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34857454 | Data lost in such attacks could be recovered or wiped, suggests a new report from the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission.
It says lost sales and fixing hacking damage have cost US firms tens of billions of dollars, with trade secrets being given to Chinese companies.
The commission is typically very critical of the Chinese government.
The report, which is due to be released on Wednesday, describes the American response to hacking attacks on domestic firms as "inadequate" and says the US is "ill-prepared" to defend itself from cyber-espionage.
"The Chinese government appears to believe that it has more to gain than to lose from its cyber-espionage and attack campaign," says the report.
"So far, it has acquired valuable technology, trade secrets, and intelligence.
"The costs imposed have been minimal compared to the perceived benefit.
"The campaign is likely to continue and may well escalate."
China has frequently denied involvement in hacking attacks such as the data breach that affected the government's Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
Information on more than 22 million federal employees was affected and the White House is reported to be preparing a retaliation against China.
Sean Sullivan, security adviser at information security firm F-Secure, said: "This report about investigating the ability to hack back I think is less about Congress wanting the ability to hack back and more about clarifying, 'These are the rules, this is the line - you cross this line, this is the retaliation you will get.'"
Mr Sullivan told the BBC, however, that there might be problems with such an approach.
For one thing, data may not just be breached in the future, but covertly manipulated. Such alterations might not be noticed for many weeks or months after the incident.
And when manipulations or breaches are detected, it might be very hard to attribute the attack to a specific Chinese competitor or state actor, Mr Sullivan added.
"We can point towards Chinese IP addresses but we don't have a good idea as to which party within China was motivated and did the hacking," he said.
Still, "normalising" the practice of back-and-forth cyber-attacks might clarify the situation and "give people a firmer handle on international norms and what they should expect", according to Mr Sullivan. | The United States should think about allowing US companies to "hack back" if data is stolen by Chinese hackers. |
39507659 | Politics has long been a part of Marcus Brigstocke's comedy routine.
He's used to people not always agreeing with what he says, but this year it's been different.
The subject was Brexit and the reaction in some places was unlike anything he'd experienced before.
We met in Llandudno at the Craft of Comedy Festival. It's been described as the party conference of comedy - an annual get together to discuss the life and business of people making a living from making other people laugh.
I spoke to him at the end of a session on politics and comedy.
He explains that, as a result of his jokes, "a lot of the people I think of as 'my audience' post-Brexit will not be back... they were that angry."
Brigstocke is furious about the decision to leave the EU. The topic touches him more deeply than almost any other but he has doubts about this political passion.
"Anger's not great for comedy, it's been good for me but you still have to have nuance. You have to find the line and I've struggled with that."
"People are more upset about this than anything else I have experienced."
Gareth Gwynn is one of Britain's most prolific topical gag writers. He's worked on Have I Got News For You, the Now Show and the News Quiz on BBC Radio 4.
He has a different concern about Brexit.
"Since June 2016 almost every time you walk in to that writers' room and it's tail it's Trump, heads it's Brexit," he says.
"It's so big we can't avoid it and the problem is trying to come up with new angles. It's both potentially trying for both the writers and the audience."
The passions aroused by Brexit are, it appears, challenging for satire. Britain is deeply divided and that poses problems.
Josh Buckingham is a commissioner for Channel 4. It is legally obliged to be politically impartial and while it can delight in taking pot shots at politicians it can't do it from just one perspective.
He feels some viewers who spend a lot of time watching online content may not be so open to this.
"Audiences expect you to have a view and when they encounter you being even handed they might say, 'pick a side', he explains.
Of course many comics have picked a side. The divide? Marcus Brigstocke could only think of two or three comics who might admit to being pro-Brexit - Lee Hurst and Geoff Norcott are notable examples.
In a room of more than a hundred writers, producers and performers - we asked if any would come forward and admit to being pro-Brexit.
Only one person put their hand up. One or two others approached me quietly afterwards but didn't want to be interviewed.
The one person that agreed to speak was James Cary, a writer of sitcoms. He's also an evangelical Christian and used to being in a minority in the comedy world. He's happy to be contrary.
"I think it's because Brexit is associated with conservatism and patriotism and nationalism and these are things comedians like to play against," he says.
"I think it's led to a really interesting discussion. I think you've got to be very careful about impugning anyone's motives... England and London are very different places"
He adds: "We have to be wary of describing one as a metropolitan elite and likewise seeing people in England backward, nationalistic and patriotic and racist."
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]. | Comedy and current affairs have always had a close relationship - but Brexit and Donald Trump's presidency have posed new challenges for comics. |
34782735 | Jeamie Deacon, Mairead Coyne and Aine Donnelly are the backs debutants in a game which will be Ireland women's first-ever autumn international.
Hooker Cliodhna Moloney will earn her first cap with Elaine Anthony and Ciara Cooney named in the second row.
The replacements include uncapped Ulster player Claire McLaughlin.
Tierney said the team's first autumn international would be "another step in the development in women's rugby".
"We have an opportunity to have a look at some new players and combinations building towards the Six Nations," he added.
Ireland will be defending the women's Six Nations title next spring.
Ireland: Niamh Briggs (Munster), capt; Jeamie Deacon (Leinster), Aine Donnelly (Leinster), Jackie Shiels (Richmond), Mairead Coyne (Connacht); Sene Naoupu (Connacht), Larissa Muldoon (Skewen); Ruth O'Reilly (Connacht), Cliodhna Moloney (Leinster), Ailis Egan (Leinster); Elaine Anthony (Munster), Ciara Cooney (Connacht); Sophie Spence (Leinster), Paula Fitzpatrick (Toulouse), Heather O'Brien (Toulouse).
Replacements: Zoe Grattage (Munster), Fiona Reidy (Munster), Fiona O'Brien (Leinster), Katie Norris (Leinster), Lindsay Peat (Leinster), Mary Healy (Connacht), Nora Stapleton (Leinster), Claire McLaughlin (Ulster) | Ireland coach Tom Tierney has named six new caps in his starting side for Saturday's game against England at Twickenham Stoop (15:00 GMT kick-off). |
35562698 | Speaking in Hamburg, the PM said changes he was seeking to UK membership would make Europe "more outward-looking, competitive and dynamic".
In an upbeat speech, he said if he got what he wanted he would campaign "unequivocally" for the UK to stay in.
Campaigners for EU exit have said the PM's renegotiation is a sham.
The prime minister is hoping for a deal at next week's summit of EU leaders in Brussels to allow him to put the new terms of membership to the British public in a referendum in June.
But Donald Tusk, the European Council president who is brokering the talks on the UK's renegotiation process, has warned the political process remains "very fragile", with some leaders still harbouring reservations about the plan, particularly over limits on welfare payments to new EU migrants.
In his final major speech before next week's crunch meeting, Mr Cameron told business, political civic leaders in the German city of Hamburg that he made no apology for Britain being "argumentative and rather strong-minded" when it came to the subject of Europe.
"We have the character of an island nation - independent, forthright, passionate in defence of our sovereignty - and of institutions that have served us well for many hundreds of years," he said.
"And the need to protect our sovereignty has always been paramount for us."
But he told his audience at the Matthiae-Mahlzeit dinner - which included German Chancellor Angela Merkel - that Britain was an "open nation" and the values it shared with Germany underpinned their co-operation on trade, enterprise and security, co-operation which he hoped would continue.
Downing Street said the prime minister and Mrs Merkel also held a meeting - agreeing that EU countries and institutions needed to continue to work together to reach a deal on the UK's renegotiation.
Other topics discussed included migration and implementing the £6.8bn in pledges made by countries at last week's London conference to help Syrians affected by the five-year conflict, a Number 10 spokesman said.
David Cameron has been denounced by some of his own MPs for negotiating a "threadbare" deal, and more than 100 of his councillors are urging him to campaign to leave the EU.
The tone of his speech in Hamburg suggests he will do no such thing - he pledged to campaign "unequivocally" for British membership on new terms, though included in his speech was his usual disclaimer that he "rules nothing out" until a deal is done.
We also got another glimpse of how the referendum will be fought - with a strong plea for Europe to "stand together" in an uncertain world.
But there was a recognition that he won't get everything he wants, when he said: "Even when we have secured the changes I am arguing for, the job will not be done."
He portrayed Germany as an ally in arguing for further change but his opponents will pounce on this as evidence of the paucity of his demands.
In his speech, Mr Cameron argued it was in the two countries' interests for the EU to become more competitive and for rules to be put in place to ensure that both countries inside the eurozone and those outside could be mutually successful.
"When Britain says we need to have a Europe that respects nation states and that we should be able to run our own welfare systems, those are calls which I believe resonate around Europe," he said.
"So if by working together we can achieve these changes, then I will unequivocally recommend that Britain stays in a reformed European Union on these new terms. Of course, if we can't then I rule nothing out.
"But I believe we can - and if we do, I believe we can win that referendum and that will be good for Britain, good for Germany and good for the whole of Europe."
Negotiations on the final wording of the deal - which includes an "emergency brake" on benefit payments to EU migrants and a UK opt-out from "ever closer union" - look set to carry on right up to the start of the summit on February 18.
Speaking on Friday, French finance minister Michael Sapin warned that nothing in the deal could stand in the way of further eurozone integration or confer special status on a particular industry, such as financial services.
The UK is seeking legal protection for the City of London from new regulations that would apply across the whole of the EU, including non-eurozone countries. But Mr Sapin said no country could have a veto on further economic union or exemptions from the provisions of the single market.
A senior Tory backbencher has said that up to 100 Conservative MPs could end up supporting the Out campaign in a future referendum, including a number of current Cabinet ministers.
More than 130 Conservative councillors have warned the prime minister risks splitting the party unless he accepts his renegotiation has failed and he campaigns for Britain to leave the EU.
Guide: All you need to know about the referendum
EU renegotiation: Did Cameron get what he wanted?
Referendum timeline: What will happen when?
The view from Europe: What's in it for the others?
More: BBC News EU referendum special | David Cameron has said Britain will never "retreat from the world" and it is in Europe's interests for the UK to stay in a reformed European Union. |
38441169 | More than 10,000 people flocked to Coogee beach on Christmas day, leaving bottles, cigarette boxes and general waste behind.
The ban has been enforced by Randwick City Council, which called the event "disgraceful".
The summer season in Australia usually takes place from December to February.
"The poor and inappropriate behaviour of a few on Christmas Day have forced [the] Council to introduce a total alcohol ban for the area," said Mayor of Randwick Noel D'Souza in a statement on Facebook.
"It is disappointing we have to take such a strong stance but we need to reassure the community that they can feel safe when visiting."
While some argued against the ban, the majority of those on social media seemed to agree with the council's actions.
"Normally I would not want this ban but there is no choice," said George Jessup on Facebook. " I am willing to forgo a glass of wine for the sake of reclaiming our parks and the beach."
"I agree with this. I don't want to take my kids down there as we don't feel safe. About time," another man, Tony Goh, commented.
The ban will become effective from 29 December until the end of summer in Australia. | Alcohol will be banned at a popular Sydney beach all summer after a Christmas party resulted in a build-up of 15 tonnes (15,000kg) of rubbish. |
30847327 | The announcement came a day after Chad said it would "actively support" its neighbour against the militants.
No detail was given about how many troops would be sent, or when.
On Tuesday, Cameroon said it had killed 143 Boko Haram militants who attacked one of its army bases at Kolofata near the Nigerian border.
It said one soldier had died during the assault, which led to a gun battle lasting five hours.
It was the first major attack on Cameroon since Boko Haram threatened the country's leader in a video posted online earlier this month.
The militant Islamist group has seized control of towns and villages in north-east Nigeria in a six-year insurgency.
A French-led initiative has called for Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad to contribute 700 troops each to a multinational force against Boko Haram, but no country has taken steps to implement the plan.
Chad previously had some troops based in Baga, a Nigerian town seized by Boko Haram earlier this month, but they had been withdrawn before the attack.
Niger and Cameroon have both criticised Nigeria for failing to do more to confront Boko Haram.
Cameroon under pressure from Boko Haram
Analysis: By Bashir Sa'ad Abdullahi, BBC Africa, Abuja
The decision by Chad to send troops is a sign of progress in a region where there has been little cooperation in the battle against Boko Haram.
Under French pressure, the countries immediately threatened by the militants agreed last year to strengthen the multinational force in Baga.
But just months later Chad and Niger instead withdrew their troops entirely.
It appears that Nigeria's neighbours are suspicious of its inability to defeat Boko Haram.
Some believe that Chad is only now waking up to the reality that unless it takes action, Boko Haram may consume it too.
Correspondents say Nigerian politicians appear more focused on campaigning for elections next month than on security issues, and senior figures rarely comment on the insurgency in the north-east.
On Thursday, President Goodluck Jonathan made an unannounced visit to the area, his first for nearly two years.
He told displaced people in the biggest city of Borno state, Maiduguri, that he was "working very hard" to help them return to their homes.
Mr Jonathan's visit came as the human rights group Amnesty International released satellite images of towns attacked by Boko Haram, suggesting widespread destruction and a high death toll.
The pictures showed about 3,700 structures damaged or destroyed in Baga and neighbouring Doron Baga last week, the rights group said.
Amnesty's before-and-after satellite images were taken on 2 and 7 January.
Nigeria's government has disputed reports that as many as 2,000 people were killed in and around Baga, putting the number of dead at no more than 150.
Who are Boko Haram?
Why Nigeria has not defeated Boko Haram | Cameroon says Chad will send a large contingent of troops to help it fight incursions from the Nigeria-based militant Islamist group, Boko Haram. |
37212497 | Oliver Dearlove collapsed on Tranquil Vale, Blackheath at 00:45 BST on Sunday after he was hit while waiting for a pre-booked taxi with friends.
The 30-year-old from Eltham was taken to an east London hospital where he died at 22:30 that evening.
The Met said it had made "significant progress". No arrests have been made.
The force said it had spoken to the four women who were speaking to Mr Dearlove and "witness accounts indicate that a man approached the group and then struck Oliver".
Det Ch Insp Lee Watling has appealed for any witnesses who were in Blackheath to come forward.
"Oliver's family, his girlfriend and friends have been left devastated by his death and deserve to know what happened to him," he said.
Comedian Rob Beckett tweeted that Mr Dearlove was his best friend growing up and urged anyone with information to contact police.
A post-mortem examination gave a provisional cause of death as intracranial haemorrhage (bleeding within the skull), the Met said. | A man who died during a night out with friends in south-east London was attacked by a man as the group spoke to a number of women, police believe. |
35726721 | The 35-year-old midfielder has made 484 appearances for the club since joining them from Exeter City in June 2004.
His new deal will see him remain at the Keepmoat Stadium until the end of next season.
Darren Ferguson's side, who face Shrewsbury on Saturday, are currently two points above the League One relegation zone. | Doncaster Rovers' record appearance maker James Coppinger has signed a one-year contract extension. |
36016451 | Allen, who joined Liverpool from Swansea City for £15m in August 2012, has 14 months left before his current deal expires.
The 26-year-old has previously said he is playing for his long-term Anfield future.
Liverpool rejected an enquiry from Swansea about re-signing their former player on loan in January.
Allen has only started four Premier League games this season including Sunday's 4-1 win over Stoke City.
He received a standing from Liverpool supporters after being substituted and was praised by manager Jurgen Klopp.
"He was brilliant. There is no other word for this. We only took him off because we need him," Klopp said.
"Joe is not 100 percent fit, but it is not possible because he couldn't train often enough. He was always on the bench because we have needed him.
"Hopefully he stays healthy forever and now he's a really good option."
Allen has been given his chance after captain Jordan Henderson suffered a knee injury in the Europa League quarter final first leg win over Borussia Dortmund.
He is likely to retain his place in midfield for Thursday's second leg tie against Klopp's former team at Anfield. | Liverpool have not discussed a new contract with Wales midfielder Joe Allen, BBC Wales Sport understands. |
34414294 | Media playback is unsupported on your device
1 October 2015 Last updated at 12:46 BST
Not everyone agrees with the new rules that have been introduced in England and Wales.
So, Newsround spoke to kids to get their views.
With the new law that bans smoking in vehicles carrying children coming into force in England and Wales, we went to see what children think of the issue.
Take a look at their thoughts here. | Kids have been having their say on a new law that bans adults from smoking in cars that are carrying young people. |
28060836 | The GMB said council and school workers voted by three to one to walk out on 10 July over a pay offer worth 1% to most.
The date is significant because it has been earmarked as a general day of protest over government policy on cutting public sector costs and jobs.
Members of public service union Unison have already voted to strike over pay on the same day.
The National Union of Teachers has also voted to strike on 10 July, raising the prospect of disruption in schools across England and Wales.
The government is now facing a walkout by more than a million public sector workers next month, including council staff, school support workers, teachers and civil servants.
GMB national officer Brian Strutton said its members - in England, Wales and Northern Ireland - had "spoken loud and clear".
"We have tried sensible discussions, we've sought to negotiate reasonably, we've said we are willing to accept Acas arbitration rather than go on strike - but to everything we've tried, the employers have said no. So we have no choice," he said.
"GMB members serving school meals, cleaning streets, emptying bins, looking after the elderly, helping children in classrooms and in all the other vital roles serving our communities are fed-up with being ignored and undervalued."
He added: "Their pay has gone up only 1% since 2010 and in October even the national minimum wage will overtake local authority pay scales.
"Their case is reasonable, the employers won't listen and don't care. No wonder they have turned to strike action as the only way of making their voices heard.
"With other unions involved too, 10 July looks like being the second biggest dispute ever, with up to two million workers on strike."
There were 26,281 votes in favour of strike action and 9,799 against, on a turnout of 23%.
The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents more than 400 councils in England and Wales, said it was "disappointing" the GMB was going ahead with strike action on the back of a low turnout.
An LGA spokesman said: "Local government staff have worked wonders while councils have been tackling the biggest funding cuts in living memory and we have no doubt that many will still be at work on the day of strike action.
"The pay offer we have made would increase the pay of most employees by 1%, while the lowest paid would receive an increase of more than 4%. This is the fairest possible deal for our employees given the limits of what we can afford.
"This strike will not change the pay offer we have made, but it will mean those who take part lose a day's pay." | Members of the GMB union will join a day of action that could see more than one million workers on strike in total. |
39490402 | 5 April 2017 Last updated at 07:06 BST
Bought by TV stations in scores of countries including Canada, Scandinavian nations and Australia as well as by Netflix, Hinterland has become a poster-child for EU funding with grants covering 15% of the cost of making it.
Richard Harrington, who plays DCI Tom Mathias, said: "It fits really well here and there are faces here you can't replicate anywhere else because of the weather systems."
But as the third series is screened actress Mali Harries, who plays DI Mared Rhys, explores just what it is about the mid Wales countryside which has helped Hinterland appeal to 100 countries. | The isolated settings in mid Wales of TV drama Hinterland have been partly credited with the detective noir's success. |
38668892 | The 21-year-old has made two senior first-team appearances so far for QPR.
He has also previously had loan spells at Accrington and Morecambe.
"With Kelle Roos having been recalled by Derby and Steve Mildenhall still injured, it was important we recruited a keeper to provide competition and cover," said manager Darrell Clarke.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here. | League One club Bristol Rovers have signed goalkeeper Joe Lumley on loan from Championship side Queens Park Rangers for the rest of the season. |
36613679 | Radja Nainggolan put Belgium ahead in Lille with a thunderous 25-yard strike but Wales captain Ashley Williams headed in from a corner to equalise in a breathless first half littered with chances at both ends.
Welsh celebrations reached stratospheric levels when Hal Robson-Kanu, a striker without a club, gave them the lead with a divine turn and finish.
After withstanding late Belgium pressure, Wales sealed victory through a header from substitute Sam Vokes that set up a semi-final against Portugal and a mouth-watering duel between Real Madrid team-mates Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Wales manager Chris Coleman had described the last-eight tie as Wales' biggest match since their 1958 World Cup quarter-final defeat by Brazil, their only previous appearance in the knockout stages of a major tournament.
His players rose to the occasion wonderfully, recovering from a difficult start to claim what must rank as the greatest win in Welsh football history.
Absent from major tournaments for 58 years, Wales have not only ended a barren half a century but propelled Welsh football into unchartered territory.
Previous Welsh sides have claimed iconic results, such as a 2-1 win over Hungary at the 1958 World Cup, a 1991 victory against then world champions Germany and a qualifying triumph against Italy in 2002.
However, those were in isolation and failed to propel Wales on to greater achievements.
Former Wales striker Dean Saunders said: "Heart, desire, determination, organisation - there is a plan that has been put in place and it shows what you can achieve - you start thinking - is our name on it?"
Bale has been a key figure in Wales' success at Euro 2016, scoring three times in the group stages, but this victory highlighted the team spirit that Coleman and his side have spoken of throughout their time together in France.
The Real Madrid forward worked industriously throughout, but his efforts were eclipsed by others such as Williams, who scored despite a shoulder injury which made him a doubt for the game.
Aaron Ramsey was Wales' creative heart - setting up two of the three goals - and it is a crushing blow that both the Arsenal midfielder and Ben Davies will miss the semi-final after picking up a second tournament booking.
And then there was the display from Robson-Kanu, a player who has been inspired by Wales' historic run in this tournament.
Belgium would have seen Bale as the obvious threat going into this game, but it was a free agent released by Reading who gave his side a foothold on 55 minutes.
Coleman's men had to weather several periods of heavy Belgian pressure, but they took the lead in spectacular fashion against a side ranked second in the world, playing only 10 miles from the Belgian border.
A neat move saw Ramsey pass to Robson-Kanu, who bamboozled the defenders surrounding him with a graceful turn which allowed him the space to calmly finish.
There was a symbolism to the goal as Robson-Kanu - released by a Championship side - swept his shot past Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Former Wales forward John Hartson said: "If I was a chairman of a Premier League club I would be making Hal Robson-Kanu my next signing. What a goal. He sent Thomas Meunier for a cup of tea and a piece of toast with that turn."
This was a goal which embodied Wales' odds-defying run at Euro 2016, after languishing as low as 117th in the world rankings in 2011.
Coleman stressed before the match that Wales were not content with reaching the quarter-finals, convinced there was more to come from this team.
He has his wish, a semi-final against a Portugal side who have yet to win a game in 90 minutes at Euro 2016.
The match in Lyon on Wednesday pits Bale against Ronaldo, talismen for their country and team-mates for Real Madrid whose occasionally fractious relationship has been the subject of much attention in Spain.
For Wales, however, they will have to play for a place in the final without Arsenal midfielder Ramsey and Tottenham defender Davies, whose bookings against Belgium mean they will be suspended.
Saunders added: "Everything Chris Coleman is doing at the moment is working, we've got every chance of going through and winning it."
Wales manager Chris Coleman: "I said before we kicked the ball today, we are not here to enjoy it, we are here to compete.
"We defended like soldiers. All I can do is reiterate to the players never to forget what it took to get here. I know my team are good enough to perform against anybody."
On Ramsey and Davies missing the semi-final, he added: "I'm gutted for Aaron. He's been one of the best players of the tournament."
Belgium boss Marc Wilmots on his future: "I said I'd make my decision after the European Championship. I won't make one straight after the game. There's a lot of adrenaline going. We'll have to see."
