id
stringlengths 7
11
| dialogue
stringlengths 15
174k
⌀ | summary
stringlengths 1
399
|
|---|---|---|
39143865 | The 500lb (227kg) device was discovered in The Avenue, Brondesbury Park, shortly before midday.
All homes within a 200m radius and a nearby nursery school were evacuated after police and fire crews were called to the scene.
The site will not be made safe until at least Friday afternoon, Brent Council has warned.
It has set up a centre for people who are unable to return home.
An Army bomb disposal team is working to make the bomb safe.
A spokesperson for the council said the bomb will not be made safe until "at least Friday afternoon", although there have been warnings that it could take longer.
One local resident told the BBC that "these things do happen" as London was bombed heavily in the war, but "it's just now inconveniencing me massively".
"I understand it's for security reason but it's just annoying", another resident said.
Supt Nigel Quantrell of the Met Police said specialist teams "are working very hard to resolve the situation". | An unexploded World War Two bomb has been found on a building site in north-west London. |
40478721 | Dywedodd Mr Sargeant fod angen profion pellach i gael darlun cyflawn wedi i fflatiau yn Abertawe fethu'r profion cyntaf.
Daeth y profion i'r gorchudd ar fflatiau yn Abertawe wedi tân tŵr Grenfell yn Llundain.
Daw'r casgliadau ar Gwrt Clyne yn Sgeti wedi i ganlyniadau tebyg gael eu cofnodi ar 149 o dyrau yn Lloegr.
Ychwanegodd bod methiant y profion yn "destun peth pryder", a dywedodd bod gweinidogion yn disgwyl cyngor gan lywodraeth y DU er mwyn gweld a oes angen profion pellach neu i symud trigolion o'r adeiladau.
Mae Cyngor Abertawe yn gofyn am eglurder, gan ddweud fod y fflatiau "yn cwrdd â'r rheoliadau adeiladu presennol".
Dywedodd Llywodraeth Cymru y bydd "yn parhau i weithio'n agos gydag Abertawe ar y dilyniant i ganlyniadau'r profion hyn, er mwyn cytuno ar ffordd bwyllog a chymesur ymlaen".
Cafodd samplau o'r un math o gladin a gafodd e defnyddio ar dŵr Grenfell o saith tŵr yng Nghymru eu profi yn dilyn cais gan Lywodraeth Cymru.
Dywedodd Cyngor Abertawe fod y Sefydliad Ymchwil Prydeinig (BRE) wedi edrych ar samplau o bedwar o'u 11 bloc o fflatiau - tri yng nghwrt Clyne ac un yng nghwrt Jeffrey ym Mhenlan, sy'n cynnwys deunydd alwminiwm cyfansawdd (ACM).
Dywedodd y cynghorydd Andrea Lewis, aelod cabinet ar dai: "O ystyried fod pob awdurdod lleol yn Lloegr a gafodd brofion wedi'u methu nhw, dydy'r canlyniad ddim yn ein synnu ni.
"Serch hynny, rydym eisiau eglurder gan Lywodraeth Cymru a BRE am natur y profion, gan nad ydyn ni'n dal i wybod sut rai oedden nhw.
"Beth rydyn ni'n wybod yw fod y deunydd anfonon ni i gael ei brofi yn cwrdd â'r rheoliadau adeiladu presennol.
"Yn ychwanegol at y deunydd cladio, mae'n systemau yn cynnwys deunydd ynysu gwrthlosgi a rhwystrau tân metal sy'n mynd y tu hwn i ofynion y rheoliadau adeiladu."
Brynhawn Llun dywedodd Carl Sargeant bod y gwasanaeth tân wedi "rhoi peth sicrwydd am safonau'r adeiladu" ar flociau yn Abertawe a Chasnewydd lle'r oedd samplau wedi eu gyrru am brofion.
"Maen nhw'n credu bod yr adeiladau mewn cyflwr da, ac ar hyn o bryd - fel mesur dros dro - eu bod yn llefyd diogel i fod ynddyn nhw ar y foment."
Dywedodd llefarydd ar ran Llywodraeth Cymru: "Yn dilyn y drychineb tŵr Grenfell, fe ddwedon ni wrth awdurdodau lleol a landlordiaid cymdeithasol yng Nghymru y dylid profi unrhyw ddeunydd Alwminiwm Cyfansawdd (ACM) oedd ar flociau, neu os oedden nhw'n amau eu bod yn bresennol.
"Mae Abertawe hefyd wedi cadarnhau i ni bod yr holl fesurau diogelwch tân dros dro a argymhellir yng nghyngor y DCLG ar 22 Mehefin wedi cael eu cyflwyno. Mae'r gwasanaeth tân wedi eu harchwilio ac yn adrodd fod y mesurau diogelwch tân yn iawn.
"Byddwn yn parhau i weithio'n agos gydag Abertawe ar y dilyniant i ganlyniadau'r profion hyn, er mwyn cytuno ar ffordd bwyllog a chymesur ymlaen, sydd â diogelwch y preswylwyr wrth ei wraidd." | Mae'r Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Gymunedau, Carl Sargeant wedi dweud bod fflatiau sydd wedi methu profion diogelwch tân yn "llefydd diogel i fyw ynddyn nhw". |
36370628 | Reports say about 100 tax officials entered Google's offices in central Paris early in the morning.
Police sources confirmed the raid. Google said: "We comply with French law and are co-operating fully with the authorities to answer their questions."
Google is accused of owing €1.6bn ($1.8bn; £1.3bn) in unpaid taxes.
The tax arrangements of international companies have come under close scrutiny recently.
Several have been accused of using legal methods to minimise their tax bills.
In Google's case, its tax structure allows it to pay tax in the Republic of Ireland, even when sales appear to relate to the UK.
In January, it struck a deal with UK tax authorities to pay an extra £130m in tax for the period from 2005, but that deal was heavily criticised.
The UK Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said the £130m settlement "seems disproportionately small", compared with the size of its UK business.
Europe's competition authorities have been examining whether some deals struck by big companies with national tax authorities amount to illegal state aid.
In April, the EU unveiled plans to force large companies to disclose more about their tax affairs.
They will have to declare publicly how much tax they pay in each EU country as well as any activities carried out in specific tax havens.
The rules on "country-by-country reporting" would affect multinational firms with more than €750m in sales. | French finance officials have raided the Paris offices of US internet giant Google as part of a tax fraud investigation. |
38648879 | Artistic director Donald Shaw has picked out some of his highlights:
"A big part of the festival is shows that are unique," says Donald Shaw. "These are shows that will never come together again, one-off moments musically."
He says Calexico and guests is one of the many shows that fall into that category.
The band, who are named after a California/Mexico border town, straddle musical boundaries but there is a "distinct roots element to what they do", says Donald Shaw.
The Celtic Connections show, Across the Borderline, is about women's experiences of crossing borders.
"Some of the guests include people like Guatemalan Latin Grammy winner Gaby Moreno and US songstress Pieta Brown," the artistic director says.
"It is the opposite of Trump's plan to build a wall between Mexico and the US. It is about musically how there are artists on both sides of the border influenced by each other.
"I think it will be a special night. It will be one of those typical celebratory nights."
"Shooglenifty are no strangers to Celtic Connections," says Donald Shaw.
"They are one of the great troubadours of fusion-trad music, a Highland band who have toured the world and played in venues like Sydney Opera house and Borneo World Music Festival.
"Very sadly their fiddler Angus R Grant passed away this year through cancer. So it's a very special night. They are bringing in a lot of well-known fiddlers who have been inspired by Angus's playing and by the band.
"I think there is something like 60 or 80 musicians involved.
"They are a band that would have been playing in the very first years of Celtic Connections, they would have been part of the scene, so it is an important night."
2017 is the 150th anniversary of Canada coming together as a state.
"One of the shows we are doing is with Le Vent Du Nord and De Temps Antan, who are actually two Quebec bands", says Donald Shaw.
"As part of the night they will raise a hand in solidarity to the great country that they live in."
Mr Shaw adds: "The music they play, Quebecois traditional music and work songs, has been a big influence on the change in folk music in this country.
"A lot of the songs are in French but the melodies have been inspired by Scottish and Irish traditions that were there 200 or 300 years ago.
"It is a fascinating region musically."
"It is the 70th anniversary of independence for India and we have a special show for that," says Donald Shaw.
It features Trilok Gurtu and Evelyn Glennie.
He says: "Glennie, of course, is one of the top percussionists in this country and Trilok is one of the great Indian percussionists, who has worked with all sorts of people, including Bjork, Jan Garbarek and Salif Keita.
"It is going to be a fantastic meeting of minds and probably one of the more unusual gigs we put on."
Artistic director Donald Shaw says: "Celtic Connections, which has been running since 1994, shares a similar timeframe with the Feisean movement.
"This is the Gaelic festival movement that was set up nearly 30 years ago and is one of the reasons why traditional music and Gaelic song has experienced such a strong renaissance.
"The Feisean movement was set up with the idea of having weekend festivals and masterclasses to teach young people traditional music and Gaelic song.
"It is a very simple idea but that built up over the years and through that movement we found a way to reach a new generation."
He adds: "One of the shows we have is Fèis Rois, one of the Feisean groups from Ross-shire, who have created a show with fiddler Lauren MacColl.
"She has written music inspired by the Brahan Seer, the 17th Century 'Scottish Nostradamus' who lived near Dingwall.
"I think it will be pretty compelling in terms of musicians involved."
"Dirt Road is a book by the Scottish author James Kelman," says Donald Shaw.
"It is a fantastic book that was released in the last year, all about the southern heartlands of the US and its zydeco and Appalachian music.
"The book is basically a love story between a father and son on a travelogue. They end up in Louisiana and their lives are transformed by the music there."
He adds: "One of the festival's great musicians is Dirk Powell, who has toured with people like Jack White, Joan Baez and Eric Clapton.
"He's coming with his own show, along with one of the great Louisiana singers Jon Cleary.
"If you like a bit of deep south Americana music, that will be one to check out."
"Shirley Collins was a big name in the 1960s folk revival," says Donald Shaw.
"She had amazing experiences collecting songs in the 1960s with Alan Lomax.
"In the 70s she lost her voice and she has not done anything for 35 years. This is her returning to the live stage for the first time.
"It is a pretty special moment. She has special surprise guests with her and I guess she is very revered in the English folk scene. She is one of the great singers and great collectors of folk songs."
"Balkanopolis is something a bit out of the ordinary," says artistic director Donald Shaw.
"Slododan Trkuja is a great Serbian singer and multi-instrumentalist. He has a band, who are known as a 'circus', called Balkanopolis.
"The whole night is a celebration of Balkan music.
"If you have never experienced a night of crazed Balkan music, it is worth checking out."
Slododan Trkuja is also involved in La Banda Europa.
Donald Shaw says: "It is almost like a political statement. It is a band of 35 musicians from all over Europe coming together."
Edinburgh composer and producer Jim Sutherland is behind the project and will premiere the new music he has written for it.
Donald Shaw says: "It is about saying 'whatever rhetoric we get from the politicians, it is very much ignored by the musicians'.
"Musicians need free movement to survive, otherwise the traditions won't evolve at all.
"The original music commissioned back in 2008 was inspired by the unusual musical instruments from the European folk communities and this is an update with a brand new piece called We Are An Ocean.
"It'll be a pretty majestic night."
Two of Brazil's finest female performers - Roberta Sá and Baby do Brasil - are to play together as part of the festival's special link with the South American country this year.
Donald Shaw says they are two divas of Brazilian music. "They are two fantastic, soulful female singers in the one gig."
Celtic Connections has brought six Brazilian stars over to Scotland this year in conjunction with the Mimo festival in Brazil. | More than 2,000 artists will perform in Glasgow over the next 18 days as part of Celtic Connections. |
39913890 | The crash happened in the Davidson's Mains area at 09:15 on Sunday.
The woman, who was struck by a Lothian Buses vehicle at the junction of Quality Street and Main Street, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The roads were closed for several hours while investigations were carried out. Police have appealed for witnesses to contact them.
Insp Stuart Mitchell said: "Our thoughts are with the woman's family at this very difficult time and we continue to offer them support.
"Our inquiries into this collision are ongoing and we would ask anyone who can help to come forward.
"Anyone who may have witnessed this collision and has not yet spoken to officers is urged to get in touch." | A 70-year-old woman has died after being hit by a bus in Edinburgh. |
38308883 | He said Syrian government troops had re-established control over the last areas of the city held by rebels.
He said an arrangement had been made for rebel fighters to leave. The rebels confirmed the deal, but said civilians would also be allowed to leave.
The latest developments could bring to an end more than four years of vicious fighting in which thousands have died.
Reporters on the ground said there had been no bombardments or fighting in recent hours.
The rebels had been squeezed into ever smaller areas of the city in recent months in a major government offensive backed by Russian air power.
Word of the deal came as the UN reported summary killings by pro-government forces.
It said it had reliable evidence that in four areas 82 civilians were killed, adding that many more may have died.
The UN and the US said the Syrian government and its allies Russia and Iran were accountable for any atrocities committed in the city.
Russia said the allegations were untrue.
"According to the latest information that we received in the last hour, military actions in eastern Aleppo are over," Mr Churkin told an emergency session of the UN Security Council.
Earlier he had spoken of the deal allowing the rebels to leave, saying it would take place within hours.
"The civilians, they can stay, they can go to safe places, they can take advantage of the humanitarian arrangements that are on the ground. Nobody is going to harm the civilians," Mr Churkin said.
Rebel groups suggested that civilians would be included in the exodus.
The seizure of the eastern part of the city by government forces and the crushing of the rebel enclave there represents a major propaganda victory for the government of President Bashar al-Assad, which now controls virtually all of the major population centres of the country.
But Aleppo - the most populous city before the civil war and the country's financial centre - is the biggest prize.
Its capture represents a victory not just for Mr Assad but also for his Iranian and Russian backers.
Aleppo itself may not matter much on Moscow's strategic chess-board. But the defeat of the rebel opposition there underscores the extraordinary turn-around in President Assad's fortunes.
Before Russia intervened President Assad was on the ropes, his military power crumbling.
External actors have propped up his government in large part to secure their own strategic aspirations. And these aspirations will play an important part in deciding what comes next.
Aleppo: Key dates in the battle
Red Cross doctor's heartbreaking letter
Before the end to hostilities was announced, the rebels had retreated into just a handful of neighbourhoods.
It is hard to know exactly how many people are in the besieged areas, although UN envoy Staffan de Mistura put the figure at about 50,000.
He said there were approximately 1,500 rebel fighters, about 30% of whom were from the jihadist group formerly known as the al-Nusra Front.
Other local sources say there could be as many as 100,000 people, many of them arriving from areas recently taken by the government.
Ibrahim Abu-Laith, a spokesman for the White Helmets volunteer rescue group, said 90% of their equipment was out of operation and only one medical point was still working in the besieged areas. There was no first aid equipment left, he added.
He said volunteers were using their hands to pull people out of rubble, but some 70 people were stuck and could not be extracted.
Activist Lina Shamy: "Humans all over the world, don't sleep! You can do something, protest now! Stop the genocide".
Bana Alabed, aged 7: "I am talking to the world now live from East #Aleppo. This is my last moment to either live or die."
White Helmets tweet: "All streets & destroyed buildings are full with dead bodies. It's hell."
Abdul Kafi Alhamado, teacher: "Some people are under the rubble, no-one can help them. They just leave them under the rubble until they die - these houses as their graves."
The 'final goodbyes' from Aleppo
UN human rights spokesman Rupert Colville said that 82 civilians had reportedly been killed by pro-government forces, of whom 11 were women and 13 children, adding that the death toll could be much higher.
He said there were reports of numerous bodies in the streets, with residents unable to retrieve them for fear of being shot on sight.
The UN's humanitarian adviser on Syria, Jan Egeland, earlier spoke of "massacres of unarmed civilians, of young men, of women, children, health workers", saying a pro-government Iraqi Shia militia was responsible for the killings.
This is a huge blow to the armed opposition, and a major victory for the Russians, the Iranians, Lebanon's Hezbollah and some Iraqi Shia militias.
But the rebels still control quite large areas, as do the jihadists of so-called Islamic State. So in terms of Syria itself the war continues.
The BBC's Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen says it will be a different type of war - less rebels trying to hold territory and create their own entity, more hit-and-run and insurgency.
At the UN Security Council meeting, US ambassador Samantha Power said the Syrian government and Russia and Iran bore responsibility for killings of civilians.
For the UK, Matthew Rycroft said the UN had failed in its mission to resolve the crisis, and the reports of atrocities "evoked the darkest days of the history of the United Nations".
Mr Churkin denied humanitarian abuses were taking place. Earlier Russia said atrocities were being carried out by "terrorist groups", referring to rebels.
For much of the past four years, Aleppo has been divided roughly in two, with the government controlling the western half and rebels the east.
Syrian troops finally broke the deadlock with the help of Iranian-backed militias and Russian air strikes, reinstating a siege on the east in early September and launching an all-out assault weeks later. | Military action has ended in eastern Aleppo, Russia's ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, has said. |
34252190 | Media playback is not supported on this device
Winning three more Grand Slams would take him past Bjorn Borg, Rod Laver and Roy Emerson on the all-time list, and in sight of Pete Sampras and Rafael Nadal, who both have 14 to their name.
Roger Federer's record of 17 remains the ultimate goal. Djokovic has nearly six years on Federer, but modern history suggests such relentless success will be extremely difficult to sustain into his 30s.
Watching him now, though, makes anything seem possible. Djokovic reached all four of 2015's Grand Slam finals, losing only to Stan Wawrinka in the championship match at the French Open. He is already guaranteed to end the year as the world number one for the fourth time in five seasons: only Federer, Sampras and Jimmy Connors have done so more frequently.
Djokovic was not even at the peak of his powers at this US Open. Federer had exactly the right game plan in the final, but was not able to execute it as well as he expected to at the critical moments. The Swiss converted just four of his 23 break points (10 of which included a second serve), but many of those were created by rushing the net: sometimes as Djokovic was still tossing the ball in the air to serve.
"It seems like there are not many guys that can hang with him," Federer reflected in defeat.
"They don't have the tools or dare to go forward, or dare to serve and volley against him because he's so good on the return."
It is hard to imagine Federer being able to play even better next summer - a summer in which he will turn 35 - so who else can come up with some of the answers?
Andy Murray has the ability to beat Djokovic, but he is unlikely to try from the net and has not overcome the Serb in a Grand Slam since the 2013 Wimbledon final. Nadal will still very much believe in his chances if he can stay fit and healthy for a consistent period of time, but may struggle to impose himself in the way he needs to away from Roland Garros.
Wawrinka provided the answer in Paris this June, with one of the most thrilling counter-attacks ever seen in a Grand Slam final. He went for broke, and it came off gloriously as a barrage of ferocious groundstrokes scorched the lines, but it is exceptionally rare for any player to be able to sustain such a high-risk level for as long as Wawrinka did.
World number six Kei Nishikori is a potential Grand Slam champion (especially if he has a little more luck with injuries) and a very talented new generation is emerging, but players like 18-year-old Borna Coric need at least another couple of years before they can be considered genuine contenders.
So the reality is that over the next three years, only Djokovic looks to have the tools to dominate a Grand Slam season in the way he did this one.
He has no weaknesses and is incredibly comfortable on all surfaces, whether there is a roof over his head or not.
His coaching set-up appears ideal: Marian Vajda has been with Djokovic for the best part of a decade, and Boris Becker, who joined the team in December 2013, offers the perspective of a fellow Grand Slam champion.
The great imponderable is whether he will still have the desire, as well as the physical and mental capacity, to keep regularly winning Grand Slams into his 30s.
"I have always valued the care for my body and my mind and had this holistic approach to life. I always thought this is of the utmost importance for my tennis," Djokovic said in the aftermath of his second US Open title.
"I will continue on with the same kind of lifestyle. Hopefully this kind of approach will give me longevity and I can have many more years to come and many more opportunities to fight for these trophies."
In 2010, Djokovic cut out wheat and dairy and reduced his sugar intake - he has won nine of his 10 Grand Slams in the five years since. He is also an advocate of the traditional Chinese medicinal belief that parts of the body heal at different times of the day.
The large intestine, for example, is supposed to be working to remove toxins from the body between 5am and 7am, and so to aid the process, the 28-year-old will always drink a glass of warm water as soon as he wakes.
Djokovic won his first Grand Slam in Melbourne at the age of 20, so at the very least will have to buck recent trends if he is to remain a serial winner in his early 30s.
Pete Sampras did win his first and last Grand Slams 12 years apart, but only won one after turning 29.
Federer has been similarly frustrated: the Wimbledon title of 2012 is the only Grand Slam he has managed to land since his 29th birthday. Nadal won at least one major title every year for 10 years, but his most recent success came just days after turning 28.
Maybe Djokovic will prove unique in the men's game, and take a leaf out of Serena Williams's book.
And maybe Federer will need the insurance of one further Grand Slam title to keep that record more secure. | Only six men in the history of tennis have won more Grand Slam titles than Novak Djokovic, and as he promised after winning a 10th in New York on Sunday: "As long as there is this flare in me, I will be coming back." |
40003392 | The 27-year-old former Kilmarnock and Oldham midfielder will officially join the relegated Sky Blues on 1 July.
He was given a six-game ban in February for pushing over a ball boy and missed Orient's last three games of the season as they went down from League Two.
"He is a very talented footballer who will contribute goals from midfield for us," said Coventry boss Mark Robins.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. | Coventry City have agreed to sign Leyton Orient captain Liam Kelly on a two-year contract. |
36333014 | 26 May 2016 Last updated at 09:46 BST
The debate - the first ahead of the 23 June poll - is aimed at young voters.
You've told us whether you're voting to leave or remain - in or out - and about the issues of concern to you ahead of the referendum to decide Britain's future in Europe.
Produced by Stephen Fottrell. | Ahead of the first debate on the EU referendum on 26 May, we asked for your thoughts and views in video, using your mobile. |
32749781 | Born Riley B King in Mississippi in 1925, the musician earned his "BB" nickname - a contraction of "Beale Street Blues Boy" - after moving to Memphis in 1947.
King cut his teeth playing on the so-called Chitlin' Circuit - a string of venues in America's then-racially segregated southern states that took its name from chitterlings, or stewed pig intestines.
He made his first tour of Europe in 1968 and came to be known and welcomed around the world. In this picture, he is seen on the Great Wall of China in 1994.
In 1996 he took a break during a European tour to perform for Nato troops at Tuzla airbase in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
King was the recipient of many accolades and won more than a dozen Grammys. This photo was taken in 2001, the year he won best traditional blues album for Riding with the King.
The album saw him collaborate with Eric Clapton, a long-time fan he first met in the 1960s. "I've never met a better man, a more gracious man than my friend Eric Clapton," he said in 2007.
Another celebrated collaboration came in 1988 when King appeared on U2's Rattle and Hum album. The musician was reunited with frontman Bono at a tribute concert in 2008.
King made several trips to the White House during his long and eventful life. Here he is seen receiving the National Medal of Arts from George and Barbara Bush in 1990.
Sixteen years later, the musician was back at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom from another member of the Bush family.
In between those occasions, King found time to jam with President Bill Clinton in Beverly Hills in 2001. The man playing sax between them is "Reverend" Dave Boruff.
BB was back at the White House in 2001, guitar in hand. The musician named all his instruments Lucille, after a woman who was the root cause of a fire in which his first guitar almost perished.
King is seen here in 2004 receiving the Polar Music Prize in Stockholm from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. He was recognised for "his significant contributions to the blues" and his "fundamental importance to the development of modern popular music".
"I think that I know my job pretty well," King said in 2010. "But I'm never any better than my last job. I think that I'm here and, just as easy, cannot be here. So I never think that I've got it made." | Respected by his peers and loved by millions, guitarist BB King was a blues legend who influenced a generation of musicians. |
39917330 | The Spaniard has now won three straight titles, after his Barcelona Open and Monte Carlo Masters victories, while his record on clay this year is 15-0.
Nadal edged the Austrian in the tie-break of a tense first set that lasted one hour and 18 minutes.
He broke world number seven Thiem early in the second set to set up the win.
Nadal will be confirmed as the new world number four, replacing 18-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer, when the new rankings come out on Monday.
That will improve his seeding for the French Open, which starts on 22 May and where Nadal is a nine-time champion.
Nadal, who beat defending champion Novak Djokovic in the semi-final, has now won his 30th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title, tying the all-time record with Serbia's Djokovic.
The former world number one was last inside the world's top four in October 2016 and struggled with a wrist injury last year, which forced him to pull out of the French Open and Wimbledon and end his season early.
Nadal told Television Espanola: "The truth is I was up against an opponent who, in the next five to 10 years, will be fighting for the most important titles, so I'm very happy to have won.
"It was a very exciting game.
"It was a very important final for both of us, for him as it was the first in the Masters 1000, and for me it's always special to play here in Madrid, in this unique tournament.
"You never know when it might be the last, so I always try to enjoy it." | Rafael Nadal beat Dominic Thiem 7-6 (10-8) 6-4 to win his fifth Madrid Open title and move into the world's top four. |
35345216 | The 20-year-old has made seven appearances for the Hammers in all competitions, scoring one goal.
