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38839103 | It came after the UK defence secretary told BBC Scotland that the SNP should "forget" about holding a second referendum.
But Sir Michael Fallon would not be drawn on reports he had suggested the UK government would block a vote.
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon tweeted that Sir Michael had "seriously backpedalled" on the issue.
A spokeswoman for Prime Minister Theresa May later said that the referendum in 2014, when Scotland voted by 55% to 45% to remain in the UK, was "legal, fair and decisive".
She added: "We believe that this issue was settled in 2014. Recent polls don't suggest that there has been a big change in the views around a second referendum."
The Scottish first minister has said another independence referendum was increasingly likely in the wake of the Brexit vote, but she would need the UK government's permission in order to hold a second legally binding vote.
Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme, Sir Michael said the SNP "need to forget all that stuff and get on with what they were elected to do."
But he did not directly answer questions on whether or not the UK government would allow a vote.
He said: "We don't see the need for a referendum - this is a diversion.
"What the Scottish government should be focusing on is what it was elected to do, which is to improve schools standards, get to grips with the problems in Scottish hospitals and reverse the serious rise in unemployment."
The minister urged the SNP to focus on their "day job" and "not get into the theology of whether or not a second referendum should be held".
The Herald newspaper said it had asked Sir Michael whether the UK government would facilitate a referendum during the lifetime of this parliament.
It quoted the Conservative politician as replying: "No, forget it. The respect agenda is two way.
"She [Ms Sturgeon] is constantly asking us to respect the SNP government, but she has to respect the decision of the Scotland to stay inside the UK in 2014 and the decision of the UK to leave the EU.
"Respect works both ways."
Sir Michael was speaking ahead of a visit to Midlothian engineering firm MacTaggart Scott designs, at which he said the Treasury had approved the initial business case for a training school for naval crews working on the UK's nuclear submarines.
The submarine school would be built at the Faslane naval base on the Clyde, which will be home to all 11 Royal Navy submarines from 2020 in a move which will see the number of people employed there rise from 6,800 to 8,200.
Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson opposes a second referendum being held - but said last year that she did not believe the UK government should block one.
The UK government White Paper setting out its Brexit plans pledges to "ensure that more decisions are devolved" after the UK leaves the EU.
But while the government will "champion devolution", it stressed there would be a "whole UK" approach to the Brexit negotiations.
Ms Sturgeon tweeted that there had been "serious backpedalling from Michael Fallon on GMS on blocking #indyref2" and that he "must have realised what a disastrous move it would be for Tories."
She later told Holyrood: "If this parliament voted to have a referendum on independence, then absolutely I agree that no Westminster Tory should stand in the way of the voice of this parliament.
"The mandate of this government in relation to this is unequivocal - it was the Tories after all who put us in the position of being taken out of the European Union against our will, and with the support of only one of the 59 MPs in this country.
"Strange is it not that a Tory party that proclaims that it would be so confident of winning a referendum on independence now talks about trying to block it.
"Isn't it the case that the Tories are actually running a wee bit feart?" | The question of Scottish independence was settled by the referendum in 2014, Downing Street has said. |
40999316 | The text begins: "Hey there! You found us", and says the firm is looking for "a talented engineer to develop a critical infrastructure component".
It has since been either removed or moved elsewhere.
Cyber-security reporter Zack Whittaker discovered it by chance while analysing some data being sent from iPhone apps - but he is not applying for the job.
"As part of the stream of traffic I could see, it was connecting to this one URL - and there it was," he said.
The page was listed under the web address "us-east-1.blobstore.apple.com" - which now contains an error message.
"Blobstore" is the name of a series of servers that belong to Apple.
Apple has been contacted by the BBC.
Mr Whittaker, who is cyber-security editor at tech news website CNet, said he was excited by his discovery.
"It's remarkable to see these companies taking innovative ways to entice people to work for them," he said.
"A lot of times finding a job is down to chance and luck. This definitely keeps things interesting."
Key qualifications required for the position include familiarity with modern server technology and distributed systems.
Mr Whittaker added that he did not apply for the job.
"Apple is not looking for me," he said.
The use of "hidden" messages in recruitment campaigns has a long history.
During World War Two, codebreaking headquarters Bletchley Park set puzzles in newspapers to attract inquiring minds.
In 2016, British firm Dyson devised a series of four challenges, beginning with a key hidden inside a YouTube video.
And in 2015, GCHQ used a pressure washer and stencil to spray-paint cryptic graffiti on the pavements of various UK cities as part of its recruitment campaign. The department has also used online quizzes.
In the same year, former Google engineer Max Rosett wrote an article describing how after searching for a series of programming terms while seeking a career change, a box appeared in Google's search results asking if he was "up for a challenge". This led to a series of problems to solve - and eventually a job with the firm.
"One of the most important skills as an engineer, and especially a cyber-security specialist, is a mindset that can solve problems," said Prof Alan Woodward from Surrey University.
"Puzzles are a great way to discover that. Technical skills can be taught." | An advert for an engineer at Apple has been found hidden in the tech giant's website. |
39410982 | Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire made the comment in the House of Commons on Tuesday.
However, Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill said the only option he was entitled to take was "to call an election".
"Direct rule is not an option," she said, adding that such a move would amount to "an act of bad faith".
Speaking at Westminster, Mr Brokenshire said in the absence of a devolved assembly, it was up to the government to provide "political stability".
However, he added that the government "did not want to see a return to direct rule".
On Monday, the secretary of state said there was a short window of opportunity for the talks.
He removed the prospect of a second snap election within weeks and told reporters that there was no appetite for another contest.
Mr Brokenshire told Westminster that he would bring legislation to the House of Commons after the Easter recess - on 18 April - depending on the outcome of the talks.
If they are successful, he said he would push forward laws to allow an assembly to be formed.
However, if they fail, he said he would "at a minimum" bring forward legislation to "set a regional rate to enable local councils to carry out their functions and to provide further assurance around the budget of Northern Ireland".
In response, Sinn Féin's northern leader Michelle O'Neill said: "There is only one option which the British secretary of state is entitled to take and that is to call an election."
She added: "There is no legal basis for any other course of action. And while parties may, or may not, want an election the fact is if the British secretary of state brings in new legislation to restore direct rule that will be an act of bad faith and a clear breach of an agreement between the Irish and British governments in 2006."
The talks collapsed on Sunday ahead of Monday's 16:00 BST deadline.
Issues like the Irish language and the legacy of the Troubles are the main sticking points.
In a memo to all his staff, the head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service Sir Malcolm McKibbin has promised to try to maintain a "business as usual" approach during what he describes as "this time of uncertainty".
Sir Malcolm confirmed the civil servants would use the limited powers open to them to keep funds flowing in order to carry out the essential work of delivering public services.
But he added that these powers were no substitute for a regular budget agreed by executive ministers.
The two biggest parties, the DUP and Sinn Féin, blamed each other for the breakdown in talks.
The political deadlock came after a snap election on 2 March brought an end to Stormont's unionist majority and the DUP's lead over Sinn Féin was cut from 10 seats to one.
Under Northern Ireland's power-sharing agreement, the executive must be jointly run by unionists and nationalists, with the largest party putting forward a candidate for first minister.
Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness quit as deputy first minister in January in protest against the DUP's handling of a botched green energy scheme.
The party said it would not share power with DUP leader Arlene Foster as first minister until the conclusion of a public inquiry into the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme.
Mr McGuinness, who had been suffering from a rare heart condition, died last week at the age of 66. | The UK government will "consider all options" after Easter, including direct rule, if talks to form a Northern Ireland Executive fail. |
35619084 | Fleetwood took a 56th-minute lead when Wes Burns headed in David Ball's cross.
The Sky Blues hit back to level when substitute Marcus Tudgay fired in on 75 minutes from Adam Armstrong's cut-back.
But Ball fired in an 83rd-minute winner from 20 yards to send Fleetwood two points clear of the relegation zone.
Pressley was making his first return to the Ricoh Arena since being sacked in February 2015.
While Pressley's Cod Army climb to 19th, his former club Coventry remain sixth, 12 points adrift of leaders Burton Albion ahead of Tuesday night's trip to Barnsley.
Fleetwood now have four of their next five games at home, but all of them are against promotion-chasing sides, including three of the current top four.
Sky Blues boss Tony Mowbray told BBC Coventry & Warwickshire:
"We huffed and puffed and didn't quite blow their house down. They're a decent football team and probably in a false position.
"It's frustrating for us, especially when we got back to 1-1 and we should have gone on to win from there.
"But we have to accept it and put the defeat behind us."
Fleetwood manager Steven Pressley:
"I'm very proud of my players. The only disappointment that I have is that it was only 2-1 in the end, because it should have been much, much more than that.
"It wasn't just the win that impressed me, it was the manner of it. It's difficult as a manager to individualise any player after such a performance, because it was one of real quality.
"The reaction was terrific after the setback we had at Rochdale on Tuesday evening, but to take six points from nine is a good achievement." | Steven Pressley's Fleetwood earned a key win in their battle against League One relegation as he marked his return to the Ricoh Arena with victory over his old club Coventry City. |
36712330 | Colum Martin, from Motherwell, was caught with three of the smoke grenades during a search outside St Johnstone's McDiarmid Park last season.
He was banned from attending any SPFL match prior to being sentenced at Perth Sheriff Court on 3 August.
Martin admitted possessing controlled items on 13 December last year.
A second charge of possessing cocaine at Perth police station on the same date was dropped by prosecutors.
Depute fiscal Tina Dickie told the court: "The St Johnstone v Celtic match was due to take place at McDiarmid Park.
"Security staff were standing outside the turnstiles.
"They stopped the accused as he was about to enter because they suspected he was in possession of some kind of controlled item.
"From his coat pocket was recovered a small black container, a smoke grenade.
"Police were called over and they found a further two inside his coat pocket."
Sheriff Fiona Tait continued the case for reports and the bail condition preventing Martin attending any SPFL match was also kept in place. | A Celtic fan has been banned from watching his team after admitting trying to smuggle smoke grenades past security staff at an away tie in Perth. |
30794645 | Addiction experts and users have told Newsbeat they feel let down.
But health officials across the UK say there are services and the funding out there to help cannabis addicts.
Lee, who asked us not to use his full name, says his habit got so bad he started dealing and ended up in court.
Here one addict shares his story.
"I was about 13 when I started. Everyone was doing it. It was a social thing. It just escalated there onwards.
"I started smoking more. At around 15. I was then smoking every day.
"Looking back, when I was 18, I realised I had a real problem with marijuana.
"I found myself smoking even though I didn't want to be doing it.
"Physically it drained me, it made me very unhealthy. It made me very yellow in the face, it made me very unwell.
"Mentally it made me feel worthless, I thought everyone was better than me. I didn't want to show that, but inside I was a broken man. It was really bad.
"I wouldn't even be thinking about it and I would be smoking cannabis. I just couldn't stop. My life wasn't worth living without cannabis.
"I tried to quit myself and I thought I could do it. I went to Egypt on holiday to try to quit.
"However within one hour of landing I was sitting on my balcony crying because I'd picked up cannabis in a foreign country, in a dangerous place and I was smoking.
"That was when it hit me that I am really, really, really powerless over my addiction. I am powerless over cannabis. No matter how far I go, where I go, who I am with, it doesn't matter.
"I'd be able to find it in the Antarctic, I really would because I was deep in my addiction and nothing would get in my way.
"My using took me to in excess of £100 a day and it got completely out of control. I would smoke before work, during work, after work, I would lie to people just so I could be on my own smoking.
"I wasn't eating and I was just over five-and-a-half stone. Eating got in the way of my smoking and so would hygiene. I would go a week without having a bath or shower.
"I was dealing. It started off small because my using got to the extent where I couldn't afford it myself. It got bigger to the point where I was dealing an awful lot.
"I was raided by the police for dealing cannabis. That was my rock bottom.
"It was at that point that I really had to look at myself because I couldn't quit cannabis.
"I needed help and so I reached out for help and I got it with the 12 step programme at MA (Marijuana Anonymous).
"I currently stick to that to this day.
"I remember going to crown court every three weeks and the solicitor saying 'pack a bag because it's not looking great'.
"I was thinking I was going to be sent to prison. A very, very scary time for me. I got an 18-month suspended sentence.
"I've had to deal with my consequences and that's fine.
"I go to these meetings to talk about my feelings. It's somewhere I can offload this stuff to people who will not judge you.
"They will simply listen to you and offer you advice and it's your choice. This is a choice that I had to make to get help.
"It hasn't been easy. But my life today standing here with nine months sobriety is an awful lot better than it was in my using. Today I care about things and I care about people."
Cannabis is a Class B drug and carries a maximum prison sentence of five years for possession and up to 14 years for supply and production. You can also receive an unlimited fine for possession, supply or production.
For more on what to do if you're worried about drugs head to the Radio 1 Advice pages..
Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube | There are claims people hooked on cannabis aren't getting the help they need because the focus is on treating those addicted to class A drugs. |
38167560 | Figures obtained by BBC News show that in the past decade 32 councils have settled claims from former teachers, school staff or pupils.
The National Union of Teachers says up to 300 adults die each year because of exposure to asbestos while at school.
The government says it is investing £23bn to improve school buildings.
But campaigners warn that the presence of asbestos in schools continues to put pupils lives at risk.
"My mum Sue was a teacher for 30 years and her life was cut short because of this horrible material," Lucie Stephens said.
"As she was dying she was really angry and concerned about the 900 children that she'd taught during her career. If my mum has been exposed to this deadly substance, how many of those children will have been exposed?"
Using the Freedom of Information Act, BBC Yorkshire has obtained figures from 135 councils in England, that show there are at least 12,600 council-run schools where asbestos is known to be present.
The number of actual schools that contain asbestos is likely to be higher as many have become academies and so are not included in the figures.
It is widely accepted that any school building built before the year 2000 is likely to contain some form of asbestos.
In the last five years local authorities have also recorded 99 instances of significant asbestos disturbances, where people have been put in danger because of potential exposure to the substance.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that was commonly used as a building material because of its fireproof and insulating characteristics.
A complete ban on the use of the material was introduced in the UK in 1999.
If left undisturbed the material poses no risk to human beings.
However, if someone breathes in asbestos fibres, it can cause serious illnesses such as asbestosis and a type of lung cancer called mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma kills around 5,000 people each year. By the time it is diagnosed it is almost always fatal.
Source: Health and Safety Executive
Dennis Law, from Sheffield, lost his wife Susan who died at the age of 64 from mesothelioma.
"The end of her life was horrific, she had ulcers and red blotches all over her body.
"For 20 years my wife was a teaching assistant and a dinner lady, and she shouldn't have died because of where she worked".
The BBC's investigation also discovered there is no uniform approach to monitoring the presence of asbestos in schools in England.
Of those that responded, 13 councils said they held no information about which schools in their area contained the hazardous material.
Ten councils also refused to disclose information about the number of asbestos cases it had settled; meaning it is likely that more than £10m has been paid out in compensation to victims.
"This is a ticking time bomb because very few teachers and parents know that there is asbestos in schools. The very least we should do is make sure that this information is available to them," said Rachel Reeves MP, chair of the Asbestos in Schools group.
Speaking to the BBC last month Education Secretary Justine Greening said a recent government review had provided schools with the latest advice in how to keep pupils and staff safe.
"In the overwhelming number of cases we do remove asbestos from schools, but in some cases our experts are telling us its better to leave the material in place. What our review had done though is given us a clear blueprint for how we tackle this issue going forward and that is what we are focussed on doing," Ms Greening said.
A spokesperson for the Department for Education added: "The health and safety of children and staff in our schools is vital - that's why we are investing £23bn in school buildings by 2021.
"This will help ensure asbestos is managed safely and that the amount in school buildings continues to reduce over time."
Additional reporting by Nicola Hudson, Nicola Rees and Ruth Green. | Councils in England have paid out at least £10m in compensation to people who developed illnesses because of asbestos in school buildings. |
34905000 | The ivory weighs 110kg, which is more than a baby elephant, and includes tusks, carved bangles and beads.
It was found last month at Terminal 4 in baggage left abandoned in transit from Angola to Hanover, Germany.
Ivory trading is strictly controlled under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and a permit is required by EU law.
The global trade in illegal wildlife products is said to be highly profitable.
It was denounced by the Duke of Cambridge on Chinese television in October.
Phil Douglas, the director of Border Force Heathrow, said: "This is one of the largest seizures of its kind made in the UK and it demonstrates the vigilance of our officers.
"The illicit trade in animal products like ivory is a serious contributory factor in the threat of extinction faced by many endangered species and that is why the rules around it are so strict."
Alexander Rhodes, chief executive of the Stop Ivory Group, said: "Ivory represents dead elephants. Seizing illegal shipments of ivory is a grisly but essential business.
"Border Force and the NCA (National Crime Agency) should be congratulated on this major haul."
The world's largest illegal ivory haul was seized in Malaysia in 2012 - it included 1,500 tusks.
The NCA is investigating the Heathrow seizure. | One of the largest hauls of illegal ivory seen in the UK is found at Heathrow Airport. |
32535696 | Russell Luke Bennett, 21 and Benjamin Brian Barrett, 30, from Bristol, pleaded guilty to conspiring to cause an explosion likely to endanger life and burglary at Cardiff Crown Court.
They caused explosions at two Barclays Bank cash machines - one in Treforest, Pontypridd, and another in Bridgend.
Barrett was jailed for eight-and-a-half years and Bennett seven-and-a-half.
Police called the crimes "astounding" and said they were the first of their kind in Wales.
The pair were part of a gang caught on CCTV cameras as they pumped a cash machine with gas and then hid around the corner before triggering an explosion.
The first blast at Barclays Bank in Treforest industrial estate was so powerful that the safe door, which would take around four average sized men to lift, was blown across the foyer.
The external glass window was blown outwards and all the doors throughout the bank - even those along the corridors leading away from the blast - were blown off their hinges.
Police were alerted to the explosion at about midnight on Sunday, 25 October last year by a security guard.
Officers found £45,000 had been stolen and £100,000 worth of damage had been caused.
On 2 November, the Barclays Bank cash machine in Bridgend industrial estate was targeted, with the thieves making off with about £36,000.
The men were eventually caught after DNA was found on a gas cylinder at the scene of the Bridgend raid.
When police went to arrest Barrett at his home in the Bishopsworth area of Bristol they found signs of his new-found wealth, including newly purchased furniture and carpets and an invoice for a new motorbike.
Equipment such as gas hoses which fitted cylinders recovered from the scene were found in the shed at the property.
Barrett pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to cause an explosion likely to endanger life and two counts of burglary.
Bennett, from Totterdown in Bristol, admitted one count of conspiracy to cause an explosion likely to endanger life and one count of burglary.
Det Insp Dan Michel, the senior investigating officer on the case, said the pair's "recklessness and pure gall" was "astounding".
The court heard there have been more than 100 cases of cash machines being blown up by criminals since the first example was recorded in the UK two years ago. | Two men who blew up cash machines at two south Wales banks, stealing more than £80,000, have been jailed. |
33478446 | Crowd trouble following the appearance of a drone with a pro-Albanian banner had forced the October tie in Belgrade to be called off before half-time.
Uefa had given Serbia a 3-0 walkover.
But the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled it was the reaction of the home fans and stadium stewards that had caused the abandonment after an appeal.
CAS said it was "the security lapses of the organisers and acts of violence exerted on the Albanian players by the Serbian fans" that had forced English referee Martin Atkinson to call off the match.
Uefa had already deducted Serbia three points and ordered them to play their next two qualifiers in an empty stadium, while both countries were also fined £72,000.
The decision leaves Serbia bottom of Group I on one point, while Albania now have 10 points from their first four qualifying matches and are joint-second with Denmark. Portugal top the group with 12 points.
The Euro 2016 qualifier, refereed by English official Martin Atkinson, was suspended in the 41st minute at 0-0.
Trouble flared when a drone appeared above the pitch, carrying an Albanian flag and a map of "greater Albania" showing nationalist claims on neighbouring states, including Serbia.
A Serbia player pulled down the flag and a brawl ensued during which several Albanian players were attacked by fans.
Atkinson led the players off the field and, after a delay of around 30 minutes, Uefa confirmed the match had been abandoned.
Albanian fans had been banned from entering the stadium by Uefa on safety grounds and the match was set against a backdrop of tight security.
Serbia and Albania have a history of turbulent relations, predominantly in relation to the former Serbian province of Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008.
Kosovo has been recognised by the United States and major European Union countries, but Serbia refuses to do so, as do most ethnic Serbs inside Kosovo.
The two nations will meet again in the reverse fixture in Shkoder on Thursday, 8 October. | Albania have been awarded a 3-0 victory over Serbia in a reversal of a Uefa decision made after a European Championship qualifier was abandoned. |
39290241 | But it comes at a time of huge uncertainty for the sector.
The UK is leaving the EU. Our future trading arrangements with Europe and the rest of the world are far from clear.
The car industry has warned that prohibitive tariffs could result in "death by a thousand cuts".
So why has Toyota decided to make this investment? What kind of guarantees has the government given the Japanese carmaker?
And has Toyota received the same sort of assurances that persuaded Nissan to commit to building new models in Sunderland?
What is clear is that for a quarter of a century the UK has been a key part of Toyota's global operations.
The Burnaston plant was Toyota's first car manufacturing facility in Europe.
The first vehicle produced at the plant - the Carina E - rolled off the production line in 1992.
Over almost 25 years it has produced more than four million cars, many of which have been exported to mainland Europe and around the world.
Today, Burnaston is home to the Toyota Auris, one of the biggest selling British-made cars in the world. Together with the Avensis, the plant produced about 180,000 vehicles last year.
Crucially, the decision to upgrade the plant to take Toyota's New Global Architecture, the firm's new system for producing vehicles worldwide, suggests it sees the UK as part of its long-term future.
But the UK's car industry knows that Brexit is coming, and with it the possibility of tariffs and complex customs arrangements.
That threatens the competitiveness of carmakers that rely upon the kind of just-in-time manufacturing that Toyota pioneered.
And there are signs that the prospect of Brexit is hitting investment too.
In January the industry trade body, the SMMT, said that there was £1.66bn of committed investment announced by the industry in the UK in 2016. That was down from £2.5bn the previous year.
It wants tariff-free access to European markets. And it has warned that reverting to World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, with a 10% standard tariff on cars exported to and imported from the EU, would threaten the viability of the industry.
The SMMT says that such import tariffs could add £1,500 to the list price of imported cars.
It could cost the industry and consumers up to £4.5bn, adding £2.7bn to imports and £1.8bn to the cost of exports.
That didn't stop Nissan from committing to expanding production in the UK though.
In October, Nissan announced that it would build two new models - the new Qashqai and X-Trail SUV - in Sunderland after receiving "support and assurances" from the government.
Nissan's boss Carlos Ghosn has since said that it would "re-evaluate the situation" once the Brexit negotiations have concluded.