Match ends, Wales 3, Belgium 1.
Second Half ends, Wales 3, Belgium 1.
Thomas Meunier (Belgium) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Neil Taylor (Wales).
Attempt missed. Eden Hazard (Belgium) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Thomas Meunier.
Eden Hazard (Belgium) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Joe Allen (Wales).
Substitution, Wales. James Collins replaces Aaron Ramsey.
Hand ball by Aaron Ramsey (Wales).
Corner, Belgium. Conceded by Neil Taylor.
Attempt blocked. Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Dries Mertens.
Corner, Belgium. Conceded by Sam Vokes.
Corner, Belgium. Conceded by James Chester.
Goal! Wales 3, Belgium 1. Sam Vokes (Wales) header from the centre of the box to the high centre of the goal. Assisted by Chris Gunter with a cross.
Toby Alderweireld (Belgium) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Toby Alderweireld (Belgium).
Aaron Ramsey (Wales) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner, Belgium. Conceded by Ben Davies.
Substitution, Belgium. Michy Batshuayi replaces Romelu Lukaku.
Substitution, Wales. Sam Vokes replaces Hal Robson-Kanu.
Attempt missed. Axel Witsel (Belgium) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Romelu Lukaku.
Substitution, Wales. Andy King replaces Joe Ledley.
Corner, Belgium. Conceded by Ben Davies.
Substitution, Belgium. Dries Mertens replaces Jordan Lukaku.
Aaron Ramsey (Wales) is shown the yellow card for hand ball.
Hand ball by Aaron Ramsey (Wales).
Attempt missed. Marouane Fellaini (Belgium) header from very close range is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Toby Alderweireld with a cross.
Eden Hazard (Belgium) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Joe Ledley (Wales).
Neil Taylor (Wales) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Marouane Fellaini (Belgium).
Gareth Bale (Wales) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Marouane Fellaini (Belgium).
Attempt missed. Ashley Williams (Wales) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high following a corner.
Attempt blocked. Joe Allen (Wales) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Corner, Wales. Conceded by Axel Witsel.
Corner, Wales. Conceded by Marouane Fellaini.
Attempt saved. Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Foul by Ashley Williams (Wales).
Radja Nainggolan (Belgium) wins a free kick in the attacking half. | Wales recorded the greatest night in their football history as they came from a goal down to beat Belgium at Euro 2016 and reach the semi-finals of a major tournament for the first time. |
35502394 | The National Association of Head Teachers says with a fifth of children having a mental health problem before age 11, it is a key concern.
A snapshot survey of 1,455 English heads suggests two-thirds of primary schools cannot deal with such issues.
The government says it has ring-fenced £1.4bn for children's mental health.
Russell Hobby, general secretary of the heads' union, NAHT, says: "We know the government is determined to improve children's mental health but there's still a danger that some children will take untreated mental problems into adulthood."
Mr Hobby said three-quarters of school leaders had reported that they lacked the resources needed to provide the kind of mental health care that children need.
"Although increasingly common inside secondary schools, almost two-thirds of primary school leaders say that it is difficult to access local mental health professionals," he said.
"Schools play a vital role in supporting children's mental health and building their resilience - but rising demand, growing complexity and tight budgets can get in the way of helping the children who need it most."
The chief executive of the mental health charity Place2Be, Catherine Roche, said children faced all sorts of challenges, such as coping with parental separation, the illness or death of a loved one, and dealing with substance abuse and domestic violence.
The vast majority of schools were already working hard to support children, she said, adding: "Teachers are not counsellors, and sometimes schools need professional support to make sure that problems in childhood do not spiral into bigger mental health problems later in life."
Place2Be and NAHT believe all schools need access to, or should host, professional mental health services, and the government says it wants all schools to make counselling services available to their pupils in time.
But the union's survey revealed that 64% of schools do not have access to a counsellor on site, and three-quarters of these said the most common barrier was financial.
"Although increasingly common in secondary schools, almost two-thirds of primary school leaders say that it is difficult to access local mental health professionals," Mr Hobby said.
"While we have a better acknowledgement of the extent of mental illness amongst children and young people than ever before, the services that schools, families and children rely on are under great pressure."
One head teacher who responded to the survey said: "We used to have a counselling service in school which was amazing, but due to budgetary pressures we had to stop this service. Now there is virtually no accessible provision in our area."
Another NAHT head said: "There is a big gap in provision in this area for primary age children. When we feel we need more specialist intervention or advice than we are able to provide, there is not much else to access."
The Department for Education said: "We're at a turning point in how we tackle children's mental health issues and are determined to get it right.
"That's why we're investing £1.4bn over this Parliament to transform mental health support for children and young people, and have also given £1.5m over the last three years to projects involving Place2Be." | Children's untreated mental health issues could spiral into psychiatric problems later in life unless more is done in schools, say head teachers. |
33572263 | "For the first time ever, the film will open on the same night at cinemas across the UK and Ireland," said distributor Sony Pictures.
Spectre, directed by Skyfall's Sam Mendes, is out in the US on 6 November.
Daniel Craig is playing 007 for the fourth time in the film, which also stars Christoph Waltz and Lea Seydoux.
Other cast members include Sherlock star Andrew Scott, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw, Dave Bautista, Monica Bellucci and Ralph Fiennes.
Spectre was shot at Pinewood Studios and filmed on location in London, Mexico City, Rome and Tangier and Erfoud, in Morocco.
The plot involves "a cryptic message from Bond's past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organisation".
Spectre's UK release was originally set for 23 October, with the date then being put back to 6 November.
The last Bond film Skyfall, released in 2012, grossed £700m ( $1.1 billion) worldwide. | Spectre, the next James Bond film, will be released in the UK on 26 October - with its world premiere in London on the same night. |
22527246 | Their 340-day mission aboard the International Space Station was twice the length of a normal stay - but how has time in space affected their bodies?
Space wreaks havoc on almost every part of the human body because there is less gravity to create the conditions we experience living on Earth.
"Astronauts lose a lot of calcium essential to their bones - it's a bit like osteoporosis here on Earth," says space scientist Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock from University College London.
Osteoporosis is a disease where bones become more brittle, which sometimes affects older people and women. It can mean you're more likely to break your bones.
It's thought that this happens in space because astronauts don't do load-bearing exercise - like walking and running, or lifting things - pulling against the Earth's gravity.
To try to avoid this, while they're in space astronauts have a special diet and have to do up to two hours of exercise per day.
2 - the number of hours per day astronauts exercise while in space
40 - the percentage of your muscles you will lose after five months in space
365 - the number of days it takes your bones to recover
460 - kilometres distance between Earth and the International Space Station
After five months in orbit above the Earth, an astronaut would typically lose as much as 40% of muscle and 12% of bone mass, says Jeremy Curtis from the UK Space Agency.
"The muscle loss is the equivalent of a 20-year-old turning into a 60-year-old over a period of three months," he says.
Astronauts returning to Earth will experience problems standing up and balancing - and some won't be able to drive a car to begin with.
They have to undergo a special rehabilitation programme a year after returning to earth to rebuild muscles and bones - and may never regain their previous bone mass.
The exposure to higher levels of radiation in space also means astronauts may be more likely to suffer from cancer later on in life.
But on the plus side, scientists say studying the effects of space flight on the human body can help with developing new treatments for diseases like osteoporosis and cancer here on Earth. | US astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko have returned to Earth after spending almost a year in space on board the International Space Station. |
37871871 | Michael Dreyfus died in a crash near the Great Rift Valley in neighbouring Kenya, on his birthday in 1978, an area where volcano research is taking place.
The £102,000 PhD place has been partly funded by Mr Dreyfus's friends and Bristol University.
Tesfaye Temtime Tessema, 35, will study volcanology in Bristol for three years.
Bristol University and Addis Ababa University want to develop a long-range volcanic eruption forecast for the Ethiopian Rift, as it is largely unknown but heavily populated with wildlife and people.
Mr Tessema, who recently completed his Masters in Addis Ababa, will focus his research on studying the landscape using specialised techniques as part of the on-going five-year £3.7m RiftVolc study, which both universities are involved with.
This work focus on the tectonic plate activity that leads to earthquakes as well as volcanoes, as both are possible in the Great Rift Valley.
"People are used to living with the risk of earthquakes in Ethiopia but it isn't a top priority for the government, so research like this is really important for improving people's understanding and assessing the threat they pose," Mr Tessema said.
The fund was partly donated by Mr Dreyfus's friends, George Elliston, and Skip and Cathy McMullan.
George Elliston, said: "Mike was a quick-witted and charismatic man, whom we all loved.
"He died close to the Rift Valley, and here we are in another part of the Rift, looking to the future.
"So, it's a nice way of keeping his memory alive in our hearts, and establishing some continuity between successive Bristol generations."
The overall aim of the Michael Dreyfus Scholarship Fund is to develop a network of trained Ethiopian scientists who can research volcanology and advise and shape government policy. | A Bristol university graduate who died in Africa has had a scholarship set up in his name that aims to aid understanding of volcanoes in Ethiopia. |
35603022 | Prosecutors think inmates and visitors to La Modelo prison may have been killed, their bodies dismembered and thrown into the jail's sewers.
The prison houses left-wing rebels, right-wing paramilitaries and drug dealers.
Parts were controlled by inmates at the time of the disappearances.
In 2000, the dismembered body of an inmate who had disappeared eight days earlier was found stuffed inside a plastic bag in a drain in the jail.
A day after the discovery, 17 inmates disappeared during a deadly prison fight between rival factions. They were never found.
Since then, rumours that they and other inmates and visitors who disappeared from La Modelo may have been disposed of in the same way as the prisoner whose body was found in the drain have been rife.
On Wednesday, prosecutor Caterina Heyck said her office was "committed to shining light on the horrors which happened in La Modelo in 2000".
The reports of forced disappearances and arms trafficking inside the jail were first investigated by Colombian journalist Jineth Bedoya in 2000.
Ms Bedoya was kidnapped as she was waiting to enter La Modelo on 25 May 2000 to meet with paramilitary leader Mario Jaimes, known as Panadero (The Baker), who had promised her information.
She was forced into a car, drugged and driven by three men to the countryside. There, she was tortured and raped.
Ten hours after they first seized her, they left her tied up in a rubbish pile up by the side of a road three hours' drive from Bogota.
Prosecutor Caterina Heyck said on Wednesday that the new investigation was triggered by Ms Bedoya's work and what happened to the journalist 16 years ago.
Ms Heyck also announced that she had requested that Mario "The Baker" Jaimes, who earlier this month confessed to ordering Ms Bedoya's kidnapping, and Alejandro "JJ" Cardenas, who has admitted being one of the three men who abducted, raped and tortured her, not benefit from the Justice and Peace law.
The law was introduced in 2005 to encourage paramilitaries to demobilize by offering them reduced sentences if they laid down their arms and confessed to their crimes.
But Ms Heyck said that Jaimes and Cardenas, who are both in prison, had kept silent for almost 16 years and should be treated as common criminals.
Investigators suspect Jaimes may also be behind some of the other disappearances at La Modelo prison as he ran one of the prison yards from which a number of inmates are reported to have gone missing.
Left-wing rebels and right-wing paramilitaries divided up the jail between them and patrolled their areas, hooded and armed with grenades and automatic weapons. | Prosecutors in Colombia are investigating more than 100 reported cases of disappearances from a jail in Bogota between 1999 and 2001. |
37862270 | Media playback is not supported on this device
Ryan Mayse got the opener for the Mallards with a well-struck shot in the 39th minute.
Tiernan McNicholl quickly levelled and then put Carrick into the lead with a fine lob on 63 minutes.
The visitors made sure of the three points when Martin Murray netted a penalty after a foul on TJ Murray.
The win means 11th-placed Carrick are now just three points behind Ballinamallard who are 10th.
Ballinamallard had been the better team in the early exchanges, with Shane McGinty and Johnny Lafferty wasting good opportunities.
The lively Mayse was set up by the equally impressive Adam Lecky to rifle in from the edge of the six-yard area for the first goal.
But almost immediately, as the ball was played back up the park, a swift pass found McNicholl unmarked and he did the rest.
In the second half, it was again the Mallards who started more brightly, Johnny Lafferty forcing a fine save from Brian Neeson, who got down well to push the ball away.
From a speculative ball forward, McNicholl ran on to calmly lob over keeper James McGrath.
That goal gave Carrick the confidence to finish it off and in the 72th minute they were awarded a penalty after Jason McCartney foul on Murray.
The spot-kick was converted by Martin Murray to make sure of the away victory.
"It could have gone either way - they really gave us a match," said winning boss Callaghan.
"They took the lead but we responded quickly and I felt we were the better team in the second half."
It was only Carrick's second league victory this season, their other coming away to Glentoran on 13 August.
"It wasn't good enough. You have to do the basics right and we didn't," said Ballinamallard boss Gavin Dykes.
"We scored a goal but for the next five minutes we could not defend." | Aaron Callaghan celebrated his first victory as Carrick Rangers manager as his side pulled off a rare win over Ballinamallard United at Ferney Park. |
29987139 | 10 November 2014 Last updated at 15:23 GMT
The instruments are designed and created by Customuse and have recently been used by indie rock band Klaxons on their latest tour.
Co-founder Mahdi Hosseini came up with the idea after realising his dream of a personalised guitar was financially out of his reach, unless he could get one printed. | Graduates from the University of Sheffield have set up a business making bespoke electric guitars using 3D printer technology. |
35803183 | Ed Winter will leave this week following three profit warnings in the last 12 months.
Fastjet appointed a headhunter in January to find a replacement, but said Mr Winter would stay for 12 months as an advisor.
He will now leave on 18 March.
Last month, in a letter to Fastjet chairman Colin Child, Sir Stelios said he had "lost faith in the management and current board", adding that "unless the board does some serious cost cutting the company will soon run out of cash."
In its most recent profit warning earlier this month, Fastjet admitted that it may need to raise more funds.
Sir Stelios, the founder of low cost airline Easyjet, holds a 12% stake in Fastjet.
He had also called for Krista Bates, Fastjet's general counsel, to leave. The company announced on Monday that she will step down immediately.
Mr Child will become executive chairman until a replacement for Mr Winter, who was chief executive for four years, is found.
Shares in Fastjet fell 1.1% to 36 pence. | The boss of Fastjet is stepping down two weeks after the African budget airline's major shareholder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou called for his immediate dismissal. |
32995250 | The book's dual narrative focuses on the lives of a grieving teenage girl in the present day and a 15th Century Renaissance artist.
It comes in two editions - one begins with the artist's story and the other with the girl's. Readers are free to choose which they want to read first.
Smith spoke to the BBC immediately after her win about the idea behind the book, the feedback from readers, and plans for her next novel.
It's unbelievable, it's glorious and it feels like an astonishing fluke. It was such a strong, versatile shortlist, and I can't believe this has happened.
It's lovely, but once you've finished your book it goes its own way and has its own life. The stuff that happens to the writer is outside of the book.
This stuff happens on the surface, and the surface isn't what it's about really - but how lovely the surface is tonight!
My editor already cuts me quite a lot of slack. I said I wanted to produce a book where you the reader won't know which half they are going to get first.
I got an email back after a couple of days saying 'we can do that' - technology makes it simple to switch the file halfway through the print run. So we did it.
When it went to the printers we had people who sorted the books as they came off the machine so each bookshop would get a random mix of books.
I get an incredible warmth that comes from people who speak to be about this book. It's partly to do with the book asking questions about time and structure.
We [appear to] live our lives in sequence, but we don't really - as human beings we have all our younger selves at all our ages. There's something about that which speaks to people.
A fresco is a work built into a wall - so much so that if you take it off the wall you have taken a part of the wall off.
When the famous frescoes in Florence were damaged by flooding in the 1960s, the restorers found underneath the originals designs that were sometimes different.
It struck me as extraordinary that we can be looking at a surface and think we can see everything but actually there's something below it - and we can't see it.
It's a really primal, private thing. If I was to talk about it, it would probably not be there when I tried to write it. It's not fully formed yet.
The inspiration came about 20 years ago. It was in my mind when I began to be a writer. It's part of a sequence of books I want to do over the next few years.
Ali Smith's How to be Both is out now in Penguin paperback | Ali Smith has won the £30,000 Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction for her novel How to be Both. |
35773113 | Sylvan Parry, 46, from Caernarfon, Gwynedd, denies attempting to murder Fiona Parry on 3 September.
Mr Parry's barrister told the jury at Mold Crown Court that he had "lost it" in a "moment of madness" but did not intend to kill her.
It comes as the jury have been sent to consider their verdict.
Mother-of-six Mrs Parry suffered life-changing injuries in the attack.
In his summing up for the defence, Dafydd Roberts said: "If he had been hell bent on killing his wife, he had every opportunity to do it and we would not be here today."
But the prosecution, in its closing speech, said witnesses had seen him kick her "like a footballer taking a penalty" and he was only stopped from stamping on her head when firefighters intervened.
Prosecutor Sion ap Mihangel told the jury Mr Parry might have "regretted" his actions but it was his intention that morning to kill her.
The court had heard the couple, who had been together for 16 years, had argued earlier that morning because she wanted amphetamine and they continued arguing on the school run.
Taking to the witness stand on Wednesday, Mr Parry said they had "a Bonnie and Clyde" relationship.
He said he had been on drugs at the time of the assault, agreed he had lost his temper but said he had not intended to kill her.
He said he felt so ashamed that he had tried to kill himself.
A Home Office pathologist had told the court that without the "fortuitous" intervention of the firefighters and the first aid they delivered, the outcome could have been much more serious.
The case continues. | A man who attacked his wife in the street while walking their three children to school was "deeply ashamed" of what he had done, a jury has heard. |
37067672 | The two-goal home hero opened his season's account in the 19th minute direct from a free-kick wide on the right, deftly curling the ball through the visiting defence and into the far corner.
Carey doubled the home advantage six minutes later as he waltzed through the middle of the Stags' defence before clipping the ball past goakeeper Brian Jensen.
It was Jensen who prevented Carey opening his account in the sixth minute with a fingertip save, diving low to his right to keep out the midfielder's measured 15-yard shot.
Mansfield did their best to respond, with Mitchell Rose firing over when well placed on the edge of the box in the 42nd minute after being teed up by Matt Green.
Stags midfielder Chris Clements fired just over as Town made a better start to the second half while Carey sent an effort wide as he sought his hat-trick in the final minute.
Report supplied by Press Association.
Match ends, Plymouth Argyle 2, Mansfield Town 0.
Second Half ends, Plymouth Argyle 2, Mansfield Town 0.
Corner, Mansfield Town. Conceded by Jordan Slew.
Corner, Mansfield Town. Conceded by Oscar Threlkeld.
Corner, Mansfield Town. Conceded by Gary Sawyer.
Attempt blocked. Darius Henderson (Mansfield Town) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Substitution, Plymouth Argyle. Ben Purrington replaces Connor Smith.
Jordan Slew (Plymouth Argyle) is shown the yellow card.
Hand ball by Jordan Slew (Plymouth Argyle).
Substitution, Plymouth Argyle. Jordan Slew replaces James Spencer.
Foul by Nauris Bulvitis (Plymouth Argyle).
Darius Henderson (Mansfield Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Darius Henderson (Mansfield Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Sonny Bradley (Plymouth Argyle).
Corner, Mansfield Town. Conceded by Sonny Bradley.
Foul by James Spencer (Plymouth Argyle).
Malvind Benning (Mansfield Town) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Attempt missed. Graham Carey (Plymouth Argyle) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right.
Substitution, Mansfield Town. George Taft replaces Mitch Rose.
Ryan Donaldson (Plymouth Argyle) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Malvind Benning (Mansfield Town).
Graham Carey (Plymouth Argyle) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Mitch Rose (Mansfield Town).
Substitution, Plymouth Argyle. David Goodwillie replaces Jake Jervis.
Attempt missed. Yann Songo'o (Plymouth Argyle) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right.
Attempt missed. Adam Chapman (Mansfield Town) right footed shot from more than 35 yards is just a bit too high.
Attempt saved. Darius Henderson (Mansfield Town) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Jake Jervis (Plymouth Argyle) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Malvind Benning (Mansfield Town).
Foul by James Spencer (Plymouth Argyle).
Kyle Howkins (Mansfield Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Ryan Donaldson (Plymouth Argyle) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Rhys Bennett (Mansfield Town).
Corner, Mansfield Town. Conceded by Ryan Donaldson.
Corner, Mansfield Town. Conceded by Sonny Bradley.
Substitution, Mansfield Town. CJ Hamilton replaces Kevan Hurst.
Attempt missed. Chris Clements (Mansfield Town) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high.
Yann Songo'o (Plymouth Argyle) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Lee Collins (Mansfield Town).
Corner, Mansfield Town. Conceded by Nauris Bulvitis. | Midfielder Graham Carey was back to his imperious, goal-scoring best with a brace as Plymouth Argyle beat Mansfield Town in League Two at Home Park. |
38809253 | The 27-year-old former England youth international, who left Sunderland at the end of last season, has previously had spells with Chelsea and Everton.
"Brooke is a really exciting addition," Royals boss Kelly Chambers said.
"She is a goal scoring player who definitely adds to my attacking options and fits well into our style of play." | Women's Super League One side Reading have signed former Sunderland midfielder Brooke Chaplen on an 18-month deal. |
36373440 | With less than a month to go to the referendum, the two entrepreneurs discuss whether being in the EU is good for business.
Manchester-based cloud computing provider UKFast started life 17 years ago and now employs 280 staff, many from across the EU.
The company provides 24-hour website hosting for organisations including the NHS and Chester Zoo. While it does little business directly in the European Union, many of its clients rely heavily on trade within the trading bloc.
Chief Executive Officer Lawrence Jones believes EU membership is good for business in Britain:
"We want stability - at least we know where we are at [by staying in the EU].
"The government has negotiated a better position for us within the European Union and the economy is beginning to boom.
"Among our employees quite a few are nationals of other EU states. I'm a big fan of the EU and the opportunities it provides for trade and free movement of workers across the continent."
When it was suggested by Mr Furness that the UK should seek to trade more with China and India, Mr Jones said he was sceptical.
"Look at China and look at steel - they're imposing levies so we can't compete," he said. "Whereas the EU has got dozens of member states all trading seamlessly.
"For small businesses the natural progression is to expand across Europe. Why would we want our hands tied behind our backs?
"When we're exporting back into Europe they'll just impose those levies back on to us… we'll have our hands tied."
"I can't remember life without Europe."
Rapierstar, the UK's largest supplier of screws and fittings, was established more than 23 years ago in Macclesfield.
Its products are designed in the UK, manufactured in the Far East and then sold chiefly in the European Union.
Managing director David Furness believes European red tape and "stealth taxes" are preventing UK companies from competing in the world market:
"Rapierstar now has a multi-million pound turnover and has expanded into commercial property, but our core business is screws and fittings and we have more than a billion at our storage centre.
"I am prepared to have a little bit of volatility which is a risk with leaving the European Union. I am not anti-Europe but we should be looking globally. We should do more trade with China and with India.