Lee, son of former England player Rob, is in his second stint with the U's, having featured in four games during a loan spell in 2013.
He also played four times for Blackpool after joining on a one-month loan in November, but failed to score a goal.
Meanwhile, midfielder Byron Lawrence, 19, has left the U's after his contract was cancelled by mutual consent.
Lawrence made only one appearance for Colchester after signing following his release by Ipswich in September 2014. | League One side Colchester United have re-signed West Ham striker Elliot Lee on loan until the end of the season. |
29334441 | Bridget Leggat, 55, called police while her son was in prison, claiming to be the girl and made false rape claims in a bid to blacken her name.
Leggat was caught when the calls made in April and May 2013 were traced.
She admitted attempting to defeat the ends of justice and was ordered to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work.
At Glasgow Sheriff Court, Leggat, from Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, was also told she will be supervised for 12 months.
Her son, 30-year-old son Donald Kennedy, from Glasgow, was jailed for six years and four months last year after he admitted having sex with an underage girl and breaching an order banning him from contacting children. | A woman who tried to disrupt a police investigation into her son after he had sex with an underage girl has been handed a community payback order. |
33835563 | The 26-year-old, who has been in French football since 2007, joins alongside Ghana striker Abdul Majeed Waris.
After stints at Rennes, Monaco and Nancy, Moukandjo believes he has joined the right club at the right time.
"I'm delighted to be here at Lorient and to join an ambitious club," he told BBC Sport.
It's easy to be tempted by big money but I was not going to sacrifice my progress and development for that
"I have been in this league for sometime now and at 26 this club provides my career with the ideal stability and challenge.
"I'm not lowering my standards but taking on a great challenge. I have high standards and I aim to achieve success with Lorient."
Lorient only just escaped relegation last season, finishing 16th on 43 points.
But Moukandjo says the chance to work with the club president Loïc Fery and manager Sylvain Ripoll was a big influence on his decision to join the Brittany club.
"When I spoke to the people in charge I could see the club is heading in the right direction," he added.
"I realise they are eager to fix the lessons from a difficult season and there is a solid foundation for this season's realistic ambition and beyond.
"It wasn't difficult to make up my mind to come here. I received unbelievable offers from Asia but I prefer to continue my progress in this league and with Lorient.
"It's easy to be tempted by big money but I was not going to sacrifice my progress and development for that."
Moukandjo made his international debut for four-time African champions Cameroon against Senegal in June 2011.
An integral member of the Indomitable Lions, he started all three group matches against Mexico, Croatia and Brazil at the 2014 World Cup.
At the 2015 African Cup of Nations, when Cameroon were knocked out at the group stage, he scored in a 1-1 draw with Guinea. | Cameroon forward Benjamin Moukandjo is aiming for success with Lorient after joining the French club on a two-year deal from rivals Reims. |
38843581 | Forwards Marvin Emnes and Lucas Joao both joined on loan, while Celtic defender Efe Ambrose could arrive pending a work permit decision.
They were the only deals done by Rovers, who are in the relegation zone.
"The investment is always there for the right player who becomes available at the right price," said Senior.
He told BBC Radio Lancashire: "It was never a case of 'we can't have any money' as there is money and resources there."
Owen Coyle's side have won just one of their last 10 games in the Championship and were beaten at home by Leeds United on Wednesday.
"I had a ridiculous amount of players made available to me during January," added Senior. "It is an expensive month to try and do business and you can make a lot of mistakes if you don't get the right players in.
"Part of my job is also keeping the wrong type of players out of the squad because it would be very easy to say yes, yes, yes, but you end up paying for those mistakes for along time in the future." | Blackburn had funds to spend in the January transfer window despite their lack of activity, says Rovers football director Paul Senior. |
39479066 | The 40-year-old former Shrimps defender has been in charge since 2011 when he was initially player-manager.
Uncertainty over the ownership and wages being paid late three times are among the problems he has dealt with.
"The end product for me is getting to the end of the season and making sure we're a Football League club," he said.
Morecambe are 20th in League Two, 10 points above the relegation places, and Bentley will make no decisions about his future until they have completed their final six games.
He told BBC Radio Lancashire: "Then I'm going to assess everything myself because I can't have another year like I've had this year with the way that is has gone.
"Things need sorting and we've all got to move forward. It hasn't been right for the players and the staff, we've all got to pull together." | Morecambe manager Jim Bentley has said he will assess his future at the financially troubled League Two side at the end of the season. |
40606968 | The 25-year-old joined the Trotters on a six-month loan deal last season, scoring four goals in 24 appearances.
"It feels great to be back. I'm very familiar with Bolton now," Ameobi told the club's website.
"The gaffer was massive for me last season. He helped me rebuild my confidence and I believe he gets the best out of me."
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. | Bolton Wanderers have re-signed winger Sammy Ameobi after his release by Premier League side Newcastle United. |
19902781 | The puppies, including cocker and springer spaniels, Labradors and Jack Russell terriers, were recovered in two cars on Malahide Road.
Animal welfare officers said they suspected the animals, which were found in boxes, were being trafficked for sale in the UK.
Two men were arrested at the scene.
Officers from the Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) took the puppies into quarantine and secure accommodation following their discovery.
Some of the puppies are suffering from a number of treatable conditions including mange, ear mites, fleas, eye infections and parasitic infections.
"They are doing very well today compared to the condition they were found in," said DSPCA spokesperson Gillian Bird.
"We don't believe they were puppies for the Christmas market as it's too early. This is an example of animal trafficking which can happen at any time of the year.
"Several of the puppies are receiving special care as they were too young to be removed from their mothers."
Many of the pups had had their tails docked and their dew claws removed and are receiving treatment for minor infections.
The DSPCA has confirmed that none of the puppies are available for new homes until DSPCA inspectors have concluded their investigations.
"When the dogs are ready to go to new homes, we will put it up on our website and our Facebook page" said Ms Bird. | Thirty-six puppies found in Dublin by police on Tuesday were being sent to the UK from puppy farms in the Republic of Ireland, it is believed. |
19243633 | Even those who make the switch in their late 40s and 50s can still benefit, the study of over 4,000 people suggests.
And it need not be hard toil in a gym - gardening and brisk walks count towards the required 2.5 hours of moderate activity per week, say experts.
But more work is needed since the study looked at markers linked to heart problems and not heart disease itself.
And it relied on people accurately reporting how much exercise they did - something people tend to overestimate rather than underestimate.
In the study, which is published in the journal Circulation, people who did the recommended 2.5 hours of exercise a week had the lower levels of inflammatory markers in their blood.
Inflammatory markers are important, say experts, because high levels have been linked to increased heart risk.
People who said they consistently stuck to the recommended amount of exercise for the entire 10-year study had the lowest inflammatory levels overall.
But even those who said they only started doing the recommended amount of exercise when they were well into their 40s saw an improvement and had lower levels of inflammation than people who said they never did enough exercise.
The findings were unchanged when the researchers took into consideration other factors, such as obesity and smoking, that could have influenced the results in the group of UK civil servants who were included in the study.
Dr Mark Hamer, of University College London, who led the research, said: "We should be encouraging more people to get active - for example, walking instead of taking the bus. You can gain health benefits from moderate activity at any time in your life."
Maureen Talbot of the British Heart Foundation, which funded the work, said: "Donning your gardening gloves or picking up a paint brush can still go a long way to help look after your heart health, as exercise can have a big impact on how well your heart ages.
"This research highlights the positive impact changing your exercise habits can have on the future of your heart health - and that it's never too late to re-energise your life.
"However it's important not to wait until you retire to get off the couch, as being active for life is a great way to keep your heart healthy." | Making sure you get enough exercise in midlife will help protect your heart, according to research. |
36205819 | Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is one of the fastest-growing and most controversial sports in the world.
A UK-based study has found some competitors are dehydrating themselves to dangerous levels.
The International Mixed Martial Arts Federation said work is being done to educate fighters on how to manage their weight safely.
The sport, which combines techniques from wrestling and martial arts, is banned in France, but attracts millions of television viewers across the globe.
It is becoming increasingly popular in the UK and Ireland as a result of high profile stars such as Dublin's Conor McGregor.
As a combat sport, those who take part say they know and accept the risk of injury in the cage as a result of blows to the body and head.
But Ben Crighton from Liverpool Moores University's School of Sport and Exercise Sciences says many are risking their lives before they even get into the cage by severely dehydrating themselves in order to meet strict weight limits.
Severe dehydration can cause kidney failure and other health problems. In extreme cases it can be fatal. Medical research has also shown it can increase the risk of brain injury during a fight.
Mr Crighton interviewed 30 professional UK fighters and 75 UK and European amateurs as part of two research projects looking at weight loss in the sport.
He said he had found "alarming weight cutting behaviour in Mixed Martial Arts."
"Such losses are greater than in other combat sports, likely due to the requirement to possess higher lean mass for grappling and the significant time between weigh-in and competition."
MMA fighters are generally weighed 24 hours before a bout, with many dehydrating themselves to lose weight in the hope that they can then rehydrate before the fight the following day.
In recent years a number of fighters have become ill or have died from complications associated with severe dehydration.
In September 2013 Leandro Souza, 26, from Brazil died after reportedly attempting to lose 20% of his body mass in seven days. Chinese fighter, 21-year-old Yang Jian Bing, died before a fight in December 2015 after suffering extreme dehydration trying to meet the weight limit.
Mr Crighton said a limited number of weight categories in MMA meant that fighters had to lose more weight than boxers to drop a classification.
He found professional fighters were losing the biggest amount of weight, with one fighter losing 7.4kg - nearly 11% of his body weight - in the 24 hours before a fight.
He found only 20% of professional fighters took advice from qualified nutritionists, with many using techniques they'd found out about on the internet, such as sitting in a sauna or hot bath for long periods of time, and starving themselves.
Nearly 70% of the professionals he spoke to said they'd engaged in water loading, which involves drinking excessive amounts of water to force the body to expel it.
And 17% said they'd taken prescription or over-the-counter diuretics.
The study found 61% admitted taking supplements without knowing whether they contained banned substances or not. Others said they had used intravenous lines to rehydrate themselves after being weighed.
Amateurs reported losing up to 10kg in the week before a fight and up to 7kg in the 24 hours before, with some saying they had shed weight 20 times in a year.
Nearly 10% exhibited the classic signs of having an eating disorder.
In February this year Dhafir Harris, whose fighting name is Dada 5000, suffered renal failure and two heart attacks during a fight after losing 25% of his body weight.
He told 5live Investigates he had to undergo months of dialysis and treatment to help him recover.
"I wouldn't wish the last couple of months of my life on anybody."
The BBC also spoke to an amateur MMA fighter who said he suffered kidney damage after losing weight for a fight. As a result, he was forced to retire from the sport on the advice of his doctor.
Joe Neill said: "I'd water load, I'd drink eight litres, then six, then 24 hours before weigh-in I'd drink one litre and then nothing. Then you get in the sauna and a hot bath and you sweat the rest of the weight off.
"As I was cutting weight I was struggling. I had to be placed back into the bath because I was so weak. I weighed-in for the next day but I lost that fight.
"After that I started getting pains in my side. I went to the doctors. They said my kidney function was down.
"When I explained the process of cutting weight, they were hugely concerned by that and said I had to stop. That scared me, to be honest.
"You are basically sweating yourself to the edge of death.
"There is always that risk that someone will lose their life. No-one thinks it's going to be them. It's ridiculous what I was doing."
As a relatively new sport in the UK and Ireland there is no regulatory body to ensure businesses, or promoters who organise MMA fights, take measures to safeguard the welfare of competitors, although big promoters say they do take safety very seriously.
In a bid to address safety concerns, a voluntary organisation, Safe MMA, was set up by fighters, business people, industry experts and doctors.
The organisation works closely with the International and UK Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF), which represents those involved in all aspects of the sport.
A spokeswoman for IMMAF said: "Extreme weight-cutting practices are a concern in MMA and are strongly condemned as a dangerous risk to athletes by IMMAF and its medical committee."
She said those taking part in IMMAF-approved or organised amateur tournament events taking place over a series of days were encouraged to compete at their "walk around" weight. She said they were also weighed more frequently and closer to the fight and had to pass medical examinations before and after each fight.
She added IMMAF was proposing to introduce a mandatory online educational course on weight-cutting risks, to be included in the online registration application form for IMMAF competitions.
She said the organisation would not oppose the introduction of more weight categories in the sport if it could be shown that it would reduce extreme weight-cutting.
Bellator, which organised Dada 5000's fight, is one of the biggest companies involved in MMA.
A spokesman said the company prided itself on looking after the safety of athletes, funded brain health research and insisted all fighters passed a number of medical tests before competing.
5 live Investigates is on BBC 5 live on Sunday 8 May at 11:00 BST. Listen online or download the programme podcast. | Cage fighters are risking their lives by taking extreme weight-loss measures before fights, according to academics. |
38516247 | The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), said 2.69 million cars were registered last year, 2% higher than in 2015.
The industry body said 2016's growth was due to "very strong" consumer confidence, low-interest finance deals and the launch of several new models.
However, the SMMT says this year is unlikely to set another record, with sales expected to fall by 5-6%.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said such a fall would not represent "a collapse in the market" and sales would still be at "historically an incredibly high level".
He said that five consecutive years of increased sales had been fuelled by pent-up demand that developed during the recession of the late 2000s.
The SMMT added that the UK new car market was one of the most diverse in the world, with some 44 brands offering nearly 400 different model types.
But according to one car dealer the high sales figures present a distorted picture of the industry's health.
Peter Smyth, a director of car dealership Swansway, pointed out that the figures counted cars registered as sold to dealers, not private or fleet buyers.
He told the BBC dealers were having cars "forced on them" by the manufacturers and once dealers have bought the cars, they then have to discount them to get them sold.
"The real market is more like 2.2 million. I believe we are at the peak of a car bubble," he said,
The SMMT's figures show private car sales actually fell on three of the four quarters of 2016.
Samuel Tombs, UK economist at Pantheon, said: "Looking ahead, the stagnation of households' real incomes this year, mainly due to a burst of inflation, likely will weigh further on car purchases." He added that interest rates on unsecured loans were unlikely to become more competitive in the immediate future and that would remove another one of the incentives to buy a new car.
The SMMT's Mr Hawes warned car prices were beginning to rise, with the fall in the value of the pound resulting from the Brexit vote having increased prices by 2-3%. More than 85% of new cars bought in the UK are imported.
Mr Hawes said the impact of Brexit on the car industry was, as yet, unclear.
He warned though that if the UK was unable to trade freely with the EU and tariffs were introduced, it would add about £1,500 to the price of each imported car. | The number of new cars sold in the UK hit an all-time high in 2016. |
32552564 | He announced his arrival for the shooting of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by posting a selfie on Instagram taken on the Fylde coast.
The star of Pulp Fiction and the Avengers film series also tweeted: "First look at Blackpool!"
The forthcoming fantasy film, directed by Tim Burton, is due out in March 2016.
It is set on a mysterious island where a teenager helps a group of peculiar orphans from creatures who are out to destroy them.
The cast also includes include Dame Judi Dench, Asa Butterfield, Ella Purnell, Allison Jannley, Terrence Stamp, Kim Dickens and Rupert Everett.
The movie is based on the US children's book written by Ransom Riggs and is set to feature Blackpool Tower and a number of the resort's landmarks.
When asked about his vision, Tim Burton told the BBC there was "a vibe about [the book] which felt different".
He said: "I think that's the key, to try to capture the spirit of the book. That's why I'm casting peculiar people."
Tim Burton also filmed the Killers music video for Battle Born in Blackpool.
The BBC understands Mr Jackson is staying in the Lytham area during filming. | Filming for a movie starring Hollywood actor Samuel L. Jackson has begun in Blackpool. |
36561138 | Lynford Brewster, 29, died following an incident on Sunday at Brynfedw.
Cardiff magistrates remanded Dwayne Edgar, also 29 and from Llanedeyrn, in custody to appear at Cardiff Crown Court on 20 June.
Two other men from Cardiff, aged 19 and 35, have been released on police bail. A fourth man, 22, from Kidderminster, Worcestershire, has also been arrested. | A Cardiff man has appeared in court charged with murdering another man in the Llanedeyrn area of the city. |
34837990 | The five main political parties, along with the British and Irish governments, were working to resolve differences over welfare reform and paramilitaries.
It is understood that politicians may press ahead without resolving issues over the legacy of the Troubles.
Welfare reform could be dealt with by Westminster, despite the fact that it is a devolved matter.
It is thought that the format for Tuesday afternoon will be:
The inter-party negotiations have been going on for 10 weeks and are also focusing on financial matters and paramilitary activity.
Ms Theresa Villiers said on Monday that it was time for parties to decide on a deal.
BBC News NI Political Editor Mark Devenport has looked in detail at what the agreement might contain.
The Northern Ireland Executive is a mandatory coalition of five main parties - the DUP, Sinn Fein, the Ulster Unionist Party, the SDLP and the Alliance Party.
At the end of August, the UUP walked out of the executive.
Party leader Mike Nesbitt made the recommendation after police said members of the Provisional IRA were involved in murdering ex-IRA man Kevin McGuigan Sr.
Sinn Féin's denial that the IRA existed made it "impossible to do business with them," Mr Nesbitt said.
On Monday, Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said there was still a stumbling block over the new agencies created to deal with the legacy of the Troubles.
The stumbling block is whether the UK government should be allowed to use national security as a blanket reason to refuse to disclose information.
The BBC NI's Home Affairs Correspondent Vincent Kearney reported on Tuesday afternoon that republican sources told him Sinn Fein and the British government were 'poles apart' on legacy issues, with both refusing to budge on 'red lines'.
The sources said talks on these issues would resume at later date.
Cross-party discussions began in September in a bid to resolve Northern Ireland's current political crisis.
That crisis erupted when police said they believed IRA members had been involved in the murder of a former IRA man in Belfast in August.
The parties have also been at loggerheads over the implementation of welfare reforms.
A welfare reform deal had been agreed almost a year ago, but Sinn Féin withdrew its support in March. | Sources are predicting that a deal to resolve Northern Ireland's political deadlock will be confirmed later. |
40366059 | Media playback is not supported on this device
Only 19 teams have qualified for the regional southwest league, with the German FA (DFB) inviting China to enter a team and create an even fixture list.
League executive Felix Wiedmann told German paper Bild "all 19 clubs" were in favour, adding: "I therefore believe the project is on a good path."
China has set out its desire to become a "world football superpower" by 2050 and challenge for the World Cup.
DFB vice president Ronny Zimmermann told Kicker magazine teams would receive 15,000 euros each for the two matches against the Chinese youngsters.
"They see this idea positively," said Zimmermann. "The planned cooperation with China is known and for that we need good content."
The plan is part of a five-year cooperation agreement signed between the two countries in November, which will allow China to boost its level of football and the German FA to have a facilitated access to the vast Asian market.
"We have to see if this idea can be realised," added Zimmermann.
"The managers of the regional southwest league will meet soon. A decision must be taken by then as the match plan will be drawn up."
China has explored similar ventures in other sports, with ice hockey side Kunlun Red Star joining the Canadian Women's Hockey League in the build-up to the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing. | China's Under-20s team could play in the German fourth division next season. |
24166482 | Its large and strong economy has allowed it to bankroll the bailouts that have kept some of its neighbours - and the euro - afloat.
The graphics below help explain why it is so dominant, and powerful - and also some of the problems it faces.
Germany's large population (the biggest in Europe) and vibrant economy add up to a GDP that far outweighs other European powers.
It also has the strongest export sector and the lowest unemployment of any big European country.
The success of the economy and low unemployment - especially when compared to other EU countries - mean Germany has become a magnet for jobseekers. The number of immigrants has been rising and surpassed a million people in 2012 for the first time since 1995.
They come especially from former communist countries - as well as recession-hit Italy, Spain and Greece - and head for Berlin, the wealthy southern regions, and the industrial west.
Despite Germany's strong economy, not everyone is doing well. Under wage restraint agreements, many people's incomes have barely grown in years, and many people who have jobs still require benefit top-ups.
There is also still a clear divide, 22 years since reunification, between incomes in the old East Germany, and the old West. | Germany, which holds federal elections on 22 September, is Europe's dominant country. |
26432447 | Mr Pistorius has pleaded not guilty to intentionally killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
He shot dead the 29-year-old model and reality TV star at his home, saying he mistook her for an intruder.
Estelle Van Der Merwe, a neighbour, said the row had lasted about an hour.
By Pumza FihlaniBBC News, Pretoria
Well into day two of the trial, and a second witness, and another neighbour of Oscar Pistorius, has told the court about a commotion she heard in the early hours of the morning of the day Reeva Steenkamp was killed.
It is still early days, but this the state's argument that Mr Pistorius and his girlfriend of three months had had a terrible row before she died - a version of events the athlete denies.
There are grey skies over Pretoria and it has rained all morning, so unlike the first day of the trial, there are no dancing crowds outside court. There is still much interest in case of the "blade runner". However, as one woman outside court told me: "Everything that is happening today is not going to change anything, the fact is that poor girl is never coming back."
Eyes of the world on a fallen hero
"It seemed like somebody was involved in a fight," said Ms Van Der Merwe, who lives in the same gated Pretoria housing estate as the Paralympic athlete. "People were talking in loud voices."
The argument woke her at about 01:56 local time (23:56 GMT) and lasted about an hour. After that, she heard four loud sounds in succession.
Ms Van Der Merwe was the second witness to take the stand at the murder trial of Mr Pistorius, which began at the high court in on Monday.
The arrest of the 27-year-old double amputee and gold medal winner astounded South Africa.
For the first time in South Africa, parts of the trial are being televised live, although some witness testimony, including that of Ms Van Der Merwe, is being excluded from TV broadcasts.
However, the audio of the entire trial is being aired.
Mrs Van Der Merwe said she had been irritated by the noise of the argument and placed a pillow on her head "in hope of falling asleep again".
Tuesday's hearing adjourned not long after the third witness, Charl Peter Johnson - husband to the first witness Michelle Burger - had taken the stand.
The second day of the trial began with defence lawyer Barry Roux quizzing Ms Burger about her account of hearing a woman's screams, a man calling for help and then four gunshots.
The BBC's Andrew Harding in court says the defence line was clear that as Ms Steenkamp was in a closed toilet with a closed window, the screams the witness said she heard could not have come from her.
Is it OK to bet on the trial?
SA press review: Pistorius trial
Mr Pistorius was in the bathroom where the window was open so the screams must have come from him.
Mr Roux also suggested expert evidence would prove that Ms Steenkamp would have been unable to scream between shots.
When details of the bullets hitting her head were read out, Mr Pistorius's head dropped into his hands, our correspondent says.
At the start of proceedings on Monday, Mr Roux read out a statement from the athlete, giving his version of events of how Ms Steenkamp had died, saying he believed his girlfriend was in bed when he shot at the toilet door.
State prosecutors say Mr Pistorius planned the killing and shot Ms Steenkamp after a row.
If found guilty of premeditated murder, he could face life imprisonment.
He has also denied charges of illegally possessing ammunition.
There are no juries at trials in South Africa, and his fate will ultimately be decided by Judge Thokozile Masipa.
Much of the case will depend on ballistic evidence from the scene of the shooting, correspondents say.
1
2
5
4
6
3
Mr Pistorius said in his statement at the start of the trial that he woke in the early hours and walked on his stumps to the balcony, pulled in two fans, closed the sliding door and drew curtains. He said that shortly before he had spoken to Reeva, who was in bed beside him.
He said he rejected prosecution claims that a witness heard arguing coming from the house before the shooting.
Mr Pistorius said he heard the bathroom window sliding open and believed that an intruder, or intruders, had entered the bathroom through a window which was not fitted with burglar bars.
"Unbeknown to me, Reeva must have gone to the toilet in the bathroom at the time I brought in the fans," he said.
Mr Pistorius said he approached the bathroom armed with his firearm, to defend himself and his girlfriend, believing Ms Steenkamp was still in bed.
Both sides agree four bullets were fired. Ms Steenkamp was hit three times.
Mr Pistorius said he fired his weapon after hearing a noise in the toilet which he thought was the intruder coming out of the toilet to attack him and Ms Steenkamp.
He said he was in a fearful state, knowing he was on his stumps and unable to run away or properly defend himself.
Mr Pistorius said he rejected claims that he was on his prostheses when he shot at the door.
A witness told the trial she woke to hear a woman screaming and a man shouting for help. She said that after the screams she heard four shots.
Mr Pistorius said he went back to the bedroom after shooting at the toilet door, still shouting for Reeva. Lifting himself up onto the bed, he felt over to the right hand side of it and noticed Ms Steenkamp was not there.
Mr Pistorius said this was when he realised she could have been in the toilet.
Mr Pistorius said he went back to the bathroom but the toilet was locked, so he returned to the bedroom, pulled on his prosthetic legs, turned on the lights before bashing in the toilet door with a cricket bat.
Forensics expert Johannes Vermeulen told the court that the height of the marks on the door caused by the cricket bat suggest Mr Pistorius was on his stumps at the time.
