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Edwin McLaren, from Quarriers Village in Renfrewshire, was found guilty of property fraud totalling about £1.6m. The 52-year-old, who was said to be the "brains behind the scheme", was convicted of 29 charges and his wife Lorraine of two. The trial at the High Court in Glasgow began in September 2015 and heard evidence for 320 days. It is thought to have cost about £7.5m, with more than £2.4m in legal aid paid for defence lawyers. A spokesperson for the Scottish Legal Aid Board said the amount of evidence in the case meant that it took Crown prosecutors more than a year to present their case to the court, which is "unprecedented". Over the course of the past 20 months, the jury has reduced from the original 15 for a Scottish criminal trial to 12, the lowest number it can operate on. During the trial the court had to halt for three weeks after one juror got married, while others were off sick or took holidays. It is also the first time in Scotland that evidence was led from the house of a witness who was too ill to attend court. The house was set up as a court with all the legal trappings needed for her to give evidence. In an unusual step, judge Lord Stewart used a computer slideshow presentation to sum up the case for the jury. The judge officially retired from the bench on his 70th birthday in December 2016 but was able to continue hearing the case under the provisions of the Judicial Pensions and Retirement Act 1993. Lord Stewart deferred sentence on the McLarens until next month for background reports. Edwin McLaren was remanded in custody after he was found guilty of 29 charges. His wife Lorraine, 52, was convicted of being involved in the scam to the extent of £128,000 and one charge of mortgage fraud. She was released on bail. Her 75-year-old uncle Arthur Horsey was found not guilty of any involvement in the scam. 2005 - London Underground Jubilee Line case - Another fraud case. It took place over a slightly longer period than the Glasgow case but only heard about half as many days of evidence before it collapsed. Six men were accused of conspiring to corrupt public officials and gain insider information on a £2bn extension to the underground. The trial, costing £60m and lasting 21 months, collapsed at London's Old Bailey after a juror "went on strike" claiming loss of earnings threatened his ability to pay Oxford university fees for a course he was due to start. It had already lost two jurors when one became pregnant and another was arrested for benefit fraud. The case led to calls for serious and complex fraud trials to be held without a jury. 1992: The Appeal Court described the marathon Blue Arrow fraud trial, which cost the taxpayer £40m, as a "costly disaster" which must never be repeated. The year-long trial at a purpose-built court off Chancery Lane, resulted in the conviction of four high profile bankers - but the prosecution's joy turned out to be short-lived. The convictions were overturned a few months later when the Appeal Court ruled that due to the length of the trial and the complexity of the subject matter the jury could not have reached a fair verdict. 1996: The trial of brothers Ian and Kevin Maxwell in 1996 was another key case that prompted proposals to change how fraud cases are tried. The sons of late tycoon Robert Maxwell were found not guilty of fraud charges after a trial which lasted eight months and cost taxpayers more than £25m. The jurors in the case spent 11 nights in a hotel before reaching their verdict. The frauds came to light when a woman in Fife claimed she had not been paid the full amount that she was promised for the sale of her house in Cowdenbeath. During a two-year police inquiry, 48 properties were investigated under a property fraud scheme where the owner's title deeds were transferred without their knowledge. Twenty-nine cases made it on to the indictment in court, involving properties throughout Scotland. The frauds were said to have taken place between April 2008 and November 2012. The case was described by police "one of the largest, most complicated property fraud investigations ever carried out in Scotland". More than 200 officers were involved in piecing together the crimes which involved mortgage fraud, property fraud and money laundering. The operation was run by Edwin McLaren who targeted people under financial pressure, often after placing adverts in newspapers for two companies - Property Solutions and Homesale Solutions. McLaren, who would often use a false name, would tell his victims he would sort out their financial difficulties, usually in the form of a loan or leaseback agreement. They thought they were releasing equity from their homes but McLaren had them sign paperwork which transferred full ownership of their property. Police said his clients were usually completely unaware they had signed away their houses until they were approached by officers. The property was never transferred to him - instead he used family members and friends. He also raised mortgages against the properties. Some witnesses said they were not only in financial difficulty but also unwell or bereaved. In the case of one couple McLaren turned up at the Beatson Cancer Centre in Glasgow to get a document signed. The homeowner said he was so weakened by his cancer treatment he did not even know what the document was. It turned out that he and his wife were signing over their house. However, one witness said he had thought McLaren was the best thing that had happened to him. But all along McLaren was using false names and deceiving them. Lorraine McLaren said it was her husband who ran that side of their property business and that she signed the documents when he asked her to. No lawyers who were involved in the transactions were prosecuted as they were used as witnesses in the trial. The 52-year-old lived an extravagant lifestyle in the upmarket enclave of Quarriers Village. He would holiday in Dubai and had a yellow Bentley. His house was worth more than £700,000. McLaren had worked as a financial adviser and had the background knowledge to put the scheme together. His assets have been restrained under the proceeds of crime act. He was said to have shown no sign of remorse. He claimed that he was helping people who had nowhere else to turn and has been quoted as saying he was their friend and saviour.
A husband and wife have been found guilty of fraud after the longest trial in UK criminal history.