"I would question whether the EU operates seamlessly and there is constant internal wrangling.
"I am more than sceptical about what the "European project" is and I am convinced the UK will be more prosperous if it's released from its shackles.
"The EU has put unnecessary barriers and regulation in place without raising standards.
"We should be trading more with successful, global economies whereas the EU is failing economically." | While Lawrence Jones and David Furness have much in common - they have each grown successful companies in the North West - their views on the UK's place in the European Union could not be further apart. |
37654391 | Officers said a man got on the 19:55 Helensburgh Central to Edinburgh service on Sunday 2 October and started to use his phone.
He went on to make comments about a nearby passenger which other people on the train perceived to be racist.
There was then an exchange of words between another male passenger and the man, who left the service at Carntyne station at 20:52.
The man, who boarded the train in Helensburgh, was white, aged between 55 and 65, with receding grey hair. He was wearing a green jacket, blue jeans and a grey checked shirt.
British Transport Police (BTP) officers are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.
PC Mark Harrington said: "We would like to find out a bit more about what happened on the service as we know there was some kind of altercation between passengers following a phone call made by this man.
"We know other passengers were watching the incident and so may have crucial information." | An incident of racist abuse on a train is being investigated by police. |
37083035 | Another 19 people were injured in the attack in Abs, in Hajjah province, believed to have been carried out by the Saudi-led coalition which is backing Yemen's government in its fight against Houthi rebels.
The coalition has not yet commented.
Local people said the hit follows days of air raids in the area.
The first rescue workers to arrive at the scene had to move cautiously, fearing that the circling planes might attack again.
The blast immediately killed nine people, including an MSF staff member, MSF Yemen tweeted.
Two more patients died while they were being transferred to another hospital, it added.
The conflict in Yemen that began in 2015 has left more than 6,400 people dead, half of them civilians, and displaced 2.5 million others, according to the UN.
MSF said more than 4,600 patients had been treated at the Abs hospital since MSF began supporting it in July 2015.
A spokesman for the United Nations said the organisation was aware of the latest reports from Yemen and was trying to gather some details.
Last year, one person was killed in coalition air strikes on an MSF-supported health centre in the neighbouring province of Saada and a mobile clinic in the southern province of Taiz were hit in air strikes, according to the charity.
A hospital in Saada was hit by a projectile this January, killing six people.
The attack in Abs comes less than 48 hours after MSF said a coalition air strike on a Koranic school in Saada's Haydan district had killed 10 children.
The home of a school headmaster in Razih district was also hit that day, killing his wife and four of their children, witnesses told the New York Times. A second air strike killed four of their relatives as people tried to rescue them, they said.
The coalition denied targeting a school in Haydan, instead saying that it had bombed a camp at which the Houthis were training child soldiers.
The Saudi-led coalition has been carrying out air strikes in Yemen since March 2015 in support of the internationally recognised government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.
The strikes began after the Houthi rebels, backed by supporters of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, took over parts of the country, including the capital Sanaa, forcing the government into exile.
The government and its allies have since retaken the southern city of Aden. Saudi Arabia says the Houthis are supported by its regional rival Iran - something Tehran denies. | An air strike has hit a hospital run by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) in northern Yemen, killing at least 11 people, the medical charity says. |
40849525 | Millarworld, founded by Mark Millar from Coatbridge, includes his portfolio of characters and stories such as Kick-Ass, Kingsman, and Old Man Logan.
Mr Millar said he was still "blinking" over the news.
He said it was only the third time a comic book purchase on this scale had ever happened, with Warner Bros buying DC Comics in 1968, and Disney buying Marvel in 2009.
Mr Millar, who lives in Glasgow, started Millarworld as a creator-owned comic-book company nearly 15 years ago.
He runs the company with his wife Lucy Millar.
It is the first ever company acquisition in Netflix's history. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Mr Millar said: "I'm so in love with what Netflix is doing and excited by their plans.
"Netflix is the future and Millarworld couldn't have a better home."
Netflix said the acquisition was a natural progression in the company's effort to work directly with prolific and skilled creators and to acquire intellectual property and ownership of stories.
Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos said Mr Millar was "as close as you can get to a modern day Stan Lee" - the co-creator of Spider-Man and other Marvel characters.
He said: "Mark has created a next-generation comics universe, full of indelible characters living in situations people around the world can identify easily with.
"We look forward to creating new Netflix Originals from several existing franchises as well as new super-hero, anti-hero, fantasy, sci-fi and horror stories Mark and his team will continue to create and publish."
Netflix and Mr Millar will bring Millarworld's portfolio to life through films, series and kids' shows available exclusively to Netflix members globally.
Millarworld is to continue to create and publish new stories and character franchises under the Netflix label.
Mr Millar previously worked at Marvel for eight years where he developed the comic books and story arcs that inspired the first Avengers movie, Captain America: Civil War, and Logan (Wolverine).
In a statement on his website he said: "Over the years, Millarworld has amassed 20 different franchises working with the world's greatest artists and now Millarworld has been bought by the hottest, most exciting entertainment company on the planet.
"To say this is the best thing that ever happened in our professional lives would be an understatement."
Netflix is the world's leading Internet entertainment platform with 104 million members in more than 190 countries. | A Scottish comic book company has been bought by streaming giant Netflix. |
34571420 | The Grade-II listed tower, known as the Belvedere, in Sketty, is believed to have sold for around £130,000.
Built between 1820 and 1830, the folly is all that remains of Sketty Park House, the former home of copper and tin magnates the Morris family.
It was sold by Swansea council as the local authority looks to save more than £80m over the next three years.
The folly, which is in need of renovation, had been owned by the local authority since the 1930s, although the rest of the mansion was demolished in the 1970s.
Local historian Gary Gregor explained: "Sketty Park House was designed by William Jernegan, the architect of Regency Swansea, whose local designs include Stouthall, Kilvrough Manor, Mumbles lighthouse and the Assembly Rooms.
"After varied usage by the Swansea Corporation, including as the Civil Defence Service headquarters, it was demolished in 1975 so that the Sketty Park housing estate could be erected.
"The part which still remains is a ruined gothic belvedere, after a design of Margam Park's Chapter House, on a tree-covered mound in Saunders Way. It was built by Sir John's reclusive grandson Sir John Armine Morris."
The dynasty began in the 1720s when Shropshire entrepreneur Robert Morris started the first mass smelting at the Llangyfelach Copper Works.
However, it was his son Sir John Morris, 1st Baronet of Clasemont, who made the most lasting impact.
In the 1760s, Sir John hired architect William Edwards to create Morris Town - now Morriston - one of Europe's first purpose-built villages, to house his workers.
At its heart was Morris Castle, containing 24 workers' apartments which were palatial by the standards of the day.
While Morriston was good enough for his workers, Mr Gregor explained that it was not entirely to Sir John's own liking, so he moved.
"Built around 1775, Sir John had a Palladian-style mansion called Clasemont at Pengwern, near the present-day DVLA building. Lord Nelson and the Hamiltons dined there in 1802.
"But the spread of fumes from the copper smelting works in the lower Swansea valley rendered it unsuitable, so Clasemont was dismantled in 1805 and much of the materials were transported west of Swansea to construct the new mansion, Sketty Park House."
Sir John never saw the fruits of these labours as he died aged 74 in 1819, a year before work started on Sketty Park House.
But Mr Gregor said he left an "enduring memorial" in the form of Morriston, where you can still see "the workers village laid out in a gridiron pattern, with every cottage having sufficient garden to grow vegetables". | A 19th Century folly once owned by one of Swansea's founding industrial families has been sold at auction. |
37440760 | Liverpool City Council confirmed it is holding discussions with two parties to manage St Luke's Church, which was severely damaged in a 1941 air raid.
It is understood the organisations behind the proposals are based in the city, following speculation that a company in Manchester was involved.
The council, which will retain freehold of the site, said it "wanted to achieve the best possible outcome".
"Once these discussions have concluded and an agreement has been reached, a recommendation will go to the Cabinet for a decision to be made," a spokesman said.
The Grade II* listed building, on the corner of Leece Street and Berry Street, has remained roofless since it was damaged in an air raid.
A survey found St Luke's Church needed to be made safe following damage caused by winter storms in 2015.
Full restoration work valued at £500,000 includes work to the tower, masonry, low-level stonework, a roof to be put on to the church tower and decorative stonework. | Two proposals have been shortlisted to run Liverpool's bombed out church. |
10443994 | Of 1,000 parents questioned by Drinkaware, more than half said they would provide five or more bottles of wine or spirits for a week.
The charity is tackling alcohol misuse in the Cornish resort of Newquay this summer with local council and police.
Two students died in the town last year after falling from cliffs.
As part of the Newquay Safe initiative, teenagers arriving in the town are being met with police and sniffer-dogs.
Any alcohol found on under-18s will be confiscated.
The 'Got Your Back' campaign encourages friends to look out for each other and think about the short-term risks of excessive alcohol consumption.
In the survey, 36% of parents said they would prefer their child to get alcohol from them rather than an unknown source, while 22% admitted they buy their teenager alcohol to keep track of the amount they drink.
Chris Sorek, chief executive of Drinkaware, said buying alcohol could inadvertently be putting their children at risk.
"Lots of 16 and 17-year-olds will want to mark the end of exams by celebrating with friends on a trip away," he said.
"Parents might think they're doing the right thing by ensuring alcohol comes from them instead of somewhere else, but when young people drink to excess it can compromise their personal safety."
Mr Sorek said it could also increase the chances of teenagers having unprotected sex or being involved in an accident.
He added: "To help their children stay safe, parents should avoid giving them alcohol for unsupervised holidays and talk to them about possible risks."
With thousands of teenagers set to arrive in Newquay after their exams finish, Drinkaware is taking over a cafe on Fistral Beach to create an alcohol-free venue where friends can meet and eat specially discounted food while having access to facts and information about alcohol.
On Monday, Cornwall Coroner Emma Carlyon recorded an open verdict at the inquest of Paddy Higgins.
The 16-year-old, from Winnersh, Berkshire, fell from cliffs in Newquay on 6 July last year.
The inquest in Truro was told tests showed the teenager was three times over the legal drink-drive limit.
Mr Sorek said: "We want to remind young people that you don't need alcohol to celebrate and that drinking too much can be risky." | Nearly 40% of parents would to give their 16 and 17-year-olds alcohol to go on holiday with friends to celebrae the end of exams, a survey has revealed. |
38468883 | The Teranga Lions could be spearheaded in attack by Liverpool's Sadio Mane and Mame Biram Diouf of Stoke.
And their midfield could be filled by three more from England in the shape of Cheikhou Kouyate of West Ham, Newcastle's Mohamed Diame and Everton's Idrissa Gana Gueye.
Senegal begin their campaign in Gabon on 15 January against Tunisia.
They will also face Algeria and Zimbabwe in Group B at the tournament, which is being held between 14 January and 5 February.
Senegal squad:
Goalkeepers: Khadim N'Diaye (Horoya AC, Guinea), Abdoulaye Diallo (Çaykur Rizespor, Turkey), Pape Seydou N'Diaye (ASC Niarry Tally)
Defenders: Lamine Gassama (Alanyaspor, Turkey), Cheikh M'Bengue (Saint-Etienne, France), Kara Mbodj (Anderlecht, Belgium), Zargo Toure (Lorient, France), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli, Italy), Saliou Ciss (Valenciennes, France)
Midfielders: Idrissa Gana Gueye (Everton, England), Cheikhou Kouyate (West Ham, England), Cheikh N'Doye (Angers, France), Papakouli Diop (Espanyol, Spain), Henri Saivet (Saint Etienne, France), Papa Alioune Ndiaye (Osmanlıspor, Turkey), Mohamed Diame (Newcastle, England)
Forwards: Sadio Mane (Liverpool England), Keita Balde Diao (Lazio, Italy), Moussa Konate (FC Sion, Switzerland), Famara Diedhiou (Angers, France), Mame Biram Diouf (Stoke, England), Ismaila Sarr (Metz, France), Moussa Sow (Fenerbahce, Turkey) | Senegal have included five England-based players in the 23-man squad for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. |
37902613 | "Unless the election is extraordinarily close, it is unlikely that an attack will result in the wrong candidate getting elected," suggest Matt Bernhard and Professor J Alex Halderman, security experts from the University of Michigan.
But they say the risk the election process could be disrupted by hackers should be taken extremely seriously.
In the run-up to the big day, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been carrying out "cyber hygiene" tests on voting systems across the country. Officials are confident in the technology, but there are weaknesses that have security professionals standing by on election day ready to step in if irregularities are spotted.
The task facing any hacker isn’t insignificant. In the US, voting is done via electronic booths, the vast majority of which are not connected to the internet.
Furthermore, different states, and areas within those states, use different systems - a logistical headache but something of a security godsend, as a fractured system is much harder to attack en masse.
But any would-be election hacker wouldn’t need to target the whole country, or even an entire state. Instead, finding methods to implant minute differences, in areas which promise to be a close-run battle, could both affect the national picture and be difficult to detect.
And so just as candidates target swing states that could go either way, so too could hackers be looking at "hack states" to target.
"Two out of the last four presidential elections were so close that a change of a few counties in one state would have changed the result of the national presidential election," said Andrew Appel, professor of computer science at Princeton University, in an interview with BBC News.
"It’s not necessary to cheat in 9,000 different jurisdictions. If the election is close in just one state, changing several tens of thousands of votes might be enough."
Prof Appel is part of a team of cybersecurity experts that will be working together on Tuesday to advise election officials on cybersecurity-related matters - helping to identify genuine attacks from, say, just your bog-standard computer glitch, of which there may be plenty.
"There may be questions about some piece of machinery that is showing some symptom," he explained.
"Does that look like a hack or is that normal? That kind of question."
Any security audit, whether it’s to protect a company or a property, focuses on the points of weakness. And in this election, the points of weakness are the electronic voting booths.
The greatest concern of the group, which is mostly a mixture of academics and security professionals, is that the security in place on voting machines in some crucial areas just isn't up to scratch.
For starters, 10 states use touchscreen-only voting machines, an immediate concern.
"You touch the screen and indicate the candidate you want,” explained Prof Appel.
"There’s no paper involved, and at the end of the day it indicates how many votes the candidate got. There would be no way to tell if it was done fraudulently."
Who is ahead in the polls?
48%
Hillary Clinton
44%
Donald Trump
Last updated November 8, 2016
Several security experts have demonstrated how this process can be tampered with, by installing malicious software capable of changing a switching a person's vote once it is in the machine, or by spoofing the smart cards used to identify a voter.
Other states use what’s known as optical scan voting. That’s when a voter fills in a little oval on a page to cast their ballot. It’s logged by the computer, to make counting much quicker, but also stored as a hard copy. If the computer says the vote goes a certain way and there’s suspicion of shenanigans, it can be crossed checked against the paper copy.
So where are the “hack states”?
Verified Voting is an organisation that tracks the use of voting machines, and their security, across the US. It’s a painstakingly put together dataset which gives you an idea of the complexity of the US voting system.
By using this resource, and combining it with polling data, Mr Bernhard and Prof Halderman were able to isolate key states with both poor voting booth security and a tight race.
They named the states most at risk as Nevada, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Colorado.
"As jurisdictions with close races are most vulnerable to having their results perturbed or cast into doubt, these are the ones to be concerned about,” the researchers wrote.
Most experts are in agreement that the voting machines provide the biggest risk - the key under the mat for anyone looking for a way in.
But hackers may look to other means to agitate the process.
"A well resourced adversary, for instance a foreign government, could do plenty of other things to disrupt the election,” wrote Mr Bernhard and Prof Halderman.
"Cutting the power to a few key precincts could throw the entire election into chaos."
Furthermore, Prof Appel pointed to previous incidents in which voter registration databases were breached. In September, the FBI urged districts to work with the DHS to ensure their database systems were secure.
"The thing that could go wrong is that a voter could show up at the polling place and be told they’re not listed when in fact they should be listed,” Prof Appel explained.
In concluding their data analysis on the at-risk states, Mr Bernhard and Prof Halderman offered a summary.
“The 2016 election is less secure than it should be.
"While we think it’s unlikely that hackers will be able to silently change who wins, attacks that attempt to disrupt or discredit the electoral process in critical states are a distinct possibility."
Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC and on Facebook | The concern that the 2016 US presidential election may be hacked, by Russia or some other bad actor, could hold the same place in history as the Millennium Bug: a whole load of worry over nothing. |
40594048 | In the Name of Peace - John Hume in America was screened at the 29th Galway Film Fleadh on Thursday.
The documentary features interviews with former US Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter.
It is directed by Maurice Fitzpatrick and narrated by Liam Neeson.
The film charts the relationships that the former SDLP leader cultivated at the White House and in the US Congress.
In the documentary, his former SDLP deputy, Seamus Mallon, argues Hume should be regarded alongside Irish leaders Charles Stewart Parnell and Daniel O'Connell.
It features contributions from former Prime Ministers Tony Blair and John Major, as well as interviews with Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams, DUP MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, U2 singer Bono and journalist Eamonn McCann.
In the 1990s, Mr Hume was diagnosed with dementia and has struggled with the disease.
The premiere was followed by a panel discussion on John Hume's role in building peace with former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and SDLP South Belfast MLA Claire Hanna. | A film charting how former SDLP leader and Nobel prize winner John Hume created a framework for peace in Northern Ireland has premiered in the Republic of Ireland. |
32742105 | The Archbishop of Canterbury said the Crown Nominations Commission had "been unable to discern the candidate whom God is calling at this stage".
The See of Oxford vacancy will be not be re-considered until early next year.
The Right Rev Colin Fletcher will continue to serve as Acting Bishop after Bishop John Pritchard retired in October.
The diocese, which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxford, said interviews took place on 11 and 12 May.
But under the Church Of England election rules, no candidate received the required number of votes for nomination.
Bishop Fletcher said: "While it is clearly disappointing that the vacancy is being extended until later next year, it is of course vitally important that the right appointment is made."
The Most Rev Justin Welby said: "I will continue to keep the diocese in my prayers over the next months."
The Oxford Crown Nominations Commission will reconvene on 4 February, 2016. | No one has been appointed to become the new Bishop of Oxford, the diocese has announced. |
33427306 | The ring, found by a metal detectorist in South Creake, Norfolk, dates from between 1350 and 1430.
Dr Jonathan Good, author of The Cult of St George, said the ring "attests to the popularity of St George" and may be linked to a guild devoted to the saint.
The ring was ruled to be treasure at an inquest in Norwich this week.
It is set to be acquired by Norwich Castle Museum.
Dr Good, who is associate professor of history at Reinhardt University, in Georgia in the US, said the ring "could have have owned by a guild member. It could have been a way of them showing their dedication".
Medieval guilds were formed by groups of people coming together and paying a weekly subscription to celebrate a particular saint, say prayers for dead guild members and provide sickness benefit.
The one with the longest life in Norwich - operating between 1385 and 1548 - was the guild of St George, with each member subscribing a farthing a week and services being held on St George's feast day on 23 April.
"It is in these pre-reformation times that St George came into his own in England," said Dr Good.
Dr Kathleen Kennedy, an expert in medieval rings and associate professor at Penn State-Brandywine University in the US, said it was "a wonderful find for Norwich".
She said the ring was "originally enamelled, so like so much of the medieval statuary remaining to us today, what we see as one colour would have originally been brightly variegated".
Dr Adrian Marsden, a coin expert based at Norwich Castle Museum, said: "The ring has on it St George spearing a dragon. That is unusual and interesting because St George was a very popular saint in Norwich."
Under the Treasure Act of 1996 any object containing more than 10% silver and gold and more than 300 years old must be reported to the coroner who decides if it is classed as treasure.
If museums later acquire the object, the finder is normally rewarded the full market value, determined by experts at the British Museum. | A 600-year-old gold ring engraved with St George and the Dragon sheds new light on the saint's medieval followers in Norwich, an expert has told the BBC. |
34036737 | Ahmad Zeidan from Reading was sentenced to nine years after he was arrested when cocaine worth about £3 was found in the car he was travelling in.
The 22-year-old says he was forced to sign a confession after being tortured for more than a week.
He has twice appealed for government intervention but to no avail.
Zeidan was studying at the Emirates Aviation College in Dubai when he was arrested in December 2013 along with several other young men when 0.04g of cocaine, with a street value of about £3, was found in a car he was a travelling in.
He maintains the drugs were not his.
The student was sentenced last summer, despite all of his co-defendants either being pardoned or acquitted.
Both he and his family have twice unsuccessfully requested the government formally petition for him to be released under UAE state prisoner pardons.
Zeidan insists he was coerced into signing a confession in Arabic - which he does not understand - after he was beaten and threatened.
He has now pleaded with ministers to support his request to be freed in a pardon scheduled for next month.
In a direct plea to the British government, he said: "I'm the only British national serving time in Sharjah, and after an unfair trial.
"I'm the only person who hasn't been pardoned now. It's been almost two years now. Get me out of what I'm going through."
He claims to have suffered seizures and experienced flashbacks during his two years in jail following his arrest.
"I'm not coping," he said. "I feel like I am going to self-implode. I'm just holding on to a thin line of something and I feel it's going to run out very soon.
"I try to create my own bubble to escape. The only thing I have are these 15-minute phone calls that I have to interact with the normal world."
Campaigners at legal charity Reprieve have taken up Zeidan's cause.
Maya Foa, from the organisation, said he had suffered a "staggering miscarriage of justice" and was undergoing a "nightmarish ordeal".
"His brutal torture and the use of a bogus 'confession' are more than enough reason for the British government to request his release," she said.
"It is deeply disappointing that ministers have not yet done this."
The Foreign Office said any comment on a continuing legal process would be "inappropriate" but confirmed it had been in regular contact with Zeidan and his family since his arrest to "provide assistance".
Police in the UAE have previously denied claims of torture. | A British man jailed in the United Arab Emirates after allegedly being tortured into admitting drugs charges has made a fresh plea for government help. |
33530765 | Ministers had to amend their plans after criticism from opposition MPs, including over the time for scrutiny.
A final set of proposals will now be drafted, with a delayed vote to be held in September.
During the seven-hour debate, Conservative MPs backed the government's approach but there was opposition from Labour and the SNP.
The government wants to change Commons rules known as standing orders to give MPs from English constituencies a "decisive say" on bills that apply exclusively to England.
It has proposed an additional "parliamentary stage" to allow English MPs to scrutinise legislation without the involvement of Scottish MPs, saying it is a matter of fairness.
England's MPs would be asked to accept or veto legislation only affecting England before it passed to a vote of all UK MPs at its third and final reading in the Commons.
This means England's MPs could block any unwanted policies from being introduced in England - but could not force proposals through unless the whole House agreed.
A similar process would be used where matters covered only England and Wales - with Welsh MPs included.
The proposals will, ministers say, address the long-standing anomaly - known as the West Lothian Question - by which Scottish MPs can vote on issues such as health and education affecting England, but the House of Commons has no say on similar matters relating to Scotland, where such policies are devolved.
During the Commons debate, Commons Leader Chris Grayling told MPs all laws that affected government spending throughout Britain would be voted on by all MPs.
He said the government's plans had been republished to make this "crystal clear".
