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33013064 | The 13th seed trailed 5-2 in the first set but reeled off five straight games on her way to a 7-5 7-5 win.
She will face world number one Serena Williams, who later beat 23rd seed Timea Bacsinszky, in Saturday's final.
"It is a dream come true. I cannot believe it," said Safarova after converting a third match point.
"I started slowly but tried to keep up the level and play really aggressively because that was the only way to win."
Safarova made the Wimbledon semi-finals last year, but is through to her first Grand Slam final.
The 28-year-old will try to match the achievement of her compatriot, Hana Mandlikova, who won the title in 1981.
It was seventh seed Ivanovic, playing her first major semi-final since winning the title in 2008, who started better as she raced 5-2 ahead, only to crumble with the set in her grasp.
Safarova reeled off five straight games and moved ahead early in the second, but there was another twist to come.
Serving for a place in her first Grand Slam final at 5-4, the Czech double-faulted three times - once on match point - before giving up her serve with a net cord.
Ivanovic, 27, could not capitalise, however, handing the initiative straight back, and at the second time of asking Safarova closed it out before falling to the clay in celebration.
"The game at 5-4 I was really overthinking and couldn't really concentrate to be there in the moment," said the Czech.
"My serve wasn't working and, yes, I was a little bit fighting with everything on the court at that moment.
"But when I lost the serve, I shook it off and started to play aggressive again, and then I served it out."
Ivanovic said: "I really started well, like every other match. I really had a good plan coming into the match, but I just felt like I ran a little bit out of gas.
"I started dropping short and she played really, really well. She was very aggressive." | Lucie Safarova fought back to beat Serbia's Ana Ivanovic and become the first Czech woman to reach the French Open final in 34 years. |
32688163 | The poorly-reviewed buddy movie, which stars Reese Witherspoon and Modern Family's Sofia Vergara, made $13.3m (£8.6m) to take second place.
The Avengers sequel has now taken $313m (£203m) in just 10 days in the US.
It is the joint second fastest film to pass $300m, tying with The Dark Knight.
The first film in the Avengers series, which features Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America and Black Widow, reached that mark in just nine days in 2012.
Warner Bros admitted Hot Pursuit's opening weekend total was "a little lighter" than it had hoped, with the studio having estimated takings of $18m (£11.7m) or higher.
"Critics were very tough on Hot Pursuit," said Paul Dergarabedian from box office analysts Rentrak.
"It was a formula [that] for whatever reason didn't resonate with the critics, and I think that had an impact on its box office."
Mr Dergarabedian added: "Ultron is just so big, it's such a behemoth, it's hard for a newcomer to get attention."
That should all change next week though, when Mad Max: Fury Road and Pitch Perfect 2 open.
Blake Lively's fantasy drama The Age of Adaline was this weekend's third placed film with takings of $5.6m (£3.6m), while Furious 7 took $5.2m (£3.4m) in fourth place.
The action blockbuster, starring Vin Diesel and the late Paul Walker, has earned $1.5bn (£970m) globally to date.
Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 completed the top five with takings of just under $5.2m (£3.4m). | Avengers: Age of Ultron has topped the US and Canada box office for a second weekend, taking $77m (£50m) - more than five times the earnings of its closest rival, action comedy Hot Pursuit. |
35523353 | The statue would be designed by Paul Kidby who illustrated many of the book covers for the Discworld books of Sir Terry, who lived locally.
Mr Kidby said: "It would be beneficial for Salisbury to have a permanent sculpture of Terry because he had such a big influence on popular culture."
The hope is to install the statue in the marketplace or Elizabeth Gardens.
Although Salisbury City Council's services committee has backed the plans, money still needs to be raised to build it and planning consent also needs to be obtained.
Sir Terry died last March aged 66, eight years after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
He lived in Broad Chalke, near Salisbury and played an active role in the community, visiting schools and supporting the local hospital.
His comic fantasy series sold millions around the world but he was also known for supporting research into the causes of Alzheimer's.
In 2009, he also became a campaigner for assisted suicide.
The campaign to build the statue is being led by Mr Kidby with the support of Sir Terry's family.
"Terry was always like, 'I don't want pigeons sitting on my head'," Mr Kidby continued.
"His take on it was always off on a tangent but we hope he will be pleased if it goes ahead."
The aim is to pay for the statue through crowd-funding and sponsorship from local companies.
A initial sketch has been made by the artist, but it will take about six months to build the life-size sculpture.
"It would be Terry, life-sized standing on a granite base which will have a depiction of Discworld on it.
"People would hopefully be able to stand next to Terry and hopefully interact with it," said Mr Kidby. | Plans for a life-sized bronze statue of Sir Terry Pratchett for Salisbury have been backed by the city council. |
32269023 | As I wrote over Easter, the £8bn identified by Mr Stevens last autumn as part of his proposed solution to a looming NHS funding gap had generated a mixed response from the leading parties.
Now it has fuelled a heated series of exchanges dominating the campaign debate.
To recap - Simon Stevens and other NHS leaders in England predicted a £30bn gap by the year 2020.
That's the difference between anticipated demand for health care from a rising population and a budget increasing in line with inflation and no more.
More than two thirds, they said, could be covered by efficiency savings, in effect seeing more patients and carrying out more procedures for a set amount of money.
But that still left £8bn above inflation, they argued, which the government of the day would need to stump up in 2020.
That figure would be reached, it was assumed, after a steadily increasing injection of cash over preceding years.
The Liberal Democrats said a little while ago they would find the £8bn if they were in office.
Some of this would be funded by identified tax measures, but the bulk of it would, in the words of Nick Clegg, come from the "proceeds of growth".
In other words the Lib Dems assume they will find the money if the economy is growing normally in the years leading up to 2020.
Now, after skirting around the subject and dropping various hints, the Conservatives say they will as a manifesto pledge commit to finding the £8bn in real terms in 2020.
Actually it will be "at least" £8bn and could be more, according to party sources.
There are no revenue-raising plans linked to this plan.
The Tory line is that voters can trust them to deliver next time on the back of their record of increasing NHS funding over the last parliament.
They say the NHS budget in England in 2015/16 is more than £7bn higher than in 2010/11 so finding £8bn by the end of the next parliament should not be a problem.
It's worth noting that the £7bn extra figure was reached over six financial years so over a longer time frame than a single parliament.
So where does that leave Labour? Unlike the other main parties it has not signed up to the Stevens financial numbers.
It is sticking with its pledge to raise NHS funding in England by £2.5bn a year from 2016, in effect making a start on the journey towards £8bn.
Labour points out it has specific tax-raising plans, including the mansion tax, which cover this spending commitment.
It argues this is real money and that the Conservatives and Lib Dems are guilty of promising "funny money" and making unfunded spending pledges.
The debate is in essence between "trust us, we can deliver" with a higher long-term spending pledge and a more cautious and funded shorter-run plan.
As always it will be down to voters to assess the arguments either way.
In the end £8bn could prove too small a government top-up for the NHS.
The efficiency savings talked about look extremely ambitious and may not be achieved.
And of course there could be unpalatable decisions about even deeper cuts in other Whitehall departments or tax rises to sustain cash injections required by the health service.
This issue includes NHS funding, GP access and social care, particularly of older people.
Policy guide: Where the parties stand | It's another sign of the power of the head of NHS England Simon Stevens in shaping the political debate over health. |
40043031 | The tourists play a Western Australia XI in a two-day match in Perth from 4 November, followed by a day-night match of four days against a Cricket Australia (CA) XI, from 8 November.
They take on another CA XI over four days in Townsville from 15 November.
The Ashes series starts in Brisbane on 23 November at 00:00 BST, with the second Test to be a day-night game.
That takes place in Adelaide from 2 December.
England will also play a CA XI in a two-day game in Perth between the second and third Tests of their five-match series with Australia - that match will start on 9 December.
And before England and Australia begin their five-match one-day series after the Ashes - the first is scheduled for 14 January - England will play a one-day match against a CA XI on 11 January in Sydney. | England will play three warm-up games in Australia before this year's Ashes series gets under way in November. |
38149291 | Poppy Widdison, four, from Grimsby, died from a cardiac arrest in June 2013 at Sheffield Children's Hospital.
Her mother Michala Pyke, 37, and Ms Pyke's ex-partner John Rytting, 40, both deny child cruelty.
Opening the case against them at Hull Crown Court, prosecutors said Poppy had ingested a variety of drugs for up to six months before her death.
Read more about this and other stories from across East Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire
Prosecutor David Gordon said the drugs included sedatives, heroin, methadone and ketamine.
Mr Gordon said text messages between the couple referred to the child having a "blue Smartie" and going to sleep, which he said was a reference to the sedative diazepam.
"We say the defendants are just wanting to get on with their love life, wanting to enjoy each other's company and it may be this young girl was something of an encumbrance," he said.
Mr Gordon said: "She regarded her child, her own daughter, as something of a nuisance and interfering with Miss Pyke's enjoyment of her relationship with Mr Rytting."
The exact cause of Poppy's death is not known but Mr Gordon said experts agreed there was a a long-period of ill-treatment and neglect.
Quantities of prescription and controlled drugs were found at Mr Rytting's house in Grimsby when it was searched.
The prosecutor said: "It was clear that various types of drug were simply left lying around the house."
Both defendants have pleaded guilty to child cruelty by allowing Poppy to live in a house where prescribed and controlled drugs were unsecured and within reach.
Miss Pyke has also admitted child cruelty by emotional abuse.
Both Miss Pyke and Mr Rytting deny one count of child cruelty by encouraging Poppy to ingest prescription and/or controlled drugs and one count of child cruelty by assault causing bruising.
Miss Pyke denies two charges of possessing methadone with intent to supply and supplying the same drug.
Mr Rytting denies possessing cannabis with intent to supply but admitted one count of importing drugs and two counts of supplying controlled drugs.
The trial continues. | A mother fed her daughter sedatives in order to spend time with her boyfriend, a court has been told. |
30437804 | Speaking at CIA headquarters, he said some officers acted beyond their authority but most did their duty.
A scathing Senate report two days earlier said "brutal" methods like waterboarding were ineffective.
Senator Dianne Feinstein, whose committee produced the report, said torture should now be banned by law.
In his comments Mr Brennan asserted the CIA "did a lot of things right" at a time when there were "no easy answers".
"Our reviews indicate that the detention and interrogation programme produced useful intelligence that helped the United States thwart attack plans, capture terrorists and save lives," Brennan told a rare CIA news conference in Virginia.
But we have not concluded that it was the use of "enhanced interrogation techniques" (EITs) within that programme that allowed us to obtain useful information from detainees who were subjected to them, he added.
"The cause-and-effect relationship between the use of EITs and useful information subsequently provided by the detainee is, in my view, unknowable."
While he was speaking, Senator Feinstein was rejecting his arguments on Twitter.
One tweet said: "Brennan: 'unknowable' if we could have gotten the intel other ways. Study shows it IS knowable: CIA had info before torture. #ReadTheReport".
Mr Brennan was a senior CIA official in 2002 when the detention and interrogation programme was put in place.
George W Bush, who was US president at that time, has not commented on the report, but his Vice-President Dick Cheney strongly rejected criticism of the CIA's techniques.
"The men and women of the CIA did exactly what we wanted," he told Fox News.
"We said we've got to go use enhanced techniques … and we're going to find out.
"We've got Khaled Sheikh Mohammed who's the mastermind of 9/11 and he is in our possession, we know he's the architect. And what are we supposed to do? Kiss him on both cheeks and say please tell us what you know? Of course not."
At the scene - Tara McKelvey, BBC News, Langley, Virginia
John Brennan spoke in measured tones and with a deep booming voice in a place that clearly made him uncomfortable - standing at a podium in front of journalists and cameras.
In his speech he tried to show the human side of the CIA. He said that after 9/11 the staff, like others in the US, grieved and prayed.
He said this week was a tough time for people at the agency because of the release of the Senate report. But as he described their situation, he kept his head down and read carefully from the text in front of him. He wanted to make sure he got the words right.
Occasionally he looked up but when he did he gazed at the ceiling as if no-one was in the room. As a result the speech came across as anodyne and bloodless despite the emotionally charged words that were on the page.
An outgoing Democratic Senator, Mark Udall, has called on Mr Brennan to quit, citing interference from the CIA in preparing the report.
The report, a summary of a longer 6,000-page classified report, says that the CIA carried out "brutal" and "ineffective" interrogations of al-Qaeda suspects in the years after the 9/11 attacks on the US and misled other officials about what it was doing.
The information the CIA collected using "enhanced interrogation techniques" failed to secure information that foiled any threats, the report said.
Mr Brennan described the actions of some CIA agents as "harsh" and "abhorrent" but would not say if it constituted torture.
He added an overwhelming number of CIA agents followed legal advice from the justice department that authorised some of the brutal methods.
"They did what they were asked to do in the service of their nation."
The UN and human rights groups have called for the prosecution of US officials involved in the 2001-2007 programme.
But the chances of prosecuting members of the Bush administration are unlikely - the US justice department has pursued two investigations into mistreatment of detainees and found insufficient evidence.
On Wednesday, an unnamed justice department official told the Los Angeles Times prosecutors had read the report and "did not find any new information" to reopen the investigation.
Key findings:
What is 'enhanced interrogation'?
Who knew what when?
Who were the detainees?
US President Barack Obama, who stopped the programme in 2009, said some methods amounted to torture.
When asked whether there was a situation where the CIA would use similar interrogations again, Mr Brennan said the CIA was "not contemplating" it, but said he left such decisions up to "future policymakers". | CIA Director John Brennan has defended the agency's post-9/11 interrogation methods but admitted some techniques were "harsh" and "abhorrent". |
34396170 | A Scottish FA disciplinary tribunal found that the striker was guilty of "not acting in the best interests of association football".
The 25-year-old was last week admonished by a sheriff after confessing to the incident in court.
The singing about the former Hearts player took place in March 2014.
The incident happened as fans gathered before a Hearts-Hibs derby game at Tynecastle and led to Celtic fining the player four weeks' wages.
Following his brief court appearance in Edinburgh, Griffiths released a statement, saying: "I made a mistake, I wrongly became involved in this incident and did not fully consider my actions.
"I apologise unreservedly for this."
The SFA says the fine is payable within 30 days and that the suspension will be triggered if there is a further breach of disciplinary rule 77 before the end of the season. | Celtic's Leigh Griffiths has been given a suspended two-match ban and fined £2,500 after admitting singing an offensive song about Rudi Skacel. |
37114383 | The two men were taken off a plane, bound for the US, for questioning late on Wednesday and released hours later.
Two teammates - Ryan Lochte and James Feigen - were barred from leaving the country, but Lochte had already left.
Police have queried their accounts of a robbery they reported in Rio on Sunday.
The four swimmers said they had been robbed at gunpoint in a taxi in Rio.
But police say their account of when they arrived at the Olympic village does not square with CCTV recordings.
A statement from the US Olympic team said that Bentz and Conger "were released by local authorities with the understanding that they would continue their discussions about the incident on Thursday".
"James Feigen is also communicating with local authorities and intends to make further statements regarding the incident on Thursday as well," said TeamUSA.
Lochte's lawyer told the BBC he got back to the US two days ago.
"He arrived back before the judge issued anything," said Jeffrey Ostrow.
"He was never asked to remain for further investigation or for any other purpose after he met with Brazilian authorities after he gave a statement."
Lochte is one of the most successful swimmers in history, with 12 Olympic medals, and he once had his own reality television show in the US.
In Rio, he swam in two events, winning gold in the 4x200m freestyle relay.
Feigen, who told the San Antonio Express he was still in Brazil, won gold in the 4x100m freestyle relay.
Bentz competed in the 4x200m preliminaries, but not the final. He still received a gold medal after the US team's win.
Accounts of what happened to the swimmers have been confusing from the beginning.
Lochte gave an initial account of the events to US TV network NBC, but International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams said reports of the robbery were "absolutely not true".
The US Olympic Committee (USOC) later confirmed the swimmers' accounts.
Lochte himself told police that he and team mates Feigen, Bentz and Conger had all attended a party in the French Olympic team's hospitality house on Saturday evening.
He said that during their return drive to the Olympic village, their cab was stopped by men who pulled a gun and robbed him of his money and personal belongings.
But police investigating the case say they have found no evidence of the robbery. They also point to "inconsistencies" in the swimmers' accounts.
Lochte and Feigen told police they and their fellow swimmers had returned to the Olympic village at 04:00 local time (08:00 GMT).
But CCTV recordings appear to show the swimmers returning to the Olympic village at 07:00 local time.
Police say they have not been able to track down the driver who the swimmers said drove them back to the village.
They also said that Feigen and Lochte had given different accounts of how many men robbed them.
Investigators have requested a search warrant for the rooms the swimmers stayed in with a view to examining Feigen's mobile phone. | The Brazilian authorities have stopped US swimmers Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger from boarding a flight at Rio de Janeiro airport, the US Olympic Committee has confirmed. |
33906048 | The coverage map is based on data provided by mobile operators as well as Ofcom's own testing of signal strengths around the UK.
The webpage has gathered data about the quality of voice calls as well as 3G and 4G data.
The watchdog said it was seeking feedback to fine tune the map to make it more accurate.
"Access to reliable mobile phone coverage used to be a 'nice to have'," said Steve Unger, Ofcom's chief technology officer in a statement. "Now it's essential to many people's lives."
The map-based system can be searched via postcodes, or visitors to the page can simply zoom in to a location.
Coverage strength is given for both indoors and outdoors. In addition, the map provides information about geographic features, such as valleys or hills, that might mean signal strengths are lower than expected.
Ofcom said the coverage the map showed might not be the same as that seen on operators' websites because it amalgamated data from phone firms - each one of which used slightly different methods of measuring signal strength.
If a phone was being used in a busy area this might also affect a person's experience as congestion might limit data rates to an individual handset.
Ofcom added signal strength and available services can be changed by the handset that someone uses.
If people were getting very a different service to that seen on the map, Ofcom said people should provide feedback so the data can be updated. | Ofcom has created an online tool that lets people see what kind of mobile coverage they should be getting. |
38076305 | Media playback is not supported on this device
Johnny McNicholl crossed early into his Scarlets debut, and Werner Kruger extended the hosts' lead.
Richardt Strauss cut the deficit but Leinster had Barry Daly sent off for a high tackle on Aled Thomas.
Will Boyde and Ryan Elias put Scarlets into what looked to be a comfortable lead but a late Andrew Porter try salvaged a bonus point for Leinster.
Scarlets, who were without Wales players Samson Lee, Ken Owens, Scott Williams, Jonathan Davies, Gareth Davies and Liam Williams, move up to fourth, while Leinster remain top despite the defeat.
McNicholl, who joined Scarlets from New Zealand Super Rugby side Crusaders, scored his first try for the region inside the opening 10 minutes.
After Leinster's Mike McCarthy was sent to the sin-bin, Scarlets made their advantage count as Kruger drove the ball over to extend their lead.
The visitors were made to pay further when Steff Evans kept the ball alive and rewarded Scarlets' perseverance as he touched down just before McCarthy returned.
A frustrating period for Leinster continued when, just moments after the restart, Daly was red-carded for a dangerous tackle on Thomas.
Two minutes later, Boyde caught Leinster's defence open and sealed Scarlets' bonus point with the majority of the second half still to play.
There was late drama, however, as Adam Byrne and Tom Daly got on the scoreboard for Leinster, who ensured they did not leave empty-handed as Porter touched down with a late try.
Scarlets: Aled Thomas; Johnny McNicholl, Steff Hughes, Hadleigh Parkes (capt), Steff Evans; Rhys Patchell, Jonathan Evans, Wyn Jones, Ryan Elias, Werner Kruger, Tom Price, David Bulbring, Aaron Shingler, James Davies, Will Boyde.
Replacements: Emyr Phillips, Dylan Evans, Peter Edwards, Tadhg Beirne, Josh Macleod, Aled Davies, Dan Jones, Gareth Owen.
Leinster: Isa Nacewa (capt); Adam Byrne, Rory O'Loughlin, Noel Reid, Barry Daly; Ross Byrne, Jamison Gibson-Park; Peter Dooley, Richardt Strauss, Michael Bent; Mike McCarthy, Ian Nagle; Dominic Ryan, Dan Leavy, Jack Conan.
Replacements: James Tracy, Andrew Porter, Oisin Heffernan, Ross Molony, Peadar Timmins, Luke McGrath, Tom Daly, Zane Kirchner.
Referee: Sean Gallagher (IRFU)
Assistant referees: Leo Colgan (IRFU), Elgan Williams (WRU)
Citing commissioner: Gwyn Bowden (WRU) | Scarlets ran in five tries to move into the Pro12 top four as they survived a scare to beat league leaders Leinster. |
35751635 | The 32-year-old led his side at the recent Asia Cup where they performed poorly, losing to Bangladesh.
He has been struggling with a knee injury but hopes to return for selection for their first group-stage match on 17 March.
Test captain Angelo Mathews will take over Malinga's role.
The announcement came hours after Sri Lanka's sports minister sacked the country's cricket selectors and appointed a new panel, headed by former player Aravinda de Silva.
The new selectors also made two late changes to the squad, bringing in batsman Lahiru Thirimanne and seamer Suranga Lakmal for keeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella and leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay.
Sri Lanka won the last World Twenty20 in Bangladesh in 2014 but since then batsmen Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene have retired and they have dropped to eighth in the world rankings.
In another late squad change, West Indies have replaced injured batsman Lendl Simmons with 24-year-old uncapped Trinidadian left-hander Evin Lewis.
Click here for the full World Twenty20 squad lists. | Lasith Malinga has stepped down as captain of defending champions Sri Lanka before Tuesday's start of the World Twenty20. |
35787960 | Francois Trinh-Duc starts at fly-half and Scott Spedding at full-back in the side named by head coach Guy Noves.
Wesley Fofana, usually a centre, comes in on the wing, while Gael Fickou is at centre for the game in Edinburgh.
Yoann Maestri is promoted from the bench to start at lock, while Yacouba Camara replaces the injured Antoine Burban at open-side flanker.
Jules Plisson and Maxime Medard both drop to the bench to make way for Trinh-Duc and Spedding.
Noves said it was always his intention to give Trinh-Duc, who was a replacement against Wales, a start at some stage during the tournament.
"With Jules, Francois has the keys to the lorry at the moment," said the France coach.
"He was in our original squad and wasn't quite fully fit, but he has played a few games for his club and a bit for us, so we felt it would be interesting to see him start this match."
Djibril Camara makes way for Fofana, while Fickou replaces Jonathan Danty.
Paul Jedrasiak drops out as Maestri starts the game and Sebastien Vahaamahina joins the replacements.
With an eye on developing the core of a squad that will take Les Bleus through to the 2019 World Cup, Noves has made a host of changes for each match of the tournament.
"We are still in the early stages of our development," he noted. "We have set out on a path and we will go down it with a strong group of 35 or 40 guys."
Noves believes Scotland, who have not beaten France since 2006, are at a higher level under coach Vern Cotter than some recent results might suggest.
"They are taking on a certain dimension and that is down to Vern," he added. "He gives them confidence despite some of the results.
"You can see a team which is evolving and progressing, so that again could be an example for our own rugby."
France: S Spedding (Clermont Auvergne); W Fofana (Clermont Auvergne), M Mermoz (Toulon), G Fickou (Toulouse), V Vakatawa (French Rugby Federation); F Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), M Machenaud (Racing 92); J Poirot (Bordeaux-Begles), G Guirado (Toulon, capt), R Slimani (Stade Francais), Y Maestri (Toulouse), A Flanquart (Stade Francais), W Lauret (Racing 92), Y Camara (Toulouse), D Chouly (Clermont Auvergne).
Replacements: C Chat (Racing 92), V Pelo (Montpellier), U Atonio (La Rochelle), S Vahaamahina (Clermont Auvergne), L Goujon (La Rochelle), S Bezy (Toulouse), J Plisson (Stade Francais), M Medard (Toulouse). | France have made six changes to face Scotland in Sunday's Six Nations match at Murrayfield. |
39130687 | Saturday's loss at Reading left Wolves one point above the relegation zone.
But Lambert told BBC WM: "I won't let this place feel negative or down.
"The players are in the same mindset," said Lambert, 47, who won the European Cup with Borussia Dortmund in 1997 then did his coaching badges in Germany.
