id
stringlengths 7
11
| dialogue
stringlengths 15
174k
⌀ | summary
stringlengths 1
399
|
|---|---|---|
39317475 | The Chile international was substituted with 12 minutes left of Saturday's 3-1 defeat by West Brom.
Sanchez was injured in the first half, when he was fouled by James McClean.
"He should not have played in the second half but he insisted that he wanted to," Wenger said. "In the end we had to take him off."
Arsenal's next match is at home to Manchester City in the league on 2 April, but Sanchez is in Chile's squad for World Cup qualifiers against Argentina and Venezuela, the first of which is on Thursday.
Asked whether Sanchez would be fit to play for his country, Wenger said: "If it's only a kick, he will play. If the ligament is damaged, he will not play."
Media playback is not supported on this device
Arsenal lost goalkeeper Petr Cech to a calf injury at The Hawthorns as they suffered their fourth defeat in five league games.
They are now five points behind fourth-placed Liverpool in fifth, albeit with a game in hand.
Speaking after Saturday's match, Wenger said he has already decided whether he will remain at the club he has managed since 1996.
"I know what I will do," said Wenger. "You will know soon." | Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez's right ankle is in "an absolutely terrible state" and he may have ligament damage, says manager Arsene Wenger. |
35124560 | Celebrity supporter Rod Stewart said after the end of Celtic's European campaign that he felt the Norwegian was out of his depth.
Despite having won two trophies last season, Deila acknowledges he is not beyond criticism.
"At Celtic, when you don't achieve what the demands are, you have to prove yourself," he said of his critics.
"But you have to get the chance to do it and I will do everything I can to prove that and make them swallow their words."
Deila, whose side could still complete a domestic treble this season, admitted he was a big admirer of singer Stewart.
"He's a good ambassador for the club," said the manager.
"I met him once when we won the league trophy, so hopefully I can meet him again in that (scenario).
"When you don't get the result you want, of course people will be critical of what's happening and I have no problems with that.
"I've had a lot of positive critics as well, before the European campaign this year, so this is also something I have to manage.
"The only thing I think of now is to finish this season in a very good way and we need to make the improvements I know can make us successful." | Celtic manager Ronny Deila accepts he still has to prove the job is not too big for him. |
35417777 | He will be available for three Championship games, eight in the T20 Blast and three in the One-Day Cup between 9 June and 18 July.
The 25-year-old scored 2,633 runs for New Zealand in 2015 across all formats, including eight centuries.
"His value as a player is beyond question," said Yorkshire head coach Jason Gillespie.
"His attitude, work ethic and leadership as an overseas player is brilliant."
Williamson and England's Joe Root, a Yorkshire team-mate, are currently joint second in the International Cricket Council Test batting rankings behind Australia captain Steve Smith.
The White Rose county have won the Championship title for the past two seasons and are looking to become the first side to do so three times in a row since their Yorkshire predecessors from 1966-1968.
"I am looking forward to joining the team for a third term this summer," Williamson told the Yorkshire website.
"It is enjoyable being part of a successful team that are hungry for ongoing success." | County champions Yorkshire have re-signed New Zealand batsman Kane Williamson for part of the 2016 season. |
28462197 | The miner, which will be erected on a plinth in the heart of Laxey, is currently being constructed in Bali by an artist called Ongky Wijana.
The Great Laxey Mine employed more than 600 miners between 1825 and 1929.
Co-ordinator Ivor Hankinson said: "The miners were so brave, and this statue will mean they are remembered forever."
He added: "In addition we will have a plaque on the wall showing the names of 32 people who died in the mine. I think that is important because they did so much for the Isle of Man and worked so hard at a very difficult job."
Once erected on its plinth, the stone miner statue will stand at about 13ft high.
It will replace a wooden carving of a miner which was removed in 2008 after it disintegrated with age.
Funding for the statue was provided by a benefactor, a Laxey resident who left money for the project in her will.
"This lady died in 2012 at the age of 97, but she would have been so pleased that one of her final wishes is coming to fruition," said Mr Hankinson.
"She was saddened when the wooden miner had to be taken down so this would have meant a lot to her - as it will for everybody in the village."
Stone Carver Ongky Wijana said: "I was honoured to be asked to do the Laxey piece. It's a big public piece of work so I'm very proud that people from all over will be able to see it and it will represent Laxey, which is such a beautiful town."
The Laxey mines were among the riches sources of zinc, lead and silver anywhere in the British Isles in the latter half of the 19th Century. | A stone statue has been commissioned in the east of the Isle of Man as a tribute to the "bravery" of those who worked in the Great Laxey mines. |
40893432 | The Lincolnshire rider set an average speed of 134.210mph during the third lap of the circuit on his Smith's BMW.
Hickman won by two seconds from Silicone Engineering Kawasaki's Dean Harrison with Bruce Anstey a further 0.3 seconds back on a Padgett's Honda.
Anstey won the Lightweight 250cc race, with Ballymoney's Paul Robinson taking the Moto3/125cc honours.
New Zealander Anstey enjoyed a 39-second lead over Ballymena man Neil Kernohan at the chequered flag, with Davy Morgan making up the top three.
The Kiwi's fastest lap was 117.020 on his first appearance on a 250cc machine at the Dundrod circuit.
Robinson edged out Christian Elkin by half a second and set a new lap record for the Moto3s on 110.311, while Adam McLean completed the rostrum positions.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Having dominated practice for Saturday's Ulster Grand Prix, Hickman stamped his authority on the six-lap Superbike race to clinch the second victory of his career over the 7.4-mile course.
Harrison, Anstey, Dan Kneen and Michael Dunlop all lapped at over 133mph, with Yorkshireman Harrison and Dan Kneen bettering their previous best lap speeds at the event.
Manxman Kneen finished fourth on the Tyco BMW, followed by Michael Dunlop on his Bennetts Suzuki and Fermanagh's Lee Johnston.
Teenager Joe Thompson was awarded the win in the National race which was red-flagged after three laps, Davey Todd taking second.
The Challenge race was abandoned after being halted twice because of accidents at Leathemstown and Budore, while the planned Supertwin race did not take place as the organisers called an end to proceedings for the day at 20:00 BST.
Roads closed - Wednesday and Thursday 9 and 10 August - 10:00 BST to 21:30 BST; Saturday 12 August - 09:30 BST to 20:30 BST
Thursday racing - Dundrod 150 - Race 1 - Dundrod 150 National Race (5 laps); Race 2 - Ultralightweight/Lightweight (5 laps); Race 3 - Dundrod 150 Challenge (5 laps); Race 4 - Dundrod 150 Superbike (6 laps); Race 5 - Dundrod 150 Supertwins (5 laps)
Saturday racing - Ulster Grand Prix - Race 1 - Superstock (6 laps); Race 2 - Supersport (6 laps); Race 3 - Ultralightweight/Lightweight; Race (5 laps) Race 4 - UGP Superbike (7 laps); Race 5 - Supertwins (5 laps); Race 6 - Supersport (6 laps); Race 7 - Superbike Race (6 laps). | Peter Hickman set a new absolute lap record in winning the Dundrod 150 Superbike race on Thursday. |
35068443 | David Headley appeared before a court in Mumbai via video conference and agreed to give full details of the planning and execution of the attacks.
Headley, 52, pleaded guilty and co-operated with the US to avoid the death penalty and extradition to India.
More than 160 people were killed by gunmen in the November 2008 attack.
The Mumbai court told Headley that his pardon was conditional and it expected him to fully disclose all the information he had on the attacks.
He appeared before the court through a video link from an undisclosed location in the US.
"He has become a government witness. The court decided to pardon him because his testimony will give more details of the attacks. He will testify on 8 February," Indian prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told journalists in Mumbai.
Headley's US lawyer John Theis told BBC Hindi that he did not "expect anything substantially different from what he (Headley) has already said and it will be consistent with his testimony in Chicago".
"It [Headley's pardon in India] also doesn't affect the 35 year jail term that he's serving in the US," Mr Theis added.
Headley was sentenced in the US in 2013 on 12 counts, including conspiracy to aid militants from the Pakistani group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) which India blames for carrying out the attacks.
After initially denying the charges, he eventually pleaded guilty and co-operated with the US to avoid the death penalty and extradition to India.
He admitted to scouting potential target locations in Mumbai ahead of the attacks.
Headley was born Daood Gilani to a Pakistani father and American mother but changed his name to David Coleman Headley in 2006 "to present himself in India as an American who was neither Muslim nor Pakistani", US prosecutors had said.
Headley is alleged to have told US prosecutors that he had been working with LeT since 2002.
He was arrested by FBI agents in Chicago in October 2009 while trying to board a plane for Philadelphia.
The 60-hour assault on Mumbai began on 26 November 2008. Attacks on the railway station, luxury hotels and a Jewish cultural centre claimed 166 lives. Nine gunmen were also killed.
The only surviving attacker, Pakistani Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab, was executed in India last November. | A US man sentenced to 35 years in jail for his role in the 2008 Mumbai attacks has been pardoned by an Indian court after he agreed to be a witness. |
40122299 | Only one case has been discovered in Ryan's string but the yard near Thirsk has been placed under quarantine by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA).
The nearby stables of trainers Bryan Smart and Michael Herrington have also been quarantined as a precaution.
The BHA said they are working with Ryan and staff to ensure the correct disease control measures are in place.
"The risk of the virus being transmitted in a controlled race-day environment is relatively small," said David Sykes, the BHA's director of equine health and welfare.
"[But] it is in theory possible that horses from the yard in question may have been infectious some time before the disease was diagnosed.
"For this reason we have taken measures to alert trainers, as well as racecourses and veterinary surgeons, to be vigilant to the clinical signs."
The equine herpes virus can cause respiratory disease and abort foetuses, while a less common neurological form of the virus can cause co-ordination problems and paralysis, and is potentially fatal.
The National Stud breeding site in Newmarket was closed last year following the discovery of the neurological herpes virus infection.
Ryan won the French Derby and Irish Champion Stakes in 2014 with The Grey Gatsby and is a four-time winner of the Ayr Gold Cup, including the 2016 edition with Brando. | Trainer Kevin Ryan has been suspended from running horses after a case of equine herpes was found at his yard. |
27116036 | This is the full statement to the inquests from his mother, Janet Spearritt:
Adam Edward Spearritt died on 15 April, 1989 after becoming unconscious in his dad Eddie's arms.
Eddie also lost consciousness and woke up in hospital the next day to be told that the son he had tried so desperately hard to save was dead.
Adam was 14 years and 10 months old. It may seem odd to mention the 10 months, but for a life ended so soon every moment matters.
I could write a book about what Adam meant to us and the heartache his death and the Hillsborough tragedy caused, but for this purpose, suffice to say these few words.
Profiles of all those who died
He was our first child, born on 13 June, 1974 at Liverpool Maternity Hospital. He opened up our hearts to the joys of being parents.
From the moment he learned to walk, he had a ball at his feet. He got tiny football boots for his third birthday and goalposts for his fourth.
At weekends, I would take him to watch his dad play football. One of the first sentences he spoke as a toddler was, 'Come on, Mickey lad, take it down the line', giving us such a laugh.
When our second son, Paul, was born some years later, his birth announcement in the Liverpool Echo read: 'A second beautiful son, brother and goalkeeper for Adam'. And so he was, albeit not straight away.
We were lucky to have a large garden that Adam made good use of as a football pitch, tennis court, cricket pitch or mini golf course, learning to play these games first with his dad, or me when his dad was at work, his cousin Robert, who lived around the corner, his grandma when she came to stay - even the window cleaner or postman were invited to kick a ball with him, and sometimes did.
When he wasn't outside playing football, he would be inside enjoying his 'Roy of the Rovers' comics, filling in his Panini football sticker album or playing Subbuteo.
We have glued many a broken Barcelona, Real Madrid or Liverpool player back onto their bases, assembled a stand to sit tiny figures on, put together TV gantries and floodlights so that England could beat Brazil in the World Cup.
These items are now stored up in the attic, ironically alongside the many boxes and files containing 25 years' worth of transcripts, letters, newspaper articles and other matters relating to the disaster.
As Adam grew older, his passions centred on football and golf. I remember his dad telling me about a game of golf they played with two of his dad's friends, which reduced Adam to tears of laughter on the course because of their antics and pathetic attempts to play.
He was such a joy growing up, laughing a lot, telling jokes and doing impersonations. Even on the day he died, his dad said the drive across the Snake Pass to Sheffield was full of fun and laughter, again with the same two friends they played golf with.
At one point, one of the friends got out to go to a sweet shop and the driver played stop/start as he tried to get back in. Adam was helpless with laughter.
He loved school, first attending St Mary's Junior School and then on to Norton Priory. He was doing well, his school reports always saying what a polite, hard-working pupil he was.
Naturally, sport was one of his favourite subjects. He played for the school football team and also a local team, Bridge Athletic, making many friends along the way.
I recall attending a PTA meeting where the staff were discussing the school football team being in the final of the Cheshire Schools' competition and of course, as a proud mum, I stated that it was my son who scored the winning goal in the semi-final.
A teacher came up to me afterwards to introduce herself and tell me what a lovely student he was. This was shortly before he died. Adam never got to play in the final, but his Dad went and supported the team as they won.
He loved being on the Kop at Anfield watching Liverpool play. His heroes, of course, were Kenny Dalglish and Alan Hansen.
Despite going to Anfield often, the Hillsborough match was his first away game.
Every year, a golf tournament is played in memory of Adam made up of his old school friends, his brothers, cousins, uncles, and friends of his dad. Also, each year in Runcorn an under-15s football tournament is played for the Adam Spearritt Memorial Cup.
Adam and his dad were friends as well as father and son and Eddie struggled to forgive himself for not saving Adam. He would say it was his job to protect Adam and he failed.
Sadly, Eddie died three years ago, without really knowing that his efforts in helping to fight for a new inquest were coming to fruition.
To everyone, Adam was just an ordinary boy, but to us, as every child is to their parents, he was extraordinary.
He had a kind, caring and considerate nature. We all loved him dearly and he in return loved all of us, but more than that, he loved life itself. | A schoolboy from Runcorn, Adam Spearritt travelled by car with his dad, Eddie Spearritt, and some friends, all of whom survived. |
36171811 | Wallace scored 169 runs in a second team match after being dropped for the first time in 15 years, but Chris Cooke will wear the gloves in Canterbury
Kent's New Zealand opener Tom Latham is set to make his debut in the match.
The 24 year-old can also keep wicket but Kent stick with Adam Rouse as deputy for Sam Billings, who is playing in the IPL.
Glamorgan are still without batsman Colin Ingram, who has missed the last two games with a knee injury.
Seamer Harry Podmore, on loan from Middlesex, could make a debut if Glamorgan decide to rotate their bowling attack.
Kent may also make a change in their bowling attack, with England under-19 paceman Hugh Bernard added to the line-up which found it tough going at Leicester.
Latham replaces all-rounder Alex Blake.
Both teams are still searching for their first wins of 2016 after Kent's rain-hit draw away to Leicestershire and Glamorgan's weather-ruined stalemate away to Derbyshire.
Kent won the 2015 encounter in Cardiff by a massive margin of 316 runs, after Glamorgan had hung on for a draw with nine wickets down in their earlier encounter in Canterbury.
Kent (from): Bell-Drummond, Latham, Dickson, Denly, Northeast (capt), Stevens, Rouse (wk), Haggett, Coles, Claydon, Riley, Bernard.
Glamorgan (from): Jacques Rudolph (capt), James Kettleborough, Will Bragg, Chris Cooke (wk), Aneurin Donald, David Lloyd, Graham Wagg, Craig Meschede, Andrew Salter, Michael Hogan, Timm van der Gugten, Harry Podmore. | Wicket-keeper Mark Wallace has been left out of Glamorgan's team to face Kent in the County Championship. |
38364011 | Zoe Morgan, 21, and Lee Simmons, 33, were found dead near the Queen Street store on 28 September at 5:50 BST.
They had been in a relationship since July.
Andrew Saunders, 20, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to murder at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday. He will be sentenced in the New Year.
The discovery of the bodies of the couple led to the street being closed as police began their investigation.
Saunders was arrested later that day and then charged with their murder.
Miss Morgan, who worked as a window dresser, had recently graduated from the University of South Wales with an honours degree in fashion marketing and retail design.
It is believed the couple struck up a romance while working together.
In a tribute following the deaths, Miss Morgan's family said she was a "beautiful daughter, sister, granddaughter and auntie who had a heart of gold and would do anything for anybody."
Mr Simmons was a described as a genuine and lovely young man by a childhood friend, who added: "he always had a smile on his face and he was well loved".
Hundreds also attended vigils in memory of the couple around the city.
Judge Eleri Rees, the Recorder of Cardiff, remanded Saunders into custody.
The defendant, who had short brown hair and a beard and wore a blue hooded top, spoke only to confirm his name before entering guilty pleas.
He will be sentenced next year by Mrs Justice Nicola Davies.
Prosecutor Michael Jones said she would have to watch "disturbing" CCTV footage. | A man has admitted murdering a couple found stabbed on a street near the Cardiff city centre Matalan shop where they worked. |
35189942 | The regions of Cantabria, Asturias and the Basque Country are worst affected, with high winds spreading the flames.
Spain's forestry association said the unusually high temperatures did not explain the origin of the fires.
Association head Raul de la Calle suggested "cattle farming interests" could be responsible.
He said some people believed the fires would make the pasture more "appetising" to the animals, El Mundo reported.
More than 80 fires are currently burning in Cantabria, where 2,000 hectares (5,000 acres) of land of "very high ecological value" have been destroyed, regional president Miguel Angel Revilla said.
However none of those fires are currently threatening inhabited areas, he added.
About 100 soldiers have been sent to the region.
In Asturias there are 38 fires, of which 31 have been contained.
Spain's interior ministry has warned of continuing high winds in the north. | Firefighters are battling more than 120 forest fires in northern Spain, some of which may have been started deliberately, officials say. |
40481950 | Saffie Roussos was among 22 people killed in a bombing at an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena on 22 May.
Her father Andrew, said Saffie was a "huge character" and was "stunning".
Mr Roussos said he has not thought or asked questions about what happened because he "can't get Saffie back".
In his first interview since the attack, Mr Roussos, from Lancashire, told the BBC: "She was a joker. She was a huge character.
"She was just everything you could wish for in a little girl."
"She loved dancing, music, gymnastics. If she wanted something, she would do it," he added.
"[She loved] fame, stardom.
"I knew that Saffie would love her pictures to be on, and to be spoken about on TV."
Saffie had been at the concert with her mother Lisa and 26-year-old sister Ashlee Bromwich.
Mrs Roussos has undergone multiple operations and was placed in an induced coma by doctors.
When she awoke she knew her daughter had died, Mr Roussos explained.
"I was dreading it. She just looked at me and said 'she's gone isn't she?', and I said 'yeah'. She goes, 'I knew'."
Mrs Roussos is improving at a much quicker rate than doctors had expected and the rest of the family were "all strong for each other", he added.
Saffie's sister Ms Bromwich said: "She was Ariana Grande-obsessed.
"She kept on going, 'come on Ashlee you promised me you'd get up and dance' - so we had a little dance. She was so happy, she was elated all night, grinning."
But everything changed at the end of the show when suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated a home-made device in the foyer of the arena.
"I remember I was thrown to the ground and, my next instinct, I just sort of I rolled over and crawled because I couldn't walk," Ms Bromwich said.
Mr Roussos said "hell broke loose" and he remembered arriving to discover Ms Bromwich being treated at the scene, while Saffie and his wife were missing.
"We just walked round and all the police were there. It was chaos.
"You're panicking and worrying. You don't know what's going on," he said.
Mr Roussos, with the help of a friend, eventually received confirmation from Salford Royal Hospital that they were caring for his wife. But he heard nothing of Saffie.
"As the hours went on, I thought the worst," he said.
His faint hope, he added, was "that she was in one of the hotels".
He was later informed by a detective that Saffie had died.
"I couldn't take it in. I just sat there looking at him," he said. "It's just your worst nightmare. I didn't know what to say, I didn't know what to think."
When asked about their thoughts on Abedi, Mr Roussos said: "It doesn't matter what I think, It doesn't matter what I feel, how much anger I've got, it doesn't matter how much love I've got, it doesn't change a thing.
"It doesn't, so I haven't even thought about it because if I could think about it, analyse it, break it down, sort it out and get Saffie back I'll do it but I can't.
"I've not even asked questions, I don't even know what's happened, I'm not interested."
Ms Bromwich said she "didn't want to know, I'm not interested".
Saffie's brother Xander Roussos, 11, said it is "quite hard to cope with", adding there are "times when you're sad and times when you're happy".
"We do a little bit of laughing, a little bit of joking, a little bit of crying and cuddling, and that's how we get through the day," Mr Roussos said.
Mr Roussos said he had met Ariana Grande before her One Love Manchester concert in June.
"I wanted to tell her what she meant to Saffie," he said. "I wanted to tell her from a father's point of view that she's got nothing to be sorry for... It wasn't her fault."
"All she could say to me was, 'I'm sorry', and I said, 'You've got nothing to be sorry for. You made Saffie so happy with what you do'.
"She thanked me," he said. "She appreciated me telling her that."
Mr Roussos said he was thankful Saffie managed to enjoy the entire show before she died.
"I'm grateful she got to see all of it," he said. | The youngest victim of the Manchester attack was "everything you could wish for in a little girl", her father said on what would have been her ninth birthday. |
17222934 | The 75-year-old, dubbed the "King of Romance", is best known for his 1967 hit Release Me, which kept The Beatles' Strawberry Fields Forever off the number one spot.
The singer said it was "an absolute honour" to be taking part and was "excited and raring to go".
This year's competition will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, on 26 May.
The song Humperdinck will perform has yet to be announced but the BBC said it would be recorded in London, Los Angeles and Nashville.
It will be written by Grammy award-winning producer Martin Terefe and Ivor Novello winner Sacha Skarbek, who co-wrote James Blunt hit You're Beautiful.
Humperdinck - who was born Arnold Dorsey - has sold more than 150 million records worldwide during his 45 year career.
Born in Chennai to a British army officer, he took his stage name from a German composer best known for his opera Hansel and Gretel.
He scored a UK number one with The Last Waltz and had other hits including There Goes My Everything and A Man Without Love.
His last UK top 20 single was 40 years ago with Too Beautiful To Last which reached number 14.
The singer has received four Grammy nominations, a Golden Globe for Entertainer of the Year and is one of only a handful of artists with a star on both the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Las Vegas Walk of Fame.
"It's an absolute honour to be representing my country for this year's Eurovision Song Contest," the singer said.
"When the BBC approached me, it just felt right for me to be a part of an institution like Eurovision. I'm excited and raring to go and want the nation to get behind me!"
Humperdinck is the oldest ever Eurovision contestant and if he wins, will be the UK's first victor since Katrina and the Waves 15 years ago.
"Engelbert's age isn't the reason why we chose him to represent the nation for Eurovision, but it's nice to break a few records along the way," a BBC spokeswoman said.
Katie Taylor, BBC head of entertainment and events said: "Not since the 70s have we had such an established international musical legend represent the nation.
"We couldn't be more delighted. Engelbert's experience leaves us in no doubt that he will be able to deliver a standout performance in front of 120 million viewers worldwide." | British crooner Engelbert Humperdinck is to represent the UK at this year's Eurovision Song Contest. |
32852333 | 14-year-old Harrison Cushing was found hanged at his home in Peel and died later at Noble's hospital in Braddan.
An inquest in Douglas on Friday heard that the child, a Year 9 student at Queen Elizabeth II High School, died from "asphyxia due to hanging".
A school spokesman said Harrison was an "articulate and confident young man" and a "pleasure to teach".
He added: "Harrison had a very keen and quick sense of humour, appreciated by his classmates and teachers alike.
"Anyone who knew Harrison could not fail to like him and he will be very deeply missed by his close friends, his classmates in Year 9, his teachers and the wider school community.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to Harrison's family at this very sad and difficult time".
Coroner John Needham has adjourned the inquest to a date yet to be fixed.
Education psychologists are providing professional support at the school for students and staff. | An Isle of Man school has paid tribute to an "articulate and confident" teenager who died last Sunday. |
36697998 | Fifty firefighters tackled the height of the blaze at Bowlshaw Lane, near Shelf, Halifax, as police advised motorists to seek alternative routes.
Supt Owen West said fuel tanks on vehicles inside the premises exploded and advised people to stay inside for safety.
Diesel, LPG and acetylene is on the site, West Yorkshire Fire Service said.
Major blaze at Morrisons supermarket depot in Yorkshire
The A644 Brighouse Road closed both ways between A647 and A6036 and there were diversions for traffic in the area.
Supt West said the fire was at a garage containing scrap vehicles, there had been no reported injuries and the "smoke plume looked more serious than it is". | Fire crews will remain at the scene of an industrial estate blaze featuring 25 lorries throughout the night. |
34289766 | Thai-based SSI took over the former Tata Steel complex in Redcar after it was mothballed in 2010.
The company said preparations were under way to cut production during the day and cited ongoing issues with the supply of raw materials and services.
A spokesman said the announcement was made with "great regret" but a union leader described it as "devastating".
Operation of the South Bank Coke Ovens, which employs 150 people, will cease first before production stops.
Labour MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, Tom Blenkinsop, said: "I know unions will be working closely with those workers to offer all the support they can but my heart goes out to those workers and their families."
The Redcar Coke Ovens and the Power Station will continue to operate but at a reduced level.
Chief operating officer Cornelius Louwrens, said: "We are deeply aware of the concern it will give to our employees and their families.
"Our parent company and other stakeholders have given great support to the business, and the decision to pause our iron and steel production has been taken reluctantly and in a scenario where no other practical options are available at present.
"Discussions will be held as soon as possible with our trade unions and employee representatives to clarify the effect the production pause will have on our employees."
Roy Rickhuss, general secretary of steelworkers' union Community said: "This is devastating news. Our first thoughts are with the workers who will be affected by today's announcement.
"We will be seeking urgent talks with SSI management to find out the full extent of the impact this will have on both SSI employees and contractors.
"In the coming days we will do all we can to support our members."
MP for Stockton South and Northern Powerhouse Minister, James Wharton, said: "It's not necessarily the end of the story for steel on Teesside...but it's clearly a difficult time."
He added: "There's no denying it's significant and it's not good news. We have to make sure the impact is minimised and we do everything we can to try to mitigate what the knock-on effect could be on the economy on Teesside and in the UK."
Last month the company warned the plant's future was at risk, citing a slump in demand for steel in China and Russia for its problems.
Mr Louwrens said the price paid for slab steel had plummeted from $500 (£318) a tonne to below $300 (£191) over the past year.
Business Minister Anna Soubry, said: "This is disappointing news. The government stands ready to assist workers where needed.
"The steel industry is going through a tough time. The price of steel has plummeted as worldwide production rises and sales fail to pick up.
"Government can't fix the price of steel but we are doing what we can to help."