Mr Pistorius's defence team say he then called security at the gated housing complex and a private paramedic service before carrying Ms Steenkamp downstairs.
A security guard claimed it was the other way round, and he had called Mr Pistorius first after reports of gunfire. However, phone records shown to the court revealed Mr Pistorius called the estate manager at 3:19am, a minute later he called the ambulance service and at 3:21am he called estate security.
A minute later he received an incoming call - estate security calling him back.
According to police phone expert Francois Moller, Mr Pistorius called his friend Justin Divaris a short time later and just after 4:00am he called his brother Carl. | A second witness at the murder trial of South African athlete Oscar Pistorius has told a court in the capital Pretoria she was awoken by the sounds of a fight early on 14 February 2013. |
36490007 | The deal covers four seasons from 2017-18 and is an 85% increase on the amount raised by the same rights in 2013.
Terrestrial broadcasters ARD and ZDF will show highlights and a small number of live games.
The Premier League's sale of domestic rights for three seasons from 2016-17 raised £5.14bn in February 2015. | Germany's top two divisions have sold their domestic media rights for 4.6bn euros (£3.6bn), almost double their previous deal. |
38579254 | The Borussia Dortmund striker scored a 38th-minute penalty to secure his side's second 1-1 draw in Group A.
Burkina Faso took the lead when Prejuce Nakoulma latched on to a long ball and held off two players to score.
Herve Koffi tipped Denis Bouanga's drive onto the bar early on and denied him again with his legs on 81 minutes.
Those saves made up for the Burkina Faso goalkeeper's error when he brought down Aubameyang for the penalty.
Bouanga will look back at the late chance as an opportunity he should have taken, having latched on to Aubameyang's downward header in the box only to direct his shot too close to Koffi.
There was still time for Bouanga to almost atone for the miss and his excellent delivery into the penalty area deserved better than to be headed wide by an unmarked Kevyn Aboue Angoue.
Burkina Faso's clearest chance was created by Alain Traore, who cut into the box between two defenders and sent a shot towards the far corner only to see it well saved by Didier Ovono.
All three games so far in Group A have been drawn, with Cameroon and Guinea-Bissau to play later on Wednesday.
Burkina Faso's chances of progress appear to be higher, given they will face rank outsiders and debutants Guinea-Bissau on Sunday.
But they could well be without key man Jonathan Pitroipa, who was stretchered off after only 11 minutes against Gabon.
Match ends, Gabon 1, Burkina Faso 1.
Second Half ends, Gabon 1, Burkina Faso 1.
Denis Bouanga (Gabon) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Yacouba Coulibaly (Burkina Faso).
Serge Kevyn Aboue Angoue (Gabon) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Patrick Arnaud Malo (Burkina Faso).
Foul by Malick Evouna (Gabon).
Charles Kaboré (Burkina Faso) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Denis Bouanga (Gabon).
Prejuce Nakoulma (Burkina Faso) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Attempt missed. Serge Kevyn Aboue Angoue (Gabon) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses the top left corner. Assisted by Denis Bouanga with a cross.
Aaron Appindangoyé (Gabon) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Banou Diawara (Burkina Faso).
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Banou Diawara (Burkina Faso) because of an injury.
Foul by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon).
Patrick Arnaud Malo (Burkina Faso) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Kouakou Herve Koffi (Burkina Faso) because of an injury.
Corner, Gabon. Conceded by Kouakou Herve Koffi.
Attempt saved. Denis Bouanga (Gabon) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang with a headed pass.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Yacouba Coulibaly (Burkina Faso) because of an injury.
Attempt missed. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Denis Bouanga.
Serge Junior Martinsson-Ngouali (Gabon) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Bakary Bouba Saré (Burkina Faso).
Substitution, Burkina Faso. Bakary Bouba Saré replaces Alain Traoré.
Attempt blocked. Serge Kevyn Aboue Angoue (Gabon) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Didier Ndong.
Substitution, Gabon. Serge Kevyn Aboue Angoue replaces Andre Biyogo Poko because of an injury.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Andre Biyogo Poko (Gabon) because of an injury.
Foul by Andre Biyogo Poko (Gabon).
Yacouba Coulibaly (Burkina Faso) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner, Gabon. Conceded by Issoufou Dayo.
Serge Junior Martinsson-Ngouali (Gabon) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Abdou Traoré (Burkina Faso).
Hand ball by Yacouba Coulibaly (Burkina Faso).
Foul by Andre Biyogo Poko (Gabon).
Yacouba Coulibaly (Burkina Faso) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Offside, Gabon. Benjamin Ze Ondo tries a through ball, but Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is caught offside. | Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored his second goal of the Africa Cup of Nations to earn hosts Gabon a point from their match with Burkina Faso. |
39418829 | The UK music industry, like its counterparts in other countries, has had a tough time adapting to the technological shake-ups of recent years.
But now it also has to plan for the changes that will be ushered in by the UK's decision to leave the European Union.
Obviously there is still huge uncertainty about what the country's future relationship with the EU will be like, since its expected departure in the spring of 2019 is still subject to lengthy negotiations.
However, it is already possible to identify areas of the music business that may feel the effects.
With the industry's annual Record Store Day falling this year on Saturday, 22 April, record shops are enjoying a boom in sales of old-fashioned vinyl releases.
The format was widely expected to die a slow death with the advent of the CD, but in recent times, vinyl records have managed to outsell downloads.
However, when Record Store Day 2020 rolls around, there is a risk that those singles and albums could cost significantly more.
If the UK does not manage to conclude a favourable trade deal with the EU, then tariffs may be applied on goods coming into the UK.
There are now only a couple of vinyl pressing plants left on British soil, so the majority of records sold in the UK are manufactured in factories based in other EU countries. The same goes for CDs.
If tariffs on goods return, record labels will face increased costs, which they will have to pass on to consumers.
So why buy music on physical formats anyway? This is the 21st Century, so go for streaming or downloads.
Well, even there, Brexit is likely to have consequences.
The pound has fallen in value in the wake of last June's referendum outcome. The leading music streaming services, from Sweden's Spotify to US-based Apple Music, are all multinational firms whose pricing policies are decided elsewhere.
Apple has already increased the price of its apps this year, in a move widely attributed to the Brexit vote. Apple Music subscriptions could follow suit if the pound falls any further.
In other ways, however, Brexit will have no effect at all. Many politicians and business leaders have called for the UK to preserve its access to the European single market, but in digital terms, things are more complicated.
While goods are covered by the single market in Europe, the market for services is still very much a work in progress.
And when it comes to the distribution of digital products, including music and e-books, consumers will still find that borders get in the way.
If you have an account with Amazon UK, you can buy a CD from Amazon's French website, but it won't allow you to buy the same music on download.
That said, streaming services are more unified. Spotify, for instance, makes practically all its catalogue accessible everywhere in the world, with some minor variations in local-language music.
But although Brussels has failed to create a digital single market for music consumers, it has done a lot for music producers.
People who make music can make money from it in various ways. As well as selling digital or physical copies of it, they are also paid royalties every time it is played in public.
There are two kinds of these:
And although there is no EU single market for digital music purchases, there is now a thriving single market for licensing music and collecting royalties on it.
In the UK, the main royalty collection society is PRS for Music. Its chief executive, Robert Ashcroft, says that the European Commission made a big difference with its Collective Rights Management Directive, which came into force in the UK in April last year.
As a result, it is now much easier to license music in many territories at once, rather than having to authorise it country by country, as was formerly the case.
PRS, for example, works in a joint venture with its counterparts in Sweden and Germany, STIM and GEMA, to operate a pan-European online music rights licensing service.
This means that songwriters and music publishing companies can get paid more quickly and accurately.
"We have already been licensing our rights on a pan-European basis," says Mr Ashcroft. "Brexit won't stop that and it's not in our business interest to stop it either."
The UK's law on music copyright has changed in recent years because of Brussels.
In November 2013, UK copyright protection on sound recordings increased from 50 years to 70 years, in line with an EU directive approved in 2011.
However, recordings that had already slipped into the public domain, such as the Beatles' first single, stayed there.
And there is a "use it or lose it" provision for hitherto unreleased recordings from 50 years ago. If record companies have ageing tracks in the vaults that they have never issued, then they have no comeback if other people get hold of them and release them.
Will all this change when the UK "takes back control"? PRS's Mr Ashcroft thinks not.
"I expect it to continue unless and until someone presents an argument that it's damaging to the economy," he says.
One area where Brexit could have a negative impact is on touring musicians. There are fears that music groups might have to scale back European tours after Brexit and fewer European acts could travel to the UK.
"We have a very healthy business in royalties that are earned when our members' works are performed overseas," says PRS's Mr Ashcroft. "If there were obstacles to British bands touring, that would be a potential challenge."
At the same time, however, he is concerned about Brexit's potential impact on his own organisation's staffing levels. "Eleven per cent of our employees come from countries other than the UK. We operate daily in 13 languages. We need the prime minister to give assurances that the people resident and working here can stay."
On that basis, he feels that the UK's music business is well integrated with the rest of Europe and hopes it will stay that way, despite Brexit: "We are so international that we think our business transcends that." | Whether you consume music digitally or collect vinyl records, Brexit has the potential to affect you. |
37842815 | Barca were finally overcome at the sixth time of asking on a scintillating night at Etihad Stadium, the 3-1 victory a fair reflection of the manner in which City wrested superiority from the side that beat them 4-0 in the Nou Camp a fortnight ago.
And for City manager Pep Guardiola, this was much more than a result that redressed the balance in Champions League Group C.
City's lengthy pursuit of Guardiola finally came to fruition when it was announced on 1 February that he would join the club after leaving Bayern Munich.
It was the crucial move City's Abu Dhabi-based hierarchy had been working towards for years, with an infrastructure already based heavily on the one the Spaniard had at Barcelona, with his old friend and former colleague Txiki Begiristain as director of football, and Ferran Soriano as chief executive.
City's house was effectively built in readiness for Guardiola's arrival, and his appointment was the day they had been planning for.
Begiristain and Soriano, and all in power at the club, will have looked on approvingly as the team made the biggest statement of Guardiola's short time in charge, against the club where his - and their - philosophy was formed.
This was the sort of thunderous celebration of football, and victory, they always had in mind through the years of courting Guardiola. This was why City's powerbrokers felt the wait for Guardiola was always going to be worthwhile.
They may have reached the Champions League semi-final under the low-profile Manuel Pellegrini last season, but they went down to Real Madrid with a whimper. The sight of Barcelona being beaten in an eye-to-eye thriller will have raised both the pulse rate and expectations.
This was not the sort of behind-the-door display that left City and their supporters frustrated against Real. Once Ilkay Gundogan equalised after a moment of carelessness from Sergi Roberto just before half-time, there was only going to be one winner.
They were perhaps more direct than the football of Guardiola's perfect world but their pace, movement, passing and unwavering attacking intent carried all of his hallmarks.
Guardiola recognised the significance of the win when he said: "It is a good step to say that once in our lives we played against the best team in the world and we beat them.
"We competed with Barcelona, but for now we did it in a different way. We played more long balls because we are still not ready to keep the ball and play like they do. They have been playing that way for 25 years. For us, it is three or four months we have been trying to play in a different style."
Guardiola's vision is clear. It is far too early to say one win, albeit against Barcelona, brings about the realisation of that vision - but this was a display that brought the future under his leadership into clearer view.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Guardiola had admitted he had doubts during City's recent six-match winless streak - but not about his methods.
He said: "The principles? No doubt. But to know the players, how they play with other ones, how you play in different systems, sometimes you make a doubt, yes."
This was the night Guardiola's principles and players came together in a manner which should send a surge of confidence and self-belief through the manager, his squad and the club.
It would have been easy for City to subside in the face of a searing spell of pressure from Barcelona either side of the half-hour, but once they were presented with that unexpected opportunity to equalise, they were ruthless.
The otherwise excellent Raheem Sterling had already squandered a chance before Kevin de Bruyne's fine free-kick put them ahead after 51 minutes, and they had other opportunities before Gundogan wrapped things up 16 minutes from time.
City refused to be cowed by Barcelona's superstars, and the simple fact they fought it out with arguably the finest team on the planet and emerged triumphant should provide them with a deep reservoir of confidence for the future.
They pressed high, smothered Barcelona and beat them at large parts of their own game. The arch-perfectionist Guardiola will always want more but this was a night deserving of his satisfaction.
Guardiola said: "If you talk about the whole performance then, for the first 38 minutes, we were still not able to compete with the best clubs in the world, but in the second half it was different.
"I saw my players were upbeat - they knew they had gone through their bad moment. That sureness that Barca had in the first half, we were able to turn that around."
And in a message that suggested this 90 minutes could eventually be seen as a defining moment for City, Guardiola added: "Now they will realise they have beaten the best team. Future generations will see that and know they have to do that again. That is a process.
"It was the same with the group of players with Joe Hart and Vincent Kompany, who won Premier League title twice in five or six years together. The players arriving at the club now understand they have to do that, or try to do that, too.
"It is not as though our owner Sheikh Mansour and our chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak could come here and say 'we are going to create the best team in Europe.' You need 10, 15 or 20 years to stay there.
"We are going to try to reduce that time, to leave nights for City fans like they got against Barcelona."
City have struggled to make their big statement in the Champions League. This was it.
They finally beat Barcelona at the sixth time of asking, ending the Catalan club's run of seven successive wins against English sides in Europe. City's three goals amounted to more than they had scored in those five previous losses.
It was also the first time an English side has scored three or more goals in a Champions League group game against Barcelona since Manchester United did so 1998-99.
Guardiola's big players demonstrated they have the power to trouble any defence in Europe. Yes, Barca were without key defender Gerard Pique and midfield maestro Andres Iniesta, but nothing should diminish City's achievement.
De Bruyne's goal and creativity illustrated his standing as one of Europe's finest attackers, while the elegance and stealth of Gundogan has added an extra dimension and extra menace to City.
Sergio Aguero never stopped running, buying into Guardiola's demands, while Sterling once again showed how far he has come in such a short time under his new manager.
City's fans lapped up every moment, revelling in seeing the masters outmanoeuvred by the star pupil from Barcelona's school.
It felt like the moment this club has been waiting for. If City can beat Barcelona they need fear nobody - which is the message Guardiola is likely to be delivering.
In many respects, this felt like the night Pep Guardiola really arrived at Manchester City. The club have waited for Champions League nights like this - and this was their best to date. | Manchester City's outstanding Champions League victory over Barcelona bore all the hallmarks of a seminal moment in the development of this club of unlimited ambition. |
36976046 | The 23-year-old joined the Magpies for £12m from the French side last summer.
However, he made just 16 appearances before ending the season back on loan at Marseille.
The former France Under-21 international scored twice in 14 league games for the Stade Velodrome side last season.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. | Marseille have re-signed Newcastle winger Florian Thauvin on a season-long loan with "an obligation" to make the deal permanent. |
35197495 | Firefighters used cutting equipment to free her from her vehicle in Poole's Arrowsmith Road, which runs through woodland, shortly before 09:00 GMT.
The road was closed between Broadstone and Canford Magna while council workers dealt with the tree.
The woman was taken to hospital with head injuries, which are not thought to be life-threatening. | A woman was trapped in her car in Dorset when a tree fell on it during strong winds. |
35754335 | But as parliament put forward its nominations for the top job, the situation became clear: there would be no last-minute deal, no President Suu Kyi.
Those expecting a Nelson Mandela ending to this incredible story will be disappointed. But for Suu Kyi and her many supporters little has actually been lost.
This anticlimactic outcome strengthens her politically and diminishes the military in the eyes of the Burmese people.
The generals' inflexibility, in the face of a huge popular mandate, has set the tone for what looks likely to be a period of confrontation between them and the newly elected democrats.
It was in November last year that Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), swept the board in the long-awaited general election.
The NLD won nearly 80% of the contested seats and everyone, even the army, agreed that the Burmese people had not just voted for change, they had voted for Suu Kyi to lead.
Emboldened by the result, the former political prisoner reached out to her long-time adversaries. In the past four months she has held three meetings with Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing. Suu Kyi was exploring the possibility of a grand deal.
What the NLD leader needed was the army's approval for a legally dubious move. She wanted parliament to temporarily suspend the part of the constitution that bars her from becoming president.
Clause 59F famously disqualifies anyone whose spouse, children, and even spouses of children, have foreign passports. Suu Kyi's two children by Oxford academic Michael Aris are British.
Supporters of the clause say it protects the country's sovereignty, but many believe it was drafted by the military to close the door on Suu Kyi. To open that door, the Burmese army would have demanded concessions.
That could have meant giving the military the right to choose the chief ministers of several states, and securing promises that the army's many business interests would be left alone.
Most importantly, the military is almost certain to have insisted that attempts to chip away at its political power be put on the back burner.
So beneath the feel-good headline of "President Suu Kyi", the army would have consolidated its political role.
It's not clear why the grand deal didn't happen. Perhaps the army just couldn't stomach the idea, or maybe Suu Kyi refused to concede enough. For whatever reason, the talks broke down.
So what, then, will the new political landscape look like?
Suu Kyi famously said before the election that she would be "above" whoever she picks to be president.
It is clear that Htin Kyaw has been selected primarily for his loyalty. All Suu Kyi will have to do is pick up a phone to flex her presidential power by proxy. She has lost nothing there.
Unencumbered by any deal with the army, Suu Kyi will be freer to pursue her campaign platform from the 2015 election.
Her authority is unchallenged within her party and she will now remotely command both presidency and parliament. One of her priorities is likely to be a renewed bid to change the constitution to reduce the army's power.
The unelected army representatives have already sampled the new order. Suu Kyi's MPs are demanding that deals made by the army and the former government be re-examined.
In a rare moment of drama, all the men in green uniform stood up in the house in protest.
In the immediate aftermath of the election, Suu Kyi spoke of being inclusive and creating a government of national unity. That was before the army rejected her overtures.
It is expected that the government Suu Kyi leads will be a mix of NLD officials and technocrats. But will she now be in the mood to find room for those from the military party, the USDP? Quite possibly not.
The 2008 constitution will be the main limit on Suu Kyi's power. Drafted by the generals, and approved in a sham referendum, it ensures the military retains its political role.
The key security ministries (home, defence, border affairs) are appointed not by the president but by the army commander-in-chief.
A quarter of the seats in parliament are also reserved for soldiers. That is not enough for them to block legislation, but sufficient to scupper any attempts to amend their constitution.
Much has changed in Myanmar, but the Burmese army has not budged one inch from the red lines it put into the constitution.
The democratic experiment, economic reforms and the emboldened Suu Kyi remain in a controlled space that the military designed and now seem intent on preserving. | The chances of Aung San Suu Kyi becoming Myanmar's next president have been receding for months. |
35197480 | The tests threaten to cause new tensions between the two nations following their landmark nuclear deal.
Iran fired "several unguided rockets" about 1,370m (1,500 yards) from two US vessels and a French frigate, US military spokesman Kyle Raines said.
The tests were "highly provocative", said Cmdr Raines.
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman that provides passage for nearly a third of all oil traded by sea. The strait is also crucial for ships taking part in the war against so-called Islamic State.
In 2012 Iran threatened to block the strait, which lies at the entrance of the Gulf and is 33km (21 miles) wide at its narrowest point.
The latest incident, which took place on Saturday according to the US, follows a series of weapons tests by the Islamic Republic. Iranian media and officials did not immediately comment on the reports.
Iranian ships announced over maritime radio their intention to carry out the test 23 minutes before the rockets were fired, Cmdr Raines said.
"Firing weapons so close to passing coalition ships and commercial traffic within an internationally recognised maritime traffic lane is unsafe, unprofessional and inconsistent with international maritime law," he said.
The US Navy's 5th Fleet is based in nearby Bahrain. It conducts anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf and serves as a regional counterbalance to Iran.
Iran signed a long-term deal with six world powers in July to limit its sensitive nuclear activities in return for the lifting of crippling sanctions.
However, this year it has also broadcast footage of a missile attack on a mock-up of an US aircraft carrier and aired film on state TV of an underground missile base.
The Strait of Hormuz was the scene of a battle between the US and Iran in April 1988, when the US attacked two Iranian oil platforms used for surveillance and sank or damaged six of its vessels, including two naval frigates.
Tensions had erupted after the near-sinking of missile frigate USS Samuel B Roberts by an Iranian mine.
In July 1988, the USS Vincennes was patrolling the strait when it shot down an Iran Air flight heading to Dubai, killing 290 people on board. The ship's crew apparently mistook the plane for an Iranian F-14 fighter. | Iran's navy conducted rocket tests last week near US warships and other commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, the American military has said. |
37692532 | The 36-year-old played 310 games in a seven-season stint with the Elite Ice Hockey League club and ended his career with the Devils after retiring in 2011.
A ceremony will take place before the Devils' game against Edinburgh Capitals on Saturday, where a banner with Voth's name and number will be raised.
The Devils will also wear warm-up jerseys with Voth's name and number.
Voth becomes the seventh former Cardiff Devils player to have his number retired, after Doug McEwen (seven), John Lawless (nine), Jason Stone (10), Brian Dickson (14), Steve Moria (19) and Shannon Hope (35). | Cardiff Devils will retire the number 26 jersey in honour of former player Brad Voth. |
32716759 | People on working holiday visas would now have to pay tax on every dollar they earnt, said Treasurer Joe Hockey.
The backpacker industry said the Treasurer had exaggerated how much money it could raise from the tax.
However, it warned publicity about the changes could scare away young tourists.
Young travellers from the UK, Europe and increasingly from Asia often get low-paid jobs in Australia's hospitality or farming sectors to fund their holidays.
Foreigners on working holidays currently pay no income tax in Australia until they earn close to A$20,000, the same tax-free threshold enjoyed by residents.
"Anyone on a working holiday in Australia will have to pay tax from their first dollar earned," said Mr Hockey.
"This will save the budget A$540m," he added.
Under the new rules that take affect in July 2016, for tax purposes they will now be considered "non-residents" and pay tax on every dollar they earn.
But Backpacker Operators' Association New South Wales Secretary Robert Henke said people on working holidays only benefitted from the tax-free threshold if they remained in one location for six months.
He said anecdotal information showed most young travellers moved around, and worked in different places.
"It is a bit of a beat-up because what they didn't say is that to be entitled [to the tax-free threshold], you have to be in one spot for six months," Mr Henke told the BBC.
"So, we don't think the tax change will raise as much money as Mr Hockey claims," Mr Henke said.
"However, the unfortunate part of it is that overseas media are already writing articles that might frighten backpackers away," he said.
Others in the tourism industry were also unhappy about the announcement.
"Taxing working holidaymakers from the first dollar they earn, instead of giving them equal treatment with other resident taxpayers, is a backward step and will damage Australia's international reputation," said Tourism and Transport Forum Chief Executive Officer Margy Osmond.
"Australia has long been a favourite destination for young people from around the world who live, work and travel here for up to two years, and who spend on average more than A$13,000 during their stay," she said. | Backpackers and others could now face higher income taxes thanks to changes in work rules in the Australian government's latest budget. |
38389937 | Mr Justice Cobb said the case exposed "serious and systemic flaws" in West Yorkshire Police and Wakefield Council.
The children aged seven and two at the time were taken into care after their parents' arrest, the Family Division of the High Court in Bradford heard.
They spent nearly 10 months away from their mother despite her not being charged with any offences.
Live updates on more stories from West Yorkshire
The family members could not be identified, said the judge.
Each child would get £5,000 and their mother £10,000 in damages.
The joint police and investigation started about two years ago when the children were placed into foster care following their parents' arrest.
The children's father had been jailed after admitting offences but the mother had not been charged with any offences, said the judge.
Mr Justice Cobb said the upshot had been the children had unfairly stayed in care and not been reunited with their mother for nearly 10 months.
The investigation had casual regard, and in some respects total disregard, of "ordinary principles of good professional practice".
The judge also criticised "a lack of discipline" in the officer in charge.
He said the investigation had been conducted in a way that "profoundly and obviously" breached rights to a fair trial and to respect for family life. | Two children who were kept in care for too long have been awarded damages from a police force and council. |
36938213 | Farid K, 30, a cousin of attacker Abdel Malik Petitjean, was arrested on suspicion of "terrorist association".
The other man, Jean-Philippe Steven J, 20, was put under formal investigation for allegedly attempting to travel to Syria in June with Petitjean.
Petitjean and accomplice Adel Kermiche, both 19, were shot dead by police.
They had interrupted a church service in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, near Rouen, last Tuesday, taken hostages and slit the throat of Father Jacques Hamel, 86.
What we know about church attack
Tributes to Fr Jacques Hamel
Profile: Abdel Malik Petitjean
Kermiche 'was brainwashed'
The Paris prosecutor's office said both men arrested on Sunday were being held in custody.
The development came as Muslims across France attended Catholic Mass in a gesture of solidarity after the murder.
France's Muslim council, the CFCM, urged Muslims to show "solidarity and compassion" over the killing.
Petitjean had been on a watch list as a potential security threat since June after trying to enter Syria from Turkey.
Adel Kermiche was also known to the security services.
