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The PSNI in Ards posted a Facebook message saying a woman had contacted police about the notice which they confirmed was a fraud.
It features a CPS Enforcement Northern Ltd label and claims the vehicle holder was parked on "private property".
The PSNI has urged the public to let family and friends know about the scam.
On its website, CPS Enforcement Northern Ltd asks anyone who has received parking notices via email in the past dew days to disregard them.
It also urges the public not to respond or click on any links in the email "as these can infect your device".
"Please note any notices from us are always sent via post," it adds. | The police have issued a warning about a parking charge notice scam that has been landing in email inboxes in Northern Ireland. | 38894693 | police warning, parking charge scam, Northern Ireland email |
The 22-year-old, who is on a five-year contract at White Hart Lane until 2020, said: "I'm ready to give my best to help the club achieve its aims."
N'Jie scored seven goals for the Ligue 1 side last season and has netted six in 10 appearances for Cameroon.
His arrival follows the departure of Spain striker Roberto Soldado to Villarreal.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. | Tottenham have signed Cameroon international striker Clinton N'Jie from French club Lyon. | 33946032 | Tottenham, Cameroon international striker, Lyon transfer |
Bobby Grant's early penalty was a dent to the Blades' hopes, which rested on them beating Coventry and Town losing.
Curtis Nelson drilled in to level for Oxford, which is how it remained until Ashley Eastham's powerful header put Fleetwood back in front late on.
David Ball fired into the top corner with three minutes to go to seal it.
Uwe Rosler's side are third after the win, seven points behind second-placed Bolton with five games to play.
Oxford, who lost in the Checkatrade Trophy final at Wembley on Sunday, are 10th and seven points off the play-off places.
Match ends, Oxford United 1, Fleetwood Town 3.
Second Half ends, Oxford United 1, Fleetwood Town 3.
Attempt blocked. Curtis Nelson (Oxford United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Corner, Fleetwood Town. Conceded by Cheyenne Dunkley.
Attempt missed. Marvin Johnson (Oxford United) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top right corner.
Foul by Jack Sowerby (Fleetwood Town).
Marvin Johnson (Oxford United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Corner, Oxford United. Conceded by Nathan Pond.
Corner, Fleetwood Town. Conceded by Canice Carroll.
Attempt blocked. David Ball (Fleetwood Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Goal! Oxford United 1, Fleetwood Town 3. David Ball (Fleetwood Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the high centre of the goal. Assisted by George Glendon.
Substitution, Fleetwood Town. Jack Sowerby replaces Ashley Hunter.
Foul by David Ball (Fleetwood Town).
Marvin Johnson (Oxford United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Amari'i Bell (Fleetwood Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Canice Carroll (Oxford United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Amari'i Bell (Fleetwood Town).
Substitution, Oxford United. Kane Hemmings replaces Chris Maguire.
Substitution, Fleetwood Town. Nathan Pond replaces Kyle Dempsey.
Goal! Oxford United 1, Fleetwood Town 2. Ashley Eastham (Fleetwood Town) header from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Bobby Grant.
Bobby Grant (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Liam Sercombe (Oxford United).
Attempt missed. Antonio Martínez (Oxford United) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right.
Foul by Bobby Grant (Fleetwood Town).
Canice Carroll (Oxford United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Cian Bolger (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Antonio Martínez (Oxford United).
Substitution, Oxford United. Antonio Martínez replaces Josh Ruffels.
Attempt blocked. Cian Bolger (Fleetwood Town) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Conor McLaughlin (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Marvin Johnson (Oxford United).
Chris Maguire (Oxford United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Cian Bolger (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Chris Maguire (Oxford United).
Attempt missed. Josh Ruffels (Oxford United) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top left corner.
Attempt saved. Amari'i Bell (Fleetwood Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
David Ball (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Cheyenne Dunkley (Oxford United).
Ben Davies (Fleetwood Town) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Chris Maguire (Oxford United). | Fleetwood Town delayed Sheffield United's promotion party with victory at Oxford United that maintained their own hopes of reaching the Championship. | 39035311 | Fleetwood Town, Sheffield United, Championship |
Officers are searching a residential address in north-west London where they say a 60-year-old man was detained.
Mr Hussain has lived in the UK since 1991, saying his life would be at risk if he returned to Pakistan.
His party, which controls Karachi, has urged supporters to stay calm amid outbreaks of violence there.
The British and Pakistani authorities have in the past expressed concerns that any arrest of Altaf Hussain could lead to violent protests in Karachi.
Shootings have been reported from some parts of Pakistan's largest city, which BBC correspondents say is tense.
Traffic jams were reported in Karachi and other cities in Sindh province as businesses closed and people headed home fearing violence.
One man in the city, who gave his name as Tahir, told the BBC that MQM supporters were firing guns in the streets and setting fire to any shops which remained open.
Another, Nabil, said there had been "turmoil" and "massive confusion" about whether Altaf Hussain had been arrested or not.
Karachi in fear after Altaf Hussain arrest
Pakistan's powerful but absent politician
Karachi has been wracked by violence - much of it politically motivated.
Security is being tightened around the British mission in the city, which has been closed temporarily, and other buildings.
A Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) spokesman in London, Nadeem Nusrat, confirmed the arrest and urged its supporters to "maintain peace at all costs".
"The police arrived with a search warrant and wanted to question Mr Hussain regarding allegations of money laundering," he said in a statement.
Mr Hussain had been "very unwell" for the past few days and was getting ready to go to hospital when the police arrived, the statement added.
Police later confimed that Mr Hussain had been escorted to a hospital appointment while still in custody.
For many years now, Altaf Hussain's MQM has had a bloc of about 20 members in the National Assembly, making him a powerful figure both in Pakistan's biggest city Karachi and in the country as a whole. Remarkably he has led the party from London for over 20 years for fear that going back home could result in legal cases or a physical threat to his security.
As well as his solid electoral base in Karachi, Mr Hussain has a powerful party organisation in the city which is often accused of extorting money from businesses and using violence - or the threat of it - to get its way.
For years the British authorities tolerated the MQM being based in London. In fact British diplomats sought to take advantage of the situation by trying to influence the party to help achieve British objectives in Pakistan. But the mood changed when a senior MQM party member Imran Farooq was murdered in London in 2010.
Mr Hussain, his party, and some of his associates and relatives are currently the subject of a number of British investigations.
One is looking into the question of whether in his televised speeches he has incited violence in Pakistan, charges Mr Hussain denies. Another is into whether the MQM has paid its UK taxes correctly.
The most high-profile investigation followed the 2010 murder in London of a senior MQM leader Imran Farooq. No-one has been formally charged with his killing.
The MQM is often accused of extorting money from businesses in Karachi and shipping the money to the UK, charges the party also denies. | Police in London have arrested the leader of Pakistan's powerful MQM party, Altaf Hussain, on suspicion of money-laundering. | 27680038 | Police, Arrested, MQM Party Leader |
The skeleton belongs to a small, plant-eating dinosaur which lived 200 million years ago - at the beginning of the Jurassic Period.
Although this species was widespread at the time, scientists have largely had to rely on incomplete fossils.
The analysis was carried out at the ESRF facility in Grenoble, France, and showed that the specimen was juvenile.
The skeleton is too small and fragile, and the rocks around it too hard, to allow it to be studied by conventional means.
In addition, the rock matrix in which the fossil is preserved contains trapped minerals which prevented it from being scanned in a standard CT scanner.
The specimen was discovered in a stream bed on a farm in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa by palaeontologist Billy de Klerk.
"There's still a lot we don't know about early plant-eating dinosaurs," said Prof Jonah Choiniere from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.
"We need new specimens like this one and new technology like the synchrotron to fill in those gaps."
Prof Choiniere, along with Dr Vincent Fernandez, from the ESRF (European Synchrotron), scanned the specimen with high-powered X-rays to understand how the species, Heterodontosaurus tucki, ate, moved, and breathed.
Scanning the fist-sized skull might allow the scientists to perform a 3D reconstruction of the animal's brain, offering insights into its lifestyle - including its sense of smell, and whether it was capable of complex behaviours.
The scientists think the diminutive dinosaur used its back teeth to grind down plant food. In other animals with similar anatomy, this requires the teeth to be replaced due to wear and tear.
The team members said they can now begin testing this theory and others regarding the dinosaur's biology and behaviour.
Follow Paul on Twitter. | Scientists have used high-power X-rays to "see inside" an exquisite and complete dinosaur specimen. | 36901907 | high-power X-rays, see inside, dinosaur specimen |
He was in charge when the programme dropped an investigation into disgraced TV presenter and DJ Jimmy Savile.
Mr Rippon will help to build a public record of the corporation's television and radio journalism over 80 years.
BBC Online and Future Media's chief operating officer Andy Conroy described the post as an "exciting opportunity".
"It is a significant challenge that requires an experienced leader and editor, and I'm delighted that Peter will be joining us to develop the BBC's Journal of Record," said Mr Conroy.
BBC Online and the BBC News website launched in 1997, leaving a permanent public daily record of the news output.
However, with more than 80 years of journalism, the aim is to make more of the BBC News archive available to the public.
The process has begun in recent years with a permanent collection of Desert Island Discs and the archive collections for channels, such as BBC Four, made available to the public.
The Journal of Record plans to publish a television and radio news bulletin from every day of the BBC's history, in the form of daily news broadcasts and scripts, together with the live coverage of key events.
Mr Rippon, who took the helm of Newsnight in 2008, takes up the new post in London on 25 February.
After the publication of a blog post in October 2012 explaining his editorial decision to drop the Savile investigation was found to have factual errors, Mr Rippon was asked to "step aside" while an inquiry was held.
His deputy Liz Gibbons was acting editor when Newsnight aired a story that led to former senior Conservative politician Lord McAlpine being falsely accused of sex crimes.
She also subsequently stepped aside and was told that she would be moved to another job, although the BBC has not yet confirmed in what capacity.
Former BBC Radio 5 live boss Adrian Van Klaveren was part of a temporary management team that approved the programme and has been moved after a BBC review.
He is now overseeing the corporation's coverage of the 100th anniversary of World War I and Jonathan Wall succeeds him at the helm of 5 live.
The former Director of BBC News responsible for flagship programmes like Today, Newsnight, Question Time and Panorama, Helen Boaden, takes on the role of Director of Radio starting on 15 April. | Peter Rippon, the former editor of Newsnight, has been allocated a new role overseeing the development of the online BBC News archive. | 21530542 | Peter Rippon, BBC News archive, oversee development |
The winger, who re-joined the club over the summer, rifled a 20-yard drive into the top left corner of the goal after 54 minutes to cancel out Cameron Burgess' early opener.
Latics were reduced to 10 men four minutes after Hall's strike when Ousmane Fane fouled Marvin Johnson and was sent off for his second yellow card.
And later, Oxford boss Michael Appleton and a member of Oldham's coaching staff were both sent from the dug-out for remonstrating over a booking.
On-loan Fulham centre-half Burgess fired Oldham in front in the 10th minute.
Keeper Simon Eastwood failed to collect Ollie Banks' free-kick, and the ball ran loose for Burgess to knock into an empty net from five yards.
Almost immediately, Kane Hemmings should have levelled as he slid in to meet Chris Maguire's cross, but diverted the ball over the net from four yards.
Oxford dominated the second half and Connor Ripley saved well from Chris Maguire, Marvin Johnson twice and Chey Dunkley as Latics held out for a point under severe pressure.
Report supplied by the Press Association.
Match ends, Oxford United 1, Oldham Athletic 1.
Second Half ends, Oxford United 1, Oldham Athletic 1.
Corner, Oxford United. Conceded by Cameron Burgess.
Substitution, Oxford United. Ryan Taylor replaces Kane Hemmings.
Connor Ripley (Oldham Athletic) is shown the yellow card.
Corner, Oxford United. Conceded by Charles Dunne.
Attempt missed. Marvin Johnson (Oxford United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high.
Attempt saved. Marvin Johnson (Oxford United) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the top left corner.
Substitution, Oldham Athletic. Brian Wilson replaces Ryan McLaughlin.
Attempt missed. Chris Maguire (Oxford United) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high.
Substitution, Oxford United. Tyler Roberts replaces Robert Hall.
Philip Edwards (Oxford United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Ryan McLaughlin (Oldham Athletic).
Foul by Cheyenne Dunkley (Oxford United).
Lee Erwin (Oldham Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Philip Edwards (Oxford United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Lee Erwin (Oldham Athletic).
Attempt missed. Robert Hall (Oxford United) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right.
Ryan McLaughlin (Oldham Athletic) is shown the yellow card for dangerous play.
Philip Edwards (Oxford United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Ryan McLaughlin (Oldham Athletic).
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match (Oxford United).
Attempt missed. John Lundstram (Oxford United) right footed shot from the left side of the box is just a bit too high.
Corner, Oxford United. Conceded by Connor Ripley.
Attempt saved. Cheyenne Dunkley (Oxford United) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top right corner.
Corner, Oxford United. Conceded by Connor Ripley.
Attempt saved. Marvin Johnson (Oxford United) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Attempt missed. Marvin Johnson (Oxford United) right footed shot from the left side of the box is just a bit too high.
Substitution, Oxford United. Josh Ruffels replaces Alexander MacDonald.
Corner, Oxford United. Conceded by Connor Ripley.
Attempt saved. Chris Maguire (Oxford United) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Substitution, Oldham Athletic. Lee Croft replaces Ryan Flynn.
Attempt saved. Ryan Ledson (Oxford United) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Foul by John Lundstram (Oxford United).
Paul Green (Oldham Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Robert Hall (Oxford United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Oliver Banks (Oldham Athletic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Robert Hall (Oxford United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. | Rob Hall scored his first goal since returning to Oxford with a brilliant equaliser in an ill-tempered draw with struggling Oldham at the Kassam Stadium. | 38192532 | Rob Hall, goal-scoring, equaliser |
"You know if you don't want to entice a rapist, don't wear high heels so you can't run from him," she said, in an interview in the Sunday Times.
The Pretenders singer, 63, said she takes "full responsibility" after she was sexually assaulted aged 21 in Ohio.
"If I'm walking around in my underwear and I'm drunk. Who else's fault can it be?" Hynde told Krissi Murison.
In her recently completed autobiography, Reckless, Hynde recounts how she was forced to perform sexual acts on members of an Ohio motorcycle gang who had promised to take her to a party, but instead took her to an abandoned house.
"Technically speaking, however you want to look at it, this was all my doing and I take full responsibility," said the singer, who recalled being high on drugs at the time.
"If I'm walking around and I'm very modestly dressed and I'm keeping to myself and someone attacks me, then I'd say that's his fault. But if I'm being very lairy and putting it about and being provocative, then you are enticing someone who's already unhinged - don't do that. Come on! That's just common sense."
"I don't think I am saying anything controversial, am I?" she concluded.
Dismissive response
But her comments were condemned by the charity Victim Support who said that victims "should not blame themselves".
Lucy Hastings, director of Victim Support, said: "Victims of sexual violence should never feel or be made to feel that they were responsible for the appalling crime they suffered - regardless of circumstances or factors which may have made them particularly vulnerable.
"They should not blame themselves or be blamed for failing to prevent an attack - often they will have been targeted by predatory offenders who are responsible for their actions."
The response on Twitter was equally dismissive.
"Chrissie Hynde has completely destroyed her feminist legacy in one ignorant, appalling statement", tweeted Andrew.
Dear Chrissie Hynde. NOTHING ever justifies the rape or sexual assault of a woman. It's the abusers fault only. Love. A Man", tweeted Antony.
"Thing about rapists is that they're rapists. They don't care what victims wear. Their impulse is to rape. They're rapists. Chrissie Hynde", wrote Jill.
But there was also some sympathy.
"People criticising Chrissie Hynde for her comments are overlooking that she is a victim and this is self blame. I feel v sorry for her tbh", tweeted Stephanie.
While the Guardian's Hadley Freeman echoed her thoughts: "Many people seem furious with Chrissie Hynde, and I get why, but I feel pity for her. Imagine blaming y/self for sthg so awful for so long." | Singer Chrissie Hynde has come under fire for suggesting it can be a woman's fault if she is raped. | 34102400 | Chrissie Hynde, rape comments, backlash |
Mark Allison has already run across across the USA and Australia, and is now taking on the 3,400 miles from Lisbon to Istanbul.
The software developer from Bedlington, Northumberland, aims to complete the route across 14 countries in 100 days.
Money raised will go to two charities: the Children's Foundation and the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.
Mr Allison set off from Tynemouth in the motor home that will be his support base for the duration of the challenge, and will take the ferry from Portsmouth to Santander in Spain on Tuesday.
"This run is a big step up for me in terms of distance and especially elevation," he said.
"I'm looking forward to actually getting started and putting all the preparation into effect.
"But knowing there are 9,000ft climbs like the Stelvio Pass and 15 Tour de France climbs ahead of me is daunting." | Charity fundraiser "Run Geordie Run" has set off for Europe on the next leg of his around the world challenge. | 36133399 | Charity fundraiser, Europe journey, Around the world challenge |
Molly-Mae Wotherspoon, aged six months, was attacked by a pit bull in October at the Daventry home of her mother Claire Riley.
Ms Riley and the baby's grandmother, Susan Aucott, have been charged with owning a dangerously out of control dog resulting in a death.
Ms Riley did not appear before Northampton magistrates due to illness.
The baby died as a result of blood loss from head wounds inflicted by an American pit bull following an attack at an address on Morning Star Road on 3 October.
The breed is prohibited for ownership under the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act.
Ms Aucott, 55, of Alfred Street in Northampton, appeared before magistrates but did not not enter a plea.
She was remanded on bail and is due to appear at Northampton Crown Court on 7 October.
The magistrates hearing for Ms Riley, 22, whose address was given as West Cotton Close in Northampton, has yet to be arranged.
She was remanded on bail in her absence. | The grandmother of a baby girl who was killed by a banned breed of dog has had her case committed to crown court. | 34314544 | grandmother, banned breed of dog, crown court |
Jordan Kemlo, 18, admitted carrying out the Peterhead sexual assaults between 2011 and 2014.
At the High Court in Edinburgh, Lord Burns ordered Kemlo to be supervised for five years following his release from custody.
The judge said there was no alternative to custody.
Defence advocate Drew McKenzie told the court: "He did express that he is remorseful and that what he did to this boy was wrong." | A teenager who "never thought about the consequences" of repeatedly abusing a young boy has been jailed for four years. | 33460074 | teenager, jailed, consequences |
Gloria Ristesund, 62, said she used J&J talc-based powder products on her genitals for decades.
The company - which faces about 1,200 similar claims - insists its products are safe and says it will appeal.
Researchers say links with ovarian cancer are unproven.
In February, Johnson & Johnson paid $72m (£51m) in a similar case.
Ms Ristesund was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2011 and had to undergo a hysterectomy and related surgeries. Her cancer is now in remission.
Following a three-week trial in a Missouri state court, she was awarded $5m in compensatory damages and $50m in punitive damages.
Jere Beasley, whose firm represents Ms Ristesund, said his client was gratified with the verdict. The jury's decision should "end the litigation", he said, and force J&J to settle the remaining cases.
Analysis: James Gallagher, health editor, BBC news website
Is talc safe?
There have been concerns for years that using talcum powder, particularly on the genitals, may increase the risk of ovarian cancer.
But the evidence is not conclusive. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies talc used on the genitals as "possibly carcinogenic" because of the mixed evidence.
Why is there any debate?
The mineral talc in its natural form does contain asbestos and does cause cancer. However, asbestos-free talc has been used in baby powder and other cosmetics since the 1970s. But the studies on asbestos-free talc give contradictory results.
It has been linked to a cancer risk in some studies, but there are concerns that the research may be biased as the studies often rely on people remembering how much talc they used years ago. Other studies have argued there is no link at all and there is no link between talc in contraceptives such as diaphragms and condoms (which would be close to the ovaries) and cancer.
Also, there does not seem to be a "dose-response" for talc, unlike with known carcinogens like tobacco where the more you smoke, the greater the risk of lung cancer.
The charity Ovacome says there is no definitive evidence and that the worst-case scenario is that using talc increases the risk of cancer by a third.
But it adds: "Ovarian cancer is a rare disease, and increasing a small risk by a third still gives a small risk. So even if talc does increase the risk slightly, very few women who use talc will ever get ovarian cancer."
A J&J spokeswoman said the verdict contradicted 30 years of research supporting the safety of cosmetic talc.
Carol Goodrich said the company intends to appeal and will keep defending its products' safety.
The case follows another one in February, in which Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay $72m to the family of a woman who claimed her death was linked to use of the company's Baby Powder talc.
Jackie Fox from Birmingham, Alabama died of ovarian cancer last year, aged 62, having used the talc for decades.
Her family argued that the firm knew of talc risks and failed to warn users.
J&J is appealing against that verdict, which sparked renewed interest in talc-powder lawsuits. Lawyers accuse J&J of failing to warn that talc was linked to an increased risk for ovarian cancer - a claim J&J denies. There are 1,200 other cases pending.
J&J shares were down 18 cents in after-hours trading to $112.57. | Pharmaceutical firm Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has been ordered to pay more than $55m (£40m) in compensation to an American woman who says its talcum powder caused her ovarian cancer. | 36191495 | Pharmaceutical company, compensation, ovarian cancer |
The Welsh Ambulance Service said it responded to reports a pedestrian was struck as she ran into the carriageway after a dog that had got loose.
The incident happened at about 18:20 BST near Cardiff Gate and the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
The motorway remains closed westbound between junctions 29 and 32 as police investigate.
Motorists have been told to avoid the area and traffic is being diverted onto the A48M at junction 29. | A woman has died after it is believed she was hit by a van while chasing a dog on the M4 near Cardiff. | 39532668 | Woman,, Death,, M4 Cardiff Accident |
The five-foot tall (1.5m) models of the Oscar-winning animated characters will be painted by artists to raise cash for the Wallace and Gromit's Grand Appeal.
It aims to raise funds for Bristol's Children's Hospital through sponsorship and a charity auction afterwards.
Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park said he was very pleased with the end result.
"They were made surprisingly quickly and I'm very particular exactly how Gromit looks and that he's in character," he said.
"The guy that did it made the original sculpture from the clay models in polystyrene and then a mould was made, and now they've been cast in fibreglass."
Each model will be sent out to either a national or international artist who will paint them in whatever style they choose.
They will be put on display in a similar way to the Bristol Zoo gorilla trail - which raised £427,000 for the zoo's gorilla conservation projects and Wallace and Gromit's Grand Appeal
Mr Park said: "Gromit is quite well-loved and the children's hospital is very close to people's hearts in Bristol and beyond.
"I hope people will get behind it and support Gromit."
Wallace and Gromit's Grand Appeal was formed 17 years ago after a public charity appeal to build a new children's hospital enlisted the help of Bristol-based animation studio, Aardman Animations. | A "grand trail" of 60 Gromit statues are to grace the streets of Bristol for 10 weeks next summer. | 20328247 | Gromit statues, Bristol, 10 weeks |
It also criticised those parties engaging in "fear tactics" at a time when it says the union is safe.
The party launched its assembly election manifesto on Tuesday.
Deputy leader Dr John Kyle said Stormont had become "dysfunctional".
He added: "They are not tackling the real issues, the crisis in the health service, problems in the education system, housing waiting lists are increasing.
"A lot of those crucial social and economic issues are not being dealt with because of playing party politics and we have now retreated into a cultural war between the two largest parties."
Dr Kyle, who is one of three PUP candidates standing in the election, also questioned the tactics being used by the DUP.
"To frighten people into feeling that if you don't vote in a certain way, then we will end up in a united Ireland is frankly dishonest," he said.
The manifesto - entitled Country Before Party - sets out the PUP's six commitments across health, education, the economy and housing.
They include reducing the suicide rate to zero through crisis intervention, ending the educational underachievement in working class areas, increase support for start up businesses and renewing town and city centres.
