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33064119 | In 2014-15, 2,868 fixed penalty notices were issued in England and Wales - down from 3,521 in the previous 12 months.
According to the figures there were 73,824 complaints about dog mess in 2014-15 - but 103 councils did not issue any fixed penalties.
The government said it was working with councils to find "local solutions".
Fixed penalty notices can be issued by people, including council officers, to anyone who fails to clean up dog mess on certain land where the public have access.
The cost of the penalty varies in different local authorities but it is usually about £75.
The BBC asked the 348 local authorities in England and Wales which deal with dog fouling about fixed penalty notices. The figures come from the 302 authorities which responded.
Of those, 103 did not issue any fixed penalty notices in 2014-15, and 48 had not issued any in the last five years.
These included Bexley, Swindon, Bournemouth, East Hertfordshire and Merton councils, which between them received almost 8,000 public complaints about fouling from 2010-15.
Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council issued the most fixed penalties last year - 187 - and Liverpool City Council issued the most over five years - 972.
Sheffield City Council, which did not issue any fixed penalties for dog fouling in 2014-15 and only handed out seven in the previous four years, said: "We do appreciate that dog mess is an issue in Sheffield, as it is in every city.
"However, we need evidence if we are going to issue fines.
"In these times of austerity we simply do not have staff available to patrol Sheffield's parks around the clock, waiting for an offence to be committed.
"If a person is alleged to have allowed their dog to foul and not cleaned up, we will contact that person and give advice."
The council said it was running a "social experiment" on how to reduce dog fouling, and successful schemes were being implemented across the city.
In Daventry, Northamptonshire, the council is consulting residents on a new system under which any dog walker found without a bag to collect waste could be fined £100.
The Department for Communities and Local Government said environmental crime, including dog fouling, "blights communities and poses a risk to human health".
"That's why in the last government we organised the huge Community Clear Up Day across the country, and why this government will continue to work with councils and partner organisations to help find local solutions to littering," it said.
Refusal to pay a fixed penalty notice for dog fouling in England and Wales can lead to an appearance at a magistrates' court and a fine of up to £1,000.
The BBC Radio 5 live figures only cover England and Wales, but similar rules on dog fouling exist in Scotland and Northern Ireland. | The number of people fined for failing to pick up their dog's poo fell by almost 20% last year, according to figures obtained by BBC Radio 5 live. |
37223063 | Among 10 to 15-year-old girls, the charity's report says 14% are unhappy with their lives as a whole, and 34% with their appearance.
Researchers were told of girls feeling ugly or worthless.
The figures for England, Wales and Scotland for 2013-14 represent a sharp rise in unhappiness on five years before.
By contrast the study found that boys' sense of happiness remained stable.
The charity's annual Good Childhood Report, now in its 11th year, draws its findings on teenagers' happiness from the Understanding Society Survey which gathers data on 40,000 households across the UK.
Children's Society and University of York researchers examined responses on the wellbeing of 10 to 15-year-olds.
They found that between 2009-10 and 2013-14 on average 11% of both boys and girls said they were unhappy.
But the latest available figures, for 2013-14, showed the proportion of girls saying they were unhappy had risen to 14%.
It follows research recently published by the Department for Education which showed the mental well-being of teenage girls in England has worsened, compared with their counterparts in 2005.
The study highlighted the growing pressure of social media and suggested that a tough economic climate had created a more "serious" generation of young people.
Lucy Capron from the Children's Society told BBC Radio 5 Live: "This isn't something which can be explained away by hormones or just the natural course of growing up, actually this is something that we need to take seriously and we need to address."
The proportion of girls reporting being worried about their looks rose from 30% for the period as a whole, to 34% in the year 2013-14 - while the proportion of boys unhappy with their appearance remained unchanged at 20%.
Three girls tell BBC Radio 5 Live how they feel.
Megan, 12, said: "The only time that I'm not happy is if people are judging me or being mean and things like that. With people at school, they post things [on social media] and they try and make everyone think that they are perfect.
"Sometimes it makes me feel - not annoyed - but I don't want to look at it any more because they just do it all the time and it gets on your nerves."
Natalia, 15, said: "Everywhere you look it's like, celebrities: thin, blonde or - perfect teeth, perfect hair, perfect eyes, perfect eyebrows. And it's just crazy and I just feel like I should look like that - even though I know it's all like fake, or a lot of it is anyway.
"I have these days when I'm like, I don't care what people think but then somebody will say something and it will just hit me again and I'll feel worse but I don't know, it's hard to explain why it bothers me so much sometimes."
Caitlyn, 12, said: "I am happy most of the time, but then when it comes to my friends going: 'Ah I look really beautiful in this outfit' and everything, I just feel like, no, I can't do that - I can't pull it off.
"When I'm obviously looking through my Facebook and looking at some of the posts, all you can see is pictures of celebrities and my friends looking beautiful in selfies and everything, and then there's just me, like, I can't get away from any of it."
How do you help young girls feel happier?
While teenage angst is nothing new, Ms Capron said: "What's new and what the Children's Society have unveiled is the scale of the problem - particularly the fact that the gap between boys and girls is getting wider and that's something that we should be worried about."
The reasons for the deteriorating picture for girls are not clear says the charity - but the report finds that emotional bullying, such as name-calling, is twice as common as physical bullying among boys.
The report also suggests that girls are more likely to spend extended periods on social media which has been linked to a higher risk of mental ill health.
Ms Capron said relationships, and the way they are played out on social media, are big drivers in a young person's life.
"Some other research has shown that girls are spending a lot more time on social media - up to three hours a night in some cases - and we need to make sure that's done in a safe way," she said.
In another study, childcare professionals have published evidence that children could be worrying about being fat or ugly at a younger age, with girls particularly affected.
The Professional Association of Childcare and Early Years says staff have noticed children as young as three being worried about their appearance.
Overall, nursery staff, childminders and nannies looking after under-10s in England, reported hearing children:
The risk is that these views could prompt eating disturbances and depression later in life, according to Middlesex University child development lecturer, Dr Jacqueline Harding.
She suggested that media images and adults chatting about diets could lead to negative body images in children.
Parents can help boost body confidence, for example by praising children for acts of kindness rather than for their looks, she advised.
The association is calling for more support and government guidance on these issues. | Girls in Britain are becoming more miserable, suggests the Children's Society's annual report. |
29655099 | He added that such people had "sworn personal allegiance" to Islamic State (IS) and therefore could potentially have committed the offence.
The last UK prosecution for treason was in 1946, when William Joyce was hanged for Nazi propaganda broadcasts.
Committing the offence involves being disloyal to the Crown.
Mr Hammond revealed that UK jihadists could be tried for treason when he was asked a question in the House of Commons by Conservative backbencher Philip Hollobone.
Mr Hollobone said: "Their [UK jihadists'] actions are treachery against Her Majesty, and aiding and abetting enemies of Her Majesty is one of the greatest offences a British citizen can commit."
Mr Hammond replied that there were "a number of offences under English law with which returning foreign fighters can be charged".
He added: "We have had a discussion about the allegiance question. We have seen people declaring that they have sworn personal allegiance to the so-called Islamic State.
"That does raise questions about their loyalty and allegiance to this country and about whether, as my honourable friend rightly says, the offence of treason could have been committed.
"I will certainly draw his remarks to the attention of the home secretary, who ultimately will be the person who needs to look at this."
Meanwhile, Scotland Yard's head of counter-terrorism Mark Rowley said that "dozens" of UK families have contacted the police in a bid to stop their relatives travelling to fight in Syria.
He also said "many" Britons, known to have travelled to Syria, had now returned to the UK and that police were in the process of attempting to arrest and prosecute them. | UK jihadists who travel to Iraq or Syria to fight could be tried for treason, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has said. |
36153451 | It comes as consumer rights group Which said backless booster seats will only be approved for use for children taller than 125cm and weighing more than 22kg under new rules set to be introduced.
But the government said talks are ongoing and there was no date as yet.
Existing rules say that children must use a child car seat until they are 12 years old or 135cm (4ft 5ins) tall.
If approved, any changes will apply to newly sold products, not child restraint systems which are already in use and adhere to existing safety standards.
Parents who use old booster seats that comply with the existing regulations will not be breaking the law if they continue to use them after any rule change, the Department for Transport spokesman said.
They will not be required to buy new booster seats to meet any rule change, he said.
The technical specifications for child car seats are set internationally by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.
Height-based car seats, known as 'i-Size' seats, must be rear-facing until the child is over 15 months old.
A child can use a forward-facing car seat when they are over 15 months old.
Weight-based car seats must be rear-facing until the child weighs more than 9kg and after that the seat the child can use depends on their weight.
The Department for Transport works with representatives from other governments, the child restraint and vehicle manufacturing industries, and groups representing consumers on the specifications.
What is the law?
There are exceptions. For example, children can travel without a child car seat in a taxi or minicab if there is a fixed partition between the front and rear seats. | New regulations for child car seats are in the pipeline, but no decisions have been made, the government has said. |
39062583 | 23 February 2017 Last updated at 08:55 GMT
Perry was performing her new song Chained To The Rhythm and was surrounded by dancers dressed as houses.
As the song got near the end, one of the dancers missed their footing and fell off the stage.
Luckily the dancer wasn't hurt during the fall.
Video courtesy of ITV/ BRIT Awards Limited. | One of Katy Perry's dancers had an unfortunate fall at the Brit Awards on Wednesday evening. |
36448236 | US Senator Jeanne Shaheen wants to know whether the Rio Games could accelerate the spread of the mosquito-borne virus.
"The Olympics draw people from all over the globe," she said. "It's important we understand the health implications."
On Wednesday, Northern Ireland golfer Rory McIlroy said his concerns about the virus had eased.
However, fellow golfers Vijay Singh and Marc Leishman have already announced they will not be going to the Olympics because of the virus, which is linked to brain defects in newborn babies.
American cyclist Tejay van Garderen, whose wife is pregnant, says he will not compete in Rio because of concerns about Zika.
WHO said it planned to hold another emergency committee meeting in June, when it would discuss the Olympics, and added it would make its report public.
Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox. | The World Health Organization is to examine the risks of holding the Olympics in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro because of the Zika virus. |
21289956 | Gulls are also regulars, with the island an important breeding ground, while hundreds of visitors take a boat trip from Cardiff Bay to explore the wildlife haven every year.
But new inhabitants could soon be mooring on the island of Flat Holm after Cardiff council unveiled plans to sell it as part of wide-ranging cuts to save ??110m.
Scrapping services like leisure centres and libraries has now, sadly, become a common way to save money for cash-strapped local authorities.
But selling an island - complete with a working lighthouse - is perhaps one of the more unusual ways to balance the books.
So who is most likely to be forking out for the small, wind-swept island - Wales' most southerly point - which is nestled in the Bristol Channel with neighbouring English-owned isle Steep Holm?
Land agent Chris Hyde, who sold the much smaller Sully Island off the Vale of Glamorgan coast about two years ago, said he expects interest from all over the world.
"With Sully Island we had interest from New Zealand, China - a lot of interest from China - Russia, South America, Europe, from all corners of the globe," he said.
"Owning an island for many wealthy people is exciting and ostentatious.
"It eventually sold to a wealthy English businessman for well over the guide price of ??90,000."
Mr Hyde, of agents Cooke and Arkwright, said he believes Flat Holm would be "an even better prospect for selling" as Sully Island was "merely 15 acres (6 ha) of heath land and there's nothing you can do with it".
"Flat Holm is bigger and has buildings - there's something you can do with it. You could derive an income from it," he said.
"I don't think it's the place for someone wanting to build a big hotel as it has protections.
"But it could be run in the same way it is now and a private buyer could run boats from the English side as well as the Welsh side."
Matthew Lipton, who has been living on Flat Holm as its warden for four years, said he hopes it would be sold to someone who would respect the "uniqueness" of the island.
"It's a cultural and historical site of importance, as well as for wildlife," he said.
"It has a wide and varied history and we've done a lot of work to restore many parts of it.
"I just hope it doesn't all go to rack and ruin, and I hope a wildlife organisation might buy it."
"Uniqueness" would certainly be a selling point for the island, which covers about 86 acres (35 ha).
Flat Holm was first inhabited in the Bronze Age - as shown by artefacts found on the island - but the first recorded occupier was St Cadoc in the 6th Century AD who used the island as a retreat for quiet meditation.
Vikings and Saxons, monks and silver miners have all occupied Flat Holm at some point, while brandy and tea smugglers used its rocky coves to store contraband.
In later years, Victorian soldiers were based there and a series of gun emplacements were built to fortify the island after Queen Victoria became concerned about the strength of the French Navy.
Four of the battery sites and a gun pit remain on the island.
In the 1880s, the Marquis of Bute - who then owned the island - leased some of his land to the Cardiff Corporation for a hospital to deal with an outbreak of cholera among sailors arriving in south Wales.
It is understood the last patient to be cremated on the island was at the end of the 19th Century.
Following these dark times came the pioneering work of Italian inventor Marconi, who famously used the island to send the first wireless message across the water in 1897.
A memorial to him can be seen on Flat Holm.
However, it wasn't long before the military returned to the island when World War II broke out.
More than 300 soldiers were based there as it became a base for anti-aircraft defences and a radar station.
Nature is Flat Holm's main importance now - surrounding the historical remains are maritime grassland and rare plants such as rock sea-lavender and wild leek, which have led to the island being designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Protection Area.
The island also has significant breeding colonies of lesser black-backed gull, herring gull and great black-backed gull.
Ross Clifford, the island's education officer who helps school children visit the island, said it was an important place as it taught children about history, nature, science and climate change.
"It's really important that the right person buys it - someone that has the right aims for the island and are not trying to make it into a commercial venture," he added.
Mr Lipton added: "It holds a special place in a lot of people's hearts." | It has been a home to monks, Vikings, and Victorian and World War II soldiers, along with cholera sufferers and a few smugglers. |
40474360 | She was attacked outside a women's hostel in Lucknow while getting water from a hand pump, police said.
The woman, 35, had been receiving round-the-clock police protection because of the previous attacks, which were linked to a property dispute.
Anger is growing at the authorities' inability to protect her.
She was allegedly gang-raped and first attacked with acid by two men in 2008, over a property dispute, the details of which are not clear.
The same two men are then accused of throwing acid at her twice more - in 2012 and 2013 - to try and get her to drop the criminal charges against them.
In March, she was attacked again while travelling on a train with her daughter. This time she was forced to drink acid.
Two men are facing trial for all of the attacks but were released on bail in April, the AFP agency reports.
According to government figures, there are hundreds of such attacks involving acid each year in India, although campaigners say the real figures are much higher.
The victims, who have to live with terrible disfigurements, are mainly women and are often targeted by jealous partners, campaigners say.
Despite a Supreme Court ruling in 2013 to regulate the sale of acid, critics say it is still widely and easily available. | A woman in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh who survived an alleged gang-rape and four separate acid attacks has been targeted again by an acid-thrower. |
33445782 | The first procedure at Cardiff's University Hospital of Wales was watched by specialists from a theatre gallery and over a video link.
A specially designed metal brace is inserted through two small incisions in the side of the chest to reshape it.
The operation helps people with pectus carinatum, known as pigeon chest.
The condition affects the breastbone and ribs which appear pushed out.
Prof Mustafa Yuksel, a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon from Istanbul in Turkey, designed the brace and has carried out over 150 similar operations in his home country.
He was invited by the UHW and Cardiff University's Welsh Institute for Minimal Access Therapy (WIMAT) to bring his expertise to Wales and he now also teaches at the university.
"The bar I designed is easier, safer and better to use," Prof Yuksel said.
"The other type of operation is very invasive. You cut the ribs, take them out, correct them and put them in again.
He said the traditional method was a "very big procedure that can take sometimes six or eight hours".
"This takes only half an hour and the patient is able to leave hospital two days later," he added.
After the metal brace is inserted, the surgeon pushes down on the chest until it has a more normal appearance.
The brace is removed under general anaesthetic after around two years by which time the chest should be permanently reshaped.
The condition affects around one in every 1,500 children and is more common in boys than girls.
It can become more obvious as children grow and cause serious psychological effects including depression, negative body image and low self-esteem.
In some cases it can also affect lung function.
A similar procedure to the one performed at UHW is already available to treat pectus excavatum, where the chest appears sunken.
One man in his early twenties with the condition, who did not wish to be named, spoke to the gathering of specialists visiting UHW.
"It really affected me mentally, especially when I started getting involved with girls," he said.
"I was always a bit reserved but then I managed to meet a girl I actually liked. When she saw my chest though it put her right off. And that hit me really hard.
"Since I've had the operation I've managed to get my confidence back." | A Welsh hospital has become the first in the UK to offer a pioneering new treatment for patients with chest deformities. |
36110378 | Thomas Wengierow admitted a charge under the Data Protection Act committed when he worked at the company's Baird Avenue centre in Dundee.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard he knowingly or recklessly obtained or disclosed personal data from a Tesco database.
Wengierow then copied the details into an email and sent it to himself.
Th 47-year-old Lithuanian, who returned to Scotland from his home country for the hearing, pleaded guilty to the charge.
David Duncan, defending, said the court would require social work background reports before sentence could be passed.
Sheriff Lorna Drummond deferred sentence until May. | A Tesco call centre worker who emailed himself copies of customer details from the supermarket giant's database will be sentenced next month. |
36558569 | The High Mill at Verdant Works was awarded the Historic Environment Scotland special category award for conservation and climate change.
The prize was presented at the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) awards dinner in Glasgow.
The High Mill dates from 1833 and was an unused part of Verdant Works.
Verdant Works, which is run by Dundee Heritage Trust, is a surviving Dundee mill complex incorporating Scotland's award-winning Jute Museum.
David Mitchell, acting chief executive for Historic Environment Scotland, said: "Before the project started, the High Mill and the adjacent glazed-roofed preparing room had deteriorated so badly they were facing collapse or demolition.
"We have been impressed by the Trust's vision in saving this listed building, and the project itself which has been achieved for less than the cost of an equivalent new-build museum.
"The innovative approach has concentrated on the reuse of original components and salvaged materials maximising embodied energy, with new design following the building's industrial aesthetic."
Gill Poulter, heritage director for Dundee Heritage Trust said: "In this Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design we are especially proud to receive this award as recognition of what our charity has accomplished in saving a stunning building and transforming it into a dramatic gallery space that is now full of life and activity.''
The project's architect, Doug Reid, said: 'We are thrilled to win the RIAS award for this project as we believe we have achieved something very special at Verdant Works.
"Our innovative architectural scheme to remove the rotten wooden floors has revealed the skeleton of the building and created a full height cathedral-like space." | A historic Dundee jute mill threatened with demolition before being saved by a £2.9m restoration has won a national conservation award. |
33126025 | Mark Hayes, 36, was also charged with attempted arson with intent to endanger life and the attempted murder of a man in Essex on Friday.
The body of Phyllis Hayes was found in her home in Idmiston Road, Stratford, on Thursday, with suspected stab wounds.
Mr Hayes is due to appear at Basildon Magistrates' Court on Monday. | A man has been charged with murdering his 65-year-old mother at her east London home. |
36485828 | Thirty five firefighters attended the BMW Mercedes garage in Woodham Road, Barry at 17:15 BST on Wednesday.
A wall and roof of the building collapsed and the five vehicles inside were all damaged.
A spokeswoman for South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said: "The fire has been extinguished now, but it is expected to smoulder overnight."
The cause of the fire is believed to be accidental at this stage. | Firefighters have been tackling a commercial garage fire in Vale of Glamorgan. |
38989906 | But Nikki Haley also said the Trump administration was "thinking outside the box as well", suggesting it was open to other possible solutions.
For many years, the US has advocated the establishment of a Palestinian state next to Israel.
But Mr Trump indicated on Wednesday he would not insist on that.
Viewpoint - 'A subtle but vital shift in US policy'
The last round of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks broke down in 2014.
"We absolutely support the two-state solution but we are thinking out of the box as well," Ms Haley said on Thursday, "which is - what does it take to bring these two sides to the table? what do we need to have them agree on?"
She spoke out after UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned President Trump there was "no alternative" to a two-state solution.
Speaking alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a day earlier, Mr Trump promised to deliver a "great" peace deal for the Middle East.
But he said both sides must compromise and that it was ultimately up to them to decide how to settle the conflict.
"So I'm looking at two states and one state," he said. "And I like the one that both parties like."
A "two-state solution" to the decades-old conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is the declared goal of their leaders and the international community.
It is the shorthand for a final settlement that would see the creation of an independent state of Palestine within pre-1967 ceasefire lines in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, living peacefully alongside Israel.
The UN, the Arab League, the European Union, Russia and, until now, the US routinely restate their commitment to the concept.
When he was asked about a two-state solution on Wednesday, Mr Netanyahu said he wanted to focus on "substance" and not "labels".
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, meanwhile, said he remained committed to the goal of statehood.
He also seized on President Trump's comments urging Mr Netanyahu to "hold back on settlements for a little bit".
Since Mr Trump took office last month, Israel has approved thousands of new homes in West Bank and East Jerusalem, land claimed by the Palestinians for a future state.
The settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.
Reconsidering the two-state solution
The Israeli government is hoping for better relations with the White House after eight years of friction with the former Obama administration.
But France, which in January organised a multi-national conference which reaffirmed support for a two-state solution alone, seemed unimpressed with the apparent change in direction.
Its ambassador to the UN, Francois Delattre, told reporters "our commitment to the two-state solution is stronger than ever", according to AFP news agency.
In pro-Netanyahu Israeli daily Yisrael Hayom, Boaz Bismuth welcomes a "more refreshing era" in Washington, saying Mr Trump's comments show he is "good for the Jews."
But Barack Ravid - in left-of-centre Ha'aretz - accuses Mr Trump of acting "recklessly" in apparently conflating the one-state and two-state plans.
Shimon Schiffer - in centrist Yedioth Aharonoth - makes a similar point, saying Trump adopted the "tone of someone for whom it is not really important whether he orders a portion or half a portion of falafel."
For the pro-Fatah Palestinian newspaper al-Quds, Mr Trump has shown he is close to Israel's position, and that the two-state solution has "withered".
In Gaza's Hamas-run Filastin daily, Fayez Abu-Shammala says it is "wonderful" that the White House has shown its "real position" rather than acting as "an enemy pretending to be a friend". He adds that the "time for resistance has come".
Meanwhile, Mr Trump's choice for America's next ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, faced repeated heckling at his confirmation hearing before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday.
He apologised for having likened left-wing American Jews to Jewish prisoners who worked for the Nazis during the Holocaust and pledged that in an official capacity he would tone down his language.