Gareth Stace, director of UK Steel, said the time for "warm words" from the government had passed and its promise to "hold a crisis summit" about the industry "cannot happen soon enough".
He said the government needed to act decisively otherwise "the damage to one of the most important industries underpinning our entire manufacturing industry will be irreversible".
At full capacity the Redcar plant produces up to 400 slabs of steel a day, each weighing up to 33 tonnes.
About £1bn has been invested in reopening the blast furnace. | Production at a Teesside steel plant which employs up to 2,000 people will be "paused", the company said. |
35922000 | Matthew Rigby, 22, denies murdering Ayeeshia Jane Smith at their home in Staffordshire in May 2014.
Ayeeshia's mother, Kathryn Smith, also denies murder.
The girl had a heart injury usually seen in people who have fallen off buildings or been in a car crash, Birmingham Crown Court has heard.
Mr Rigby denied inflicting any injuries on the girl after being accused by Ms Smith's barrister of taking out his frustrations over the couple's dysfunctional relationship on the child.
When asked why he had changed his story Mr Rigby, from Nottingham, said his former partner, 23-year-old Ms Smith, had told him what to say to police.
He initially told detectives he had seen Ayeeshia, known as AJ, "on the potty" in her room as Ms Smith went to get some juice for the girl.
But in court on Tuesday he said he was not present while the child went to the toilet.
Ms Smith's barrister, John Butterfield QC, asked him why would he have lied.
"At that point I didn't think there was any foul play with Ayeeshia," he replied.
"At that point, I had no reason to doubt what Kathryn had said."
But Mr Butterfield QC said: "You've backed away because you know you got up to no good in that bedroom at that time."
Mr Rigby responded: "That's wrong, that's really wrong."
The court heard Mr Rigby describe AJ as a "lovely little girl" who had had a positive impact on his life.
But he admitted his relationship with her mother was volatile, with police often being called to their flat in Burton upon Trent.
On one occasion when AJ apparently needed hospital treatment, Mr Rigby told the court Ms Smith, also from Nottingham, had disappeared from their flat to buy cannabis.
The trial continues. | A stepfather accused of stamping a toddler to death has told a jury he did not hurt her and said her mother must have been responsible for her death. |
40380071 | They were given 15-month suspended jail terms and ordered to pay €165,000 (£145,000; $185,000) each, with half the sum suspended.
They were accused of holding more than 20 servants they brought with them on a 2008 visit in near slavery.
But they were acquitted of the more serious charge of inhumane treatment.
The princesses had denied all the charges.
Their lawyer, Stephen Monod, said he was "satisfied to note that the Belgian justice has appropriately assessed this case which has generated many misconceptions for nearly 10 years".
Raped, pregnant and afraid of being jailed
Kuwait's abused domestic workers have 'nowhere to turn'
He was unable to confirm that his clients would pay their fines, saying they had not yet decided whether to appeal.
Sheikha Hamda al-Nahyan and her seven daughters did not attend the trial and rights activists said it was highly unlikely that the UAE would extradite them had they been jailed.
The case came to light when one of the servants escaped from the hotel where the princesses had hired a floor of luxury suites.
They said they were forced to be available 24 hours a day, had to sleep on the floor, were never given a day off, were prevented from leaving the hotel and were forced to eat the princesses' leftovers.
But the case took nine years to get under way, partly due to legal challenges to proceedings by the defence.
Myria, a Belgian rights group which helped bring the case to court, said the importance of Friday's judgement "can hardly be overstated".
"Not because it is the end stage of a procedure that has been epic in length and complexity, nor because the location of the transgression was a prestigious hotel and the main perpetrators princesses.
"Domestic personnel hailing from all over the world, employed in an administrative and social limbo, in a secluded area presumed beyond the reach of the rule of law, were heard in a court of law and recognised as victims of human trafficking."
At the time of the trial, Nicholas McGeehan, an expert on migrant workers in the Gulf for Human Rights Watch, told the BBC that it would be "hugely significant" if one of the wealthiest families in the world was publicly linked with trafficking and slavery.
He argued that despite being abolished in law, domestic slavery continues in Gulf states - "perpetuated by ruling elites for whom it serves an important societal purpose in conferring status".
He added: "It's top-down and tolerated." | Eight princesses from the UAE have been convicted of human trafficking and degrading treatment of their servants by a Brussels court. |
32057948 | The King's Fund review said waiting times for A&E, cancer care and routine operations had all started getting worse, while deficits were growing.
It said such drops in performance had not been seen for 20 years.
But the think tank acknowledged the NHS had done as well as could be expected, given the financial climate.
Professor John Appleby, chief economist at the King's Fund, which specialises in health care policy, said: "The next government will inherit a health service that has run out of money and is operating at the very edge of its limits.
"There is now a real risk that patient care will deteriorate as service and financial pressures become overwhelming."
He said in terms of how standards were slipping - not how low they had reached - the situation was the worst it had been since the "early 1990s".
The report noted much of the deterioration has happened in the second-half of the Parliament with many measures of performance being maintained in the first few years.
It said the next government had to address the funding situation, adding the extra £8bn a year NHS England says is needed by 2020, was the "minimum" that would be required.
The report - a review of performance this Parliament - highlights a range of problems as well as achievements. These include:
The report is the second part of the King's Fund pre-election review of the NHS this Parliament.
Last month it warned the coalition government's reforms of the health service had been "damaging and distracting".
The King's Fund report should make worrying reading. The reference to the 1990s conjures up images of - for the NHS at least - a bygone era.
The think tank's point was not that waiting times had reached the level they were at then, rather that this is the first time in two decades of almost continuous improvement that there has been a sustained drop in performance.
In many ways, that had to happen. Services cannot keep getting better for ever.
Nonetheless, the findings are crystal clear: the NHS is at a critical juncture.
But what is less easy to determine is to what extent the coalition's policies have contributed to the difficulties.
The think tank has already provided a critical analysis of the government's reforms - and when pushed, acknowledged the health service may have been "in better shape" if they had not happened.
But the more significant issue for the health of the health service this Parliament has been the squeeze on finances. Even though the budget has been increased, it has felt more like a cut to many because demands have risen so quickly.
On this though, the King's Fund accepted that the government's hands were tied. Given the state of the economy, ministers did about as much as they could have.
Read more from Nick
Royal College of Nursing general secretary Peter Carter said politicians needed to take note of the warnings made by the King's Fund.
"Morale is low, and more and more staff are being made sick with stress because of the intolerable pressure they are under," he added.
Katherine Murphy, of the Patients Association, said: "The findings echo what we are hearing on a daily basis on our helpline. It is clear to the public that the future of the NHS is one of the most important issues facing the nation and it should be a central issue in the election campaign."
Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham said: "Five years ago David Cameron stood on a promise to protect the NHS. This report provides authoritative proof that he has broken that promise."
But a Department of Health spokesman said: "As the King's Fund says, the NHS has 'performed well in the face of huge challenges', but if we are to continue to invest in the NHS going forward it needs to be backed by a strong economy." | Services in the NHS in England are deteriorating in a way not seen since the early 1990s, according to a leading health think tank. |
38663640 | The pair, who took over from Ian Davies in the summer, have agreed to stay at the Mennaye until May 2019.
Both had long playing careers with the club and were assistants to Davies before taking over after cost cuts forced him to leave.
The Pirates have also brought in former England forward and Nottingham coach Martin Haag on a part-time basis.
Paver and Cattle have led the Pirates to fifth place in the Championship this season, one point off the play-off places.
"We've been very fortunate to have a chance to come straight out of playing and coach at Championship level," Cattle told BBC Sport.
"I think we've made a made a decent fist of it this year, there's been a lot of off-pitch matters that gave us that opportunity, but we're chuffed that the board have given us the chance."
The pair were teammates for over a decade and Cattle says the friendship they built up in that time makes it easy to organise their roles in joint-charge.
"If you don't agree with something you can be open and honest and if you don't have that relationship you might have to tiptoe around a topic," he added.
"Working with him is pretty easy, we're two different characters and in terms of our coaching approach, we know how each other works and know when to step away, and we have a good relationship off the pitch as well." | Cornish Pirates coaches Alan Paver and Gavin Cattle have signed new contracts at the Championship club. |
35780777 | Investigators found that 1,300 women had been raped last year in oil-rich Unity State alone, it said.
The army operated a "scorched earth" policy to deliberately target civilians for killing and rape, which amounted to war crimes, the UN said.
The government denies its army targeted civilians but says it is investigating.
"We have rules of engagement and we are following them," a spokesman for President Salva Kiir, Ateny Wek Ateny, told the BBC's Newsday programme.
According to the UN report, militias operated under a "do what you can and take what you can" agreement that allowed them to rape and abduct women and girls as a form of payment.
They also raided cattle and stole personal property, it added.
The scale and type of sexual violence committed in South Sudan constitute some of the most horrendous human rights abuses in the world, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said.
One woman said she had watched her 15-year-old daughter being raped by 10 soldiers after her husband was killed.
The UN said government forces and allied militias gang-raped girls and cut civilians to pieces. It also accused opposition fighters of committing human rights abuses.
In a separate report, Amnesty International says more than 60 men and boys were suffocated in a shipping container by government forces.
Researchers from the UK-based campaign group said bodies of those suffocated had been dumped in a field after they were killed last October in Leer Town, Unity State.
"Dozens of people suffered a slow and agonising death at the hands of government forces that should have been protecting them," said Lama Fakih from Amnesty.
"These unlawful killings must be investigated."
The civil conflict erupted in December 2013 after Mr Kiir accused his sacked deputy, Riek Machar, of plotting a coup.
Mr Machar denied the allegation but then formed a rebel army to fight the government.
Tens of thousands have died and more than two million have been displaced since then.
Amid a threat of sanctions from the UN, the two sides signed a peace deal in August last year but are yet to form a transitional government of national unity.
Q&A: South Sudan conflict
What is South Sudan fighting about? The world's newest nation gained independence from Sudan in 2011. But two years later the country descended into violence after President Salva Kiir accused his sacked deputy Riek Machar of plotting a coup. Mr Machar denied this but then formed a rebel army to fight the government. The East African nation is rich in oil but it is also one of the least developed regions on earth - only 15% of its citizens own a mobile phone.
Why is the conflict so vicious? Millions of South Sudanese have known hardly anything but war. Before the country broke away from Sudan, the first north-south civil war lasted from 1955-1971, and the second was even longer (1983-2005). Ethnic tensions are largely the main source of the latest conflict and have deepened animosity between the Nuer and the Dinka, the country's two biggest ethnic groups.
What is being done? Several internationally brokered peace agreements were violated by the warring factions in the past. However, in August, the government and the rebels signed a power-sharing agreement, essentially fine-tuning a return to the status quo. But eight months later, the transitional government is yet to be formed.
Read more about the conflict | Militias allied to the South Sudanese army have been allowed to rape women in lieu of wages while fighting rebels, a UN report says. |
38958379 | The 23-year-old centre-back, who has previously had spells with Gillingham and Brighton, scored one goal in 11 appearances in WSL 2 in 2016.
"It is a dream of mine to join a pro club so to be here is an amazing feeling," she told the club website.
"I have worked my way through the ranks and am delighted to have done enough to earn a contract with Chelsea."
Chelsea have not disclosed the length of Cooper's contract.
The Blues begin the WSL Spring Series against Manchester City on 23 April. | Women's Super League One side Chelsea Ladies have signed defender Deanna Cooper from London Bees. |
31016261 | Addressing his first cabinet meeting since Sunday's victory, Mr Tsipras said he would negotiate with creditors over the €240bn (£179bn; $270bn) bailout.
"We won't get into a mutually destructive clash but we will not continue a policy of subjection," said the left-wing Syriza party leader.
Greek bank stocks lost more than a quarter of their value on Wednesday as prices fell for a third day.
Piraeus Bank lost nearly 29%, Alpha Bank 26%, and National Bank and Eurobank around 25%, AFP reported.
Germany's vice-chancellor said it was unfair of Greece to expect other states to pick up its bills.
"I cannot imagine a haircut [debt reduction]," Sigmar Gabriel said.
As Mr Tsipras made his debut cabinet speech, Greek government bond yields rose to their highest since the 2012 debt restructuring, amid investor concern that the anti-austerity coalition was gearing up for a clash with international creditors.
The Athens Stock Exchange fell by 8% in response to Mr Tsipras's remarks, and as it emerged that his government was putting on hold major privatisation projects, including the port of Piraeus and the main power company, the Public Power Corporation of Greece.
Greece has endured tough budget cuts in return for its 2010 bailout, negotiated with the "troika" - the EU, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and European Central Bank (ECB).
Its economy has shrunk drastically since the 2008 global financial crisis, and high unemployment has thrown many Greeks into poverty.
Alexis Tsipras sought to strike a balance - defiant about negotiating debt relief from the eurozone, while reassuring his European partners. Across the eurozone, governments oppose a debt write-off for Greece.
The Netherlands has added its voice to that of Germany and France in insisting that Greece stick to its previous commitments. The Dutch finance minister, who heads Eurozone group of ministers, will be in Athens later this week for discussions.
Both sides will try to stick to their positions and it may come down to which will blink first.
Mr Tsipras's speech is, perhaps, an olive branch extended from Athens after hardline pre-election rhetoric, but there is no sign that the new government will back down on its opposition to austerity.
Five things Syriza wants to change
Tsipras faces great expectations
Vowing to defend Greek dignity, Mr Tsipras said a renegotiation of the Greek debts would aim for a "viable, fair, mutually beneficial solution". He did not give any details.
Mr Tsipras promised "realistic proposals" for an economic recovery and vowed to fight corruption and tax evasion. His recovery plan, he said, was aimed at preventing deficits in the future.
The new coalition government - with the right-wing but equally anti-austerity Greek Independents - was sworn into office on Tuesday.
Its chief economics spokesman, Euclid Tsakalotos, has argued that it is unrealistic to expect Greece to repay its huge debt in full.
The current bailout programme of loans to Greece ends on 28 February. There are still 1.8bn euros of loans that could be disbursed to Greece if it meets the conditions imposed by the troika.
Economists estimate that Greece needs to raise about 4.3bn euros in the first quarter of 2015 to help pay its way, with Athens possibly having to ask the IMF and eurozone countries.
Mr Gabriel, who is also economy minister and leads the junior partner in Angela Merkel's coalition government, said: "Our aim must be to keep Greece in the eurozone but solidarity and fairness work both ways."
"Citizens of other euro states have a right to see that the deals linked to their acts of solidarity are upheld," he said.
"Every country in Europe has its own history and cannot separate itself from this through new elections."
He urged the Greek government to talk to its partners before going ahead with decisions such as halting the privatisation of the port of Piraeus.
"Things that Greece itself won't do cannot be shunted on to the taxpayers and employers in neighbouring states," the German Social Democrat leader said.
Greek 10-year bond yields climbed above 10%, reflecting fears that investors may not get their money back.
The yield of a bond is inverse to its price: as the price goes down, the yield grows. | New Greek PM Alexis Tsipras says his country will not default on its debts. |
36294216 | Brambilla, 28, began the 186km stage from Foligno to Arezzo one minute 56 seconds behind Dutchman Tom Dumoulin.
Etixx Quick-Step's Brambilla was part of an early break and went on to win by a minute and six seconds from compatriot Matteo Montaguti.
Dumoulin finished 38th - 2mins 51secs back - to slip to 11th overall.
Brambilla's first Grand Tour stage win - and a 10-second time bonus - gave him a 23-second advantage over Russia's Ilnur Zakarin in the general classification before Sunday's 40.5km individual time-trial from Radda to Greve in Chianti.
Brambilla and Montaguti were part of an early 13-man breakaway.
Montaguti broke clear later but Brambilla caught and passed him on the white chalk road of the Alpe di Ponti, the final climb of the day, with around 25km of the stage remaining.
The Giro - the first of the three Grand Tours in the year before the Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana - finishes in Torino on 29 May.
Stage eight result:
1. Gianluca Brambilla (Ita/Etixx Quick-Step) 4hrs 14mins 5secs
2. Matteo Montaguti (Ita/AG2R) +1min 6secs
3. Moreno Moser (Ita/Cannondale) +1min 27secs
4. Jaco Venter (SA/Dimension) +1min 28secs
5. Alessandro De Marchi (Ita/BMC) +1min 33secs
6. Alejandro Valverde (Spa/Movistar) +1min 41secs
Overall standings:
1. Gianluca Brambilla (Ita/Etixx Quick-Step) 33hrs 39mins 14secs
2. Ilnur Zakarin (Rus/Katusha) +23secs
3. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned/Lotto) +33secs
4. Alejandro Valverde (Spa/Movistar) +36secs
5. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita/Astana) +45secs
6. Esteban Chaves (Col/Orica) +48secs | Italy's Gianluca Brambilla claimed the Giro d'Italia leader's jersey from Tom Dumoulin with a brilliant ride on stage eight in Umbria. |
35260169 | The teenager was attacked at 15:30 on 6 January at Kings Langley School in Love Lane, Kings Langley, police said.
He suffered a serious head injury and was taken to Watford General Hospital before being transferred to a London Hospital where he remains "stable".
A 14-year old boy has been arrested and bailed in connection with the incident.
Further updates and stories from Beds, Herts and Bucks
Hertfordshire Police said investigations were continuing but no-one else is believed to have been involved and it will continue to work closely with the school.
School head Gary Lewis said an "altercation" had occurred between two year nine boys at the end of school on the afternoon of Wednesday, with no one else involved.
"The incident resulted in one of the students being punched," he said.
"Unfortunately, this student is now being treated in hospital for a head injury and his condition is currently causing serious concern.
"Our thoughts are very much with the student, his family and friends and we are doing everything possible to support everyone involved.
"The police are currently investigating the incident and therefore it would not be appropriate for us to comment further at this time." | A 13-year-old boy is in a critical condition with a serious head injury after he was punched at a Hertfordshire school. |
36593815 | More than 100 people have contacted an investigating commission to report abuse between the 1960s and 1980s.
They told the inquiry that "vicious and humiliating" attacks were often part of initiation rituals.
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse was set up in 2013.
Thousands of people have made submissions since it began its work investigating the abuse of children in institutions across Australia.
Much of its recent investigation has focused on abuse by Roman Catholic priests in the 1970s and '80s.
Some former Australian Defence Force (ADF) recruits told the commission on Tuesday they were physically punished and threatened with dishonourable discharge when they complained.
The commission is also investigating child protection measures in the military's current cadet programme, which has 25,000 members and encourages young people to pursue a career in the armed forces.
A total of 14 witnesses are expected to give evidence to the ADF in person. | Former teenage military cadets have told an Australia child abuse inquiry they were raped and forced to have sex with each other during their training. |
37083093 | Passengers and a driver were stranded when the train stopped in a tunnel between the Central and Monument stations in Newcastle city centre.
Witnesses described seeing sparks and fire outside the carriage.
A total of seven trains came to a standstill between stations at about 13:00 BST, operator Nexus said.
One witness told the BBC: "The train just pulled up at Monument and about 20 minutes later it was like a firework display.
"It seemed like the cables had come down, all the tunnel just lit up, and then the lights just went out on the Metro. We were stuck down there for about 40 minutes."
Another added: "We just left Monument leaving towards Central Station and there were lots of sparks, and the train lit up really brightly, there was fire on the outside.
"All the power just went out, we were left in darkness."
Firefighters led those stuck on the train to safety. An investigation is under way to determine the cause of the power surge.
Trains have resumed across the system except for services between South Gosforth and Shiremoor in North Tyneside.
Nexus has advised passengers to use alternative methods of travel. | More than 70 people had to be rescued by firefighters after a power surge brought Tyne & Wear's Metro system to a halt underground. |
38613027 | Deputy prime minister Lodewijk Asscher said support was falling across Europe over the way it has been implemented.
Free movement, which allows any citizen of an EU country to work anywhere across the bloc, had led to wages being undercut and jobs lost, he said.
Mr Asscher argued the Brexit talks were a chance to look again at the policy.
Reform, he told the BBC, would mean "less immigration" across the EU if undercutting wages was banned.
The stark attack on the way freedom of movement operates could be helpful to Theresa May as Britain looks to gain privileged access to the single market at the same time as controlling EU immigration once the UK has left the EU.
Mr Asscher is the leader of the Dutch Labour Party, which is in a coalition government with the People's Party for Freedom, led by the Netherlands' prime minister, Mark Rutte - who is seen as an ally of the UK.
Although Mr Asscher made it clear that he supported the principle of free movement, he said the rule had been used as a "business model" for lowering wages.
"In essence [what] we have seen happening [is] that free movement has become synonymous with a race to the bottom, with undercutting of wages, with unfair competition in the labour market and that has to do with the rules Europe has produced itself," said Mr Asscher, who is also the Dutch employment minister.
"It is not the principle, it is the rule that has become such a big issue. It means that here in the Netherlands, like in other countries, on the scaffolding [site] you can see a Romanian or Portuguese painter doing the exact same work as a Dutch painter right next to him that is allowed to earn two, three, four hundred euros less than the Dutch worker.
"That means, of course, that the Dutch painter is out of work, out of a job," Mr Asscher said.
"It means the smaller company that cannot afford to hire internationally is out of work.
"It means the support for the principle - which in essence is good - is eroding.
"It has to change if we want to preserve the principle, if we want to preserve the support for the European Union.
"The problem is that it has become a business model, a business model for lowering wages.
"I think there would be less migration if the principle of equal pay for equal work had been honoured."
Whether free movement of workers has actually led to lower wages and fewer jobs - a key part of the referendum debate in the UK - is controversial and has been disputed.
The Dutch government is preparing for elections in March where immigration is one of the key issues.
Geert Wilders' far-right Freedom Party is running on a tough anti-immigration ticket and has called for a referendum on whether the Netherlands should leave the EU.
It has been gaining support and could be the largest party after the election.
Mr Asscher's move on freedom of movement is seen by some as an effort to shore up support for the Labour Party.
The deputy prime minister said that although the Netherlands was a natural ally of the UK, the EU would negotiate as a bloc and that Britain could not "have its cake and eat it", cherry picking which parts of the EU rule book it wanted to abide by in return for special access to the economically important single market.
"I think what is important with what both Angela Merkel [the German Chancellor] and my Prime Minister have said [is] that you can't just say 'I want this to happen' and have everybody else say yes.
"You need to make sure the change is to the benefit to all members.
"Not just because you want something done, you only want the dessert and not the other things.
"It would however be a mistake, a serious political mistake, if we don't use the Brexit momentum to look at what is wrong with the current European Union. We need it to change.
"It would be my hope, because we are so close to the UK, that there is a good deal between the EU and the UK.
"We have always been allies, and we are very important trading partners.
"We should not go out there to punish the Brits, we want them to prosper with us.
"However, a negotiation is a negotiation." | One of the most senior Dutch government ministers has said a fundamental EU principle, freedom of movement, needs to be radically reformed. |
39453847 | Harry Clarke was also ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and will be tagged for four months.
At an earlier hearing Clarke, 60, admitted culpable and reckless driving nine months after the fatal crash.
He had his licence withdrawn for medical reasons following the bin lorry crash on 22 December 2014.
Clarke, from Baillieston, pleaded guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to driving a car on 20 September 2015, despite knowing he was unfit to drive.
Clarke admitted driving the car in the knowledge that he had suffered a loss of consciousness while at the wheel of a moving refuse collection vehicle the previous December.
The charge stated he also knew he had suffered a loss of consciousness or episode of altered awareness while at the wheel of a stationary bus on 7 April 2010.
Clarke was not prosecuted over the bin lorry crash.
However, his licence had been revoked for 12 months on 27 June 2015.
Passing sentence, Sheriff Martin Jones QC said: "You must understand that the decision you made to drive your vehicle on the road, even for a short distance, was one which was wholly irresponsible and reprehensible.
"It was highly culpable and placed the safety of the public at risk. That was a risk which had been fully explained to you and led to the revocation of your driving licence on medical grounds.
"You must have been acutely aware of the possible consequences of you suffering a loss of consciousness while driving following the tragic consequences arising from the incident on 22 December 2014."
Senior Fiscal Depute Mark Allan told the court a neighbour spotted Clarke driving out of the car park of his home in the Baillieston area of Glasgow at about 20:00 on the evening of 20 September 2015 and called the police.
He said: "Mr Clarke was rummaging in the boot of his car and the neighbour went home and told his girlfriend, and they looked out of the window.
"After watching for 30 seconds to two minutes, both saw the accused get into the driver's seat, switch on the lights and drive out of the car park onto Buchanan Street. He was the sole occupant of the car.
"Both were suspicious about his ability to drive because of the media coverage and they did some research online and found that his licence had been revoked on medical grounds. They called the police at 8.04pm.
"While waiting for the police between 10.15pm and 10.20pm, they saw his car return again to the car park and it parked up in the usual space.
"He got out and went to the boot to get carrier bags."
After Clarke was cautioned and charged, the court was told, he said to police: "I have never been out on a public road, I've just moved the car in the private car park."
The restriction of liberty order enforced by the tagging means he will not be able to leave his home between 19:00 and 07:00.
Ross Yuill, defending Clarke, said his client had driven the car for about 30 yards on the public road.
He added: "He wholly accepts that that decision was a gross error of judgment."
In relation to the 2014 bin lorry crash, the Crown Office insisted there was insufficient evidence to raise criminal proceedings against Clarke.
However, in a rare legal move, relatives of three crash victims sought permission from senior judges to bring charges against him in a private prosecution.
Despite that, judges at the Appeal Court in Edinburgh ruled in November last year that the family could not launch a private prosecution.
Jack and Lorraine Sweeney, 68 and 69, and their granddaughter Erin McQuade, 18, Stephenie Tait, 29, Jacqueline Morton, 51, and Gillian Ewing, 52, died in the incident.
A fatal accident inquiry (FAI) heard Clarke had a history of health issues but had not disclosed his medical background to his employers or the DVLA.
Sheriff John Beckett QC, who chaired the FAI, ruled the crash might have been avoided if Clarke had told the truth about his medical history.
It also emerged that he had previously blacked out while working as a bus driver but failed to disclose it when he became a bin lorry driver with Glasgow City Council. | The driver of the bin lorry that crashed in Glasgow killing six people has been banned from driving for three years. |
35329373 | 15 January 2016 Last updated at 21:09 GMT
A specialist robot with a high-pressured jet has been imported from The Netherlands for the job in Houghton Regis - the first time it has ever had to be used in East Anglia.
There are still a few days' work left to remove the fat, which has set like concrete over some years, despite the job starting on Monday.
Anglian Water has warned about people pouring fat down the sink, saying blockages cost bill payers £15m a year. | A series of "fatbergs" stuck along a 100m-long (328ft) pipeline in Bedfordshire are being removed by Anglian Water. |
38197277 | Explaining that Celtic assistant Chris Davies had refused a handshake, McGhee said there were "no problems" with Rodgers after the visitors' 4-3 win.
He then added: "Some of the other staff are not really Celtic-quality in terms of their behaviour."
Rodgers responded by saying McGhee's comments were "unfair".