In his message, PUP leader Billy Hutchinson said the party was "born out of a determination of loyalist leaders in Long Kesh to move away from the futility of conflict".
He added Northern Ireland's "journey has to be about facing the future and not the past".
But the deputy leader said he was concerned smaller parties would suffer most in a shrinking Stormont.
"People think that to reduce the number of MLAs cuts the expense that's involved at Stormont, but the fewer MLAs the less the smaller groups are represented or heard, so that is detrimental to a healthy society, " Dr Kyle said. | The Progressive Unionist Party has accused the DUP and Sinn Féin of engaging in a "cultural war" instead of dealing with "crucial social economic issues". | 39112675 | Progressive Unionist Party, , cultural war,, social economic issues. |
Dawn McKenzie, 34, was stabbed by the 13-year-old in her home in Hamilton in 2011.
The inquiry into her death heard the boy had watched footage of his older siblings brandishing knives before he went to stay with the McKenzie family.
The same video showed them drinking alcohol with a gang's logo behind them.
Social worker Stephen Lorimer, giving evidence at the inquiry, said that the boy had been in a stable, happy placement with the foster couple who were caring for him.
But the couple handed in their notice after a member of their own family became very ill, and the boy was moved to stay with Mr and Mrs McKenzie instead.
Mr Lorimer, who is now a team leader within Glasgow City Council's social work department, told the inquiry that this had been a "a terrible outcome" for the boy, who stabbed Mrs McKenzie seven months later.
The boy was detained for seven years in 2012 after admitting culpable homicide on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
Mr Lorimer said both the boy and his two sisters had been "extremely affected and damaged" from their experiences before going into care.
The inquiry also heard that another boy threatened the teenager with a knife while he was staying with the foster couple prior to the McKenzies, and that the incident was reported to police.
Following this, the boy was not happy that his foster carers did not let him go outside to play. He was quoted at the inquiry as having said: "Maybe the only way it will go away is if I deal with it myself. If I fight him and beat him he will back off."
Mr Lorimer also told the inquiry about an incident where the boy punched a brick wall because he was not getting his own way.
But said he did not think the incident, that had taken place when the child was aged about 12, was very serious.
The inquiry in Motherwell continues. | A boy who stabbed his foster mother to death had been watching inappropriate material on YouTube, a fatal accident inquiry has heard. | 31620300 | Boy, Foster Mother, YouTube观看不当材料 |
"Indiscriminate use of force" was used by the police in the run-up to the Olympic Games in August, according to one of the organisations.
In a report handed to the IOC, Terre des Hommes details a 103% increase in police killings compared to 2015.
The IOC is considering recommendations made in the report.
The Rio Games saw 85,000 police staff employed around the city - double the number used at London 2012 - and it led to 90% of tourists rating security as "good" or "excellent".
However, the report - Breaking Records - found evidence of a process of "cleaning" the streets of homeless children, as well as numerous effects resulting from the eviction of 22,000 families between 2009 and 2015 to clear space for the Games.
"Our research reveals human rights violations of youth and children in Rio, ranging from police killings, harsh police repression of protests and an alarming increase of police violence against adolescents in street situation," said Andrea Florence, author of the report.
Renata Neder of Amnesty International Brazil said: "The Olympics were a missed opportunity for public security in Rio de Janeiro.
"We documented a number of violations by security forces, especially a significant increase in the number of people killed by the police and a violent repression of protests."
Specific findings in the report include:
Terre des Hommes called on the IOC to implement measures for future Olympic Games, such as including obligations to comply with international children's rights standards in the host city contract for 2024.
It wants the IOC to communicate with the Rio 2016 local organising committee and Brazilian authorities to ensure they have taken "all appropriate measures related to violations of child rights".
This includes ensuring victims have access to legal advice and that "individual cases are duly investigated, with access to remedy and compensation".
"We call upon the IOC to put in place all measures necessary to avoid repeating the same pattern of violations we have seen in Rio," said Florence.
"Only then will the Games will have a chance to create a better world for generations to come."
The IOC cited a "number of instances" relating to the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, where allegations were followed up with the local authorities.
An IOC statement to BBC Sport added: "Where cases are identified - and clearly related to the staging of the Olympic Games - the IOC has a long-standing commitment to follow-up on those issues.
"The IOC can only act on issues that are directly linked to the organisation of the Olympic Games." | The International Olympic Committee should be helping to compensate child victims of police violence at Rio 2016, say children's rights groups. | 37518509 | child victims, compensation, police violence |
Eight engines and 40 firefighters were called out to the Hampton by Hilton Hotel in Corby at about 15:45 GMT on Saturday.
Northamptonshire Fire Service said everyone was accounted for, and that four people were treated at the scene after breathing in smoke.
The service said all the guests had been relocated and crews had returned to base by Sunday morning.
The cause of the fire, at the Rockingham Leisure Park on Princewood Road, is being investigated.
The hotel's duty manager said she was unable to provide any further details about the fire, but confirmed the hotel was closed. | A hotel had to be evacuated after a fire that affected three floors. | 35454095 | hotel evacuation, fire incident, multiple floors affected |
He equalled the record when he scored the first goal in the FA Cup third round tie against Reading.
Sir Bobby Charlton played for Manchester United 758 times between 1956 and 1973.
In that time he won the League title three times, the European Cup and the World Cup with England.
Rooney broke Sir Bobby's goal scoring record for England in 2015 and only needs one more goal to do the same for Manchester United. | Wayne Rooney has equalled Sir Bobby Charlton's record of 249 goals for Manchester United. | 38542788 | Wayne Rooney, Manchester United, scoring record |
Smokers will be prescribed with nicotine replacement patches to help them cope during their stay at affected hospital sites, but e-cigarettes will not be allowed.
Staff were already banned from smoking within the grounds but there were smoking shelters for patients.
The changes, adopted by other Welsh boards, was approved on Tuesday.
Ahead of the meeting, Dr Sharon Hopkins, public health director of Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, said the proposals had been 18 months in the planning because officials recognised a ban would "not be easy and patients and the public would have to be supported".
She added: "We recognise that this has potential issues and have taken actions to address this.
"There is no point us saying that you can't smoke on our sites full stop - we have to make sure that we are able to support people with their addiction."
Dr Hopkins said patients in hospital currently receive support to cope with any existing addictions and the same help would be offered to smokers.
She said they would be given support from the health board's smoking cessation service and smokers could be prescribed with nicotine replacement patches to help them cope during their stay.
"We know from evidence elsewhere that a total ban is much more likely to decrease the number of cigarettes people smoke and that they are much more likely to try and quit," she said.
E-cigarettes will also be banned because while they are being promoted as aids to stopping smoking Dr Sian Griffiths of the health board's public health team claimed there was little evidence to suggest they worked.
Nicotine therapy will be used instead.
The changes come into force from 1 October. | A full smoking ban at all hospital sites in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan has been given the go-ahead. | 23944937 | smoking ban, hospital sites, Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan |
Farid Khan was stripped naked by the crowd, beaten and dragged through streets before being hanged in Dimapur, the main city in Nagaland state.
Police officers opened fire to try to stop the mob, wounding several people.
Tensions in the country are high following the government's decision to ban India's Daughter, a film about the 2012 gang rape of a student.
The Hindustan Times newspaper reports that the crowd "tore down two gates and took custody" of the suspect, before dragging him to the town's landmark clock tower.
Police say the man was a Bengali-speaking Muslim trader from neighbouring Assam state. He was arrested in February on charges of rape.
There have been recurring tensions in some parts of north-eastern India between Bengali speakers, accused of being immigrants from neighbouring Bangladesh, and local ethnic groups.
Local groups began protests on Wednesday demanding action against the alleged rapist.
Vigilante justice is not unheard of in India but it is rarely seen on this scale. A curfew has been imposed in Dimapur following incidents of arson in some parts of the city.
India's rape crisis has been pushed back to the forefront of public discourse by the decision of the government to ban the BBC documentary India's Daughter, which examines the 2012 gang rape of a young student in Delhi.
The documentary features an interview with one of the men sentenced to death for the attack.
His lack of remorse and suggestions that the victim might have survived if she had not resisted has drawn international outrage and sparked protests across India.
The film was broadcast in the UK on Wednesday night. | A mob of thousands of people lynched a suspected rapist after breaking into a prison in north-east India, police say. | 31753944 | mob violence, rape suspect, Indian prison break |
Andrew Wright flew 268kg (591lbs) of the drug from Germany to the UK in eight trips in his light aircraft.
He used his firm, Skyviews R Us Ltd, as a cover for the operation described as "off the scale" by the judge.
Wright, of Toad Hall, Selby, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import cocaine at the Old Bailey.
The court heard Wright would collect the drugs, which had been bought in Amsterdam by gang member Jamie Williams, from Kassel airport in Hesse, Germany, before flying back to Breighton Airfield in Selby, North Yorkshire.
Having returned to the UK, Williams, 38, would collect the drugs from Wright and deliver them to gang leader, Mark Dowling, 43, in Essex.
The gang used several literary references aside from W E Johns fictional pilot Biggles, including Ginger - his companion - and Skippy
Border control officers smashed the racket in November 2014 when they found four bricks of cocaine in the boot of Wright's Porsche Cayenne and a further 30 hidden in the tail section of his plane.
Wright was paid £1,500 per kilo he imported while "trusted lieutenant" Williams was paid £12,000 plus expenses for his involvement.
Wright's barrister, Tom Gent, said his client became involved in the operation following the death of his wife's son in 2013.
"He lost focus on his business. For many years he and his wife had run a legitimate business in aerial photography. He took his eye off the ball and ran into financial difficulties."
Dowling, of Surman Crescent, in Brentwood, Essex, was jailed for 24 years. Williams, of Romford, Havering, received a 23-year jail term.
Both men had pleaded guilty to their part in the drug smuggling plot between 1 September and 18 November, 2014.
Williams also admitted separate drugs, firearms and money laundering offences.
Mick Maloney, from the National Crime Agency, said: "This crime group ran an organised operation, utilising the piloting skills of Andrew Wright to import large amounts of cocaine.
"With valuable help from our colleagues in the Metropolitan Police, North Yorkshire Police, Border Force and the authorities in Germany we have dismantled a significant criminal enterprise." | A pilot nicknamed Biggles who used his aerial photography business to front a £33.5m cocaine smuggling racket has been jailed for 19 years. | 35527214 | Pilot, Cocaine Smuggling, Jail Sentence |
The Italian, 26, scored 15 goals in the French Ligue 1 last season as Nice finished third to reach the qualifying rounds of the Champions League.
Balotelli signed on free transfer from Liverpool in August 2016, two years after a £16m move to Anfield.
The ex-Manchester City striker has also scored 13 goals in 33 appearances for Italy but has not played for the national side since the 2014 World Cup. | Nice striker Mario Balotelli has signed a new one-year contract with the club. | 40400404 | Mario Balotelli, new contract, one year |
Over the last three years, Zimbabwe's 89-year-old leader has become an unlikely fashion icon for the designer label House of Gushungo.
"This is the most valuable T-shirt I can wear," 28-year-old Liberty Mangwiro, resplendent in his black R G Mugabe top, tells me as he walks to his car in a smart business district of Harare.
"It represents the man who stands for what he believes in Africa."
But the firm behind the label is now at the centre of a dispute with President Robert Mugabe's own party, Zanu-PF, as the country heads towards Saturday's referendum on a new constitution and elections expected in July.
The party wants to make money from what it sees as a profitable scheme and Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa is trying to patent the R G Mugabe signature.
"It's an intellectual property which we have to maintain. We have allowed every Jack and Jill to do what they like about the whole thing," Zanu-PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo tells the BBC, while President Mugabe in a suit and tie looks down on him from a portrait on his office wall.
"The main reason why the brand is so popular is that he is a highly intellectual leader," he says.
"But we want to control it to make sure whoever is going to use it will have to pay something. So we are going to restrict it as a party," he says.
Sales have been slowly growing for Yedu Nesu, the company behind the House of Gushungo, though it is reluctant to discuss profits made so far.
T-shirts, costing between $10 (£6.50) and $15, umbrellas, berets and even sports clothes bearing the liberation leader's signature sold out at a stall in Gweru during the Zanu-PF conference in December.
Away from Zanu-PF events though, it is hard to find anywhere to buy the products as the company does not have an official outlet, although it says it is moving soon to a shop in central Harare.
Robert Mugabe: The survivor
Its most recent accessory is a cap with 1924 - the year of Mr Mugabe's birth - imprinted on it, which was released in time for the president's birthday celebrations last month.
Justin Matenda, Yedu Nesu's chief executive, says the Zanu-PF leader himself gave the blessing for the signature branding when asked - and has no shares in the venture.
"He was overwhelmed," said the 29-year-old businessman, who heads a three-man team.
They design and market the products and outsource the manufacturing.
"Yedu Nesu has the sole rights to market, distribute and manufacture the brand… the Robert Mugabe regalia," he said.
"The president does not want to make money," said Mr Matenda, explaining that the understanding was that once the fashion company began to make a profit, some of it would go a humanitarian cause.
Zanu-PF may see the label as a way to woo urban young trendy voters as it traditionally garners most of its support in rural areas.
Metropolitan hubs are the heartlands for the Movement for Democratic Change, whose leader Morgan Tsvangirai is set to challenge Mr Mugabe once more in this year's presidential election.
Appealing to voters born after independence in 1980, when Mr Mugabe came to power, and who did not experience life under white-minority rule, is a challenge for Zanu-PF.
At the moment it is mainly middle-aged people who can be spotted in Harare sporting the R G Mugabe clothes line.
Mr Tsvangirai's spokesman Luke Tamborinyoka told the BBC that: "The Mugabe fashion craze is a desperate attempt by his brand managers to catch the young voters.
"It's an attempt to seduce the young, first-time voters who are believed to be almost a million - a very big number considering Zimbabwe's voting population."
But he said he did not think the designer clothes would make any difference to the way people vote.
"No amount of fashion labels will save him in the next election."
Youth appeal is also the goal for House of Gushungo.
Saint Mahaka, the label's designer, gives an insight into their strategy.
"The young guys are into fashion. They talk about label, label, label... he [Mugabe] is already a brand himself.
"We decided, there is Versace, there is Polo, there is Tommy Hilfiger, people are putting on these labels, but don't know who they are and what the story is.
"We know President Mugabe's story, we know who he is.
"And those who resonate with his story and what he stands for - there is something only for the older guys but for the young guys as well."
Moses Donsa-Nkomo, who teaches intellectual property law at the University of Zimbabwe, says Yedu Nesu may risk a political backlash if it attempts to register the brand without permission from Zanu-PF.
The House of Gushungo team says their business is driven by a desire to ensure Mr Mugabe's legacy, not by avarice.
While many people accuse Mr Mugabe of wrecking what was once one of Africa's most diversified economies, his supporters argue that he is standing up for the rights of black Zimbabweans against the powers of colonialism - and the designer clothes are part of that battle.
"We all came from families that went through the liberation struggle," says Mr Matenda.
"Our upbringing has been mentored by the concept and principles of empowerment and upholding the ideals of black Zimbabweans," he said.
"We are just there to propel his identity, to maintain his legacy." | People with the signature R G Mugabe emblazoned over their fronts or atop a stylish beret can be seen proudly walking around Zimbabwe's capital - a city that is usually a hotbed of anti-Mugabe feeling. | 21713119 | Mugabe, Zimbabwe, Anti-Mugabe sentiment |
Following Saturday's 4-0 home defeat against Bournemouth, Robins, 44, met with the board and it was agreed he would leave his post.
A club statement read: "Mark and the directors all agreed it would be in the interests of all parties to part company."
Former Coventry boss Robins took over from Simon Grayson in February 2013.
He helped the Terriers avoid relegation in his first season and guided the club to a 17th-place finish last term.
However, the club won just two of their last 13 league games in a 2013-14 campaign that finished with a total of 23 defeats.
Following Saturday's loss at the John Smith's Stadium, the former Rotherham and Barnsley boss was jeered by the fans.
Huddersfield chairman Dean Hoyle commented: "Mark has put his all into the job over the past 16 months and has made a big contribution to the club."
Assistant manager Steve Thompson will take charge of the team during Sunday's training session, along with first-team coach Steve Eyre.
Thompson, 49, joined Huddersfield from Blackpool in June this year and Eyre was promoted the same month following a shake-up of Robins' backroom staff in May. | Huddersfield Town have parted company with manager Mark Robins after just one game of the Championship season. | 28730678 | Huddersfield Town, Manager Mark Robins, Parted Company |
Having banked the biggest cheque of his career as Scottish open runner-up, a tie for fifth at the Open at Royal Troon earned him a further £235,557.
He now heads for Springfield, New Jersey for the US PGA in 10 days' time.
Hatton admits he still needs to work on keeping a cool head, saying: "It's something I needed to get better at and I'm slowly getting there."
His finish at Troon was the best by an Englishman at the Open since Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood tied for third behind Phil Mickelson at Muirfield three years ago.
He acknowledges, however, that his emotions can still get the better of him on the course.
"The fire is still burning inside and I'll show that from time to time," said 24-year-old Hatton, from Marlow, who plays at Harleyford.
"I try my best not to, but I'm only human, and I'm going to make mistakes every now and then.
"I'm so passionate about wanting to do well, and sometimes that just overspills."
As well as the support of his father, who is his coach, this year's change of caddie, when he brought in the calming influence of a new bagman in Chris Rice, has been a big factor.
"We started working together at the beginning of this year, and it's been a great year for me so far," added Hatton, who has risen a further 13 places to 55th in the world rankings.
"We make a good team. He's helped me a lot."
As well as earning 429,468 Euros at Castle Stuart, prior to moving on to Troon, he also secured a place in the field for the USPGA for the second year running, giving him a chance to build on last year's tie for 25th at Whistling Straits.
"I can't wait," Hatton told BBC Sport. "I really enjoyed my time at Whistling Straits. I'm going to enjoy a week off to get ready for a return to the States.
"I got a lot of confidence from last week and I took it into the Open and it's great that I now don't have to try and qualify again (following his Top 10 finish) for Royal Birkdale next year."
Hatton's surge in form also means he is now within reach of a Ryder Cup place, but after the USPGA his main interest is the holiday he has planned afterwards in New York with his girlfriend.
Aside from a double bogey on the par-five 4th on the second day, Hatton only dropped four other shots all week at Troon, fewer than champion Henrik Stenson.
"My best performances are on links courses," points out Hatton, who had not previously made the Open cut in four attempts.
"I played a lot of links as an amateur. When conditions get tough, I can grind out a decent score and thankfully my short game helped me out and was the reason why I finished as well as I have.
"I holed a lot of putts out there. That was the only downside from the previous three rounds but this time the big thing was the par putts I holed.
"I holed a really good par putt on the eighth after pulling it left into the bunker. Then I holed a really good par putt again on nine, and that sort of just kept the momentum going. The only blip was on 11, but that was the hardest hole on the course."
We've launched a new BBC Sport newsletter, bringing all the best stories, features and video right to your inbox. You can sign up here. | Tyrrell Hatton believes controlling his emotions is a key to future success after another lucrative week's work. | 36823733 | Tyrrell Hatton, emotional control, future success |
Gilbert Corette, 45, admitted the manslaughter of his mother, 81-year-old Florise Corette, last month.
He also admitted causing grievous bodily harm to his sister on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
The judge said it was a "terribly sad and tragic case".
Corette, of Manor Avenue, Brockley, south London, was given a hospital order and restriction order with no time limit to protect the public.
The Old Bailey heard he was diagnosed with a depressive condition and Asperger's syndrome in 2010.
The court was told the supermarket shelf-stacker was sectioned in March 2015 and admitted to Ladywell Unit located at Lewisham Hospital.
The specialist unit for patients with mental health disorders is managed by South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.
In July his condition and behaviour was judged to have become more stable and he was allowed to go unescorted to his mother's home in Lochaber Road on day release.
Later that day he refused to return to hospital and said he feared his life was in danger.
The court heard he picked up a champagne bottle and hit his sister, saying he "had to do it".
He then went downstairs and attacked his mother, who was frightened of him and had padlocked some of the rooms.
A post-mortem examination found she died of head injuries.
Judge Wide said he was satisfied the defendant was suffering from a mental disorder.
A family statement said: "The last nine months have been an incredibly difficult time for all of us, but we welcome the sentence of the court so that now Gilbert can get the full care and treatment he deserves.
"We have serious concerns and questions about how he came to be released when clearly unwell, on the day he killed our mother, and will await the forthcoming NHS investigation with interest.
"We sincerely hope that it makes a real difference, so that tragedies like this can never happen to any other family in London ever again."
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust said: "We offer our full condolences to the family in this tragic case. We have carried out a thorough internal investigation into the care and treatment of Mr Gilbert Corette and shared this with his family."
It said it was also involved with an ongoing domestic homicide review into the death and would not comment further until the review was published. | A man who killed his mother with a champagne bottle hours after being discharged from a mental health unit has been handed an indefinite hospital order. | 35988862 | Man, Indefinite Hospital Order, Mental Health Unit |
McGeady will be reunited with new Black Cats boss Simon Grayson, for whom he played 35 games, scoring eight times, at Preston North End last season.
The 31-year-old, who began his career at Celtic, joined Everton from Spartak Moscow in January 2014 and subsequently played 41 games, scoring once.
He has also made 90 appearances for the Republic of Ireland.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. | Everton winger Aiden McGeady is to join Championship side Sunderland on a permanent deal. | 40499665 | Everton winger, Aiden McGeady, joins Sunderland |
A 2013 article suggested Rowling had told a false "sob story" about being stigmatised by churchgoers in the '90s.
The Mail printed an apology and paid substantial damages to Rowling in May 2014, but challenged Rowling's right to give a court statement about the case.
Last week the Court of Appeal dismissed the newspaper's objections.
It paved the way for Thursday's unilateral statement, which was read out by solicitor Keith Schilling on behalf of Rowling, as part of the libel settlement.
During her successful libel case, the author said the newspaper's story was "premised on a false picture" of an article she had written 10 days earlier for single parents' charity Gingerbread.
The two-page statement reiterated that Rowling "did not at any point criticise or complain about her treatment at the hands of fellow churchgoers.
"She had in fact spoken about her time working at the local church with immense gratitude."
Mr Schilling said: "Following publication of the article, the claimant, through her solicitors, wrote to the defendant requesting only that the online article be removed and a sufficient apology published.
"The defendant refused to remove the article or apologise and denied that the article was even capable of defaming the claimant for several months."
The statement concluded the newspaper allegations left the author "understandably distressed" but she was now happy to bring her libel proceedings to a close. | JK Rowling feels "fully vindicated and her reputation restored" after the Daily Mail's apology to the author was read out in London's High Court. | 32829820 | JK Rowling, Daily Mail apology, Reputation restoration |
Thousands of commercial vessels from around the world enter UK waters every year, bringing a chance for international criminal gangs to surreptitiously move drugs over water and on to shore.
If illegal substances are being smuggled, it is the job of the National Deep Rummage Team (NDRT) to find where.
But vessels are vast structures with many hiding places - some are capable of carrying 14,000 containers, equal in length to a 44-mile long train.
Drugs could be concealed anywhere from under a cabin bed bunk to the harder to reach places like tanks filled with liquid or buried deep within the bulkhead.
Paul Tunney, the team's senior officer, said: "It's like a giant game of hide and seek but there's no-one to tell us if we're getting warmer.
"You've got to go on board with imagination and with the mindset that you are going to find something."
Working vessels are hostile environments and with it brings the risk of danger to rummagers.
They have to climb in and inspect tanks, crawl into the vessel's inner structure or scale the hull walls of the cargo holds.
Because of the specialised nature of their work, they also have to be trained in immediate life support first aid and self rescue, rather than rely on other emergency services.