Defending his plans, he added: "We intend to provide more powers to Scotland, more powers to Wales, we intend to devolve to Northern Ireland the powers in areas like corporation tax, but ultimately we need to be fair to the English and that is what this is about."
Former SNP leader Alex Salmond did not accept that Scottish MPs would not be locked out of decisions affecting their grants.
He gave the example of a Commons vote on tuition fees in England, which he said could have an impact on the amount of funding Scotland receives.
Shadow Commons leader Angela Eagle said she was pleased that the government "has at least seen a bit of sense in retreating from its original intention to make us vote today on these complex and controversial proposals".
A vote on the government's proposal had been due to take place this week. But ministers were forced to rethink their plans after they came under sustained attack from SNP and Labour MPs unhappy at the government's handling of the matter.
A redraft of the proposals was published on Tuesday. The changes in them proved minor and sought only to clarify the position concerning Budget measures.
The debate came after a row over plans to change fox hunting laws in England and Wales, with a vote being axed after the SNP said it would oppose the move.
The SNP had previously said it would not vote on issues affecting England and Wales only.
But it said its change of heart was partly due to the government trying to make Scottish MPs "second-class citizens" in the Commons through its "English votes for English laws" plans.
Prime Minister David Cameron said the SNP's position was "entirely opportunistic". | The House of Commons has debated revised government proposals to give England's MPs a veto over English laws. |
38186644 | Artists Anthea Hamilton, Michael Dean, Helen Marten and Josephine Pryde are all in the running for the honour.
The prestigious prize is awarded to a British artist, under the age of 50, considered to have put on the best exhibition of the last 12 months.
Its stated aim is to "promote public debate around new developments in contemporary art".
The awards ceremony will take place at Tate Britain, and will be broadcast live on the BBC.
Hamilton has been included for her work that focuses on fetishism, while sculptor Dean was chosen for pieces made from salvaged materials.
Painter and sculptor Marten's art is described as "slippery and elusive" and Pryde's work shows a fascination between art and photography.
Marten won the first Hepworth Prize for Sculpture recently, and pledged to share the £30,000 award with her fellow nominees.
The jury is chaired by Alex Farquharson, director of Tate Britain.
Last year's prize was won by design collective Assemble for a regeneration scheme for derelict houses in Liverpool.
The ceremony will be broadcast live on the BBC News Channel from 21:30 and BBC World and will be available online later.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]. | The winner of the £25,000 Turner Prize is to be announced at a ceremony in London later. |
37575153 | Payments received by victims this financial year will rise to match the support available in England.
The UK government has already made an extra £125m available for victims in England affected by the late 1970s and early '80s "tainted blood scandal".
Thousands developed hepatitis C and HIV after being given infected blood.
In the longer term, the Welsh Government has announced it will seek the views of victims and groups representing them on how best to deliver financial support in Wales.
The charity Haemophilia Wales has previously called for a Wales-specific consultation on how victims and families would be supported.
Extra support for victims in Scotland was announced in March after a similar move in England in January.
Health Secretary Vaughan Gething said he wanted to end any uncertainty in Wales about the level of financial support.
New annual payments for 2016/17 which were brought in for England include:
Mr Gething said the payments were an interim measure "as a first step to reforming the scheme in Wales". | Extra financial support for patients living in Wales who have received contaminated blood has been announced by the Welsh Government. |
29020150 | Donnelly, 26, has agreed a two-year contract after scored 13 goals in 86 appearances for Dale.
Brezovan, 34, spent the beginning of this season with Portsmouth on a short-term deal but has now signed for a season with Rovers.
Meanwhile, defender Matt Hill has also earned a one-year deal, having played five games on non-contract terms.
"George is a fast, powerful striker who will run behind defences and cause them a lot of problems," manager Rob Edwards told the Rovers club website.
"He gives us an option we haven't currently got in the squad.
Edwards added: "I'm delighted to bring Peter to the club. He's an experienced keeper who has played at Championship and League One level and it gives us good competition for places." | Tranmere have signed Rochdale striker George Donnelly for an undisclosed fee along with goalkeeper Peter Brezovan. |
36775036 | In an answer to a religious website in 2002, Rabbi Colonel Eyal Karim implied that such an act was permissible.
He clarified in 2012 that his words had been taken out of context and that rape was forbidden "in any situation".
But his appointment, which requires the defence minister's approval, was condemned by a top female politician.
Zehava Galon, leader of the Meretz party, described Rabbi Karim as "not suitable to represent Jewish morality in any way whatsoever".
"His appalling, racist and violent statement makes women fair game," she added.
The head of the Israeli parliament's Committee on the Status of Women and Gender Equality, Aida Touma-Sliman of the Joint Arab List, said: "Col Karim's ruling on permitting raping non-Jewish women is similar to the fatwa of a murderous organisation that's not so far from Israel's borders."
The Israeli military, in which thousands of women serve, issued a statement on Tuesday saying it wanted to clarify that the rabbi's remarks 14 years ago came in answer to a theoretical question and did not relate to "practical Jewish law".
"Rabbi Karim has never written, said or even thought that an Israeli soldier is permitted to sexually assault a woman in war, and anyone who interprets his words otherwise is completely mistaken," it added.
The statement also stressed that Rabbi Karim was not opposed to women being recruited by the military, despite him having previously said that it should be "completely forbidden", according to Israeli media. | Israel's military has nominated a new chief rabbi criticised for remarks he made in the past that seemed to condone the rape of non-Jewish women in war. |
19634900 | The £155,000 Dumfries Bike2Go project was launched by Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson in September 2010.
Figures to the end of June this year show the bikes had been rented 1,529 times by scheme members.
That translates to a cost of more than £100 per hire since the project got under way in the town.
The scheme, the first of its kind in Scotland, was set up to encourage people to get "out of their cars and onto their bicycles".
It provides bikes free of charge to subscribers at a number of locations across the town.
It is based on similar schemes in Paris, Barcelona, Stockholm and one in London which clocked up one million journeys in its first 10 weeks.
However, the Dumfries usage figures have not picked up from early levels.
After 10 weeks rental levels averaged about 20-a-week, with winter weather being blamed for the low uptake.
The council promised a marketing campaign to encourage increased use of the bikes.
A detailed report shows that figures have failed to pick up noticeably from those early levels.
Once again the "very poor weather" this summer has been cited as a reason for the low level of rentals being seen.
By February this year the total number of subscribers had reached 148, an increase of just over 100 since the end of October 2010.
The most popular sites for rentals remain two town centre locations - the Dock Park and the DG One leisure complex which account for more than 40% of usage.
The majority of the rentals last for less than 30 minutes.
A one-off membership fee costs £10 and bike usage is charged at a rate of £1 per hour with the first half-hour free.
Day and half-day tickets are also available at a cost of £10 or £6 respectively. | Figures for Scotland's first bike hire scheme show it has averaged less than 20 rentals a week since it was started two years ago. |
31982791 | Women's Super League side Bristol face the three-time European champions at Ashton Gate on Saturday in the first leg of the tie.
The Vixens then travel to Germany for the return leg on Sunday, 29 March.
"Without a doubt it is the biggest game we have ever had," defender McCatty, 25, told BBC Sport.
Bristol overcame Barcelona 2-1 on aggregate in the last round and are the only English club remaining in the competition.
"I remember the days when we were bottom of the league and now we are competing at the highest level," McCatty added.
"It's amazing to do that and for the club that I love makes it an even more massive game.
"The fact that I will lead the club out as captain will make it more special."
Glasgow City are also through to the quarter-finals and face Paris St-Germain at Aidrie's Excelsior stadium on Sunday.
"It's brilliant for the whole club to be at this stage," said City head coach Eddie Wolecki Black.
"We're going to have to play very well, no doubt about that. We're going to have to be well organised, our game plan will have to be bang on.
Meanwhile Bristol endured a difficult WSL campaign last season, finishing seventh with five wins from 14 games.
Although they prospered in Europe, boss Dave Edmondson has had to rebuild his squad following the departure of several senior players - including former club captain Corinne Yorston and Spain internationals Laura del Rio and Natalia Pablos Sanchon.
But McCatty says the Vixens will be ready to compete with Frankfurt, who have won the women's Bundesliga seven times.
"We are definitely confident, with the work we have put in, that we will be the best prepared we could be for this game," she added.
"We are looking to take something from the home leg - at least a draw - so that sets us up when we go to Frankfurt." | Captain Grace McCatty says Bristol Academy's Champions League quarter-final with Frankfurt will be the biggest game in the club's history. |
39408455 | The visitors got off to the perfect start with a goal after just two minutes through Dennis, who ran on to a through-ball before slotting past Scott Loach.
Amari Morgan-Smith saw an effort bundled wide as York went in search of an equaliser, but Loach was called on in the 25th minute to save Blair Turgott's 25-yard free-kick.
Alex Whittle forced a good low save from Ross Flitney early in the second half, but Bromley doubled their lead in the 57th minute when Sho-Silva headed home a free-kick and they held on to clinch all three points.
Match report supplied by the Press Association.
Match ends, York City 0, Bromley 2.
Second Half ends, York City 0, Bromley 2.
Substitution, York City. Scott Fenwick replaces Asa Hall.
Substitution, Bromley. Shabazz Omofe replaces Tobi Sho-Silva.
Substitution, York City. Sam Muggleton replaces Adriano Moke.
Substitution, York City. Danny Holmes replaces Alex Whittle.
Goal! York City 0, Bromley 2. Tobi Sho-Silva (Bromley).
Substitution, Bromley. Jordan Wynter replaces Alan Dunne.
Second Half begins York City 0, Bromley 1.
First Half ends, York City 0, Bromley 1.
Substitution, Bromley. Shane McLoughlin replaces Louis Dennis.
Goal! York City 0, Bromley 1. Louis Dennis (Bromley).
First Half begins.
Lineups are announced and players are warming up. | Louis Dennis and Tobi Sho-Silva were both on target as Bromley secured a 2-0 victory over York at Bootham Crescent. |
32055226 | South of Scotland MSP Jim Hume launched the members' bill in December.
The government said it was "very supportive" of the principles of the bill, but changes could be needed to make it "workable".
Motorists could potentially be fined £100 for breaching the rule if it becomes law.
Mr Hume lodged draft proposals for a bill last May calling for a ban in Scotland on smoking in private vehicles when children under 18 were present.
He said he was "over the moon" at the news the Scottish government would endorse the Smoking Prohibition (Children in Motor Vehicles) (Scotland) Bill.
He said: "With cross-party support and the support of many third sector organisations, there is every chance that this could be in place in the next year.
"Eighty-four per cent of the 160 responses to my consultation were positive and people from across Scotland have expressed their support for the move.
"The bill is about guaranteeing that children in Scotland can have the freedom to go on and lead healthy lives if they choose to.
"I look forward to working with MSPs from all parties as the bill progresses."
Public Health Minister Maureen Watt said the Scottish government had considered including the measure in its Public Health Bill, but instead decided to support Mr Hume's proposals.
She said: "As with any bill, as it goes through the scrutiny process, there may be amendments and improvements to strengthen the legislation and ensure it is fit for purpose.
"But we believe that the underpinning principles are strong, and that is why I am pleased to support it."
Scottish Labour and a wide range of health organisations have backed his proposals.
But the Scottish Conservatives have reservations about how the bill would work in practice.
The party's health spokesman Jackson Carlaw said: "While Scottish Conservatives support any moves which would protect young people from hazardous second hand smoke we have concerns as to how this would be enforced.
"It would be a better use of resources to conduct a public awareness campaign similar to that which is being proposed by the government in Wales.
"We will be watching this campaign in order to ascertain what lessons may be learned and what approaches may be adopted in Scotland."
Anti-smoking campaigners welcomed the Scottish government's backing for Mr Hume's bill.
ASH Scotland's chief executive Sheila Duffy said: "It is another public health initiative that can help Scotland move forward with its ambition to achieve a tobacco-free generation in 20 years' time.
"It is popular with the public and will bring Scotland into line with upcoming legislation in England and Wales.
"We believe it can be effectively enforced and that having the legislation focus on cars with children bypasses concerns over interference in people's private lives.
"Jim Hume must be congratulated for taking the initiative on this proposal and for all the hard work he and his team have done to bring this important measure forward."
But Simon Clark, director of the smokers' group Forest, said the bill was "legislation for legislation's sake".
He said: "Smoking in cars carrying children is inconsiderate. The overwhelming majority of smokers know that and don't do it.
"The very small number that do will carry on regardless because the law will be difficult, if not impossible, to enforce.
"Education has to be better than legislation but the government prefers gesture politics and the big stick." | The Liberal Democrat MSP behind a bill to ban smoking in cars when children are present has welcomed the support of the Scottish government. |
41023640 | Pujara has retured with Notts on the cusp of promotion from Division Two.
The 29-year-old played four matches for Notts earlier this season and made 223 runs in five innings, including a century against Gloucestershire.
"The great thing is he has already been in the squad this season and fitted in so well on and off the field," said Notts head coach Peter Moores.
"We are getting a guy who is coming back in form and for the team spirit, him coming back in is a huge boost for everybody."
Notts have a 35-point lead over second-placed Worcestershire, with Northants 50 points adrift in third having played a game fewer. | Nottinghamshire have re-signed India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara for their last four Championship matches of 2017. |
32551680 | Adam Szurgocinski, 26, died in hospital after being attacked at a property in Jubilee Road on 14 September 2014.
Mateusz Halabura, 25, Pawel Wegorzewski, 20, Rafal Palinski, 29, Jaroslaw Owczarczyk, 32 and Sebastian Gurski, 30, from the Doncaster area, pleaded guilty to manslaughter midway through a trial at Leeds Crown Court.
They were charged with murder before.
Police said Mr Szurgocinski suffered a brain haemorrhage after being subjected to "a sustained physical attack".
Det Insp Sean Bird, of South Yorkshire Police, said: "Questions about what happened to Adam that day have not been answered, as none of those accused have offered any explanation prior to admitting their guilt."
The force arrested 16 people on suspicion of murder in the months that followed Mr Szurgocinski's death.
A sixth man, Dariusz Bogusz, 32, pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice in February.
All six men will appear at Sheffield Crown Court for sentence on 6 May. | Five men have admitted killing a man in a "sustained physical attack" in Doncaster. |
35658532 | Canada and the US have strongly criticised the re-convictions of British-Canadian teacher Neil Bantleman and Indonesian teacher Ferdinant Tjiong.
The pair were jailed in April for abusing three children but their convictions were overturned in August.
Both men strongly deny the charges.
Their supporters argue the case against them is riddled with legal errors.
Police told AP news agency that while Tjiong was back in custody, Bantleman's whereabouts were unknown. He is banned from leaving the country.
The Canadian embassy in Jakarta has described the Supreme Court ruling as "unjust". It argues the case is full of "grave irregularities" and has not been handled transparently.
Neither man has had sufficient opportunity to prove his innocence, it says.
"The outcome of this case has serious implications for Indonesia's reputation as a safe place for Canadians to work, travel and invest as well as for Canada's long history of co-operation with Indonesia," it said in an online statement.
The US ambassador to Indonesia, Robert Blake, said in a statement that the case raised doubts about the rule of law in Indonesia and it remained unclear what evidence the Supreme Court used to overturn the High Court's decision.
Both men were arrested in July 2014 following allegations from parents at the prestigious Jakarta Intercultural School (JIS) that pupils - one as young as six - had been sexually abused.
The school is attended by children of foreign diplomats, expatriates and wealthy Indonesians.
A Supreme Court spokesperson told the BBC that the panel of judges had found that the district court had been right to sentence the pair to 10 years in jail.
According to Indonesian law, the teachers can appeal against the latest ruling.
The BBC's Rebecca Henschke in Jakarta says the case has brought intense scrutiny of Indonesia's judicial system.
The trials, which began in December, were closed to the public and the court ordered participants not to speak publicly about proceedings.
Defence lawyers say that they have been denied due process and that some aspects of the case have not met international standards. | Indonesia's Supreme Court has overturned the acquittals of two men accused of sexually abusing children, ruling their initial 10-year sentences should be extended by another year. |
33269868 | Microsoft technical expert Patrick Barker said he had found Samsung software downloading and running a file called Disable_Windowsupdate.exe, while helping a user with a computer problem.
He said "a few Samsung-manufactured computer systems" were affected.
Samsung said it was just giving customers the choice about running Windows software.
"It is not true that we are blocking a Windows 8.1 operating system update on our computers," Samsung said in a statement.
"As part of our commitment to consumer satisfaction, we are providing our users with the option to choose if and when they want to update the Windows software on their products."
According to Samsung, the SW update allows users "to download the newest drives, updates and software for your Windows PC".
But the response baffled Mr Barker.
"I never implied it specifically blocked a Windows 8.1 OS system update, just that their SW Update software is preventing Windows Update from automatically installing updates, and forcing the user to have it set to 'let me choose whether to download and install,'" he wrote in his blog.
"It's disabling Windows Update from working as the user intends it to," he added.
Mr Barker said if the Windows Update was turned on manually, it was disabled by the Samsung update when the machine was rebooted.
The software did not come pre-installed on computers but downloaded in the background, he said.
"It doesn't appear to uninstall properly," he added.
Parts of the software remained, including the folder that contained the command to disable Windows Update, he wrote in his blog.
Microsoft said: "Windows Update remains a critical component of our security commitment to our customers."
"We do not recommend disabling or modifying Windows Update in any way as this could expose a customer to increased security risks.
"We are in contact with Samsung to address this issue."
Security consultant Graham Cluley said that turning off Windows Update was a "risky move" for any company.
"As there are many instances of malware trying to deliberately disable Windows Update in order to get on with their dirty work, I personally wouldn't feel entirely comfortable if Samsung was going around doing the job for them," he wrote in his blog.
The news did not go down well on Twitter either, with some comparing what Samsung was doing with an earlier Lenovo case.
In February, the Chinese computer maker was forced to remove hidden adware from its laptops and PCs.
The adware - dubbed Superfish - was potentially compromising security, experts said. | Samsung has been accused of disabling Microsoft's software in preference for its own, leaving computers insecure. |
40004559 | On an emotional night following the attack which killed 22 people at Ariana Grande's concert at the Manchester Arena on Monday, United's fans were allowed a measure of celebration as Jose Mourinho's side won in comfort.
Paul Pogba's deflected shot put them ahead in the 18th minute and Henrikh Mkhitaryan's sixth Europa League goal of the campaign, flicked in from Chris Smalling's header at a corner, confirmed they would add to the EFL Cup won against Southampton earlier this season.
Wayne Rooney made a brief appearance as a substitute with a minute left and the game won, being handed the captain's armband by Antonio Valencia on what could well be his farewell appearance for United.
And as the final whistle sounded and United's celebrations began, chants of "Manchester" rang around the Friends Arena in tribute to those who died and were injured in the attack which cast a shadow over this showpiece occasion.
Media playback is not supported on this device
It means United are now the fifth team to claim the full quota of European trophies, joining an illustrious list with Ajax, Chelsea, Juventus and Bayern Munich.
Mourinho has had his moments of frustration this season - especially with 15 Premier League draws that led to an unsatisfactory sixth-place finish.
It left United's Champions League hopes resting on this game but the win and subsequent qualification for the group stages of Europe's elite tournament means that Mourinho can regard this season as a real success.
Some may question the quality of United's performances and this undoubtedly remains a work in progress but two trophies and that place back in the Champions League is an impressive outcome, irrespective of the style in which it was achieved.
It was also a European final won without key defender Eric Bailly, who was suspended, and 28-goal leading scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who sustained a serious knee injury in the quarter-final win against Anderlecht at Old Trafford.
Tottenham's Mauricio Pochettino and Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp have received much praise for their work this season and getting into next season's Champions League - Mourinho has done that and added the actual tangible reward of two pieces of silverware on top.
Mourinho's mood has often been dark this season but he still has that habit of dealing in his favourite currency, namely trophies - and he was visibly delighted at the final whistle.
He charged onto the pitch at the final whistle and was hugged by his son, collapsing on to the turf in celebration.
And the result means United can, finally, regard their season as a successful one as a night which started with a mixture of silence then applause for those who died in Monday's attack and ended with Wayne Rooney lifting the Europa League trophy on what is very likely to be his final appearance for the club.
Pogba has struggled to justify the world-record transfer fee of £89m paid to Juventus last summer but this was a stage on which he showed flashes of the qualities that persuaded Mourinho to make him such a high-priority signing.
Like this United side, there is still much to do before he can be regarded as the finished article but the manner in which he made sure early midfield dominance was secured was impressive and he added a goal for good measure.
It may end up being classed as an own goal but Pogba will happily accept it, trying his luck from 20 yards after being afforded just a little too much space by Ajax captain Davy Klaassen and helped by a huge deflection off Davinson Sanchez. And perhaps he was due that touch of good fortune after being thwarted by the woodwork so often this season.
And it was another profitable night for another big-money Mourinho buy, Mkhitaryan. The Armenian struggled in the first half but showed what a priceless poacher's instinct he has, swooping from close range for another Europa League goal.
Ajax coach Peter Bosz said it would be understandable for his young side to feel nervous - and his fears were confirmed as they were never able to show off the full extent of their glittering promise.
Six of the starting line-up were 21 or under in the youngest 11 to start a major European final, with an average age of 22 years and 280 days. In defender Matthijs de Ligt, they had the youngest player to feature in one at 17 years and 285 days.
"It was a boring game. There were no chances from both sides," Bosz said after the final whistle.
"I'm disappointed because you play finals to win them. We didn't. I haven't seen the Ajax that I'm used to."
This was a night of disappointment for this great, historic old club but they are staying true to their finest traditions by producing outstanding young talent and showing a commitment to attacking football.
Ajax have established the foundations for more success.
"For all the players, this is the first final," he added.
"They will learn a lot from it and we will become stronger, and if we can keep this squad together we will be stronger next season, for sure."
Match ends, Ajax 0, Manchester United 2.
Second Half ends, Ajax 0, Manchester United 2.
Foul by David Neres (Ajax).
Antonio Valencia (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. David Neres (Ajax) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Hakim Ziyech.
Attempt saved. Hakim Ziyech (Ajax) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Davinson Sánchez.
Substitution, Manchester United. Wayne Rooney replaces Juan Mata.
Corner, Manchester United. Conceded by Joël Veltman.
Foul by Joël Veltman (Ajax).
Ander Herrera (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Joël Veltman (Ajax) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Paul Pogba (Manchester United).
Attempt saved. Donny van de Beek (Ajax) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Bertrand Traoré.
Donny van de Beek (Ajax) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United).
Dangerous play by Davy Klaassen (Ajax).
Chris Smalling (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Manchester United. Anthony Martial replaces Marcus Rashford.
Attempt missed. Davinson Sánchez (Ajax) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Frenkie de Jong.
Substitution, Ajax. Frenkie de Jong replaces Jairo Riedewald.
Attempt missed. Matthijs de Ligt (Ajax) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Joël Veltman.
Attempt blocked. Donny van de Beek (Ajax) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Corner, Ajax. Conceded by Matteo Darmian.
Jairo Riedewald (Ajax) is shown the yellow card.