The Celtic boss went on to say: "My staff are exemplary in their behaviour. We know what we are representing. We have integrity."
Rodgers was unhappy that the Scotland assistant boss had tried to interfere with his side's pre-match shooting practice.
"He comes up into our warm-up before the game to ask our players to warm up in a different area," he said.
"He shouldn't be doing that. I don't think that is very befitting of an assistant manager of a national team and manager of Motherwell."
Fir Park captain Keith Lasley later told BBC Scotland that Celtic have been the only team not to comply with requests to not use the goalmouth prior to kick-off.
"There is usually a set of goals next to the main goals for shooting drills," he told Off The Ball.
"It might sound like a trivial thing, but the pitch has been pretty poor in recent seasons and now we've got it into a great state. It's just courtesy that you use the other area, so you're not ploughing up the goalmouth.
"Every other club has done it. I think the groundsman politely asked them if they could move and that was declined.
"Mark marched up and got involved for 30 seconds, which didn't go down too well."
On his touchline snub from Davies, McGhee said: "I don't know his name actually - you [the media] have told me his name. He wasn't shaking hands with me. He seemed for some reason to be angry that they won. Explain that to me?"
Rodgers was keen to focus on his side's comeback from 2-0 down in a remarkable game but was drawn further on the spat.
"I said congratulations to the groundsman here before the game because the pitch is very good," he added.
"But why can't we do our warm-up here at Motherwell? The one we have done in every stadium in the world we have been to so far this season.
"So I don't know what the issue was there and maybe that's where it sparked from.
"But that isn't the story of the game. The story is that my team were brilliant in the second half." | Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers defended his "exemplary" backroom staff after critical remarks from Motherwell boss Mark McGhee at Fir Park. |
34077223 | The Nevin Spence Centre was opened on Thursday at Ulster's Kingspan Stadium in Belfast.
Visitors can explore the history of rugby and see the benefits of the game.
In 2012, Spence was killed along with his brother Graham and father Noel in a slurry tank accident at the family's farm near Hillsborough.
"It has been an honour to come and see how Nevin's name has been remembered," said the player's sister Emma.
Media playback is not supported on this device
"Every time somebody walks into Ulster's ground, they will see his name above the door and it is a privilege that he has been given such a legacy.
"Nevin was special to us, and now we find this centre special.
"I hope when people go there they will learn a bit about Nevin and the character he was.
"It is humbling that this honour has been given to him.
"We have learned very quickly that life is precious and that you have to make the most of life.
"We are just very privileged that Ulster are letting Nevin's legacy, and the person he was, live on."
The centre was officially opened by Sports Minister Carál Ní Chuilín and the ceremony was attended by Nevin's mother Essie, and sisters Emma and Laura.
It is housed in the Memorial End stand which was constructed as part of a major redevelopment of the Kingspan Stadium. | The family of an Ulster rugby star killed in a farming accident say they are honoured to have an educational centre established in his name. |
36798167 | A green Ford Focus hit the pair on Captain's Road just before 15:00.
A woman with serious injuries and a man with "not so serious" injuries have been taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
Police Scotland said the road would remain closed for "the foreseeable future". | Two pedestrians have been freed and taken to hospital after being trapped under a car that knocked them down on an Edinburgh road. |
12808447 | The United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust faced the bill for filling its vacant consultant posts over the past financial year.
The trust had an overspend of £14m in its £384m budget for the past year.
It has 22 consultancy vacancies, but five new consultants have been recruited while another six positions were being advertised, the trust said.
Roswyn Hakesley-Brown from the Patients' Association said it was a problem that needed to be addressed quickly.
"They are already in deficit in relation to their existing budget... money is going to be reduced in terms of front-line services to patients and the impact on patients could be considerable."
A trust statement said: "Over the past 12 months we have actively engaged with international recruitment initiatives to help recruit to our hard-to-fill posts, including those in A&E, paediatrics, haematology and emergency medicine.
"We have significantly reduced the number of consultant vacancies in our hospitals over the past few months, and are continuing to recruit to consultant posts in the coming months."
Dr Mark Porter, chairman of the British Medical Association's consultants committee, said the current shortage of hospital consultants was probably "a blip" and should resolve itself.
"From time to time you are going to get an occasional mismatch … but that will probably resolve itself in a short while … just by the swings and roundabouts of the way that planning for workforce graduates goes."
Unison representative David Kirwan said the main problem facing the trust was that it cannot attract enough consultant candidates because of budget constraints.
The trust has three main hospital sites in Grantham, Lincoln and Boston. | A shortage of hospital consultants has left a health trust in Lincolnshire paying £20m for emergency cover. |
36725084 | The 38th (Welsh) Division paved the way for control of the woodland - nearly a mile wide and more than a mile deep - in northern France. Its capture was of key importance in the Battle of the Somme where Allied forces would fight the Germans on a 15-mile front for five months.
During a bloody five-day battle, 3,993 Welsh soldiers were killed, missing or injured, putting their division out of action for almost a year.
In the first of two written documentaries, Lt Gen Jonathon Riley, late of the Royal Welch Fusiliers, described the events leading up to and during the battle. Here, in the second part, he explores the battle itself and the extraordinary literary legacy of Mametz Wood.
Gen Riley is a former Commander British Forces Iraq and Deputy Commander NATO forces in Afghanistan; now Visiting Professor in War Studies at King's College London and Chairman of the Royal Welch Fusiliers Regimental Trust. Editor of Llewelyn Wyn Griffith's memoir Up to Mametz - and Beyond and author of 17 other books.
Royal Welch Fusiliers rested on 2 July and on the night of 3 July was ordered, with the 2nd Royal Irish Regiment, to move up and secure a line from the south of Mametz Wood to Strip Trench, Wood Trench and the Quadrangle as far as its junction with Bottom Wood Alley.
It was believed that the position was only lightly held. This was not the case and the two battalions withdrew.
They were ordered to mount a formal attack during the night of 4-5 July, in conjunction with the 17th Division.
After a deal of confusion in the dark, the battalion gained its objectives, using once more the new bombing tactics, for the loss of eight killed and 55 wounded.
It was here that Siegfried Sassoon won his Military Cross, bringing in a wounded NCO from the German lines under fire. However there was more, as Robert Graves recalled in Goodbye to All That:
Siegfried had then distinguished himself by taking [on 3 July] single-handedly a battalion frontage that the Royal Irish Regiment had failed to take.
He had gone over with bombs in daylight, under covering fire from a couple of rifles, and scared the occupants out.
It was a pointless feat; instead of reporting or signalling for reinforcements he sat down in the German trench and began dozing over a book of poems which he had brought with him.
The colonel [Stockwell] was furious. The attack on Mametz had been delayed for two hours because it was reported that British patrols were still out. "British patrols" were Siegfried and his book of poems.
The bulk of Mametz Wood was, however, still in German hands.
The task of clearing it was now allocated to XIV Corps under Lt Gen Sir Henry Horne.
Horne decided to attack the wood from two directions using two divisions: the 17th Division would attack from the West, out of 1 R.W. Fusiliers' objective, Quadrangle trench at 02:00 on 7 July, to capture Quadrangle Support Trench and Pearl Alley.
If this succeeded, a combined attack on the wood would be mounted by the 17th and 38th (Welsh) Divisions, with 38th (Welsh) Division attacking across open ground from the east out of Caterpillar and Marlborough Woods.
If the first attack by 17th Division succeeded, the second attack would go in at 08:00; if it did not, there would be an additional 30 minutes of artillery preparation and zero-hour would be 08:30.
At its longest, Mametz Wood was about a mile (1,500m) from north to south and about the same in width. However, about half-way down, its width narrowed to no more than 500 yards and then tapered to a point.
Mametz Wood was a mature deciduous wood, with large trees and very thick undergrowth. It was dissected by a series of lateral rides running east to west and one long vertical ride running south to north.
The other woods around Mametz were smaller, but equally thick, and all were incorporated into the German defence scheme. Between the woods, the slopes were chiefly open meadows typical of chalk down land.
38th Division was to attack in echelon, that is, with the first assault brigade, 115, leading, followed by the second brigade, followed by the third.
The line of assault would take the troops parallel with the German second line trenches and without suppressing artillery fire and a smoke barrage, the troops would be raked by flanking fire from German strong-points in Sabot and Flat Iron copses.
Not long before the start of the Somme battle, Llewelyn Wyn Griffith had been posted as a staff learner to Headquarters 115 Brigade, which consisted of 17th Royal Welch Fusiliers, 10th and 11th South Wales Borderers, 16th and 19th Welch along with a field artillery brigade, machine-gun company, trench mortar battery and a field ambulance company.
The brigade commander, Brig Gen Horatio Evans, was an old soldier not at all in the mould of Price-Davies.
As Wyn Griffith recalled, Evans thought the attack plan was mad.
"The general was cursing last night at his orders," recalled Wynn Griffith in his memoir Up to Mametz.
"He said that only a madman could have issued them. He called the divisional staff a lot of plumbers, herring-gutted at that."
The first attack by 17th Division failed and so the second phase went in at 08:30.
16th Welch and 11th South Wales Borderers were stopped by heavy machine-gun fire and the attack failed to get within 300 yards of the wood, not least because the supporting artillery fire did not arrive.
A second attempt was made at 11:00 with a similar result.
Wyn Griffith - who was concerned with taking down messages to coordinate movements or resupply or artillery support, and sending them back or forward as required by runners and field telephone - met up with Evans and the Brigade Major, CL Veal, late in the afternoon
"I stood on a step in the side of the trench, studying the country to the east and identifying the various features on the map," he wrote.
"The thought of the day's torment, doomed, as I thought, from its beginning, to bring no recompense, weighed like a burden of iron."
A third attempt was ordered for 16:30. It had been raining hard all day, the ground was sodden, the trenches half filled with mud and water and the approach to the wood, which was down a slope which in places was almost a cliff had become near-impossible, and all the telephone lines used to call in artillery fire support had been broken.
Gen Evans was convinced that another attack under these conditions would end in disaster.
He had tried to get through to the divisional commander without success, but Wyn Griffith, who had been speaking to an artillery officer, took him to a captured German dugout, where a heavy artillery brigade had established a forward command post.
Here, after a cup of tea, a hard-tack biscuit and some cheese provided by Wyn Griffith from his knapsack, Evans spoke to the divisional headquarters and after some argument, got the operation called off, thus saving many hundreds of lives - but he knew that it had put an end to his career.
"You mark my words," he told Wyn Griffith, "they'll send me home for this. They want butchers not brigadiers... I shall be in England within a month."
He was in fact posted to a home appointment directly after the battle - found wanting in the offensive spirit by the high command, no doubt.
The next afternoon, 113 and 114 Brigades were ordered to attack the wood again on 9 July with 115 Brigade in reserve; this attack was postponed until dawn on 10 July because the conditions had not improved.
At this moment, Major-General Ivor Phillips was removed from command of the 38th Division - a serious decision by Haig and the corps commander who had lost confidence in Phillips's ability to plan and then control a complex operation.
That said, Phillips had been a political appointment based on his Liberal credentials with Lloyd-George, and he had long been resented by many regular officers.
Maj Gen Thomas Pilcher was also removed from command of the 17th Division for similar reasons.
Maj Gen Herbert Watts, from the 7th Division, was moved in to take over temporary command of the 38th Division in the middle of the battle - no easy task at any date, never mind July 1916.
114 and 113 Brigades were ordered to adopt bombing tactics similar to those used by 1 RW Fus - who had been in Watts' division - and move slowly and methodically up the wood.
There would be three lifts of the artillery barrage within the wood.
For 45 minutes hour from 04:15, the guns would bombard the southern edge of the wood with smoke. The fire would then lift at 05:00 and the infantry would take the southern edge of the wood, pushing through to the first lateral east-west ride, 113 Brigade on the left and 114 Brigade on the right, the boundary being the long central north-south ride in the wood.
The guns would now be firing on the area beyond the second ride and at 07:00 the fire would then lift again to the north edge of the wood, at 08:15 to the German second-line trenches beyond the Wood.
The artillery fire was to be supplemented by medium machine-gun fire from Marlborough and Caterpillar Woods onto the German communications trenches; while medium and heavy trench mortars suppressed Cliff trench; but remember the earlier point about the infantry having to conform to the supporting fire and not the other way around.
To everyone's astonishment, the attack succeeded.
Coloured handkerchief
113 Brigade was composed of four RW Fus battalions - the 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th. 14th and 16th were to lead. The commanding officer of 16 RW Fus, Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Carden, spoke to the battalion before the assault.
"Make your peace with God," he said. "You are going to take that position, and some of us won't come back - but we are going to take it.'
Tying a coloured handkerchief to his walking-stick he said: "This will show you where I am."
The attack, once in the wood, became a very confused affair not least because of the dense undergrowth and the destruction caused by the artillery.
However, junior officers and NCOs kept a grip on the men and the first ride was reached, with many prisoners taken; the 13th and 15th Battalions were ordered to take over the attack so that at one point there were 11 battalions in the wood.
The 15th got into Wood Trench with the 16th but Wood Support was still held by the Germans; they were bombed out by 13th RW Fus and the artillery fire was shifted to the northern part of the wood.
Although the Germans still held on, by dark, the advance was reported to be within 100 yards of the northern edge of the Wood.
In the evening, 115 Brigade was ordered to relieve the two assault brigades and take over the defence of the wood against German counter-attacks.
Wyn Griffith recorded that Evans and the Brig Maj, CL Veal, went up to the Wood and that he followed slightly later.
'Gory scenes met our gaze'
Soon afterwards, Veal was wounded and Wyn Griffith found himself as acting Brig Maj.
In his book Up to Mametz, Wyn Griffith describes the scene in the wood in some detail: the shattered trees, the bursting shells, the litter of discarded equipment, the mangled corpses of the dead - an experience that stayed with him all his life and came back to him in snatches of nightmare.
Emlyn Davies, who had joined 17th RW Fus with Wyn Griffith's brother Watcyn, later wrote Taffy Went to War.
He said this of the inside of the wood: "Gory scenes met our gaze. Mangled corpses in khaki and in field-grey; dismembered bodies, severed heads and limbs; lumps of torn flesh half way up the tree trunks... Shells of all calibres burst in plenteous continuance; furies of flying machine gun bullets swept from three directions."
David Jones' poem is also very largely based on these same horrific scenes
When the shivered rowan fell
you couldn't hear the fall of it.
Barrage with counter-barrage shockt
deprive all several sounds of their identity,
what dark convulsed cacophony
conditions each disparity
and the trembling woods are vortex for the storm;
through which their bodies grope the mazy charnel-ways -
seek to distinguish waling men from walking trees and branchy
moving like a Birnam corpse.
The relief was completed at first light on 11 July.
There was a lot of wild shooting all night, with groups of men firing on one another, mistaking each other for the Germans.
British artillery fire continued to fall, much of it dropping short onto the Fusiliers.
Evans made what reconnaissance he could and found that the line was not as far north as had been reported and was about 300 yards short of the north-eastern extremity, diagonally to a point just above Wood Support Trench.
He proposed to straighten the line from the north by a surprise attack at 15:30 that afternoon, without a preliminary barrage - but before he could put this plan into operation, the brigade again came under fire from British artillery falling short of the German trenches.
This fire not only pinned down the brigade, but put a stop to any prospect of a surprise attack for the Germans were now thoroughly roused. Progress was made, however, on the western side and the line was brought up to within 300 yards from the northern end of the wood.
Around this time, Wyn Griffith met the brigade signals officer, whom he calls "Taylor". He told him he had met a Chaplain, referred to as "Evans". Evans had been walking the battlefield for days, trying to find his son, who had been reported killed.
Wyn Griffith knew the boy.
Taylor did not speak much Welsh and felt this keenly: "You could not," he said, "talk English to a man who had lost his son."
Evans never did find the boy or his grave.
The Padre was later identified by Patricia Evans as the Rev Peter Jones Roberts, a Welsh Methodist minister from Barmouth who had joined up as a chaplain aged 51, beyond the usual age limits.
He had four sons, all of whom were commissioned into the RW Fusiliers. The son second was captured in late 1916; the third badly wounded in 1918. The youngest got into the war in 1918 and survived.
The boy whom Roberts was looking for was his eldest, Glyn, who had been commissioned in 1915 and was serving in the 9th Battalion, which was not in the 38th Division but was close by. He had been killed on 3 July and Roberts had spent a week searching for him.
But there was much worse to come for Wyn Griffith.
The brigade signals officer had sent relays of runners back during the preparation for the surprise attack, to get the unwanted artillery fire stopped. One of these runners was Wyn Griffith's younger brother, Watcyn, who had enlisted into the 17th RW Fus and then transferred to the Divisional Signal Company.
Watcyn got through with his message, but on the way back he was hit by a shell and killed at once. Wyn Griffith learned of Watcyn's death within an hour - and clearly blamed himself.
As Brigade Major, he had ordered the signals officer to get a message through. "I had sent him to his death," he said, "bearing a message from my own hand, in an endeavour to save other men's brothers."
Watcyn's body was never found and he is one of those whose grave is unknown.
That night, the 38th Division was relieved in the line by the 21st Division and pulled back into rest.
Robert Graves was with the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Welch Fusiliers in the 33rd Division when they entered Mametz Wood shortly afterwards and he described the scene thus in Good bye to All That:
"Mametz Wood was full of the dead of the Prussian Guards reserve, big men, and the Royal Welch and South Wales Borderers of the new-army battalions, little men.
"There was not a single tree unbroken... There had been bayonet fighting in the wood. There was a man of the South Wales Borderers and one of the Lehr Regiment who had succeeded in bayoneting each other simultaneously.
"A survivor of the fighting told me later that he had seen a young solder of the 14th Royal Welch bayoneting a German in parade-ground style, automatically exclaiming as he had been taught: "in, out, on guard..."
The 38th Division, much reduced by casualties, was moved away into rest.
A total of 190 officers and 3,803 NCOs and men of the 38th Division were killed, wounded or missing.
Casualties were especially heavy among junior officers and sergeants - leading from the front - but five of the infantry battalions lost their commanding officers.
It was this level of losses, approaching a quarter of the division's strength and probably one-third of the combat units, combined with the severity of the conditions, that made such a mark on the art and literature of the battle, so much of it created by Welsh officers and men.
And made such a mark on the individual and collective memory of the Welsh soldiers, who had endured something which to us is unimaginable.
It was also an experience that created an extraordinary bond between those who had been there - something that could not and cannot be understood by anyone who was not there.
Robert Graves's poem Two Fusiliers, which explicitly refers to Fricourt in one of its verses, and which captures this feeling, provides some fitting last words:
And have we done with war at last?
Well we've been lucky devils, both
And we've no need of bond or oath
to bind our lovely friendship fast.
By firmer stuff
Close bound enough
Show me the two so closely bound
As we, by the wet bond of blood,
By friendship blossoming from mud,
By Death: we faced him, and we found
Beauty in Death,
In dead men, breath.
The casualty rolls are incomplete, but the losses amounted to somewhere between one third and a half of the division's fighting strength. | On the eve of the 100th anniversary of the battle of Mametz Wood - the first major offensive of World War One for many Welsh soldiers - memorial services are being held across the country. |
39813185 | The world number 1,536 was investigated by the Tennis Integrity Unit and found guilty at a hearing on Thursday.
He approached fellow Greek player Alexandros Jakupovic in 2013, offering payment for the outcomes of nominated sets, and for games to be thrown.
Mikos, 25, also operated two betting accounts from which bets were placed between March 2012 and December 2013.
He is banned from all professional tennis with immediate effect and is not allowed to compete in, or attend, any tournament or event organised or sanctioned by the governing bodies of the sport.
Jakupovic has already been banned having been the subject of a separate TIU investigation in 2015. | Greek tennis player Konstantinos Mikos has been banned for life after breaching betting rules. |
35959534 | The content of the app, in the Pashto language, included official statements and videos from the Afghan movement.
The hardline group blamed "technical issues" for its disappearance shortly after it launched on 1 April.
However the BBC understands it was taken down because it violated a Google app policy which prohibits hate speech.
It was discovered and reported by a US-based organisation called Site Intel Group which monitors jihadist activity.
Google declined to comment on specific app issues.
"Our policies are designed to provide a great experience for users and developers. That's why we remove apps from Google Play that violate those policies," it said in a statement.
A spokesman from the Taliban told Bloomberg the app was "part of our advanced technological efforts to make a more global audience". | Alemarah, an app for Android phones created by Islamist fundamentalist group the Taliban, has been removed from Google's Play Store. |
33663780 | Media playback is unsupported on your device
25 July 2015 Last updated at 11:36 BST
Back then there were a million, now there are only around 270 thousand.
The Bee Farmers Association is trying to tackle this problem by starting a program to get more people interested in keeping the insects.
Rebecca is the first bee apprentice in the UK and she hopes other people will follow her lead.
Check out Newsround's guide to bees. | There are now just a quarter of the bee hives than there were in the UK 100 years ago. |
26271935 | It found 31% of 16 to 24-year-olds were fairly or very interested in the subject, compared with about half of those aged 55 and over.
But almost two-thirds of adults of all ages thought they would be seriously neglecting their duty if they failed to vote, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
40,000 households were questioned.
The analysis was based on research conducted in 2011-12 by the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex for its UK-wide Understanding Society survey.
Of those in the youngest group - aged 16 to 24 - 42.4% stated that they had no interest in politics. This fell to 21% for over-65s.
The survey's publication follows a row over comedian Russell Brand urging people not to vote because all politicians are corrupt and untrustworthy.
But it is broadly in line with findings last year in the British Social attitudes survey, which found that older people were more likely to see it as their civic duty to vote and had a stronger party allegiances than the young.
This research suggested the younger electorate were becoming increasingly disengaged with the democratic system - but it also suggested they were more likely to express themselves politically in other ways, such as boycotting environmentally unfriendly products.
Younger voters have significantly lower turnout rates at elections than the middle-aged and elderly, with only 44% taking part in the 2010 general election.
However, the ONS survey suggests that this is not echoed in the level of contentment with the UK's political system.
Just 45% of the 45 to 54 age group said they were quite or very satisfied with the way democracy works, compared with 52% of those aged 16 to 24.
Will Brett, head of media at the Electoral Reform Society, said: "It suggests that young people simply aren't as cynical. It suggests there's an opportunity here. Maybe young people have more faith in the system and the key thing is not to waste that opportunity."
Mr Brett added that many young people were becoming involved in politics in more informal ways, such as social media campaigns, but he added: "We need to find ways of getting them more interested in our system of representative democracy. It's extremely precious." | Less than a third of young people express any interest in politics, according to an official survey. |
35511821 | Media playback is not supported on this device
Van Gaal is still in position and has a contract that ends in 2017 - but United's move for Mourinho increased the likelihood the Dutchman will leave at the end of the season, with 'The Special One' succeeding his old mentor.
No job offer has been made to Mourinho as United make their soundings out, but the man sacked by Chelsea in December, seven months after winning the title, now looks certain to be in opposition to old adversary Pep Guardiola when the Spaniard takes charge at arch-rivals Manchester City.
Mourinho has always been a divisive figure throughout a combustible career, liberally sprinkled with controversy - and when it was suggested just days after he left Chelsea that he might be Old Trafford-bound, opinion was mixed.
Since then Van Gaal's stock has fallen even further among United's fans, with the prospect of Mourinho taking the reins becoming increasingly appetising.
Mourinho is the man who can rekindle the fight, defiance and colour in Manchester United after the drab flourishes applied to "The Theatre Of Dreams" by David Moyes and Van Gaal since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013 after 26 years.
And Old Trafford's appetite for Mourinho's unique combination of abrasive self-confidence mixed with consistent success will have been sharpened by City's coup in luring Guardiola, the world's most celebrated coach, to the Etihad.
Put simply, post-Van Gaal, United fans will demand someone who can stand toe-to-toe with the iconic Guardiola, not just in fighting their corner, but in bringing success - Mourinho's track record makes him that man.
Chelsea's fans may have mixed emotions to see the manager they worshipped battling them on all fronts - but they will also accept it was not his decision to leave Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho's career has been characterised by success but his detractors would suggest it has come at a price that has put pragmatism before football that is pleasing on the eye - how would that sit at Old Trafford?
One of the main criticisms of Van Gaal is that £250m spent on new players has delivered a functional, joyless style that has dulled Old Trafford's senses, including a run of 11 home games without a first-half goal this season.
The shadow of the flamboyant, all-out attack of the Ferguson era has hung heavily over both Moyes and Van Gaal, and there will be pressure on Mourinho to alter his usual functional template.
He might argue, with plenty of justification, that any reservations about his methods are eased by the fact he is a virtual guarantee of trophies - something Old Trafford's traditionalists may accept as a price worth paying for the Mourinho ticket.
Media playback is not supported on this device
And is it a valid argument anyway?
When Chelsea won the title last season, their early season performances - inspired by summer acquisitions Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas - were the perfect blend of exciting attack and defensive steel that is Mourinho's trademark.
Chelsea scored 73 league goals, 10 fewer than second-placed Manchester City, but two more than Arsenal - with Arsene Wenger's side often held up as the purists' delight.
And when Mourinho won his second title with Chelsea in 2005-06, they equalled the goal tally of runners-up Manchester United with 72, but only conceded 22 to Manchester United's 34.
Mourinho also gave the lie to the image with Real Madrid when they won La Liga in 2011-12. They scored the most league goals in a season with 121, had the best goal difference in a season of +89, the most points in a season at 100 - 87.72% of points they contested. He is not a one-trick pony.
Mourinho has observed Old Trafford for long enough to know what is required - and while his first priority is always to win, he is wise enough to know that a certain style is demanded.
Silverware will do for starters. And few managers are better at that.
Manchester United are not the sort of club to be bounced into big appointments - but Guardiola's arrival at Manchester City will have concentrated minds fiercely.
It left them in the shadow of the so-called "Noisy Neighbours", whose recent growth has enabled them to secure the most coveted coaching name in world football - a man of such reputation he would have been welcomed with open arms by United fans.
It needed a response given the uncertainty surrounding Van Gaal's long-term future. The next manager, should Van Gaal go, needs to be a manager of iron will, character and a proven winner.
United surely cannot risk putting a rookie in the shape of Ryan Giggs - no full-time management experience and nothing to suggest he will succeed - against Guardiola.
Once Guardiola's arrival was confirmed by Manchester City, the chances of Mourinho arriving at Old Trafford rose instantly.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Louis van Gaal has been in defiant mood in recent weeks, but he has been around long enough to know the credits are rolling, with United sounding out possible successors.
United would not be doing their duty if they ignored a succession plan, and Mourinho's availability and Van Gaal's struggles appear to have brought that forward.
The Dutchman, 64, was already working under a shroud of uncertainty and revelations that negotiations have been held with Mourinho's representatives will only make that darker - but he is a proud man and will not leave quietly.
Van Gaal still believes United can end the season with a trophy - but he will surely know the talks with Mourinho's people push him closer to the door.
Giggs has sat silently at the side of Moyes and Van Gaal since Ferguson left - would he be prepared to do it again should Mourinho arrive? And would it do him any good?