"I played in Germany. I know to handle different things. And I tend to fall back on that mentality.
"My mindset's different from most," admits the ex-Livingston, Wycombe, Colchester, Norwich, Aston Villa and Blackburn boss. "My whole outlook changed when I went over to Germany. And I don't intend to let it go.
"There's a time to laugh and a time to be serious and a time to be level headed.
"The big moments in games have gone against us. But you just concentrate on getting to the end of the season with as many points as you can."
Wolves go into Tuesday's trip to former Wolves boss Mick McCarthy's Ipswich Town on the back of a six-game losing run.
Since winning at Barnsley on 31 January, just three days after their FA Cup fourth-round win over Liverpool at Anfield, Wolves have lost five successive Championship games.
But the wily McCarthy is not fooled, admitting that the reports he has had on Wolves are that the luckless Molineux men are not getting the points their performances deserve.
"It looked like Paul had them going and that they were going to be a force," McCarthy told BBC Radio Suffolk. "But I think they've actually been playing better than their results will testify to.
"I know they played very well on Saturday at Reading and were unfortunate to lose. But it doesn't really matter you how you play. It's about results and the same applies to us too."
Now into his fifth year as Ipswich Town manager, McCarthy has just passed the fifth anniversary of his exit as Wolves manager.
Although he has generally happy memories of his time at Molineux, capped by leading Wolves to the Premier League in 2009, he still wonders about what might have been.
"It's all history now but I loved my time there," the 58-year-old added. "I have no resentment at the way it all ended. If you get the sack, it never ends up as you wish. But I still don't think we'd have gone down. We'd been in that position before in the bottom three and stayed up. We'd got enough games to get out of it.
"It wasn't like the dressing room was against me. It wasn't like Leicester. They sacked the manager, then suddenly win two games and look brilliant.
"Poor TC (Terry Connor - now McCarthy's coach again at Ipswich) was left on his own. And I'm sure we were better together than we were individually." | Wolves head coach Paul Lambert says that the strong mindset he still possesses from his time in Germany can help to inspire the Championship club in their bid to escape relegation. |
20266195 | Soares, 26, joined the Potters in 2008 but made just eight first-team starts in four years with the club.
Ebanks-Landell, 19, is yet to feature for the first team at Molineux. He links up with who is also on loan at Bury.
Both players go into the squad to
Bury will be looking to extend their unbeaten sequence in all competitions to five games against
Soares began his career at Crystal Palace, playing more than 100 times for the Eagles, but his £1.25m switch to the Britannia Stadium did not go as planned.
After struggling to break into Tony Pulis's side, he went out on loan to Charlton, Sheffield Wednesday and Hibernian before being released by the Premier League club in the summer. | Bury have signed former Stoke City midfielder Tom Soares on non-contract terms and teenage defender Ethan Ebanks-Landell on loan from Wolves. |
10560466 | Other mail order companies were also found giving out the wrong information about their refund policies.
A customer returning goods within seven working days is entitled to a full refund and the initial delivery charge, under the Distance Selling Regulations.
Next told the BBC it would change its policy from the start of August.
The Distance Selling Regulations (DSRs) are legally binding rules and were introduced in 2000 to protect customers who, unlike High Street shoppers, are unable to inspect goods before they buy them.
Even if you simply inform a company that you wish to return the goods within the seven working days, you should get a refund of the initial delivery costs.
The law does not cover the cost of returning the unwanted items.
But Next has been breaching the regulations by billing customers for delivery costs - even if goods are returned within the seven working days.
A spokesman for Next said: ''During the last three years, Next has not offered a refund of the delivery charge.
"This was in line with our interpretation of the Distance Selling Directive. However following clarification from the European Court of Justice in April this year on interpretation of the Directive, Next is in the process of implementing the necessary changes to ensure that delivery charges will be refunded. "
The spokesman pointed out though that customers had not had to pay for returning the goods.
There is no obligation for retailers to offer free returns.
Trading Standards said that since the DSRs had been legally binding in the UK for ten years, there was no excuse for not adhering to them.
Andy Foster, operations director at the Trading Standards Institute, said: ''If there is a failure to refund delivery charges that is clearly wrong and we will interpret that to be a breach of contract."
Mr Foster said there were steps customers could take if the rules were not adhered to.
"What they should do is approach the retailer and ask them to give them their money back or they can take their case to the small claims court," he said.
He added: ''The majority of businesses we speak to are law-abiding, but there is a small minority that are not and those are the companies we need to take action against.''
Other major companies appear confused about the DSRs.
On its website, Debenhams says it only refunds delivery charges if the product is faulty.
Helpline staff said that was the case even if the item was returned within a week.
But a spokeswoman from the retailer said this was not actually the company's policy and that staff would be re-apprised of the rules: ''Unfortunately the wrong information was given out. Delivery charges are refunded within seven days, even for goods that are simply unwanted.
"We will make sure all our customer services staff know the correct policy and we will look at updating the website.''
Littlewoods call centre staff told BBC researchers that customers must pay the delivery fee no matter how quickly the product is returned.
Its website states it will not refund delivery charges unless the product is faulty.
Littlewoods said it was operating within the rules: "We believe that we do comply with the requirements of the Distance Selling Regulations and many of our brands offer free delivery and returns.''
Matt Bath, technology editor of Which?, said many customers were not aware of their online rights.
''People face an uphill struggle when trying to convince online stores to give them the money back that they are rightfully owed, the only recourse we have [is] to complain to Trading Standards or go to the small claims court," he said.
"Both are long and laborious processes and it's unfair that consumers have to go through that.''
Shopper Kate Porter from Sydenham in south-east London buys lots of clothes online but was not aware of the DSRs.
''I have not been refunded the delivery charge on a number of occasions. I didn't mind because I buy so much online rather than going to the shops, but now I know I feel a bit cheated,'' she said.
If consumers do believe they have been unfairly charged Trading Standards is now urging them to get in touch.
Consumers do not have the right to full refunds under the DSRs for perishable goods, personalised or custom-made products, magazines and unwrapped CDs. | Next has been breaking consumer law by failing to refund delivery charges on goods bought online but then returned, a BBC investigation has found. |
35113043 | The ward at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, where the patients were treated, has been closed to new admissions as a precaution.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (GGC) said one of the patients who died had significant underlying health issues.
The other had been discharged but later died in another hospital.
A third patient is said to be giving "cause for concern".
NHS GGC said that seven patients had tested positive with Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).
It described RSV as a "common germ that causes lung and airway infections in infants and young children".
The health board said that in young children and ‎adults with compromised immune systems, the illness can be more severe and cause pneumonia.
Dr Teresa Inkster, infection control doctor with NHS GGC, said: "Initially four patients tested positive for RSV, one was community acquired and the other three were healthcare acquired, and appropriate infection control measures were put in place including closing the ward to new admissions.
"We also tested the other patients in the ward and a further three patients tested positive."
Dr Inkster said two of the patients who had tested positive for RSV died this week.
"One of the patients who died had significant underlying health issues," she said.
"This patient was extremely unwell as a result of these significant health issues and RSV was not the cause of their death.
"The second patient who died had been discharged from the Beatson after being assessed as clinically fit,. However, this patient's condition subsequently deteriorated and they were admitted to a hospital out with the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area where they sadly passed away."
Dr Inkster said that a third patient who was "giving cause for concern" was in a stable condition after being transferred to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
She added: "Two patients remain in the ward who have tested positive but are not giving any cause for concern as a result of the RSV.
"The other two patients have already been discharged home. We also tested staff of which two tested positive and are at home recovering."
The health board said RSV is spread by tiny droplets and sneezing or by touching surfaces with the virus on it.
Symptoms in babies include difficulty breathing, high fever, nasal discharge, cough mucus, irritability or inactivity and refusal to feed.
The best way to control it is to use tissues when coughing and sneezing and washing hands regularly.
The incubation period for RSV is five to seven days and the illness usually lasts about a week.
People with concerns are advised to see a GP or ring NHS 24. | A respiratory virus which affected seven patients at Scotland's largest cancer hospital was a contributory factor in two deaths, it has emerged. |
35783235 | Offensive songs were heard during Liverpool's 2-0 win at Anfield in the first leg of their last-16 tie.
Ninety-six Liverpool fans died as a result of a crush at Hillsborough in an FA Cup semi-final between the Reds and Nottingham Forest in 1989.
United said the chants "have no place in the game".
"It has always been the position of Manchester United that chants of this nature, which refer to historical tragedies, do not reflect the values the club holds," a spokesman said.
"We are in discussion with our fans' groups to seek their support in preventing this type of behaviour in the future."
Former Liverpool midfielder Ray Houghton told BBC Radio 5 live the chants were "dreadful".
"It has to come out of our game," he said. "There were people in the crowd who lost loved ones at Hillsborough and that's really hard to take.
"It's something we don't want to hear. It's happened in the past with Liverpool fans to Manchester United with what happened at Munich. It's uncalled for."
In February 1958, eight United players and three club officials lost their lives in a plane crash in Munich following a European Cup tie.
"When you lower yourself to that level [of those fans], it's quite remarkable," said Houghton.
"It should have been a night of celebration - they haven't played each other in a European tie before. The fans should have been getting behind their own team. When you stoop as low as they did last night, for me, it's dreadful."
A story in the Sun newspaper four days after the Hillsborough disaster criticised Liverpool fans' behaviour at the time. The newspaper is still heavily boycotted in Merseyside as a result.
"There were chants during the first half - 'the Sun was right', referring to the Hillsborough tragedy," said BBC Sport's Juliette Ferrington, who was at Anfield.
"It wasn't continuous but it was clearly audible, maybe four or five times. It kind of got drowned out. The noise at the game was deafening.
"It happened again just after the full-time whistle - it was drowned out by: 'You'll Never Walk Alone' and 'we won it five times' (a reference to Liverpool's five European Cup triumphs). There was lots of saddened head-shaking in the press-box."
Former United striker Dion Dublin told BBC Radio Manchester the songs were "disgusting".
"It leaves a bad taste in your mouth," he said. "It's not in good taste, and the people that were actually singing it should feel embarrassed." | Manchester United have criticised the fans who sang chants about the Hillsborough disaster during Thursday's Europa League defeat at Liverpool. |
30910295 | In a televised address, Abdel Malek al-Houthi accused President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and other leaders of putting their interests ahead of the Yemeni people.
Earlier, Houthi rebels shelled the president's home in Sanaa and seized control of the presidential palace.
The UN Security Council condemned the attack and voiced support for Mr Hadi.
Yemen, a key US ally in the fight against al-Qaeda in the region, has been beset by unrest for months.
"What happened was that they [the political leadership] have sunk deep into corruption and tyranny," Mr Houthi said.
"The nation has started moving towards a tragic situation and complete collapse. The situation has worsened on all fronts - political, economic and security - on a large scale."
Mr Houthi also accused the government of encouraging the spread of al-Qaeda in Yemen.
"They helped them to grow in all provinces and the president refused to order the army to wage war against them," he said.
Houthi militias, who are seeking greater autonomy for their home province, overran the capital Sanaa in September after moving out of their northern stronghold.
However, the capital's presidential buildings had remained outside their control.
President Hadi was reported to be inside his house when it was shelled but an official insisted he was safe.
Information Minister Nadia al-Sakkaf said on Twitter the president's home had come under heavy shelling from armed forces positioned on rooftops nearby.
The ceasefire that broke down on Tuesday had been agreed just one day earlier after hours of fierce clashes in the city between the presidential guard and the rebels.
Under an agreement with President Hadi, the Houthis - who abducted presidential chief of staff Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak on Saturday - pledged to withdraw from the capital once a new unity government was formed.
The UN Security Council said in a statement adopted by all 15 members that President Hadi was "the legitimate authority".
It urged "all parties and political actors in Yemen" to stand with him and the government to "keep the country on track to stability and security".
The Houthis, who adhere to a branch of Shia Islam known as Zaidism, have staged periodic uprisings since 2004 in an effort to win greater autonomy for their northern heartland of Saada province.
They consolidated their control over Saada during the 2011 uprising that forced long-time President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down.
Since July the rebels have inflicted defeats on tribal and militia groups backed by the leading Sunni Islamist party, Islah, and battled jihadist militants from al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which has vowed to defend the country's Sunni community.
Opponents allege that the rebels ultimately hope to reinstall the Zaidi imamate, which ruled North Yemen for almost 1,000 years until 1962. | The leader of Shia Houthi rebels in Yemen has said that the country is at a critical and defining moment. |
39577247 | Saints parted company with club legend Cunningham on Monday after 24 years as a player and then coach.
The 40-year-old ex-hooker had been in charge for just over two years.
His assistants Long and Lolesi, as well as Under-19s coach Traynor, were placed in temporary charge of the side.
"There is a lot of emotion within the club but there is no time to sit around and feel sorry for ourselves," Lolesi, 36, told BBC Radio Merseyside.
"Keiron rang me to give me the news. It's disappointing but it is a measure of the man that he just wanted to get on with the game and get a win, that's more important than his situation which is the way he has always been.
"We're paid to make sure we do our best with the group we have got and we will continue to do that until the powers that be bring in a new head coach.
"The chairman asked us to stay on and steer the ship for the time being and we'll try and do our best job." | St Helens have told BBC Radio Merseyside that Sean Long, Jamahl Lolesi and Derek Traynor could remain in charge for the rest of 2017 as they look for Keiron Cunningham's successor. |
39583049 | It may also prove crucial for Richie Foran's future as manager with his position under increasing scrutiny in and outside the club.
Defeat may not be fatal as they could remain four points adrift of 11th place, should Hamilton Academical lose at Dundee and slip below Well.
However, with five post-split games to come and just four league wins all season, recovery would seem a tall order.
The Highlanders cannot keep relying on others to retain hope.
Just one victory in 21 league matches is a horrible statistic. It's a win ratio of less than 5%. That measure alone understandably raises questions about the manager's position as well as player performance.
So where has it gone wrong?
At his introduction to the media as manager last May, Foran said: "For me, management is all about recruitment. It's the most important aspect of my job."
He may not have the resources of others but the board can legitimately argue they have backed him. Over an entire starting XI has arrived since his appointment.
Kevin McNaughton was an early long-term casualty with injury but few of the other signings stand out.
The arrival of Billy Mckay, back on loan from Wigan, did look like a solution but the Northern Irish striker has not made much of an impression other than a dramatic winner against Rangers - their last victory.
Service to him has been a clear issue.
Delivering exciting, attacking football was a priority but players such as Jake Mulraney, Larnell Cole and Billy King have not produced consistently in achieving that goal.
Another long-term injury to Aaron Doran has not helped matters.
Now, it's solely about results and some of Foran's recruits have to step up. To this point, the majority have not.
Foran had been earmarked for this position for some time given his contribution around the club over the years.
The board were convinced the former skipper had the qualities to lead and step out of the dressing room smoothly.
That transition appears to have been harder than anticipated.
He was awarded a four-year deal, with certain clauses, which seemed a tremendous show of faith in an untried manager.
He inherited assistant Brian Rice, who is contracted until the end of this season. Rice is very experienced; a well thought of coach, but the dynamic does not appear to have worked.
Foran is a man of conviction and belief. Perhaps having someone of his choosing alongside him might have helped balance his lack of experience.
Clean sheets have been very hard to come by with only one since their most impressive league result, a 3-0 win over Motherwell in October.
Inverness have conceded in all but two league games and have lost the first goal 23 times - 23 games they have not won.
Statistics can be misrepresentative, but not those.
The loss of Josh Meekings to long-term injury has been significant. He formed a very successful centre-half partnership with Gary Warren under Foran's predecessor John Hughes.
Caley Thistle have drawn 13 times this season and earned creditable points against Celtic, Aberdeen and Hearts. On their day, they are capable of being robust. Their day has not arrived nearly enough and has been undermined by conceding cheap goals.
As Foran stated following last Saturday's 3-0 defeat by St Johnstone, one win can change things.
They are still in this fight and are, by Foran's admission, fortunate to be so.
Saturday is paramount. Defeat might prove decisive but victory would deliver a significant shot in the arm that might spark a revival.
The pressure would sharply turn to sides above them. It may galvanise his squad and the support for one last push.
The Inverness board tends to be patient with managers. There's a lot at stake for the club and the manager. It's recoverable but chances are running out.
If Foran is to successfully negotiate his way to safety, it may be the making of him and allow the club to build for the longer term. | Inverness Caledonian Thistle's Premiership trip to face Motherwell on Saturday is critical in their quest to escape relegation. |
36785399 | Jamie Spendiff's attack on Craig Logie, who was out with friends on a stag night, was captured on CCTV.
Spendiff took part in a further assault on other men with co-accused Shaun McCarthy after killing the married 36-year-old last August.
McCarthy was sentenced to 250 hours of unpaid work and a weekend curfew.
In CCTV footage, Mr Logie can be seen lying motionless on the ground after the assault.
Advocate depute Andrew Brown QC told the court: "Witnesses speak to hearing the sound of a crack as the deceased's head hit the ground and he did not move thereafter."
The construction manager suffered a brain injury and fracture to the back of his head following the attack at Friars Street on 7 August.
Spendiff, of Cullercoats, North Tyneside, admitted assaulting and killing Mr Logie by punching him on the head causing him to fall to the ground where he struck his head.
He also pled guilty to committing a breach of the peace along with Shaun McCarthy by conducting themselves in a disorderly manner and fighting with others.
Both also pled guilty to assaulting Paul Stubberfield and Stuart McKee in a taxi in Friars Street.
The court heard that Spendiff and McCarthy had gone out drinking for the evening after working together as technicians on wind turbines.
Mr Brown said that everyone appeared to be in good spirits, but a member of the stag party and another drinker then became involved in a heated argument.
After patrons left the pub, a general melee broke out which ended with the fatal blow to Mr Logie.
Mr Brown said: "With the deceased now on the ground Spendiff initially moved away before returning and danced round the deceased, at all times being moved away by the accused McCarthy and at one stage a female passer-by."
At the High Court in Glasgow, judge Lady Stacey told Spendiff: "After you had punched Mr Logie and must have known that he had hit his head and was flat out on the ground, you went up to a taxi and punched other people.
"I accept you did not intend to cause his death, but that is in fact what happened.
"I understand you are remorseful and you are accepting responsibility for the terrible harm caused by your actions." | A man who danced around his victim after delivering a fatal blow during a street attack in Stirling has been jailed for 32 months. |
32888242 | England will play against the Republic of Ireland in a friendly on 7 June.
UK police are taking action because of a "deterioration in fan behaviour" during England's last four away games.
Banned England fans will have to sign in at a police station on match day, in addition to the usual requirement of surrendering their passports.
The National Police Chiefs' Council said it will be "running a national operation to round up those who fail to comply before and immediately after the fixture".
Twenty years ago, a match between England and the Republic of Ireland in Dublin was billed as a friendly, yet turned into a riot.
Forty people were arrested after seats were ripped up and missiles thrown during the first half of the game at Lansdowne Road on 15 February 1995.
The National Police Chiefs' Council said it is working closely with An Garda Síochána (Irish police) to prevent any fan trouble ahead of next week's fixture in Dublin's Aviva stadium.
The officer leading the UK's football policing operations, Assistant Chief Constable Mark Roberts, said it will be the first time in four years that the additional enforcement measures have been re-introduced against fans subjected to Football Banning Orders.
"It has been a point of pride in recent years that England fans' behaviour has completely moved on from the dark days of the 1980s," he said.
"While the majority of fans continue to behave themselves, in the last four England away fixtures we have seen a significant amount of drunken anti-social behaviour, unpleasant chanting aimed at provoking home supporters and a small number of people who seem to take every opportunity to create distress for others.
"Regrettably that means we have to increase our enforcement activity using tactics that proved successful in addressing these problems in the past."
In addition, he said football policing "spotters" from England will go to Dublin and the Aviva stadium to "gather evidence of any bad behaviour and ensure anyone who offends faces the consequences of their actions".
All official England Supporters Travelling Club members will be required to collect their tickets in person in Dublin with photographic identification.
ACC Roberts said: "I am in regular contact with the FA and other partners in the football community and, while there is no specific intelligence as yet to suggest planned disorder there is sufficient concern to take proactive action to ensure that fans are clear that bad behaviour is not acceptable and will face serious sanctions." | England football fans who have been banned from matches face additional enforcement measures to stop them going to next week's game in Dublin. |
33385088 | Media playback is not supported on this device
Kyrgios, 20, won 5-7 7-5 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 to secure a place in round four - the stage at which he beat Rafael Nadal in 2014.
The 26th seed hit 34 aces and 61 winners as he gained revenge for last year's quarter-final defeat by Raonic.
"I don't fear anyone," said Kyrgios, who will play 21st seed Richard Gasquet in the last 16.
"Whoever I play I will just play aggressively and just keep that mind set."
The Australian hit a blizzard of winners and just 13 unforced errors as he thrilled the court two crowd over two hours and 43 minutes.
Kyrgios had clashed with officials in his previous two matches and there was a code violation this time for bouncing his racquet in anger, but for the most part his on-court antics were limited to conversations with the crowd and himself.
At one point, he put on an official Wimbledon headband only to be told it was too colourful for the tournament's all-white clothing policy, so he duly turned it inside out.
Raonic, 24, had won both their previous matches and had the upper hand once again when Kyrgios double-faulted three times to drop the first set in a woeful game.
With serve dominating, Kyrgios was in deep trouble facing a break point midway through the second set but he saved it and began to dominate.
A looping forehand winner finally earned him a break at 5-5 and he served out the set with three aces as court two came alive to the Australian's surge of energy.
The third set was a serving deadlock and once again it was Kyrgios who found the inspiration when required, reeling off six points in a row in the tie-break before hitting a second serve ace on set point.
Raonic looked to be suffering physically in the fourth as his serve speed dipped and one break was all Kyrgios required to earn another landmark win at the All England Club.
Kyrgios explained that the continual chatter and interaction with spectators and officials during matches actually helps him concentrate.
"I think when I'm in that state of mind, when I feel relaxed and I'm playing around, I think that's when I play my best tennis," said the world number 29 from Canberra.
"I'm focusing, but at the same time I'm having fun. When I find that balance, I play some really good tennis. I thought I was doing that today in the second, third and fourth.
"I was chanting to the crowd every now and then, playing with the ball boys. That's a good place to be out there."
John Newcombe, three-time Wimbledon champion: "Nick is an exceptional talent and he doesn't beat to the same drum as everyone else - he's a real individual. Some media people will take the little negative things and build them into big issues, rather than looking at more positive things, which far outweigh the negative things."
Todd Woodbridge, nine-time Wimbledon doubles champion: "How you are going to be remembered at 19 or 20 is irrelevant. He is going to mature and he is going to grow and realise some of the things he's done and said were not the right thing. There is so much focus on him at 20 and he has to learn to cope with that. He has people round him who can help him deal with it."
Tim Henman, four-time Wimbledon semi-finalist: "Kyrgios is a performer, an entertainer and will go out and play the tennis he is capable of. He can beat anyone because he is seriously talented. He is a bit different and speaks his mind but the most important thing is that he doesn't get distracted from what's happening on the court." | Australia's Nick Kyrgios won the battle of the big servers against Canadian seventh seed Milos Raonic at Wimbledon. |
35830877 | The Madonna del Silenzio (Madonna of Silence), created in 1538, is part of the Cavendish-Bentinck family's Portland Collection.
The gallery, on the family's Welbeck Estate near Sherwood Forest, also has works by Van Dyck and George Stubbs.
A pearl earring worn by Charles I at his execution has also gone on show.
The current head of the family and grandson of the 7th Duke of Portland, William Parente, said the collection had been "painstakingly assembled over the last 400 years or so".
"These things are our history; each generation learns from them and adds to them if they can.
"But they are also part of our collective history as people; they chart the way people, places, tastes and society have changed - everyone should be able to enjoy them."
Alongside the painted masterpieces, the 800 sq m gallery also houses miniatures by Nicholas Hilliard and Christian Friedrich Zincke, Meissen porcelain and jewellery by Cartier. | A Michelangelo work that has not been shown in public for 50 years has gone on permanent display at the new Harley Gallery in Nottinghamshire. |
30436830 | Little Angels Nursery in Calne closed down in September, a month after a man and a woman were arrested and bailed by detectives.