The right-winger is a strong critic of the two-state solution, supports Jewish settlement building and moving the US embassy to Jerusalem.
Five former US ambassadors to Israel have written a letter to committee members declaring him unqualified because of his "extreme, radical positions", AP says.
Asked on Wednesday about his campaign promise of moving the US embassy to Jerusalem, Mr Trump said: "We'll see what happens."
The Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of their promised future state - but Israel claims the entire city as its undivided capital. | The US ambassador to the UN has said her country "absolutely" supports the idea of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. |
36623529 | 24 June 2016 Last updated at 17:15 BST
These kids in Salford have mixed views. Some are sad because they feel like the UK has lost a friendship, but others think it will mean more money for public services.
More than 30 million adults voted in Thursday's EU referendum - with 52% choosing to leave the club of 28 European countries. | Children have been telling Newsround what they think about the UK voting to leave the European Union. |
38304077 | But with fridges bursting and a never-ending supply of leftovers to use up, how do you avoid the unwelcome guest of food poisoning making an appearance?
It's party time; you've got friends coming round; the booze is flowing faster than the tears on Strictly and you've laid out a buffet that would put Nigella or Jamie to shame.
Kevin Hargin, director of food-borne disease control at the Food Standards Agency (FSA) says: "The spread is out on the table all evening getting nice and warm - the bugs are having a great time in the salad dressings, the quiches and so on.
"The best idea is to only put out the food when you need, don't leave it out all the time."
Plus you don't want to be remembered for hosting the party that ruined Christmas #mortified.
Campylobacter - This is the most common cause. The bacteria are usually found in raw or undercooked meat (particularly poultry), unpasteurised milk and untreated water.
Salmonella - Raw eggs, milk and other dairy products - plus undercooked meat again - can play host to the salmonella bacteria.
Listeria - This can live in chilled ready-to-eat foods, like pre-packed sandwiches, cooked sliced meats and pate, plus soft cheeses like Brie and Camembert. All should be eaten by their sell-by-dates to be on the safe side, and pregnant women need to be especially careful, since a listeria infection can cause pregnancy and birth complications - and even miscarriage.
E. coli - Most cases of E. coli poisoning happen after eating undercooked beef (particularly mince, burgers and meatballs, or drinking unpasteurised milk.
It's the star of the show on the day - but it's probably the only turkey (or duck, or goose) that you cook all year.
"People are not used to cooking turkey or anything of that size," says Kevin.
Defrosting a 6-7kg bird can take three days if you do it in the fridge so give it plenty of time.
And if your bird has an icy core then it might not cook properly in the oven, running the risk of having a bit of Salmonella or Campylobacter making it onto the plate.
You'll also want the juices to run hot, steamy and clear to know the bird is cooked.
Christmas is time for something to step out of the shadows and become the hero it was born to be.
I am of course talking about your freezer - Hollywood is calling already.
Kevin again: "People tend to order and prepare far more than they're ever going to eat, so there's a lot of leftovers and people think you can't freeze that.
"But that's one of the big myths. It's safe to freeze the leftover turkey so you could bring it out again at New Year."
But when you do defrost, gobble [ahem] it up within 24 hours.
Follow James on Twitter. | Turkey, roast potatoes and yes - even Brussel sprouts are about to take centre-stage on the nation's dining tables. |
35431060 | Since 2013, payouts have been made for a range of incidents, including where police vehicles hit a pedestrian, cyclists, parked cars, and walls.
Motor liability claims accounted for more than half of the total £633,035.
Police Scotland said its police vehicles did 70 million miles each year in often dangerous conditions.
As well as motoring offences, payouts were also made for unlawful strip-searches and detentions.
3,500 - Police vehicles in Scotland
70m - Miles driven by police vehicles
£350,000 - Payout for road accidents since 2013
The data was obtained through a BBC Scotland freedom of information request - made seven months ago - to Police Scotland.
The force collates motor, public and employer's liability claims into individual annual spreadsheets for each of the force's three command areas.
The release of the data comes in the wake of reports that cash-strapped Police Scotland is facing a "six figure" compensation bid over last year's M9 car crash which left two dead after a 101 call was mishandled.
The FOI data set showed that Police Scotland paid out £358,159 - or 57% of all the 217 successful compensation payments - on motor-related claims.
The three command areas showed varying claims:
The compensation data reveals payments were made when a police vehicle hit a cyclist (£35,612), a pedestrian (£5,582), a wall (£930), and a parked car (£1,119).
Payouts were also made where one police vehicle ran a red light causing a collision (£1,609), and another rolled into a third party vehicle (£5,237).
One member of the public was compensated £221 when a police horse damaged their car wing mirror.
Patrick McGuire, a partner with Thompson Solicitors Scotland, said revelations that 57% of the compensation payouts were motor-related, was "shocking, but not surprising".
He said: "We expect our police officers to be highly trained in driving, and we hold them to, and expect, a very high standard of care from them.
"But in my professional experience I have seen many claims over the years involving collisions."
A Police Scotland spokesman said: "We have more than 3,500 vehicles which cover more than 70 million miles a year in all conditions and many of these are in high risk circumstances as our officers do their job in keeping people safe.
"All drivers have to pass a police driving test in addition to holding a full driving licence before being allowed to drive a police vehicle and all new vehicles coming on to our fleet have the highest safety ratings which includes being fitted with reversing sensors, anti-skid and electronic stability control systems."
But Mr McGuire said, despite their frequency, successfully pursuing such motor claims against Police Scotland was another matter entirely.
The police's own data reveals that only 40% of all 549 closed claims since 2013 resulted in a payout.
In Bo'ness, Leona Ryce's vehicle was hit at a junction by a speeding police car responding to a call - but which allegedly had not yet turned on its lights or siren.
That was four years ago, and Ms Ryce has yet to receive any compensation for the incident.
She said: "I had internal bleeding in my knee, I had cracked ribs, and I suffered from a few panic attacks after the crash."
Ms Ryce was charged with driving without consideration but successfully challenged the charge in court.
She added: "I thought right from the start they [Police Scotland] would have accepted liability, to be honest.
"I'm disgusted about the way they have been about the whole thing."
Police Scotland said it would not comment on an ongoing legal case.
Mr McGuire, who is now overseeing Ms Ryce's case, said this was indicative of how Police Scotland dealt with motor-related claims.
He said: "The evidence we have from non-police eyewitnesses is very strong and they [Police Scotland] are relying entirely on the police officers and believing their statements entirely.
"They [Police Scotland] are overly-blinkered and dangerously protective of the serving officers to the extent that they seem unwilling to look to the other possibilities and to recognise fairly compelling evidence that the officer got it wrong, and therefore to do the right and appropriate thing and ensure the victim is fairly compensated.
"They should hold their officers to the highest standard, and when they get it wrong they have to know that they won't get away with that.
"Certain officers, despite their degree of training, think that they are above the law, that certain rules don't apply to them."
A Police Scotland spokesman denied claims of favouring officer testimony, stating that "all claims are assessed in line with an agreed process".
While the majority of payouts were motor-related, the remainder were largely public liability claims. Here are details on a small number of these claims that resulted in a Police Scotland payout:
The £633,035 paid out by Police Scotland is dwarfed by similar payments made by the London Metropolitan Police, which in 2010-11, paid out £1.8m for 205 claims.
It was reported last year that Police Scotland had 'ring-fenced' £1.4m for employer liability claims - but the police force refused to acknowledge what portion of their £1bn budget was set aside for motor and public liability claims.
However, Police Scotland's 2014/15 budget reported an actuarial valuation of £5,3m.
All compensation payouts rose by 270% between 2013 and 2014 to £420,167, before falling to £99,271 in 2015.
But in Scotland actions for personal injury claims can be submitted up to three years after gaining knowledge of the injury - meaning claims for 2015 incidents can be submitted up until 2018. | Police Scotland handed out £350,000 over three years as compensation for road accidents involving officers, a BBC investigation has found. |
37183733 | It comes as net migration estimates show it remains near record levels, at 327,000 for the year to March.
The figures - for the period before Britain voted to leave the EU - are down slightly on the previous year.
Net migration is the difference between the number of people coming to the UK for at least a year and those leaving.
There were an estimated 831,000 Polish-born residents in 2015 - a jump of almost 750,000 compared with the number in 2004, the year the country joined the EU. India and the Republic of Ireland have traditionally been the sources of the UK's largest foreign-born groups.
The latest net migration figures show a slowdown in the numbers settling in the UK from Poland and seven other former Eastern bloc countries - but that was offset by an increase in net migration from Bulgaria and Romania, which hit record levels of 60,000.
Nicola White, ONS Head of International Migration Statistics, said: "Net migration remains at record levels although the recent trend is broadly flat.
"The influx of Romanians and Bulgarians has also reached a new high, although that's off-set by falls in non-EU immigration and from other central and eastern European countries.
"Work remains the main reason for migration, followed by study which has seen a significant fall in the number of people coming to the UK for education.
"It's important to remember that these figures only go up to the end of March and do not cover the period following the UK's vote to leave the European Union."
She said the UK's population continued to increase between 2014 and 2015, driven by "significant increases in both the non-UK born and non-British national population of the UK".
ONS estimates show 13.3% of the usually resident population of the UK were born abroad, compared with 8.9% in 2004.
The region with the highest proportion of non-UK born residents, at 37%, is London.
More than 25% of births in England and Wales in 2015 were to women born outside the UK, the highest level on record, according to separate figures.
ONS statistician Elizabeth McLaren said: "The rising percentage of births to women born outside the UK is largely due to foreign born women making up an increasing share of the female population of childbearing age in England and Wales.
"Part of the reason for this is that migrants are more likely to be working-age adults rather than children or older people. Alongside their increasing share of the population, higher fertility among women born outside the UK has also had an impact."
The immigration statistics contain few surprises, with net migration still a long, long way from the government's target.
There are a few signs - from more recent data on national insurance number registrations - that EU immigration may have reached its peak, but it won't be for another six months at least before we're able to gauge the effect, if any, of the referendum.
The figures came as Sir David Metcalf, the government's chief adviser on immigration controls, suggested Prime Minister Theresa May was considering introducing work permits for low skilled migrants from the EU.
Sir David, head of the Migration Advisory Committee, told the Telegraph the scheme would be "pretty straightforward" to run and could be based on a previous work permit system for seasonal agricultural workers.
Mrs May came under fire when she was home secretary for failing to meet the government's target of getting annual net migration below 100,000.
She has said that reducing net migration will be her "absolute priority" in Brexit negotiations.
A report by think tank British Future, released ahead of the latest figures, said the vote to leave the EU was a chance to fix the UK's "broken" immigration system and restore trust in controlled migration.
Lord Green, of the Migration Watch pressure group said: "The Brexit negotiations must achieve a significant reduction of EU migration and very firm action is needed against overstaying students from outside the EU."
Labour's Shadow Home Office minister Carolyn Harris, said: "These figures are a reminder of Theresa May's failings as home secretary.
"Once again, the Tory promise on immigration lies in tatters and net migration remains more than three times their target."
But she said Mrs May "must not sell the country down the river during Brexit negotiations on the movement of people just to cut these numbers" and urged her to tackle skills gaps and protect wages. | Poland has overtaken India as the most common non-UK country of birth for people living in the UK, Office for National Statistics figures show. |
38420950 | Singer Angel Flukes, 28, from Saltash, won Supertalent 2016 and 100,000 euros (£85,200).
She sang Think Twice by Celine Dion in front of an estimated 5m television viewers in Germany.
Ms Flukes said she did not expect to win and would be spending some of her winnings on a wedding next year.
The singer, who went to Plymouth's City College, lives with her fiancée Lee, 33, and her three dogs in Calvia on Mallorca.
She moved there when she was 21 to work for a summer season in Magaluf but was talent-spotted while singing in a German bar.
She is the first female winner of the Supertalent show, which has run for 10 years.
Judge Dieter Bohlen told her: "You're not just an angel, you look like you're an angel... world class".
Fellow judge Victoria Swarovski found her "breathtaking".
Ms Flukes said: "I really did not expect to win. I am very happy."
"It's hard to believe but this time last year I was getting up at seven o'clock to flip eggs in a bar," she said.
"But I have always wanted this, it's been my dream since I was a little girl."
"My dream has come true and it's unbelievable," she added. | A former bar worker from Cornwall has won Germany's version of Britain's Got Talent. |
32629266 | Vergara told ABC's Good Morning America that her ex was taking advantage of her.
"I don't think it's fair," she said.
Meanwhile on NBC's Today Show, Loeb spoke of "moral, legal, ethical concepts" concerning lives "that we've already created".
Loeb has taken legal action to gain control over two embryos he and Vergara created in 2013 through in vitro fertilisation, before they split up.
He wants a surrogate to carry and give birth to them, and to raise the children himself.
However, a contract the couple signed states the embryos can be brought to term only with both parties' consent.
"I really want to make this like the last time I talk about it," the 42-year-old actress said.
She blamed the media for bringing attention to Loeb, saying that it allowed "somebody to invent things and create press for himself."
She added, "he's not an actor. He's not a celebrity."
She added: "It shouldn't be out there for people to give their opinion when there's nothing to talk about. There's papers signed."
Loeb retorted that "two lives have already been created."
"I wouldn't just toss them aside no different than a child that had been born,'' he said.
Loeb also wrote an op-ed column about the issue in the NY Times.
"When we create embryos for the purpose of life, should we not define them as life, rather than as property?" the businessman wrote.
He said he had offered to pay all expenses and take full responsibility for raising the children.
"A woman is entitled to bring a pregnancy to term even if the man objects," he said.
Vergara, who is currently promoting her new film Hot Pursuit, is the highest paid TV actress in the US.
She has earned Emmy, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild award nominations for her role as the fiesty Gloria in the sitcom. | Modern Family actress Sofia Vergara and former fiance Nick Loeb have spoken out about their frozen embryo battle on duelling morning TV show appearances. |
37989659 | The player from second division women's side Torrelodones went to police after noticing that someone tried to sneak a mobile phone through a window.
Torrelodones had just played against Atletico at the team's Ciudad Deportiva complex outside Madrid.
Atletico Madrid describe it as a "very serious" incident.
They have opened an internal investigation and say that the club made themselves available to help the player the moment she raised her concerns.
Torrelodones released a statement supporting the player and condemned the incident, saying that it was prepared to take all necessary actions "to defend the dignity of our player" if any images became public.
The club has also demanded a public apology from Atletico. | Atletico Madrid are helping police after a player claimed someone tried to film her in the shower at the club's grounds on Sunday. |
35697993 | Kevin Sloane was jailed for eight years over the raid at the Martin McColls branch in Newton Mearns in 2011.
He was caught after leaving his photo ID driving licence, a rental agreement, and a mask which had his DNA and the shotgun residue, in the getaway van.
The Scottish Prison Service said the 31-year-old was found dead at Castle Huntly open jail in Perth and Kinross.
A spokesman said: "Next of kin have been informed and a Fatal Accident Inquiry may be held in due course."
Sloane was jailed at the High Court in Edinburgh in July 2012 over the robbery.
The court heard that he and another man were both wearing masks when they targeted the store at 09:00 on 2 November 2011.
The Post Office section was behind a secure glass screen and a locked door.
The lock was blasted off and while Sloan held the gun, the other man grabbed the money from drawers.
Sloane admitted threatening to shoot two people and discharging a shotgun before escaping with £5,705 in cash.
The court was told that Sloane, who was from Paisley, Renfrewshire, had agreed to carry out the robbery to clear a drugs debt. | A man who admitted firing a shotgun during a post office robbery in East Renfrewshire has died in prison. |
37863786 | Daniel Sanzone inflicted "catastrophic and irreversible" brain injuries on Joshua Millinson at his home in Wolverhampton in October last year.
The 23-year-old was convicted of murder on Wednesday at Birmingham Crown Court.
The court heard he has since received death threats and his prison cell had been ransacked. Mr Justice Robert Jay said Sanzone was "immature".
Joshua was in intensive care at Birmingham Children's Hospital for nearly a month after the incident before a High Court order was issued to switch off his life support machine.
More updates on this and other stories in Birmingham and the Black Country
The assaults must have caused the baby "considerable distress" and Joshua must have "cried out in pain", Mr Justice Jay said.
Sanzone was unable to accept that his partner, Joshua's mother Zoe Howell, was "no longer able to focus all her attention on you", the judge told him.
Ms Howell was cleared of child cruelty and causing or allowing Joshua's death.
The couple had split up in the days before the shaking incident on 24 October last year.
Speaking after the sentencing, Ms Howell said the sentence was not long enough.
She said: "I've lost my son and I've had to go through all this. People have been slating me for something I didn't do.
"My son was my whole world.
"I can't explain it. I just keep saying to myself I should have done more, but what could I have done?"
The court was told paramedics were called to Whitburn Close in Pendeford where they found Joshua not breathing and "floppy".
Sanzone told Joshua's mother that the "thud" she said she heard from another room was him dropping a remote control.
During the trial, jurors were told Joshua's injuries were some of the most extreme medical experts had seen.
The experts found evidence of previous injuries including a "forcible twisting of bones" from about a week prior to the shaking and rib and leg fractures that may have pre-dated previous hospital visits.
Sanzone will serve a minimum of 15 years in prison. | A father who shook his two-week-old son so violently the baby went blind and deaf has been jailed for life. |
39076601 | The idea is for the bus lanes on Kingsway to be opened up to all traffic while the other carriageway would become large grassed areas with cycle paths.
Chris Holley, leader of the opposition at Swansea council, said the idea was "fraught with problems".
But businesses in the area have given the plans their backing.
"The plan is something different and there's nothing wrong with that, but I don't think there's been enough thought about it," Mr Holley said.
"I have serious concerns about it given the amount of traffic which is coming into the city centre.
"The idea of having a single carriageway on that road is something which is fraught with problems.
"It's not going to be some form of Central Park. The time has come for businesses in the city centre to say what they want."
The last time Kingsway was revamped was in 2009 when the controversial bendy bus was launched in the city, a move, businesses claimed, caused a drop in trade.
The changes led to one-way traffic in one direction and two-way in the other direction.
That system was scrapped in 2015 following two deaths and a number of injuries, while the bendy bus was also replaced with smaller, more economical buses.
Julie Williamson, chairwoman of Swansea's Federation of Small Businesses, said the new plans were "looking outside of the box" and she was happy people are being consulted.
She added: "It's better than it is at the moment which is disastrous. Going back 10 years, nothing could have prepared us for the awful situation then.
"In speaking to other business people, I think the majority of the plans for the city that are being suggested now really make sense.
"As long as enough thought has gone into the plans and it's safe, it will be accepted happily."
And Russell Greenslade, chief executive of Swansea Business District, welcomed any move to bring more people into the city adding: "The sooner we can get cranes into the air, the better."
Council leader Rob Stewart is spearheading the plans.
He said: "The bendy bus works left a complicated, frustrating traffic system in Swansea which damaged businesses and deterred investment. We are changing that this year.
"As part of the redevelopment of our city we will be simplifying the road network, opening up routes to shorten journey times and making it easier for people to get to where they need to go."
A consultation on the Kingsway plans runs until 10 March. | A row has broken out over £10m plans to turn half of a key Swansea city centre street into an urban park. |
37608443 | The former international defender watched Slovakia lose in Slovenia on Saturday, providing a report for Scotland boss Gordon Strachan.
"If you allow them to get a rhythm, they can be a very effective team," Pressley told BBC Scotland.
"Slovenia were aggressive out of possession, they pressurised them and didn't allow them to settle."
Slovakia, the second seeds in World Cup qualifying Group F, also lost their opener at home to England, while Scotland have four points after the weekend draw at home to Lithuania.
"They are a team that likes to dominate the ball and Slovenia caused them problems with their intensity," said 42-year-old Pressley.
"They played at a high tempo and Slovakia didn't deal with it."
Having dropping points at Hampden, Strachan's men, like Tuesday's hosts, are under pressure early in the campaign, with England out in front after two wins.
"I wouldn't say it was must-win because of other results," said former Falkirk, Coventry City and Fleetwood Town manager Pressley. "But it's certainly a game we can't lose.
"From speaking to Gordon and his staff, the mentality is to go there and win. The mentality is to go there and impose Scotland on the game.
"A win would certainly be a great platform for the remaining fixtures in the group."
Following the draw with Lithuania, Strachan said he would "shake it up a bit" with regards his team selection.
Strachan's post-match praise for lone striker Chris Martin has attracted some flak, but Pressley, capped 32 times between 2000-06, insisted there was "no real depth" to criticism of the Fulham forward.
"Managers just don't pick a team and hope for the best, there's a lot of thought gone into it," he said.
"There are always reasons why certain players are selected - and it will be the same on Tuesday."
Pressley was part of the Scotland coaching team under George Burley and laughed off any suggestion of Strachan's position being under threat.
"He's absolutely not under pressure," he added.
"He has proved his ability over many years, so that shouldn't even be talked about.
"He is shaping a new generation of Scotland players and, in years to come, we'll see the benefit of that." | Scotland can get a positive result in Slovakia if they employ a high-tempo strategy, says Steven Pressley. |
15238082 | Howard Skempton's Five Rings Triples will premiere at the All Saints Church in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, as part of the New Music 20x12 project.
Twenty new works - each 12 minutes in length - have been created which aim to capture the spirit of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The works feature a mixture of genres including opera, jazz and beatbox.
A number of composers from the world of of contemporary classical music including Skempton, Mark-Anthony Turnage and Sally Beamish were commissioned as part of New Music 20x12.
Premieres will take place across the UK at concert halls, arts centres, festivals and public spaces.
Trafalgar Square will host XX/XY, an "East meets West fusion of new music", composed by Liz Liew and Andy Leung as part of the Chinese New Year celebrations, on 29 January.
London 2012: Latest Olympic news, sport, features and programmes from the BBC
Composer David Bruce's commission, Fire, which will be performed in the grounds of Salisbury Cathedral on 25 May, will feature a fire artist, an ensemble of horns and "a massed community chorus".
The Warwick Arts Centre will premiere Ping! - a collaboration between composer Joe Cutler, the Coull String Quartet and the Fusion table tennis club which explores the sounds and rhythms created by the sports men and women - on 3 March.
The project will culminate with the performance of all 20 pieces over the weekend of 13-15 July at London's Southbank Centre.
All the works, which will be performed at least three times each in 2012, will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and released digitally. | A new church bell-ringing composition will bring in the new year as part of the Cultural Olympiad. |
33815349 | Thousands of people across the country voted for 12 weeks as part of National Trust Wales' search to find the nation's most treasured place.
The Edwardian gardens scooped more than a third of the final votes and was nominated for its breathtaking landscaped gardens.
The Special Places award was won by Penarth Pier last year.