Those assurances came in a letter to the firm from the Business Secretary, Greg Clark, which has never been published.
Mr Clark has said that the letter contained a number of commitments around making funds available for skills or training, supporting research and development (R&D), bringing more of the supply chain back to the UK and keeping the British car industry competitive.
He also said that the UK would seek to maintain tariff-free trade with the EU.
That's what Toyota and other carmakers want.
Speaking to the BBC recently at the Geneva motor show, Toyota's European boss Dr Johan van Zyl said that the focus for any Brexit deal should be frictionless trade with no tariffs or duties and common regulatory standards.
And he reiterated his commitment to the UK, in the event of a hard or soft Brexit.
"We must prepare ourselves for the worst-case scenario, be as efficient as possible, to still be able to continue with our operations in the UK," he said.
Investing in Burnaston to produce cars using Toyota's New Global Architecture appears to be part of that process. The system allows the company to utilise standardised platforms, systems and components.
Toyota also has a track record in developing lower emission hybrid electric/petrol vehicles. So the firm may have been encouraged by the government's ambition, outlined in its recent industrial strategy green paper, to make the UK a hub for next generation electric cars and battery technology.
But in the end the carmaker may simply have made a pragmatic decision about the future based on almost a quarter of a century of manufacturing in the UK.
It must now hope that both the UK and the EU will see the value in agreeing trading arrangements that will benefit all. | Toyota's decision to invest £240m in its UK operations will be welcome news for the UK car industry. |
25285043 | Media playback is not supported on this device
Story of the match:
Spain lived up to their favourites tag by opening the scoring through a Xabi Alonso penalty, but Robin van Persie equalised with an incredible diving header just before half-time and Arjen Robben put Netherlands in front with a cool finish.
Stefan de Vrij forced in a third from Wesley Sneijder's free-kick, Van Persie dispossessed goalkeeper Iker Casillas to make it four and Robben's brilliant solo effort sealed the win.
Spain, looking to win a fourth consecutive major international trophy, were humbled and humiliated in the repeat of the 2010 World Cup final. The last time they conceded five goals in an international match was in 1963.
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Three-time runners-up Netherlands will suddenly find themselves talked about among the leading contenders to lift the title and it is not unrealistic if they maintain this level of display.
It was their first meeting with Spain since the showpiece four years ago in South Africa and the first time the previous finalists had met in the opening round of matches at the next World Cup.
Ear-splitting noise reverberated around one of Brazil's most impressive stadiums as the teams emerged before kick-off.
The Dutch fans have travelled in far smaller numbers than usual - a reflection of their pre-competition hopes - but there were still pockets of orange mixed in with the red of Spain, yellow of Brazil and the colours of various other teams, fitting in this melting pot of a city.
It made for a mighty atmosphere, including boos for pantomime villain Diego Costa - the striker born in Brazil and capped by them before switching allegiances to Spain.
Costa was clattered early on by Ron Vlaar, and there were more heavy challenges as the first half progressed, but any idea that the Netherlands would turn this into an encounter as brutal as their defeat in Johannesburg four year's ago were soon dismissed.
Indeed, it was Louis van Gaal's Dutch side who created the first clear chance when Robben slipped Wesley Sneijder clean through but captain Casillas's one-handed save kept the ball out.
That miss appeared costly when Xavi released Costa into the penalty area and he fell under the challenge of De Vrij. Italian referee Nicola Rizzoli pointed to the spot, although replays showed Costa had stood on the Feyenoord defender's leg.
Alonso slotted the resulting penalty past Dutch keeper Jasper Cillessen but rather than leading to a period of dominance, Vicente del Bosque's men sat back and tried to defend their lead and Netherlands accepted the invitation to get forward and finally enjoyed some possession.
However, it was Spain who came closest to scoring a second when Andres Iniesta played in David Silva with a glorious inch-perfect pass but the Manchester City midfielder's tame chipped effort was turned away by Cillessen.
It was a missed opportunity that would come back to haunt Spain as within five minutes, Van Persie had scored the goal that proved the turning point of the match.
The Manchester United striker escaped the attentions of Sergio Ramos and met Daley Blind's crossfield pass with an astonishing 15-yard header that looped over a despairing Casillas.
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Netherlands left the field at the break embracing each other with wide smiles and they carried that momentum into the second half.
Van Gaal's men deservedly took the lead when Xavi - the heartbeat of Spain's midfield for so long - lost possession and Blind supplied another pinpoint aerial pass from the left, which Robben expertly controlled before eluding Gerard Pique and finishing confidently.
Spain were now rocking and Van Persie smashed a half volley against the bar before De Vrij bundled a third goal over the line after Casillas missed Sneijder's inswinging free-kick from the left.
The goalkeeper protested that he had been impeded by Van Persie - and he had a point - but referee Rizzoli was unmoved and the Netherlands were suddenly in control at 3-1 up.
Silva thought he had given the world champions hope when he scored from close-range but his effort was correctly ruled offside.
And moments later, Netherlands were 4-1 up.
Casillas, who produced a stunning save to keep out a Robben volley, turned villain when he miscontrolled a backpass from Sergio Ramos and was tackled by Van Persie, who slid the ball into an empty net.
Robben then capped a fine individual performance with a fine solo goal. The winger raced from inside his own half to latch on to Sneijder's through ball and outpaced Ramos before taking the ball round Casillas and smashing past two defenders on the line.
Spain were in pieces and continued to be torn apart, substitute Jeremain Lens and Robben going close.
And Spain's torrid evening was summed up when substitute Fernando Torres failed to score from three yards. The Chelsea striker looked certain to register a consolation, only for Blind to arrive with a timely last-ditch challenge.
The full-time whistle was met with scenes of Dutch joy and Spanish woe, on the turf and in the stands. Netherlands embarked upon a lap of honour.
It was a result that will send shockwaves through world football.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Match ends, Spain 1, Holland 5.
Second Half ends, Spain 1, Holland 5.
Foul by Pedro (Spain).
Georginio Wijnaldum (Holland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Wesley Sneijder (Holland) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Jeremain Lens.
Foul by Andrés Iniesta (Spain).
Nigel de Jong (Holland) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Attempt blocked. Wesley Sneijder (Holland) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Arjen Robben.
Hand ball by Jeremain Lens (Holland).
Corner, Holland. Conceded by Sergio Ramos.
Attempt saved. Arjen Robben (Holland) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Attempt saved. Georginio Wijnaldum (Holland) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Daley Blind.
Andrés Iniesta (Spain) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Joël Veltman (Holland).
Offside, Spain. Gerard Piqué tries a through ball, but Fernando Torres is caught offside.
Andrés Iniesta (Spain) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Joël Veltman (Holland).
Corner, Spain. Conceded by Ron Vlaar.
Goal! Spain 1, Holland 5. Arjen Robben (Holland) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Wesley Sneijder with a through ball following a fast break.
Jordi Alba (Spain) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Dangerous play by Jeremain Lens (Holland).
Substitution, Holland. Jeremain Lens replaces Robin van Persie.
Substitution, Spain. Francesc Fábregas replaces David Silva.
Substitution, Holland. Joël Veltman replaces Stefan de Vrij.
Attempt missed. Sergio Ramos (Spain) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left from a direct free kick.
Pedro (Spain) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Stefan de Vrij (Holland).
Goal! Spain 1, Holland 4. Robin van Persie (Holland) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal.
Offside, Spain. Sergio Ramos tries a through ball, but Fernando Torres is caught offside.
Attempt saved. Robin van Persie (Holland) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Daley Blind.
Offside, Spain. Pedro tries a through ball, but David Silva is caught offside.
Attempt saved. Pedro (Spain) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by César Azpilicueta with a cross.
Attempt blocked. David Silva (Spain) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Robin van Persie (Holland) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Pedro (Spain) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Robin van Persie (Holland).
Iker Casillas (Spain) is shown the yellow card.
Goal! Spain 1, Holland 3. Stefan de Vrij (Holland) left footed shot from very close range to the centre of the goal following a set piece situation.
Stefan de Vrij (Holland) hits the right post with a header from very close range. Assisted by Wesley Sneijder with a cross following a set piece situation.
Hand ball by Gerard Piqué (Spain). | Netherlands produced a sensational second-half performance to annihilate reigning champions Spain in a stunned Arena Fonte Nova. |
35725452 | A Westminster source told the Guardian the chances of proposed legislation being unveiled after 23 June were about "80%".
In the Commons on Thursday, Culture Secretary John Whittingdale said he intended to publish the white paper "as soon as is possible".
BBC Trust chair Rona Fairhead said she hoped "we don't have too long to wait".
Delays look likely following the huge public response to last summer's green paper, which drew 190,000 responses to the consultation on the BBC's future.
A spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said they had read all the consultation responses and were currently looking at evidence and responses from other independent reviews on the BBC's future.
The white paper - which sets out the government's legislative proposals regarding the funding and future of the BBC - was originally intended for publication "in the spring", but turning around all the information and creating a draft ahead of local elections in May may be tight.
There is only a short window after the local elections before a political purdah (a period of time when government activity is restricted) is imposed ahead of the EU referendum in June.
There are also concerns over the impact of publication in the run up to the referendum, given the amount of media interest the white paper is likely to provoke.
A spokeswoman for the BBC Trust said publication was "in the gift of the government".
Speaking earlier this week at the Oxford Media Convention, Ms Fairhead said: "I hope we don't have to wait too long for a white paper because I am very conscious of the amount of work that will still need to be done after that - to agree the detail of a new Charter and a plan to implement any changes.
"For the time being, Charter Review hangs over the BBC: A cloud of uncertainty and unease.
"I dearly hope that cloud will have blown over by the end of this year, but that will require some clear decisions to be taken, and quickly." | Proposals for charter renewal may be delayed until after the EU referendum in June, reports suggest. |
26656787 | They are threatening to strike over potential changes to working hours and conditions after changes to service providers at the airport.
Up to 18 Unite members will be balloted on whether take action. If they decide to strike a union spokesman said it could be over the Easter break.
The spokesman said the count would be made on 4 April.
The union said the action was over possible cuts to pay and working hours due to the Guernsey-owned airline Aurigny taking over Blue Islands' ground-handling work.
The airlines signed a code sharing agreement on flights between Jersey and Guernsey, with Blue Islands operating the flights and Aurigny taking over ground handling.
Jersey Airport says there were contingency plans for the Easter holidays, if baggage handlers do decide to strike.
Servisair said any disruption to passengers would be minimal. | Baggage handlers at Jersey Airport are being balloted over industrial action, the union Unite said. |
38446694 | Fly-half Sexton, 31, has been out since sustaining a hamstring injury in Ireland's defeat by New Zealand six weeks ago.
Sexton took a limited part in training on Tuesday and a Leinster statement said he would be "reintroduced back into the rugby programme this week".
Rob Kearney could also return after returning to training on Tuesday.
Ireland full-back Kearney has been out of action since sustaining an ankle injury in Leinster's European away win over Northampton on 9 December.
Replacement lock Ian Nagle required a head injury assessment after coming on in Leinster's defeat by Munster on Monday and will be assessed further over the coming days.
With Ospreys beating Scarlets on Tuesday, Leinster have dropped to third place in the table while Ulster are in fourth spot.
Meanwhile, Finlay Bealham, Ultan Dillane and Danie Poolman have been added to Connacht's injury worries heading into their home game against leaders Munster on New Year's Eve.
Ireland prop Bealham and utility back Poolman are both undergoing head injury assessments following Friday's 23-7 defeat by Ulster.
International lock Ultan Dillane is also a doubt after suffering an ankle knock late in the Belfast game.
Connacht's already lengthy injury list has them minus 21 players including Jake Heenan, John Cooney, Marnitz Boshoff, Craig Ronaldson, Peter Robb and Stacey Ili. | Johnny Sexton could make a return to Leinster duty in Saturday's Pro12 Irish derby against Ulster at the RDS. |
33238562 | In the case of Stephen Adly Guirgis's play, it is because it contains a swear word.
For the purposes of this article we'll refer to it as The Mother with the Hat. The National Theatre prints the swear word on the programme with two asterisks.
Guirgis's play received six Tony nominations on Broadway and opened at the NT's Lyttelton Theatre last week to enthusiastic reviews. It runs until 20 August.
It is directed by Indhu Rubasingham and the cast includes Desperate Housewives star Ricardo Chavira as Jackie, a recovering addict just out of jail who has landed a job to impress his childhood sweetheart Veronica (Flor De Liz Perez).
But things take a turn when he notices another man's hat in their apartment.
On a recent visit to London, Guirgis told the BBC about the play's title, winning the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and his new Netflix project with Baz Luhrmann.
The reviews have been very good, so how does it feel to have a play at the National?
This is an important season at one of your most important theatres, so the fact they chose to do a play of mine is a real honour and the fact that it is apparently being well received makes me feel a sense of relief that it didn't let anybody down.
Does it bother you that the theatre has put asterisks in the title?
I get it. When I wrote the play originally I didn't think it was going to Broadway or the National. It felt like the right title for this play.
The title is a blessing and a curse. It's a curse because sometimes that's where the conversation begins and ends.
It's a blessing because it's like a disclaimer. You can't walk into a play with this title and be offended.
What I'd hoped for in London and New York is that when you come and see the play you'll have an experience that transcends your experience of the title.
Have producers ever suggested that the title might hurt the play's commercial prospects?
Initially producers didn't have any problem with it, but then they discovered it's difficult to figure out what to call it for the internet.
No-one ever told me to change it, so I didn't.
What sparked the idea for this play?
Some of the play I've experienced, for sure, other parts I haven't.
I'm interested in codes of conduct. When we're younger, our friendships are probably the things that are most prized, We have an organised set of rules built around them that we mostly follow.
But then when we get older, life gets more complicated and those loyalties and codes can be broken.
I'm interested in what is acceptable behaviour amongst friends.
Most of my plays, if you break them down, are about people who are past the age where they should have already grown up still trying to grow up.
How does it feel to have the Pulitzer Prize for Drama on your CV?
It's a little surreal. It's not tattooed on my arm but you're right, it's on my resume, and I figure in the worst-case scenario if I bomb out as a playwright I'll be able to get a job teaching.
If I'm in a plane crash maybe they'll put "Pulitzer Prize winner Guirgis dies".
I'm glad it happened. I have the plaque, I went to the ceremony and I'm grateful - but I've got to get on with what's next.
And that's a Netflix series called The Get Down with Baz Luhrmann about the birth of hip hop?
It's a coming-of-age story of these five kids in the south Bronx in the 70s and the cultural and artistic revolutions that came out of New York: hip hop, punk rock and the graffiti and breakdance scenes.
I grew up in New York, so I know a bit about it, but doing the research has been great.
Has it been a very different experience from writing a play?
I've done some television work before. There's less autonomy.
Working with Baz I learn so much about the execution of story.
We'll be talking about a character like a breakdancer or a drug dealer and he'll reference the Greeks and Shakespeare and connect the story to a continuum that's been going on for thousands of years.
As a Pulitzer Prize winner, what will your next play be about?
It's a boxing play, a period piece that goes from the late 40s to the early 70s.
It tells the story of a boxer who was great enough to become a champion for a minute, but lacked some of the intangibles and good fortune to stay a champion.
Most of my plays are set in New York but in this play there are scenes in the French Riviera and they go back in time; so it might take a little while.
Does it have a title?
Right now it's got the mundane title of Untitled Boxing Play. When you use boxing expressions as titles it either sounds really good or really stupid.
So far I've only been able to come up with the stupid ones. | It's not every day the National Theatre - and the BBC - is unable to broadcast the full title of a play. |
36685694 | The 25-year-old Welsh swimmer held off American Leah Smith in the final 50 metres to win Team GB's second medal of the night moments after Adam Peaty won 100m breaststroke gold.
"I can't believe it. I'm on the edge of tears," Carlin told the BBC.
Ledecky dominated to finish in a time of three minutes 56.46 seconds.
Carlin touched home in 4:01.23 and Smith took bronze in 4:01.92.
The British silver medallist added: "It's an incredible feeling and it's definitely not sunk in yet.
I was in the pool room watching Adam and I had goosebumps on the block
"I'm so grateful for everyone's support back home and anyone who got up to watch in the ridiculous hours of the morning - I'm just over the moon.
"I wanted to come here and give it absolutely everything and have no regrets. Sometimes you swim and think I could have a bit left, but I wanted to get myself into the race rather than always having to catch up and then absolutely go for it.
"I could see Katie was a bit in front and having a great swim so I just tried to hang on. I'm gobsmacked to come away with silver.
"I was in the pool room watching Adam and I had goosebumps on the block. To see someone who's your team-mate achieve a new world record and become Olympic champion right before you swim definitely got me pumped up."
Find out how to get into swimming with our special guide.
Carlin missed out on selection at London 2012 but bounced back two years later at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where she won gold in the 800m freestyle and silver in the 400m event.
She said: "Four years ago I was sat in the stand cheering Team GB on but now I'm actually part of the team and to come away with a silver medal is absolutely amazing."
Winner Ledecky, who won 800m freestyle gold at London 2012, said: "I'm pumped. Swimming 3:56 feels really good. I've been so close before. It's pure happiness.
"I felt good throughout. I had a lot left at the end. I just had more pop on the last lap."
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Inspired to make a splash? Find out how to get into swimming with Get Inspired's guide. | Great Britain's Jazz Carlin took silver in the women's 400m freestyle at Rio 2016, as the USA's Katie Ledecky won in a world-record time. |
37856565 | Donald Trump says he would bring back outsourced manufacturing jobs from Mexico and China. There's a factory that is a symbol of outsourcing.
"You thought you had a job for life," says Gregg Trusty. "As long as you didn't show up to work drunk or punch your supervisor, you thought you could work there until you retired."
A wander around the factory Trusty is talking about gives a stark example of the precarious nature of the American economy today.
The gigantic Western Electric plant in Shreveport, Louisiana was once one of the country's biggest producers of telephones. Now it's abandoned, the machinery silently rusting. Nature creeps in on all sides. Dusty papers sit on desks and lights still blaze on to empty factory floors, as if the people working there were forced to leave in a hurry.
If you want to understand how Donald Trump has tapped into economic insecurity across America, this humid city of 200,000 in northern Louisiana is an excellent place to start. Western Electric was the wholly-owned manufacturing arm of corporate behemoth AT&T, which for most of the 20th Century held a monopoly on the US telephone business.
At its height, the company employed 7,500 people at its Shreveport plant. But long before the rise of Chinese competition, the ubiquity of the mobile phone and the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico - which Trump has called "worst trade deal ever" - the factory's future was clear.
Starting in the 1980s, AT&T slashed its domestic workforce and moved telephone manufacturing to Singapore.
"There was a feeling of disappointment," says Don Corliss, who worked at the plant for 25 years. "We moved from a manufacturing economy to a service economy.
"Did the average worker on the shop floor realise what was hitting them? I don't know."
Several factors led to the factory's closure. In 1984, a lawsuit ended AT&T's monopoly and opened up American telecommunications to competition. And, of course, the last 30 years have seen unprecedented international competition and technological change.
When Trusty moved here from the Midwest in the late 1960s he recalls that big celebrations would be held every time the plant added an additional 1,000 jobs, which in the early days happened every few years.
Later, as part of the company's public relations team, he would face the local media to announce round after round of layoffs.
"One time I was asked a question about how it made me feel," he says. "I told the reporter straight: 'We've lost some damn fine people today.'
"I meant it. It hurt, every time we did it. It was painful."
After years of job losses, the plant, located in the Southern Hills area of Shreveport, closed for good in 2000. The fortunes of the workers themselves varied. Many retired, while others shifted gears with the aid of generous redundancy packages and company-funded education grants. Trusty worked in other jobs in public relations and journalism. Other former employees became small business owners, consultants, care home workers - and in one case, an elected state politician.
Randy Doss started on the factory floor and later became a supervisor. After he left the company in 1995, Doss ran a local transportation business with his wife before retiring earlier this year.
"We all had a sense of security. We thought we were fine," he says. "And we all bit the dust."
Despite that, Doss says he holds no ill will towards the company.
"It's a business decision pure and simple, and they could make phones cheaper elsewhere. That's business."
In Shreveport the absence of manufacturing jobs is palpable. Another iconic American company, General Motors, shut its local factory in 2012. That set off a wave of job losses at local suppliers, and today there's little heavy industry left.
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Harold Sater of the Southern Hills Business Association says the area around the AT&T plant suffered for years and despite rows of busy restaurants, petrol stations and other small businesses nearby, it doesn't quite compare to AT&T's heyday.
"The traffic you see now is just starting to come back to the levels back then," he says.
There were knock-on effects. Richard Corbett, the business association's current president, says crime increased in the area - a trend he saw first-hand in his day job as a local sheriff.
"It's simple. Fewer jobs nearby means fewer people came to the area to shop," Corbett says. "That led to problems and we're still working through them today."
Yet Shreveport does seem different from those Midwestern cities that were strangled by loss of their main industries.
BBC Newsnight: Trump's appeal in Ohio
The economy here shifted and diversified. It's a regional centre for health care. Nearby oil and gas reserves have provided jobs, although that industry has gone through boom and bust. There's a large military base nearby and the city once had a thriving film industry lured in by tax breaks.
Meanwhile, casinos dotted along the Red River have led to a small revival downtown. The city's growth has slowed, but its population is stable - there's been no mass exodus.
Although most of the former AT&T site is abandoned, a couple of companies have moved in. One is even a small-scale manufacturer. Skyrunner is making futuristic recreational vehicles that can both drive and fly. The company is perfecting its designs and aims to ship its products around the world.
What's missing is big industry of the kind that provides that elusive path for the low- and semi-skilled workers.
"We're still working on getting good-paying jobs for those people," says Sater. "There's almost nothing that pays $15 an hour outside of work on oil and gas fields. That's frustrating."
AT&T, meanwhile, no longer manufactures telephones in Singapore or anywhere else. It's a technology and media company. Its latest move is a bid to buy Time Warner, a proposal that both Democrats and Republicans are concerned about.
Among the firm's former employers in Shreveport, faith in Trump and his economic plan is decidedly mixed. Some, like Corliss, say they'll vote for him but only because they dislike Hillary Clinton more.
Doss is a staunch Trump supporter. He says he believes the Republican candidate when he says he can bring back manufacturing jobs to the US, even though he's thin on specifics. For Doss, like for many Trump supporters across the country, voting for Trump is a leap of faith.
"I don't know how he's going to do it," Doss says, "but I think that he can."
Who is ahead in the polls?
45%
Hillary Clinton
45%
Donald Trump
Last updated November 4, 2016 | Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter |
40973254 | Yoda and bounty hunter Boba Fett could also get their own prequels, and there's even chatter on fan sites about a Jabba the Hutt film. Who knows what he might have looked like when he was younger...
But are we reaching saturation level with all these prequels and spin-offs?
Billy Elliot director Stephen Daldry is said to be poised to take on the Obi-Wan film, although it hasn't had the green light yet.
