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Tourist guide John Alasdair Macdonald captured his image on a compact camera near Dochfour at about 21:00 on Sunday. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency got calls from people in the Highlands, Dumfries and Galloway and Cumbria concerned it was a distress flare. Mr Macdonald described his images as a "fluke". Mr Macdonald said: "I was taking some new pictures to put on my Facebook page using a Sony RX100 compact camera. "It was a beautiful, clear night and I got some nice pictures but capturing the meteor was a fluke. I will never take a picture like that again." Mr Macdonald, who runs the business The Hebridean Explorer, said he had seen messages on social media of a meteor being seen elsewhere, including Sleat on Skye. Meteor sightings were also said to have been made from North Uist, Oban and Mull. A "meteorite" mistaken for a distress flare also sparked a lifeboat search operation off the English coast on Sunday. Maryport Coastguard Rescue Team said it received numerous reports of a moving red object over the sea between Workington, Cumbria, and the Isle of Whithorn in Dumfries and Galloway. Did you see the meteor? Send your pictures and videos to [email protected] or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (international). Or you can upload here. Read the terms and conditions.
A meteor that may have caused phone calls to the Coastguard in Scotland and England was photographed from the shores of Loch Ness.
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Maydown Precision Engineering (MPE) in Londonderry employs 133 staff and supplies parts to major aircraft firms. It was bought last month by Waterford-based Schivo Group, which said up to 15 jobs were "under consideration". Unite said its members received letters "warning about unspecified numbers of job losses at the company, which raises serious concerns for the future". Regional officer Philip Oakes said: "We are very disappointed that the new owners of Maydown Precision Engineering have decided to exclude the union from their plans for redundancies in the workforce. "It is unacceptable and a breach of our existing recognition agreement that we only found out about the planned job losses when members came forward with letters from management." Unite had said there was concern for the future of 140 jobs, but a spokesman for Schivo NI, formerly known as MPE, accused the union of "inaccurate and irresponsible behaviour". "Schivo NI has not breached any existing agreement with any trade union and 133 jobs at the facility in Derry are not at risk," he said. "Schivo NI recently acquired the business and assets of Maydown Precision Engineering and in line with restructuring the business, a small number of staff in roles that are not key to the growth and development of the business have been informed that the company is considering making their positions redundant. "Between 10 and 15 positions are under consideration, although at this stage nothing has been decided." He said the company was "committed to the long-term growth and development of the business in Derry".
An aerospace engineering company has rejected claims by a union that a large number of jobs are at risk.
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Daisy Clark, 18, from Newquay, received critical acclaim online when she made a cover of the song Hopelessly Devoted to You from the musical Grease. The singer said she almost did not post the video due to "rude comments" she had received online about her weight. The video has received almost six million views on social media. Record label Warner Music Group released the song on Friday. For more on Daisy Clark plus more Devon and Cornwall news. "It's so exciting that someone like me, from a tiny town miles away from London, can release such an iconic song after being spotted online," Daisy said. "I hope it will inspire other musicians around the country to keep trying, and not let small town mentality or negativity get them down." The young performer said negative comments she had received before about her weight made her doubt whether posting the song would be a good idea. "Social media is pretty vicious sometimes," she sad. "You have to expect that there is always going to be some rude comments "It did give me doubts, especially with Hopelessly Devoted To You. I just didn't let the comments stop me from doing what I love."
A teenager who had rarely left her home county of Cornwall has become a global sensation after her YouTube video went viral.
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Minh Quang Pham, 33, was sentenced in New York for supporting the terror group al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in 2011. In January, Pham admitted three counts of terrorist-related activity based on his support for the group. He denied he intended to carry out his plot and no attack ever occurred. Pham, a former Vietnamese national who had lived in London, was first arrested in the UK in June 2012 and was extradited to the US in February 2015. Scotland Yard said its counter-terrorism command provided key evidence that helped shape the case against Pham, also known as Amin, which led to his prosecution. He pleaded guilty to one count of providing material support to AQAP, one count of conspiring to receive military training from AQAP and one count of possessing and using a machine gun in furtherance of crimes of violence. Prosecutors said Pham was directed by al-Qaeda leader Anwar Al-Awlaki to detonate explosives in Heathrow's arrivals area after spending several months in Yemen being trained by him. District Judge Alison Nathan said Pham deserved an "exceptionally severe sentence" after he became a trusted asset for the terror group. Pham had worked as a graphic artist on the group's magazine, Inspire, that was said to be used by the Boston marathon bombers to learn how to make bombs. During the hearing Pham said he had made a "terrible mistake" that he regretted and sent a letter to the judge to say he renounced all acts of terrorism and extremist ideology.
A British citizen who US prosecutors said plotted to carry out a suicide bomb attack at Heathrow Airport has been jailed for 40 years in the US.
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Families told police the gunmen claimed they were community police and took away several young men. Chilapa has been caught in battles between two rival drug gangs fighting for territorial control. Local media say the number of disappeared could be much higher. Last year, 43 students disappeared in another town in Guerrero, Iguala. The gunmen overran Chilapa between 9 and 14 May, disarming local police and forcing the police chief to leave. They said they had come to end violence in the city between rival drug gangs Los Rojos and Los Ardillos, and said some police officers were working for Los Rojos. The gunmen later returned the police weapons. After they left some residents said the gunmen had been kidnapping and rounding up men. Most of the men were said to be under 30. Federal prosecutors announced on Thursday they were sending detectives and experts to Chilapa to search for the disappeared. Also on Thursday, police found at least three dismembered bodies wrapped in blankets in a cemetery near Chilapa. They have not been identified. Jose Diaz Navarro, who is representing the families of the disappeared, said he had an unofficial report of a far larger group of 30 missing people. He said some families were afraid to speak out and others had already left the city out of fear.
Mexican federal investigators are looking into the disappearance of at least 15 people in the city of Chilapa in Guerrero state, after it was overrun in early May by hundreds of gunmen.
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The scammers claim they are selling their right-hand drive car after returning to Sweden following working in Northern Ireland. The bogus sellers engage their victims by text and email only. A link in an online advertisement opens up a fake logistics company for delivery. One victim, Ian, lost £4000, despite carrying out a number of checks during the process. He spoke to one person, who was posing as a representative of a fake delivery firm. He sold his own car to be able to afford the second hand car he spotted in an online advertisement for less than the price he paid the scammers. Ian told BBC Radio Ulster's On Your Behalf programme it was a "devastating" blow for him and his family. "It has left us penniless," he said. He has shared details of the incident with the Metropolitan Police in London. Bill Molloy from Trading Standards said other people have lost money in similar scams.
The Northern Ireland Trading Standards Service has warned potential car buyers about a scam which has left two people thousands of pounds out of pocket.
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Figures from the county council revealed six claims were made that year and a significant amount went to a middle school-aged pupil who fell during a school trip in 2009. The council would not disclose further details for fear of identification. Nothing has been paid to pupils so far in 2014, the figures showed. A total of £1,091,082 was paid to pupils aged five to 18 between 2011 and 2013 - but the vast majority of that amount was paid in 2013, with the amounts for 2011 and 2012 being £3,850 and £47,450 respectively. The accident resulting in the largest payout involved a pupil falling from a height and suffering a spinal injury at the Malvern Hills Outdoor Centre in June 2009, the Health and Safety Executive confirmed. The centre was run by the council at the time. The authority said 90% of all payouts were made by its insurance company.
More than £1m was paid in compensation to school pupils in Worcestershire in 2013, a freedom of information request has shown.
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The nun was raped by a Hindu mob in Kandhamal district, days after riots between Hindus and Christian there. Riots began after a Hindu religious leader was shot dead. Although left-wing Maoist rebels in the state claimed responsibility for the killing, hard-line Hindu groups blamed the minority Christian community for the death. More than 30 people were killed in the violence and dozens of churches and Christian institutions were vandalised. Police had arrested nine people in connection with the rape of the nun. One accused is still being sought. On Friday, Judge Gyana Ranjan Purohit found Santosh Patnaik guilty of rape, and Gajendra Digal and Saroj Badhei guilty of molestation. Patnaik was sentenced to 11 years in prison, while Digal and Badhei were each sent to prison for 26 months. Six of the other accused were acquitted by the court in Orissa because of lack of evidence. The Catholic nun, working with the Divyajyoti Pastoral Centre at Kanjemandi village, alleged that she was dragged out of a Hindu man's house where she had taken shelter along with a 55-year-old priest, Father Thomas Chellantharayil. She was taken to an abandoned house where she was raped by a mob on 25 August 2008. She also alleged that she was paraded naked through the streets. Hindu groups in Kandhamal had accused Christian priests of bribing poor tribes and low-caste Hindus to convert to Christianity. Christians said lower-caste Hindus converted willingly to escape the Hindu caste system.
A court in India has found three people guilty in connection with the rape of a Catholic nun in Orissa state in 2008.
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The UKIP leader had increased his party's share of the vote in the seat by 27%, and nationally UKIP's vote share was up by 10 percentage points to a total of 3.9 million. Still, the party won just one constituency under the UK's first-past-the-post voting system. The Greens' ambitions were similarly thwarted: they won more than a million votes but just one seat. The Electoral Reform Society, a campaign group, has modelled what would have happened under a proportional voting system that makes use of the D'Hondt method of converting votes to seats. The Conservatives would have won 75 fewer seats but would still have been the largest party in the Commons. Labour too would have taken fewer seats. The SNP's dramatic increase in seats of 50 would have been curtailed to 25. But UKIP, the Lib Dems and the Greens would have fared much better. UKIP would have been a force to be reckoned with in the Commons with 83 seats. Mr Farage has not yet declared which of the many alternative voting systems he would favour, but any more proportional system would be likely to give him and other smaller parties a boost. The contrasting fortunes of the different parties in Westminster under first past the post are made clear by looking at the number of votes won for each winning candidate. UKIP required more than 100 times as many votes for its lone elected MP than the Conservatives did for each of theirs. The scale of the above graph masks a shift in the figures for Westminster's two largest parties. For the first time in at least 20 years, the number of votes cast for each elected Labour MP has overtaken the equivalent figure for the Conservatives.
"The time has come for real, genuine, radical political reform," Nigel Farage said after losing his bid to take Thanet South from the Conservatives.
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The Serie A champions have paid $3.3m (£2.5m) for the loan spell and have the choice to buy him for $18.8m (£14.3m) next summer. The 29-year-old returns to Italian football after spells at Udinese and Roma, whom he left for Bayern in 2014. He made 23 appearances for the Bundesliga winners last season. He had hinted earlier this year that he would consider his future after Bayern re-signed Germany defender Mats Hummels from rivals Borussia Dortmund. Benatia was born in France but opted to play for Morocco at international level and has now earned 42 caps.
Morocco defender Medhi Benatia has joined Italian club Juventus on a season-long loan from German champions Bayern Munich.
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Media playback is not supported on this device Rowan has been performing incredibly in training for some time and we felt it was only a matter of time before the results started coming. Cheshire, 18, secured her win in the third of four halfpipe Freestyle Skiing World Cup events this season, with a score of 80.40 from her first run. Fellow Briton Emma Lonsdale finished with a career best tenth in Canada. Jilly Curry was the last British woman to win gold at a World Cup event, in aerials in 1992. Cheshire, who is from Stoke, won bronze at last season's World Junior Championships in Valmalenco. She has met the Olympic qualifying standard for the Sochi Olympics. But Cheshire, who is currently second, must remain in the top 24 of the International Ski Federation list and, along with Lonsdale, will learn whether she has a quota place when the team is announced on 22 January. "Rowan has been performing incredibly in training for some time and we felt it was only a matter of time before the results started coming," coach Pat Sharples told BBC Sport. "She's worked so hard to get to where she is and I feel the best is still yet to come." The fourth and final halfpipe event of the Freestyle Skiing World Cup takes place at Northstar in the United States on 10 January.
Rowan Cheshire has become the first British female skier to win halfpipe gold at a World Cup event with her victory in Calgary.