Dyffryn Gardens beat competition from Rhossili, Gower; Snowdonia; Dolaucothi Gold Mines, Carmarthenshire and Gladstone's Library, near Hawarden, Flintshire to be named the most special place. | Dyffryn Gardens in the Vale of Glamorgan has been voted as the most special place in Wales. |
34942390 | Denbighshire-born Michael Crowley-Milling helped invent the world's first computer touch screen and died in 2012.
The 95-year-old's will left his wealth "within the UK" to The Royal Society - but almost half the cash was in Jersey and Isle of Man accounts.
The High Court ruled he had confused the British Isles and the UK.
The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, whilst part of the British Isles, are not part of the United Kingdom.
Mr Crowley-Milling's family laid claim to his offshore £1m, when the mistake in the will was discovered.
They argued that such a brilliant man must have known what he was doing when he had the will drafted and had clearly wanted the cash to go to them.
It was said he made that move because he had "fallen out" with The Royal Society in his Autumn years, over the charity's stance on climate change.
Lawyers for The Royal Society insisted that he must have wanted it to have to have the £1m and had made a simple geographical error.
"Lawyers may understand perfectly well the technical meaning of the term 'UK'," Mr Justice Nugee said.
"But there is no evidence that laymen - even highly intelligent laymen - would have grasped the difference between the UK, Great Britain and the British Isles."
He added: "I am entirely satisfied that Mr Crowley-Milling did intend to include the offshore accounts in his will."
Mr Crowley-Milling played key roles in developing particle acceleration and the touch screen technology that paved the way for smart phones and tablets.
Born in St Asaph, he later divided his time between homes in Yorkshire and Switzerland.
But his fortune was mostly made up of the £2m he made from selling his vintage Alfa Romeo sports car. | An error in geography by a scientist has ended with a charity winning a legal battle for half his £2m fortune. |
40747566 | Pressure had been mounting on Inacio after the Cairo club missed out on the semi-finals of this season's African Champions League.
Their draw with Al Ahly Tripoli signalled their fate in Africa's premier club competition.
Zamalek also lost to Lebanon's Al-Ahed in the Arab Championship this week.
Zamalek need to be more stable, the coaches must have enough time
That defeat placed more pressure on 62-year-old Inacio with Zamalek's president, Mortada Mansour, summoning the Portuguese coach to a meeting.
There were subsequent claims that the coach had been detained at the club and was prevented from leaving, claims which Zamalek vehemently denied.
Another meeting followed, after which Zamalek announced that a financial agreement had been reached to terminate Inacio's contract.
On leaving Mansour's office, Inacio confirmed to reporters that he was departing the club.
"I have ended my contract with Zamalek. Now I become one of the team's fans," Inacio said.
"I wanted my time with the club to be better but that did not happen.
"Zamalek need to be more stable, the coaches must have enough time. The players must be more professional and do their best," Inacio added. | Portuguese coach Augusto Inacio has been sacked by Egyptian giants Zamalek after less than four months in charge of the side. |
38288433 | The governing VMRO-DPMNE party secured 51 out of 120 seats in parliament in Sunday's election, according to preliminary results.
The opposition social democrats (SDSM) took 49 seats, the state election commission said on Monday.
The result was expected to be close, with both parties earlier claiming victory.
With just two more seats than the SDSM, the result provides the VMRO-DPMNE party with a very fragile parliamentary majority.
Of the 123 seats in Macedonia's assembly, 120 are elected from six 20-seat constituencies in Macedonia through proportional representation. The remaining three are single-member constituencies representing Macedonians living abroad - these are elected by a first-past-the-post system.
A coalition with smaller parties will need to be formed to create a governing coalition.
The polls passed without incident, but the political uncertainty in Macedonia was highlighted when rival parties earlier declared victory.
Supporters of both parties took to the streets in celebration prior to Monday's announcement of the final distribution of parliamentary seats.
Vlatko Gjorcev, a senior official in Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski's party, told supporters at the group's headquarters: "We won once again. Tonight, today on December 11, the 10th victory in a row."
Meanwhile SDSM leader Zoran Zaev, quoted by AFP news agency, told a cheering crowd. "We are the winners!"
The result was expected to be close, with Monday's papers from both sides predicting a win.
"Tightest difference ever," read the pro-government Dnevnik newspaper headline, adding: "VMRO-DPMNE's 10th victory."
But a headline from the pro-opposition Sloboden Pecat read: "The government in Skopje has fallen."
There were no exit polls for Sunday's election, which was called two years early as part of a Western-brokered agreement to end a paralysing political crisis. | Macedonia's governing conservatives have won the country's closely-fought parliamentary elections, officials say. |
39025667 | 20 February 2017 Last updated at 07:38 GMT
A total of 400,000 windmills have been used to make shapes of hearts, flowers and circles.
Tens of thousands of roses have also been planted alongside the windmills.
Lots of visitors have been enjoying the colourful display in Chengdu City. | Thousands of plastic windmills have been laid out to make an amazing display in China. |
32997694 | Judges in the court's Grand Chamber said they would hear arguments that the failed bombers had an unfair trial.
The men, each jailed for life for the botched 21 July 2005 attacks, say their convictions are unfair because police interviewed them without a lawyer.
Judges will also re-examine England's law on life sentences without parole.
In the separate case, Arthur Hutchison, who was convicted of burglary, rape and three counts of murder, is challenging a decision to jail him for life without the possibility of parole.
The failed bombers had targeted three London Underground trains and a bus - in an attempted repeat of the 7/7 attacks of two weeks earlier - but their devices failed to explode.
Because the bombs did not explode, police were able to recover forensic material from the scenes, while CCTV images of the bombers were also available.
Ramzi Mohammed, Muktar Said Ibrahim and Yassin Omar were each found guilty of conspiracy to murder and sentenced to minimum terms of 40 years' imprisonment.
However, the three failed bombers say their human rights were breached because statements they made to police without lawyers present were used as evidence.
Police have the power to carry out so-called "safety interviews" of terrorism suspects where there is an urgent need to establish if there is any danger to the public, such as from an unexploded bomb.
The bombers were later convicted following a trial, which included their own admissions that they built the bombs.
In a statement, the European Court of Human Rights said that the Grand Chamber would consider whether the men's initial interviews led to a breach of a right to a fair trial - even though a lower chamber of the court had already dismissed such a claim.
The decisions by the Grand Chamber to review these two very controversial cases gets to the heart of the tension between London and Strasbourg - a relationship that is as political as it is legal and constitutional.
Ministers and judges have been at loggerheads for years over the lawfulness of whole-life orders in England.
So if Strasbourg rules in Hutchinson's favour, it will inevitably embolden those who are lobbying the prime minister not only to create a British bill of rights, but also to withdraw from the European Convention at the same time.
The 21/7 case looked - on paper at least - to have no chance of a hearing, but the bombers will get another chance in court, although the process could take many months.
Even if the European Court does rule in their favour - and that is a very big if - it cannot quash their convictions.
Hartlepool-born Hutchinson was jailed for stabbing Basil and Avril Laitner to death after breaking into their Sheffield home on the night of their daughter's wedding in 1983. He also killed one of their sons.
The judge in his 1984 trial at Sheffield Crown Court said he should serve 18 years but Home Secretary Leon Brittan later ruled he should face a whole-life tariff.
Hutchison argues that the "whole-life order" sentence amounts to inhuman or degrading treatment and breaches the European Convention on Human Rights.
His challenge was rejected by the Court of Appeal in London seven years ago.
The Grand Chamber's decision to review the case comes after three years of tension between the government and Strasbourg over whole-life orders.
In 2013, the European judges said in a separate but related case that the sentence breached human rights because prisoners could not seek a review, even after decades inside.
But earlier this year, they reversed that decision in Hutchinson's case, declaring that British judges had now clarified that prisoners could indeed ask to be released in exceptional circumstances.
A Ministry of Justice spokesman defended the sentences, saying people who commit "the most heinous crimes" should face the prospect of spending the rest of their lives behind bars. | Senior judges at the European Court of Human Rights are to examine the case of three men jailed over the 21/7 plot to bomb the London transport network. |
37702921 | First rule: don't get involved. Second rule: if you must get involved, pick a side. Third rule: make sure your side wins.
US President Barack Obama ran foul of the rules when he supported David Cameron in the UK's EU Referendum in June. Mr Cameron lost.
The president is now taking his second bet of the year on a European ally. Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has called a constitutional referendum on 4 December.
"As you fight for this cause of reform, know that we stand with you," said Mr Obama during the Italian leader's visit to the White House on Tuesday.
Mr Renzi said: "If we win the December referendum it will be easier for Italy to carry on the battle to change the EU."
The two men's affection for one another was clear. Each is a centre-left politician, facing opposition from rising populist movements.
But the prime minister's opponents in Italy concluded that the president's support was a jinx.
Katya Adler: Renzi's Brexit blues and risky referendum
Italy's constitutional conundrum
Beppe Grillo, leader of the populist opposition Five Star Movement, said: "Our country is dying and those responsible for governing go to the other side of the world to film a pro-Yes spot for the referendum.
"Every day that passes without the Five Star Movement in power is one more day of agony for Italians."
Italy's referendum is about power and who gets to wield it. Mr Renzi wants more of it for the elected government, as a way of reforming a political system he considers to be outdated and overcomplicated.
Mr Renzi proposes two specific changes: to simplify law-making by stripping Italy's upper house, the Senate, of most of its powers; and to give the elected government in Rome decision-making powers currently held by regions. He's threatened to resign if he loses (a threat that he's slowly begun to retract).
His opponents say the referendum is a simple power-grab. Prominent Italian politicians, including the two most recent prime ministers, Mario Monti and Silvio Berlusconi, have announced their decision to vote No.
Now Mr Obama has weighed in with his endorsement.
"How do you interpret the [Obama] endorsement?" wrote Paolo Pombeni, a journalist for Italy's Il Sole 24 Ore newspaper.
"It is the symbol of an American judgement of Italy's fragility. The US government thinks that political stability - and hence also economic and social cohesion - is at risk."
Current opinion polls show a race that is too close to call. Every vote will count. Well, apart from any cast from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. | There are three rules when it comes to getting involved in other countries' civil wars, and they apply to elections too. |
40756468 | It was one of the bloodiest events of World War One - with 4,000 Welsh soldiers killed or injured on the first day, 31 July 1917.
Among them was Welsh poet Hedd Wyn.
The 38th (Welsh) Division played a central role in the battle, capturing key positions on the ridge at Pilckem.
By the end of the battle - also known as the Third Battle of Ypres - half a million men had died from both sides, with Allied forces having advanced just five miles (8km) in three months.
Events in and around what became known as the Ypres Salient started at dawn on Monday, as a memorial ceremony marking "Zero hour" was held at the Welsh memorial in Langemark.
It was where men from the 38th Division - which was made up entirely of Welsh soldiers - went over the top, with orders to capture Pilckem Ridge, the high ground held by heavily reinforced German troops.
During that assault, three Welsh Victoria Crosses were won.
But by 11:00, Hedd Wyn had died at a dressing station at Hagebos, without knowing he had won the highest prize at that year's National Eisteddfod - the chair.
A ceremony to remember him, and the Irish poet Francis Ledwidge, who was killed on the same day, was held at Artillery Wood Cemetery in Langemark on Monday morning.
It was followed by a UK ceremony at the Tyne Cot Cemetery near Passchendaele itself, the largest Commonwealth war grave in the world.
Prince Charles, Prince William and Prime Minister Theresa May were among those at that ceremony to pay tribute to those who died.
Prince Charles later joined the service to remember the Welsh fallen, giving a reading in English and Welsh, before laying a wreath.
Wales football manager Chris Coleman also addressed the congregation.
Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns, and the leaders of all the Welsh political parties, as well as descendants of those who were killed, also attended the service.
The speeches and readings were delivered in front of the 9ft (2.7m) dragon sculpture, which honours the Welsh men who fought in the conflict.
Mr Jones said: “It is a great privilege to be back in Langemark for this important occasion.
“It has been three years since the memorial was unveiled and it offers us a fitting place to pay tribute and reflect on the sacrifices of all those who took part in the Third Battle of Ypres 100 years ago.
“In this peaceful spot today, it is hard to imagine the horrors of war faced by our soldiers and the agonising wait of families back home who might not know the fate of loved ones for many months.”
A new memorial to the fallen Welsh soldiers was blessed at the end of the service. Seven stones show the cap badges of five Welsh Regiments and two Welsh Divisions involved in the battle.
The day ended with performances from the choir, Cor Rygbi Gogledd Cymru, and Welsh singer Rhys Meirion at the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate in Ypres.
The gate records the names of another 54,395 missing and dead in the conflict who were never found.
It comes after the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended a service on Sunday evening, accompanied by the band of the Welsh Guards.
“When you see these 54,000 names that are carved into the wall, you realise that they couldn’t find them. It’s amazing,” said Welsh tenor Meirion.
“It is a stadium full when you think about it. It puts things in perspective and it is very difficult.” | The Prince of Wales and First Minister Carwyn Jones have joined up to 1,000 people in Flanders, Belgium, for the Welsh centenary memorial of the Battle of Passchendaele. |
38924652 | Mae papur briffio gafodd ei yrru gan Brifysgol Cymru Y Drindod Dewi Sant i'r llywodraeth ym mis Medi yn dweud: "Mae angen buddsoddiad cyhoeddus yng nghynllun Yr Egin y brifysgol er mwyn cael gwared â'r bwlch ariannol."
Ym mis Hydref, dywedodd Ysgrifennydd yr Economi, Ken Skates wrth ACau ei fod yn "siomedig" bod bwlch ariannol wedi ymddangos.
Mae'r brifysgol wedi gwadu na dyna oedd yr achos, gan ddweud nad oes bwlch ariannol wedi ymddangos yn y cynllun busnes.
Fe wnaeth y brifysgol ofyn am arian cyhoeddus bythefnos ar ôl i S4C gael gwybod bod y cynllun yn datblygu yn ôl y disgwyl.
Daeth ar ôl i'r brifysgol ddweud bod y cynllun yn cael ei "reoli'n effeithiol".
Fe wnaeth prif weithredwr S4C, Ian Jones, ysgrifennu at Is-ganghellor y brifysgol yn croesawu "sicrwydd bod costau'r cynllun yn parhau i gael eu rheoli'n effeithiol".
Roedd y brifysgol hefyd wedi dweud wrth Lywodraeth Cymru bod tua 65 o staff S4C a'r BBC yn symud i'r Egin.
Dywedodd BBC Cymru nad oedd unrhyw gytundeb o'r fath wedi ei gadarnhau a bod trafodaethau yn parhau.
Dywedodd llefarydd ar ran S4C mai'r brifysgol oedd yn gyfrifol am adeiladu ac ariannu Yr Egin.
Dywedodd llefarydd ar ran Prifysgol Cymru Y Drindod Dewi Sant: "Nid oes bwlch ariannol wedi ymddangos yng nghynllun busnes Yr Egin ers i S4C ei dderbyn."
Ychwanegodd bod yr Awdurdod yn "llwyr ymwybodol o'r ffaith y byddai'r brifysgol yn gwneud cais drwy sianelau allanol am arian tuag at ddatblygu clwstwr creadigol yng Nghaerfyrddin".
Dywedodd y llefarydd hefyd y "byddai'n anodd iawn deall pam y byddai cynllun trawsnewidiol allweddol fel hwn yng Ngorllewin Cymru, a fyddai'n gwireddu amcanion strategol clir yn Symud Cymru Ymlaen, yn cael ei wrthod, yn enwedig o gofio bod yr argymhellion yn rhoi sylw teilwng i'r holl risgiau ariannol terfynol". | Fe wnaeth y brifysgol y tu ôl i bencadlys newydd S4C, Yr Egin, ddweud wrth Lywodraeth Cymru y byddai angen arian cyhoeddus, fis yn unig cyn gwadu bod bwlch ariannol. |
34846949 | The Northern Ireland international, 26, joined North End in June 2014 following his release by Rangers but has been restricted to eight starts.
Little has yet to make an appearance for the Lilywhites this season after their promotion to the Championship.
"I've had a frustrating season so far, being fit and champing at the bit," he told the club website.
He joins a Tangerines side that sit in the final relegation place in League One and is available for their game at Southend on Saturday.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. | League One side Blackpool have signed Preston striker Andy Little on loan until 2 January. |
35216313 | Just over half of the protected area will be closed to fishing.
The fishery in the other half will be policed under a grant of £300,000 from the Louis Bacon Foundation, a charitable body.
It is the latest marine reserve to be declared around remote islands, which will increase marine conservation zones to about 2% of the ocean.
That remains a far cry from the 30% recommended by scientists to preserve species and expand fish stocks, but is much more than just a few years ago.
Governments have designated marine parks at Palau in the North Pacific, Easter Island and Pitcairn in the South Pacific, and New Zealand's Kermadec islands, in what has become a landmark year for ocean conservation.
The latest reserve at Ascension Island is said to hold some of the largest marlin in the world, one of the largest populations of green turtles, big colonies of tropical seabirds and the island's own unique frigate bird.
The reserve totals 234,291 sq km, slightly less than the size of the United Kingdom. It could be ready for formal designation as soon as 2017, once further data has been collected and analysed.
Dr Judith Brown, director of fisheries and marine conservation for Ascension Island government, said: "The economic benefit from the fishery has provided much-needed income for the island.
"This donation will help fund the enforcement to protect the closed area from illegal fishing."
The Great British Oceans Coalition, which includes the Blue Marine Foundation and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, has been campaigning since 2014 for the designation of all or part of Ascension's waters.
Charles Clover, Blue Marine Foundation chairman, said: "Ascension has been at the frontiers of science since Charles Darwin went there in the 19th Century, so it is entirely appropriate that it is now at the centre of a great scientific effort to design the Atlantic's largest marine reserve."
An accident of colonial history has left the UK and France with huge potential to safeguard marine life around remote oceanic islands.
The Conservative party promised in its 2015 manifesto to create a "blue belt" of protected ocean round the UK's Overseas Territories.
The commitment was described by Tory MP Zac Goldsmith as "the biggest conservation commitment by any government ever, pledging to protect an area of ocean three-and-a-half times the size of Britain".
Follow Roger on Twitter @rharrabin | The government is to create a marine reserve almost as big as the UK in the Atlantic waters of Ascension Island. |
38821804 | Justin Trudeau's communications chief, Kate Purchase, said Fox was "spreading misinformation" with the tweet, which was based on early reports.
Six Muslim worshippers were shot dead as they prayed and 19 others wounded.
French-Canadian student Alexandre Bissonette was subsequently charged. Fox News has apologised for the tweet.
"FoxNews.com initially corrected the misreported information with a tweet and an update to the story on Monday," managing director Refet Kaplan told the BBC.
"The earlier tweets have now been deleted. We regret the error."
"Suspect in Quebec mosque terror attack was of Moroccan origin, reports show," the offending tweet had said.
Some early reports had in fact said that one of two men arrested was of Moroccan origin but the man was later deemed to be a witness and released without charge.
Fox's story was updated to reflect this but the news organisation did not, at first, remove its tweet. The Fox News Twitter account has 13m followers.
Kate Purchase tweeted Fox asking it to "either retract or update the tweet to reflect the suspect's actual identity".
"We need to remain focused on keeping our communities safe and united instead of trying to build walls and scapegoat communities," she added.
After the tweet was removed, she responded on Twitter: "Thank you @FoxNews for deleting the tweet. We appreciate it." | Fox News has removed a tweet saying a suspect in the Quebec mosque attack was of Moroccan origin, after a request by the Canadian prime minister's office. |
32229222 | The Hang Seng index closed up 2.7% at 26,944.39, its highest closing level since January 2008.
The surge in interest was triggered by Beijing's move last month to let mutual funds invest in Hong Kong through the connect plan.
The Shanghai Composite ended down 0.9%.
The mainland index closed at 3,957.53 as investors rushed to buy relatively cheaper Hong Kong shares.
Chinese investors had used the entire 10.5bn yuan ($1.69bn) daily investment quota for buying Hong Kong stocks under the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect scheme for a second day.
Shares in the rest of Asia were mixed despite a rise in US markets on Wednesday.
Investor sentiment remained cautious following the latest committee minutes from the Federal Reserve, which showed the central bank was split over when to raise interest rates.
Japan's Nikkei 225 closed up 0.75% at 19,937.72, edging closer to the key threshold of 20,000 which was last seen in 2000.
Analysts said the psychologically important level was likely to be hit soon.
Shares in Asia's biggest clothing retailer, Japan's Fast Retailing, closed up nearly 2% after it raised its annual profit forecast by 20% on Thursday.
The owner of Uniqlo, which has been expanding aggressively overseas, said its net income would be 120bn yen ($998m) for the year ending in August, up from its previous forecast of 100bn yen.
The company's profits were boosted by sales outside Japan.
In Australia, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index closed down 0.48% at 5,932.20 as a result of falling oil prices, which analysts said would affect the energy sector.
US-based oil and gas giant, Apache, said it was selling its Australian operations for $2.1bn (£1.4bn) as it shifts its focus back to North America.
"Following the sale of our Australian assets, about 70% of Apache's production will come from North America onshore," said the firm's chief executive, John Christmann.
South Korea's benchmark Kospi index closed down 0.02% at 2,058.87.
After a surprise cut in March, South Korea's central bank said on Thursday it would hold its interest rates steady.
The decision was not unanimous, however, and analysts suggested that the bank's easing cycle was not over. | Hong Kong shares surged to seven-year highs on Thursday as mainland Chinese investors poured money into the market via the new stock connect trading link. |
26825869 | An official with Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said the spread of the disease across the country made it very difficult to control.
The West African state is facing a battle to contain the outbreak after cases were reported in areas that are hundreds of kilometres apart.
Ebola is spread by close contact and kills between 25% and 90% of victims.
"We are facing an epidemic of a magnitude never before seen in terms of the distribution of cases," Mariano Lugli, a co-ordinator in Guinea for the aid group said.
"This geographical spread is worrisome because it will greatly complicate the tasks of the organisations working to control the epidemic," Mr Lugli added.
The outbreak of Ebola had centred around Guinea's remote south-eastern region of Nzerekore but it took the authorities six weeks to identify the disease.
It has now spread to neighbouring Liberia, as well as Guinea's capital, Conakry, which has a population of two million people.
Senegalese singer Youssou Ndour cancelled a concert in Conakry on Saturday because of the outbreak.
Although he had already travelled to the city, he told the BBC it would not be a good idea to bring hundreds or thousands of people together in an enclosed area.
Figures released overnight by Guinea's health ministry showed that there had been 78 deaths from 122 cases of suspected Ebola since January, up from 70.