"Talks are at the earliest of stages and the project has no script," the Hollywood Reporter said.
But the prospect of an Obi-Wan movie has, not surprisingly, caused a flurry of social media excitement.
End of Twitter post by @12DAYSTARWARS
Not everyone is entirely delighted, though, with some fans questioning whether the world needs more revivals of old characters.
End of Twitter post by @Kleo_Ren
Star Wars films are, of course, box office and social media gold, feeding fans' love of nostalgia, along with their appetite for anything related to the franchise.
Last year was all about the much-anticipated prequel Rogue One starring Felicity Jones, and in December the next Star Wars film The Last Jedi is released. Ron Howard's Han Solo spin-off movie is due out next May.
A film about Obi-Wan would add to what is already a fairly crowded market. So will the Force be with it? (sorry, couldn't resist).
Originally portrayed by Sir Alec Guinness, a younger Obi-Wan was played by Ewan McGregor in the first three prequels.
But although the enigmatic Jedi was key to the story and a crucial father figure for Luke Skywalker, does he honestly merit a standalone film?
Film critic Rhianna Dhillon has reservations about an Obi-Wan spin-off, not least because Ewan McGregor has already starred as him in three prequels.
"When he did it, it was not the best of him - frustratingly, it was a wasted opportunity. We've had him three times already, and it now feels like flogging a dead horse," she told the BBC.
As for the possibility of McGregor reprising his role, she's not sold, declaring: "He's had his day, unfortunately."
Dhillon is way more positive about Rogue One, which starred Felicity Jones as part of a rebel group battling to steal the plans for the destructive Death Star.
"It was the ultimate prequel, this was the one people were interested in because it felt like an apology for the other Star Wars prequels - we needed a war movie. It wasn't the best in terms of character development but it was the best in terms of action and visuals.
"An Obi-Wan Kenobi film would be much more character-driven," she adds. "If Daldry does become the director, he's known for human dramas, so it's likely to be slower, more methodical, more philosophical."
Dhillon thinks the Han Solo spin-off is a better bet as "he's got attitude, he's more fun, there's more scope around his character".
But she'd really like to see some more new characters rather than reviving old ones. "It's braver to have a brand new character - what about another Rey? [played by Daisy Ridley in The Force Awakens]. Why not get behind someone else?"
She adds that she doesn't think Sir Alec can be bettered.
"He was the pinnacle of what the whole universe centres around - he nailed that - he was also the only one to get an Oscar nomination, which says it all. Why keep trying?"
Film journalist Helen O'Hara says she doesn't object to films about Obi-Wan and maybe Yoda - but she balks at the idea of Jabba the Hutt getting his own film.
"He's a horrible space slug," she says, adding: "He's such an unattractive character, so I don't see why anyone would want to make a film about him."
For anyone who hasn't seen Return of the Jedi, Jabba the Hutt is a crime lord who captures Princess Leia, forces her to wear a gold bikini and keeps her chained up next to him. She gets her revenge by strangling him with his own chain, but you get the idea.
O'Hara is "all for the idea of more Star Wars films", saying it's a "fascinating universe to explore, there's lots you can do with it".
Saying that, she's not keen on a Boba Fett spin-off either.
"Fans are obsessed with him because they remember the [70s and 80s] toy of him had a jetpack," she says.
The bounty hunter worked for both Darth Vader and Jabba the Hutt - and let's face it, neither of these look very good on his CV.
"I don't see the point in exploring his life story," she adds.
She also makes the point that Marvel has taken a very successful approach to spin-offs.
"They're all different in tone - they're sci-fi, thrillers, comedies - they're aware of the need to mix it up," she explains.
The Star Wars film-makers are aware of the importance of varying the tone, she believes, adding that the Han Solo film is likely to be more of a "comedy, a caper, a heist movie", while Rogue One was a "war movie".
Film journalist Emma Jones prefers the idea of "shorter spin-off stories working for mobile or online-only content".
She says: "Personally I think there's only so far they can go with big-budget spin-off films from the Star Wars universe.
"Obi-Wan feels like flogging a dead horse, Jabba the Hutt, though he can fill a screen, can't fill a whole movie plotline.
"As far as the cinema experience goes, they've drawn us into a whole new world of wonderful new characters [played by Daisy Ridley and John Boyega] and I just wish they'd get on with telling those stories well."
She loved Rogue One, however. "What really worked about it was that it felt like a self-contained story and it wasn't essential to have a fan's in-depth knowledge of Star Wars, you could appreciate it as a cinematic spectacle in itself."
And Emma Jones hails Felicity Jones and Daisy Ridley, who played Jyn and Rey, as the new stars of the franchise.
"I'd be particularly excited to see what [producer] Kathleen Kennedy could come up with in terms of new female action heroines.
"Jyn and Rey truly transformed the female landscape in terms of blockbusters."
When Disney bought Lucasfilm and the rights to make more Star Wars films for more than $4bn, some wondered whether it was a wise purchase. Now, after the success of The Force Awakens and Rogue One, it's looking like something of a bargain.
The two films made over $3bn at the box office. DVD/Blu-ray sales and merchandising will have swelled that total by hundreds of millions more.
Disney naturally wants to keep exploiting the huge popularity of Star Wars. They are able to keep doing that on two fronts. The episodic Saga films, which follow on directly from the original trilogy, are likely to continue for some time.
But the breadth of the Star Wars universe means they can also keep making an impressive range of standalone films that concentrate on favourite characters or events. As long as they keep making money, more will follow.
It's not dissimilar to what the company has done elsewhere. Thanks to advances in computer-generated imagery, it's been able to revisit in different ways existing parts of the Disney empire - most notably the hugely successful live action remakes of The Jungle Book and Beauty and the Beast, with Aladdin, The Lion King and more on the way.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]. | Star Wars spin-offs are landing in a galaxy near you, with Obi-Wan Kenobi said to be next in line. |
37545539 | The alarm was raised at about 11:20 and the Stornoway Coastguard helicopter was called in to help.
The sailor was flown to a hospital in Glasgow.
Ships, aircraft and personnel from Europe and North America have been arriving in and around Scotland for a major Nato exercise.
Joint Warrior is held twice a year, in April and in October.
The exercise is one of Nato's largest training events and involves thousands of army, navy and air force personnel.
For the first time, this October's Joint Warrior will see exercises using unmanned vehicles. This event is called Unmanned Warrior. | A French sailor has been airlifted off a military vessel off the south west of Barra after falling and suffering a back injury. |
17986065 | Alexis Tsipras, whose bloc came second in Sunday's vote, said Greek voters had "clearly nullified the loan agreement".
He has three days to reach a coalition deal and has told the two major parties to end their support for the austerity terms if they want to take part.
The European Commission and Germany say countries must stick to budget cuts.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said on Tuesday: "What member states have to do is be consistent, implementing the policies that they have agreed."
But, after French voters chose a new president on Sunday in Francois Hollande who has advocated greater focus on growth, EU leaders are to gather on 23 May for an informal meeting at which his proposals will be discussed.
By Stephanie FlandersEconomics editor
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has written to Mr Hollande, saying that it is "up to us... to prepare our societies for the future and protect and advance prosperity in a sustainable way".
The financial chaos has sparked huge social unrest in Greece and led to a deep mistrust of the parties considered to be the architects of austerity.
On Monday the leader of the centre-right New Democracy (ND) party, Antonis Samaras, abandoned attempts to form a coalition.
ND came first in the polls but, in common with the centre-left Pasok - the other traditional party of power - saw its share of the vote dramatically reduced.
In March, both parties backed the terms of the second EU/IMF deal agreed by technocrat Prime Minister Lucas Papademos.
In return for its two bailouts - worth a total of 240bn euros (£190bn; $310) - Greece agreed to make deep cuts to pensions and pay, raise taxes and slash thousands of public sector jobs.
Their votes drained away in Sunday's elections in favour of smaller parties on the left and right, with Syriza picking up almost 17% of the vote. But because ND came first, it was awarded a 50-seat bonus in parliament according to Greek rules, and was initially asked to form a government.
Twenty-four hours later it was Mr Tsipras who was given a mandate to form a coalition during a meeting with President Karolos Papoulias and immediately he began talks with prospective partners.
Greek media said he had enlisted the support of a smaller left-wing party, Democratic Left, but had failed to persuade the communist KKE to back him. He is likely to talk to all the party leaders, except the ultra-nationalist Golden Dawn.
If the 38-year-old Syriza leader hopes to obtain the 151 seats needed for a majority in parliament, it is already clear he will need the backing of at least one of the two major parties.
He told reporters "the pro-bailout parties no longer have a majority in parliament to vote in destructive measures for the Greek people" and urged them to write to the EU and IMF saying they were taking back earlier promises of co-operation made as a condition of the bailouts.
Mr Tsipras made his position clear to reporters in a five-point plan:
Under Greece's current bailout plan, billions of euros in further austerity cuts will have to be found in June - and the country is also counting on a 30bn euro (£24bn; $39bn) instalment in EU/IMF funds. | The leader of Greece's left-wing Syriza bloc has said he will try to form a coalition based on tearing up the terms of the EU/IMF bailout deal. |
40171769 | Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel has won three of six races and leads Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton by 24 points before this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix.
Wolff said: "It's painful but we are not the favourites for this year's championship. At the moment, it's Ferrari.
"We need to rise to the challenge to prove we are the team to beat."
Ferrari's resurgence following a major set of rule changes for 2017 follows three years of dominance by Mercedes.
Although Mercedes have proved to have the fastest car over one qualifying lap, the Ferrari is more flexible, works more easily in a wider range of conditions and has generally appeared to have an advantage in races.
Hamilton has won two grands prix, in China and Spain, and his new team-mate Valtteri Bottas one in Russia, which came against the run of play after Ferrari dominated qualifying in Sochi.
Wolff said: "This is the reality of the situation now. We have to fight with all that we are worth for every single win, pole position, podium finish and every point. You can no longer expect that when you look at a timesheet the two Mercedes will be right at the top.
"We've come into this season with a strong car that has allowed us to win three of the first six races. But it has also caused us more complications than we have seen in previous years.
"Everybody at the factories is working absolutely flat out to assess the current difficulties we are facing - to define our objectives, work with the data we have and then come up with the right solutions.
"Some of these fixes will be short term, others may take longer.
"We've had bruising weekends before and it's about showing resilience and getting up after falling.
"I remember the troubles we had in Singapore in 2015, which hurt badly. We gave ourselves a deadline to address that setback before switching our focus to the next race in Suzuka, which we won.
"We've done exactly the same thing after Monaco - addressing the problems before turning our attention to Montreal. We know that this season is a marathon, not a sprint."
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Mercedes' fundamental struggles this season revolve around a difficulty in getting the Pirelli tyres to work consistently in their correct operating temperature window.
And Wolff admits that the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal might not play to the strengths of the Mercedes car.
The circuit is a series of slow corners linked by long straights with a low-grip, low-abrasion track surface.
It is exactly the sort of track that could provide difficulties in operating the tyres, lacking the faster, longer corners which work the tyres harder and where the Mercedes' strong high-speed aerodynamics can come into play.
Wolff said: "I'm expecting an interesting weekend in Canada. It could be a tricky race for us in terms of the layout of the track. But, equally, it's a circuit that suits both of our drivers. Lewis has won a number of times in the past and Valtteri has always gone strongly there for Williams."
Hamilton has won five times in Canada in nine appearances and it has consistently been one of his favourite tracks. | Mercedes Formula 1 boss Toto Wolff says rivals Ferrari are favourites to win this year's world title. |
34849639 | He said that all exam boards operating in Northern Ireland must give their results using the letters A* to G.
In 2017, English examining boards will give their results in the form of numbers, where nine is the highest grade and one the lowest.
Around one in four GCSEs in NI is studied through an English examining board.
There is currently an 'open market' for GCSEs where schools can choose which examining board to use.
If schools in Northern Ireland want to continue operating through English boards like AQA and OCR, those boards will have to agree to operate a separate alphabetic grading system for Northern Ireland.
There is no indication yet that they will agree to do so.
The local examining body, CCEA, will continue to award GCSEs from A* to G only.
Mr O'Dowd said the decision he had made would present "challenges" for awarding bodies.
"I believe that it will be in the best interests of learners here to continue with the established practice of awarding using letters, and I believe we must avoid unnecessary complexity as far as possible," he told the assembly.
"I appreciate that there is anxiety around the perceived risk to our young people going out into the world with a GCSE certificate that is anything other than a string of numbers like their English counterparts.
"I have confidence in our education system, and I have confidence in the hard work and attainment of our young people."
However, the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), which represents many grammar school principals, criticised the minister's decision.
ASCL President Stephen Black said that Mr O'Dowd was relying on the English examining boards following his plans.
"He is saying we can have an open market for GCSE qualifications, but he is totally reliant on the English boards accepting they will have different grading systems for England and Northern Ireland," he said.
"There's no precedent for this, so there's a real danger that we might lose a raft of qualifications which our young people are currently able to study for."
However, the chief executive of the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools, Jim Clarke, backed the minister.
"It's a statement that our education system is for Northern Ireland," he said, "and meets the needs of young people, our higher education providers and our employers". | Education Minister John O'Dowd has decided there will be no change in GCSE grades in Northern Ireland. |
37329368 | Media playback is not supported on this device
Bravo was making his debut after being brought in from Barcelona to replace Joe Hart, who joined Torino on loan.
But, with City leading 2-0, the Chilean dropped the ball for United to score and almost cost his side further goals.
"We played good in the first half because of Claudio," said Guardiola, whose side held on to win 2-1.
"I like the keepers to attack the ball and after what happened with the goal, the second half he continued to play and that's a good thing about his personality."
Manchester City were the better side in the opening 45 minutes and looked comfortable after goals from Kevin de Bruyne and Kelechi Iheanacho.
But Bravo, 33, who arrived in a £15.4m move from Guardiola's former club, dropped Wayne Rooney's free-kick to allow Zlatan Ibrahimovic to score before the break.
Guardiola, who likes his sides to build from the back, had brought in the keeper for his ball-playing skill.
But he was caught in possession by United midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan to give Ibrahimovic a chance to equalise and also had to make a recovery tackle on Rooney after a heavy touch.
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Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho believed that strong challenge on Rooney warranted a penalty and a red card.
And he also thought referee Mark Clattenburg should have awarded a spot-kick for a handball by Nicolas Otamendi, although the ball appeared to hit the City defender on the back.
"Mark made two big mistakes. Claudio Bravo is a penalty and a red card - if one of my players do that in the middle of the park -if [Marouane] Fellaini or Rooney do that in the middle of the park - it's a red card and a free-kick," the Portuguese said.
"In the box it is more difficult to give and he didn't want to give it.
"The second one is a handball by Otamendi - some pundits will say 'no' because it's the back of the arm but he knows. He's looking at the ball. We are not happy with these decisions."
City, who maintained their 100% winning record in the Premier League, host Borussia Monchengladbach in the Champions League group stage on Tuesday.
It is a competition the Etihad club have yet to win since being transformed in 2008 by the wealth of owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
And despite a notable change in City's style this season under Guardiola, playing the ball out from the back at every opportunity, the Spaniard has played down the club's European hopes.
"We are not ready to compete with the best clubs in Europe. We are creating well but we need more in front," said Guardiola, who won two Champions League trophies during his four years as Barcelona boss and claimed three German titles in his last job at Bayern Munich.
"But if we want to play against the best clubs in Europe we are not able to compete the way we are playing.
"But we have only been together two months so we have time to get better."
Asked if his insistence on playing the ball out from the back was risky, Guardiola said: "Yes. If you lose the ball they will score. But you can control the game.
"Until my last day in England I will try to play with the ball as much as possible. I know it's impossible for 90 minutes but I'm sorry, I will not negotiate that."
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United suffered their first defeat of the season, after winning their first three Premier League games.
Wingers Anthony Martial and Juan Mata had started all of those games but were replaced by Jesse Lingard and Henrikh Mkhitaryan on Saturday.
With City dominating possession in the first half and 2-0 up after 36 minutes, Mourinho said he would have liked to have made substitutions.
"I didn't change it at 20 minutes because I didn't want to destroy the players," said the Portuguese, who brought on Ander Herrera and Marcus Rashford for Lingard and Mkhitaryan at half-time.
"I didn't want to make three changes at half-time because it would have been a long 45 minutes. With a free number of changes, like basketball, I would do after 20 minutes.
"In the next big game in the Premier League I know who can accept the dimension of the game well."
Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox. | Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has defended keeper Claudio Bravo despite numerous mistakes in Saturday's derby win over Manchester United. |
34897796 | Prince Charles said he was one of those who warned many years ago that there would be rising conflict over scarce resources if the issue was not tackled.
In Syria, the prince said, a drought lasting several years meant that many people were forced off the land.
His comments come in a television interview to be shown on Monday evening but recorded before the Paris attacks.
Prince Charles told Sky News: "We're seeing a classic case of not dealing with the problem because, it sounds awful to say, but some of us were saying 20 something years ago that if we didn't tackle these issues you would see ever greater conflict over scarce resources and ever greater difficulties over drought, and the accumulating effect of climate change, which means that people have to move.
"And there's very good evidence indeed that one of the major reasons for this horror in Syria, funnily enough, was a drought that lasted for about five or six years, which meant that huge numbers of people in the end had to leave the land."
Asked if there was a direct link between climate change, conflict and terrorism, he added: "It's only in the last few years that the Pentagon have actually started to pay attention to this. It has a huge impact on what is happening.
"The difficulty is sometimes to get this point across - that if we just leave it and say, well there are obviously lots of, there are endless problems arising all over the place therefore we deal with them in a short-term way, we never deal with the underlying root cause which regrettably is what we're doing to our natural environment."
Prince Charles will travel to Paris next week to deliver a keynote speech at the opening of the COP21 United Nations climate change conference.
The summit will attempt to reach a new international agreement to help limit global warming to no more than two degrees.
Asked in the interview whether the world could afford to deal with climate change at a time of austerity, the prince said: "The trouble is if we don't, this is the awful thing, if we don't it's going to get so much worse, then life will become very, very complicated indeed, and what we're experiencing now will be as nothing to the problems.
"I mean the difficulties in 2008 with the financial crash - that was a banking crisis.
"But we're now facing a real possibility of nature's bank going bust. If you see it like that, we've been putting so much pressure on the natural systems and all those aspects of nature that we take for granted." | The Prince of Wales has said climate change may have been a factor in the emergence of civil war in Syria. |
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The team won six medals, including three golds - Mo Farah (5,000m and 10,000m) and Christine Ohuruogu (400m).
Sprinter Adam Gemili, heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson and 1,500m runner Chris O'Hare also impressed.
"We can see where the future medals are coming from," Black told BBC Sport.
"I saw the disappointed look at Hannah England (fourth in the 1500m), Chris O'Hare (1500m finalist) killing himself and (800m runner) Jessica Judd really making progress. We've got a programme that can help develop medallists."
Gemili, 19, recorded the second fastest time by a Briton - 19.98 seconds - in the 200m semi-finals before finishing fifth in the final.
Johnson-Thompson, 20, took fifth in the heptathlon.
Paula Radcliffe, the 2005 world marathon champion, said she was also encouraged by the performances of the young members of the GB squad.
"I think there were 17 top-eight places," added the 39-year-old.
"I was especially impressed seeing Johnson-Thompson coming through. She's built such a great platform. The likes of O'Hare making a 1500m final - that's not happened in quite a while."
Meanwhile, Radcliffe does not believe that Farah will not choose to run the marathon in future major competitions. The double Olympic and world champion plans to compete in the London Marathon next year, having completed half of the distance in 2013.
"Mo will be trying the marathon, but won't be leaving the track," she continued.
"I wouldn't surprised if he ran the 1500m in the Commonwealths. He has the range and ability to do that. If you're a runner and British you will want to run the London Marathon at one stage.
"I reckon he'll come back and run faster on the track and produce times he is capable of."
Elsewhere, Usain Bolt, who won his eighth career world title on Sunday by leading the baton home for the victorious Jamaica 4x100m team, said his memories of the championships were "not the best".
The 26-year-old said his views were influenced by the fact the Luzhniki Stadium was not once full during the nine days of competition.
"I must be truthful, it's been a different championships," Bolt said. "It's not been the best. Over the days it got better.
"They changed a few things and people got more relaxed, more people started smiling and there were more people in the stands.
"It picked up at the end so I will have to say seven out of 10 . I'm just being real. I'm used to seeing the stadium rammed and absolutely packed." | The performances of Great Britain's young athletes at the World Championships bodes well for the future, according to UK Athletics performance director Neil Black. |
39152642 | A debated decision in the 53rd minute shattered any hopes of the Gunners becoming the first side in Champions League history to overturn a four-goal deficit, having also lost the first leg in Germany 5-1.
They led through Theo Walcott's stunning 20th-minute goal, before Bayern were awarded a penalty that also resulted in the sending off of defender Laurent Koscielny.
The France centre-back was initially shown a yellow card by referee Anastasios Sidiropoulos for his foul on Robert Lewandowski inside the area - but it was upgraded to a red once he decided Koscielny made no attempt to win the ball.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger looked perplexed by the sudden change of heart by the official.
Lewandowski placed his spot-kick beyond the reach of David Ospina to give Bayern a 6-2 aggregate lead and effectively kill off the tie.
The home side then folded as Bayern scored four goals in 17 minutes. Arjen Robben robbed Alexis Sanchez of the ball and beat Ospina, before Douglas Costa made it 3-1 with a stunning solo goal.
Fellow midfielder Arturo Vidal grabbed a late double, first with an impudent chip before slotting in from Costa's square pass.
If this was to be Wenger's final outing in the Champions League with Arsenal then what an embarrassing final act.
Few expected the Gunners to perform a miracle, but they did at least expect to take the fight to the German giants.
Aside from the goal, Walcott also went close when Manuel Neuer saved his effort and Olivier Giroud hit the base of the post with a header.
Walcott was also denied a penalty after it appeared that Xabi Alonso had fouled him.
But Bayern rarely looked stretched and bided their time before punishing an error-strewn second-half display by the home side.
Some might debate whether Koscielny deserved a straight red but, under new laws regarding penalties, the referee was right to amend his initial decision to award the defender a yellow.
The Gunners' similarly folded when the Frenchman came off injured in the first leg with the scores 1-1.
Arsenal's initial target of scoring four goals would have still taken the contest into extra time. Any chance of that happening ended when Robben nipped in to take the ball away from the feet of Sanchez, who was inexplicably trying to play the ball on the edge of his own area.
The team lost heart thereafter and allowed Costa to run 50 yards before the Brazilian cut inside and curled in a brilliant 20-yard strike.
Vidal's double came late and in quick succession. First an error by Shkodran Mustafi was punished with a cheeky dink, before the Chile midfielder tapped in Costa's pass.
The final whistle could not come soon enough for Wenger and his team.