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The 49-year-old ex-England striker succeeded Graham Westley in the summer, his first managerial role, with Boro having reached the play-offs last year. But they are only eight points above the relegation zone, with three points taken from the last 24 available. "Teddy has had the worst luck I've seen in the 16 years I've owned the football club," said chairman Phil Wallace. "Normally we'd have one or two major ops on key players in a season but we've had more this season than the last three combined." Sheringham's side had made two signings on Monday before his departure - converting forward Aaron O'Connor's loan into a permanent move and adding Oxford striker Pat Hoban on a one-month loan. But Boro, who have suffered long-term injuries to several players including Steven Schumacher, Ben Kennedy and Dave McAllister, are without a win since 12 December. "You also occasionally lose points in the last few minutes of games but we've been in this situation in four of the last eight matches," said Wallace. "However, we are where we are and the club have to make a change. "Teddy came in having to work on a lower budget than we've had before and the lack of available funds has made it difficult to get the players he'd like. He's given it his all but it hasn't worked and now we have to thank him for his efforts and move on." First-team coach Darren Sarll will take caretaker charge of the club.
Teddy Sheringham has been sacked as manager of Stevenage with the club 19th in League Two.
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Security forces retook the Naso-Hablod hotel after gunmen stormed it and took hostages, officials said. Those killed are reported to include security guards, civilians and some of the attackers. Al-Shabab militants frequently carry out attacks in the city in their bid to topple the Western-backed government. A suicide bomber first detonated a car with explosives at the gate of the hotel, and the attackers moved in, officials said. Once inside, the gunmen shot randomly at guests, a witness said. "They were shooting at everyone they could see. I escaped through the back door," Ali Mohamud told the Associated Press news agency. A gun battle then erupted between the attackers and security forces. Police said at least four men were involved in the assault. The victims included women working outside the hotel, Capt Mohamed Hussein said. It was not immediately clear if guests had also been killed. The Naso-Hablod hotel, in southern Mogadishu, is often used by politicians and tourists. The group said it targeted a place "frequented by the apostate government members", Reuters news agency reported. Earlier this month at least 10 people were killed and 50 injured in an attack on another hotel in the Somali capital, which was claimed by al-Shabab. The al-Qaeda-linked group was driven from Mogadishu in 2011 but still remains a threat and frequently carries out attacks in the city. The government, with the help of African Union forces, is fighting al-Shabab militants in several parts of the country.
An attack by the Islamist group al-Shabab in a hotel in the Somali capital Mogadishu has left at least 14 dead, police say.
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The 34-year-old also played for Lisburn Distillery before a trophy-laden spell with Linfield. "Tim has fought back from a number of serious injuries over the last few seasons, but has finally decided to hang up the boots," said Portadown. Meanwhile, striker Tiernan Mulvenna has left the Shamrock Park club. "We wish Tiernan all the best for the future and thank him for his efforts this season," the Premiership club added. Mouncey made 234 appearances for Portadown and chipped in with 35 goals. Portadown are 14 points adrift at the bottom of the Irish Premiership after a 3-2 defeat by fellow strugglers Carrick Rangers on Saturday.
Portadown midfielder Tim Mouncey has announced his retirement from the game after nine years with the club.
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Media playback is unsupported on your device 22 April 2015 Last updated at 17:10 BST Although kids aren't able to vote, the decisions made at the election will have a big impact on the lives of all children across the country. But with so many different political parties competing with each other, we're giving you the low down on the main ones. Find out all you need to know about the Liberal Democrats in Newsround's 60 second guide.
There's a General Election coming up on 7 May, where adults will vote to decide who will run the UK.
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The 21-year-old won the club's player of the year award in 2016 after joining from York City Knights. Minikin has scored six tries in 16 appearances and will remain at Wheldon Road until the end of the 2019 season. "We have a bright future here at Castleford and we're aiming to win some silverware, if not next year then in the near future," he said.
Castleford Tigers centre Greg Minikin has signed a two-year contract extension.
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The 43-year-old, who beat German Jung to team gold at last summer's Rio Olympics, posted a score of 38.7 penalty points on Qing Du Briot. Jung, 34, scored 40.0 penalties leaving him and La Biosthetique Sam FBW third behind Bettina Hoy on Designer 10. "I am very happy. I didn't expect to do so well," said Vallette. "It was the best test the horse has done this year. He has had some difficulties since Rio, and although we made a few mistakes at the beginning of the test, he was then listening to me again." Nicolas Touzaint is the only French rider to have won Badminton in its 68-year history. British debutant Alexander Bragg riding Zagreb, and Tom McEwen with Toledo De Kerser, are joint sixth.
Frenchman Thibaut Vallette leads reigning champion Michael Jung at the halfway stage of the Badminton Horse Trials dressage.
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The minke whale was spotted near Orford on Saturday, but the inaccessibility of the River Ore's mud flats meant experts could not carry out post-mortem tests on it. The whale was towed to a quay at about 12:00 BST and taken away by lorry by an authorised contractor, New Orford Town Trust said. It was one of three dead whales, but experts said they were not linked. More on this and other news from Suffolk The minke, which was "less than 20ft in length", weighed about one-and-a-half tonnes, Kara Reed, clerk of the Trust, said. "In 13 years of working for the trust I have never had to deal with a whale," Ms Reed said. "It was very sad." The whale had been tethered on the mud flats since Monday to stop it from floating away and was towed about one mile by boat at high tide, she said. It was taken to Orford quay and then removed by lorry for "disposal". The minke was the first of three dead whales to be seen along that part of the Suffolk coast. On Wednesday the body of a 30ft (9m) female fin whale which washed up on the beach at Felixstowe on Sunday was removed. The third whale, believed to be a sperm whale, which was spotted off the coast on Monday is thought to have floated back out to sea. Scientists from the Cetaceans Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP) said the three deaths were "coincidental" and not thought to be in any way linked.
The carcass of a whale which washed up on the Suffolk coast has been removed.
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Ferguson, who had a proposed deal with Fleetwood fall through recently, joins Burton after a successful trial period. The 20-year-old was a youth player at Dagenham & Redbridge, but is yet to make a Football League appearance. Grays are currently 10th in the Isthmian League Premier Division, of the seventh tier of English football. Ferguson could be Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's final signing, with the Burton boss in talks with QPR.
Midfielder Nathan Ferguson has joined League One leaders Burton Albion on a two-and-a-half-year deal from non-league side Grays Athletic.
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One witness told the Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) inquiry that the soldier abused him in a playroom and bedroom at Manor House in Lisburn. He said his alleged abuser bought sweets and gifts for children at the former Church Of Ireland home. The inquiry is examining child abuse in residential homes in Northern Ireland. Giving evidence via videolink from Australia, the man, who is now in his 60s, said the soldier "manipulated us children". "I think he may have abused other children," he added. "I believe we were just pieces of meat to that man that abused me." The Society for Irish Church Missions (ICM), which ran Manor House, has issued an unreserved apology for the actions of what it has described as "an opportunistic, determined and devious abuser". Another man, also in his early 60's, described the alleged abuser as "a freak visitor to the home". He said the soldier, who was middle-aged at the time, groomed children and carried out sexual abuse "many times". The ICM has also apologised to the man and his family "for the hurt suffered". The HIA inquiry is investigating the extent of abuse in religious and state-run institutions over a spell of more than 70 years. Its chairman, the retired senior High Court judge Sir Anthony Hart, is due to submit his report to the Northern Ireland Executive by 17 January 2017.
Two former residents of a Protestant children's home in County Antrim have told an inquiry they were sexually abused by an Army member.
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Kennedy was confronted by Rondo after ejecting him on two technical fouls during the game between the Kings and Boston Celtcs in Mexico on 3 December. "I am proud to be an NBA referee and I am proud to be a gay man," said Kennedy, an official for 18 seasons. "My actions were out of frustration and emotion, period," tweeted Rondo. "They absolutely do not reflect my feelings toward the LGBT community. I did not mean to offend or disrespect anyone." The Sacramento player was banned for one game for his actions. NBA commissioner Adam Silver stated: "I wholeheartedly support Bill's decision to live his life proudly and openly. "Throughout his 18-year career with the league, Bill has excelled as a referee because of his passion, dedication and courage. Those qualities will continue to serve him well both as a game official and as a positive influence for others." Kennedy, 49, has officiated 1,056 NBA games and 68 play-off contests, including five NBA Finals matches. He also worked at the 2010 World Championships and 2012 London Olympics. He added: "I am following in the footsteps of others who have self-identified in the hopes that will send a message to young men and women in sports that you must allow no-one to make you feel ashamed of who you are." Kennedy is the second NBA referee to announce being gay after Violet Palmer made the same declaration in 2014 upon marrying her long-time partner.
Veteran NBA referee Bill Kennedy has revealed he is gay after being the subject of homophobic insults from Sacramento guard Rajon Rondo.
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The woman was arrested on Thursday after the girl disappeared on Wednesday, North Yorkshire Police said. She has been charged with attempting to take away a child in care without lawful authority and passport offences. The woman is due to appear at York Crown Court on Monday. The child involved is safe and well, police said.
A 30-year-old woman has been charged with attempted child abduction after a three-year-old girl was reported missing from Harrogate.
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26 June 2016 Last updated at 10:58 BST Welsh striker Gareth Bale's little daughter Alba Violet invaded the pitch after the match. She had given her dad a secret good luck message before the match, which he kept in his shorts throughout the game. Take a look at their celebration...
Wales beat Northern Ireland 1 - 0 in the Euros and the team weren't the only ones celebrating.
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Organisers said the Oscar-winner would be honoured for her 40-year career as an actress, director and film producer. "Her ambition, exuberance and grace have helped pave the way for budding artists in this business," said the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. She will be presented with the award at a ceremony on 13 January. "Jodie is a multifaceted woman that has achieved immeasurable amounts of success and will continue to do so in her career," HFPA president Aida Takla-O'Reilly said in a statement. "She's truly one of a kind." Foster, 49, began her career in television commercials at the age of three and by the age of 10, had appeared in a string of TV shows. She found international fame in 1976 for her Oscar-nominated performance as teenage prostitute Iris in Taxi Driver, and roles as Tallulah in Bugsy Malone and the lead in Freaky Friday. She has since appeared in more than 40 movies, winning best actress Oscars for her role as a rape victim in 1988 film The Accused and as the FBI agent Clarice Starling in 1991's The Silence of The Lambs. The actress also branched out into directing, with projects including Little Man Tate in 1991 and last year's The Beaver, starring Mel Gibson. She also produces for both film and television through her production company, Egg Pictures. Previous winners of the Cecil B DeMille Award - named for the famed director of The Ten Commandments and The Greatest Show on Earth - include Robert DeNiro, Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, Al Pacino and Morgan Freeman, who was awarded the honour earlier this year.
Silence of the Lambs actress Jodie Foster is to receive the Cecil B DeMille Award for lifetime achievement at the Golden Globes next year.
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Dyfed-Powys Police called in the Brecon Mountain Rescue Team just before midnight on Friday, after the group of four bikers from Kent became lost. The party was found at the Claerwen Reservoir, near Rhayader. A helicopter evacuation had to be abandoned, with a boat needed to ferry the bikers across the reservoir. The Brecon rescue team said their members had to struggle 4.5km (2.8 miles) over difficult moorland, before reaching the lost party at about 03:00 BST on Saturday morning. Due to the remote nature of the location, their team was also joined by rescuers from the Longtown Mountain Rescue Team. The motorcyclists were cold and exhausted when discovered, and one had a medical condition which meant they could not walk back to safety. Poor weather saw a coastguard co-ordinated helicopter forced to return to Caernarfon in Gwynedd. However, with the aid of a Mid and West Wales Fire Service boat from Aberystwyth, the party was finally taken across the reservoir to a 4x4 vehicle. A Brecon rescue team spokesperson added that it was "another example of rescue services, mountain rescue, fires Service and police, working together to effect a rescue in difficult terrain".