The pair have now been released without charge and the investigation has concluded, police said.
The nursery opened in 2009 and had been previously rated as good by Ofsted.
A spokesman for the Wiltshire force said: "Whilst we appreciate this has caused a considerable amount of concern in the local community, due to the nature and scope of the investigation, it was imperative given the information passed to us that our enquiries were comprehensive and thorough."
The owner of the nursery Rachel Cartmell, who was not arrested, had previously said she and her staff were fully co-operating with police.
Before its closure the nursery looked after 78 children and its nine staff members had all been vetted appropriately according to Ofsted. | A police inquiry into alleged sexual abuse at a children's nursery in Wiltshire has been dropped after a five-month investigation. |
33960789 | The relay team had to call off previous attempts in May and July because of bad weather.
The charity swimmers tried to complete the swim last year but had to abandon it about 24 miles (38km) into the 60-mile (96km) crossing.
They hope to take advantage of a spell of fine weather and struck out from Village Bay on Hirta early on Monday.
The swimmers hope to reach Huisinish in Harris by 22:00 on Tuesday. | Seven swimmers have started their third attempt this year to swim between St Kilda and the Isle of Harris. |
34503863 | Lawyer Gloria Allred, who represents Judy Huth, said her client would seek a second deposition - giving out-of-court evidence - of Mr Cosby on Thursday.
Ms Allred added that a judge would decide in December if either testimony could be made public.
Mr Cosby, 78, has previously said Ms Huth's claims are "absolutely false".
BBC Entertainment Live: News updates
Ms Huth has accused the former Cosby Show star of forcing her to perform a sex act at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles in 1974 when she was aged 15.
It was the first time the veteran comedian has testified under oath since dozens of women came forward with accusations of sexual abuse, many of which are historic claims.
Mr Cosby has never faced criminal charges over the allegations which he has denied.
He also faces two other cases: a defamation case brought by three women who claim he abused them decades ago and a civil case filed last Tuesday by a model who alleges he drugged and sexually assaulted her.
In relation to the defamation case, a federal judge in Massachusetts on Friday ruled it could go ahead.
The women - Tamara Green, Therese Serignese and Linda Traitz - claim that Mr Cosby's representatives damaged their reputations by denying their allegations in sometimes disparaging language.
Mr Cosby's lawyers had asked the judge to dismiss the case, arguing the remarks were personal opinions protected by the First Amendment and legal declarations made in his defence.
But in his ruling on Friday, US district court judge Mark Mastroianni rejected Cosby's bid to dismiss the case before it goes before a jury.
The trio have accused Cosby of drugging them and then having unwanted sexual contact with them. | Bill Cosby testified under oath for several hours on Friday in response to a civil case brought by a woman who accused him of sexually abusing her. |
39793404 | Barby Dashwood-Morris admitted renovating the 600-year-old property while chairman of Wealden District Council's planning committee.
Brighton Magistrates Court heard the work was a "substantial erosion" of history.
Her former partner and co-defendant, Alan Proudfoot, was also fined £48,000.
The changes to her Hellingly house, which included knocking down a wall and installing windows, were discovered when she tried to sell it.
District judge Teresa Szagun said she "intentionally disregarded the requirement for consent - focussing on [her] own needs".
Dashwood-Morris had earlier admitted six counts of breaching planning law, while Proudfoot pleaded guilty to four charges of breaching planning regulations.
Mitigating, Stephen Whale told magistrates: "There was certainly no intention to commit offences and neither were they reckless."
In a statement Dashwood-Morris told the court the pair "strongly believed at the time" the works did "not require authorisation."
Michael Sanders, of the Hailsham Historical and Natural History Society, described the changes as "historic vandalism".
He added: "We can't have people going around changing things whenever they like. It is very alarming."
The interior was filmed for Channel 4 show Double Your House for Half the Money, but it was never aired.
Kelvin Williams, the council's head of planning, said: "Owners of historic properties should be aware of their responsibilities to the property and future generations." | A former council planning boss has been fined £75,000 for making illegal and irreversible changes to her Grade II-listed home. |
34741574 | Barker defied illness to help GB take bronze in the team pursuit at the recent Track World Cup in Colombia.
The 21-year-old, a World and European team pursuit champion, says they will have to be at their best to break the record.
"What we're really hoping for is the world record," Barker said.
"What the world record is as that point, nobody knows. At the minute it's 4:13, which is about three seconds faster than we've ever gone ourselves.
"The world record really did jump up at the most recent World Championships and if we can beat that then we can be really happy."
Australia women's pursuit team set a new world record time of four minutes 13.683 seconds at the 2015 World Championships in February.
London will host the next World Championships in March 2016, and Barker is focused on winning team pursuit gold.
"Individual events for me at the moment are being pushed aside and I'll wait and see the programme as to whether I'll ride any of them or not," Barker added.
Barker was unwell at the Track World Cup but took to the line with team-mates Joanna Rowsell Shand, Katie Archibald and Ciara Horne in order to fulfil competition rules.
She then stepped off the track when the race started with Great Britain beating China by less than two-tenths of a second to seal third.
"I had to start the race and that was it. The girls had to carry on as three and it was a new experience for all of us," Barker said.
"We rose to the occasion and I'm really proud of the girls for still getting bronze with three riders right at the very start. That must have been very tough." | Welsh cyclist Elinor Barker has targeted a world record if Great Britain women's pursuit team qualify for Rio 2016. |
35658301 | 25 February 2016 Last updated at 12:41 GMT
The drone carried a box of bread and milk and reached its destination 500 metres away in about four minutes.
In another test flight, the drone successfully delivered boiled eggs without any of the shells cracking.
The drone flew 30 metres away from people, to ensure it wasn't breaking air safety rules in Japan.
Japan hopes to put the service into use by 2018. It's hope it will help people living in unpopulated, rural areas.
Before launching the service, more studies are planned to see how the drones will work in bad weather and to address any safety concerns of residents. | Japan have carried out a test exercise, using a drone to deliver food to elderly people living in rural areas. |
38485008 | His assistant Brian Atkinson wasn't there either because he was best man.
It may look like poor planning from the Quakers manager, but the date of the wedding was arranged two years ago, when his team were in a different division.
Gray, 45, said the club asked Halifax to reschedule the game "but with all due respect, they refused".
"As I am sure everyone can appreciate, moving the wedding at that stage was not an option," he said.
Former Sunderland and Oxford midfielder Gray gave the players a team talk on Sunday morning, before heading off to marry partner Jill.
That left coach Sean Gregan and chief scout Harry Dunn to take charge of the National League North fixture, which finished 2-2.
The result meant one wedding present Gray had hoped for didn't materialise.
Speaking before the game, he said: "I am confident we can get a win, and after becoming a married man, I look forward to hearing we have won three points."
Take part in our new Premier League Predictor game, which allows you to create leagues with friends. | Darlington boss Martin Gray missed his side's game at Halifax on New Year's Day - because he was getting married. |
34800719 | Tracey Crouch had been talking about the savings some claimants would have to make because of cuts to tax credits.
She told the Spectator that in certain cases some people had not realised "you have to sometimes go without to make ends meet".
Labour criticised her remarks, saying they were offensive to working people.
Ms Crouch later apologised "for causing any offence", and said: "I'm sorry for giving the impression of a lack of understanding of the financial pressures many families faces - nothing could be further from the truth."
The government plans to cut £4.4bn from tax credits as part of wider plans to save £12bn from the overall welfare bill.
But following a defeat in the House of Lords and amid continued opposition - including from Conservative MPs - to the policy, George Osborne is to announce revised proposals in his Autumn Statement to ease concerns about the impact of the cuts.
Ms Crouch defended the policy, telling the Spectator "I think it's about communication."
She said: "We will be discussing this, and I'm sure that DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) are looking at all of these issues, in great detail.
"But I think at the end of the day one of the kindest things that we can do is try to help people to support themselves and work around their finances.
"Some of my most heartbreaking cases are those that come to me saying that they are struggling and then you go through with them their expenditure and income - I'm not generalising at all, I'm talking about some very individual cases - and actually they just haven't realised some of the savings that they need to make themselves.
"You know it can be… things like paid subscriptions to TVs and you just sit there and you think you have to sometimes go without if you are going to have people make ends meet."
Shadow Treasury minister Rebecca Long-Bailey said the minister's comments were "outrageous", "offensive" and showed the Conservatives were "out of touch".
"Losing £1,300 a year isn't about cutting back on luxuries, it's about families being able to pay the bills," she said. | A sports minister has apologised for suggesting some of her constituents struggling to make ends meet should give up things such as subscription TV. |
29689344 | IBM, which wanted to avoid the cost of upgrading the unit's technology, said it would now focus on cloud computing, mobile and big data analytics.
IBM will take a $4.7bn charge in the third quarter as a result of the sale.
The sale came as IBM announced a 17% drop in third quarter profit,
IBM said it made $3.5bn profit for the three months to the end of September, with revenues down 4% to $22.4bn.
"We are disappointed in our performance," chief executive Ginni Rometty said.
Ms Rometty blamed a "marked slowdown" in client buying behaviour for the drop in sales, which were lower than analysts had expected.
However, she said the results also reflected "the unprecedented pace of change in our industry."
IBM is trying to adapt to industry-wide changes and has been restructuring to focus on its software products.
The disposal of the unprofitable chip making business is the latest step by Ms Rometty to sharpen this focus.
IBM said the sale would enable it to "focus on fundamental semiconductor and material science research, development capabilities and commitment to delivering future semiconductor technologies".
GlobalFoundries said it would offer jobs to all IBM employees affected.
IBM will spread the $1.5bn payment to GlobalFoundries over the next three years.
Under the terms of the deal, GlobalFoundries will get intellectual property and technologies related to the chip business.
"IBM needs to find success and growth in the cloud through organic and acquisitive means in our opinion, otherwise there could be some darker days ahead for the tech giant," said FBR Capital Markets analyst Daniel Ives. | IBM is to pay $1.5bn (£930m) in cash to offload its loss-making chip manufacturing division to Abu Dhabi owned GlobalFoundries. |
27810363 | The task force investigating the hoard says the piece belongs to the family of a Paris art dealer.
Femme Assise [Seated Woman] was in the Munich apartment of Cornelius Gurlitt, who died last month aged 81.
It is one of more than 1,000 Gurlitt pieces under investigation.
"Even though it could not be documented with absolute certainty how the work came into Hildebrand Gurlitt's possession, the task force has concluded that the work is Nazi loot and was taken from its rightful owner Paul Rosenberg," Ingeborg Bergreen-Merkel, the head of the task force, said in a statement.
The priceless collection was confiscated in 2012 by Bavarian authorities from Gurlitt's apartment.
Gurlitt's father, Hildebrand Gurlitt, was ordered by Adolf Hitler to deal in works that had been seized from Jewish families, or which the Nazis considered "degenerate" and had been removed from German museums in the 1930s and 1940s.
The Matisse was taken from a Jewish art dealer, Paul Rosenberg, in Paris in 1941.
The family had been searching for it until it turned up in Gurlitt's flat in Munich. The task force has now said the Matisse should be returned to the Rosenbergs.
Intense legal and investigative work remains to be done on the rest of the estimated 1,280 paintings,
The German government had tasked the experts with settling a dispute over ownership of the Matisse between the Rosenberg heirs and a second party, whose identity has not been revealed.
The experts consulted archives in Germany, France and the United States,
Chris Marinello, the director of Art Recovery International, who is representing the Rosenberg family, said the decision came as no surprise "given the strength of the documentation".
"With this acknowledgement, we look forward to a swift and efficient restitution of this looted work to the family after a 73-year wait."
Before his death last month, Gurlitt made the Bern Art Museum in Switzerland the "sole heir" of the collection. The museum has yet to accept the role of legal heir of the estate.
However, Gurlitt had also agreed to co-operate with the German authorities on establishing the paintings' provenance, and returning them if they were shown to be stolen.
Gurlitt, who had no close relatives, wrote the will within his last few weeks, shortly before undergoing heart surgery.
His collection only came to light after a routine check found he was carrying wads of cash on a train from Switzerland, triggering a tax inquiry.
Investigators found the works in his flat in February 2012 but only revealed the discovery in late 2013. A further 60 paintings were found in his house near Salzburg, Austria, earlier this year.
Among them were works by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Emil Nolde and Max Liebermann.
Under German law, Gurlitt was not compelled to return any paintings because the incidents happened more than 30 years ago. | A Matisse painting found among a huge trove of art amassed by the son of a Nazi art dealer is the first painting to be confirmed as looted. |
25427984 | Another praised his "fine" portrayal of the Roman soldier whose inability to compromise results in tragedy.
Hiddleston, The Guardian's review goes on, "conveys the hero's complexity" as well as his "reckless impetuosity".
Sam Mendes and Sir Nicholas Hytner were among Tuesday's first night audience at London's Donmar Warehouse theatre.
The BBC's John Humphrys was also in attendance to see the first Shakespeare play the Donmar's artistic director Josie Rourke has directed for the venue.
According to The Guardian's Michael Billington, Rourke "uses the Donmar's intimacy to come up with a fast, witty, intelligent production".
Dominic Maxwell in The Times found the show "intimate and compelling", while the Daily Telegraph's Charles Spencer called it "exciting and intense".
Yet Quentin Letts expressed reservations in the Daily Mail, saying the production's "numerous good points" were "diminished" by Rourke's "silly directorial touches".
Letts cites one of these "touches" - a shower scene in which Hiddleston's soldier removes his shirt and washes his wounds - as a "slightly desperate gambit".
The Times' man was more appreciative though, saying the scene would "please the MTV viewers who have just voted Hiddleston the sexiest man in the world".
Spencer also singled out the "extraordinary moment" in which his "lean, mean killing machine... takes a shower after the battle and gasps with pain".
Speaking earlier this year, Hiddleston - known to millions for his villainous Loki role in the Thor and Avengers films - said the play had "an interesting contemporary resonance".
"Coriolanus is an impeccable soldier who becomes a war hero," the actor told the BBC News website.
"That leads him to be corralled into politics, an arena he has no place in."
The political arena is represented in the play by the wily Menenius, played by Mark Gatiss of Sherlock and The League of Gentleman fame.
The cast also includes Deborah Findlay as Coriolanus's fierce mother Volumnia and Borgen actress Birgitte Hjort Sorensen as his wife Virgilia.
The Donmar's sold-out production, which will be broadcast live in cinemas on 30 January, is one of several high-profile Shakespeares running in London over Christmas.
Jude Law can currently be seen as Henry V at the Noel Coward theatre, while David Tennant is portraying Richard II at the Barbican following its run in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Laurence Olivier, Sir Ian McKellen and Toby Stephens are among the many notable actors to have played Coriolanus on stage, while Ralph Fiennes played him on screen in 2011 film version that he also directed. | Thor star Tom Hiddleston gives a "powerhouse performance" in a new London production of Shakespeare's Coriolanus, according to one critic. |
37482942 | Nato "must remain the cornerstone of our defence and the defence of Europe", he said, ahead of informal talks with EU defence ministers in Bratislava.
Sir Michael said the UK was not alone in opposing a common EU defence policy.
European Parliament President Martin Schulz has said the UK would not have a veto over closer defence co-operation.
France and Germany are set to make the case for increased military co-operation at the informal meeting in the Slovakian capital later.
Speaking in Bratislava, Sir Michael said the UK "remains committed" to Europe's security despite the vote to leave the EU, and said the bloc needs to "step up to the challenges" of terrorism and migration.
"But we're going to continue to oppose any idea of an EU army, or an EU army headquarters which would simply undermine Nato.
"Nato must remain the cornerstone of our defence and the defence of Europe."
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) is an international military alliance comprised of 28 members, including the UK, US, Germany, Canada and Turkey. It was set up after the end of the second world war in 1949.
Asked whether the UK would be able to veto moves towards a common European army, given Mr Schulz's comments, Sir Michael said other countries in the bloc shared the UK's concerns.
"There is no majority here for an EU army. There are a number of other countries who believe with us that that cuts across the sovereignty of individual nation states."
He added: "We agree that Europe needs to do more, it's facing terrorism, it's facing migration, but simply duplicating or undermining Nato is the wrong way to do it."
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker called for the creation of a European army back in 2015 to confront threats from Russia or elsewhere., and the idea has gained renewed impetus after the UK's vote to leave the EU.
In August this year, the leaders of the Czech Republic and said a "joint European army" was needed to bolster security in the EU. | The UK will oppose any attempts to create an EU army because it could "undermine" the role of Nato, Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon has said. |
22215387 | The announcement comes hours ahead of President-elect Nicolas Maduro's inauguration.
Opposition leader Henrique Capriles has challenged Mr Maduro's narrow victory, calling for a vote-by-vote recount.
The decision to audit all the paper receipts of electronic votes is seen as a major concession to the opposition.
The electoral authorities had earlier audited 54% of the vote and said this showed that Mr Maduro, the chosen successor of the late President Hugo Chavez, had won a slim majority.
The official count indicates Mr Maduro won by a narrow margin of about 1.5%, winning 50.8% of votes to Mr Capriles's 49.0%
Mr Capriles said he believed the crucial votes that cost him the presidency are among the unaudited 46% of the vote.
He said there were more than 3,000 incidents from Sunday's poll that needed to be examined.
Correspondents say the announcement comes as a surprise to many after the National Electoral Council initially said the the results, which it announced on Sunday night, were "irreversible".
The council's president, Tibisay Lucena, told AFP news agency that the expanded audit was not a recount but would cover all ballot boxes not audited on election day by reviewing a sample two-thirds of them over the next month.
Venezuela uses electronic voting machines which register an elector's decision and then emit a printed receipt for the voter to deposit into a sealed ballot box. For the audit, the receipts will be compared with the electronic tallies, to check for any irregularities.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Cuban leader Raul Castro were among the first heads of state to congratulate Mr Maduro on his win.
The governments of Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia and Argentina, among others, have also voiced their backing for Mr Maduro's victory.
But the US has so far refused to recognise Mr Maduro's win, calling for an audit of the results.
Secretary of State John Kerry said the US was not yet ready to validate the results of Sunday's poll.
Several opposition-led protests erupted across the country after the official results were announced on Sunday.
But Mr Capriles has urged his supporters to back down from confrontation and instead engage in peaceful rallies, play music and bang on pots in protest.
Mr Maduro is scheduled to be sworn in at 15:30 GMT. | Venezuela's electoral body has announced it will carry out a full audit on all the votes cast in Sunday's disputed presidential poll. |
36683376 | The 18-year-old scored twice in 12 appearances for the Bees, but was out of contract with the League Two club.
He was offered a new Barnet deal so Posh must pay compensation for the player, currently with the squad at their pre-season camp in Portugal.
Meanwhile, captain Chris Forrester, 23, has signed a new long-term contract with Posh.
The midfielder was called into the Republic of Ireland squad prior to Euro 2016 after making 41 appearances in his debut season for Posh, but failed to make the final 23.
Stevens is the sixth Posh signing of the summer, following the arrival of defenders Hayden White, Ryan Tafazolli and Andrew Hughes, and midfielders Gwion Edwards and Brad Inman.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. | League One side Peterborough United have signed Barnet striker Matty Stevens on a three-year deal. |
16860974 | The region experienced a brief period of independence in the 1940s but China regained control after the Communists took power in 1949.
It is home to the Turkic-speaking Muslim Uighur minority who make up about 8 million of the province's 19 million people.
Rich in natural resources, economic development in the region has been accompanied by large-scale immigration of Han Chinese.
Many Uighurs complain of discrimination and marginalisation by the Chinese authorities. Anti-Han and separatist sentiment has become more prevalent since the 1990s, flaring into violence on occasion.
Population 21.8 million
Area 1,660,000 sq km (640,930 sq miles)
Major language Chinese, Uighur
Major religion Islam
Life expectancy 71 (men), 71 (women)
Xinjiang's media are tightly controlled by the local Communist Party and government. The Urumqi People's Broadcasting Station and the Xinjiang People's Broadcasting Station run radio and television broadcasts in Chinese, Uighur and minority languages.
Major state-run newspapers include the Chinese-language Xinjiang Economic Daily.
The authorities imposed a months-long shutdown of internet access in Xinjiang following the violent unrest in July 2009. Bloggers, netizens and website managers were "singled out for repression", Reporters Without Borders said. | China's largest province Xinjiang is bordered by eight countries including the former Soviet Central Asian republics, Mongolia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. |
23243759 | Officials have already issued warnings about jellyfish in Mediterranean coastal waters for France and Italy.
But local marine biologists said this year's increase was "no different" from other years and that the blooms consisted of non-stinging species.
They added that they were monitoring the situation very closely.
A Foreign Office spokeswoman told BBC News: "We have been alerted to large numbers of jellyfish in the Mediterranean this summer, especially in a number of key holiday destinations for UK tourists.
"We have updated our travel advice for a number of Mediterranean countries to reflect this issue."
She added that the Foreign Office aimed to keep its advice "as informative and useful for visitors as possible".
Global problem
However, Stefano Piraino - project co-ordinator of the Mediterranean JellyRisk programme - said there was no need for tourists to be unduly concerned.
"Of course, as in any other ocean or sea in the world, there might be some problems," he said.
"In the Mediterranean, we are lucky and do not have deadly [jellyfish]."
But he did acknowledge: "We are experiencing, as in many other places around the world, an increase in jellyfish."
Prof Piraino, a marine biologist at the University of Salento in southern Italy, said the JellyRisk programme - also involving researchers from Spain, Tunisia and Malta - was set up because there was growing concern about the impact of increasing number of jellyfish on human activities in the region, such as fishing as well as tourism.
He told BBC News that the programme's main focus was on a citizen science campaign.
"This is a very important tool," Prof Piraino observed.
"We have, since 2009, used this approach where we are asking tourists, sailors, fishermen, divers - all the people that are in the sea - to send information about the presence of jellyfish."
The team have developed a smartphone application that not only allows people to send information, but also receive details about the abundance of jellyfish in their area.
The app also provides scientifically sound information about how to treat stings because the venom of jellyfish varies according to the species that inflicted the injury.
"We have collated scientific evidence and results from clinical trials, which we have reviewed so we can now, through the app and printed material, offer advice on the treatment of stings," he explained.
The team will also install anti-jellyfish nets at a number of popular beaches in order to assess their effectiveness.
Prof Piraino said it was difficult to pinpoint a single cause for the increase in the abundance of jellyfish.
"This is a result of many different causes. These can be different from site to site," he said.
"Generally, there is evidence that there is an increased abundance because of an increase in sea surface temperature.
"This is coupled with other things, such as the fact that we are changing the coastal marine environment."
One example he cited was the construction of artificial reefs for flood defences, which used a material favoured by jellyfish.
He added that this has been observed more often in other European bodies of water, such as the North Sea.
"This places a hard substrate in the sea, which is the preferred substrate for the larvae stage of jellyfish.
'Vicious cycle'
Overfishing was another contributing factor, he added.
"We are overfishing the oceans, which means we are catching all the big fish so the fish population is being reduced and we eliminate competitors and leave more food for the jellyfish."
A recent report published by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) concluded that the increasing number of jellyfish was creating a "vicious cycle" because the jellyfish were also feeding on the eggs and larvae of commercially important fish species.
In June, marine researchers gathered in Japan for the fourth International Jellyfish Bloom Symposium to share research on the global problem.
According to the FAO report, some experts have warned that, if the trend continued unabated, jellyfish could supplant fish in the world's oceans, triggering a "global regime shift from a fish to a jellyfish ocean".
Prof Piraino offered a solution, saying that people had to "learn to love jellyfish".
"The Chinese have been eating jellyfish for millennia," he said.
"Now there is documented evidence that non-stinging jellyfish in the Mediterranean can be eaten - they are full of antioxidants and they provide molecules that can be used in the pharmaceutical or cosmetic industries.
"Therefore the creatures should be viewed as a resource rather than a pest." | The UK Foreign Office has updated its travel advice for Greece, warning that jellyfish blooms have been reported and for people to heed local advice. |
35176321 | The man was found by the emergency services outside a house in Green Acres, Gamlingay at 05:33 GMT.
He was taken taken to hospital with 50% burns.
Fire officers said there was a failure in the supply which went directly to the kitchen hob. They said the blast caused "catastrophic damage".