While Bayern carried out their own protest against ticket prices by throwing toilet rolls on to the pitch, the main attention was on the 'Wenger Out' demonstration before kick-off.
A large gathering of fans made it known outside the ground that they did not want the Frenchman in charge of the club.
Wenger has yet to decide whether to accept the contract extension or leave the club he has managed since 1996.
This week's saga surrounding Sanchez, the protests and finally now this heavy defeat might have brought the 67-year-old closer to making up his mind.
Match ends, Arsenal 1, FC Bayern München 5.
Second Half ends, Arsenal 1, FC Bayern München 5.
Attempt missed. Héctor Bellerín (Arsenal) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Foul by Renato Sanches (FC Bayern München).
Mesut Özil (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Goal! Arsenal 1, FC Bayern München 5. Arturo Vidal (FC Bayern München) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Douglas Costa.
Goal! Arsenal 1, FC Bayern München 4. Arturo Vidal (FC Bayern München) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Xabi Alonso with a through ball.
Substitution, FC Bayern München. Joshua Kimmich replaces Thiago Alcántara.
Substitution, FC Bayern München. Renato Sanches replaces Franck Ribéry.
Granit Xhaka (Arsenal) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Goal! Arsenal 1, FC Bayern München 3. Douglas Costa (FC Bayern München) left footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Rafinha following a fast break.
Attempt saved. Héctor Bellerín (Arsenal) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Lucas Pérez.
Robert Lewandowski (FC Bayern München) hits the right post with a right footed shot from the centre of the box. Assisted by Douglas Costa with a cross.
Foul by Thiago Alcántara (FC Bayern München).
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Offside, FC Bayern München. Franck Ribéry tries a through ball, but Robert Lewandowski is caught offside.
Substitution, Arsenal. Lucas Pérez replaces Alexis Sánchez.
Substitution, Arsenal. Mesut Özil replaces Olivier Giroud.
Substitution, Arsenal. Francis Coquelin replaces Aaron Ramsey.
Foul by Rafinha (FC Bayern München).
Alexis Sánchez (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, FC Bayern München. Douglas Costa replaces Arjen Robben.
Franck Ribéry (FC Bayern München) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Héctor Bellerín (Arsenal).
Goal! Arsenal 1, FC Bayern München 2. Arjen Robben (FC Bayern München) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner.
Attempt missed. Javi Martínez (FC Bayern München) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Arjen Robben with a cross following a corner.
Corner, FC Bayern München. Conceded by Olivier Giroud.
Corner, FC Bayern München. Conceded by David Ospina.
Corner, FC Bayern München. Conceded by David Ospina.
Attempt saved. Robert Lewandowski (FC Bayern München) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Arturo Vidal with a through ball.
Robert Lewandowski (FC Bayern München) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Granit Xhaka (Arsenal).
Attempt missed. Javi Martínez (FC Bayern München) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Thiago Alcántara.
Attempt missed. Thiago Alcántara (FC Bayern München) right footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Xabi Alonso.
Corner, FC Bayern München. Conceded by Héctor Bellerín.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal) is shown the yellow card.
Arturo Vidal (FC Bayern München) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal).
Offside, FC Bayern München. Rafinha tries a through ball, but Arjen Robben is caught offside.
Offside, Arsenal. Theo Walcott tries a through ball, but Olivier Giroud is caught offside. | Ten-man Arsenal were knocked out of the Champions League at the last-16 stage for the seventh successive season following a second-half capitulation against Bayern Munich. |
34287831 | The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said that the £55m merger would not cause a "substantial lessening of competition".
It said customers would not face a "reduction in choice, value or quality of service as a result of the merger".
The CMA's ruling was provisionally published in August.
Both Poundland and 99p Stores sell fast-moving general merchandise, normally for a fixed single price.
The CMA believes supermarket chains and other discounters, such as Poundworld, will counterbalance any effect caused by the merger.
Poundland said it would now complete the takeover of its rival, announced in February, by the end of the month.
It plans to create a network of 800 shops. | The UK competition regulator has granted permission for discount retailer Poundland to acquire its biggest rival, 99p Stores. |
31654462 | Ms Carmichael, 61, was found dead on the shore of Lough Neagh on Wednesday.
She was last seen near her home in Hillside, Antrim, on Monday night.
Alan Norman Foster, from Hillside, Antrim, spoke only to confirm his name and said he understood the charge. No application for bail was made and he was remanded back into custody.
A police officer told Coleraine Magistrates Court she believed she could connect the accused to the charge.
Mr Foster will appear again in court in March. | A 37-year-old man has appeared in court charged with the murder of County Antrim woman Pauline Carmichael. |
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Joe Allen's goal denied United victory in what Mourinho described as his side's best performance of the season.
"It could have been one of these fat results," he told BBC Sport. "It could have been 5-0 or 6-0.
"We had big chances, with amazing saves and big misses. We will play worse and win games for sure."
United dominated possession and had 24 shots - nine of which were on target and 16 from inside the box.
Anthony Martial gave them the lead on 69 minutes but Allen capitalised on a spill from United goalkeeper David de Gea to punish the hosts' lax first-half finishing.
Paul Pogba rattled the bar with a header as United mounted a late siege on the Stoke goal, but Mark Hughes' side clung on.
Mourinho said his team played better than they had during last weekend's 4-1 victory over champions Leicester and the 2-0 home win over Southampton on 19 August.
"You can have sometimes draws where what you do does nothing to change the result," he said.
"The players and I did everything. I made changes, everyone was giving more and more but we could be here all day without winning the game.
"We had 90 minutes of control, we had 90 minutes of ambition. We played really well and it was a good home performance and we created lots of chances."
The former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss praised goalkeeper Lee Grant for a series of fine saves which were instrumental in ensuring Stoke moved off the bottom of the table.
"In the first minute, their goalkeeper made an unbelievable save and he kept doing that until the end of the game," he said.
"Stoke fought like they do every game. They came for a draw. They were lucky but luck is part of football and my tribute to them is that they're not guilty of our bad luck."
United midfielder Ander Herrera agreed with his manager's assessment.
"It should be 7-0," said the Spaniard. "That's why we cannot be happy but we played fantastic, created a lot of chances and controlled the game from kick-off to the end." | Manchester United's "beautiful" football against Stoke should have been rewarded with a big win rather than a 1-1 draw, said manager Jose Mourinho. |
37575721 | The constable's statement was read to the jury at Belfast Crown Court on Thursday.
Stephen Thomas Hughes, 29, and Shaunean Boyle, 25, are both jointly charged with Mr Creaney's murder in 2014.
The pair blame each other for the attack that led to the 40-year-old's death in Craigavon, County Armagh.
The officer told the court he found the blue wheelie bin at the rear of Mr Hughes' property at Moyraverty Court in Craigavon on 5 July, 2014.
When he opened the lid of the bin, he said that it was "overflowing with cardboard and paper''.
After moving some of the material out of the way, the constable said: "I saw a human foot and I saw a human hand with a silver wedding band on one of the fingers.
"I removed more rubbish and a human torso come into view. The body appeared to be compacted in.''
The court heard that the officer's statement was put to Stephen Hughes during the course of his police interviews.
He was asked by a detective: "Did you squash his body down into the bin?''
Mr Hughes replied: "The two of us did. We just pushed him in.''
Asked if they "forced him down'' into the bin, the suspect replied that he was "pushing with [his] two hands''.
Hughes was asked: "Did you at any time get into the bin?'' He replied: "No. Just pushed him down.''
Under further questioning, Mr Hughes said he helped Ms Boyle to dispose of the body as "I wanted to protect her as I know what it is like to lose your children. I just freaked out. I didn't know what to do. I was telling her to phone an ambulance.''
The court heard that after police were alerted by a witness that Mr Creaney was dead, officers called at the house, where Mr Hughes took time to answer the door. When he eventually opened it, his hands were covered in paint.
During police interviews, he said that he was painting over "speckles of blood'' from a wall.
The detective told Mr Hughes that the police could smell the bleach from outside the front door.
He asked the defendant: "Were you not at least concerned for your friend Fonzie, who was lying upstairs - an alcoholic disabled man? You denied him healthcare, you denied him a chance to recover from the injuries he received in the assault. Why was that?''
Mr Hughes made no reply.
The detective asked: "Did you shower the deceased? Did you give him a shower because he was stinking the place out? Did you give him a shower because he was smelling the place out because he had wet himself?''
Again, Mr Hughes made no reply to the question.
He then asked Mr Hughes if he "just snapped", but received no response.
Earlier, the jury heard that Mr Hughes' mobile phone was examined by an expert, who found that during the 20 hours he claimed to be sleeping, his phone was active with text messages and phone calls.
Two of the text messages were from his co-accused, Ms Boyle. One read: "Is he still alive?'' Another asked: "Where is Fonzie's phone?''
Mr Hughes would not say if he remembered the texts.
Both Mr Hughes - whose address was given as HMP Maghaberry - and Ms Boyle, from Edenderry Park in Banbridge, County Down, were remanded back into custody. | The trial of a man and woman accused of murdering Owen 'Fonzie' Creaney have heard from the policeman who made the discovery of his body in a recycle bin. |
36417338 | Care worker Saima Khan, 34, was found with serious injuries in Overstone Road on 23 May and died at the scene.
Police said a woman from Luton was arrested shortly before 09:00 BST and remains in police custody.
Mrs Khan's husband, Hafeez Rehman, said their children had been deprived of their mother and the family's hearts had been "torn apart". | A 26-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a mother-of-four who was killed at her Luton home. |
39197565 | Two restaurants in the north-west are thought to have been targeted by the group of up to 160 people in February.
Bills adding up to 12,000 euros were not paid, and police are investigating whether the cases are linked.
The arrested man, reported by media to be Romanian, could face fraud charges as well as a claim for damages.
In the first case, the group, purporting to be celebrating a baptism, paid a deposit of €900 ($950; £770) to eat at the El Carmen restaurant in Bembibre, in the north-western Castile and Leon region.
They consumed €2,000 of food and drink before running away, it was reported last week.
It then emerged that El Rincon de Pepin, a restaurant 10km (six miles) away in Ponferrada, fell victim to a similar trick in mid-February.
Restaurant owner Laura Arias said the group told her they were celebrating a wedding and ordered a fairly basic menu. They paid €1,000 as a deposit, but consumed €10,000 of food and drink.
"There were 160 of them and they all disappeared. Suddenly. Within five minutes," Laura told the BBC.
The arrested man posed as the godfather of the baptised child and the father of the groom when he made the bookings, the Diario de Leon newspaper reported (in Spanish). | Police in Spain are questioning a man suspected of being the ringleader of a gang that eats thousands of euros of food at restaurants before fleeing. |
34656650 | As prices have been rising consistently, the typical value is likely to reach the half a million mark in October.
Property values across England and Wales rose by 5.3% in the year to the end of September, the data reveals.
The Land Registry values the average home at £186,553.
Earlier in the week, the Centre for Economics and Business Research said a lack of properties for sale was pushing up prices.
Prices in London recorded the fastest annual rise in September, at 9.6%, the Land Registry said. Values rose by 1.8% between August and September.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, house prices in the North East of England fell by 0.3% from a year earlier, pushing down the average price in the region to £99,559.
That means the house price gap across England and Wales is £400,438.
"That average prices in the capital are just a whisker off half a million pounds reinforces how buying in the capital has become a pipe dream for most first-time buyers," said Rob Weaver, director at Property Partner. | The average price of a home in London rose to £499,997 in September, according to the latest figures from the Land Registry. |
28528562 | Matthew, 34, won an absorbing contest 11-9 8-11 11-5 6-11 11-5.
With Peter Barker taking bronze, it is England's second successive Commonwealth podium clean sweep after they also dominated in Delhi.
Five weeks ago I was on a hospital bed, throbbing pain in my body
England's Laura Massaro took silver after losing to Malaysia's world number one Nicol David in the women's final.
Matthew's clash with Willstrop, 30, was a repeat of the 2010 final in Delhi.
Then Matthew had won in three games but this time he was made to work much harder as Willstrop pushed him every step of the way.
An exhausting rally on the third point of the match set the tone as both men covered the court in tireless fashion while producing some top quality squash.
World champion Matthew - who carried the England flag at the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony - took the opening game before Willstrop hit back.
Sheffield's Matthew, who won gold in both the singles and doubles in Delhi four years ago, went 2-1 ahead as he breezed through the third game but Willstrop hit back in impressive fashion in game four to take it to a decider.
But Matthew, who had won the last 24 meetings between the pair, went ahead early in the fifth game and maintained his advantage throughout to take it.
Matthew's victory was all the more impressive as his hopes of competing in Glasgow were threatened by a knee injury which required surgery last month and left his participation in doubt.
"Five weeks ago I was on a hospital bed, throbbing pain in my body," said Matthew.
"How the medics have done it… it is incredible. They need to retire now because it can't get better than that."
England's Peter Barker took bronze after beating Saurav Ghosal 11-5 6-11 11-5 11-6 in 53 minutes to leave the Indian player in fourth place for the second Games in a row.
In the women's final David, 30, produced a superb performance to beat Massaro 12-10 11-2 11-5.
Like Matthew, it is back-to-back Commonwealth golds for David, who did not drop a single game when she won in Delhi in 2010.
She has been world number one for 99 months and has won the World Open title a record seven times.
But Massaro, 30, is the world number two and went into the Commonwealths full of confidence after winning both the World Open and British Open titles in 2013.
Massaro, based in Preston, began quickly and looked to be controlling the opening game, but David showed why she has been the dominant figure in women's squash for so long by fighting back to pinch it 12-10.
The second game was much more one-sided as David played some brilliant shots and displayed her trademark athleticism around the court to breeze through 11-2 with little trouble.
Massaro fought hard in the third - and required treatment after being accidentally caught in the face by David's racket - but it was not enough.
New Zealand's Joelle King claimed bronze as she beat England's Alison Waters 11-7 11-7 11-5 in the third-place play-off. | Nick Matthew became the first man to retain the Commonwealth Games singles squash title after beating fellow Englishman James Willstrop in Glasgow. |
36012418 | Seeking to become the first team to win 73, they won at the San Antonio Spurs, who last lost at home in March 2015.
"We're competitive, we're hungry," said Steph Curry, who scored 37 in the California-based team's 92-86 victory.
Victory over the Memphis Grizzlies at home on Wednesday would surpass the record set by Chicago Bulls in 1995-96. | The Golden State Warriors can make NBA history in their final regular-season game after equalling the record number of wins with their 72nd on Sunday. |
34556175 | 16 October 2015 Last updated at 19:28 BST
Newsnight airs every weekday at 22:30 BST on BBC Two. You can follow Newsnight on Twitter and on Facebook - and see more highlights on the Newsnight YouTube channel, | Here are some highlights from the past week of Newsnight in 90 seconds - our very own mixtape. |
32359803 | It is looking for volunteer "bricklayers" to help construct the model, that will be 6ft 6in (2m) in height and 13ft (4m) in length.
The project is expected to use 350,000 pieces - each of which can be purchased for £1 to be included in the model.
Cathedral officer Helen Barber said it would "help us to reach new audiences".
Simon Warburton, cathedral director of operations, said: "The unique thing about Chester cathedral is that our architecture spans nearly 1000 years of history.
"The model will recreate each style and so is a really effective way of telling the story of our building."
It will be split in two so the cathedral's interior, including its organ, will also be replicated.
Durham Cathedral started its Lego replica, that is also expected to use 350,000 bricks, in 2013. | Chester Cathedral has embarked on a four-year project to build a scale model of the landmark in Lego. |
29337041 | Now, HBO has confirmed his co-star will be Vince Vaughn.
Eight episodes will be made with Farrell starring as a detective and Vaughn as a criminal.
First time around, Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey took centre stage, earning them critical plaudits and award nominations.
That series focussed on the intense relationship between Harrelson and McConaughey's flawed but determined detectives.
Without revealing any spoilers, HBO has revealed some early details about series two.
It says the plot will revolve around three police officers and a career criminal who must "navigate a web of conspiracy in the aftermath of a murder".
Farrell plays Ray Velcoro who HBO describe as "a compromised detective whose allegiances are torn between his masters in a corrupt police department and the mobster who owns him".
As for Vaughn, he'll play Frank Semyon who is a "career criminal in danger of losing his empire when his move into legitimate enterprise is upended by the murder of a business partner".
And that's it.
There's no word on any appearances for Harrelson or McConaughey and no word on where the second series will be set.
Justin Lin, who's directed the last four Fast & Furious movies, will direct the first two episodes.
Production will begin later this year.
Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube | Earlier this week, Colin Farrell told an Irish newspaper that he'd got a spot in the second series of True Detective. |
36075748 | Media playback is not supported on this device
Vardy, 29, remonstrated with referee Jon Moss after he was shown a red card in Sunday's 2-2 draw with West Ham.
The FA has also charged Leicester with failing to control their players after West Ham won an 83rd-minute penalty.
Vardy and Leicester have until 18:00 BST on Thursday to respond.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Vardy, the Premier League's joint leading scorer with 22 goals this season, was shown a second yellow card early in the second half for diving.
He appeared to confront Moss - who was criticised for his performance by Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer - before leaving the field.
The England international receives an automatic one-match ban for his dismissal, but that looks likely to be increased following the FA charge.
Chelsea striker Diego Costa was given an additional one-match ban and was fined £20,000 after admitting a charge of improper conduct last month.
The 27-year-old was punished for his reaction to his sending-off against Everton in an FA Cup tie on 12 March.
Arsenal defender Gabriel was also banned for one match, and given a £10,000 fine, after admitting the same charge in September.
Premier League leaders Leicester need eight points from their final four matches to guarantee the title.
Their final four matches are against Swansea (home), Manchester United (away), Everton (home) and Chelsea (away). | Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy faces an extended ban during the Premier League title run-in after being charged with improper conduct by the Football Association. |
39601337 | She has been named as 20-year-old University of Birmingham student Hannah Bladon.
Ms Bladon was stabbed several times in the chest while she travelled on a tram in Tzahal Square and died in hospital. A 57-year-old Palestinian man was detained at the scene.
She had been on an exchange at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, which expressed "deep sorrow" over her death.
Ms Bladon had been taking classes in bible studies, archaeology and Hebrew at the Rothberg International School, part of The Hebrew University.
The school said: "Her friends described her as an inquisitive and adventurous student who made the most of her opportunity to learn and experience life in Israel."
The University of Birmingham also paid tribute to the 20-year-old saying it was "deeply saddened" to hear of Ms Bladon's death and that it would provide support to its students.
Police say the suspect, a resident of Ras al-Amud in east Jerusalem, was recently released from a psychiatric hospital.
Jerusalem police chief Yoram Halevy told the AFP news agency that the man was "very mentally disturbed".
An off-duty policeman travelling on the tram pulled an emergency brake and then tackled the attacker, with the help of another passenger.
He told the AFP news agency: "I was travelling with my family when I heard the cries of 'attack, attack'.
"I sounded the alarm then rushed to the scene of the attack. We overpowered him."
A 30-year-old pregnant woman and a 50-year-old man were also injured in the attack.
BBC Middle East correspondent Tom Bateman said the pair, who were much less seriously injured than the British woman, were either hurt when the tram came to a sudden stop or in the panic to get away.
A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We can confirm the tragic death of a British national in Jerusalem.
"We are providing support to her family at this difficult time and are in touch with local authorities."
There will continue to be heightened security in Jerusalem after measures were brought in ahead of the Jewish Passover Festival and Easter celebrations.
Israel's President Reuven Rivlin said he was "filled with sadness about the attack" and that his thoughts and prayers were with the family of the victim.
Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld tweeted a picture of the knife used in the attack. | A British woman has been stabbed to death on a tram in Jerusalem. |
35549295 | Four key House of Commons committees wrote to Nicky Morgan last month, pressing for sex education to be made statutory in primaries and secondaries.
In response, Mrs Morgan now says the government "will continue" to keep the subject's status "under review".
But the National Aids Trust said it was "extremely disappointed".
The trust's chief executive Deborah Gold said the decision meant the subject "will continue to be delivered according to the whims of individual head teachers rather than the needs of young people".
Last month, the chairmen of the education, health, home affairs and business committees wrote to Mrs Morgan saying personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE), which includes sex education, was a "crucial part of preparing young people for life".
"It can provide them with the knowledge and confidence to make decisions which affect their health, wellbeing and relationships, now and in the future," said the joint letter.
"It can... help protect young people from abuse in many forms."
But Mrs Morgan said while she agreed PSHE was crucial, making it statutory "would do little to tackle the most pressing problems with the subject".
In a letter to Neil Carmichael, chairman of the Education Select Committee, she said these problems "are to do with the variable quality of its provision, as evidenced by Ofsted's finding that 40% of PSHE teaching is less than good".
"As such, while we will continue to keep the status PSHE in the curriculum under review, our immediate focus will be on improving the quality of PSHE teaching in our schools."
Under the national curriculum, sex-and-relationship education is compulsory from age 11 - but parents are allowed to withdraw their children from parts of it.
Mrs Morgan had previously failed to meet a deadline to respond to the Education Committee's call a year ago for the government to make a work plan for introducing age-appropriate PSHE and sex-and-relationships education (SRE) as statutory subjects in primary and secondary schools.
Lucy Emmerson, co-ordinator of the Sex Education Forum, described the subject as "every child's right".
"Yet the government has ignored the views of parents, teachers and pupils and failed to guarantee that all children, in all schools, get this vital learning for life," she said.
"SRE must begin in primary school and build year-on-year to enable young people to understand a wide spectrum of issues, including the difference between acceptable and abusive behaviour, consent and sexual health."
Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said the decision was "short sighted".
"When report after report following the tragic sex abuse cases in Rotherham and Oxford point out that PSHE keeps children safe, how can Nicky Morgan refuse time and time again to make PSHE mandatory in all schools?" asked Dr Bousted. | England's education secretary has rejected MPs' calls to make sex-and-relationship education compulsory in all schools, infuriating campaigners. |
39447941 | Nicholas Churton, 67, was found dead at an address in Crescent Close on Monday.
On Thursday, officers from North Wales Police were given a further 36 hours to question 25-year-old Jordan Davidson in connection with the death.
A post-mortem examination showed Mr Churton died of significant head injuries.
North Wales Police said Mr Churton, former owner of Churtons wine bar in Rossett, lived alone at the property and was a "vulnerable man".
A 27-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, a 19-year-old women and a 51-year-old man arrested on suspicion of robbery and assisting an offender, have been bailed pending further enquiries. | Three people have been released on bail after being arrested in connection with the death of a man in Wrexham. |
40741255 | Ciarán Maxwell, now 31, was injured in a sectarian attack in his hometown of Larne, County Antrim, when he was 16.
He has admitted offences including bomb-making. The Old Bailey heard he bought bomb-making materials online and sent them to his grandmother's house.
The London court hearing will determine the length of his jail sentence.