Juan Mata (Manchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Matthijs de Ligt (Ajax) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Juan Mata (Manchester United).
Substitution, Manchester United. Jesse Lingard replaces Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Foul by Bertrand Traoré (Ajax).
Daley Blind (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt blocked. Hakim Ziyech (Ajax) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Hand ball by Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Manchester United).
Substitution, Ajax. Donny van de Beek replaces Lasse Schöne.
Foul by David Neres (Ajax).
Matteo Darmian (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Bertrand Traoré (Ajax) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Daley Blind (Manchester United).
Corner, Ajax. Conceded by Chris Smalling.
Attempt missed. Hakim Ziyech (Ajax) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by David Neres.
Attempt blocked. Bertrand Traoré (Ajax) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Davy Klaassen. | Manchester United claimed their second major trophy of the season and secured Champions League football as they overcame Ajax to win the Europa League final in Stockholm. |
34186919 | It will be the first Pro12 final held outside Ireland and the second time at a pre-determined venue, following the 2015 climax at the Kingspan Stadium.
Edinburgh saw off bids from the 11 other Pro12 clubs and their regions in order to stage the event.
Pro12 chief executive John Feehan said: "Edinburgh is well known as an inspiring host city for sports, arts and cultural events."
He added: "The tender was outstanding and was unanimously agreed as the chosen venue."
Speaking at the announcement from Edinburgh Castle, Scottish Rugby's Dominic McKay said: "We are extremely pleased that our bid was successful and we have the privilege of hosting such a prestigious final.
"We want to celebrate the climax to the season by welcoming fans from all Pro12 clubs to the final, to what promises to be a fantastic sporting event."
Tickets will go on public sale on Tuesday, 15 September. | Murrayfield will host the 2016 Guinness Pro12 final on 28 May. |
35666988 | The price paid has not been disclosed, but the airport's value has been put at about £2bn.
City Airport, which is near Canary Wharf in London's Docklands, is popular with bankers and City professionals because of its proximity and its small size.
Last year, a record 4.3 million passengers used the airport.
The deal involves Alberta Investment Management Corporation, and investment funds the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and Wren House, part of the Kuwait Investment Authority.
They already own a string of airports, including Belfast International Airport, Birmingham Airport, Bristol Airport, Brussels Airport and Copenhagen Airport.
They described London City as "a highly attractive infrastructure investment in the UK".
"The airport represents a unique opportunity to invest in an integral part of the London airport system and offers a service proposition based around location, convenience, speed and customer service".
It promised to increase the number of routes flown from the airport and said it would have a "positive economic impact for all of London and the local community, in particular".
London City was last bought in 2006 by Global Infrastructure Partners, when it carried two million passengers a year. | London City Airport has been bought by a consortium led by a major Canadian pension fund. |
24455490 | Four Palestinians are using a horse and a winch to bring up buckets of dirt as they try to dig a new passage deep under the border with Egypt.
Nearby, Abu Ahmed, and his workers are struggling to make repairs to their tunnel. Until recently they were part of a profitable trade, bringing in Egyptian construction materials.
Now their business has literally collapsed.
"Ninety-five per cent of the tunnels are not functioning. It's almost total destruction," Abu Ahmed tells me. "The Egyptians demolished my tunnel and filled it with water."
Recently Egypt's military has brought in bulldozers to clear a house and olive grove concealing tunnel entrances on its side of the border. Passages have been flooded or filled with sewage and blocked off.
A network of hundreds of tunnels was constructed after the Islamist group Hamas overran Gaza in 2007, a year after winning parliamentary elections.
Israel - which considers Hamas a terrorist organisation - and Egypt tightened a blockade on the Palestinian territory.
Smuggling was a way of bypassing the restrictions. It was an important lifeline for the 1.7m Palestinians living in Gaza who relied on the imports of everyday goods and cheap Egyptian fuel.
However, the underground passages have also been used to transfer weapons, and by armed militants to cross the border unseen. The Egyptian authorities see them as a serious threat to security.
Attacks by Islamist militants in the Sinai region, which neighbours Gaza, have increased dramatically in the past three months, since the ousting of Egypt's Islamist President, Mohammed Morsi.
The new Cairo government accuses Hamas, which has ideological links to Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood movement, of supporting the extremists. It denies doing so.
Yet local media reports suggest that the Egyptian army has even threatened a military intervention in the Gaza Strip if attacks on its troops in the Sinai Peninsula are not stopped.
As tensions have risen, numbers of Palestinians being allowed to cross through the Rafah border crossing have been restricted. Thousands have got stuck trying to leave Gaza.
Yousef Helou had to wait for two weeks to exit so he could take up his research scholarship at Oxford University. "You can see the misery on the faces of people here who are trying to leave. We are denied our own right to freedom of movement," he says.
"We are ordinary people, we live in Gaza, we are not responsible for the mistakes of Hamas or any other party, so why are we being punished collectively?"
Last month, Israel further eased its import restrictions on Gaza, allowing construction materials to enter for the private sector.
It said this was in response to a request from the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, a political rival of Hamas, whose Palestinian Authority governs parts of the West Bank.
Mr Abbas recently returned to peace talks with Israel that the Gaza government rejects.
His achievements only add to the sense that Hamas has found itself on the wrong side of recent events in the Middle East.
Nathan Thrall, a senior analyst from International Crisis Group, says the Islamist organisation originally had high hopes of the Arab uprisings.
"Hamas saw that the entire region was moving in their favour. They saw Islamist movements and Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated movements rising and they saw that their position was going to be dramatically reversed," he says.
"They had been isolated not just by the West but by the Arab world and they felt that this was the dawn of a new era in which they would be legitimised and in which they potentially take over the entire Palestinian national movement. Now it looks quite the opposite."
The deputy foreign minister in Gaza, Ghazi Hamed admits that Hamas is currently "suffering" but says it has overcome many challenges since its election win seven years ago.
"All the time we are passing different hard stages. We started with the political isolation, with economic boycotts, incursions, wars against Gaza, but we succeeded to pass this," he says.
"The situation now in Egypt is not easy for us. We feel now there are some people who tried to squeeze us in the corner. But I think sooner or later we will get out of this crisis."
It is clear that funding is a major issue for Hamas which has to pay the salaries of 40,000 government workers. Previously it raised large sums from tunnel taxes.
One strategy appears to be to try to mend ties with Iran, which was the main financial and military benefactor of the group. Relations were damaged and funding was cut back when Hamas backed Sunni Muslim rebels fighting the government of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria, a strategic ally of Tehran.
In the meantime, the military wing of Hamas, its al-Qassam Brigades, has given its own response to the current pressures.
There have been recent parades by masked militants carrying rocket-propelled grenades and guns that are clearly intended as a show of force; a dramatic reminder that for now Hamas retains a firm grip on Gaza. | The large white tents constructed in a row along the Gaza Strip's border with Egypt are ragged and abandoned; most of the thousands of smugglers who usually work in them are absent. |
32682160 | Media playback is not supported on this device
The two sides have until the end of May to pay 1.5m euros owed to the rest of the Pro12 clubs or face immediate expulsion.
Alfredo Gavazzi, president of the Italian Rugby Federation, threatened to pull both teams out in 2014.
London Welsh and London Scottish have held talks about joining the Pro12.
Treviso, Zebre and London Welsh have declined to comment.
Discussions remain at a preliminary stage, though Scottish have said they are interested in a move from the English Championship.
Chairman Sir David Reid said last year his club was "open-minded".
London Welsh have been relegated from the English Premiership and will join their fellow exiles in the Championship next season.
Italian clubs were introduced to the Celtic competition in 2010, with Treviso and Aironi the first representatives.
Zebre replaced Aironi for the 2012-13 season and both teams have finished bottom of the table in every campaign.
Treviso have been more competitive, finishing the 2012-13 season in seventh place. They are 11th in the this season's table, 12 points adrift of 10th placed Cardiff Blues. | Italian clubs Treviso and Zebre could be expelled from the Pro12, with London Welsh and London Scottish potentially taking their places. |
36232787 | The ministers were announced on Friday afternoon, 70 days after voters went to the polls to elect a new government.
Charlie Flanagan, who has been heavily involved in peace talks in Northern Ireland, has been re-appointed as minister of foreign affairs.
The Cabinet also includes a number of independent elected representatives.
The support of independents was necessary to allow Mr Kenny's Fine Gael party to lead a minority government, after the general election of 26 February produced a hung parliament.
Among the new independent ministers is Katherine Zappone, a high-profile campaigner for same-sex marriage who was born in the US but moved to the Republic of Ireland 28 years ago.
In May 2015, she famously proposed to her wife on live state television after Irish voters approved the introduction of same-sex marriage in a referendum.
Ms Zappone, who became the first openly lesbian member of the Irish parliament earlier this year, has been appointed as minister for children and youth affairs.
Other independent ministers include former business journalist and senator Shane Ross and Denis Naughten, who resigned from Fine Gael in 2011 in protest at cuts to hospital services.
The new Cabinet consists of:
Independent member Finian McGrath will also attend Cabinet and have special responsibility for disability.
Frances Fitzgerald, who has been re-appointed for a second term as minister for justice, has also been named as tánaiste (deputy prime minister). | Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Enda Kenny has appointed a new Cabinet just hours after he was re-elected to govern for a second term. |
26993271 | British stars Carey Mulligan and Helena Bonham Carter were joined outside the building by hundreds of extras playing protesters in the forthcoming movie.
Scenes have also been shot in the central lobby and a committee room.
Permission for filming was granted after MPs agreed it was a good way to cover the cost of running Parliament.
With MPs away on their Easter break, ministerial cars were replaced by vintage vehicles and rioting women fighting for the vote.
The filming comes just over 100 years since a series of real demonstrations by members of the Suffragette movement in the Palace of Westminster.
The director of Suffragette, Sarah Gavron, said: "Our film is inspired by the true stories of the foot soldiers of the Suffragette movement, women who were willing to sacrifice everything in their fight for the right to vote.
"We are honoured to be allowed to recreate a crucial moment in that long journey towards equality by filming where the Suffragettes actually brought their protest over 100 years ago."
The film also features Meryl Streep as fearsome campaigner Emmeline Pankhurst.
But Oscar-winning Streep - who in 2011 attended Prime Minister's Questions in preparation for playing Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady - has already filmed her scenes and was not expected to be on set.
Sir Alan Haselhurst MP, chair of the House of Commons administration committee, said: "As a British film which clearly relates to Parliament's history and heritage, this is an ideal pilot for the House of Commons to identify the opportunities for location filming and income generation.
"We hope the film will engage the public with Parliament's history and heritage, and will offer a new way to bring our iconic buildings to a wider audience."
Adrian Wootton, chief executive of Film London and the British Film Commission, said: "Opening up such an iconic location as the House of Commons for filming is fantastic news.
"This unique location promises to attract more production to the capital, and by working with the industry and our partners, we will help ensure it can get the most out of filming, while protecting the integrity of this very special building.
"And I look forward to seeing it on screen in the star-studded Suffragette, which will be a fantastic showcase of British talent, behind and in front of the camera, and this very special new location."
Suffragette is a fictional story, set against the background of the struggle for women's rights.
Emmeline Pankhurst was imprisoned for the first time in February 1908 when she attempted to enter the House of Commons.
Later that year, she was jailed again after being found guilty of inciting a rush on the House of Commons. | The Houses of Parliament are for the first time being used as a set for a commercial film, as shooting for Suffragette takes place. |
33928045 | He was handed over to Swedish police after a medical check at Arlanda airport. His health is said to be good.
The hold of the Ethiopian Airlines jet would have got very cold during the long flight. There was a stopover in Rome, but he is believed to have come all the way from Addis Ababa.
Such cases are rare, officials say.
According to Radio Sweden, the man is an Ethiopian, born in 1991, and intends to seek asylum in Sweden. The plane landed at 06:53 local time (04:53 GMT).
"When the staff were going to unload the baggage, they found the man. He was in good shape, but we made him see a nurse," said Henrik Klefve, spokesman for airport operator Swedavia.
Swedish police officer Anders Faerdigs said "he says he works at the airport in Addis Ababa and he had a badge with him.
"That's how he had been able to move freely around the airport, reach the plane and get in the cargo hold."
Police say he may have been in a section of the cargo hold that is warmer, and where animals are transported.
Swedavia said only authorised personnel would normally get access to the hold. | An Ethiopian man hoping to get asylum in Sweden has been found in the hold of an airliner after a flight from Addis Ababa to Stockholm. |
40441978 | The Turkish Kebab House takeaway on the Beersbridge Road was targeted overnight.
The incident happened between 00:00 and 07:30 BST on Thursday, police said.
They are treating the incident as a racially-motivated hate crime.
East Belfast MLA Andy Allen condemned the "deplorable attack".
"The individuals responsible are not representative of the wider community of east Belfast," said the UUP assembly member.
"Such actions are not wanted and I would appeal to anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area or has any information to contact the PSNI."
PUP councillor John Kyle said the graffiti was particularly disappointing in light of progress made in terms of assimilating newcomers and residents from different ethnic backgrounds.
"Racism undermines communities, shows distrust and fear and should be opposed on every occasion," he said. | Police are investigating after a takeaway restaurant in east Belfast was daubed with anti-Islamic graffiti. |
37037942 | Four lorries and four cars were involved, also injuring 12 people, one with life-threatening injuries.
One man was flown to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford by air ambulance, and two were taken by land ambulance.
The crash took place on the A34 northbound between Chieveley and West Ilsley in Berkshire. One man has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.
BBC Berkshire travel latest
The detained man is currently in police custody and police are appealing for witnesses to come forward.
Inspector Andy Storey said: "All motorists should avoid the area, use alternative routes and await further updates before attempting to travel on this route.
"We appreciate motorists' patience while we deal with this incident."
The fatal crash took place at 17.10 BST, and there are currently six-mile tailbacks on the northbound carriage.
The southbound carriageway was closed to allow the air ambulance to land, but has since reopened. | Four people have been killed in an eight-vehicle crash on the A34. |
36072023 | Last month, the UK and US governments agreed that material could be exchanged, with the UK receiving a type of uranium used to diagnose cancer.
The NDA is funding improvement work to enhance the runway at Wick John O'Groats Airport.
The airport is about 30 miles (48km) from the Dounreay nuclear site.
Under the UK-US deal, it has been proposed that highly enriched uranium (HEU) stored at Dounreay be sent to the US.
The NDA said flying the material was among options being considered, but also said no decisions have been taken.
A spokeswoman for the NDA said: "The protection of the public and personnel is of paramount importance at all times. For those reason we are unable to disclose information about the transport arrangement that's could jeopardise the security of this material.
"It has been proposed that a quantity of HEU may be exchanged with the US in return for material to be used in the production of medical isotopes for Europe.
"The upgrades to the airport in Wick will be done to ensure that this is one possible option to allow the transport to take place."
A spokesman for Wick John O'Groats Airport, which is operated by Highlands and Islands Airport Limited, said: "Work will get under way later this month on a project to refurbish the runway at Wick John O'Groats Airport in order to enhance its operational capability and, in particular, its ability to accommodate larger aircraft.
"This work will be carried out on behalf of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. The majority of work will be carried out overnight and the project is expected to be completed in August."
Radioactive material from the civil nuclear industry has been transported by plane in the past, the NDA said.
A spokesman for the authority added that funding improvements to the airport near Wick secured "the option of moving material by air on a range of aircraft".
The Dounreay nuclear power complex is being decommissioned and the site cleaned up.
Most of the radioactive materials, such as fuel, held there is being moved to other locations, including Sellafield in Cumbria where it will be reprocessed or stored.
These shipments are being made by rail.
Over a period of four years, 150 tonnes of waste held at Dounreay were transported in 21 shipments to Belgium by sea.
In October 2014, a fire broke out on a ship involved in this work and it began drifting in the Outer Moray Firth.
The MV Parida was transporting a cargo of cemented radioactive waste when a fire broke out in a funnel.
The blaze was extinguished, but 52 workers were taken from the nearby Beatrice oil platform by helicopter as a precaution.
The cargo ship was towed to Invergordon for repairs before completing its journey to Antwerp.
The NDA said at the time that the ship and its cargo had been categorised at the lowest level of safety concern. | The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has said radioactive material could potentially be flown to and from Scotland and the US. |
29712453 | More than one in 10 three-year-olds in England have rotten teeth.
In some parts of the country, as many as half of five-year-olds have decayed, missing or filled teeth.
NICE's new guidelines for England say nurseries and schools should consider introducing supervised tooth-brushing and fluoride varnishing programmes.
Prof Mike Kelly, director of the Centre for Public Health at NICE, said: "Children, as young as three, are being condemned to a life with rotten teeth, gum disease and poor health going into adulthood.
"Many children have poor diets and poor mouth hygiene because there is misunderstanding about the importance of looking after children's early milk teeth and gums," he added.
Nurseries and primary schools should supervise tooth-brushing in areas with a high level of child tooth decay, the advisory body said.
Tooth decay in children and adults is disproportionately higher in disadvantaged areas, as well for vulnerable people, and in some ethnic minorities, NICE said.
After local authorities identify areas that would benefit, free toothbrushes and fluoride toothpaste should be handed out to parents and carers for use at school and at home, it advises.
If a supervised tooth-brushing scheme is not feasible, children's teeth should be painted with fluoride varnish at least twice a year to strengthen teeth, NICE added.
A recent Public Health England survey found that 12% of three-year-olds had suffered from rotten teeth.
In one area - Leicester - 34% of children had tooth decay.
Part of the issue is that many parents don't recognise that they should take steps against tooth decay, according to health consultant Mandy Murdoch, who was part of the team that developed the guidelines.
"Many people believe that the health of a child's first teeth does not matter as 'they will fall out anyway'," she said.
"However, severe tooth decay at a young age can have negative consequences in later life."
Rotten teeth, aside from being painful for the child, can lead to higher incidences of oral health problems later in life.
Thousands of children have to undergo general anaesthetic to have teeth out, said Prof Elizabeth Kay, foundation dean for the Peninsula Dental School, Plymouth.
"Around 25,000 young children every year are admitted to hospital to have teeth taken out," she said.
"Given that we know how to prevent dental disease this really should not be happening," Prof Kay added.
Poor oral hygiene in adults has been linked to increased gum disease, tooth loss, and oral cancers.
The British Dental Association said that there were "still unacceptable inequalities which need to be tackled" in people's dental health.
Dr Christopher Allen, chairman of the BDA's dental public health committee, welcomed the NICE guidelines.
However, he added: "It's important that local authorities have access to specialist dental health advice to ensure that the interventions chosen are the most appropriate for the needs of the population."
Dr Allen added that water fluoridation programmes would be a more efficient means of strengthening people's teeth.
Only around six million people in the UK have access to fluoridated water, the BDA said. | Schools and nurseries need to step in to tackle the worrying trend of tooth decay in children, the advisory body NICE has said. |
37476484 | The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health's (RCPCH) analysis showed the Welsh NHS was performing relatively poorly in a number of key areas.
It suggested Wales was lagging behind in providing follow-up assessments.
The Welsh Government said there had been steady improvements.
The audit, based on 2015 figures, said premature babies had a follow-up appointment aged two in only 31% of cases - compared to 60% across Wales, England and Scotland.
The report also showed 14% of eligible babies in Wales were not screened on time for retinopathy - a potentially serious eye condition which is a complication of being born prematurely.
It said 8% did not appear to get screened at all for the condition - the average across the three nations was 2%.
At the time of discharge, 43% of eligible babies in Wales were feeding with mother's milk - a decrease from 46% in 2014. Breast milk contains antibodies that can help premature babies fight off infections.
In 20% of cases, parents in Wales did not have a consultation with a senior member of the neonatal team within 24 hours of a baby being admitted, though the average was 12% across the board.
But the neonatal network in Wales appears to be performing relatively well in making sure antenatal steroids are given to mothers before giving birth prematurely - which reduces the chance of breathing difficulties and other serious complications.
A Welsh Government spokesman said: "Welsh units are performing comparably in most areas and within the expected standards for a number of the audit measures.
"All neonatal units in Wales will need to consider the findings of this report and develop local action plans to address any identified shortfalls in standards."
It said an initiative to improve breastfeeding for neonates had already started.
Neonatal units in Wales are performing close to the average in making sure babies have the correct body temperature.
Despite the concerns, the RCPCH said many units in Wales were providing "good care" but urged them to work in partnership to drive up standards.
Dr Roshan Adappa, clinical representative for Wales on the audit project board, said: "Wales has the lowest rates for feeding with a mother's milk.
"It has the highest percentage of babies for whom no eye screening data at all was entered and has, by some way, the lowest rates for recording of follow-up data at a child's two-year health check."
The Welsh Government launched a policy on Monday to ensure every child up to the age of seven receives consistent and universal health services in Wales.
In July this year the charity Bliss said neonatal services across Wales were overstretched and more than half did not have enough medical staff to meet national standards.
The Welsh Government said £85m was being spent on training staff. | The Welsh NHS needs to tackle a number of "shortfalls" in the care being provided for sick and premature newborn babies, an annual audit has concluded. |
39640664 | The statue was due to be erected in the Market Square area of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, in September.
It has been put back because of temporary scaffolding at the site for the town's North Waterside development.
Campaigner David Stopps said it was "frustrating" but he was hopeful the statue would be in place by March 2018.
The proposed site, under the arches in Market Square, was referenced by Bowie in Five Years, the opening track of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders from Mars album.
Mr Stopps said there was a possibility it may be erected in a temporary location between September and March.
The statue will be called 'Earthly Messenger,' a reference to a quote from an interview by Bowie with Rolling Stone in 1973 when he said: "Ziggy himself was not an alien, just the earthly messenger for the Starman".
Bowie performed as Ziggy during gigs at the town's Friars music venue in the early 1970s.
He also played a gig at the club in September 1971 when he gave his debut performance of Hunky Dory.
More than 650 people pledged sums totalling more than £100,000 to Crowdfund the statue.
Mr Stopps said: "We could have called it the Bowie statue, but we wanted it to be distinctive. It will be the first Bowie statue in the world.
"The developers have had to put the scaffolding up as a health and safety provision.
"The delay is frustrating as we are on schedule to get it finished by September, but we can't do much about it." | The installation of a David Bowie statue set to go up in the town where he first performed as Ziggy Stardust has been delayed. |
39366871 | Three people have been arrested following the death in hospital on Wednesday of a man aged in his 40s - the latest linked to the inquiry.
A man and a woman, both 37, from the Stockton area also died after taking the drug, on 3 March.
In February, three people died in the space of a week after taking the drug, Cleveland Police said.
The force said it was advising drug users to take "extra precautions" and was working with agencies to find the supplier of the drugs.
Two women, aged 30 and 33, and a man aged 26 were detained on suspicion of administering a noxious substance, in connection with the latest death.
Det Insp Jon Tapper said: "I would reiterate that, whilst we don't advocate that anyone should buy any type of drugs, there are still batches of particularly harmful heroin in Stockton which are being peddled by dealers.
"Lives are being put at risk by accepting this particularly dangerous heroin and, sadly, there has been a further death in the area. We are concerned and would urge drug users to take extra precautions." | The deaths of six people have been linked to a batch of low grade heroin that has been circulating on Teesside. |
35569905 | The Scottish government acted after an inquiry into a serious Clostridium difficile (C. diff) outbreak.