Follow the latest updates on this story and others from Cambridgeshire here
Neighbours of the man called the emergency services after hearing an explosion at the property.
Fire crews treated the man for serious burns until paramedics arrived and isolated the gas supply.
Station Commander Kevin Napier said: "We believe the gentleman heard hissing this morning and unfortunately then switched on the light to the kitchen. An explosion took place that has caused some catastrophic damage to the house.
"The man sadly has suffered 50% burns to his body."
The property will be assessed by a structural engineer.
Mr Napier added that any suspicions of a gas leakage should be reported immediately and everyone inside should leave the premises. | A pensioner has suffered severe burns when a suspected gas explosion blew doors and windows off his house after he switched on a kitchen light. |
36436878 | People have been told they will have to travel to Flint after the office shuts on Friday.
The jobseekers found out when they overheard staff being told.
PeoplePlus said "rising employment" was responsible, and it would continue to pay for jobseekers' travel.
The company offers support and training to people looking for work on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.
Former steel erector Ieuan Mulholland, 21, who has been unemployed for a year, said he felt people in Rhyl were being discriminated against.
"This will decrease my chances of finding a job.
"I have to use the service twice a week, but can pop in any time and often use it up to four times a week. I won't have that option any more."
Joel Payne, PeoplePlus's regional director for Wales, said the organisation would continue to run an outreach office in Rhyl.
"However, due to rising employment and fewer referrals to the scheme, most of our activities will be based in Flint," he added.
"Those who are unable to make the journey will be able to use our office in Rhyl." | Up to 100 jobseekers in Rhyl face a round trip of more than 40 miles to attend mandatory job search appointments, following the closure of the local PeoplePlus office. |
35933156 | To outside eyes, the rise of Donald Trump especially looks like the ultimate "Only in America" story, but many of his compatriots wish it was a "Not in America" phenomenon.
Just ask Jerry Springer, who recently told the Financial Times that the Republican race is too crazy even for his own show, a programme known for its on-stage punch-ups, pixelated nudity and madcap segments, such as "the man who married his horse".
For all the billionaire's dominance in the Republican race, for all the free airtime lavished upon him by the media, polls repeatedly suggest that he is the most unpopular presidential candidate in modern history.
A recent survey conducted for the Washington Post and ABC News showed that 67% of voters have an unfavourable view of him.
What's also striking about the polling data is that the more exposure the billionaire gets, the higher his negatives soar, whether it is women angered by his misogyny, Latinos upset by his racial demagoguery, African-Americans who don't take kindly to being called "the blacks" or fellow Republicans who believe he will lead their party off a cliff.
His hard-line stance on abortion - this week, before hastily backtracking, he said that women who opted for the procedure should be punished if abortion were made illegal - had the unusual effect of angering both pro-choicers and pro-lifers.
Though 7.8 million voters have backed Trump, often precisely because of his rollicking approach, more Republicans continue to vote against him than for him. In primaries and caucuses he's won 37.1% of the vote and never more than 50% in any one primary.
As the Harvard political scientist Danielle Allen recently pointed out, Trump claims to be the spokesman of America's "silent majority" but, like so many of his boasts, it does not withstand close scrutiny. Presently, he represents a minority. So far, Trump has won the votes of just 6% of the American electorate.
The 40-year hurt - How Bruce Springsteen articulated the forces that underpin the rise of Trump
Trumpisms - 22 things that Trump believes
A civil war - Lifelong Republicans turned off by Trump
It would be wrong, however, to think that all the negativity and voter antipathy is directed against Trump.
Though Hillary Clinton is more popular than the property tycoon with general election voters, she still has the highest unfavourable rating - 53% - of any Democratic candidate in the past 30 years. To many, she fails the basic trust and likeability tests.
So with polls repeatedly suggesting that both Clinton and Trump are viewed unfavourably by a majority of Americans, with historically unprecedented negative ratings, America is heading towards a lesser of two evils style presidential election.
Travels with Hillary - On the campaign bus with Clinton
Women problems - Clinton's struggle to appeal to female voters
Shouting row - Clinton's voice and tone under fire
The unpopularity of the front-runners is a reminder that we live in a "None of the Above" era of politics, in America and elsewhere.
Out of the five remaining candidates, only two, Bernie Sanders and John Kasich, have positive approval ratings, but neither is translating that relative popularity into getting enough votes to win at present.
Part of the reason for this none of the above dynamic is a rejection, globally, of the political class. Voters just don't seem to warm to careerist politicians who have devoted their working lives to politics, a self-perpetuating cadre who seem to be increasingly detached from the people they represent.
Their sound bites sound contrived, prefabricated and overly rehearsed. Their views often seem to be dictated by focus groups rather than conviction. Their primary goal, their overriding motivation, frequently seems to be accruing power, rather than using it to effect change.
To many, figures like Hillary Clinton just seem too pre-programmed, too pragmatic and too overtly political. As the veteran commentator Jeff Greenfield wrote in Politico last month: "It's almost as if her brain and tongue were on a seven-second delay in which every word is subject to a pre-utterance examination for potential damage."
Marco Rubio suffered from the same affliction and never recovered from the charge that he was a robot, a political automaton.
Antipathy towards the political class explains the rise of protest candidates like Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders.
Self-styled anti-politicians - Sanders has successfully cast himself as an outsider, despite serving in Washington since 1991 - their unexpected success stems from their defiance of political convention and an authenticity, however idiosyncratic, that sets them apart from conventional politicians.
Trump and Sanders have not just benefited from the repudiation of the political class, but also its qualitative weakness. In all the coverage devoted to Trump's rise, one key point often gets overlooked: his unexpected strength is due in part to the weakness of his Republican rivals.
The billionaire has risen to the top of a shallow Republican talent pool. The best that the GOP establishment could come up with - Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Chris Christie and John Kasich - managed between them to win only three contests to date, in Minnesota and Puerto Rico (Rubio) and Ohio (Kasich).
The upshot is that many conservatives complain they are now being presented with a woeful choice, either Trump or his main rival Ted Cruz.
Senator Lindsey Graham, a failed candidate himself, described it as akin to choosing between being poisoned or shot, perhaps the most pungent description yet of the none of the above trend in politics.
This is not solely an American problem. Just cast your eye across the pond. In last year's Labour leadership contest, Jeremy Corbyn, another anti-politician, was the beneficiary of a weak and underperforming field of rivals, all of whom were career politicians.
Labour's political class failed to produce a strong enough candidate to beat him, just as the Republican political class has seemingly failed to produce a strong enough candidate to halt Trump.
However, as Trump and Corbyn demonstrate, there are limits to the appeal of protest candidates and anti-politicians. While both have, in wildly different ways, energised their bases, they have also struggled to appeal to general election voters.
Though Trump probably has a better chance of occupying the White House than Corbyn does of living in Downing Street, polls suggest that both are long shots and that voters will ultimately opt for more conventional politicians, albeit without any great enthusiasm.
Thus, the rise of anti-politicians has not done much to improve the political choice for voters, or alter the none of the above paradigm.
There remain leaders in the political Anglosphere who voters not only seem to respect but also like and trust. Three examples are Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's First Minister, Justin Trudeau, the new Canadian Prime Minister, and Malcolm Turnbull, Australia's Prime Minister.
But what's been noticeable in recent times is how many strong candidates choose not to seek high office - in the Labour leadership race, Alan Johnson and David Miliband were notable absentees - and how many best-in-their-generation figures steer clear of politics altogether, choosing instead to change the world through working in business, NGOs or tech start-ups.
One politician whose standing has risen in this election season is President Barack Obama. His approval rating is higher than at any time in the past three years.
But the most persuasive explanation for his surging popularity is the hostility towards his two possible successors and the sense of pre-emptive nostalgia that Campaign 2016 has brought on for presidency.
Still, it is worth remembering that President Obama's ratings are hardly stratospheric. His most recent approval rating - 53% - is a far cry from the 60-plus approval ratings that Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton enjoyed in the twilight of their presidencies, what now look like halcyon political days.
For whether products of the establishment or protest candidates pushed by anti-establishment insurgents, rarely have those running for high office been held in such low esteem. Politics may be broken, but anti-politics doesn't appear to offer a fix. | As the world looks on askance at the freakishness of the US presidential election, it is worth bearing in mind that a large number of Americans feel much the same sense of unease. |
37398350 | The Loons were comfortable 4-1 winners while Clyde won 2-0 at Elgin City.
Berwick Rangers leapfrogged Arbroath into third thanks to a 2-0 victory at Cowdenbeath as Arbroath grabbed a late 1-1 draw against Annan Athletic.
And Montrose beat bottom side Edinburgh City 1-0 to go eighth and leave City on one point - four points adrift.
Andy Munro headed home a David Cox corner to give Forfar the lead before Sean Dickson levelled for the visitors on the stroke of half-time with a superb strike from the edge of the area.
Forfar went in front again when Gavin Swankie teed up Josh Peters, who soon grabbed his second with a shot from distance. Danny Denholm completed the scoring in added time as Forfar maintained their 100% league record.
Sean Higgins' early strike was added to by Peter MacDonald for Clyde, who had Martin McNiff sent off near the end.
Gary Fraser's close-range strike was enough for Montrose to secure victory away to City, despite Terry Masson being dismissed.
Two first-half goals from Steven Thomson moved Berwick up to third in the table.
Ryan McCord's stoppage-time equaliser denied Annan at Gayfield. Earlier, Arbroath goalkeeper Robbie Mutch could only parry Omar Kadar's shot into the path of David McKenna, who put the visitors ahead. | Forfar Athletic maintained their five-point lead at the top of Scottish League Two by beating Stirling Albion as second-placed Clyde also won. |
16495238 | A former British protectorate which became self-governing in 1965, the territory is now in free association with New Zealand.
Its economy centres on tourism; the territory's natural assets include fine beaches and volcanic mountains.
Named after Captain Cook, who explored them in 1773, the islands were once autonomous, home to tribes of mixed Polynesian ancestry.
Governments still seek advice on matters of culture, custom and land ownership from a council of hereditary leaders known as the House of Ariki.
More than twice as many native Cook Islanders live in New Zealand than live in the islands themselves. Most of them have left in search of a brighter economic future. As New Zealand citizens they can also live in Australia.
Black pearls are the chief export. Agriculture, the sale of fishing licences to foreign fleets and offshore finance are also key revenue earners.
Status Self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand
Population 15,600
Area 237 sq km (91 sq miles)
Major languages English and Cook Islands Maori
Major religion Christianity
Life expectancy 70 (men), 76 (women)
Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by a governor
Prime Minister: Henry Puna
Lawyer and pearl farmer Henry Puna took office in December 2010 after his Cook Islands Party won a comfortable majority in elections.
The Cook Islands Party unseated the Democratic Party which had dominated politics on the islands for the past decade.
Mr Puna's party won a two-thirds majority of the 24 seats in parliament.
Before the elections he was quoted as saying he planned to pay a $770 "baby bonus" to the mother of each child born in the Cook Islands to try reverse a steady decline in population caused by migration to New Zealand.
His government retained a narrow majority in the 2014 parliamentary elections.
Mr Puna studied law in Auckland University and the University of Tasmania before returning to practice law in the Cook Islands.
The main radio and TV stations are operated by the privately-owned Pitt Media Group, which also publishes weekly newspapers.
Radio Australia broadcasts on FM on Rarotonga.
Some key dates in the history of the Cook Islands:
1596 - Spaniard Alvaro de Mendana is the first European to sight the islands.
1773 - Captain James Cook explores the islands and names them the Hervey Islands. Fifty years later they are renamed in his honour.
1821 - English and Tahitian missionaries arrive, become the first non-native settlers.
1888 - Cook Islands are proclaimed a British protectorate and a single federal parliament is established.
1901 - Islands are annexed to New Zealand.
1946 - Legislative Council is established. For the first time since 1912, the territory has direct representation.
1965 - Islands become a self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand.
1985 - Agreement on creating a South Pacific nuclear-free zone - the Rarotonga Treaty - is opened for signing on the main island.
2012 - The Cook Islands announces the creation of the world's largest marine reserve - a one million-sq-km (411,000-sq-mile) swathe of the Pacific Ocean. | The 15 volcanic islands and coral atolls of the Cook Islands are scattered over 770,000 square miles of the South Pacific, between American Samoa to the west and French Polynesia to the east. |
32730682 | One of the army generals involved in the plan to seize power while the president was in Tanzania has admitted defeat.
The crisis follows weeks of protests against the president, mainly in the capital, Bujumbura.
The trouble began in April when it was announced that President Nkurunziza would run for a third term.
Protesters took to the streets saying the former rebel leader, who has been in power for nearly 10 years, was not entitled to do so.
They are unhappy that the constitutional court ruled that as Mr Nkurunziza was appointed by parliament in 2005 - and not directly elected - he could stand again.
Some army generals agreed that this flew in the face of the peace accord that ended a brutal 12-year civil war - and said they had relieved the president of his duties.
Burundi country profile
Loyalist forces have regained control of Bujumbura after two days of fighting in the city, with the last main battle centred around the offices of the national broadcaster.
Coup bid leader Maj Gen Godefroid Niyombare, a former ally of the president, is still on the run, though three of his colleagues have been arrested.
Gen Niyombare was dismissed as intelligence chief in February after advising Mr Nkurunziza against seeking a third term.
On Wednesday, he announced on radio that a committee, including five generals, was taking command - and thousands took to the streets of the capital to celebrate.
President Nkrunziza profile
Burundi is a densely populated, landlocked country, like neighbouring Rwanda. It also has a similar ethnic make-up, with a Hutu majority and Tutsi minority, which had long controlled the country.
It has had prolonged periods of conflict, including assassinations, coups and ethnic massacres. Some 300,000 people were killed in the civil war between ethnic Hutu rebels and the Tutsi-dominated army.
The country has been largely peaceful since 2000, when international mediators brokered a deal to end the conflict.
Under the agreement, the army was split 50-50 between Hutus and Tutsis.
This means that unlike the police, whose officers have been forceful in putting down the anti-third term protests, the army is regarded as a neutral force.
No. There are internal divisions - with former Hutu rebels regarded as loyal to the ruling party and those in the old Tutsi-dominated army seen sympathetic to the opposition.
However, these historic ethnic tensions do not appear to have been a factor in the coup attempt.
The announcement was made by Gen Niyombare, a Hutu like the president with whom he had fought as a rebel.
He had the support of Defence Minister Pontien Gaciyubwenge, a Tutsi.
On the other hand, the Hutu army chief of staff, Gen Prime Niyongabo remained loyal to Mr Nkurunziza.
There are reports that the ruling party's youth wing, Imbonerakure, is turning into a militia group.
Weapons are alleged to have been handed out to them, and they are said to have been behind the attacks on private radio stations seen to be supporting the coup bid.
There are also allegations that some of its members have received military training by Burundian officers over the border in the Democratic Republic of Congo - denied by the ruling CNDD-FDD
Some of the thousands people who have recently fled to neighbouring countries say they were threatened by Imbonerakure's members ahead of elections in June.
One of the world's poorest nations, it had begun to reap the dividends of peace and rebuild its shattered economy - though corruption is still a huge issue.
Until the recent unrest, Burundi had proved better at forging national unity following the turbulent 1990s than Rwanda.
The fear now is that the row over the third presidential term could descend into conflict again, either along ethnic lines or along the new divisions in the military.
What Burundi could teach Rwanda about reconciliation
Burundi: Where jogging is a crime
President Nkurunziza, who enjoys most support in rural areas, has now returned to the capital.
When he tried to return from Tanzania on Wednesday, he was forced to turn back because troops supporting the coup had seized the airport.
Key will be whether he presses ahead with his intention to run in elections in June.
A civil society group has called for renewed protests.
The African Union, whilst condemning the coup bid, said the polls should be postponed. Earlier this month, AU commission head Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma also questioned the decision by Burundi's constitutional court, saying the peace accord clearly stated a president should not run for a third term.
East African countries are also keen to stop any further unrest in case it spills into Rwanda, Tanzania and DR Congo - in the last week the figure of those fleeing to neighbouring nations has risen from 50,000 to 105,000. | An attempt to overthrow Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza has ended in failure. |
39080356 | Addressing the Conservative Political Action Congress (CPAC), he vowed to always put American citizens first and build a "great, great border wall".
He also promised to focus on "getting bad people out of this country".
Mr Trump was greeted by chants of "USA, USA, USA!" as he addressed the annual forum in Maryland.
"We're building the wall," he said. "In fact it's going to start very soon. Way ahead of schedule. It's way, way, way ahead of schedule."
His comments come a day after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly met their Mexican counterparts in Mexico City.
Neither made any mention of the wall in Thursday's news conference after their closed-door meetings.
The wall could cost up to $21.5bn (£17.2bn), according to Reuters, citing a Department of Homeland Security internal report - much higher than Mr Trump's estimated price tag of $12bn (£9.6bn).
On Thursday senior White House strategist Steve Bannon told the crowd at CPAC that Donald Trump wasn't moderating his views or backing down from his controversial campaign promises. On Friday the president took the stage and proved his top adviser right.
In a wide-ranging speech to a crowd of right-wing activists and students, Mr Trump continued his efforts to reshape the Republican Party in his own image. He condemned trade deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership and Nafta, which previously had widespread conservative support, to cheers. He promised once again to build the Mexican border wall - ahead of schedule, no less - and crack down on illegal immigration, just a few years after many in his party supported comprehensive immigration reform.
In a conference hall that contained more than a few career political operatives and professional Washington lobbyists, he condemned a "broken" political system full of "blood-sucking consultants" who peddle government influence. Two years ago Mr Trump's presence at CPAC was treated as an afterthought and a reality television joke. A year ago he decided to skip the event entirely. On Friday morning he arrived in a presidential motorcade. It's a brave new world for conservatives and their movement.
Mr Trump, who has insisted Mexico would later pay for the wall, needs Congressional approval for funding before moving forward with construction.
Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto has said he would not finance Mr Trump's wall.
On Friday, President Trump also said he was working on a plan to "totally obliterate" the so-called Islamic State.
"Foreign terrorists will not be able to strike America if they can't get in to America," he said.
Mr Trump continued that he "took a lot of heat on Sweden", referring to his erroneous claim that an attack had recently happened there.
He told the crowd: "I love Sweden... but the people over there understand I'm right."
The president then referred to terrorist attacks in France before telling an anecdote about a friend who used to love travelling to Paris every year, but has stopped because "Paris is no longer Paris".
One of the loudest rounds of applause came when he emphasised his "America First" outlook.
"Global co-operation, dealing with other countries, getting along with other countries is good," he said. "It's very important.
"But there's no such thing as a global anthem, a global currency or a global flag.
"This is the United States of America that I'm representing. I'm not representing the globe; I'm representing your country."
He devoted the first 13 minutes of his speech to criticising the media and its use of unnamed sources, without saying which stories he was unhappy with.
Relations between the White House and the media hit a new low for his presidency a few hours later.
Reporters from the BBC, The New York Times, CNN and other outlets were excluded from a briefing by the White House press secretary Sean Spicer. No reason was given, but Associated Press and Time magazine boycotted the so-called gaggle in protest.
Mr Trump is the first president to address the group during his first year in office since Ronald Reagan in 1981, according to American Conservative Union chairman Matt Schlapp. | US President Donald Trump has vowed to start building a wall on the Mexican border "soon, way ahead of schedule", in a speech at a conservative event. |
19433159 | The officers were executing a warrant at a house in Bordesley Green at about midnight, West Midlands Police said.
Three men, aged 21, 27 and 34, are being held on suspicion of conspiracy to possess a controlled drug with intent to supply.
Officers seized a "large quantity" of suspected Class A drugs, police said.
All 11 have since been released from hospital.
"Inquiries are ongoing to establish exactly what the liquid was, although early indications suggest it may have been petrol mixed with an illegal drug, possibly heroin," a police spokesman said.
Fire crews assessed the scene, in Mill Burn Way, and established there was no further risk posed by the substance.
The house remains cordoned off and a number of road restrictions have since been lifted, police added.
Both the officers and men arrested suffered sickness and breathing difficulties after being exposed to the substance.
West Midlands Police was supporting officers from the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca), who executed the warrant in relation to illegal drugs.
Officers from both Soca and the West Midlands force became ill, West Midlands Police said.
Ch Insp Lee Wharmby said: "Events such as this always raise concern in communities, but I want to be clear that this is about drugs alone and not connected to terrorism."
He said the men were taken to Heartland Hospital for treatment.
"There are no long lasting effects for anybody within the local community," he added.
West Midlands Ambulance Service said 12 decontamination staff were put on standby but not needed. | Eight police officers and three suspects were taken to hospital after being overcome by an unknown substance during a drug raid in Birmingham. |
17062091 | They hope the genetic data will offer clues on how to suppress the spread of Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD), which is transmitted via biting.
Since DFTD was first recorded in 1996, populations in some areas are estimated to have declined by up to 90%.
Details of the research have been published in the journal Cell.
DFTD refers to a fatal condition that is characterised by the appearance of facial tumours.
As these develop into large cancerous growths, the animal finds it hard to eat. As it becomes weaker, it is unable to compete with other animals for food.
Researchers say that affected animals appear to die within three to five months of the lesions first appearing.
The international team of scientists that sequenced the genome (complete set of genetic material) of DFTD built on earlier work that sequenced the genome of the Tasmanian devil itself, and the combined work could play a role in preventing the continual spread of the contagious cancer.
"We can now look for mutated pathways that might be responsible for the cancer's growth, which may offer potential targets or ideas for therapeutic interventions that could help the devils in the wild," explained co-author Elizabeth Murchison, a researcher at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK.
"It has also allowed us to identify a number of genes that have a number of mutations, which makes it different to a normal devil's genome," she told BBC News.
"Of course, we are also keen to develop vaccines that help the devils' bodies detect that the cancer is foreign, and by using these genes that are different between the cancer and the host, they may present ideas for developing vaccines."
'Immortal devil'
Dr Murchison added that the sequencing also allowed the researchers to understand the dynamics of the disease.
"Because the cancer is spread by living cancer cells, it actually arose from one individual devil," she said.
BBC Nature - Tasmanian devil videos, news and facts
By using "genetic detective work", Dr Murchison and the team said the disease first arose in a female more than 15 years ago.
"As far as we know, it was just a normal, wild Tasmanian devil but for some reason it developed this tumour that became transmissible."
As the cancer cells were passed from one animal to another over the years, the original host was nicknamed the "immortal devil".
"She is, in a way, living on long after her own death," observed Dr Murchison.
Previous research revealed that DFTD was spread by biting, which played a major part in the devils' social interaction, such as mating and competing for food.
"Normally, a cancer that arises within the body of one person dies when that person dies," she explained. "It doesn't normally have an existence outside the body of its host.
"What is so unusual about the devils' cancer is that it has been able to survive after the death of its host.
"This has been facilitated by the fact that devils do bite each other, which has created a route for the transmission for the cancer."
The rapid spread of the contagious DFTD saw a steep decline in the wild population of the devils, prompting the Australian government in May 2009 to list the species (Sarcophilus harrisii) as Endangered.
As the world's largest marsupial carnivore is only found in the wild within Tasmania, the species is also listed as Endangered by the IUCN's global Red List of Threatened Species.
The outlook for the devils was so bleak that it prompted the government-backed Save the Tasmanian Devil Program to establish an "insurance population" in 2005.
This involved placing more than 270 disease-free devils in captivity in case it became necessary in the future to re-establish a healthy wild population.
But Dr Murchison added: "My goal is to do something to stop the spread of the disease in the wild before it is too late, [but] the wild population is declining at a very rapid rate, and there are some fears that the species in the wild could go extinct in 20-30 years.
"It would be impossible to re-introduce devils into the wild until we were certain that there were no diseased devils left out there, otherwise the [reintroduction] would be pointless because the disease would just come back again."
Explaining why it was important to continue research into developing a treatment for DFTD, she said: "Even if we do have to wait to re-introduce devils into the wild, it is going to be really important to be able to prevent those devils from getting the disease, and suppress the disease, just in case there are still reservoirs of it still left in the wild." | Researchers have sequenced the genome of the killer disease that is driving the remaining wild populations of Tasmanian devils towards extinction. |
10091177 | The partnership between One Laptop per Child (OLPC) and the East African Community (EAC) aims to deliver 30 million laptops in the region by 2015.