Of these, there were 22 laboratory confirmed cases of Ebola, the ministry said.
Liberia has recorded a total of seven suspected and confirmed cases, including four deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.
Liberia's Health Minister Walter Gwenigale on Monday warned people to stop having sex because the virus was spread via bodily fluids.
This was in addition to existing advice to stop shaking hands and kissing.
The BBC's Jonathan Paye-Layleh in Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, says residents are increasingly concerned and many supermarket workers are wearing gloves as a precaution.
The first two Liberians confirmed as dying from Ebola were sisters, one of whom had recently returned from Guinea.
Sierra Leone has also reported five suspected cases, none of which have been confirmed yet, while Senegal, another neighbour of Guinea's, has closed its land border.
Outbreaks of Ebola occur primarily in remote villages in Central and West Africa, near tropical rainforests, WHO says. | The Ebola outbreak that has killed 78 people in Guinea is "unprecedented", a medical charity has said. |
36465152 | Angela Wrightson was subjected to a brutal assault in her Hartlepool home by the girls, then aged 13 and 14.
Speaking to ITV Tyne Tees, her niece Rachel Tresidder said the family wanted to bring in "Angie's Law".
The law would give more power to police and social services to intervene if a vulnerable person was being exploited.
Ms Wrightson, who was an alcoholic, sometimes invited young people into her home to drink and smoke.
Neighbours reported her sometimes becoming distressed if she felt they were trying to take advantage of her.
Angie's Law would work in a similar way to non-molestation orders currently issued in domestic violence cases to prevent contact between abusers and victims, Ms Wrighton's family said.
They have called for police and social services to be able to issue them on the spot when they see a vulnerable adult being harassed in their own home.
Ms Wrightson's two attackers, who cannot be named for legal reasons, subjected her to a brutal and degrading attack over a period of hours.
They were found guilty of murder and sentenced to life with a minimum term of 15 years.
Ms Tresidder described her aunt as "lovely" and "funny" and said the family had difficulty coming to terms with the nature of her death.
In a separate interview, the mother of one of the girls told with ITV Tyne Tees on Thursday that she had "begged for help" with her daughter. | The family of a woman who was tortured to death by two teenage girls has called for a new law to protect vulnerable people. |
33512866 | The charges against her have been upgraded to "joint perpetrator of murder", according to Interfax.
She will be tried in a border town in southern Russia, her lawyer tweeted.
The pilot was captured during fighting with Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine and has become a symbol of Ukrainian resistance to Russia.
She was previously charged with being an accessory to murder, in relation to the deaths of two Russian TV journalists in a mortar attack in the rebel-held Luhansk area of Ukraine.
However, Russian Investigations Committee official spokesman Vladimir Markin told Interfax that her actions had been "reassessed".
"She will now be tried not as an accessory but as a joint perpetrator of the murder of two or more persons by means (of) posing danger to the public, motivated by hatred towards a social group and carried out by a group of persons acting in collusion," he said.
The alleged crime carries a maximum life sentence, but Russia does not give life sentences to women, so Ms Savchenko faces a 25-year jail term.
The pilot, who was previously on hunger strike for 83 days in protest at her detention, has denied the charges. The EU and Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly called for her release.
The Ukrainian government says Ms Savchenko was abducted by pro-Russian separatists and handed over to the Russian authorities.
But Russia says she crossed the border herself, posing as a refugee.
Ukraine pilot in middle of media war | A Ukrainian military pilot, Nadia Savchenko, who has been held in Russia since June 2014, faces a 25-year prison term, according to reports. |
39965036 | The council is due to elect its new leader next Thursday.
Jamie Adams, former leader and member of the Independent Plus Political Group (IPPG), has removed his name from the contest.
The IPPG has led the council since 1996 but lost 20 councillors in the local elections earlier this month.
Mr Simpson stepped down from Pembrokeshire's cabinet and left the IPPG in 2014 over disagreements about the way the group was being run by Mr Adams.
He said at the time it was the efforts of Rob Lewis to derail the investigatory committee into former chief executive Bryn Parry Jones which led to his resignation.
Mr Simpson has already won the backing of the Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative members in his leadership bid. | Unaffiliated councillor David Simpson is on course to become the new leader of Pembrokeshire county council, after his only opponent withdrew. |
36399909 | Thousands of caterpillars have covered a bush with the giant nest beside the city's Wickes store.
Visitors from as far away as Motherwell have travelled to see the unusual sight.
The creatures feed on cherry trees, hawthorn and blackthorn and build the webs to ward off predators.
One onlooker said he "hadn't seen anything like it in 50 years", with another calling it "creepy, scary and amazing",
The store has now cordoned off the web to protect it, with a company spokeswoman saying it was "in the process of finding out more." | A 30ft-long caterpillar web beside a Stirling DIY store has been cordoned off after becoming a tourist attraction. |
39205524 | The Dumfries and Galloway authority said this week it was no closer to agreement over the items' future.
A spokeswoman for NMS said it believed it had put forward a "mutually beneficial and positive proposal".
The Scottish Archaeological Finds Allocation Panel (SAFAP) is to meet to discuss the hoard's future on 23 March.
The treasure was discovered by a metal detectorist in Galloway in 2014.
Dumfries and Galloway Council wants to house it in a new art gallery being built in Kirkcudbright.
NMS is also bidding for the artefacts and a spokeswoman said it had been in talks with the local authority since last summer.
"We have proposed a collaborative approach which guarantees the long-term display of a significant and representative portion, and, for specific periods of time, all of the Galloway hoard in Kirkcudbright Art Gallery," she said.
"It is disappointing that the council has not accepted what we believe is a mutually-beneficial and positive proposal."
She said the hoard was of "considerable national and international significance" and they had applied to acquire it "on behalf of the nation".
"As part of our proposals, NMS would take on the significant obligations of ensuring it is conserved, fully researched and appropriately cared for in the long term," she said.
"The hoard would also be shared widely with the public through display in Dumfries and Galloway, across Scotland and the rest of the UK and internationally."
South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth has urged the Scottish government to intervene to allow the hoard to be housed in Kirkcudbright.
"The council are right to be sceptical over any offer from NMS," he said.
"When they closed the Museum of Costume at Shambellie House we were promised all sorts from them in terms of local exhibitions and that hasn't really materialised."
He said it was up to the government to show that NMS was interested in "more than the central belt".
"Having a display of such international importance permanently on display in the region will allow us to market the exhibition properly, which you won't be able to do if it is left up to NMS to decide if and when any part of the hoard is displayed locally," he said.
"Displaying the hoard in Kirkcudbright would also be a huge boost to the local economy by attracting more visitors which you simply wouldn't get if the hoard is on display in Edinburgh, lost among the many other displays". | National Museums Scotland has voiced disappointment at a council's stance over their bids to house a Viking treasure hoard. |
35612012 | The two-year-old was being rushed from Warwick Hospital to Horton Hospital in Banbury with suspected meningitis and was not strapped in, her family said.
The vehicle left the road at high speed near Banbury, Oxfordshire, resting at the bottom of a steep bank, they said.
West Midlands Ambulance Service is carrying out an internal investigation.
The child's grandfather, Bill Robison, from Radford Semele in Warwickshire, said she was now in intensive care at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.
Updates on this story and more from Coventry and Warwickshire
The girl was "gravely ill" at the time and Mr Robison said on Friday he did not wish to criticise the ambulance service for what happened.
The mother and daughter suffered bruising in the crash, which happened at about 03:30 GMT on Thursday.
Mr Robison said he believed the two medics were also injured, with one suffering a head injury.
"We don't really know exactly what happened as my daughter is concentrating on her daughter right now but, they were travelling fast, but I'm sure within the limit, on the motorway, just before junction 11, and suddenly heard 'a clonk'," he said.
"It left the road, went down the embankment and rolled several times.
An ambulance spokesman said a response crew was sent to the scene and arrived within ten minutes. The injured crew were taken to Warwick Hospital as a precaution.
The driver was unhurt while the ambulance attendant, who was travelling in the back with the patient, had minor abrasions.
The spokesman added that it was not known if blue lights were being used on the ambulance at the time because the roads would have been quiet.
"The use of lights and sirens will form part of the investigation," he said.
The service would not comment as to whether the girl was strapped in. | An ambulance carrying a critically ill toddler and her mother crashed on the M40, rolling down an embankment before being found by a passing motorist. |
40180931 | His family said in statement that he died peacefully while being treated for Parkinson's disease.
Mr Khashoggi became one of the world's richest men in the 1970s and '80s by brokering international arms deals.
His parties were legendary, often lasting for days, but there was also controversy about his business.
A statement from the family on Tuesday said: "He lived his last days surrounded by his devoted family, children and grandchildren, with the same elegance, strength and dignity that characterised his remarkable life. He is survived by his wife Lamia.
"AK was a pioneer who achieved global recognition in a golden age through his extraordinary business achievements and renowned generosity. Our father understood the art of bringing people together better than anyone.
"He combined commercial acumen with an over-riding loyalty to his country, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. His work always furthered the interests of his country."
He most famously brokered arms deals between US firms and Saudi Arabia in the 1960s and '70s, when he worked closely with the Lockheed Corporation, now Lockheed Martin.
Later, Mr Khashoggi represented France in its race against the UK to secure the initial $20bn al-Yamamah weapons-for-oil deal with the Saudis - a contract that still runs today.
The nature of his business meant that there was always controversy, and in 1987 he appeared on the front cover of Time magazine under the headline: "Those Shadowy Arms Traders: Adnan Khashoggi's High Life and Flashy Deals".
He spent time in a Swiss prison in the 1980s - where he reportedly dined on gourmet food from the Schweizerhof Hotel - fighting extradition to the US after being accused of helping to conceal funds on behalf of former Philippines president Ferdinand Marcos and his shoe-loving wife, Imelda.
The charges were reduced, and he and Mrs Marcos were eventually acquitted.
Mr Khashoggi once owned one of the world's largest yachts, the 86-metre Nabila, which appeared in the James Bond film Never Say Never Again.
When his business empire ran into financial difficulty, he handed the yacht to the Sultan of Brunei who sold it on to Donald Trump, now president of the US, for a reported $29m in the 1980s.
In 1997, a Paris court ordered him to pay a $1.6m fine for smuggling 37 paintings into France in 1986, bought in from the US on his private jet.
And in 1998, the casino at London's Ritz Hotel settled out of court its lawsuit against Mr Khashoggi for £8m of gambling debts.
The businessman, whose late sister Samira was married to former Harrods chief Mohamed Al Fayed, was an uncle of Princess Diana's final love, Dodi Fayed.
Adnan Khashoggi was the embodiment of the extraordinary riches that the petrodollar brought to his homeland, Saudi Arabia - although his fortune was made in arms deals rather than oil.
Khashoggi was born in Mecca. His father's position as personal doctor to King Ibn Saud, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia, brought him into early proximity to the royal court.
Through his vast reserve of contacts and a series of massive international arms deals in the 1960s, '70s and '80s, he ended up rivalling the Saudi royal family for glittering wealth and extravagance.
His parties were legendary, featuring a cast of celebrities, glamorous women and fellow tycoons. But a series of scandals - political and financial - not only tarnished his reputation but greatly diminished his fortune.
He ended his days as a distant shadow of the flamboyant showman and inveterate dealmaker he once was. | Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, a billionaire businessman known for his lavish lifestyle, has died in London at the age of 82. |
33585078 | Two men, one of whom was armed with a gun, the other with a crowbar, threatened the van driver in the Riverside Retail Park on Saturday afternoon.
They made off with a cash box.
The man has been charged with robbery and possession of a firearm with intent. He is due to appear at Coleraine Magistrates Court later. | A 25-year-old man has been charged following an armed robbery of a cash-in-transit van in Coleraine. |
35862618 | Now, some of these figures will be plucked out of the air, but some of them will be based on serious economic modelling - carried out by folk with brains the size of planets, most likely swimming around in think tanks.
Should you believe all of them, some of them or none of them and how do you know which to treasure and which to discard?
No, they're a bit more realistic than that. But not much.
A lot of people trying to decide whether to vote to leave the European Union or stay in want to know what would happen if the UK left.
And the trouble is that we don't know.
Honestly we don't. And anyone who tells you they do is lying.
Among the key questions to which we don't know the answers are what sort of trade deals the UK would manage to do after leaving, how long they would take to negotiate, how much of the UK's contribution to the EU Budget would be saved, what that saved money would be spent on, whether the regulations that the UK government devised to replace the EU ones were better than the EU ones and what effect all that had on the economy.
There are also more subtle effects on the economy that are even harder to measure such as whether a Brexit would create some sort of feelgood factor in the UK economy, or the opposite.
Yes it is. Remember the Budget? The Office for Budget Responsibility, which does the forecasts that the government bases its decisions on, made really big changes to the predictions it had made for the economy only about four months before. And that was without a really major event such as leaving the EU to cloud its predictions.
Also, that was looking at what will happen in four or five years, while the EU questions has ramifications for decades, during which the global economy could change beyond recognition.
The PwC report commissioned by the CBI concluded that the cost of Brexit could be as much as 5% of GDP and 950,000 jobs by 2020, figures heartily disputed by the Leave side. How would they have worked that out?
The way it works is that you build a model to predict the future based largely on how particular things happening in the past have affected the economy.
For example, your model will be programmed for what effect the pound being weaker or stronger against the euro would have on the economy, or what effect an increase in tariffs on particular exports or imports would have.
If you plug in all the right numbers to start with then it might do, but this is where the problems start.
Because in order to work the model you have to make some assumptions in order to have the figures to put in.
You need to take a view of what trade deals would be done and when, what difference it would make to trade, whether the pound would fall and a whole host of other variables.
And the numbers you come out with at the end are enormously sensitive to these assumptions. The margin of error on such forecasts would generally completely dwarf the effects they were trying to identify, if people bothered to try to quantify it.
George Box, one of the greatest statisticians of the 20th Century, said: "All models are wrong, but some are useful."
While the numbers may be of little value, the direction the models predict and some of the assumptions they make are quite interesting.
Friday's report from the Centre for Economic Performance said that leaving would be bad for the economy, predicting falling trade because of rising non-tariff barriers to British goods.
How big a hit the economy would take, whether it's the equivalent of £850 per household in its "optimistic" scenario, £1,700 in its pessimistic one, or between £4,200 and £6,400 per household in the long term is less important.
That's the tricky question.
Look at how well-respected the people conducting the research are. Look at who has commissioned it and who is paying for it.
If it's been commissioned by organisations campaigning for one side or the other then you could reasonably be a bit suspicious of its findings.
But that's not necessarily a firm rule. A well-funded, independent group can be just as wrong as a biased one.
"People are not necessarily wrong because they're biased any more than they're necessarily right because they're rich," says Will Moy, director of the fact-checking organisation Full Fact.
Also, be a bit careful with the question of EU funding. Lots of research organisations bid to do some work for the EU and many universities receive some funding from the EU. Almost none can say they have never received any European money, but it doesn't necessarily mean they are in favour of staying in the union.
Then have a look at the assumptions they are making, what they are predicting will happen and whether it seems too pessimistic or optimistic.
In particular, make sure the organisation is clarifying what assumptions it has made and how the model works. If not, don't believe it.
And remember there's also the option to decide that you don't care what even the finest economists predict, or even that you don't think the economic impact is the most important thing about EU membership.
READ MORE: The facts behind claims in the EU debate | As the EU referendum campaign continues you will be seeing lots of headlines about how much Brexit would cost or benefit the UK economy, or indeed how much staying in will cost the economy. |
34326934 | A review - led by former NHS anti-fraud boss Jim Gee - highlighted fraud by pharmacists, dentists, GPs and patients.
Among the areas it found to be affected were procurement, prescriptions, registration of patients and payroll.
The government said the report was "highly speculative" and "full of inconsistencies".
To work out how much fraud is being committed, the review had to rely on estimates as well as detected fraud.
It said the level of fraud was likely to be between £3.7bn and £5.7bn a year, out of a budget of more than £110bn.
Among the scams highlighted were dentists claiming money for NHS care they did not carry out and GPs falsifying records for extra payments.
To illustrate the scale of some of these cases, it highlighted the jailing of a Birmingham dentist in 2012 after she stole £1.4m from the NHS.
Patient fraud identified included wrongful claims for free prescriptions, dental and optician care.
But the biggest area of fraud was estimated to be payroll, at between £555m and £1.49bn - although the report said this mainly consisted of lots of small-scale cases.
The report warned fraud was not being given the attention it deserved and it was now one of the "great unreduced healthcare costs".
Mr Gee, who carried out his work for PFK Littlejohn accountants, said: "There is a vast, honest majority who find fraud against the NHS to be completely unacceptable. However, there is also a dishonest minority who can cause significant financial damage.
"The best way of stopping this is not to wait for fraud to happen and then act after losses have been incurred, but to proactively deter and prevent them. Fraud is a cost to be measured, managed and minimised like any other."
By Hugh Pym, health editor
There is nothing new about fraud in the NHS. The scams are all too familiar - whether it's health service managers purchasing hospital supplies and taking backhanders or corrupt GPs claiming they have patients who don't actually exist.
But the report's authors argue that, even though the NHS's fraud problem is no worse than in other healthcare systems, the need for a crackdown is as urgent as ever because of the intense financial pressure on the NHS and the need to make efficiency savings.
They accuse the government of failing to carry out a detailed audit of the extent of health service fraud. The Department of Health said it didn't recognise the figures, but there has been no official denial that there is a problem that needs fixing.
Fraud officers work in each local area while at a national level, fraud work is co-ordinated by NHS Protect.
A Department of Health spokesperson said: "We do not recognise the figures in this highly speculative report which is full of inconsistencies.
"We are determined to stamp out fraud in the NHS through better information sharing to prevent and deter fraud and we are working with NHS Protect on crime risks and trends to do even more in the future." | The NHS in England could be losing up to £5.7bn a year to fraud from its £100bn budget, a report suggests. |
36330742 | The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) said 80% of Scottish beaches passed the standard as "excellent", "good" or "sufficient".
However, 17 beaches are now rated as "poor" under the new system.
Sepa measured the quality of water at 84 "officially designated bathing waters" across Scotland.
Many beaches likely to have good water quality - for instance in the Western Isles - are not officially designated and so the pollutants are not monitored there.
The new EU classification system includes four years' of monitoring data which Sepa said provided a "more consistent picture" of water quality.
Rated "excellent"
Rated "poor"
Thirty-eight beaches are also rated as "good" and 12 as "sufficient". Read the full profiles for each beach. Source: Sepa
The new classifications will be displayed at the beaches from May until mid-September.
This summer, Sepa said it would also be extending its network of electronic signs - which provide daily real-time water quality information - to six new beaches.
The agency is also preparing improvement plans to help poorly-rated beaches with the aim they would meet at least the "sufficient" standard by 2020.
Calum McPhail, Sepa's environmental quality manager, said: "We understand that some local communities will be disappointed, as we are, that 17 bathing waters have been rated as having a 'poor' EU classification, and many will be concerned when the new classifications are displayed on these beaches for the first time this month.
"It is important to remember that a 'poor' classification does not necessarily mean that water quality is continually poor, and in many cases this is due to historic episodes of reduced water quality following heavy rainfall. These are still fantastic beaches to visit."
Mr McPhail added that Scottish bathing waters had been increasing in number and quality since monitoring began in 1988.
VisitScotland said marine recreation and tourism expenditure was worth an estimated £3.7bn a year to Scotland.
A spokesman added: "We are pleased that the vast majority of bathing waters are classified as sufficient or above, while 65% have an excellent or good classification.
"It is very disappointing, however, to hear that the water quality at some beaches have not met Sepa bathing water standards and we will be discussing the potential impact this could have on tourism with the organisations involved." | Water quality at 17 Scottish beaches have been classed as "excellent" against new, much stricter European standards. |
33359195 | Among key investors were the Ambani brothers, Tata group chief Cyrus Mistry and Wipro head Azim Premji.
Companies also pledged to manufacture in India, estimated to add 18,0000 jobs to the economy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched "India Digital Week" on Wednesday, to reinvigorate an $18bn campaign to strengthen digital infrastructure.
"Why can't we make quality electronic goods that are globally competitive?" Mr Modi said, highlighting his goal of ending net technology and electronics imports by 2020.
India's richest man Mukesh Ambani pledged the biggest investment, saying he planned to invest 2.5tn rupees ($39bn) through his Reliance Industries.
Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman of the conglomerate Aditya Birla Group, announced $7bn to fund network rollouts and other projects, the AFP news agency reported.
The venture is aimed at bridging India's digital divide, bringing in large investments in technology manufacturing.
However, India will have to overcome a number of challenges before it can achieve its ambitions. | India's corporates have pledged 4,500 trillion rupees ($70bn; £44bn) to the "digital India" initiative. |
37496065 | It leaves only five candidates left for the election which is likely to dominate Caf's Extraordinary General Assembly in Cairo on Thursday.
No reasons were given for Patel's withdrawal, which Caf has confirmed.
South Sudan Football Association president Chabur Goc Alei pulled out of the election last week.
It leaves Caf's second vice-president Almamy Kabele Camara of Guinea as the most senior figure in the race and among the favourites along with fellow executive committee member Kwesi Nyantakyi, the Ghana Football Association president.
The other three candidates are Ahmad from Madagascar, who uses just a single name, Hamidou Djibrilla of Niger and Senegal Football Association chef Augustin Senghor.
Africa has two more places on the expanded Fifa Council which is much the same as their old tarnished executive committee but instead of 24 members now has 36 and has been renamed.
The two new African members will hold their seats only until 17 March, when they face re-election at the next Caf Congress, which is being held in Addis Ababa.
But election success in Cairo on Thursday will likely give the incumbent a head start in their bid for re-election next year and a four-year term.
The gathering of Caf's 54-member associations has been called to vote in the two new members before the new Fifa Council has its first meeting on 13-14 October.
Caf presidency
It is also expected to pass changes to the statues to put the organisation in line with the recently adopted Fifa reforms.
The most significant change will be ending the rule, introduced just four years ago, that restricted potential candidates for the Caf presidency to members of its 15-man executive committee only.
It had originally been seen as an attempt by long-serving president Issa Hayatou to hand pick his successor.
But a proposal from the Djibouti football federation now reads that anyone can stand for election as Caf president as long as they are "supported by at least five member associations".
The potential candidate must also have played an active role in football as an official of a member association, during four of the last five years preceding the submission of the candidacy, and they must pass an eligibility check.
It is expected to be passed without much fuss. | Confederation of African Football vice-president Suketu Patel has withdrawn from the race for the two extra African places on the Fifa Council. |
40262751 | He could more accurately have described us as a nation of shoppers.