"When we're on a vessel it is working, it is discharging and loading cargo so there are lots of things on the move," said Mr Tunney.
"If we're going into a confined space it needs to be aerated, there could be gases or a lack of oxygen in it.
"If we're going into a tank, we have to check the atmosphere of the tank and go in wearing breathing apparatus.
"People have died in accidents on vessels and we don't want that to happen to our officers."
As crucial as hunting out and searching the confined spaces is, the 'bread and butter' of rummage work is talking to those on board.
"We talk to the captain and crew, monitor their body language, see how they feel about us being on board and take all those factors into account," said Mr Tunney.
"There are clues, it's just recognising them. It may be that the captain says no-one has been in a particular area but you notice footprints or you see some new piece of construction.
"Vessels don't smuggle, it's people that smuggle."
The Border Force's NDRT formed in 2004. There are now four specialist teams based at Liverpool, Immingham, Felixstowe and Southampton.
Since its launch, the teams have found some 777 kilos of class A drugs with a street value of approximately £155m.
The teams are responding to an ever-changing shipping world.
Crew previously made their fortunes smuggling tea, silk and brandy into UK ports.
Now highly organised international crime groups are able to bring drugs, cigarettes and illegal immigrants into the UK.
Mr Tunney said: "Often we find people involved in smuggling are going on diving holidays thinking they can learn to dive and then collect drugs attached to the hull of vessels over here.
"Diving in water near ships is totally different to swimming in the Red Sea.
"It's an unforgiving environment and people can very quickly get disorientated."
The team works closely with other maritime authorities, the police dive teams, the Serious Organised Crime Agency and other government departments.
Vessels are selected for searching by an intelligence-driven method, with those presenting the highest risk targeted.
Much of the team's success comes down to having access to the MV Altea - a ship that was impounded after being caught attempting to smuggle 17 tonnes of cannabis into the country in 1989.
It was agreed by the Treasury to let the rummaging team use it as their training facility and the vessel is now permanently moored in Liverpool Docks.
Mr Tunney said: "At the end of the day we're stopping illegal goods onto the streets of the UK, we're protecting our families and communities and that's where we get our buzz." | Specialist Border Force officers have given BBC News a rare insight into the high-stakes game of "hide-and-seek" they are involved in on a daily basis in the hunt for smuggled drugs aboard ships entering UK ports. | 20583553 | Specialist Border Force officers, smuggled drugs, UK ports |
The Coventry-born fly-half scored 33 points, bagging a try and kicking eight penalties and two conversions in a terrific performance.
Joe Simpson, Elliot Daly and Andrea Masi also scored second-half tries.
But Goode was man of the match - in front of a record Premiership crowd of 28,254 at a recognised home ground.
Apart from matches held at Wembley and Twickenham, no game in the two decades of Premiership rugby has been watched by more people - and, whether old or new Wasps fans, there was plenty to warm the soul on a cold winter's day in Coventry.
It was actually Wasps' third game at the ground, having played a Heineken Cup semi-final at the Ricoh in April 2007 and a group game in the same competition against Munster seven months later.
Goode, the former England stand-off, had the honour of claiming Wasps' first points at the Ricoh as landlords when he booted the hosts ahead after just six minutes from 45 metres, and he added five more penalties before the break.
His dominance was interrupted only briefly by Irish prop Geoff Cross becoming the first player to score a try, when he cashed in on sloppy defence to burst over from 15 metres out.
Shane Geraghty converted that, while Tom Homer added three penalties to keep the visitors' arrears to 18-16 at the break - but it was pretty much one-way traffic in the second half.
Four minutes into the second half Wasps scrum-half Simpson, on a right-wing overlap, ran in his side's opening try from the 22, with Goode failing for once with the conversion.
But he quickly found his range again with his seventh penalty before adding his eighth as further punishment following the incident which saw Irish hooker David Paice sent to the sin bin.
Goode then helped cash in on their extra man advantage when he went in under the posts, converting his own try for a 36-16 lead.
Daly ran in on the left for try number three but it was not until the final minute that Wasps claimed their bonus point when Italy international Masi went over in the left corner.
Wasps stand-off Andy Goode told BBC Sport:
"It sounds a bit cheesy, but that really is the stuff dreams are made of.
"Obviously as a Sky Blues fan I've been up here to watch Coventry City play a few times, so it was great for me to run out and play here.
"And to then come off and find out that it was an individual Premiership points record is Christmas come early for me.
"I said to the lads before the game 'let's not get carried away by the emotion of it'. And, although the first half was pretty turgid, we've got the job done in the end."
Wasps captain James Haskell told BBC Sport:
"It was a great way to start here. We've finished one chapter and started a new one.
"It took us 55 minutes to really get going, but we were disciplined and controlled. We just hope we've done enough to make people want to come back here and watch us again."
London Irish coach Brian Smith:
"We knew what to expect and we made a decent fist of it, but we're disappointed with the blow-out at the back end.
"I don't want to take anything away from Wasps, as this was their day, but we have a frustrated group of players in the dressing room.
"When a young ref gets a crack in front of a big crowd, you are concerned. The penalty count was 10-2 at half-time and you have to hope it levels out, but it didn't. But you just have to wear it and move on.
"You have to applaud Wasps for their enterprise in making this move up here to Coventry and good luck to them."
Wasps: Masi; Wade, Daly, Bell, Tagicakibau; Goode, Simpson; Mullan, Shervington, Cooper-Woolley; Davies, Gaskell; Johnson, Haskell (capt), Hughes.
Replacements: Lindsay, McIntyre, Cittadini, Myall, Jones, Davies, Lozowski, Miller.
London Irish: Homer; Ojo, Griffin, Sheridan, Fenby; Geraghty, Steele; Court, Paice, Cross, Skivington (capt), Cox, Sinclair, Cowan, Narraway.
Replacements: Allen, Halavatau, Aulika, Leo, Gilsenan, Allinson, Noakes, Lewington.
Sin Bin: Paice (61).
Attendance: 28,254
Referee: Tom Foley (RFU). | Andy Goode set a new Premiership points record on his home patch as Wasps overpowered London Irish to make a dream start to life at the Ricoh Arena. | 30501550 | Andy Goode, Premiership points record, Wasps vs London Irish |
President Barrow's plane touched down at Banjul airport where jubilant crowds waited to welcome him.
Mr Barrow, who has been in neighbouring Senegal, won elections in December.
However a handover was stalled when Mr Jammeh, Gambia's president of 22 years, refused to step aside.
He left for exile at the weekend after mediation by regional leaders and the threat of military intervention.
Mr Barrow, dressed in white robes and a cap, stepped off the plane in Banjul as heavily armed troops from Senegal and Nigeria stood by.
Overhead, a fighter jet from the West African force guaranteeing the new president's security performed fly-pasts.
"I am a happy man today," Mr Barrow told a reporter from the Associated Press in the crush at the airport, adding: "I think the bad part is finished now."
The president said his priority was to appoint his cabinet and "then get the ball rolling".
The BBC's Umaru Fofana in Banjul said that thousands of people had tried to force their way into the airport to see Mr Barrow return and they burst into celebration as soon as his plane touched down.
President Barrow was driven from the airport in a convoy of cars and waved to the crowds who lined the route.
Supporter Ibrahima Gaye said Mr Barrow would be different from Mr Jammeh "in all aspects".
"We have been living under dictatorship for 22 years. You can go home at night and sleep without worrying you will be arrested before daybreak," he said.
President Barrow is staying at his own home while a security assessment is carried out at the official residence, State House.
Mr Barrow was sworn in as president at the Gambian embassy in Senegal a week ago, but a public inauguration on home soil is planned soon, aides say.
The UN envoy for West Africa, Mohamed ibn Chambas, has said the UN will help guarantee security in The Gambia.
Several thousand West African soldiers remain in The Gambia amid reports that rogue pro-Jammeh elements are embedded in the country's security forces.
The West African force had threatened to drive Mr Jammeh from office if he did not agree to go.
The new president has asked for the force to remain in The Gambia for six months.
His spokesman Halifa Sallah said an inauguration was being planned for the national stadium in Banjul. "It will be an occasion to show strength. Everyone will be invited. The president will address his people,'' he told Senegalese radio.
Mr Jammeh, who was a 29-year-old army lieutenant when he came to power in a 1994 coup, had refused to accept the results of the December election.
After his departure, reports emerged that more than $11m (£8.8m) had disappeared from The Gambia's state coffers.
However a presidential adviser said the police had been asked to investigate and would determine if anything was missing.
Mr Jammeh has not commented on the allegations.
In other developments, parliament has cancelled the state of emergency declared by Mr Jammeh last week. It also revoked legislation that would have extended its life for a further 90 days. | Gambia's President Adama Barrow has returned to the country to assume power - days after his predecessor Yahya Jammeh left to go into exile. | 38755897 | Gambia, President Adama Barrow, assumed power |
The agreement includes a $100m fine and $370m in consumer relief to borrowers.
Investigations began in 2010 after HSBC was found to be signing off foreclosure documents without proper review.
In a statement, the bank's chief executive Kathy Madison called the agreement a "positive result."
The consumer relief will require the bank to cut the loan amount on mortgages for homeowners close to default. HBSC will also be required to change internal practices like foreclosing on homeowners who are being considered for a loan modification.
"The agreement is part of our ongoing effort to address root causes of the financial crisis," said the head of the Justice Department's Civil Division Benjamin Mizer.
The deal settles claims with 49 states, the District of Columbia and the federal government.
HSBC's agreement is similar to deals that were given to US banks including JP Morgan and Bank of America in 2012. | HSBC has reached a $470m (£325m) settlement with the US government and states related to dubious mortgage lending and foreclosure practices that contributed to the financial crisis. | 35507201 | HSBC, settlement, financial crisis |
Four falls over beam and uneven bars meant the British team finished nearly five marks off the gold spot but still nearly two ahead of France in third.
"We'd be lying if we said we weren't disappointed but I'm still incredibly proud," Becky Downie told BBC Sport.
"To have that many falls and still get silver shows how much we've improved."
She added: "Two years ago we were crying with happiness because we scraped a silver."
The British team of Becky and Ellie Downie, Claudia Fragapane, Gabby Jupp and Ruby Harrold were within touching distance of Russia after the first apparatus, with the younger Downie sister Ellie posting a fine 15.1 on bars.
Becky Downie scored 15.066 after Harrold had missed a catch in her routine.
The elder sister then suffered falls on beam, as did Fragapane, while Russia, led by Aliya Mustafina, extended their lead.
However, Fragapane was able to put her obvious disappointment behind her to give trademark energetic performance on the floor to seal a comfortable silver medal with a total score of 170.312. Russia won the gold medal with 175.212, and France were third on 168.496.
The GB team in Switzerland travelled without Amy Tinkler, who remained at home to concentrate on school exams, although they did welcome back Jupp after three years plagued by injuries.
On Sunday, Britain will have seven chances to win medals across all four apparatus. | Great Britain's women won team silver behind Russia in the European Championships despite not being at their best in the final in Bern. | 36453511 | Great Britain, women's team, European Championships |
The visitors edged a relatively even first half and took an 11-6 half-time lead thanks to Adam Thompstone's try.
Ellis Genge crossed to extend Tigers' advantage after the break and Freddie Burns' boot put them 15 points ahead.
But Bristol hit back and Rob Hawkins' score helped them earn a fourth losing bonus point of the season so far.
England centre Manu Tuilagi made his return for Leicester off the bench after two months out with a groin injury and helped his side move within a point of third-placed Wasps.
Tigers' first-half try came when Bristol had 14 men after lock Ian Evans was sin-binned and Thompstone gathered Burns' fine cross-field ball to take advantage.
The hosts also saw Jason Woodward shown a yellow card after the break, before they battled back after Tigers went down to 14 themselves as Lachlan McCaffrey was penalised for a defensive infringement.
Bristol, who released centre Gareth Maule by mutual consent earlier on Friday, sensed they could grab a dramatic victory when Adrian Jarvis kicked them to within five points, but Leicester's defence held firm.
Bristol interim head coach Mark Tainton told BBC Radio Bristol: "I'm very proud of the way the players performed.
"I'm delighted with they way we finished the game, to have the character to go back up the field and win a penalty to get a losing bonus point.
"Obviously it's not the result we wanted, we wanted a win, but we've got to take a point away from this game and be happy."
Leicester Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill told BBC Radio Leicester: "It was a physical old game.
"It's a good win, away from home, after a five-day turnaround, with lots of guys missing. Everything was against us.
"Bristol played very well, they were tenacious, strong and worked hard.
"If they play like that, they will turn sides over if they're underestimated."
Bristol: J Williams; Edwards, Woodward, Hurrell, Tovey; Searle, R Williams; Traynor, Jones, Cortes, Evans, Sorenson, Eadie, Robinson, Crane (capt).
Replacements: Hawkins, Bevington, Ford-Robinson, Phillips, Fisher, Cliff, Jarvis, Wallace.
Leicester: Worth; Thompstone, Betham, Williams, Brady; Burns, Harrison; Genge, Youngs (capt), Bateman, Slater, Kitchener, Fitzgerald, Evans, Hamilton.
Replacements: Thacker, Brugnara, Cilliers, Wells, McCaffrey, Kitto, Tuilagi, Roberts.
For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter. | Bottom-of-the-table Bristol succumbed to a ninth defeat from nine Premiership games as Leicester Tigers survived a second-half fightback at Ashton Gate. | 38066835 | Bristol, Leicester Tigers, Premiership games |
She was giving evidence earlier against Det Sgt Andrew Mottau, who denied gross misconduct while working as a South East Counter Terrorism Unit supervisor.
The woman said he used a key-ring sized black monkey to signal whose turn it was to make tea and coffee.
She said the toy was put on her desk in August when she came back from leave.
The investigator, whose name has not been released, said she felt "ridiculed" and as though other members of her team were laughing at her.
She and Det Sgt Mottau had known each other for more than 20 years, a misconduct hearing was told.
She said: "I'm a black person, serving the public. I was shocked and offended to see a black monkey on my desk.
"He was jeering [at] me and harassing me about the black monkey... I felt violated and grabbed my fags and walked out."
She added: "His actions have racist undertones. The toy remained on my desk for three weeks and it's unthinkable that no-one did anything... I raised an objection more than once."
"He bullied, harassed me and violated my dignity. It dented my confidence and I went home crying."
Det Sgt Mottau is also alleged to have told the woman to make him cups of tea "when the black monkey starts to sing".
Furthermore, he is accused of making racist remarks and asking her to "embrace" the monkey in the period between 15 August and 15 September 2016.
The misconduct hearing is being held at Thames Valley Police's Kidlington headquarters and is scheduled to last four days. | A black woman working for Thames Valley Police has said she felt "shocked and offended" when a colleague allegedly left a toy monkey on her desk. | 39697181 | Black woman, Thames Valley Police, Toy monkey incident |
The procession, which included floats, pipe bands and dancers, set off at 12:00 GMT in the Digbeth area of the city.
Last year, more than 80,000 people turned out to celebrate the occasion.
The parade, which has passed through Digbeth since 1996, is regarded as the third largest in the world after those in New York and Dublin.
This year's celebrations have been taking place on the actual date of St Patrick's Day and have the theme of The Gathering, which organisers say is about encouraging people of Irish descent to visit the county, town and or village of their ancestry.
Pat Murphy-Wright, cultural development officer for the charity Irish in Birmingham, said: "The parade is about people embracing their roots and helps to teach children at local schools about their cultural background."
John Lines, the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, told BBC News the celebrations were going really well.
He said: "The weather looks fine and everyone's smiling. Such wonderful costumes - people must have spent all year preparing for this.
"Aren't we lucky in Birmingham?" | Tens of thousands of people have lined the streets of Birmingham for the annual St Patrick's day parade. | 21820893 | Birmingham, St Patrick's day parade, tens of thousands of people |
A selection of the best photos from across Africa and of Africans elsewhere in the world this week. | Images courtesy of AFP, EPA, Getty Images and Reuters | 40519933 | Images, AFP, EPA, Getty Images, Reuters, Courtesy |
In the six months to September, 39,174 people were given three days' emergency food from the network of centres run by the Trussell Trust.
This is a 20% rise on the same period in 2013.
But the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said there was "no convincing evidence" linking benefit changes and more use of food banks.
Source: Trussell Trust
CASE STUDY: EBBW VALE
The Blaenau Gwent food bank runs from a church in Ebbw Vale twice a week and was the first to open in Wales in October 2008.
It has helped just over 1,500 people from April to September 2014. This is about 200 fewer people than the same period last year but compares to 900 in April to September 2012.
Martin Abel, food bank manager, said: "All food bank vouchers are numbered and people are allowed up to three so we notice if a pattern is emerging we put them in touch with agencies and find help, whether it's with budgeting or whatever."
Read more - Blaenau Gwent food bank finds goodwill in troubles
In Wales, those helped included more than 13,200 children.
The most common reasons for seeking help are benefit delays, low income and benefit changes.
Oxfam Cymru has blamed a "perfect storm" of "benefit cuts, low wages, sanctions and insecure jobs".
But Works and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith has said it was "quite wrong" to suggest it was just to do with benefits-related problems.
The DWP has consistently claimed welfare changes are not to blame.
A spokesman added: "The reality is the vast majority of benefits are processed on time, with improvements being made year on year.
"And we continue to spend £94bn a year on working age benefits to ensure there is a strong safety net in place." | The number of people using food banks in Wales has continued to rise, according to latest figures for 2014. | 30446033 | rising usage, food banks, Wales |
The newly elected MP won the seat from the Liberal Democrats' Sarah Olney with a majority of only 45 votes.
Mr Goldsmith lost his seat last year after resigning and calling a by-election in protest at the decision to expand Heathrow Airport .
There were no fewer than four recounts before a result was declared.
Mr Goldsmith won 28,588 votes, with Ms Olney receiving 28,543 votes on a turnout of 79%.
Mr Goldsmith admitted he had won by a "narrow margin" but thanked the voters of Richmond Park for giving him another chance to represent them.
''I hope my constituents know I will never let them down. " he added.
Ms Olney took the seat from Mr Goldsmith, who stood as an independent after his temporary departure from the Tories, last year.
The Lib Dem win was attributed to her opponent's pro-Brexit stance in the largely Remain-voting constituency. | Zac Goldsmith has retaken Richmond Park for the Conservative party in one of the most dramatic results of the election. | 40216291 | Zac Goldsmith, Richmond Park, Conservative party |
It estimates poor diets are causing around 70,000 premature deaths each year.
In a major report on unhealthy diets, the body called for the extra money raised to be used to subsidise fresh fruit and vegetables.
The Food and Drink Federation said the measure would not change diets.
There has been growing concern about the damaging impact of sugar on health - from the state of people's teeth to type 2 diabetes and obesity.
In its Food for Thought report, the BMA warns that a 330ml can of pop is likely to contain up to nine teaspoons of sugar that are simply "empty calories".
The report said taxing specific food groups - such as the sugar drinks tax introduced in Mexico - were shown to cut consumption.
Doctors said a tax of at least 20% would be needed to deter customers. It would mean a 65p can of fizzy drink would cost at least 78p and a two-litre bottle would shoot up from £1.85 to £2.22.
The report says the extra revenue should be used to make fruit and vegetables cheaper so that we "create an environment where dietary choices default to healthy options".
Dr Shree Datta, from the British Medical Association, told the BBC: "I think it is a massive problem illustrated by the fact obesity is creeping up.
"We're looking at 30% of the UK population being obese by the year 2030, a large extent of that is due to the amount of sugar we're actually consuming without realising.
"The biggest problem is a lot of us are unaware of the amount of sugar we are consuming on a day-to-day basis."
The government's main approach to obesity has to been to work with the food industry to get it to voluntarily reduce calorie content.
A spokeswoman said obesity was of "great concern to this government".
She added: "There is no silver bullet but we do want to see industry go further to cut the amount of sugar in food and drinks so that people can make healthier choices."
The BMA's report is timely. Later this week, the UK's official Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition will publish its final advice on the amount of sugar we should be eating.
Its draft report said sugar added to food or naturally present in fruit juice and honey should account for 5% of energy intake.
The current recommended level is 10% and many people fail to meet that.
Ian Wright, director-general of the Food and Drink Federation, said: "We share the BMA's concerns about the health of young people in the UK."
However, it said many foods were already taxed at 20% through VAT such as soft drinks and confectionery.
He added: "Where additional taxes have been introduced they've not proven effective at driving long-term, lasting change to diets.
"In recent years, calories in household foods and drinks have been gradually lowered through recipe reformulations, including sugar reductions, and changes to portion sizes." | An extra 20% tax on sugary drinks should be introduced to tackle the obesity crisis, the British Medical Association says. | 33479118 | extra tax, sugary drinks, obesity crisis |
Next season, with their ground sold for redevelopment, they will play their football 13 miles up the A449 at Aggborough, home of local rivals Kidderminster Harriers.
And, although at the moment, their hopes for the future are no more than pipedreams, the long-term plan is to one day return to the city.
City will leave behind a lot of memories for their fans, most notably their finest hour when, on 15 January 1959, they knocked Liverpool out of the FA Cup in a third-round tie in front of a crowd of 15,000.
The local folklore is that it was the defeat which cost Liverpool manager Phil Taylor his job and led to the appointment of the legendary Bill Shankly, triggering the start of the famous 'Boot Room' dynasty at Anfield.
The reality is that actually happened 11 months later - and Liverpool were only a Division Two club at the time, but they do say, 'never let the facts get in the way of a good story'.
There are certainly plenty of tales told about that famous day, which, for all Kidderminster's later FA Cup-fighting exploits, still ranks as the biggest in Worcestershire's football history.
Among those crowding into the stadium that day was schoolboy Peter King, who was destined to play for Worcester and later, at the highest level, for Cardiff City.
King is now 70 and living in Spain, but he will never forget that cold winter afternoon at St George's Lane.
"City beat Liverpool," he told BBC Hereford & Worcester. "It sounds rather strange nowadays, doesn't it?
"Liverpool were in the second division in those days, but nevertheless it was a fantastic victory.
"The game couldn't be played on the Saturday as the pitch was waterlogged as per usual, so they played in the midweek and we all had time off school to go to watch it.
"I can remember being there with some of my schoolmates and we thought it was an unbelievable day for Worcester City."
The teenage King was already starting to attract attention from Football League clubs - Bolton Wanderers and Brentford were among those keeping a watchful eye on him - but it was Cardiff who made the first move.
"Although St George's Lane is soon to be lost forever, maybe a new spirit for this great club is about to be found.
"After the final whistle blows on Saturday I will leave with a lump in my throat, but also with hope in my heart that the fans will continue to support the club through their Aggborough exile and work together to bring them back to the city of Worcester soon.
"As a lifelong City fan who grew up in the shadow of St George's Lane, spending the last few years commentating on every match for BBC Hereford & Worcester has been a pleasure and a privilege.
"My first memories of 'The Lane' are peeping through holes in the fence alongside the canal towpath to glimpse the action underneath the floodlights before climbing over at the side of the Shed to get a proper view of my early City heroes like Micky Tuohy, Paul Moss and John McGrath playing in the Alliance Premier League.
"I started my stint as City commentator during Andy Preece's tenure, although sadly not in time to cover the televised FA Cup tie against Huddersfield in 2005.
"This has always been my favourite ground to commentate from and the wooden hut at the back of the main stand has become almost my second home over the past few years."
Dan Johnson, home and away commentator on City games for BBC Hereford & Worcester
Cardiff were by then managed by former Worcester boss Bill Jones, who had masterminded that win over Liverpool and still had strong connections with the club.
As a youngster, King was very green when it came to salary negotiations, so he sought advice from one of the senior players at Worcester, Sammy Bryceland.
"We got on really well and he said to me: 'Whatever they offer you, say no because there is more - they are bound to offer you more'.
