm to trainees during lone armed guard duty had not been adequately recognised, nor had adequate steps been taken to reduce the risk, he added. Mr Barker said Pte James had a "short, shining life" and had left a legacy of a complete re-evaluation of how the army trains its soldiers. The coroner said Pte James had a "preoccupation with death" and would sometimes talk to her friends about what guests she would want at her funeral. He said she was disillusioned with the army and had a troubled adolescence, which included taking an overdose. Mr Barker praised Pte James's parents, Des and Doreen, for fighting to discover the truth behind their daughter's death. "We have explored as best we can what could be unearthed at this late stage within the legal constraints I am bound by," he said. "Clear answers as to why are just not there to be seen." Earlier the coroner said there was a "sexualised" atmosphere at the barracks in Surrey. Mr Barker said there were far too few officers to train and look after the young squaddies, who were left bored and indisciplined. The malevolent culture at Deepcut Barracks Who was Pte Cheryl James? Follow the latest live updates "While some intermittent training was provided, there were too few permanent staff to deliver it and put into place a structured regime to occupy and meet a duty of care to those young men and women." Given the "dearth" of a structured life, he said it was "unsurprising that trainees turned to each other for stimulation". He also found that there was evidence of inappropriate sexual relationships between commanding officers or instructors and trainees. Pte James was in relationships with two men at the time of her death - Royal Engineer Simeon Carr-Minns and another soldier Paul Wilkinson. On the day of her death, Pte Wilkinson went to see Pte James while she was on guard duty to give her an "ultimatum" to choose between them. The inquest heard Pte James told him she wanted to be with him and he left believing she was fine. The coroner ruled that he did not consider Pte Wilkinson a suspect in Pte James's death. The inquest heard that non-commissioned officers (NCOs) meted out guard duty to trainees as punishment, which was also against army rules. The coroner also attacked the "haphazard" and "insufficient" provision of welfare support at Deepcut and criticised the lack of female officers. The inquest heard Pte James had mixed feelings about being in the Army and spoke about leaving. Five months before her death, Pte Sean Benton, from Hastings in Sussex, died from a gunshot wound at the barracks. Pte James chatted to a friend about this and said it would be "really easy to shoot yourself". On another occasion, she told an electrician that the only way to get out of the Army would be to "put a gun to your head", but those with her took this as a joke. Mr Barker said it was regrettable there had not been a more thorough investigation at the time of Pte James's death, adding the inquest had been "a long and a difficult exercise". Paramedics, civilian and military police and investigators were called to the scene, but Mr Barker said that almost from the outset it was assumed that Pte James had died from a self-inflicted injury. "Although some steps were taken to limit disturbance at the scene, it was not treated as a scene of crime might be. It was not preserved," said Mr Barker. The inquest also heard that the post-mortem could have been more thorough and that the bullet fragments were disposed of. The inquest, which is the second into Pte James's death, began in February and heard from more than 100 witnesses. A first inquest into Pte James's death in December 1995 recorded an open verdict which was quashed by the High Court. The mother of another soldier who died, Pte Geoff Gray, said she was also applying for the open verdict on her own son's death to be overturned. Pte Gray, from Seaham, County Durham, was 17 when he was found dead from two gunshot wounds at the base in September 2001. Det Sup Adam Hibbert of Surrey Police said the force "has long accepted mistakes were made during the initial investigation", and reiterated an apology to the family. He added: "The evidence has now been thoroughly examined and our thoughts are with the family and friends of Miss James as they reflect on the coroner's verdict." 20-year-old Pte Sean Benton, from Hastings, was the first to be found dead in June 1995 18-year-old Pte Cheryl James, from Llangollen was found with a bullet wound to her forehead in November 1995 17-year-old Pte Geoff Gray, from Seaham, was found with two gunshot wounds to his head in 2001 17-year-old Pte James Collinson, from Perth, was found with a single gunshot wound through his chin while on guard duty in 2002 Who were the Deepcut four? Background to the deaths and timeline of events.