Consumer spending is the driver of the UK's economic growth, accounting for about 60% of all our economic activity.
The quickest route to a downturn in that growth figure is consumers who rein in spending.
Today's sharp rise in prices (inflation is now at its highest rate for four years) increases the pressure on the just-about-managing classes.
And savers, once again, are feeling the strain in an era of ultra-low interest rates.
The fall in the value of sterling since the Brexit referendum is the main inflation driver (but not the only one) as it increases the prices of the 40% of food and fuel we import.
And all the basics businesses buy abroad to make the things we purchase or provide us with services.
Of course, it is not all one way traffic.
Sterling's decline is good for exporters and for those global corporations based in the UK which earn a substantial proportion of their revenues in dollars and pay increased dividends to shareholders that include our pension funds.
Some inflation can also be good for an economy as businesses tend to invest more if they assume that prices - and revenues - will rise in the future.
But the clear and present danger from this inflation spike is for consumers.
Which is, pretty much, all of us.
Inflation is now at 2.9%, already above where the Bank of England believed it would peak by the end of this year.
Income growth is at 2.1%.
The incomes squeeze which returned last month has just become tighter.
There is some evidence it is having an effect, although consumers have so far been remarkably resilient in the face of rising prices.
The latest Visa data on credit and debit card activity earlier this week suggested the first fall in consumer spending in four years.
The retail sales figures published on Thursday by the Office for National Statistics will be closely watched.
Last month's saw the biggest quarterly fall in seven years, although the figures can be volatile.
Behind all this data are the real stories of people who are worse off.
Average wage growth masks wide variations, of course.
Those in the public sector have seen their pay either frozen - or rises capped at 1% - since 2010.
And those people who receive in-work benefits to top up their income have not seen those payments rise.
It is into this toxic mix that the question of austerity is thrown - public sector pay and benefits freezes are controlled by the government.
Yes, Theresa May can argue that government debts are still rising and that those debts will have to be paid off by future generations.
The need for "sound money" still holds sway among many.
But, if people feel worse off they tend to look to politicians for solutions.
And if there aren't any, they tend to punish incumbents.
Since the Second World War there have only been three elections where real incomes have been falling - 1945, 2010 and 2017.
None of them ended well for the governing party going into the election - even if they had just won a world war.
Nick Timothy, Theresa May's former chief of staff who resigned at the weekend, said voters "were tired of austerity".
Today's inflation figure will only make that exhaustion - and pressure on the government to change tack - more acute. | It was Napoleon Bonaparte who once dismissed Britain as a nation of shop keepers. |
38317692 | GLAdys - named after the airport's international code - will entertain passengers in the departure area with songs, dancing and stories.
She is said to be the first robot to be used by a UK airport.
GLAdys is part of a trial that could eventually see more robots used to interact and help direct passengers around the airport.
The 4ft humanoid has been dressed in a Santa outfit and programmed to sing and dance to Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Rocking around the Christmas Tree and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, as the airport prepares for Christmas.
It is the latest development in the airport's digital passenger experience project, designed to explore how customer engagement can be enhanced through digital technology. | Glasgow Airport has unveiled its newest member of staff - a singing and dancing humanoid robot. |
23167112 | The idea would use bone conduction technology, a technique that transmits sound to the inner ear by passing vibrations through the skull.
The concept has been developed by ad agency BBDO Germany on behalf of broadcaster Sky Deutschland.
It is already proving controversial.
Comments posted under a video showing off the concept include "This is a violation to a person's right to rest" and "I think I'd take a sledgehammer to the window."
The Talking Window campaign idea was shown off at the International Festival of Creativity in Cannes last month.
The video shows passengers on a German train being surprised to hear ads urging them to download the Sky Go app on to their smartphones to watch streamed video.
The audio is created by a special Sky-branded transmitter made by Audiva attached to the windows.
"Tired commuters often rest their heads against windows," says the ad.
"Suddenly a voice inside their head is talking to them. No-one else can hear this message."
Details posted online note that bone conduction technology has previously been used in hearing aids, headphones for swimmers and runners, and devices used by magicians to make someone think they have had a message planted in their head.
Google also plans to use the tech in its forthcoming Glass headset.
BBDO Germany said it had had a positive response to tests using prototype transmitters placed in public transport in Munich and Aachen.
"If our customer Sky Deutschland agrees, we will start with the new medium as quickly as possible," spokesman Ulf Brychcy told the BBC.
"At present, this is limited to the German market. If we look into the future: everything is possible.
"Some people don´t like advertising in general. But this is really a new technology. [It might] not only be used for advertising, but also for music, entertainment, mass transport information, weather reports and so on."
A spokeswoman for Sky Deutschland said it had yet to make a decision on whether to run the campaign.
Although the firm shares the same logo as the UK's BSkyB's satellite TV service, the two are separate companies, albeit both part-owned by News Corp.
BSkyB said it had not been aware of the campaign before the BBC brought it to its attention, and was not planning to launch anything similar. | A German firm is proposing to transmit adverts via train windows so that the sound appears to "come from inside the user's head" when passengers lean against them. |
36880124 | Kent paceman Matt Coles ripped through the hosts' batting line-up at the Ageas Bowl with 6-56 as Hampshire were bowled out for 229 - Adam Wheater hitting 63.
Bell-Drummond shared an opening stand of 203 with Denly before he was caught by Tom Alsop off Brad Wheal (4-38).
Denly (105) went four balls later as Kent reached 231-5 in 43.3 overs.
Kent looked all but home with 27 needed and 10 wickets standing, but Wheal sparked a dramatic collapse in which the visitors lost five quick wickets - the teenage fast bowler taking four of them.
However, there was to be no remarkable turnaround as Alex Blake and Will Gidman knocked off the remaining 14 runs required.
Before the chaotic ending, England Lions batsman Bell-Drummond had once again looked at ease at the crease, a day after scoring an unbeaten 171 for his country against Sri Lanka A.
The 22-year-old continued his prolific summer, hitting 10 boundaries as he brought up his third half-century of the competition.
Denly was equally impressive in making his second hundred in this season's One-Day Cup off 120 balls, before he was caught by Sean Ervine off Wheal.
Kent move up to fourth in the South Group, while Hampshire are two points behind in eighth. | Joe Denly hit a fine century and Daniel Bell-Drummond made 91 as Kent chased down 230 to beat Hampshire by five wickets in the One-Day Cup. |
39551311 | The collision, involving a black Triumph motorbike and a beige Hyundai, happened on the B9113 Forfar to Montrose road at about 16:30 on Sunday.
The 56-year rider was treated by ambulance service personnel but died at the scene.
Three occupants of the car were taken to hospital with minor injuries but later released. The road was closed for several hours.
Police are asking anyone who was travelling on the road near the time of the accident to contact them. | A motorcyclist has died in a crash with a car in Angus. |
34225913 | The 18-year-old studied source gated transistors, an energy-efficient alternative to traditional transistors.
Their usability has been questioned due to some self-heating effects.
The new research, presented at the British Science Festival and published in Scientific Reports, shows that these effects are actually minimal.
Source gated transistors (SGTs) are more energy efficient and more electrically robust than traditional transistors - the fundamental building blocks of electronic devices. They allow the control of colour and brightness in the pixels on a screen, among a raft of other variables.
But it had been thought that SGTs self-heating would lead to device failures.
Thomas Burridge, a sixth-form student, co-authored the paper during a placement with the University of Surrey last summer, through the educational charity Satro.
He wrote computer code to simulate SGTs self-heating and processed the results, then checked them against data from real experiments.
Simple design changes to the geometry of the SGT, he found, all but eliminated self-heating and its damaging effects.
This year, Mr Burridge is going on to study engineering at the University of Cambridge.
"When you set the students a task, you never tell them that this is something that no-one has ever tackled before. They're not aware that this is at the edge of our knowledge, yet they deliver great work," said Dr Radu Sporea, Mr Burridge's supervisor and a research fellow at the University of Surrey.
Clothing, sensors and displays could benefit from this development, making wearable technology and flexible screens a reality.
But untapped potential remains, as Dr Sporea explained.
"I don't think we've found the true killer application of this, but the potential is immense because SGTs could be economic, robust, lightweight, and we can manufacture vast amounts of them in a similar way to newspapers being printed in a paper press."
As for Thomas Burridge - he found it all very rewarding: "I wanted to do this because I wanted to experience what it was like to do research. I did all this in four weeks; it's really surprising how much you can learn in a short amount of time. At the start I didn't think I would be able to do it, but it got easier as I went along." | A Surrey school student has co-authored a paper investigating components that could be important for the future of flexible electronics. |
33854374 | President Mugabe said his compatriots should protect their natural resources from what he called foreign "vandals".
In a speech for National Heroes Day he said: "Even Cecil the lion - he is yours. He's dead!"
The lion - a favourite at Hwange National Park - died after he was shot by Walter Palmer using a bow and arrow.
The dentist from Minnesota has said he believed the hunt was legal.
It is thought he paid about $50,000 (£32,000) to hunt 13-year-old Cecil, who wore a GPS collar and was being studied by Oxford University for conservation purposes.
Mr Mugabe used a speech in Harare to make his first public comments about the lion, whose death sparked international condemnation.
He said: "He was yours to protect and you failed to protect him.
"There are vandals who come from all over of course... some may be just ordinary visitors, but (there are) others who want to vandalise, to irregularly and illegally acquire part of our resources."
Prosecutors have said the lion was shot with an arrow after being lured out of its protected zone, and died from a bullet wound inflicted 40 hours later after it had suffered major blood loss.
Zimbabwe is battling to curb illegal hunting and poaching which threatens to make some of its wildlife extinct.
The country is seeking Mr Palmer's extradition.
Some commentators have criticised the attention that the death of an animal has received when the nation has endemic poverty and unemployment, and political strife and repression are commonplace.
Much of Mr Mugabe's speech was spent remembering those killed in the struggle for independence.
The BBC's Brian Hungwe reports he made startling allegations that skulls of liberation war heroes of the late 1890s were being kept as "war trophies" in a museum in the UK, which he described as the "British History Museum", an apparent reference to the British Museum.
The British Museum told the BBC that it did not have any human skulls from Zimbabwe in its collection. | President Robert Mugabe has said Zimbabweans failed in their responsibility to protect Cecil, a lion shot by an American hunter. |
19265338 | Media playback is not supported on this device
Muamba, 24, collapsed and suffered a cardiac arrest on 17 March during Bolton's FA Cup quarter-final tie with Tottenham Hotspur.
"While the news is devastating, I have much to be thankful for," Muamba told the club website.
"I thank God that I am alive and I pay tribute once again to the members of the medical team who never gave up on me."
Muamba had travelled to Belgium earlier in the week to have minor heart surgery, which was said to have been routine and had no bearing on whether the player would return to action.
Media playback is not supported on this device
But Muamba says he received advice during his time there, prompting his retirement.
"Since suffering my heart attack and being discharged from hospital, I have remained utterly positive in the belief I could one day resume my playing career and play for Bolton Wanderers once again," said Muamba in a statement.
"As part of my ongoing recovery, last week I travelled to Belgium to seek further medical advice from a leading cardiologist.
"But the news I received was obviously not what I had hoped it would be and it means I am now announcing my retirement from professional football."
The news comes just six months after he suffered his cardiac arrest, with doctors saying he was "in effect dead" for 78 minutes.
Dr Leonard Shapiro - cardiology consultant to the FA
"We all were very happy he was able to be resuscitated and made a recovery into normal life, but it was always going to be unlikely that he would get back to playing football.
"It would be very difficult for him to return to the high levels of fitness needed to be a professional footballer."
He was given 15 defibrillator shocks before his heart started beating again, taking 48 minutes between collapsing and reaching the London Chest Hospital, and a further 30 minutes once at the hospital.
Muamba then spent around four weeks in intensive care, before being discharged from hospital on 16 April.
He then returned to the Reebok Stadium before Bolton's match with Tottenham on 2 May, to thank the Bolton supporters.
Muamba began his career at Arsenal and moved to Birmingham City, before spending four years at Bolton.
"Football has been my life since I was a teenage boy and it has given me so many opportunities," he said.
"Above all else, I love the game and count myself very lucky to have been able to play at the highest level."
Bolton manager Owen Coyle - who chatted with Muamba just three days after the midfielder's collapse - paid tribute to him and said the club will support him.
Media playback is not supported on this device
"We have spoken with Fab and he knows we will always support him in whatever he wants to do and that we will always be here for him," said Coyle.
"He is obviously massively disappointed that he won't be able to carry on his career, but everyone has seen what a fighter and strong person he is in mind and body.
"We know that he will go on to achieve great things and within all this disappointment, the most important thing is that he is here, alive, today."
Bolton chairman Phil Gartside also said he was simply thankful for Muamba being alive.
He said: "To have Fabrice here and with us is truly amazing and we are all very thankful for that.
"The most important thing is that Fabrice and his family have the rest of their lives ahead of them."
Fifa president Sepp Blatter wrote on Twitter: "Have just read about your retirement. It's very sad for you and I wish you all the very best."
Football Association chairman David Bernstein was also among the well-wishers, saying: "His recovery has been miraculous and a great tribute to all who have been involved.
"I would like to wish him the very best for the future and I know that the thoughts of the entire football family will be with him." | Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba has announced his retirement from football. |
39817290 | The show's creator Jed Mercurio told BBC News last week he was uncertain about the possibility of a sixth series.
But BBC director general Tony Hall has now confirmed fans can look forward to two more outings.
"I am very excited to say there's not one but two more series of Line of Duty. So hooray for AC-12!" he said.
Mercurio had previously told Radio Times: "I certainly would make six. Whether I would go beyond six would depend on how series five went."
The fourth series of the BBC One police drama reached a dramatic climax on Sunday, with an average of 7.46 million viewers tuning in to the finale.
The new season of Line of Duty was one of a whole load of new commissions the corporation announced on Thursday including:
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]. | Line of Duty has been commissioned for a sixth season, before the fifth has even started being made. |
40169657 | The collision between three lorries and an Audi happened on the northbound carriageway of the motorway near Winchester at 10:15 BST on Monday.
Police have appealed for witnesses who may have seen or captured the accident on a dashboard camera to contact them.
The motorway was closed between junction 10 for Winchester and junction 9 at Winnall throughout the afternoon. It has since been reopened.
More on this and other stories from across the South of England.
The man and the woman who died were both travelling in the Audi.
Hampshire Constabulary said the man was from Dorset and the woman from Buckinghamshire and their next-of-kin had been informed.
The force said a 63-year-old man had been interviewed under caution and later released under investigation.
Two of the lorry drivers were taken to hospital with minor injuries. | A man and woman have died in a multi-vehicle crash on the M3 in Hampshire. |
39222002 | It comes after the public services ombudsman for Wales asked it to pay the amount to Rob Johnson, 18, following an investigation which said monitoring of the savings was "inadequate".
The council said it took its role as corporate parents extremely seriously.
Mr Johnson said he was "over the moon" he will receive the payment.
In a joint statement, the ombudsman and council called for the clarification and strengthening of national policy regarding requirements for foster carers to set aside savings.
Foster parents are advised but not required in law to save for the young people placed in their care.
The statement explains the ambiguity of the requirement, saying it "can and does lead to inequality between foster children placed with different families, and a solution is needed at a national level which addresses this anomaly".
It goes on to say that "clarity is needed on the requirements to make savings, to record savings and to record expenditure from savings, as well as on the issue of who is responsible for savings made on behalf of a looked-after child and the duties on local authorities to oversee and monitor savings".
As a result of the investigation by the ombudsman, the council accepted their own procedures should be tightened up and followed consistently.
Ombudsman Nick Bennett said: "I am very pleased that the council has made this goodwill payment, and that our complainant will feel that his injustice has been corrected. We are in agreement on the need for broader change and clarity."
Council leader Huw David said: "Councils provide a wide range of care and support for looked-after children, but this specific issue needs to be urgently addressed as local authorities can only currently recommend that foster carers make savings for children in their care.
"I would like to see the policy strengthened and national measures put in place to prevent such a situation from reoccurring, and to help ensure that looked-after children can have the best possible start in life." | A "goodwill payment" of £3,310 has been paid by Bridgend council to a foster care-leaver whose savings were not monitored. |
36842188 | For the first time ever, all records, from aerial surveys and island expeditions to 19th Century diary entries and maps by Russian explorers, have been compiled in a single database.
"People have died making these observations," said Anthony Fischbach, the leading biologist behind the project. "This has not come lightly. It's a price you pay for working in the remotest corner of the world."
Scientists hope their data, assembled by the US Geological Survey, will give policy-makers the information they need to protect walruses, approximately 95% of which live in the Bering Sea.
Since 2007, the sea ice that females rely on to raise their pups has declined dramatically in the region, in some cases completely failing to freeze over where it was once historically plentiful.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service are debating whether to list walruses as an endangered species.
They will make their final decision by October 2017.
"Climate change poses several threats to walruses," said James MacCracken, biologist with US Fish and Wildlife Service.
"Loss of sea ice in summer opens up new areas for commercial shipping and oil and gas exploration. Acidification of the ocean is also a threat, due to CO2. It could potentially threaten their food source."
Walruses are predators and are known to occasionally eat seals, but the bulk of their diet is made up of clams and giant marine worms.
Male walruses migrate south from the Arctic and gather on land in their thousands each year, peppering windswept islands and coastlines in groups known as "haul-outs".
Amassing in large numbers is a social activity and a protection strategy, which helps the animals defend themselves from bear and killer whale attacks.
But haul-outs also make walruses especially vulnerable to human threats like oil spills and ship collisions. One strike could devastate an entire population.
The pacific walrus database, which was launched on 18 July, is an attempt to prevent such an event. It maps the location of every known haul-out, providing guidance for oil, shipping and natural gas regulators.
It can be viewed by the public through Google Earth.
A mixture of modern and archival research was used when building the database, beginning with an account from 1862 and a series of maps drawn by the Russian governor of what is now Alaska.
Ten years worth of recent studies have also been included, combining the work of the the Russian Academy of Sciences and their American counterparts.
Anatoly Kochnev, a Russian marine mammal biologist, spends between three and four months in the field studying the animals annually. His work brings him into contact with bears and biting weather conditions, which once left him stranded on a remote island in the Chukchi Sea for two weeks.
"In October and November it is stormy and snowy, but it's good for uncharted work," he said. With the help of local hunters, he remained well nourished throughout the course of his ordeal. "Walrus meat is good! Maybe once or twice I have killed one and eaten it."
For centuries, Native American and indigenous Russian peoples have harvested walruses for their ivory tusks and for food. To this day, at least 19 villages in Alaska continue to legally take a handful of animals for subsistence use each year.
Walrus haul-outs
Listen to a walrus haul-out audio recording
The species are especially interesting to scientists because of their unique behavioural and bodily features.
Male walruses are able to inflate themselves, pumping air into a sack beneath their skin around their shoulder blades. They use this to rest at sea after feeding on the ocean bottom. When not inflated or paddling, they sink.
"It's quite amazing," said Mr Fischbach. "I've often gone out with walrus hunters and if one is shot and it rolls off the ice, into the water, it will just sink and you'll lose it."
Female walruses do not have a "lifejacket" adaptation, which restricts their ability to travel long distances at sea. Traditionally, they have avoided journeying to haul-outs locations and remained on ice flows further north during summer months.
But with many areas melting, they are having to adapt their behaviour.
What will happen to female walruses as climate change progresses is one of the most pressing issues facing biologists in the Bering Sea. There are signs some females are beginning to form their own haul-outs along the coast, which is historically unprecedented.
The future health of the species is unclear.
"They aren't like zoo animals or medical patients where you can go out and weigh them," said Mr Fischbach. "We don't yet know if populations are declining or not."
Until scientists have a clearer idea how walruses are coping with climate change, they hope the new database will bolster their efforts to protect them.
'Drastic' Antarctic melt could double global sea-level rise
BBC Nature: The Walrus
Record walrus haul-out
Russian Arctic at threat from oil drilling | For 160 years, seafarers have braved polar bears, storms and bitter isolation to observe huge herds of walrus gathering off the coast of Alaska and Russia each summer. |
38340357 | The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was convicted of attempted murder at Winchester Crown Court.
She lured her victim to a quiet area of their Hampshire school and stabbed her in the chest in April.
Mr Justice Fraser said the girl, who was 14 at the time, had a "far darker side to her personality".
She was given a 14 year sentence and will only be considered for parole after 10 years.
Her trial at Winchester Crown Court heard the girl was obsessed with mass murders and had compiled a "kill list" of 60 people.
Mr Justice Fraser said the "intelligent, articulate young girl" had watched snuff movies online and had previously planned to kill her mother and brother.
She turned up for school on 25 April wearing a bandana and with her mouth cut to resemble the Joker from the Batman film The Dark Knight, the jury heard.
She told her 15-year-old victim she had a present for her and to "close your eyes and put your hands out".
The attacked girl stepped back and although the knife went through her blazer and shirt she only suffered a superficial puncture wound to the chest near her heart.
Prosecutors said the girl bore a grudge against her victim who she believed had set up fake Instagram and Tumblr accounts in her name.
In a statement read out by the prosecution barrister James Newton-Price, the victim's mother said her daughter is haunted by the attack and has since been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder.
She said: "It's a nightmare no-one wants for their child and we're living it."
A psychiatric report found the attacker did not have a mental illness but instead had a personality problem and struggled with empathy. | A teenager who was obsessed with serial killers and school shootings has been detained for at least 10 years for the attempted murder of her friend. |
39999514 | The hog horned sheep were taken from land near the foot of the Ingleborough mountain.
Police said the theft happened sometime between 16 April and 20 May.
The sheep have two red markings on the middle of their backs and have the letters JN on one horn and the letter C and a crown on the other horn.
More on this and other North Yorkshire stories
Insp Jon Grainge said: "The difficulty with the nature of this crime is that it is not necessarily immediately obvious to farmers, who may only be able to identify their shortfall at the time of bringing sheep in to scan or to worm, which often gives a very wide timeframe for us to work with.
"Lines of inquiry are limited, and this is where we need the public's help to call in suspicious movements of animals, or animals appearing in fields unexpectedly." | Around 100 sheep have been stolen from moorland near Ingleton on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales national park. |
34738408 | From the air, the flat, small island of Tongatapu doesn't look much like land at all, with the astonishingly blue Pacific Ocean dominating the view.
But it is home to Tonga's capital, Nuku'alofa, and to the majority of the country's population - 70,000 or so out of around 90,000.
And for Tongans - who have lived here since the 9th Century, when the first settlers arrived by boat, the issue of rising sea levels and climate change is not just one for discussion at an abstract level - it proves a threat to their very existence.