"Part of the deal involved Harry Knowles, who had been in that City side that had beaten Liverpool.
"When Bill Jones had gone down to Cardiff he had taken Harry Knowles with him, but Harry was in his twenties by then and maybe it was a bit late for him to make the grade.
"Harry was looking to come back to City and I was going to be the makeweight.
"Bill Jones showed me around Ninian Park and then said: 'We'll offer you £12 10 shillings per week', but I remembered what Sammy Bryceland had said so, much to Bill Jones' surprise, I told him: 'Can I think about it?'
"Harry was there and he asked me 'Is it all sorted out?'. I told him I was still undecided, but I knew what I wanted to do so I went back in again and told Bill Jones I was going to sign.
"Bill later told me that, if I had asked for more, we wouldn't have done the deal because there was another 17-year-old in the first team on £12 10 shillings.
"I'm glad I ignored Sammy's advice, or I might never have had 13 seasons at Cardiff City."
Like all who have played for, watched and reported on Worcester City, however, it is St George's Lane that will be uppermost in their thoughts this weekend.
Peter King was talking to BBC Hereford & Worcester sports editor Trevor Owens | Worcester City bring down the curtain on 108 years of football at St George's Lane when they play Blue Square Bet North champions Chester on Saturday. | 22297373 | Worcester City, football, St George's Lane |
Its fossils indicate that the normal-sized primitive humans who first set foot on the Indonesian island of Flores shrank "rapidly" to become Hobbit-sized.
The remains are of at least one adult and two children, who are all just as small as their descendents.
A paper in the journal Nature details the latest findings.
The Hobbit's discovery in a cave on Flores created a sensation 12 years ago. Just a metre in height (hence the affectionate nickname), it was initially thought they could have been living as recently as 12,000 years ago.
Subsequent analysis has shown they actually existed slightly further back in time, between 50,000 and 60,000 years ago - not that this lessened the fascination with the diminutive species more properly called Homo floresiensis.
And now comes new research from some of the scientists involved in the original discovery that reveals insights on the Hobbit's lineage.
The team presents much older fossils, dating back 700,000 years, unearthed at a site named Mata Menge.
These remains consist of a piece of lower jawbone and several teeth. They are remarkably similar to those of the Hobbit find in 2004 and are thought to belong to the ancestors of floresiensis.
There are also stone tools at the same site which are much older still, suggesting ancient human-like creatures lived on Flores a million years ago. One theory is that these people were another normal-sized species we now refer to as Homo erectus, which was known to live on the island of Java, about 500 km west of Flores.
According to Dr Yousuke Kaifu, from Tokyo's National Museum of Nature and Science, the discovery of the tiny 700,000 year old hobbit ancestor suggests that erectus might have shrunk within the space of just 300,000 years, which is a remarkably short period in evolutionary terms.
"What is truly unexpected is that the size of the finds indicates that Homo floresiensis had already obtained its small size by at least 700,000 years ago."
Dr Gert van den Bergh, from the University of Wollongong's Centre for Archaeological Science, who led the team, said the entire team was surprised at the small size of the adult jawbone.
"We were expecting to find something larger than what we found, something closer to the size of the original founder population, Homo erectus, but it turns out that they were as small if not smaller than Homo floresiensis.
"The rapid evolution seems quite fast but we have no examples of human or primates (shrinking) on other islands to compare it to."
The theory is that erectus shrank to cope with the Island's relatively meagre resources. But the big question is how did it get there. Homo erectus was too primitive to build boats and it was too far for the species to swim from Java to Flores. One possibility, is that individuals were swept across by a giant tidal wave, according to the researchers.
But Prof Chris Stringer of the Natural History Museum in London believes that the evidence for the rapid shrinking theory is circumstantial: "We do not know how large the tool-makers at one million years actually were, since we do not have their fossils yet; and, secondly, we cannot be sure that the evidence at one million years actually represents the first arrival of humans on Flores."
He added: "It is just as likely that the ancestors of (The Hobbit) came from somewhere like Sulawesi, to the North, and we have no evidence so far of who might have been there more than a million years ago."
The researchers acknowledge that their argument is based on scant data: one fragment of a jawbone and a handful of teeth. But Dr Adam Brum of Griffiths University in Australia says the team hopes to gather more fossils to build up a more complete picture.
"We want to know what the very, very first (humans) that set foot on the island were like. That involves finding the fossils that date back to before a million years ago and which go with the stone tools."
Dr van den Bergh added that the discovery of Hobbit-like humans living on Flores 700,000 years ago ruled out the possibility that the discovery in 2004 was of a group of modern humans who had been stunted by illness.
"This find quashes once and for all any doubters that believe Homo floresiensis was merely a sick modern human."
Follow Pallab on Twitter | Scientists have discovered the 700,000-year-old ancestor of the tiny primitive human known as "the Hobbit". | 36463668 | Scientists, 700,000-year-old ancestor, primitive human |
The 34-year-old woman, from Bradford, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was stopped by the Turkish authorities last October.
She had flown to Istanbul with the intention of travelling to Raqqa.
At a previous hearing at Leeds Crown Court, she pleaded guilty to two counts of abducting children under 16.
Sentencing her at the same court, Judge Rodney Jameson QC said she was "determined to take them to Raqqa in Syria".
The court heard she wanted to live under strict Sharia law and believed such a regime could only be found where IS imposed control.
She had returned to the UK after her husband and parents contacted police.
The judge said: "Raqqa is, and was in October 2015, the epicentre of a war zone. Further, it was, and presently remains, under the control of IS.
"It is said on your behalf that you do not support much of what IS do. It is not easy to reconcile this submission with the assertion that you believe that Sharia law is only enforced properly by IS.
"In any event, the nature of the regime imposed by IS in Syria is clear. It is beyond dispute that IS enforce their will by the use of extreme force. Such force routinely includes mutilation, rape and murder. You are an intelligent and well-educated woman, you knew this.
"The fate of your children would have been either to have subscribed, fully and actively, as we have all seen in the appalling use of a young child in an IS propaganda video in recent days, to such behaviour, or to have suffered it themselves."
She told her husband she was taking the children to a birthday party, the court heard previously.
She later admitted to police she had planned to travel to Syria and ultimately to Mosul in Iraq but did not tell family as they would not approve.
The 34-year-old was born in the UK and spent her formative years in Pakistan before returning to live in Bradford. | A mother who tried to abduct her two children to live in Syria under control of the so-called Islamic State has been jailed for five years and four months. | 35264615 | Mother, Jailed, Abduction Attempt |
Spurs won all six league games during April, with Son scoring five of their 16 goals.
It is the first time this season Argentine Pochettino has won the award.
South Korea's Son, 24, collects the players' prize for the second time this season after becoming the first Asian recipient of the award in September.
Spurs beat Burnley, Swansea, Watford, Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Arsenal during April.
They are second in the table, seven points behind leaders Chelsea, with three games remaining.
Five of the past 11 player of the month awards have gone to Tottenham. | Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino and winger Son Heung-min have been named Barclays manager of the month and player of the month respectively. | 39898482 | Tottenham, Mauricio Pochettino, Son Heung-min |
In early trade, the FTSE 100 was 5.51 points lower at 6,815.28. Anglo American shares fell 2.1% while BHP Billiton dropped 1.9%.
Mining shares have been hit as prices of commodities have come under pressure from a recent strengthening in the value of the US dollar.
Morrisons fell 2.4% after Goldman Sachs cuts its rating on the firm to "sell".
Banking shares were having a better day, with HSBC up 1.4% and Barclays rising 0.5%.
On the currency markets, the pound fell 0.2% against the dollar to $1.3103 but rose 0.2% against the euro to €1.1757. | (Open): The UK's benchmark share index opened lower as shares in mining companies continued to slide. | 37228721 | UK benchmark share index, opened lower, mining companies sliding |
Threatened by deforestation and poaching to supply the black market trade in tiger body parts, it is one of the most endangered cats on the planet.
But over the past decade or so, a new threat has emerged - a silent, insidious one - canine distemper virus.
Worldwide there are an estimated 400-500 Siberian or Amur tigers.
Exact numbers are hard to determine because this is a reclusive animal that is rarely observed.
Yet, at the turn of the century, some of these otherwise withdrawn animals were seen wandering onto roads and into villages in the Russian Far East. They were fearless and docile, confused and dazed; the antithesis of their usual ferocious and wary demeanour.
Over the next few years evidence mounted that this, the largest living felid, was suffering from an infectious agent and the indications - the nature of the illness, historical understanding of wild cat infections and the diagnosis, in a single wild tiger, of a virus belonging to the morbillivirus genus - provided a likely culprit.
A study published in the journal mBio, confirmed these suspicions. Genetic analysis of several dead tiger samples showed that canine distemper virus was the cause.
Canine distemper virus (CDV), a relative of the human measles virus, was first described in dogs and infection causes fatal pneumonia and encephalitis (inflammation of the brain).
But this virus is incredibly promiscuous and can infect jump into a variety of different animals - usually with catastrophic effects.
Two suspected CDV outbreaks, the first in 1988 and a second in 2000, killed thousands of Baikal then Caspian seals.
The virus has also ripped through Africa, with fatal outbreaks in silver-backed jackals and bat-eared foxes and catastrophic die-offs in wild dog populations that continue to this day.
For years, cats were thought resistant to CDV. Yes, domestic cats could be infected in the laboratory, but this was inefficient and the virus was unable to pass from one animal to another.
A massive demise in 1994 of African lions living in the Serengeti national park in Tanzania showed that this was fallacy. This population of closely monitored lions succumbed to CDV. Whilst only 34 lion deaths were documented during the outbreak, this was only the tip of the iceberg.
Before CDV struck, the lion population numbered 3,000, but afterwards this had fallen by a third. In the same outbreak, countless hyenas, bat-eared foxes and leopards also perished.
Add to this the recent report of infection of large numbers of South American jaguar and it is evident that this virus has little, if any respect for the so-called species barrier - the unique inherent host factors and properties that prevent viruses from jumping from one species to another.
In an intriguing turn of events, CDV was also starting to spark fatal outbreaks in various primates.
So what should we make of the emergence of CDV infection in primates. Is this an indication of the potential for a more compelling species jump? Could CDV do the unthinkable and infect humans?
The simple answer is a resounding yes. At least, in theory it is.
To replicate, a virus has to get into a host cell. It does this through interactions between proteins on its surface with proteins - receptors - on the surface of the cell. These receptors act as gateways into the cell and if the virus protein fits then infection takes place.
Different animals possess slightly different versions of these receptors on their cells so the virus proteins also have to change to be able to unlock them.
A single mutation in one of surface proteins in CDV present in primates is all it takes for the virus to successfully use the human receptor. This is a tiny species barrier.
But before banishing the pet dog to a high containment kennel then donning personal protective clothing before you go near, there's a key part of the story we need to consider - one that's probably been protecting us for all of these years.
When you're exposed to a virus your body recognises it as foreign and your blood cells generate antibodies which bind to the virus surface proteins and protect us from infection. It's the basis for vaccination.
Fortunately, the surface protein of the measles virus is so similar to CDV that antibodies generated by the measles vaccine also protect against CD; and other morbilliviruses too.
But, if we ever eradicate measles and stop vaccination, maybe then we will be susceptible to CDV.
But what of the Amur tiger - will CDV ensure its ultimate demise?
As Dr Denise McAloose, lead author on the mBio paper, explained: "When you're talking about four to five hundred animals and your losing reproductive females and their offspring, the overall impact on populations is huge.
"Some of the earlier modelling work, if it were to pan out, does suggest that this is a significant disease even at the levels of disease we are detecting now, which is probably just the tip of the iceberg."
A bleak outlook that is shared by a University of Nottingham colleague, veterinary virologist Dr Rachael Tarlinton: "Because they are such tiny populations even relatively small mortality events can seriously harm their genetic diversity and this might just be enough to push them over the edge."
Hopefully it's not too late. We know that CDV vaccines work and a targeted vaccination programme might just pull Amur tigers back from the brink.
Current CDV vaccines have to be injected - no trivial task when the animal you want to protect is so difficult to track down and so dangerous to handle.
But not all vaccines need to be injected - some very effective vaccines have been developed for oral delivery and these have been pivotal in our fight against rabies.
In the late 1970s, Switzerland pioneered the widespread deployment of enticing baits laced with rabies vaccine that would be eaten by rabies-susceptible wild animals, thereby protecting them.
So successful was this approach that following a similar campaign that spanned more than two decades, Germany was declared rabies-free.
Whilst development of an oral vaccine is scientifically feasible, it is unlikely ever to become a reality. As Dr Tarlinton explains: "It was worth developing the oral bait vaccines for rabies because of the human zoonosis risk, but something for a purely veterinary disorder, particularly one that infects wildlife rather than livestock? It's difficult to justify the economics of doing it, even if we should."
Even though vaccinating tigers is unfeasible there is an alternative: identify the reservoir and remove the virus at source through vaccination campaigns. This has proven very effective in protecting CDV-threatened lion populations in Africa.
But do we know what the reservoir is? Domestic dogs have been implicated in all epidemics involving wildlife but, because the virus can infect other animals, you have to be sure.
And this is what Dr McAloose and her colleagues have turned their attention to.
"We have to understand if there's a reservoir.
"We're trying to identify how the virus is cycling through the system to understand what the carriers are, and only with these results would we be able to make the appropriate recommendations."
For the sake of the Amur tigers, I wish them well in their quest. | The Siberian tiger: majestic, enigmatic - the classic big cat precariously balanced on the edge of extinction. | 24535799 | majestic, enigmatic, extinction |
Those living close to the Uruguay River in Entre Rios province are reported to be among the worst affected.
The mayor of the town of Concordia, on the border with Uruguay, was quoted as saying a quarter of the town was underwater.
Thousands of people have also been affected by the rains in neighbouring Paraguay and Uruguay.
"There's never been flooding like this," Concordia Mayor Enrique Cresto said on Thursday, according to the Clarin newspaper.
"Today the river is going to rise another 40cm [16in]. We are going to... keep evacuating more families all day."
The provinces of Formosa, Chaco and Santa Fe are also reported to be badly affected.
Chaco government general secretary Horacio Rey said a "comprehensive assistance plan for those affected" was being implemented.
It would include "sanitary operations, delivery of merchandise, assistance to producers and infrastructure projects to protect against the costs", Mr Rey told the state-run Telam news agency.
The floods have been linked by some experts to the El Nino phenomenon, a naturally occurring weather episode that sees the warm waters of the central Pacific expand eastwards towards North and South America.
What is El Nino?
Current El Nino 'among the strongest' | At least 7,000 people have been evacuated in north-eastern Argentina as heavy rains cause rivers to swell. | 35177759 | evacuation , heavy rains , swollen rivers |
Joseph Tsang, 31, from Oxford, was convicted in his absence last month at the city's crown court of two counts of rape and two counts of sexual assault. The crimes were committed in Hampshire.
When the IT worker fled he was also awaiting sentence for other offences, including three counts of sexual activity with a child under 16.
Tsang, of Sandy Lane, was due before magistrates in Hong Kong on Saturday.
The Chinese national was convicted of sexual offences against a teenage girl at a trial at Oxford Crown Court earlier this year. He was on bail awaiting his second trial when he fled.
During the hunt for Tsang, Det Chief Insp Katy Barrow-Grint said his victims had been through "a living nightmare at his hands".
The process to have Tsang returned to the UK for sentencing will now get under way. | A rapist who fled on the eve of his trial has been arrested in Hong Kong. | 34364829 | rapist, arrest, Hong Kong |
Astley's 50 gave the singer his first UK number one for almost 30 years.
It will compete for the BBC Radio 2 album of the year award with Adele's 25, Coldplay's A Head Full of Dreams, ELO's Alone in the Universe and Michael Kiwanuka's Love & Hate.
But there is no place on the shortlist for David Bowie's Blackstar, which came out days before his death in January.
The nominees were chosen by the Radio 2 playlist committee.
The winner will be announced at the BBC Music Awards on 12 December. The shortlists for other categories, including BBC Music British artist of the year and song of the year, will be announced shortly.
Bowie was nominated for British artist of the year at the inaugural BBC Music Awards in 2014, but lost out to Ed Sheeran.
Rick Astley has enjoyed a successful comeback this year, but if he wins the BBC Music Award it will be far from his first taste of awards glory.
In his first flush of fame in 1988, he won best single at the Brit Awards - as well as worst dressed person in the Smash Hits Readers' Poll.
And, more improbably, at the height of the Rickrolling phenomenon he was voted the best act ever at the MTV Europe Music Awards in 2008.
To be eligible for the BBC Music Award, albums must have been released between 17 October 2015 and 16 October 2016.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]. | Rick Astley's comeback album has been nominated for album of the year at the BBC Music Awards. | 38090732 | Rick Astley , comeback album , BBC Music Awards nomination |
Willard Wigan, 57, a micro-sculptor, creates pieces that sit within the eye of a needle or on a pin-head.
An exhibition of his works is being held at the Library of Birmingham from 11 January.
Mr Wigan, who is also a patron of the £189m library, said the works were borne from his "fantasy world".
The artist said he first became interested in micro-sculpture aged five when he began making houses for ants because he thought they needed somewhere to live.
His works include miniature versions of athlete Usain Bolt, a hummingbird and cartoon characters Pinocchio and Cinderella.
The sculptor was awarded an MBE for services to art in 2007.
Explaining his decision to support the library, which opened in 2013, Mr Wigan said: "Literacy and learning initiatives can support, encourage, challenge and enhance [children], whatever their abilities.
"These initiatives are even more important in Birmingham where literacy levels are amongst the lowest in the country."
Part of the proceeds from the exhibition will support community programmes operated by the library. | A Birmingham sculptor, whose works are so small they can only be viewed through a microscope, is holding an exhibition in his home city. | 30651479 | Birmingham sculptor, Microscopic art, Exhibition |
Six councils in north-west England granted or renewed permits for more than 300 convicted drivers since 2012.
The mother of a Salford student killed by a man posing as a taxi driver said it was "clearly wrong" to give licences to sex offenders.
MP Andrew Gwynne has called for current legislation to be tightened.
The Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA) said granting licences to convicted drivers was "putting the public at risk".
A BBC investigation found one in five drivers applying for a taxi licence in the region over the last two years had a criminal record.
Forty-one councils were asked under the Freedom of Information Act to reveal how many convicted drivers were granted licences.
Of the six that responded, Blackpool, Burnley, Cheshire East, Sefton, Eden and Trafford councils granted or extended licences for drivers with convictions including:
Local Government Association guidelines state applicants convicted of sexual or violent offences should be refused a licence.
However, councils are free to decide who they consider to be "fit and proper" drivers, and can take into account the date of the offence, the circumstances, and the applicant's behaviour since.
Mr Gwynne, who represents Denton and Reddish, said he was concerned local authorities currently do not have powers over taxis licensed outside their area.
He said: "What shouldn't be allowed to happen is people who have been refused on legitimate grounds can then scurry off to a neighbouring local authority where they have lesser standards and successfully apply for a licence that they have no intention of using in that local area."
Undercover reporters from BBC Inside Out North West also found five private hire drivers over a two-hour period were willing to break the law and offer unbooked journeys in Manchester.
One driver said: "There's no harm in it. Everybody's doing it."
Current laws stipulate private hire taxi drivers are only allowed to operate after being pre-booked.
Bob Azam, a hackney carriage driver for 15 years, described the city's Northern Quarter as the "Wild West" of illegal touting.
"People just see the word taxi and think that's a legal vehicle to get into. It's just a matter of time until someone gets seriously hurt or sexually assaulted."
Medical student Rachel Thacker was murdered 21 years ago when she got into a car she thought was a taxi.
Her battered and burnt body was found dumped in a skip in Ardwick. She could only be identified by her fingerprints.
Her killer, Duncan Bermingham, had borrowed the car from a friend and posed as a taxi driver.
Gill Thacker said her daughter's life had ended in "the most horrendous circumstances" and warned against getting into an unlicensed vehicle.
She said it was "clearly wrong" for drivers with sexual convictions to be granted licences.
"They shouldn't be allowed to be taxi drivers. I wouldn't have thought they'd have got a licence if they'd got convictions for sexual offences," she added.
Steve McNamara, general secretary of the LTDA, said: "These drivers clearly fail to meet the fit and proper person test and should never have been in a position to transport members of the public.
"The problem is that councils set their own licensing standards and in some areas these are woefully inadequate - putting the public at risk.
"We believe that the government must take urgent action to address this by establishing a clear set of robust minimum licensing standards, applicable across all authorities."
Five of the six councils who granted licences to convicted drivers defended their procedures and said a wide range of checking systems were in place.
Blackpool Council said it considered factors including the age of the conviction, the penalty imposed, and the applicant's conduct since the offence.
Burnley Council explained its decision to grant a licence to a driver with a sexual conviction, adding: "Members took into account all the available evidence at the hearing and determined that the applicant was fit and proper."
Trafford Council did not respond to requests for a comment.
Inside Out North West is on Friday 31 March at 19.30 BST on BBC One in the North West and later on BBC iPlayer for 30 days | Hundreds of taxi drivers have been granted licences despite declaring criminal convictions for sex offences, burglary and assault, figures show. | 39380921 | taxi drivers, granted licences, criminal convictions |
It follows claims of cronyism within the land and environmental services department.
A long-running internal investigation has been looking at a number of issues, including alleged procurement irregularities.
The department's executive director resigned last November.
Police Scotland said their inquiries were at an early stage.
BBC Scotland understands officers have taken an interest in issues that arose through Glasgow City Council's internal investigation and that the local authority would be willing to co-operate with police.
It is also understood that a meeting took place recently between the council and police and that some of the issues spoken about involved people outside the council.
The land and services department looks after services such as cleansing, bin collection, park, roads to environmental health and trading standards.
The department has about 4,000 employees and a revenue budget of £190m.
In November 2016 its executive director Brian Devlin - whose salary was about £120,000 - resigned after five years in the role.
It is understood that Mr Devlin was spoken to during the internal investigation.
The others interviewed by the internal investigators included two members of staff with close personal links to housing repair company Mears Scotland, which had also been at the centre of a local controversy over council contracts in neighbouring North Lanarkshire.
One is the son of its managing director who is married to Glasgow's Lord Provost Sadie Docherty.
The other is the partner of an executive with Mears who is now working in a different role at the council.
However, Mears currently has no major contracts with Glasgow City Council and the company has denied wrongdoing.
A spokesman for Labour-run Glasgow City Council said it would not be appropriate to comment on an ongoing internal investigation.
The broader issue of openness and transparency within Glasgow City Council is set to be a key theme in the campaign ahead of May's local elections.
Supporters of the Labour administration may argue that the internal investigation demonstrates that they take such matters seriously.
However, the SNP believe that, in general, the council could do more to ensure it is transparent and seen to be so.
The leader of the SNP group on the council, Susan Aitken, stressed she did not wish to comment on this specific investigation or any of the individuals concerned.
However, she said: "Glasgow SNP have already expressed serious concerns about public trust in the council in the light of a number of incidents over the years and have committed to appoint an independent expert to conduct a root and branch review of governance if elected."
The Times newspaper, which first reported the story in its Scottish edition, claimed the council's ties with Mears and a number of other firms were being looked at by the local authority's internal auditors.
In general, councils are expected to follow tight procurement rules and statutory procedures to ensure an open and transparent process is followed for any contract being awarded - major contracts also have to comply with EU law.
They should not be awarded on the basis of personal connections and no company tendering for a contract should be given an unfair advantage or disadvantage.
It would be seen as bad practice - and possibly a breach of rules - for anyone with a close personal connection to a company to be involved with decisions on whether or not they are awarded a contract.
Any allegation a council employee was able to give one company bidding for work an unfair advantage, through for instance sharing information, would also be taken very seriously.