Maxwell was not in court, but appeared by video link from Woodhill Prison in Milton Keynes.
On Thursday, a defence barrister said Maxwell "feared violence" on a daily basis as he grew up as a Catholic in his hometown of Larne.
In 2002, he was "beaten by golf clubs, iron bars and hammers" and "left for dead in a field".
The court was told that a doctor's report said Maxwell had suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the immediate aftermath of the attack, and that condition had persisted into his 20s.
But earlier, a prosecutor said there was "no direct evidence" that Maxwell's offending was motivated by the beating he was subjected to by loyalists.
Instead, he was "motivated by dissident republican sympathies and a hostility broadly to the United Kingdom", prosecutor Richard Whittam QC said.
The court was told that in later years, Maxwell feared that being identified as a member of the British military would put his family in Larne under threat from republicans, and that they may even be killed.
Maxwell now fears for the safety of his family because he has co-operated with police since his arrest, the defence added.
"He was in over his head and the PTSD presented some difficulty in dealing rationally with the situation," the barrister said.
The case was one of "contradictions", he added.
"He was Marine by day and it would seem republican bomb-maker on leave."
The court also heard that Maxwell had once given a presentation to other Royal Marines on the security situation in Northern Ireland.
He was due to be promoted to the rank of corporal before his arrest, and was described in court as someone who would have been thought of as a "successful member of the military".
"He was an obsessive in his planning, someone who was a record keeper, organised and he liked to be tidy and made copious notes," the defence barrister said.
The prosecution revealed the marine had set up 43 weapons hides across England and Northern Ireland.
More than half of those hides were discovered in or near Maxwell's hometown of Larne, while another 19 hides were found at Powderham New Plantation, close to his home in England.
Two of the pipebombs he constructed were used by dissident republicans after his arrest in August 2016 and had "clear potential to cause death and injury".
Maxwell stole items from his military base, including a detonation cord and detonators, the prosecution added.
Some of the items "must have been taken by him from England" when he travelled home to Larne by ferry, said Mr Whittam.
He cited bullets as an example of that and suggested it may have been easier for Maxwell as he would have been able to show military identification.
"There is concern he might have found it easier to travel between England and Northern Ireland because of the ID he would have had," the prosecutor said.
Other materials for making the explosives, including chemicals and equipment, had been bought online and sent to his late grandmother's house, Mr Whittam told the court.
The defence said Maxwell started making explosives as "a rather unusual hobby" with a man in Larne who was later jailed for explosives offences.
Niall Lehd had known Maxwell since their days as pupils at the same school and the Marine had gone for a drink with him while on leave.
The court heard Lehd told Maxwell he was a member of the dissident republican paramilitary group, the Continuity IRA.
During the drinking session, the Marine "ended up saying a little bit too much" and was identified as "being of use" to dissident republicans.
"Lehd was the instigator, enthusiasm and driving force, a very sinister figure indeed," the defence barrister told the court.
"Maxwell has made some very bad decisions that will haunt him and members of his family for a significant amount of time to come."
During Wednesday's hearing, the court was told that Maxwell had drawn up a list of targets and address of police officers, military staff, an MI5 member and loyalists.
Maxwell lived in Exminster in Devon, and was based with 40 Commando in Taunton, Somerset.
His arrest came after a search near Exeter found hides with a range of explosive substances, as well as ammunition, weapons and tools for making bombs.
He has also pleaded guilty to drugs and fraud charges. | A Royal Marine who made bombs for dissident republicans suffered post-traumatic stress disorder after a 2002 sectarian beating, a court has heard. |
36671676 | Two bombs hit a convoy of buses carrying graduates from a ceremony on the city's western outskirts.
Paghman District Governor Musa Khan told the BBC that all but two of the dead were police cadets.
The bombing was claimed by the Taliban and follows an attack on a bus just over a week ago that killed 14 people.
A Taliban spokesman said that in Thursday's attack, the first bomber attacked one bus and when rescuers began to arrive the second drove an explosives-laden car into their vehicles.
The cadets were returning to Kabul from a training centre in Wardak province and were about to go on leave.
The Taliban's main targets are the Afghan government, international organisations and foreign military, but in particular the Afghan army and police force.
There have been numerous attacks on the Afghan police, even when the officers are unarmed. They are perhaps a softer target than the army, using un-armoured vehicles and lighter weapons.
The Taliban have tried to increase their attacks recently, especially after the appointment of their new leader.
Big attacks make headlines, but there have been many foiled attacks that are not widely publicised.
Taliban violence normally increases at this time of year, but this year there is an unusual upsurge in several provinces.
On top of that, the authorities have also for the first time engaged in several stand-offs with the Islamic State group in the east, which has forced hundreds of families to flee their homes.
Why are the Taliban resurgent in Afghanistan?
The attacks were immediately condemned by President Ashraf Ghani, who called the incident a "crime against humanity".
"While Muslims are busy praying during this holy month of Ramadan, the Taliban keep committing reprehensible crimes by killing innocent people and spreading fear and terror," he said in a statement.
BBC diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus says the latest violence in Afghanistan - just a few days ahead of a Nato summit in the Polish capital Warsaw - underscores the need for a continued Western engagement in Afghanistan where local security forces are having only limited success in restoring order.
The US and Nato combat mission in Afghanistan ended in December 2014.
US forces have taken on an advisory role since then, while also carrying out counterterrorism missions against so-called Islamic State and remnants of al-Qaeda. | Taliban bombers have attacked an Afghan police convoy outside the capital Kabul, killing at least 30 people and wounding 50 others, officials say. |
37263814 | Thomas struck an unstoppable 25-yard curling effort past goalkeeper Artur Krysiak having earlier drawn the visitors level after Matt Butcher had given the Glovers the lead.
Yeovil were booed off at full time following a fifth straight league defeat that leaves them in the League Two relegation zone.
Having dominated possession, Yeovil took a deserved lead after 56 minutes when Butcher found time and space in the box to turn and shoot past Trevor Carson from Matt Dolan's corner.
Pools responded and equalised 11 minutes later when Carson launched a long kick upfield that somehow evaded the Glovers defence and left Thomas through on goal and with an easy finish.
The game looked as though it was petering out into a draw entering time added on, but Thomas had the final say as he decided the match with a superb strike.
Report supplied by the Press Association.
Match ends, Yeovil Town 1, Hartlepool United 2.
Second Half ends, Yeovil Town 1, Hartlepool United 2.
Nicky Featherstone (Hartlepool United) is shown the yellow card.
Attempt saved. Ben Whitfield (Yeovil Town) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Goal! Yeovil Town 1, Hartlepool United 2. Nathan Thomas (Hartlepool United) left footed shot from a difficult angle and long range on the right to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Nicky Featherstone.
Foul by Matt Butcher (Yeovil Town).
Carl Magnay (Hartlepool United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Nicky Deverdics (Hartlepool United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Ben Whitfield (Yeovil Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Nicky Deverdics (Hartlepool United).
Foul by Tahvon Campbell (Yeovil Town).
Carl Magnay (Hartlepool United) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Substitution, Hartlepool United. Nicky Deverdics replaces Lewis Hawkins.
Josh Laurent (Hartlepool United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Tahvon Campbell (Yeovil Town).
Corner, Hartlepool United. Conceded by Nathan Smith.
Substitution, Yeovil Town. Ben Whitfield replaces Alex Lawless.
Josh Laurent (Hartlepool United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Alex Lawless (Yeovil Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Josh Laurent (Hartlepool United).
Nathan Smith (Yeovil Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Lewis Alessandra (Hartlepool United).
Foul by Kevin Dawson (Yeovil Town).
Nicky Featherstone (Hartlepool United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Liam Shephard (Yeovil Town).
Liam Donnelly (Hartlepool United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Substitution, Hartlepool United. Bradley Fewster replaces Padraig Amond.
Substitution, Yeovil Town. Tahvon Campbell replaces Otis Khan.
Substitution, Yeovil Town. Izale McLeod replaces Tom Eaves.
Nathan Smith (Yeovil Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Nathan Smith (Yeovil Town).
Lewis Alessandra (Hartlepool United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Matthew Dolan (Yeovil Town) right footed shot from very close range is just a bit too high.
Ryan Hedges (Yeovil Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Aristote Nsiala (Hartlepool United).
Goal! Yeovil Town 1, Hartlepool United 1. Nathan Thomas (Hartlepool United) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Trevor Carson.
Corner, Yeovil Town. Conceded by Scott Harrison.
Attempt missed. Nathan Smith (Yeovil Town) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left.
Corner, Yeovil Town. Conceded by Aristote Nsiala.
Foul by Liam Shephard (Yeovil Town). | Nathan Thomas scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner as Hartlepool came from behind to beat Yeovil. |
38230328 | Ofsted boss Sir Michael Wilshaw told the BBC News Channel that Welsh education is "paying the price" for abandoning standard assessment tests.
The Pisa tests are taken by 15-year-olds every three years.
The Welsh Government said a "radical overhaul" of education was under way.
Welsh students ranked below the average of 72 countries taking part in the tests in science, reading and maths.
For the fourth time running, they also did worse than their counterparts in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Scotland's schools recorded their worst ever Pisa results, with all three subject areas being classed as "average".
Sir Michael Wilshaw said: "England's results are, I think, pretty good. The focus of Pisa this year was science and we've improved our position from 21st to 15th.
"We're doing better than the other home nations - Scotland and Wales. Their results are dragging the UK performance down a bit."
He added: "I remember when the Welsh Government took away all the accountability measures that we have in England - Sats, testing and so on - and that was disastrous, absolutely disastrous and Welsh education is paying the price for that.
"We didn't do that in England. We kept the testing at [ages] seven, 11, 14 and we kept accountability and that's what the Welsh system lost."
Wales abandoned Sats and school performance league tables in 2004.
National reading and numeracy tests were introduced as part of a raft of reforms brought in following the 2010 Pisa results.
First Minister Carwyn Jones admitted in a heated session of the assembly on Tuesday that the results make for "uncomfortable reading".
Education Secretary Kirsty Williams said Wales could do better, adding that plans - including a new curriculum - were in place.
Scottish Education Secretary John Swinney said the results showed that "radical reform" was needed if Scotland's education system was to become world-class again.
A Welsh Government spokesman said: "We are currently engaged in a radical overhaul of our education system to raise standards and the aspirations of our learners.
"This includes introducing a new curriculum, numeracy and literacy tests, categorisation and more robust qualifications to give pupils the skills they need to succeed in life." | Wales and Scotland's results in a major study of educational performance are "dragging the UK down", the chief inspector of schools in England has said. |
34540694 | He was sentenced to five years in prison in 2014 after being found guilty of culpable homicide, or manslaughter.
He shot Reeva Steenkamp through a locked bathroom door but said he thought she was an intruder.
The prosecution has appealed, saying he should instead be convicted of murder.
That case is expected to be heard on 3 November.
Pistorius has spent 12 months in jail and will now spend the rest of his sentence under what is termed in South Africa "correctional supervision", the parole board said.
An earlier decision to release him in August was blocked by South Africa's Justice Minister Michael Masutha, who said it had been made "prematurely".
At the time, Ms Steenkamp's family had said that 10 months behind bars was "not enough".
Responding to Thursday's decision, a lawyer speaking for the Steenkamp family said her parents had expected the early release even though they opposed it, adding that nothing could bring back their daughter.
The Pistorius family have said they have received the news of his planned release, but are not making any further comment.
During his house arrest, Pistorius is likely to face restrictions in terms of gun ownership and may have to continue getting psychotherapy, reports the BBC's Nomsa Maseko from Johannesburg.
The making and unmaking of Oscar Pistorius
The double-amputee rose to global fame after competing for South Africa at both the Olympics and Paralympics in London in 2012.
Subsequently, the killing of his girlfriend, who worked as a model, in February 2013 attracted worldwide attention.
His trial was broadcast live both domestically and around the world | Olympic and Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius, jailed for killing his girlfriend, is to be freed from prison to house arrest next Tuesday, a South African parole board says. |
34896093 | The 19-year-old beat 2014 champion Italian Matteo Fissore 6-4 in the recurve final.
Olympic hopeful Huston, a former junior World champion from Belfast, had equalled his personal best score of 588 qualifying for the knockout stages.
The indoor circuit also visits Bangkok and Nimes with the final in Las Vegas. | Great Britain's Patrick Huston claimed his first World Cup gold medal at stage one of the 2015-16 Indoor Archery World Cup circuit in Marrakech in Morocco. |
37570803 | Birth of the Dragon follows the kung fu star's early years in the US and showcases his controversial fight with master Wong Jack Man in 1964.
Directed by George Nolfi, the movie debuted at the Toronto Film Festival.
But many fans have protested against Lee's portrayal, saying the star took "a subdued role in his own biopic".
"Is this a joke? I was here to see Bruce Lee but they put the focus on some white guy," wrote IMDb user ticklegear in a scathing online review.
"Instead of celebrating what a beast Bruce Lee was, they made him out to be some insecure and jealous loser. Seemed more like a character assassination, rather than a biopic."
He added: "A terrible film - I wouldn't recommend it as it tarnishes Bruce Lee's true history with half-baked lies."
Others who caught early previews criticised Hong Kong actor Philip Ng, describing his portrayal of Bruce Lee as "a dumb-ed down, one-dimensional character".
Many said US actor Billy Magnussen, who played fictional friend Steve McKee, became the "unfair focus" of the movie instead.
One said: "The plot was terrible and the casting choice was even worse. How is it possible that the main character became a sidekick to a Caucasian man?"
Another user said the film "disrespected the legacy of Bruce Lee", and recommended boycotting it.
"The movie serves to perpetuate negative stereotypes regarding Asian women, men and culture."
The film is the latest to court controversy over "whitewashing" in Hollywood. US actress Scarlett Johansson caused a stir by taking on the lead role in the Hollywood remake of the Japanese anime Ghost in the Shell, which was traditionally an Asian character.
Director George Nolfi has defended his film.
"To be able to watch this white guy become a fully formed man, with Bruce Lee and Wong Jack Man becoming these surrogate father figures to him, even though they were about the same age… I thought that was very unusual in Hollywood filmmaking," he told Deadline.com.
But Lee's daughter Shannon has distanced herself from the biopic and has announced plans for a second Bruce Lee movie, currently in the works.
She told a UK newspaper: "There have been projects out there involving my father but they've lacked a complete understanding of his philosophies and artistry.
"They haven't captured the essence of his beliefs in martial arts or storytelling. The only way to get audiences to understand the depth and uniqueness of my father is to generate our own material."
Reporting by the BBC's Heather Chen in Singapore. | Fans of Bruce Lee are criticising a new biopic of the late martial arts legend, accusing it of "whitewashing and burying" his legacy. |
38990359 | Despite what he calls the "massive blow" of losing captain Greig Laidlaw to injury, Hastings believes Vern Cotter's side can win next Saturday.
And the Scots will be aiming to recover from the defeat by France in Paris.
"It's a big match and I think home advantage might be just about enough to get them over the line," said Hastings.
Scotland began this year's tournament with a 27-22 win over Ireland but fell short away to France on Sunday, losing 22-16.
Over the same period, Wales have enjoyed a 33-7 triumph in Italy and endured the pain of a 21-16 home loss to England.
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"It's an interesting game, with both teams having lost by the narrowest of margins last weekend," Hastings told BBC Sport.
"I just hope we see a game played with the same level of intensity that we saw in Cardiff and Paris at the weekend.
"It's going to be a cracker."
Hastings lamented the absence of Scotland's "great leader" Laidlaw, the influential scrum-half who will miss the rest of the campaign with ankle ligament damage.
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"He's got a cool head, his kicking is immaculate and he leads by example and I think he'll be a big loss to Scotland," said the former British and Irish Lion.
"But Scotland did a pretty good job against Ireland and came close to France but they will have to keep it up against Wales because they are a very fine team."
Another former Scotland captain, Al Kellock, told BBC Radio Scotland that the absence of Laidlaw's skills both as a scrum-half and as a captain "would be a loss to anybody".
On who might replace the Gloucester number nine as skipper, Kellock said: "I think they'll have to wait and see who is in good shape after the weekend.
"John Barclay took over as captain, closely followed then by Jonny Gray. Ryan Wilson will come back to fitness, who I would imagine will have his hat in the ring. Henry Pyrgos has already captained Scotland; he might be somebody who could come in and take over from Greig."
The former Glasgow Warriors lock praised Ali Price for his contribution from the bench against France, as he replaced Laidlaw, and predicted the kicking duties against Wales would fall to fly-half Finn Russell, with full-back Stuart Hogg taking the long-range penalties. | The Murrayfield crowd can help Scotland get their Six Nations campaign back on track against Wales, says former Scotland captain Gavin Hastings. |
37591318 | The France international superbly kept out Javier Hernandez's close-range shot, and pushed away low drives from Charles Aranguiz and Admir Mehmedi.
Dele Alli should have done better at the other end when he powerfully headed wide from six yards out.
Team-mate Vincent Janssen hit the bar and, from the rebound, Erik Lamela had an effort tipped over by Bernd Leno.
Spurs will be thankful to man-of-the-match Lloris for keeping a clean sheet in a match in which they had more of the possession but their hosts had the better chances.
The former Lyon player made six saves at the BayArena, three of which were high quality:
Mauricio Pochettino's side remain second in Group E, and have conceded just seven goals in 11 games in all competitions this season. Their only defeat came in the opening group game against Monaco last month.
Tottenham are playing in European football's elite competition for the first time in five seasons, and - three games in - they have struggled to find their best form.
A draw is by no means a poor result away from home, but they will need to improve significantly in the final third if they are to progress.
Spurs had six shots, none of which were in the second half, and worked goalkeeper Leno only once. In contrast, Leverkusen had 13 shots in the second 45 minutes.
In the continued absence of Harry Kane, lone striker Janssen lacked service, while former Leverkusen man Son Heung-min, who scored 21 goals in 62 games for the Bundesliga side, barely had a sniff.
But among the positives was the performance of full-back Kieran Trippier, who was playing for only the third time this season. The former Burnley man made more tackles (four), clearances (seven) and interceptions (three) than any of his team-mates.
Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris: "You need a bit of luck in that kind of action and this time I saved (from Javier Hernandez).
"It was a key moment but it was not the only one. We should have scored in the first half and then the game would have been much different."
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino: "I am not disappointed. After the game, I think it is a good point for us.
"It was a very tough game. In the first half we deserved more and in the second they got better. I am pleased with the point.
"In the second half I think they played better than us and started to dominate the game. We need to be positive - it is in our hands to go through to the next round."
Tottenham are back in Premier League action on Saturday as they travel to Bournemouth (kick-off 12:30 BST). Their next Champions League match is on Wednesday, 2 November when they welcome Leverkusen to Wembley (kick-off 19:45 BST).
Match ends, Bayer 04 Leverkusen 0, Tottenham Hotspur 0.
Second Half ends, Bayer 04 Leverkusen 0, Tottenham Hotspur 0.
Attempt saved. Julian Brandt (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Substitution, Tottenham Hotspur. Josh Onomah replaces Son Heung-Min.
Corner, Tottenham Hotspur. Conceded by Charles Aránguiz.
Substitution, Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Julian Brandt replaces Chicharito.
Attempt missed. Stefan Kießling (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) right footed shot from the left side of the six yard box misses to the left. Assisted by Kevin Kampl with a cross.
Corner, Tottenham Hotspur. Conceded by Kevin Kampl.
Victor Wanyama (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Julian Baumgartlinger (Bayer 04 Leverkusen).
Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Stefan Kießling (Bayer 04 Leverkusen).
Hand ball by Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur).
Substitution, Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Tin Jedvaj replaces Lars Bender.
Foul by Moussa Sissoko (Tottenham Hotspur).
Stefan Kießling (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Attempt missed. Ömer Toprak (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left following a corner.
Corner, Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Conceded by Dele Alli.
Substitution, Tottenham Hotspur. Moussa Sissoko replaces Erik Lamela.
Foul by Erik Lamela (Tottenham Hotspur).
Charles Aránguiz (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt blocked. Charles Aránguiz (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Foul by Victor Wanyama (Tottenham Hotspur).
Stefan Kießling (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Lars Bender (Bayer 04 Leverkusen).
Attempt saved. Ömer Toprak (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Kevin Kampl with a cross.
Corner, Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Conceded by Hugo Lloris.
Attempt saved. Stefan Kießling (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Kevin Kampl with a through ball.
Foul by Mousa Dembélé (Tottenham Hotspur).
Julian Baumgartlinger (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Tottenham Hotspur. Mousa Dembélé replaces Vincent Janssen.
Erik Lamela (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Charles Aránguiz (Bayer 04 Leverkusen).
Corner, Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Conceded by Hugo Lloris.
Attempt saved. Admir Mehmedi (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Stefan Kießling.
Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Stefan Kießling (Bayer 04 Leverkusen).
Corner, Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Conceded by Danny Rose.
Attempt blocked. Chicharito (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Julian Baumgartlinger with a headed pass. | Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris made a string of saves to secure a Champions League draw against Bayer Leverkusen. |
33222414 | Work started on the Gloucester Road site in August 2012 to build a library, health centre and flats after the baths closed in October 2005.
Chatsworth Homes said the project had been "beset with problems" but is now "very close to being fully resolved".
Bristol City Council has invested more than £3m in the project.
For many years community groups had called for the run-down site to be refurbished.
The authority lent Chatsworth Homes more than £3m to develop the site but halted the project amid concerns about the quality of work.
It brought in consultants but would not make the findings of their £40,000 report public.
But the BBC understands the document identified several "failings" relating to fire risks, access problems and structural issues.
The report said some of the "substandard work" had been covered by ceilings or concrete and could have gone unnoticed.
Chatsworth Homes described the report as "half accurate" and "half smoke and mirrors".
Assistant mayor, Simon Cook, said all the issues raised by the consultants have been or are being resolved at the developer's cost.
"While we appreciate there are concerns over the development, the appointment of contractors, advisers or staff by Chatsworth Homes is a matter over which Bristol City Council has no direct control." | A redevelopment of the troubled Bristol North Baths complex will be finished "within the next 10-12 weeks", the project's developers have said. |
35719443 | The 20-year-old helped the U's end their 19-game winless league run with a 2-1 victory at Bradford on Tuesday.
"The only centre-half I've modelled my game on is Rio Ferdinand - he's come from 20 minutes down the road from me in south London," said Chambers.
"He's come through West Ham's academy and we have sort of similar playing styles."
Former England Under-19 international Chambers added to BBC Essex: "If I could be half the player he was, I'll be alright.
"I've watched his game closely and one of the things he does is bring the ball out and is comfortable."
The centre-back, who had about two years out of the game with injury, has helped League One's bottom club earn four points from two matches since he joined on a one-month loan.
That started with a first clean sheet since former Hammers coach Kevin Keen took charge as manager for the Football League's worst defence - having conceded 79 league goals - against Shrewsbury on Saturday.