So-called Islamic State (IS) released a video of what it said were the two men pledging allegiance to the group. | Two men have been placed under formal investigation over the murder of a priest in a Normandy church, including a cousin of one of the killers. |
37028019 | Jamie Soward's early score set the tone as Iliess Macani (2), Daniel Harrison, Andy Ackers and James Cunningham put the hosts 32-0 up at half-time.
James Brown, Alex Rowe and Chris Ulugia put Batley on the scoreboard after Macani had completed his hat-trick.
Rhys Williams' second half treble and tries from Jack Bussey, Cunningham and Mark Ioane completed the rout. | London Broncos chalked up their first win in The Qualifiers as they ran 14 tries past winless Batley Bulldogs. |
35817196 | That is precisely the intention of course because it is not meant to hold power to account.
That is kept tightly in the hands of the ruling Communist Party, and the key policies have long been decided in advance.
Nonetheless, every year, the meetings do provide an occasional glimpse of something meaningful for those watching closely.
Here then are two of them for 2016; the first, a rare act of dissent that could not be stifled and the second, paradoxically, an all-too-common act of obeisance that was mysteriously hidden from view.
Much has already been written about Jiang Hong.
As thousands of his fellow delegates began arriving in Beijing two weeks ago, with their rubber stamps at the ready, Mr Jiang had different ideas.
He had already given an interview to a Chinese online current affairs magazine, Caixin, suggesting that delegates should be free to speak their own minds, rather than be compelled blithely to follow the will of the party.
Government censors promptly deleted that interview, a clear demonstration that delegates are not free to do anything of the sort.
Undeterred, Mr Jiang proceeded to give another interview to the same magazine in which he described the censorship as "terrible and bewildering".
Published along with a daring photo of a mouth gagged with masking tape, that follow-up article was deleted too.
But still far from cowed, Mr Jiang agreed to a BBC interview, conducted inside the meeting hall close to Tiananmen Square.
"If a society only listens to one voice, then mistakes can be made," he told us.
"A good way to prevent this from happening is to let everyone speak up, to give us the whole picture."
"I feel there's been an increase in things being deleted online - articles and blogs and posts on Wechat," he continued.
"This has made people worried about expressing their opinions."
Before we could finish our interview, Jiang Hong was hurried away by an official who insisted that we would make him late for his meeting - something other media outlets have experienced amid reports that delegates have been advised against impromptu discussions with the foreign media.
But Mr Jiang's determined insistence on exercising his right to free speech illustrates how China's annual parliament is not always quite so rigid and compliant as it first seems.
For the few who choose to use the opportunity, with the media access and at least the pretence of openness, it offers a precious moment in which they can push the boundaries a bit and, in doing so, highlight the debates that are often rumoured to be raging inside the ruling elite.
And Mr Jiang has done exactly that.
The response to his comments suggests that there is growing disquiet over the recent tightening of the restrictions on freedom of expression, with even one state-run newspaper weighing in with an old saying that "a thousand yes men cannot compare with one person who criticises frankly".
And so to our second moment at this year's event, one that has also lifted the curtain somewhat on the hidden tensions behind the scenes.
It came inside the Great Hall of the People as China's President Xi Jinping attended a sideline meeting of the Province of Hunan Communist Party Committee.
The Provincial Party Secretary Xu Shousheng is in mid-flow when his speech takes an unexpected change of tack.
"Before Chinese New Year," he says to President Xi, "a song by the title 'I don't know how to address you' went viral online in Hunan."
The lavish production, reportedly commissioned by the Hunan government, tells the story of one of Xi Jinping's visits to the Hunan countryside, and Mr Xu was keen to sing its praises.
"It vividly reflects [your] devotion to the poverty-stricken village of Shibadong," he tells him.
Mr Xi can be seen smiling and nodding slightly, although soon after video links of the exchange, along with references to the viral song being raised at the meeting, were seemingly deleted from the internet, with the links returning instead the familiar error message for removed content.
At a time when the main message of this year's parliament was meant to be the Communist Party's efforts to boost a flagging economy, with the looming threat of mass industrial layoffs, having the nation's top brass compose songs to each other and then crow about them, probably does not seem like the best exercise in public relations.
Nonetheless, tribute songs to Xi Jinping have become something of a musical genre in their own right in recent years, leading to speculation that such public displays of devotion are being encouraged as part of a growing cult of personality around him.
While spontaneous songs written and sung by grass roots performers - of which there are many - are one thing, for such tributes to be commissioned by senior party officials is altogether different.
Along with the crackdown on dissent and freedom of speech, as well as an increasingly ideological tone, some observers worry that Chinese politics is now taking a more authoritarian direction of the kind not seen since the days of Chairman Mao.
And with the normal political process so opaque and closed, the things we can glimpse on the edges of China's parliamentary set pieces are sometimes all we have to go on in trying to assess the truth.
The last word, perhaps, should go to Jiang Hong, the censored but still determined delegate.
"What's happening now is a lot better than what happened during the Cultural Revolution," he tells us.
"However, in terms of citizens' freedom of expression, there are still obstacles. At least I can still express my thoughts; I can voice my opinion within the boundaries of this meeting.
"But what really upsets me is that I can't express my opinion to the public. In this aspect, there's still a lot of improvement needed in our country. " | After 11 days of interminable speeches, followed by ritualistic voting to approve everything put before it, China's annual parliamentary gathering will, once again, leave little worthy of note in its wake. |
40520707 | Durham were wobbling at 158-4 before Burnham (93 not out) and Pringle (62 not out) took the visitors to 285-4.
Resuming on 36-0, Michael Richardson chipped in with 62 but fell to South Africa spinner Imran Tahir (2-89).
The victory moves Durham, who started 2017 on minus 48 points, off the bottom of Division Two above Leicestershire.
Leicestershire are only into the second day of their match against Sussex at Arundel and five points behind Paul Collingwood's side, but Durham are now unbeaten in four matches. | Jack Burnham and Ryan Pringle's nerveless unbroken stand of 137 saw Durham chase 282 to beat Derbyshire by six wickets at Chesterfield. |
37264136 | The 26-year-old opened his account for the season in the sixth minute, heading home Dan Sparkes' inch-perfect cross from four yards out.
Sparkes turned provider again for Blissett in the 29th minute. This time the midfielder headed Aman Verma's cross back across goal, leaving Blissett to lash home on the volley from close range.
The former Kidderminster striker nearly clinched his hat-trick in the 40th minute, with Matt Fry clearing his goal-bound effort, but the job was already done. York tried to push after the break, but were unable to breach the Gulls' well organised back four.
Report supplied by the Press Association.
Match ends, Torquay United 2, York City 0.
Second Half ends, Torquay United 2, York City 0.
Richard Brodie (York City) is shown the yellow card.
Courtney Richards (Torquay United) is shown the yellow card.
Substitution, York City. Justin Johnson replaces Scott Fenwick.
Substitution, Torquay United. Chay Scrivens replaces Dan Sparkes.
Substitution, Torquay United. Sam Chaney replaces Joe Ward.
Substitution, Torquay United. Brett Williams replaces Jamie Reid.
Substitution, York City. Tyler Walton replaces Yan Klukowski.
Substitution, York City. Kaine Felix replaces Aidan Connolly.
Second Half begins Torquay United 2, York City 0.
First Half ends, Torquay United 2, York City 0.
Goal! Torquay United 2, York City 0. Nathan Blissett (Torquay United).
Goal! Torquay United 1, York City 0. Nathan Blissett (Torquay United).
First Half begins.
Lineups are announced and players are warming up. | Nathan Blissett's first-half brace was enough for Torquay to claim a win over York at Plainmoor. |
36798830 | Daniel Hussain, 23, and Kieran Kiely, 24, were reported missing from the Perthshire open prison at about 16:20 on Wednesday.
They have not been seen since and a search for the missing prisoners is now under way.
Police Scotland said the public "should not approach" the pair and have appealed for information to help trace them.
Hussain is said to have connections in the Glasgow and Perth areas, while Kiely is known to have links to Glasgow, Stirling and Fife.
Kiely is described as 5ft 4in tall, of stocky build with short dark hair. Hussain is described as 5ft 10in tall, of medium build with short dark hair. | Two inmates at HMP Castle Huntly open prison have absconded. |
36945058 | Ms Al-Jeffery, 21, who has dual British and Saudi Arabian nationality, claims her father Mohammed Al-Jeffery locked her up and kept her against her will after she "kissed a guy".
He said he took her from Swansea to Jeddah in 2012 to "save her life".
Last week at the High Court in London, Mr Al-Jeffery denied the allegations.
A judgement on the case has been reserved until Wednesday.
In a letter to Mr Johnson, Swansea West MP Geraint Davies, said: "If Ms Al-Jeffery is being held against her will, she must be released immediately.
"Ms Al-Jeffery is 21 years old and no one, whatever their relationship to her, has the right to deprive her of her liberty.
"If these allegations are proven to be correct, the court must order her release and the government must take all the necessary measures to ensure her safe return.
"This is now a matter of urgency, so if she is being held against her will, I would ask that you take immediate action to ensure her release and uphold her human rights."
A friend of Ms Al-Jeffery in the UK - who wished to remain anonymous - told BBC Wales Today they have had contact with her whilst she has been in Saudi Arabia.
They said during a series of messages between October and December 2015, Ms Al-Jeffery had asked them to contact the British Embassy to inform them of her situation.
Ms Al-Jeffery also sent a picture of what she claimed to be the cage she had been kept in and said that she had been "under constant surveillance".
The friend also said Ms Al-Jeffery had described how she was "clinging on to sanity".
Mr Al-Jeffery claimed he took daughter to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia in order "save her life."
He said his daughter was not doing well at school, had been taking drugs and "going to clubs and spending time with older men".
In a statement the Foreign Office said: "We are providing assistance to a woman in Saudi Arabia.
"This has included visiting her and assisting her to speak to her lawyers in the UK as part of an ongoing legal process."
It said it would respond to Geraint Davies' letter in due course, once it has been received. | A Swansea MP has written to the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson demanding immediate action in the case of Amina Al-Jeffery. |
38923431 | Varndell, 31, who has been the joint record-holder since joining Mark Cueto on 90 tries in January, will start when Bristol host Harlequins on Friday.
"I'm there to finish off moves. It [the record] is important because, if I'm scoring, we're going to be doing well as a team," he told BBC Points West.
"To be top try scorer and hold that record would be fantastic for me."
The former Leicester Tigers and Wasps man, who has scored five tries in seven top-flight games this season, added: "I'd love to be standing alone at the top of that table."
Varndell's Bristol side are bottom of the Premiership after 13 league games, one point below 11th-placed Worcester Warriors. | Bristol winger Tom Varndell says he would "love to stand alone" as the Premiership's record try scorer. |
32942543 | Marie McGinty describes herself as an aesthetics nurse practitioner, nurse prescriber and midwife.
But according to the Nursing and Midwifery Council, there is no record of Ms McGinty being registered.
She has failed to respond to repeated requests from the BBC to comment on the claims that she is unqualified.
In 2012, Marie McGinty, 49, established Vital Cosmetics Liverpool Limited and, according to its promotional material, runs clinics throughout the North West and North Wales.
She offers "skin rejuvenation" by using anti-wrinkle injections and dermal fillers. One of the compounds she uses is Botox - a powerful drug that can only be given on prescription following an assessment by a doctor, dentist or nurse prescriber.
The BBC 5 Live Investigates programme has spoken to one woman who went to Marie McGinty for Botox injections and dermal fillers - and was left with unsightly blemishes and hard lumps around her eyes from the fillers.
The woman - who wishes to remain anonymous - said: "I could see instantly it was lumpy, then a few hours later it was almost like blisters. It progressively got worse and then it didn't improve and looked like a mess.
"It affected my work, I didn't leave my flat. I hated looking in the mirror and had to hide my hair across the face.
"It looked abnormal, my sister said I looked like a freak."
In the end, she went to see a cosmetic doctor in Harley Street - Dr Vincent Wong - to get the damage caused by the dermal fillers corrected.
He said: "The person who carried out this work may not have been trained, simply because this is a very delicate region and if not done properly may have serious consequences."
Ms McGinty gave the lady Botox injections in her front room.
Dr Wong added: "With Botox, once it is injected it cannot be removed and if it's injected into the wrong area it can cause serious damage."
Marie McGinty told a potential client she was a nurse prescriber.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council has no record of Marie McGinty being registered currently or in the past.
The titles of "registered nurse" and "midwife" are protected, meaning anyone falsely claiming to be a registered nurse or midwife is breaking the law.
Only registered nurses can become nurse prescribers - and have to be on the nursing register.
The BBC does not know where Ms McGinty is sourcing the Botox from. But the 5 live Investigates programme was able to buy it from a supplier in China, with no questions asked.
When Botox is sourced through unofficial channels, there is a risk it could be counterfeit.
The BBC was able to buy the supposed Botox for around £50 including shipping.
A small vial of white powder arrived with paperwork for dermal filler.
The company in China was asked if it was actually Botox.
"Of course, it is Botox, we use (dermal filler) documents to send the goods, as customs will check Botox, thanks for your kind understanding," they said.
Anyone can legally inject fillers so campaign groups like Save Face have tried to set up their own accredited list of 300 registered doctors, dentists and nurses.
"Treatments like fillers have almost become every day beauty treatments for many people, but, in the wrong hands, they are potentially dangerous procedures," said its director Ashton Collins.
"Many people we help have been too ashamed or embarrassed to come forward and speak out when a treatment has gone wrong."
The British Association of Dermatologists wants a mandatory register of practitioners.
And a Department of Health spokesman said: "Patients should always have confidence that their care is provided by a qualified individual and we strongly advise anyone choosing non-surgical treatment to check training and experience."
Five live Investigates also found that Ms McGinty's Vital Cosmetics Liverpool Limited mobile number links her to sites where escorts advertise "personal services".
The BBC contacted Marie McGinty three times by post and email over a month. She was also telephoned a number of times on her mobiles, with no success.
She said she would provide a statement after she spoke to her solicitor.
There has been no response and she has since moved from her registered business address.
BBC 5 Live Investigates is broadcast on BBC 5 Live on Sunday 24 May at 11:00 BST. | A bogus nurse is running a cosmetic clinic offering Botox and dermal filler treatments, according to a BBC investigation. |
40417796 | As a result, Northern Ireland will receive an extra £1bn during the next two years as part of the deal, but what could prevent the Stormont parties setting up a power-sharing executive to spend the money?
The most obvious sticking point is Sinn Féin's previous stipulation that it won't share power with DUP leader Arlene Foster until an inquiry into her controversial and expensive RHI Renewable Heating Incentive (RHI) scheme is concluded.
That inquiry is expected to take more than a year.
But after her election success and this week's deal, Mrs Foster's position within the DUP appears impregnable.
Sinn Féin must budge on their previous "red line" for a deal to be concluded.
During the spring Assembly election Mrs Foster vowed this would not happen "on her watch", before describing Sinn Féin as a "crocodile".
Either the DUP must drop this apparent red line or Sinn Féin must accept a wider form of legislation - a so-called hybrid model which would also cover Ulster Scots.
Gerry Adams has previously hinted there could be a deal without resolving differences over Northern Ireland's troubled past, but it wouldn't be a strong deal.
Republicans will be dubious about a section in the DUP-Conservative agreement which said there should be no unfair focus on former soldiers and police officers.
However, the wording is loose, so perhaps they can live with it.
Under the Foster-May agreement, the DUP is committed to backing the Conservatives on any Brexit-related legislation.
Sinn Féin still backs "special status" for Northern Ireland - effectively preserving many aspects of EU membership.
So will Sinn Féin willingly take the DUP deal cash or conclude that it is inadequate compensation for the damage they believe Brexit will do to Ireland, north and south?
No-one is expecting the DUP to drop its opposition to same-sex marriage.
Nor will the DUP or other Stormont parties suddenly decide to implement the 1967 Abortion Act in Northern Ireland.
But some argue that if the Stormont Assembly procedures are altered to exclude the use of cross-community vetoes on such moral or social issues, this could pave the way for movement.
However, is the DUP in a mood to curtail the veto power, which it can no longer wield without the backing of other Unionists?
We have been at it a long time - discussing how Stormont might be put together again since January when the late Martin McGuinness resigned as deputy first minister.
You could argue that the Stormont parties have had more than enough time to resolve their differences.
But Sinn Féin and some of the other parties have pointed out that for most of the past three weeks the government, which set Thursday's deadline, has side-tracked one of the main talks participants, namely the DUP, into another set of talks primarily focussed on Westminster's stability, not Stormont.
So you could get some participants believing the secretary of state should stop the clock.
However, if he does the credibility of NIO talks deadlines, already pretty low, would take another plunge. | So the cheque is in the post after the DUP agreed to back Theresa May's minority government in Commons votes. |
35260475 | Ali Saqr, 21, killed his mother, Lena al-Qasem, 45, outside the post office in Raqqa, Syria, eyewitnesses said.
Raqqa has served as IS' de facto capital since the group captured the city in August 2013.
IS does not tolerate any dissent and imposes brutal punishments, often carried out in public.
The UK-based monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) and the activist group Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently (RIBSS) reported the incident. RIBSS however said that the woman was killed for the crime of apostasy.
Lena al-Qasem had reportedly told her son that the US-led military alliance fighting IS would "wipe out" the group, and tried to convince him to leave the city with her.
Her son is then said to have informed the group of her comment. They then ordered that she be killed.
IS has killed many people for apostasy, just as it's murdered others for homosexuality or supposedly practising magic.
It's the macabre twist of having Lena al-Qasem's son kill her that's captured the world's attention.
As the air onslaught on IS in Raqqa intensifies, there's recently been an apparent rise in the public murder of residents there for trying to tell the world what's happening or challenging the group's rule with their behaviour or desire to escape.
A young woman, Ruqia Hasan, was killed for writing about life under IS in the city, even as she tried to continue living as normally as possible.
Before it was taken over by IS, Raqqa was held by other rebel groups - some still true to the original impulse of political opposition to President Assad.
Many left, some were killed, but others remain - their unsilenced voices a rebuke to IS as the group faces an intensifying onslaught in Raqqa and elsewhere.
Ali Saqr is reported to have shot her outside the post office where she worked, in front of hundreds of people.
IS, a jihadist group which follows its own extreme version of Sunni Islam, took over large parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014.
Since then the group has killed more than 2,000 people for reasons including homosexuality, and for the alleged practice of magic and apostasy, according to the SOHR. | An Islamic State militant carried out a public "execution" of his mother because she asked him to leave the group, activists say. |
27263954 | At a joint White House news conference, the two leaders said they were committed to an ongoing dialogue.
And Mr Obama sought to assure the German people they were not subject to "continual surveillance".
US-German relations have been strained by revelations US intelligence agencies had spied on Ms Merkel's mobile phone.
That came out in secret National Security Agency documents leaked last year by Edward Snowden, a former technical contractor with the US electronic spy agency.
At the joint appearance, Mr Obama acknowledged he was "pained" that Mr Snowden's disclosures had strained the US-German relationship.
And he noted that in a broad overhaul of US electronic spying practices he ordered over the past year, he had directed US intelligence agencies to weigh the privacy interests of non-Americans as well as US citizens and residents, "in everything that they do".
"These are complicated issues, and you know, we're not perfectly aligned yet, but we share the same values, and we share the same concerns," Mr Obama said.
The US president said there were still "some gaps that need to be worked through" pertaining to America's policies of electronic spying on its allies, but he said Ms Merkel "should not doubt and the German people should not doubt how seriously we take these issues".
And he said he anticipated those issues would be resolved to the satisfaction of the US, Germany and the rest of world.
Speaking through a translator, Ms Merkel said there were "differences of opinion" to overcome on "what sort of balance to strike between the intensity of surveillance, of trying to protect the citizens against threats and on the other hand protecting individual privacy and individual freedom".
"I take back the message home that the US is ready to do that, is ready to discuss this," she said.
Ms Merkel has recently proposed establishing a European communications network to avoid emails and other data automatically passing through the US. | The US and Germany remain at odds over digital spying and privacy policy, US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have said. |
34466322 | People are, quite literally, dying to take a picture of themselves.
In Russia this year there have been a handful of selfie-related fatalities, including the death of two men in the Ural Mountains who posed for a photo while pulling the pin from a hand grenade.
And, in June, a university graduate died after trying to take a selfie while hanging from a Moscow bridge.
Most recently a 17-year-old boy fell to his death from a rooftop as he tried to take his picture for his Instagram page.
He had previously taken a number of similar pictures of himself posing on high rooftops in the city of Vologda.
The problem isn't just limited to Russia. In the US recently a man died after shooting himself in the neck while taking a selfie.
At least 12 people have died this year while taking pictures of themselves making the practice more deadly than shark attacks, of which there have only been eight recorded deaths in 2015, according to tech news site Mashable.
The statistic is creating very real problems for governments.
In August, officials at the Waterton Canyon in Colorado were forced to close the park after several people were caught getting a little too close to the wildlife.
"We've actually seen people using selfie sticks to try and get as close to the bears as possible, sometimes within 10 feet [3 metres]," said recreation manager Brandon Ransom in a blog.
And, at Yellowstone National Park, officials issued a warning after five separate incidents of selfie-takers being gored by bison.
In Australia, a rock that looks like a wedding cake was fenced off because too many people were climbing it to take pre or post-wedding photos of themselves.
While in Russia, in response to the number of deaths there, the Interior Ministry launched a campaign warning that "self-photography could cost you your life".
"A selfie with a weapon kills," the brochure read. The accompanying poster campaign listed dangerous places to take a selfie.
So why are some people willing to risk their life to take the ultimate selfie?
It may come down to pure bravado, thinks Lee Thompson - whose snap of himself on top of the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janiero went viral in June 2014.
"People see pictures like mine and see how they spread across the world and see a way to make themselves famous for 15 minutes," he told the BBC.
A professional photographer, Mr Thompson admits that the picture he took was done as a publicity stunt for his travel company, Flash Pack. He did, however, get permission to climb the statue.
"I'm not a serial selfie-taker - this shot was to publicise my business. It was the shot I knew I had to get because people love selfies," he told the BBC.
He admits that the trend towards ever more dangerous selfies is "getting out of control".
"Be creative with your pictures but don't put yourself in danger," he advised.
According to research published by the Ohio State University, the pictures that people post on social media can tell an interesting story about their personality.
Hundreds of tests on people's social media habits were conducted for the study, which showed that people who post a lot of selfies also tend to score higher in traits of narcissism and psychopathy.
Lead researcher Jesse Fox said that, for many, a dangerous selfie is worth it for the number of likes and comments it will generate.
"Likes are a quantifiable way of measuring popularity and these days it isn't enough to just post a picture of yourself, because everyone is doing that. The more extreme it is, the more likely you are to stand out and get lots of likes and comments."
The rise of the selfie as an art form has not gone unnoticed by manufacturers such as Asus, which recently launched a phone dubbed the ZenFone Selfie, that as the name suggests, comes with a powerful camera.
But it too is sensitive to the issue of risk-taking selfies and its marketing of the device in France came with a poster campaign similar to that of the Russian government, pointing out places where taking a selfie would be ill-advised - including in front of trains, in cars and with bears.
Despite the publicity, there doesn't appear to be any let-up in the amount of death-defying selfies being taken, nor people's appetite to look at them.
A video on YouTube, compiling what it describes as the "25 most dangerous selfies ever", has been viewed over 20 million times.
It includes examples of a man taking a selfie while a bull charges at him, a man posing with a lion, someone taking a picture in front of a train and a woman taking a selfie of herself and her toddler while driving.
James Kingston's picture of himself hanging off a crane (above) came in at number three.
The list also features several self-portraits with sharks which had gone viral but which the video exposes as fakes.
Selfies may have become more dangerous than shark attacks but it seems that even the most intrepid self-shooter draws the line at a picture with a Great White. | If 2014 was the year of the selfie, then 2015 took the art of self-photography to a new and dangerous level. |
36584346 | In a rare interview, Michel Bacos, 92, said a Palestinian opened fire on hostages when commandos stormed the terminal in Entebbe on 3 July 1976.
It was previously understood no hostages were murdered by the captors.
Israeli forces freed 105 hostages in a surprise raid, killing about eight hostage-takers and 20 Ugandan troops.
One hostage, Jean-Jacques Mimouni, was mistaken for a hostage-taker and shot dead by a commando. Another, Pasco Cohen, also died after being accidentally shot by one of the Israeli soldiers.
Speaking from his home in Nice, France, Capt Bacos said the third hostage who lost her life, Ida Borochovich, was killed in front of him by a hostage-taker.
"When the raid started, a Palestinian came and started firing on the hostages. The woman was on the floor next to him by the entrance and he shot her. For sure she was killed."
Capt Bacos said, earlier in the week, that one of two Germans who, along with two Palestinians, hijacked his Air France plane, had told him: "If anyone tries to save the hostages, we'll know first and we'll shoot all of you."
In the event, the hijacker, Wilfried Boese, did not turn his gun on the hostages when the commandos fought their way into the building. He was shot dead in an exchange of fire.
"The noise was loud but after a few moments somebody said: 'There are Israeli soldiers here.'
"I lifted my head and I saw a soldier dressed like a member of the Ugandan army with a white hat - and he said in Hebrew: 'Listen, guys, we've come to take you home.'