Recommendations on who to award significant contracts to are made by council officials, although the actual decisions are taken by committees of councillors. It is unusual for these committees to go against the officials' recommendations.
Police Scotland said: "A matter has been raised with the police and inquiries are at an early stage to assess this information." | Police have met senior figures at Glasgow City Council amid allegations of malpractice, it has emerged. | 39037490 | police,, allegations,, Glasgow City Council. |
Bert Williams, 71, from Prenton, Wirral, caught the 93lb fish in the sea off Norway.
Mr Williams told the BBC he initially thought he had caught a dolphin and it took two anglers more than 25 minutes to land the fish off Soroya, Norway.
The catch is about 10lb off the world record for cod.
Shortly before, he had snagged his fishing line on the boat's engine and thought he'd done that again or "landed a dolphin" as a pod had just passed the boat.
Mr Williams, who began fishing when he was six years old, said: "To get the thing out of the water, I had to pace myself. I wouldn't have been able to lift it in on my own."
He said: "Two of the guides on the fishing trip helped lift it into the boat and it took 25 minutes."
Despite its size, Mr Williams said: "I have caught a marlin bigger - it was 180lb."
As well as being the biggest cod landed by a British angler, it is the biggest for a disabled angler - Mr Williams has a heart condition.
The world cod record, of about 104lbs, is held by a Swedish angler.
Paul Stevens, a guide who organised the trip with Sportquest holidays, said: "The previous day, I caught an 84lb cod," he said. "I held the British record for 24 hours!"
Mr Stevens described the atmosphere on the boat as "electric". "Everyone was buzzing it didn't matter who had caught it - it was just amazing to see such a big fish."
The record-breaking fish, which died after it was reeled in, will be moulded into a fibreglass replica and mounted at the firm's offices in Norfolk. | A fisherman is celebrating after landing the biggest cod ever caught by a British angler. | 35917499 | fisherman, British angler, biggest cod catch |
The Labour MP for Hove, Peter Kyle, told the House of Commons that urgent action was needed with only seven armed officers on duty in the county.
Calls for help to neighbouring forces had increased by 43%, he said.
The prime minister said it was "possible" the pool of armed police could be grown, but he did not want to see "routine arming".
Mr Kyle said: "Can the prime minister assure the people of Brighton and Hove, who have a long history of dealing with terrorism, that should another terrorist attack happen the local force can cope without calling on neighbouring forces?"
The prime minister responded: "As for forces sharing between each other and going to each other's aid, that has always been part of the way British policing has worked."
Brighton's Grand Hotel was bombed by the IRA in 1984.
Five people died and 34 were injured in the attack aimed at prime minister Margaret Thatcher and her cabinet. | An MP has warned David Cameron there are not enough armed police officers in Sussex to tackle terrorist attacks. | 34908073 | MP warning, armed police officers, terrorist attacks. |
The winning film, I Daniel Blake, marks the 13th time that Loach, the director of more than 50 movies, has competed at the event. It's also exactly 10 years since he won the same prize for his 2006 Irish drama The Wind That Shakes The Barley, starring Cillian Murphy.
Loach uses I, Daniel Blake to expose the welfare system in the UK, and says he wants the film "to break audience's hearts, but also to make them angry".
Daniel Blake, played by stand-up comedian Dave Johns, is an older man living in Newcastle who, because of a heart attack, can no longer do his job.
However, a mobility test by the Department of Work and Pensions declares him fit for work and while he waits for his appeal, Daniel Blake can only claim Jobseekers Allowance.
His inability to take any work offered means his money is stopped, and he begins to go hungry.
Loach, a social campaigner for most of his career, believes the current criteria for claiming benefits in the UK is "a Kafka-esque, Catch 22 situation designed to frustrate and humiliate the claimant to such an extent that they drop out of the system and stop pursuing their right to ask for support if necessary".
"The state's attitude is not an accident," he claims.
"The poverty, the indignity, the humiliation people go through is consciously done.
"The state is knowingly inefficient or cruel, knowing that people will be driven to frustration, despair, hunger and possible suicide.
"Claimants are portrayed as 'scroungers' in the media but research has found that less than 1% of claims for benefits are fraudulent.
"That's certainly less than the figures for tax evasion, for example.
"But there's an attitude that suggests that if you're poor, it's your fault. If you are out of a job, it's your fault. It's done to get the numbers down and the most vulnerable in our society are suffering as a result."
Half a century ago, Ken Loach wrote the screenplay for the BBC play Cathy Come Home, which examined homelessness in Britain in 1966, and the director says his latest film "is a snapshot of how life can be lived in Britain in 2016".
"We wanted to explore the human consequences of welfare policy in terms of relationships, and who people become through these policies."
Loach and his long-time collaborator, writer Paul Laverty, spent several months visiting British cities such as Stoke, Newcastle, Liverpool and Glasgow, meeting people seeking work, or on low-paid or zero-hour contracts.
"We started in my home town of Nuneaton and met a young lad there who was sleeping on a mattress in a charity home.
"He was doing the odd bit of work on zero-hour contracts, he'd given up on benefits - he said it was too humiliating.
"He hadn't worked for a couple of weeks, and the week before he hadn't eaten for four days.
"I opened his fridge and there was nothing in it - nothing at all. And this was one of the first people we encountered."
Loach and Laverty say they also based a pivotal scene in the film, where a mother arrives at a food bank having not eaten for days, on a real anecdote from one of the centres they visited in Glasgow.
"Food banks have been praised by the state without any sense of shame at all and yet it's appalling in 2016 that people are having to make the choice between food and heating, which is common.
"After the war in 1945, we were desperately poor in Britain, but there is no way people would have been starving, their communities wouldn't have let them.
"That we now have this situation is testament to the policy of individualism that successive governments have pursued.
"It's shocking that we are apparently such a wealthy nation with such grotesque wealth at the top and such desperate poverty and fear at the very bottom."
The film has won widespread acclaim from critics, with Variety magazine calling it "one of Loach's finest films, a drama of tender devastation, a work of scalding and moving relevance".
But despite its concentration on the UK welfare system, Loach, who will be 80 next month, insists that the movie also applies to an international audience.
"There is a conscious cruelty in the way we organise our lives now which means the most vulnerable people in society, such as the disabled, are caught in this unfair situation.
"They are often unable to live with dignity, and instead suffer pain and deep despair.
"It's deeply shocking that this is happening at the heart of our world."
I, Daniel Blake will be released in the UK later this year | Two years ago he suggested he would be retiring from film-making, but instead 79-year-old director Ken Loach has won the coveted Palme D'Or award for the second time at the Cannes Film Festival. | 36344759 | Ken Loach, Cannes Film Festival, Palme D'Or award |
The singer died in April 2016 at his Paisley Park studios, from an accidental overdose of the painkiller fentanyl.
He did not leave a will and did not have any children.
Reports place the value of his estate at around $200m (£153m), though taxes will likely absorb around half of that.
In a protracted legal battle, as many as 45 people have staked a claim to the fortune, including a prisoner in Colorado who wrongly claimed to be Prince's son.
Last July, a judge rejected claims by 29 would-be heirs, and ordered genetic tests to be carried out on others.
Prince's assets include properties and the rights to his music, including hits like Let's Go Crazy and When Doves Cry, and previously unreleased material.
District judge Kevin Eide said that those people denied the status of heirs must have time to appeal against the ruling.
As a result, Prince's sister, Tyka Nelson, and five half-siblings - Sharon Nelson, Norrine Nelson, John Nelson, Omarr Baker and Alfred Jackson - must wait another year to get their share of the millions.
The music icon's estate has struck deals to make his albums available by streaming, and is planning a series of releases including a remastered Purple Rain album, two albums of unreleased tracks, and two concert films. | More than a year after the death of the superstar musician Prince, his sister and five half-siblings have been declared his legal heirs. | 39984637 | Prince, legal heirs, family members |
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The 43-year-old, who looked out of sorts against Maguire in a one-sided World Championship quarter-final, said he made the decision three months ago.
He said: "There's a few reasons - the schedule, the fact I'm not playing the snooker I want to play, and the fact I'm not enjoying practice.
"It was quite an easy decision."
He added: "I didn't tell many people [before the tournament], but this is me finished from tournament snooker."
Asked whether he would have changed his mind if he had won the tournament, Hendry replied: "No not at all. If I had won, it would have been a better way to go out.
"I was delighted to have made a maximum here [against Stuart Bingham in the first round] which is why I was more animated when I achieved it. I was delighted to do it on my last appearance.
"I've had so many memories here; my first time here, my first win, obviously my seventh world title. I could write a book about the memories that I had here.
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"It's a sad day that I won't play here [at the Crucible] again, I love playing here but it's a relief as much as anything.
"I want to do other things now. I've got a lot of commitments now in China, which I've signed up for and I can't do that and play snooker because I would never be at home."
Hendry, who was making his 27th consecutive appearance at the World Championship, looked back to his fluent best as he hit his third Crucible maximum - a record he shares with Ronnie O'Sullivan - in his first round victory over Bingham.
He went on to beat defending champion Higgins 13-4 which prompted him to declare that he could win a record eighth world title.
But Hendry made a flurry of mistakes against Maguire, which his opponent ruthlessly punished to win the last-eight tie with a session to spare.
Jimmy White, who was beaten by Stephen Hendry in four World Championship finals, tweeted: "He was and is an unbelievable snooker player & has nothing to prove. I hope he enjoys his retirement, he really deserves it.
"He's always put snooker first, been a model professional, a credit to the game and I'll see him in the legends tour this year for more battles.
"It is his brutal frankness about his love of winning, more than the winning itself, that takes the breath away."
Read more of Ben's blog
"I thank him sincerely for some of the best matches and memories of my own career. I'm not sure his records will ever be equalled."
Chairman of World Snooker Barry Hearn told BBC Radio 5 live: "There's no question he's the finest player ever to pick up a snooker cue. He always had the extra gear of focus. He got a maximum recently, showing there's life in the old dog still.
"This announcement has come as a little bit of a shock. He will be missed. I don't think he's made the right decision to bow out.
"But he was a phenomenal player and a really nice bloke. When you watch someone like Hendry in action, it's an art form."
Former world champion Terry Griffiths, who once coached Hendry, added: "I thought he should have retired a while ago but he had the belief that he could continue.
"He was blessed with a skill. His will and desire to win was frightening.
"Everybody says they want to win, but Stephen Hendry wanted to win even more."
Maguire added: "I'm shocked, I wasn't expecting that but Stephen has obvioulsy thought long and hard about it.
"I'm just pretty sad that he's retired. I think he's retired too early but Stephen knows best."
Hendry became the youngest-ever world champion, aged 21 in 1990, before adding six more in the next nine years.
He held the world number one ranking for eight consecutive years between 1990 and 1998 and then again briefly in 2006 and 2007.
Hendry, who lost to Willie Thorne on his World Championship debut in 1986, holds the record for the most world ranking titles (36) and the most competitive century breaks (775)
He also shares the record of most competitive maximum breaks with Ronnie O'Sullivan at 11.
After dominating the 1990s, Hendry's form started to tail off and he reached just one World Championship final in the next decade.
His last ranking tournament final was in the 2006 UK Championship where he lost to Peter Ebdon.
Media playback is not supported on this device | Seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry has announced his retirement from snooker after a heavy 13-2 defeat by Stephen Maguire at the Crucible. | 17917326 | Stephen Hendry, retirement, snooker |
Police say the man - said to be a former employee - entered the Ludlow restaurant in the Southbank area late on Sunday evening brandishing a knife.
Other customers and staff fled but the man cornered the woman in a back room and barricaded himself in.
The area was cordoned off while police negotiated with the man.
The woman was released unharmed in the early hours of Monday.
Police then moved in and Tasered the man before arresting him and taking him to hospital on a stretcher for checks.
Inspector Travis McCarthy told Australian media the investigation was ongoing but that the accused "was fairly disgruntled around some employment issues with the restaurant".
He said the woman appeared not to have been directly threatened during the siege. | A 35-year-old man has been arrested after a woman was held hostage in a restaurant in Melbourne, Australia, for seven hours. | 32193638 | 35-year-old man , arrested , hostage situation |
The condition of the woman, who has not been named, was "good, considering the circumstances", the GIZ development organisation said.
She is "very relieved and happy" at being released, it added.
The kidnapping happened in a central Kabul neighbourhood, where a number of foreign aid agencies are based.
No details have been given about the circumstances of the woman's release.
German Foreign Minister Frank Walter-Steinmeier, who is visiting Tehran, said he was "very relieved" at the news and thanked the Afghan government and the country's security forces.
The kidnapping was the second abduction of a GIZ aid worker this year.
Another employee of the agency was kidnapped in the restive northern province of Kunduz and rescued in a police operation after 40 days in captivity.
In April the bodies of five Afghan workers for Save the Children were found after they were abducted by gunmen in the strife-torn southern province of Uruzgan. | A German aid worker who was kidnapped in Afghanistan in August has been released and is in good health, her employer has said. | 34564692 | Kidnapped aid worker , Released , Afghanistan |
Three years after Russia annexed Crimea, a move bitterly contested by Ukraine's government, the region remains in a state of flux. It's difficult to get into, and for many people, it's difficult to know where it's going.
At Kiev International Airport, I hand my passport to a border guard.
"Purpose of visit?" he asks.
"Journalism. I'm with the BBC."
He pauses. He studies my passport. He seems to be checking a list. He goes to pick up a telephone and asks a question. He does not realise I can hear.
"You remember that pro-Russian journalist from the BBC? Was his surname Rosenberg?"
Another pause.
"It wasn't? OK, thanks." He hangs up. He stamps my passport and returns it.
"Welcome to Ukraine!" he smiles.
Those pauses at passport control are an indication of the current tension between Moscow and Kiev - a relationship clouded by enmity and suspicion.
Our BBC team is only passing through Kiev. Our final destination is Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Russia three years ago.
For journalists based in Russia, there are faster ways of reaching the Crimean peninsula. Board a plane in Moscow and two hours later you can be in the Crimean capital Simferopol. Ukraine, however, warns foreign nationals that anyone entering "temporarily occupied Crimea" without Kiev's permission and without crossing an official Ukrainian border may be banned from future entry to Ukraine.
We're taking the longer route.
Direct flights from Russia to Ukraine stopped in October 2015. We flew from Moscow to the Belarusian capital Minsk, then on to Kiev. Ahead of us is an eight-hour road trip to Crimea.
First, we visit the Ukrainian Migration Service in Kiev to obtain the "dozvil" - a document issued by the Ukrainian authorities permitting travel to Crimea. Three hours later, permission slips in hand, our long car journey south begins.
Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 was a watershed moment. It pushed Moscow and the West to the brink of a new cold war. Three years on we are travelling to Crimea to gauge the mood.
It is dark by the time we reach the final Ukrainian checkpoint before the peninsula. Ukraine does not call the Kalanchak crossing a border - officially, it is a "control point for entry and exit". We show our passports and dozvils. Minutes later we are waved through.
The no-man's land between the Ukrainian and Russian checkpoints is tiny - no more than 50m long. We stop here to change cars - our Kiev driver will turn back. A driver from Simferopol has come to meet us.
On the Russian side this is called the Armyansk crossing. As far as the Russians are concerned, it is an official state border. We show passports and visas and fill out immigration cards. Our documents are in order, but we are asked to wait. The appearance here of British journalists has raised official eyebrows.
A young man in civilian clothes approaches me. "Come with me, please," he says, "I'd like to have a chat."
We enter a small room and sit down at a table. He checks my phone to make sure I am not recording our conversation.
Then come the questions. Lots of them.
"What mission have your editors set you? What will you be filming? How will you be saving your material, on computers or hard drives? What SIM card will you be using in Crimea? As the correspondent, will you be making notes each night about what you have filmed? Can you show me some of the photos on your phone? Where will you be staying? Why didn't you fly direct from Moscow?"
My interrogator notes down my answers on a piece of paper. His questions are not limited to Crimea.
"What street do you live on in Moscow? What is the nearest Metro station to your home? What does your wife do for a living? You've been in Russia a long time. Have you ever considered applying for a Russian passport?"
"My British one suits me just fine," I reply.
"What do you think of English cuisine?" he asks, adding, "I like Jamie Oliver. Although I consider he uses too much oil."
The questioning lasts an hour. Then the official escorts me back to the van. I ask for his name.
"I have no name," he replies, "only a rank."
The inquisitive young man with "no name, only a rank" invites my colleagues for similar conversations.
Three hours pass. Interrogations over, we are still not free to go. We spend the night in the van waiting for Russian customs officers to process our papers and allow our TV equipment through. Ten hours after arriving at the Armyansk crossing, we finally clear the checkpoint.
Simferopol is the administrative centre of Crimea. The name of our hotel is the "Ukraine". But three years after annexation, the town feels Russian. Most of the cars have switched to Russian number plates, brand new buses manufactured near Moscow have taken to the roads. And, peering down from billboards is the Russian president with some of his choicest Crimea quotations - just to remind everyone who is in charge.
"Crimea was famous for being the spa of the Soviet Union," declares Vladimir Putin in one poster. "We will, of course, develop this."
"All Russian army social programmes will be extended to Sevastopol and the Black Sea Fleet," he promises in another.
Near our hotel, the wall of a building is covered with a giant painting of President Putin dressed as a sailor and the words: "Crimea belongs to all of us".
As far as retired teacher Olga Koziko is concerned, the more Putin in Crimea, the better.
"Crimea is a place where people support Putin," Olga assures me. "We just adore him. He's our hero. I even have a T-shirt with Putin and the words: 'In Putin We Trust', like 'In God We Trust.' Thanks to Putin, Russian soldiers came to protect us."
On 22 February 2014, Ukraine's pro-Moscow president Viktor Yanukovych fled the country after what he - and his Russian allies - called an "illegal coup" in Kiev. On 27 February masked men in unmarked uniforms appeared in Simferopol. Armed with Russian weapons, they seized government buildings, the parliament, the airport and blocked Ukrainian army bases. This mysterious military force picked up a variety of nicknames, including The Little Green Men and The Polite People.
Today Moscow admits the soldiers were from Russia's secretive Special Operations Forces (the SSO). President Putin subsequently signed a decree making 27 February an annual celebration in Russia - "Special Operations Forces Day".
Following a hastily organised referendum, it was announced that more than 95% of people who had taken part had voted for Crimea's "reunification" with Russia. The referendum was not recognised by the international community. To the outside world, Russia had grabbed a piece of Ukraine.
A statue honouring The Little Green Men has been erected near the Crimean parliament building. It depicts a young girl handing flowers to a man with a gun. The inscription reads: "To The Polite People from the grateful people of Crimea."
This is how Moscow wants to be seen here: as a force for good, protecting the people of Crimea from violent Ukrainian nationalists. In 2014 Russia's state-controlled media characterised the new Ukrainian government as "fascists", "neo-Nazis" and an "illegitimate junta''. Olga uses similar language as she recalls the past.
"Without Russia, a lot of people would have been killed here," maintains Olga. "Ukrainian Nazis said Crimea would either be part of Ukraine or empty. People would have been oppressed. Perhaps even put in concentration camps."
There is absolutely no evidence to substantiate Olga's claims.
Many of those in Crimea who welcome Moscow's rule see the bloody conflict in eastern Ukraine as confirmation that Russia is a safer home. They discount evidence that unrest in the Donbass was incited and bankrolled by Moscow.
Out on the street I get chatting to a pensioner called Nadezhda. Until recently her sister had been living in Luhansk, one of the self-proclaimed separatist republics in eastern Ukraine.
"Life in Luhansk is terrible," Nadezhda says. "So I moved my sister to Crimea. I will do everything to make sure that kind of violence doesn't break out here."
There is another reason why Nadezhda, an ethnic Ukrainian, trusts Moscow more than Kiev - it is out of nostalgia for Soviet times, when she regarded Moscow as her capital. Nadezhda describes Crimea joining Russia as "a return to the Soviet Union. Our generation was, is and will always be in the USSR. We will die in the Soviet Union."
Nostalgia and fear are powerful feelings. But they are not enough to sustain pro-Russia sentiment in Crimea at the level of 2014.
Severing ties to Ukraine has brought problems. With economic links to Ukraine cut, the only way of keeping the peninsula supplied is by sea or air. That means higher prices. Moscow insists that will change once it has completed a road and rail bridge linking Crimea to the Russian mainland. The bridge is a multibillion-dollar statement that Moscow is here to stay.
As well as higher prices, there is Russian red tape.
I visit a document registration centre in Simferopol. More than two hundred people are queueing outside. They have come to exchange Ukrainian documents, like deeds for apartments, for Russian ones. Some people, like Alyona, have been queuing here all night.
"Life hasn't got better or worse," Alyona tells me, "We're still standing in lines, like we always used to. Maybe some people had big expectations three years ago. But I don't believe in miracles."
I ask Alyona if she could imagine Russia handing Crimea back to Ukraine.
"Nothing would surprise me any more," she laughs. "I wouldn't be surprised if we suddenly ended up as part of Turkey. To be honest, I don't care if we're with China! The most important thing is that there is no war.
"I've learnt that your life can be turned upside down in a day. And there is nothing you can do about it. We're like pawns on a chessboard. They're playing with us. Today our place is in Russia. And tomorrow? Who knows. Maybe that's for the best: if we knew, we might have a heart attack."
Across town, I meet Nadia. She is complaining to me about potholes.
"Where I live there are potholes everywhere," Nadia says. "People have been hurting their legs. I've written to the authorities asking them to do something. They haven't lifted a finger."
Nadia's disappointment extends further than pavements and roads.
"Many people here were happy, but there is disillusionment now," she tells me, "because there is no investment and salaries and pensions are small. My pension is 8000 roubles ($140; £112) a month. Just about enough to cover utility bills and the medicines I need."
I am talking to Nadia beside the statue of Ukraine's most famous 19th Century poet, Taras Shevchenko. It is Shevchenko Day and a group of twenty people have come here with flowers to mark the poet's birthday. Russian police have come, too - with cameras. They are filming everyone, including us. In Russian Crimea, public expressions of Ukrainian pride attract special attention.
Nadia is an ethnic Russian, but she is wearing a small Ukrainian flag.
"In my soul, Crimea is still part of Ukraine," Nadia tells me. "I'm here because this statue is the last symbol of Ukraine left in Crimea."
A woman called Lidiya overhears our conversation. She is furious.
"It was the Russian Empress Catherine the Great who built up Crimea," says Lidiya sternly.
"Well, if you're going to bring up history, we could go right back to the days of the Crimean khans," retorts Nadia.
Lidiya switches to modern history.
"Three years ago America was planning to station soldiers in three schools in Sevastopol," she claims. "Nato troops wanted to be in Sevastopol. Crimea would have been wiped from the face of the earth."
"How do you know that?" I ask.
"I read it in the internet," she replies.
"Does that make it true?"
Lidiya changes tack.
"If people think they live badly in Crimea today, let them go and live in the Donbass in eastern Ukraine. They will be crying to come back here."
We drive to the town of Bakhchysarai in central Crimea to meet Umer Ibragimov. Umer, a Crimean Tatar, is desperate for information about his son Ervin. In May 2016 Ervin was abducted late at night. CCTV cameras caught the moment he was seized by men in uniform and bundled into a vehicle.
"I've written to everyone asking for help," Umer tells me, "from the bottom levels right up to the president. But there has been no information about my son."
Ervin Ibragimov was a member of the executive board of the World Congress of Crimean Tatars. Since annexation, the Crimean Tatar community has come under pressure. Its elected representative body, the Mejlis, which had opposed the 2014 referendum on joining Russia, has been ruled an "extremist organisation" and banned.
Human rights group Amnesty International accuses the Russian authorities of "systematic persecution" of Crimean Tatars. This month the European Union's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini concluded that "the rights of the Crimean Tatars have been gravely violated". Moscow denies the accusations.