OLPC has also announced a partnership with a UN agency which aims to deliver 500,000 machines in the Middle East.
Both the UN agency and the EAC first need to raise cash for the laptops.
The two groups aim to find donors to help pay for the machines, which currently sell for more than $200, despite intentions to sell them for less.
"At the end of the day, it all comes down to money," Matt Keller of OLPC told BBC News, talking about the EAC partnership.
"Ideally, we would live in a world where governments can equip every kid to be educated, but that's not the case."
He said the EAC was currently drafting a letter to US President Barack Obama to ask if the US could provide assistance to pay for the project. The countries were also exploring links with the aid community, he said.
Laptops given to Gaza's children
"This is a very ambitious project for which we will have to partner with various people and institutions to mobilise and fund the resources required to meet our objectives by 2015," said Ambassador Juma Mwapachu, secretary general of the EAC.
The organisation represents the governments of Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda and Burundi.
Some of the countries have already run small trials with the machines, including Rwanda which has more than 20,000 pupils using them.
Mr Keller said the country already had an order for 70,000 more and had shown the other countries in the area the benefit of technology in schools.
The partnership with the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) aims to distribute half a million laptops to Palestinian children throughout the Middle East.
UNRWA looks after more than four million Palestinian refugees in five countries
It has been conducting trials with 1,500 machines in the region and has begun to distribute a further 2,100 to a school in Rafah, in the south of the Gaza strip.
"For us it is vital to get computers to our kids," Adnan Abu Hasna of UNRWA told BBC News.
"We think many people and individuals will support the idea."
OLPC has had difficulty selling its computers and its alternative vision of education around the world.
The organisation - a spin out from US university MIT - originally aimed to sell the low-cost laptops in lots of one million to governments in developing countries for $100 each.
However, it had difficulty getting governments to commit to bulk orders.
The rugged machines - which are designed specifically for children in the developing world and run both Linux and Microsoft Windows - are now offered in single units for around $200 each.
Mr Keller said that there were currently around 1.6 million machines distributed around the world, with commitments for another 400,000.
He admitted the project had still not reached its "tipping point", but said if the EAC was successful it may prove to be the decisive moment for the project.
"We want [these computers] to be as a fundamental as electricity," he said. | The group behind the "$100 laptop" has formed a partnership which it hopes will deliver computers to every primary school child in East Africa. |
30645007 | Greater Manchester Police said officers were called to reports of a knife attack shortly before 11:00 GMT at a house on Redwood Drive, Bredbury.
A police spokeswoman said officers found a 60-year-old woman with stab wounds who was declared dead at the scene.
A post-mortem examination into her death is due to take place later. | A 29-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman was found stabbed in Stockport. |
21790376 | The Senate judiciary committee approved the ban, similar to one that expired in 2004, on a 10-8 party-line vote.
The narrow margin underlines the uphill battle faced by the White House drive for new gun regulations, after a school massacre that killed 26 in December.
Polls show a majority of Americans back a ban on assault weapons.
The bill's sponsor, Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein, says such guns have been used in too many mass shootings.
But opponents say the measure would violate the Second Amendment, the clause in the US Constitution that refers to the right of citizens "to keep and bear arms".
Critics also argue it would hamper the ability of citizens to defend themselves from criminals with illegal guns.
The same Senate committee has already approved expanding the requirement for background checks on gun buyers, increasing penalties for gun traffickers and boosting aid for school safety.
Thursday's measure would ban the sale of 157 kinds of semi-automatic weapons, guns that automatically reload, and large-capacity ammunition magazines carrying more than 10 rounds.
But it allows 2,258 rifles and shotguns that are frequently used by hunters and does not include weapons already lawfully owned.
Ms Feinstein said such exemptions would leave Americans with more than enough weapons to defend themselves.
"Do they need a bazooka?" she asked at the hearing. "I don't think so."
However, even with those concessions the proposal is viewed as dead on arrival in the Republican-dominated House of Representatives.
It is also seen as highly unlikely to pass the US Senate. Democrats hold a 55-45 edge in that chamber, but President Barack Obama's party may need 60 votes to pass the measure.
And not all Democratic votes are assured, given intense lobbying from the National Rifle Association (NRA) and other pro-gun groups.
Many senators from states with strong gun traditions fear that backing such a ban could cost them re-election.
Senator Charles Grassley, the top Republican on the judiciary committee, told Reuters news agency he did not think the proposal could win more than 50 votes.
"We are focused on the next step of the legislative process," Chris Cox, the NRA's chief lobbyist, said on Wednesday. | A sharply split US Senate panel has passed a bill to ban assault weapons, but the measure is viewed as unlikely to go much further in Congress. |
35453156 | The tie looked done at the break with ruthless first-half finishes from Arnaud Djoum and Sam Nicholson.
Hibs displayed their character and their class thereafter, dominating much of the second half at Tynecastle.
Jason Cummings headed in 12 minutes from time to set up a frenetic finish, before Paul Hanlon slid home the equaliser in injury time.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Even at that painfully late stage, there could have been a winner.
Hearts responded and, under pressure, Niklas Gunnarsson almost turned the ball into his own net. Instead, it came back off his crossbar.
Tynecastle gasped in that moment. Breathless stuff and the right result. They go again at Easter Road a week on Tuesday, 16 February, and thank heavens for that.
This was hard and fast and ultra physical. There were lusty tackles by the barrowload, bookings galore, men going off injured and a second-half fracas.
Though they were two goals down at the break, it was Hibs who created the early chances, a neat turn and curling shot by John McGinn forcing Neil Alexander into a save and then Anthony Stokes heading just over from a corner.
Hibs lost Dylan McGeouch through injury after half an hour - Kevin Thomson replaced him for yet another Hibs 'debut'. The visitors missed McGeouch's industry and energy and within a minute of his exit his team were behind.
It came from nothing. Hearts - with new signing Abiola Dauda selected ahead of the departing Osman Sow - had posed no threat until Lewis Stevenson headed a weak clearance to Djoum, standing free outside the penalty area.
Djoum unleased a missile that flew past Mark Oxley. It was the purest strike you could hope to see and it sent Tynecastle into raptures.
Their delirium had barely died down when they were on their feet again celebrating the second. Callum Paterson hit a diagonal ball to the left side of the Hibs' box, where Nicholson took it on his chest and planted his shot beyond Oxley.
The question now was what could Hibs find after the break. This is a team that has already beaten three Premiership teams this season - Aberdeen, Dundee United and St Johnstone all swept aside on their road to the League Cup final.
They rallied and pegged Hearts back and gave them a real fright. Gunnarsson came on as a replacement for David Gray and helped turn the tide, getting on the ball, finding space, making things happen. Marvin Bartley was like a rock in the middle of the park.
After a bout of pushing and shoving, a player pile-up and three bookings, Hibs started to create. Gunnarsson had a header saved by Alexander, then Stokes smashed one into the side-netting.
Hibs were dominating now, Hearts hanging on. All the energy belonged to Hibs - and all the chances. In the 78th minute, just when you started to doubt their capacity to turn possession into goals, Liam Henderson dinked in a cross and Cummings' terrific header looped in over Alexander's head.
The equaliser was late but deserving. Alexander thought he had repelled Hibs when he beat away Darren McGregor's header, but Hanlon followed up to complete the comeback.
There was time for a Hearts response. There was that Gunnarsson moment and then Thomson had to kick a Blazej Augustyn effort off the line.
Tumultuous stuff in the capital. Round two is a prospect to quicken the pulse. | A riveting Edinburgh derby ended with Hibs storming back from 2-0 down to earn a Scottish Cup fifth-round replay. |
37178288 | The composite of the extinct flightless bird was put together from bones collected over a number of decades.
The private collector offering it for sale only lacked part of the skull and one set of claws when he assembled the specimen in the early 2000s.
It is being sold by Summers Place Auctions in West Sussex in November, and is set to fetch a six-figure sum.
Director Rupert van der Werff said: "The rarity and completeness of this specimen cannot be overemphasised.
"It provides a unique opportunity for an individual or an institution to own a specimen of this great icon of extinction."
The dodo (Raphus cucullatus) was native to Mauritius but became extinct in the late 17th Century, within less than 100 years of Europeans settling the Indian Ocean island.
The bird, which could not swim or fly, was bigger than a turkey and weighed about 50lbs (23kg).
It evolved in isolation from predators and had no fear of humans. Dodo meat was said to be very tasty, although very little is known about the animal.
The majority of the bones in the specimen up for auction were recovered from the Mare aux Songes swamp, in south-eastern Mauritius, in the 19th Century.
The Mauritian government has since banned all exports of dodo bones.
Only one dodo skeleton exists that is made up from the bones of a single animal. It is on display in Port Louis, Mauritius.
About a dozen other specimens are composites made up from bones from several birds.
The 95% complete composite skeleton being offered for auction is said to be the first put together since the early 20th Century.
It will be part of the fourth Evolution sale at the auction house in Billingshurst on 22nd November. | The first almost complete skeleton of a dodo to come up for sale in nearly a century is to be sold at auction. |
39845795 | As of March 2016, the number employed by local authorities fell by 170 to fewer than 600 compared to three years earlier - a drop of 23%.
Many of the patrols have not been replaced by cash-strapped councils after crossing assistants retired.
Road safety charity Brake said patrols played a "key role" in keeping children safe.
However, there is no legal duty for councils in Wales to provide them and many have reviewed the use of crossing staff in a bid to address budget deficits.
The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) said financial pressures and recruitment issues were making it hard for councils to fill roles - with bad weather and "commonplace" abuse from drivers putting people off.
Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, show all but three of Wales' 22 councils saw a reduction in the number of crossing patrol staff between 2013 and 2016.
Many councils said crossings were being reassessed and scrapped when staff retired.
Carmarthenshire saw the biggest cut - with 23 posts being lost since 2013.
Road safety and traffic manager for the council, John McEvoy said: "A number of school crossing patrol sites have remained vacant for a long period of time due to difficulties with recruitment."
In Neath Port Talbot 19 posts were lost, as the council tried to address a £17.3m deficit in 2014-15. Many schools, town and community councils, now fund patrols in the area.
Seven roles have gone in Newport and the council said it struggled to recruit suitable candidates, adding it was not unusual for a vacancy to fail to attract a single applicant.
Only Monmouthshire increased the number of patrols in the period, from five to eight in March 2016, while Powys employed no-one in the period.
In Pembrokeshire - where seven posts have been lost due to retirement and ill health - the council reviewed the use of school crossings across the county, carrying out surveys to check their use.
The authority's assistant road safety officer, Sally Jones, said the review had led to plans to cut services in the region being scrapped, and no roles were cut.
A spokeswoman for Brake, said: "School crossing patrols provide a vital service by helping children cross roads safely on their way to school.
"Local authorities have a duty to promote the use of sustainable transport, especially for children on their way to school, yet the number of lollipop people are declining."
Eirlys Twigg started helping children cross the road in 1987.
Almost 30 years later, she is still guiding school children outside Ysgol y Frenni, Crymych.
Her role was under threat during the review, but she said it was saved after support from the community.
"You meet the parents, you meet the children, it's something you do in the community: you are helping the community by doing this job," she said.
"[Lollipop ladies] are very important for the safety of the children to cross to the school and even more important in the afternoon."
Cath Charlton has been helping children cross the road in Merlin's Bridge for the last decade.
When she started, her son, now aged 21, was at the school, and she said helping the children and talking to them always made her day.
"When Merlin's bridge is gridlocked and when the lanes are flooded it does get busy here, and it can be dangerous sometimes," she said.
She believes if the crossing was to be scrapped children could get hurt. | The number of school lollipop staff in Wales has fallen by almost a quarter in the past three years, figures show. |
41037024 | Now imagine for a second you're Donald Trump, and you've just been given that piece of homework. I think the first thing you're going to do is ask for a few extra sheets of paper because, what a summer.
From distant, foggy memory, I also seem to remember that the one other instruction you got from the teacher was to make it descriptive, and not too much of a list.
Well, sorry about that, Miss. This is what Donald and his pals in the White House got up to:
And this is the quiet season. This is the still, millpond of August when nothing happens; when days are long and news bulletins are slim, when surfing dogs and the battle of the bake-offs should dominate the news cycle.
Barack Obama's former chief of staff, and now the Mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, tweeted at one point that he was going to nominate the White House for a Tony award for most drama. Not best drama. Just most.
There is no shortage of pundits and political professionals in Washington who will tell you things can't continue like this, and that there is no way that Donald Trump can last a full four years in office. There is a degree of wishful thinking in that for some people. For others it is a genuine, cold-eyed assessment.
I am unconvinced. For a start the drama, the chaos and noise are what this president thrives on. If he hated the drama, he wouldn't stoke and provoke as much as he does.
Where it does matter is in his relationships with the lawmakers on Capitol Hill, with the business leaders across the country, with the money men on Wall Street, with the military high command who seem to have bristled at the way their commander-in-chief is behaving and with his fellow leaders around the world.
Just consider for a minute his threat to allow a government shutdown if he doesn't get funding for the border wall with Mexico. The president says it's making good on a campaign pledge: the lawmakers, still under their breath, say: "Yeah, and the other part of the pledge was that Mexico was going to pay."
He has publicly lambasted the Republican Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell. On any number of occasions. How does that help him to get an infrastructure bill passed? How does that help to get tax reform through?
And then there's the Trump base. Has support for Donald Trump fractured? Yes, a bit. Do the polls that chart approval ratings for him make alarming reading? Yep, the numbers disapproving seem to be rising, and the approving seem to be dwindling.
But his base is still 100% with him. Cheering, whooping and lapping it up.
He is their man, fighting the system and draining the swamp and taking on the establishment. Just look at the crowds in Phoenix, Arizona, last week.
You see, I think there is a perfectly plausible scenario where by a squeak and a cigarette-paper width of margin he gets his legislative agenda through. In which case in 2020 he could go to the American people and say: "Look, I delivered on what I promised."
There is perhaps a more likely set of circumstances where he is blocked and thwarted - and fails on all the big legislative tests - no repeal and replacement of Obamacare, no significant change to the tax code, no wall with Mexico, no change to America's crumbling infrastructure.
But that doesn't mean it's over for Trump. He then goes to the country and says: "The system is rigged. Draining the swamp is going to take even longer than I ever thought. Parts of the Republican leadership need to be swept away. The fight goes on. We'll Make America Great Again."
And that brings us to Donald Trump's ego - and maybe a choice that this White House must confront as it takes stock of this chaotic summer.
Does Donald Trump want to go down in history as a heroic failure, or the winner who turned things around with his relentless energy and deal-making nous?
If it's the latter then he needs to start nurturing all those people he has alienated, and in record fast time. And if it's the former, then carry on with the rallies that pump up the base and leave many others feeling queasy. | This week across America, millions of children will be getting ready to go back to school and returning home that evening with their first work assignment - an essay with the title: "What I did on my summer holidays." |
33658814 | The 60009 Union of South Africa will haul the service between Edinburgh Waverley and Tweedbank on 10 September, just four days after the new railway opens.
It is one of six remaining LNER Class A4 steam locomotives in the UK, which were built in Doncaster in 1937.
The train will run through the Borders three days a week, for six weeks.
Mike Cantlay, the chairman of VisitScotland, said the steam trains would be an additional boost to tourism in the region.
He said: "The opening of the Borders Railway is a fantastic opportunity for Scottish tourism and the introduction of steam trains is excellent news.
"It is a chance for passengers to step back in time and enjoy the beautiful countryside on another level as these majestic locomotives make their way through Midlothian.
"The magical Scottish Borders is one of Scottish tourism's greatest assets and I'm convinced the addition of steam trains will make our new railway one of Scotland's most sought-after attractions. I for one cannot wait to enjoy this amazing experience."
The ScotRail service has been introduced following the success of a similar scheme which operated between Inverness and Carlisle in June.
Transport Minister Derek Mackay said: "It's fantastic to see these iconic trains back in operation, allowing so many people the opportunity to appreciate Scotland's countryside and railways from a unique and very special point of view, and to see them running on the long-awaited Borders Railway will be a real jewel in the crown both for Scotland's tourism and rail industries.
"There can be few railway journeys which match the outstanding scenery on this new route, and I look forward to it being extremely successful. Steam services running on the reopened Borders Railway really will recapture the golden age of Scottish rail travel." | The first steam trains will travel along the new Borders Railway line in September, ScotRail has confirmed. |
36590334 | Media playback is not supported on this device
Konta, who will be seeded for the first time at Wimbledon this year, overcame her Ukrainian opponent 7-6 (7-4) 6-1.
Kvitova won her only previous meeting with Konta, coming through 7-5 6-3 in the US Open last 16 in September.
Top seed Agnieszka Radwanska and former world number one Caroline Wozniacki also advanced to the third round.
Mirjana Lucic-Baroni of Croatia was forced to retire from her match against Poland's Radwanska because of illness while trailing 6-4 2-1. Dane Wozniacki - now ranked 37th in the world - produced a superb performance to beat Australian Sam Stosur 6-2 6-1.
Find out how to get into tennis in our special guide.
Radwanska will play 2014 Wimbledon runner-up Eugenie Bouchard next after the Canadian - who has fallen to 48th in the world from a high of fifth in October 2014 - beat Romanian 15th seed Irina-Camelia Begu 6-3 6-1.
Earlier in the day Czech fifth seed Kvitova saw off Hungary's Timea Babos 6-4 7-6 (7-5), but Italian second seed Roberta Vinci and Swiss fourth seed Timea Bacsinszky were upset by Russia's Ekaterina Makarova and France's Kristina Mladenovic respectively.
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Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox. | British number one Johanna Konta has beaten Lesia Tsurenko to set up a last-16 meeting with two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova at Eastbourne. |
38638088 | The body of the 51-year-old was found in a cesspit at her home in Royston, Hertfordshire, in July.
Her fiancé, Ian Stewart, 56, who denies murder, visited her solicitor in Ms Bailey's place on 11 April, the day she went missing, to discuss the sale.
He claimed she was "too unwell" to attend, St Albans Crown Court was told.
The Northumberland-born author of the Electra Brown series for teenagers, was last seen alive on 11 April.
More news from Hertfordshire
Mr Stewart reported her missing on 14 April. Her body, together with that of her dog was found in the excrement-filled septic tank beneath a garage three months later.
The prosecution alleges Mr Stewart murdered his partner, who was worth an estimated £4m, for her money.
Ms Bailey had been due to meet her solicitor Timothy Penn to discuss the sale of her £185,000 Gateshead flat on the afternoon of 11 April.
Instead, Mr Stewart attended saying his partner was unwell, Mr Penn told the jury.
While she was missing, Mr Stewart tried to push the sale through and was "not at all pleased" by the lack of progress, the solicitor said.
Mr Penn told the jury during one phone call Mr Stewart said: "You probably know that Helen is missing and I'm wondering if you can carry on with this transaction in the meantime."
Mr Penn said: "I said effectively no. He talked about a power of attorney and I said in these circumstances we would want to hear from Helen."
Earlier in the trial, the court heard Mr Stewart had been given power of attorney alongside Ms Bailey's brother John in 2015, allowing him to control her affairs should she become unfit to administer them.
Mr Stewart's sons Jamie and Oliver Stewart were also in court to give evidence on the fifth day of the trial.
Following Mr Stewart's arrest, the court heard he told his son Oliver that two men, named as Nick and Joe, had repeatedly showed up at the home to demand paperwork.
He claimed he had been assaulted by the men and on one occasion was given a mobile phone and forced to follow certain instructions.
Oliver Stewart, 21, told the court: "When he was telling me about these people, I could see that he was not joking, I could see the fear.
"Purely by him telling me that, that was the road I can see he was going down."
When asked by prosecutor Stuart Trimmer QC "what road was that?", Mr Stewart replied: "I concluded they were involved in taking Helen because of the way he was telling me - there was fear in his face, he was not just joking about this."
Jamie Stewart said on the day of the alleged killing, his father had travelled to Cambridge to watch him in a bowls match.
Later that evening the pair had a Chinese takeaway at their Royston home.
Jamie Stewart told the court, when he got home from work the following day - 12 April - his father told him Ms Bailey had left him a note saying she had gone to Broadstairs "to get some time for herself".
"Throughout that week, he began to get visibly more stressed out. He was spending a lot more time with myself and my brother and wanting to be around us," he said.
Several days later his father told Jamie he had reported Ms Bailey missing.
Ian Stewart denies charges of murder, preventing a lawful burial, fraud and three counts of perverting the course of justice.
The trial continues. | The man accused of murdering author Helen Bailey twice tried to use power of attorney while she was missing in order to sell her flat, a court heard. |
24803069 | As police hunt for 27-year-old Mohammed Ahmed Mohamed, we look at this order, otherwise known as a TPim, to find out what it involves and what people think of it.
What are TPims?
They are Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures, to give them their proper name. They are placed on terror suspects - who officials decide can neither be charged nor deported - by the home secretary.
The home secretary can consider putting a TPim in place after an MI5 assessment of the suspect and must "reasonably believe" he or she is involved in terrorist-related activities.
The measures include electronic tagging, reporting regularly to the police and facing "tightly defined exclusion from particular places and the prevention of travel overseas". A suspect must live at home and stay there overnight - possibly for up to 10 hours. However, they can apply to the courts to stay elsewhere. The suspect is allowed to use a mobile phone and the internet, to work and study, subject to conditions.
TPims expire after a maximum of two years unless new evidence emerges of involvement in terrorism. Breach of a TPim can lead to jail.
How many people are subject to them?
As of August, nine men - eight of them British - were under TPim surveillance.
In 2012, TPims' first year in use, 10 men - nine of them British nationals - were under TPims. Four of them had previously been charged with terrorism offences and acquitted by a jury.
Are the suspects always identified?
No. The courts will usually impose an anonymity order banning the naming of the suspect to protect the individual. However, Mohammed Ahmed Mohamed can be named after the order was lifted to allow police to make a public appeal for information on his whereabouts.
When was the system introduced?
January 2012
What did it replace?
The controversial control orders.
The measures, introduced in 2005, were much more restrictive - suspects could be relocated to a town far from their home, face 16-hour curfews and be banned from meeting named individuals and using mobile phones and the internet. As with TPims, they were ordered to wear electronic tags and report regularly to the police.
Critics considered control orders unfair and Kafkaesque.
Do TPims work?
Critics say they are too loose - "control orders-lite", as they were dubbed when they were introduced.
This latest disappearance is the second in less than two years. On Boxing Day 2012, Ibrahim Magag vanished after reportedly hiring a black cab. He has not been seen since.
Some also doubt the robustness of the electronic tags. Last week, prosecutions against three men, accused of tampering with their tags, were dropped when it emerged they might have inadvertently come loose.
There is also the wider question of how the police and MI5 will monitor suspects once the TPims expire after two years.
In the first official evaluation of the TPim, in March this year, David Anderson, a senior lawyer, said the government needed a higher standard of proof of threat before it applied to the courts for an order.
Mr Anderson, the government's independent reviewer of terror legislation, also said the Home Office needed to do more to develop what he called "exit strategies" for the terror suspects, to try to change their behaviour. | A terror suspect who has gone missing after changing into a burka at a west London mosque was subject to an order designed to restrict his movements and activities. |
37230050 | Nicolao Dumitru has also joined on a season-long loan from Napoli.
Gambia international Carayol, 27, and 27-year-old Carneiro - known as Lica - both join the Championship side on free transfers.
Striker Dumitru, 24, netted seven times in 34 appearances while on loan with Serie B side Latina in Italy last term.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Dimitar Evtimov has joined Portuguese side SC Olhanense on a season-long loan and striker Lars Veldwijk has joined Belgian side KV Kortrijk on a permanent deal.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. | Nottingham Forest have signed Porto's Luis Carlos Pereira Carneiro, and Middlesbrough winger Mustapha Carayol on two-year deals. |
34025389 | Callum Wilson's bicycle kick opened the scoring for Bournemouth after Max Gradel's deflected header fell kindly.
The Cherries were forced to make three substitutions through injuries as goalkeeper Artur Boruc was a spectator for much of the game.
But Vardy levelled after being fouled in the box with four minutes to play.
The 28-year-old's hard running was the brightest feature Leicester's display and he tricked Bournemouth defender Steve Cook into scything him down with some neat footwork.