There is only so much managerial experience Giggs can pick up as a sidekick, even if Mourinho wants to introduce an "outsider" into the trusted backroom staff he takes everywhere with him, such as Rui Faria and Silvino Louro.
If Giggs is passed over as Van Gaal's successor then surely it is time for that member of the influential 'Class Of 92' to strike out on his own and prove his worth as a manager to make his case as a future United boss?
It would be time for Giggs to be more than a silent partner.
If Mourinho arrives, that will surely spell the end of any late and lingering hopes that Cristiano Ronaldo would return to Old Trafford.
The pair's relationship fractured totally at Real Madrid, so that can be forgotten - and even suggestions United might want to pay £65m for Everton's Romelu Lukaku may go on ice as Mourinho did not trust the striker at Chelsea and agreed to his £28m sale in summer 2014.
One Everton player who might be of interest to Mourinho is John Stones, who is expected to leave Goodison Park in the summer and was the subject of a £38m bid when he was Chelsea manager last summer.
Mourinho is also a long-term of admirer of Real Madrid's Gareth Bale, whom United have coveted for years, but he would not be alone there. Plus Real's outstanding young defender Raphael Varane might also be on his list.
It may be bad news for Juan Mata, a popular and influential figure at Old Trafford. He was, however, also popular and influential at Chelsea, but was not Mourinho's type and was willingly sold to United for £37.1m in January 2014.
Manchester United pride themselves on a certain style - and may well insist Mourinho ditches the confrontational approach that has brought so many bad headlines over the years.
Sir Bobby Charlton is not a decision-maker at Old Trafford, but the opinion of a man of such stature always carries weight and he may have pointed up areas of concern in an interview some years ago.
When Mourinho gouged at the eye of the late Tito Vilanova, then Barcelona's assistant coach, in the 2011 Spanish Super Cup, he said: "A United manager wouldn't do that."
He added: "He is a really good coach but that is as far as I would go, really. He pontificates too much for my liking. He is a good manager though."
History tells us, however, that Mourinho has always shown respect bordering on reverence for United - particularly when returning for Champions League games with Inter Milan and Real Madrid.
Was he preparing the ground and burnishing his image for his potential appointment? We may soon find out. | Jose Mourinho moved a step closer to Manchester United and a Premier League return after his representatives held talks with the Old Trafford hierarchy as they line up a successor to Louis van Gaal. |
40562277 | The governing body needed to pass a proposal at Saturday's annual general meeting to ensure its governance met UK Sport and Sport England rules.
TTE needed 75% of its members to vote for the proposal but only 74.93% did, meaning its funding has been frozen.
"This has put our future at risk," said chairman Sandra Deaton.
"Despite being told of the consequences, the action of a small number of the individuals, some with their own agendas, have meant the association is now in a suspended state of business.
"Table tennis has become the first sport to fail to deliver on the government's requirements for funding."
The proposal in question concerned changes relating to the appointment of board members.
Some opponents at grassroots level believe it would create a risk of having people "with little table tennis experience or knowledge" in charge of the game.
TTE expected to receive about £9m from Sport England between 2017 and 2021, but the latest tranche of that money will not be released.
Deaton said she hoped TTE could convince Sport England to release the next scheduled funding payment.
"Then, and only then, can we consider the next steps to ensure full compliance with the code," she added.
In October 2016, Sport England and UK Sport released a code for sports governance, which outlines the standards required of organisations requiring funding.
It demands greater transparency, sets targets for gender diversity on boards, and requires constitutional arrangements that make boards the ultimate decision-makers.
A Sport England statement said its policy was "clear", adding: "Organisations that don't meet the code for sports governance will not be eligible to receive public investment.
"Therefore, no further investment can be made in Table Tennis England until changes are made.
"We note that members rejected the proposed changes by a narrow margin, so Table Tennis England will be working to make improvements, and we hope that in the future they are able to meet the code to be eligible for public funding again." | The chairman of Table Tennis England (TTE) has criticised "individuals with their own agendas" after the sport lost access to £9m in funding. |
39620327 | The news came after more bodies were found following Friday's disaster at Meethotamulla on the city outskirts.
A number of those killed were children. Angry residents say their warnings of risks posed by the dump were ignored.
The 300ft (91m) high pile of rotting debris shifted after floods and a fire, destroying dozens of homes.
Residents had been demanding the dump's removal for years, saying it was causing health problems.
One man who spoke to BBC Sinhala's Azzam Ameen said he had lost his wife and one of his children in the landslide.
Their bodies had been found - but Sivakumar was still looking for his other daughter.
The authorities do not know how many people were caught up in the landslide.
"We have not received adequate information to find out how many people were living in the area at the time," Brig Roshan Senaviratne told the BBC.
He said troops were having to dig down as deep as 20-30ft in places to look for bodies.
"Even with machines, it's difficult because the muddy soil means it takes time to complete the process."
Some 400 families have been moved to temporary shelters in schools, the AFP news agency reports.
The government has now announced the closure of the dump. Reports said 800 tonnes of waste were added to it every day.
Officials say rubbish will now be placed in two other sites.
Last month, a landslide at a rubbish dump in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, killed at least 113 people. | At least 30 people are still missing and 28 are now confirmed dead after a huge rubbish dump collapsed in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo, officials say. |
35674917 | He won the required simple majority in the third round, after the inconclusive first two stages of voting in Pristina.
Some opposition lawmakers were earlier banned from voting after they released tear gas in the parliament building.
Mr Thaci, 47, was a guerrilla leader during a conflict that led to Kosovo - a mainly ethnic Albanian province - declaring independence from Serbia.
"I pledge to build a new Kosovo, a European Kosovo and to deepen our relationship with the US," he said after Friday's vote.
Mr Thaci - who had also served as prime minister - fell out with many opposition groups after helping to negotiate with Serbia a deal that gave more autonomy to Kosovo's minority Serbs.
Serbia - and many other countries around the world - does not recognise Kosovo's self-declared independence in 2008.
Mr Thaci succeeds Atifete Jahjaga as head of state.
Kosovo: At a glance | Kosovo's MPs have elected Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci as president, at the end of a day marred by protests. |
39225752 | The award-winning bass baritone will be starring in the classic opera, Tosca, at Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, Denbighshire, this summer.
Organisers are looking for boy sopranos or trebles to audition for the role of the shepherd boy.
Sir Bryn was knighted by the Queen on Tuesday.
Lithuanian tenor Kristian Benedikt and Latvian soprano Kristine Opolais will also star in the concert in July, which will be part of the festival's 70th anniversary celebrations. | A search has been launched to find a young singer to perform with Sir Bryn Terfel and two other global opera stars. |
36897945 | Having been without a home to call their own for over a decade, the nomads of the Irish League could see light at the end of the tunnel.
But it all fell through as the anticipated lease from the local borough council did not materialise.
Undeterred, club chairman Brian Adams and his team are not giving up.
They have just been promoted back to the Irish Premiership and play their first match against Cliftonville on 6 August.
The club have two big aims - getting a ground in their home town of Newtownards and staying in the Irish League's top flight.
The County Down side have been homeless since playing their last game at Castlereagh Park in 2001, the ground being sold because of spiralling debts.
For 15 years, they have been hopping from ground to ground with no firm solution in sight.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Now, there are fresh plans for a ground in place, and the future of Ards is starting to look brighter.
"When I came on board we discovered debt of just under £250,000," said chairman Adams who joined the board a few years after the sale of Castlereagh Park.
"We had to get rid of all the players and as a result we got relegated. We couldn't afford to keep the wages and run the club the way it was."
Adams admitted there had been several false dawns on the issue of a new ground.
"We have asked the rugby club to talk. We had a greyhound idea with the council, a hotel idea with the council.
"In the end we said to the council, just give us the rubbish dump and let us build it. But even that fell through."
The club recently revealed plans for a new stadium on the site of Movilla High School. Pupils would be able to use the proposed facilities, making it a scheme for the community.
It would be a relatively modest ground, with about 2,000 seats, built on unused hockey pitches.
On the pitch, Ards go into the new season determined to learn from past mistakes. The last time they were promoted was in 2013 and they came straight back down again after just one season.
Manager Niall Currie is confident the squad is better equipped to stay in the top flight this time around.
"A lot of the guys we have signed have played in the Premiership. We're not signing anybody on a downward spiral," he said.
"The signings we have made have their best years ahead of them. Hopefully their experience will rub off on everybody."
On the ground issue Currie, team boss since 2011, said: "The club should be back in its home town.
"If we got back to Newtownards I think the support would treble or quadruple. Everything seems to be going in the right direction and we're in a good place."
As is often the case, freshly-promoted Ards are one of the favourites to go down.
However, they have the advantage that rivals Portadown start the campaign with a 12-point deduction, imposed for playing a player who was registered as an amateur.
"We play Portadown in our third match, if we beat them, all of a sudden it becomes 15 points," added Currie.
"Even if they have picked some up and we have dropped a few, there is still a gap there. It puts a lot of pressure on them having to chase it.
"It is up to us to hit the ground running. We know what this league is about and that every week is a massively difficult challenge.
"We want to make sure we are competitive in every game we play in and that is my focus.
Kyle Cherry, who recently signed from Carrick Rangers, firmly believes the club can move forward if they can get a fast start.
"We need to get the wins in early," said the midfielder.
"I think this squad is capable of more than hanging around the bottom of the league and we can push towards sixth place and maybe even higher. We're not thinking about other teams, we're just thinking about us." | Three years ago, Ards Football Club were hoping to turn a local landfill site into their new ground. |
38754512 | Invicta Park Barracks in Maidstone is home to the 36 Engineer Regiment and the Queen's Gurkha Engineers.
It was earmarked for closure last year by the government, which is selling a number of Ministry of Defence sites.
Local Conservative MP Helen Grant has now launched a petition to try to save it, saying its closure would have a detrimental effect on the Kent town.
She said: "From all of the soundings I have taken so far I know that many local people are concerned about the decision to close Invicta Park Barracks, breaking centuries of military tradition in Maidstone.
"There is also great affection for the town's vibrant Nepalese community."
More news from Kent here
Invicta Park is one of 91 sites marked for closure by 2040 with the aim of releasing land for 55,000 new homes.
The barracks would close by 2027 as part of the government's plan to "release value from surplus land" and "maximise property".
It is not known where the troops will relocate to.
Lt Col JB Awford, former commanding officer of Invicta Park, said: "I believe the decision to close Invicta Park Barracks is unsound.
"It will be a negative step for the army, for Maidstone and, no doubt, for the established Nepalese community."
Leader of the Maidstone Nepalese community, Dhan Chand, added the decision would have "a devastating impact". | Centuries of military tradition will be broken if proposals to close an army barracks go ahead, an MP has warned. |
37206353 | Craig Wild, 47, died following an assault at a house in Fox Walk, Walkley, Sheffield on Thursday evening.
David Webster, 49, of Hillsborough, and Alison Moss, 46, of Walkley, have been charged with murder and remanded in custody.
They are due to appear at Sheffield Crown Court on 31 August. | A man and a woman have been charged with murder after a man was fatally wounded in an attack in South Yorkshire. |
20617506 | Ebb and Flow - together known as the Grail mission - have mapped the subtle variations in gravity across the surface of the lunar body.
They show the Moon's crust to be a mass of pulverised rock - the remains of countless impacts.
Scientists say the beating was far more extensive than previously thought.
And this observation, they add, has relevance for the study of the Earth's ancient past.
It too would have been pummelled in the first billion years of its existence by the left-over debris from the construction of the planets.
It is just not obvious today because the Earth's surface has been constantly remodelled through time as a result of plate tectonics. All its early scars have long since healed.
"If you look at how highly cratered the Moon is - the Earth used to look like that; parts of Mars still do look like that," explained Prof Maria Zuber, Grail's principal investigator from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US.
"This period of time when all these impacts where occurring - this was the time when the first microbes were developing.
"We had some idea from the chemistry [of ancient rocks] that Earth was a violent place early on, but now we now know it was an extremely difficult place energetically as well, and it shows just how tenacious life had to be to hang on," she told BBC News.
Prof Zuber was speaking in San Francisco at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting, the world's largest annual gathering for Earth and planetary scientists.
Her 300kg Grail twins have spent much of the past year mapping the Moon's gravitational field from an operational altitude of 55km.
The gravity differences they have been measuring are the result of an uneven distribution of mass across the lunar body.
Obvious examples at the Moon's surface include big mountain ranges or deep impact basins, but even inside the lunar body the rock is arranged in an irregular fashion, with some regions being denser than others.
All this has a subtle influence on the pull of gravity sensed by the over-flying Ebb and Flow satellites.
The Grail twins make their measurements by carrying out a carefully calibrated pursuit of each other.
As the lead spacecraft flies through the uneven gravity field, it experiences small accelerations or decelerations. The second spacecraft, following some 100-200km behind, detects these disturbances as very slight changes in the separation between the pair - deviations that are not much more than the width of a human red blood cell.
And when the gravity measurements are combined with topographical information from another of Nasa's lunar satellites showing the surface highs and lows, it becomes possible to separate out that signal related just to the Moon's internal structure and composition.
The resolution of Grail's maps far exceeds anything previously achieved - a thousand to a hundred-thousand times' improvement.
This will be a boon to researchers as they study not just the general evolution of the body but how individual features on its surface formed - from the largest impact features like the ringed basins, right down to craters just 20-30km across.
One standout observation is that the Moon's crust - its topmost layer - ranges in thickness from 34km to 43km. These numbers are about 10-20km less than previously proposed.
"And because the Moon's crust is extremely important for understanding the bulk composition of the Moon, what these results show is that the bulk abundance of aluminium in the Moon is exactly the same as that in the Earth, whereas previous studies had suggested the composition of the Moon may be different from that of the Earth," said Dr Mark Wieczorek, a Grail co-investigator from the University of Paris, France.
"This is consistent with the hypothesis that the Moon is derived from materials that come from the Earth following a giant impact event."
The crust underlying a couple of major impact basins appears so thin as to be virtually non-existent. This suggests the impacts that rained down on the Moon may even have excavated the underlying lunar mantle at those locations.
The Grail team said that compared to the surface, the interior looks gravitationally very smooth. Indeed, 98% of the gravity signal measured by the satellite twins relates to the Moon's surface features, such as its crater rims and big mountains.
However, the data does point to the existence of long (up to 500km) linear structures that extend up from the interior of the body into the lower crust. The Grail team believes these to be buried dykes ??? formed from magma that seeped into large fractures in the crust, and then solidified into dense walls of rock.
This may hint at an early expansion phase in the Moon's history when the hot body expanded outwards, before eventually cooling and contracting.
"This had been predicted theoretically a long time ago but there was no direct observational evidence to support this early lunar expansion until this Grail data," said Dr Jeff Andrews-Hanna, a science team member from the Colorado School of Mines.
[email protected] and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos | The scale of the battering the Moon received early in its history has been revealed in remarkable new data from two Nasa satellites. |
35360676 | Nils D., 25, was arrested on his return from Syria a year ago and is accused of membership of a terror group.
He is alleged to have joined an IS unit that tracked down and killed deserters.
Since his return he is said to have given police 40 interviews about the inner workings of the jihadist group.
During his 13 months Syria, Nils D. - whose surname has not been released under German law - is accused of spending eight months in an internal security unit, apparently dubbed by some investigators as the "IS Gestapo".
He was among a dozen local youths who travelled to Syria in 2013, naming themselves the Lohberger Brigade after an area of their town of Dinslaken near Duisburg.
Nils D. gave evidence in two trials last year, telling a court in Celle that he witnessed torture and executions. "Anyone who wants to turn their back on IS is automatically a dead man," he said.
What is 'Islamic State'
Failed Paris attacker lived in German shelter
Can Europe tackle home-grown jihad?
According to research by German journalists last October, Nils D said during his statements to the authorities that his unit had been styled as a department of internal security and that he was based in the Syrian town of Manbij, 80km (50 miles) north-east of Aleppo, and had been involved in up to 15 arrests.
Torture took place on a daily basis at Manbij prison and he spoke of an "execution square".
Members of the special IS unit were given bonuses and better rates of pay than other jihadists and always appeared masked in public.
Although he denies involvement in torture or murder, a photo found on Nils D.'s mobile phone is said to have shown him holding a gun to a prisoner's head.
If found guilty by Duesseldorf's regional court, he could face up to 10 years in jail.
Eight hundred Germans are said to have travelled to Syria and Iraq to join IS and an estimated 1,100 violent Islamists are living in Germany, according to domestic intelligence figures. | A German jihadist accused of taking part in a special torture unit set up by the so-called Islamic State (IS) group in Syria has gone on trial amid high security in Duesseldorf. |
35635262 | The 19-year-old centre-back, who has captained the Championship club's development squad, has made one first-team appearance for the Tractor Boys.
He came off the bench as Ipswich lost 2-1 to Portsmouth in their third-round FA Cup replay last month.
Robinson, who will be with the Cards until 28 March, could make his debut against Grimsby on Tuesday.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. | National League side Woking have signed Ipswich Town youngster Joe Robinson on a one-month loan deal. |
37555769 | Ruth Davidson said her party was picking up support across Scotland, and was "not hiding any more".
And she predicted next year's council elections would see it deliver its best result since devolution.
Ms Davidson also urged Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to rule out a second independence referendum.
She told delegates on the final day of the conference: "The majority have no wish to return to the divisions of the past - we want to seize the opportunities of the future.
"Most Scots have had enough. And they are telling her - for pity's sake, first minister, let this go."
The Scottish Conservatives are currently the second largest party at Holyrood, behind the SNP, after overtaking Labour for the first time since the Scottish Parliament was created in 1999.
But the Tories only have one MP in Scotland, while the SNP returned 56 in last year's general election.
Ms Davidson said her party was "standing up to the SNP" and providing the "strong opposition Scotland so desperately needs".
She added: "From the Borders to Banff, we are showing that there is another way. A better way.
"One which seeks not to stoke divisions or split our country, but one which knuckles down and gets on with the job."
Ms Sturgeon, the SNP leader and Scottish first minister, said a second independence referendum was "highly likely" after Scotland voted to remain in the EU but the UK as a whole voted to leave.
She has instructed Scottish government officials to start drawing up plans for a new vote, and recently launched a "new conversation" aimed at boosting support for independence.
But recent opinion polls have suggested there has not been a large shift in favour of independence since the Brexit vote, with a narrow majority still apparently in favour of Scotland remaining in the UK.
Ms Davidson urged the Conservative conference not to believe SNP assertions that Scottish independence was now inevitable, and pledged to "fight every inch" to keep the UK together.
She said: "Every nation is bigger than any one party - bigger than any one person.
"So next time you see Nicola Sturgeon picking a fight, or trying to claim the United Kingdom is over, remember, she does not speak for the country.
"And, when she threatens to put yet another divisive referendum back on the table, the nation is not behind her. She's not speaking for the majority. Because the majority of us want to move on."
She used her speech to hold up Theresa May as evidence that "gender is no barrier to advancement" in Britain.
Ms Davidson was speaking immediately ahead of the prime minister's address to the conference, which is being held in Birmingham.
Mrs May told the gathering that "we are one UK - England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland".
She repeated the words of her opening conference address by saying: "And I will always fight to preserve our proud, historic union and will never let divisive nationalists drive us apart."
At the weekend, the SNP accused Mrs May of using "inflammatory" language after her first speech. | The Scottish Conservatives are "out and proud" and "here to stay", their leader has told the Tory conference in Birmingham. |
37412252 | Mark Hughes' side have picked up just one point from their first five matches and are bottom of the Premier League.
They have let in four goals on three occasions - which they also did in three successive games in a poor late-season run in 2015-16.
"We have conceded too many goals and that has got to be addressed," Coates told BBC Radio Stoke.
"It was poor defending at Crystal Palace on Sunday. Two bad errors for the first two goals. The manager can't do anything about that.
"I understand how the fans feel. I'm a supporter too - but let's have a bit of context. It's September and we've only played five games. We've finished ninth in the Premier League three times in a row. What is there to say?"
It took Stoke until 26 September last season to win their first league game, as they started with three draws and three defeats in their first six fixtures.
And the fact that the next visiting manager to the Bet365 Stadium this weekend will be former Potters boss Tony Pulis, with West Bromwich Albion, only adds to the pressure to achieve a first victory.
Before that is Wednesday's EFL Cup third round tie at home to Hull City, when last year's beaten semi-finalists hope to take another step closer to Wembley.
"Football is all about the next game," said Coates. "We need a win and the sooner it comes the better. I'd like to win against Hull on Wednesday night."
But, most of all, what Coates would most like is a change of luck.
A lot of individual incidents have not gone Stoke's way, largely in the 1-0 defeat at Everton, whose winning goal came following a debatable penalty given for a soft challenge on Ashley Williams.
But there were also crucial match-turning moments in the 4-1 loss at Manchester City and even in the 4-0 home defeat by Spurs, when Hughes' temper snapped and he was sent to the stand - and consequently fined.
"The ref robbed us of a point at Everton," added Coates. "Not much has gone for us. But we're not hiding. We'd like to have done better and we will."
Peter Coates was talking to BBC Radio Stoke's Lee Blakeman. | Stoke City chairman Peter Coates says that the team's poor start to the season needs to be taken in context. |
35175109 | The group racially abused a man at Motherwell station and let off a fire extinguisher. A woman was also spat on.
About 10 to 12 boys, aged between 14 and 17 years old, were involved just, after 18:45 on Wednesday.
The group was also involved in disorder after boarding the 18:20 Glasgow to Lanark service at Bellshill before getting off at Motherwell.
BTP said officers were reviewing CCTV images in a bid to identify those involved.
Det Con David Merchant said: "This sort of appalling behaviour is unacceptable and I am appealing for anyone who was on the train or at the station and can provide information which can help identify the youths responsible to contact BTP." | British Transport Police (BTP) want to trace a group of boys who ran amok at a rail station in North Lanarkshire. |
40405058 | Mr King, 72, of Bayswater, west London, appeared before magistrates in Westminster and answered to the name of Kenneth King.
He is accused of assaulting boys aged 14 to 16 between 1970 and 1986 in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey.
Mr King was bailed to appear before Southwark Crown Court on 24 July.
Three of the allegations relate to serious sexual offences and the others relate to indecent assaults.
Steven Bird, lawyer for the ex-singer and Genesis producer, said his client would be "contesting the allegations". | Former pop mogul Jonathan King has appeared in court charged with 18 historical sexual offences relating to nine teenage boys. |
37044473 | "My Friend, Mentor and Hero passed away today," tweeted the singer. "David Enthoven, I love you. RIP."
Enthoven had managed the star since he left Take That in 1996 and helped him battle addiction in the early years of his career.
The music mogul started out managing King Crimson in 1969, also steering the careers of Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music.
He even advised Marc Bolan's band, T. Rex, to shorten their name, because he couldn't spell Tyrannosaurus.
A genial, bespectacled figure, he was educated at Harrow and earned a reputation for putting his clients first.
"His tenacity in fighting for artists' rights is the stuff of legend," his business partner Tim Clark told the Mirror.
"He pricked the pompous, had a nickname for everyone but was so generous and kind too.
"What is much less well known is the unstinting help he gave to those who had taken a self-destructive path, for whatever reason. He has been utterly selfless in that respect."
Enthoven established the EG record label and music management company with John Gaydon in the late 60s, immediately finding success with King Crimson's debut album In the Court of the Crimson King.
They later signed T. Rex, Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Roxy Music, but Enthoven's career went off the rails as he battled drink and drugs in the 1980s.
He lost his home and his wife but, after sobering up, made a successful return to the music industry, setting up ie:music with Clark, a former Island Records executive, in 1992.
Together, they worked with the likes of Sia, Lily Allen, Ladyhawke, Bryan Ferry and Will Young, but their biggest client was always Williams.
Enthoven introduced the star to songwriter Guy Chambers, with whom he co-wrote Angels, and helped orchestrate his record-breaking £80 million deal with EMI.
He was also fiercely protective of the star, insisting that all employees signed a confidentiality agreement, and talked of him as a surrogate son.
At the height of Williams' fame, Enthoven explained his managerial technique to Esquire magazine.
"I always say to Rob, 'If you wanted an elephant to keep you amused backstage, I'd go and find [an] elephant.'
"It sounds very pandering, but it's not, because at the end of the day, come nine o'clock at night, he's got to get up there and do his stuff.
"The boss gets looked after because the boss delivers the bacon."
Following news of Enthoven's death, the Music Manager's Forum (MMF) said in a statement: "We are very sad that long time manager and MMF supporter David Enthoven has passed away today after a short illness.
"David will be remembered as a true friend, an exemplary colleague, a helpful mentor and a truly exceptional human being.
"Big hugs David. We will miss you."
Jamie Cullum also paid tribute on Twitter, saying: "He was a real gentleman in the truest sense".
"My manager and dear friend David Enthoven has passed away today," added pop singer Ladyhawke. "He has been a true guiding light to me over the years, I'll miss you David."
Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram at bbcnewsents, or email [email protected]. | Robbie Williams has paid tribute to his long-term manager, David Enthoven, who has died at the age of 72. |
36130385 | A deal is set to be finalised between the current board and entertainment firm Gaming International to sell the National League club.
Nicholson took over in September and has kept the team in the division, despite being 12 points from safety in the middle of February.
"I would like to be the manager here next year," Nicholson told BBC Devon.
"I would like to be given the chance to move forward.
"But new owners may have new ideas, and if they have then I'll carry on being a Torquay fan and hope my chance comes again."
Nicholson paid tribute to chairman David Phillips and his team, who took over the club in June 2015 after millionaire former owner Thea Bristow sold her stake.
"They're coming into a club that's on the up, they're coming into a club with a solid foundation now," said Nicholson.
"The chairman and the board that have taken over and given this club life-support for the past year have done a fantastic job.
"We've been fortunate enough to make sure that the club is in the league it needs to be in for now, because this is a league football club, but they're coming into a club now that they can do with as they wish." | Torquay United manager Kevin Nicholson hopes he will be able to stay in charge of the club when it is taken over. |
37413848 | Mr Corbyn is planning to tell the party that Theresa May could call an election as early as next spring to secure a mandate for her Brexit negotiations.
The leader hopes the prospect of an early poll might instil some discipline among Labour MPs, and he would help bring it about.
Newsnight understands he would instruct his MPs to vote for an early election.
Under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act, an early election has to be supported by at least two-thirds of MPs.
Mr Corbyn is officially waiting for every vote to be counted in the Labour leadership election before declaring victory, but he is already turning his mind to early steps he will take to restore his authority.
Placing the Labour Party on an election footing would, in his mind, be a tactically wise move to help encourage discipline in the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP).
But Mr Corbyn also believes that Labour should focus on an early general election in a laser-like way because he believes the prime minister has ruled out a snap election but is keeping her options open beyond the end of this year.
Mrs May said earlier this month that an election should not be held before 2020.
Newsnight understands that Mr Corbyn is expected to outline practical steps to show his preparations for an election.
This will involve putting policy making, the party organisation and campaigning on an election footing.