Tonga's economy is weak - based to a large extent on remittances from expatriates, and on foreign aid.
Agriculture is mainly at subsistence level, and fishing - which is done by traditional spear - has lost some popularity over the previous decades, as cheap imported off-cuts of meats have replaced much of the traditional diet.
Highly religious, and well educated, Tongans' attachment to their fragile land is something evident in their pride and discussion of traditions and culture.
Tourism is barely visible on Tongatapu, where most land is owned by the King and the nobility (33 families).
Foreign investment is not much in evidence either; though what is evident is that many people from Tonga's 150 outer islands, which scatter over hundreds of miles of sea, are relocating to the main island as their own fragile habitats face an uncertain future.
These are often in informal settlements, which can suffer from a lack of infrastructure, and some of which are in tsunami "red zones".
Yet at Fafa Island Resort, a tiny, picture-perfect island merely 20 minutes by boat from Nuku'alofa, tourists enjoy the luxury of sleeping in a traditional Polynesian hut - right by the beach. Or they do - for now.
Vincent Morrish, who manages the hotel with his wife, points out the erosion that will mean the huts will eventually have to be moved back into the centre of the island.
"We're already having to move the restaurant and bar area back," he says, pointing out at what was once the beach, but is now between 5-10m (16-32ft) out to sea.
"We're fighting the inevitable," he adds, as he walks around the makeshift defences the resort has put in place to hold back the increasingly fierce tides.
When asked if in 100 years the island will still exist, he replies: "Absolutely not". And the tourists? It's a question not answered.
Mr Morrish says the kitchen was rebuilt further back from the water a year ago, and they'll be shutting in February to relocate the restaurant and the decking - otherwise, their guests will be dining in the water before too long.
Living by the sea is a proud part of Tongan culture and identity, with 80% of Tongans living right on the coast.
Yet rising tides and increasingly unpredictable weather is making life difficult.
Siali Lola Heeya the executive director of the Civil Society Forum of Tonga, a local non-government organisation, visits a road near the capital, where a coastal community with little infrastructure exists.
"This road was washed away by the rising tides," says Ms Heeya. We rebuilt it but it's going again."
The road is a thin strip of land separating a small swamp where mangroves have been washed away - leaving the land unprotected from winter cyclones - and a lagoon leading to the vast Pacific.
It is a stunning spot. A short distance from the road is a tiny speck of an island - just one tree remains.
Ms Heeya looks troubled as she points it out: "People used to fish from there - they used it as a base. It was a [proper] island not long ago."
The families dotted along this coast have few sources of income - and many still fish for their food - with spears - as they have done for millennia.
Do they fear the rising seas? Not necessarily, says Ms Heeya.
"Many people just accept changes here - nature changes - it is just part of life and they don't really have much choice.
"There are cyclones, there is a rising sea - but for many of us, getting on with life as normal is a way of not accepting the problem - and just coping."
But a problem it is.
Sione Fulavai is Tonga's senior climate finance analyst. He is in no doubt that the problem of small island economies vulnerable to changes in climate is urgent, and that the rest of the world is duty-bound to pay attention.
He is in Paris - along with many other pacific island states - at this week's UN climate change talks, where a legally binding agreement on carbon emissions is sought. What will he be asking?
"A lot of countries and governments are in Paris negotiating their economies - we're just asking for survival," he says.
"We don't want to become another extinct culture."
Does Mr Fulavai feel dwarfed by the size and might of other global economies on this issue?
"We're fighting against the dollar, against the pound… we are tiny - we haven't got the size or the money - but we are suffering the most."
What about relocation? Something often talked about with small island communities. Relocation has already taken place within Tonga across its string of small islands.
Mr Fulavai is firm - relocating Tonga is unthinkable, and besides, where would the whole population of over 90,000 relocate to?
The nearest land is Samoa, Fiji and New Zealand. He says none of these are viable options.
"Where would we go? We are tied to our land - to our culture," he says. "Without our lands who are we?" | The vulnerability of the Kingdom of Tonga to any rise in sea level is starkly evident from the moment your plane begins its descent. |
39256494 | The 29-year-old, who plays his club football in England for Newcastle, appeared 36 times for the Teranga Lions and played at the 2012 Olympics.
He said: "I believe that there are now 23 Senegalese players in better shape.
"After much thought and consideration I feel that now is the appropriate time to focus fully on my club career."
Diame has been mainly used as a substitute by Senegal since Aliou Cisse took charge of the team in March 2015. | Mohamed Diame has retired from international football, saying he believes he is no longer among the best Senegalese players. |
37034102 | But what if lessons in management came from the sports pages of the newspaper?
We asked professors at some of Europe's leading business schools what techniques could be picked up from the 20 Premier League managers.
Here is part one of their tips, looking at the managers of the first 10 clubs, alphabetically. You can read part two here.
Two months into the new season Arsene Wenger will celebrate 20 years as the boss of Arsenal.
But has the longest-serving manager in the Premier League outstayed his welcome? Critics point to a lack of titles in the last 10 years, and are frustrated with the lack of big spending to keep up with rivals.
But Wenger has consistently delivered Champions League football during his two decades at the club, and Daniela Lup, professor of employment relations and organisational behaviour at the London School of Economics, sees the key ingredients that are the hallmark of a long and successful career for any manager.
"It is essential for a business leader to have an identity and reputation that others recognise in you, whether for good or for bad.
"Wenger is about consistency, building a team, and sound fiscal management. He is clear that his team will not win all the time, and if this is the only measure of performance he would fall short. But his approach is always in line with his identity, he nurtures talent and plays to people's strengths.
"A great manager helps his team to find their best role, and Wenger did this with Thierry Henry and countless others. This generates great loyalty from his players, and delivers a top four finish every season."
As the youngest manager in the Premier League, Eddie Howe has already received plaudits for his composure and attention to detail, ensuring that Bournemouth's first ever season in the top flight would not be their last.
His determination to manage every aspect of the club extends to the motivational environment that he creates for his players. From the gym to the canteen, the walls are covered with inspiring quotes from sporting legends, including one from Muhammad Ali that reads, "What you are thinking is what you are becoming."
For Sonal Minocha, pro vice-chancellor at Bournemouth University, Howe is not your "stereotypical" football manager.
"He reminds me of Mahendra Singh Dhoni - the captain of India's cricket team - cool yet competitive," she says.
"Eddie for me therefore represents the sometimes underappreciated, but equally successful, approach to leadership that could be applicable in business or frankly in any walk of life.
"Business leaders are often stereotypically 'aggressive' - the larger than life character who dominates and dictates to achieve success. Eddie brings back the quietly confident leader to the fore and it is this intrinsic quality that has driven AFCB to the top."
Sean Dyche's first experience in the Premier League two years ago saw the club being immediately relegated due to a lack of goals. Dyche was disappointed but not defeated.
Using his experience and the observations of other successful clubs he began planning a return to the top flight with renewed ambitions.
For Dr Ricardo Zozimo, lecturer in entrepreneurship at Lancaster University Management School, failure occurs often and plays a significant role in any entrepreneur's life.
"The trick to successfully overcome failure begins with being able to distinguish what one thinks from what one feels."
And he adds that entrepreneurs who bounce back from failure often do so by adopting a "learning mindset".
"Failure is not a state, it is information, rich information about issues that can and should be developed.
"Burnley's Sean Dyche is a very good example of this learning mindset. No revolutions in the squad, better training conditions, advanced planning of every moment of the season and strong focus of what could be developed.
"They are now back in the Premier League after an impressive run of 22 unbeaten matches. The learning mindset pays off."
Italy may be the land of ice cream, but Chelsea players won't find it on the menu under new coach Antonio Conte.
The obsessional perfectionist now in charge at Stamford Bridge believes that diet can make the difference between victory and defeat, and prescribes rhodiola rosea and goji berries as part of a balanced regime to keep energy levels high. And Conte bans fizzy drinks from planes when his team is travelling to an away game.
But what will the highly paid stars at Chelsea make of a return to such a disciplinarian management style?
For Prof Andrea Sianesi of the school of business at the Politecnico di Milano, Conte matches his passion for detail and tactical fanaticism with a communication style that is confrontational but also highly motivational.
"The way in which he gets his message across is the key to his success. He uses simple words, his self-belief commands attention, and he is not afraid to say it the way he sees it. And the message gets through.
"Players know that what he says is spot on, and they buy into his methods. By tapping in to their desire to win he achieves great results."
The Premier League, more than any of the other top divisions in European football, is awash with foreign recruits. The idea that English clubs source their players from a national pool is as outdated as companies doing the same in big business.
Despite being accused of xenophobia by Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger in the past, Pardew has successfully created an environment where players from Latin America, Africa, Asia and continental Europe worked well together to deliver a place in the FA Cup final last season.
Prof Simon Mercado, director of ESCP Europe's London campus, draws the parallel with the business world where more and more companies are coming to understand the benefits of a truly diverse workforce.
"Diversity not only reflects the balance of genders but also new ideas and new approaches that come from embracing other nationalities and cultures.
"The secret, whether the leader is operating in sport or the wider commercial arena seems to be to recognise difference and get the best out of it, while still ensuring that everyone involved is signed up to a clear and transparent set of core aims and values."
It's very fashionable at the moment in the business world for leaders to take a collegiate approach, to focus their efforts on building teams where everyone feels valued and able to contribute to the best of their abilities.
But what counts in the Premier League is success. And if you can't deliver that you won't be in the top job for long, no matter how happy and engaged your people are.
Ronald Koeman seems to understand both sides in very clear terms. As a child he was so dedicated to becoming proficient in his chosen sport that his mother got into the habit of throwing food to him while he endlessly practised.
Fellow Dutchman Dirk van Dierendonck, a professor of human resource management at the Rotterdam School of Management, sees Koeman's role within a whole system.
"Players need a leader who they respect, much like a general of an army where they trust his tactics. But Koeman recognises that he is part of a bigger picture in a club, with talent scouts and support staff that all play their part. Collectively they can get more out of their people."
As we approach the new season, Hull City presents a significant management analysis challenge because, following the resignation of Steve Bruce, the club doesn't currently have a full-time manager. Mike Phelan is acting as caretaker manager.
So can a club, or for that matter a company, carry on without someone in the top job?
In the business world the idea of the "heroic leader", the big personality leading the charge from the front is very much out of fashion. Yet that still doesn't stop many large organisations treating their chief executives as if they were demi-gods and paying them accordingly.
Perhaps it's time to question just how important it is to have someone "in control" and to ask whether many well-constructed organisational machines might actually run as well, or better, if left alone.
It might seem outlandish to suggest that a football club could operate well without a manager to steer the ship - but perhaps there are lessons to be learned from the likes of DPR Construction, which operates without one single CEO, despite being one of the world's leading construction companies.
With its model of shared leadership the firm has risen to be seen as one of the industry's most innovative and desirable companies to work for.
The story of Leicester's unexpected success last year captured the hearts and minds of the football world. With a squad that cost a fraction of its big-spending rivals', Claudio Ranieri confounded conventional wisdom with an approach based on trust, a relaxed dressing room, and free pizza.
For fellow Italian Andrea Masini, dean of the MBA Programme at HEC Paris, Ranieri's approach can be summarised in two words: focus and care.
"It's his personal engagement and application of procedural justice models... that really makes his approach effective.
"Tough decisions, such as excluding a player before an important match, are easier to accept if they are taken fairly and are properly motivated.
"With his hands-on approach, players are more likely to push their limits during intensive training sessions if the manager leads by example and shares their pain. This approach reminds me of Napoleon sharing meals with his troops, and resonates with cohesion and the desire to achieve a common purpose. It's a great lesson for any manager.
"When Leicester were at the top of the Premiership halfway through the season he kept the pressure off and told players to take one game at a time. With a complex project you need to develop a road map, so that the team just has to concentrate on the next step.
"Once they realised that avoiding relegation was within reach Ranieri released the pressure and told his players to have fun. Look how that turned out. You can only perform at your best if you truly enjoy what you do."
A lot has been written about Jurgen Klopp's management style and his abilities as a man-manager and master motivator. But for Urs Mueller at ESMT Berlin, one of the key themes is his ability to create a "one for all, all for one" mentality.
"Klopp wants Liverpool to feel like one big family - an organisational culture he successfully fostered at Borussia Dortmund where he won two league titles and the league and cup double.
"In business there are parallels with individuals like Richard Branson of Virgin, who has always run his companies with a similar approach, trying to generate a communal organisation culture where people work together because they have not only a common objective but also because they like each other."
One key to being able to pull this off, according to Mueller, is the leader's ability to project a self-image and vision that are so powerful that others are naturally drawn to them.
"Charismatic leaders are frequently acting as 'transformational leaders' as they have the ability to fundamentally change an organisation to fit their own vision. Often they are brought in to improve the performance of a struggling organisation. In this respect Klopp fits the bill perfectly as Liverpool have been in a period of under-achievement over recent years."
But, says Mueller, this leadership style risks both the leader and the organisation developing "tunnel vision", making them unable to deviate from an existing path, even if it's not working. And if an organisation is over-reliant on a leader, it will have a tough job replacing him when he moves on.
Considered one of the greatest managers in football, Pep Guardiola arrives at Manchester City with a proven track record after filling the trophy cabinets at both Barcelona and Bayern Munich. In a game where the players are usually more famous than the coach, it is safe to say that expectations at the Etihad are high.
For Prof Josep Franch, dean of Esade Business School, business leaders can learn from his ability to define a clear and simple vision for his team and then execute that vision.
"Guardiola is very close to his players, and is a great role model who knows how to get the best out of everyone, from Lionel Messi to an inexperienced teenager.
"His transparency and communication style set clear expectations for each individual as part of a team, and he expects everyone to follow that collective idea.
"He observes and listens closely, but there comes a time when, as a leader, you have to stop listening and put your plan into action. That can mean making unpopular decisions, such as selling Ronaldinho when he was at Barcelona.
"But Guardiola has developed the confidence that comes with success, and by sticking with the message he earns the trust of those that play for him."
This is part of the BBC's regular series, Business Brain. You can read more here. | Students heading to business school this year face a summer of required reading to get them up to speed on the five forces that shape every industry, or The Art of War and what 5th Century Chinese military strategy can teach you about leadership. |
38520706 | Wainfleet Surgery, near Skegness, closed in November after an inspection by the Care Quality Commission.
Lincolnshire East Clinical Commissioning Group said alternative care would be provided in the town.
Boston and Skegness MP Matt Warman said keeping some form of local service was "a victory for local people".
About 2,200 patients are affected by the closure of the town's only surgery.
The commissioning group's chief nurse, Tracy Pilcher, said they were looking for nearby GP services to take over the provision of health care in Wainfleet but could not confirm what form it would take.
However, she added it was likely to be on a part-time basis.
Commenting on the decision, Boston and Skegness MP Matt Warman said: "What I want to see is a functioning NHS service provided for the people of Wainfleet, and that is what the commissioners say they want as well."
"This is a victory for local campaigners who were concerned they would have to travel to Skegness, or further," he added.
Patients of the surgery previously mounted a campaign in a bid to prevent its permanent closure.
The news comes as four other surgeries in the county, operated by West Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group, are set to close, with 11,000 patients told to register with other practices.
Burton Road and Arboretum practices in Lincoln, Pottergate in Gainsborough and Metheringham will all close on Saturday. | A Lincolnshire town's only GP surgery which had its licence suspended over patient safety concerns will not reopen, health bosses have said. |
35378876 | The only leader who declined to sign, Western Australia's Colin Barnett, said he was supportive of a republic but believed now was not the right time.
Australians voted against becoming a republic in a 1999 referendum.
Current Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was leader of the republican movement at that time.
But since coming to power, Mr Turnbull has said no change should occur until the reign of Queen Elizabeth II ends.
The state premiers of New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania, and the chief ministers of the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory, signed the document in favour of replacing the Queen as head of state.
The move comes the day before Australia Day, the anniversary of the arrival in Australia of the first British colonists.
Is Australia ready for change? Jon Donnison, BBC News, Sydney
At least among Australia's politicians, the republican cause seems to be gathering momentum.
Diehard monarchist and former Prime Minister Tony Abbott is no longer in office and his replacement is not just any old republican but a one time leader of the Australian Republican Movement. He now knows all the leaders of Australia's states and territories, as well as the leader of the opposition, share his view.
For now though, Mr Turnbull says another referendum on the issue is not a priority for him. That could change if he wins re-election later this year. But he won't want to have a second referendum and lose.
And while politicians seem to be shifting away from the monarchy, the public are not necessarily on the same page.
One poll in 2014 showed support for a republic to be at a 20-year low, with just 39% of Australians favouring replacing the Queen as head of state. A potential game-changer might be if Prince Charles were to become their king.
He might not share his mother's apparent popularity with either politicians or the public.
Australian Republican Movement chairman Peter FitzSimons said all Australian leaders, including Mr Turnbull and opposition leader Bill Shorten, supported severing ties with the monarchy.
"Never before have the stars of the Southern Cross been so aligned in pointing to the dawn of a new republican age for Australia," Mr FitzSimons told ABC News.
South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill said it was "well past time for Australia to become a sovereign nation".
"Any self-respecting independent country would aspire to select one of its own citizens as head of state," Mr Weatherill said.
But the national convener of Australians for a Constitutional Monarchy, Prof David Flint, told the Herald Sun that republicans had not yet settled on a model to replace the current system.
"They can get all the support they want from celebrities and politicians, but they still haven't put forward what model they want, and told us how it will improve the governance of Australia," Prof Flint said. | Almost all of Australia's state and territory leaders have signed a document in support of the country becoming a republic. |
32887657 | Two fire crews were sent to the Asda store in Llangefni, where the vehicle was "well alight".
North Wales Fire and Rescue Service said the alarm was raised at about 12:00 BST and it took almost an hour to bring the blaze under control.
The fire was contained to the lorry and Asda said the store reopened at 13:25. | Staff and customers were forced to evacuate an Anglesey supermarket on Tuesday after a lorry caught fire while making deliveries. |
39732704 | Media playback is not supported on this device
Fly-half Gareth Anscombe scored 20 points including a try while Aled Summerhill and Tomos Williams also crossed.
But Zebre's second-half scores came from Maxime Mbanda, Andries van Schalkwyk and a penalty try.
Their late effort came despite having replacement Dario Chistolini sent off.
The Blues' two first-half tries came in quick succession midway through the first 40 minutes, with Anscombe making the most of an overlap and Summerhill scorching in from half-way.
Anscombe's boot made it 23-3 at the break, reminding the Wales management of his challenge for a summer tour recall.
The Italians came out strongly after the break and a series of scrum-fives saw Taufa'ao Filise yellow-carded and a penalty try converted by Carlo Canna.
Tomos Williams grabbed the home side's third try on 57 minutes following his own charge-down.
Moments later the scrum-half saw a spectacular solo effort ruled out for an earlier knock-on - but that was as close as the home side got to a bonus point.
Zebre hit back as Mbanda drove over from close range, before replacement prop Chistolini was shown the red card with 15 minutes remaining for a senseless punch.
Sion Bennett's yellow evened the numbers for a while with Zebre attacking strongly.
Van Schalkwyk scrambled over in the 79th minute and Guglielmo Palazzani's angled conversion earning them a consolation point.
With the clock past 80 minutes, Zebre burst back upfield through Kurt Baker and Cardiff Blues were relieved to get the ball off the field at the end of a shaky second period.
Danny Wilson's side complete the regular Pro12 season against Newport Gwent Dragons at Caerphilly on 6 May before a European Champions Cup play-off semi-final away to English or French opposition.
Cardiff Blues: Rhun Williams; Alex Cuthbert, Rey Lee-Lo, Willis Halaholo, Aled Summerhill; Gareth Anscombe, Tomos Williams; Rhys Gill, Kristian Dacey, Taufa'ao Filise, Jarrad Hoeata, Macauley Cook, Josh Navidi, Ellis Jenkins (capt), Nick Williams.
Replacements: Kirby Myhill, Corey Domachowski, Scott Andrews, James Down, Sion Bennett, Lloyd Williams, Steve Shingler, Matthew Morgan.
Zebre: Edoardo Padovani; Kayle Van Zyl, Giulio Bisegni, Tommaso Castello (capt), Mattia Bellini, Carlo Canna; Marcello Violi; Andrea Lovotti, Oliviero Fabiani, Pietro Ceccarelli, Gideon Koegelenberg, Federico Ruzza, Maxime Mbanda, Jacopo Sarto, Derick Minnie.
Replacements: Tommaso D'Apice, Guillermo Roan, Dario Chistolini, Joshua Furno, Andries Van Schalkwyk, Guglielmo Palazzani, Kurt Baker, Matteo Pratichetti.
Referee: Frank Murphy (Ireland).
Assistant referees: Nigel Correll (Ireland), Ben Whitehouse (Wales).
TMO: Kevin Beggs (Ireland). | Cardiff Blues laboured to an unconvincing Pro12 home win over Zebre despite leading by 20 points at the break. |
24367050 | More than 1,600 people have also been injured by stings in Shaanxi province, according to China News Agency.
It says 206 people are still being treated in hospital, with 37 patients remaining in a critical condition.
Local officials have been quoted as saying that drier and warmer weather this year may have contributed to a rise in hornet numbers in the area.
Environmental activists have also blamed rapid urbanisation for worsening the problem as more rural land is swallowed up for urban development, intruding into habitats where hornets hunt and build their nests.
The cities of Angkang, Hanzhong and Shangluo have been worst affected by the spate of attacks over the past three months.
The provincial government has dispatched pest control experts to help deal with the situation.
China News Agency says local police and fire-fighters have been given equipment and protective clothes to help remove and destroy hornet nests.
Hornet attacks are a recurring problem in Shaanxi province in particular, but the authorities have released no casualty figures for previous years.
Zhao Fang, a city government official in Ankong, told the China Daily newspaper that hornet attacks had increased in recent years as the "local ecological environment improved".
Winters have been getting milder and summers hotter and more humid in Shaanxi, which may have helped caused hornet numbers there to rise.
The Chinese term for hornets is "hu feng" - those behind the deadly attacks this summer appear to be the Asian giant hornet, or Vespa mandarinia.
They can grow up to 5cm long with a 6mm sting.
The area is also home to the smaller Asian hornet, Vespa velutina nigrithorax. | Attacks by hornets in northern China have killed 41 people since July, state-run media report. |
38694145 | David Peach-Miles, of Newent, stole the money from St John the Baptist Church in Ruardean in the Forest of Dean between April 2015 and February 2016.
Peach-Miles was jailed for 16 months in November at Gloucester Crown Court.