And 6ft 1ins Chambers, who says he is not "the typical centre-half" because of his height, says taking on Bradford forward James Hanson was a tough test.
"In under-21s football you're either playing against people your age or younger so you can get away with the extra touch because you can put your arm there or something," he said.
"But in this league, as I found on Tuesday, you take an extra touch and there's a big hard man there. Sometimes you just have to get one step ahead and do the simple thing." | Colchester United's West Ham loanee Leo Chambers says he models himself on former England defender Rio Ferdinand. |
34808273 | It works by releasing fluorescent dye from tiny capsules when toxins are given out by bacteria in a wound.
This allows doctors to identify bacterial infections and treat them more quickly, particularly in children with burns.
Researchers said it could help to save lives.
Children with burn wounds are particularly susceptible to bacterial infections because of their immature immune systems.
These infections can slow the healing of wounds, leading to longer stays in hospital and sometimes permanent scarring. In severe cases, infections can kill.
Doctors find it very difficult to diagnose infections quickly and easily without removing the dressing, which can be painful and create more scarring.
Because of this, antibiotics are often prescribed as a precaution before the infection is confirmed.
However, treatment with antibiotics when there is no infection can lead to bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics - and antibiotic resistance is a major health concern.
Dr Toby Jenkins, reader in biophysical chemistry at Bath, leading the project, said "it could really help to save lives."
The team has been awarded almost £1m by the Medical Research Council to test the responsiveness of the prototype dressing to samples taken from the wounds of burns victims. | A medical dressing that changes colour when it detects infection could cut the unnecessary use of antibiotics, say scientists at Bath University. |
38196583 | Problems seen by BBC Wales include broken fire alarms, leaking plumbing, damp, and broken electrical sockets.
Clearsprings Ready Homes which provides all asylum accommodation in Wales declined to comment.
The Home Office said it was committed to providing safe, secure housing.
According to the latest statistics, there are 2,495 people in Wales currently seeking asylum.
While their claims are being processed, they are not allowed to work but can receive somewhere to live.
Sohail Ahmed, 25, who fled Pakistan in 2012, has been seeking asylum in the UK since June and has been housed in Cardiff for the past two months.
BBC Wales' Sunday Politics programme visited where he lives and saw issues including a defective mains powered fire alarm, a window that did not close properly, damp carpets, a leaking kitchen sink and bath and broken furniture.
Mr Ahmed said: "When I came here and then see all this situation, I call them [Clearsprings Ready Homes] many times, they are making promises but since that time nothing has happened.
"At the end of the day we are still human. I'm standing here not only for myself.
"I do believe that if I'm suffering hard from these things, there are many thousands of people who are suffering from these things."
Clearsprings Ready Homes has a £119m contract with the UK government to provide all asylum accommodation in Wales.
It is due to expire next year but the Home Office is considering an extension.
The company was criticised earlier this year over concerns about a policy which required people at its Lynx House centre in Cardiff to wear wristbands to allow them to get food.
The bands were later scrapped.
AM Bethan Jenkins, who is a member of the assembly's equality, local government and communities committee, which is conducting an inquiry into refugees and asylum seekers, said she was aware of the issues.
"There are other families across Swansea, some of whom I've visited, who are experiencing the same things," the Plaid Cymru South Wales West AM said.
"They're coming into houses that are very old, very damp, with numerous problems and really they should be fit for purpose before the asylum seekers are housed here."
Speaking on behalf of the Welsh Refugee Coalition, Hayley Richards, said there had been problems with the quality of asylum housing in Wales for many years.
"Asylum seekers are some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. And the standard of housing these people are expected to live in, you wouldn't see any other publicly funded housing in Wales of that condition," she said.
"There are serious issues in terms of health and safety, so it's just an accident waiting to happen before something awful happens within asylum accommodation," she said.
Clearsprings Ready Homes declined to comment but in a response to inquiries made by Ms Jenkins, the firm acknowledged that "clearly there is an issue that needs urgent investigation".
A Home Office spokesperson said it was "committed to providing safe and secure accommodation" and if problems were not resolved by contractors it could impose sanctions. | The sub-standard condition of some housing for asylum seekers in Wales is "an accident waiting to happen", according to the Welsh Refugee Coalition. |
35429796 | Officers at HMP Holme House in Stockton, Teesside, have also complained of feeling dizzy after entering cells where inmates have been smoking the drug Spice.
The Prison Officer Association said the drug is also increasing violence.
The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) said it is investigating.
Andy Baxter, chairman of the Prison Officer Association at Holme House, said officers have inhaled the synthetic cannabis when visiting cells.
He told BBC Tees: "They report smelling a sweet smell, something like a floral disinfectant, after a couple of breaths they start to feel dizzy and get headaches.
"A couple have reported being hysterical, their emotions just run away with them.
"We had an officer who we believe was exposed to it, during the night he said he got a fierce burning sensation in his head which felt like his head was covered with nits and spent the night tearing at the top of his head."
Mr Baxter also said officers had been injured by inmates high on the drug.
He said: "They can become very aggressive, we have had a couple of cases where prisoners get super human strength.
"We have incidents where it has taken seven or eight staff to restrain one slightly built prisoner."
Mr Baxter said some former prisoners are deliberately getting themselves returned to prison so they can smuggle drugs inside in body orifices to pay off debts.
One former inmate said: "I've seen lads going berserk on it, turning on their best mates and fighting over it.
"I've also seen it where lads have dropped down dead, had heart attacks, gone into comas, gone loopy and ended up being sectioned because of it."
An MOJ spokesman said drug searches are regularly carried out, with offenders punished.
He said: "However, it's clear we need to do more.
"The Justice Secretary has asked the Ministry of Justice to look at how we can ensure prisons have the right tools in place to tackle this problem." | Staff at a prison have suffered hallucinations and become hysterical after inadvertently inhaling so-called legal highs, officers have claimed. |
27785546 | "[Skybox's] satellites will help keep our maps accurate with up-to-date imagery," said Google in a statement.
It also said Skybox's satellites could be used to help expand internet access.
Founded in 2009, Skybox's satellites offer video images and stills at a resolution of just over 1m per pixel - which can track single cars travelling along a road.
The firm sent its first high-resolution satellite, SkySat-1, in to space last December.
It circles the Earth around 16 times a day, relaying 90-second black-and-white clips, permitting analysis of movement on Earth.
Skybox has said it plans to launch a total of 24 satellites.
Google's purchase of the satellite maker follows its acquisition of solar-powered drone maker Titan Aerospace in April.
The search engine giant and other technology firms, such as Facebook, are currently engaging in efforts to improve internet access globally through drones, balloons, and satellites.
The deal is still subject to approval and closing conditions. | Google confirmed it has purchased satellite firm Skybox Imaging for $500m (£300m). |
38865462 | The hosts took the lead in the second half when debutant Nicky Deverdics' shot proved too hot to handle and Joe Healy slammed home.
However, John Rooney shrugged off his contract row to cross for Jordan White to level at the second attempt.
Dover remain fifth in the final play-off berth. Wrexham are up to 10th and are seven points off the top five.
Wrexham boss Dean Keates told BBC Radio Wales Sport:
"I think in the end we are happy with a point.
"That is as good as we have played this season.
"I am proud of the lads, they showed great character to get back into it and at the end, we were the team pushing to win the game."
Match ends, Dover Athletic 1, Wrexham 1.
Second Half ends, Dover Athletic 1, Wrexham 1.
Substitution, Wrexham. Rob Evans replaces Oliver Shenton.
Goal! Dover Athletic 1, Wrexham 1. Jordan White (Wrexham).
Connor Essam (Dover Athletic) is shown the yellow card.
Substitution, Wrexham. Jordan White replaces Mitchell Lund.
Substitution, Wrexham. John Rooney replaces Izale McLeod.
Goal! Dover Athletic 1, Wrexham 0. Joe Healy (Dover Athletic).
James Jennings (Wrexham) is shown the yellow card.
Second Half begins Dover Athletic 0, Wrexham 0.
First Half ends, Dover Athletic 0, Wrexham 0.
First Half begins.
Lineups are announced and players are warming up. | Wrexham maintained their faint hopes of a National League play-off berth by levelling late against Dover Athletic. |
40119313 | The body of Sylvia Stuart's husband Peter was found in a stream close to their home in Weybread, Suffolk, on 3 June 2016. Her body has not been found.
Ali Qazimaj was found guilty of killing them in March.
Suffolk Police said they are no longer actively searching for Mrs Stuart, 69, but they will follow up any information which assists in locating her.
Qazimaj, 43, formerly of Tilbury, Essex, was convicted at Ipswich Crown Court, after claiming during his trial he was actually called Vital Dapi.
He was jailed for a minimum of 35 years.
Suffolk Police said officers carried out one further search after the conviction.
Det Ch Insp Andy Guy said: "Although our active searching has stopped, as I said after the conviction of Qazimaj I have promised the family that I will continue to follow up any information that assists in locating Sylvia and this remains the case."
Mr and Mrs Stuart were last seen alive at a farm shop in Pulham Market, Norfolk, on 29 May.
They were reported missing on 3 June 2016, the same day that 75-year-old Mr Stuart's body was found stabbed.
Qazimaj told his trial that he was 44-year-old Dapi, and he had never been to the UK until he was arrested in Luxembourg in July and extradited here.
Suffolk Police believe Qazimaj originates from Albania and had been in the UK since 1999, when he claimed to be from Kosovo and was granted asylum.
The court heard Qazimaj, who worked as a carer for a relative of the couple's son-in-law, killed them for money.
He then fled the country, catching a ferry from Dover, the court heard. | Police have stopped searching for the body of woman who went missing a year ago and is presumed murdered. |
33076702 | Some of Leicestershire County Council's assets, which total around £360m, will be sold over the next four years.
Last year, all the authority's care homes and Quorn Hall, which had been used as an outdoor education centre, were sold for almost £7m.
Bosses said the plans were "ambitious and challenging" but deliverable.
The council's Corporate Asset Management Plan aims to help make savings of £82m by 2019 and to make energy savings by improving buildings.
Liz Carter, strategic property manager, said: "It is a very ambitious list [of assets]. It is very challenging but I'm putting it forward because I believe we can deliver it."
Councillor Blake Pain, cabinet member for property, said the plan showed how land and buildings could be used "more effectively to generate capital receipts, save money and provide better facilities".
He said other proposals included:
Leader of the opposition Labour group, Robert Sharp, said there was a risk of assets being sold below their market rate and those of real value to the community being sold.
"We will scrutinise all such proposals to check that residents are not being short changed," he said.
The council said all proceeds would be re-invested in the council's capital programme which pays for items such as roads and buildings. | A local authority has approved "ambitious" plans to sell off £28m worth of its properties and land to help raise funds. |
27357004 | The 51-year-old Spaniard won just three of his 17 matches in charge as West Brom finished 17th, three points above the relegation zone.
Sporting and technical director Richard Garlick said the decision took into account events "on and off the field".
Media playback is not supported on this device
The West Midlands club were 14th when Mel signed an 18-month contract to succeed Steve Clarke in January.
Mel admitted on 9 May his future was in doubt, saying: "I'll meet with the chairman and see if the vision he has for the club is the same as mine."
The club then suffered a 2-1 home defeat by Stoke on Sunday to round off what Garlick described as a "very disappointing campaign".
He added: "Both Pepe and the club set out with the best intentions of making the appointment work. However, having reflected on events both on and off the field during our talks today, it became apparent that it was in the best interests of both parties for there to be an amicable parting.
"We are grateful for the manner in which the existing coaching staff and players have rallied behind Pepe to get the club over the line in what has proved an extremely competitive division."
West Brom said Mel had signed an 18-month deal when he arrived but the ex-Real Betis coach later claimed his contract was for only six months.
Mel's tenure at West Brom was marred by high-profile controversies off the pitch and largely poor performances on it.
The club sacked striker Nicolas Anelka on 14 March after the Frenchman announced via Twitter he was quitting The Hawthorns. Anelka, 35, had been fined and suspended for five matches following his 'quenelle' goal celebration.
Mel also had to address the aftermath of a dressing room altercation between team-mates Saido Berahino and James Morrison after the 3-3 draw against Cardiff.
Cardiff had snatched a stoppage-time equaliser in the match between the two relegation rivals on 29 March.
Two weeks later, West Brom surrendered a three-goal lead to draw by the same scoreline at home to Tottenham.
West Brom have also parted company with David Gomez, a Spaniard who was added to the coaching staff at Mel's request in February.
Assistant head coach Keith Downing and goalkeeper coach Dean Kiely will remain in their current roles while the club searches for a new boss.
Garlick added: "Although we have managed to achieve a fifth successive season of Premier League football, it has been a very disappointing campaign and lessons have been learned.
"The search for a new head coach has now begun. We aim to find the most suitable candidate who, with the support of the structure we have had in place for six years and are presently strengthening, will enable the club to be more competitive next season." | West Bromwich Albion have parted company with Pepe Mel after four months as the Premier League club's manager. |
39786264 | He was booked for dissent after asking the referee to stop Sunday's Serie A match against Cagliari, claiming he was being racially abused.
The 32-year-old ex-Ghana international then walked off the pitch in protest - for which he received a second yellow card, officials have now confirmed.
They added not enough fans took part in the abuse to trigger action.
The Serie A disciplinary committee agreed their actions were "deplorable" but said its guidelines meant it could not impose sanctions as only "approximately 10" supporters were involved - fewer than 1% of the Cagliari supporters in the ground,
Earlier on Tuesday, world football players' union Fifpro had called for Muntari's punishment to be rescinded - though it was then unaware the player had been given a second yellow card and sent off.
"Muntari was well within his rights to approach the referee," said a Fifpro statement.
"Players should feel comfortable bringing any issue to the attention of the referee, especially one as significant as allegations of racism in the workplace.
"We urge Italian authorities to hear Muntari's version of events, investigate why the situation was mismanaged, and take firm action to ensure this never happens again."
Ex-Portsmouth and Sunderland player Muntari was playing for AC Milan when then team-mate Kevin-Prince Boateng walked off the pitch because of racist chanting during a friendly with lower-league side Pro Patria in January 2013.
Boateng has since tweeted his support to Muntari, saying he is "so proud" of his former team-mate.
Meanwhile the Serie A committee warned Lazio and Inter Milan faced partial stadium closures if there was a repeat of recent racist behaviour shown by their fans.
Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly suffered abuse from Inter fans while Lazio supporters targeted Roma defender Antonio Ruediger. | Pescara midfielder Sulley Muntari has been banned for one game after he protested against racist abuse. |
39857752 | A housing start refers to the beginning of work on a residential property, such as the laying of foundations.
Last year, there were 6,713 starts, up 12% compared to the 5,990 in 2014/15.
That compares to more than 15,000 starts in 2005, which was the peak year.
The number of houses completed also increased slightly year-on-year from 5,501 to 5,622.
The Department for Communities, which produces the figures, said the increase in new starts was primarily due to social housing development.
Social housing starts increased by 58% from the previous year, while private owner/speculative development starts increased by just 6%.
However, private sector completions increased by 8% from the previous year, while social housing completions decreased by 27%.
There was a slight fall in residential planning applications from 7,339 to 7,192.
Of the 6,541 planning decisions made in 2015-16, 94% were granted.
The majority of residential planning decisions granted related to rural new single dwellings (26%) and urban extensions and alterations (25%). | The number of new housing 'starts' in Northern Ireland hit its highest level in five years in 2015/16, according to the latest official figures. |
40030176 | Durham resumed on 97-4, still 284 behind, and lost captain Paul Collingwood lbw to David Wiese in the second over without adding a run.
James Weighell resisted with 58 before he was bowled by Jofra Archer (3-49).
Vernon Philander finished the match after lunch with two wickets in two balls as Durham were all out for 204.
When the last wicket fell, Ryan Pringle was left stranded on 38 having batted for 201 balls and more than four hours.
Durham, who began the season on minus 48 points as a sanction for their financial problems, have now failed to win any of their opening three Division Two matches.
Sussex's first four-day victory of the campaign was largely built around their mammoth first-innings total of 668 and a career-best 258 from Luke Wells, meaning Durham needed 381 just to make the hosts bat again.
But after Collingwood went to just the 11th ball of the final morning for 31 his side faced an uphill battle to salvage a draw.
Weighell struck 10 fours in his maiden first-class fifty before his 55-ball innings was ended when the pacy Archer sent his leg stump flying.
Three overs later Philander dismissed Chris Rushworth and Graham Onions to end with 4-39 and leave Durham still on minus 30 points. | Sussex took the final six Durham wickets they needed on the final day to complete a thumping innings-and-177-run County Championship victory at Hove. |
40693162 | Michelle Brown used derogatory comments about the Labour MP for Streatham, Chuka Umunna, in a call in May 2016 to her then senior adviser Nigel Williams.
Ms Brown said her language was "inappropriate" and has "apologised to anyone that has been offended by it."
UKIP chairman Paul Oakden said it does not condone her personal views.
Ms Brown, who called Mr Umunna a "coconut", was also recorded using an abusive remark about Tristram Hunt, who was then Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central.
Mr Williams, who was her senior adviser for 12 months, was sacked by Ms Brown in May.
Ms Brown said in a statement: "The point I was making is that because of his considerable wealth and privilege, Chuka Umunna cannot possibly understand the difficulties and issues that the average black person faces in this country any more than I can, and I stand by that assertion.
"I do however accept that the language I used in the private conversation was inappropriate and I apologise to anyone that has been offended by it.
"As far as the language I used about Mr Hunt is concerned, it was a private conversation and I was using language that friends and colleagues often do when chatting to each other."
Ms Brown's comments have been referred to the assembly's standards commissioner.
Mr Oakden said UKIP "obviously does not condone the personal views expressed by Michelle Brown".
"We will conduct an investigation into this matter, the findings of which will be passed through to our National Executive Committee so that they might consider disciplinary action," he said.
"We will also investigate whether a UKIP member and official surreptitiously recorded a private telephone conversation with Michelle Brown and then disseminated it without her consent, more than a year after the event."
Mr Williams said he believed Ms Brown should resign from her seat and UKIP's national executive committee should remove her from the party.
The assembly's Labour Group condemned the "absolutely outrageous language" and said "anything less than immediate suspension would be a clear endorsement of Michelle Brown's racist slur."
Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood said: "This racism reflects poorly on our parliament - The National Assembly for Wales - and that's why her party should take action on this."
This is not the first controversy Ms Brown has faced - in February, she was forced to deny claims she had smoked "recreational drugs" in a Cardiff Bay hotel room.
Her spokesman said the smell was caused by the AM smoking a strong tobacco product. | The chairman of UKIP has confirmed the party will investigate a recording of a north Wales AM using a racial slur about a black MP. |
34511532 | The numbers show the electric stun gun was drawn, aimed or fired 38,000 times in England and Wales over five years.
In more than 12% of cases Tasers were used against black people, who make up about 4% of the population.
Officers were accountable to the law each time their weapon was drawn, the National Police Chiefs Council said.
The figures, covering the years 2010 to 2015, were compiled by the Home Office from all 43 police forces in England and Wales following a Freedom of Information Act request to the Home Office.
The figures also show a rise in Taser incidents against children.
Tasers were used by police 38,135 times, though in most incidents - 80% last year - the weapons were not discharged.
The ethnicity of the person against whom the Taser was used was recorded on 36,038 occasions.
In 4,582 of those cases they involved a black person of African-Caribbean origin or of mixed white and African-Caribbean origin - representing 12.7%.
In contrast, proportionately fewer people of Asian descent were involved in Taser incidents.
Although it has been well documented that black people are more likely to be stopped and searched, arrested and sent to prison than those who are white, this is the first time figures have been produced showing that across England and Wales black people are more likely to have Tasers used against them.
The difference in how often ethnic groups encounter Taser use is dramatic.
For Asians the chance of involvement in a Taser incident in 2010-14 in England and Wales was only three in 10,000, whereas for white people it was six and for black people it was 18 in 10,000.
Some 12.7% of incidents in 2010-14 involved Black people, who constitute only 4.4% of the population. But only 4% involved Asians, who form 8.1% of the population.
This pattern is repeated in all age groups. Tasers are mainly used on men in their twenties and thirties, but the discrepancy is not caused by different ethnic age distributions.
It is also reflected across England and Wales, including those local forces with enough incidents to assess separately (West Midlands, West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester and the Metropolitan Police).
The ethnic discrepancy also occurs across the various levels of Taser deployment, from being drawn to fired.
Matilda MacAttram, from the campaign group Black Mental Health UK, said the statistics were "deeply disturbing" and pointed to emerging evidence that police were using Tasers against people with mental health problems, particularly those from African-Caribbean communities.
"There's an increasing amount of data, both anecdotal and also concrete, which show this supposedly "non-lethal" weapon is being used against people who are in a very vulnerable state.
"That's actually a violation of their human rights and it should not be happening," she said.
The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), which co-ordinates national operational policing, said specialist Taser officers acted fairly regardless of race.
A NPCC spokesman said: "Every use of Taser is reported and scrutinised by a supervisor and officers are personally accountable to the law each time their Taser is drawn.
"Officers receive specialist training that helps them to determine the best course of action in resolving a violent or potentially violent situation. Taser is one of many tactical options a police officer can use.
"In 80 per cent of Taser uses in the UK, the mere presence of the device is enough to resolve the violent or potentially violent situation without any force being used."
Rick Muir, director of the Police Foundation, an independent think-tank, described the figures as "extremely worrying".
He said: "We do not know whether this is due to discrimination by officers or whether this reflects wider social inequalities which means some groups are disproportionately likely to come into contact with the police in situations where a Taser might be deployed."
Last year, there were also 522 cases involving people under the age of 18, but there were only 349 such cases in 2010. Of last year's cases, 158 involved children under 16.
In Hampshire a police officer took his Taser out of his holster, but did not use it, in an incident with a nine-year-old boy in an attempt to calm a situation down after there was an allegation of a knife being used, the force said.
The data released by the Home Office showed that a Taser had been drawn during an incident involving a 91-year-old man in Suffolk, but Suffolk Police said it could find no record of it. | Black people are three times more likely than white people to be involved in Taser incidents, Home Office figures disclosed to the BBC suggest. |
35440883 | Police were called to reports of a suspicious package at Cellmark Forensic Services in Ordnance Road, Buckshaw Village, Chorley, at about 10:15 GMT.
It was assessed by the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team and was later deemed a "genuine delivery".
The premises and surrounding buildings within 328ft (100m) were evacuated as a precaution.
The cordon was lifted after police said there was "no threat to anyone at the premises or in the wider community".
Ordnance Road was closed in both directions between Buckshaw Avenue and Townsend Drive. The 109A bus service was diverted. | Bomb disposal experts were called to a suspected suspicious package delivered to a business in a Lancashire village. |
34861458 | The £4m total is 11% of the UK figure and takes the amount raised by Glasgow City Council since 2013 to £11m.