The death of an army recruit from a gunshot wound to the head at Deepcut barracks was suicide, a coroner has ruled.
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Media playback is not supported on this device Along with key defender Ben Davies, Ramsey is suspended for the historic semi-final after being booked for handball in the 3-1 win over Belgium. "It was a sort of natural reaction and I knew straight away it was a yellow," said the 25-year-old midfielder. "I'm really gutted. I'm confident in the players we have to step in and get us to the final." Ramsey made two of Wales' goals as part of a sparkling individual display that helped them reach the last four of a major tournament for the first time. The influential Arsenal player now has four assists in five games in France, the joint-highest in the finals along with Belgium forward Eden Hazard. Ramsey, whose other booking came in stoppage-time during the last-16 win over Northern Ireland, added: "It was up there with the best performances of my career, especially on the stage that it was. "I wanted to stand up and be counted, so I am delighted I was able to help my team and grab a couple of assists that meant we won quite comfortably in the end. "Now we have to beat Portugal. I am sure it will sink in before then that I will not be playing - but I will be right behind my team, cheering them on and kicking every ball. I will be right in the mix of it, so hopefully they can do it." Davies, who plays on the left-hand side of three centre-backs, will also miss the biggest night in Welsh football history after his caution for a first-half foul on Kevin de Bruyne. Like Ramsey, the Tottenham defender has played in every Wales game in France, but is suspended after picking up two bookings - his other came for a foul on Adam Lallana during the 2-1 defeat by England in the group stage. West Ham's James Collins is likely to replace Davies against Portugal, while Jonny Williams could come into midfield for Ramsey. "Obviously it is a blow because Ben and Aaron have started every game for us," said fellow defender James Chester. "Aaron has undoubtedly got amazing ability, but the amount of work he puts in sometimes gets overlooked, while I think Ben has been our stand-out defender in the tournament. "The biggest thing we have in our squad now is strength in depth and players who are playing at the top level - so hopefully it will not hamper us too much." Media playback is not supported on this device Other Wales players talked about how emotional the dressing room was after the Belgium game, and manager Chris Coleman spoke of his sympathy for the suspended duo. When he stopped to face the media in the early hours of Saturday, Ramsey was clearly torn between immense pride at his part in a memorable victory and the knowledge he will only feature again at Euro 2016 if Wales reach the final at Paris' Stade de France on 10 July. "It was a very special night for us," Ramsey added. "We have a great team, great staff and great fans - and when you have the right balance then special nights like this can happen. "Of course everyone is ready to step in for myself and Ben. Everyone wants to achieve something special for each other. We are a team and we showed it against Belgium. "The fact it is Gareth Bale versus [Real Madrid team-mate] Cristiano Ronaldo on Wednesday is going to be mentioned - but Gareth will tell you himself that it is not about that. "It is about this team showing what we are capable of doing and getting to the final."
Wales' Aaron Ramsey says his team can beat Portugal without him on Wednesday and reach the Euro 2016 final.
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Swimmers have been warned by Brighton and Hove City Council to stay away from the sea over the winter. The beach around Brighton Pier will be closed in a bid to stop swimmers entering the water on Christmas Day, the council said. Chris Ingall said inexperienced swimmers entering the water were "an accident waiting to happen". Mr Ingall, the seafront manager, said: "Sea swimming takes skill, stamina and knowledge of the physical dangers and should only be for the very experienced, using suitable wetsuits, in very calm conditions. "The combination of the amount of people and their inexperience, and some of the drinking as well, it's an accident waiting to happen, and accidents have happened." Brighton Swimming Club has been organising the swim on 25 December since 1860. Dozens normally take part in the event in the English Channel at 11:00 GMT near Brighton Pier. Fiona Southwell, from the club, said those entering the water were risking their lives. She said: "Those people jumping in on Christmas morning are totally unaware of the environment they're jumping into, as well as the sea temperature."