"I didn't believe what I was seeing, even now I can't describe it - seeing the soldier, it was as if an angel had come down from the sky."
Read more: Former hostage tells her story
On the third day of the crisis, the hostage-takers separated the Israeli and non-Israeli Jewish passengers from the rest of the passengers, who were allowed to leave.
Capt Bacos and his crew of 12 were offered the chance to go, but refused to leave while people were still being held.
"I was a captain of Air France and before that I was in the Free French Forces under [Charles] de Gaulle during the [Second World] War - it would be impossible for me to leave my passengers, unimaginable," he said.
"I told my crew that we must stay until the end, because that was our tradition, so we cannot accept being freed. All my crew agreed without exception."
The Air France airbus was hijacked on 27 June and flown to Entebbe, where at least three Palestinian accomplices were waiting at the airport.
They demanded the release of 54 militants held by Israel and four other countries, and a $5m ransom.
Capt Bacos, his crew and the rescued passengers were flown back to Israel on 4 July, hours after the night-time operation. He was later awarded the Legion d'honneur, France's highest civilian decoration, for his actions during the crisis.
A fourth hostage, Dora Bloch, who had been taken to hospital before the raid, was murdered on the orders of Ugandan President Idi Amin the day after the Israeli rescue. | The French captain of a hijacked plane at the centre of a famed Israeli rescue operation has described how he saw a passenger killed by a hostage-taker. |
35151492 | The 2013 attack did no damage but revealed information about how computers running the flood control system worked, said the paper.
Hackers working for nation states regularly hit national infrastructure targets, said a separate AP report.
About 12 times in the last decade hackers have won high-level access to power networks, it said.
Extensive information about the Bowman Avenue dam in Rye, New York state was taken by the hackers, experts familiar with the incident told the newspaper.
An investigation pointed to Iran as the likely source of the attack and alerted US authorities to the significant cyber warfare capabilities of that nation, said the report The same group of hackers that attacked Bowman Avenue was also implicated in separate attacks on three US financial firms, it added.
The US power network has also come under regular attack by "sophisticated foreign hackers" said AP in an extensive investigation.
Many times security researchers had found evidence that hackers had won access to these sensitive systems. So far, all the attacks seemed intent on gathering detailed information, including engineering drawings, about networks and facilities.
One extensive campaign gave hackers access to 82 separate plants spread across the US and Canada. Comments in the code found when the attacks were detected suggested Iranian hackers were behind this attack. Information about this series of attacks led the FBI to issue a warning to power industry that it was being targeted.
The knowledge accumulated by the attackers has not been used to shut down the power plants or change the way they work, wrote AP reporters Garance Burke and Jonathan Fahey.
However, the knowledge could be used to cause damage if diplomatic relations between Iran and the US changed for the worse, former US Air Force cyber security expert Robert Lee told the agency.
Hackers could get at the power plants and other parts of national infrastructure because many of the systems were set up long before the need to protect them against remote attacks became apparent. | Iranian hackers penetrated the computers controlling a dam near New York, reveals the Wall Street Journal. |
38312419 | They approached the eight-month pregnant woman after she parked her VW Golf in a car park in Birmingham. Police said they were "lying in wait".
The victim tried to run away but was dragged to the floor. The men stole her keys and smashed her phone.
She went to hospital and police say she and her unborn child are "doing well".
Sgt Philip Poole, from West Midlands Police, said the woman was treated for minor injuries after the incident near Yew Tree car park, opposite Frogmoor Lane, on 11 December.
More updates on this and other stories in Birmingham and the Black Country
"Nevertheless, it was a shocking attack against a heavily pregnant woman and the outcome could have been far worse," he said.
"We need to identify the offenders before they are able to attack again."
CCTV images of the offenders, described as Asian, have been released by police.
Her vehicle, which has an on-board tracker, has since been recovered and is being forensically examined.
"We've secured CCTV and recovered the car, but we're still appealing to anyone who was in the area at the time and saw anything suspicious, or has any other information which they believe will assist the investigation to come forward," Mr Poole added. | A heavily pregnant woman was pinned to the ground by two men who sprayed a noxious substance in her eyes before stealing her car, police say. |
38389184 | The East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust was put into special measures in September 2014 because of "serious failures" in patient safety.
England's chief inspector of hospitals, Prof Sir Mike Richards said his recommendation came after an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Matthew Kershaw, the trust's chief executive said there was more to do.
The trust runs the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, the Kent and Canterbury in Canterbury, the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital (QEQM) in Margate, the Buckland in Dover, and the Royal Victoria in Folkestone.
Prof Richards said: "At our last inspection in July 2015, we noted that although East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust had made significant improvements in quality, we needed to see those improvements embedded in practice.
"We have found good evidence that the trust continues to make steady progress.
"We can see real benefits for patients."
Prof Richards has recommended the NHS Trust Development Authority and Monitor take the trust out of special measures.
CQC inspectors visited the hospitals and focused on emergency care, medical services, maternity and gynaecology, and end of life care.
The inspectors rated the quality of care provided by the William Harvey, QEQM and Kent and Canterbury hospitals as "requiring improvement".
Mr Kershaw said: "We have made some investments already in staffing levels in maternity and improvements in equipment.
"Both of those have more to do but we have made real strides in both those areas across both of our main sites." | A hospital trust should be taken out of special measures, the health watchdog has recommended. |
24165219 | Telescopes and satellites have reported seeing small but significant volumes of the gas, but the six-wheeled robot can pick up no such trace.
On Earth, 95% of atmospheric methane is produced by microbial organisms.
Researchers have hung on to the hope that the molecule's signature at Mars might also indicate a life presence.
The inability of Curiosity's sophisticated instrumentation to make this detection is likely now to dent this optimism.
"Based on previous measurements, we were expecting to go there and find 10 parts per billion (ppbv) or more, and we were excited about finding it. So when you go to search for something and you don't find it, there's a sense of disappointment," said Dr Chris Webster, the principal investigator on Curiosity's Tuneable Laser Spectrometer (TLS).
The Nasa rover's search is reported online in a paper published by Science Magazine.
Curiosity has been sucking in Martian air and scanning its components since shortly after landing in August 2012.
From these tests, it has not been possible to discern any methane to within the present limits of the TLS's sensitivity.
This means that if the gas is there, it can constitute no more than 1.3ppbv of the atmosphere - equivalent to just over 10,000 tonnes of the gas.
This upper limit is about six times lower than the previous estimates of what should be present, based on the satellite and telescope observations.
The number of 1.3ppbv is very low, and will put a question mark against the robustness of those earlier measurements.
The fact that Curiosity is working at ground level and in one location should not matter, as the Martian atmosphere is known to mix well over the course of half a year.
Methane at Mars could have a number of possible sources, of course - not just microbial activity.
It could be delivered by comets or asteroids, or produced internally by geological processes.
But it is the link to life that has most intrigued planetary scientists.
Earth's atmosphere contains billions of tonnes of methane, the vast majority of it coming from microbes, such as the organisms found in the digestive tracts of animals.
The speculation has been that some methane-producing bugs, or methanogens, could perhaps exist on Mars if they lived underground, away from the planet's harsh surface conditions.
This theory was bolstered by the previous observations making their detections in spring-time. It was suggested that the seasonal rise in temperatures was melting surface ices and allowing trapped methane to rise into the atmosphere in plumes.
But in Dr Webster's view, Curiosity's inability to detect appreciable amounts of methane now makes this scenario much less likely.
"This observation doesn't rule out the possibility of current microbial activity, [but] it lowers the probability certainly that methanogens are the source of that activity," he told the BBC's Science In Action Programme.
Or as team-member Prof Sushil Atreya, from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, put it: "There could still be other types of microbes on Mars. This just makes it harder for there to be microbes that kick out methane."
Dr Geronimo Villanueva is affiliated to the Catholic University of America and is based at Nasa's Goddard Space Flight Center.
He studies the Martian atmosphere using telescopes here on Earth. He cautioned that additional, much more precise measurements were needed from the rover before firm conclusions could be drawn.
"This is an evolving story as we get more numbers," he told BBC News.
"If Curiosity's statistics hold, it's important because it sets a new bound. Methane should last a long time in the atmosphere and the fact that the rover doesn't see it puts a big constraint on possible releases. But I would like to see more and better Curiosity results, and more orbiter results as well."
Dr Olivier Witasse is the project scientist on the European Space Agency's (Esa) Mars Express satellite, which made the very first claimed methane detection back in 2003.
He also said much more data was required.
"There is some indication from the Mars Express data - and it has not been published yet because it's a very complicated measurement - that the methane might peak at a certain altitude, at 25-40km. The Curiosity results are interesting but they have not yet settled the issue."
Esa has its ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter launching in 2016, which will be able to make further methane searches. And the Indian space agency (Isro) is due to despatch its Mangalyaan probe to the Red Planet later this year. This, too, has methane detection high on its list of objectives.
Curiosity itself will work to improve its readings, and will shortly deploy an "enrichment" process that will amplify any methane signal that might be present.
"We can lower that upper limit down to tens of parts per trillion, maybe 50 parts per trillion," said Dr Webster.
[email protected] and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos | The Curiosity rover's failure to detect methane on Mars is a blow to theories that the planet may still host some types of life, say mission scientists. |
38716756 | The Supreme Court is due to rule on Tuesday whether the UK parliament needs to give its approval before Article 50 is triggered.
The Scottish government argued that Holyrood should be given a say too.
Nicola Sturgeon has now said MSPs will have a vote regardless of the outcome of the case.
Prime Minister Theresa May has made clear her intention to take the UK out of the single market, with Ms Sturgeon warning the move "undoubtedly" makes a second referendum on Scottish independence more likely.
The Scottish government has put forward proposals for a separate settlement that it says would allow Scotland to stay in the single market even if the rest of the UK leaves.
When she set out her key objectives for the Brexit negotiation process last week, Mrs May promised to push for the "freest possible trade" with European countries.
And she said she wanted the UK to be able to negotiate trade deals with other countries around the world as part of plans to create a "truly global Britain".
But writing in the Daily Record, Ms Sturgeon said: "It's getting hard not to feel like the PM has her fingers in her ears when it comes to Scotland.
"This isn't some academic debate - removing us from the largest single market in the world would be devastating for people's jobs and living standards. But that seems to be of little concern to the Tories."
She added: "No matter what the court decides, I want to make this crystal clear - I intend to make sure the Scottish Parliament has the chance to vote on the question of triggering Article 50.
"If the UK government don't start showing Scotland some respect, I'll make sure that people across Scotland have the chance to choose our own future before the Tories drag us off an economic cliff-edge."
The Supreme Court case followed an appeal against an earlier High Court rejection of the UK government's argument that it already has the powers to trigger Article 50.
Campaigners say parliament must be consulted before the government does so - although Labour has already said it would not vote against Article 50.
The Scottish government intervened in the Supreme Court case, with the country's Lord Advocate arguing that MSPs should also be consulted before Article 50 is invoked.
On Sunday, the Scottish government's Brexit minister, Michael Russell, said the SNP's 54 MPs would definitely vote against Article 50.
Meanwhile, a group of MSPs has travelled to Brussels to gauge support for Scotland keeping some form of connection with both the European Union and the single market.
Members of Holyrood's European Committee said their talks would centre on what can be done to mitigate the impact of leaving the EU.
Committee members will meet senior German MEP David McAllister, who is vice president of the European People's Party in the European Parliament, and Danuta Hubner, the chairman of the parliament's Constitutional Affairs Committee.
Committee convener Joan McAlpine, an SNP MSP, said there was a "great deal of concern in Scotland" about what leaving the single market would mean for the country.
She added: "As Brexit gets closer - Article 50 is expected to be invoked in the next two months - it is vital that we explore all the ramifications of this as well as every possible avenue that helps Scotland retain as close a relationship with the EU and its single market as possible."
Deputy convener and Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald added: "We're moving into a crucial phase in the run up to Article 50 being triggered, and these meetings will help us understand the implications of Brexit for Scotland on major issues such as citizenship, the economy and trade."
EU leaders have warned that the UK cannot access the single market, which allows the free movement of goods, services and workers between its members, while at the same time restricting the free movement of people - a key pledge of the prime minister. | Scotland's first minister has said that MSPs will be given a vote on the triggering of Article 50 regardless of a Supreme Court ruling on the issue. |
37429239 | Mary Ann Cotton, from West Auckland, County Durham, was hanged in Durham Prison in 1873 for poisoning her stepson with arsenic.
She is widely believed to have also killed three husbands, 10 children, a lover and her mother, collecting life insurance for each.
The batch of letters found in her prison cell have sold for £1,050.
They had been estimated to fetch £500-700.
For more stories on Victorian England visit our Pinterest page
Eight other letters, written to a lodger at Cotton's home, were sold to a private collector in 2013.
Victoria House, originally from Hartlepool, failed to raise enough to buy them and donate them to the Durham County Records Office.
She had been "very upset" and said it was a case of "here we go again" with this latest sale.
"If I could save them, I would, but I haven't got the money and it's too short notice to ask people to help," she said.
As she was pregnant during her trial, Cotton's execution was delayed until after the birth of her 11th child.
The latest of her letters to be sold include one from William and Sarah Edwards, saying this daughter was being cared for.
Others relate to selling her possessions to pay for legal costs and instructing lawyers to defend her.
They were sold by a descendent of the matron at Durham Jail, who is believed to have cleared out Cotton's cell.
Tennants Auctioneers valuer Steven Stockton said there had been "a lot of interest from around the globe".
"There's a lot of beautiful things in this sale and the one thing that everyone's asking about is these letters to this awful monster," he said.
"I suppose it's something in human nature," he added. | Letters to a Victorian serial killer have been sold after a campaign to keep a previous set publicly owned failed. |
36805233 | They say it could also hold the key to introducing successful genetic variation.
Due to the speed at which plants decompose, finding intact ancient plant DNA is extremely rare.
The preserved ancient barley was excavated near the Dead Sea, the journal Nature Genetics reports.
The arid environment conserved the biological integrity of the grains, the paper says.
The team of researchers, consisting of archaeologists, specialists in ancient DNA analysis and experts in barley and crop genetics, recovered the ancient cultivated barley grains from a cave in an ancient fortress near the Dead Sea in Israel.
The preservation of the samples meant sufficient amounts of biological matter survived to enable isolation of genetic material and sequencing of the barley DNA.
Barley is one of the earliest farm crops, originally domesticated 10,000 years ago when the hunter-gatherers started farming. These ancient farmers started to grow wild plants and selected away traits that were unfavourable, very similar to modern day selective breeding.
The discovery of these seeds takes us closer in time to the original domestication of barley than ever before.
The DNA analysis showed that these 6,000 year old seeds were remarkably similar to modern day crops in the same region. Meaning that at the time they were harvested barley was already an advanced crop that had been heavily domesticated.
"These 6,000 year-old grains are time capsules, you have a genetic state that was frozen 6,000 years ago. This tells us barley 6,000 years ago was already a very advanced crop and clearly different from the wild barley," Dr Nils Stein of the IPK Plant Genetics institute in Germany told BBC News.
He added: "Already 6,000 years ago the barley fields may have looked very similar to barley that is grown today."
Prof Monique Simmonds, deputy director of science at Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, said finding preserved samples of such an age is in itself impressive. She also praised the new DNA analysis techniques used.
Speaking to the BBC, she expressed the importance of the paper and said that this research should inspire further work with old collections and even motivate exploration in areas for other potential preserved ancient samples.
As well as providing a detailed insight into the archaeology and history of this ancient crop, the seeds could provide the key to ensuring successful reintroduction of genetic variation in modern day species.
Prof Nils Stein told the BBC: "Breeders are trying to increase genetic diversity; maybe the knowledge of these ancient seeds will allow us to spot better genotypes from gene banks and seed vaults."
"We could ask what are the variations of genes in the ancient samples, are specific alleles [genes] still present in modern day germplasm [seeds], if they aren't why is this the case?, where they selected away on purpose or where they lost due to the domestication procedure, if this is the case there could still be value in these ancient genes," said Prof Stein. | An international group of scientists have analysed the DNA of 6,000 year old barley finding that it is remarkably similar to modern day varieties. |
26105246 | The Health and Work Service, which will cover England, Wales and Scotland, will offer non-compulsory medical assessments and treatment plans.
It will be run by the private sector and paid for by scrapping compensation to employers for statutory sick pay.
Ministers say employers will save money overall by having fewer staff off sick.
They said it may save companies up to £70m a year in reduced sickness pay and related costs.
Labour's shadow work and pensions minister, Kate Green, said: "Any help to cut number of days lost to sickness is welcome, but with the government's Work Programme helping just 5% of people on sickness and disability benefits into jobs, it is clear much more needs to done to help people get back to work."
The new scheme will not entail any change to existing laws.
At present, staff who are off work for more than four weeks are considered to be long-term sick and entitled to Statutory Sick Pay of almost £90 per week from their employers.
That will not change under the new arrangements - but the government wants the Health and Work Service to cut the number of people on long-term sick leave.
Under the scheme, employers or GPs will be able to refer employees for a work-focused occupational health assessment.
This is intended to identify the issues preventing an employee from returning to work and draw up a plan for them, their GP and their employer, recommending how the employee can be helped back to work more quickly.
This may include fitness for work advice, medical care, working from home or retraining.
The scheme is not compulsory. Workers will be allowed to refuse to be assessed or to follow any course of action or treatment recommended.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) says it is intended that the service will start operating this year.
It will be run by the private sector, with the firms managing it decided by a tendering process.
The service will be paid for by scrapping the Statutory Sick Pay Percentage Threshold Scheme (PTS), which gives some compensation to employers faced with high levels of sickness absence.
The government says PTS is "an outdated system which does nothing to promote or support active management of sickness absences by either the employer or employee".
Minister for Disabled People Mike Penning rejected suggestions that ending PTS was about the government saving money.
He said the compensation to employers under PTS amounted to only £10 a week on average for each employee.
"We think we can use that money much better," he said.
In return for losing that compensation employers would instead have access to an occupational health scheme.
He said employers should regard that as "a good investment".
The financial loss to business from ending PTS would also be offset by a reduction in lost working days, earlier return to work and increased economic output created by the new scheme, the DWP said.
It said small businesses, which do not generally have occupational health services, would particularly benefit.
Mr Penning said sickness absence had a "substantial impact" on workers, employers and taxpayers.
"As part of the government's long-term economic plan, we are taking action to get people back into work," he said.
"This is a triple-win. It will mean more people with a job, reduced cost for business, and a more financially secure future for Britain."
The Trades Union Congress said it supported anything that could help people get back to work when they are ill, and that being in a rewarding job with a supportive employer could be good for your health.
But it said care should be taken over how the scheme was implemented.
The TUC's head of health and safety, Hugh Robertson, said: "The focus of this service should be about getting them [workers] better as opposed to just back to work and the two are not necessarily the same."
The danger was that people would be forced back to work before they were well.
Mr Robertson added: "Also there is nothing which can force employers to do anything with the advice they are given [by occupational health experts]."
Pensions Minister Steve Webb denied that people would be forced back to work prematurely.
He said: "It is about sitting down and supporting people, saying What help and support do you need to make sure this sickness absence is not any longer than it needs to be."
About one million people in Britain are off work long-term because of illness, according to the government.
The rate of absence through sickness is among the lowest in Europe and has halved over the past decade. | People off sick for more than four weeks are to be offered advice to get them back to work more quickly under a scheme being set up by the government. |
39148849 | The 20-year-old was due to compete in the 400m and 4x400m relay, alongside identical twin Laviai.
She has suffered a "stress response" - the stage before a stress fracture - on a fibula and has withdrawn as a precautionary measure.
Eilish McColgan has pulled out of the 1500m after suffering from illness but will still race in the 3,000m.
The championships start on Friday and run through to Sunday.
Men: 60m: Richard Kilty, Andrew Robertson, Theo Etienne; 800m: Guy Learmonth, Kyle Langford; 1,500m: Tom Lancashire; 3,000m: Nick Goolab; 60m hurdles: Andrew Pozzi, David King, David Omoregie; High jump: Robbie Grabarz, Chris Kandu, Allan Smith; Long jump: Dan Bramble; Combined events: Ashley Bryant, Liam Ramsey.
Women: 60m: Asha Phillip; 400m: Eilidh Doyle, Laviai Nielsen; 800m: Shelayna Oskan-Clarke; 1500m: Laura Muir, Sarah McDonald; 3,000m: Laura Muir, Eilish McColgan, Steph Twell; High jump: Morgan Lake; Long jump: Lorraine Ugen, Jazmin Sawyers; Shot put: Rachel Wallader; 4x400m: Eilidh Doyle, Laviai Nielsen, Philippa Lowe, Mary Iheke. | Great Britain's Lina Nielsen will miss the European Indoor Championships in Belgrade with a leg injury. |
39781260 | The 17-year-old has made 11 first-team appearances, nine of them this season.
His only goal so far came on his debut last term, when he scored against Sheffield Wednesday when aged just 16 years 11 months and 15 days.
"I've been in and around the first-team this season and that's my goal, to play regularly for the team," midfielder Dozzell told the club website.
"It was hard when I wasn't involved over the first half of the season but I can see why I wasn't.
"The Championship is a tough league and it's difficult to throw someone of my age into those types of games but I've been working hard in the gym to become bigger and stronger," the England Under-17 international added.
He is the son of former Ipswich forward Jason Dozzell, who remains the youngest goalscorer in the top-flight of English football, having netted on his debut in 1984 aged just 16 years and 57 days. | Ipswich Town teenager Andre Dozzell has agreed a contract extension with the Championship club to run until 2020. |
37300579 | The rule means only three players who play outside Wales can be picked.
Robert Howley will deputise for Gatland, who will take charge of the 2017 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand.
"A couple of big names and big players are going to miss out in the autumn," Gatland said,
"That's going to be quite dramatic.
"Everyone's been questioning whether we're going to stick to that policy, and I can guarantee you that that's going to happen. The players have been informed."
Wales host Australia, Argentina, Japan and South Africa at Cardiff's Principality Stadium in November.
Jamie Roberts, George North, Rhys Priestland and Luke Charteris are among the players who play in England, while Leigh Halfpenny is with Toulon in France.
In August, 2014, the Welsh Rugby Union and Wales' four professional regions signed a £60m, six-year deal that settled a long-running dispute over the sport's future.
That deal included rules that mean players based outside Wales could be overlooked in favour of home-based talent.
The policy ruled no player based overseas should represent Wales, although Gatland is able to make exceptions. | Warren Gatland has said some players will miss out on being selected for Wales' autumn internationals under the so-called Gatland's Law. |
36102842 | Kandyce Downer said most of the "day-to-day" care of little Keegan was down to her son and three younger children.
Birmingham Crown Court was told post-mortem tests showed Keegan had suffered more than 120 separate injuries.
Asked by prosecutor Nigel Power QC to name the "prime candidate" for her daughter's death, she replied: "My eldest."
The court was told that on finding her 18-month-old "unwell" in her cot, she delayed calling 999 and instead drove off to dump the child's old blood-spotted mattress near a skip.
The 35-year-old also admitted leaving Keegan alone in her bedroom to take her natural daughter out on the day of the toddler's death.
Ms Downer, of Beckbury Road, Weoley Castle, Birmingham, became Keegan's legal guardian in January 2015 following a formal court hearing.
Cross-examining, Mr Power asked why she failed to call 999 when she found her daughter unwell.
He said: "Did you think she was so unwell, that she might die? Downer replied: "Yes."
He then asked: "But it was more important to you was it, to get rid of the mattress than to try to do something to avoid her dying?"
Downer, who denies murder and causing or allowing the death of a child. replied: "Yes," before adding: "I loved her."
The trial continues. | A mother accused of murdering her 18-month-old daughter said her eldest son may be to blame for the fatal injuries. |
36894212 | Allegations of military abuses in the south, home to a longstanding Muslim insurgency are nothing new.
But there has been a sharp increase in the use of criminal defamation laws against government critics in recent years, BBC correspondent Jonathan Head says.
Rights groups condemned the charges.
The trio face up to two years in prison if found guilty of defaming the military, and a further three years if they are found to have violated the country's computer crimes act.
Pornpen Khongkachonkiet, Anchana Heemmina and Somchai Homlaor published a lengthy report in February based on accounts from 54 people who had allegedly been tortured while in military detention.
The torture methods alleged included sensory deprivation, physical violence, threats at gunpoint and "partial suffocation".
Army officers, who denied the claims were true, had demanded the report's sources be named.
The researchers refused, citing safety concerns.
Amnesty International secretary general Salil Shetty said the charges made a mockery of the Thai government's pledge to introduce anti-torture legislation.
"It is a cruel paradox that they are harassing activists for exposing the abhorrent practice," he said in a statement.
Pornpen Khongkachonkiet serves as the chairperson of Amnesty International in Thailand.
Last year, a court acquitted a Thai and an Australian journalist of similar charges after they had reprinted a news report alleging complicity between the Thai military and human traffickers.