The judge ordered the 37-year-old to forfeit £1 as he has no assets but said he would be liable to confiscation if he acquired money in the future.
Prosecutor Phillip Warren said the £1 nominal sum and any future money confiscated under the Proceeds of Crime Act, would be paid as compensation to the Ruardean Parochial Church Council.
Peach-Miles had taken over as treasurer in March 2016 and had full access to the online accounts.
Within weeks of being in the job, he began to steal money for the next 10 months.
His theft was only discovered when a number of payments failed to clear. | A treasurer who stole £32,000 from his church to fund his gambling habit has been ordered to pay back £1. |
35279330 | Police were called to Llanrumney Avenue, Llanrumney, at 04:30 GMT on Sunday.
The man's death is being treated as suspicious and a woman, 27, is in police custody.
The man has not yet been formally identified and an investigation is on going. | A woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the body of a man was found following a house fire in Cardiff. |
35059149 | Judith and Fergus Wilson began building their property portfolio in Maidstone and Ashford in the early 1990s.
At its height, they would purchase several homes a day.
Mr Wilson, 67, said he had intended to get out of the housing market seven years ago but was prevented by the global credit crunch.
He said: "Now it's changed, I thought I'd better get out at some point.
"When you build houses now they're meant to last for 300 years so everybody's getting on the upward spiral at some point, and you've got to get off at some point," he said.
Mr Wilson told BBC Radio Kent that "never in my wildest dreams" had he imagined that his portfolio would get so big.
"We just drifted into it."
In January 2014, the landlord sparked a national outcry when he issued eviction notices to every one of his 200 tenants who received housing benefit.
He said he would rather have eastern European migrants as tenants than people on benefits.
Mr Wilson expects the sale of his portfolio - which he has described as "a hobby that simply got out of control" - to be completed by the end of next June.
He said existing tenants would not be affected and would just receive "a piece of paper called a Section 48 which notifies them of a change of landlord".
"Other than that it won't mean a thing to them, and they won't lose their homes or anything and they're all protected."
Mr Wilson said he was now considering standing as the next Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent, for which elections are being held next May. | A couple who amassed nearly 1,000 buy-to-let properties in Kent have sold their empire to a foreign consortium for £250m. |
40517036 | But it is not just members of the LGBT community flying the rainbow flag, as more businesses than ever are supporting the fight for equality.
With almost 50 official partners, ranging from airlines to mobile networks, and a list of over 60 supporters, companies are signing up to try to stamp out prejudice.
But why are firms joining the fight for inclusion? And does the event risk becoming too commercial?
Polly Shute, director of development and partnerships for Pride in London, said it will be a record-breaking year for the event, with more than 26,500 people expected to take part.
And the number of corporate backers has mirrored the marchers' rise.
But what does Polly think is the attraction for companies to get involved?
"From their point of view, it is a message both internally and externally," she said.
"[Some] don't have a product to sell, but they support us because they want to promote inclusion in the workplace.
"Of course, it also shows external customers that a business supports the cause, but a number of these companies are already involved in charities promoting inclusion and equality, so it is a natural step."
Polly believes it also reflects a wider push for diversity in the workplace.
"It is part of a growing movement about people being able to be who they are at work, which improves things for the business and for the communities," she said.
"A lot of people who are members of the LGBT community have also risen up the ranks and they have gone through periods where they have not felt able to come out - so they want to fight this cause for their workforce."
Barclays is the headline sponsor of Pride in London for the fourth year running and believes the event is an important part of connecting with staff and customers.
Michael Roemer, Barclays' global LGBT lead and group chief compliance officer, said: "We want our colleagues, customers and clients to feel free to express who they are at all times.
"We've made great strides internally in creating an inclusive global workplace, but we want to go further.
"By supporting Pride in London, we're saying 'this is who we are' and we want to encourage everyone else to be able to say who they are, without fear."
Tesco is another sponsor keen to support the people that work there.
John Dickinson, Out at Tesco chairman, said: "Pride in London is such a fun and vibrant event and that's why we're proud to be an official sponsor again this year.
"Over 300 of our colleagues are expected to take part in the parade and 13 stores along the route will enter into the Pride spirit with special Pride-themed signs, bunting and carrier bags."
And Transport for London (TfL) is getting in the mood by decorating its Tube stations, bus stops and bikes for the event.
However, it is also a chance to promote diversity for the city it represents.
Ben Lyon, chairman of OUTbound - TfL's LGBT staff network - said: "The capital is one of the most diverse cities in the world and we are extremely proud to be part of the message to the world that, whatever your sexual orientation, London is open and welcomes you."
But what about the LGBT community? Does it welcome this corporate edge?
Jade Knight, from Nottingham, believes "commercial and mainstream is where Pride needs to be".
The 44-year-old, who has attended Pride events around the country for the past five years, said: "We want to get to the point where LGBT identities are no longer a subculture, but as acceptable on the mainstream as being cisgender and heterosexual.
"The first Prides were riots, then political protests, then a celebration of mainly gay male subculture. Pride has evolved. It's not enough for it just to be LGBT people by themselves."
But she believes the companies need to put money where their mouths are.
"Pride is just the promise," added Jade.
"They need to show up for their LGBT staff and customers all the other days of the year as well, or it means nothing."
Scott Williams, 40, from Bromley, London, has been going to the Pride event in London since 1997 and is more concerned about the direction.
"It is a good thing and a bad thing," he said.
"It allows Pride to happen as these companies contribute to the cost of running the parade and the event. Also, it's good to see companies supporting their LGBT staff.
"But the last two marches I have been to, instead of it being what the original spirit of Pride was - a protest for equal rights and standing up to show visibility - it feels like a big advertisement targeting the LGBT community."
Tilly Williams has been going to Pride in London for eight years and thinks a balance is needed.
The 26-year-old from Camberwell, London, said: "I believe lots of brands are just using it for good publicity, rather than out of any sense of social justice, which isn't ideal.
"But I think anything that increases wider society's acceptance of LGBT issues is inherently good.
"I would like to make sure those brands are supportive of LGBT rights outside of just the Pride festival though, making sure they are tough on discrimination within their company and visibly opposing anti-gay policies."
Pride in London's Polly Shute said: "I understand the concerns, but we are one of the few free Pride events.
"We want to stay that way to be as inclusive as possible, but somebody has to pay for it.
"These companies represent so many people - it is important that they support those communities at work.
"And whilst the corporate sponsors may be more visible, over 60% of those marching are not-for-profit charities or community groups.
"By bringing corporates in, we keep a free Pride and it means those groups can campaign or celebrate."
Natasha Scott, who will be marching with the gay and lesbian association of doctors and dentists on Saturday, agrees.
The 36-year-old from, Finsbury Park, London, said: "Pride, for me, is about acceptance and inclusivity - one day in the year where you genuinely don't have to worry about being yourself.
"Unfortunately to organise such a huge event in London these days costs money, and corporate sponsorship becomes necessary.
"Is it ideal? No. But if it allows Pride to continue reaching out and celebrating then I think it's worth it." | The streets of the capital will be turned into a big party this weekend when Pride in London ends with its annual march. |
28477138 | Officers said they were "treating this kind of behaviour extremely seriously".
"Two males have had to be reported for indecent exposure as they thought it was a good idea to take all their clothes off to go for a swim - not a good idea," an officer wrote on the PSNI Holywood Facebook page.
"There are young children in these areas too."
They added: "You could end up with a criminal record and placed on the sex offenders register.
"Please enjoy the weather but be sensible."
Police in the North Down town also warned that they were on the lookout for people bringing alcohol to the beach, with officers patrolling the platform at Helen's Bay railway station. | Police in County Down have warned skinny dippers that they could be placed on the sex offenders register. |
33228912 | Palmira Silva, 82, was in her garden when she was attacked by Nicholas Salvador who stabbed and beheaded her, prosecutors said.
The court heard he was armed with a wooden pole and machete and was arrested following a violent struggle in which he was tasered six times.
The 25-year-old from Enfield denies murder by reason of insanity.
Prosecutor Jonathan Rees QC told the jury the killing happened three days after Mr Salvador had lost his job, and there was no dispute he killed her.
He said at the time of the killing, on the afternoon of 4 September last year, the defendant was living three doors away from Mrs Silva in Nightingale Road.
On the day of the attack the defendant armed himself and beheaded two of his hosts' cats, because he thought they were "demons", the court heard.
He then made his way through a few back gardens, smashed his way into a house and then attacked a car containing two members of the family he was living with.
Mr Salvador then leapt over a wall into Mrs Silva's garden where she was repeatedly stabbed before being beheaded, the court heard.
It was said Mr Salvador believed he was killing a supernatural entity in the guise of Hitler back from the dead, or a demon who had taken the form of a little old lady, Mr Rees said.
The prosecutor told the jury the defendant ran off and was arrested in the front room of another house following a "violent and chaotic struggle" with police in which he was tasered multiple times and kicked and punched, but to little effect. He had shown signs of mental illness, repeating phrases such as "red is the colour" and "I am the king."
One eyewitness had described how, before the attack, he looked like a headless chicken and appeared to be searching for more cats to kill, the court heard.
In the weeks before the attack, Mr Salvador had shown signs of "odd behaviour" and developed an interest in "shapeshifters" - supernatural entities that can transform into another being or form.
After being charged the 25-year-old was remanded in custody at Belmarsh prison before being moved to high-security Broadmoor Hospital due to his mental illness.
Mr Rees said that psychiatrists would give evidence that he was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia.
Mrs Silva came to Britain from Italy in 1953 and ran a cafe with her husband. She had two children, six grandchildren and one great grandchild.
Mr Salvador also denies a charge of assault by actual bodily harm by reason of insanity and assaulting a police officer after Pc Bernard Hamilton, received a leg injury which needed hospital treatment.
The case continues. | An elderly woman was beheaded by a man who went on a rampage in north London, the Old Bailey has heard. |
36874618 | The union said it had no other option after the failure of talks at the conciliation service Acas.
The RMT is campaigning against the increased use of trains without guards, with the driver opening and closing the doors at stations.
ScotRail has said such operations are already common on the network, particularly on suburban services.
The operator has also promised to ensure a second member of staff was onboard every train to assist the driver in emergencies.
Phil Verster, managing director of Scotrail Alliance, said: "This industrial action by the RMT is not about safety, it's not about a second person on a train and it's not about jobs or pay and conditions.
"It is about modernisation of the railway and preparing us for a railway that Scotland can be proud of for the next 40 or 50 years."
But the union claims the absence of a dedicated guard would make trains less safe.
The strike is the latest of several held during the dispute. Another one-day strike is due be held next Sunday, 31 July.
Scottish Labour has called on Transport Minister Humza Yousaf to intervene to try to reach a negotiated settlement.
Mr Yousaf, however, tweeted that he had already discussed the dispute with ScotRail and the RMT, and would continue to do so.
He also called for the suspension of strike action while dialogue took place.
Transport Scotland said it had been assured by ScotRail that over 80% of services would run as normal this weekend.
Passengers are advised to check the ScotRail strike information web page before they travel. | Members of the RMT union at ScotRail have begun another one-day strike in their dispute over driver-only trains. |
38528144 | The 29-year-old Nigerian has played 372 times for Chelsea since joining in 2006 but has not featured this season.
He said it had been "an honour" to play for the Stamford Bridge club but it was time to "seek a new challenge".
Mikel has won two Premier League titles, four FA Cups and the 2012 Champions League during his time at Stamford Bridge.
"I haven't featured as much this season as I would have liked and I still have many years in the game ahead of me," Mikel wrote on Twitter in a message to Chelsea fans.
"With this in mind, I feel now is the time to seek a new challenge.
"I'm delighted to be joining Tianjin TEDA FC at a time that the Chinese Super League is really taking off, and I look forward to helping Tianjin TEDA FC continue to grow.
"To play in the Premier League is every professional player's ambition.
"But to play for Chelsea, to become part of the Chelsea family to work with some of the best managers and players in the world, has truly been an honour.
Mikel is the second Chelsea player to move to the Chinese Super League in recent weeks following Oscar's transfer to Shanghai SIPG. | Midfielder John Mikel Obi has left Chelsea to join Chinese Super League side Tianjin TEDA. |
39909410 | About 800 passengers are due to take two trips on the iconic steam locomotive, which will depart Edinburgh Waverley on Sunday at about 11:00.
The engine will travel over the Forth Bridge before taking a tour of the Fife coastline and returning to Edinburgh.
A second trip across the Forth is also planned for later in the day, when the engine will also visit Forth Valley.
Police and transport officials have warned that drone use is not permitted within 50m of the line and that onlookers should stay well away from the tracks.
The Flying Scotsman, which is based at the National Railway Museum in York, made its first post-restoration visit to Scotland a year ago.
Hundreds of enthusiasts lined the route and were later praised for their responsible behaviour.
However, the engine's inaugural run in northern England in February 2016 was marred when some fans put themselves in danger by encroaching on to the track.
Additional staff will be deployed at key stations and along the engine's route for the locomotive's latest visit to Scotland and the Network Rail helicopter will be scanning for trespassers.
Claire Newton, from the tour operators Steam Dreams, said it was difficult to give precise details of the engine's route, but said it would travel over the Forth Bridge three times on Sunday.
She said: "For many people this is the trip of a lifetime and some have been on waiting lists for this trip since February 2016.
"We will be going over the Forth Bridge and travelling along the Fife coastline and then in the evening we will hopefully go past Stirling Castle before returning to Edinburgh."
The engine is on a three-night trip across Scotland until Monday.
The Flying Scotsman was the first steam engine officially authenticated at travelling at 100mph in November 1934 though it had been claimed that another engine, City of Truro, travelled at 102mph in 1904. There was no second timekeeper on the earlier run and the record has long been disputed. | The Flying Scotsman is due to embark on its second visit to Scotland since its restoration in February last year. |
37329917 | Dimitri Payet set up Michail Antonio's second goal with a rabona after Manuel Lanzini had tried to score with the same skill.
Odion Ighalo, Deeney, Etienne Capoue and Jose Holebas gave Watford victory.
"As a player I though they were trying to mug us off a little bit," Deeney told BBC Radio 5 live.
"You can appreciate good skill and that was great skill for the second goal but as a professional you cannot allow someone to do that to you.
"You see that in the playground with six and seven year olds and we are grown men.
"There were some harsh words said to each other and everyone had that fire in their belly again."
Payet set up Antonio for his second goal with a brilliantly improvised cross as he wrapped his right foot around the back of his left leg to chip the ball to the back post.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Watford fought back before the break thanks to Ighalo's deflected shot and a brilliant finish from Deeney after dreadful defending from the hosts.
Capoue scored his third goal of the season when a deep ball came to him at the back post and Holebas grabbed his first goal in English football with a shot from the edge of the area.
Deeney added: "We all dug in and started to lay a bit of a hand on them and before you know it we were getting more chances and we got two goals before half-time.
"I thought we were the only team who were going to win it in the second half." | Watford captain Troy Deeney said his team were motivated to fight back from 2-0 down at West Ham because they felt their opponents were embarrassing them. |
35119186 | A fresh row broke out at the council on Tuesday night after unionist councillors said there was a "considerable financial shortfall" in the proposal.
Sinn Féin councillors accused unionist politicians of "blocking the project".
The new project would cost £2.8m.
The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) said it was committed to funding £2.5m towards the project.
The remaining money needed to deliver the project totalled £339,000 and that had been approved by the regulator of the Landfill Community Fund but required council agreement.
Ulster Unionist councillor Daryll Wilson told BBC Radio Foyle that his party supported the project but would not agree to providing the "shortfall" unless it came from DCAL minister Carál Ní Chuilín.
Sinn Féin councillor Sean McGlinchey said unionist councillors had made a "sectarian decision".
The Sinn Féin minister Ms Ní Chuilín said she was "extremely disappointed".
A public meeting was held in Dungiven on Wednesday night. Ms Ní Chuilín did not attend.
Members of the public, sport enthusiasts and politicians voiced their anger.
Ryan O'Connor, a double amputee from Dungiven and keen sportsman, said: "I'm very angry.
"I thought everything was getting the all clear. I was ready to get involved with the new facilities.
"There's no hope at the moment. Councillors are supposed to be helping the people. It's ridiculous."
Paul McCloskey, a former British and European boxing champion, said: "It's an unbelievable shock.
"There's no real answers that make any sense as to why it's not going ahead at this stage. It's a disgrace."
One woman who lives in Dungiven said: "I'm very angry.
"Some of the councillors don't seem to care about Dungiven or what we get.
"They need to give our children what they deserve."
Sinn Fein MLA Cathal O hOisin said: "Councillors have a duty for the provision of sports services and facilities.
"If they are not fulfilling that duty then that needs to be addressed. In that case it needs addressed legally.
"We may have to look a judicial review. We will see in the coming weeks." | Sinn Féin has said it may take legal action following a decision by some councillors at Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council not to proceed with plans for a sports and leisure project in Dungiven, County Londonderry. |
32119657 | Raised levels of the bacteria were found at Staines fire station during a routine inspection but were within "safe parameters".
The building has been in use during the day. Night-time crews have returned after being based at Sunbury.
The fire service said it was "difficult to completely eradicate".
Showers were removed and portable toilets brought in to allow work to be carried out on pipe work, and chemical treatments used to try to eliminate the bacteria.
A "spike" in levels of the waterborne legionella bacteria had been detected six weeks ago, but were "within safe parameters", the fire service said.
Bob Weldon-Gamble, from Surrey Fire and Rescue Service, said: "We have done absolutely everything we could - that's not been working as well as we hoped."
A Surrey County Council spokesman said: "It's not unusual for legionella to be found in large buildings with no effect on human health in most cases."
Chemical treatments will continue, and filters on tap and showers will remain in place. | A Surrey fire station has fully reopened despite traces of legionella bacteria still being found in the building following a six-week outbreak. |
34613998 | Lib Dem peers have tabled a so-called "fatal motion" which, if passed, would mean the changes could not proceed.
Chief Whip Lord Newby defended the rare move, saying ministers were pushing through the policy "without debate".
But former cabinet secretary Lord Butler has warned the Lords "not to get too big for its boots".
David Cameron has warned the House of Lords, in which the government does not have a majority, against blocking the changes and questioned their authority to do so.
Opponents say three million working families on low incomes face losing an average of £1,000 when the changes come into effect in April although ministers argue that with increases to the personal tax allowance, the national living wage and an extension of subsidised childcare, the majority will ultimately be better off.
Two separate motions have been tabled in the Lords by critics of the tax credit cuts. Of these, the Lib Dem motion under the name of Baroness Manzoor "declining to approve" the changes is the one that would kill them off outright.
What are tax credits and what are the changes?
Tax credits are a series of benefits introduced by the last Labour government to help low-paid families. There are two types: Working Tax Credit (WTC) for those in work, and Child Tax Credit (CTC) for those with children.
Under government proposals, the income threshold for Working Tax Credits - £6,420 - will be cut to £3,850 a year. In other words, as soon as someone earns £3,850, they will see their payments reduced. The income threshold for those only claiming CTCs will be cut from £16,105 to £12,125.
The rate at which those payments are cut is also going to get faster. Currently, for every £1 claimants earn above the threshold, they lose 41p. This is known as the taper rate. But from April, the taper rate will accelerate to 48p. So for every pound earned above the threshold, claimants will lose 48p.
There will be similar reductions for those who claim work allowances under the new Universal Credit.
Read more about the changes
A separate Labour motion, under the name of Baroness Hollis, would ensure a pause while the government takes into account an independent impact analysis and would postpone the changes until transitional measures were put in place to protect affected claimants.
Crossbench peer Baroness Meecher, who had previously tabled her own motion urging a delay, has now agreed to incorporate hers into the Labour one, the opposition said.
Lord Newby said that, in view of the "rapidly growing opposition" to the cuts, the government should think again from scratch.
The fact the government was introducing the changes via statutory instrument rather than primary legislation was an "unprecedented step to push something through without debate", he told Radio 4's Today programme.
David Cameron, he suggested, was behaving "like a schoolboy bully" with his warnings to the Lords of what might happen if it did block the measure.
The prime minister has urged the Lords to focus on its role as a revising chamber, saying it does not have the constitutional authority to reject finance measures.
There have been reports that, if they lose the tax credit vote, the Conservatives could "flood" the Upper House with new peers in order to establish a working majority for its legislative programme.
Lord Butler, a former head of the civil service who is now a crossbench peer, told Today it would be "quite wrong" for the Lords to overturn or obstruct a measure which had already been passed by the Commons.
He said the cuts to tax credits were a central plank of the cuts to welfare on which the government was elected and if the Lords did block it would be "getting too big for its non elected boots."
The government is seeking to introduce the cuts not though the traditional route of a Finance Bill, which the Lords do not historically have the power to oppose, but via so-called secondary legislation - which peers say they are entitled to challenge.
However, the BBC's deputy political editor James Landale said the records showed that there have only been five occasions since World War Two that peers have blocked secondary legislation.
Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg said the elected House's supremacy over tax and spending matters dated back to the 15th Century and the largely appointed Lords would face repercussions if it defied that.
"I think the prime minister would be entitled to ask the Queen to appoint a large number of peers if the Lords blocks something which belongs to the privilege of the House of Commons," he told the Daily Politics.
"The privilege that all matters of taxation and expenditure are reserved to the Commons, even secondary legislation, is of the greatest antiquity....The House of Commons have exclusive competence over taxation and expenditure regardless of the form it is presented to the Lords."
The government would need to appoint 150 or more peers to achieve a Lords majority. Mr Rees-Mogg said he would back such a move but it would "bring the House of Lords into disrepute" and trigger reform.
A Downing Street spokesman said there was "no plan" to engage in Lords reform but the PM's view was that the Lords should take note of votes in the Commons, which has twice backed the changes in the past six weeks. | Opponents of tax credits cuts will "probably" win a vote in the House of Lords killing off the changes, a leading Liberal Democrat peer has said. |
34451265 | The species, which has been named Hyorhinomys stuempkei - hog-nosed rat - has "distinct and unique features uncommon to other rats", they said.
Five of the rodents were discovered on Sulawesi island earlier in January by researchers from Australia, Indonesia and the US.
Museum Victoria's mammal curator Kevin Rowe said the species was "previously undocumented".
"We were on a mission to survey remote mountains in the area and to put evolution in Asia and Australia into context," Mr Rowe said.
"Nothing is currently known about these rats and how widely they were distributed throughout the forests."
Mr Rowe, who specialises in rodent evolution, spent six weeks in Indonesia with other scientists and a group of locals trying to reach the remote forest area.
He also shared with the BBC the "exciting moment" of finding a hog-nosed rat.
"We had been setting up overnight traps for a few days - that was when I stumbled upon a completely new rat," he said.