Former Liberal Democrat leader Lord Ashdown told Newsnight that the prime minister may be forced to call an early general election if she opts for a Brexit deal which alarms Eurosceptics.
Lord Ashdown said: "If she chooses - as I think she will - something that's in the best interests of Britain if it has to be Brexit, ie continued access to the single market, she has 100 MPs who are going to say 'up with this we will not put'.
"She then loses her majority in the House of Commons. Sooner or later she has to bring that back to the House; she will find herself in that conundrum.
"Labour will say no for opportunistic reasons, they won't support her. If she wants to get that through she can only go to the country.
"So she doesn't think she wants an election, at least I don't think she does, I think she's honest in saying she won't get one.
"But I'm not sure that the civil war in the Tory party not yet visible, but will become increasingly visible as she identifies that will make that the only way she can get to a solution."
Mr Corbyn's planned announcement comes as the Labour leader seeks to woo former members of the shadow cabinet back into the fold in what is being dubbed an outreach programme.
Two former members of the shadow cabinet have indicated to Newsnight they would be prepared to return if invited by Mr Corbyn.
Nia Griffith, the former shadow Wales secretary, said that Labour MPs should be as positive as they can be if Mr Corbyn wins.
Another former shadow cabinet member, who was highly critical of Mr Corbyn when they resigned in the summer, says it will be time to pull together if he wins.
A much larger group would, as The World This Weekend reported on Sunday, only return to the frontbench if elections to the shadow cabinet are restored.
Tom Watson, Labour's deputy leader, will call on the party's National Executive Committee (NEC) on Tuesday to support shadow cabinet elections in time for a vote at next week's Labour Party conference.
The PLP recently voted in favour of the restoration of these elections which were abolished by Ed Miliband in 2011.
Newsnight, which understands that Mr Watson is not confident the PLP proposal will be accepted by the NEC, believes Mr Corbyn will call on the NEC to take its time to consider alternative plans to give Labour Party members a greater say.
This could involve allowing members to elect a proportion of the shadow cabinet and increasing the representation of members on the NEC to take account of the rapid increase in Labour members since Mr Corbyn's election last year.
The Labour leader believes there should be a broader consultation on widening democratic participation at all levels of the party which should not be concluded at Tuesday's NEC meeting.
Mr Corbyn believes the consultation should be completed rapidly though he believes it would be wrong to rush ahead at the NEC meeting.
A delay until after next week's party conference would mean that his proposal would be decided by the new NEC whose members are more supportive of Mr Corbyn. | Jeremy Corbyn will put Labour on a general election footing if he is re-elected leader, Newsnight has learned. |
18859433 | On Monday, Britain's most senior Roman Catholic cleric, Cardinal Keith O'Brien, urged the Scottish government to hold a public vote on the proposals.
A government spokesman, speaking after a cabinet meeting, said the issue was a matter of conscience, not constitution.
He said a decision on whether to bring forward a bill on same-sex marriage would be made before the end of July.
Members of the cabinet met in Edinburgh to discuss the issue.
After the meeting, the spokesman said: "This is an important issue and it is right that cabinet takes the time to get both the principle and the detail of the decision right.
"During the discussion, recent calls for a referendum on the subject were carefully considered. However, cabinet views this as an issue of conscience not constitution.
"Given that if a bill is brought forward it should in the view of the Scottish government be determined by a free vote, cabinet has concluded that a referendum would not be appropriate.
"Cabinet has now asked a cabinet sub-committee, led by the deputy first minister, to further examine some particular issues of detail before a final decision is reached.
"We remain committed to publishing the consultation responses and our clear decision on the way forward before the end of this month."
Gay rights charity Stonewall Scotland welcomed the decision not to hold a referendum.
Its director, Colin Macfarlane, said :"While we are disappointed that no decision was made today we are pleased that the Scottish government has confirmed that a referendum has been ruled out.
"Ministers have stated that a final decision on a way forward will be at the end of this month, we look forward to that and urge them to stick to their guns and say I do to equal marriage."
Tom French from the Equality Network said: "The government have had seven months to analyse the consultation responses and to deal with the detail. We cannot understand why there is any need for further delay."
The proposals, which would see Scotland become the first part of the UK to introduce the policy, have provoked opposition from some religious groups.
The Catholic Church and Church of Scotland strongly oppose the policy.
Cardinal O'Brien has branded the plans a "grotesque subversion of a universally-accepted human right".
The cardinal, who leads the church in Scotland, previously authorised a plan to raise £100,000 through special church collections to support the Scotland For Marriage campaign against same-sex marriage.
The proposed legislation has been backed by a "rainbow coalition" of organisations, including The Equality Network, Amnesty International, Unison and the Humanist Society of Scotland, as well as political parties.
Faith groups, including the United Reformed Church, the Quakers, Buddhists and the Pagan Federation also support the move.
However, the issue also caused a split within the SNP, after a parliamentary motion tabled by party MSP John Mason, stating no person or organisation should be forced to be involved in or to approve of same-sex marriage, led to accusations by some of his colleagues that his actions encouraged discrimination.
Gordon Wilson, a former SNP leader, has also warned plans for same-sex marriage could "alienate" people considering voting for independence in the 2014 referendum.
Same-sex couples in Scotland currently have the option to enter into civil partnerships and the Holyrood government has insisted no part of the religious community would be forced to hold same-sex weddings in churches.
Although civil partnerships in Scotland offer the same legal treatment as marriage in areas such as inheritance, pensions provision, life assurance, child maintenance, next of kin and immigration rights, they are still seen as distinct from marriage.
A man and a woman can opt for a religious or civil marriage ceremony, whereas a same-sex partnership is an exclusively civil procedure.
The UK government, which is consulting on changing the status of civil ceremonies to allow gay and lesbian couples in England and Wales to get married, wants to make the change by 2015. | The Scottish government has ruled out a referendum on the proposed introduction of same-sex marriage. |
35010490 | Stop Climate Chaos Cymru (SCC) has travelled to the Paris conference, where negotiators from 195 countries are trying to reach a global deal.
On Monday, SCC Cymru will say that Wales needs to show "more ambition" and reach its own deal.
Chairwoman Haf Elgar said it would enable Wales to "play our part in the global fight against climate change".
SCC Cymru, a coalition of 16 Welsh organisations, said its Well-being of Future Generations Act had shown Wales could "lead the world on the agenda".
But it will call for amendments to the Environment Bill, currently making its way through the assembly, arguing that it "doesn't go far enough".
"We need higher targets, to keep our commitment to a 40% emission reduction by 2020, and better reporting and scrutiny of progress," Ms Elgar, from Friends of the Earth Cymru, said.
COP21 - the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties - is discussing a possible new global agreement on climate change.
The deal will seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to avoid the threat of dangerous warming due to human activities. | Calls are set to be made for Wales to deliver a fair climate deal during COP21 talks. |
40285344 | Media playback is not supported on this device
Floyd Mayweather Jr, regarded - before his retirement - as the world's best pound-for-pound boxer, will fight UFC star Conor McGregor in a light-middleweight boxing contest in Las Vegas on 26 August.
But how and why did the fight come about? Does McGregor have a chance? What impact will it have on the sports? And is it all just a money-making circus?
BBC Sport takes a look at the history and the reaction to the contest.
Why is it happening? Quite simply... money, with both fighters expected to earn up to $100m (£78.5m).
After Mayweather gained a convincing points win over Andre Berto in September 2015, the American, who has won world titles at five weights, said: "My career is over, that's official.
"You've got to know when to hang them up. There's nothing left to prove in the sport of boxing, I just want to spend time with my family."
However, there was growing interest in a fight between Mayweather and McGregor, after the Irish UFC star went on American chat show Conan and said he would "most certainly dismantle" Mayweather.
Talks between the two camps began in May 2016 and McGregor, who has never boxed professionally or as an amateur, was granted a boxing licence in California last November.
After social media insults flew from both sides, including Mayweather calling McGregor a "little punk", the Irishman claimed he had signed a contract for the fight and applied for a Nevada boxing licence, so it could be held in Las Vegas.
However, it was still a shock to both the boxing and UFC worlds when Mayweather, whose nickname is Money, posted a video on social media confirming the fight will happen at the T-Mobile Arena on 26 August.
Leonard Ellerbe, chief executive of Mayweather Promotions, said: "There is not one place I go to with Floyd where he doesn't get asked the question: 'Floyd, are you going to fight Conor McGregor?' All Floyd thinks about is fighting Conor McGregor."
Mayweather, 40, never entertained the idea of the pair meeting in a UFC event, saying "a real man fights standing up". Therefore, a boxing bout was the only outcome.
Bookmakers expect a one-sided contest, with the American as short as 1-12 to win his 50th professional fight, a landmark that would see him overtake legendary boxer Rocky Marciano, who retired after 49 victories.
However, the fight has not been well received by a large number of boxers.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Mexican Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez, a two-weight world champion whose only loss in 51 fights came against Mayweather in 2013, called it a "circus and a joke", echoing comments from former five-weight world champion Oscar de la Hoya.
"It's hurting the sport of boxing," added Alvarez. "It's a big circus and a joke because when a fighter from boxing gets into MMA (mixed martial arts) or a fighter from MMA gets into boxing it's just a big joke. People don't take it seriously."
Ricky Hatton, the only British boxer to fight Mayweather - losing in the 10th round of their Las Vegas bout in December 2007 - feels the fight should not count on the American's boxing record.
"Conor's the biggest star in UFC and, if he gets whitewashed by Mayweather, which he would, it wouldn't look good on the UFC," Hatton told Boxing News.
BBC Radio 5 live boxing pundit Steve Bunce added: "No disrespect to Conor McGregor, he is a brilliant self-publicist.
"The mixed martial arts people tell me he is fantastic because he is fearless, reckless and that makes him entertaining, but he is a hopeless boxer.
"He is a raw novice. Peter McDonagh, who has lost more times than he has won, is the Irish champion at Conor McGregor's weight, and he would beat McGregor in a 10 or 12-round fight. This will be an absolute mismatch."
McGregor, who at 28 is 12 years younger than Mayweather, has won 21 of his 24 MMA fights, including 18 knockouts, and has received some support from the UFC world.
"He has incredible power, a power that nobody else has - I've never seen anyone hit that hard," said Russia's Artem Lobov, who has sparred with McGregor.
"MMA is so much more demanding on the body - the wrestling, the changing levels, all that takes a lot out of you. Boxing is a breeze for us after MMA.
"If you look at Mayweather's fights, he often likes to get into the clinch, but what is a boxer in a clinch against a wrestler, an MMA fighter? Boxers are absolute novices in the clinch.
"Get a boxer and get him wrestling for a minute or two - the arms get so heavy, filled with blood, they can't even hold them up any more, they can't box."
UFC president Dana White also believes McGregor's style will cause problems for the American.
"Mayweather is 40 years old and he's always had problems with southpaws," said White. "Conor McGregor is 28 and a southpaw. Whenever he hits people, they fall."
American MMA fighter Holly Holm, who ended Ronda Rousey's unbeaten run with a brutal knockout in 2015, thinks McGregor will be able to adapt.
"I'm one of those who believes in being able to cross over," said Holm. "Boxing is a whole different world, but Conor really believes in himself, and he's going to put up a good fight."
White, for one, is in no doubt.
He said: "It's definitely going to be the biggest fight ever in combat sports history and probably going to be the biggest pay day ever. All sides involved are pretty happy with their deals."
The T-Mobile Arena holds 20,000 people, so the fighters will be performing live in front of less than a quarter of the 90,000 people who watched Anthony Joshua's thrilling win over Wladimir Klitschko in their world heavyweight title clash at Wembley Stadium in April.
However, the money will come not only from the live gate, but also through international television distribution, sponsorships, closed circuit and merchandise sales.
When Mayweather fought Filipino Manny Pacquiao in May 2015, the fight attracted a record of 4.4 million American pay-per-view sales, with the event generating more than $500m (£392.7m) in gross worldwide receipts.
Tickets will be in extremely short supply. Only 1,000 of 16,500 tickets were put on general sale for the Mayweather v Pacquiao fight at the MGM Grand - and some were then sold online for as much as £94,000. The rest of the tickets went to fighters, sponsors and promoters.
Such was the demand, hotels and bars charged people to watch the action on big-screen televisions.
Stephen Espinoza, executive vice-president of American television station Showtime Sports, said fans will pay to watch the McGregor-Mayweather fight because of the novelty.
"The sky is the limit," he said. "There is nothing to compare it against. No-one has seen this type of competition in the ring.
"We're not only drawing fans from the universe of boxing fans and the universe of MMA fans. We've actually tapped into the audience that really doesn't follow either sport."
Sort of. On two high-profile occasions, boxers have tried their luck in the UFC octagon, with one winning and one losing.
Most recently, in August 2010, James Toney - a three-weight boxing champion who had no MMA experience - took on Randy Couture. It did not last long.
Within a minute, Couture had produced a single-leg takedown. He then fired a series of unanswered lefts and rights to Toney's head before the fight was stopped.
The other time the worlds of MMA and boxing collided was in June 2009, when boxer Ray Mercer took on former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia.
Again, it did not last long - nine seconds in fact.
Mercer, who had fought Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko, caught Sylvia with a crushing right hook with the first punch of the contest, knocking out his opponent.
In 1976, Muhammad Ali took part in a 15-round exhibition contest with Japanese professional wrestler Antonio Inoki. The bout - a mix of boxing and wrestling that had little to do with serious sport - ended in a draw.
Mike Costello, BBC Radio 5 live boxing correspondent
One of boxing's all-time greats will take on a man who hasn't had a single professional boxing contest and it'll become one of the most talked-about sporting events of 2017.
Mayweather is coming out of retirement at the age of 40 for a fight some have dismissed as a farce and a mismatch. McGregor is 12 years younger and the biggest draw in UFC, the most successful and popular brand in mixed martial arts. Insults have been traded for two years - when they first started, nobody believed for a moment this fight would happen.
They both draw huge audiences on pay-per-view TV and the showdown is likely to generate tens of millions of dollars for each man.
It's likely to be televised in the United States by Showtime, a cable network and one of the biggest investors in boxing in recent years. Executives there are saying their digital traffic in the past few weeks is leading them to believe this will be nothing short of a monster event and it's been built by the hype generated by these two masters of the art of hype.
Simon Head, MMA reporter
To the uninitiated, Conor McGregor may come across as a brash, overconfident braggart, but a glance at his record tells a completely different story. Underneath the larger-than-life exterior lies a fierce, dedicated competitor who has more often than not backed up his pre-fight talk with big-time performances in the UFC octagon.
He successfully predicted his stoppage wins over Chad Mendes, Jose Aldo and Eddie Alvarez in successive UFC title fights. Now he's predicting he'll topple the most skilled boxer in this - or perhaps any - generation. Even by Mystic Mac's own standards, this one is a big ask.
The contest itself pitches a combat sport specialist (Mayweather) against a man blessed with one of the most comprehensive skillsets in combat sports (McGregor). The equivalent of a 100m sprinter against a decathlete, if you like. But in those terms, this fight is the 100m. Only a fraction of McGregor's formidable fighting arsenal will be in play here, and that tips the scales significantly in Mayweather's favour.
As well as the skills gap in pure boxing terms, there's also the issue of prep time. Conor has the dedication, the intelligence and the belief to walk into the T-Mobile Arena on August 26 as prepared as he possibly can be. But this is the equivalent of writing a PhD thesis without taking the course first. A passing grade is surely just making it to the scorecards, or even just looking competitive.
But that won't be enough for McGregor, whose ability to deliver on the big stage is right up there with the best you'll find anywhere in sport. The archetypal man for the big occasion, McGregor performs best when the lights shine brightest.
Mayweather is rightly the unbackable favourite, but McGregor certainly isn't a toothless opponent. Make no mistake, he has the power to trouble Floyd, especially with his left hand. But to hurt Floyd, Conor will have to land clean. In theory, he has 36 minutes to find Mayweather's chin. If he does, we'll see one of the biggest shocks in sporting history.
But it wouldn't be a shock to him. He's already predicted it. And he means it, too.
Get all the latest boxing news sent straight to your device with notifications in the BBC Sport app. Find out more here. | The best boxer in a generation against one of the biggest names in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. |
40206314 | Conservative Damien Moore won 18,541 votes, securing a majority of 2,914 - a swing of 7.6% from the Liberal Democrats who came third.
Liberal Democrat Sue McGuire, who was selected after former MP John Pugh retired, won 12,661 votes. Labour's Liz Savage was second with 15,627 votes.
Elsewhere in Merseyside, Labour retained all of its seats.
There was a turnout of 69.1% in Southport, where Liberal Democrat MP John Pugh had stepped down in May after 16 years representing the town.
He said in April he would retire as he he did not want to work through "the nightmare chaos of Brexit" in the next parliament.
Mr Moore said he will be "hard working" and that people in Southport had told him their priority was to get on with the business of leaving the European Union.
Labour's Liz Savage said coming second was an "historic occasion" for the party.
Labour's Margaret Greenwood retained Wirral West, a marginal seat that was targeted heavily by the Conservatives after they lost it in 2015 when Esther McVey was ousted after just one term.
Sorry, your browser cannot display this content.
Enter a postcode or seat name
Ms Greenwood got 54.3% of the vote and an increased majority of over 5,000 from 417, while Conservative Tony Caldeira came second on 42.1%.
She said she believes Labour have done better than expected because more young people voted.
"People really value public services... and realise that you need a Labour government to get them", she said.
There was a clean sweep for Labour in Wirral as Alison McGovern also held Wirral South, winning 25,871 votes.
Former Labour leadership candidate Angela Eagle retained her seat in Wallasey with 72% of the vote and an increased majority.
She said Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn "fought a great campaign" and praised his "authenticity and honesty".
Labour MP for Bootle Peter Dowd took a sideswipe at Theresa May in his victory speech after he was re-elected on 42,259 votes with a 36,200 majority.
"We've moved from strong and stable to definitely weak and wobbly," Mr Dowd, who was first elected to the seat in 2015, said.
"Theresa May was walking through wheat fields this week - it's not wheat fields she's walking through tonight, it is something much more smelly."
Labour's Dan Carden retained the party's stronghold in Liverpool Walton, winning 85.7% of the vote.
His 36,175 votes marked an increase of 4.4% on predecessor Steve Rotheram, who is now the party's mayor of the Liverpool City Region.
Laura Evans of the Conservatives came second with 3,624.
Labour's Luciana Berger remains Liverpool Wavertree MP with a sizeable 79.6% share of the vote.
"The result is a very strong indication of people's support for Labour values today... we saw an increase in turnout - it's very heartening - of young people", she said.
Meanwhile in Cheshire, Chris Matheson increased his majority in the marginal seat of Chester by more than 9,000, gaining 32,023 votes. He was defending a majority of 93. | The Conservatives have gained Southport from the Liberal Democrats who have held the seat for almost two decades. |
35751919 | In a hearing before the Treasury Committee, Mark Carney said that the economy would be affected by the uncertainty created by an exit vote.
Mr Carney emphasised that the Bank was not taking sides in the EU referendum.
However, Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg accused him of making "pro-EU" comments.
In a letter sent to Treasury Committee chairman Andrew Tyrie, Mr Carney said that Britain's membership of the EU had reinforced the "dynamism of the UK economy", and that the relationship had helped the UK to grow.
In a sometimes fractious exchange with MPs on the committee, Mr Carney denied claims he was "pro-EU".
Mr Rees-Mogg said his comments were "beneath the dignity of the Bank".
The referendum on whether Britain should remain in the European Union is to be held on Thursday 23 June.
"We will not be making, and nothing we say should be interpreted as making, any recommendation with respect to that decision," Mr Carney said.
The BBC's assistant political editor Norman Smith said the governor had "come down with a resounding thump" in favour of remaining in the EU, pointing out that Mr Carney also praised the deal that David Cameron had struck with Europe to safeguard the City of London.
Our correspondent said that people were likely to take notice of what Mr Carney said to make up their minds about Europe. "Mark Carney is perhaps one of those figures that people might look to as being above the political fray."
Mr Carney appeared in front of the cross-party Treasury Committee to discuss the economic and financial costs and benefits of the UK's EU membership.
Referring to a Bank of England report on the EU, Mr Carney concluded that EU membership had "likely increased the dynamism of the UK economy and correspondingly its ability to grow without generating risks to the Bank's primary objectives of monetary and financial stability".
However, Mr Rees-Mogg said this could be attributed to reforms made under Margaret Thatcher.
"It is speculative and beneath the dignity of the Bank of England to be making speculative, pro-EU comments," Mr Rees-Mogg said.
The MP said that he was concerned that the Bank was focused more on the positive aspects of EU membership than the negative, adding that it was guilty of "political partisanship" over Europe.
Mr Carney rejected Mr Rees-Mogg's statements as "wholly unfounded" and said: "With respect, what concerns me is your selective memory."
The governor said that he had not discussed what he was going to say on Tuesday with Mr Cameron. "I have not had conversations with the Prime Minister about what I might say about the European Union."
As he considered the shark infested waters he would face this morning, Mr Carney knew two things.
First, that the pro-remain camp would grab all his negative comments about Brexit and trumpet them as a victory for them.
And they will.
Second, that he was likely to be attacked by the pro-leave campaign for being deliberately partisan in his approach to the value or otherwise of the EU to the British economy.
And he was.
It was the only moment Mr Carney appeared to bridle, responding to Jacob Rees-Moggs' "beneath the Bank's dignity" attack with a testy "I cannot let that stand".
That's about as close as a central bank governor comes to blowing his top.
Read Kamal's blog in full
Mr Carney said risks from an EU exit included the Bank's ability to control inflation, a fall in the pound and banks moving abroad.
However, if Britain votes to leave the EU, Mr Carney said the Bank "will do everything in our power to discharge our responsibility to achieve monetary stability and financial stability".
He said that there were measures that the Bank of England could take in the short term to support the financial system but said he could not rule out the possibility that there could be issues with stability.
Commenting on the short-term impact of an EU exit, Mr Carney said: "There could be lower levels of activity because of the degree of uncertainty that could affect investment and household spending. Reasonable expectations during a period of uncertainty."
However, he said it would not be possible to say what the longer term impact of leaving the EU would be on Britain. "We are not forming a view because it's outside our remit," Mr Carney said.
Mr Carney was also questioned about the financial sector's reaction to an exit.
He said: "One would expect some activity to move, certainly there's a logic to that and there are views that have been expressed publicly and privately by a number of institutions that they would look at it, and I'd say a number of institutions are contingency planning for that possibility."
On Monday, the Bank of England pledged to offer extra funding to the financial market before and after the June vote, in case uncertainty put pressure on the banking system. | The governor of the Bank of England has said that the possibility of Britain leaving the EU is the "biggest domestic risk to financial stability". |
16771611 | Disability campaign groups and members of direct action organisation UK Uncut chanted, held banners and banged drums in the middle of Oxford Circus.
Campaigners say the changes in the Welfare Reform Bill would see half a million people lose their benefits.
The government said it wanted a simpler and fairer welfare system.
The proposals, which are due to come into force in 2013, include introducing a single universal credit.
The bill, currently going through Parliament, also includes a cap on benefits to about £500 a week, or £26,000 a year - the level of the average salary of working families. Last week the government was defeated in the Lords on that and other aspects.
The Disability Living Allowance would be replaced with a new allowance, Personal Independence Payments. This would involve upfront medical tests and regular assessments for working people aged 16 to 64.
UK Uncut said 15 wheelchair users chained themselves together in Oxford Circus at about 12:00 GMT, blocking traffic in part of Regent Street until about 14:30. They were supported by about 250 people, a spokeswoman said.
Q&A: Welfare changes row
One of the wheelchair users, referring to himself only as Andy, said the changes could be "devastating" for disabled people.
The 37-year-old, from Islington, north London, said: "The whole raft of cuts that are being carried through will affect all of the services that support disabled people - public services, social care, the voluntary sector - all these are being cut and disabled people disproportionately depend on these services.
"To reform one would have a big impact, but reforming them all is going to be devastating for those who depend on them."
Rosemary Willis, from Disabled People Against Cuts, added: "Maria Miller, so-called minister for disabled people, has repeatedly stated that we are 'financially unsustainable' and we want to ask this government exactly what they mean by that.
"We will not let this government push through these changes which have already led to disabled people taking their own lives."
Josie McDermot of UK Uncut said the bill was "cruel and unnecessary" and added that the protest was an "essential way to persuade the government to scrap their plans".
A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said the government was "absolutely committed" to supporting disabled people and it was spending more than £40bn per year on disabled people.
"Households where someone receives disability living allowance will be exempt from the benefit cap and we are giving local authorities an additional £190m over four years to ensure vulnerable people are supported through the housing benefit reform, so we are not expecting people to become homeless," he said.
"The introduction of the universal credit from 2013 will see a simpler and fairer system of support for disabled people."
He added disabled people in greatest need would receive more support than they do currently.
Other changes in the bill include an under-occupancy penalty for council and housing association tenants with spare bedrooms, means-testing the Employment and Support Allowance (which replaced incapacity benefit) after 12 months and charging single parents to use the Child Support Agency. | People in wheelchairs chained themselves together in anger over welfare proposals, blocking traffic in one of London's busiest shopping areas. |
33146226 | Gordon MacRae, of the Humanist Society Scotland, said humanist weddings, which are not allowed in England and Wales, were a "great Scottish success story".
He estimates there will be 4,200 humanist weddings this year, more than Church of Scotland ceremonies.
The Kirk said it was not convinced the figures were correct.
It said weddings in the Christian faith, including Roman Catholic and other denominations, were still well ahead of humanist weddings.
About half of all weddings in Scotland are civil ceremonies carried out by an official registrar. The others are classed as religious or belief ceremonies.
Religious marriages in Scotland were never restricted by location, unlike civil ceremonies which were always in a register office before a 2002 change allowed other "approved places".
In 2005 the Registrar General for Scotland decided, after considering the European Convention on Human Rights, to allow humanists to conduct weddings as "authorised celebrants" - giving them equal status with ministers of religion.
Karen Watts and Martin Reijns were the first couple in Scotland to be married by a humanist celebrant, when they tied the knot at Edinburgh Zoo on 18 June 2005.
Ms Watts said the pair would not have been comfortable with a religious ceremony and a civil registration seemed a "bit cold".
She said at the time: "Neither of us are religious and it would have felt hypocritical to get married in a church.
"But at the same time we wanted something more meaningful than the legal civil ceremony."
Mr MacRae, chief executive of the Humanist Society Scotland (HSS), said its ceremonies allowed people to celebrate in a way that suited them, free from religious dogma.
He said humanism was a "rational, ethical and democratic approach to life" and that was put "front-and-centre" in its approach to marriage.
Mr MacRae said the change in the rules on belief weddings were a "great Scottish success story".
"It is shocking discrimination against humanists elsewhere in the United Kingdom that they are denied that outside of Scotland," he said.
The last year for which the National Records of Scotland published full figures on marriage was 2013.
In that year there were 3,185 humanist ceremonies, a massive increase on the 82 in 2005.