There were 131,238 Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) issued in Glasgow in 2015 - the highest number in the UK.
The figures are contained in Freedom of Information (FOI) data obtained by the Confused.com website.
768 -
traffic cameras in UK
15 -
traffic cameras in Glasgow city
977,969 Penalty notices UK
131,238 Penalty notices Glasgow
£36.8m Fines issued in UK
£4m Fines issued in Glasgow
Glasgow City Council currently has 15 CCTV cameras in operation.
Offences caught on camera included driving in bus lanes, driving through no entry areas, stopping in yellow box junctions, going the wrong way on a one-way street and committing illegal U-turns.
Since 2012, the number of UK councils using CCTV to monitor motoring offences has risen by 76% to 44.
There are currently 768 active CCTV cameras being used by local authorities to track traffic offences.
So far in 2015, UK motorists have been fined £36,802,955, with 977,969 PCNs issued.
Matt Lloyd, head of motor insurance at Confused.com, said the amount of money raised in fines by Glasgow City Council was "staggering".
He added: "CCTV has always been a bone of contention for many people, as people feel their privacy has been invaded.
"However, the main reason why councils are using these cameras is to stop motorists breaking the law.
"By making drivers abide by the rules of the road, our roads should become a more stress-free and safer place to drive on.
"The point we would like to make is maybe some of this revenue which is being generated could be put back into an awareness campaign so we can improve road safety."
Bailie Elaine McDougall, Glasgow City Council's executive member for transport, environment and sustainability, said the number of people illegally using bus lanes has steadily decreased since the introduction of enforcement cameras in 2012.
She added: "This shows that drivers in our city are changing their behaviour and that public transport is getting priority on some of the key routes into and across the city.
"Camera enforcement has been an effective deterrent however driving in bus lanes has always been an offence for anyone other than authorised vehicles and if a driver is found to be illegally driving in a bus lane a charge will be issued." | Drivers in Glasgow have paid more in fines this year for traffic offences caught on CCTV than in any other UK council area. |
34101376 | Vice News journalists Jake Hanrahan and Philip Pendlebury were among those apprehended in the Diyarbakir region, south-east Turkey, on Thursday.
It has not been confirmed why they were detained. Vice News said they were due in court on Monday on terror charges.
They had been filming clashes between police and Kurdish militants, it said.
Violent exchanges between security forces and youths from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) have erupted in the region in recent days.
The journalists' lawyer said their hotel rooms had been searched and their camera equipment and footage impounded by police, according to Amnesty International.
The human rights group's Turkey researcher Andrew Gardner said the trio should be released immediately unless the Turkish authorities could demonstrate credible evidence of criminal acts.
Vice News said the four journalists had been "detained without charge for three days".
A spokesman said it was working "vigorously with all relevant authorities to secure the safe release of our four colleagues".
The situation has also been condemned by PEN, which works to defend and promote freedom of expression.
Jo Glanville, director of English PEN, said it was an "unacceptable harassment of journalists who are fulfilling an essential role reporting on events of public and international interest".
Earlier reports by Reuters quoted security sources as saying the group were detained for reporting from the country's majority Kurdish south-east without government accreditation.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are providing consular assistance and are in touch with the relevant authorities following the arrest of two British nationals in Diyarbakir."
Turkey, like a number of Western countries, considers the PKK a terrorist organisation.
A ceasefire in the long-running conflict with the group appeared to disintegrate in July, when Turkey began bombing PKK camps in northern Iraq.
Turkey has limited journalists to access to those region.
In January, Dutch freelance reporter Frederike Geerdink, who was based in Diyarbakir and had been covering Kurdish issues, was detained on suspicion of "propaganda for a terrorist organisation". | Amnesty International has called for the immediate release of four journalists - including two Britons - being held by police in Turkey. |
39867629 | The 49-year-old had been working on the Noble Lloyd Noble installation, in the Mariner Field, approximately 90 miles (150km) east of Shetland.
The alarm was raised at about 21:20 on Tuesday after a search of the rig failed to locate him.
A Coastguard search and rescue helicopter was called out but later returned to base.
Two standby vessels and a platform supply vessel were continuing to search.
The man is believed to be from the Aberdeen area.
Police Scotland said a team of officers had flown offshore to carry out inquiries and assist on the installation.
Det Insp Norman Stevenson, who is leading the team, said: "An extensive search has been carried out which has involved a search and rescue helicopter as well as standby vessels and a platform supply vessel.
"The next of kin of the man have been informed of the ongoing inquiries and further information will be made available to the public when we have it. There are no apparent suspicious circumstances."
Noble Lloyd Noble is one of the world's largest jack-up rigs, an installation with long support legs that can be lowered to the sea floor.
In a statement, Noble Drilling said they had mobilised emergency response teams in Aberdeen and Stavanger to support the search effort.
The company said: "Statoil vessels have been involved in an extensive search of the water surrounding the rig and together we will continue to do everything we can to support the ongoing search effort.
"Our priorities are the safety of all the personnel on board, assisting in the search operation for the missing person and supporting next of kin and colleagues of the missing person.
"All operations have been stood down on the rig."
Statoil is developing the Mariner field with the first oil expected in 2018. | An air and sea search for a man reported missing from a drilling rig in the North Sea has been scaled back. |
40606904 | Foula in Shetland was found to be the only place in Great Britain not to be the feature of an OS Custom Made map.
Launched five years ago, the service allows people to create maps on locations of their choice and create the cover and title.
No-one has done this for Foula, so OS has made one for every islander. About 30 people live on the small isle.
Sheila Gear, Foula's Post Office manager who is distributing the maps to residents, said: "It was a pleasant surprise to receive the maps from OS, and to now be part of OS's story.
"Foula has a strong community, and it has many beautiful areas and an abundance of wildlife. I recommend a visit, but do bring a map."
OS said that about 111.5 million sq km of Custom Made maps have been ordered and printed through its online service.
It said this was enough maps to cover the surface of Great Britain 532 times.
While almost every inch of Great Britain has featured on a Custom Made map at some stage, the mapping agency said Foula was the only place not to be given the treatment. | Every resident of a remote Scottish island is to receive a map as a gift from Ordnance Survey (OS). |
34020755 | Fletcher Shipping, of Portlethen, owned four ships for leasing, with support in the past three years from the Scottish government-funded Scottish Loan Fund.
It had two other ships on order for nearly £17m, using a loan from Santander bank.
But it ran into cash flow problems early this year as the oil price fell.
Administrators at PwC said the daily spot price for hiring offshore vessels dropped from £18,000 to only £3,000.
Prices reflected oil production firms cutting costs and exploration.
The administrators transferred Fletcher Shipping assets to a new company, FS Shipping, in a so-called 'pre-pack' deal.
This was financed with £18m, raised through Grovepoint Capital.
The main assets of Fletcher Shipping, founded in 2007, were the FS Pegasus, FS Aquarius, FS Pisces and FS Taurus.
The pre-pack deal means the operations continue uninterrupted, while shareholders lose out and creditors only recover some of their lending to the collapsed firm.
According to administrators, the transaction had no employment impact, as the vessels crews were contract staff working for other firms.
Keith Fletcher, founder of Fletcher Shipping, said: "It is testament to the strong reputation of the crews and personnel at Fletcher Shipping that we have secured the confidence of new investors who have helped us recapitalise our business.
"We have worked hard to keep our fleet working throughout the recent downturn in the North Sea - a downturn which has affected the vessel market more harshly than I have witnessed in 30 years of business.
The Scottish Loan Fund is part of the Scottish Investment Bank, which is the investing arm of Scottish Enterprise, the Scottish government's economic development agency.
The loan fund is run by Maven Capital to meet gaps in the market for funding company growth.
Fletcher Shipping had a £5m investment from public funds over 2012 and 2013, as part of a consortium with the Royal Bank of Scotland and Maven Capital client funds.
At the time of announcing the funding package, the head of the Scottish Investment Bank, Kerry Sharp, said: "Fletcher Shipping is exactly the kind of company the Scottish Loan Fund was established to support. It has excellent potential." | A drop of more than 80% in the price of leasing offshore platform supply vessels has forced a north-east Scottish firm into administration. |
21585812 | The paper, posted to the site Reddit, is titled "Two-body interactions: A Longitudinal Study", in reference to a classic physics problem involving two objects' gravitational forces.
It concludes: "the author proposes to Christie the indefinite continuation of the study".
It appears the proposal was accepted.
Christie and author Brendan are both physicists in Sydney, Australia.
The paper was penned in March 2012, but Christie (surnames have been redacted) first published an image of it on Sunday.
Given the reference to the study's beginnings in the paper's "Overview of Results" section, it appears it was timed to coincide with the couple's seventh anniversary.
The paper includes a graph of "happiness vs. time" - an encouragingly upward trend - and even includes future predictions of happiness. | An Australian physicist has warmed hearts in the scientific world by casting a marriage proposal in the form of a scientific paper. |
39790473 | The company behind the abattoir in Haverfordwest, Emcol 2008 Ltd, collapsed in January 2016 with debts of £660,000 to more than 230 creditors.
One director said it was due to escalating costs and being owed money.
Newport dairy farmer John Sollis called it a "disaster" for people in the area who were owed money.
Documents lodged on the Companies House website show one livestock trader is owed in excess of £107,000, while others are owed significant five figure sums.
In his report, liquidator Gary Stones said any payments to unsecured creditors were "totally dependent on the collection of the Irish book debt".
The report indicated almost £470,000 was owed to Emcol by an Irish firm.
Mr Sollis, who is owed almost £15,000 by Emcol, said: "It was a disaster in a sense the amount of money that people have lost in the locality and not now having a local abattoir to move stock to or casualties.
"Casualties and stock have to go further afield and that's costing us money."
The nearest abattoir is in Cross Hands, Carmarthenshire.
NFU Cymru President Stephen James is owed just over £1,000 and said the loss of the abattoir was a "huge blow" as it dealt with injured cows.
He said injured cows now had to be shot on the farm premises, resulting in a loss for farmers.
One of Emcol's directors, Helen Lewis, said the collapse was down to a "very significant amount of money" owed to the company by an Irish firm, and the "escalating costs of running an abattoir".
She said she had "every sympathy" for farmers who had lost out and "she knew many personally". | The closure of the only abattoir dealing with cattle in Pembrokeshire has been a "huge blow" to the industry, farmers have said. |
30346334 | They are urging shoppers to steer clear of scam websites and fake goods as they look for gifts for friends and family.
People are advised to buy from internet traders they have dealt with before and ensure they have a landline number for the website.
They should also look out for the padlock sign and https in the web address, which indicates a secure site.
Service manager for the area, Sarah Harkness said: "We have complaints all year about this type of thing and unfortunately if there's a scam website or a fake website there's very little we can do.
"It's very difficult to trace back the supplier of the goods if they turn out to be fake, or if goods don't turn up at all it's very difficult to get any form of payment back because these websites can be from anywhere in the world." | Trading Standards officers in Dumfries and Galloway are warning people to stay safe online in the run up to Christmas. |
35111930 | Its Policing and Crime Committee called for more transparency around implementation of the government's Prevent strategy.
Cooperation between boroughs was "patchy" and the police needed to step back if the public were to have more confidence in the scheme, it found.
The Met has been approached for comment.
Under Prevent, which aims to stop people supporting or becoming terrorists, local authorities have a statutory obligation to monitor signs of extremism in schools and public services.
But the committee said this was proving a "challenge" for teachers, and some young people were afraid to take part in discussions about extremism for fear of being "put on a list".
"For the public, transparency about what Prevent is for and what activity is taking place is critical," it said.
The committee echoed previous criticisms of Prevent, when it was dubbed a "toxic brand" which aroused suspicion among communities.
"We know that community engagement is hampered by suspicion and fear, and much of this is the consequence of the secrecy that surrounds the delivery of the Prevent strategy."
Committee chairwoman Joanne McCartney said "a strong counter-narrative which condemns violent extremism" was one of the most powerful ways to counter online radicalisation, "but attempts to deliver this have been lacking so far."
Through social media, groups such as the so-called Islamic State (IS) were "telling a better story" in a fight where "narrative is actually almost everything", Lord Carlile of Berriew said.
The committee said London could learn from Birmingham's success in co-ordinating Prevent.
In the capital, Counter-Terror Local Profiles, which set out risk in a particular area, are highly confidential documents often only seen by a borough commander and council chief executive.
In Birmingham and Manchester, the information is shared with public services "without giving away anything of national security importance".
Communities in London should have a say in how best to prevent extremism, and the police should only intervene when necessary, according to the report.
It criticises 'patchy' co-ordination between London boroughs.
"There appears to be no London body that has overall oversight of what is taking place at any one time," it said.
"It is difficult to establish what, why and how decisions have been taken in respect of preventing extremism."
In some boroughs, such as Waltham Forest, the quality of work was "extremely high", Lord Carlile told the committee. In others, it was "rather less high". | Secrecy surrounding anti-terrorism work is hampering efforts to halt extremism, the London Assembly has said. |
33386766 | Inquiry chairwoman Lowell Goddard will give an opening statement which will set out its guiding principles.
Justice Goddard will outline how the inquiry will be run, timescales, how evidence will be taken and areas of public life that will be examined.
The inquiry was set up by the home secretary in March.
Justice Goddard took up her post the following month. Her appointment followed the resignation of two chairwomen amid concerns over their links with the establishment.
On the opening day, Justice Goddard will summarise the steps taken to build the framework for the inquiry's work and provide information and clarity around the task ahead.
The New Zealand High Court judge's opening statement will also explain the various ways in which the inquiry is working with victims and how they will be able to engage in the process.
The inquiry panel comprises Justice Goddard, Prof Alexis Jay of Strathclyde University, Drusilla Sharpling of the police inspectorate, Prof Malcolm Evans of Bristol University, and child protection barrister Ivor Frank.
The counsel and solicitor to the inquiry will also be present at the opening, as will the secretary to the inquiry. It will take place at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre Centre in Westminster.
Justice Goddard, who was appointed to the New Zealand High Court in 1995, has previously led an inquiry into police handling of child abuse cases in that country.
Claims of an establishment cover-up of historical child sex abuse involving public figures, including politicians, prompted Home Secretary Theresa May to announce two inquiries in July 2014.
The inquiry, which will have statutory powers, will investigate whether "public bodies and other non-state institutions have taken seriously their duty of care to protect children from sexual abuse in England and Wales".
Baroness Butler-Sloss, Mrs May's first choice as inquiry chairwoman, resigned a week after it was set up. She faced calls to quit because her late brother, Sir Michael Havers, was attorney general in the 1980s.
Her replacement, Lord Mayor of London Fiona Woolf, stood down on 31 October amid concerns over her links to former Home Secretary Lord Brittan. | The independent inquiry into historical child sexual abuse in England and Wales will be formally opened next Thursday, it has been announced. |
30378136 | Organisers hope the parade and celebrations next June will "bring the whole community together".
David Lee-Bastable, chairman of Portsmouth LGBT Pride, said he believed the last event took place in 2003.
The festivities will feature a parade starting and ending at Victoria Park and stalls and performances in Guildhall Square.
The organisers are in discussions with Portsmouth City Council, as needs to happen with any event of this size, and it will need to be approved early next year.
Mr Lee-Bastable said: "We want to get everyone involved, not just the LGBT community.
"We felt that the time was right and I think Portsmouth needs it.
"It's a good opportunity for the city to turn around and say 'we support the LGBT community' and it also helps people to come together.
"The idea of Pride is to take away homophobic attitudes. It is just our sexuality that is different, we are trying to celebrate that.
"We want to make sure Portsmouth has a Pride."
The group's members are volunteering their time and Mr Lee-Bastable said they were looking for stewards and a treasurer and asked people to get in touch via their Facebook page. | A Pride event has been planned for Portsmouth, years after the last one took place. |
33445558 | The Office for Budget Responsibility's (OBR) forecasts now predicts a surplus of £10.0bn in 2019-20.
In March, the OBR forecast a surplus of £5.2bn in 2018-19, but that has now been revised to a £6.4bn deficit.
The OBR had described the March Budget plans as a rollercoaster rise because of the cuts in the first two years of the parliament and increased spending in the last two years.
The plans have now been smoothed, with more borrowing in each of the three years following 2015-16.
International organisations such as the OECD had suggested that the government's plans should be smoothed.
In 2016-17, the predicted deficit is up from £39.4bn to £43.1bn, while in 2017-18 it has gone up from £12.8bn to £24.3bn.
Mr Osborne told the House of Commons that his economic aims could be "achieved without a rollercoaster ride", describing his new plans as a "smoother rise to the same destination".
The forecast for the deficit in the current financial year has been cut from £75.3bn to £69.5bn.
Mr Osborne had already cut back the pace of his deficit-cutting in the March Budget, when the surplus in 2019-20 was revised down from £23.1bn to £7.0bn.
In its commentary on the Budget, the OBR said: "The new government has used its first Budget to loosen significantly the impending squeeze on public services spending that had been pencilled in by the coalition in March."
"This is being financed by welfare cuts, net tax increases and three years of higher government borrowing."
There were only moderate changes to the OBR's forecasts of economic growth, which has gone down from 2.5% to 2.4% this year. It is unchanged at 2.3% in 2016, rising from 2.3% to 2.4% in the following two years.
The OBR forecast a rise of one million in the number of people employed in the next five years, but Mr Osborne said he aimed to double that.
July 2015 Budget full BBC online coverage
BBC Budget Live
HM Treasury link to Budget documents | Chancellor George Osborne has delayed his promised budget surplus by a year. |
35471741 | Andrew Houston, 48, denies driving carelessly on the A9 between Newtonmore and Kingussie on 9 July 2013.
His wife Abigail, daughter Mia and GP Dr Mohammed Ali Hayajneh died in the crash near Ralia.
Mr Houston's 10-year-old daughter and her sister were seriously injured.
Mr Houston, who lived in Trinity with his family, went on trial at Inverness Sheriff Court on Monday.
Ursula Hayajneh, a German tourist, told the court of the split second decision she had to make before the car crash, which killed her husband.
Ursula Hayajneh, 59, a housewife from Duisburg, said she had the choice of hitting a small Peugeot car in front of her or try and avoid the oncoming Audi.
Both cars hit head on and were propelled into the air.
"Maybe if I had gone left and hit the small car, my husband would be alive today." Mrs Hayajneh said.
Mr Houston denies driving carelessly by crossing on to the opposite carriageway, into the path of a car driven by a Polish tourist, Zbigniew Suski, who had to take evasive action.
The charge states Mr Houston's car then hit Mrs Hayajneh's vehicle, causing the three deaths.
In agreed evidence between prosecutor Roderick Urquhart and Mr Houston's QC, Frances McMenamin, the jury heard Mr Houston was not on a mobile phone at the time.
Mr Houston is a senior partner at McSporrans defence Solicitors in Edinburgh.
The trial, which is expected to conclude on Thursday, continues. | An Edinburgh solicitor has gone on trial accused of causing the deaths of his wife, seven-year-old daughter and a doctor in a car crash. |
36479505 | The 30-year-old - the first female rider to win the Melbourne Cup - required surgery on her pancreas.
Describing the pain as "pretty intense", the Australian revealed doctors have told her to take it "very easy" for the next month.
She said a return "won't be my focus for at least another month or so".
"I'm going to be guided by my doctors and how I feel in myself," she added.
Payne was dislodged from her mount Dutch Lodge at Mildura racecourse.
She has been ruled out of making her debut at Royal Ascot in June and taking part in the Shergar Cup team event at Ascot in August.
Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox. | Jockey Michelle Payne will not make a decision on her future for at least another month after being released from hospital following a fall in May. |
37212179 | Analysis firm Springboard had predicted a 6.5% increase in footfall at shopping centres, retail parks and high streets.
Springboard's Diane Wehrle said she was surprised by the decline, which could not be blamed solely on bad weather.
Bank holidays were becoming more focused on leisure activities such as eating out, she said.
The August bank holiday is taken in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, but not in Scotland.
Ms Wehrle said there had been a shift from daytime shopping to evening trips.
Footfall at shopping centres rose by 7.3% between 5pm and 8pm on Saturday, compared with the same day last year, and soared 17.4% for the four hours until midnight.
The post-8pm increase for shopping centres reflected a rise in the number of food and beverage outlets in shopping centres compared with last year, Ms Wehrle explained.
On the High Street, there were 8% more shoppers between 5pm and 8pm and a 10.8% increase between 8pm and midnight.
However, when both Saturday and Sunday were combined, footfall at shopping centres was down by 7%, shopping centres recorded a 3.3% decline and the total for out-of-town retail parks was 2.4% lower.
Tom Nathan, general manager at Brent Cross shopping centre in north London, said he was not concerned as trading in July and August had been quite resilient.
"Some of the schools are going back a bit later this year, which could have been partly responsible, so I anticipate a busy week ahead as people shop for back to school items," he told the BBC. "It certainly looked very busy yesterday - the restaurants were rammed."
Mr Nathan also said that fluctuations in shopping patterns might depend on the weather.
Data released earlier this month from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggested warmer weather and the weaker pound had helped boost retail sales in July.
Retail sales rose by 5.9% compared with the same month last year, the ONS said. | The number of people out shopping in the UK on Saturday and Sunday fell by 4.1% compared with last year's August bank holiday, retail researchers say. |
35659485 | Paul McCaroll, 49, was fatally injured in the overnight incident in Westmuir Street.
Police Scotland said a 45-year-old man had been arrested and was being detained in police custody.
A report will be sent to the procurator fiscal. The man is expected to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Friday. | A man has been arrested in connection with the death of another man after a disturbance in the Parkhead area of Glasgow on Tuesday. |
32302625 | Michael Taylor reached a new degree of success when he helped lead Gonville and Caius College to victory in the grand final of long-running academic quiz show University Challenge on Monday night.
When the gong sounded at the end of the show, the Cambridge college were comfortable 255-105 winners over Magdalen College of Oxford, denying their opponents what would have been a record fifth title.
But despite collecting one of the most coveted and illustrious prizes in university circles, Michael admits he can recall little of the experience.
"You're under pressure, the lights are on you, and even though you're being tested on your memory my memory of the days isn't great."
The former Ballymena Academy pupil, who has just completed a PhD in history, formed part of a foursome also specialising in law, medicine and natural sciences.
And a strategy of rigorous research and revision also proved crucial, even though they had no serious designs on the title at the competition's outset.
"I think we had a good team which covered as many bases as possible.
"We looked at old shows and worked out what kind of subjects came up regularly, and then we each had our own jobs to go off and revise certain areas."
Michael, a keen cricketer, says a competitive, sporting team spirit was one of the keys dominating the series.
"It's not a sport but we treated it like a sport," he says.
"You have to trust your teammates and just go with it when one of us feels we might know an answer to something."
But as well as that, Gonville and Caius were spurred on to triumph by a stunning individual performance from law student Ted Loveday, whose quickfire answers gained plenty of attention on social media.