"I hollered immediately for my colleagues as I knew it was a new species."
The rats appeared "healthy, with full stomachs", weighing at an estimated 250g.
Mr Rowe also added that there were rats on Sulawesi island similar to the newly discovered mammal, but they "weren't the same".
"Last year we discovered amphibious and toothless rats on the island too. There is a remarkable morphological evolution going on there."
He said the rat's uniqueness had "far exceeded expectations".
"Obviously its nostrils which resemble a hog's, are very unique. But it also has a long face and larger ears for a rat of its size and lower teeth which are more in common with shrew rats," he said.
"It also has pubic hairs that are very long and extended which we see in other Australian mammals."
The rats have since been preserved and are lodged in a museum in Indonesia. | A team of scientists have discovered a new species of rat in Indonesia. |
14198280 | Baidu signed an agreement with a joint venture owned by Universal Music, Warner Music and Sony Music to distribute music through its mp3 search service.
Baidu, China's biggest search engine, will pay the owners of the music rights on a per-play and per-download basis.
China is the world's biggest internet market with close to 470 million users.
Baidu has been involved in legal tussle with the music labels. It has been accused of steering consumers to third-party websites where pirated material is hosted.
However, the company said that all outstanding litigation between the parties involved had ended as part of the deal.
Baidu has a near-75% share of China's search engine market.
Analysts said the deal was likely to help the company strengthen its position even further, as the Chinese internet market grew and more users were added,
"It [the deal] will be very positive for Baidu in terms of user experience and it also fits in with Baidu's box computing strategy, which is to make a lot of information available on the Baidu site," said Dick Wei of JP Morgan.
While the deal sees the end of a long legal tussle for Baidu, it also opens up extra revenue streams for music companies who have often complained of seeing their profits hit by piracy.
"Baidu, the Chinese music fans, recording artists and the record companies will all benefit from this win-win partnership," said Jennifer Li, chief financial officer of Baidu.
However, some analysts warned that although the deal was a step in the right direction, it may increase Baidu's cost of operations in the short term.
"I think there will be a higher cost involved and I am not very sure they can generate the revenue," said Wallace Cheung of Credit Suisse.
Baidu said it was in the process of uploading the music catalogues onto its servers. | Chinese search engine Baidu has struck a deal with leading music labels ending years of legal wrangling over rights. |
38905902 | Craig Williams questioned the £3m S4C has agreed to pay University of Wales Trinity St David in upfront rent, equivalent to £150,000 a year.
He said there is a disparity with £26,000 paid in annual rent by Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol to the university.
S4C and the university said it was not possible to compare the two deals.
The Welsh-language TV channel plans to relocate to the Yr Egin project next year, moving 55 staff members from Cardiff to Carmarthen.
Figures released following a freedom on information request show that Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol pays the university £26,000 in rent annually.
It has 20 members of staff in an older building adjacent to the Yr Egin development.
The Welsh Government will decide this month if it will contribute up to £6m to the project.
Speaking to BBC Wales' Newyddion 9, Cardiff North MP Craig Williams said: "It is a question of transparency, there is a bit of a fog around this development.
"We have seen it regarding the application to the Welsh Government for a grant, at the same time an assurance to S4C that they don't need the grant to be able to go ahead.
"We have seen it with the way rent is being paid with a single upfront payment of £3m."
He said the "most objective person" looking at the payment "would see this as questionable".
"You've also got the disparity between the rent for the college next door which admittedly is half the size [than S4C] but certainly not half the payment", he said.
Both S4C and the university said it wasn't possible to make the comparison with Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, with the university stating both buildings differ in nature and age.
In a statement S4C said: "The sum the coleg are paying for their 12-year-old offices is for the present period.
"What S4C are intending to pay is for the future 20 years and for high quality offices that will give certainty and be risk-free for S4C.
"S4C have a 20 year business plan, which is cost neutral, but also gives the option of extending to a 25 year lease at no further cost.
"There will not be any rent reviews over the period under this arrangement. The prices agreed were in line with the District Valuer's opinion on market rental values in Carmarthen." | There are "transparency" questions and a "fog" around the relationship between S4C and the university providing its new home, a Tory MP has said. |
34322053 | An army spokesman said they were taken by gunmen late on Monday from the Holiday Oceanview resort on Samal Island, near Davao City on Mindanao.
The attackers, who have not been identified by police, left by boat, Capt Alberto Caber told reporters.
He said it appeared the four were targeted rather than taken at random.
Since the 1990s the southern Philippines has seen sporadic incidents of kidnapping by Muslim militant groups, who hold hostages for ransom.
Philippine authorities have named the Canadian abductees as John Ridsel and Robert Hall.
The Norwegian, Kjartan Sekkingstad, was said to be the manager of the resort.
The Filipino woman has not been identified, but she is said to be the partner of one of the kidnapped Canadians.
Authorities also said two Japanese tourists had tried to intervene to prevent the kidnapping, which took place shortly before midnight.
The Associated Press quoted Capt Caber as saying a naval blockade was being set up around the island to stop kidnappers from reaching another island in the southwest known to house militant strongholds.
Philippine authorities signed a peace agreement with the largest Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, in 2014, but continue to battle smaller groups in the south.
The region where Samal is located has been largely peaceful in recent years. The last related incident on Samal took place in 2001 when Islamist separatist group Abu Sayyaf attempted to kidnap tourists at another resort.
The group is holding a number of foreign hostages in various remote camps. | Two Canadians, a Norwegian and a local woman have been kidnapped from a tourist resort in the southern Philippines, the military has said. |
39767423 | A statement by its regional force said air and ground forces were involved. It did not identify the militant group.
A French soldier was killed in the area earlier this month.
Mali suffers frequent attacks by Islamist militants despite a French military operation in 2013 to drive jihadists from northern cities.
A French military spokesman said the militants had been targeted in the Foulsare forest, in the south-west of Gao province.
On Saturday, Mali's National Assembly voted to extend a state of emergency by six months in a bid to quell an upsurge in attacks.
Violence has also intensified in neighbouring Burkina Faso.
In December, 12 soldiers were killed in an attack by militants near Burkina Faso's border with Mali.
In January last year, 29 people, many of them foreigners, died in a attack on a hotel in the capital Ouagadougou.
France, the former colonial power in Mali, has deployed about 4,000 soldiers in the region to fight extremists. | France says its forces in West Africa have killed or captured more than 20 militants in a forest near Mali's border with Burkina Faso. |
35359072 | Four suspected attackers also died in a battle that lasted nearly three hours at Bacha Khan University in Charsadda.
One Pakistani Taliban commander said the group had carried out the assault, but its main spokesman denied this.
The group killed 130 students at a school in the city of Peshawar, 50km (30 miles) from Charsadda, in 2014.
Survivor recalls 'horrible and wild attack'
How the attack unfolded
Why can't Pakistan stop the militants?
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said in a statement: "We are determined and resolved in our commitment to wipe out the menace of terrorism from our homeland."
The attackers struck at about 09:30 local time (04:30 GMT), apparently climbing over a back wall under cover of the thick winter fog.
Intense gunfire and explosions were heard as security guards fought the attackers.
Students and staff ran to find cover in toilets and examination halls.
One student told television reporters he was in class when he heard gunshots: "We saw three terrorists shouting, 'God is great!' and rushing towards the stairs of our department.
"One student jumped out of the classroom through the window. We never saw him get up."
Reports say a chemistry lecturer, named by media as Syed Hamid Husain, shot back at the gunmen to allow his students to flee, before he was killed.
Geology student Zahoor Ahmed said the teacher had warned him not to leave the building after the first shots were fired.
"He was holding a pistol in his hand," he was quoted by AFP news agency as saying.
"Then I saw a bullet hit him. I saw two militants were firing. I ran inside and then managed to flee by jumping over the back wall."
The victims - mostly male students - were shot in the head or chest. Seventeen people were injured. At least one security guard also died.
There have been conflicting claims about who could be involved in the attack, a sign of the kaleidoscopic mix of militant networks evolving along the Pakistan-Afghan border region in the north.
The attack comes amid a sudden spike in militant violence in Pakistan, after a year of relative peace and quiet largely attributed to a 2014 military operation against militant sanctuaries in Waziristan. Questions are now being raised over whether that operation really destroyed the ability of militants to regroup and strike at will.
The attack is reminiscent of the December 2014 attack on a school in Peshawar in which more than 150 people, mostly schoolboys, were killed. But damage to life and property this time has been much less, mainly due to swift action by the local police, but also because of the fact that the university had its own team of more than 50 trained security guards on duty who first confronted the attackers.
A dense fog that reduced visibility to less than 10m may also have been a factor, as one police officer explained, because it put the attackers at a disadvantage against the university guards who knew the premises better.
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Pakistan hangs four over Peshawar school attack
Peshawar school massacre video game removed
Who are the Taliban?
Images from inside the university show a pool of blood on the floor of a dormitory and the bodies of two alleged militants lying on a staircase.
A senior Taliban commander, Umar Mansoor, told the media the attack was in response to a military offensive against militant strongholds. He said four suicide attackers had carried out the attack.
However, the group's main spokesman, Mohammad Khurasani, later told the BBC the Taliban had not been involved. He condemned the attack as "un-Islamic".
About 3,000 students are enrolled at Bacha Khan, but hundreds of visitors were also expected on Wednesday for a poetry event.
There is a symbolic value attached to Bacha Khan University as it is named after a Pashtun nationalist leader who believed in non-violent struggle, says BBC Urdu's Asad Ali Chaudry.
The title of Wednesday's poetry programme in his honour was "peace", he adds.
Just days ago, some schools in Peshawar were closed by the authorities amid reports that militants were planning an attack. | Security forces have ended a gun and bomb attack on a university in north-west Pakistan in which 19 people were killed and 17 injured. |
34227497 | A prosecutor told Chester Crown Court if jurors thought Gayle Newland, 25, deceived the woman into thinking she was a man, she was guilty of sexual assault.
She denies five sexual assaults when pretending to be a man.
It is claimed she used a prosthetic penis while carrying out the assaults.
In his closing speech to jurors, Matthew Corbett-Jones said if they were satisfied Newland had deceived her alleged victim into believing she was a man, then she was guilty of the assaults.
The alleged incidents are said to have occurred between February and June 2013.
Newland, of Willaston, Cheshire, claims they were engaging in role play and fantasy as they struggled to accept their sexuality.
She admitted creating a fake Facebook profile in the name Kye but said the complainant knew from the "get-go" that she was female.
Mr Corbett-Jones said: "The issue really comes down to whether or not [the complainant] is telling the truth about her belief that Kye was real and he was the one having sexual intimacy with her."
He said that looking at the evidence overall, it was clear that she believed she was communicating with a real man.
The sad truth, he added, was that she had fallen in love with Kye. "Her own experience in life had not been kind," he added. "She feels she had no experience of real love in her life."
He questioned why she would put herself through the "excruciating embarrassment" of proceedings to have her personal life subject to scrutiny and judgment that it would inevitably bring with it.
"She went to police because she was devastated by what has happened," Mr Corbett-Jones added. "She has no axe to grind."
But Nigel Power QC, defending, said the complainant was not naive.
He said: "The deception as described is incredible, incapable of belief. It is impossible to believe."
Mr Power told the jury that it was being asked to believe that a bright young woman spent more than 100 hours in her company but never suspected it was her friend.
He said the complainant was calm and confident and "always in control". Gayle Newland, he added, was the opposite: "She was open, she was nervous, she was anxious, brittle and exposed."
Mr Power added: "We suggest that gut instinct, human experience, common sense and careful analysis all lead to the same conclusion - of course she knew."
He claimed the "apparent distress" of the complainant was fake.
The trial continues on Monday when the judge will sum up the case. | A naive woman was deliberately duped into sex while blindfolded with a person she thought was a man, a court heard. |
39516354 | The piece, entitled Space Cadet, is the creation of Belfast artist David Turner and is part of a series on political figures in their formative years.
Other portraits include Nelson Mandela and Mao Zedong.
It is part of a series on politicians, revolutionaries, dictators, prime ministers and presidents.
"I am looking at them in their youth, when they are all around 14 to 17 years," Mr Turner told BBC News NI.
"They are captured about the time they would have been playing with Lego, I know I played with Lego when I was younger.
"The whole idea was to capture them before their destiny and when there was more a sense of innocence about them.
"The Donald Trump piece, which is 30ins by 30ins, is going to be displayed at a major art fair."
Mr Turner said the pictures of Nelson Mandela and Mao Zedong had been made with Hama beads due to the cost of using Lego.
He explained why he had labelled the Trump artwork as Space Cadet.
"Donald Trump is a controversial character, he gets a battering in the media," Mr Turner said.
"It is a play on his depiction in the media, rather than my personal opinion, a jab at how he is being portrayed now."
The 48-year-old said he had only started developing his art seriously when he attended the Ulster University as a mature student in 2001.
In recent years, he has moved away from painting as a medium and said his work included replicas of weapons using Lego.
"When I was at university, I was working on memory, reproducing newspaper images from the Troubles," he added.
"Then three to four years ago, I started to use Lego, Hama beads, jigsaw pieces and Plasticine for sculptures.
"I started to make replica firearms using Lego.
"That came from being in nursery school in Belfast during the Troubles - the policy was no guns in nursery - but as soon as you went to the Lego box you made a gun.
"It is autobiographical and thinking about growing up at that time in Belfast." | Donald Trump's face is one of the most recognisable in the world, but a Lego artwork of the US President's teenage self still requires a double take. |
35741942 | Shinji Okazaki's spectacular overhead kick earned the Foxes a win which, with just eight games left, moved them closer to their first league title.
An improved Newcastle went close through Ayoze Perez and Moussa Sissoko.
But ultimately Leicester's pressing foiled them and the defeat leaves the Magpies second from bottom.
Before the match, Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri refused to accept his team were favourites to win the title, insisting that qualifying for the Europa League was the target.
But as Ranieri gesticulated on the sidelines in the closing minutes, urging the home fans to increase the volume, his actions suggested that he and his team are chasing more than a chance to compete in Europe's second-tier competition.
With every passing week, the prospect of the Foxes achieving what their former striker Gary Lineker describes as possibly the most "unlikely triumph in the history of team sport" becomes more likely.
A team which at the start of the season were among the bookies' favourites to be relegated are on the home straight, unbeaten in four matches and closing in on history.
Ranieri's men are 12 points clear of Manchester City and 11 ahead of Arsenal, leaving many to believe the title is a two-way fight between the leaders and second-placed Tottenham.
This match perhaps came too soon for Benitez to whip Newcastle into shape, having only taken over from the sacked Steve McClaren on Friday.
The Magpies started like a team buoyed by the Spaniard's appointment, engineering two chances early on - an iffy Wes Morgan nearly put Sissoko through, while Perez went close moments later.
Newcastle's deep defensive line initially caused the hosts problems, but once Okazaki struck, the Foxes took control, attacking with pace and defending in packs.
There were hints that Benitez can revive a team which has struggled all season, but the former Liverpool boss - who nine weeks ago was in charge of Real Madrid, coaching Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale - has just nine games to save Newcastle from relegation.
Had Sissoko possessed the poise to find a team-mate when the visitors had a three-on-two advantage they could have equalised, while the Frenchman also sweetly struck a volley only to be denied late on by Morgan's block.
Benitez had said he had "done the maths" and that he was positive of survival, but for that optimism to remain, the Magpies - who have now lost 17 of their 29 league matches - must beat fellow strugglers Sunderland on Sunday.
For Newcastle, the next two games are central to their survival hopes. They will host Sunderland in what should be a tasty derby as the Magpies are a point adrift of the Black Cats, who are clear of the relegation zone on goal difference only.
On 2 April, Benitez's men will then travel to Norwich, another team who are a point ahead of them in the league, albeit having played a game more.
Leicester travel to Crystal Palace to face a side who have not won in the league in 2016 but have progressed to the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri: "It wasn't the best performance from us but we showed fantastic spirit. We defended very well. It wasn't nervy in the second half, the team was so close and compact.
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"I feel now that I am just concentrating on the next game against Crystal Palace. We are so strong, we think only one game at a time. Step by step, that is our philosophy.
"Their players showed Rafa their attitude and the Newcastle players are very good. I am sure that they will be safe."
Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez: "I wasn't happy with the goal because there were too many balls bouncing in the box. I would like to think about the positives. We reacted well and were pushing well.
"I thought that we could get a result and I was convinced we could do it. But they worked really hard and are pushing and their tempo is not easy for any team.
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"We know our next game against Sunderland is a derby and it will be important for everyone but I have a feeling the fans are really good and they are the number 12 for the next game. We have plenty of things to do and they need to rest and work hard."
Match ends, Leicester City 1, Newcastle United 0.
Second Half ends, Leicester City 1, Newcastle United 0.
Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Jack Colback.
Attempt missed. Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.
Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Moussa Sissoko.
Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Andros Townsend.
Foul by Jack Colback (Newcastle United).
Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Attempt blocked. Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jamie Vardy with a headed pass.
Substitution, Newcastle United. Seydou Doumbia replaces Jonjo Shelvey.
Georginio Wijnaldum (Newcastle United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Daniel Drinkwater (Leicester City).
Attempt missed. Siem de Jong (Newcastle United) left footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Aleksandar Mitrovic.
Foul by Jonjo Shelvey (Newcastle United).
Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt blocked. Aleksandar Mitrovic (Newcastle United) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Andros Townsend with a cross.
Attempt missed. Aleksandar Mitrovic (Newcastle United) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Jonjo Shelvey with a cross following a corner.
Corner, Newcastle United. Conceded by Robert Huth.
Attempt blocked. Moussa Sissoko (Newcastle United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Moussa Sissoko (Newcastle United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Danny Simpson (Leicester City).
Substitution, Leicester City. Leonardo Ulloa replaces Marc Albrighton.
Foul by Aleksandar Mitrovic (Newcastle United).
Danny Simpson (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Newcastle United. Siem de Jong replaces Ayoze Pérez.
Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Daryl Janmaat.
Attempt blocked. Jeffrey Schlupp (Leicester City) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Riyad Mahrez.
Substitution, Leicester City. Jeffrey Schlupp replaces Shinji Okazaki.
Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Moussa Sissoko (Newcastle United).
Corner, Newcastle United. Conceded by N'Golo Kanté.
Attempt blocked. Ayoze Pérez (Newcastle United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Moussa Sissoko.
Corner, Newcastle United. Conceded by Marc Albrighton.
Substitution, Newcastle United. Andros Townsend replaces Vurnon Anita.
Attempt saved. Aleksandar Mitrovic (Newcastle United) header from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Daryl Janmaat.
Attempt blocked. Christian Fuchs (Leicester City) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Daniel Drinkwater.
Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Daryl Janmaat (Newcastle United).
Attempt blocked. Wes Morgan (Leicester City) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Christian Fuchs.
Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Jack Colback. | Leicester extended their lead at the top of the Premier League to five points as Rafael Benitez's first match in charge of Newcastle ended in defeat. |
38581167 | Police said the incident followed an altercation between him and another man at about 00:45 in the city's Jamaica Street and involved a Volkswagen Golf.
The man was taken by ambulance to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital where he remains.
Police are treating the incident as attempted murder.
Det Insp David MacGregor said the man had been walking with three male friends when he became involved in the altercation with the other man.
He said the attacker jumped into a dark-coloured Golf before deliberately hitting him with the car on Jamica Street, near its junction with Midland Street.
Det Insp David MacGregor said: "That man got into the VW Golf and drove the wrong way up Jamaica St and hit him.
"The driver then made off north on Jamaica Street, turned west under the Heilnman's Umbrella, Argyle Street, and then possibly into Oswald St - against the flow of traffic - onto the southside.
"None of the man's friends were injured but he sustained multiple injuries and is in a very serious condition in hospital."
Officers remain at the scene and have begun reviewing street, commercial and private CCTV.
Det Insp MacGregor added: "There were a number of people in Jamaica St at the time of the incident, a number of whom have already come forward and indeed who tried to assist the injured man until the ambulance arrived.
"However, we are keen to speak to anyone who was in the area and who has not been spoken to by police and would encourage them to come forward.
"The VW Golf made off at speed from the scene and I am sure that people would have seen it make off or driving through the streets, especially as it was going the wrong way down Jamaica Street and possibly Oswald Street."
The incident resulted in the closure of Jamaica Street and nearby Howard Street during morning rush hour. The route was later reopened at about 13:00. | A 32-year-old man is in a critical condition in hospital after a car was deliberately driven at him in Glasgow city centre. |
21267655 | The Italy striker is having a medical before a to the seven-time European champions for an initial fee of 22m euros (£19m).
"I'd wanted to play for Milan for such a long time," said the 22-year-old.
"Obviously I played for other teams and couldn't come. But when there was the chance, I ran."
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City signed Balotelli from Inter Milan for £24m in 2010 and he scored 30 goals in 80 appearances for the club.
He helped City to the Premier League title last season, but has managed only three strikes in 20 matches this time round.
"I didn't have a good start to the season with City and I hope to do well here at Milan," said the Palermo-born forward.
Balotelli flew to Milan by private jet on Wednesday afternoon with the Italian club's vice-president Adriano Galliani.
Galliani said: "With his arrival, we have reinforced our team a lot. He's a dream come true, wanted by the [AC Milan president Silvio] Berlusconi and the club.
"Mario has been in our hearts for many years and finally we've managed to get him."
Milan reached an agreement with City on Tuesday and Balotelli will sign a four-and-a-half-year contract, subject to passing his medical.
Balotelli's departure follows a on 3 January - the latest in a series of controversies in his time at City. | Mario Balotelli says he had no hesitation in deciding to move from Manchester City to AC Milan because it had been a long-term ambition. |
11794615 | Barry Manilow, Elvis Costello and Jamiroquai will perform at the Oslo event on 11 December - one day after the prize-giving ceremony.
AR Rahman, Florence and the Machine and Herbie Hancock are also on the bill.
This year's concert will honour jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, winner of the 2010 prize.
The 54-year-old received an 11-year sentence last year for "inciting subversion" after drafting a charter calling for multi-party democracy and respect for human rights in China.
It is doubtful whether the prize will be handed out this year as China may not allow Mr Liu's family to attend the ceremony.
According to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, its prestigious award can only be collected by the laureate in person or by close family members.
Swedish chart-topper Robyn, US singer Colbie Caillat and soul star India.Arie will also perform at the concert, an annual event since 1994.
Will Smith, Tom Cruise and Sir Michael Caine are among those who have hosted the concert in previous years. | Hollywood actress Anne Hathaway will co-host this year's Nobel peace prize concert in Norway with Oscar-winning actor Denzel Washington. |
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