A party of off-road motorcyclists have been led to safety in an operation involving mountain rescue teams, a rescue helicopter and finally a boat.
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The 16-year-old forward joined the Hammers aged 11 and featured for the Premier League club's under-21 side before leaving London Stadium. "We're fortunate to have signed a very talented player," said Shots boss Gary Waddock. "We need to make sure that we help him to realise his potential but we are planning for the future."
National League side Aldershot Town have signed former West Ham academy player Idris Kanu.
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The motorbike and a light-coloured car crashed on the A52 in Radcliffe-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, at 22:30 BST on Friday. Kiefer Davies, 25, from Bingham, suffered injuries and died later, Nottinghamshire Police said. The teenagers have been released on police bail. Anyone with any information on the crash has been asked to contact the force.
Two 17 year olds have been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving after a motorcyclist died in a crash.
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8 February 2017 Last updated at 15:59 GMT The former Bongo Maffin singer tells the BBC why she thinks their anti-apartheid rebel music still resonates today. Performance footage courtesy of Thandiswa Mazwai
Thandiswa Mazwai’s new album pays homage to some of the South Africa’s iconic jazz musicians.
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The pair in Massachusetts, on the US east coast, grabbed shovels and a wheelbarrow to make a massive snow pile, and then chiselled it into shape. They used spray paint and some sticks to complete the droid look. Their creation has been admired online since their aunt shared the photo.
A brother and sister in the US have made the most of the snowy weather by building a giant snow model of their favourite Star Wars character.
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After resuming on 292-2, with Duckett on 178, the hosts progressed to 481-7 before bad light intervened. Teenager George Garton has taken three wickets on his Championship debut. But the Sussex bowlers have otherwise struggled, not helped by dropping Duckett twice. After 82 overs on the first day, only 53 overs were managed on day two, during which 21-year-old Duckett reached eighth position in the all-time annals of best individual innings for the county, going past Wayne Larkins, Allan Lamb and Dennis Brookes on that list. But, for all Duckett's dominance, Northants ended four runs short of a fifth batting point, having only reached 396-5 at the 110-over mark.
Northamptonshire opener Ben Duckett extended his career-best score to within 18 runs of a triple century on 282 after another rain-interrupted day against Sussex at Wantage Road.
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They used a plank of wood as a paddle and remained afloat for nearly two miles before abandoning their makeshift vessel on the banks of the River Dee. Concerned members of the public rang the coastguard service when they spotted the men on Tuesday night. It is thought they sailed from Queensferry to Connah's Quay where they dumped the fridge and fled. A coastguard spokesman said: "They all scarpered as our rescue team came on the scene. "It was highly irresponsible. They had no life jackets and it obviously wasn't the most stable of craft. "Things could have gone very badly wrong. It's a very tidal area. "They were extremely lucky they didn't sink or get stuck in the mud when the fridge ran aground."
Three men who paddled in a fridge freezer down a river in Flintshire have been branded "highly irresponsible".
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Officers said it was out of character for the girl from Stockton, who is of British Pakistani origin, to go missing. She was last seen on Thursday in Cromwell Avenue and there was concern for her welfare. A Cleveland Police spokeswoman confirmed she was found on Saturday evening.
A teenage girl who police believed may have gone abroad has been found safe a few miles from her home on Teesside.
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The casualty, a 55-year-old man from Elgin, was taken to Dumfries Infirmary after the collision at 17:50 on Wednesday. The road was closed for some time for accident investigations. The biker suffered a broken arm and ruptured spleen in the incident. The tractor driver was unhurt. Police have appealed for any witnesses to the crash to contact them.
A motorcyclist has been seriously injured in a crash with a tractor and trailer on the Dumfries to Dalbeattie road near Beeswing.
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The council brings together representatives of the UK and Irish governments as well as the devolved administrations. On Thursday night, Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness spoke at an event organised by Co-operation Ireland. Mr Robinson said parties must ensure the spirit and vision of last week's Fresh Start agreement is fulfilled. "It is fitting one of our first public events after the Stormont Agreement is this Co-operation Ireland gathering," he said. "At every crucial moment in the political process in recent years Co-operation Ireland have had a vital part to play." Mr McGuinness said politicians want to build on last week's progress and move into a period of positive co-operation. "Confidence and mutual respect has to be built and maintained if we are to fully overcome the legacy of our fractured past," he said. "We must all rise above narrow interests and agendas to create a truly reconciled society." The Fresh Start agreement agreed a way forward on the issues paramilitarism and welfare reform after 10 weeks of talks. However, the parties failed to break the deadlock over legacy issues arising from Northern Ireland's Troubles.
The first and deputy first ministers have attended a meeting of the British Irish Council in London.
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Midfielder Hall, 30, was let go by League Two side Cheltenham having spent the second half of the 2016-17 season on loan at York City. French midfielder Gomis, 29, joins from National League side Sutton, where he made 48 appearances last season. They becomes Barrow's fourth and fifth summer signings, following the arrivals of midfielder Bradley Bauress, striker Jordan White and defender Dan Jones. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.
Barrow have signed Cheltenham's Asa Hall and Sutton's Bedsente Gomis.
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About 30 people attended the event organised by Essex Police following the death of Arkadiusz Jozwik, 39, attacked in The Stow at Harlow on 27 August. Residents gathered at the Latton Bush Centre, Southern Way, on Saturday. Police heard concerns about his death and assaults on two Polish men as well as other alleged hate crimes. Mira Gustmajdzimski, who was at the event, said Polish people no longer felt part of the community in Harlow, and "many people were scared to come to this meeting". Albanian Mimoza Matoshi, who works for Integration Support Services in Harlow, said there has been a dramatic rise in racist attacks since Brexit. She said some Polish people were considering leaving the town. Miroslawa Majdzinska from Poland said she had been repeatedly targeted in racist incidents. "Many people were abused, my friends were told not to speak the Polish language at work, kids are not allowed to speak Polish in school." Ch Supt Sean O'Callaghan from Essex Police said: "Residents are understandably shocked and concerned following these violent incidents. "We wanted to give the community an opportunity to raise their concerns. "Our figures show that about 2% of crimes are hate related and a smaller percentage are related to race. "We have limited resources so need to put officers where they are needed," he added. On Friday Prime Minister Theresa May has expressed her "deep regret" over attacks on Polish citizens living in the UK. She told Polish PM Beata Szydlo that "hate crime has no place in UK society". She referred to Poles attacked since Brexit in June and the killing of Arkadiusz Jozwik in Harlow.
A public meeting in Harlow where a Polish man died and two others were attacked has heard some European nationals are considering leaving.
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Amelia Caller, who is now 22 and from Great Hale, Lincolnshire, is accused of buying gas that her friend, Emma Crossman, used to take her own life. Fiona Caller told Lincoln Crown Court her sister was bullied as a teenager and Miss Crossman was her only friend. The jury also heard Miss Crossman knew how to "manipulate" Miss Caller. Emma Crossman, who was 21, was found dead at her home in Sleaford in January 2014. Miss Caller bought the gas that Miss Crossman used to kill herself but did not think her friend would take her own life, the court was told. Fiona Caller said Miss Crossman's expressions of wanting to die were "a continuous thing." Giving evidence, she said: "I don't think anyone believed she would actually go through with it." Ms Caller told the court Miss Crossman knew how to "manipulate" and "get things" from her sister. The defendant would give Miss Crossman money and buy her presents, the court heard. "She saw Emma as her only friend. She cared about her a lot," Ms Caller said. William Galen Ives, a psychologist called to give evidence by the defence, also told the court Miss Caller had a personality disorder. He said she was timid, childlike and was someone who does what she is told. Amelia Caller was also described as the quietest of six children, who left school at 16 and who had initially gone to college to train to work with children. She had attended confidence-building sessions in Boston to help her find a job. Miss Caller denies one count of encouraging or assisting a suicide. The trial continues.
The sister of a woman on trial for assisting the suicide of her best friend told a jury her sibling was "more like a child than a 21-year-old".
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They shared a third-wicket stand of 167 at The Ageas Bowl before Myburgh, in his first four-day appearance of the summer, was dismissed by leg-spinner Mason Crane for 110. Hildreth was out lbw for 152 to seamer Ryan McLaren (5-104) as Somerset declared on 474-8 - a lead of 255. Hampshire then closed on 18-1. Hildreth, one of county cricket's most prolific scorers never to have won an England Test cap, was at his fluent best in a 167-ball knock which included 24 boundaries. The 31-year-old has now made 721 runs in Division One this season, second only to Durham opener Keaton Jennings, at an average of more than 72. Myburgh, who has been limited to one-day appearances for Somerset in 2016, was equally as aggressive as he and Hildreth scored at almost five an over. Once both were out, wicketkeeper Ryan Davies smashed 52 off 39 balls and Craig Overton made an unbeaten 35 in a partnership of 82 in just 10.4 overs, to take Somerset past 400 and earn maximum batting bonus points. Hampshire suffered a late blow when Jimmy Adams was bowled by Lewis Gregory for nought in their second innings, but captain Will Smith and Tom Alsop held out until stumps.
Centuries from Johann Myburgh and James Hildreth helped Somerset to a huge lead against Hampshire on day two of their County Championship match.
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Bu farw Rebecca Evans, oedd yn helpu hyfforddi myfyrwyr Encore, ar 29 Tachwedd mewn gwrthdrawiad ger Port Talbot. Roedd hi wyth mis yn feichiog ar y pryd a bu farw'r babi Cari oedd heb ei eni hefyd. Dywedodd Elin Wyn Murphy, pennaeth yr ysgol berfformio, fod y fideo o'r myfyrwyr yn canu'r gân Anfonaf Angel yn fodd o roi teyrnged i Becca. "Mae'r ymateb i fideo Encore yn perfformio Anfonaf Angel wedi bod yn anhygoel. Mae'n gân emosiynol iawn i mi yn enwedig gan i deulu Becca ofyn i mi ei chanu yn ei hangladd ychydig wythnosau yn ôl," meddai. "Rwy' mor falch o fyfyrwyr Encore. Fe ddaethan nhw ynghyd gan ddangos cryfder anhygoel ynghyd â'r dewrder i allu recordio'r deyrnged yma i Becca. Roedden nhw fel y fi, yn meddwl y byd ohoni." Mae fideo o Encore yn paratoi'r record wedi cael ei rannu ar y gwefannau cymdeithasol er mwyn cefnogi Ambiwlans Awyr Cymru. Yn y car hefyd adeg y gwrthdrawiad yr oedd partner Miss Evans, Alex, a'u plentyn dyflwydd oed Cian, a gafodd anafiadau difrifol i'w ben. Cafodd ei gludo mewn ambiwlans awyr i'r Ysbyty Athrofaol yng Nghaerdydd.
Mae myfyrwyr mewn ysgol berfformio yn Sir Gaerfyrddin wedi rhyddhau fideo i gefnogi Ambiwlans Awyr Cymru ac er cof am eu cyn athrawes a fu farw mewn gwrthdrawiad ar yr M4.
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Ronnie Jessiman, 33, died when a suicide bomber attacked a British embassy vehicle in Kabul. He lived in Canterbury with his wife and had previously served in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, before joining security company G4S in 2013. Mr Jessiman was the son of a Scottish serviceman who lives in Glasgow. Speaking ahead of his funeral, G4S chief executive officer Ashley Almanza, said: "Ronnie Jessiman was a well-liked colleague who inspired those who worked alongside him with his character and professionalism. "He will be missed by all his friends at G4S and the company extends our deepest sympathy to his family at this most difficult time." The suicide bomb attack on 27 November, which the Taliban said they carried out, also killed three Afghans and wounded more than 30 others. G4S colleagues involved in close protection in Kabul described Mr Jessiman as "a true gentleman" and "very professional". They said he was "a no-nonsense type of bloke" who was "the glue that held the team together" and he would "be sadly missed". Mr Jessiman was born in London and joined the British Army in 1998, aged 17. After serving with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, in 2007 he transferred to 5 Scots, Support Company, Fire Support Group and had two deployments to Afghanistan as part of Operation Herrick. Mr Jessiman left the army in November 2012 and joined G4S in January 2013 as a close protection officer to the British Embassy in Kabul. He married his wife Natalie in August this year.