Humanist ceremonies overtook Roman Catholic weddings in number in 2010 and if the Church of Scotland has continued the steady decline of the past decade it could conduct fewer weddings this year than the humanist society.
In 2013 the Church of Scotland conducted 4,616, down from more than 10,000 a decade earlier.
Mr MacRae said: "At this rate we would anticipate being the largest provider of legal weddings of any of the religious or belief groups within Scotland by the end of the year."
The Church of Scotland's Acting Principal Clerk George Whyte questioned the figures but said the Kirk was not in the habit of competing for business.
The Reverend Dr Whyte said: "We are not selling ourselves as an exercise in earning money from people's weddings."
He said the HSS would charge £390 for a wedding celebrant plus the cost of becoming a member of the society.
"They offer a service people can buy and perhaps feel in the buying of a service they can tailor it in ways they want," Dr Whyte said.
"Perhaps that is more in tune with our consumerist society."
Dr Whyte said Kirk ministers were forbidden from charging a fee although the Church asked for payment for the use of its buildings.
He said: "We are not in competition but we are more than happy to discuss all sizes and locations of weddings and can be very flexible about the services we offer. Maybe we should have been shouting about that more loudly." | Humanist weddings, which were first held exactly a decade ago, could be Scotland's most popular type of belief ceremony by the end of the year. |
37643754 | The code has been injected into the sites by cyberthieves, said Dutch developer Willem De Groot.
He found the 5,925 compromised sites by scanning for the specific signature of the data-stealing code in website software.
Some of the stolen data was sent to servers based in Russia, he said.
In a blogpost, Mr De Groot said the attacks exploited known vulnerabilities in several different widely used web retailing programs. Mr De Groot is co-founder and head of security at Dutch ecommerce site byte.nl
Having won access, the attackers injected a short chunk of obfuscated code that copied credit card and other payment information. Stolen data was being sold on dark web markets at a rate of about $30 (£25) per card, he said.
His research found nine separate types of skimming code on sites, suggesting many different crime groups were involved.
Mr De Groot said he had been investigating skimming since his own card details were stolen. His work revealed the first sites harbouring the malicious code in late 2015 but further research showed the skimming started in earnest in May 2015. By the end of that year about 3,500 sites had been compromised.
Since then, he said, the number of sites had grown to 5,925 with some harbouring skimming code for almost 18 months. Victims included carmakers, fashion firms, government sites and museums.
The code used to steal data steadily became more sophisticated and now makes efforts to hide itself and tackle more types of payment systems.
"New cases could be stopped right away if store owners would upgrade their software regularly," wrote Mr De Groot. "But this is costly and most merchants don't bother."
Mr De Groot said some stores had taken action to flush out the skimming code and patch their stores after he published a list of compromised sites.
"I would recommend consumers to only enter their payment details on sites of known payment providers such as Paypal," he told the BBC. "They have hundreds of people working on security, the average store probably has none." | Almost 6,000 web shops are unknowingly harbouring malicious code that is stealing the credit card details of customers, suggests research. |
40198218 | CCTV footage shows the three men attacking a pedestrian in Borough Market before charging at armed officers. The men are then shot dead.
It comes after police investigating Saturday's attack - which left eight people dead - made three fresh arrests during raids in east London.
In total, 17 people have been arrested and five remain in custody.
Police have named Youssef Zaghba, a 22-year-old Moroccan-Italian man who lived in east London, Khuram Butt, 27, from Barking, and Rachid Redouane, 30, who also lived in Barking, as the men who carried out the attack.
The three men drove into pedestrians on London Bridge before stabbing people in Borough Market.
The new footage - which first emerged on social media - shows police shooting dead the men within seconds of arriving in Borough Market.
Police have been praised for ending the attack within eight minutes of the first 999 call.
The video shows a person walking into shot, before being chased and apparently being stabbed by the three men.
While the attack is ongoing, armed police arrive, prompting the three men to then charge at officers. However, the three men are shot dead within seconds.
Armed officers can then be seen examining the bodies of the men, who were wearing fake suicide vests.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission has said 46 shots had been fired at the three attackers by eight police officers - five from the Met and three from the City of London force.
The footage makes both compelling and harrowing viewing. The first grainy images show a man being set upon by the three attackers as he walks along one of the narrow roads around Borough Market.
They repeatedly stab him, bundling him to the ground, before a police car arrives. Armed officers, guns raised, get out of the car. Six seconds later the attackers are dead.
The speed, professionalism, nerve and expertise shown by the firearms officers shines through in the video. Their actions undoubtedly saved many lives.
Separately, CCTV footage of Butt, Redouane and Zaghba apparently meeting at about 00:10 BST on Monday 29 May - five days before the attack - has also been published by the Times.
The film shows the men meeting outside a gym in Barking, according to the newspaper.
It shows Redouane throwing his mobile phone on the floor and walking off camera with the other two attackers, for about 10 minutes, before returning to collect his mobile.
The footage has been passed to police, the Times added.
On Wednesday night, two men were arrested on a street in Ilford, the Metropolitan Police said.
A 27-year-old man was held on suspicion of the preparation of terrorist acts. A 33-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply controlled drugs, and was later further arrested over firearms allegations.
A third man, aged 29, was arrested on suspicion of the preparation of terrorist acts at an address in Ilford.
The other two men arrested were held under the Terrorism Act earlier on Wednesday - a 30-year-old detained in Ilford and a 27-year-old in Barking.
Twelve people arrested after the day after attack have been released without charge.
NHS England said 29 patients remained in London hospitals, with 10 in a critical condition.
A British Transport Police officer who was seriously injured after confronting the three attackers armed only with a baton has said he did "everything I could" to fight them off.
The officer, who has not been named, has been praised for his bravery, and added: "I want to say sorry to the families that lost their loved ones. I'm so sorry I couldn't do more."
The family of French national Alexandre Pigeard, a waiter at Boro Bistro, in Borough Market, said he was stabbed to death while working on the restaurant's terrace.
"Alexandre was a marvellous son, a perfect older brother and a radiant young man," they said in a statement. "All his friends praised his kindness, his good humour and his generosity."
On Wednesday, police searching for French national Xavier Thomas, 45, said they had recovered a body from the Thames, bringing the death toll to eight.
Mr Thomas's next of kin have been told, police said, but formal identification has not yet taken place.
Meanwhile, the prime minister of Spain said Ignacio EcheverrÃa, 39, who died defending a woman with his skateboard, should be given a posthumous award - the Silver Cross of the Order of Civil Merit. Mr EcheverrÃa was from Madrid and was working for HSBC bank in London.
The others killed in the attack have been named as Sebastien Belanger, 36, from France, Australians Sara Zelenak and Kirsty Boden, Canadian national Chrissy Archibald, and James McMullan, from Hackney, London.
It earlier emerged that Khuram Butt was known to police and MI5 in 2015, but the Metropolitan Police said there had been no evidence of a plot.
Butt had appeared in a Channel 4 documentary The Jihadis Next Door, broadcast last year.
An Italian police source confirmed to the BBC that Youssef Zaghba had been placed on a watch list, which is shared with many countries, including the UK.
In March 2016, Italian officers stopped him at Bologna airport and found IS-related materials on his mobile phone. He was then stopped from continuing his journey to Istanbul.
But speaking at her house in Bologna, Zaghba's mother told the BBC she believed her son was radicalised in the UK.
Rachid Redouane claimed to be a Moroccan-Libyan. He married a British woman, 38-year-old Charisse O'Leary, in Dublin in 2012.
His ex-wife said she was "deeply shocked, saddened and numbed" by his actions. | A video has emerged showing armed police shooting dead the three men who carried out the London terror attack. |
31033138 | He will be replaced by British-born Steve Easterbrook, the company's current chief brand officer, in March.
"It's tough to say goodbye to the McFamily," said Mr Thompson, a 25-year veteran, in a press release.
McDonald's recently reported disappointing results.
Fourth quarter earnings were $1.1bn, down 21% from a year earlier. The company also reported its fifth consecutive decline in sales.
Crucially, sales in the lucrative US market were down by 4.1%, as US consumers continue to eschew McDonald's, in favour of so-called "fast-casual" restaurants like Chipotle and Shake Shack.
After the earnings were released last Friday, McDonald's said its profits would remain under pressure for the next several months as it sought to lure back consumers with menu changes.
The company is also facing a labour issue in the US, where efforts to unionise fast food workers have led to a spate of lawsuits.
Mr Thompson was paid $9.5m in 2013, the most recent year for which data is available.
His successor, Steve Easterbrook, grew up in Watford, UK, and previously ran the Pizza Express and Wagamama restaurant chains.
He attended Watford Boys Grammar School and studied Natural Sciences at Durham University, before becoming an accountant at Price Waterhouse.
Mr Easterbrook will become only the second non-US chief executive to run McDonald's. | McDonald's boss Don Thompson is stepping down after two and a half years in the job, as the company continues to struggle with a declining customer base in the US. |
23342660 | Chelsea have confirmed making a bid for the 27-year-old but denied they would be willing to include either Juan Mata or David Luiz as a make-weight.
United rejected the offer on Tuesday night but Chelsea are expected to return with an improved bid.
Rooney has reiterated his desire to leave United after manager David Moyes said he was not his number one striker.
Media playback is not supported on this device
And Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho confirmed his admiration for Rooney in a BBC interview in Bangkok on Tuesday.
Rooney has been left angered and confused by recent messages coming out of Old Trafford, most noticeably the suggestion from new manager Moyes that Robin van Persie is his main striker.
The Scot said last week: "Overall, my thought on Wayne is that if for any reason we had an injury to Robin van Persie we are going to need him."
Rooney has expressed his disappointment with his situation to senior figures at the club and insisted he will not accept a squad role behind the Dutchman.
United have refused to comment on the latest twist in the saga, with their players in Sydney on the second leg of their pre-season tour.
But Chelsea released a statement on Wednesday, expressing their disappointment that news of their bid had leaked out.
They also denied that any player was included in the offer, despite sources close to the talks claiming otherwise.
"Chelsea can confirm that yesterday it made a written offer to Manchester United for the transfer of Wayne Rooney," read the statement.
"Although the terms of that offer are confidential, for the avoidance of doubt and contrary to what is apparently being briefed to the press in Sydney, the proposed purchase does not include the transfer or loan of any players from Chelsea to Manchester United."
United insist they will not be bullied into selling Rooney, despite the England striker's disgruntlement, and are determined to deal with Rooney's future on their terms.
With Manchester City, who are hopeful of completing the signing of Sevilla striker Alvaro Negredo this week, unwilling to follow up their historic interest, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid showing no interest and Barcelona having signed the Brazil forward Neymar, Chelsea have emerged as the likeliest destination for Rooney.
Paris St-Germain have also been linked with the former Everton player, but the French champions have just signed Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani from Napoli.
In addition, Rooney is understood to be reluctant to move abroad.
Rooney may now submit a formal transfer request to force the issue, but there is no guarantee that United will grant him a move to a Premier League rival such as Chelsea.
United are comfortable with the situation and in a stronger position than 2010, when Rooney threatened to leave only to be persuaded to stay by former manager Sir Alex Ferguson. | Manchester United have rejected Chelsea's offer for Wayne Rooney and insisted the striker is not for sale. |
40443170 | From September three and four-year-olds will be eligible for 30 hours' free nursery education if both parents work.
But the National Day Nurseries Association says the average extra 40p an hour offered to providers falls short of what they need.
The government says the amount it has allocated should be enough.
Currently, three and four-year-olds in England are eligible for 15 hours of free nursery education per week.
This entitlement will double from September under a flagship Conservative pledge in the 2015 election.
But nursery operators say the money allocated has never covered their costs and doubling the hours will make matters worse.
Until now, they have been able to offset the shortfall by charging more to families who pay for extra hours over the 15.
This source of income will dry up once families are eligible for 30 free hours each week.
Meanwhile, higher business rates and the planned rise in the national living wage to £9 in 2020 mean higher costs.
The NDNA sent a funding questionnaire to each of England's 152 education authorities under Freedom of Information law, and received responses from 128.
On average, from September local authorities will increase funding for free nursery care for three and four-year-olds by 40p per hour to £4.37.
London boroughs will pay an average of £4.97 and councils outside London an average of £4.23.
And seven local authorities will pay below £4.00:
NDNA chief executive Purnima Tanuka wants the 30 hours plan delayed to allow a rethink on funding.
"Despite repeated government assurances that enough money would be made available for nurseries and talk of 'record' funding, the reality is that the average nursery will receive just a few pence more per hour, less than the price of a second class stamp," she said.
"It's totally inadequate. More funded hours will mean greater losses.
"The average nursery is short of delivery costs for the current 15 hours by almost £1,000 per child per year."
Roy Perry, chairman of the Local Government Association's children and young people board, said councils would be working closely with providers to deliver the extra free hours, as the scheme "represents a great opportunity to provide support for parents as well as early education for children to help them get ready to start school".
"However, councils remain concerned that the proposed increase in funding will not be enough to secure enough high quality provision for everyone who wants it," said Mr Perry.
The Department for Education says that by 2020 it will be spending a record £6bn on childcare, including an additional £1bn on the free hours.
A spokeswoman said the funding provided to councils should allow them to pass about £4.00 per hour to nurseries for each childcare place.
She argued that that this rate was "far higher than the average hourly cost of providing childcare" which recent independent research had put at only £3.72 per hour.
Robert Goodwill, Minister for Children and Families, said pilots of the scheme had proved "a huge success" and the government was "determined to support as many families as possible with access to high-quality, affordable childcare". | The funding increase offered to nurseries in England to cover extra free childcare is less than the cost of a second class stamp, say campaigners. |
37114284 | The operator of the WeChat messaging app is worth $249bn compared with $246bn for Alibaba.
Tencent shares jumped by over 6% to a record high in Hong Kong after reporting strong quarterly earnings on Wednesday.
The internet giant said profit rose by 47% to 10.9bn yuan ($1.6bn; £1.2bn) in the three months to June.
Revenues surged due to growth in its online gaming business and advertising.
Out of China's three internet giants, the online gaming and social media company Tencent is now the biggest, but still least known in the West.
Tencent has not attracted the same global attention as its rivals: Alibaba, with charismatic entrepreneur Jack Ma at the helm, and Baidu, the local equivalent of Google.
"Revenues jumped, platforms are booming and it runs the Twitter and Facebook of China," an IG analyst said. "Investors are hoping that, like Facebook, they can turn active users into revenues." | Tencent has overtaken its rival Alibaba to become China's most valuable tech firm after strong results. |
33932005 | Gwendoline Goring said she was catching her breath when she stopped in a children's play area while walking Mylo off French's Avenue, Dunstable.
Soon afterwards a warden handed her a fine for disobeying signs stating that dogs were not allowed in the park.
The council said there was "clear support" for the dog ban.
Ms Goring said the incident happened on Tuesday lunchtime as she was walking with her friend in the park.
She said: "I can't walk very far and I hadn't been out because I've had an operation on my arm.
"I seemed to be getting out of breath and I didn't feel well, and there are no benches at all in that park, except for the two that are in the play area.
"And I know you're not supposed to take a dog in there, but there was nobody in the whole park except for us, so I just sat down.
Mrs Goring was told the fine would be reduced to £50 if paid within 14 days, but she said she would not pay it as the amount represented half of her weekly pension money.
"Why should I pay it? I know I'm in the wrong but even just giving me a little leeway... I think it's disgraceful," she said.
Central Bedfordshire Council said: "There is signage clearly stating this is not allowed.
"There was clear support for banning dogs from enclosed children's play areas when we consulted the public before introducing the dog control orders last year." | An 83-year-old woman with asthma who was fined £80 for illegally using a park bench while with her pet dog has said she will fight the penalty. |
38736409 | All those bereaved during the Troubles should be supported, Michelle O'Neill told BBC News NI.
"No one's hurt is worth more than anyone else's," she said.
Mrs O'Neill took over from Martin McGuinness on Monday and said she was part of a new generation of republican leaders.
She has just five weeks to prepare for an election after Stormont's power-sharing coalition fell apart over a botched energy scheme scandal.
The fallout from the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal, which is approximately £490m over budget, led to Mr McGuinness' quitting after DUP leader Arlene Foster refused to stand aside as first minster while an investigation was carried out.
As they hold a joint office, his resignation automatically put Mrs Foster out of her job and prompted the calling of snap elections on 2 March.
In her BBC News NI interview, Mrs O'Neill would not speculate on whether party president Gerry Adams might be replaced before the next Irish election, arguing it should be up to him when he stands down.
Both Mr Adams and Mr McGuinness previously said that the Sinn Féin leadership had planned its transition process.
Questioned about why the party chose its northern leader by appointment, rather than an open election, Mrs O'Neill said Sinn Féin followed its own internal processes.
Asked if former first minister Arlene Foster was someone she could work with, Mrs O'Neill said she would have no choice but to work with whoever the electorate returns.
However, she criticised what she called the DUP's arrogance in its handling of the RHI affair and insisted she would only work with others on the basis of parity of esteem, respect and equality for all citizens. | The new leader of Sinn Féin north of the border says her job is about trying to "heal the hurt of the past". |
38510390 | Born Rory Graham in Uckfield, near Brighton, the 31-year-old started his musical career as a jungle MC before his parents encouraged him to sing.
His first big break came in 2012, when he supported Joan Armatrading, after his girlfriend sent promoters his early recordings - including videos of him singing on the toilet.
"I didn't know anything about it," he told his local newspaper The Argus. "I made some of my early recordings while sitting on the toilet... They seemed to like it though."
Through constant gigging, he built a loyal fanbase until the emotive Bitter End, from his 2015 Disfigured EP, won support from Huw Stephens on Radio 1 and Jo Whiley on Radio 2.
With a rasping voice not unlike Joe Cocker, he recently scored a major hit with the gospel-inspired single Human, which has topped the German charts for the last 13 weeks, and challenged Clean Bandit for the UK Christmas number one.
He spoke to the BBC about his pirate radio past, becoming "big in Germany" and his favourite Disney songs.
5.Nadia Rose
4.Jorja Smith
3. Raye
2. Rag 'N' Bone Man
1. Ray BLK
5. Nadia Rose
4. Jorja Smith
3. Raye
2. Rag 'N' Bone Man
1. Ray BLK
Congratulations on making the Sound of 2017's top five! How does it feel?
It's a pretty exciting thing to be part of. It feels like I've put in all the hard work for a reason.
Where did you get the name Rag 'N' Bone Man?
I used to go round to my granddad's house on a Saturday morning, and we'd sit and eat our porridge and watch re-runs of Steptoe and Son on BBC Two. I thought it was hilarious - and Rag 'N' Bone Man sounded like a blues name to me. It reminded me of people like Sonny Boy Williamson and Big Mama Thornton.
Imagine how different it would have been if you'd been watching repeats of Fawlty Towers.
Yeah, I could have been called Basil!
Did anyone ever advise you to go back to being Rory?
I was asked if I wanted to change it a couple of times, but I like it. Whether you think it's stupid or not, it's memorable.
Human has been number one in Germany for more than three months now. Is it strange to be big in Europe first?
It's really crazy. I never expected it at all.
I've been working as a musician for the last five or six years, but I saw myself as an underground artist and I was kind of happy doing that. But then, you know, when it started getting bigger I thought, "Well, why not? Why shouldn't it be spread to a wider audience?"
In the UK, the song only entered the chart after Emily Middlemas performed it on X Factor. How did you feel about that?
I didn't have any choice in the matter! X Factor isn't my thing. I don't watch those shows. But somebody showed me her singing the song on their phone and, actually, she kind of nailed it.
You spent a long time making hip-hop as a teenager. Were you a good MC?
I think I was - but I always had the feeling everyone was better than me, you know? When I started singing, I left it behind.
What prompted you to start singing?
Me and my dad used to go to these jam sessions and open mic nights but I was always scared of singing on stage. It felt different to rapping - more pressured.
But it literally took one time for me to do it, and for people to come up and say, "Dude, do you realise what your voice sounds like?" for me to be like, "OK, maybe I should do this more often!"
Where was that gig?
It was my 21st birthday at a pub in East Grinstead. My dad said, "You should get up and sing" and because it was my birthday and I'd had a few drinks I went, "Alright, yeah, I'll do it!"
What did you sing?
The guys on stage were all double, if not triple, my age, and they were playing old blues tunes and standards. I knew all the words because my dad used to play them on a slide guitar when I was a kid.
The first song you uploaded to YouTube was an old American folk song, Reuben's Train. I was surprised to see you playing guitar on it, because you don't anymore...
I don't much, no, but I've just decided to start doing it again.
What age did you start to learn?
I always knew a little bit because my dad played but I didn't really have that much interest. You know what it's like when your dad tries to get you into something!
But when I started singing, and I wanted to try and write songs, I realised I'd have to teach myself a bit more.
So you had no formal training?
My mum always wanted to send me to a music school but we didn't really have the money. So even now, I'm not a technically good singer. If you asked me to sing a particular harmony, I wouldn't know how.
What else were you into as a kid?
I played a lot of basketball - but I was a little terror as a kid. I caused a lot of problems for my mum. We used to have the old bill round my house a lot.
I grew up in a little town called Uckfield and there's not much to do - so we used to fight a lot. I was never in serious trouble, but we used to have the local bobby round the house saying, "Rory's been up to this again."
Then you got into jungle music?
Yeah, when I was 16 or 17. We used to do little pirate radio stations and put out jungle mixes.
What were those pirate radio shows like?
Well, we have a couple of tapes, which are never allowed to be shown to anyone, ever! They are really bad. I listened back to one the other day and it is terrible. I'm keeping them firmly locked away.
What's the most embarrassing bit?
It's my voice. It's only just broken so I kind of sound like Scooby Doo.
You've been making music as Rag 'N' Bone Man for five or six years, now. Did you have to work to support yourself at the beginning?
Yeah, I was a carer, looking after people with Asperger syndrome and Down's syndrome.
My sister does something similar. It's a very rewarding job but quite a draining one.
Mentally draining, yeah. But most of the time it was pretty fun, to be honest.I looked after a brother and sister who had Down's syndrome, and we used to drive around in the car, stick on Disney songs and sing along. That was my life for about four years.
What was their favourite Disney song?
I used to do impressions of the Jungle Book characters to the kids; and we loved The Aristocats as well. That was one of our favourites - Everybody Wants To Be A Cat.
During that period, you gave away your Wolves EP for free. Why?
Wolves marked a point where I wanted to write songs properly and I wanted a wider audience to hear them. So I thought, "Why don't we just give it away? How can that be a bad thing?"
People love free stuff. And it worked. If definitely widened the audience.
Was there a song that people really responded to?
There's one called Life In Her Yet. I wrote it after I spoke to my granddad about living on his own again, after losing his wife. I can't imagine being with someone for 50 years and then being on your own.
That was the first song where I felt I could write about stuff like that.
Where did Human come from?
A friend asked me a question I didn't really feel qualified to answer, and I was like, "Why are you asking me?" That's what prompted the line, "I'm no prophet or messiah". Like, go and ask someone else. I don't have the answers for you!
It's funny, because I spoke to other people and they think it's about humanity. Maybe it is… but that's what's good about music - people can interpret the song for themselves.
I saw you play in Brixton recently, and you told the audience: "It's hard to write sad songs when I feel so happy." How big a problem is it?
There was a period where I felt a lot of frustration and and I wasn't happy in my relationship - and that definitely did make me write in a certain way. But I'm still learning as a songwriter, so I think I've definitely got it in me to write happier songs. Whether they'll be good or not, I don't know.
You recently tweeted you'd been up at 3am writing rap lyrics about EastEnders, so that can always be the basis of album number two.
Haha! Yeah, I still have that really childish side to me. I have a couple of tracks on the new album that I rap on. I need people to hear that side of my music, as well.
Rag 'N' Bone Man's debut album, Human, will be released on 10 February by Sony Music.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]. | Hip-hop bluesman Rag 'N' Bone Man has been named runner-up in the BBC's Sound of 2017, which aims to predict the year's biggest new acts. |
32689167 | Most business lobby groups seem to be broadly in favour of staying in a reformed EU, and their member surveys reflect this view.
But what is the reality of doing business with Europe? Is there too much red tape and bureaucracy? What effect could a Brexit - the inelegant short-hand for Britain leaving Europe - have on UK businesses?
The BBC canvassed a variety of businesses for their views.
"We export about £3m of goods a year to Europe - it's an incredibly important market for us," says Tony Attard, boss of a 30-year-old company making textiles for hotels, hospitals and offices.
"If we pulled out and I lost £2m of business it would cost jobs without a doubt. It's a big threat."
Standard product testing and harmonisation of raw materials tariffs have been beneficial for his business, he says, as have pan-European trade agreements.
"It's a ridiculous thing to say that being out of Europe would make us more competitive and nimble. We shouldn't take if for granted that we would have access to an open market if we pulled out."
Regulatory red tape from Brussels is often cited as a frustration for business, particularly when it comes to employment law and health and safety issues.
But Mr Attard says: "UK business rates are more of an issue to us than the working time directive."
"We really need a referendum to make up our minds once and for all whether we're going to be in Europe and make a go of it, or go our separate ways," says John Mills, founder of global consumer products company JML Group.
The Labour party donor and co-chairman of lobby group, Business for Britain, says: "I don't think it would make much difference economically if we were in or out, but I'm quite open minded on the issue.
"I just think we need to change our terms of membership and repatriate some powers from Brussels to Westminster. I don't think Britain wants to be part of a 'United States of Europe'."
The costs of membership, at £14bn-£15bn a year, are too high, he adds, while some of the regulations coming from Europe "can make business less competitive".
"I want to have my cake and eat it," admits Lesley Moody, boss of a digital media company developing software for local government and the food and beverage industry.
"I favour being involved in Europe, but I don't want to be drawn further in," she says.
With many of her customers based in Europe, she accepts that a single market is beneficial, but says: "I want us to be able to have a say but be able to opt out when they propose something that's not in our interests."
She fears being "drowned in EU red tape", and hopes that the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership being negotiated between the EU and the US could put some UK businesses at a competitive advantage.
"This referendum could really backfire," says Tim Squires, commercial director of a family firm making machine parts for the automotive industry. "The lack of information has clouded a lot of people's judgement."
"Although we're not a huge exporter, a lot of our parts go into products that are then sold to Europe, so import duties would be a big issue if we left the EU."
But Mr Squires, along with many other smaller businesses, thinks the UK pays a lot into the EU but doesn't seem to get enough back in return. And he thinks there's too much confusion over which legislation comes from Brussels or Westminster.
That said, remaining part of the European club brings more benefits than disadvantages, he believes.
"The EU is our biggest trading partner and if we're not in that we're going to be left out in the cold."
For Geoff Billington, sales director for International Safety Products (ISP), one of the world's largest life jacket manufacturers, the new government's demands to curb EU immigration are a concern.
"Curbing free movement of labour could have a negative impact on our business and possibly make us less competitive," he says.