Over piping hot tea, Umer tells me the story of his family. In World War Two, his father had fought in the Red Army.
"He was wounded and came home," Umer says. "Ten days later, all Crimean Tatars were deported from their homeland."
It was Josef Stalin who had ordered the deportation - an act of collective punishment and paranoia. The Soviet dictator suspected Crimean Tatars of collaborating with the Nazis. More than 230,000 people were forced on to cattle trains and transported to Central Asia.
"My mother and father told me later they'd be given just 15 minutes to gather their belongings," recalls Umer.
Umer grew up in Soviet Uzbekistan. Conscripted into the Soviet army in the late 1970s, he spent a year fulfilling his "internationalist duty" fighting in Afghanistan.
Umer looks at a photograph of his missing son.
"There is no justice," he says.
And yet this Crimean spring feels calmer than three years ago. While Russia and the West argue over sanctions, sovereignty and borders, it seems that most people here are just trying to get on with their lives, trying to adapt.
"Everything calmed down," artist Svitlana Gavrilenko says. "Everyone who used to be 'pro' something - either pro-Russia or pro-Ukraine - everybody calmed down."
Three years ago Svitlana had opposed annexation. Today her perspective has changed.
"A lot of small and medium-sized businesses fell apart after Russia came because they were all connected to Ukraine. Now they have reconnected to Russia and China. If we become a part of Ukraine again, we will need to solve all this stuff again. Everyone's life is going to be screwed up again."
In the Black Sea resort of Yalta I find the promenade packed with people enjoying a seaside stroll in the sunshine. The sound of the waves crashing on the shore mixes with jazz chords from street musicians. From the conversations, there is an overriding sense of a population desperate for peace.
"Many people in Crimea still love Ukraine," Rodion says. "Russia and Ukraine are too similar, their peoples too inter-connected to feel bad about each other."
Rodion believes "it's not completely impossible" that Crimea would one day return to Ukrainian rule.
"Nobody ever imagined it would become a part of Russia," he says, though he resents Western leaders who demand the peninsula's return. "Crimea is not just a thing to be given to one country or another. It's a place. It's the people who live here. It's history. It's many things that cannot be bought or inter-changed."
Svitlana Gavrilenko believes that the changes that took place here three years ago are irreversible.
"I don't think Russia in its modern state, with Putin at the top, could ever give Crimea back," she tells me. "They made so much effort to connect it. They suffered through all these sanctions just to have Crimea. Why would they give it back?" | Pictures are copyright BBC and Getty Images | 39329284 | copyright, BBC, Getty Images |
Daniel Pike, 28, spent two years building the hut near Watford, but was removed from it earlier this month.
He said his hut at Merry Hill Wood has now been flattened by the Woodland Trust, which owns the land.
The trust said it is required to safeguard the area and had offered Mr Pike advice about moving on.
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Mr Pike built the hut from clay he found at the site, kitted it out with solar panels, and constructed an outdoor shelter with a seating area and cooking facilities.
He previously said being there had given him freedom and meant he could live "without being coerced".
Read this and other stories from Hertfordshire
However, bailiffs arrived on 7 September, accompanied by police, and he was arrested at the scene for obstructing a court official in the execution of his duty.
He said: "It was all done very ruthlessly with no care or consideration for what I was saying."
Mr Pike, who spent a night in a police cell and received a fine, said the hut had since been destroyed.
"I'm now staying at my mum's," he said. "I had to ask her because I had nowhere else to go."
Now he says he has been "forced back into society" and hopes to return to his previous job at a supermarket.
Steve Marsh from the Woodland Trust said the organisation had sympathy for Mr Pike's situation and the eviction was "not personal".
He said: "We have over 1,000 sites across the UK and we have a blanket rule: No occupation, because we have to protect all our woods...so that we can protect and safeguard our woods for wildlife and nature but also other people that visit them." | A hermit who lived in a woodland mud hut for four years says his eviction has forced him to go home to live with his mother. | 37438541 | hermit , eviction , living situation |
The man was hit on the A466 Wye Valley Link Road in Newhouse, Chepstow, at about 17:00 GMT on Tuesday.
The road was closed in both directions between the M48, junction 2 (Newhouse Interchange) and A48 / Fair View (Highbeech roundabout).
Gwent Police said it would remain closed for several hours.
The Welsh Ambulance Service said a rapid response car and an air ambulance from Filton airfield, near Bristol, were sent to the scene but the man was pronounced dead. | A 72-year-old pedestrian has died following a collision involving two cars in Monmouthshire. | 34652757 | 72-year-old pedestrian, collision involving two cars, Monmouthshire |
M Squared Lasers said it had attracted a funding package worth more than £2.5m from Barclays and a further £750,000 from BGF (Business Growth Fund).
M Squared is based at the West of Scotland Science Park in Glasgow, and has offices in the US including San Jose in Silicon Valley, California.
The company develops and manufactures lasers and photonic instruments.
It has designed products for a range of sectors, from explosives detection to biomedicines.
M-Squared co-founder Graeme Malcolm said: "We've been expanding our export business for some time and have been making great headway in world markets.
"This latest investment will provide important support as we continue to pursue our ambitious growth objectives.
"Our US business has been growing strongly, with revenues doubling in 2014 as a result of rising demand for laser systems in areas such as quantum technologies."
M Squared currently employs more than 50 staff and has a turnover of £10m.
The company achieved year-on-year revenue growth of 40% in 2014 and expects to see similar annual growth this year. | A Scottish laser manufacturer is set to increase its export activities after securing new financial backing. | 31361004 | Scottish company, laser manufacturer, export expansion |
Militants led by the jihadist Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isis) took over parts of the cities of Falluja and Ramadi in late December.
Since then, troops and allied tribesmen have struggled to regain control.
The number displaced by the unrest is the highest since the peak of the sectarian insurgency from 2006 to 2008.
A further 1.1 million internally displaced people (IDPs) have still not returned to communities in Iraq wracked by violence since 2003.
By Nahed AbouzeidBBC Arabic, Baghdad
The tourist village of Habbaniya, south-west of Falluja, was once a popular destination for the Iraqi elite during Saddam Hussein's rule. It has now turned into a refuge for those fleeing the fighting in Anbar.
Inside the village's chalets and seven-story hotel are hundreds of families, crammed into rooms that lack adequate sanitation and other basic facilities.
In the absence of appropriate medical care due to the army's blockade of the area, skin diseases and viral and bacterial infections are spreading uncontrollably. Children and women are the most vulnerable, especially pregnant women who cannot get access to female doctors.
The main roads in and out of Fallujah and Ramadi are part of the battlefield as the army aims to secure supply routes for troops and tries to cut off militant groups.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said some 50,000 families had fled their homes since clashes erupted in Ramadi and Falluja after security forces dismantled a long-standing anti-government protest camp led by the Sunni Arab community.
While security forces backed by pro-government tribesmen have made steady progress in retaking areas of Ramadi, they have not launched an offensive to recapture Falluja, fearing a repeat of the two bloody urban battles US troops fought in the city in 2004.
Over the weekend, Anbar Governor Ahmed al-Dulaimi gave the militants a week to surrender, but said officials would not negotiate with Isis.
"With the conflict in Anbar continuing UN agencies continue to receive reports of civilian casualties and sustained hardship in communities impacted by the fighting and the influx of internally displaced persons," said UNHCR spokeswoman Melissa Fleming.
Most of the displaced had fled to outlying communities in Anbar province, while 60,000 had ended up in more distant provinces, she added. Many are living in schools, mosques and other public buildings and urgently needed humanitarian aid.
In Anbar, Ms Fleming said access remained a challenge, citing reports that a consignment of World Health Organisation (WHO) medical supplies had been detained at an Iraqi army checkpoint since 30 January.
Many bridges have also been destroyed and roads blocked. | Up to 300,000 people have now been displaced by the fighting between Sunni militants and security forces in Iraq's western province of Anbar, the UN says. | 26150727 | Displacement, Fighting, Anbar Province |
6 August 2016 Last updated at 13:57 BST
Spectacular fireworks, a parade of nations from around the world and the lighting of the famous Olympic torch launched the Games in Brazil.
Ricky was there for Newsround.
Check out the video to get a taste of the excitement. | The 2016 Olympic Games started in spectacular style with the opening ceremony at the Maracana Stadium in Rio on Friday. | 36997402 | 2016 Olympic Games, , Opening ceremony, , Maracana Stadium. |
The mock hangings involved two blow up dolls, one with a Rangers scarf, the other with an Orange sash
Police have also set up a dedicated email address to gather video footage of disorder and vandalism at the game.
Toilets in the away end of the ground were vandalised and both clubs later released statements over fan behaviour.
Det Insp David Stewart, who is leading the investigation, said: "Today specifically, we are requesting people with mobile phone footage of vandalism within the toilets of the away support section to contact us.
"I would ask anyone who witnessed or who captured this vandalism to contact police, as it may assist with our enquiry.
"I understand there were a number of images and video shared online of this and I would be keen for people to contact us directly with any information they may have."
The detective added: "As part of the wider investigation, we have been viewing CCTV and obtaining footage from broadcasters in order to identify those responsible for disorder, vandalism and offensive or antisocial behaviour."
Police have urged anyone with footage or information to send it to the dedicated email address: [email protected] | A 27-year-old man has been arrested after effigies of Rangers fans were hung from the stands during the recent Glasgow derby at Celtic Park. | 37430643 | arrest, effigies, Glasgow derby |
Devon and Cornwall Police said dozens of birds had been "placed" in a line along the central markings of the A35, about 100 yards apart.
A "large amount of feathers" and a discarded seed bag, believed to have been used to move the birds, was found nearby.
It was too early to say how they died, the force added.
For the latest on this story, click here
PCSO Steve Mingo said witnesses are being sought.
"We are also asking for any pigeon fanciers in the area to check their flock to make sure all are accounted for." | More than 40 dead pigeons have been found lined up in the middle of a major road through Devon. | 36964631 | Dead Pigeons, Major Road, Devon |
This means none of the president's supporters will go to the ICC.
His long-time rival Laurent Gbagbo is on trial for war crimes at the ICC over the civil war sparked by his refusal to accept defeat in the 2010 election.
Both sides were accused of atrocities during the four-month conflict, which left some 3,000 people dead.
Mr Outtara said Ivory Coast now has an operational justice system so future prosecutions will happen in national courts.
He was speaking during a meeting in Paris with his French counterpart Francois Hollande.
Campaign group Human Rights Watch has warned that the ICC gave a "perception of victor's justice" by only prosecuting one side of Ivory Coast's conflict.
Mr Gbagbo's trial in The Hague, in the Netherlands, started in January and is likely to last three to four years.
Mr Gbagbo and ex-militia leader Charles Ble Goude deny murder, rape, attempted murder and persecution.
The ICC also accuses pro-Gbagbo militias of attacking members of ethnic groups believed to support Mr Ouattara.
But pro-Ouattara forces were also accused of similar atrocities and these have not been prosecuted in the ICC.
Last year, several former leaders of the pro-Ouattara rebels were indicted in Ivory Coast.
Among them is Cherif Ousmane, who remains a high-ranking officer in the presidential guard.
None of them is currently under arrest, reports the BBC Afrique's Abdourahmane Dia.
The ICC had issued an arrest warrant for Mr Gbagbo's wife, Simone, too, but this was dismissed by the Ivorian government.
Instead she was taken to court in Ivory Coast, along with 82 other supporters of her husband - 15 of whom were acquitted.
She was sentenced to 20 years in prison in March 2015 for undermining state security. | Ivory Coast's President Alassane Ouattara says he will not send any more Ivorians to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. | 35502013 | Ivory Coast, President Alassane Ouattara, International Criminal Court (ICC) |
Afrobasket 2015 is being held in Rades, on the outskirts of the capital Tunis, having moved from the coast after two deadly attacks on tourists this year.
In June, an Islamist gunman killed 38 people at the beach resort of Sousse.
The winners of this year's tournament will be crowned African champions, as well as qualifying for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
The other three semi-finalists will go into an Olympic qualifying tournament next year.
The opening match of the event is between Egypt and Gabon.
Defending champions Angola are favourites to win the tournament. | Africa's biggest basketball tournament is under way in Tunisia, after a venue change due to security concerns. | 33987664 | Africa's biggest basketball tournament, under way in Tunisia, venue change due to security concerns |
Eliza Szonert, embroiled in a custody dispute with businessman Ashley Crick, took her son with the aid of a child recovery agency on 10 December.
Police detained her last week after she refused to reveal the child's location.
She can now leave with her son and without charge after adhering to police requests to take him to a doctor.
"She can leave Malaysia for home with her son. We have investigated the case and the deputy public prosecutor has decided that there will be no prosecution against her," Kuala Lumpur police chief Tajuddin Mohamad Isa said.
The case sparked a controversy after video of her taking the child in a Kuala Lumpur restaurant was circulated.
Mr Crick, who works for a Malaysia-based video streaming service, is reportedly back in Australia to seek custody of the child through the Australian court system.
"Thank you everyone for your love, support and assistance during this exhausting ordeal. More than anything I'm just looking forward to getting home and spending time with my son again," Ms Szonert said in a Facebook post.
Child Recovery Australia, the controversial group that helped Ms Szonert, said on its Facebook page that her return signalled "another successful recovery".
Two men from Child Recovery Australia accompanied Ms Szonert to the restaurant where the child was taken and spoke to Mr Crick.
Ms Szonert said that Mr Crick had taken away her and her son's passports after a disagreement.
The actress played troublemaker Danni Stark in Neighbours, appearing in the soap between 1993 and 1996, and she also had a role in the 2000 Australian movie The Dish. | A former Neighbours actress, held in Malaysia after snatching her child from her estranged partner at a restaurant, can return to Australia, officials say | 35203721 | former Neighbours actress, Malaysia custody case, child abduction |
Wavegarden Scotland wants to turn Craigpark Quarry pit near Ratho into a huge lake with a machine recreating waves for any level of surfer.
The planned site lies across from the Edinburgh International Climbing Arena.
The developers said they expected to create more than 80 jobs.
Andy Hadden, co-founder of Tartan Leisure Ltd, said: "Wavegarden Scotland is a thrilling new concept in the adventure leisure industry. If approved, it could position Scotland as a leading surfing destination as the country already has some world-class natural breaks.
"We've received fantastic feedback on our plans to date and we look forward to sharing them with the local community."
Gavin Barrie, convener of City of Edinburgh Council's economic committee, said: "The Wavegarden Scotland project appears an exciting addition to active participant sport in the Edinburgh area.
"Anything that encourages people, whether young or old, to lead an active lifestyle and enjoy all the benefits that come with it is likely to garner support across the city.
"Hopefully others will share my enthusiasm for development."
William Watson, president of the Scottish Surfing Federation added: "We fully support this fantastic project and will continue to work with Tartan Leisure Ltd to ensure it fits with the best interests of Scottish surfing."
The public consultations will be held between 15:30 and 19:30 on Wednesday at the Edinburgh International Climbing Arena, and next Monday between 14:30 and 19:30 at Ratho Library. | Plans for a multi-million pound artificial surfing lake on the outskirts of Edinburgh are to be unveiled at a series of public consultation events. | 39028348 | Multi-million pound , Artificial surfing lake , Public consultation events |
The game had promised to be an entertaining one with the Magpies' Stanley Aborah letting fly from distance and forcing a corner early on.
Following that set-piece, County's Haydn Hollis forced a superb save from Barry Roche before Aborah struck another effort just wide.
But with the players struggling to move the ball as the rain came down, that was enough for referee Dean Whitestone to bring play to a halt after consulting both managers.
Report supplied by the Press Association.
Match abandoned due to waterlogged pitch, Notts County 0, Morecambe 0.
First Half ends, Notts County 0, Morecambe 0.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Foul by Alex Rodman (Notts County).
James Jennings (Morecambe) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Michael Rose (Morecambe) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Alex Rodman (Notts County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Michael Rose (Morecambe).
Attempt saved. Paul Mullin (Morecambe) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Attempt missed. Stanley Aborah (Notts County) left footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the left.
Attempt saved. Haydn Hollis (Notts County) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Corner, Notts County. Conceded by Barry Roche.
Attempt saved. Stanley Aborah (Notts County) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
First Half begins.
Lineups are announced and players are warming up. | Notts County's game with Morecambe had to be abandoned at 0-0 just 10 minutes after kick-off after a huge storm waterlogged the Meadow Lane pitch. | 37459383 | Notts County, storm, abandoned game |
L/Cpl David Gwilt from Bedford, and rifleman Dale Harris from Barnsley, died in the collision near Cullybackey in August 2014.
The 24-year-olds had been serving in the 2nd Battalion The Rifles, based at Thiepval Barracks in Lisburn.
Their colleague, rifleman Matthew Robins, escaped major injury.
Mr Robins told Belfast Coroner's Court how the three had left the barracks that morning to spend some time fishing.
He said the friends had stopped at two lakes and were on the way to find another spot to fish when the accident happened.
The soldier said he recalled being in the front passenger seat of the car as they drove along, but had no memory of the crash that followed.
"The next thing I remember I was in the ambulance and a paramedic was on the phone to my missus," he said.
Mr Robins, also from England, later told the coroner that none of the men were familiar with the roads in that part of County Antrim.
Jordan Marks was driving the tractor and trailer along the Ballyconnelly Road at around 20:00 BST when the silver Fiat Punto owned and driven by Mr Gwilt emerged from a junction.
"I just got a sight of a car flying out of the junction," Mr Marks said.
The vehicle collided with the front of the tractor and spun around before crashing into a road sign.
A retired doctor and two off-duty nurses were among the first to come upon the scene of the crash.
Despite their efforts, the two soldiers were declared dead at the site. Mr Gwilt was in the driver's seat and Mr Harris was in the back passenger seat behind him.
A road traffic collision investigator said the junction at the approach to the Ballyconnelly Road was clearly marked with signs and road markings.
"The Fiat was required to stop by the road markings and signage," he said.
Mr Dunn said it was not possible to determine the exact speed the soldiers' car was travelling at, but added: "It was not moving at a relatively slow speed."
Assessing the conclusions of the expert's report, the coroner said: "The bottom line is the car failed to stop at the junction and very tragically that led to a collision with the tractor and the deaths of the driver and passenger."
A policeman told the coroner there had been a "collision history" at the junction and explained there was another side road directly opposite the road the soldiers were travelled on - giving the impression of one continuing road.
"If you weren't paying close attention you might miss the junction completely," he said.
The coroner heard that Transport NI has agreed to introduce additional safety measures at the junction - such as 'rumble strip' road paint to give drivers further warning to slow down and high visibility bordering around the stop signs.
The coroner welcomed the steps.
"I always hope something will arise out of a tragedy that will improve matters and may prevent the occurrence of something similar," he said.
Recording the deaths as being the result of a road crash, the coroner extended his sympathies to the relatives of the two soldiers and again commended all those who had attempted to save them. | Two soldiers were killed when their car failed to stop at a junction and crashed into a tractor in County Antrim, an inquest has heard. | 34020070 | fatal accident, military personnel, county antrim |
Two spacecraft have been ordered at a cost of roughly 550m euros (£405m).
They will be built at the aerospace giant's factories in Portsmouth and Stevenage in southern England.
Inmarsat specialises in providing mobile connections to ships, planes, oil and gas platforms, and the broadcasting industry.
The new spacecraft will be known as the Inmarsat-6 series. They will update services currently offered in the L-band part of the radio spectrum.
These connections are handled today by the Inmarsat-4 series, which was launched in 2005. The expectation is that these earlier platforms will be operational until at least 2020, by which time the I-6s should be ready for lift-off.
Inmarsat's decision to place the order with Airbus is a major boost for UK space manufacturing.
The telecoms company is the world's biggest player in its field, and so the Airbus workers in Portsmouth and Stevenage will see the contract as a tremendous endorsement of their skills and expertise.
It will also be regarded as a very positive return on the strategy pursued by ministers and the UK Space Agency, who have targeted R&D investments in the telecoms sector.
This has seen, for example, the development of state-of-the-art digital signal processors for satellites that can channel significant bandwidth and power to specific locations on the ground at the drop of a hat.
In addition to being more capable than the I-4s, the I-6s will differ in two key respects.
One is their frequency of operation. As well as the L-band, which is where Inmarsat has many legacy services, the new satellites will carry a Ka-band payload.
This higher frequency part of the radio spectrum is where much of the new sector growth will occur - such as in-flight connections for aeroplanes. Inmarsat recently launched an I-5 series of satellites. These all operate in Ka.
The other big difference from the I-4s, and indeed the I-5s, will be the new satellites' architecture. They will be what are called "all-electric" spacecraft.
This means they will use an ion engine to manoeuvre themselves once they come off the top of the launch rocket.
This is normally done with a large chemical thruster, but a significant mass saving can be made if the final orbital positioning is done using an engine that spits out a stream of charged gas.
Such ion engines, although extremely efficient, do however take longer to achieve the task in hand, resulting in a delay of several months to get the satellite on-station.
The plus side for the satellite owner is that they can use the mass saving either to select a smaller, cheaper rocket or to add additional payload capability.
[email protected] and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos | Inmarsat, the British satellite telecommunications company, has awarded the contract to build its next-generation constellation to Airbus. | 35176615 | Inmarsat , Airbus , Next-generation constellation |
Parnell joined for the group stage of the T20 Blast, taking six wickets in seven games.
The 25-year-old plays his final game against Somerset on Sunday, before joining South Africa's T20 squad in Bangladesh.
"Hopefully in the future I can come back here either with the South African team or back with Glamorgan," he said.
"It depends on what is available for me. Either another T20 stint or something longer.
"I have really enjoyed my time. It's a really beautiful city [Cardiff] as well and good people who have made me feel at home.
"The club have been good for me and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in Wales."
Parnell played in Glamorgan's T20 defeat to Surrey on Friday, a third successive loss for the Welsh county which is another significant blow to their hopes of qualifying for the quarter-finals.
It has been a mixed season for Glamorgan, who have won their last four County Championship Division Two fixtures to put themselves in promotion contention.
Despite their recent poor T20 displays, Parnell has been encouraged by what he has seen from Glamorgan in the shortened form of the game.
"They have good potential. I have seen some guys play some good innings and the bowlers have done well also," he added.
"Michael Hogan and Waggy [Graham Wagg] have a lot of experience and someone like Andrew Salter had done well as a youngster and shown what a gutsy cricketer he is. I expect big things from him in the future." | South Africa bowler Wayne Parnell says he would like to return to Glamorgan after his spell with the county ends. | 33296389 | South Africa bowler Wayne Parnell, return to Glamorgan, spell with the county ends |
The 33-year-old, who attended school in the city, was elected unopposed and assumes the role with immediate effect.
Mr Beaumont succeeds Dundee-born actor Brian Cox, who was elected in 2010 and served two terms.
Mr Beaumont previously held the record for cycling around the world, completing the route in 194 days and 17 hours.
He said: "I am absolutely thrilled, and slightly surprised, to be the new rector of the University of Dundee.
"Six years ago I sat in the audience at the Caird Hall as Brian Cox stepped into the role and I remember his words about making a real difference.
"In fact Dundee was the starting point for my first ever adventure at the age of 12, to cycle across Scotland.
"I look forward to playing my part in the University of Dundee's many future triumphs."
Mr Beaumont will be formally installed as rector in a ceremony to be arranged for a later date.
The rector is elected to serve the students' interests, including at the University Court, the governing body of the institution.
The university's principal and vice-chancellor, Professor Sir Pete Downes, said: "I am delighted to welcome Mark Beaumont into the university community, and I am sure he will be an excellent representative for our students." | Round-the-world cyclist Mark Beaumont has been named the new rector of Dundee University. | 35399504 | Mark Beaumont, Dundee University, Rector. |
The Commission on Widening Access said there was an "undeniable case for change" on the issue.