Brighton Swimming Club has cancelled its annual Christmas Day swim over safety fears.
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Police are investigating the activities of the Military Reaction Force (MRF), an undercover Army unit. They are looking at 18 shooting incidents, two of them fatal. Det Ch Insp Peter Montgomery said a witness had given the investigation team significant new information. As a result, he said, there is a new line of inquiry. Earlier, detectives appealed for information about 18 shooting incidents that took place in Belfast between April and September 1972. Two years ago, the BBC's Panorama programme broadcast claims by former MRF soldiers that their unit had killed unarmed people while hunting "the IRA". They claimed MRF actions "saved lives". However, seven months after their interviews were broadcast, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said it had begun an investigation into the allegations. The inquiry is being carried by detectives from the PSNI's Legacy Investigation Branch, a special police unit that investigates historical cases, many of them killings that took place during the Troubles. The incidents under investigation are: In total, 17 people were injured, two of whom died. More than half of those who were shot were teenagers, the youngest person to be wounded was a 15-year-old boy. Earlier, Det Ch Insp Montgomery, said: "We are looking at these incidents as part of an overall investigation into the activities of the Military Reaction Force at the time. "We know these events took place a long time ago and we know they took place during one of the worst years of the Troubles when many shootings occurred but we believe there are people out there who can help us progress this investigation and we are appealing to them to contact us." The MRF was a small, secretive unit within the Army and consisted of about 40 undercover soldiers who patrolled west Belfast in unmarked cars. It operated for about 18 months before it was disbanded in 1973.
The detective leading an investigation into allegations that undercover soldiers shot unarmed civilians in Belfast in the 1970s has said there has been a potential breakthrough.
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Spain international Llorente scored twice and Icelander Sigurdsson claimed the winner as they beat Liverpool 3-2. Both have been linked with other clubs, but say they are not looking to move. "I'm really happy here and I only want to play and score more goals," Llorente commented, while Sigurdsson said he paid no attention to media speculation about his future. Asked if he would still be at Swansea after the January transfer window, Iceland international Sigurdsson said: "Yeah, unless something unbelievable changes which is not down to me. "Of course I'm really happy here and I don't want to get relegated so I'll do my best to help the team. "There's things written in the papers but I don't pay too much attention to it if I'm going or staying. As long as I'm here I'll do my best for the team and that's what I've always tried to do." Swansea's first ever win at Anfield lifted them out of the Premier League relegation zone, having started the day bottom of the table. It was the team's first victory since head coach Paul Clement took over on 3 January following the sacking of Bob Bradley. Llorente has scored eight Premier League goals since joining Swansea in the summer of 2016 - with seven of those coming in his past 11 appearances. He had been linked with league leaders Chelsea, having played under Blues boss Antonio Conte at Juventus. Sigurdsson has contributed seven goals from midfield this season and has previously been linked with Everton, though it is not thought the Toffees are bidding for him in the current transfer window. "At the moment I'm just here to do my job and that's to help the team to win games, and that's all I've been doing for the last few months," added Sigurdsson.
Swansea City's goalscorers at Anfield Gylfi Sigurdsson and Fernando Llorente say they expect to stay at the club.