A funeral service is due to be held in Glasgow for a private security contractor who was killed in Afghanistan last month.
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John Mann said the government was denying people a traditional Christmas by not allowing a blue cheese made in his constituency to bear the name. The Bassetlaw MP was referring to Stichelton, which transgresses rules as it is made with unpasteurised milk. Mr Mann also tabled an early day motion warning the government to avoid a repeat of the Cheese Wars of the 1760s. Farming minister George Eustice said a consensus was needed from Stilton producers before recipe changes are accepted. Speaking in the Commons, Labour's John Mann told the minister: "The English Christmas could not exist without Stilton cheese and yet you are refusing to allow the name Stilton to be given to the only English cheese made in the traditional way, because of bureaucracy from Defra and you." He asked the minister: "Will you accept a full Stilton to give to the cabinet, perhaps provide the biscuits to go with it, in order that they can understand the price being paid by denying England its true traditional English cheese, and thereby rethink?" Mr Eustice replied: "I think the company you're referring to is one called Stichelton, which... produces a cheese using raw milk that actually commands a premium over Stilton. "When it comes to changing the protected food name status for Stilton, the reality is every single Stilton producer opposed such change and we do believe... there should be an idea of consensus before you impose changes to recipes on producers." Under current EU law Stilton can only be produced in Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, and not in Stilton, Cambridgeshire, where there has been a long-running battle over the use of the name and the origins of the cheese.
An MP is calling on the government to rethink its stance on cheeses that can be officially called Stilton.
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The one mile (1.6km) race started in Dock 9 near the Lowry and traversed Mariners Canal before ending at Dock 8 by the Helly Hansen Watersports Centre. Organisers recorded a water temperature of 18.5°C (65.3°F). Volunteers in safety kayaks monitored the swimmers. Speaking before the swim, Kai Wright said: "Five months ago I couldn't swim, now I'm attempting this mile. "When I was invited to join this challenge, I just couldn't but accept. I'm looking forward to conquering my fears."
Thousands of people have taken part in a "dock to dock" open water swim in Salford Quays.
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The warrant was issued late on Friday, said Karin Rosander, communications head at Sweden's prosecutors' office. Swedish police have been trying to contact Mr Assange, but have not yet been able to, she told the BBC. Wikileaks, criticised for leaking Afghan war documents, quoted him saying the allegations were "without basis". The message, which appeared on Twitter and was attributed directly to Mr Assange, said the appearance of the allegations "at this moment is deeply disturbing". In a series of other messages posted on the Wikileaks Twitter feed, the whistle-blowing website said: "No-one here has been contacted by Swedish police", and that it had been warned to expect "dirty tricks". Last month, Wikileaks published more than 75,000 secret US military documents on the war in Afghanistan. US authorities criticised the leak, saying it could put the lives of coalition soldiers and Afghans, especially informers, at risk. Mr Assange has said that Wikileaks is intending to release a further 15,000 documents in the coming weeks. Ms Rosander said there were two separate allegations against Mr Assange, one of rape and the other of molestation. She gave no details of the accusations. She said that as far as she knew they related to alleged incidents that took place in Sweden. Media reports say Mr Assange was in Sweden last week to talk about his work and defend the decision by Wikileaks to publish the Afghan war logs. The allegations were first reported in the Swedish newspaper Expressen.
Swedish authorities say they have issued an arrest warrant for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, on accusations of rape and molestation.
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An industrial unit in Doveholes and a house in Harpur Hill, Buxton, were both raided earlier by officers. About 30 officers were involved in the operation set up to tackle suspected gun crime and the illegal importation of firearms from abroad. A man and a woman, both 21, were arrested under the Firearms Act. Det Insp Shaun McElheron from Buxton CID said: "Derbyshire police will investigate all reports of illegally held firearms. "On this occasion a number of firearms have been recovered by police and there is no further risk to the public. "This incident was not connected to terrorism."
A number of firearms and ammunition have been seized and two people arrested after police raids in the High Peak area of Derbyshire.
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The hosts slumped to 70-6 at Hove before Ben Brown's 54 and lower-order runs from Ollie Robinson (32) and Ajmal Shahzad (26) aided a slight recovery. South African paceman Hardus Viljoen was the pick of the bowlers with 3-70. Kent closed 31 ahead on 211-5, Joe Denly making 48 and Sam Billings an attacking 64, while Australian seamer Steve Magoffin took three wickets.
Sussex were skittled for 180 as wickets tumbled on a frantic opening day of the County Championship match against Kent.
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Ms Marshall was found dead at an apartment block at Victoria Street in the town on Sunday evening. The police initially said Ms Marshall's death was being treated as suspicious and launched a murder inquiry after a post mortem examination.
Police investigating the murder of Laura Marshall in Lurgan have been granted an extra 36 hours by a court to question a 36-year-old man.
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Her son, who lodged the claim, has been given a 12 month community order. Arafa Nassib, 48, and Adil Kasim, 18, pleaded guilty at Birmingham Crown Court in May to committing fraud by false representation. A death certificate issued by a hospital in Tanzania stated Nassib had died from a severe head injury. See more stories from Birmingham and the Black Country here Nassib had amassed debts of £80,000 when she faked her death in Zanzibar, where she was said to have been involved in a car crash. Prosecutor Jonathan Barker told the court that "had the fraud been successful then the conspirators would have benefited to the sum of £136,530." The fraud, which centred on claims made against two policies with Scottish Widows, took place between March and December last year. One policy was worth £115,267 and the other £21,263. Kasim was sentenced for conspiring to commit fraud after his mother instructed him to lodge the false life insurance claims. Defence barrister Mohammed Riaz claimed Kasim had been acting under the instruction of his mother after she contacted him from Africa. The 48-year-old's fraud was discovered when investigators found no trace of her supposed grave in Zanzibar and the doctor reported to have treated her was not working on the day Nassib supposedly died. Nassib was in fact living in Canada at the time. Mr Barker said of Nassib: "She took the lead role in this conspiracy and she involved her young son. The offending was sophisticated and involved, no doubt, significant planning."
A woman who faked her own death in Africa in order to claim a £136,000 insurance payout has been jailed for two and a half years.
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The department said that 309,756 people used libraries last year, an increase of 3% from 2013/2014. The figures came after a BBC study found that over 200 jobs were lost in local libraries since 2010. The study showed that 7,900 library staff had lost their jobs across the UK, 25% of the total workforce. DCAL said a strategic review in 2009 had led to the closure of 13 libraries, but there were no plans to close any more. It said Culture Minister Carál Ní Chuilín had secured Northern Ireland Executive agreement for a proposal that reductions to the Libraries NI budget be capped at 7.5%, instead of the 11.2% cap enforced elsewhere across the department. "These actions helped to ensure that there were no further library closures," the department said. It also said £17m had been invested in library capital projects since 2010, including new facilities in Lisnaskea, County Fermanagh, and Kilkeel and Moira in County Down.
The number of people using libraries in Northern Ireland has gone up, according to figures released by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL).
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Lucy Hill, 21, from Bury, Greater Manchester, broke her pelvis when her moped was in collision with a car in Chiang Mai on 9 January. People queued up to donate the relatively rare A negative blood after a social media appeal went viral. Ms Hill is expected to return home soon, said her aunt, Sue Raleigh. The Leeds Beckett University graduate is learning to walk with crutches and should be well enough to travel home in about two weeks, Ms Raleigh said. "She's still over there with her mum, and she's taking a couple of steps in the morning and a couple in the afternoon," she said. "She'll be able to walk again, but it's going to take a lot of work, and a lot of physio. She's had titanium plates put in her pelvis. "She has no memory of the accident. She's just been in shock. "The first thing she was very distraught about was realising her hair had been shaved." Family and friends of Ms Hill posted a plea on the Trip Advisor website after the hospital ran out of supplies of the blood. Fewer than 1% of Thai people have negative blood types. The appeal was shared 40,000 times within six hours, with hundreds of messages from people trying to help. Her family later said they were "overwhelmed" by the support and thanked people for their generosity. Ms Hill went on to have several blood transfusions and operations.
An injured backpacker who inspired hundreds of people to give blood at a Thai hospital has taken her first steps after undergoing surgery.
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Jonathan Franks and Oscar Gobern exit too with Jim O'Brien returning to Shrewsbury Town following a loan spell. Midfielder Martin Woods has triggered a one-year contract extension option but has been told he is free to find another club, as has Ian McShane who has one year left on his contract. The club has also offered defender Kenny van der Weg a new deal. Tony Dingwall has been offered a six-month deal while he recovers from injury while Chris Burke has been offered a contract as he continues his recovery from illness.
Ross County have released captain Paul Quinn after the 31-year-old defender struggled with injury this season.
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The five-time major champion posted six birdies in a six-under 66 to lead an event after three rounds for the first time since the 2013 US Open at Merion. "It's fun to be back in the thick of it," said the 45-year-old left-hander. Japan's Hiroshi Iwata (69) is second on 14 under while England's Justin Rose (72) faded from 13 under to nine under. Rose, who came from two shots behind Mickelson to win his only major at Merion three years ago, made the perfect start to his penultimate round at Pebble Beach with four birdies in his opening six holes to share the lead. However, bogeys on the eighth and ninth holes checked his progress while further dropped shots on the two par-fives on the back nine saw him finish the day on the same score he started it. Mickelson, who had three successive birdies on the front nine, a fourth on the 11th and closed with two more on the 17th and 18th holes, needed just 21 putts in his round. "It's been a while since I've been in contention and it would mean a lot to me to be able to play a good final round," he said. Iwata's three-under-par round came at Spyglass Hill, one of three courses being used for the tournament which finishes with everyone playing Pebble Beach on Sunday. Sweden's Freddie Jacobson had a three-under 69 at Monterrey Peninsula and is alongside South Korea's Sung Kang, who had a two-under 70 at Pebble Beach, three behind Mickelson.
Phil Mickelson takes a two-shot lead into the final round of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am as he looks to win a record-equalling fifth title.
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Police said a 36-year-old man had been detained in police custody and charged with firearms offences. It follows a planned operation by the officers at Whitehill Court in Dennistoun at about 19:20 on Thursday. The man is expected to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Saturday and a report has been sent to the procurator fiscal. In a statement, Police Scotland said: "About 7.20pm last night officers searched a house in Whitehill Court, Dennistoun, as part of a planned operation. "As a result, a 36-year-old man has been arrested and detained in police custody with alleged firearms offences. A report has been sent to the procurator fiscal."
A man has been arrested after an operation by firearms officers in the east end of Glasgow.
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The disruption occurred as Ruth Langsford was speaking to Coleen Nolan about her struggles with weight loss. During the item, fathers' rights protesters were heard shouting: "No kids, no cash!" The show cut to a standby screen with the Loose Women logo for around 20 seconds, as the shouting faded away. Once back on air, Nolan joked: "Can we get back to me?" Langsford said: "Those gentlemen have left us, so where were we?" A message was immediately posted on the Loose Women Twitter account, reading: "Apologies for that small interruption." An ITV spokesperson said: "The show was briefly interrupted today by three members of the audience who were making a peaceful protest." The production team were widely praised on social media for dealing with the disruption quickly. Singer and actress Michelle Heaton tweeted: "Wow Loose Women, love that you came back on air within seconds... well done!" One viewer, Ian Wright, wrote: "Wanted to congratulate all on the panel & the background staff for the way they dealt with it."
ITV show Loose Women was briefly taken off air on Wednesday after protesters interrupted the show.