More than 6,500 people have been killed in the southern insurgency since 2004, with bombings, beheadings, shootings and assassinations common. | Three Thai human rights activists have been charged with criminal defamation over a report alleging torture by soldiers in southern Thailand. |
33085994 | Media playback is not supported on this device
In a repeat of the 2011 final, which Japan won on penalties, the Nadeshiko could not live with their stronger and quicker opponents, who went 4-0 up when Lloyd scored an astonishing third from the halfway line.
The American midfielder put the 1991 and 1999 champions two goals up within five minutes in a stunning start to the match.
Lauren Holiday volleyed in after Azusa Iwashimizu's woeful header and Lloyd then caused pandemonium among the huge contingent of US supporters inside BC Place when she lobbed Japan goalkeeper Ayumi Kaihori.
The 2011 winners retaliated thanks to a Yuki Ogimi strike and a Julie Johnston own goal, but Tobin Heath made it 5-2 before 60 minutes had elapsed and despite further pressure, English coach Jill Ellis's USA side held on.
The majority of the 53,341 fans inside BC Place erupted in joyous celebration at the final whistle before Confederation of African football (Caf) president Issa Hayatou, standing in at the final for Fifa president Sepp Blatter, presented the World Cup trophy to former captain Christie Rampone and veteran striker Abby Wambach.
Chants of "U-S-A" reverberated around the ground when they lifted trophy.
The pulsating finale to an entertaining tournament was the highest-scoring final in the tournament's history, and matched the highest scoring men's final, when Brazil defeated Sweden by the same scoreline in 1958.
Japan, who made it to the final after beating England courtesy of Laura Bassett's own goal, were outclassed from the start and could not cope with the USA's set-pieces.
But they also suffered from a familiar foe as Lloyd added to the two goals she scored against Japan in the 2012 Olympic final between the two teams.
Her third-minute opener was the quickest goal in a Women's World Cup final as she latched onto Megan Rapinoe's perfectly directed corner. The 32-year-old added another after Japan failed to clear a free-kick.
It got worse for Norio Sasaki's side when Iwashimizu gifted Holiday a goal when her clearance header merely looped up in the air and the USA midfielder took advantage.
Lloyd's wonder goal, which completed a first Women's World Cup final hat-trick and made her the tournament's joint top scorer along with Germany's Celia Sasic, appeared to have ended the game as a contest.
Such was the manner of Iwashimizu's display that the Japan defender she was withdrawn after 33 minutes to be replaced by former captain Homare Sawa, who was competing in her sixth World Cup.
Although former Chelsea forward Ogimi turned and fired in before the break and Johnston's second-half own goal gave Japan hope, Heath took advantage from more poor Japanese defending to score the USA's fifth.
Japan were determined not to give up as substitute Mana Iwabuchi caused problems for the US defence. But they could find no way past a resolute US side, who became the first team to win the Women's World Cup for a third time. | Carli Lloyd scored an incredible 13-minute hat-trick as the United States thrashed Japan to win their third Women's World Cup title. |
35153273 | Scarlets' open-side flanker John Barclay will return after two weeks out with a shoulder injury, while blindside Aaron Shingler is rated as 50-50.
"One of our goals is to be the top Welsh region," Pivac said.
"So that has huge significance if we can get the win."
The Scarlets are top of the table with eight wins out of nine while the Ospreys have only four victories after a slow start.
"It'll all be part of the motivation when you get these games," Pivac added.
"You want to be the best Irish team, Scottish team or Welsh team."
The west Wales region have been without a specialist open-side for most of the last two matches with injuries to Scotland international Barclay, James Davies (foot) and teenager Tom Phillips (concussion) forcing 21-year-old number eight Jack Condy to provide emergency cover.
"Getting John back, a seasoned player and experienced player, brings a lot in terms of our defence as well as what he does in attack and at the breakdown," Pivac told BBC Wales Sport.
"He's a good communicator and a good leader so we welcome him back."
Pivac believes there is no significance to the lack of tries in Scarlets' 9-6 home defeat against Glasgow, compared to the eight on offer in Ospreys' 33-27 reverse in Bordeaux.
"I think they are playing very well at the moment, trying a few things in good conditions and playing some good rugby," added the New Zealander.
"They're going to be a big threat to us with some class players.
"Dan Biggar is a class player and we're obviously aware of his abilities, but if you start targeting one player then it opens up for others.
"We won't be setting any particular plan for Dan Biggar, but we're aware of his capabilities." | Scarlets coach Wayne Pivac says Boxing Day's derby against Ospreys will be of "huge significance" in the battle to finish as the leading Welsh region in the Pro12. |
36854205 | McDonald signed a new one-year deal to remain at Fir Park earlier this month after scoring 14 goals last season.
"Scott is an extremely important part of our plans as we believe he is one of the very best strikers in the country," said Motherwell manager Mark McGhee.
"It's obvious Scott has a deep affinity for the club and wants to try to help us in this new season."
McDonald moved to Fir Park for a second time in February 2015 after spells in England with Middlesbrough and Millwall. His first stint at Motherwell was followed by a successful spell at Celtic, where he won a league title and a League Cup.
McGhee says the club were surprised to receive the bid for the striker given he only signed a new deal three weeks ago.
"Alan Burrows (Motherwell CEO) and I chatted with the player for some time on Wednesday and there was a lot of common ground," McGhee added in a statement on the club's website.
"The actual interest came fairly out the blue and the prospect of a return home is obviously intriguing for anyone in that scenario, however, it was also clear he still feels there is unfinished business in the SPFL, which was great for us.
"That meant, when an official did eventually come in during the night, it was a fairly simple one for us to politely reject." | Motherwell have rejected an offer from an Australian A-League club for striker Scott McDonald. |
38611570 | In a statement, St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral said it had received a number of "offensive messages on Facebook and other platforms".
It added that they had been reported to Police Scotland and they were grateful for the support of the force.
Police Scotland confirmed that officers were investigating the messages.
A spokeswoman said: "Police Scotland will not tolerate any form of hate and encourages all communities to take action to ensure no-one feels threatened or marginalised."
Earlier this week, the senior clergyman at the cathedral defended the use of the Koran during the service which took place over Christmas.
The cathedral had been criticised because the verses that were read contradict Christian teaching about Jesus.
The Very Rev Kelvin Holdsworth said the reading was part of efforts to build relationships between Christians and Muslims in Glasgow.
He said: "Such readings have happened a number of times in the past in this and in other churches and have led to deepening friendships locally, to greater awareness of the things we hold in common and to dialogue about the ways in which we differ." | Police are investigating online abuse aimed at a Glasgow cathedral after it emerged that a passage from the Koran had been read during a recent service. |
35640891 | Star point guard Stephen Curry scored 36 points to help the Warriors to a 102-92 victory over Atlanta Hawks.
Monday's win meant they reached 50 victories from only 55 games, one fewer than the 1995-96 Bulls side.
Warriors are now chasing a second Bulls record, the Chicago side being the only team to win 70 games in a season.
Their 72-10 record in 1995-96 was the pinnacle for a side that dominated the sport in the 1990s, winning six titles in eight years.
"Fifty wins is great but we've got to keep plugging away and staying hungry, because nobody wants to talk about that in June," Curry said. | Golden State Warriors eclipsed a record set by Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls as they became the fastest side in NBA history to 50 wins. |
38586996 | In a double signing, the managerless League One side have also signed young midfielder Callum Guy on loan from Championship club Derby County.
Guy, 20, and Eagles, 31, who has been released by Accrington, are both at Vale Park until the end of the season.
Eagles shone for Vale's reserves as a trialist at Bradford on Monday, making three of the goals in a 4-0 win.
The pair are the first signings made by caretaker manager Michael Brown, who took over on Boxing Day following the resignation of Bruno Ribeiro.
Meanwhile, Vale have ended defender Sam Hart's season-long loan from Liverpool.
Hart, 20, returns to his parent club having made nine League One starts in his overall tally of 16 appearances.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here. | Port Vale have brought in ex-Manchester United, Burnley and Bolton winger Chris Eagles on a short-term deal. |
31384525 | Scientists at the Messerli Research Institute's Clever Dog Lab in Vienna trained dogs to associate pictures of happy or angry faces with a reward.
In a subsequent test, the scientists showed the dogs images of human faces they had not seen in their training.
This suggested that dogs could spot the difference between the expressions.
This study, published in the journal Current Biology, is part of a larger project studying how humans and their canine companions interact.
"The main focus [of our research] is the big question of communication," lead researcher Prof Ludwig Huber said.
"How is it that dogs are so adapted to humans, and what's happened during the process of domestication?"
The scientists repeatedly showed 20 dogs half pictures - either the lower mouth region or the upper eye area - of happy or angry human faces.
Half the dogs received a treat when they touched an angry face with their nose. The other half were rewarded for touching happy faces.
Just over half the dogs learned the task well enough to be tested, and there were then a number of different tests to find out if they could tell the difference solely on the basis of facial expression.
"[In one test condition], we showed them new faces - faces they've never seen before," Prof Huber told BBC News.
"In another, we showed them different parts of the faces."
Showing dogs the opposite half of the face to the half they had learned to recognise in their training, showed they could "transfer their knowledge" of human facial expressions
"So, for example, in the training, they see the mouth region of the happy face," said Prof Huber, "and they associate that with what the eyes would look like."
Dr Kun Guo, a psychologist and expert in human-animal interaction from the University of Lincoln, said: "Showing dogs only half of the face and then the other half separately means they can't rely on the shape of the eyes or the mouth - they must have some sort of template in their mind.
"So it looks like they can really discriminate between happy and angry."
But, he added, this did not show that dogs understood the meaning of those emotional expressions.
Prof Huber agreed but added that the dogs that had had to touch the angry face to be rewarded, in the training, had taken three times as long to learn the task.
"It seems as if they don't like to touch an angry face," he said.
"So here we have some suggestive evidence that they interpret those pictures, and maybe they really understand an angry face to be something they don't like." | Research is now suggesting something dog-lovers have long suspected - man's best friend can tell the difference between our happy and angry faces. |
36567018 | Chris Bryant, shadow leader of the House of Commons, said preventing another attack on a MP "can't be guaranteed" but all precautions must now be carried out.
It follows the death of Labour MP Jo Cox, 41, who was stabbed and shot in Birstall, West Yorkshire, on Thursday.
Mr Bryant, MP for Rhondda, called for a "proper risk assessment" to be made.
Speaking to BBC Newsnight, he said: "A lot of us have been arguing, I've been arguing in Parliament for quite some time that... the real risk in many cases would be to a MP in their constituency.
"Of course, nobody wants to lose that precious jewel in the British democratic system which is that... you can go and see your MP, in many cases without even having to make an appointment, you just turn up.
"Every single one of us wants to preserve that. But I think there needs to be a proper risk assessment around the country. I'm aware that, especially since November last year, there have been a very large number of individual threats [to MPs]."
He added: "The truth is we all know that we can't guarantee that something like this won't happen again but we need to make sure that we have taken all the precautions."
Asked how he felt that despite his warnings, action had not been taken, a visibly upset Mr Bryant said: It's very, very difficult for anybody when they lose a colleague, especially somebody like Jo, and it's always very, very difficult for us to get the policing arrangements right that fit every single circumstance.
"But I'm just aware that probably every MP in the land will have had over the years five, six, seven different forms of death threats, maybe attacks.
"Knowing which ones to take really, really seriously, which ones just to ignore, which ones to brush off and so on, that's a really difficult thing to do.
"I hope now that all the security services, all the 43 police services in the land, will come together and say 'you know we are going to make sure we do this properly'."
Mr Bryant said he did not know a MP who had not "ended up with a stalker".
"It has been particularly bad in the last few months, in particular for women MPs," he said.
"I would hate the idea that there be a young person of real talent out there who is thinking of going into politics who would be frightened of doing so."
Meanwhile, vigils are being held across Wales on Saturday in memory of Mrs Cox, including in Llangefni, on Anglesey, and a multi-faith vigil in Newport.
On Friday, hundreds of people attended a vigil at the Senedd in Cardiff, with 150 in Swansea at similar event. | Warnings over the safety of MPs were repeatedly made in Parliament, a Welsh MP has said. |
34246119 | They say their review of 61 studies provides the "most conclusive evidence to date" that portion size affects how much we unwittingly eat.
The team at the University of Cambridge also said smaller plates, glasses and cutlery helped people eat less.
Experts said people were "reluctant" to leave a plate with food on it.
Their data, published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, shows that when people are offered more food they will eat it.
And the team warns that in recent decades portion sizes have been increasing.
On average between 1993 and 2013:
Source: British Heart Foundation - Portion Distortion report
About two in three adults in the UK are either overweight or obese, which increases the risk of heart problems, type 2 diabetes and cancer.
The findings, which are based on 6,711 people taking part in a wide range of clinical trials, suggest that eliminating "large portions" could cut up to 279 calories a day out of people's diets.
Dr Ian Shemilt, from Cambridge's Behaviour and Health Research Unit, told the BBC News website: "This is the most conclusive evidence to date that people consistently consume more food and drink when given larger portions, packaging or tableware.
"Consumers do have a role to play - for example, all of us can reduce the size of plates or glasses we use and put pressure on the pubs and restaurants we visit by asking for a smaller portion."
The team also says government measures to force smaller packs to offer better value for money and upper limits on the size of energy-dense foods would help people lose weight.
Dr Alison Tedstone, chief nutritionist at Public Health England, said: "This study clearly demonstrates that reducing portion sizes is a successful way to cut calories.
"It's important to keep an eye on portion sizes when cooking, shopping and eating out to avoid overeating and help maintain a healthy weight."
Prof Brian Ratcliffe, emeritus professor of nutrition at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, said: "People seem to be reluctant to leave or waste food and so consume what they are served or find larger portions more attractive.
"A limited number of restaurants and food outlets already offer more than one portion size with appropriate pricing differentials and this seems to be a way forward to help people to avoid overconsumption." | Reducing the portion sizes offered in supermarkets, restaurants and at home would help reverse the obesity epidemic, say researchers. |
30645462 | He signed the Rome Statute, the ICC's founding treaty, at a Ramallah meeting.
Membership could see the Palestinians pursue Israel on war crimes charges, and the move was quickly condemned by Israel's prime minister.
It follows the rejection of a UN Security Council resolution demanding an end to the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories by late 2017.
Eight members of the 15-strong Security Council voted for that resolution, while the US and Australia voted against.
The resolution, condemned by Israel as a "gimmick", needed the support of at least nine members in order to pass.
The Rome Statute was among some 20 international agreements signed by Mr Abbas at the meeting in Ramallah, in the West Bank. Signing up to the statute is seen as the first move to joining the ICC.
"We want to complain. There's aggression against us, against our land," Mr Abbas was quoted as saying.
"The Security Council disappointed us."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded quickly, saying Israel would take "steps in response and defend Israel's soldiers".
Israel, which is not a member of the ICC and does not recognise its jurisdiction, says joining the court would expose the Palestinians to prosecution.
"It is the Palestinian Authority - which is in a unity government with Hamas, an avowed terrorist organisation that, like ISIS, perpetrates war crimes - that needs to be concerned about the International Criminal Court in the Hague," Mr Netanyahu said in a statement.
The US state department released a statement condemning what it called "an escalatory step" on the part of the Palestinians, saying negotiations between the two sides were the only "realistic path" towards peace.
"Today's action is entirely counter-productive and does nothing to further the aspirations of the Palestinian people for a sovereign and independent state," it said.
Palestinian chances of joining the ICC were improved in 2012 after the UN General Assembly voted to upgrade their status to that of a "non-member observer state" in November of that year.
Membership is not guaranteed but correspondents say the application is a highly political move that carries great symbolism.
Less than 24 hours after the Palestinian Authority failed to bring about a UN vote to end the Israeli occupation, President Mahmoud Abbas has made good on his promise of a different approach - joining the International Criminal Court, and threatening Israel with charges of war crimes.
Instead of negotiating his way to statehood, he hopes that pressure from international bodies will bring it about.
It's been a bloody year for Palestinians and Israelis - the war in Gaza, kidnappings, and murders in Jerusalem. There's little hope of peace.
Internationally, there is a growing sense of frustration that bilateral talks have made little progress.
The last attempt at peace negotiations, led by the US Secretary of State John Kerry, collapsed earlier this year, having achieved almost nothing.
Mr Abbas had been under increasing domestic pressure following months of heightened tension and violence after the collapse of peace talks in April.
More than 2,100 people, mostly Palestinians, died in a 50-day conflict between Israel and Hamas in the summer, according to UN figures. Israel said 67 of its troops and six civilians died.
Analysts say signing the Rome Statute could stir up tensions with the US and other major donors to the Palestinian Authority - as well as a response from Israel.
Based in The Hague, the ICC can prosecute individuals accused of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed since 1 July 2002, when the Rome Statute came into force.
Earlier this year Mr Abbas signed applications by the "State of Palestine" to join 15 UN treaties and conventions, beginning with the Fourth Geneva Convention. | Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has signed papers to join the International Criminal Court (ICC). |
32363886 | Media playback is unsupported on your device
18 April 2015 Last updated at 13:40 BST
He said a Labour government would set up a task force to target firms that encouraged low skilled migration and undermined the minimum wage.
The Conservatives said Labour was "in denial" and "nothing" being proposed would help to control immigration. | Labour leader Ed Miliband has pledged to end an "epidemic" of worker exploitation during a major speech on immigration. |
35625310 | Macaulay Campbell, known as Mac, was driving a Volkswagen Lupo which collided with a BMW on the A3057 between Nursling and Romsey late on Saturday evening.
He was pronounced dead the scene.
A family statement said he was "a truly loving and active young man in the prime of his life."
The male driver and female passenger of the BMW 520 were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police have appealed for witnesses.
Mr Campbell's family said he had won a match playing for Romsey Rugby Club earlier on Saturday.
"He enjoyed his work as an apprentice fitter with Sparkes of Totton and he loved his sport, especially rugby," a statement said.
Romsey Rugby Club issued a statement which described him as a "bright and loved Romsey star".
"He was an excellent player and a great guy around the club," it added. | A 20-year-old man who died in a two-car crash near Southampton had been man of the match for his rugby team earlier in the day, his family has said. |
31106605 | Chinese President Xi Jinping met visiting Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday. The president reportedly said he was looking forward to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to China in May.
Papers and experts say it is "rare" for a top Chinese leader to meet a visiting foreign minister, and the meeting shows that Mr Xi has attached huge importance to Beijing's relations with Delhi.
Ms Swaraj on Sunday also met her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov as part of the RIC (Russia, India, China) group's summit.
Commenting on the trilateral meeting, Xinhua News Agency describes India's diplomacy as "pragmatic" and one which has the "intention to seek a balance".
"For India, which aspires to become a leading player in both regional and global arenas, it pays off by adopting a pragmatic approach in diplomacy. Instead of purely looking to the West..., India also attaches great importance to relations with its neighbours," says the state-run agency.
An article in the Chinese edition of the Global Times dismisses speculation in India's papers that the rare meeting between the Chinese president and Indian foreign minister shows that Beijing is feeling "insecure and anxious" over warmer Delhi-Washington ties.
"Such comments reflect a narrow perspective on China-India ties and overlook the dynamism of the bilateral development," it says.
It adds that that despite "sensitive border issues", leaders of both countries are "looking at the bigger picture" and have "obviously improved their ability to deal with risks".
Echoing similar views, Wang Yusheng, former ambassador to Sri Lanka, says India "will not be like Japan which tails after the US".
"On the important international issues, China and India are mostly on the same page and are co-operating well. As for the differences over the unresolved historical problems, they can be managed," he writes in the Liberation Daily.
Meanwhile, air pollution is back in the media spotlight after environment authorities announced the names of China's most polluted cities.
According to the China Daily, almost 90% of China's major cities have failed to meet air quality standards.
Among the top 10 most-polluted cities of 2014, seven are located in Hebei, an industrial province in northern China.
A commentary in the Bandao Net website points out that it is necessary to push for new measures to change the current situation.
"Some cities always top the list. The authorities should put pressure on these cities and give them a timeline to improve their air quality," it says.
An article in the Beijing News, however, says the ranking is "unfair" as the environment and level of industrialisation between the southern and northern regions in China are different.
"Even if there is an improvement of air quality in the most polluted cities, people will still not be able to feel it. On the other hand, the top 10 cities with good air quality may not need to do much to clean up the air as their problems are not so serious," the article argues.
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. | Chinese papers describe India's diplomacy as "pragmatic" and look forward to warmer Beijing-Delhi ties. |
35061085 | The singer could not attend the ceremony, but sent a message saying: "That's amazing. I've only just put out new music. I'm so chuffed."
Irish singer Hozier won song of the year for the dramatic ballad Take Me To Church - the show's only public vote.
And One Direction opened the show, in one of their last public performances before taking a year-long hiatus.
Surrounded by pyrotechnics, the four-piece played their number one hit Drag Me Down, to huge screams from the audience.
Earlier, the band had braved torrential rain outside Birmingham's Genting Arena to pose for photos with fans.
Asked by host Chris Evans if they were really taking a career break at the height of their success, Liam Payne replied: "It sounds like a stupid plan but, yes, it's true."
Other performers included Ellie Goulding, who played a sweeping, orchestral version of her 50 Shades Of Grey theme Love Me Like You Do, backed by the BBC Concert Orchestra.
Little Mix played their hit single Black Magic, while country duo The Shires performed a special duet with former beautiful South stars Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbot, including the songs The Austerity of Love, Nashville Grey Skies and Leaving on a Jet Plane.
And Rod Stewart closed the show with the songs Please and Sailing.
Taylor Swift won the best international artist prize - accepting her trophy, a golden vintage BBC microphone via a video from Australia.
"Oh my God, this is really heavy," said the star. "I really appreciate you guys shipping this out, because it must have cost a lot."
Hozier also commented on the hefty trophy, joking: "You could kill a man with it. I think they're going to put it in the new edition of Cluedo."
The singer, whose 1989 world tour has been one of 2015's top earners, added that playing Radio 1's Big Weekend in Norwich had been "an amazing highlight of my year".
And Jack Garratt picked up the BBC Introducing Award, recognising a newcomer who has risen through the ranks of the BBC's new music strand.
"It's a weird feeling being validated for potential," he said. "A lot of these things are saying, 'you might be good next year' which is an incredible compliment to receive - but there's a certain pressure to it."
But the evening really belonged to Adele, whose new album 25 has become the year's biggest seller on both sides of the Atlantic after just three weeks on sale.
"Sorry I'm not there," said the star in her video message. "I'm absolutely gutted but thanks so much for my award. I hope you're all having a wonderful evening."
Other acts appeared to be in awe of the singer.
"She stepped into 2015 near the end and smashed everything out of the park," James Bay told the BBC. "She's an incredible artist so it's well deserved."
"You can't touch Adele," said Little Mix star Perrie Edwards.
"She will always be at the top, just sitting there comfortably," added Leigh-Anne Pinnock. "No-one will ever touch her."
Live coverage of the ceremony and the TV broadcast is continuing on BBC Music's dedicated live page.
The full list of winners and nominees is as follows: | Pop star Adele has dominated the second BBC Music Awards, winning best British artist and best live performance. |
36183914 | Adam Lyth was out to the first delivery, while Gary Ballance and Root fell in successive balls, as Jake Ball (3-40) reduced Yorkshire to 24-3.
Alex Lees (91 not out) and Jonny Bairstow (29) led a recovery and put on 83 for the fourth wicket.
After a lengthy rain delay, Yorkshire closed 91 runs behind on 170-4.
Notts have England bowler Stuart Broad and Australia's Jackson Bird in their line-up, but it was 25-year-old Ball who took centre stage in the morning session.
Ball, who toured this winter with England Lions, trapped Lyth leg before wicket with the day's first delivery and then dismissed two more England batsmen in his fourth over.
Ballance edged behind to Chris Read for seven, before Root was caught low by Riki Wessels at first slip a ball later.
Bairstow hit four fours in 71 minutes at the crease but was lbw to Harry Gurney for 29.
Captain Andrew Gale (21 not out) joined Lees with Yorkshire on 107-4 and the pair added 15 before the lunch break with the visitors on 122-4.
Rain then delayed play until 17:45 BST and Yorkshire added 48 runs before close, as Lees and Gale took their fifth-wicket partnership to an unbroken 63.
Yorkshire were particularly indebted to the resilience of Lees, who has 12 fours to his name in an innings that has so far lasted for 130 balls. | Joe Root was dismissed for a golden duck in his first game since the World Twenty20 final, before Yorkshire recovered against Nottinghamshire. |
25033638 | The blast happened in a market in the town of Saadiya, in the religiously mixed province of Diyala.
The attack comes a day after at least 29 people were killed and dozens wounded in a series of bombings across the capital.
Sectarian violence has surged across Iraq in recent months, reaching its highest level since 2008.
The bomb went off at about midday (09:00 GMT) in a neighbourhood populated mostly by Shia Kurds, officials told the French news agency AFP.
Witnesses told police that the bomb was on board a truck of vegetables.
No group has claimed responsibility for the violence, but Sunni militants linked to al-Qaeda often carry out such attacks to undermine confidence in the Shia-led government.
Officials have voiced concern that the conflict in neighbouring Syria has emboldened these militant groups.
According to figures released by the UN at the beginning of this month, a total of 979 Iraqis were killed and another 1,902 were wounded in acts of terrorism and violence in October.