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He won 50.07% of the vote, officials said, narrowly avoiding a run-off. But his main challenger, Raila Odinga, alleged massive fraud and said he would challenge the results of the "tainted election" in the Supreme Court. Mr Kenyatta is set to face trial at the International Criminal Court over violence that followed the 2007 polls. By Karen AllenBBC News, Kibera, Nairobi Kibera slum is not normally considered friendly turf for Uhuru Kenyatta. Yet residents remained calm after the election of Kenya's richest man as their next leader. People are placing their faith in the new constitution and recent judicial reforms. Raila Odinga is challenging the results in the Supreme Court and people say they will wait for the legal process to run its course. Some point to the reforms as a reason for the relative calm compared with five years ago, when Kibera was a flashpoint. "Our behaviour is being shaped by the new constitution," said Steve, a Kibera resident. But there are worries about the future. Many hope Mr Kenyatta will uphold the new constitution and continue to co-operate with the International Criminal Court, where he is fighting charges of crimes against humanity. While the mantra across Kenya is "amani" (peace), some campaigners are warning against a "peace coma" - a failure to address past injustices which would prevent Kenya from moving on. He is accused of fuelling the communal violence that saw more than 1,000 people killed and 600,000 forced from their homes. After the results were announced, Mr Kenyatta told cheering supporters he would serve all Kenyans "without fear or favour". Speaking at the Catholic University in Nairobi, he called on Mr Odinga and other leaders to "join us in moving our nation forward." Earlier, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) said the latest elections had been complex, but also credible and transparent. It said the turnout, at 86%, was the largest ever IEBC chairman Issack Hassan praised the candidates who had already conceded victory and urged others to follow suit. However, Mr Odinga, the current prime minister, said the electoral commission had "failed Kenyans" and that democracy itself was "on trial". But after announcing his Supreme Court challenge, he also appealed for calm, saying: "Any violence could destroy this nation forever." Profile: Uhuru Kenyatta The BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse in Nairobi says this was the tightest of races with the narrowest of margins. He says that how Mr Odinga now handles his supporters will determine whether his dispute stays in the courts or spills out on the streets. Mr Kenyatta's Jubilee Coalition party said it was "proud and honoured for the trust" bestowed on it, adding that it had taken a message to the people and that "we are grateful to the people of Kenya for accepting this message". Early on Saturday, small groups of Kenyatta supporters celebrated in Nairobi, hooting car horns and singing. But the newly confirmed president could face difficult relations with Western countries. In July, he is due to go on trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague for alleged crimes against humanity. Mr Kenyatta's running mate, William Ruto, also faces similar charges. Both men deny the accusations. In his victory speech, Mr Kenyatta restated his promise to co-operate "with all nations and international institutions". The ICC has agreed to postpone Mr Ruto's trial by a month until May after his lawyers complained of not having enough time to prepare his defence. Countries including the US and UK have hinted that Mr Kenyatta's election as president would have consequences for their relations with Kenya. The comments have been dismissed in Nairobi as foreign interference. A new electronic system for transmitting vote results was designed to eliminate the risk of fraud, and thus avoid a repeat of the post-poll violence of 2007. But the count has been plagued with technical glitches, including a programming error that led to the number of rejected votes being multiplied by a factor of eight. Mr Odinga's Cord alliance had earlier complained that votes from 11 constituencies were missing, in effect leaving him more than 250,000 votes short.
Kenya's Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta has been confirmed as the winner of the presidential election, and vowed to work with his rivals.
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The 26-year-old joined the Cherries from non-league Woking in June 2010 and has been part of two promotions. He made 21 appearances in the top flight last season and was unfortunate to be ruled out of the Republic of Ireland's Euro 2016 squad with injury. Arter follows team-mates Adam Federici, Adam Smith and Steve Cook in signing new deals at Bournemouth.
Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter has agreed a new three-year contract with the Premier League club.
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The 20-year-old is yet to make his debut for the Owls, but played four times on loan at Bury last season. "I'm really excited about this new challenge. This is the next step for my career," he told the club website. "Coming somewhere like here is what I need in order to improve and show what I can do." Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here.
League Two side Accrington Stanley have signed Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Sean Clare on loan until the end of the season.