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Nathan Clarke, 24, of Hamilton Drive, Lincoln, had admitted having a bladed article and reckless arson on 25 May. Lincoln Crown Court heard he had vandalised his cell and threatened to harm himself before starting the fire using bedding and clothes. Three prison officers had to be treated for the effects of breathing in smoke following the blaze. Read more about this and other stories from across Lincolnshire Jon Straw, prosecuting, said Clarke's actions came after he was refused his request for an afternoon phone call. He said the prisoner had become "petulant and abusive" and had threatened to cut himself with a toothbrush which had two razor blades melted into it, before starting the fire. "One of the officers said it was the worst cell fire he had ever seen," Mr Straw added. David Eager, mitigating, said Clarke had never intended to harm anyone else and had seen a psychiatrist who had concluded he was not dangerous. Clarke, he said, had a history of taking so-called legal highs and harming himself. Passing sentence, Judge Michael Heath told Clarke he had caused serious disruption to the prison and that the danger to other inmates was obvious.
An inmate who started a fire in his cell at Lincoln prison has been sentenced to four years.
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The blast - claimed by Islamic State (IS) militants - destroyed a rebel post in Sousian, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group. The village is 8km (five miles) north-west of al-Bab, from which Turkish-backed rebels drove out IS on Thursday. Turkey says the rebels now have "control of all neighbourhoods" there. "Activities continue to clear areas under control of obstacles, mines and hand-made explosives," the country's military said. IS claimed the car bomb attack, in a statement carried by its Amaq news outlet. Many civilians were gathering to seek permission to return to al-Bab when the bomb exploded, the opposition-run Qasioun news agency said. Situated just north-east of Aleppo, al-Bab has about 100,000 inhabitants in the centre and about 50,000 more living in the suburbs. It fell to Syrian rebels in spring 2012 and was in IS hands by early 2014, when it became home to many foreign jihadists and their families. Gen Hulusi Akar, Turkey's chief of staff, told troops on Friday that with the seizure of al-Bab, Turkey's incursion into northern Syria had achieved its objective. "In the aftermath, support will be provided to normalise life and for the local people to quickly return to their homes," he said. The rebels say they are now working to clear the heavily mined town. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last year that the capture of al-Bab, the jihadist group's last major stronghold in Aleppo province, would be the prelude to taking Raqqa, seen by IS as its capital in Syria.
A car bomb has killed at least 51 people in a rebel-held village near the Syrian town of al-Bab, sources in the region and monitors say.
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However the former Blackpool and Blackburn boss stopped short of ruling himself out if there was interest. Appleton has become the favourite with several bookmakers in recent days to replace Gareth Southgate in the role. "Speculation is speculation, but as far as I'm concerned there's nothing I'm aware of," he told BBC Radio Oxford. Appleton confirmed he has not applied for the role, which Aidy Boothroyd has carried out on a caretaker basis since Southgate's promotion to senior team manager. But the 41-year-old did admit the role is one that has obvious prestige and attraction. "I think it would be hard for anyone to not want to manage an England side, and certainly one of the top two jobs in the country," he said. "I would be a very stupid man to say I would never be interested in that." Oxford United are currently 12th in League One, after Appleton guided them to automatic promotion from League Two last season.
Oxford United head coach Michael Appleton says no approach has been made by the FA for him to take over as England Under-21 manager.
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The 35-year-old loose-head made his debut for the region in 2004, and has played 164 times for the the Blues. In addition to his 121 Wales caps, Jenkins has played five Tests for the British and Irish Lions. "We are very pleased that Gethin has signed to extend his career at Cardiff Blues," said head coach Danny Wilson. "Gethin is a vastly experienced prop who demands the highest standards from himself and those around him. "[He] will also be the ideal role model and mentor for the talented young players within our squad and those coming through our system." Jenkins made his international debut in 2002 and played in the sides that claimed the Six Nations Grand Slam titles in 2005, 2008 and 2012. His latest Wales appearance came in the 27-23 win over Scotland on Saturday, 13 February when he was a second-half substitute. Jenkins started his career at Pontypridd before joining the Celtic Warriors when regional rugby was introduced in 2003 and then the Blues following the Warriors' demise. He has been at the Arms Park ever since, apart from one season in Toulon in 2012-13, when he played in and won the Heineken Cup final.
Wales' record appearance holder Gethin Jenkins has signed a contract which will keep him at the Cardiff Blues for at least another season.
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In Monk's first full season since succeeding Michael Laudrup, the Swans claimed a club Premier League record 56 points and highest finish of eighth. Toshack, 66, who led Swansea out of the old Fourth Division to the top of the First Division in four seasons, has been taken aback by Monk's impact. "It surprised me to be honest with you," said Toshack. Former club captain Monk, 36, had no previous managerial experience when he replaced Dane Laudrup in February 2014. The former Southampton defender secured Premier League safety within months of taking over and was appointed on a permanent basis in May 2014. Swansea achieved their highest ever number of points in the Premier League in Monk's first full season as a manager. Toshack, who coached Real Madrid in two separate periods and also managed Wales twice, says Monk has exceeded expectations. "At the moment Garry's done everything right and I've been impressed with him," Toshack added. "He obviously knows the club very well from being in it for 10 years. "He's done better than probably than anybody could have thought."
Former Swansea City manager John Toshack has been impressed by the club's progress under Garry Monk.
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McCarthy's side were beaten 1-0 thanks to Leon Best's goal, their fifth defeat of the season at Portman Road. "The performance was worse than the result, if that can be possible. "That was as poor as we've played in a long, long time. If we play like that we've no chance of getting into the play-offs," he told BBC Radio Suffolk. "I'll take a huge portion of the blame, I left the team as it was from Tuesday, maybe we didn't just have the legs - not making excuses we played badly." McCarthy's side have now lost six of their last 11 league matches, while victory lifted Rotherham out of the Championship relegation zone. He continued: "The lads always give everything, but I can't accept that performance. I suppose I have to give Rotherham some credit, having scored the goal they defended really well. "They came with a gameplan, we conceded an awful goal from a short free-kick - there's nothing much more that could have gone wrong in our performance, and that's me included. Following the defeat, last season's play-off semi-finalists are now four points outside the top six ahead of their next game against 12th-placed Wolves, one of McCarthy's former clubs, on 2 April. "Each and every one of us has to up our performance," he said.
Ipswich Town manager Mick McCarthy says he will take a "huge portion" of the blame for a "dreadful" display in the home defeat by strugglers Rotherham.
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Only 5% of businesses asked by Barclays saw this age group as their priority target for sales and revenue. Yet a third saw 34 to 44-year-olds as their most important potential customers, despite them spending less. The report comes shortly after changes in the pension system came into force, allowing retirees the option to cash in their defined contribution pension pot. The Barclays report suggested that 76% of businesses in the sector had no plans to introduce products and services to specifically target the over 65s. "There appears to be a gulf between the perception and reality of the spending power of the over 65s," said Mike Saul, of Barclays.
The spending power of the over-65s is being underestimated by the hospitality and leisure sector, a report says.
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At the close the FTSE 100 was up almost 2%, to 6,362.89 its highest level in more than four months. Mining and other commodity shares gained after the release of stronger-than-expected Chinese trade figures. Evraz, the steel and mining company was the biggest riser, up 11.8% and the independent European oil group Tullow Oil gained 11%. Anglo American was up 9.7% and BHP Billiton rose 8.9%. Among the banks Standard Chartered and HSBC gained 10.7% and 6.6% respectively. Both of them have strong presences in China and the region. Shares in Tesco fell 7.9% despite the retail giant reporting its first quarter of UK sales growth for three years. Tesco's chief executive Dave Lewis warned the market remained "challenging and uncertain" and said its continued investment in prices to remain competitive would slow its profit improvement "particularly in the first half". Outside the FTSE 100, shares in Premier Foods dived 27% after US company McCormick said it had scrapped plans to make a takeover bid for the Mr Kipling maker. On the currency markets, the pound slipped 0.46% against the dollar to $1.4210, and gained 0.5% against the euro to €1.2598.
(Close): Mining and banking stocks led the FTSE 100 over 100 points higher, encouraged by better economic news out of China.
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The 23-year-old cyclist was part of the the men's cycling pursuit team which won in a world record time at the London Velodrome on Friday. Isle of Man Post said it had marked the cyclist's "outstanding achievement." The postbox outside the cyclist's hometown post office in Onchan will remain gold for several weeks. Kennaugh's win came 100 years on from the island's last Olympic gold medal, when Sulby-born Sidney Swann was part of the victorious British eights rowing team at the 1912 games. Isle of Man Post Office's chief executive, Mike Kelly said: "He certainly did the Isle of Man proud. "Royal Mail are painting a post box gold in the hometown of every gold medal winner and we don't want Peter to be left out, and therefore have chosen Onchan post box - the village where his family live - in which to do this. "I'm sure many fellow islanders would agree when I say we are very proud of both Peter and fellow cycling star Mark Cavendish's efforts in the London 2012 Olympic Games - they've done a fantastic job." Before the games, Kennaugh said the Olympics would not mean anything unless he "wins a gold medal". He also featured on specially-issued stamps from the Royal Mail alongside his team mates Ed Clancy, Geraint Thomas and Steven Burke who beat Australia in the Olympic final, setting a world record time of three minutes 51.659 seconds. He began his racing career at the age of six, taking part in BMX events in the Isle of Man.
Manx Olympic gold medal winner Peter Kennaugh's achievement at the London Olympics has been recognised with a golden postbox in his home town.
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Seven people are in custody after appearing in court, charged with trying to sell the 18-inch shell. Police say the conch might have fetched $70,000 (£60,000). Its sale is banned under an international convention. It is feared that Sri Lanka is emerging as a hub for the illegal export of rare seashells. The conch is in the custody of Sri Lanka's wildlife department. Dr AK Kumaraguru, an expert on marine and coastal studies, told BBC Tamil that "right-twisted conches are extremely rare and could be one in 10 million". The shells are fished for their commercial value, but are also of huge significance in the Hindu religion, he says. Genetic mutations are cited as an important reason for right-handed shells. Variations in their colour and pattern occur naturally. Pure white right-handed conches are considered very sacred by Hindus and are highly sought after in the Indian Ocean, particularly off south India and Sri Lanka. The illegal trade in sea shells is said to be worth millions of dollars. "There is little data on trade levels both legal and illegal; most available information is based on casual observations, incomplete figures, reports from shell collectors or fishermen and brief studies carried out by scientists," the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) secretariat in Geneva told the BBC. Seashells are protected by law in Sri Lanka, but marine life experts say that lack of strict implementation has allowed the illegal export trade to thrive. Marine life activists say finding seashells on Sri Lanka's beaches is becoming increasingly difficult.
Police in eastern Sri Lanka have seized a rare right-handed conch shell which they suspect was going to be sold illegally.
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The Cork man, who was 76, retired from RTÉ last year, at the end of the 2014 World Cup, after a 49-year broadcasting career. He had worked in broadcasting since the 1960s, and had been RTÉ's chief sports presenter for major events. Mr O'Herlihy covered 10 World Cups, including Brazil 2014, and 10 Olympic Games. In 1973, he founded the O'Herlihy Communications Group. He began his journalism career at the age of 16 when he joined the Cork Examiner. His first broadcast for RTÉ was a piece on commemorations of the sinking of the Lusitania, off the Cork coast, for Newsbeat in 1965. He also worked on the programme 7 Days. Mr O'Herlihy presented the first Rugby World Cup on RTÉ television, as well as co-presenting the very first Sunday Game with Jim Carney in 1979. He had a heart attack in 1984 and had an operation in 2007 due to a colon cancer tumour, but recovered to resume his place as anchor of RTÉ's soccer coverage. He won a Jacob's award for his presentation of the 1990 World Cup, Irish Sports Journalist of the Year 2003, and in 2007 he was named the Irish Film and Television Academy's Television Personality of the Year.
The former RTÉ broadcaster and PR executive, Bill O'Herlihy, has died.