Regulations have been put before Holyrood which would let Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) inspectors close wards to protect patients.
Health Secretary Shona Robison said the powers would be "a last resort".
A review of care at Vale of Leven Hospital in West Dunbartonshire found that C. diff was a factor in the deaths of 34 out of 143 patients who tested positive for the infection in 2007 and 2008.
Lord MacLean said NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde had "badly let down" patients, with the board apologising unreservedly for its "terrible failure".
The new system, announced by the government in 2015 and now set to go before MSPs, would see inspectors have the power to intervene and shut wards down in response to safety concerns ranging from cleanliness to staffing levels.
Ms Robison said Scotland had a "very robust scrutiny and inspection regime", with HIS carrying out almost 100 inspections each year.
She said: "Protecting patient safety is of critical importance and that is why we want to go further and give HIS the powers to close hospital wards if they consider it necessary.
"Let me be clear that this would only ever be used as a last resort, and in the majority of cases we would expect HIS to work with health boards to put in place improvements on wards first.
"But on the very rare occasions that inspectors have concerns about the safety of patients on a ward, they should have the powers to take firm and direct action."
The OECD has recommended stronger scrutiny of Scotland's health system amid fears HIS could "mark its own homework", calling for better arrangements for dealing with mistakes and poor performance. | Inspectors could be given powers to close hospital wards to new patients from April, if the move is approved by MSPs. |
33833958 | Richard Lochhead said the Scottish government was not prepared to "gamble" with the future of the country's £14bn food and drink sector.
He is to request that Scotland be excluded from any European consents for the cultivation of GM crops.
But farming leaders said they were disappointed by the move.
Under EU rules, GM crops must be formally authorised before they can be cultivated.
An amendment came into force earlier this year which allows member states and devolved administrations to restrict or ban the cultivation of genetically modified organisms within their territory.
Mr Lochhead said Scotland's request for opt-outs from GM crop consent would cover an EU approved variety of genetically modified maize and six other GM crops that are awaiting authorisation.
He said that Scotland was known around the world for its "beautiful natural environment" and banning the growing of genetically modified crops would protect and further enhance its "clean, green status".
Mr Lochhead added: "There is no evidence of significant demand for GM products by Scottish consumers and I am concerned that allowing GM crops to be grown in Scotland would damage our clean and green brand, thereby gambling with the future of our £14bn food and drink sector.
"Scottish food and drink is valued at home and abroad for its natural, high quality which often attracts a premium price, and I have heard directly from food and drink producers in other countries that are ditching GM because of a consumer backlash."
The announcement was welcomed by Scottish Green MSP Alison Johnstone, who agreed that the cultivation of GM crops would harm the country's environment and reputation for high quality food and drink.
But she called on ministers to go further by challenging big retailers to improve their labelling to show whether meat, eggs and dairy products come from animals fed on GM feed.
The move has also been broadly welcomed by environment groups.
But Scott Walker, chief executive of farming union NFU Scotland, said he was disappointed that the Scottish government had decided that no GM crops should ever be grown in Scotland.
"Other countries are embracing biotechnology where appropriate and we should be open to doing the same here in Scotland," he said.
"These crops could have a role in shaping sustainable agriculture at some point and at the same time protecting the environment which we all cherish in Scotland."
Huw Jones, professor of molecular genetics at agricultural science group Rothamsted Research, said the announcement was a "sad day for science and a sad day for Scotland.
He said that GM crops approved by the EU were "safe for humans, animals and the environment". | Scotland is to ban the growing of genetically modified crops, the country's rural affairs secretary has announced. |
30819561 | Mayor Rahman and his party face claims of corrupt practices and exerting undue spiritual influence on voters.
A file obtained by the BBC now provides a raft of detail on the allegations Mr Rahman faces in court next month.
The mayor and his party Tower Hamlets First deny any wrongdoing.
The evidence will be heard over several weeks at the High Court by Richard Mawrey QC. He has the power to order a recount or ban the mayor from public office for up to five years.
Part of the Statement of Case, collated by the members of the public who brought the legal action, details an array of alleged misdeeds in the run-up to the election last May, when he was re-elected as mayor.
It claims that in April last year, 30 council employees were asked to a meeting at a Bangladeshi restaurant.
The document continues: "During the meeting both council managers and agents of the First Respondent [Mayor Rahman] instructed each of those attending to obtain 100 votes each for the First Respondent; and informed them that, if they did not do so, they may lose their jobs.
"It was made clear that these votes should be obtained by illegal means, including through postal voting fraud."
The petitioners allege that at another restaurant meeting in the period: "The First Respondent attended together with all or almost all the Tower Hamlets First candidates for the Council elections and some activists.
"The First Respondent told all assembled activists that they must fill up to 250 postal vote application forms each.
"Each of the persons at the meeting was then given a bundle of 250 postal vote application forms."
A spokesman for Mr Rahman denied either meeting ever happened.
The documents also claim Mr Rahman and his party tried to exert undue spiritual influence over voters, which is illegal.
They state that a letter was published by a newspaper in Bengali with a circulation in the borough of about 20,000 entitled "Be United Against Injustice; Make Lutfur Rahman Victorious".
This was signed by 101 leaders of the Islamic community in the borough, including chairmen of Mosques and the head teachers of religious schools.
The petitioners allege the effect was to indicate that a vote against Mayor Rahman would be un-Islamic and sinful.
They claim Mr Rahman corruptly attempted to influence these religious leaders by giving them grants of public money ranging from £8,000 to £25,000, alleging that a total of £278,000 was given out in this way.
A spokesman for the mayor responded: "At no point did religious authority figures use spiritual coercion to procure votes. We believe such claims to be entirely spurious.
"Unless we are now in the business of disenfranchising the Muslim community, local leaders have a right to canvass for their preferred candidate."
There are also claims that during the count corrupt council officers deliberately miscounted votes.
The documents state: "In one instance a bundle of ballot papers purportedly containing only votes cast for the First Respondent was assembled by corrupt members of the counting staff and actually consisted mostly of votes for other candidates, with only the top few ballot papers containing votes for the First Respondent."
A spokesman for the mayor said: "All these allegations are characterised by an utter lack of substantial evidence.
"The police and Electoral Commission have already investigated and found nothing of merit, as has been the case when similar allegations have been made in the past by politicians.
"It is a shame that some elements of the local political establishment cannot cope with losing a free and fair election."
Tower Hamlets Council has made no comment.
Mr Rahman was previously Labour leader in the borough, before leaving during a split within the local party. He received 43.38% of first preference votes in May's election.
Numerous functions of the council have since been taken over by government commissioners after a report found numerous financial failings and what Communities Secretary Eric Pickles called a "culture of cronyism" within the authority. | Employees of Tower Hamlets Council were warned they may lose their jobs if they did not each illegally obtain 100 votes for Mayor Lutfur Rahman, according to court documents seen by BBC London. |
32930209 | Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) said the force had "fragile" staffing levels and needed to "implement improvement plans rapidly".
Inspectors visited the force after criticising its response to government spending cuts last year.
Police and Crime Commissioner Olly Martins said the report was "out of date".
In the HMIC's Policing in Austerity: Meeting the Challenge report last year, Bedfordshire Police was judged to be "requiring improvement".
Inspectors, who said the force would be "monitored closely", returned in October and found it was not performing well compared to similar forces.
It highlighted problems in the force control room, although said these should be improved by a recent increase in staff.
The report described staffing levels as "fragile but improving" and said although there had been recruitment, it was not clear what investment the force had made in preventive work to reduce demand.
"There is a concern that it may not be tackling longer-term issues," the report said.
Inspectors said it needed to implement its plans for improving policing in "an affordable way more quickly" while ensuring its service "remains effective".
However, they said the force was "moving in the right direction and the pace of change is increasing".
Mr Martins said: "All that publishing out-of-date snapshots of a force, such as today's report does, is potentially undermine police force morale and mislead the public.
"When HMIC have already made their subsequent inspection it frankly seems incompetent, to say the least, to still publish a report that's seven months out of date."
HMIC said it had made a further assessment in March and would be returning in May and July. | Concerns over the service provided by Bedfordshire Police have been raised by the constabulary watchdog. |
37417712 | Four have been told by the Consumer Council for Water (CCWater) to report back by the end of October to explain what they are doing to cut complaints.
Southern Water was the worst performer for the fourth year running, with 10.3% increase in complaints in 2015/2016.
The others were Bournemouth, Affinity and Dwr Cymru Welsh Water.
Across the industry, billing and charges, including debt recovery, accounted for just over 60% of written complaints in the last year.
Southern, which serves Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, received about 77 complaints per 10,000 connections - more than double the industry average of 33.7.
Written complaints to Dwr Cymru increased by 115.1%, while Bournemouth Water's increased by 90.6%.
Affinity Water, which covers parts of Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Surrey, west London, Kent and Essex, saw an increase of 82.3%.
Overall, 10 out of the 21 water companies in England and Wales saw an increase in written complaints in 2015-16.
Complaints have been going down in recent years but it is feared the trend could start to reverse.
The overall number of written complaints to the industry fell for an eighth year, but by only 0.5% to 106,196.
"We can't allow the good progress that has been made by the industry in recent years to be reversed," said Tony Smith, chief executive of CCWater.
"That's why we have asked four of the poorest performing companies to report to us by the end of October."
Southern said it was disappointed in its performance but this had been improving since November.
It said the number of complaints received about water services was among the lowest in the industry but billing complaints pushed it into the bottom spot.
"So far this year, we have received approximately half the number of complaints we did in the first five months of 2015," said director Simon Oates.
"We are pleased to report back to CCW next month, and are confident the figures we submit will show a marked reduction in the number of complaints." | Customer complaints have increased at almost half the water companies in England and Wales, with some seeing "alarming" surges, a watchdog has said. |
38362307 | David Goodall was ordered to work from home next year after his presence at Western Australia's Edith Cowan University was deemed a safety risk.
But the university has now found an alternative workspace.
Australia's oldest working scientist, Dr Goodall has produced more than 100 research papers in an ecology career spanning 70 years.
He is currently an unpaid honorary research associate.
After two decades at Edith Cowan University, Dr Goodall was told in August to pack up his office when staff raised concerns about his safety.
It was another setback for the ecologist, who was recently forced to give up theatre when his declining vision prevented him from driving to rehearsals.
The university confirmed "better" office space has been found at a campus closer to Dr Goodall's residence.
"I am pleased we have found a solution that will ensure David can continue to be based at ECU," vice-chancellor Steve Chapman told the BBC.
Dr Goodall said he was grateful the university was able to accommodate him.
"I hope to continue with some useful work in my field in so far as my eyesight permits," he told the ABC.
"But I still think the emphasis on safety was unnecessary." | A 102-year-old scientist has won a battle to keep working on campus at an Australian university. |
36519766 | The software giant will pay $196 a share - a premium of almost 50% to Friday's closing share price.
The deal will help Microsoft boost sales of its business and email software.
Microsoft said that LinkedIn would retain its "distinct brand, culture and independence".
Ben Wood, head of research at CCS Insight, said the deal would give Microsoft access to the world's biggest professional social network with more than 430 million members worldwide.
Watch: LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman's business secrets
"That's a valuable asset that can be deeply integrated with a number of Microsoft assets such as Office 365, Exchange and Outlook. That said, Microsoft has stated that the company will continue to operate as an independent business, so we'll have to see how deeply the integration occurs," Mr Wood said.
Ever had one of those annoying LinkedIn emails inviting you to "endorse" a contact for some skill or another? Perhaps LinkedIn chief executive Jeff Weiner and its founder Reid Hoffman deserve to be endorsed for salesmanship after today's deal.
After a tricky period in which the shares have fallen amid widening losses, they have persuaded Microsoft to make its biggest deal. The software giant is paying a 50% premium on Friday's closing share price to buy LinkedIn, a price which amounts to $250 (£170) for every active user. To put that into context, that's about the market value of Sky, or eight times as much as Daily Mail owner DMGT - and they are both profitable.
But this deal is about more than money: it is meant as a powerful signal of where Satya Nadella is now taking Microsoft. He sees its future as a cloud computing business providing all sorts of professional services to clients - including a social network to connect them to each other.
"We are trying to ride the wave of the new technologies," Mr Nadella told me from Seattle. "It's about AI, it's about mobile, it's about cloud and we're trying to bring those things together."
However, the deal to buy Nokia's mobile phones division had a similar logic - and the entire value of that purchase was written off just a year later. So Microsoft's investors may look at that $26bn price tag nervously, while anyone with a few LinkedIn shares may be using the network to send a message of congratulations to their board.
Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella said he had long admired LinkedIn: "I have been thinking about this for a long time."
The deal was "key to our bold ambition to reinvent productivity and business processes", he added.
The company planned a different approach to integrating LinkedIn to preserve its culture and brand, Mr Nadella said: "That's what's going to be very very different about this."
Microsoft had a long record of successfully integrating acquisitions, he explained, citing Minecraft - the video game whose maker it bought in 2014 for $2.5bn - as well as its very first purchase: the presentation software PowerPoint for $14m in 1987.
LinkedIn shares soared 47%, or $61.50, to $192.60 in New York following the announcement of the deal.
Shares in the company, which floated in May 2011, have fallen by more than 40% this year.
The stock plunged by a quarter in February after the company issued a profit warning for the first quarter and reported an annual loss of $166m.
Ivan Feinseth, analyst at Tigress Financial Partners, said that LinkedIn was a great business "even though the company stubbed their toe back in February. It's a premium company and it deserves a premium valuation."
Shares in Microsoft fell 2.6% to $50.16, bringing the decline this year to almost 10%.
Jeff Weiner will remain chief executive, reporting to Mr Nadella. He and Reid Hoffman - the chairman, co-founder and controlling shareholder of LinkedIn - both backed the deal.
"Today is a re-founding moment for LinkedIn," said Mr Hoffman. "I see incredible opportunity for our members and customers and look forward to supporting this new and combined business."
LinkedIn has been trying to expand by offering users more messaging options, mobile apps and a revamped "newsfeed" to help boost engagement.
Last year, the site pledged to send less frequent and "more relevant" messages after numerous user complaints.
The takeover is by far the biggest acquisition made by Microsoft, which paid $8.5bn for Skype in 2011 and bought Nokia's mobile phone business for $7.2bn in 2013.
The LinkedIn acquisition also eclipses the $19bn that Facebook paid for WhatsApp in 2014.
Despite having a cash pile of about $92bn, Microsoft said it would pay for LinkedIn mostly by issuing new debt.
It expects the deal, which must be approved by regulators in the US, EU, Canada and Brazil, to generate annual savings of $150m by 2018. | Microsoft is buying the professional networking website LinkedIn for just over $26bn (£18bn) in cash. |
38143777 | Talks between BT and regulator Ofcom to find a voluntary solution to the problem seem to have broken down.
Ofcom has now begun the formal process of forcing a legal split.
The big question is what will it all mean for consumers.
The argument for separation centres around whether the firm that provides the vast majority of the UK's broadband infrastructure (Openreach) should be part of the same parent group as one of the UK's leading internet service provides (BT).
Rivals have long argued that this is bad for competition and the consumer. TalkTalk's Dido Harding was one of the first to welcome Ofcom's new tough stance: "Openreach has been letting consumers down for far too long, unable to meet promises of even minor improvements and becoming a household name for all the wrong reasons."
Ofcom agrees and, now too, does the government: "We've been clear that we need a more independent Openreach. It needs to offer genuinely fair and equal access to the country's telecoms infrastructure to BT's competitors," said a spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
This is the best way to ensure consumers get the service they need, and the country gets the digital infrastructure it needs," he added.
Slow and non-existent broadband is still an issue in remote areas and most agree that is unacceptable in an age where telecoms are as important as gas, electricity and water.
Openreach has been criticised for the slow rollout of rural broadband and for failing to offer radical new technologies. But, on the flipside, there are no large queues of other operators lining up to fix the problem, which is expensive and technically challenging.
The Countryside and Landowners' Alliance pointed out that any split must make sure that the work Openreach is doing to close the digital divide can continue unhindered.
"Any formal break between BT and Openreach must not lose sight of the goal to deliver broadband to rural areas. Ofcom must make it clear that the conditions of the separation include guarantees for future investment to further support rural digital connectivity," it said in a statement.
Will a split lead to better, cheaper broadband?
What consumers really need, according to Andrew Ferguson, founder of the broadband news website ThinkBroadband, is "fibre to the home with gigabit speeds for £20 to £35 per month".
Fibre-to-the-home technology offers faster speeds than the majority of current broadband connections, which are known as "fibre to the cabinet", meaning the final connection to homes is delivered over slower copper wire.
Mr Ferguson told the BBC that no-one currently knows whether a legal separation will deliver this faster option.
"The split has the potential to be very transformational and start the UK down a path of 95% fibre-to-the-premises coverage in 10 years, but that was a possibility yesterday too. The key is whether the split means more money will be available and if a fibre-to-the-premises (home) product is adopted by operators like Sky and TalkTalk," he said.
"The hope is that by reducing the influence of BT Group on Openreach, it would be likely to invest more in faster broadband technology that allows more providers, such as Sky and TalkTalk as well as BT, to offer a better service to their customers."
But, he added, there is a counter-argument that an independent Openreach could create "a stock market that gets jittery which means that Openreach is starved of capital and struggles to meet what its critics have said are already unambitious rollout targets".
Most agree that a separation of BT and Openreach would not alone solve the UK's broadband problems.
Richard Neudegg, head of regulation at uSwitch, said: "Ofcom needs to act across the board to ensure competition and service improvements. This includes universal service obligations, quality of service requirements on regulated products and automatic compensation when providers fail to deliver.
Some believe that the real problem with the UK's broadband is that the copper network simply does not offer the bandwidth and reliability to support our increasingly data-rich needs.
Founder of Mimosa Networks, Jaime Fink thinks it is time to consider other technologies: "Openreach and other UK service providers must change their approach and look at new technologies that can profitably deliver a superfast sustainable broadband network."
He pointed to the US where new entrants such as Google and Facebook have shaken up the market with fixed wireless solutions, which are less expensive than fibre.
Will a split improve customer service?
You have a broadband fault but it is taking weeks to fix. Sound familiar?
One of the biggest arguments in favour of a split is that Openreach has just not provided adequate levels of customer service. Critics say this is because it is not a customer-facing firm so all complaints are channelled via a customer's ISP, giving it no incentive to get on with repairs.
"Millions of people have suffered woeful levels of service from Openreach, so these reforms must lead to significant improvements for customers who have been let down for too long," said Which's Alex Neill, managing director of Home and Legal.
But will a separation deliver this?
It may depend on how the separation looks, thinks Ovum analyst Matthew Howett.
"The improvements in quality and availability of service that Ofcom hopes legal separation will bring about will likely to be delivered much sooner if BT can get on and deliver them today as a result of a voluntary agreement, rather than wait for a lengthy and uncertain process to run its course at the EU level," he told the BBC.
In order to start the legal separation, Ofcom must now prepare a formal notification to the European Commission to start the process.
Mr Howett believes that the door is still open for a voluntary agreement from BT.
"In many ways that would be a better outcome than a forced legal separation, not least because the EU route is uncertain, untested and likely to take much longer to achieve. It is also of course made more complex by the decision from Britain to leave the EU." | It is one of the most dragged-out divorces in corporate history but it seems that BT and Openreach will definitely go their separate ways. |
37457860 | The deal, which was signed in a ceremony on Monday in the Colombian city of Cartagena, will be put to a popular vote on Sunday.
Colombians will be asked to reject or endorse the agreement reached between the government and the country's largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc).
The 297-page agreement will not come into force unless a simple majority of voters back it.
While it has the support of Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and many influential international figures, including UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, there has also been significant opposition to it within Colombia.
One of the leading "no" campaigners is former President Alvaro Uribe.
Here, BBC Monitoring examines some of the reasons Colombians in the "no" camp are citing for their opposition to the deal.
This is not the first time the Colombian government has negotiated with the Farc.
In the 52 years since the Farc were founded and started fighting the Colombian government there have been several attempts at negotiating a peace deal.
However, this is the first time the two sides have reached and signed an agreement.
Previous failed attempts have made many Colombians weary of the rebels' intentions.
President Andres Pastrana, who governed from 1998 to 2002, ordered the demilitarisation of an area the size of Switzerland so that peace talks could take place there.
But after almost three years of negotiations, it transpired that the Farc had used the demilitarised zone to re-group and re-arm.
Mr Pastrana broke off the negotiations and trust in the Farc's intentions were seriously undermined for years to come.
Mr Pastrana has been campaigning against the peace agreement, calling it "a coup d'etat against justice".
Opponents of the peace deal have accused those who back it of being in the pay of the Cuban and Venezuelan governments.
They fear that allowing the Farc rebels, who follow a Marxist ideology and who were inspired by the Cuban Revolution, to take part in politics will open the door to radical left-wing policies.
They have dubbed this threat "Castro-Chavismo" after the Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro and the late Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez.
They point to the fact that the Cuban government hosted the peace talks and Venezuela acted as a facilitator as evidence of the influence these two left-wing governments had on the negotiations.
They have accused President Santos of "selling the country out" and warn that with the rebels becoming political players, Colombia could soon resemble Cuba and Venezuela and suffer from the same shortages these countries are experiencing.
However, analysts say that Colombia is a conservative country especially when it comes to its economy and there is very little indication that this kind of shift could happen.
As part of the peace agreement, a special legal framework has been created to try those who committed crimes during the armed conflict, including Farc fighters, government soldiers and members of right-wing paramilitary groups.
Those who confess to crimes will not serve prison sentences but will take part in acts of "reparation", including clearing land mines, repairing damaged infrastructure and helping victims.
Those opposed to the deal say the rebels are "getting away with murder".
They argue that crimes against humanity and drug trafficking, which the Farc engaged in to finance itself, should be punished with jail terms.
President Santos has argued that "perfect justice would not allow peace" and that victims will receive reparation.
He denies there will be impunity, but pressure group Human Rights Watch says the special legal framework goes too far and the deal constitutes a "surrender of justice".
Farc fighters who demobilise will receive financial aid from the state while they re-integrate into civil society.
The payments, which amount to 90% of the minimum wage, have been derided as "salaries" by opponents of the peace process.
They argue that it is unfair to reward rebels who may have murdered and kidnapped fellow Colombians while "hard-working citizens" are not given the same benefits.
Supporters of the peace deal say the rebels need financial help to ease their transition out of illegality.
BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook. | The future of a peace agreement aimed at ending the longest-running armed conflict in the Americas is now in the hands of the Colombian people. |
40061708 | Valencia, 31, played 43 games in all competitions for United this season and captained the side in their Europa League final victory against Ajax.
The Ecuador international joined the Old Trafford club from Wigan in 2009.
"I am absolutely delighted to have signed a new contract," he said.
"Manchester United has been my life since 2009. I would like to thank the manager for the confidence he has given me this season and I am sure that we will be challenging on all fronts next season."