The result means Claudio Ranieri remains unbeaten in his first four matches in charge of the Foxes, while Eddie Howe's Bournemouth go into the international break with four points from their first four games in the top flight.
Reaction to this match and the rest of Saturday's action
Relive Bournemouth's draw with Leicester
Riyad Mahrez had been Leicester's stand-out performer of the season so far, scoring four goals in the first three games.
But against Bournemouth he was taken off at half-time after a poor display. The 24-year-old was clattered into by Max Gradel almost immediately from kick-off and Ranieri said after the game the Algerian winger had struggled to recover.
Instead it was Bournemouth who looked by far the more dangerous side in the opening 45, but in the second half they struggled to cope with the changes enforced on them by injury.
Boruc had a quiet first half but remained alert to save from Jeff Schlupp and Danny Drinkwater before Vardy levelled from the penalty spot - despite the Polish goalkeeper getting a hand on it.
With England playing San Marino and Switzerland in two European Championship qualifiers next Saturday and Tuesday, it will not have escaped manager Roy Hodgson's attention that it is an Englishman who jointly leads the Premier League scoring charts.
Wilson scored a brilliant hat-trick in last weekend's 4-3 win at West Ham and got his fourth goal of the campaign to level with Mahrez after showing brilliant predatory technique to turn home Bournemouth's first-ever top flight goal at home.
Charlie Daniels' cross from the left was met by Gradel, his header hit a Leicester back and Wilson swivelled sharply before smashing home beautifully with his back to goal.
The 23-year-old is not in contention for a place in Hodgson's squad but had his link-up play with summer signing Lee Tomlin been slightly more polished, he could have scored a few more.
Tomlin showed good promise in the playmaker role but Leicester's defence was solid. At times you might argue it was too solid, as first Bournemouth left-back Daniels, then his £8m replacement Tyrone Mings, who came on for his Premier League debut, and lastly winger Gradel were all forced off through injury.
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe, speaking to BBC Sport: "We were still dominant for long periods but I think the injuries were key in the game, particularly in our ability to change tactically, and it's not nice when you see your team-mates going of injured.
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"They all look nasty and at the moment they are in the treatment room being assessed, although we won't know how serious they are until they get scanned.
"I think we've had a decent enough start in terms of performances. I'm a bit disappointed not to have got more points. I thought we could have got three today, but sometimes you have to be a grateful for a point."
Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri, speaking to BBC Sport: "We conceded the goal and until then we were playing well. After the goal we slowed down the tempo and had no great personality.
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"There were 10 minutes when Bournemouth played very well. In the second half we put them under pressure and made some good chances. I think at the end we deserved to draw.
"It's important to take one point from a difficult match. We have a week now where the players go to their national team and when they come back we must re-start with the same mentality."
Bournemouth will be hopeful of picking up more points from their next three games against Norwich, Sunderland and Stoke after the international break.
Leicester will look to keep their good run going through matches against Aston Villa and Stoke before welcoming Arsenal.
Match ends, Bournemouth 1, Leicester City 1.
Second Half ends, Bournemouth 1, Leicester City 1.
Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Tommy Elphick.
Corner, Bournemouth. Conceded by Yohan Benalouane.
Attempt blocked. Simon Francis (Bournemouth) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Lee Tomlin.
Marc Pugh (Bournemouth) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Yohan Benalouane (Leicester City).
Foul by Callum Wilson (Bournemouth).
Wes Morgan (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Jeffrey Schlupp (Leicester City) is shown the yellow card.
Matt Ritchie (Bournemouth) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jeffrey Schlupp (Leicester City).
Substitution, Leicester City. Yohan Benalouane replaces Ritchie de Laet.
Offside, Bournemouth. Simon Francis tries a through ball, but Callum Wilson is caught offside.
Goal! Bournemouth 1, Leicester City 1. Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top right corner.
Penalty conceded by Steve Cook (Bournemouth) after a foul in the penalty area.
Penalty Leicester City. Jamie Vardy draws a foul in the penalty area.
Adam Smith (Bournemouth) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Daniel Drinkwater (Leicester City).
Attempt missed. Jeffrey Schlupp (Leicester City) left footed shot from the left side of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Shinji Okazaki.
Corner, Leicester City. Conceded by Adam Smith.
Foul by Adam Smith (Bournemouth).
Joe Dodoo (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Eunan O'Kane (Bournemouth) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Eunan O'Kane (Bournemouth).
Daniel Drinkwater (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Adam Smith (Bournemouth) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Joe Dodoo (Leicester City).
Marc Pugh (Bournemouth) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Joe Dodoo (Leicester City).
Substitution, Leicester City. Joe Dodoo replaces Marc Albrighton.
Lee Tomlin (Bournemouth) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Daniel Drinkwater (Leicester City).
Foul by Callum Wilson (Bournemouth).
Robert Huth (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Jeffrey Schlupp (Leicester City) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by N'Golo Kanté.
Foul by Marc Pugh (Bournemouth).
Daniel Drinkwater (Leicester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Bournemouth. Marc Pugh replaces Max Gradel because of an injury.
Delay over. They are ready to continue. | Jamie Vardy's late penalty earned Leicester a draw away to Bournemouth and preserved his side's unbeaten start to the Premier League season. |
21172995 | Florence Cassez had denied the charges and many irregularities were found in the case, including a staged televised police raid.
Three judges on a panel of five voted to have Ms Cassez released immediately.
The case provoked tensions between Mexico and France, where news of her release was widely welcomed.
Ms Cassez, 38, was driven to Mexico City's international airport and landed in Paris on Thursday after an overnight Air France flight.
"I have suffered as a victim for the last seven years," she told reporters at Charles de Gaulle airport, where she was met by family, members of her support group and dignitaries including French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.
"This is also a great victory for Mexicans in the sense that justice has been done," she said.
Mr Fabius said the decision to free her showed that Mexico was a "great democracy".
Ms Cassez's mother, Charlotte, told French television earlier the case had been full of suspense right to the end. "It's an explosion of joy. I can't quite believe it," she said.
In a statement, President Francois Hollande said the decision marked the end of a "particularly painful period".
"France thanks all those who, in Mexico as well as here at home, have fought so that truth and justice prevail," he said.
Mr Hollande spoke to Ms Cassez by phone on Wednesday evening. Details of the conversation have not been revealed.
"This is a historic day for Mexican justice," said her lawyer Frank Berton.
Florence Cassez was arrested on 8 December 2005 at a ranch near Mexico City where several hostages were found.
She denied knowledge of the kidnappings, carried out by a gang - the Zodiacs - led by her Mexican then-boyfriend Israel Vallarta, who confessed.
The next day, Mexican TV showed what it described as live footage of a police raid, which it later transpired had been a reconstruction performed at the request of the media.
The Supreme Court judges ruled that the reconstruction had violated Ms Cassez's rights.
The decision to release her has been sharply criticised by one of the hostages, Ezequiel Elizalde, BBC Mexico correspondent Will Grant says.
Mr Elizalde testified against Ms Cassez and has condemned the Supreme Court's decision as "disgusting", describing Mexico's institutions as "filth".
This was the second time that the Supreme Court had taken a vote on freeing Ms Cassez.
Last March, however, the judges decided against her release, despite acknowledging serious irregularities in the process.
When first convicted, she was jailed for 96 years, But, in 2009, a court of appeal reduced the term to 60 years.
French authorities tried to extradite her, but the move was blocked by the Mexican government.
Mr Hollande's predecessor in the Elysee Palace, Nicolas Sarkozy, championed the case and repeatedly clashed with the Mexican government of then-President Felipe Calderon.
Diplomatic tensions reached a peak two years ago when Mexican authorities cancelled a high-profile cultural event in Paris. | A Frenchwoman jailed in Mexico in 2007 for 60 years for kidnapping has been freed, after the Supreme Court ruled her rights were violated. |
30476524 | Olive Cooke, 92, joined the Royal British Legion when she was 16 and still sells poppies from the cathedral ahead of every remembrance week.
Mrs Cooke, of Fishponds, will receive the honour from Bristol's Lord Mayor, Councillor Alistair Watson.
She is thought to be one of the UK's longest-serving poppy sellers.
The Lord Mayor and the Lady Mayoress, Sarah Watson, have invited Mrs Cooke for afternoon tea at the Mansion House where she will be presented with her medal.
The honour recognises people in Bristol whose voluntary and community work or charitable acts serve the city.
Mrs Cooke has already received a Points of Light award from the prime minister and a Gold Star award from the Bristol Post in recognition of her tireless efforts.
She was originally inspired by her father who helped to set up the Bedminster branch of the Royal British Legion.
Her first husband Leslie Hussey-Yeo was a sailor in the Royal Navy who had just returned from two-and-a-half years in Hong Kong when they met.
He was planning to leave the service and settle down but the outbreak of World War Two meant he had to continue serving on the submarines.
Mrs Cooke became a war widow at the age of 21 when he was killed during the Sicily invasion in March 1943.
His death led Mrs Cooke to fully commit herself to the Royal British Legion. | A woman who has sold poppies every November for 76 years is to be presented with the Bristol Lord Mayor's Medal to thank her for her service. |
37406518 | The warning came as figures showed a rise in children, worried about online abuse and grooming, contacting the charity's Childline service.
Counselling sessions for young people worried about online sexual abuse rose 24% to 3,716 in 2015-16.
The Home Office described it as "a global problem" adding that "the UK is at the forefront of efforts to combat this dreadful crime".
Childline's figures also showed that:
"Most of us talk to people online and it's a great way to stay connected and make new friends," said NSPCC chief executive Peter Wanless.
"But it can be a playground for paedophiles, exposing young people to groomers who trawl social networks and online game forums exploiting any vulnerabilities they may find."
Mr Wanless he said that he hoped that by putting the issue into the spotlight, more people would feel able to speak up if they were worried or scared by a situation or relationship.
Childline founder Esther Rantzen said the internet had brought many positive changes but added: "It has also brought dangers and online grooming is a real risk."
The charity's new Listen To Your Selfie campaign aims to help young people recognise the signs of grooming and unhealthy relationships.
It includes two films where selfies come to life and question a situation.
The Game focuses on a same-sex online grooming scenario and The Party highlights peer-to-peer sexual pressure and grooming.
One 16-year-old girl said her boyfriend was older and made her share images with his friends online.
"He gives me money and food when I go online and do things via webcam.
"I have not told anyone else what is happening, I am so scared and drink to forget.
"I just know I am not normal, I am weird and nobody understands. I am disgusting, so rather me than another young girl."
A 15-year-old boy feared he was being groomed by a man he had met online.
"He has asked for pictures and one time I made the mistake of sending a nude selfie.
"He won't show me any pictures of him, which makes me think he is fake. I have not agreed to meet him because I am scared. He has threatened to show my nude selfie to the world.
"I am gay, but nobody knows, so it would ruin me if people found out. I cry myself to sleep every night with worry."
A Home Office spokeswoman said the National Crime Agency was working closely with social media companies and police in the UK and overseas to identify offenders and their victims, with GCHQ helping target the most technologically advanced offenders and specialist funding almost doubled.
"The sexual exploitation of children is a heinous crime and this government will do whatever it takes to tackle offenders and prevent abuse wherever it takes place," said the spokeswoman. | The internet can be "a playground for paedophiles", the NSPCC has warned. |
33233511 | The Tottenham midfielder, 22, played 55 minutes in England's 1-0 win on Sunday before limping off.
Manager Gareth Southgate will not be able to bring a replacement into his squad in the Czech Republic.
England play Italy in their final group game on Wednesday, knowing victory will secure them a place in the semi-finals.
Everton defender John Stones is expected to feature in that match, having returned to training on Monday for the first time since suffering concussion in training before England's opening fixture against Portugal. | England's Alex Pritchard is out of the European Under-21 Championship after suffering ankle ligament damage in the win over Sweden. |
37023986 | All five people who were on board the training aircraft from RAF Valley on Anglesey have been reported safe and did not need hospital treatment.
Emergency services were called at about 13:45 BST to Yr Aran, a mountain peak on a ridge south of Snowdon. Walkers reported seeing 10ft-high (3m) flames.
An air ambulance was sent to the scene, along with a coastguard helicopter.
Firefighters, police and mountain rescue teams from Llanberis, Ogwen Valley and Aberglaslyn also made their way to the peak, while an air exclusion zone was put in place.
A Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesman said the Griffin training helicopter "safely completed a precautionary landing in Snowdonia" following a technical issue.
"Everyone on board exited safely, subsequently the aircraft caught fire," he added.
The MoD said five people - four military and one civilian - were on the helicopter at the time, while another person involved in the training exercise was already on the mountain.
It said the exercise involved the helicopter picking people up and putting them back down.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said it was called at 13:45 BST to reports by the air ambulance of a helicopter crash west of Snowdon.
"The helimed was in the area at the time of the crash and was immediately on scene," a spokesman said.
Huw Price, who was walking nearby when the helicopter caught fire, said: "We were walking up the path, just me and the dog, and I saw this helicopter flying in the valley below us.
"I assumed it was routine fly-by, it did not look like it was looking for anything.
"Then it went away and I just assumed it had flown off, but then I saw billowing black smoke."
Mr Price, who is on holiday in north Wales, said a walker who passed him said he had seen the helicopter land.
"There was no big bang, it must have just had some sort of issue. There was lots of smoke. It was high, thick, black smoke," he added. | An RAF helicopter has burst into flames on a Snowdonia peak after being forced to land due to a technical problem. |
32588209 | Real Sociedad are famous across Europe for the high standard of their academy and Malaga have promised to bring their best prospects.
The Spanish teams will play in the competition's Premier Section.
Sociedad are managed by former Everton and Manchester United boss David Moyes, a long-time supporter of the international youth tournament.
Moyes regularly sent teams to the Milk Cup when he was in charge at Everton and he conducted the draw in 2003 along with Wayne Rooney, the current United captain who played in the tournament for the Toffees.
"It's a fabulous event which seems to enhance its reputation as the years go on," said Moyes.
"The atmosphere it generates around the region and its high standard of football at all levels is superb - a real credit to the volunteers who painstakingly organise it to exacting standards."
Former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso and Arsenal's Mikel Arteta are products of Sociedad's youth system.
Only one Spanish club has won the Premier Section - the sparkling Barcelona team including Sergio Busquets and Giovanni dos Santos which defeated a Chelsea side coached by Brendan Rodgers in the 2005 final.
Meanwhile, Chilean outfit O'Higgins will be returning to the 26 July-31 July tournament in the Premier Section. | La Liga clubs Real Sociedad and Malaga will compete for the first time in the Milk Cup this summer. |
27883358 | The city council said the homes would be built over the next six years.
It said the scheme would initially focus on building the right type of homes, including single occupancy and housing suitable for older people.
Ric Metcalfe, head of the Labour-led authority, said they would help address the shortage of affordable homes.
He said the current situation for many people was "pretty desperate".
"We are trying to address the acute housing need in the city and we have 3,000 people on our waiting list and lots of other people looking for affordable rental accommodation," he said.
He added the scheme would be mostly funded from existing council housing income, which stands at about £30m a year, from about 8,000 tenants.
Mr Metcalfe said the council would continue to use its rental income to keep building more homes in the future.
He gave assurances the 150 homes were not just "a flash in the pan".
The authority said it was also using its planning powers to encourage the private sector to build more homes.
Other than five council homes built in 2012, the new houses will be the first to be built by the authority since the early 1990s. | A £15m plan for 150 council homes in Lincoln has been announced - the authority's first significant house-building programme in 20 years. |
35029484 | Elizabeth Mulcahy, of Llandaff, Cardiff, has been charged with six counts of indecent assault against a female under 13.
The offences are alleged to have taken place in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
The jury, sworn in at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday, heard Mrs Mulcahy had denied all the charges.
Clare Wilks, prosecuting, said the woman had shown the girl medical journals of female and male genitalia and touched her inappropriately.
"The defendant said if she was to say anything about what happened there would be serious consequences," Ms Wilks added.
The trial continues. | An 82-year-old woman accused of historical sexual abuse against a young girl has appeared in court. |
35132149 | Fr Patrick Conway found Michael Clune hiding in a room in his home in Ennis on 7 December.
The burglar initially denied breaking into Fr Conway's house and stealing 20 euros.
It was only after he gave the money back that the priest drove him into Ennis.
Fr Conway, an assistant priest in Ennis parish, had just returned from a doctor's appointment when he noticed a downstairs window had been broken.
When he went into his study to call the police, he found Clune hiding in a wardrobe.
He said it came as a shock when he realised it was someone he had known for a number of years.
"I had known Michael since he was a young lad and knew his family well," he said.
The priest confronted Clune about the concrete block that had been thrown through the window but he denied any involvement in the break-in.
Fr Conway then realised 20 euros that he had left out was missing. Again, Clune continued to deny taking the money.
"I had left 20 euros on the floor to remind myself to give it back to someone who had given it to me," he said.
"I said, 'why did you take my money? Give it back' and he said 'I didn't take your money'.
"I was absolutely certain the money was there, so I said 'either you give back my money or we go to the Garda (Irish police)'."
When that failed to work, Fr Conway offered to give him a lift into town.
"I said 'you give me back my money and I'll take you down town'. 'I won't take you to the gardai'. 'I'll bring you over to the cathedral' where another priest had been helping him.
"So he found the money somewhere then and gave it back to me."
On the drive into town, the burglar asked the priest to buy him methadone, which he refused.
When he brought Clune into town, the priest was not at the cathedral so Clune got out of the car.
After consulting with a fellow priest, Fr Conway reported what had happened to police.
Clune pleaded guilty to the burglary and was given an eight-month suspended jail term consecutive to the eight months in jail he is currently serving.
Fr Conway said he had had no contact with the man since the incident, but hoped he was receiving treatment for his addiction in jail. | A County Clare priest has been labelled a good Samaritan after giving a burglar he found only minutes earlier in his wardrobe a lift into a nearby town. |
38988632 | Budget Minister Pierre Kangudia said the cost of organising the poll, which was said to be $1.8bn (£1.5bn), was too expensive.
Last year the government and the opposition agreed that new elections would be held by the end of 2017.
President Joseph Kabila's final mandate ran out in November 2016.
Mr Kabila's opponents have accused him of repeatedly delaying the poll in order to remain in power.
The plan to hold an election before the end of 2017 initially reduced tension between the government and the opposition,
The electoral commission said last November that it needed at least until July 2017 to register more than 30 million voters in a country similar in size to Western Europe, but with one of the worst transport and communication networks in the world.
Earlier this month, the death of veteran opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi led to concerns about the country's future.
Elections in DR Congo are often controversial. Last year, protests against moves to delay the presidential poll resulted in at least 50 deaths.
DR Congo has never had a smooth transfer of power since independence more than 55 years ago.
Mr Kabila took power in 2001 following the assassination of his father, Laurent Kabila. He has won two elections and the constitution bars him from running for a third term. | The Democratic Republic of Congo will not be able to afford an agreed presidential election this year, the government says. |
33989320 | Media playback is unsupported on your device
19 August 2015 Last updated at 15:37 BST
Justine Roberts said she suffered a "swatting attack" last week - a type of harassment in which a perpetrator calls the emergency services out to their victim on a false pretence.
"I wasn't actually there - I was on holiday," she told the BBC.
"The first thing I knew was when our au pair contacted us the next morning to tell us that at 03:30 she'd been woken up and disturbed by a Swat team of five armed police and three unarmed police and a police dog.
"They'd received a report of a man prowling round the house with a gun."
She said that she was aware such incidents had become more common in the US, but she believed they remained relatively rare in the UK.
"At first I think the police were slightly nonplussed and said they were not sure, because there were no actual real victims, that it was a pursuable crime.
"But I think in the States it's treated incredibly seriously because, of course, if you get copycat things like this it can be incredibly disruptive, not to mention the cost to the security forces." | Mumsnet has reset its users' passwords after a series of attacks, one of which involved armed police being called out to the London home of the parenting site's co-founder. |
36257107 | The coin sold is known as a "Pattern" version, as it was presented as a prototype, but never went in to production.
It is the first time that any of the Pattern coins have come up for auction.
Commenting on the record price, a spokesperson for the auction house, AH Baldwin and Sons said: "No other bronze coin has ever come close."
"I think the last was in the region of £15,000," he said.
The coin was bought by a private collector. It is not known whether it will be kept in the UK, or taken abroad.
A further seven pennies, known as currency coins, were produced in 1933 for ceremonial purposes, but none has recently come up for sale.
It is thought the currency coins could be worth twice as much as the Pattern versions.
The reason so few were produced was that the Royal Mint had a surplus of penny coins in 1932, and did not need any more in the following year.
Most of the 1933 pennies are in private hands, although one of the Pattern versions is in the Royal Mint's museum. Others, it is thought, have been buried under buildings as part of a "time capsule".
The eventual price achieved was nearly double initial estimates. | A rare 1933 penny - one of only four in existence - has sold for a world record price of £72,000 at a London auction. |
27673665 | Between April 2013 and March 2014, 29 patients died waiting for surgery at Cardiff's University Hospital of Wales and Morriston Hospital in Swansea.
That is 12 more than the year before, when the Royal College of Surgeons raised serious concerns.
The figures were uncovered by BBC Wales' Week In Week Out programme.
Among those who died waiting for an operation was Newport Labour councillor Ron Jones.
He had been waiting 15 months for bypass and value replacement surgery at the University Hospital of Wales (UHW) in Cardiff when he died in August 2013.
His partner Pam Allen said: "You could see him deteriorating, he was losing weight, he couldn't even water the garden and his angina spray he was using as much as 15, 20 times a day.
"All he kept saying was promise me if anything happens to me before this operation that you won't leave it there."
Mr Jones's family are now waiting to hear the outcome of an investigation into his death on the waiting list.
Figures obtained by Week In Week Out show:
Adam Cairns, chief executive of the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, said that while the hospital's cardiac waiting lists have been reduced more needs to be done. He added £2.4m would be put towards reducing waiting times even further.
He said they currently carry out 900 procedures each year and are looking to increase to 1,100 as a first step, with this going to 1,300 a year as the service continues to develop.
"Over the last 12 months we have seen a 25% drop in the number of people waiting 36 weeks for surgery," said Mr Cairns. "We know that whilst we've seen some great improvements in some areas we have work to do in others and I would like to apologise to those people for whom we haven't been able to provide the kind of experience we would like."
Labour MP Ann Clwyd, who has complained that too many patients in Wales are waiting too long for diagnosis and treatment, said: "Those are shocking figures. That means some [people] are going to get worse because they have not been diagnosed.
"Some people are going to die because by the time they get treatment it may be too late."
Patients could be dying because of a regular shortage of intensive care beds across Wales, according to Dr Paul Morgan, chairman of the Welsh Intensive Care Society.
He said: "If you are the patient whose operation is postponed for whatever reason, you are going to be traumatised psychologically - but it might also be that the physical nature of whatever disease process you have got could be adversely affected - it could become inoperable."
Wales' Health Minister Mark Drakeford insisted the Welsh NHS was doing a good job and said improvements were being made to reduce waiting lists.
Week In, Week Out: Ann Clwyd - Rebel With A Cause can be seen on BBC One Wales at 22:35 BST on Tuesday, 3 June. | The number of patients who died while waiting for heart surgery at two south Wales hospitals has risen in the past year. |
20590437 | Typhoon Bopha made landfall on Mindanao, bringing heavy rain and wind gusts of 210 km/h (130mph) and forcing 40,000 people to be evacuated.
The storm has also caused power cuts, travel disruption and flooding in areas at risk of landslides.
The mining province of Compostela Valley was among the worst affected.
At least 43 people died and 25 were reported injured when torrents of water rushed down a mountain on to Andap village in the valley, local news sources reported.
The region's governor, Arturo Uy, said the victims included villagers sheltering in the village hall which was engulfed by the waters. An army truck carrying soldiers and civilians was also swept away.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council said that it had reports of four additional confirmed deaths. Three of those who died had been hit by trees and one person had drowned, it said.
Benito Ramos, of the national disaster agency, said the death toll was expected to rise once soldiers and police gained access to the far-flung villages isolated by floods, fallen trees and damaged communications.
According to one report, quoting a military spokesman, about 20 people including six soldiers were missing after fast-moving water swept through an army base.