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We also use our phones for dating, booking restaurants or playing games. But how much can technology and apps help to improve people's health? That question is being posed at a seminar in Belfast involving health and IT experts from EU cities, including Belfast. They are all part of the World Health Organisation Network. Those involved believe technology can be the driving force behind tackling some serious health problems, like Alzheimer's. It is thought that a new smartphone app, developed by scientists at Ulster University in collaboration with Utah State University in the US, could hold the key to preventing the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Unveiled last year at the world's largest convention for Alzheimer's research in Washington DC, the Gray Matters smartphone app encourages individuals to set lifestyle goals in areas like exercise and nutrition to stress management and brain stimulation - all of which are known to have an impact on the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease. The event is expected to tackle health inequalities across the cities. Joan Devlin is from Belfast Healthy Cities. "This seminar is all about sharing knowledge, ideas and experience. "Digital technology can play a very positive role in making the delivery of healthcare more efficient and user friendly," she said. Also up for discussion is an app to help junior doctors hone their skills in reading X-rays. Dr Tom Lynch, head of Nuclear Medicine, Belfast Health & Social Care Trust, launched Experior two years ago, an app developed with local IT company Salt DNA. Experior helps junior doctors hone their skills in reading X-rays and the platform is proving to be a hit with medics here and across the UK. Speaking ahead of the event, Dr Lynch told the BBC that the app was now on the international medical map. "The application trails a doctor's inputs and tailors training to meet their specific needs," he said. "Since launching in 2014, the platform is now being trialled, not only in Northern Ireland, but in trusts in Great Britain too and in fact there is interest in using the same technology in other medical disciplines including obstetrics and gynaecology." Northern Ireland is slowly getting to grips with e-health and telemedicine. An e-health expert from Finland is expected to advise the local health industry that innovation technology in his home is revolutionising how health is being delivered, particularly through life course approaches. While local IT experts hope to learn from their colleagues in Finland and Wales, it is hoped visitors will pick up a thing or two from Northern Ireland innovators as well.
Lots of us are familiar with music apps.
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The Grade A-listed art nouveau Mackintosh building was badly damaged in the blaze on 23 May. The majority of the paper artworks in the library, including 100 by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, were unharmed. Two of his oil paintings were among 90 works by artists including Newbery and Joan Eardley that were lost. The art school confirmed that the majority of intricate pieces that made up the library's central light fitting had been found. The three-month sifting operation also recovered parts of the original library chairs and periodicals desk. About 8,000 rare books and journals were destroyed when flames engulfed the library. However, the bulk of the rare book collection is housed in another building and was undamaged. All of the salvaged material will now be carefully stored and reviewed by expert conservators as part of a recovery programme over the next three years. An investigation by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service concluded the blaze was caused by flammable gases from a canister of expanding foam. The report, released in November, said the gases ignited as they came into contact with the hot surface of a projector in Studio 19. Glasgow School of Art is continuing with efforts to raise £20m towards the eventual cost of restoring the Mackintosh building and its contents.
An inventory of items which survived last year's fire at Glasgow School of Art has been produced following work by a team of forensic archaeologists.
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Well spare a thought for Mpumalanga batter Shania-Lee Swart, who was the only player to score a run as she hit 160 from 86 balls in a 42-run victory over Easterns during Cricket South Africa's Under-19s week in Pretoria on Monday. Swart's remarkable innings included 18 fours and 12 sixes. Eight of her team-mates came and went for a grand total of no runs as her side racked up 169-8 in 20 overs. (The other nine runs were extras.) Easterns bowler Tumi Sekukune took an impressive five wickets for 15 runs - but it wasn't enough to overcome 'Team Swart'. For good measure, Swart then chipped in with 2-21 as Eastern were restricted for 127-6 in reply.
Have you ever played in one those games where you wonder why the rest of your team-mates bothered turning up at all?