United only triggered a one-year extension to Valencia's contract in January, at the time committing him to the club until 2018. | Manchester United full-back Antonio Valencia has signed a one-year extension to his contract that will keep him at the club until 2019, with an option to extend for a further year. |
34305413 | Media playback is not supported on this device
The Magpies are yet to win a Premier League game under McClaren and are 19th with two points from six games - they have won three of 25 games in 2015.
"No-one said this job was going to be easy, we didn't think it would be," said the former England and Derby boss.
"I am trying to change a lot and being here two and a half months, it's very difficult to change things quickly."
McClaren oversaw a slump at promotion-chasing Derby last season in the Championship and has won only two of his last 19 league games at the Rams and Newcastle.
But having been appointed in June, the 54-year-old said he had discovered more about his squad in the last week following defeat by West Ham last Monday.
"Certainly, it involves hard work and sticking together and keeping calm and that is what we have to do," he said. "It is a long season, and we have come in and in the last week learned a lot about our team.
"There are a lot of things - mentality, getting a bit more belief, so there are things to work on. Things we knew before and now have just been confirmed. We will lick our wounds and work hard on the training field as normal."
Despite BBC pundit Garth Crooks claiming McClaren "could be out of a job by Christmas" if their form remained the same, the Magpies boss said: "There is history that needs changing and turning around, give it time.
"I believe in that squad of players and we need to fight. I think we did that in the second half, and nearly got back in the game."
"We thought the last two games would be a test for us and we would know a lot more and we know now this is a tough job."
Newcastle went behind to two Odion Ighalo goals as last season's Championship runners-up established control at St James' Park, where Newcastle have won twice this calendar year.
Daryl Janmaat's second-half goal gave encouragement to the home supporters, but they were left without any reward with Newcastle only scoring three goals in six matches this season.
Former Newcastle striker and manager Alan Shearer was unimpressed with what he saw on Saturday - and was clearly angry as he analysed their performance on Match of the Day.
"This is a Newcastle team that got battered by the media after they lost at West Ham on Monday. I thought they would go out today and have a right go. But no," said Shearer.
"Midfielder Flaurian Thauvin turned up at the ground in a tuxedo. That was funny at the start of the season but it isn't now. This is serious.
"It was far far too easy for Watford, who were brilliant but helped by Newcastle's defending. The lack of quality was alarming
"From start to finish Newcastle were abject and the manager has big problems."
Former Tottenham player Garth Crooks had earlier said on Final Score: "The more Watford go on and play the way they did today, the more they will gain belief. Newcastle lacked belief, ability and confidence, and McClaren is struggling to inject it.
"The way things are going, McClaren could be out of a job come Christmas. The expectation at St James' Park is sky-high. Can he match that expectation? I doubt it. The fans need to see something, effort at least."
Newcastle host champions Chelsea in their next Premier League game before travelling to top-of-the-table Manchester City. | Newcastle's players are lacking belief admitted United manager Steve McClaren after Saturday's 2-1 defeat by Watford. |
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They all played a small, but potentially significant, part in Michael Schumacher becoming one of the greatest drivers of all time.
"I was the guy in the wrong place at the wrong time that gave Schumacher the chance to shine," Gachot told BBC Radio 5 live.
It is 25 years ago this week that the Frenchman was involved in a incident that ultimately changed the course of racing history.
Back then, Gachot was an impressive young driver for the recently formed Jordan Grand Prix team. He had caught the eye with a number of top-10 finishes in the first half of the 1991 season, as well as winning the Le Mans 24 Hours race.
However, just two days after setting the fastest lap at the Hungarian Grand Prix, he was in court.
Earlier that year, Gachot had been involved in a minor accident with a London taxi. An argument with the driver ensued, with Gachot producing a can of CS gas and spraying it in his face.
"I really didn't think it was an issue," said Gachot, now 53.
"We are talking about something that was really petty and basically I defended myself using tear gas.
"I thought this was what you were supposed to do and never knew it was considered a weapon. I really felt I was within my rights and didn't do anything wrong."
At the time, CS gas was illegal in Britain - but Gachot did not realise the gravity of the situation. He expected a fine and a couple of days in prison at the most. Instead he was sentenced to six months.
"I had no idea that my freedom was at stake," he said.
"Once I was in the prison I thought I would spend the weekend there but then my lawyer came in on the Monday and said it would be months."
It ended up being two months, with Gachot's original sentence reduced on appeal.
However, it was long enough to leave Jordan's team owner Eddie Jordan needing a driver to fill his seat on a temporary basis. That driver was Schumacher.
"Someone at the prison told me that the team had taken a German and they didn't need me any more," said Gachot.
"Every time he came in front of my cell he made the noise of a Formula 1 car, telling me that this driver was very good and they didn't need me."
Gachot's tormentor may have been teasing, but Schumacher was certainly making an impression.
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On his F1 debut, the then 22-year-old produced a stunning display to secure seventh on the grid for Jordan.
A problem with his car would result in Schumacher failing to finish the race itself, but his performance in qualifying had done enough to convince those at Jordan that they had a real talent on their hands.
It had also impressed other teams, and Benetton moved quickly to secure his services. From then on, his rise to F1 dominance was rapid, with the first of his seven world titles coming in 1994.
By the time Gachot had been released from prison, he had missed four grands prix and his seat at Jordan had been filled by Alex Zanardi.
He ended up with Larrousse but was unable to replicate the form he had shown in the first half of the season at Jordan.
After a year away from the sport, Gachot had two seasons at Pacific before leaving F1 for good in 1995.
By then, Schumacher was a two-time world champion and about to embark on a career at Ferrari.
Their careers may have taken very different paths, but Gachot insists he feels no animosity towards Schumacher.
"Schumacher deserved the career he had," he added.
"It was not me that made him, he made himself, he took the opportunity and did the best with it.
"I have regrets for sure and things I could have done differently but I am at peace with it." | What do a London taxi, a can of CS gas and a promising young Formula 1 driver called Bertrand Gachot have in common? |
37452689 | George "Tornado" Smith, who grew up at The White Hart at Boxford, performed the stunt for 30 years - even riding with his pet lioness, Briton.
A "Wall of Death" has been set up at the pub this weekend in honour of Smith and as part of a charity festival.
One of the sponsors described the event as a "great occasion" and "part of the village's history".
The attraction, which features motorcyclists riding around a vertical wall, was set up by Smith at the Kursaal amusement park in Southend-on-Sea.
The lioness became part of his act, riding with him on the handlebars, before moving to a sidecar as she got larger.
Out of season, Smith, who died in 1971, would return to Boxford and set up his attraction there.
Briton is said to buried under the pub car park.
Lawrence Motts, one of three sponsors of the event, said the "Wall of Death" event was a "great occasion" and "part of the village's history".
He said: "This guy used to ride with a lion on his handlebars, which seems absolutely bonkers, and he would actually walk around with this lion on a lead in the village."
At Boxford the Wall of Death will be performed by Ken Fox, who recently trained motorcyclist Guy Martin to break the speed record for the stunt on television.
Proceeds will go towards local charity The Smile of Arran Trust, set up in memory of 13-year-old Arran Tosh, who died in 2014, five days after being diagnosed with a brain tumour. | A motorcycle "Wall of Death" is returning to the Suffolk village where the attraction was once popular. |
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The Gills, who are 17th in League One, were knocked out of the FA Cup by non-league Brackley Town on Wednesday.
"I woke up shocked, embarrassed, humiliated, disappointed and very angry," Scally told BBC Radio Kent.
"We both recognise there are some serious problems with the team. The manager has to address those issues."
Edinburgh led the Gills to ninth place last season but the club has only recorded five wins from 17 league games this season, and are three points above the relegation zone.
After a meeting with Scally on Monday afternoon, National League North side Brackley put extra pressure on the 46-year-old former Tottenham defender after winning their first-round replay 4-3 after extra time.
Scally said there were "no excuses" for the side's performance.
"Some of the individual performances wouldn't warrant a place in a Sunday pub side," he added.
"We have got a team with no confidence and not able to defend and that was abundantly clear. He [Edinburgh] does have my backing.
"We have got a long season ahead of us and have a team who have talented players, but they are not playing well at the moment."
Scally has confirmed he is in a three-month recovery period after revealing he had a seven-hour heart operation 18 days ago which left him unconscious for 28 hours.
However, he says Gillingham's current form is not aiding his recuperation.
"I'm not supposed to be at work," he said.
"I've been out of hospital 12 days and frankly this whole matter is probably the last thing I needed.
"Watching the [Brackley] game, I would have been better off going to bed before the kick-off and not having the stress and strain that resulted of watching us go out of the FA Cup.
"The last thing my heart consultant said was don't get stressed." | Gillingham chairman Paul Scally has given manager Justin Edinburgh his backing but says he is "not best happy" with the side's current form. |
34072129 | The Money Advice Trust (MAT), which carried out the study, said that amounted to a 16% increase over the last two years.
It said that sending in bailiffs was likely to make debt problems worse.
Local authorities blamed cuts in government funding, and said bailiffs were only ever used as a last resort.
Enforcement agents, as they are officially known, were mainly used to collect Council Tax debts.
Such debts are one of the fastest growing issues being handled by National Debtline, which is run by the MAT.
"Something is seriously wrong here," said Joanna Elson, the chief executive of the MAT.
"On the front line of debt advice we know that sending the bailiffs in can deepen debt problems, rather than solve them - and it can also have a severe impact on the wellbeing of people who are often already in a vulnerable situation."
For its research the MAT made freedom of information requests to all 375 councils in England and Wales, and received replies from 95% of them.
National Debtline for England and Wales 0808 808 4000
National Debtline for Scotland 0808 808 4000
But local authorities say they have been given little choice, given the reduction in government support to councils.
Overall authorities have had to cope with a 40% cut in core government funding over the last five years, according to the Local Government Association (LGA).
In particular, they have had to find £1bn to try and stop those on low incomes having to pay full Council Tax.
But many of those on low incomes have still ended up having to pay more, and have fallen into debt as a result.
"Councils have a duty to their residents to collect taxes so important services like caring for the elderly, collecting bins and fixing roads are not affected," said Cllr Claire Kober, the chair of the LGA's Resources Board.
"But we realise that times are tough and will always seek to take a sympathetic and constructive approach."
She also said that bailiffs were only used as a last resort. Before they were sent in, she said that householders would have received several warning letters, and would have been encouraged to apply for financial support. | Local authorities in England and Wales used bailiffs to collect debts more than 2 million times last year, according to new research. |
35686949 | Despite disqualification for a false start at the British Championships, UK Athletics wanted to select Kilty, 26, alongside winner James Dasaolu.
But Kilty has opted instead to focus on realising his potential outdoors.
"Whilst this has been a really tough decision, looking at the big picture it's the smart call," he tweeted.
"This year is all about the Olympics, so going into Portland short of races and taking a gamble that I could run myself into form makes no sense when I could start to focus on my outdoor season early."
Kilty has a best over 60m of 6.49 seconds, but has yet to break 10 seconds for the 100m. His best time of 10.05 seconds was set at last year's Birmingham Grand Prix meeting.
"Individually I'm aiming for sub-10 and making the Olympic final in 2016," the Gateshead Harrier continued.
"As part of the GB 4x100m relay squad, we have a real shot at getting on the podium and are 100% focused on achieving success as a team."
Bath-based Andy Robertson took second place in Saturday's 60m final in a personal best of 6.54secs.
The IAAF World Indoor Championships take place in the United States from 17-20 March. | World indoor champion Richard Kilty will not defend his 60m title in Portland, Oregon next month after choosing to focus on the Rio Olympics. |
39249394 | The footballer went into the studio to lay down a new version of the England squad's 1982 recording of "This Time We'll Get It Right".
Keegan, who featured on the original which reached number two in the charts, declared the remake with athletes from north-east England "much better".
The Special Olympics GB National Summer Games begins in August in Sheffield.
Keegan, who lives at Wynyard on Teesside and captained both Newcastle and England's 1982 squad in Spain, said: "I think it's a better song now. These guys are definitely better singers than the England football team were.
"Sport's all inclusive, that's what everyone says. Sometimes you wonder, but the Special Olympics follows through on that."
Held every four years, the Special Olympics is the largest multi-sports competition for athletes with learning disabilities.
Keith Hogan, chair of Special Olympics Gateshead Tyne and Wear, added: "Our athletes are already incredibly excited about Sheffield. Recording this song with Kevin's help is the icing on the cake.
"We're extremely grateful to him helping with the song. Kevin was wonderful, really enthusiastic and interested in what we're doing here."
About 130 athletes have been selected to represent the Northern Region at the 10th National Summer Games, where a total of 2,600 athletes will compete in 20 sports across a dozen venues in Sheffield between 7th and 12th August. | Former England and Newcastle star Kevin Keegan has re-recorded a World Cup anthem to support the Special Olympics. |
33035183 | Officers were called to a block of flats in Gristock Place by the ambulance service just after midnight.
A man, thought to be in his late 40s, died a short time later in one of the flats, said Norfolk Police.
His death is currently being treated as unexplained. A woman, aged 50, has been arrested in connection with the incident and is currently in custody at Wymondham Police Investigation Centre.
A cordon on the property remains in place while investigations continue.
A Home Office post mortem examination on the body to establish cause of death will be held later, Norfolk Police said. | A woman has been arrested following the sudden death of a man in Norwich. |
36203834 | In his first interview in five years, the Guns N' Roses star told BBC 6 Music he was huge fan of Johnson's singing and "wants to do it justice".
Rose was drafted in after Johnson was advised to stop playing live or "risk total hearing loss".
He makes his debut with the band in Lisbon, Portugal, on Saturday 7 May.
"I'm happy and excited in one sense, but I think it would be inappropriate to be celebrating, in a certain way, at someone else's expense," he said.
"That's not what I'm here to do. It's an unfortunate situation."
Some fans have been unhappy with Rose's hiring, with several thousand requesting ticket refunds for some of the European shows - although these have now all been re-sold.
Johnson, 68, from Gateshead, has been lead singer with AC/DC since 1980.
In a statement last month, he said he was "crushed" by his inability to fulfil the remaining tour dates.
There have been rumours the split was acrimonious, but guitarist Angus Young explained he had spoken to Johnson extensively before he decided to leave the group.
"In his heart he wanted to finish [the tour] but because of that hearing factor he had to make the decision," he told the BBC.
"It's a hard thing to do, and he'd had the problem since we kicked off touring. It was his call. It was a shock to us too."
"The last thing you want to do is walk away from something, but you don't want someone in a tragic situation; being deaf, or any other affliction."
Young said the band had "seen our fair share of tragedies", including the departure of his brother, guitarist Malcolm Young, after he developed dementia, and the death of original singer Bon Scott in 1980.
"After that you're doubly careful," he said. "You want [band members] to be leaving in full body shape, not in a tragic way."
Rose also confirmed it was his idea to approach AC/DC about helping them complete the last 12 dates of their world tour.
"I called the day I read about it in the news, that there was a situation going on with Brian's hearing," he said.
"I called a guy who's their production manager right now... because I knew there was going to be a problem with having dates on sale and dates sold and stuff like that. So if I could help, and if I was able to do it, and they were interested, I'd love to help. And that's how it started.
"I wasn't looking at it like, 'I'm singing for AC/DC.' I was looking at it like, 'y'know, if I can, and if they think I'm able to do it."
Rose also said he didn't know whether he would be able to sing some of the songs in the set.
"A lot of the Back In Black stuff is really challenging. I'm not here in any way out of any disrespect to Brian. I can't take anything away from his singing at all," he said.
"He's a great singer and it's really challenging to sing it. I'm just trying to do it justice for the fans."
AC/DC are due to play London's Olympic Stadium on 4 June and Manchester's Etihad Stadium five days later.
Rose will be alternating between shows with the Australian band and Guns N' Roses, who are on tour with original guitarist Slash for the first time since the 1990s.
You can hear Matt Everitt's full interview with AC/DC and Axl Rose on the BBC 6 Music Breakfast show from 07:00 BST on Friday, 6 May. | Axl Rose says he means "no disrespect" to AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson, whom he is replacing on the band's Rock or Bust World Tour. |
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Their game against Slovakia on Monday is now in doubt.
"We have been getting changed in public toilets on the way to matches," said Republic forward Aine O'Gorman.
Players representative Stuart Gilhooly said that they were being treated as "fifth-class citizens, the dirt on the FAI's shoe".
The Professional Footballers' Association Of Ireland solicitor accompanied women's team members at Tuesday's news conference.
"There is a possibility that the game against Slovakia will not go ahead. The last thing the women's international team want is to not play a game," added the PFAI official.
The players have indicated that they will refuse to train on Wednesday unless the FAI holds talks with their representatives at the PFAI and as of 17:00 BST on Tuesday evening, this had not happened.
The players are fighting for compensation from the FAI for lost earnings while on international duty and improved resources.
"What we want is for the FAI to empower and enable our players to commit to training camps and international games without having to worry about taking unpaid leave from work or being forced to use up all of their holidays," said captain Emma Byrne.
The women have grievances over a series of issues, including a demand for match fees of 300 Euros, bonuses of 150 Euros for a win and 75 Euros for a draw, gym membership for the squad and the provision of team clothing.
O'Gorman was joined by 12 other members of the Irish squad - including Stephanie Roche and captain Emma Byrne - at a news conference publicising their grievances on Tuesday.
The players also alleged that it was commonplace for the team to have to share tracksuits with the country's youth women's squads.
Former Arsenal goalkeeper Byrne, who has played 127 times for her country, said that the team had "given up" trying to deal directly with the FAI.
"We are willing to do whatever it takes at this stage," she added.
"We are fighting for the future of women's international football. This isn't just about us.
"I know players who have had to stop playing. They made the decision they couldn't play any more."
O'Gorman said that the FAI had warned the players that going public with their grievances could "endanger their careers at club and international level".
In response, an FAI statement said the governing body was "deeply disappointed that members of the team have threatened to withdraw from playing for their country".
"The ultimatum by the players concerned comes in spite of repeated invitations from the FAI to the players to discuss clear and tangible financial offers for the payment and compensation of members of the squad," said the statement.
"On five occasions in recent months the FAI has attempted to bring the players to the table, only to have the offer rebuked at every turn."
The FAI added the players had opted to stage Tuesday's news conference despite the governing body's decision to agree to a mediation process.
"The senior women's national team are provided the standards of care expected of a demanding high-performance environment, with top-level training facilities, hotel accommodation, dietary, fitness, performance analysis and medical and physio care.
"The team has also received significant increases in budget in recent years to attain this high standard, as well as the appointment of a Champions League winning coach." | The Republic of Ireland women's football team have threatened to go on strike in a row over treatment by the Football Association of Ireland. |
35954147 | The veteran actress won a record eighth Olivier for her best supporting actress role as Paulina in Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company's production of The Winter's Tale.
No-one has won as many Oliviers for acting since the awards began 40 years ago.
As she collected her award she joked that she was "livid" because she had lost a bet with her grandson.
Speaking backstage about her record win, she said: "I'm rather overcome. I didn't expect it... it feels terrific."
Dame Judi praised the "really fantastic company and crew and stage management" of the Shakespeare production at the Garrick Theatre.
"Everybody says what a wonderful time they have doing something. I can truly say that in the Winter's Tale it was an absolutely memorable family."
She added the award was "lovely to have, but in actual fact it belongs to all those people just as much as it belongs to me."
The musical Gypsy won the most awards on the night for a single production. Its four prizes included best actress in a musical for runaway favourite Imelda Staunton, and best musical revival.
Staunton, who opened the ceremony with a performance of Gypsy's Everything's Coming Up Roses, said: "We felt we were doing something special every night and every night we went out and wanted to do a better show than the night before."
The show, which transferred to the West End from the Chichester Festival Theatre, also won for best lighting design while Lara Pulver was named best supporting actress in a musical.
Hosted by Michael Ball, the ceremony took place at London's Royal Opera House and included a performance by singer Cyndi Lauper, whose Kinky Boots was named best new musical.
Denise Gough won best actress for her acclaimed performance as a recovering addict in People, Places and Things, recently opened in the West End after a sell-out run at the National Theatre last year.
Gough had been hotly tipped to win in a shortlist that included Gemma Arterton and Nicole Kidman.
The Irish actress used her speech to raise the issue of diversity, saying: "In a year where we have seen progress made in racial diversity on our stages it's just a bit sad that in this category it hasn't been represented."
People, Places and Things was one of four wins for the National. Duncan Macmillan's drama also won for best sound, while Ma Rainey's Black Bottom was named best revival and Mark Gatiss won best supporting actor for Three Days in the Country.
The best actor prize went to Kenneth Cranham in Florian Zeller's The Father.
Cranham, who plays a man with dementia, beat competition from Kenneth Branagh, Benedict Cumberbatch, Adrian Lester and Mark Rylance.
Speaking backstage, he admitted he didn't think he stood a chance of winning. "They are like brand names," he said. "I felt like a little old cornershop."
Meanwhile in the best director category, Robert Icke triumphed for his work on the Greek tragedy Oresteia, which ran at The Almeida theatre. The play is a blood-soaked family saga spanning several decades and is often said to not only be the 5th Century BC playwright Aeschylus's final play, but also his greatest.
Musical Kinky Boots won two other prizes, with Matt Henry collecting best actor in a musical for his portrayal of Lola and Gregg Barnes awarded for his costume design.
Musical In the Heights also had three wins - for outstanding achievement in music, choreography and a best supporting actor in a musical trophy for David Bedella.
The Royal Court's production of Martin McDonagh's Hangmen was named best new play and also won for Anna Fleischle's set design.
Nell Gwynn, starring Gemma Arterton and written by Jessica Swale, was named best new comedy.
The prize for outstanding achievement in opera went to the English National Opera chorus and orchestra for The Force of Destiny, Lady Macbeth Of Mtsensk and The Queen Of Spades, which were all performed at London Coliseum.
The ENO has faced months of turmoil which includes the resignation of its musical director Mark Wigglesworth and the threat of strike action by its chorus over new contracts.
The ENO's head of music, Martin Fitzpatrick, who collected the prize, said the chorus and orchestra were "a vital part of the lifeblood" of an opera company.
Long-running musical The Phantom of the Opera won the Oliviers audience award - the only category voted for by members of the public.
Highlights from the ceremony were screened on ITV for a third consecutive year and secured an average audience of 700,000 viewers - the same as last year.
However, in 2015 that figure marked a 12.5% drop from the year before - and an almost 50% fall since it was first aired in 2013.
The ceremony will be shown in full on ITV3 on 4 April at 23:00 BST.
Next year the Olivier Awards will be on 9 April 2017 in a new venue, London's Royal Albert Hall. | Dame Judi Dench was the toast of the Olivier Awards on Sunday night. |
32167285 | The production, Lazarus, will feature new songs specially composed by Bowie as well as new arrangements of his old songs.
The star is working on the project with Irish playwright Enda Walsh, who won a Tony Award for the musical Once.
Lazarus is due to premiere in New York in the winter this year.
The show is inspired by the 1963 novel, The Man Who Fell to Earth, by Walter Tevis, and centres on the character of Thomas Newton, played by Bowie in the 1976 screen adaptation directed by Nicolas Roeg.