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Terry, 35, is out of contract at the end of this season and in January said he would not be extending his stay. The club is yet to comment on the exact nature of the role offered to Terry. But earlier on Friday a Chelsea spokesman said: "With it coming so late in the season, this is a big decision for John and his family." Writing on Instagram, Terry said: "The contract extension the club has offered me is a different role and I hope everyone will understand I want to take the time to consider it carefully before making a decision." Listen: Terry is still a big asset to Chelsea - Waddle Chelsea will be managed next season by Italy boss Antonio Conte, who takes over from Guus Hiddink after previous manager Jose Mourinho was sacked in December. "It's good to have big players in a club who are big personalities," said Hiddink, when asked about Terry at a news conference on Friday. Chelsea play champions Leicester on Sunday at Stamford Bridge, but Terry is suspended after being sent off at Sunderland. The defender has made 703 appearances since making his debut in October 1998.
Chelsea captain John Terry is considering whether to accept a "different role" at the club after being offered a new one-year deal.
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The company set its flotation price at 3,300 yen ($33; £25) per share, at the top end of the expected range. Line will list its shares in a dual offering in New York and Tokyo on 14 and 15 July. Line is the most popular messaging app in Japan, Thailand and Taiwan, and its flotation is set to be the world's biggest tech listing so far this year. The messenger app was started in the wake of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami to offer a communications platform when many phone services where down. Line is owned by South Korea's Naver Corporation and hopes the share sale will not only raise funds but also boost its profile to tie in with global expansion plans. While dominant in a number of Southeast Asian markets, the company has been struggling to expand its user base further. Line has about 218 million monthly active users and makes its money from advertising as well as selling its virtual stickers and games.
Japanese messaging app Line is set to raise up to $1.3bn (£1bn) when it lists its shares later this week.
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Jackson Mthembu said fraud charges against the finance minister, Pravin Gordhan, were politically motivated. He said the current government was worse than the apartheid state. The ANC, which liberated South Africa from white minority rule in 1994, suffered its worst ever electoral performance in August. Mr Mthembu said he excluded no-one in the leadership from his call for resignations - not even himself. "President Jacob Zuma is the president of the ANC (African National Congress)," he told ENCA television. "When I said the entire ANC leadership that has already taken collective responsibility must take the fall, I meant everybody, myself included, including President Zuma." Quizzed by local journalists on the comparison to the apartheid state, he said it had also used "state instruments" to suppress the people. However, he said even the apartheid regime "never pursued its own ministers". "Perhaps we are not the leadership that can take the ANC forward under these conditions," he said. Since taking office, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan has attempted to distance himself from Mr Zuma's business allies. However, he is now facing allegations of misconduct from when he was in charge of the tax collection service a decade ago. The fraud charges relate to alleged severance payments made to two senior executives at the South African Revenue Service (SARS). Mr Gordhan is also supported by the party's deputy president, Cyril Ramaphosa. There have been growing rifts within the ANC in recent months. In the August elections, the party suffered its worst results since the election of Nelson Mandela in 1994, losing several key battlegrounds. Voters were seen as reacting to high unemployment and the scandalssurrounding President Jacob Zuma.
The chief whip of South Africa's governing political party has called on its entire leadership - including President Jacob Zuma - to step down.
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He tweeted: "F-35 program and cost is out of control. Billions of dollars can and will be saved on military (and other) purchases after January 20." The F-35 is the Pentagon's most expensive weapons programme, costing about $400bn (£316bn). Lockheed shares were down 4.2% at $248.51 in morning trading. Jeff Babione, Lockheed's F-35 chief, said the company understood concerns about affordability, but added: "It's an amazing programme. It's great value and I look forward to any questions that the President-elect may have." He was in Israel on Monday with US Defence Secretary Ash Carter as the country prepared to take delivery of first F-35 fighters. Israel is among a small number of US allies to buy the plane. Mr Trump's missive comes a week after he condemned as "out of control" the cost of a new Air Force One plane being built by Boeing. Israel - which signed a deal this year for $38bn in US military aid - has ordered 50 of the new fighter jets, each priced at around $100m. Donald Trump's Twitter account wasn't always the powerful spectacle it has become. His interaction with Twitter began much like any other high profile account managed by a group of marketing professionals. Read in full - The Commander in Tweet
Shares in Lockheed Martin have fallen after President-elect Donald Trump said he would cut the cost of its F-35 Joint Strike Fighter after taking office.
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Wales are third in their qualifying group after four consecutive draws, four points behind leaders Serbia with five games remaining. On Thursday manager Chris Coleman will name his squad for the qualifier against Serbia in Belgrade on 11 June. "It goes without saying how important it is," the West Bromwich Albion forward Robson-Kanu said. "We'll come together, be ready and try and get the result which we know we can. "In every competitive international game to have to try and get points and the one in the summer will be no different." Wales will hold a training camp at the Vale do Lobo resort in Portugal ahead of the qualifier in Serbia. Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale and Aston Villa defender Neil Taylor are suspended for the game. Liverpool youngsters Ben Woodburn and Harry Wilson are set to be included in the senior squad after being omitted from the Wales Under-20 squad at the Toulon Tournament. Everton defender Gethin Jones, who spent the second half of the 2016-17 season on loan at Championship side Barnsley, could also be named in the squad. The 21-year-old was born in Perth, Australia, and the Socceroos have been keen to bring the Porthmadog-raised youngster on board. Jones, who has captained Wales sides at various levels including the Under-21 side, turned down an invitation to join Australia's development squad camp in Spain in March.
Hal Robson-Kanu says Wales have little room for error in their remaining 2018 World Cup qualifiers.
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The Irish needed to win to progress from Pool B but Juan Saldino's close-range finish put Argentina ahead. John Jermyn levelled but Ireland were soon behind again as Gonzalo Peillat netted just before half-time. Shane O'Donoghue made it 2-2 before Peillat scored his second penalty corner goal to end Ireland's first Olympic hockey appearance since 1908. A draw was enough for Argentina to make the last eight and Saldino set them on their way as he pounced to net after a Peillat penalty corner was blocked on the line. Argentina forced successive penalty corners in the first quarter but Irish goalkeeper David Harte was in superb form as he repeatedly denied the South Americans. Ireland improved in the second quarter and Jermyn fired high into the net from a penalty corner with six minutes left in the second quarter. It was 2-1 just two minutes later as Peillat finally found a way past Harte, who made an excellent double-save in the third quarter while Argentina hit the woodwork. O'Donoghue rattled in a penalty corner with nine minutes left to restore Irish hopes of a memorable victory. However, Paillet delivered a clinical strike within seconds to earn Argentina victory while ensuring Ireland finished fifth in Pool B.
Ireland missed out on a place in the Olympic Games quarter-finals after going down 3-2 to Argentina in Rio.
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Orla Begg and Zoe Walton were reported missing after last being seen at Inverness Railway Station on Tuesday. Police in the Highlands and Aberdeenshire had been trying to trace the girls.
Two 14-year-old girls who were reported missing from Easter Ross have been traced to Aberdeen and are safe and well, police said.
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Police initially detained seven people over the incident which took place in the College Street car park area at about 13:30 on Thursday. The man was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for treatment. Officers have now charged two men aged 35 and 42 and a 32-year-old woman. They are expected to appear at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on Monday.
Two men and a woman have been charged after a 41-year-old man was allegedly stabbed in Aberdeen.
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The patient had been outside A&E at Morriston Hospital for between 30 and 40 minutes when she died on Wednesday. The Welsh Ambulance Service and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg health board have launched a joint review. They said they wanted "to ensure we have a proper and full understanding of what happened". In a joint statement, the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust (WAST) and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board said: "The emergency department at Morriston Hospital has been very busy with a high number of ambulances arriving in a short space of time. "Escalation plans have been activated and staff across the hospital are working closely with colleagues from WAST to keep delays to a minimum." They said the patient had arrived at Morriston from another hospital at approximately 15:05 BST. "The patient was assessed immediately upon arrival and remained in the care of a doctor and the ambulance crew whilst waiting to be admitted into hospital," the joint statement went on. "Sadly, at approximately 3.40pm the patient passed away. We wish to express our sincere condolences to the patient's family."
A woman has died in an ambulance while waiting in a queue of around 15 emergency vehicles outside a Swansea hospital.
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15 December 2016 Last updated at 17:22 GMT Smith, from Peterborough, was banned for two months by British Gymnastics after the video emerged on 7 October. The 27-year-old apologised over the clip, in which he was seen laughing and imitating Islamic prayers. City councillor Mohammed Jamil said Smith's apology meant he had "done enough" to earn his forgiveness.
Olympian Louis Smith has been granted the Freedom of Peterborough, just weeks after a film in which he appeared to mock Islam was posted online.
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The Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed the Irish appeal over the results from August's event in Aachen. Ireland claimed they had been denied a crucial clear round when Cian O'Connor was distracted by a member of the ground staff running across the arena. O'Connor's horse knocked down the next fence and the Irish missed out on Rio. If O'Connor had completed a clear round Ireland, and not Spain, would have landed a place at next summer's Games in Brazil. The European Championships counted an a qualifying event for the Olympics. Ireland had already had an appeal against the result rejected by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI). Meath rider O'Connor, 36, expressed his disappointment at the outcome on Facebook. "I tried everything and left no stone unturned in trying to seek fairness for what I felt was an unsporting decision made by the ground jury in Aachen," he said.
Ireland's showjumping team will not be competing at the Olympics after failing in their final protest over a bizarre incident at the European Championships.
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Volodymyr Demchyshyn said on Wednesday that one of the reactors at the Zaporizhzhya plant in the south of Ukraine had automatically shut down. There was no problem with the reactor itself and the problem would be fixed by the weekend, he added. Zaporizhzhya produces more than one-fifth of Ukraine's electricity. The operator of the nuclear plant, Energoatom, had reported a problem with the power plant on Friday. But the details were not fully disclosed until a cabinet meeting on Wednesday when Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk asked the energy minister to report on what had happened. Mr Demchyshyn said that damage to a transformer in a power-generating unit had triggered an automatic shutdown of one of the six 1,000 MW reactors. He added that there was "no threat" to the safety of the reactor. The French Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) told Reuters that their sensors had not detected anything unusual in Ukraine. Michel Chouha, IRSN's special representative for Central and Eastern Europe, said: "If there was an accident, we would know." The drop in electricity production has left several dozen towns and villages without electricity, Russian media reported. Ukraine's energy industry is already under pressure because of a fuel shortage. Mr Demchyshyn said that Ukraine will probably have to import power from Russia this winter. He called it a "necessary step" despite how "politically problematic it might be". Last year Ukraine was self-sufficient in electricity but the conflict with pro-Russian rebels in the east of the country has severely hit coal production. Ukraine has already agreed a $4.6bn package of gas supplies from Russia, ending months of wrangling with Moscow over prices.
Ukraine's energy minister has said that a "technical fault" in Europe's largest nuclear power plant has cut production but poses no danger.
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Neither of the destinations has been served from Northern Ireland for a number of years. Speaking in Belfast, Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary also announced five other European routes would run from Aldergrove later this year. They are Malaga, Alicante, Krakow, Tenerife and Lanzorote. The airline had previously announced the hub would open later this month with services to Gatwick. Belfast International chief executive Graham Keddie said the Berlin route "fulfils a major ambition". The Northern Ireland tourism sector has been pushing for a direct link because of the growth potential for visitors from Germany. Mr Keddie added: "This new route network comes at no cost to the taxpayer or support from the government." Enterprise Minister Jonathan Bell said the Ryanair announcement is "fantastic news," adding some of the routes will help Northern Ireland grow tourism. He also remained hopeful about establishing an air route development fund to help expansion at Northern Ireland airports. "There is a pot of money I am looking at and I hope to announce our plans before the end of this financial year," he said.
Ryanair has announced Berlin and Milan will be among new routes operating from its hub at Belfast International Airport.
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Batsman Insole made 450 first-class appearances, scoring 25,241 runs. He also scored one century in nine Tests for England, before going on to be on the MCC committee for 20 years and an England selector for 19. Essex said in a statement: "Doug was one of the most outstanding players and administrators in cricket and affectionately known by everyone at the club as 'Mr Essex'."