And Michael believes Ted's display will go down in history as one of the show's most memorable efforts.
"I think it was the greatest ever individual performance in the history of University Challenge, and to have done it in the final makes it all the more remarkable." | He's the brainy Ballymena student with all the right answers. |
39779509 | Kevin Murray, 47, was wanted in connection with the killing of David Byrne.
The 34-year-old was shot dead at the Regency Hotel in February last year.
Extradition proceedings were ended because Mr Murray has been diagnosed with rapidly deteriorating and terminal motor neurone disease.
The judge at Belfast Recorder's Court on Tuesday said she was satisfied that the "only appropriate course I can take is to discharge the requested person".
Mr Murray was arrested last September at his home by PSNI officers using a European Arrest Warrant issued by authorities in the Republic of Ireland.
He was being sought for alleged offences of murder, possession of a firearm with intent, and possession of a firearm in suspicious circumstances.
It was previously claimed in court that he had stayed overnight at the hotel in preparation for his alleged role in the shooting.
Lawyers for Mr Murray opposed his extradition by claiming it was unlikely he would ever stand trial because his motor neurone disease was so severe.
They argued that would be unjust and oppressive to send a man receiving end of life care to the Republic of Ireland.
Medical opinion backed their contention that his condition was rapidly worsening and will lead to eventual death.
The court was told Mr Murray is completely bedridden, suffering from respiratory difficulties and being fed through a tube.
He is also unable to converse and has limited power in his arms and legs.
Lawyers for the Irish state accepted that his extradition was currently barred, but sought a three-month adjournment to see if there was any improvement in his condition.
The judge said: "Its clear from the doctor's report of March 2017 that the requested person is dying of motor neurone disease."
She added that a fresh extradition application could be made if medical opinion changed in the future.
Two other men were injured in the shooting at the Regency Hotel in Dublin after masked men dressed as Garda (Irish police) officers opened fire with automatic guns during a boxing weigh-in at the venue.
The murder ignited a deadly feud between members of the rival Kinahan and Hutch gangs. | Attempts to extradite a County Tyrone man over his alleged role in a Dublin gangland murder are to be halted because he is dying, a judge has ruled. |
40661788 | With the first leg ending 1-1 at Pittodrie, the Dons needed to score and Stewart struck on 71 minutes.
His low strike was set up by Ryan Christie, who then delivered another great pass for Mackay-Steven to slam in a wonderful second goal.
Aberdeen will now meet Apollon Limassol in the third round of qualifying.
It will be the fourth season in a row that Derek McInnes' side have reached the stage before the play-off round in this competition.
Stipo Markovic grabbed an away goal last week and Siroki Brijeg could boast a home record of just three defeats in two years, but the Dons have impressed on the road in recent years, with wins at Groningen and Rijeka.
There was an early scare for the visitors when Slavko Bralic rammed the ball narrowly wide from a corner.
But that was it in terms of chances in a dreadfully scrappy first half, punctuated by fouls and errant passes.
Dons captain Graeme Shinnie came in for some rough treatment and nothing was made of the resultant set-pieces, with the home defence comfortable under high balls.
With Anthony O'Connor looking shaky at the heart of the Aberdeen defence, there was another worry when Dejan Cabraja ran clear on to a long ball over the top only to take a woeful touch.
The second half opened with Andrew Considine throwing himself at a Christie free kick but the defender's header lacked power and was easily gathered by goalkeeper Luka Bilobrk.
On the hour, the Dons fashioned two excellent opportunities to grab the goal they needed.
Christie stung the palms of Bilobrk with a fierce shot and Stewart could only shank the loose ball wide under pressure from a sliding defender.
Mackay-Steven then picked out Christie with a lovely cross from the left but the on-loan Celtic midfielder powered his header wide, despite having time and space to pick his spot.
Considine was next to have a go, with a looping header dropping wide of the target.
Siroki Brijeg had fallen out of the game but it needed a smart save from Joe Lewis to push over a wonderfully executed volley from Ivan Krstanovic.
With 19 minutes remaining, Christie sent Stewart scurrying through a big gap on the right side of the home defence and the former Dundee forward buried a low shot in the far corner.
Christie was finding more space and, soon after, he was the creator again, cutting in from the right and slotting a delightfully weighted pass into the path of Mackay-Steven, who smacked home a rising shot to send the small pocket of travelling fans wild. | Greg Stewart and Gary Mackay-Steven scored second-half goals as Aberdeen beat Siroki Brijeg in Bosnia to progress in the Europa League. |
38661302 | The post has been filled by a former inspector from Greater Manchester Police's specialist search unit.
The appointment, revealed at a recent club forum, comes amid significant additional security measures introduced at Old Trafford on matchdays.
Vehicles are now routinely checked as they enter car parks, and supporters are searched at turnstiles.
United's Premier League game against Bournemouth in May was postponed when the stadium was evacuated after what turned out to be a fake bomb was found in a toilet.
It had been left behind in error following an exercise earlier in the week.
In November, two supporters on a stadium tour hid in an Old Trafford toilet in the hope of seeing United's Premier League game against Arsenal. They were eventually found and handed over to police.
Last year, security expert Baroness Ruth Henig called for licensing laws to be changed to force entertainment venues around the UK to undergo counter-terror training. | Manchester United say they are the first sports club in England to appoint a full-time counter-terrorism manager. |
34877130 | Adam Owens, 17, was discovered in April lying on grass outside a house in Bristol Park in the Westwinds estate, Newtownards.
He was taken to hospital by ambulance but pronounced dead a short time later.
Adele Wallace has said legal high drugs in NI are an "epidemic".
"We took Adam everywhere possible, now in saying that, I personally feel there is not enough help for youths in the whole of Northern Ireland," she said.
"There are not enough services or provision of services for the volume and demand because there is an epidemic of legal highs in Northern Ireland now, it is saturated with them.
"The sad part of the story is that on the 9 April Adam had actually went to the GP himself because his life was a total and utter mess.
"He saw a clinical psychologist on the 9 April and on the 13 April he died.
"The side effects that would have been presented with the legal high he took are not pleasant, so I actually find it has greatly upset me as you now have these images in your head thinking of how he spent his last moments. It is not nice."
Ms Wallace, was speaking to BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster, after delivering a talk at a church in Ballysillan, north Belfast, on Thursday night.
She said she was horrified when she first learned how accessible legal highs were and warned people to stay away from them.
"There is so much of it out there, so many sites that are selling this stuff and then of course you get the other side of the coin, people dealing in the street round the corner," she said.
"It is as easy as turning on the water tap to get hold of stuff like this.
"No drug is a good drug, but especially legal highs because they are vile, toxic, deadly drugs."
Several deaths in the UK have been linked to legal highs.
More than 200 of the substances have been banned since 2010.
In the Republic of Ireland, "legal high" drugs are banned by law.
Emergency legislation was put forward in March after a loophole in the law meant that it was legal to possess drugs such as ecstasy, crystal meth and ketamine. | The mother of a County Down teenager who died after taking legal high drugs has said more services are needed in Northern Ireland to tackle the problem. |
36978051 | University of Toronto student Tahmid Hasib Khan and British national Hasnat Karim were taken into custody in Dhaka.
Gunmen attacked the Holey Artisan cafe in the Bangladeshi capital on 1 July, killing customers and taking hostages, before troops entered 12 hours later.
The pair arrested had not been heard from since the attack.
Nine Italian nationals, seven Japanese, one American and an Indian were killed during the siege by Islamist militants.
Two Bangladeshis died, in addition to two police officers and at least five of the attackers.
Officials said the attackers belonged to banned domestic group Jumatul Mujahedeen Bangladesh (JMB), although so-called Islamic State said it carried out the attack.
They said the victims had been attacked with sharp weapons.
Mr Khan, 22, and Mr Karim, 47, were among 13 people, presumed to be hostages, who came out just before security forces stormed the cafe.
The pair were taken into custody on Thursday and police would have eight days to question them, a police spokesman, Masudur Rahman, said.
The men's relatives have previously accused police of holding the men secretly since the attack, although police deny doing so.
Mr Karim's lawyer, Rodney Dixon, filed a complaint with the UN human rights council seeking Mr Karim's immediate release.
"They have had more than sufficient time to make any inquiries. There is clearly no evidence to charge him and he should be let go without any further delay," Mr Dixon told Reuters.
The family of Mr Khan, who is of Bangladeshi origin and a permanent resident in Canada, appealed for help last month to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion had said government officials were in contact with Bangladesh officials and were monitoring the situation.
Human rights groups have criticised Bangladeshi police for holding the men and allegedly denying them access to lawyers.
Mr Khan, an undergraduate student studying global health, was visiting family in Dhaka and was expected to begin an internship in Nepal last month.
Mr Karim, who also has Bangladeshi citizenship, was at the restaurant with his wife and two daughters when the attack occurred.
The authorities said they had obtained photographs allegedly showing Mr Karim smoking on the rooftop with two of the attackers standing behind him.
Police also said footage shot from a nearby flat purported to show Mr Karim talking to the attackers.
Mr Karim returned to Bangladesh a few years ago after living in the UK for nearly 20 years.
He briefly taught at a private university in Dhaka before going into business in 2012. | A Canadian student and a British man have been arrested for their alleged roles in an attack on a cafe in Bangladesh in which 22 people died. |
40162155 | Seven people were killed and 48 injured in Saturday's incident.
The attackers were shot dead by police after driving into pedestrians on London Bridge and stabbing people in Borough Market.
The silent tribute took place across the country at 11:00 BST.
Prime Minister Theresa May called it "an attack on the free world" as the victims included a "number of nationalities".
The so-called Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
All 12 people arrested on Sunday after the attack have now been released without charge.
Police forces and fire services took part in the silence, along with Arriva Trains Wales, council and courts staff.
Speaking ahead of the silence, Rhondda Cynon Taf council mayor Margaret Tegg said: "Once again the whole nation is in a state of shock following the horrific attacks in London at the weekend, and our sympathy and thoughts are with everyone affected."
Observing the silence at Mold Crown Court, Judge Niclas Parry said: "This morning, at this time, throughout the country, millions of lives are being paused in memory of those who lost their lives and for all the others injured or affected as a result of the tragic events in London on Saturday night."
Conwy council's chairman Brian Cossey said: "It's something that is really touching every member of the population of Britain.
"Our hearts go out to those who were injured, to the families of those who died, and to the people who witnessed this who weren't injured themselves. The tragedy will live with them forever." | People across Wales have gathered to observe a minute's silence to remember the victims of the London terror attack. |
40839159 | Robert Downs, 63, from Mold, Flintshire, was killed in the collision on the A525 link road between Denbigh and Ruthin on Friday.
North Wales Police said he died at the scene.
In a tribute, Mr Downs' family described him as a "loving" father and grandfather.
"He was a kind, loving and caring man who was always willing to assist anyone when he could. He was the rock of our life and was a long-standing and passionate motorcycle fanatic," the tribute said.
"He left our side so suddenly and we all sorely miss him. But he will always be there in our minds and hearts and never forgotten."
Police have appealed for witnesses. | A motorcyclist who died following a crash in Denbighshire was a "passionate motorcycle fanatic", his family have said. |
36273349 | Natalie Hemming, 31, of Alderney Avenue, Newton Leys, near Milton Keynes, has not been seen since 1 May.
Her partner Paul Hemming, 42, appeared at Luton Crown Court on Monday charged with her murder.
Thames Valley Police said it believed the rug was "very significant in relation to the disappearance".
Read more on this story and others from across Buckinghamshire
Ms Hemming was last seen in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, at about 15:00 BST on 1 May and was reported missing by a relative on 3 May.
On Wednesday, officers scoured an area around Salden Wood near Newton Longville in Buckinghamshire and a disused railway line, both near the family home.
The force said the rug, described as 12ft by 10ft with a 3in soft pile, was discovered to be missing during a search of the house.
Det Supt Chris Ward said: "Anybody who has seen a similar rug discarded anywhere, particularly within Aylesbury, Oxford, Milton Keynes or over the border in Bedfordshire, [or who has] has seen it, picked it up or moved it [should] to speak to us as soon as they can."
He said the force's main objective was to find Ms Hemming and return her to her family.
"There are a number of searches going on both within the Thames Valley Police area to the east of Milton Keynes and in the Bedfordshire area as we follow up the information that we've had," he said.
"This has, very sadly, become a murder investigation and detectives will be making ongoing enquiries in relation to it."
Officers are also trying to trace the movements of a black Ford S Max - registration EJ12 UWG - that could be connected with Mrs Hemming's disappearance.
It is believed to have travelled on the A413, the A418 and the A41 around Aylesbury, between 21:45 on 1 May and 00:45 on 2 May. | Police looking for a missing mother of three whose partner is accused of her murder are looking for a red rug missing from the family home. |
39886615 | Brendan Rodgers' side face the Dons at Hampden on 27 May, bidding to complete a domestic treble.
Celtic have already sealed the Premiership title, and overcame Aberdeen to lift the League Cup.
"It's easy not to look ahead to the cup final," midfielder Rogic said.
"We have big games between now and then and we just focus on the next one.
"Regardless of the way the match goes, I don't think it's going to have too much effect on the cup final. It [the final] is a one-off match, high-pressure and anything can happen, so I don't think you can look too much into it."
En route to both the league and League Cup triumphs, Celtic have not lost a fixture, and are four matches - three in the Premiership, and the Scottish Cup final - away from completing an unbeaten domestic campaign.
Rogic says the smooth rotation of the squad, where fringe players have performed well when brought into the side, has been key to preserving their run of form.
"There have been boys who haven't been involved in matches, haven't been on the bench, haven't been in squads, that have been training and working as hard, if not harder, than everyone else," added the Australian international.
"That's been a big reason for the success this season.
"The manager's changed the way the club is as a whole - if you look at the way we're playing throughout the year, players who aren't playing are working hard and coming into the team when they haven't been playing so much, and it's been an easy transition.
"Players like Dedryck [Boyata] who hasn't been involved so much in one part of the season can still come in and play a massive part in contributing to the club's success.
"It's healthy for the squad. The boys have done very well throughout the whole year, whoever steps in." | Tom Rogic insists Celtic won't be distracted by the Scottish Cup final, as they prepare to face their showpiece opponents Aberdeen on Friday. |
32873717 | Ten others were wounded, one seriously, in the attack at a flag-raising ceremony at the Bouchoucha barracks.
The man had family and psychological issues and was "forbidden from carrying arms", said ministry spokesman Belhassen Oueslati.
He described the incident as an "isolated act, not a terrorist act".
There would be an investigation to try to determine the killer's motives, he added.
Mr Ouselati said the soldier attacked one man with a knife before taking the victim's gun and "shooting at his comrades".
Tunisian security forces have been on alert since Islamist gunmen attacked the Bardo Museum in March, killing 21 tourists.
The shooting at the barracks, which is close to the museum and the parliament building, prompted the evacuation of a nearby school.
Police reinforcements were sent to the area to comb nearby streets, while a helicopter hovered overhead.
Interior Ministry spokesman Mohamed Ali Aroui said on national radio that there was no gunfire outside the barracks. | A Tunisian soldier has been shot dead after he killed seven of his colleagues at a military barracks in Tunis, according to the defence ministry. |
36468061 | Oasis Academy Lord's Hill in Southampton planned to let pupils finish in time for the England v Wales football match on 16 June.
Term-time holiday campaigners had accused the school of "hypocrisy".
A statement from the principal later said it was "more appropriate" for them to stay in class, with the game screened in school time.
As reported in the Southern Daily Echo, principal Ian Golding initially wrote to parents stating: "Unless we are flexible with our times we will have people absent."
The letter said it would be "sensible" for the secondary school, in Romsey Road, to finish at lunchtime in time for the Euro 2016 game.
A statement from Mr Golding to reverse the decision said the school took attendance "extremely seriously".
He said such sporting events are "a cause for celebration and enjoyment" and suitable for pupils to watch in school time.
"As a community in which many of my students have a real passion for football, I will be facilitating the showing of the game during the last hour of school time for those who wish to watch it so that they too can experience it together," he said.
Among those who voiced criticism of the initial decision was campaigner Jon Platt from the Isle of Wight, who won a High Court ruling last month after refusing to pay a £120 fine for taking his daughter on an unauthorised term-time holiday.
He said: "I want to watch the game and I would enjoy the game even more if my little girl could be off school."
However, he still questioned the decision to allow the pupils leave when schools are fining parents for unauthorised absences.
"I understand that there is a little bit of hypocrisy here because this school has fined parents in the past for taking their kids out of school for holidays - so they are going to come in for a bit of stick," Mr Platt added. | A school has reversed plans to allow pupils to go home early to watch a Euro 2016 match following criticism. |
34110570 | World Rugby, the sport's governing body, is expected to sanction the move, which will be implemented on Saturday.
New Neath coach Gareth Llewellyn expects it to have a positive impact.
"There will be a premium for tries now, so you'll probably have fewer kicks at goal from within the 22," the former Wales lock told BBC Radio Wales.
"Teams will kick into the corner and you can score tries from driving line-outs.
"I'm not sure it will change the game that much, just make it a bit more positive in the scoring zone so people will not just take two points when you can get eight for a converted try."
Currently, a try is worth five points, with a conversion two points. Penalties and drop-goals are both worth three points.
Rugby's scoring system has been subject to change throughout its history, with the try rising from three points to four in the northern hemisphere in 1971 - followed worldwide in 1973 - and the value being increased again to five points in 1992.
It is understood the Welsh experiment is part of an ongoing review of the game's laws.
The Principality Premiership is made up of semi-professional teams and includes some of the biggest clubs in the history of the Welsh game. Pontypridd, Llanelli, Cardiff and Newport all play in the league.
Llewellyn, who played for Neath before the introduction of regional rugby in Wales and played 92 times for his country, says his preparations for the new season have taken account of the points change.
"We will kick off with that on Saturday and we looked at it and how it will affect the game," he added.
"People have asked if it's going to lead to teams giving away more penalties because it's only two points for a penalty, but then you are going to end up defending more driving line-outs which you don't want to do."
The Welsh Rugby Union and World Rugby have not commented. | Wales' second-tier rugby clubs will play under an experimental scoring system that awards six points for a try and two points for all kicks. |
38081975 | The Welsh Whisky Distillery Company bottles are being auctioned online from Thursday until 5 December by Peter Francis Auctioneers in Carmarthen.
The whisky was bought by a wine merchant in Fishguard, Pembrokeshire, in the 1960s for £5 each.
Auctioneer Charles Hampshire said: "It's such a rare thing - the only other ones we know of are on display."
The Welsh Whisky Distillery Company was founded in Frongoch, Bala, Gwynedd in 1889 but closed in the early 20th Century.
The distillery became a World War One prison camp - and more famously, an internment camp after the Easter Rising in the Republic of Ireland.
The bottles, dating back to about 1900, will go up in two separate lots, each with supporting paperwork.
Mr Hampshire said another bottle of the same whisky was auctioned in Cardiff in 2001 and is on show at Penderyn Distillery. There is another at Cardiff's St Fagans National History Museum.
"I'd be very surprised if there are any others around - it's going to be interesting," he added.
The current owners, whose father bought the whisky, live in south Wales and Mr Hampshire said the person the merchant acquired them from had the bottles in their family since 1914.
"I've had a lot of interest over the past four or five days. The final figure, from what I've been able to glean, could be between £2,000-£3,000 each," said Mr Hampshire. | Two bottles of Welsh whisky dating back almost 120 years could fetch £3,000 each when they are put up for auction. |
38335496 | Wales will face the Silver Ferns in two games on 7 and 8 February at Sport Wales National Centre in Cardiff.
The Welsh have played New Zealand 14 times but have not hosted the world number two side for almost 20 years.
"To bring these legends across to Wales and to host in Cardiff is a dream come true for us," Jones said.
"It's got to be seen as a platform to expose our players to playing one of the world's best teams and using it as a real learning curve for 2018 Commonwealth Games preparation.
"It's a huge platform. It's a historic event."
New Zealand have won the World Cup four times and were runners-up to Australia in last year's tournament.
Having the Silver Ferns visit Cardiff for the series could provide a huge boost to wider women's sport and not just netball according to Jones.
"The profile for women's sport across the sector is increasing rapidly and netball is integral to that. You have to look at what's happening globally around the excitement of netball," she continued.
"When you go across to the Southern Hemisphere the Silver Ferns and the Australian Diamonds are treated in the same way as the All Blacks are treated in terms of rugby.
"This is a real scoop for us to bring them across and capitalise on their elite performance." | Welsh Netball chief executive Sarah Jones says their home Test series against New Zealand in 2017 could be a "historic moment" for the sport. |
34899937 | VW has set aside £4.8bn to cover recall costs, but had not until now said there would be no compensation.
VW has been compensating drivers in the US, arguing that the market circumstances were different.
VW drivers in the UK say the emissions scandal has hit the re-sale value of their cars, with one telling the BBC's You & Yours programme he is "dismayed".
It was discovered in the US that the German carmaker's diesel cars had so-called "defeat devices" that could cheat laboratory emissions tests.
Since then, VW has announced that millions of cars are being recalled, and regulators across the world have begun investigations.
In a statement to Radio 4's You & Yours, VW said it was committed to putting right any cars affected, but that the company was "not planning any further financial payouts".
This is despite VW customers in the US being promised $500 (£330) and a further $500 in credit vouchers.
More than one million UK cars are thought to be fitted with the computer "cheat chips", which reduced levels of NOx emissions during testing.
The chair of the UK's Transport Select Committee, Louise Ellman, told You & Yours that VW should carefully consider its next step.
"I think that VW are compounding their misdemeanours. I think they think they can get away with it, but that simply will not happen," she said.
VW is recalling about 11 million cars worldwide, with 8.5 million of them in Europe. In the US, 482,000 diesel cars are thought to have been fitted with the "cheat" technology.
In its statement, VW said: "We are putting together an individual package of measures for each market designed to achieve high customer satisfaction in what is currently an unsatisfactory situation for customers."
But UK customers of the German manufacturer hoping for a payout will be left frustrated.
Chris Hoyland, the owner of a VW Tiguan 2L diesel, said the value of his car had dropped from £20,600 to £17,500 since the emissions scandal broke.
"I had only driven 1,000 miles during that period so I'm dismayed my vehicle had depreciated so much. I think to treat European and UK drivers differently from those in America is just totally unfair."
VW has suggested to the BBC that it is offering US customers compensation because the US is seen as a key market that they would like to develop.
The thinking is that US consumers bought a VW car specifically advertised as a "clean diesel". They were investing in a niche technology where diesel fuel costs more than petrol, and so financial compensation would be appropriate.
But Ms Ellman is not convinced. "The secretary of state has the power impose unlimited penalties," she said. "I think they should take a realistic view and not try and discriminate on how they treat customers in the States and how they do here." | Volkswagen has "no plans" to compensate customers in Europe whose diesel cars were rigged to cheat emissions tests. |
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