It will be directed by the Belgian Ivo van Hove, whose recent London productions include Antigone, with Juliet Binoche, and the sell-out A View From the Bridge, starring Mark Strong.
Bowie is not expected to feature in the cast.
James C Nicola, the artistic director of the New York Theatre Workshop, said the show had been in secret development for some years.
He told the New York Times: "It's going to be a play with characters and songs - I'm calling it music theatre, but I don't really know what it's going to be like. I just have incredible trust in their creative vision."
Nicola said the show would not retell the story of the book and film, but would feature some of the same characters.
Bowie surprised his fans in 2013 when he suddenly released a new single on his 66th birthday - followed by a new album - after a 10-year hiatus.
He was named best British male at the Brit Awards in 2014. | Rock legend David Bowie is co-writing a stage show inspired by The Man Who Fell to Earth, the New York Theatre Workshop has announced. |
32717110 | Henry Engelhardt, who has been in his role since the company was founded in 1991, will leave his post in a year's time.
Admiral employs more than 7,000 people and has four million customers. It is Wales' only FTSE 100 company.
Mr Engelhardt will be replaced by co-founder and current chief operating officer David Stevens. | The boss of Admiral insurance is to stand down as chief executive, the Cardiff-based company has announced. |
30125553 | The officials gave safety permits to the Ozone Disco Club without carrying out checks, the court found.
They were sentenced to between six and 10 years, but will not go to jail until after appeals are heard. Two managers of the club also received jail terms.
The fire is one of the most deadly blazes ever to hit a night club.
Some campaigners for survivors of the fire expressed anger that the verdicts had taken so long.
Dante Jimenez told the AFP news agency some of the survivors had died in the time it had taken to hear the case.
"This reflects how rotten the justice system is," he said.
A court official told AFP that those convicted had 15 days to appeal, and added that she did not know where any of the nine were.
Those who died in the fire were mostly students celebrating the end of the academic year.
They could not escape the fire because emergency exits were blocked by other buildings.
Officials at the time described it as the deadliest fire in Philippine history.
The Philippines has poor safety standards and large fires are relatively common - particularly in slum areas.
1942: Cocoanut Grove, Boston, US - 492 killed
2000: Luoyang dance hall fire, China - fire blamed on welders kills 309
2013: Kiss club in Santa Maria, Brazil, kills 233
2004: Cromagnon Republic Club, Buenos Aires, Argentina, kills 194
1977: Beverly Hills Supper Club, Southgate, Kentucky, 165 killed | Seven Philippine safety officers have been sentenced to jail for corruption over a fire at a night club that killed 162 people in Quezon City in 1996. |
37477987 | A number of the alleged offences against the seven victims happened in Bristol in 2011 and 2012.
Seven men have gone on trial at Bristol Crown Court, accused of a total of 45 offences, including rape, sexual assault, rape of child under 13 and false imprisonment.
All the accused deny the charges.
The jury was told some of the victims were allegedly given drugs and alcohol, and that the girls travelled by train to meet the men.
On one occasion in March 2013, a 15-year-old girl was allegedly simultaneously raped by two men at a flat in Bristol.
The jury also heard a 12-year-old girl was raped, leaving her feeling "dirty" and "regretful".
The court heard that one girl kept a diary of her trips to the city, in which she wrote coded messages about sex and sex acts she had carried out.
One teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the court she felt "pressurised" into having sex with six of the men and that she believed it was "expected" of her.
The trial, which began earlier this month but can only now be reported after reporting restrictions were lifted by the judge, was adjourned until Thursday.
The defendants are: | Girls as young as 12 were repeatedly raped, sexually abused and trafficked for sex, a court has heard. |
39682217 | Laugher, who won Great Britain's first Olympic diving gold medal with Chris Mears in the synchronised 3m springboard in Rio last summer, scored 567.15 points from his six dives.
In Windsor, he finished nearly 40 points ahead of China's Xie Siyi, whose second place earned him overall victory in the four-leg World Series.
Laugher finished in second place.
He won the first leg of the event in Beijing, but a second-placed finish in Guangzhou, China followed by fourth in Kazan, Russia, cost him overall success.
On Friday, Laugher and Mears finished seventh in the synchronised 3m springboard final.
Find out how to get into diving with our special guide. | Great Britain's Jack Laugher won gold in the 3m springboard at the FINA/NVC Diving World Series in Canada. |
35111008 | Leader Michael Jones resigned last week after facing criticism over his links with the owner of a fitness company.
He denied any wrongdoing and said he stood down to avoid infighting within the Conservative group.
Cheshire Police's Economic Crime Unit will "review the available material" to see if an investigation is needed.
The council waived its financial rules when it granted three contracts to Core Fit Ltd, collectively worth £156,000.
The company, which is owned by physiotherapist Amanda Morris, runs fitness classes in schools. | Cheshire Police are to review the awarding of Cheshire East Council contracts to the council leader's physiotherapist. |
39911010 | The 34-year-old pinned her opponent in the corner and the referee stepped in to confirm her second professional victory in the flyweight contest.
"There is nothing like the support of my home crowd," said Adams.
It was her first win by stoppage having beaten Argentina's Virginia Carcamo on points on her professional debut.
The contest against Salazar was fought over three-minute rounds rather than the usual two minutes for women.
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Adams had said before the fight the extra minute in each round would give her a chance to "take out" her 18-year-old opponent.
She said afterwards: "I was not even thinking about the stoppage, but with the three-minute rounds I knew I could.
"I was able to settle more, I could see where I was throwing the punches and landing the power shots."
Adams was firmly in control, busting her opponent's lip in the opening round, following it up with a flurry of punches with Salazar on the ropes in the next and finishing it off in the third.
Her trainer, Jason Spencer, said she will soon be ready for a world title fight.
Adams added: "I loved every minute of it. The crowd were pumping me up. The more they were cheering, the more I was throwing."
Headlining the Leeds card, home favourite Josh Warrington defended his WBC international featherweight title with a majority decision over the experienced Kiko Martinez.
Warrington, 26, beat the Spaniard with scores of 116-112 from two judges, with the third scoring it a 114-114 draw.
He is now unbeaten in 25 fights and moves closer to a fight against Wales' IBF featherweight champion Lee Selby.
On the undercard, Durham's Thomas Patrick Ward caused somewhat of an upset by beating Liverpool's James 'Jazza' Dickens via a technical decision to win the British bantamweight belt.
Get all the latest boxing news sent straight to your device with notifications in the BBC Sport app. Find out more here. | Britain's double Olympic gold medallist Nicola Adams stopped Mexican teenager Maryan Salazar in the third round in her home city of Leeds. |
22160529 | A short service was held at the Palace of Westminster, with around 100 MPs and peers, and parliamentary and Downing Street staff taking part.
The union jack-draped coffin had arrived earlier in an escorted hearse.
Meanwhile, MPs have voted to cancel PM's Questions on Wednesday, after some MPs had tried to force it to go ahead.
Lady Thatcher, who died at the age of 87 on 8 April, has been accorded a ceremonial funeral with military honours, one step down from a state funeral.
Her body will now rest overnight in the Palace of Westminster's Chapel of St Mary Undercroft, where a service was led by the Dean of Westminster for members of the family, senior figures from both Houses of Parliament, and staff from Parliament and Downing Street.
Senior figures attending included Commons Speaker John Bercow, Leader of the House Andrew Lansley, Chief Whip Sir George Young and Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith.
Senior Liberal Democrat Baroness Williams said the service had been "very impressive" and "not at all political" but "more about the Thatcher family".
Conservative MP Sir Gerald Howarth added that it had been "dignified".
The chapel will be open for several hours in order that members of both Houses and parliamentary staff may pay their respects.
The House of Commons Speaker's chaplain will then keep vigil through the night.
Meanwhile, two MPs, Respect's George Galloway and Labour's Dennis Skinner, tried to block plans to delay the start of Commons business on Wednesday until 14:30 BST, which would cause the cancellation of Prime Minister's Questions.
Mr Galloway told MPs there was no reason to "suspend democracy" and said the "British establishment is making a profound mistake" in giving Lady Thatcher a ceremonial funeral.
"It is not a national funeral," he said. "You can only have a national funeral where there is a national consensus about the person being buried. That consensus does not exist in relation to Mrs Thatcher."
Mr Skinner said the argument was about class and that it was "one rule for those at the top and another for those at the bottom".
But MPs voted by 245 to 15 in favour of rescheduling parliamentary business to allow MPs to attend the funeral.
A debate in the Scottish Parliament on Lady Thatcher's legacy is to be postponed until after the funeral.
Green Party and independent members had wanted to hold the discussion shortly after the service, but the main parties at Holyrood have agreed that it should be moved to Thursday.
On Wednesday morning, Lady Thatcher's coffin will initially travel by hearse from the Palace of Westminster to the Church of St Clement Danes - the Central Church of the RAF - on the Strand.
It will then be transferred to a gun carriage and taken in procession to St Paul's.
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are among more than 2,000 people expected to attend the service.
Former US Vice-President Dick Cheney and ex-Secretary of State Henry Kissinger will also be among the guests, while 4,000 police will be on duty.
Barack Obama's official presidential delegation will be led by George Shultz and James Baker, who both served as secretaries of state during the Thatcher era.
But Argentina's ambassador to London, Alicia Castro, has declined an invitation to attend.
St Paul's has published a full funeral order of service. | Family, friends and politicians from all sides have paid their respects to Baroness Thatcher, ahead of the former prime minister's funeral on Wednesday. |
29805374 | The research, conducted in Sweden, showed women who drank more than three glasses a day were actually more likely to break bones than those who had less.
The researchers cautioned that their work only suggested a trend and should not be interpreted as proof that high milk consumption caused fractures.
Factors such as alcohol and weight were likely to play a role, they said.
Milk has been recommended as a good source of calcium for many years but studies considering whether it leads to stronger bones and fewer fractures have had conflicting results.
A team of scientists in Sweden examined the dietary habits of 61,400 women in 1987-1990 and 45,300 men in 1997 and then monitored their health for years afterwards.
Participants were asked to complete questionnaires on how frequently they consumed common foods such as milk, yoghurt and cheese over a one-year period.
Researchers then tracked how many developed fractures and how many participants died in the years afterwards.
In the 20-year follow-up period in which the women were monitored, those who drank more than three glasses, or 680ml, of milk a day were more likely to develop fractures than those who had consumed less.
The high-intake group had a higher risk of death too.
Prof Karl Michaelsson, lead researcher at Uppsala University, said: "Women who drank three or more glasses a day had twice the chance of dying at the end of the study than those who drank less than one glass a day.
"And those who had a high milk intake also had a 50% higher risk of hip fracture."
Men were monitored for an average of 11 years after the initial survey and the results showed a similar but less pronounced trend.
When fermented milk products such as yoghurt were considered, the opposite pattern was observed - people who consumed more had a lower risk of fractures.
Prof Michaelsson says the findings could be due to sugars in milk, which have been shown to accelerate ageing in some early animal studies.
"Our results may question the validity of recommendations to consume high amounts of milk to prevent fragility fractures.
"The results should, however, be interpreted cautiously given the observational design of our study."
Dietary advice should not be changed until more research had been conducted, he said.
Prof Sue Lanham-New, from the University of Surrey, said the study was of limited use. "We do not have a feel for the influence of physical activity or other lifestyle habits important to bone or overall mortality.
"And the effect of increasing body mass index has not been fully investigated in this study.
"Milk and dairy products in the UK provide 50-60% of the calcium in our diet.
"We know that low calcium intake (less than 400mg a day) is a risk factor for osteoporosis.
"Individuals should still be encouraged to consume a balanced diet from the five key food groups of which milk and dairy are key." | Drinking lots of milk may not lower the risk of fracturing bones, a study in the British Medical Journal suggests. |
33559853 | A local district lawyer said the shootings were being investigated as an "act of domestic terrorism".
The gunman, who was shot dead, was named as 24-year-old Mohammad Youssuf Abdulazeez by the FBI and local reports said he was born in the Middle East.
President Barack Obama said the attack was "heartbreaking" and said the suspect appeared to be a "lone gunman".
Abdulazeez is believed to have been born in Kuwait, but has lived in the US for several years.
He was arrested earlier this year in Chattanooga for driving under the influence of alcohol.
A spokesman for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga said a student with the same name graduated in 2012 with a degree in engineering, according to local media reports.
The Chattanooga Times newspaper reported that he went to a local high school and competed on the wrestling team.
He left this message in his school yearbook: "My name causes national security alerts. What does yours do?"
The investigation is still at an early stage, but it appears that Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez was acting alone. What made him do what he did will be the subject of intensive inquiries that will delve deep into his past and that of his friends and family, and into his state-of-mind.
But lone wolves, as such men are often described, are the hardest to stop.
Both the president and the head of the FBI have recently underlined this problem and called on local communities to be vigilant for the signs of any radicalisation.
It is also hard for the authorities to protect all potential targets. The first location at which Abdulazeez began firing was an army recruitment office, in the middle of a strip mall - flanked by a mobile phone shop and an Italian restaurant - in other words, firmly within the local community. Many will not want the military to completely retreat behind barbed wire and concrete barriers.
Armed police raided the house where he lived, a few miles outside Chattanooga in Hixson, after the shootings and an AP reporter said two women were led away in handcuffs.
In a statement, the FBI confirmed his identity but said it "would be premature to speculate on the motives of the shooter at this time".
Officials told the AP news agency that Abdulazeez was not known to federal law enforcement before the attacks.
Earlier, US officials said authorities were investigating whether the gunman was inspired by or had links to the Islamic State (IS) group or other jihadist organisations.
IS leaders have called on their followers to launch attacks during the month of Ramadan, which comes to an end this weekend.
FBI agent Ed Reinhold, who is leading the investigation, said the first shooting occurred at about 10:45 local time (14:45 GMT) at a US Navy recruitment centre in the east of the city.
After opening fire on the building, the gunman then fled the scene in a Ford Mustang and was pursued by Chattanooga police, Mr Reinhold told reporters.
He was shot dead after a gunfight at a US Navy reserve centre about seven miles (10 km) away on Amnicola Highway.
The US Marines confirmed in a statement that there were "four Marine fatalities" at the Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Centre in Chattanooga.
They said one Marine Corps recruiter was wounded but was later released from hospital. Two other people are believed to have been treated for injuries.
"This is a sad day for the United States. These service members served their country with pride," Bill Kilden, the federal prosecutor for eastern Tennessee, said.
"We are investigating this as an act of domestic terrorism," he told reporters.
But other officials expressed caution at jumping to conclusions.
"We are looking at every possible avenue - whether it was terrorism, whether it was domestic, international or whether it was a simple criminal act," Mr Reinhold said.
City Mayor Andy Berke tweeted: "Horrific incident in our community."
"Our hearts are broken for the families of the four Marines killed in today's terrible act of violence. They are in our prayers," he added.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing the gunman firing from inside a car outside the recruitment centre.
Gina Mule, who works at a local restaurant, told CNN she heard "really loud noises" and saw a man with a "high-powered rifle".
"A lot of shots were fired," she added.
A statement from the US Department of Homeland Security said it was "enhancing the security posture at certain federal facilities, out of an abundance of caution". | A gunman has killed four US Marines and injured several others at two US Navy buildings in Chattanooga, Tennessee. |
40827139 | The 21-year-old academy graduate has made 45 league appearances for the Elland Road side.
He told the club website: "I joined the club when I was 14 and grew up in Leeds, so to sign a contract extension is an honour."
Leeds start the Championship season with a trip to Bolton on Sunday. | Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips has signed a contract extension to keep him at the club until the end of the 2020-21 season. |
37327939 | "Why did you pick him?" "Don't take it short, get it in the box!" "Put a striker on!"
Complaining about the manager's selections and questioning players' decisions on the pitch are time-honoured traditions of being a football fan.
Whether watching from the stands, on TV or listening to the match on the radio, offering full-throated advice to the coach and exhorting the players to try harder or do something different is one of the "joys" of supporting a team.
We football fans flatter ourselves that our alternative ideas would immediately improve the team's performance. Mostly they're based on intuition and a "feel for game", often nurtured over years of watching nil-nil draws in the freezing rain at uncovered away ends.
Nowadays when player acquisitions or formations strike us as baffling or obtuse, there is likely to be method in the madness. As data on player attributes, movements and positioning become more comprehensive and analytical models more sophisticated, football is relying much less on gut instincts.
It is still "the beautiful game", but it is one that increasingly resembles a game of chess.
Data is being created at historically incomparable rates, in all conceivable areas of life. We are living at the start of the age of so-called "big data". Analytics, algorithms and statistical models are increasingly part of our lives, whether we like it or not.
Professional sports are no different. This is an extraordinarily lucrative sector, where data has been identified as potentially giving athletes and teams a competitive edge.
The data revolution in sports is often traced to Billy Beane, general manager of the Oakland Athletics or A's, an unheralded team in Major League Baseball in the US. Beane employed a method that came to be known as Moneyball after Michael Lewis published a book about the A's in 2003.
Beane used an analytical, evidence-based approach to identifying players who could meaningfully contribute to the team and offer good value for money. It drew on sabermetrics, a scientific method for analysing baseball performance pioneered by Bill James. The A's sustained success on a limited budget, later chronicled in a movie based on Moneyball starring Brad Pitt, turned the spotlight on data analysis in sports.
From baseball, these analytical methods for appraising players quickly spread to the NFL and NBA, and a number of sports in the UK. In cricket, former England coach Duncan Fletcher favoured statistical analysis of batting and bowling to identify the best way for players to score runs and to get batsmen out.
Clive Woodward's innovations in using player data helped the England rugby team to win the World Cup. Dave Brailsford's innovations in performance training data helped make Team Sky multiple Tour de France winners.
In football there were pioneers too. In fact, recording granular data on players and match events goes back further than you might think.
Charles Reep coded his first football match, counting passes and noting positions, in 1950. Valeriy Lobanovsky was doing the same in the Ukraine in the 1970s. Former England manager Graham Taylor also used a crude form of analytics to inform his long ball tactics with Watford in the 1980s.
With the launch of the Premier League in 1992, and the money and exposure brought by the Sky TV deal, a number of football data companies were launched, including Prozone in 1995 and Opta in 1996.
These early efforts were impressive for the time. For instance, the computer game Championship Manager (later renamed Football Manager), launched in 1992 with a database of 4,000 players and statistics on 30 attributes per player.
Speaking to the British Science Festival in Swansea last week, Dr Tom Markham, head of strategic business development at Sports Interactive - makers of Football Manager - said those numbers have exploded in the subsequent decades.
"The game now has a database with 319,726 current players. With former players, who may take other roles in football, it comes in at over 600,000."
Compiling that database, Dr Markham said, is a big job.
"We have people on the ground in 51 different countries covering 140 leagues. There are 2,250 fully researched clubs, with 250 statistics on each player - aggregated to 47 in the user interface.
"With 1,300 scouts, all the main clubs have one researcher, and top clubs like Chelsea have multiple experts."
Some Football Manager alumni have gone on to work as scouts with professional teams, he added.
As professional football revenues continue to grow, and leagues become increasingly competitive, the data industry has also expanded. Huge amounts of data from companies like Opta and Prozone underpin not only team tactics but also sophisticated media coverage.
Coaches employ wearable tech to monitor player fatigue on the pitch and in training, to prevent injuries resulting from physically overloading players. Recorded movements on the pitch inform models of formations and playing style, with simulations and in-game stats for coaches to make halftime adjustments.
Data analysis is about spotting patterns and making predictions. Recording the direction of a players' penalty shots can show which area he favours. Knowing this a goalkeeper can increase the probability of "guessing" right.
One important metric is "expected goals", a key input in betting and analytical models. It is a predicted probability of a goal coming from a shot in a particular area of the pitch. How many shots a team has from those areas can be used to predict the likelihood of scoring.
When Leicester became Premier League champions, it was a huge shock. But it is no coincidence that their use of analytics was among the most comprehensive and forward-looking in the league.
Leicester's unusual style of play, with little possession and relying on fast attacks, took many opponents by surprise. The team suffered virtually no injuries, and relied on the emergence of unheralded players like N' Golo Kante and Jamie Vardy.
Those who believe in the data-driven approach would say this is exactly the kind of comparative advantage statistics can bring.
Another of the great rituals for football fans is speculating about transfers. Who are we going to buy? Who should we buy?
Buying and selling players is a huge business. In the recently concluded summer transfer window, Premier League teams combined to spend over £1bn, with Manchester United spending in excess of £80m on a single player.
Datasets like those compiled by Football Manager have become a resource for the scouting and recruitment operations of many teams.
Finding a low-cost, high impact player like Riyahd Mahrez or Dmitri Payet can have remarkable results on the pitch. For clubs with smaller budgets, finding a rough gem or talented youngster that they can later sell for a profit is a crucial form of revenue.
"£8 million a year is the average running cost for a tier 1 academy and teams have to find talented youngsters who they can nurture and sell on," Dr Markham said.
But assessing young talent is difficult, and not every talented youngster will become a Gareth Bale, who was discovered as a boy in Wales, nurtured by Southampton's youth academy and later signed for Real Madrid for a world record fee.
Markham told another story of young talent, Martin Odegaard, the Norwegian prodigy who signed for Real Madrid at the age of 16 after making his debut for the national team at just 15.
When Football Manager came out in Norway Odegaard wasn't in the game because he was a minor, causing a metaphorical riot among Norwegian fans. He was added to the game's database when his dad tweeted a picture giving parental consent.
But how to rate the prodigy?
When the Football Manager club scout sent his rankings to the head of Norway operations, it raised a red flag. How could a 15-year old score so highly? The Norwegian chief went to see Odegaard play a dozen times before corroborating the data sent through to the London HQ, where it was again rejected as improbable.
Dr Markham says Odegaard's stats went through a dozen different checks before his astonishing grades were accepted.
Recruitment is so important to professional clubs that the average Premier League team has 7 international scouts. But clubs don't have the resources to cover players in every country - and many teams use Football Manager to inform their own scouting strategies, Dr Markham said.
Other teams are creating their own datasets, and working with other companies to come up with bespoke solutions. Teams using analytics to thrive include Brentford and the Danish club Midtjylland, both with connections to Matthew Benham, a noted convert to the data-driven analytical approach.
Aside from clubs and gamers using simulations, data underpins many other aspects of the football industry, from TV coverage to betting models and fantasy football. Using analytics to spot patterns in match results is used to monitor match fixing. Books with titles like Soccernomics and Soccermatics allow fans to get close to the "action" of data analytics.
The relationship of gaming with professional football goes both ways. Players enjoy simulations like FIFA in their frequent downtime and many players are used to receiving data on their own performance.
A picture of Paul Pogba playing Football Manager and signing himself for Chelsea set off speculation that he might move from Juventus to Chelsea.
And according to Dr Markham, those involved in the beautiful game itself can be - perhaps unsurprisingly - fixated on their representation in virtual versions like Football Manager.
He often receives messages from players and agents, he said. "Sometimes they complain about their ratings in the game, or their agents try to get them put up." | "Big data" - the world of analytics, algorithms and statistical models - are increasingly part of our lives, and professional sports such as football are no different. |
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