But it acknowledged the move would be "divisive", with concerns that middle-class students could be displaced.
The commission was set up by the first minister last year.
It was tasked with advising the Scottish government on how best to achieve its goal of ending the big gap between the number of students from wealthy and deprived backgrounds going to university.
The commission's interim report said there had been "steady progress" on the issue over the past decade.
But it stressed that "very significant socioeconomic inequalities" remained which were "unfair, unsustainable and detrimental to Scotland", and said the country had a moral and economic duty to tackle the issue
The report said it had been suggested that admitting students from deprived backgrounds with lower grades could have a detrimental impact on the academic excellence of Scotland's universities.
But it stated: "There is increasingly strong evidence that with the right support, bright students from deprived backgrounds can enhance, rather than jeopardise, academic excellence."
The report said other opposing viewpoints included:
But it added: "Unless we are prepared to accept the notion that Scotland's talent is concentrated in its most affluent communities, it is clear that, through accident of birth, a whole section of Scottish society has nothing like an equal opportunity to maximise their talent and reap the benefits of higher education.
"We believe that this is fundamentally unfair and that the ultimate goal of widening access should be to eliminate socioeconomic inequality.
"Equality of access is not just a passport to a better life for individuals; it is also a passport to a fairer, better Scotland."
The report also said there was strong evidence that parental experience of higher education was one of the most influential factors in determining the likelihood of a child entering university.
It added: "This means that equal access is capable of transmitting the social and economic benefits of higher education between generations, breaking cycles of deprivation and contributing to a society that is healthier, wealthier and fairer.
"The evidence shows that a higher education is a passport to a better life. Graduates benefit from higher wages, significantly improved health outcomes and a higher life expectancy.
"We believe that Scotland has a moral duty to ensure that these opportunities are distributed fairly."
The commission's final report is expected to be submitted next year.
The interim report was welcomed by Education Secretary Angela Constance, who said more needed to be done to tackle inequality in education despite the progress that had been made in recent years.
A spokeswoman for Universities Scotland said: "Contextual admissions can help with this and it is one of many tools, but definitely not a silver bullet, that universities can use to help widen access.
"Universities will always look for the best and brightest applicants - our quality and excellence is very important to us and absolutely will not be compromised - but we are open-minded about what best and brightest actually means." | Scottish universities should consider admitting students from deprived backgrounds whose grades are lower than their more affluent counterparts, according to a report. | 34807886 | deprived backgrounds, grades, Scottish universities |
Scotland's chief statistician estimated services grew by 0.5% and production by 0.3% between April and June, while construction contracted by 1.9%.
UK output as a whole grew by 0.7% over the same period.
Over the past year, the Scottish economy grew by 0.7% - a third of the UK rate of 2.1%.
In the first three months of the year, there was no growth in Scotland.
Scottish GDP per person - which takes population changes into account - grew by 0.3% during the second quarter, compared with 0.4% for the UK.
The report indicated that growth in Scottish GDP over the past year was driven by growth in the services industry, particularly in business services and finance.
However, that was "tempered" by contractions in the construction and production industries, especially electricity and gas, following the closure in March of Scotland's last coal-fired power station.
It was estimated that the closure resulted in a reduction of Scottish GDP of about 0.2 percentage points in the second quarter.
The economic report added: "As this was a one-off closure it will not have an ongoing impact on the growth of the Scottish economy."
Reacting to the figures, Scottish Chambers of Commerce chief executive Liz Cameron said it was "good news" that Scotland's economic growth rate had increased but added that there was "still a great deal of work to be done".
She said: "To put this in perspective, the Scottish economy has grown in a year at almost the same rate that the UK economy has grown in just three months.
"These figures underline the fact that Scotland's economic performance has been significantly lower than that of the UK as a whole for a full year and, whilst we are now seeing welcome growth in our production and service sectors, construction has been contracting at a significant rate for two consecutive quarters."
Colin Borland, head of external affairs in Scotland for the Federation of Small Businesses, said: "These pre-referendum statistics might feel like a history lesson, but they teach us that Scottish growth was weak even before June's historic vote.
"Scotland needs to strive for growth levels at least as good as the UK average.
"We look forward to the SNP talking business when they meet in Glasgow this week.
"In addition, the UK government needs to put the welfare of the economy at the top of its priority list as it formulates its approach to leaving the EU.
"The litmus test for every Brexit policy must be the impact on our high streets, small businesses and local communities." | Output from the Scottish economy grew by 0.4% in the second quarter of this year but lagged behind the UK as a whole, according to official figures. | 37629813 | Scottish economy growth, UK comparison, official figures |
The rate of deforestation has increased so much that Indonesia has for the first time surpassed Brazil in the rate of its clearance of tropical forests.
The study was published in the journal Nature Climate Change.
Scientists monitored the growth of deforested land in Indonesia between 2000 and 2012 using satellites.
They say the land was cleared to make way for palm oil plantations and other farms.
By 2012, the loss of primary forest every year in Indonesia was estimated to be higher than that in Brazil, said scientists.
In that year, Indonesia lost 8,400 sq km of forest compared to Brazil which lost 4,600 sq km.
The researchers, from the University of Maryland, said that deforestation had led to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions and a loss of biodiversity.
Indonesia has 10% of the world's plants and 12% of the world's mammals. It is known for its diverse wildlife which includes orangutans and Sumatran tigers.
A government moratorium on deforestation was signed in 2011 and was intended to slow down the pace of deforestation.
But environmental activists say corrupt politicians are quick to sell off huge swathes of rainforests for profit, and they point to the need for more monitoring and sanctions to stop the rate at which Indonesia is losing its forests, says the BBC's Karishma Vaswani.
Massive forest fires in Indonesia to clear land last year caused a heavy smog to blanket neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore, triggering health concerns in those countries.
Norway has pledged a billion dollars to Indonesia if it can prove it is serious about stopping deforestation.
Agencies report that Norway has paid almost $50 million to Indonesia to help set up new institutions to reduce deforestation.
But Indonesia will only start to get large amounts of money if deforestation is slowed down. | A new study has shown that Indonesia lost about 60,000 sq km of virgin forest - an area close to the size of Ireland - over a period of 12 years. | 28084389 | Indonesia , virgin forest , deforestation |
The 23-year-old, in his eighth Test, was dropped three times but reached an entertaining hundred from 104 balls.
England claimed two wickets in five balls early on but left-hander De Kock shared in stands of 50 and 82 and was unbeaten on 129 as his team made 475.
In reply Alex Hales fell cheaply but Alastair Cook held firm with 67.
South Africa resumed on 329-5 with De Kock on 29 and added 146 runs in 42 overs before they were bowled out midway through the afternoon session.
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Fast bowler Kagiso Rabada claimed two early England wickets, trapping Nick Compton for 19 with one that pitched halfway down the wicket but hit barely above the boots.
The increasingly uneven bounce will give South Africa, who have already lost the series, hope of a consolation victory.
England's new opener Hales, playing his seventh Test innings, struck three fluent boundaries in his 15 from 14 balls, with consecutive attractive strokes to the fence through the off-side off the back foot.
But in the sixth over he skewed a loose drive, which was comfortably caught at backward point.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan told Test Match Special: "It was a terrible dismissal. He gifted an opportunity and it is another one to put in the list of failures.
"He looks in two minds at the crease, unsure whether to go for the full-on aggressive shot or a checked drive."
Hales, who has passed 50 only once in seven innings in the series, is the eighth opening partner for Cook since the retirement of former skipper Andrew Strauss in 2012.
The current captain showed a welcome return to form, however, looking assured in his first fifty of the series - and the 47th of his Test career - and is only 50 short of becoming the first England player to score 10,000 Test runs.
Joe Root edged a delivery fractionally short of De Kock behind the stumps as the occasional ball misbehaved but England's two leading batsmen put on 60 to take them to the close without further loss.
Having reprieved centurions Stephen Cook and Hashim Amla with dropped catches on day one, England were guilty of further errors in the field as South Africa pressed on to a commanding first innings total.
In only the third over of the day De Kock scythed James Anderson to gully where a diving Ben Stokes could not grasp the chance.
On 80, De Kock edged the luckless Chris Woakes and bisected wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow and wide first slip Alastair Cook, neither of whom went for the catch.
Ten runs later, De Kock's drive at Moeen Ali went through the hands of Cook at short extra-cover.
The left-hander played an array of shots all around the wicket and was particularly severe on Moeen Ali.
He scored 45 runs off the spinner in only 28 balls, including two mighty leg-side sixes, one of which nearly landed on a cameraman behind the long-on boundary.
Former South Africa wicketkeeper Mark Boucher: "The pitch is not going to get any better; those cracks are going to widen. Batting from now on is going to be hard graft. In the last innings it will be a real lottery.
"You do feel that if South Africa get it right in a session, they will do some proper damage. You could have a session where England go 60-4."
Ex-England skipper Michael Vaughan: "There's going to be more low bounce over the next three days. You're under a lot of pressure when a team gets 475 on the board - you're only one bad session away from losing the match.
"If England get out of this Test with something, they'll have done brilliantly." | Quinton de Kock's maiden Test century put South Africa in command of the final Test as England closed day two in Centurion 337 runs behind on 138-2. | 35391734 | Quinton de Kock, maiden Test century, South Africa vs England |
Former party leader Mark Durkan, who has been the MP for the area since 2005, lost out by just 169 votes to Elisha McCallion of Sinn Féin.
Londonderry's city seat had been coveted by the SDLP since their party founder John Hume was elected in 1983.
All 18 of Northern Ireland's MPs have been confirmed with the SDLP and Ulster Unionist Party the biggest losers.
At the last general election in 2015, Mr Durkan was 8,000 votes clear of his nearest rival with 42% of the vote.
"I cannot tell a lie," he said in his concession speech.
"I cannot say it doesn't hurt but I absolutely want to begin by congratulating Elisha McCallion and agreeing with her that what she has achieved tonight is a privilege, to represent the people of this city."
The Foyle turnout was 65.60% - up from 53.58% two years ago.
While not exactly a political newcomer, Ms McCallion only became an MLA at Stormont earlier this year following the death of Martin McGuinness.
In an emotional speech after the result, she recognised Mr Durkan's contribution to political life in the North West.
"Mark has been a public representative in Derry for a large number of years and he has served it well," she said. "But I can't not express my extreme delight at being the first ever republican MP ever elected in this city."
Mr Durkan said one of the reasons for his defeat was greater campaign funding by Sinn Féin.
He also felt that a reluctance from other parties to engage in a "progressive alliance" along pro-EU lines had been damaging.
"We were faced with a huge effort and a huge spend by Sinn Féin, they targeted the constituency very well and put huge resources in here," he told the BBC.
"It's a big part of it, if we can't match that spend or that spin."
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood, who also hails from Derry, will now have a big job on his hands to pick the party up from their Westminster whitewash.
Stephen Pound, the Labour MP for Ealing North and shadow minister for Northern Ireland, said Mr Durkan's loss from the house of Commons would be keenly felt.
"Mark was without a doubt one of the finest speakers in the House of Commons, he was also the inventor of these incredible 'Durkanisms'," Mr Pound told BBC Radio Foyle.
"He was one of the few people that made everybody stop rustling the papers and look up when he started speaking, he'll be missed greatly.
"We've lost a unique voice. He was a damn fine speaker and a very, very good friend." | After almost four decades in power, the SDLP has lost its Westminster seat in Foyle. | 40214591 | SDLP, Westminster seat, Foyle |
HMP Shrewsbury, also known as the Dana, was one of a number of prisons shut by the Ministry of Justice last March in a bid to save about £63m a year.
Bids from private companies are being invited.
John Yates, from English Heritage, said a list of historic buildings had been revised to show how potential developers could adapt the Grade II listed building.
He said it could become flats or a hotel.
"We can expect the prison to find an imaginative and, we hope, useful new purpose", he said. | A former prison in Shrewsbury, in Shropshire, is up for sale. | 26283171 | Shrewsbury, Shropshire, prison sale |
It will cease operation at the end of August, after being told it would no longer receive legal aid funding.
The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) ruled the firm had breached contractual requirements.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said the firm's closure was the "right outcome for our armed forces".
The LAA took its decision after reviewing information submitted by the firm, following a Solicitors Regulation Authority investigation.
PIL, which has offices in London and Birmingham, represented complainants in the £31m Al-Sweady inquiry into a 2004 battle in southern Iraq.
The firm was criticised when the inquiry's 2014 report concluded that the subsequent war crimes allegations were based on "deliberate lies, reckless speculation and ingrained hostility".
That report concluded the behaviour of some soldiers towards detainees breached the Geneva convention, but was highly critical of the claims it was initially set up to investigate.
These were that Iraqi detainees had been murdered, mutilated and tortured following the Battle of Danny Boy on 14 May 2004 near Al Amarah in southern Iraq.
The report found that British forces responded to a deadly ambush by insurgents with "exemplary courage, resolution and professionalism".
And it suggested some detainees - all described as members or supporters of the Mahdi Army insurgent group - lied about the most serious allegations, so as to discredit the British armed forces.
In 2010 PIL called for a full public inquiry into allegations made by 142 Iraqi civilians that they were abused by British soldiers in southern Iraq.
The firm's lead lawyer Phil Shiner said that the case "raises a number of very troubling systemic issues about the practices and techniques used on Iraqis".
He also called for a single inquiry into the UK's detention policy in Iraq.
In January 2014 PIL submitted a legal bid with the International Criminal Court to prosecute British politicians and senior military figures, for alleged war crimes in Iraq - a move which the then Foreign Secretary William Hague said should be rejected. It submitted the bid along with the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights.
Speaking at the time, Mr Shiner said the move was "about individual criminal accountability for war crimes".
It led to an initial investigation into claims that UK forces abused Iraqi detainees being opened by the ICC.
And in September 2015 PIL and the ECCHR submitted further evidence, which the ICC says added "substantively to the allegations... expanding the list of alleged crimes in relation to new cases of alleged detainee abuses".
Mr Fallon said the UK's armed forces "show bravery and dedication in difficult circumstances".
"For too long, we've seen our legal system abused to impugn them falsely. We are now seeing progress and we will be announcing further measures to stamp out this practice."
A Number 10 spokesman said: "We made a manifesto commitment to addressing these types of spurious claims that companies like PIL are pursuing.
"The closure of PIL shows that we are making progress on that, tackling these types of firms head on to make sure we get the right outcome for our armed forces who show such bravery in the most difficult of circumstances."
The spokesman also said ministers were considering a "suite of measures" to prevent firms making bogus claims, including strengthening the penalties for abusers of the system. | The law firm Public Interest Lawyers, which submitted multiple allegations of misconduct by British troops during the Iraq War, is to close. | 37084030 | law firm, , closing,, misconduct allegations. |
Patricia O'Donnell, head of Clarksfield Primary School, Oldham, also alleged she had received death threats.
Oldham Council said it investigated the claims made in December but concluded, in a report leaked to the Sunday Times, it had "no concerns" about any schools.
The report would remain confidential, the council said.
Councillor Amanda Chadderton, cabinet member for education and early years, said: "We take any allegations about our schools very seriously and always investigate in the interests of pupils, staff and parents.
"The report into an Oldham primary school found no basis to 'Trojan Horse' allegations."
The Sunday Times story also referred to a counter-extremism official raising concerns over two other schools in Oldham - Horton Mill and Oldham Academy North.
Ms Chadderton added: "At this time, we also have no active investigations or concerns about any of the other schools the Sunday Times has asked about."
The Department for Education said: "We are already aware of the allegations raised in the report and we are working closely with Oldham Council."
According to Sunday Times article, Islamic teaching sessions were hosted on school premises, a parents' petition was organised against the head teacher and objections were raised to activities including Hindi music being played in class and sex education.
The school - which has more than 450 pupils, predominantly of Pakistani heritage - is rated as "good" by Ofsted.
The National Association for Head Teachers (NAHT) union said it was currently supporting a number of members in the Oldham area with a variety of "Trojan Horse" allegations.
A "Trojan Horse" inquiry in Birmingham centred around anonymous allegations which claimed there was a plot by Islamist hard-liners to take control of several schools in the city.
The allegations sparked investigations by several agencies, including the Department for Education and Ofsted. | A head teacher's claims of a "Trojan Horse" Islamic takeover at a school have "no basis", a council investigation has found. | 39027295 | Trojan Horse claims, no basis, council investigation |
Statistics gained under the Freedom of Information Act show nine councils have reduced how much they plan to spend.
It has led to concern that vulnerable groups are denied support some carers call "light at the end of the tunnel".
The Welsh Government said it was up to councils to ensure they had necessary respite placements.
According to figures provided by 21 of the 22 local authorities to BBC Wales, cuts have been made to defined respite budgets in Blaenau Gwent, Ceredigion, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Swansea and Torfaen.
In Carmarthenshire, Conwy and Monmouthshire, the overall residential care budget, which includes provision for respite, has been cut.
In several other counties the budget for respite in 2011-12 was up on last year, but in some cases represented a cut on previous years.
No figures were provided by Anglesey council.
The figures show Swansea Council has cut its internal provision respite budget for older people and younger adults by over 80% in the last two years.
In 2009-10 it spent over £680,000, but this year the budget is less that £108,000.
Director of social services Chris Maggs admits the council is operating in a tough financial climate, but insists the changes will improve choice.
"We're faced with some incredible challenges as local authorities, and we obviously need to look at how we use all of our resources." said Mr Maggs.
The council has decided to transfer money from respite care into its own residential homes, who will provide short breaks in the future.
"What we're doing is re-using our money," he said.
"Whilst it is true that we're reducing the total amount of money, we're also improving the range of services we have by using our existing services in a different way, so it maximises what we've actually got."
But the potential changes have angered some families who depend on respite care.
Suzanne Hayes, from Rhossili, near Swansea, is a carer for her 27-year-old stepson John, who has cerebral palsy.
She described the six weeks of respite allocation they are given every year as "light at the end of a tunnel", but she feels strongly that the family need more support.
"John needs to have breaks because he can mix with different people," she said.
"We live in a beautiful area, but it is very isolating for John."
The short respite breaks also give the family time to recover while John is away.
"It's not the big things, it's going for a coffee. It's having your own knife and fork in your hands, because we have to feed John."
According to the charity Carers Wales, respite provision is already in short supply, but the cuts being made by local authorities will limit support even further.
"For individual families if a respite service which they've relied on gets cut, that's a real problem," said director Roz Williamson.
"But for most families, the problem is that they can't get access to anything - so the qualification for getting any help from a local authority keeps going up and up and up - so most families get nothing."
A consultation on the future of respite care in Wales has recently closed, following an independent review which said there was "a strong case for funding more outcome focussed respite services in Wales".
The Welsh Government said it recognised "the important role that respite care has in supporting individuals and families at what can be an extremely difficult time".
A spokesperson said: "We are protecting the social services budget through the local government settlement. Funding for social services will increase in cash terms by £35m by 2013-14.
"It is a matter for local authorities to ensure they have necessary respite placements." | Cuts have been made to support for families needing respite care in parts of Wales, figures obtained by the BBC have shown. | 14018647 | cuts, respite care, Wales |
Janse, 30, is an ex-Netherlands Under-21 international and previously played for Italian Serie B side Ternana.
He predominantly plays at right-back but he can play anywhere across the back four and on the right of midfield.
Janse is the second addition at Brisbane Road in as many days after the arrival of midfielder Zan Benedicic on a deal until January.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. | Leyton Orient have signed Dutch defender Jens Janse on a deal until the end of the season. | 37424289 | Leyton Orient, Dutch defender, Jens Janse. |
He was told about the political revenge plot at a 9/11 memorial service two days after the lanes were blocked, a former aide testified in federal court.
David Wildstein, who pleaded guilty to the scheme last year, recounted his discussion with Mr Christie on Tuesday.
The New Jersey governor has repeatedly denied knowing about the lane closures.
Mr Wildstein, who worked at the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, said he and his boss, Bill Baroni, told Mr Christie that Mark Sokolich, the mayor of Fort Lee, was "frustrated" over the lane closures.
Mr Christie allegedly laughed and responded in a sarcastic tone: "I would imagine that he wouldn't be getting his phone calls returned."
The Port Authority oversees airports, tunnels and bridges in the New York area.
The fall and fall of Chris Christie
Mr Wildstein testified on Tuesday against Mr Baroni and Bridget Anne Kelly, the governor's former deputy chief of staff.
The two former aides are charged with conspiring to misuse Port Authority property to punish Mayor Sokolich, a Democrat.
Mr Christie, who was once considered a favourite for the Republican presidential nominations, first became embroiled in the scandal in January 2014, when revelations from a series of emails and texts showed that traffic congestion on the George Washington Bridge may have been more than just routine maintenance.
Mr Christie's administration justified the closures as part of a traffic study, but Port Authority officials later said the study did not exist.
The congestion ended after five days, when an aide to New York's Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo reopened the lanes over concerns of public safety.
Federal prosecutors opened an investigation and indicted three members of Mr Christie's aides in 2015, alleging that two of the key bridge's three lanes were closed in retaliation over Mayor Soklich's refusal to endorse the governor in his re-election bid.
The governor was not charged in connection to the scheme and has denied any involvement.
Mr Wildstein avoided going to trial by pleading guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit fraud on a federally funded property and a civil rights violation.
Ms Kelly and Mr Baroni have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Mr Wildstein's dramatic testimony follows weeks of renewed questions over whether Mr Christie was aware of the political retribution.
After the governor dropped out of the Republican primary race earlier this year, concerns over "Bridgegate" were overshadowed by his surprising move to endorse his former rival, Donald Trump, for the White House.
But last week, federal prosecutors alleged that the governor was informed of the plot, using Mr Wildstein's testimony to argue their claim.
Prosecutors revealed photographs of Mr Wildstein, Mr Baroni and the governor laughing together at the 2013 memorial service, suggesting that they were taken during the conversation about the bridge closure.
At an event in Trenton, New Jersey later on Tuesday, the governor again denied any knowledge.
"I had no knowledge prior to or during" the closures, he said. "There's been no evidence ever put forward that I did.
Mr Wildstein's testimony follows last month's revelations that former Christie ally Christina Renna allegedly texted her colleague, Peter Sheridan, about the governor's knowledge of the plot.
"He just flat out lied about senior staff and [former campaign manager Bill Stepien] not being involved," she allegedly texted, referring to comments Mr Christie made during a news conference that year.
Republicans are probably thanking their lucky stars - as much as they can these days - that Donald Trump didn't go with what was reportedly his gut instinct and pick Chris Christie to be his vice-presidential running mate.
If the New Jersey governor had ended up on the ticket, the party would be facing a huge "Bridgegate" distraction on the eve of the one and only vice-presidential debate.
Of more proximate concern for Mr Christie at this point is that the latest revelations will make it increasingly difficult for him to have any sort of high-profile job in a possible Trump administration.
He would likely be savaged by the Senate if he stood for confirmation for a Cabinet position such as attorney general.
Given that the unpopular Christie has little future in New Jersey elective politics, the "Bridgegate" trial could be closing his only lane to continued political relevance. | New Jersey Governor Chris Christie laughed about his staff closing part of a bridge in 2013 over a mayor who refused to endorse him, a court heard. | 37498031 | Chris Christie, Bridge Closing Incident, 2013 Election Endorsement |
Lost and homeless, in a city he doesn't know, you'd forgive him for cursing his luck from time to time.
But Paddington is the politest of bears and would surely never say anything bad, right?
However, the family adventure about a talking bear has been awarded a PG certificate instead of a U. Here's why:
Okay, this is putting it a bit strongly, but the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has said that there is some "mild innuendo" in the film.
Enough to warrant an appearance on Scott Mills's Innuendo Bingo? Probably not.
But there's one sequence highlighted by the BBFC where "a man disguised as a woman is flirted with by another man."