About a quarter of ISP's staff are immigrants from countries like Poland, Lithuania, Hungary and Romania, he says, and they are prized for their machine skills and work ethic. Not being able to employ such workers could also put the wage bill up, he believes.
ISP sells about 70% of its output to Europe, and the single market presents "no barriers to entry for us. If we left, we could suffer from protectionism."
Mr Billington would even be happy for the UK to join the euro to remove exchange rate risks, he says. But he does want reform - anything that can stabilise the exchange rate - and the UK's contribution to the EU pot to be reduced.
"We would prefer the referendum not to be happening," says Nadeem Raza, boss of Microlise, a medium-sized business making the technology that monitors lorry fleets.
More than half its products are exported to Europe and other markets abroad.
"A lot of our contracts are four-to-seven years long, so we're committing to pricing and servicing levels now when we don't know what's going to happen after 2017. That's a lot of risk we could do without," he says.
"We'd rather things stay as they are until we have a really good reason to change it."
His customers, mostly supermarkets and delivery companies with large lorry fleets operating throughout Europe, would certainly benefit from greater pan-European standardisation, he believes.
Leaving Europe would make this much more difficult. | Prime Minister David Cameron has promised an in-out referendum on the UK's membership of the European Union before the end of 2017. |
38336272 | Ben Rhodes, adviser to President Barack Obama, said that Mr Putin maintains tight control on government operations, which suggests that he was aware.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest added that it was "pretty obvious" that Mr Putin was involved.
Officials in Russia have repeatedly denied hacking accusations.
"Everything we know about how Russia operates and how Putin controls that government would suggest that, again, when you're talking about a significant cyber intrusion like this, we're talking about the highest levels of government," Mr Rhodes said.
"And ultimately, Vladimir Putin is the official responsible for the actions of the Russian government."
The Kremlin on Thursday bristled at claims that Mr Putin orchestrated the data breach with the hopes of influencing the US election outcome.
Democrats have struggled to grasp why Hillary Clinton lost. Could it be the spread of "fake news"? A poor Democratic ground game in Midwestern states? FBI Director James Comey's last-minute letter to Congress about new Clinton emails?
Anything but acknowledge that Donald Trump turned out to be the more effective candidate with a more appealing message (at least in the states that mattered).
Russian government hackers are the latest culprit - or scapegoat, depending on one's perspective. They're a tempting target, however, given the latest accounts of intrigue from intelligence community sources. A wily Vladimir Putin overseeing damaging leaks makes for a deliciously villainous plot.
Of course those campaign emails, while certainly an annoyance to Democrats, likely weren't enough to tilt the election. But that doesn't mean these revelations won't be a headache for a president-elect who bristles when challenged.
Now he's feuding with his own intelligence services and lashing out on Twitter, virtually guaranteeing more leaks. A congressional investigation seems likely. There's even talk of a Russian sanctions bill ending up on President Trump's desk.
Mrs Clinton's loss still stings, but for forlorn Democrats seeing Mr Trump squirm would be a salve for open wounds.
NBC reported that the US had evidence that Mr Putin personally directed how information hacked by Russian intelligence was leaked.
Dmitry Peskov, Mr Putin's spokesman, told the AP the NBC report was "laughable nonsense".
President-elect Donald Trump also continued to reject claims that Russian intelligence hacked into emails of the Democratic Party and of John Podesta, a key aide to presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.
The president-elect has dismissed a CIA report concluding that Russian hackers were trying to help Mr Trump win the election.
He tweeted on Thursday: "If Russia, or some other entity, was hacking, why did the White House wait so long to act? Why did they only complain after Hillary lost?"
However, the Obama administration on 7 October directly accused Russia of hacking US political sites and email accounts with the aim of interfering with the upcoming election.
The Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence also released a statement asserting Russia had orchestrated the hack, including breaches on the Democratic National Committee and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
The contents of those hacks, passed to Wikileaks and posted online, were embarrassing to the Democrats and shook up the presidential campaign.
The NBC report, which cited two unnamed senior officials, said the hacking campaign began as a "vendetta" against Mrs Clinton before becoming "an effort to show corruption in American politics and split off key American allies".
Mr Putin is said to have been furious when Mrs Clinton, as secretary of state, questioned the integrity of 2011 parliamentary elections in Russia. He publicly accused her of encouraging street protests.
The BBC has not been able to confirm the NBC report.
There has been no specific evidence shared publicly to confirm Mr Putin's role or knowledge of the hackings. | The White House has suggested Russian President Vladimir Putin was directly involved in a hacking operation aimed at interfering with the US election. |
39139692 | Stargazers across Scotland photographed the Aurora Borealis on Wednesday night.
Scotland is one of the best places in the UK to observe the Northern Lights, which are related to activity on the sun.
On Wednesday night, the aurora was visible from the Isle of Skye, as well as Peterhead in Aberdeenshire and North Berwick in East Lothian.
Lancaster University's AuroraWatch UK said that 2017 had started quietly for aurora watchers, but overnight on Wednesday and Thursday the UK received "a whopping 13 total hours of elevated geomagnetic activity".
Five of those hours had activity strong enough to trigger amber-level alerts to the displays. Amber is AuroraWatch UK's second highest alert for chances of seeing the Northern Lights.
The rise in the activity was due to what is known as a negative polarity coronal hole high-speed stream.
BBC Radio Scotland's Brainwaves programme has looked at the science behind the Northern Lights, a phenomenon that some scientists believe could become harder to see from Scotland. | All images are copyrighted. |
34662026 | Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said that Senior Deputy Ben Fields "did not follow proper procedure".
He was a school resource officer at the school in South Carolina.
He "should not have thrown a student - he could have done a lot of things he was trained to do, he was not trained to throw a student", Sheriff Lott said.
The incident occurred at the Spring Valley High School in Columbia, witnesses said, when the unnamed African-American student refused to put away her mobile phone and then refused to leave the classroom.
The officer was then summoned and asked her to leave again. She refused, and he told her she was under arrest.
Video then shows the officer violently knocking the student down and pulling her across the floor.
The incident was filmed by a fellow student and was published on the internet, prompting the hashtag #AssaultAtSpringValleyHigh to circulate on Twitter and an outcry from various civil rights and parents' groups.
Mr Lott said he had received expressions of support for the officer, who had been at the school seven years, from some parents and school officials. Officer Fields had received a "Culture of Excellence" award last year by an elementary school where he was also assigned.
But Sheriff Lott said the officer had "lost control" and had not dealt with this incident correctly.
"That is not a proper technique and should not be used in law enforcement. And based on that, that is a violation of our policy and approximately 20 minutes ago Officer Ben Fields was terminated from the Richland County Sheriff's Department."
He said complaints had been made about Officer Fields during his time at the school - some had been upheld and some had not.
Legal action has been taken three times against the officer, according to Associated Press news agency:
The deputy has not been criminally charged but the Federal Bureau of Investigation and justice department have opened a civil rights investigation into the arrest.
Fellow students at the school have tweeted claims that they have seen him behaving in a similar manner in the past, but this was the first time such an incident was caught on camera.
Sheriff Lott has said the girl was unhurt in the incident aside from a carpet burn.
However, the girl's attorney, Todd Rutherford, told ABC's Good Morning America' that she "has a cast on her arm, she has neck and back injuries" as well as a plaster on her forehead because of the carpet burn.
Sheriff Lott said he would "not describe the officer as remorseful, but he was sorry that the whole thing occurred".
Source: Richland County Sheriff's Department | A US police officer has been fired after video showing him throwing a female student across a classroom was shared widely on the internet. |
30317325 | Dr Hazel Torrance said it would take a few hours longer for people on average before they would be able to drive the day after a night out.
The current drink-drive limit of 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood will be reduced in Scotland to 50mg.
It comes into force on Friday after midnight.
Dr Torrance, from the University of Glasgow, said alcohol affects every individual in different ways due to a number of factors including body weight, their sex and if they have eaten or not.
The expert also said a single pint of standard beer or a glass of wine "should" leave people under the new drink-drive limit, if they waited a few hours before getting behind the wheel.
Ms Torrance said: "Currently, you can probably drink a pint and a half of beer and maybe a large glass and a half of wine and you should be under the limit.
"With the new limit, that will be reduced to a pint of beer and a glass of wine."
Dr Torrance explained that, on average, it takes a person an hour to clear between 15mg and 18mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood.
Therefore, it would take a drinker an additional two hours of recovery to reach 30mg - the difference between the old limit and the new limit.
The toxicologist also said it is possible to be under the limit and impaired through alcohol, and advised people to not drink at all when driving.
She added: "Alcohol is processed through the liver and is excreted through the urine. There are average rates at which this happens, but that can vary depending on the individual and depending on the individual circumstances as well, such as whether they have eaten.
Why not impose an outright ban on drink-driving?
Asked if two people who drink exactly the same could record different alcohol levels, she added: "Yes. There are differences between individuals depending on their body weight, on their sex, on what concentration of alcohol they achieve and how quickly that is excreted. It is very individual-dependent.
"If they have been eating, then it tends to take longer to reach a maximum alcohol concentration in your blood."
And what message for people who will be out drinking this weekend? "I would think twice about what you are drinking," said Dr Torrance.
"Make sure you leave sufficient time between stopping drinking and driving."
Earlier this week, Scottish justice secretary Michael Matheson visited Dumfries and Galloway and Cumbria to highlight the new drink-driving limit north of the border.
Mr Matheson said the new limit will make Scotland's roads safer and save lives.
He said: "The evidence from the Republic of Ireland which has brought in the same lower limit suggests we will see convictions go down, reductions in drink driving and lower blood alcohol counts."
The Scottish Parliament voted unanimously in favour of the new law on 18 November. | Drivers should think twice about what they drink as the new lower alcohol limits come into effect, a forensic toxicologist has warned. |
30933909 | The Assembly Commission, which runs its day-to-day administration, suggests that moving to 100 AMs would add up to £17m to the current £50m budget.
The commission said it would be "a modest and reasonable price to pay" for effective scrutiny of £15bn of public spending every year.
The Welsh government has said there is "no appetite" for more politicians.
Presiding Officer Rosemary Butler called for an increase to 80 AMs, in response to the additional powers and responsibility being devolved to Wales.
"Assembly Members are thinly spread, especially in their committee work, and these pressures will only intensify as our legislative and fiscal responsibilities increase," she said. | Increasing the number of AMs from 60 to 80 would cost up to £9m in the first year, according to a new report. |
35244288 | The supercar manufacturer said it had delivered 1,653 of its cars to 30 different countries in 2015.
A second shift has been created in its Woking factory to cope with demand for its cars, some of which retail for £900,000.
Business Secretary Sajid Javid MP said the announcement showed Britain's auto industry was "thriving".
The new roles will be created in the Surrey company's production, quality and logistics departments.
The company currently employs about 1,500 people, with 500 working in production - where the majority of the new jobs will be created.
McLaren said the second shift is scheduled to start in February and will take production rates from 14 to 20 cars per day.
Chief Executive Mike Flewitt said the increase in sales was partly driven by the introduction of the firm's cheapest model the "Sports Series", which costs from £150,000.
The other two models of car they produce are the more expensive "Super Series" and "Ultimate Series".
He said: "The levels of customer orders tells us that now is the time to invest in the second shift and 250 new production team members to ensure that we are able to reach our assembly objectives once the full model range is available."
Mr Javid, who was due to visit the plant on Thursday, said: "I was particularly impressed to hear that over half of all the components and parts that go into their cars are manufactured here in the UK, and this is creating countless more jobs in the supply chain."
In June 2015 the company announced its annual turnover was £475.5m. | Sports car maker McLaren Automotive has announced it will create 250 new jobs following a "record year". |
36449913 | This has led the trade body for major pharmaceutical companies, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), to condemn price rises by some small operators for prescription drugs as "cynical and exploitative".
So what's the problem and could more than £250m a year be saved?
An investigation by the Times newspaper has revealed that a small number of businesses have made big profits after hiking prices for generic prescription drugs, including some anti-depressants and skin medications.
There is a deal between the government and major pharmaceutical companies to cap the annual cost of branded drugs still protected by patent. But no such arrangement exists for generic medicines.
There seems to be a particular problem for some older generic drugs when distribution rights have been bought by smaller companies from the pharmaceutical giants.
These cases usually involve low sales volumes and rival companies deciding it's not worth entering the market. The theory is that when a drug "goes generic" there will be competition which drives down prices. But in these situations there is a monopoly.
Given that NHS tariffs (the prices which pharmacists pay for their supplies before getting reimbursed) are set by average market prices for each drug, the suppliers call the shots and the health service has to accept whatever is charged.
The Times investigation revealed an increase for one drug of 12,500% in five years and, for 32 others, a 1,000% rise.
The newspaper estimated this had added £262m to the annual NHS drugs bill. One industry source described it as market failure and told me it was clear there was a loophole which ought to be closed.
The ABPI condemned the pricing revelations, making clear the companies involved were not members and the examples quoted in the report were rare.
The association's Dr Richard Torbett said official intervention was required.
"The government can step in and question pricing decisions and, through the Competition and Markets Authority, has wide powers to regulate and deal with market abuses.
"The ABPI supports this and is in discussion with government about how best to ensure appropriate pricing throughout the system."
NHS England, while acknowledging that in general the system delivers value for money, is clearly anxious for action to be taken by the government.
A spokesman said: "We are concerned about these type of anomalies at a time when the NHS needs to make significant savings which suggests further regulatory action may be needed."
Ministers are aware of the problem and seem keen that the Competition and Markets Authority takes whatever action is needed.
A Department of Health spokesman said: "These are serious allegations and no pharmaceutical company should be exploiting the NHS.
"The secretary of state has asked the CMA to urgently look at the evidence uncovered by the Times as part of their continuing investigations into excessive drugs pricing."
The intent is there. The government and NHS leaders want any loophole allowing excessive charging to be closed.
But how quickly it can happen, allowing for due process involved with CMA investigations, is another matter.
Any delay will cost the health service millions of pounds more at a time when it needs as much cash as possible for frontline care. | At a time when the NHS is trying to save every penny without undermining patient care, news has emerged that it is being over-charged in one area of its drugs bill. |
34132308 | Although those fleeing the Syrian crisis have for several years been crossing into Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey in huge numbers, entering other Arab states - especially in the Gulf - is far less straightforward.
Officially, Syrians can apply for a tourist visa or work permit in order to enter a Gulf state.
But the process is costly, and there is a widespread perception that many Gulf states have unwritten restrictions in place that make it hard for Syrians to be granted a visa in practice.
Most successful cases are Syrians already in Gulf states extending their stays, or those entering because they have family there.
For those with limited means, there is the added matter of the sheer physical distance between Syria and the Gulf.
This comes as part of wider obstacles facing Syrians, who are required to obtain rarely granted visas to enter almost all Arab countries.
Without a visa, Syrians are not currently allowed to enter Arab countries except for Algeria, Mauritania, Sudan and Yemen.
The relative wealth and proximity to Syria of the states has led many - in both social and as well as traditional media - to question whether these states have more of a duty than Europe towards Syrians suffering from over four years of conflict and the emergence of jihadist groups in the country.
The Arabic hashtag #Welcoming_Syria's_refugees_is_a_Gulf_duty has been used more than 33,000 times on Twitter in the past week.
Users have posted powerful images to illustrate the plight of Syrian refugees, with photos of people drowned at sea, children being carried over barbed wire, or families sleeping rough.
A Facebook page called The Syrian Community in Denmark has shared a video showing migrants being allowed to enter Austria from Hungary, prompting one user to ask: "How did we flee from the region of our Muslim brethren, which should take more responsibility for us than a country they describe as infidels?"
Another user replied: "I swear to the Almighty God, it's the Arabs who are the infidels."
The story has also attracted the attention of regional press and political actors.
The Saudi daily Makkah Newspaper published a cartoon - widely shared on social media - that showed a man in traditional Gulf clothing looking out of a door with barbed wire around it and pointing at door with the EU flag on it.
"Why don't you let them in, you discourteous people?!" he says.
The commander of the opposition Free Syrian Army (FSA), Riyad al-Asaad, retweeted an image of refugees posted by a former Kuwaiti MP, Faisal al-Muslim, who had added the comment: "Oh countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, these are innocent people and I swear they are most deserving of billions in aid and donations."
But despite the appeals from social media, Gulf states' position seems unlikely to shift in favour of Syrian refugees.
In terms of employment, the trend in most Gulf states, such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE is towards relying on migrant workers from South-East Asia and the Indian subcontinent, particularly for unskilled labour.
While non-Gulf Arabs do occupy positions in skilled mid-ranking jobs, for example in education and health, they are up against a "nationalisation" drive whereby the Saudi and Kuwaiti governments in particular are seeking to prioritise the employment of locals.
Non-native residents may also struggle to create stable lives in these countries as it is near impossible to gain nationality.
In 2012, Kuwait even announced an official strategy to reduce the number of foreign workers in the emirate by a million over 10 years.
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. | As the crisis brews over Syrian refugees trying to enter European countries, questions have been raised over why they are not heading to wealthy Gulf states closer to home. |
38011001 | On Wednesday, Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said Dee Stitt should reconsider his position as chief executive of Charter NI.
However, Mrs Foster said she could not tell the organisation what to do over employability issues.
She said she regretted the fact that Mr Stitt had now become "a distraction".
"My view is he has become a distraction to the work that's ongoing in east Belfast and I regret that," Mrs Foster said.
"This man is an employee of Charter NI and they have to deal with him as they see fit, it would be wrong for me to intervene in all of the different organisations that exist across Northern Ireland."
The calls for Mr Stitt to stand down began after he claimed the government does not care about Northern Ireland in a foul-mouthed rant to The Guardian newspaper. He has since apologised.
The leading loyalist has been given a final written warning as part of an internal disciplinary procedure.
Earlier, an SDLP MLA called for an independent review of the conduct of Mr Stitt.
Nichola Mallon told the BBC's Nolan Show that Charter NI's work has been tarred as a result of the controversy.
"The issue here is what, or who, has anything to fear from an independent review," Ms Mallon said.
"We are at a situation where a serious shadow has been cast over any of the good work that goes on within this organisation," she added.
Charter NI is a publically funded body which lobbies and advocates for community groups.
The author of a report into paramilitary activity, John McBurney, said he believes Mr Stitt should be on a probationary period with the organisation.
He told the Good Morning Ulster programme that the loyalist should not have made the remarks.
Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt has also called on the Northern Ireland Executive to take action.
"It is effectively - in the public perception - a stand-off between the Northern Ireland Executive and the UDA, between democracy and paramilitarism."
"I'm am calling on the executive to say that there is a line in the sand after which there will be zero tolerance of paramilitary organisations."
On Wednesday, the Deputy First Minister, Mr McGuinness, said damage was being done to the reputation of worthwhile social investment projects as a result of Mr Stitt's involvement with Charter NI. | First Minister Arlene Foster has refused to back calls for a UDA leader who heads an east Belfast community-based organisation to step down. |
26802475 | Commons Treasury committee chairman Andrew Tyrie said the leak may have "damaged consumer confidence".
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said on Friday it would probe the sale of 30 million policies worth £150bn.
It will examine how the news leaked, hitting shares in insurance firms.
The inquiry will look at pensions, endowments, investment bonds and life assurance policies sold in the UK between the 1970s and 2000.
The FCA had been due to announce the probe in its annual business plan on Monday, but details were revealed ahead of schedule by The Daily Telegraph.
Otto Thoreson, director general of the Association of British Insurers, said the story had caused "absolute confusion in the investment markets".
Mr Tyrie said: "On the face of it, this is an extraordinary blunder.
"It is crucial that we have a full and transparent explanation about how such an apparently serious mistake came to be made by our financial services watchdog - the body appointed by Parliament to enforce high standards of conduct.
"The principle that market sensitive information is released accurately to all participants at the same time appears to have been breached."
Mr Thoreson told the BBC: "What happened was effectively a pre-briefing of a business plan which is going to be published on Monday."
"But because it was to one newspaper, and it was written up as a story without the ability of those of us who are involved in the industry to corroborate issues, what you saw was the uncertainty that was created causing absolute confusion in the investment markets."
Later on Friday the FCA issued a statement in response to concerns about how it had handled the release of the news about its investigation.
"The Board will conduct an investigation into the FCA's handling of the issue involving an external law firm, and will share the outcome of this work in due course," it said.
Legal & General, Aviva and Resolution - which owns Friends Provident - were among the biggest fallers on the FTSE 100, just days after share prices were hit by George Osborne's plans for an overhaul of the UK's pension system and a cap on pension management fees.
Formally announcing the inquiry into old policies on Friday, the FCA said it was concerned that some companies were not giving the same priority to policies sold years ago as they did to new policies.
A large number of policies sold to consumers in the 30 years to 2000 include terms that penalise those attempting to switch to a cheaper provider.
Some savers face losing up to half of their savings if they move to another company.
The FCA also said it feared "zombie" funds, which are closed to new clients, were being used by insurers to pay bills from other parts of their businesses.
Details of the inquiry will be officially published on Monday.
But concerns that will be covered include:
The financial services industry has been scarred by several high-profile scandals during the past few decades involving the mis-selling of policies such as mortgage endowments, personal pensions and payment protection insurance.
Millions of endowment policies were sold in the 1980s and 1990s, typically as a method of repaying mortgages, often with unsubstantiated claims that they were guaranteed to pay off the customers' home loan. Millions of pounds were subsequently paid in compensation. | The City regulator appears to have made an "extraordinary blunder" by allowing details of an insurance industry investigation to be made public early, a senior MP has said. |
33606932 | The Blue Bird, which was built in 1919, set a record 90 years ago of more than 150mph (241km/h).
The car, now kept at the National Motor Museum in Hampshire, was driven at low speed by Sir Malcolm's grandson, Don Wales, at Pendine Sands.
It was fired up for the first time in 50 years following a rebuild last year. | The car which set a land speed record for Sir Malcolm Campbell has been brought back to the scene of the triumph in Carmarthenshire. |
36882063 | Shares had been in positive territory until publication of the CBI's latest industrial trends survey that showed Brexit hitting business confidence.
By the close, the FTSE 100 was down 20 points, or 0.3%, at 6,710.13.
The pound gained ground, rising 0.12% against the dollar to $1.3127, but was just 0.11% higher against the euro at €1.1963.
The CBI's monthly total order book balance from its monthly industrial trends survey fell to minus 4 in July from minus 2, while a measure of output over the next three months fell to 6 in July from 23 in June.
Quarterly business optimism balance plummeted to minus 47 from minus 5, the lowest since January 2009, during the depths of the financial crisis.
Rain Newton-Smith, CBI chief economist, said: "It's clear that a cloud of uncertainty is hovering over industry, post-Brexit. We see this in weak expectations for new orders, a sharp fall in optimism and a scaling back of investment plans." | (Close): London's main share index edged lower on Monday, while other major European markets saw gains. |
39892479 | The number of cases dropped 95% between January and April, compared to the same period a year ago, officials said.
The virus has been linked to the birth of babies with abnormally small heads. The threat was at its peak as Brazil prepared to host the 2016 Olympics.
The World Health Organisation lifted its own international emergency in November last year.
The Zika virus has been linked to severe birth defects in almost 30 countries.
Brazil had declared a national emergency in November 2015. The threat led to a campaign to eradicate the mosquitoes which carry the virus.
There were 7,911 cases of Zika from January to April this year, compared to 170,535 cases reported in the same time last year, the health ministry said in a statement (in Portuguese).
No deaths related to the virus have been reported this year, it added, saying that eight people died last year. | Brazil has declared an end to a national emergency over the Zika virus after a sharp decrease in cases. |
17992053 | A snake is entwined in the undergrowth. It is about 1m long, mostly dull brown but with a vivid yellow underbelly.
We are face to face with Guam's "nemesis": the brown tree snake. And the forests here are dripping with them.
The US territory, in the western Pacific, is only 50km (30 miles) long and 10km wide, but it is packed with two million snakes.
This reptile arrived here only 60 years ago but has rapidly become one of the most successful invasive species ever.
Unhealthy appetite
Wildlife biologist James Stanford, from the US Geological Survey, says: "Our belief is that they came at the end of World War II.
"We've looked at their genetics and they are all extremely closely related, and it appears they came from the Island of Manus in Papua New Guinea."
He explains that military equipment used by the US in Papua New Guinea while the war raged in the Pacific was eventually sent back to Guam to be processed. A snake probably crept on to a ship or a plane destined for the island.
"And from that handful, or maybe even one already impregnated female, we now have a population that is unbelievable in scale," he says.
The snakes, which are mildly venomous, have caused many problems. They get everywhere, and people have even woken up with them in their beds.
The island's power system is regularly shorted out by snakes crawling on the lines. It is so frequent the locals now call power cuts "brown outs".
But the biggest impact has been on the wildlife - it has been decimated. The forests here are eerily quiet. Now the only place where the Guam's native birds, such as the koko, can be seen on the island are in cages in a captive breeding centre.
"The brown tree snake has had a devastating impact. Ten out of 12 native forest bird species disappeared in 30 years," says Cheryl Calaustro from Guam's Department of Agriculture.
"The birds here evolved without predators. They were quite naive. And when the snake arrived on Guam it ate eggs, juveniles, adults. Whole generations disappeared."
Toxic mouse bombs
But the snakes did not stop there.
Dr Stanford explains: "We thought it would be limited: 'OK, if it wipes out the birds, it will decline.' It wasn't the case. It just switched what it was feeding on - rodents, lizards, small mammals - across the board."
Now the locals are fighting back. And they are unleashing some unusual weapons in their war against the snake.
One effort has involved air-dropping mice that have been laced with poison and fitted with parachutes out of helicopters. It provides a deadly dinner for any unsuspecting snakes below.
"Right now we are using acetaminophen (paracetamol). It commonly used as a pain reliever and fever reducer in humans, but it is 100% lethal to all brown tree snakes," explains Dan Vice of the US Department of Agriculture.
"If they eat that dead mouse containing acetaminophen, they will die."
But this is a battle on two fronts. Not only is the US government trying to clear the snakes, it is also trying to prevent the problem being passed to anyone else.
And to do this, it has enlisted the help of some small dogs.
Snakes on a plane
In a busy cargo depot close to the airport, Elmo the Jack Russell, kitted out in a smart, green uniform, is sniffing box upon box of goods waiting for export.
He is on the hunt for any unwanted stowaways.
As he catches wind of an unusual scent, he begins to scrabble, alerting the government inspector to the presence of a snake - and is rewarded with a treat.
A small army of dogs check every single item of cargo before it leaves Guam.
"It is a monumental project. We're working 24 hours a day, seven days a week," says Mr Vice.
"Cargo doesn't stop, the airport doesn't shut down, so we have to be there to make sure the cargo going on the airplane has indeed been snake inspected."
Letting the snakes on a plane could have devastating consequences.
Mr Vice says: "Economics researchers have tried to apply the impact of snakes to Hawaii. They found it could cost $400m or more if the snake became established.
"The impacts are running across all kinds of parts of the economy. It includes healthcare for humans because the snakes bite people, damage to the power system, lost revenue associated with declines in tourism and ecotourism."