The eye of the 600-km wide storm was moving west at 26 km/h and was expected to sweep over southern and central provinces before reaching the South China Sea on Thursday, forecasters said.
Dozens of domestic flights and ferry services in the central and south of the country were suspended and schools and businesses were closed.
Bopha comes a year after Typhoon Washi killed more than 1,500 people in the southern Philippines.
President Benigno Aquino had urged people in the typhoon's path to take Bopha seriously. The evacuations had prevented the toll being higher, officials said.
"It could be the strongest to hit the country this year," he said. "But we can minimise the damage and loss of lives if we help each other," Mr Aquino said on Monday.
The Philippines is struck by several typhoons and tropical storms every year. | More than 40 people have been killed after a powerful typhoon swept across the southern Philippines, according to local media reports. |
38693697 | The annual £15,000 prize, in its first year, is aimed at getting artists and scientists to work together creatively.
The other entries are chamber music scored beneath the limits of human hearing plus artworks which classify emotions using scientific rigour.
The shortlist was announced by Opera North and the University of Leeds.
Applications for the proposed artworks were received from around the world, with those on the shortlist using media "ranging from music to sculpture, from holograms to interactive installations".
The five artists are:
Dominic Gray, projects director for Opera North, said the proposals "ranged from the beautifully simple to the devilishly complex".
Professor John Ladbury from Leeds University's faculty of biological sciences, said the prize reveals "the beauty and excitement" of a collaboration between the arts and science.
The winner will be announced in the Howard Assembly Room, Leeds on 13 February. The collaboration between artist and scientist will be revealed in March 2018.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]. | A whale choir, the exploration of cosmic bubbles and a slime study are among five proposals shortlisted for the Dare Art Prize. |
36160728 | The Eagles have booked a first FA Cup final appearance for 26 years and face Manchester United at Wembley on 21 May.
Yet they have won one of the last 18 Premier League games and are not mathematically safe, prompting Pardew to invite Jones to training.
"A lot of the views he has run parallel with my own," said Pardew.
Earlier this year, Australian Jones, 56, coached England to a first Six Nations Grand Slam since 2003.
Although Palace have a Wembley date to look forward to, they have taken just 10 points from a possible 54 since beating Stoke City away 2-1 on 19 December.
Former Australia and Japan coach Jones was present at Palace training on Thursday.
"We share a couple of professional friends," added Pardew, who takes his side to former club Newcastle in the league on Saturday.
"One of the reasons I invited him was to give us a little bit of a lift. We had a few words with the team about complacency and what good teams do.
"He is the coach of England rugby and has been involved in World Cups with other nations. He's has a multicultural personality and he is someone who is engaging.
"If the players can't take on board his comments then we are in trouble."
Palace are 16th in the table, eight points above the relegation zone with three games remaining. Sunderland and Norwich City, 17th and 18th respectively, both have one game in hand on Palace.
"We're still not mathematically safe and that's the task at hand," said Pardew.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Pardew, 54, spent four years in charge of Newcastle before leaving to take over Palace in January 2015.
Despite a turbulent reign, he left the Magpies sitting 10th in the Premier League.
Newcastle are now 19th, one point from safety with three games remaining, and locked in a scramble with Sunderland and Norwich to avoid joining relegated Aston Villa in the Championship next season.
"I'm desperate they stay up," added Pardew, even though Newcastle can still mathematically catch Palace and finish on 39 points. "Having said that, my job is to get the three points for Crystal Palace.
"That's a big bear we've got to fight in that pit."
Media playback is not supported on this device | Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew has enlisted the help of England rugby union coach Eddie Jones to give his side a "little bit of a lift". |
35521242 | First, from EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini: "Turkey has a moral if not a legal duty to provide protection to those fleeing persecution."
Then, Johannes Hahn, the EU's enlargement commissioner: "The action plan with Turkey was agreed more than two months ago, and we're still not seeing a significant decline in the number of migrants. Turkey could do more."
What it boils down to is this: open the back door to let in the refugees, but close the front one to stop them moving on.
That is the bind Turkey is now in: caught between the humanitarian crisis in Syria and the refugee crisis in Europe.
At its southern border with Syria, tens of thousands are waiting to cross, Turkey still the gatekeeper to sanctuary.
But at its western border with Greece, the EU is demanding more patrols to stop them from continuing their journey - to stem Europe's most serious migration crisis since World War Two.
And so amid conflicting pressures, the Kilis border crossing between Turkey and Syria remains shut, those escaping the nightmare of Aleppo stuck in the middle of a bigger and more complicated debate.
The EU says the 3bn euros (£2.3bn) it is giving Turkey as part of a recent deal is precisely aimed at allowing the country to cope with its refugee influx and welcome in more like those from Aleppo.
Ankara retorts it needs that money to help the 2.5 million Syrians already here, improving their living conditions to allow them to stay.
Providing them with access to education and the workforce will eat into the EU money.
If the 3bn euros is spent on new refugee camps for tens of thousands fleeing Aleppo, it could run out fast.
But it's not just Europe playing politics with the Aleppo crisis.
Turkey is undoubtedly using this situation as a bargaining chip, hoping to get more money and help from Europe as well as concrete action to halt the Russian air strikes, which have pushed so many to flee.
Turkey is dangling the keys to its border in front of the nose of Brussels. The message: "Help us, or we'll set this group loose on you."
Moreover, by establishing refugee camps on the Syrian side of the border, Turkey is presenting a blueprint of its long-stated goal: to create a "safe zone" in northern Syria in which refugees can be sheltered, patrolled by the international community.
Critics say Ankara wants that only to prevent Syrian Kurdish groups - Turkey's enemy - from cementing their control of the area.
Either way, with Turkish aid camps already housing thousands who have escaped Aleppo, the buffer zone is moving from idea to reality.
That this point has been reached is undoubtedly an indictment of Western inaction during five years of the Syrian war - and a lack of co-ordination by Europe over the refugee crisis.
And the prospects for resolution look bleak. EU countries are still fighting over the numbers of refugees they will absorb, the onslaught on Aleppo is intensifying and Syrian peace talks in Geneva collapsed last week into a mess of acrimony.
What is more, many EU members are reluctant to cosy up to a Turkish government that is jailing journalists, suing perceived critics and waging an armed conflict with its Kurdish minority.
And so politics fails, the war drags on - and 350,000 residents of Aleppo could be surrounded if the assault by the Syrian government and Russian air strikes achieve their goal.
That could deal a fatal blow to the Syrian opposition - and send tens of thousands more fleeing towards the Turkish border.
Perhaps those mixed messages from Europe simply reveal the stark reality: nobody knows how Syria's hell can end.
March 2011: Anti-government protests erupt across Syria, but Aleppo is initially untouched as a result of a state crackdown
February 2012: As the rebellion turns into a conflict, clashes between rebels and the government are reported with increasing frequency in Aleppo province
July 2012: The battle for Aleppo begins. Rebels make swift advances, but are unable to consolidate their gains and the city becomes divided
2013: The government begins bombarding rebel districts with barrel bombs, causing thousands of casualties
September 2015: Syria launches a fresh offensive in the wake of Russia's intervention in the conflict
February 2016: The government captures towns north of Aleppo, threatening to encircle the city
Aleppo profile
Migrant crisis: In depth report
Crisis in graphics
In pictures: The border camps
Refugees left in limbo | Consider for a moment these two statements, both by European commissioners, a day apart. |
32193746 | The vehicle is one of the six French-designed diesel-powered submarines being built at the dockyard.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said one Scorpene submarine "will be delivered every nine months" and all will be inducted into the navy by 2018.
The submarines are part of moves aimed at modernising India's armed forces.
India's navy has 13 ageing submarines powered by diesel and electricity, and only half of them are operational at any given time because of maintenance work.
India is also building a new class of nuclear-powered boats intended to carry nuclear-armed ballistic missiles.
India's naval build-up has been gaining pace in recent years.
Correspondents say is both a sign of widening maritime horizons and a response to the potential threat posed by the Chinese navy's expansion. | The first Scorpene submarine built at a shipyard in India's western city of Mumbai for the Indian navy has been lowered into the water for sea trials. |
37394309 | It gets their season back on track after three straight defeats.
Dumbarton made them sweat for the points though as second half strikes from substitute Ryan Stevenson and Robert Thomson made for an uncomfortable finale.
However, they were reduced to 10 men when Gregor Buchanan received a second yellow card.
Left back McHattie broke the deadlock for the home side with a well driven shot for his second league goal of the campaign.
Then a two-goals-in-two-minutes burst threatened to put the result beyond Dumbarton's redemption, starting with Callachan's strike with the aid of a deflection.
The Sons hardly had time to recover from that before Roberts lashed in a 20 yard effort for his first goal since moving to the Kirkcaldy club on loan from Rangers.
However, Stevenson started the comeback with a stunning 25 yard drive before Thomson scrambled a second from close range.
The first half display was exactly the response Rovers boss Gary Locke was demanding after them being knocked out of the Irn Bru Cup by Forfar and losses in the league to Falkirk and Queen of the South.
All the more positive as influential captain Jason Thomson was missing through injury and the defender could be out for a while depending on the result of a visit to a specialist next week.
His place went to Liam Smith who was brought in on an emergency loan from Hearts on Friday and he slotted well until the Raith defence were caught out twice late on.
First Stevenson lashed a stunning drive from 25 yards in to the left hand corner of Kevin Cuthbert's net to spoil to goalkeeper's return from injury.
Not that he had much to do up till then but when Thomson claimed his third goal of the season he had a few nervy moments before the home side finally closed out the win.
Dumbarton's hopes of levelling weren't helped when Gregor Buchanan was sent off two minutes from time for a second yellow card and the Sons have now won just once in 12 games in all competitions this season.
Match ends, Raith Rovers 3, Dumbarton 2.
Second Half ends, Raith Rovers 3, Dumbarton 2.
Attempt saved. Samuel Stanton (Dumbarton) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Substitution, Raith Rovers. Jordan Thompson replaces Declan McManus.
Foul by Declan McManus (Raith Rovers).
Joseph Thomson (Dumbarton) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Second yellow card to Gregor Buchanan (Dumbarton) for a bad foul.
Mark Stewart (Raith Rovers) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Gregor Buchanan (Dumbarton).
Attempt missed. Ryan Stevenson (Dumbarton) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
Mark Stewart (Raith Rovers) is shown the yellow card.
Ryan Stevenson (Dumbarton) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Iain Davidson (Raith Rovers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Ryan Stevenson (Dumbarton).
Foul by Chris Johnston (Raith Rovers).
Josh Todd (Dumbarton) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Attempt missed. Declan McManus (Raith Rovers) header from very close range is close, but misses to the left.
Bobby Barr (Raith Rovers) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Josh Todd (Dumbarton).
Corner, Dumbarton. Conceded by Kyle Benedictus.
Iain Davidson (Raith Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Grant Gallagher (Dumbarton).
Declan McManus (Raith Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by David Smith (Dumbarton).
Goal! Raith Rovers 3, Dumbarton 2. Robert Thomson (Dumbarton) left footed shot from very close range to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Josh Todd.
Gregor Buchanan (Dumbarton) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Declan McManus (Raith Rovers) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Gregor Buchanan (Dumbarton).
Corner, Dumbarton. Conceded by Bobby Barr.
Substitution, Raith Rovers. Chris Johnston replaces Scott Roberts.
Goal! Raith Rovers 3, Dumbarton 1. Ryan Stevenson (Dumbarton) right footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Samuel Stanton.
Gregor Buchanan (Dumbarton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Declan McManus (Raith Rovers).
Mark Stewart (Raith Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Joseph Thomson (Dumbarton).
Ryan Stevenson (Dumbarton) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Jean-Yves Mvoto (Raith Rovers).
Substitution, Dumbarton. Ryan Stevenson replaces Garry Fleming.
Substitution, Raith Rovers. Mark Stewart replaces Rudi Skacel.
Declan McManus (Raith Rovers) wins a free kick on the left wing. | First half goals from Kevin McHattie, Ross Callachan and Scott Roberts helped Raith Rovers see off Dumbarton. |
36173104 | The GMB and Ucatt unions and a law firm representing claimants have also accepted an apology.
The case emerged in 2009 following a raid on the Consulting Association in Droitwich by the Information Commissioner's office.
It uncovered a list of more than 3,000 names and reference cards.
They detailed workers' political views, competence, trade union membership and industrial relations activities.
The defendants in the case are Balfour Beatty, Carillion, Costain, Keir, Lang O'Rourke, Sir Robert McAlpine, Skanska and Vinci.
In a submission to the High Court last year, the firms accepted that construction companies had provided much of the information and had used it to vet workers seeking employment.
The companies accepted that the vetting information system "infringed workers' rights to confidentiality, privacy, reputation and latterly data protection".
The companies offered an "unreserved apology" for their part in operating the system, for any adverse employment consequences and for the distress and anxiety caused to workers and their families.
Despite the admissions, the firms continued to defend cases where they claimed there was no link between the vetting system and the loss of employment and where the losses being claimed were unsubstantiated.
The case had been due to be heard at the High Court next month.
In a statement the firms said: "In October 2015, these construction companies, unlike any other companies involved in the vetting system, openly acknowledged that the system was unlawful in various respects and made a full public apology, which was widely reported at the time.
"The construction companies have offered financial settlements which all claimants represented by Ucatt, GMB and [law firm] GCR have now accepted as fair and reasonable. The parties have also agreed a joint statement to be read in court as part of this settlement. These construction companies now wish to draw a line under this matter."
There is outstanding litigation between the construction companies and the Unite union, with a trial due to start on 9 May. | Eight construction firms have offered financial settlements to workers who said they were blacklisted within the industry. |
12617495 | Researchers from several countries, including the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and the UK, tracked 1,900 people, aged between 14 and 24, over a 10-year period.
BBC News website readers from around the world have been getting in touch with their views on these latest findings linked to the controversial drug.
You will find that any data supposedly "proving" that cannabis use leads to schizophrenia or psychosis are of the "cherry picked" variety.
The prohibitionist lobby have been playing this card every few years since the 1920s and, even if it were true, this would be another strong reason why cannabis possession and supply should be legal and regulated, so that quality and supply could be monitored and use by young children eliminated.
I'm now 49-years-old and have been taking cannabis for more than 30 years. If I can find a good, clean source, then I won't turn it down.
I started taking it as a teenager for pain relief. I had undergone a traumatic episode in my life and suffered extreme muscle damage.
My friends told me it was good medically, so I thought it might help me.
I'm not addicted though. I don't climb the walls if I don't get any.
I have a great interest in cannabis and have tried to carry out as much research as possible into the scientific facts surrounding it without being influenced by the pro or anti lobby.
I have had negative effects but only when I have taken doctored cannabis, which has been mixed with things like horse tranquiliser. That is why I try to only use the pure stuff.
When I saw this study, my first reaction was "oh god". If you have any mental illness and you use drugs and alcohol, then it is likely to have an effect, but to say it causes psychosis - that's wrong.
I don't drink but I do take cannabis, however, I would tell children not to dabble - in the same way they shouldn't with other substances.
I smoked cannabis a couple of times when I was 24-years-old. I used to hang around with some people who regularly took it.
I used to work with my father and my brother in the butchery business but after I started taking cannabis I started showing signs of psychosis.
I was diagnosed with schizophrenia and had to spend some time in hospital.
I'm now 55-years-old and those few drags I took when I was younger definitely changed my life and made it go rapidly downhill.
I directly attribute my illness to the cannabis.
After I started taking it, I asked my mum at the family business if I could have a holiday as I'd been working rather hard, it was then I started hearing voices and became delusional.
My mum went to the doctor who asked me if I wanted to go into hospital. Initially I declined but about a month later, I agreed.
I've now been on medication for most of my life and would advise people not to dabble in cannabis.
I am fine now, but I am dead against the thought of taking anything that's harmful to the body.
I have worked as a drug advisor in the educational field for more than 20 years and the rubbish spouted about cannabis needs to stop.
Cannabis, like all psychoactive substances, will act as a catalyst for any pre disposition to a psychiatric or psychotic episode.
As it is usually taken in conjunction with other drugs especially alcohol, it cannot be easily concluded that cannabis alone is the culprit.
The fact that it remains illegal is probably a more relevant indicator as to why it is singled out.
People with a dual diagnosis - who have mental illnesses and take cannabis - how can you distinguish which one they got first?
In my own personal experiences, I know about four or five people who had "cannabis-related episodes" but they were also drinking at the time - so it was difficult to say what caused or contributed to it.
Each person is different, and the way psychoactive substances affect people also varies.
The other thing is that cannabis can sometimes help mental and physical problems. It can benefit certain types of auto-immune diseases.
I'm not pro or anti, but think these studies need to be considered in context.
I smoked cannabis for approximately 25 years and towards the end I felt like I was hanging onto sanity by my fingernails. Some of the worse symptoms included voices in the night, a constant dread of death, suicidal thoughts and intense mood swings. I never thought I would kick the habit until one day I was attacked by someone out side a supermarket due to my psychotic ramblings. This person probably saved my life or a least my sanity. Dominic, Luton, UK
I have been a user of of cannabis for the past 17 years and it has never stopped me from building a good professional career with qualifications and a senior post within a large multi national organisation. I think people forget that these studies can be easily directed at similar "drugs" like alcohol and cigarettes which although are publicised as being bad for your health are completely legal. It's easy to turn around and blame someone's personal failures in life on the fact they smoke cannabis, but in reality the person probably already suffers from some form of psychosis or is plain lazy to begin with. We should stop using this as an excuse and do the right thing which is to decriminalize cannabis, this would make it much safer for the millions of people that use it recreationally. Beavis, Birmingham, UK
I spent many years playing in bands in an environment where cannabis use is pretty much the norm. All it ever did for me was send me to sleep. My observation, for what it's worth: if you're not paranoid when you start smoking dope, you sure will be after you've been at it for a couple of years. David Ballantyne, Raleigh, US
I spent my student years smoking pot and thinking it was not only harmless but it made me more creative (if anything it made me more lazy). But then I gave up as I realised you can't lead a successful life and smoke cannabis. But for years I believed that it was non-addictive and should be legalised. Now I work for a rehab clinic and have been doing some research into drugs. I still believe it's not addictive but I was told by people working in rehab that about 10% of dope smokers end up with psychosis, and one expert I spoke to in London said that "cannabis is the drug that creates the most problems for psychiatrists". Rupert Wolfe Murray, Bucharest, Romania
I blame my son's suicide at the age 19 on cannabis use, he used it from the age of 14. I believe that cannabis use affected him badly, causing erratic behaviour and subsequent mental illness. Janine Gray, Caloundra, Australia | A report has warned that people who use cannabis as teenagers are increasing their risk of psychosis. |
35010243 | The government has said it wants to cut subsidies to solar and wind power generation, saying it is "on track" to exceed its 2013/14 renewable energy target of 5.4% of all annual energy provision.
The solar power industry is not exactly delighted.
Jobs have been lost as companies have scrambled to cut costs and the sector has complained that the government is sending an inconsistent message on its support.
It appears they have found something of an ally in Paul Polman, chief executive of Unilever, the consumer goods giant (and maker of everything from Marmite to Domestos) that many agree has taken a leading position in the carbon reduction debate.
Unilever recently announced it wanted to be "carbon positive" - that is, generating all of its energy from renewable sources with capacity to spare - by 2030.
Without business action, Mr Polman argues, climate change targets will never be met.
But it needs support from government, and that is where the concern lies.
"In the UK, the government has just committed £5.8bn to the climate resilience fund [to help poorer nations most affected by global warming] and also [said it would] stick to the 0.7% of GDP for development aid at the same time," Mr Polman told me.
"So there are some positive things coming out of the UK in terms of helping on this conversion [to a lower carbon world].
"But there are also some areas where I would expect the UK obviously to be a little bit more progressive, for example the risk of reducing the subsidies for wind or solar would send the wrong signal at this point in time."
I said to Mr Polman that appeared to be exactly what the government was doing.
"Well, if it was my choice, I'd be very careful about that," he answered.
Because that could send the wrong message?
"I wouldn't do it at this point in time if it was my choice - but obviously this is a free democracy and everybody else has a voice as well."
Chief executives always get a little nervous when it comes to intervening in policy debates.
Amber Rudd, the energy secretary, argues that one of most cost-effective ways of reducing carbon emissions is by replacing coal-fired power stations with gas.
And that the renewables sector has to realise it is not the government's only priority and that budgets are limited.
"We need to focus on the right solutions to deliver clean, secure, affordable energy for families and businesses," a spokesman for the energy department said.
"We are absolutely committed to getting a global deal in Paris, which will create a level playing field for businesses, driving innovation and growing the low carbon economy."
Mr Polman agrees that government budgets are stretched in a number of different directions and not only concerned with tackling climate change.
"In an overall budget you obviously have to balance all these things," he said.
"You cannot discuss one little element if you don't see the totality, so I'm very glad that the £5.8bn is being pledged because that gives a great signal to other countries to get to the £100bn, and that's a courageous move at a time that we all have other things on our plates.
"But we would continue to push other elements on the agenda as well."
Business leaders arrive in Paris this weekend to join the United Nations climate change conference.
An announcement is expected on Tuesday about company pledges to reduce their carbon emissions.
Attendees include Ikea, Kellogg's, Mars and L'Oreal.
Mr Polman will also be there. Expect him to be clear that it is time for all businesses to take action.
And if that doesn't happen?
"Ultimately if any of us won't act, we put the lives of many people at risk," Mr Polman told me.
"What we're talking here about is the future of humanity to some extent. This concept of man's dominance over nature is rapidly being rewritten." | It has been a controversy that has rumbled on for months. |
36754126 | The pair allegedly bumped into a 55-year-old man in Tates Avenue and then punched him in the face at 22:10 BST on Saturday.
He suffered cuts and bruises to his face and hands during the assault.
The teenager and the man were later released on bail. Police said such incidents would not be tolerated. | A 13-year-old boy and a 20-year-old man have been arrested by police investigating a racially-motivated assault in south Belfast. |
40119846 | A large number of motorcyclists tore through streets and pedestrian areas in Leeds on 31 October.
Thirteen men and a woman appeared at the city's crown court on Thursday.
One man denied the charge of causing a public nuisance and another is yet to enter a plea.
Live updates and more stories from Yorkshire
Hernani Banza, 27, of Shafton View, Leeds, pleaded not guilty to "causing a public nuisance by participating in a large scale procession of motorbikes and similar vehicles that rode around Leeds in a manner that interfered with the comfort, enjoyment and safety of the public".
He is to stand trial at Leeds Crown Court on 28 November.
Jamie Ayres, 26, of Lupton Avenue, Leeds, is due back at the same court on 8 June. He is yet to enter a plea.
The 11 men and one woman who admitted the charge are due to be sentenced on 10 July.
All 14 were given bail by Judge Geoffrey Marson QC.
Omar Ahmed, 24, of Stonegate View, Meanwood
David Armitage, 26, of Brookfield Road, Headingley
Ashley Benson, 25, of Whingate Road, Armley
Michael Clough, 27, of Torre View, Burmantofts
Ben Colley, 26, of Butterbowl Road, Farnley. He also pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified and without insurance
Dean Fawcett, 28, of Intake View, Middleton
Nicholas Flaherty, 29, of Prospect Street, Farsley. He also admitted perverting the course of justice
Rachel Gibson, 29, of Grange Park Walk, Leeds
Joshua Hawley, 22, of Mead Grove, Colton
Dylan Lockwood, 23, of Torre Grove, Burmantofts
Adam Nicholson, 26, of Bellmount Close, Leeds
Anton Rojas, 26, of Skelton Avenue, Burmantofts | Twelve people have admitted causing a public nuisance after a bikers' Halloween "ride-out" brought a city centre to a standstill. |
39293588 | Will tried it but soon became very distressed - so his mother had to drive him to and from school.
This was among 261 complaints about school transport decisions to England's local government ombudsman in 2015-16.
The figure is a marked increase, says the ombudsman, Michael King.
His report also says that complaints about school transport are more likely to be upheld than other complaints - 57% in the six months to last September, compared with 53% overall.
"When it comes to school transport... councils must ensure decisions are made fairly, legally and transparently," said Mr King.
"Failing to do this can cause confusion, financial hardship and have a significant impact on some of the most vulnerable families, particularly those who have children with special educational needs."