Let's be honest unless you're a Paddington superfan, have children or have a teddy bear obsession, you're probably not going to go and see this film.
It's primarily been made for kids - and it follows that kids copy things they see on the big screen.
So what are the BBFC trying to stop these impressionable young viewers from doing?
Well, there's one scene where "Paddington (is) hiding from a villain inside a refrigerator."
But turning Paddington from a chilly bear in to a polar bear isn't the board's only concern.
Our loveable hero is also seen "riding on a skateboard while holding onto a bus, as well as a brief scene of a boy strapping fireworks to his shoes."
Who would possibly want to hurt a cute, cuddly bear like Paddington? Nicole Kidman, that's who.
The Australian actress plays the film's villain and she's out to "kill and stuff" Paddington.
And (spoiler alert), she comes close too. Viewers will see our pawed protagonist spread unconscious on a table, while an evil taxidermist prepares tools nearby.
But it's not just in London that Paddington needs to keep his wits about him.
"There is also a short scene in a jungle when Paddington and his family run for shelter during an earthquake with trees falling around them," according to the BBFC.
On the whole Paddington is as sweet as the marmalade he devours.
His manners are immaculate, barring the odd dining table faux pas, but there is one solitary "mumbled use of 'bloody'" which is enough to cause concern for the BBFC.
Contrary to other reports, the BBFC has told Newsbeat that Paddington was always classified as a PG film and has not been upgraded from a "U" certificate.
The board defended its decision and said its guidelines are reviewed every four to five years.
"The most recent review of the guidelines, in 2013, involved more than 10,000 member of the public from across the UK.
"The 2013 review found that 92% of film viewers agreed with the classification of films and videos they had seen recently."
Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube | The trailer starts by charting Paddington's journey from the treetops of the Peruvian jungle to the bright lights of London. | 30104095 | Paddington's journey, Peruvian jungle, London |
Bristolian Tavare 26, has signed until the end of the 2019 season, while South African Van Buuren, also 26, has signed until the end of the 2018 campaign.
"It's great to see both players committed to the club for the long term," said head coach Richard Dawson.
"Will and Graeme are still developing their skills and will add strength and depth to the squad."
Van Buuren was signed from South African side Titans earlier this year and qualifies as a non-overseas player because his wife has a British passport.
"I have had an awesome time at the club this year and loved every minute of it on and off the field," he said.
"I am over the moon and very grateful to be spending the next couple of years in Bristol and can't wait for the 2017 season to start." | Batsman Will Tavare and all-rounder Graeme van Buuren have extended their contracts with Gloucestershire. | 37911407 | Batsman , Contracts , Extended |
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) said it followed an incident at Melbury Lodge, Royal Hampshire County Hospital.
In December 2015 a patient sustained serious injuries during a fall from a low roof at the Winchester hospital run by Southern Health.
The CQC said the alleged offence by the trust was failing to provide safe care and treatment to a service user.
Melbury Lodge treats people with severe mental health problems.
The case is expected to be heard later in the year by Basingstoke Magistrates' Court. | Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust is to face prosecution over alleged failings at a mental health unit. | 39177472 | Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, prosecution , mental health unit |
The schools which will be upgraded are Applegrove in Forres, Millbank in Buckie, Seafield in Elgin and St Gerardine in Lossiemouth.
Refurbishment will include new roof coverings, windows and doors, new toilets and modernised heating and electrical systems.
Work will begin in the summer break, with completion slated for spring 2017.
The programme is being funded by a £10m government grant, with the rest being provided by Moray Council.
The work will be carried out by Galliford Try, the parent company of Morrison Construction, which recently undertook the £1.2m refurbishment work on the Elgin Town Hall and the construction of Moray's flood alleviation schemes. | Moray Council has awarded a £17m contract for the refurbishment of four primary schools. | 32325454 | Moray Council, £17m contract, primary schools refurbishment |
Linda Norgrove, from Lewis, had been working in Afghanistan when she was seized by rebels in September 2010.
She was killed during a rescue attempt by US special forces.
Linda Norgrove Foundation is helping Ascend, a project that teaches mountaineering skills to young women in Afghanistan.
Last year, Ascend supported a team of 13 women climbed three peaks over 16,000 feet, including one previously unclimbed mountain which they subsequently named.
As they did not have enough boots for everyone, the women climbed in two teams, one getting use of the boots before swapping over so the others could go up.
Linda's mother, Lorna Norgrove, said: "We were hugely impressed by what this project is doing for women's empowerment in Afghanistan. News of their achievements has already reached more than 4 million Afghan women and the project is changing the lives of these young women for ever.
"I think the project particularly resonated with us because as a family we are all keen hillwalkers and climbers.
"We know Linda would have loved this project and we're sure that it will appeal to the many people in the UK who enjoy climbing the hills and mountains. We take for granted the freedom to climb the hills, but this is something which can change lives for these young women in Afghanistan."
The Lewis-based foundation raise funds for projects that benefit women and children in Afghanistan. | A charity set up in memory of a Scots aid worker killed in Afghanistan six years ago is supporting young Afghan women who want to take up climbing. | 38395319 | Charity , Afghan Women , Climbing |
The four-piece group and their manager, who were aged between 19 and 32, died in the early hours of 13 February following a gig in Stockholm.
Their car crashed into a raised section of a bridge and plummeted into a canal.
The inquest heard no alcohol or drugs was found in the blood of manager Craig Tarry, 32, who was driving.
Post-mortem examinations also showed the four band members had not taken drugs and had only consumed small amounts of alcohol.
The band's agent Graham Bennett told the inquest at Warrington Coroner's Court that the up-and-coming group were in Sweden for a festival showcasing young artists.
Viola Beach had already played at the Reading and Leeds festivals last year and the Stockholm event was their first gig outside the UK.
After the performance, they were travelling in a black Nissan Qashqai near the Södertälje Canal, about 18 miles from the capital, when a bridge was raised to let a boat pass underneath.
The inquest heard that the car was slightly over the speed limit as it was travelling at 108km/h (67mph) in a 100km/h zone.
Flashing lights signalled that the bridge was about to be raised with the middle section of the road lifted horizontally, the inquest heard.
Mr Tarry drove down a verge past stationary queuing traffic and through the first set of barriers, about 120m from the bridge, the court heard.
The car then travelled in a "controlled manner" at between 70 and 90km/h down the centre of the road.
It continued through a second set of barriers - 30m from the drop into the canal - and hit the raised section of the bridge before plummeting 25m, hitting the water within 15 seconds.
The court heard a tanker using the canal, which had requested the bridge to be lifted, then passed over the crash spot and "contact" with the car could not be ruled out.
The crew of a passing boat saw the car fall but initially thought it was ice.
Technical examinations did not find any errors with the car, barrier system or the procedure for raising the bridge.
One warning light on the bridge was out of order but there were at least 10 warning lights and flashing signals, the inquest heard.
Although the road was wet, it was not frozen with ice.
Post-mortem examinations found that all died from head injuries apart from Mr Lowe whose cause of death was given as drowning.
The court heard that the three band members sitting in the back of the car were not wearing seatbelts but those in the front were, and had to be cut from the vehicle.
Cheshire Coroner Nicholas Rheinberg said "none of the young men will have suffered" as they died.
The Swedish authorities have recommended improvements to the crossing, including LED signs and cameras on the bridge.
In the wake of their deaths, the band's first single Swings & Waterslides reached number 11, while their song Boys That Sing was performed by Coldplay in a tribute at Glastonbury.
Posthumously, Viola Beach scored a number one album in August.
The self-titled debut was compiled by the band's families, using live sessions and studio recordings, many of which were originally bound for an EP.
After the crash, a statement from the families of the band said: "We are tremendously proud of everything the boys achieved in such a short space of time.
"Craig, Jack, Kris, River and Tom shared a huge passion, talent and dedication to music." | An inquest into the deaths of British band Viola Beach after a crash in Sweden has heard that "none of the young men will have suffered". | 38235895 | Inquest, Viola Beach, Swedish Crash |
The new rates will be implemented in October and will benefit a million workers.
Business Secretary Vince Cable said he had accepted a recommendation from the Low Pay Commission that the minimum wage should increase by 3%.
It is the first time in six years that the rise will be higher than inflation.
The rate for 18 to 20-year-olds will go up by 10p to £5.13 an hour, a 2% increase.
The rate for those aged 16 and 17 will rise by 7p to £3.79, also a 2% rise.
Apprentices will earn an extra 5p an hour, taking their wages to at least £2.73.
The consumer prices index (CPI) rate of inflation is currently 1.9%.
"The recommendations I have accepted today mean that low-paid workers will enjoy the biggest cash increase in their take-home pay since 2008," said Mr Cable.
He also suggested that all companies should consider helping their staff to share in the fruits of an improving economy.
"I urge businesses to consider how all their staff - not just those on the minimum wage - can enjoy the benefits of recovery," he said.
Meanwhile, the man who set up the minimum wage 15 years ago, said it is in need of major reform.
Professor Sir George Bain, founding chair of the Low Pay Commission, said the benchmark was a "child of its times" when launched in 1999.
But speaking to BBC Newsnight on Wednesday, he said it had become a "blunt instrument" and that many employers could now afford to pay their workers much more.
"If you set it at the 'living wage', which is about £7.65 an hour, you would cause massive unemployment in areas like retail and social care," Sir George added.
"But there's only about five sectors where this is true. There's a whole range of sectors where you could easily afford to pay more than the minimum wage."
Sir George, who has chaired a review of the minimum wage for think-tank the Resolution Foundation, also said there should be a "special case for London to have a higher national minimum".
His report also recommends that the Low Pay Commission give longer-term forecasts for the benchmark, to help employers plan for the future.
The latest rise means the national minimum wage is still well below the definition of low pay, as set by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
This equates to two-thirds of the median full-time hourly wage - about £7.71 an hour. About five million UK workers currently earn below that level.
The latest figure is also well below the living wage, which is £8.80 per hour in London, and £7.65 in the rest of the country.
"Across the country, people are struggling to make ends meet," said Dave Prentice, the head of the Unison trade union.
"The sooner we move to a living wage, the better," he said.
In January this year, Chancellor George Osborne said he backed the idea of the national minimum wage reaching £7 an hour by October 2015.
The latest announcement could pave the way for that to happen, but it would need a rise of more than 7% next year to do so.
Unite, the country's biggest trade union, said the rise announced was "timid".
"To make matters even worse, George Osborne cruelly held out hope that the rate would rise to £7," said Len McCluskey, Unite's general secretary.
"The government claims it is on the side of working people but companies are sitting on a cash mountain of £500bn and they should be forced to share more of it with the lowest paid," he added. | The national minimum wage will increase by 19p an hour to £6.50, the government has announced. | 26543267 | national minimum wage, increase, government announcement |
But with the lowest turnout in the constituency's history and a margin of 2,620 the narrowest ever recorded in this once proud Labour heartland, can this declaration really be believed?
It's a bright and windy day in Stoke-on-Trent.
The town has been at the centre of the political spotlight for weeks now, but people seem more interested in discussing the aftermath of Storm Doris than the small matter of Stoke Central's by-election result.
This staunch working class community was once passionately behind Labour.
In 1951, more than 60,000 went to the polls - 34,260 backing Labour.
Rather than feel victorious about Gareth Snell's win, Labour voters willing to talk simply seem relieved Paul Nuttall didn't clinch it.
In all, 7,853 voted for Mr Snell, compared to 5,233 who wanted UKIP to win.
Wendy Wright, 51, from Newcastle-under-Lyme, thought the vote for UKIP may have been higher had it not been for its disastrous campaign.
"I'm not surprised Labour won because of the way UKIP handled the campaign," she said.
"The people of Stoke seemed to think he [Paul Nuttall] didn't come from the area and they didn't believe his pack of lies.
"It's a relief UKIP didn't get in but [Labour retaining the seat] just means things are going to stay the same."
Ms Wright said there had not been a high turnout because "people aren't interested in politics".
She said: "They've kind of lost faith and lost hope. They think, what's the point, nothing's going to change.
"It's a deprived area and it's a shame because the people are so welcoming and friendly."
Veronica Millington, 71, from Blythe Bridge, said she and husband Anthony, 75, were "Labour through and through".
They backed Mr Snell in the by-election and also voted to stay in the European Union.
"I think the people of Stoke do care about politics and they want to make things better," she said.
"I think they were misled by UKIP in the beginning. They seemed to promise them so much and people saw it as a new chance really.
"It was only when all the lies came out they saw how many wrong things had been said."
Mr Millington, 75, expressed concern about why so few people bothered to go to the polls.
"The turnout seemed to be very low and I think a lot of people think it was a foregone conclusion.
"They thought the Labour Party would win. Now whether or not they've had a jolt from the outsider now, I don't know."
For a city that has had such a strong relationship with the Labour party, the changing political landscape over the past seven decades reveals a lot about the strength of feeling in the community.
Labour has won all 18 elections since since the inception of the Stoke Central constituency, with the Conservatives coming second until 2001.
But although Labour enjoyed a heyday in the 1960s and 70s, their share of the vote has consistently fallen over the years down to a record low of 37% in this by-election.
So why did this city of proud, working class voters fall out of love with Labour?
"Things started to change because of a growing alienation of the people of Stoke-on-Trent from Westminster," says Prof Mick Temple from Staffordshire University.
"Industry was decimated in the 1980s - coal, steel and the Potteries.
"When I first came here [in the early 90s] infrastructure was poor, schools were poor and still today, unemployment is higher than the national average."
From the closure of Shelton Steel Works - where 10,000 once worked - to the shrinking of its famous pottery industry, the people of Stoke-on-Trent have lived through some turbulent times.
But the bleak images of derelict factories and houses often shown by the media are not a true reflection of the passion and pride of a community that is fiercely proud of its heritage.
Data shows 6.2% of adults in Stoke Central claim unemployment benefit, far higher than the national average of 3.8%.
In recent years employers such as Bet365, Michelin Tyres and Goodwin have invested millions of pounds into their businesses, providing jobs for thousands of people.
Hanley's famous pottery industry is also enjoying something of a resurgence, with Emma Bridgewater investing more than £1m in its thriving ceramics factory.
Middleport Pottery, home of world-famous Burleigh, is in the national spotlight thanks to the success of BBC Two's The Great Pottery Throw Down.
Millions of pounds are being spent regenerating the city.
For many people though, the investment has been too little, too late.
"The feeling is that the city has been passed by Westminster and the EU, and that is why people voted Leave so overwhelmingly," says Prof Temple.
"There are many towns in the north of England where people feel the same - areas that are ripe for UKIP."
From 2005, the BNP and UKIP began to resonate with voters, coming fourth and fifth in that year's election and again in 2010.
By 2015, UKIP had won so much support its candidate Mick Harold came second to Tristram Hunt for a seat that had the lowest voter turnout in the whole of the UK.
Pub owner Tony Flackett, 69, backed Paul Nuttall in Thursday's poll.
"It feels sad, it's such a shame, they've worked really hard and people have come from all over the country.
"I've always voted for Conservatives but the last two years I voted UKIP because of Brexit and immigration.
"But life goes on and at least they reduced the margin."
Tom Wilson, 26, voted for UKIP in the by-election and said he was "very upset" at the result.
"I think Labour winning is very bad news for Stoke-on-Trent.
"There has been years of neglect in Stoke with money spent only on Hanley.
"I think only UKIP would have made a change for the people of Stoke."
UKIP has made moves to appeal to former Labour voters, as well as those who formerly backed the Tories.
"They're more pro-State, pro-NHS. They recognise that strong nationalistic message supported by the working class," says Prof Temple.
Between the 2001 and 2011 Censuses, the non-white population doubled and there was a relatively high population of Muslims, he said.
"I'm not saying the response was a racist one - Stoke-on-Trent was getting less and less money from the government and the EU and the feeling was the traditional working class community was being overtaken.
"Many working class voters felt they could not express their views within the Labour party.
"The BNP and UKIP gave them a chance to say how they felt."
Now Mr Snell is the town's new MP, the challenge is on for him to win back the trust of former Labour supporters and engage with new ones.
Lee Woolrich, 33, from Stoke-on-Trent, is head of client services for a digital agency but did not vote in the by-election.
"I'm ashamed really that I didn't use my vote, but I almost don't think I invest enough in politics to make an informed decision," he said.
"I don't think young people are engaged in politics. I think they are more so recently because of what's happened in America.
"I read about Paul Nuttall and some of his views and policies and I don't believe it's what we need here."
Mr Woolrich believes politicians need to take more of an interest in Stoke-on-Trent - he too feels the place has been forgotten and is badly represented by the media.
"Stoke is doing great without those kinds of ideas.
"I love the developments in Hanley and the cultural quarter.
"Stoke is showing signs of change and getting in line with cities like Manchester.
"On a local level, I like the direction things are going in but I don't necessarily think government in London will listen to the people of Stoke.
"I hate that stigma that Stoke isn't a nice place to live.
"It doesn't do the place justice. It's a beautiful city steeped in history."
And Prof Temple agrees. "It's a much more attractive place," he said.
"I've been here for 24 years, I've lived all around the world and this is the friendliest, most coherent community I've ever known.
"Stoke-on-Trent has an identity most places in the UK have lost.
"There's a very strong sense of community. It's a place where friendship and family is still strong." | In the wake of his victory, Stoke Central's new Labour MP Gareth Snell claimed it had been a triumph for the "politics of hope". | 39054728 | Politics, Hope, Victory |
Under-20s coach Murty has been in charge for three Premiership matches following Mark Warburton's departure.
And his side responded to defeats at Dundee and Inverness CT by beating St Johnstone 3-2 at Ibrox for his first Premiership win in charge.
"He's been brilliant," said midfielder Hyndman, who scored the late winner again Saints on Wednesday night.
"It's always a tough position as a kind of interim manager, especially with the way things have gone," on-loan Bournemouth midfielder Hyndman added.
"But I credit him for coming in and establishing what he wants us to do. I think the boys got behind him quite well.
"The results didn't really show what he was doing and how good he was but it was nice to give him that positive feeling on Wednesday night."
Rangers are expected to appoint a new head coach next week, after Saturday's Scottish Cup quarter-final at home to Hamilton Academical.
And with the Premiership gap between third-placed Rangers and second-placed Aberdeen now cut to six points, USA international Hyndman says there is still plenty to play for this term.
"Of course there is," he said. "We saw the Aberdeen result the other night (1-0 defeat at Hamilton) but we're just focused on ourselves at the same time.
"We need to get ourselves right and I think we took our first step against Saints. It was about the three points, it wasn't about how we got it.
"After recent results we've had it was very important we got three points on the board and thankfully we did that."
Fellow loan player Jon Toral, who joined Rangers from Arsenal in January, was also keen to praise Murty.
"It was massive for Graeme on Wednesday," said the Spaniard. "He has put a lot of effort into the other games as well, he has really helped us and for us to give him that first league win was crucial.
"At the minute we are just thinking about the cup tie on Saturday and then whatever happens happens. If a new manager has until the end of the season to work with the players and then to kick on next season it would be great for the club." | Emerson Hyndman believes interim Rangers boss Graeme Murty deserves huge credit for the job he has done. | 39158443 | Emerson Hyndman, credit, job performance |
A report by technology news site Gizmodo said staff responsible for what was shown to Facebook's 1.6bn users frequently chose to bury articles they did not agree with.
Responding to the allegations, the network's head of search Tom Stocky wrote that the site "found no evidence that the anonymous allegations are true".
The claims come weeks after Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg publicly denounced the policies of likely US presidential nominee, Donald Trump.
"I hear fearful voices calling for building walls and distancing people they label as 'others.'," the 31-year-old said at his firm's recent developers conference.
However, Facebook insisted Mr Zuckerberg's view did not influence what stories are given added visibility on the network.
The Trending Topics column appears in the top right corner of a typical Facebook page. It is designed to highlight what subjects are being discussed heavily by Facebook users around the world.
Facebook explained in a statement that this list was edited by humans so as to avoid regularly recurring popular topics - such as "lunch".
Facebook's Mr Stocky explained: "Popular topics are first surfaced by an algorithm, then audited by review team members to confirm that the topics are in fact trending news in the real world and not, for example, similar-sounding topics or misnomers."
The Gizmodo story, which quoted a person it said they had been one of the editors, alleged Facebook staff were routinely tampering with Trending Topic stories.
Gizmodo's source added that staff were told to seek out stories published on the BBC, CNN and other mainstream sites ahead of publications with a clearly stated political bias - even if the stories originated on those smaller outlets.
Also, if several mainstream media sites were covering the same story, Facebook would - according to the source - artificially place it in the Trending Topic column, even if it was not being discussed heavily by users.
Breitbart, one of the leading conservative news sources in the US, said the reports confirmed what they had "long suspected", that "Facebook's trending news artificially mutes conservatives and amplifies progressives".
The anonymous source also claimed that stories staff favoured - such as the Black Lives Matter movement - were given artificially greater prominence. Facebook said that this was "untrue".
After a day of growing reports across social media and in conservative-leaning publications, Facebook's Mr Stocky posted a response on his profile.
"We have in place strict guidelines for our trending topic reviewers as they audit topics surfaced algorithmically," he wrote.
"Reviewers are required to accept topics that reflect real world events, and are instructed to disregard junk or duplicate topics, hoaxes, or subjects with insufficient sources.
"Facebook does not allow or advise our reviewers to systematically discriminate against sources of any ideological origin and we've designed our tools to make that technically not feasible.
"At the same time, our reviewers' actions are logged and reviewed, and violating our guidelines is a fireable offense."
On Monday, Gizmodo's story about Facebook's Trending Topics section being biased was featured prominently in Facebook's Trending Topics section.
Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC and on Facebook | Facebook has defended itself over claims its Trending Topics intentionally suppressed stories supporting conservative political viewpoints. | 36254201 | Facebook, Trending Topics, conservative political viewpoints |
Strathspey Steam Railway plans to recreate part of a free celebratory train journey held in 1863 between Aviemore and Grantown-on-Spey.
Grantown cannot be reached by train today, but on 3 August's anniversary a steam locomotive will pull a train from Aviemore as far as Broomhill.
Passengers wearing Victorian clothing will travel free.
The steam railway group runs locomotives along 10 miles (16km) of line between Aviemore and Broomhill.
It hopes to eventually add three more miles of track (4.8km) to reconnect Aviemore with Grantown-on-Spey.
The platform at Aviemore will be decorated for next weekend's anniversary celebrations.
The Earl of Dysart, Johnnie Grant, will send off the train.
John Davison, of Boat of Garten, is among the railway enthusiasts encouraging travellers to dress as Victorians by wearing a lum hat and tail coat.
Strathspey Steam Railway's publicity officer, Hendy Pollock, said: "I expect that participants who join in the 'spirit' of this celebratory event will have the most fun and have a very memorable day."
He suggested that people view internet footage of film director Danny Boyle's opening ceremony for the 2012 London Olympics for ideas on Victorian attire.
The ceremony featured actor Kenneth Branagh as Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel. | Railway enthusiasts are to mark the 150th anniversary of the opening of a line from Perth to Inverness. | 23434347 | railway enthusiasts, 150th anniversary, Perth to Inverness line |
A court granted an eviction order to the theatre's owners on technical grounds.
The comedian can stay there pending an appeal.
Dieudonne has several convictions for anti-Semitism, hate speech and glorifying terrorism.
His most recent was after the Islamist attack in January on the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
The theatre's owners said his current theatre company had no right to the lease, which had been made out to the previous incarnation of the company.
Several French cities have banned the comedian from performing.
He rose to prominence through the invention of the "quenelle", a hand gesture critics have likened to an inverted Nazi salute. He insists he is not anti-Semitic. | The controversial French comedian Dieudonne M'bala M'bala has been ordered to vacate the Paris theatre where he has been performing for the last 15 years. | 34397620 | Dieudonne M'bala M'bala, Paris theatre, legal order |