Former Essex captain, chairman and president Doug Insole has died aged 91.
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The 34-year-old 17-times Grand Slam champion had the surgery in his native Switzerland to repair a torn meniscus. He was injured the day after his four-set Australian Open semi-final defeat by Novak Djokovic last week. Federer, who won his most recent Grand Slam at Wimbledon in 2012, has pulled out of the World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam and the Dubai Championships. He is the reigning champion in Dubai, having secured his seventh title there last March, and has won twice in Rotterdam. "While this is an unfortunate setback, I feel grateful that up until now I have remained mostly healthy throughout my career," he said. "My doctors have assured me the surgery was a success and, with proper rehabilitation, I will be able to return to the Tour soon."
World number three Roger Federer will be out of action for a month after having arthroscopic knee surgery.
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Crews were called to a kitchen blaze at a house in Edmonton, north London, at about 12:20 GMT on Christmas Day. After making sure the fire was out, they took the family's dinner back to the station to finish cooking it. Watch manager Adam Baker said the family had had a "lucky escape" because they had no working smoke alarm. London Fire Brigade posted a picture of the family on its Twitter page: "It's a #Christmas miracle! Firefighters save #Edmonton family's Christmas after oven fire." Mr Baker said: "The oven fire was already out when we arrived. The turkey had only been in the oven for an hour, we saw the table was laid out with all the crackers and asked: 'Do you know anyone else nearby or have any neighbours that could cook the turkey for you?' But they said no. "We were cooking our turkey back at the station so we offered to take theirs and put it in our oven and told them they could come and collect it in a few hours." It was vital that everyone had at least one working smoke alarm, he added. The fire is believed to have been caused by lack of maintenance and a build-up of fat in the oven.
Firefighters in London rescued a family's Christmas dinner after the oven caught fire while the turkey was roasting.
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The Australia Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported a "massive" hack on Wednesday, saying it had been told by "multiple official sources" it almost certainly came from China. The BoM, which owns one of Australia's largest supercomputers, said it would not comment on security matters. It said on Wednesday its systems were fully operational. Among other services, the BoM provides climate information for commercial airlines and shipping, analyses national water supplies, gathers climate information and works closely with the defence department. The ABC report gave no further details on which systems had been affected, whether information was taken, or why China was seen as the likely culprit. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, said late on Wednesday that China "firmly opposes and cracks down on all forms of cyber-attacks" and that "groundless accusations and speculation are not constructive". "We have consistently emphasised that the issue of internet security is a global problem. "The parties concerned need to strengthen dialogue and cooperation to jointly solve the problem in a spirit of mutual respect." China has repeatedly been accused of using cyber-attacks to spy on foreign states and companies. The US has said the issue has put an "enormous strain" on their relationship. Chinese officials routinely deny cyber espionage and say China is itself a victim of hacking.
China has denied it was behind an alleged cyber-attack on Australia's Bureau of Meteorology (BoM).
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HS2 chairman Sir David Higgins told councils the station's site would be either Toton, in Nottinghamshire, or Breaston, in Derbyshire. He said the delay in naming the hub's location was "unsatisfactory" for those affected in both areas. Nottingham City Council leader Jon Collins said Toton was the favoured site among all local authorities. He said they are waiting for the green light so planning can begin. Sir David said: "I understand concerns about people, and the blighting of their homes, it's something that's very unsatisfactory. "What I don't want to do is give people a direction and find it all falls apart in a year's time and we have to come back to an alternate location." In 2013, Toton became the government's first choice as the East Midlands' hub for its HS2 high-speed rail network. However, in October, Breaston was also explored as an option despite a report rejecting the idea in March 2012, due to it being on green belt land and also a flood plain. Toton was thrown into doubt because of the cost, as a tunnel would have to be constructed under East Midlands Airport. However, despite rows over the location, Mr Collins said there was now a "clear consensus involving all the local authorities" on Toton being the best option.
The location of the East Midlands' HS2 hub will not be decided until early summer, it has been announced.
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Halfpenny's current deal runs out in the summer and Cardiff Blues and Wasps have been linked with him. But Laporte said the 27-year-old will take up the option of a third season with the European champions. "He's staying at Toulon. I don't know when he will sign but it should happen," Laporte told AFP. "He's a good lad, you need some like him in a club. He trains five hours a day." Halfpenny signed a two-year deal when he agreed to join Toulon from Cardiff Blues in January 2014. Former France coach Laporte said Halfpenny had been "under pressure" from his national coach Warren Gatland to return to Wales. A return to Wales would benefit Gatland given the limitations imposed on him on the number of foreign-based players he can select in the squad. But Halfpenny would still be eligible under the so-called 'Gatland's Law' as he would be taking up the option of a third season at Toulon on a contract he signed before the selection criteria came into effect. Former side Blues expressed an interest in re-signing Halfpenny while Scarlets said they would be keen to take him back to Wales. Wasps were also interested but director of rugby Dai Young said the Coventry-based club were "not an option" for the Wales full-back. The British and Irish Lions full-back has not played for Toulon this season after suffering a serious knee injury in a World Cup warm-up game for Wales in September. He subsequently missed the World Cup and is expected to miss this year's Six Nations Championship after having reconstructive surgery.
Toulon head coach Bernard Laporte expects Wales full-back Leigh Halfpenny to remain with the French club beyond the end of the season.
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Six young stoats have been taken into care by an animal welfare charity after being found next to their dead mother. The animals, which are thought to be five to six weeks old, were discovered on a road in North Kessock, near Inverness, late last month. They are being cared for at the Scottish SPCA's National Wildlife Rescue Centre at Fishcross in Clackmannanshire. The stoats have been nicknamed after characters in the hit US sitcom Friends - Ross, Joey, Chandler, Rachel, Monica and Phoebe. Centre manager Colin Seddon said: "They are all feeding themselves and we're going to move them to a large outdoor enclosure soon. "We'll release them back into the wild as a group when they are fully independent. "They look very cute and cuddly now, but when they're fully grown they will be a predator to other wildlife such as rabbits, mice and voles."
All images are copyrighted.
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Ice Magic's managing director Francis Vandendorpe told Associated Press that the cooling bill would be €10,000 (£7,000, $10,700) more than expected. Europe has experienced an unusually warm November. The temperature in Bruges will hit 16c (60F) on Sunday. "People are expecting winter, but they don't get winter", said Mr Vandendorpe. "The winter is coming later and later" he added. In order to prevent the ice from melting, the festival is using 12 cooling compressors to chill the hall where the sculptors work. Several artists have complained of catching colds from frequent changes in temperature as they enter and leave the hall. "You get sick from it. People are getting runny noses and it's pretty hard going", sculptor Kim Arents told AP. "Outside it is too warm, working inside it's too cold." The unseasonably warm weather comes ahead of global climate change talks in Paris later this month.
Organisers of an ice sculpture festival in Bruges, Belgium, say higher than average temperatures are causing their energy bills to soar.
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The Canadian star racked up 4.7 billion streams this year, more than half of which were for his album Views. That's despite the album being withheld from Spotify for two weeks as part of a deal with Apple Music. One Dance alone was streamed 960 million times. Played consecutively, that would take more than 5,200 years. The song's popularity on streaming services - including Deezer and Google Play as well as Spotify and Apple - helped it spend 15 weeks on top of the official UK singles chart, the longest run since Bryan Adams Everything I Do (I Do It For You) in 1991. It is now Spotify's most-streamed song of all time, earning Drake and his co-writers an estimated $4.8m (£3.9m) in royalties. Rihanna - who counts Drake as a collaborator and boyfriend - was Spotify's most-streamed female artist of 2016, while former One Direction star Zayn Malik was the biggest new act of the year. David Bowie became the most listened-to "alternative" artist, following his death in January. The Beatles, who only released their albums to streaming services last December, quickly became the biggest classic rock act. Most streamed artists in the UK Most streamed artists worldwide Most streamed female artists in the UK Most streamed male artists in the UK Top five breakout artists (global) Most streamed tracks in the UK Most streamed tracks worldwide Most streamed albums (UK and worldwide are the same) Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected].
Drake has been named Spotify's most-streamed artist of 2016, with his single One Dance the site's biggest song of the year.
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A hotel owner on the island who saw the debris said it bore a design and looked like it was from the inside of a plane. If confirmed, it would be the first piece of interior debris from the plane yet to be found. MH370 disappeared in March 2014 while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, carrying 239 passengers. Despite an extensive deep water search, led by Australia, the plane and all its passengers remain missing. Missing Malaysia plane MH370: What we know MH370 search: Does debris solve the mystery? Relatives battle for compensation Australian Transport Minister Darren Chester said the debris, found last week, was an "item of interest". It was discovered by hotel guests on Rodrigues Island, about 560km (350 miles) east of the main island of Mauritius. "For sure it looked like part of an aeroplane - it looks like it's from the inside part of it," said William Auguste, owner of the Mourouk Ebony hotel. "There was wallpaper inside of the plane, you can see this design and part of it is still there." Last month Australia said debris found in Mozambique was "almost certainly from MH370" and in 2015 French authorities said a wing part found on the Indian Ocean island of Reunion was part of the plane. The search has focused on the southern Indian Ocean. More than 95,000 sq km of a 120,000 sq km area has now been examined, with the remainder set to be covered by June, when the search is scheduled to end.
Australia says a piece of debris found on a Mauritian island will be examined to see if it is part of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.
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Pressure had been mounting on Inacio after the Cairo club missed out on the semi-finals of this season's African Champions League. Their draw with Al Ahly Tripoli signalled their fate in Africa's premier club competition. Zamalek also lost to Lebanon's Al-Ahed in the Arab Championship this week. Zamalek need to be more stable, the coaches must have enough time That defeat placed more pressure on 62-year-old Inacio with Zamalek's president, Mortada Mansour, summoning the Portuguese coach to a meeting. There were subsequent claims that the coach had been detained at the club and was prevented from leaving, claims which Zamalek vehemently denied. Another meeting followed, after which Zamalek announced that a financial agreement had been reached to terminate Inacio's contract. On leaving Mansour's office, Inacio confirmed to reporters that he was departing the club. "I have ended my contract with Zamalek. Now I become one of the team's fans," Inacio said. "I wanted my time with the club to be better but that did not happen. "Zamalek need to be more stable, the coaches must have enough time. The players must be more professional and do their best," Inacio added.
Portuguese coach Augusto Inacio has been sacked by Egyptian giants Zamalek after less than four months in charge of the side.
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LuaLua, 26, previously joined QPR on loan in January 2017 and played 11 times during his initial loan spell, contributing one goal. "It's good to be back. I know the boys here, I know the manager, this was an easy decision for me," said LuaLua. LuaLua is eligible for QPR's next Championship fixture at Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday. "I am absolutely delighted to have Kaz back," said QPR manager Ian Holloway. "This is a great opportunity for us. "He had such a good pre-season with Brighton and it was touch-and-go whether they were going to let him go out again." Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.
Brighton winger Kazenga LuaLua has returned to Championship side QPR on loan until January 2018.
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Wilson, 18, won the pommel horse, parallel bars and high bar events on Sunday - adding to all-around and team successes earlier in the week. Giarnni Regini-Moran, Brinn Bevan and Jay Thompson also secured medals as GB surpassed their previous haul of seven, with 11 at the European Championships. "It's amazing," Wilson told BBC Sport. "For me personally I don't think it could have gone any better and as a team we have shown just how strong this country is." Regini-Moran, 16, claimed gold on the floor and vault silver despite competing with a heavily strapped ankle - having required hospital treatment on Saturday. "I fell running for the team bus and was really worried I'd broken something," the teenager admitted. "It did hurt today but I have a saying that 'pain is temporary and pride is forever' so I wasn't going to drop out." Bevan was second on both the rings and parallel bars while Thompson won floor silver and their success follows a record-breaking haul of six medals for GB's junior girls at their Europeans last week. For Leeds teenager Wilson, the competition in Sofia, Bulgaria, represented his final junior event and he will now switch to senior competition and hopes to represent England at the Commonwealth Games later this summer. "I'm going to train hard to try and make that team because some of the British squad are Scottish so there could be an opening," he said.