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Russian Tatyana Chernova has been stripped of the heptathlon bronze she won at Beijing in 2008 after testing positive for a steroid. Sotherton won heptathlon bronze in 2004 and had already been moved to third in the Beijing 4x400m relay after Belarus and Russia's disqualification. She was fifth in the 2008 heptathlon. However, the 40-year-old has now climbed to third after the previously announced doping ban of Ukrainian Lyudmila Blonska and now Chernova. Sotherton retired five years ago after failing to recover from a back problem in time to qualify for the heptathlon at London 2012. After finding out she was to become a three-time Olympic medallist, Sotherton posted an emotional video on social media showing her reaction. "Yes I had tears. Happy ones this time," she said. Sotherton's compatriot, Jessica Ennis-Hill, belatedly won the 2011 World heptathlon title last year when Chernova was similarly stripped of gold for doping. Former UK Athletics performance director Dave Collins, who oversaw the 2008 Games, said that British athletes receiving their medals was an "essential step for the sport". Collins' contract was not renewed after Britain fell one short of their medal target in Beijing. "It's great to see but clearly it's a disappointment they didn't get their day in the sun," he said. "It's great to see the teams getting recognition late, because it's better late than never. But by gosh, it would have been a lot better at the time."
Britain's Kelly Sotherton is set to be upgraded to an Olympic bronze medal for the second time in five months after retrospective drug tests.
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Also added to Historic England's latest Heritage at Risk Register are Brighton Old Town and a church dubbed "the birthplace of feminism". The sites are considered to be at risk of being lost through neglect or decay. But Historic England said there are fewer entries on the register than last year. Sites including the Grade-I listed grounds at Castle Howard in North Yorkshire and the world's oldest "pub music hall", Wilton's Music Hall in London, have come off the register after being restored and saved. See more historic and quirky buildings on BBC England's Pinterest board Experts warned that the gap between the cost of repairs and the value of restored properties was growing, driven partly by a skills shortage and a lack of scaffolding in some areas which pushed up costs. Duncan Wilson, chief executive of the government heritage agency, said "thousands of historic sites" were at risk of being lost across the country. "Many lie decaying and neglected and the gap between the cost of repair and their end value is growing," he said. "The good news is this year there are fewer entries on the Heritage at Risk Register than last year. "But as some places are rescued, others fall into disrepair." London Zoo's aviary, designed by Lord Snowdon and built in 1965, is in need of repair but has secured Heritage Lottery funding to turn it into a new space for animals and visitors. A 16th Century shipwreck in Dunwich, Suffolk, thought to be that of an armed merchant vessel, has been added to the list after a bronze gun was stolen from the site.
A 16th Century shipwreck and London Zoo's aviary are among English heritage sites now considered to be at risk.
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The fly-half suffered a head injury in Leinster's Champions Cup defeat by Wasps on Saturday but has joined up with the Ireland squad at Carton House. Sexton, 30, has passed two of the three return-to-play protocols and is set to complete the third on Tuesday. Leinster prop Marty Moore has been ruled out of the Six Nations after sustaining a grade 2 hamstring tear. The front row limped out of the fray against Wasps at the Ricoh Arena just after the hour mark and will be out of action for six to eight weeks. With first-choice prop Mike Ross in a fitness battle and likely to miss the start of the tournament due to his own hamstring injury, Connacht's Finlay Bealham has been drafted in as cover. Ross and Cian Healy are being monitored by the Leinster medical staff, but are thought to be a couple of weeks away from a return. Robbie Henshaw suffered no ill-effects after starring for Connacht at the weekend, the centre having not played since breaking his hand in November. Sexton was forced to come off after eight minutes of Leinster's record 51-10 reverse at the hands of quarter-finalists Wasps after a clash of heads with former Leinster team-mate Brendan Macken. He subsequently passed two head injury assessments. The ex-Racing Metro number 10 is regarded as a pivotal figure in the Ireland team as they attempt to win a third consecutive Six Nations crown. They begin their campaign against Wales in Dublin on 7 February. Sexton missed Ireland's Six Nations opener against Italy last year after being stood down from all rugby for 12 weeks after a series of concussions in a short space of time. His World Cup campaign was cut short with an adductor muscle injury sustained in the pool win over France, which led him to miss the quarter-final defeat by Argentina.
Jonathan Sexton's prospects of being fit for Ireland's Six Nations opener against Wales appear to have improved.