However, with so many snakes on the island, controlling the problem is an uphill battle.
And today, Guam serves as an example to the world of what happens when an invasive species takes hold.
The worry is that it may be too late to clear the infestation, but Mr Vice says this should not stop the islanders from trying.
"Our long-term goal is to eradicate the snake," he says.
"The problems here are so profound we don't want to let them go anywhere else, and the only way to achieve that is to get rid of them completely." | In the dense tropical forest, a slither of movement can just be made out in the glow of our head torches. |
38037075 | Jones died on Friday in a New York hospital after a battle with pancreatic cancer, her representative said.
Despite her powerhouse voice, Jones failed to make a breakthrough for decades until a recording session led to a Dap-Kings album in 2002.
The band later won a Grammy nomination and performed at Glastonbury.
British producer Mark Ronson was among those paying tribute.
He used the Dap-Kings as the backing band for another soul revival star, Amy Winehouse, on her breakthrough album Back to Black, released in 2006.
He said: "Sharon Jones had one of the most magnificent, gut-wrenching voices of anyone in recent time."
Members of the band were at her bedside when she died, her representative, Judy Miller Silverman, said.
The cancer was diagnosed in 2013 but failed to stop Jones performing during periods of remission.
"It's therapy,'' she said in July. "I know I need rest and sleep. But I want to work and that is our job.
"`You got to be brave. I want to use the time that I have. I don't want to spend it all laid up, wishing I had done that gig," she told Associated Press.
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings - BBC artist page
Barbara Kopple, who directed the documentary Miss Sharon Jones! released this year, said the singer even lit up hospital wards when she was undergoing chemotherapy treatment.
She said: "When people are around or there's an audience, that gives her fuel and she forgets her pain."
Jones was born in Augusta, Georgia, in 1956 and sang in gospel choirs and backing bands. However, real success eluded her and she took many jobs, including as a corrections officer at the Rikers Island jail.
But a recording session performance led to the formation of the Dap-Kings and the release of Dap-Dippin' With Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings in 2002, when Jones was 46.
Six more albums followed, including the Grammy-nominated Give the People What They Want. | Sharon Jones, the singer who spearheaded a soul revival movement with her band the Dap-Kings, has died at the age of 60. |
39303392 | BP's Forties Pipeline System (FPS) transports about 450,000 barrels of oil per day on average - about 40% of UK production.
The pipeline is one of the oldest in the sector, having started operating in the Forties field in 1975.
BP and Ineos did not give further details about the discussions, citing commercial confidentiality.
In a statement, the oil giant said: "BP can confirm it is in discussions with Ineos regarding a potential sale of the Forties Pipeline System.
"We remain committed to communicating openly with staff and our stakeholders as soon as we are able, and as commercial confidentialities allow, if any deal is confirmed or agreed."
Ineos also released a statement, confirming it was in talks with BP. It added: "At the moment the details of these conversations are confidential and we cannot say any more at this stage."
The FPS system carries oil from the unmanned offshore Forties Unity platform to an onshore terminal at Cruden Bay in Aberdeenshire.
From there it transports oil about 130 miles south to facilities adjacent to the Ineos-owned Grangemouth refinery and chemical plant.
Oil is processed and stabilised there before it is sent either for export or on to Grangemouth.
The union Unite, which was involved in a bitter industrial dispute with Ineos at the Grangemouth refinery in 2013, said it would seek an urgent meeting with the chemicals firm to discuss the possible sale.
Unite Scottish secretary Pat Rafferty said: "Our members at BP will have major concerns about the possibility of becoming employees of Ineos, a company with a clear history of attacking our members' pensions, as well as their terms and conditions, in order to maximise profit.
"If a sale does go ahead, we will fight to protect our members in every way we can, and Ineos should work with us to allay their fears."
About 300 BP staff currently operate and support the FPS system. | Oil giant BP is in talks with chemicals group Ineos over the sale of the North Sea's largest pipeline. |
40189916 | The victim, who is in her 30s, was attacked in Hermon Hill, Wanstead, on her way to work at about 09:30 BST.
Nursery manager Karrien Stevens said the woman told her she was slashed by three Asian women dressed in black.
Counter-terrorism police have been informed but are not treating it as a terrorist incident.
Ms Stevens, who runs Little Diamonds nursery in Hermon Hill, said the woman was slashed while on her way to work from Wanstead High Street.
The attackers slashed her arm from the wrist upwards before running off down the street, she said.
The victim's injuries are not life threatening but she was taken to an east London hospital as a precaution, the Metropolitan Police said.
In a statement, the force added: "The suspects fled the scene prior to police arrival in an unknown direction.
"No arrests have been made. Enquiries continue.
"The Met's Counter Terrorism Command has been made aware of the incident but is not investigating at this time." | A nursery school worker has been taken to hospital with a "slash wound" after reports of a stabbing in east London, police have said. |
37810626 | Samia Shahid, 28, from Bradford, died in Pakistan in July. Her father and first husband have been held in connection with her death.
Her mother, Imtiaz BiBi, and sister, Madiha Shahid have been declared proclaimed offenders in Pakistan.
A judge issued arrest warrants when they did not appear in court earlier.
Declaring the women proclaimed offenders means the police believe they were involved in Ms Shahid's death and wish to question them.
Both her father and first husband appeared at the court hearing in Jhelum, in the northern Punjab province, where the case was adjourned until 11 November.
Chaudhry Muhammad Shakeel is accused of her murder while her father Chaudhry Muhammad Shahid is being held as a suspected accessory.
Neither have been formally charged but their lawyers have previously argued there is no evidence against them.
The men's legal team asked the court to wait for the High Court in Lahore to decide on a petition lodged by Ms Shahid's second husband, Syed Mukhtar Kazim, for the case to be moved from Jhelum.
The High Court is expected to rule on that petition on 24 November but the judge in Jhelum said the court would continue to pursue the matter as no order to stay proceedings had been received.
Ms Shahid, a beautician, married Mr Kazim in Leeds in 2014 and the couple moved to Dubai.
Mr Kazim has claimed his wife, who died while visiting relatives in Pakistan, was killed because her family disapproved of their marriage.
Initially it was claimed she had died of a heart attack but a post-mortem examination confirmed she had been strangled. | Arrest warrants have been issued for the mother and sister of a woman believed to have been the victim of a so-called "honour killing". |
38981506 | The figures also found a 22% rise in voided licences in 2016, compared to the year before.
Some people caught had entered the UK illegally, but most obtained a licence while on a legitimate visa and had then illegally overstayed.
However, critics say the "small" number of licences that actually go on to be surrendered "undermines" the system.
The Home Office gave the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) the powers to revoke licences in July 2014.
That month more than 3,500 licences were revoked. In 2015 it was 9,700 and in 2016 that number rose to 11,900, the figures released under the Freedom of Information Act to BBC South East show.
The driving licence is the second most recognised form of ID after the passport, so can be used by illegal immigrants to secure work, open bank accounts or sign tenancy agreements.
To make it harder for them to do any of these things, the UK Immigration Act 2014 created "hostile environment" measures for migrants in the UK.
As well as revoking licences, it introduced:
In 2015, five times more people had their licences revoked in the UK on medical grounds than those suspected of being illegal immigrants.
9,782
licences revoked because of immigration status in 2015
47,000 car and motorcycle licences revoked on medical grounds in 2015
98,000 drivers disqualified by the courts in 2015
Chris Hobbs, a former special branch officer in border controls, said: "How likely is it for that driver to be stopped bearing in mind the number of traffic police has been hugely reduced? There are all sorts of issues around stopping vehicles and asking for details, you have to have a valid reason to do that."
Asked why, on having the person's address, immigration enforcement officers did not doorstep them instead of waiting for police to pick them up during routine checks, the Home Office has yet to respond.
In the most recent report from David Bolt, the chief inspector of borders, he raised concerns over the measures.
He criticised the small number of deportations as a result of the crackdown - of the thousands who had their licences revoked, 583 people left the UK in the 2015-16 tax year.
Mr Bolt also said the small number of people physically surrendering their licences "undermines" the new system.
Since then, the Home Office has announced plans to allow police and immigration officers to search for and seize these documents.
A Home Office spokeswoman said: "This will help ensure revoked licences are removed from circulation. We are making it harder for illegal migrants to live in the UK - as these figures show."
Mr Bolt's report also stated the Home Office's database was incomplete and incorrect and its failings meant "some people without leave to be in the country were being missed", while others were "wrongly flagged" as being here illegally. | A crackdown on illegal immigrants in the UK has seen almost 27,000 drivers have their licences revoked since 2014. |
35523203 | Bowler Murtagh missed last year's World Cup with a foot injury.
Ireland have named an experienced 15-man squad for the biennial tournament.
John Bracewell's side have been drawn in the same group as the Netherlands, Oman and Bangladesh, with the winners qualifying for the Super 10 stage.
Captain William Porterfield is one of five players ready to embark on a fifth campaign in the competition.
The O'Brien brothers, Kevin and Niall, Paul Stirling and Gary Wilson have also competed in all four previous tournaments.
Porterfield was at the helm when Ireland first took part in the global showpiece in England in 2009 and has participated in all three subsequent events in the West Indies, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
Ireland Head Coach John Bracewell is relishing the opportunity to lead Ireland at a major global event for the first time and is confident his side will acquit themselves well.
"The squad has got a real balance to it, with that blend of youth and experience that every coach likes. Ireland are now regular performers on the world stage so there's no fear or intimidation factors," said Bracewell.
"Everyone has been given a real boost by the return of Boyd Rankin, and Tim Murtagh's rethink on retirement in this format. Porty (Porterfield) has plenty of options with the ball as so many of the squad are genuine all-rounders," said the New Zealander.
"We will be well prepared for the competition, as we're currently playing Papua New Guinea, will take on the UAE later this week, and will be India for a training camp ahead of the competition.
"It's another great chance for the squad to showcase Irish cricket to a global audience, and the guys are determined to prove they belong at the top level of the sport."
The tournament will be played from 8 March to 3 April, with Ireland facing Oman in their opening match on 9 March.
William Porterfield (capt) (Warwickshire), Andrew Balbirnie (Middlesex), George Dockrell (Leinster Lightning), Andy McBrine (Donemana), Tim Murtagh (Middlesex), Kevin O'Brien (Railway Union), Niall O'Brien (Leicestershire), Andrew Poynter (Clontarf), Stuart Poynter (Durham), Boyd Rankin (Warwickshire), Max Sorensen (The Hills), Paul Stirling (Middlesex), Stuart Thompson (Eglinton), Gary Wilson (Surrey), Craig Young (Bready). | Tim Murtagh will be part of the Ireland squad at next month's World Twenty20 in India after reversing his decision to retire from the shortest format of the game at international level. |
36962717 | The former Barnsley boss, 35, took over at Ashton Gate in February and steered City to 18th in the Championship table.
The Robins have not played in the top flight since 1980 and were playing in the third tier as recently as 2015.
When asked where he sees the club in five year's time, Johnson said: "I'm going to stick my neck on the line a little bit and say Europa League."
Owned by local businessman Steve Lansdown - reportedly worth 2.3bn US dollars (£1.73bn) - the Robins won promotion to the Championship in 2015 before sacking manager Steve Cotterill in January, with the Robins 22nd in the table.
Lansdown, who also has stakes in local clubs from other sports, including Bristol's recently-promoted Premiership Rugby side, has previously said he wants to turn the city into a sporting force.
Johnson said City aim to "fast-track" efforts to emulate Swansea and Stoke, who have both featured in Europe's second-tier competition in recent years.
"We'll give it a right good go, that's for sure," said Johnson at Tuesday's BBC Radio Bristol & BBC Somerset sports forum.
"I believe it as well. I believe it is putting pressure on everybody at the club and we can deal with that pressure.
"Yes it will be very, very difficult, but why not? We're ready to go. Bristol is a fantastic city.
"I love the city, and the club, to bits. It's an amazing new stadium that will only get better as well."
Johnson's side begin their 2016-17 campaign at home to newly-promoted Wigan Athletic on Saturday, 6 August. | Bristol City head coach Lee Johnson says he wants the club to play Europa League football within five years. |
33022137 | Th 16-year-old victim, Brian Phimister, was a passenger in a BMW 3 Series car which left the A966 between Dysart and Coaltown of Wemyss at about 12:50.
He died at the scene while the 18-year-old driver was taken to the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy for treatment.
A police spokesman said: "Inquiries into the full circumstances surrounding this incident are ongoing."
He added: "Anyone who can assist road policing officers with their investigation is asked to contact police immediately." | A teenager has been killed and another seriously injured after their car crashed into a tree in Fife. |
38191330 | In 2015, 350 people took their own lives compared to 247 in the previous year.
However, the charity Samaritans said the apparent increase needed to be "treated with caution."
It said the fluctuations from one year to another could be put be down "problems with accuracy".
In many cases, there can be a substantial delay in registering a death by suicide.
Out of the 350 suicides registered last year, just under half happened before 2015.
The ONS said: "Part of the rise in the number of suicides registered in Wales in 2015 can be explained by a higher proportion of suicides occurring in previous years being included in this year's figures."
Last year's recorded suicides involved 274 men and 76 women.
The highest number were in Cardiff (34), followed by Swansea (18), Newport (16) and Ceredigion (8).
The chief executive of Samaritans, Ruth Sutherland said: "Suicide is not inevitable, it's preventable and politicians, employers, health bodies and educators all have a role in identifying and supporting those most at risk.
"With better awareness and education on suicide prevention, as well as better planning, we will save lives". | The number of recorded suicides has risen sharply in Wales, according to latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). |
37935607 | "Nobody could sleep last night," said Sharon Yerkess, who lives metres from the crash site. "Every time I tried, I kept thinking of the huge bang I heard or thinking about the screaming. I just can't stop thinking about those people."
While the world was talking about the surprise of Donald Trump becoming US president, firefighters in south-east London were trying to free people from the wreckage of a derailed tram near the Sandilands stop.
Seven people died and more than 50 people were injured when the tram, filled with people making their way into work, overturned shortly after 06:00 GMT.
"It was an awful shock to wake up to," Sharon said. "My daughter was on her way to the tram stop when it happened.
"But this morning, it is so unnerving and eerie. This road is normally teeming with people, buses, cars, children and trams. Now it is like a ghost town."
The streets were strangely quiet as people made their way through the residential area in the run-up to rush hour. The silence was only broken by a small group of schoolchildren, talking at nervous speed about the terrifying episode.
A huge cordon was in place around the crash, blocking off neighbouring roads and the main route to East Croydon station.
And police officers guarded each entrance, only letting a handful of commuters duck under the barriers as they tried to continue with their lives.
Paul Arneill was on one of the first trams on Thursday morning - for the few stops he could go before services were suspended for police to continue their investigation.
"When I go in early, I always get a tram around that time," he said. "It was eerie going on it this morning, knowing what had happened just yesterday.
"You just don't think it could happen. I have been getting the tram ever since it started and it just part of the day for people who live round here. But people were scared this morning."
But one traveller, who was on the tram immediately before the crash, said he had not been surprised by the derailment.
"The rate you see tram drivers hare around those corners is frightening," said Con O'Sullivan. "They do go really fast when they travel on this route. I am not surprised something like this has eventually happened."
Others were hugging each other maybe just that little bit tighter as they bid farewell to loved ones only 24 hours after the crash.
Katia Muscara, who has lived in Croydon for 12 years, was in tears as she spoke about the incident - which has led to the driver being arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.
"It is even more shocking this morning as it starts to sink in," she said, after saying goodbye to her child for the day. "It is heartbreaking.
"My kids use that tram, our friends' kids use that tram. If it had been half an hour later, our children could have been on there.
"It is normally so busy on this street at this time, full of kids running around and all the traffic. To see it like this, so silent, it just hits you."
One bunch of flowers was laid just outside the cordon on Addiscombe Road to show the victims' families were in the thoughts of local people.
The card read: "To the families of all the lives lost, my deepest sympathy. From a Croydon resident and my family. RIP. God bless."
The community was coming together but the shock and sadness that is palpable on the local streets will take time to heal. | As the people of Croydon woke up the day after a fatal tram crash killed seven people on their doorstep, the shock was still setting in. |
39513280 | Chancellor Angela Merkel is keen to emphasise that Brexit negotiations are between Britain and the EU but Germany's position will assume a significance above and beyond most - perhaps all - of the other member states.
This is partly because of its economic and political weight in the union but also because, unlike many other countries, it has the resources, the people and the expertise to analyse and work through the administrative complexities of deconstructing Britain's membership.
For a nation that considers itself to be European first, German second, the priority is now the future security of the EU.
Berlin wants to present a united European front in the negotiations, so it's likely to stick to a script agreed with the big EU institutions.
Expect a firm line too from Berlin on the rights of EU citizens living in Britain.
While there is concern in Berlin about the impact of what one German newspaper called "Britain's leap into the dark", and an acknowledgement of, in Mrs Merkel's words, the "enormity and complexity" of the negotiations ahead, but politicians in Berlin worry about the bigger picture too.
Mrs Merkel has made it clear all along that she wants to get on with tackling other challenges facing the union; migration, terrorism, youth unemployment, the impact of digitisation and so on.
And, she said on Thursday that, in a world of global challenges, Europe could not afford to be introspective now.
Berlin didn't want Britain to leave - but, now that the decision's made, it wants "fair and constructive" exit negotiations to be concluded quickly and cleanly.
But it's unlikely to support talks over the shape of the future relationship between the UK and the EU unless Britain first agrees the terms of its exit - ie commits to paying that "Brexit bill".
There is, in reality, little appetite here for a punitive approach.
Berlin wishes to preserve its strong economic relationship with the UK.
But don't expect Germany to be a soft negotiating partner either.
Even business leaders - among them the head of the association of Germany's all-powerful car manufacturers - acknowledge the EU's interests must come first.
Mrs Merkel has warned against the "illusion" the UK can retain or even negotiate better rights than member states.
In Angela Merkel's response to the triggering of Article 50 last month, she chose first to commit to minimising the personal impact of Brexit on EU citizens living in the UK.
And she is expected to seek to protect what she sees as those vital founding freedoms of the EU.
She has repeatedly insisted that there can be no access to the single market without freedom of movement of people - a red line upon which many will seek to compromise but upon which she is likely to stand firm.
France is in the middle of presidential elections, and will have a new head of state in early May.
The two candidates have very different views of the European Union - and of Brexit.
If Marine Le Pen of the Front National is elected, all bets are off.
She is vehemently anti-EU, and thinks the UK's departure is not to be regretted but applauded.
With Ms Le Pen in the Elysee, the chaos created by Brexit would quickly be eclipsed as Brussels struggled to cope with a much greater threat - Frexit.
But realistically, Marine Le Pen's chances are small.
Far more probable is a President Emmanuel Macron.
Mr Macron is fervently pro-European.
In recent months, he has spoken out strongly about how the UK must not be allowed special treatment in its negotiations with Brussels.
Echoing the outgoing President Francois Hollande, he says favours to London would betray the spirit of the EU and encourage populism.
The obvious conclusion is that he would take a tough line in the talks on Brexit.
But another interpretation suggests he might actually make life easier for the UK's negotiators.
This is because on many issues Mr Macron is in agreement with the UK.
He is economically liberal, pro-trade and pro-business.
He understands the City.
Hope for this more favourable view comes from a policy paper co-written by Mr Macron's top adviser, Jean Pisani-Ferry.
In it, he argues for a "continental partnership" with the UK, in which London would have access to the single market (and pay into the EU budget) but win back control over movement of workers.
This is seen as a very soft version of Brexit.
Optimists say that a Macron victory would be seen as the start of a rollback against populism in Europe.
A more confident Brussels establishment would then be more likely to reach a generous deal with London.
Poles make up the largest non-British nationality living in the UK, so the first priority for the Polish government is to secure the rights of those 850,000 Polish citizens.
It's thought that many of those Poles have not been living in Britain long enough to claim permanent residency, so there's a great deal of uncertainty among them about their future rights post-Brexit.
Warsaw wants to be seen to be protecting its citizens' current status, including their access to UK social benefits.
Essentially, it wants the current rules to remain in force.
Those workers' earnings are important for the Polish economy.
Each year, they send home an estimated $1bn (£780m).
Another pressing concern is securing the UK's contribution to the EU budget.
Poland is the biggest recipient of funds - 106bn euro (£90bn) under the 2014-20 EU budget, to which the UK is a significant contributor.
Those funds have transformed the infrastructure landscape of Poland, and helped drive the country's economic growth.
Warsaw hopes Brexit will not mean less money in the pot.
Before the referendum, Poland named Britain as its number one partner in the EU.
It insists the UK will remain a strong ally, especially in areas such as defence and Nato cooperation.
Russia's annexation of Crimea and the war in eastern Ukraine have increased concerns in Poland and the Baltic states about security.
British soldiers have been deployed to the region and are taking part in the defence of Nato's eastern flank, a contribution that Warsaw values.
So often the rock of contention, Gibraltar looms large over the impending Brexit negotiations.
Spain lobbied hard to ensure that the British overseas territory was specifically mentioned in the European Council's draft guidance document, which states that Madrid can veto the application of an agreement between the EU and the UK to Gibraltar.
Since Spain joined the EU, Gibraltar has been able to call on Brussels to intervene when it felt Spain was squeezing traffic unreasonably at the land border, charges Madrid has consistently denied, citing security concerns.
Now, there will have to be an agreement between Britain and Spain to apply the eventual Brexit terms of trade and movement of people to and from the British overseas territory.
Spain has proposed joint sovereignty, something Gibraltarians - and UK governments - have traditionally rejected out of hand.
But aside from grandstanding on the Rock, Spain has many reasons to make Brexit as soft as possible.
The Spanish consulate in London says 130,000 Spaniards live in Britain.
On the other side, 309,000 British citizens are registered as residents in Spain.
Here, the two countries will seek reciprocity on a deal making migrants' lives comfortable.
Tourism is Spain's leading economic driver.
According to the Spanish government, 23% of the 75 million foreign tourists who visited the country in 2016 came from Britain.
There are strong financial links between the two countries too.
Spanish company Ferrovial operates Heathrow and several other UK airports.
Santander says 20% of its profits in 2016 came from its UK banking operations.
Spain consistently runs a healthy trade surplus with the UK.
Madrid has said it will work for an amicable deal with Britain, but the shadow of an impending row over applying it to Gibraltar threatens to be a major political stumbling block.
Expats, exports, security - these will be Italy's three immediate Brexit negotiation priorities.
Italy's embassy in the UK estimates there could be up to 600,000 Italians living in the UK, while it is thought that only 30,000 Britons live in Italy.
Many of the Italians living in Britain are young graduates who cannot find work at home.
Italy will want to safeguard their rights - and find a way to ensure future graduates can continue to look for work in the UK.
Then, Italy will want to make sure that it is able to carry on selling its goods to the UK.
Britain is currently Italy's fourth biggest export market.
In 2015, Italy exported 22.5bn euro (£19bn) worth of goods to the UK including cars, machinery, clothes, and the sparkling wine prosecco.
Italy will also seek to maintain a security alliance with Britain, particularly in the Mediterranean.
As an EU member, Britain has taken part in anti-smuggling operations off the Italian coast.
Italy and the UK have also worked together in efforts to stabilise Libya.
Brexit also presents a number of opportunities for Italy.
The EU must decide the fate of its agencies currently based in the UK.
Milan is taking part in the unofficial competition to take over as the host of the European Banking Agency and the European Medicines Agency.
It's never fun watching your best friend go through a break-up, and it gets a lot more complicated when you've got a bunch of friends in common.
That's the position Sweden finds itself in, as its closest ally prepares to divorce itself from the EU.
The two countries have shared the same perspective on 90% of votes in the European Council, and the UK is the Nordic nation's fifth biggest export partner.
Ever-efficient Sweden has made no secret of its desire for negotiations on a new trade agreement with the UK to start as soon as possible.
But its first priority is clarity on the future rights of EU citizens to live, work and study in a post-Brexit Britain.
According to the Swedish government, more than 100,000 Swedes, from a population of just 10 million, are based in the UK, and about 1,000 Swedish businesses operate there.
Sweden's Minister for European Affairs and Trade, Ann Linde, has been openly critical of the challenges facing Europeans seeking permanent residency in the UK under current rules, which include filling out an 85-page document and providing evidence of steady work.
While Sweden's centre-left government has said it wants to make sure its old friend gets a "fair deal" in the negotiations, it has made clear that keeping the rest of the 27-member bloc intact is its core goal, a message shared by the country's centre-right opposition parties.
But public support for the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats - who are pushing for a "Swexit"- has crept up to about 19%, with just over a year to go before the country's next general election.
Meanwhile, Sweden has seen a huge spike in citizenship applications from British expats anxious to guarantee their future in Scandinavia, with 1,616 forms submitted in 2016, three times the total of the previous year, 511.
A "self-inflicted wound" is how one bewildered Dutch columnist described Brexit.
The UK has historically been one of the Netherlands' closest allies.
Exports between the two run into the tens of billions of euros.
A comprehensive free trade agreement will be a priority - the Dutch government's biggest fear is having to fall back on the World Trade Organization tariffs.
But bear in mind, the Netherlands was one of the first recruits to the EU club of nations and about 80% of the country's GDP comes from exports, most of which (79%) are within Europe.
The strength of Britain's relationship with this small but influential ally could prove critical in determining the nature of the final deal.
In fact, the pragmatic Dutch could emerge as mediators.
They are the masters of compromise, proud of their ability to put differences aside to work together in the common interest, to literally dig the land out of the sea.
They have their people to think about too.
The Dutch foreign minister told the BBC that securing the rights of the approximately 100,000 Dutch citizens who lived in the UK was a top priority in the negotiations.
And the Britons based in the Netherlands are anxious to be afforded the same protections.
The domestic political landscape could also influence the Dutch stance.
Eurosceptic parties performed well in the recent election.
They were emboldened by Brexit, despite the fact support for a "Nexit" fell after Britain demonstrated the complications involved in extricating oneself from the EU.
The Dutch dilemma will be how to maintain the valuable economic, cultural and political links with the UK without bolstering the eurosceptics at home and across the continent who want to destroy their lucrative club. | As the leaders of the EU's remaining 27 member states prepare for the first Brexit summit in Brussels, which issues will shape the agendas of the individual countries taking part? |
39200785 | The game was stopped shortly after kick-off as stewards cleared the playing surface at Emirates Stadium.
Under Uefa rules, clubs are liable for the conduct of their fans and may be subject to disciplinary measures for acts including the throwing of objects.
Bayern beat Arsenal 10-2 on aggregate.
A group of visiting fans also held up a banner which read "without fans football is not worth a penny", having made a similar protest in a Champions League group match at Arsenal last season. | Bayern Munich could face a fine after their supporters delayed Tuesday's Champions League tie at Arsenal by throwing rolls of paper onto the pitch in protest over ticket prices. |
Subsets and Splits
No saved queries yet
Save your SQL queries to embed, download, and access them later. Queries will appear here once saved.