Britain's Nile Wilson has become the first in junior European Artistic Gymnastic history to win five gold medals at the same competition.
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The US actress appeared as the bossy wife of shopkeeper Ike Godsey in more than 100 episodes of the long-running TV show between 1975 and 1981. She also appeared in five Waltons TV movies between 1982 and 1997, as well as episodes of Murder She Wrote, Star Trek: The Next Generation and Dallas. A post on her Facebook page said she "passed peacefully in her sleep". "Our beautiful and extraordinary friend has peacefully made her final curtain call," another post read. "Thank you all for your wonderful caring and support." Born in Oklahoma City in 1933, Edwards started her professional acting career in the 1963 Jean Simmons film All the Way Home. She joined The Waltons - which followed the lives of a Virginia mountain family through the 1930s and '40s - four years into its award-winning run. Her last TV role was in 2007, when she appeared in two episodes of the Lily Tomlin series 12 Miles of Bad Road. Edwards also wrote books, among them an autobiography entitled The Knife Thrower's Assistant: Memoirs of a Human Target, as well as a play about Elvis Presley fans called Idols of the King. Last year she self-published a humorous book entitled This is the Smartest Dog in the World.
Ronnie Claire Edwards, best known for playing Corabeth Walton Godsey in The Waltons, has died aged 83.
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It tells the story of a schoolteacher's thirst for revenge and her feelings of forgiveness after 30 years in jail for a crime she did not commit. Diaz said the film was a testimony to the struggles of the Philippines after centuries of colonial rule. Twenty movies competed in the 73rd edition of the film festival. "This is for my country, for the Filipino people, for our struggle, for the struggle of humanity. Thank you, thank you so much," the 57-year-old director said as he accepted the award. The film, Ang Babaeng Humayo in Tagalog, has a running time of almost four hours. Other awards included: This year's jury was led by British director Sam Mendes, who said the films in competition proved to be of "a wonderful, astonishing variety".
Philippines film The Woman Who Left, a black and white drama by director Lav Diaz, has won the Golden Lion for best film at the Venice Film Festival.
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Luis Suarez was also on target to take the combined tally for him, Messi and Neymar to 100 goals this season in all competitions. Messi scored his 20th and 21st league goals of the season as Barcelona took their unbeaten run to 36 games. Munir El Haddadi had opened the scoring early and Suarez got on the scoresheet in the closing stages. Barcelona took just eight minutes to take the lead as Messi's fine, aerial pass freed Suarez and his cross was tapped home by El Haddadi, who was deputising for the suspended Neymar. Eibar missed the chance to equalise when an unmarked Gonzalo Escalante volleyed wide from six yards out. The hosts were punished three minutes before half-time when Messi produced an excellent, low finish to double Barcelona's lead. They were awarded a penalty 15 minutes from full-time when Ivan Ramis was penalised for handling a Messi cross, and the Argentine sent the spot kick down the middle to make it 3-0. Suarez added the fourth when he beat defender Ander Capa and scored with a low shot with six minutes to play. Barcelona also managed their first clean sheet since early February as they closed out victory comfortably. Second-placed Atletico Madrid are eight points back after beating Valencia 3-1 in the evening game.
Barcelona went 11 points clear at the top of La Liga as Lionel Messi scored twice in a comfortable win at Eibar.
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The Dutchman was pegged back at one set each but Jenkins, seeded 16, was unable to convert a 2-0 lead in the vital fourth set as Van Gerwen eased through. Van Gerwen said: "I am up to the quarter-finals and I feel confident. There is still something in the tank." Robert Thornton is also in the last eight after beating Benito van de Pas. Ninth seed Thornton of Scotland won 4-0 and will now face Van Gerwen at Alexandra Palace. Dutch five-times world champion Raymond van Barneveld scraped through to the last 16 with a 4-3 win over Derby's Jamie Caven, the 19th seed. BDO world champion Stephen Bunting also reached round three by upsetting sixth seed and fellow Englishman James Wade 4-1. England's Michael Smith came back from 2-0 down with 10 maximums to beat Northern Ireland's Brendan Dolan 4-2 in the second round. Dutchman Vincent van der Voort completed a 4-0 whitewash over unseeded German Max Hopp to reach the third round.
Michael van Gerwen stayed on course for a successful defence of his PDC World Championship with a 4-1 win over Terry Jenkins to reach the quarter-finals.
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Jack Marsters, 18, was arrested after the flare was discharged in Bo'ness Academy, West Lothian just before the start of the school day on 28 April. Marsters' actions led to the entire 1,200-pupil, 90-teacher school being evacuated. No damage was caused and no one was injured. The flare set off the school's smoke alarm system, alerting the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. Marsters, of Bo'ness, pleaded guilty at Falkirk Sheriff Court to culpable and reckless conduct. Sheriff John Mundy deferred sentence until 13 February and granted Marsters bail.
A teenager has admitted setting off a smoke flare and placing other pupils at risk of injury during his leaving day at secondary school.
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Early on, Rory Watson saved Ricky Miller's penalty, denying the league's runway leading goalscorer. But the south coast club continued to press and Aswad Thomas curled a shot on to the inside of the post. North Ferriby hit Dover with a sucker-punch early in the second half when Curtis Bateson bent a delightful free-kick past Steve Arnold. But midfielder Joe Healy scored his third in three games for the Whites, smashing in after a Watson punch fell conveniently into his path. Two defenders then combined as Sam Magri teed up Thomas to strike home the Dover winner. Report supplied by the Press Association Match ends, North Ferriby United 1, Dover Athletic 2. Second Half ends, North Ferriby United 1, Dover Athletic 2. Substitution, Dover Athletic. Tyrone Sterling replaces Ricky Miller. Substitution, Dover Athletic. Mitchell Pinnock replaces Joe Healy. Substitution, North Ferriby United. Ross Armstrong replaces Curtis Bateson. Substitution, Dover Athletic. Moses Emmanuel replaces Ross Lafayette. Curtis Bateson (North Ferriby United) is shown the yellow card. Substitution, North Ferriby United. Sam Cosgrove replaces Ryan Kendall. Goal! North Ferriby United 1, Dover Athletic 2. Aswad Thomas (Dover Athletic). Substitution, North Ferriby United. Matthew Templeton replaces Danny Emerton. Goal! North Ferriby United 1, Dover Athletic 1. Joe Healy (Dover Athletic). Ross Lafayette (Dover Athletic) is shown the yellow card. Goal! North Ferriby United 1, Dover Athletic 0. Curtis Bateson (North Ferriby United). Second Half begins North Ferriby United 0, Dover Athletic 0. First Half ends, North Ferriby United 0, Dover Athletic 0. Ben Middleton (North Ferriby United) is shown the yellow card. First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.
Dover had a scare at North Ferriby before eventually prevailing on the Villagers' turf.
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Councillor Robert Evans said Uber drivers caused "nightmare" congestion for people in Oaks Road, Stanwell. "I have seen confrontations between residents and the taxi drivers when there have been 15 to 20 in a very small stretch of road," he said. Uber said it was monitoring the situation closely. Mr Evans said Uber drivers were not breaking the law but prevented residents from parking outside their houses and blocked traffic. "There has been a lot of rubbish and coffee mugs and so on thrown down around here and I have heard plenty of reports of drivers urinating in the road because they wait for a long time," he said. Uber, which operates in more than a dozen cities in the UK, has removed the nearby village of Stanwell Moor from the mobile phone app so drivers no longer wait there, Mr Evans said. "Hopefully we are going to get this part of Stanwell decommissioned from Uber as well, so people won't be able to use it in the way they have, but of course that will be pushing the problem further away," said Mr Evans. Uber said it had changed its processes and there had been a dramatic and immediate reduction of the number of cars in the area. "We are monitoring the situation closely and continuing to advise partner-drivers of our updated policy," said a spokesman. "We would like to again apologise to local residents and reassure them that we are continuing to treat this issue with the utmost seriousness."
Taxi booking app Uber has apologised to residents near Heathrow airport after complaints about anti-social behaviour from drivers waiting for fares.
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Several of them died around the Syrian border town of Kobane, Attorney General George Brandis. Mr Brandis said Islamic State (IS) militants were using Australian recruits as "cannon fodder". About 70 Australians are still believed to be fighting in the Middle East, while another 20 have returned home. Australia has introduced legislation to combat the threat from those fighters who come back home. Propaganda had fooled Australian recruits who believed they were playing an important role in a religious crusade, Mr Brandis said. "They are simply using them as frontline cannon fodder, suicide bombers and propaganda tools." Among those reportedly killed in Syria is Sydney man Mohammad Ali Baryalei, an alleged IS recruiter who was accused of masterminding a terror plot to behead random members of the Australian public. Under a Foreign Fighters Bill that adopted by the Australian parliament in October, it is an offence for Australians to visit areas declared as "terror hot-spots". Last week, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop used this provision to declare it an offence for Australians to visit the de-facto IS capital of Raqqa in Syria without a valid reason. Australians face up to 10 years in prison for illegally visiting the region.
At least 20 Australians have been killed fighting alongside militants in Iraq and Syria, the Australian government has said.
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Two industrial parks will be built in the country at a cost of $500m (£385m). Ethiopia, which proposed the plan, will be required to grant employment rights to 30,000 refugees. UK Prime Minister Theresa May said the project would be a model for how to support poorer countries housing large numbers of migrants. Ethiopia hosts more than 700,000 asylum seekers, mainly from South Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia. South Sudan refugees reach one million mark The deal, which was announced on Wednesday at the UN summit on refugees in New York, will be funded by loans from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and grants from the UK and the World Bank. As part of the agreement Ethiopia will grant refugees employment rights, which many currently do not have. A number of the new positions will be reserved for Ethiopia's growing number of young jobseekers. Mrs May said the project would be a model for how to support poorer countries shouldering the burden of refugees. President of the European Investment Bank Werner Hoyer said Ethiopia is a stopping point for many of those making their way to Europe. "Initiatives and projects like this provide people with a choice to stay closer to home and an opportunity for economic growth as well," he said. Ethiopia currently hosts the largest number of refugees on the African continent. They are mainly from South Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia and many of them try to make the journey into North Africa and across the Mediterranean to Europe.
Britain, the European Union and the World Bank have announced a plan to create 100,000 jobs in Ethiopia to help tackle the migrant crisis.
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The drivers went to court to challenge the £60 fines handed out in Fishergate in Preston. The ruling said the signage was not adequate to warn motorists of a bus lane restriction. In another, the court said drivers could not be fined for driving in a pedestrian zone in Nottingham. More than £1.3m in fines were issued to 23,000 drivers in two months after the new bus lane was introduced in Preston city centre. The High Court agreed with the Traffic Penalty Tribunal (TPT) Adjudicator that signage on the approach to Fishergate was "inadequate" in warning motorists of a restriction. It also sided with the adjudicator in ruling Nottingham City Council could not fine a motorist for "being in a bus lane" when the street was a pedestrian zone. The case involved taxi driver Mohammed Sattar whose car was filmed by a traffic camera in Shakespeare Street. According to the TPT, an anomaly in English law states councils outside London cannot fine drivers for being in a pedestrian zone and the offence remains a police matter. Caroline Sheppard, chief parking adjudicator, said: "While most cases are about a £60 penalty, the outcome can have significant implications for councils and motorists. "Appealing is simple through the TPT... appeals system and motorists can upload evidence and view the council case online." After the ruling, Lancashire county councillor John Fillis said the authority was "looking into the implications for this scheme". Nottingham City Council said they used Mr Sattar's case as a "test case" to seek clarification on whether or not their signs complied with statutory requirements.
Six motorists have had their fines for driving in bus lanes overturned in the High Court because of inadequate signage.
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