There are fears that the violence could escalate to the levels seen in 2006-2007, when tens of thousands died. | At least 25 people have been killed in a car bomb attack north-east of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, officials say. |
26242960 | Researchers have found that two diseases harboured by honeybees are spilling over into wild bumblebees.
Insects infected with deformed wing virus and a fungal parasite called Nosema ceranae were found across England, Scotland and Wales.
Writing in the journal Nature, the team says that beekeepers should keep their honeybees as free from disease as possible to stop the spread.
"These pathogens are capable of infecting adult bumblebees and they seem to have quite significant impacts," said Professor Mark Brown from Royal Holloway, University of London.
Around the world, bumblebees are doing badly.
In the last few decades, many species have suffered steep declines, and some, such Cullem's bumblebee (Bombus cullumanus) in the UK, have gone extinct.
Scientists believe that the destruction of their habitats - particularly wildflower meadows - has driven much of this loss, but the latest research suggests that disease too could play a role.
The researchers looked at two pathogens commonly found in honeybees and found they can also infect adult bumblebees.
In honeybees, deformed wing virus (DWV) causes significant problems. Its severity seems to be exacerbated by the presence of another widespread parasite, the varroa mite, causing entire colonies to collapse.
Bumblebees do not carry the varroa mite, but the scientists found that those infected with DWV had a dramatically shortened lifespan. The fungal parasite has also been shown to have an impact on bumblebee longevity.
Prof Brown said: "A significantly shorter lifespan in the field would impact on their ability to go out and collect food and look after other bees."
The researchers found the diseases were already prevalent among wild populations.
Looking at 26 sites across Great Britain and the Isle of Man, the researchers found that about 11% of bumblebees were infected with DWV and 7% were infected with the fungus. By comparison, about 35% of honeybees carried DWV and 9% had the fungus.
"A geographical patterning provides us with the information that transmission is occurring among these animals - they are sharing parasite strains," said Prof Brown.
"We cannot say it definitively, but because of the epidemiology, the most likely explanation is that the honeybees are acting as the source of the virus for the bumblebees."
The team suspects that the same pattern will also be found around the world - and says that controlling disease in honeybee hives is vital to stopping the spread.
"We have to, at national and international levels, support management policies that enable our beekeepers to keep their bees as free of diseases as possible," Prof Brown said.
"The benefits are not just to the honeybees, they are to the wild bees as well."
Dr David Aston, president of the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA), said: "By employing good husbandry practices, beekeepers can take steps to reduce the impact of pests and diseases on honeybee colonies using biotechnical controls and practices such as apiary hygiene, regular brood comb changes, ensuring the colonies are strong and well-nourished and the use of authorised treatments."
But he added: "Beekeepers need new effective medications and other biotechnical controls to help in the management of bee pests and diseases and these should be a high-priority action."
The researchers also want to investigate whether neonicotinoid pesticides are playing a role in problem.
A recent paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal suggested that the chemicals are affecting the immune systems of honeybees, making them more susceptible to pathogens.
"If bumblebees were exposed to neonicotinoids and had the same effect, you would expect the bumblebee viral load to be going through the roof. This is something we are hoping to test later," said Prof Brown.
In the European Union, neonicotinoids have been banned for two years because of fears that they may be harmful to bees. But the British government strongly opposed the plan, rejecting the science behind the moratorium. Both Syngenta and Bayer, which manufacture neonicotinoids, are now taking legal action against the European Commission in an effort to overturn the ban.
Follow Rebecca on Twitter | The beleaguered bumblebee faces a new threat, scientists say. |
32155969 | At about 18:00 BST on Wednesday, a man forced a woman out of her car at Union Street in the city centre.
He drove off but crashed into a parked vehicle a short distance away. He then ran off.
About 35 minutes later in north Belfast, a man armed with a knife threatened a driver who had stopped at traffic lights on the Antrim Road.
He ordered the motorist to sit in the passenger seat then drove off, but after travelling for a short distance, he drove into a garden fence at a house.
The hijacker ran off after crashing the car.
The man whose car was hijacked was still in the car when it crashed.
He is said to be shaken by his ordeal but was not injured.
Police have appealed for information. | Police are investigating whether two car hijackings in Belfast are linked. |
34811488 | The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 202 points, or 1.2%, to 17,245
The broader S&P 500 dropped 22 points, to 2,023, while the Nasdaq index slid 77 points, to 4,927.
The Commerce Department said retail sales rose by just 0.1% from the month before, compared with analysts' forecasts of a 0.3% increase.
There was a surprise fall in car sales, which dropped 0.5% in October after a 1.4% rise the month before.
Shares in department store chain Nordstrom dived 15% after it cut its profit and sales growth forecasts.
The disappointing news came after rival department store chain Macy's also cut its profit forecast earlier this week. Macy's shares were down for a third day, falling another 4.2%.
Cisco shares fell nearly 5.8%, after the network equipment maker's forecasts for second-quarter profit and revenue growth fell below expectations.
"Our guidance reflects lower-than-expected order growth in the first quarter, driven largely by the uncertainty of the macro environment and currency impacts," said Cisco chief executive Chuck Robbins. | (Close): Wall Street had its worst week since August following a report of weaker than expected October sales growth. |
28243287 | BBC Sport has taken a look at the expected formations, line-ups and pen pics of each player likely to start, as well as the coaches.
Media playback is not supported on this device
This tournament has helped Manuel Neuer cement his reputation as the world's number one goalkeeper.
An expert at the 'sweeper keeper' role because of his ability on the ball and willingness to come out of his area to clear any danger, he recorded an incredible 21 touches outside his 18-yard box against Algeria.
Remarkably, he has lost only three times in 51 appearances from Germany since his 2009 debut.
Did you know? Only Costa Rica's Keylor Navas (91.3%) has registered a better save percentage than Neuer in this World Cup (85.2%).
Described by club coach Pep Guardiola as "the most intelligent player I've coached", the experiment at this World Cup of copying his switch from right-back to a deep-lying defensive midfield role like he has done at Bayern Munich was not a disaster by any means, but Germany have looked more solid in defence and fluid in attack since he returned to full-back for the quarter-finals. The final will be his 20th World Cup appearance for Germany.
Did you know? No player has attempted more short passes than Lahm at this World Cup (450).
He started the tournament at right-back but has moved into the centre of defence because of a combination of injuries and Lahm's switch back to defence. He picked up two injuries earlier in the tournament, but is one of the first names on Joachim Low's team-sheet. He faced his half-brother, Kevin-Prince of Ghana, in the group stages for the second successive World Cup.
Did you know? He has started in each of Germany's last 11 World Cup games.
Not assured of a starting spot in central defence before the start of the World Cup, he is a contender for the team of the tournament thanks to a series of powerful displays at centre-back. Offensively, the Borussia Dortmund man has also been a key weapon, having scored two towering headers against Portugal and France. All this while battling off a nasty bout of flu.
Did you know? His mother was the first female to commentate on a football match on German TV.
A centre-back at club side Schalke, he has helped fill Germany's troublesome left-back spot with aplomb. Very much a squad player prior to this tournament, he has started every game in Brazil as coach Low started with four centre-halves across the back four. Just before the World Cup began he was in a car accident at a Mercedes event involving F1 driver Nico Rosberg, but emerged unscathed.
Did you know? Howedes has made more tackles than any other Germany player during this World Cup (15).
Media playback is not supported on this device
After tearing his cruciate ligament in November, Khedira's World Cup dream looked in tatters.
But anyone who doubted Joachim Low's faith that the Real Madrid midfielder could last the tournament were made to look silly by his brilliant performance against Brazil.
Since he has been restored alongside Bastian Schweinsteiger, his midfield partner in crime from the 2010 World Cup, in time for the quarter-finals, Germany have looked a more solid and dangerous side.
Did you know? Khedira recorded an assist and goal in a World Cup match for the first time against Brazil.
After an injury-plagued season for Bayern Munich, he picked up a knee problem at a pre-World Cup training camp to further disrupt his preparations for this tournament. Coach Joachim Low left him out of the starting line-up for the first two matches, but Germany's vice-captain has returned to the side and bossed proceedings from central midfield in the extraordinary win over Brazil.
Did you know? Schweinsteiger has played 19 World Cup matches; only three players have played more for Germany (Lothar Matthaus, Miroslav Klose and Philipp Lahm).
Media playback is not supported on this device
Debate may rage over Muller's best position, but whether he plays as a 'false nine', a central striker or a right-sided attacker, he will always score goals.
The 24-year-old is within reach of a remarkable second consecutive Golden Shoe award, helped hugely by his hat-trick in the opening game against Portugal.
He is already only the third player in history after Teofilo Cubillas and team-mate Miroslav Klose to score five or more goals in two different World Cups.
Did you know? Muller has scored 10 goals and provided six assists in just 12 World Cup matches.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Often underrated for the quiet and efficient way he gets the German and Bayern Munich midfields ticking over, his performances at this tournament have brought him firmly to the fore.
His brace against Brazil were his first World Cup goals and came in a dazzling man-of-the-match performance.
He has played in all but two minutes of Germany's six matches so far and looks certain to be named in the team of the tournament.
Did you know? Kroos has had more touches than any other player in this World Cup (606) including an incredible 135 against Algeria.
Arsenal's record signing has not exactly been an overwhelming success in Brazil, with many back in Germany such as Paul Breitner arguing that he should be dropped. Spurning a good late chance to make it 8-0 against Brazil has probably not helped. He took to Twitter after the 7-1 semi-final win to say that he hoped the scoreline had not destroyed Brazil's pride. Doubt it.
Did you know? No Germany player has created more chances for his team-mates at this tournament than Ozil (15).
Media playback is not supported on this device
It was written in the stars that Klose would secure the mantle as the World Cup's all-time record scorer from Brazil's Ronaldo, against the Brazilians, in Brazil.
When he scored with a typical close-range finish in the semi-final against the hosts it gave him his 16th World Cup goal.
Germany's leading goalscorer with 71 goals in 136 games, he is the third player to net at four World Cups and Germany have never lost a game in which he has scored.
Did you know? He has played in 23 World Cup matches which puts him second on the all-time list with Paolo Maldini, behind compatriot Lothar Matthaus on 25.
He may have been unspectacular as a player, but Jurgen Klinsmann's former assistant has helped oversee Germany's transition from efficient (read boring) to one of the most entertaining national teams on the planet. However, after losing in the semi-finals or final of the past three tournaments, the pressure might be on if he returns empty-handed again.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Goalkeeper was seen as a problem position for Argentina going into the tournament.
After all, Romero made only a handful of appearances on loan for Monaco last season.
Worry not, the 27-year-old has conceded just three goals in six games in Brazil and saved twice as his team reached the final with a penalty shootout victory over the Netherlands.
Did you know? Romero is the first Argentina goalkeeper to keep four clean sheets at a World Cup tournament.
The popular Manchester City right-back missed out on the 2010 World Cup but he has been a key player in defence for Argentina in Brazil. The 29-year-old posted a selfie of himself after the semi-final victory on Wednesday wearing a blue wig and a bandage covering a facial cut sustained after an accidental collision with Dirk Kuyt.
Did you know? Zabaleta has made more passes in the final third at this World Cup than any other Argentina defender (64).
Another Manchester City player gearing up for a World Cup final appearance, the 33-year-old did not figure at all during the group stage of the competition or the round of 16 victory over Switzerland. He started the last two games alongside Ezequiel Garay and looks considerably different to what most Premier League fans might recall having had his ponytail cut off.
Did you know? Demichelis made eight interceptions against the Netherlands, five more than any other player for Argentina.
Close to joining Manchester United last summer, Garay caught the eye in the semi-final against the Dutch when he made a thumping clearance while holding one of his boots in his hands. Like Zabaleta, he also took a blow to the head against the Dutch, this time in a collision with fellow defender Ron Vlaar.
Did you know? Has made more headed clearances (36) than any other Argentina defender. Garay has also won 19 aerial duels, 10 more than any other Argentine player.
The Sporting Lisbon defender played for coach Alejandro Sabella at Estudientes back in Argentina. He has been linked with both Liverpool and Chelsea and was on the scoresheet in Brazil when he scored the winner in the group game against Nigeria, converting a free-kick with his knee.
Did you know? Rojo has made more tackles than any other Argentina defender (17), as well as creating the most chances from the back (7).
Very different in style to skipper Lionel Messi but arguably just as crucial to his team, his importance was encapsulated by a brilliant last-ditch block to prevent Arjen Robben from scoring during Wednesday's semi-final. The former Liverpool man, who was his team's skipper in South Africa in 2010, is the shield in midfield - despite playing at the back for Barcelona.
Did you know? Javier Mascherano has attempted a competition-high 509 passes so far. He has also made the most tackles so far - 28.
The 28-year-old, who plays for Lazio in Italy, had to be content with a bit-part role for his team's first four games of the tournament, coming off the bench in each fixture. But the midfielder has started the last two fixtures and is set to figure on the right of a midfield three in Sunday's final.
Did you know? Lucas Biglia completed 90% of his passes against the Netherlands, the highest rate of any Argentina midfielder to attempt more than three passes.
Industrious and hard-working, the Benfica midfielder is yet another player at the World Cup to find himself linked with Manchester United. The injury to the unfortunate Angel Di Maria gave Perez the chance to start against the Dutch and he did not disappoint. He was the player of the year in Portugal last season.
Did you know? Enzo Perez has completed 90 minutes just once in his 10 appearances for Argentina (v Slovenia).
Media playback is not supported on this device
Nicknamed Pipita, the Napoli striker scored the only hat-trick at the 2010 World Cup and was third behind Messi and Luis Suarez in terms of goals scored in South American qualifying.
Came off the bench in the opening game against Bosnia-Hercegovina and provided an assist for Messi's winning goal.
Scored the only goal of the game in the nervy quarter-final victory over Belgium.
Did you know? Higuain has scored fewer goals in this World Cup than in 2010 despite playing two more games (one goal in 2014, four in 2010); firing in fewer shots in this tournament too (10, 13 shots in 2010).
Media playback is not supported on this device
Claimed four man-of-the-match awards in his team's first four games and scored four goals, including brilliant winners against Bosnia-Hercegovina and Iran.
He also netted twice against Nigeria as the Barcelona forward showed signs that he would cement his claim to be the world's best player with a dominant World Cup.
But the 27-year-old was a largely peripheral figure against the Dutch and it has been questioned whether he is running out of steam.
Did you know? Lionel Messi has created 21 chances for his teammates, more than any other player at the World Cup.
Almost quit football to become an electrician after being rejected by Boca Juniors aged 16, Lavezzi is now on the cusp of playing in a World Cup final. The stocky winger has a tattoo of Diego Maradona on his left hip - the very same man who left him out of his 2010 World Cup squad. The cheeky Lavezzi was caught squirting water in the direction of coach Alejandro Sabella during their match against Nigeria.
Did you know? Lavezzi has fired in just two shots at this World Cup, fewer than any other Argentina forward.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Once of Sheffield United and Leeds United, Sabella cuts a very different figure on the touchline to predecessor Diego Maradona.
He might look like a touch schoolmasterly but the 59-year-old has been a steady figure in Brazil and his willingness to build his team around the talents of Messi has seen them progress to Sunday's final. | Germany will face Argentina in Sunday's eagerly awaited World Cup final. |
36463457 | The 39-year-old, who won 62 caps, has managed in Finland since his long playing career ended in Scotland at Hibernian in 2013.
After a spell at FC Honka, he is currently in charge at PK-35 Vantaa, who are bottom of the Veikkausliiga.
Vale have been without a manager since Rob Page left to join Northampton Town.
Aside from a brief trial with Wolves under Colin Lee, Kosovo-born Kuqi's long career in Britain started at Stockport County in January 2001.
He scored 114 goals in 438 appearances for the Hatters, Sheffield Wednesday, Ipswich, Blackburn, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Swansea, Derby, Newcastle, Oldham and Hibernian.
Port Vale had been strongly linked with Portuguese Jose Morais, 50, who was part of Jose Mourinho's backroom team at Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Chelsea.
Morais was made favourite by leading bookmakers to take over from Page.
But he has now slipped to second favourite behind Kuqi - and BBC Radio Stoke have now been advised that he is unlikely to get the job. | Former Finland striker Shefki Kuqi is the leading contender for the manager's job at League One side Port Vale, reports BBC Radio Stoke. |
36803031 | They were deregistered by the firm following a regionwide review.
Now new services have been registered for Hawick, Peebles and Selkirk along "similar routes" to those previously operated.
Perryman's Buses will run services in Hawick town centre, Bannerfield to Galashiels and a school bus between Oxton, Lauder and Earlston High School.
The announcement follows the decision by Peeblesshire firm BARC Coach Hire to operate the Peebles town services on a commercial basis.
Negotiations are continuing regarding other services which First identified as part of its review.
All the new services will start on 15 August.
Councillor Gordon Edgar said: "I am pleased that the council has managed to work with local bus operators to ensure a number of vital services will continue.
"Going forward, the message is now that communities must support these services in order for them to have a future.
"Otherwise we could be faced with a similar scenario in future years."
Claire Lark, operations manager at Perryman's Buses, said it was committed to "providing a reliable bus service in and around the Scottish Borders".
"We are pleased to be introducing a number of new routes in Hawick, Selkirk and Galashiels and look forward to quickly establishing good working relations with the towns and their people," she said.
She added that the company would be investing about £500,000 in new vehicles. | New bus services have been secured for a number of Borders routes which have been cut by operators First Group. |
35515112 | Sturridge, making his first league start since October, headed home before James Milner's free-kick crept in after being missed by keeper Mark Bunn.
Emre Can rifled in a shot, Divock Origi slotted home and Nathaniel Clyne bundled in to add to the Reds' lead.
Kolo Toure headed in a sixth as Villa were punished for a poor performance.
Media playback is not supported on this device
The home side's disgruntled fans started streaming out of Villa Park following Liverpool's fifth after 65 minutes and there were plenty of empty seats at the final whistle.
It is the first time Villa have conceded six at home in a league game since October 1983 and leaves the Midlands side eight points from safety with 12 games left.
Relive Liverpool's win over Aston Villa
Follow Manchester City v Tottenham
Sturridge was making his first league start since manager Jurgen Klopp took over in October in only his eighth appearance of an injury-hit campaign.
He was not mentioned by Roy Hodgson when the England manager was speaking about his striking options on Match of the Day on Saturday.
Sturridge did not take long to remind people of his qualities as he nodded in for his fifth goal of the season, while he also had an effort well saved by keeper Bunn following a good move.
The 26-year-old certainly gave Liverpool a greater cutting edge in attack and Klopp had the luxury of taking him off after 62 minutes as he eased him back with the League Cup final against Manchester City on 28 February in mind.
"It was great to be back but it was more important that the team won," said Sturridge. "It was great to get so many goals."
Villa went into the game in better form than Liverpool, with eight points from their last six league outings compared to five for the Reds.
However, any hope it was the start of some kind of great escape quickly dissolved.
Villa had a doomed look about them as the game became a damage limitation exercise with their crowd booing their side off at the break and the final whistle.
Their performance was littered with poor defending, a lack of discipline and individual mistakes, with Remi Garde's team letting in four goals in 13 second-half minutes.
A consolation goal even deserted Villa when Scott Sinclair's late curler hit the woodwork in their heaviest defeat of the season.
Liverpool not only had the boost of having Sturridge back but the return of Philippe Coutinho was also an important factor.
The Brazilian playmaker has also returned from injury this week and provided two assists as he gave the visitors a constant menace in attack.
Liverpool had a look of strength with Sturridge, Coutinho and Roberto Firmino in attack and Jordan Henderson, Can and Milner in midfield.
"It makes a difference having both Philippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge are on the pitch," said Klopp. "You can only play them when they are fit and available."
Media playback is not supported on this device
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp: "We are not in the most easy moment at Liverpool. That is not pessimistic, that is the truth.
"It is hard work and you need to be ready for it. We want to change things with work and this was good for the soul. We have needed 26 games to get a positive goal difference."
Liverpool are next in action when they resume their Europa League campaign with a trip to Augsburg on Thursday, 18 February for the first leg of their last-32 tie. Aston Villa play again on Saturday, 27 February when they visit Stoke. | Daniel Sturridge opened the scoring for Liverpool as the Reds thrashed bottom club Aston Villa to move up to eighth in the Premier League. |
40648112 | The Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) has sent the case of Wendy Graham to the court after obtaining fresh evidence.
The commission said the evidence suggested her responsibility may have been diminished.
Graham was convicted of killing Mark Thomson in Edinburgh in December 2008.
Jurors at her trial heard that the 50-year-old had repeatedly stabbed Mr Thomson, leaving him bleeding to death from 10 wounds at his flat in the Inch area of the city in June 2008.
She told a friend in a text message: "I hate him. I have got to get him out of my life for once and for all."
Graham, who was then 42, has always admitted responsibility for the killing.
In a statement, the SCCRC said: "It appeared to the commission that her conviction for murder, rather than culpable homicide, may have been a miscarriage of justice."
The case will now be referred to the High Court of Justiciary for appeal. | A woman jailed more than eight years ago for murdering her boyfriend is to have her conviction examined by the appeal court. |
36284810 | Rivers died days after she suffered a cardiac arrest while undergoing a procedure to examine her throat.
Her family had claimed the Yorkville Endoscopy centre performed unauthorised procedures on the comedian.
It also alleged the clinic failed to take appropriate action when her vital signs weakened.
The family said it was pleased with the settlement but did not reveal the amount of compensation.
Joan Rivers's daughter, Melissa, filed a malpractice suit in January 2015, alleging doctors posed for selfies with her mother while she was unconscious.
In a statement, she said the settlement allowed her to "put the legal aspects of my mother's death behind me and ensure that those culpable for her death have accepted responsibility for their actions quickly and without equivocation".
The Rivers' lawyers said the doctors had not denied responsibility.
Shortly before the lawsuit was filed, a government health agency, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, cited the Yorkville clinic for failing to follow standard protocols during its treatment of Rivers.
After the settlement was announced, the Yorkville clinic said: "Our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to the Rivers family.
"We remain committed to providing quality, compassionate healthcare services that meet the needs of our patients, their families and the community." | The family of Joan Rivers has settled its legal case against a medical clinic in New York which it blamed for her death in 2014. |
35942004 | Duncan Haldane, 41, from Glasgow, was caught within seconds of entering the William Hill store in the city's Saracen Street on 14 December 2015.
He admitted the robbery bid and using a knife to rob £700 from Q Save Grocers, in the same street.
Haldane has previous convictions for theft, violence, drugs and firearms offences going back to 1991.
Jailing him at the High Court in Glasgow, judge Lord Bannatyne told Haldane: "These are matters which are terrifying for people in shops and the court have to protect shop workers."
Haldane was told that but for his early guilty plea he would have been jailed for seven and a half years.
The court heard that Haldane was wearing a mask when he walked into the William Hill bookmakers.
He did not notice police officers in hi-visibility yellow vests who were carrying out a licensed premises check at the time.
The court was shown CCTV of Haldane walking up to the counter.
He placed plastic bags under the screen and shouted at the employees working there: "Fill them up...or I pull this out".
The court was told that Haldane gestured towards his right hand which was still in the pocket of his hoodie, indicating that he had a weapon.
At that point, the police officers emerged from behind the counter, grabbed Haldane, put him on the ground and handcuffed him.
A search revealed he had no weapon.
The court was also told that Haldane was known to all the staff in the grocery shop he robbed.
His defence lawyer said the offences "occurred because of his involvement with drugs". | A man in pyjamas who failed to notice police inside a bookmakers he tried to rob has been jailed for five years. |
40047652 | There was the line about how not a single member of the cabinet supports the prime minister's immigration cap, followed by the scoop about her swivel on social care.
Given his 20 years in politics, including six as chancellor, by my calculation Mr Osborne has roughly 17,000 further scoops in his head, with which he will no doubt be entertaining readers of the Standard in weeks to come.
He has had a very lively news agenda in his first weeks as an editor, with not just the election and now the horror in Manchester, a city he championed, with a constituency nearby, but also Donald Trump's novel experiments in modern public administration.
The tougher test will come when, inevitably, the news agenda is quieter - perhaps in August, for instance.
Alas for him, his news supremo, deputy editor Ian Walker (one of two deputies on the paper, together with Charlotte Ross, who overseas Features and ES Magazine), is leaving.
I can reveal that Walker is heading to Mail Online, where he has been appointed executive editor by Martin Clarke, Mail Online's editor.
Walker, who worked with Clarke years ago, will focus on the news operation. After nearly 17 years at the Standard, he is leaving despite, and not because of, Mr Osborne's sprightly entry into journalism. He will start the new role in September.
Walker's departure doesn't strictly create a vacancy at the Standard, where an internal solution is likely to be found.
At Mail Online, Walker will spend less time thinking about London, but more time responding to howls of outrage on social media.
Search for "Daily Mail" on Twitter and you'll see a range of stories in the aftermath of the Manchester terror attack that have met with fury.
Of course, it's in the nature of social media that we hear more from those who are angry about a particular story than those who agree with it.
And these controversies tend to have one effect above all, which is to increase web traffic for the world's most widely read English-language website.