By law, councils in England must provide free transport for pupils under the age of 16 who cannot walk to school because they:
To qualify for free transport, children must attend their nearest state-funded school, but there is flexibility for children with special needs or disabilities.
Will, not his real name, goes to a secondary school nearly four miles from his home in the Wirral.
According to his mother, he has very little awareness of risk and danger, and so since 2014 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council had paid for him to go to school by taxi.
But last year, after a review, the council decided that as Will had no physical mobility problems, it would stop funding the taxi service.
His mother, along with other affected families, appealed but lost.
Eventually, after representations from the school and the intervention of the ombudsman, the council reversed its decision, apologised and agreed to pay compensation.
According to Mr King, the children had been "acutely affected by a sudden change to their routines... and the parents could not understand why their level of support had changed when their circumstances had not".
In another case, a family struggling on a very low income after the death of the father were refused free school transport for the youngest daughter even though her elder sisters attended the same school and had been deemed eligible.
The ombudsman's report, Navigating School Transport Issues, recommends that councils should:
The Local Government Association said councils took their responsibility for home-school transport for families in need "very seriously... amid further cuts to funding by central government".
Richard Watts, chairman of the LGA's Children and Young People Board, said: "Local authorities are working hard to ensure suitable travel arrangements are made for children who could not reasonably be expected to walk or would otherwise find it difficult to attend school because of distance, mobility, special educational needs or the routes they have to take.
"However, this is becoming increasingly difficult in the face of such sustained financial challenges." | Will, who has autism and hates loud noise, was expected to walk a mile down a partly unlit route and take a bus and train to school, after his local council stopped funding a taxi for him. |
38841587 | Wiltshire Police said in any one week up to 40 foreign sex workers were advertising their services in the town, the majority of whom were "transient".
The women use rented properties for between one day and a few weeks before packing up and moving on.
Many of the pop-up brothels are linked to organised crime gangs, with women being trafficked from Poland and Romania.
Det Sgt Chris Hitchcock said: "Many of these women move between addresses within the town as well as outside of it.
"Of these 40, we estimate they populate 20 to 30 brothels in short-term to medium-term rental properties."
He added that officers "look to intervene and see if we can offer safeguarding, and see if organised crime is involved, as often as we can".
He said the force was currently monitoring a total of between 170 and 190 women involved in sex work "predominantly" in Swindon.
A study last year by the Police Foundation found women in pop-up brothels were more likely to be trafficked than in standard brothels.
The number of reports of suspected brothels in Swindon nearly doubled between 2014 and 2015.
The issue of pop-up brothels moving into residential streets will be investigated as part of BBC Inside Out West at 19:30 GMT on Monday 6 February, and available afterwards on BBC iPlayer. | Up to 30 "pop-up brothels" appear in Swindon each week, police have said. |
21668498 | The council will scrap its £1.2m core arts grants as part of £100m savings.
Setting its budget on Wednesday, the council confirmed that a new £600,000 culture fund would be launched instead.
The council said the fund would provide security, although Arts Council England chairman Peter Bazalgette said the cut would still have a "serious" impact.
Newcastle City Council leader Nick Forbes has warned that the city is on the brink of the "abyss of austerity".
The council is also planning to shut a string of libraries, reduce funding for youth and children's services, cut the number of children entering care and get rid of 1,300 jobs.
Cultural venues that currently receive council funding include the Theatre Royal, Northern Stage, Live Theatre and Seven Stories, which recently won the right to be called the National Centre for Children's Books.
The plan to scrap their subsidies was met with an outcry from the city's arts community as well as well-known north-east names including singer Sting, Billy Elliot writer Lee Hall and actor Kevin Whatley.
It also led to fears that other cities would follow Newcastle's example.
Mr Forbes said the Newcastle Culture Fund would give celebrities the chance "to put their money where their mouth is".
"This new approach not only provides that security, but means those who wish can also make a contribution," he said.
Peter Bazalgette said he recognised the pressures faced by the council, adding: "Of course, a 50% cut to the culture budget still means serious economic and social impact for Newcastle and beyond."
There is uncertainty over which venues will get money from the Culture Fund and how it will be distributed. Newcastle's cuts will be made over the next three years.
Elsewhere, Westminster City Council has confirmed a two-year plan to scrap its £350,000-per-year community arts budget, which is currently spent on projects at venues including Soho Theatre and the English National Ballet.
Most councils plan 12 months ahead. Here are the plans for the coming financial year for some of the other biggest cities in the UK:
Of other major cities, no overall figures exist for London's 32 boroughs. Birmingham City Council did not respond to a request for figures, but at the end of 2010 The Stage newspaper reported that the council was cutting its arts budget by £2m over the subsequent three years.
On Wednesday, The Stage reported that Belfast City Council is to increase its arts spending by 27% after agreeing a £4.1m three-year package.
Meanwhile, the Local Government Association (LGA) has published a report highlighting the role of culture in boosting the economy, saying cultural businesses contribute £28bn per year to the UK's finances.
LGA culture spokesperson Cllr Flick Rea said local authorities were not obliged to provide arts funding.
"We fear that by the end of 2020, there will be a very, very small amount of local government money to spend on anything outside the major services like looking after children and the elderly and collecting waste," she said.
"Discretionary services will be at risk, which is why this is the time now to start building partnerships and collaborations to see that those discretionary areas don't suffer in the long run." | Newcastle City Council has agreed to stop its regular funding for theatres and other arts venues and launch a new cultural fund worth half the amount. |
34150178 | PC Ian Johnson also sent texts joking about the murders of colleagues Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes, who were based at his station in Hyde.
At a hearing, Mr Johnson was dismissed with immediate effect by Greater Manchester Police.
A second officer, PC Gareth Lynch, was also sacked for not speaking up.
Mr Johnson told the hearing that he was "scared" of the man who he had given a lift to.
A spokeswoman for GMP said he would not be facing criminal charges for perverting the course of justice after he was cleared by a Crown Court jury of misconduct in a public office in January last year.
After a bar fight in Hyde, Greater Manchester, police were searching for a suspect thought to be involved. He was later spotted entering the Queen Adelaide pub.
A short time later, Mr Johnson sent a radio message back to base saying he and his colleague Mr Lynch had checked the building, with the suspect not there.
The hearing was told adequate checks had not been made.
In a recording released by GMP, Mr Johnson told a control room operator: "Yeah, myself and Gary have been into the pub. It would appear he's gone straight in the front which leads into an estate. He's not in the pub at the moment."
Operator: "So you think he's done one from the pub from the opposite end?"
Mr Johnson: "Yeah. I'm just trying to work out where that thing takes you out onto. He's still living in Hattersley so he will roll up their eventually."
CCTV footage shown during the misconduct hearing shows Mr Johnson initially driving away from the pub, on Stockport Road.
He then returns, with the suspect seen outside the pub flagging down his patrol car. The pair drove off together, heading for the suspect's home in Hattersley.
The suspect was arrested the following day by other colleagues, police said. He is currently serving a prison sentence and is not eligible for parole until mid 2018.
After a counselling session shortly after the deaths of his colleagues, the hearing heard a text was sent from Mr Johnson's phone, saying he should have "got an Oscar for today's performance".
A second text was sent with words to the effect he "couldn't be bothered" going to one of their funerals.
PCs Fiona Bone, 32, and Nicola Hughes, 23, were shot dead by Dale Cregan in 2012.
At the police disciplinary hearing, Mr Lynch was also sacked for not challenging Mr Johnson for sending a false message on the radio. | A police officer who gave a fugitive a lift home in his patrol car instead of arresting him has been sacked for gross misconduct. |
37101020 | A fine of up to 100% of the tax that was avoided - including via off-shore havens - has been suggested in the new rules, published for consultation.
Currently those who advise on tax face little risk, while their clients face penalties only if they lose in court.
The rules would "root out" tax avoidance at source, the Treasury said.
The rules in the consultation document also make it simpler to enforce penalties when avoidance schemes are defeated.
"These tough new sanctions will make would-be enablers think twice and in turn reduce the number of schemes on the market," said the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Jane Ellison.
Until now HM Revenue and Customs has concentrated on tackling the individuals who don't pay their tax, while advisers and promoters of tax avoiding schemes have remained shadowy figures in the background.
The intention is that will stop once there is a penalty for the professionals involved of up to 100% of the amount avoided in a scheme.
The government isn't targeting legitimate ways of cutting tax bills, such as tax breaks for putting money in pensions or Individual Savings Accounts.
The avoidance it's trying to root out involves bending the rules to gain a tax advantage that Parliament never intended, an abuse which costs nearly £3bn a year.
Accountants see the move as a significant change, which could result in them paying fines even if the advice they give isn't illegal.
The new rules come after the government set up a new task force to investigate allegations of tax-dodging and money laundering in light of the Panama Papers leak, which lifted the lid on how the rich and powerful use tax havens to hide their wealth.
Following the Panama Papers scandal the five largest economies in the European Union, the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain, agreed to share information on secret owners of businesses and trusts.
The Treasury said the move would make it harder for businesses and wealthy individuals to operate without paying correct taxes.
And speaking in July, new Prime Minister Theresa May pledged to crack down on tax avoidance, saying "tax is the price we pay for living in a civilised society".
"It doesn't matter to me whether you're Amazon, Google or Starbucks, you have a duty to put something back, you have a debt to fellow citizens and you have a responsibility to pay your taxes," she said at the time.
However, earlier this month the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Responsible Tax accused the government of undermining efforts to end tax secrecy and said it should force multinational companies such as Google to publish information on their activities in every country where they operate.
Richard Murphy, a chartered accountant and academic at City University, told the BBC it was unlikely that cases would come to court, but that the threat of fines would act as an "amazing deterrent" to advisers which would prevent them offering advice on tax avoidance.
He said this was partly because it could put at risk their ability to get professional indemnity insurance, which they need to continue their work.
"Lawyers and accountants will not take the risk of selling these schemes," he said. "There's a risk of a 100% fine so they'll think they can't afford to do it. Every honest accountant will be jumping for joy this morning that those who have been selling these schemes will be put out of practice."
He said that the tax system loses around £10bn per year as a result of tax avoidance, well above the £3bn a year the Treasury says is lost. | Accountants or advisers who help people bend the rules to gain a tax advantage never intended face tougher fines under new penalties proposed by the Treasury. |
40580296 | Lochaber MRT used the aerial technology last week to help find a female climber who had injured a leg on Sgurr á Bhuic.
The team has also deployed its drone over Glen Nevis to take photographs to create a 3D image of the area.
The area involved was the potential location of two hillwalkers who went missing two years ago.
Kilmarnock-born Eric Cyl, 62, was last seen heading off into the Mamore mountain range near Fort William at the end of May 2015.
Tom Brown, 65, from Lanarkshire, was last seen leaving his Lanarkshire home on 1 July the same year.
A drone was used in a search for Mr Cyl involving Police Scotland and mountain rescue teams soon after he disappeared.
Lochaber MRT hope to use its equipment in a wider search of hard to reach parts of Glen Nevis for the two missing men.
Lochaber MRT have been continuing searches for both men.
The rescue team, which so far has two of its members trained to pilot the drone, also used the technology last week to help in the rescue of climbers in difficulty on a route called Long Climb.
However, the cloud level was too low to make full use of the drone.
John Stevenson, of Lochaber MRT, said the drone allowed the team to look into remote and difficult to access areas on its patch.
He said it was hoped to make greater use of the technology.
More members of the team are to be put through drone pilot training. | A Scottish mountain rescue team has been deploying a drone to help it in its searches for lost and injured climbers. |
40399425 | It said President Donald Trump would be held accountable for "every drop of blood flowing in Muslim countries" and ended "I love Islamic state".
The hacking was carried out by a group calling itself Team System DZ.
The Ohio governor's website was still down for maintenance at 17:30 local time (21:30 GMT).
The message in the hacking attack contained an Arabic symbol and was written mainly in the black and white used in the flag of so-called Islamic State.
The message on Mr Kasich's site also played an Islamic call to prayer.
The message read: "You will be held accountable Trump, you and all your people for every drop of blood flowing in Muslim countries."
A spokeswoman for Mr Kasich, Emmalee Kalmbach, said in a statement: "As soon as we were notified of the situation, we immediately began to correct it, and will continue to monitor until fully resolved."
A number of other sites were affected, including those of Ohio's First Lady Karen Kasich, the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections, the Ohio Office of Health Transformation, the Ohio Inspector General and the Ohio Department of Medicaid.
Ohio State Treasurer Josh Mandel posted a tweet telling "freedom-loving Americans" that radical Islam was "infiltrating the heartland".
The New York Post said the website of the New York state town of Brookhaven was also affected.
The group known as Team System DZ has carried out a number of hacking sprees in the past, many carrying anti-Israel messages.
The US is currently holding high-level inquiries into alleged cyber attacks by Russia aimed at influencing the result of last year's presidential election. | A number of government websites in the US state of Ohio, including that of Governor John Kasich, have been hacked to display a pro-IS message. |
40277398 | The ex-policeman resigned via Twitter but did not elaborate on the reasons.
During the campaign, Mr Farron had to clarify that he did not believe gay sex was a sin, after being repeatedly questioned on the issue.
The resignation came as Mr Farron said he wanted to revive the role of deputy leader axed after the 2015 election.
An election for deputy leader will take place later this month, with all of the party's other 11 MPs eligible to stand.
Potential candidates include former business secretary Vince Cable, a former deputy leader who also served as acting leader in 2008, and other former ministers in the coalition government such as Jo Swinson, Ed Davey and Norman Lamb.
Lord Paddick, who is gay, has been on the Lib Dem frontbench since last October.
He tweeted: "I've resigned as shadow home secretary over concerns about the leader's views on various issues that were highlighted during GE17."
During the campaign, Mr Farron - who is a Christian - was asked repeatedly in media interviews to clarify his views on gay sex but did not, to begin with, answer directly.
However, he later insisted that he did not believe it was a sin and that, while he believed political leaders should not "pontificate on theological matters", it was right to address the subject as it had become "an issue".
"I am quite careful about how I talk about my faith. I do not bang on about it, I do not make a secret out of it," he said at the time, adding that the Lib Dems had "undoubtedly the best record" on gay rights out of all political parties.
The Lib Dems had 12 MPs elected to Parliament, four more than in 2015, although their vote share actually declined from 7.9% to 7.4%.
Mr Farron, who has been leader since 2015, said he was pleased with the result but there was a lot more work to be done to re-establish the party as an electoral force.
Despite winning back seats in the south of England lost in 2015 and making headway in Scotland, the party's national performance was patchy - it lost its last remaining seat in Wales, former leader Nick Clegg was defeated and 375 of the party's candidates lost their deposits as they got less than 5% of the vote.
Lib Dem peer Lord Greaves said it had been a "disastrous" election.
Writing on the Lib Dem Voice blog, he said there were parts of the country where "no-one voted for us" and the best that could be said was that the party had "survived".
But, announcing plans to revive the post of deputy leader, Mr Farron said it was a "very positive" time for the party.
"In the last Parliament, we didn't have any women and we didn't feel it was right to elect a deputy in those circumstances," he said.
"But I wanted to revive the role as it gives the party another powerful voice.
"Now a third of our parliamentary party is female and we have our most diverse group of MPs ever, I feel our MPs form a more representative group to elect a deputy leader".
If the election is contested, the result will be announced after a hustings on 27 June.
If there is only one candidate, the result will be announced on 20 June. | Lord Paddick has quit as the Liberal Democrats' home affairs spokesman, citing concerns about leader Tim Farron's "views on various issues". |
29016057 | Jordan Dunn, 22, of Dover, admitted invading the pitch during the West Ham-Tottenham Hotspur derby last month.
Fining Dunn £305 for his drunken "moment of madness", District Judge Gareth Branston said: "Regrettably it was about 30mph slower than Beckham."
Dunn told police it was his dream to "run on the pitch and kick the ball".
He apologised in court for invading the pitch.
Dunn, who has been a West Ham fan since he was a boy, denied being a hooligan or thug.
Passing sentence at Thames Magistrates' Court in east London, District Judge Gareth Branston said: "You had consumed alcohol and your stride pattern was a bit out of kilter, but to borrow a phrase you did bend it like Beckham.
The judge said the effort was "easily" saved by the West Ham goalkeeper, but referred to Christian Eriksen's subsequent free kick from the same spot, saying: "I understand that the professional footballer who followed you did not do any better."
He also said it was a "small mercy" that Dunn had "decided to remain fully clothed".
The judge decided not to impose a football banning order called for by the prosecution, saying he was taking into account Dunn's previous good character.
Dunn admitted a charge under Section 4 of the Football Offences Act 1991, which says it is an offence to go on to the playing area without lawful authority or excuse. | A football fan who ran on to the pitch and took a free-kick during a Premier League game "bent it like Beckham", according to the judge sentencing him. |
38712618 | About 100 flights have been affected at Heathrow; London City has cancelled 88 flights; and Gatwick has cancelled nine flights and warned delays are likely.
A total of 39 flights have been cancelled at Southampton airport.
A Met Office fog warning for much of southern England has now been lifted, but forecasters say there could be further disruption on Tuesday morning.
The cold weather has also meant parts of the UK are suffering from high levels of air pollution, which is expected to continue into Tuesday, as pollutants fail to disperse in the still conditions.
Met Office forecaster Emma Boorman said it was likely patches of dense fog would re-form overnight to cause "potential disruption" in parts of England and Wales, particularly in the south.
On Monday morning, Heathrow, London City, Gatwick, Southampton and Stansted airports - where visibility has been at 100m - all warned passengers to check flight updates before travelling.
Heathrow said the effect of fog on flights there could be more noticeable than at most airports because it operates at 98% capacity, meaning it is harder to space flights out.
Stansted has been taking some diverted flights from London City Airport, with a spokesman saying seven had landed so far, but passengers have been warned of further disruption due to the fog.
Flights to Amsterdam were the worst-affected due to fog at Schiphol Airport.
Liverpool Airport also said fog and low visibility had affected them on Monday morning, despite not being covered by the weather warning.
On Sunday evening, freezing fog led to two flights bound for Southampton having to divert to Bristol and Bournemouth airports, but Luton has not been affected.
Forecasters said temperatures would struggle to top 0C (32F) in the worst-affected areas on Monday, although it was a rise from the -8C (17.6F) recorded in parts of Hampshire and Essex on Sunday morning.
Cheshire Police tweeted a photo of Runcorn Widnes bridge and advised motorists to drive with care with their headlights on.
Motoring organisation the AA advises:
BBC Travel
BBC Weather
Highways England | Flights have been cancelled at London airports because of freezing fog covering much of southern England. |
39277689 | In a Facebook post, the Batman and Argo actor admitted that alcoholism was "something I've dealt with in the past and will continue to confront".
He said the latest course of treatment was "the first of many steps being taken towards a positive recovery".
His battles with drink problems stretch back more than 15 years, with his first reported stint in an alcohol treatment clinic taking place in 2001.
In his new statement, he wrote: "I want to live life to the fullest and be the best father I can be.
"I want my kids to know there is no shame in getting help when you need it, and to be a source of strength for anyone out there who needs help but is afraid to take the first step."
He praised wife Jennifer Garner, with whom he has three children. The pair announced their separation in 2015 but recent reports have suggested they "are giving things another try".
He said: "I'm lucky to have the love of my family and friends, including my co-parent, Jen, who has supported me and cared for our kids as I've done the work I set out to do.
"This was the first of many steps being taken towards a positive recovery."
The double Oscar-winner recently pulled out of directing the upcoming standalone Batman film, but will still produce and star in the movie.
He is also expected to direct and star in Witness for the Prosecution, based on the Agatha Christie story.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]. | Ben Affleck has said he has completed treatment for alcohol addiction. |
30714447 | But both actors break their own mould in Foxcatcher, director Bennett Miller's intense real-life drama about eccentric American millionaire philanthropist and wrestling enthusiast John Du Pont.
Carell plays Du Pont, while Tatum and Mark Ruffalo take the parts of Mark and Dave Schultz, Olympic-level wrestlers who joined Du Pont's training programme at Foxcatcher Farm in Pennsylvania, with tragic consequences.
At 52, Carell says the film is a "different step" for him and that he "hopes people will embrace the movie and like it and think it works.
"My agent actually put me forward for the part without me knowing, so at least I didn't worry about it.
He continues: "It wasn't so different doing drama, as opposed to comedy. It's just a different character to play. But for all the script's darkness, it was also absurdly funny in places."
For Tatum, Foxcatcher was "the most intimidating thing that I've ever done. I first read the script about seven years ago as the movie was first proposed in 2007.
"It was great to return to it and have the opportunity to do it, but I had to trust each day that I was up to the job and just put myself out there."
The film explores the events that led up to John Du Pont's arrest, imprisonment and death in a Pennsylvania State Correctional Institution in 2010.
Bennett Miller, who also directed Capote, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman in 2005 says he "finds oddballs interesting. I do like those stories about people who are in worlds where they don't belong, peculiar people who don't fit, and John Du Pont was such a man. In this case, because of that, this story has a tragic ending."
Carell says: "I never see John Du Pont as a villain. You can't have contempt for your character.
"I thought he was a guy who was personified by not only his mental state, but his upbringing with his mother Jean.
"I had sympathy for him to a certain extent. I think the difference is that so far, I've always played characters with a soft centre somewhere. Du Pont just didn't have that - he just claimed to.
"He also had little understanding of humour, and I just can't imagine going through life without that, without comedy."
Attention has been focused on the prosthetic nose Carell wears throughout, making him virtually unrecognisable and, he says, influencing his performance.
"People actually wanted to be separate from me. I think even my family found it creepy. And that's not so far removed from John Du Pont because, watching documentaries about him, he had an intense physicality which many people found off-putting.
"It was very easy for me to stay in character because of that. I wasn't exactly method acting, but I was definitely in a different state of mind.
"This wasn't a light set, it wasn't a fun film, it was very intense and very serious because some of the characters are still alive and we felt a responsibility.
"It's still something that I think about, and it sounds pretentious, but I feel like we all went as a group to make this film, and then we disappeared for a while. Months later, we re-emerged.
"I still talk to the other guys about it, there's something about the film that I can't shake off."
Foxcatcher is on general release in the UK.. | Steve Carell shot to fame as the lead in the Judd Apatow comedy The 40 Year Old Virgin, while Channing Tatum is the star of films such as White House Down, and comedies 21 Jump Street and Magic Mike. |
39736310 | The higher education legislation had been intended to make higher fees dependent on improved teaching.
But this will now not be implemented until 2020-21 - and until then universities can make inflation-linked increases without any link to quality.
Fees will increase to £9,250 this year.
Student loans to pay for the higher fees are already going to be subject to a sharp increase in interest rates - rising from 4.6% to 6.1% from the autumn.
The Higher Education and Research Bill had faced a large number of amendments in the House of Lords, but a series of compromises has seen the legislation passed by Parliament before shutting down for the election.
The legislation had been intended to allow universities to increase fees as long as they could show they were offering high quality teaching.
A framework for measuring teaching quality is to be introduced, but the link with fees will not come into force for another three years.
Until that time, any university that is part of the plans to measure teaching quality - which is almost all universities - will be able to put up fees each year in line with inflation.
An independent review of this "teaching excellence framework" will begin in 2018 - with the aim of annual increases becoming dependent on teaching quality from 2020-21.
Universities had campaigned for overseas students not to be included in migration targets.
Although this proposal has been rejected, universities believe that a longer-term deal could still be achieved, saying there is an agreement to look again at the data on overseas students and migration.
Dame Julia Goodfellow, president of Universities UK, said she was encouraged by proposals for a "refreshed international engagement strategy".
Universities anticipate that the status of overseas students could be reconsidered as part of wider reviews of migration during the Brexit negotiations.
The university sector also supported compromises which will set a higher bar for new institutions to gain powers to award degrees and to be given a university title.
Dame Julia said the legislation offered "stability during a time of uncertainty".
"We agreed there was a need for new legislation, but we had concerns about the original draft bill.
"Thanks to MPs and peers, and the willingness of ministers and officials to engage and listen, the final bill has been significantly improved." | Almost all universities in England will be able to introduce annual increases to tuition fees until 2020, in a deal pushing legislation through Parliament before the general election. |
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