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The 28-year-old Israel international, who is recovering from surgery on an ankle injury, will remain at the Amex Stadium until the summer of 2019. Kayal has scored three goals in 72 appearances for the Seagulls since joining from Celtic in January 2015. "It is important to us that we keep hold of our key players," Albion boss Chris Hughton said.
Brighton midfielder Beram Kayal has signed a new two-and-a-half-year contract with the Championship club.
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The 24-year-old scored 12 goals in 38 appearances as Metz won promotion back to the French top flight last season. "It is a club with great history and tradition and I am excited about coming to play here," he told the club website. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's side start their Championship campaign against Leeds on Sunday. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.
Queens Park Rangers have signed French forward Yeni Ngbakoto from Metz for an undisclosed fee.
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About 300,000 passengers usually travel on 2,242 Southern services every weekday. Many people have been forced to stay at home but some have tried to find alternative routes into work. Frustrated by the continuing disruption, four passengers agreed to video blog their mornings. 'Thank you very much Southern' Phil Horton, 37, is from Caterham in Surrey. He works as a teacher in south London. Phil decided to drive through hours of traffic. 'Mobility scooter across London' Cori Burns, 63, is a singer, songwriter and a mobility scooter user. She was travelling to Nottingham but couldn't take her normal route to Kings Cross and had to drive her scooter across London. 'Need a coffee' John normally travels from Reigate, in Surrey, to work in central London. He has had to drive for half an hour to find another rail service. 'Six hour journey last night' Doug Craib works for a small record label in Camden, north London. He normally travels in from Hove, on the Sussex coast, but has decided to try to work from home.
Rail passengers are facing travel chaos as striking train drivers have caused the Southern network to stop all services.
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The 22-year-old Scot won the first game against Pai Yu-Po but her Taipei opponent came back to win 18-21 21-15 21-15. Gilmour is the clear leader in the race for the women's singles place in the GB squad for Rio 2016. England number one Rajiv Ouseph lost 21-19 21-12 to South Korea's Lee Hyun-il in the men's final. Commonwealth silver medallist Gilmour was runner-up at November's Scottish Open in Glasgow. Gilmour, who enjoyed a successful autumn with wins at the Prague Open and a first Grand Prix title at the Dutch Open, will now aim to end the year on a high when she moves on to this week's Mexico City Grand Prix, where she is eighth seed.
Kirsty Gilmour lost her second Grand Prix final in three weeks, coming up short in Orange County, California.
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About 20 firefighters tackled the blaze on Piccadilly, which started at 22:55 BST on Wednesday. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said nearby buildings were evacuated but there were no injuries or arrests. It comes as figures reveal the number of pavement explosions have increased from 49 in 2013 to 64 so far this year. In 2011, there were nine pavement explosions, but this more than tripled to 31 in 2012, according to figures obtained by BBC London from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). A spokesman for UK Power Networks said it was carrying out an investigation into "a fire from a cable pit". Restaurant manager Georgina Pectu, who saw the blaze on Wednesday night, said: "It was very, very scary because we could hear the explosion down there and we were afraid that any moment there could be a big huge explosion." In February, 50 people were evacuated from Caledonian Road, Islington, north London, after a pavement burst into flames. In April last year, a pavement exploded on Pimlico Road, in central London, narrowly missing a passer-by standing just yards away. In 2012, a woman was injured in Shepherd's Bush, west London, when an explosion in a manhole knocked her off her bicycle. The HSE said it has told the company which delivers electricity through London to do more to protect people. John Steed, the principal specialist inspector for the HSE, said: "We called UK Power Network directors in and we've had a couple of meetings for them and we made it very clear that it's up to them to manage their assets a lot better and to carry out more inspections. "As a result of that, they have got a couple of dedicated teams working in London on these link boxes and inspecting them." The company has to check all 100,000 electrical link boxes under the capital's pavements. UK Power Networks says it is investing £10m a year for the next eight years and that the safety of Londoners of its top priority.
A street in central London was closed for several hours after a manhole explosion set a lorry on fire near Fortnum and Mason department store.
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