Walker is entering a new world and his appointment is a signal that Mail Online is serious about breaking hard news stories, as well as generating traffic through its notorious sidebar of shame. | There's been a lot of "fair play, George Osborne" on Twitter in recent days, commending him for breaking a series of agenda-setting political stories. |
27697006 | The Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway said the project would create two jobs and safeguard more than 150.
The new station will increase railway visitor numbers by around 5,000 a year and building work could start at the end of the year.
The heritage railway's Porthmadog Harbour Station recently reopened after a £1.3m rebuild.
"The railway held two public consultation town earlier this year and has incorporated ideas and suggestions made by local residents and visitors into the proposed design, which will include retail, catering and display areas covering two floors," said Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway in a statement.
"The £1.2m project to provide a new station at Caernarfon will create new jobs and safeguard existing ones in addition to generating extra traffic and revenue for both the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway and the local economy.
"Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway already provides significant benefits to the wider local economy, generating an estimated £25m each year and creating more than 400 jobs." | An historic steam railway in Gwynedd has unveiled plans for a new £1.2m station in Caernarfon. |
36867383 | David Wright was a big fan of The King and fashioned the shrub in his likeness at his Derbyshire home 20 years ago.
Wife Bridget has attempted to maintain the garden feature since her husband's death, but admitted it now bears little resemblance to the rock star.
Her garden, in Milford, near Derby, is open to the public later to raise money for the Alzheimer's Society.
Mrs Wright said people regularly pass by and point at the bush but have to ask who the face is meant to be.
"Over the years I suppose he has aged and doesn't look much like Elvis," she added.
Mrs Wright said her husband liked to do "quirky things" and keeping the bush meant his legacy lived on.
He died four years ago, 14 years after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. | This unusual topiary might leave you All Shook Up - but only if someone told you it is meant to be Elvis Presley. |
25727704 | Planning wedding proposals is a relatively new business for me and for Hong Kong. We have plenty of wedding planners, but Hong Kong men are busy and women are keen on romance so increasingly people want planners to help with the proposal as well.
My day is long. It starts at about 10:00. I also work for an advertising company - who are very happy for me to develop my proposal planning business.
People always do the same old thing: they pop the question over dinner at a restaurant, there are flowers and a ring. This is not enough for some here who want a bigger display of sincerity. Most of my clients are from Hong Kong or mainland China.
It isn't your typical nine-to-five job - a lot of it is about when you get inspiration or an idea to make somebody's proposal really special. Sometimes I just get inspiration looking out of the window.
I work on about two or three proposals each month- the ideas occupy me throughout the day.
An insight into the lives of people around the region
My day: Maternity nurse
My day: Cosmetic surgeon
My day: Busker
My day: Fashion designer
My day: School teacher
My day: Casino croupier
My day: Tug master
My day: Genealogist
It all started with a YouTube video where a music band helped a man propose in a restaurant - it was so popular and went viral. That's what gave me the idea. After I first launched the business, it took about a month before somebody got in contact.
That first proposal was a real learning experience. The girlfriend was a flight attendant who was due to go to Frankfurt. He wanted me to plan a proposal there.
We arranged for her hotel to give her a card telling her to get into a waiting limousine. That would take her to a restaurant which had been decorated with photographs of the two of them and flowers - the proposal location. But the girl never showed up. She told me later that they had already broken up.
I learned a lot from that - to get much more detail in order to make sure a proposal can actually happen.
Our starting price is HK$6,000 (£470) but people are increasingly spending about $8000. I spend a lot of my day thinking up ideas and organising the event - we need to employ photographers, videographers, all sorts of people involved in the process.
Most of the work planning proposals happens in the late afternoon and early evening when it is easiest to meet the client without their partners suspecting anything is up.
I meet my clients in cafes and we scope out places with atmosphere - these meetings are when we brainstorm to come up with big ideas and talk about the role-play side of things.
Sometimes they know exactly what they want. I remember one client asked me to write "marry me" on the beach in fire.
Once we created snow on a beach. We rented a snow machine, put LED candles to create a romantic atmosphere at night and got a friend to bring our client's girlfriend to the beach on a pretext. Once she was on the beach we began the snow. She was so surprised. We put up a dome with lots of flowers and her partner was waiting there to propose. She walked along a pathway lit up by LED lights. She said yes.
My time at night is also important. At night there is more silence. I have more time to think of romantic ideas. I watch television and I watch videos and that's how I get these ideas. Sometimes I don't finish working and preparing for a proposal until midnight.
Once we arranged a proposal for a woman who worked as a waitress at a restaurant. We enlisted the help of her colleagues who told her a company was having an event and to prepare drinks and snacks. During this "event" we sent restaurant staff out, saying the company needed some private time.
We then decorated the room with balloons and when the staff returned her boss took her to the middle of the room and everybody - all 40 people in the room - sang a line of a song for her. She kept crying. She was so tearful. Her boyfriend then came out to sing the chorus.
This was one of those ideas that came to me late at night after I met the client for a brainstorming session.
Romance doesn't come easily to people in Hong Kong in my view - they worry about security, property and money. The most expensive proposal I had was to decorate a home, to fill it with flowers and balloons - that actually cost $30,000.
But still I'm not sure there is enough of a market in Hong Kong for planning proposals to be a full-time job. Most people in Hong Kong take a bad view of this. There are comments like: "why waste money on this when you can save it for your wedding?"
I've had a few women make inquiries, but in the end shyness overcame most of them and they pulled out.
My husband proposed to me in the car. He played me some music on his phone, gave me some drawings, I thought it was a lazy Christmas gift but then he opened my car door and spoke some romantic words. I wasn't aware it was a proposal.
Even when I don't have a proposal on the go I am always working and thinking of ideas right down to the shape of the ring box - these details matter. I want people to have romance in their lives.
Ann Fong was talking to the BBC's Samanthi Dissanayake in Hong Kong | Ann Fong, 28, works as a proposal planner, helping lovers in Hong Kong orchestrate the perfect way of popping the question. |
37482950 | In a speech to conference, Mr Watson said that attacking Tony Blair and Gordon Brown's governments "is not the way to enhance our brand".
"We won't win elections like that. And we need to win elections," he said, as he appealed for party unity.
Leader Jeremy Corbyn has been critical of parts of New Labour's record.
In other Labour conference developments:
Acknowledging the bitter infighting and splits in the Labour Party of late, Mr Watson said it "hasn't been the best few months of my 30 years in the Labour Party".
"We can't afford to keep doing this," he appealed, and said the British public could not afford for Labour to carry on as it has been either.
Referring to the recent disunity, he added: "I don't know why we've been focussing on what was wrong with the Blair and Brown governments for the past six years but trashing our record is not the way to enhance our brand.
"We won't win elections like that. And we need to win elections," he said, to prolonged applause and cheers.
He said the prime minister could call an early election at any time, and urged Labour: "Now is the time to be proud of our party. We have to believe we can win and remember how much we achieve when we do."
He said the 11 years of Labour government between 1997 and 2008 saw an "unbroken period of economic growth", and quoted at length the party's achievements.
In response to a heckler in the audience who shouted "What about Chilcot?", Mr Watson turned around to Mr Corbyn who was seated on the stage behind him and said: "Jeremy, I don't think she got the unity memo."
Appealing for change, Mr Watson said: "Capitalism is not the enemy, money is not the problem, business is not bad. The real world is more complicated than that."
He added: "I don't say this because it's what wins elections. I say it because it's true and people know that it's true. And that is why it wins elections.
"The British people need that from us," he adding, saying the Tories had been in power for seven years and would be for even longer unless Labour got its act together.
Mr Watson also aimed fire at the prime minister in his speech, claiming that Theresa May "isn't up to the job".
He accused her of "shambolic prevarication" over major policy issues, such as Hinkley Point, grammar schools and airport expansion and said she was "ducking responsibility" over Brexit.
"Ducking and diving, humming and hahing is not what you want from a prime minister," he said, adding: "Theresa May, or Theresa may not, who knows. But everyone knows you can't run a country like that."
He also said Mrs May - who took over from David Cameron as Tory leader and prime minister - had "no mandate".
"Nobody has voted for Mrs May to be prime minister and that's a pretty flimsy basis on which to try and hold the Tories together, never mind the country." he added. | Labour should stop trashing its record in government and start focusing on winning elections, deputy leader Tom Watson has warned. |
35396599 | It is a round that has rarely failed to deliver drama and excitement over the years.
Last season Queen of the South ended holders St Johnstone's dream of making it two-in-a-row, Raith Rovers shocked Rangers at Ibrox and Spartans took Berwick Rangers to a replay.
Ahead of Sunday's live game between East Kilbride and Celtic, BBC Scotland takes a look back at six classic last-16 clashes in Scotland's premier cup competition.
Although the second half of the 1960s was to become a happy one for Celtic, in 1962 the team were struggling to get their hands on silverware. After winning the league in 1953/54 they would have to wait 12 years before they would claim it again.
Their luck in the Scottish Cup was not any better. Winners in 1954, they would lose the final four times before finally seeing it in green and white ribbons again in 1965.
Hearts had enjoyed a more profitable few years. League winners in 1958 and 1960, they had also lifted the cup for the fifth time with a 3-1 win over Celtic in 1956. A few months after this game they would win the League Cup, though what they did not know at the time was that would be their lot until 1998.
The Jambos had added incentive having lost that season's League Cup final in a replay to Rangers, and over 35,000 fans packed Tynecastle for the clash with Celtic, with just one point separating them in the league table at the time.
After Bobby Blackwood cancelled out a John Divers opener for Celtic, Johnny Hamilton gave Hearts the lead to set up an enthralling last 20 minutes.
Stevie Chalmers and Divers had Celtic leading again, Danny Paton levelled, but Pat Crerand's late penalty settled it.
Hearts: Marshall, Kirk, Holt, Ferguson, Cumming, Higgins, Rodgers, Wallace, Paton, Blackwood, Hamilton.
Celtic: Haffey, McKay, Kennedy, Crerand, McNeill, Price, Chalmers, Jackson, Hughes, Divers, Carroll.
After playing second fiddle to Aberdeen and Dundee United for much of the 1980s, the Old Firm were back to going head to head at the top of the table, at least for a few years. From Celtic winning the double in 1988, it took a Joe Miller goal in the 1989 Cup final to deny Rangers the treble.
However, in 1989/90 the fortunes differed vastly for both sides. Graeme Souness' Rangers were embarking upon their record equalling nine-in-a-row run of league titles, though another tilt at the treble had been put to bed by a League Cup final defeat to Aberdeen.
Celtic on the other end were to finish a distant fifth, and needed to win the Scottish Cup if they were to avoid the ignominy of failing to qualify for Europe.
Tommy Coyne, at the time a much maligned £500,000 signing from Dundee, was the hero when he pounced on the rebound after goalkeeper Chris Woods parried Joe Miller's shot just before half-time.
Rangers threw everything at Celtic in the second half but could not find a way through. It was a rare high point in a poor season for the Parkhead faithful, and their hopes of making Europe failed when they lost the final on penalties to Aberdeen.
Celtic: Bonner, Morris, Wdowczwk, Galloway, Elliot, Whyte, Grant, McStay, Dziekanowski, Coyne (Walker), Miller.
Rangers: Woods, Stevens, Munro, Ferguson, Spackman, Butcher, Steven, Walters (Vinnicombe) (Dodds), McCoist, Johnston, Brown.
The two sides meet on Sunday in a much anticipated showdown at Tynecastle. For those clad in maroon, though, the 90 minutes will have to go some way to beat the 1994 derby win at Easter Road.
It was the day Hearts celebrated getting the key to the door. It had been 20 derbies - and five years - since the Hibees had managed to beat their capital rivals.
Hearts were 32 years without a trophy. Hibs were smarting from Ally McCoist's overhead kick that settled the season's League Cup final.
John Robertson, so often the hammer of Hibs, opened the scoring in the second minute. But Hibs fought back and Keith Wright had them level.
With four minutes to go and a replay looking likely, Wayne Foster raced onto a long ball, squeezed between two Hibs defenders, and smacked the ball through the goalkeeper's legs.
Hearts went on to make it 22 in a row without defeat against their Edinburgh rivals before their famous run was finally stopped in August that year.
Hibernian: Leighton, Miller, Beaumont, Farrell, Tweed, Lennon, McAllister, Hamilton, Wright (Evans), Jackson, O'Neill.
Hearts: Smith, McLaren, McKinlay, Levein, Berry, Millar, Colquhoun, Mackay, Robertson (Foster), Johnston, Leitch (Weir).
This was the low point of a depressing period for Aberdeen fans. Bottom of the league and fighting to avoid relegation for the first time, club legend Willie Miller had been sacked weeks earlier.
Roy Aitken's first game in charge was a 2-0 win over Rangers. However, six days later and they were brought back down to earth with an incredible bump at Ochilview Park.
Despite the Dons boasting a line-up including internationals Theo Snelders, Eoin Jess, Duncan Shearer and Billy Dodds, it was dairy farmer Tommy Steel who grabbed the only two goals of the game in one of the great Scottish Cup shocks.
Both sides lifted trophies the following season. Aberdeen winning the League Cup against Dundee, and Stenhousemuir humbling Dundee United in the Challenge Cup final.
Stenhousemuir: Harkness, Clarke, Donaldson, Armstrong, McGeachie, Christie, Steel, Fisher, Mathieson, Hutchison, Sprott.
Aberdeen: Snelders, Wright, Glass, Kane, Inglis, Smith, Jess, Shearer, Miller, Dodds, McKinnon.
It was not often that Andy Goram conceded eight goals in a four days, however it was a taxing week for a Steelmen in an otherwise impressive season, where they were strutting their stuff at the top end of the table and only missed out on European qualification by two points.
The other team in Ayrshire, Kilmarnock, had made the journey to Fir Park in midweek and scored four times.
If any extra incentive was needed for the Honest Men when they had their turn, that was it.
The sides shared six goals in a frantic first half; Gary Teale with a double and Neil Tarrent scoring for Ayr, with Lee McCulloch, Don Goodman and Ged Brannan finding the net for the Steelmen.
The question was, could First Division Ayr keep it going for another 45 minutes? They answered that by pegging Motherwell into their own half and taking the lead again before the hour mark through Tarrent, but then had Michael Reynolds sent off just four minutes later.
However, Motherwell could not find an equaliser and Ayr went on to make it as far as the semi-finals.
It was the tie that brought us the "Broony" and a confrontation that still has us asking what Ally McCoist said to Neil Lennon on the touchline.
In the first game at Ibrox both sides finished with 10 men in an enthralling contest. Jamie Ness had the hosts in front within three minutes, but Kris Commons equalised before Celtic goalkeeper Fraser Forster was sent off as he conceded a penalty, which was scored by Steven Whittaker.
Scott Brown levelled with a curling shot, then turned and taunted nemesis El-Hadji Diouf.
Steven Naismith got a second caution for simulation and the game went to a replay at Celtic Park, which was to be even more controversial.
Rangers had three players sent off as tempers boiled over; Whittaker and Madjid Bougherra, followed by Diouf after the final whistle for a second yellow card - his first coming after squaring up to Celtic manager Lennon.
Mark Wilson's goal settled the game in Celtic's favour, but even at the final whistle the action did not stop, with McCoist and Lennon pulled apart while shaking hands. | Potential giant killings and an Edinburgh derby await this weekend as the Scottish Cup reaches the last 16. |
22351887 | Anne, who wrote Agnes Grey and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, died in Scarborough in 1849 after succumbing to tuberculosis at the age of 29.
But her headstone in St Mary's Churchyard gave her age as 28.
A new plaque on her grave has been officially unveiled during a service of dedication.
Anne is the only member of the famous literary family who is not buried at their home in Haworth, West Yorkshire.
She travelled to Scarborough because she loved the resort and hoped that the air may improve her condition. But she died just three days after arriving.
Her death came during a bleak period for the Bronte family. Brother Branwell had died eight months earlier, followed by Emily, who had written Wuthering Heights.
Anne's original gravestone was refaced three years after her death, when Charlotte returned to discover five errors on it. The other mistakes were corrected but the age was not.
The Bronte Society has installed the new plaque alongside the original, which has deteriorated over the years.
"Anne was the quietest Bronte and can still sometimes be overlooked in favour of her sisters Charlotte and Emily," said the society's Sally McDonald.
"In some ways, though, she is now viewed as the most radical of the sisters, writing about tough subjects such as women's need to maintain independence, and how alcoholism can tear a family apart.
"It is a pleasure to honour her in this modest way... in the coastal town she loved so much."
Often left alone together in their isolated Haworth home, Charlotte, Emily and Anne began to write stories at an early age
Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights are now hailed as British classics, while The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was a huge bestseller.
Charlotte continued to write after her siblings' deaths and later married, only to die herself in March 1855. | Author Anne Bronte, the sister of Charlotte and Emily, has been given a new gravestone after 164 years to correct an error on the original. |
40760770 | The Blades, back in the second tier after six seasons away, went in front just before half-time when skipper Sharp headed in Leon Clarke's cross.
Sharp might have had another after the break when he tapped in a rebounded free-kick but was ruled offside.
Brentford rallied and had chances but were unable to find an equaliser.
There will have been extra satisfaction at this result for manager Chris Wilder, not only as a boyhood Blades fan but also as it was his first experience of the Championship as a manager.
Bramall Lane was suitably buzzing with 26,746 fans and it was a happy coincidence for the home support that another fan in Sharp netted the key goal.
Brentford, who had not won on the opening day in five attempts, saw that run extended despite a much improved second-half which saw Nico Yennaris, Lasse Vibe and Neal Maupay all denied.
Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder:
"We've had it tough in this city, a football city as it is. That is a reward for the outstanding support, loyalty and love of their football club that they've shown through thick and thin.
"The atmosphere was right up there today. Outstanding effort against a brilliant Brentford side. The roar that greeted us, the positivity allowed the players to lift their game at times when they were very, very tired.
"Billy's goalscoring record speaks for itself and I think we've created chances today. We didn't play particularly well with the ball - we can play a lot better."
Brentford boss Dean Smith:
"A disappointing result, probably not what our performance deserved. I thought first half was a bit of a nothing game, it looked a little bit slow and the pitch slowed up.
"We didn't move the ball as quick as we normally do and I don't think they did either.
"There wasn't a lot of goalmouth action in the first half. I thought we had a couple of good chances. Billy Sharp's had one chance and scored but that's what he does."
Match ends, Sheffield United 1, Brentford 0.
Second Half ends, Sheffield United 1, Brentford 0.
Offside, Sheffield United. Kieron Freeman tries a through ball, but Caolan Lavery is caught offside.
Attempt missed. Neal Maupay (Brentford) left footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Ollie Watkins.
Corner, Brentford. Conceded by Chris Basham.
Attempt missed. Neal Maupay (Brentford) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Ollie Watkins.
Foul by John Egan (Brentford).
Richard Stearman (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt blocked. Caolan Lavery (Sheffield United) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Leon Clarke.
Neal Maupay (Brentford) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Jack O'Connell (Sheffield United).
Foul by Neal Maupay (Brentford).
John Fleck (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Neal Maupay (Brentford) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Ryan Woods.
Corner, Sheffield United. Conceded by Jota.
Substitution, Sheffield United. Caolan Lavery replaces Billy Sharp.
Substitution, Brentford. Neal Maupay replaces Josh McEachran.
Ryan Woods (Brentford) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Billy Sharp (Sheffield United).
Foul by Lasse Vibe (Brentford).
Jack O'Connell (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Sheffield United. John Lundstram replaces Samir Carruthers.
Ryan Woods (Brentford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Paul Coutts (Sheffield United).
Attempt blocked. Lasse Vibe (Brentford) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Ollie Watkins with a through ball.
Foul by Ollie Watkins (Brentford).
Chris Basham (Sheffield United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Lasse Vibe (Brentford) header from very close range is just a bit too high.
Nico Yennaris (Brentford) hits the bar with a header from the centre of the box.
Attempt saved. Jota (Brentford) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Henrik Dalsgaard with a headed pass.
Attempt saved. Nico Yennaris (Brentford) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Jota.
Substitution, Brentford. Ollie Watkins replaces Florian Jozefzoon.
Substitution, Brentford. Nico Yennaris replaces Kamohelo Mokotjo.
Attempt missed. John Fleck (Sheffield United) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Kieron Freeman.
Hand ball by Andreas Bjelland (Brentford).
Henrik Dalsgaard (Brentford) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Enda Stevens (Sheffield United).
Offside, Sheffield United. John Fleck tries a through ball, but Billy Sharp is caught offside.
John Fleck (Sheffield United) hits the left post with a left footed shot from outside the box. Assisted by Paul Coutts following a set piece situation.
Foul by John Egan (Brentford). | Striker Billy Sharp scored the only goal to ensure Sheffield United made a winning start to life back in the Championship against Brentford. |
25857296 | It counts forehands and backhands, serves and smashes. And when play is finished, the coach compares your stats with existing tennis data that it has easily to hand.
But this coach is not kitted out with tracksuit and trainers. Rather it relies on sensors and chips.
It sounds futuristic but technology like this is already available, embedded in one of the newer tennis racquets on the market - the Babolat Play Pure Drive.
Packed with sensors detecting string vibration and movement, the device works with a smartphone (over Bluetooth) or plugs into a computer (via USB). The company says it is the first connected racquet in the world.
"We integrated sensors inside the handle of the racquet, but it does not change the specification. And these sensors will analyse your tennis game, so your swing - your motion - and all this information will be collected by the racquet," Gael Moureaux, tennis racquets products manager at Babolat's HQ in the French city of Lyon, tells the BBC.
He adds: "During the development process of the racquet, we did a lot of lab tests with a lot of players around the world to make sure the data is accurate and to have the right data for the player."
Babolat's take on personal sporting analytics has the potential to greatly impact professional tennis.
That is because it is the first company to put a connected racquet through the International Tennis Federation (ITF) approval process.
The ITF, aware of the growing influx of hi-tech equipment into the sport, has set up a programme called Player Analysis Technology (PAT) to regulate such "virtual coaches" as the Babolat racquet.
It defines PAT items as being "any equipment that collects, stores, transmits, analyses or communicates information on player performance, and may be a standalone device or incorporated within existing equipment".
Successful approval from the ITF would mean that top players could use the French racquet in Grand Slam tournaments such as the French Open this spring at Roland Garos in Paris.
But why is an approval process needed at all?
A quick delve into tennis history shows technology consistently at the heart of the game, and innovation has generally moved at a quicker pace than the game's regulators can keep up with.
Over the past 50 years, wooden racquets were replaced by metal, then carbon fibre mixed with other materials, and now computer-connected models.
This time round the governing body wants to be calling the shots on where and how innovation can be used, as in the past it has found itself having to ban some products already on the market and in use, such as the so-called "spaghetti-strung" racquets (with double stringing).
Since the profound impact of the metal racquet, testing has been carried out with the idea of ensuring every player has a fair chance of winning - with approved equipment.
Machines at the ITF's high-tech lab at Roehampton, south-west London, strenuously test racquets and balls for approval on the court.
"One of the biggest revolutions in tennis was when a gentleman called Howard Head discovered you could make racquets with bigger faces and larger frames using a material other than wood," says Stuart Miller, of the ITF.
Players using metal racquets would have the advantage over equally skilled opponents using wooden frames.
This was because a metal racquet enabled the player to have a greater hitting area. They would be more likely to hit the ball and less likely to hit it on the frame.
"Eventually racquets became lighter and could be swung faster, generating the kind of serve speeds and spins that we're seeing in today's game," adds Mr Miller.
"That was a fundamental shift, and no matter how much some people would like to think that the wooden racquet has a place in tennis today, I'm afraid there's no going back now."
It is this delicate balance between tradition and technology that remains particularly relevant to the tennis world.
In conjunction with its PAT approval programme, the ITF has also brought in a new rule - Rule 31 - to reflect the growing use of connected equipment, and its possible role in tournament play.
The ITF's existing rules currently ban touchline coaching, and to now prevent hi-tech "coaching" - in this case players potentially studying their strokeplay data between games - the new regulation has appeared.
It states that a "player may not have access to data collected by Player Analysis Technology during play, except when play is suspended and coaching is permitted".
But despite the innovations coming thick and fast, one trainer does not think he is in danger of being upstaged by a smart racquet.
"I think that it's great for feedback but you still need someone to analyse it. At the end of the day it's the practice and the ability of someone that makes the player, not necessarily the equipment in their hand," says Nik Snapes, racquets manager and tennis pro at Roehampton Club.
With the player analytics revolution come the consequences that might arise from using this technology.
Approved devices need to be secure and protected against unauthorised access, to prevent "sporting espionage'" whereby data could be stolen. Knowing when an opponent's right hand gets tired during the second set would be a huge advantage.
Player analytics, like the metal racquet, is here to stay.
But though it will have a huge impact on the evolution of tennis, the game should remain as popular as ever - provided players have the opportunity to compete on skill and strategy alone. | Imagine having a virtual "tennis coach" that knows exactly where your racquet hits the ball. |
Subsets and Splits
No saved queries yet
Save your SQL queries to embed, download, and access them later. Queries will appear here once saved.