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Media playback is not supported on this device Mourinho, 53, regularly clashed with the Frenchman while managing Chelsea. The Portuguese is the subject of a new biography in which he is quoted as saying he would break Wenger's face. Asked if it is true that he made the comment, Mourinho said: "No, I met Arsene Wenger a couple of weeks ago and like civilised people we shook hands, we sat on the same table." Mourinho described Wenger, 66, as a "voyeur" in 2005, after his rival questioned Chelsea's transfer policy. The former Real Madrid boss referred to Wenger as a "specialist in failure" in February 2014 after the Frenchman said other Premier League managers were playing down their title chances because they "fear to fail". In the aftermath, Mourinho is quoted - in a book serialised in the Daily Mail - as saying: "I will find him one day outside a football pitch and I will break his face." Mourinho played down the contents of the book, which details alleged conversations with a football journalist, adding: "I don't think it will be in the gallery of the Shakespeares and so on and I prefer just to not comment. "It is my last word about it and again I repeat, he is making his money. That's fine by me." Media playback is not supported on this device Wenger, who apologised for pushing Mourinho during a 2-0 defeat by Chelsea in October 2014, said: "I have no personal problem with anybody. I respect everybody in our game. "What is amazing is that this has nothing to do with our game. I am just focusing on doing my job well and respecting everybody else. "Maybe I will make a book one day but I am not ready for that yet." Manchester United host Leicester at 12:30 BST on Saturday in the Premier League while Arsenal entertain Chelsea at 17:30.
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho says he has a "civilised" relationship with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.
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The country's currency, the rand, has lost ground, bonds and banking shares have fallen and there is a general air of impending doom. Of the big three ratings agencies, only Standard & Poors has lowered South Africa's sovereign debt to below investment grade. Should Moody's or Fitch follow suit, big international investors like pension funds would be forced, under their own rules, to sell their South African government debt. Those rules require two of the three to move to junk status. South Africa's major banks have been quick to point out that they are financially sound and well-positioned to withstand the impact of sovereign rating downgrades. Nonetheless, banking shares are taking a significant battering. But the turmoil on the currency, bond and equity markets will spread to the wider economy soon enough. As the rand falls, inflation will increase. This is because the price of imported goods rises in local currency terms. The flip side of this is that exports become cheaper and more competitive. As inflation increases, the central bank, the Reserve Bank, will have to increase interest rates as a counter measure. This makes the cost of mortgages, home loans and any other borrowing ordinary South Africans want to do more expensive. It also makes the cost of borrowing for companies more expensive and, as such, plays a role in slowing economic growth. Higher borrowing costs and slowing economic growth can lead to job losses. South Africa's economy grew by just 0.3% last year and is not expected to top 1% this year. In fact, some economists are saying the downgrade to junk has the potential to trigger another recession. Getting out of junk status is difficult. According to Bloomberg, over the past 30 years only six of the 20 countries that have fallen into junk status have managed to claw their way out of it. And the time taken for those who re-acquired an investment grade rating ranges from 13 months to 11 years. The average time is around seven years. So, has the mirror cracked? Are South Africans in line for seven years of bad luck? The initial signs are not good. But up until now the ratings agencies have been pretty patient with South Africa. They warned that political infighting and slow economic growth were the main factors that could lead to a downgrade. And they have been saying that for over a year. What kept the finger off the junk status button was confidence in former Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, but also a knowledge that South Africa has strong institutions and a working democracy. It also has a number of sectors which are among some of the best in the world, particularly mining and financial services. If a good degree of political stability can be achieved quickly and sustained going forward, the chances of South Africa pulling itself out of junk status in less than seven years improve dramatically. If not, the country risks falling off the radar of the international investment community. If that happens, times could get tough, and stay tough for millions of South Africans.
The immediate impact of South Africa's ratings downgrade by Standard & Poors is largely seen on the screens of financial traders.
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A witness said the woman was stuck beneath the double-decker when it left the road and hit a building in Ladbroke Grove, shortly before midday. The woman was freed and taken to hospital with minor injuries. None of the other injured people, including the bus driver, suffered life-threatening injuries in the crash, police said. Matt Kyp, who runs a gym opposite where the crash happened, said the bus driver was trying to avoid another crash when he "ploughed off the road". He said the "bus went from one side [of the road] to the other and picked up pace". He said it was a "big operation to remove the woman" but said she had been "talking to the ambulance crew" from under the bus. The number 52 bus was had been travelling along Ladbroke Grove towards Victoria when it mounted the pavement near to the junction with Canal Way. London Ambulance Service (LAS) said it had sent "multiple resources to the scene" including four ambulance crews and the Air Ambulance. Ladbroke Grove has been reopened although the bus remains on the pavement.
One woman was trapped and 13 other people were injured after a bus crashed into a wall in west London.
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Mr Fillon has denied allegations that members of his family were paid taxpayers' money for fictitious jobs. But he has lost support within the party and in opinion polls ahead of the first round of the election next month. Alain Juppe, seen as the most likely replacement if he withdraws, is due to make a statement at 10:30 (09:30 GMT). Until now he has insisted he will not be the party's Plan B, but polls suggest he would have a far greater chance than Mr Fillon of reaching the final round of the presidential vote in May. Mr Fillon told French TV on Sunday evening that "no-one today can prevent me being a candidate". But pressure on him is mounting and the battle between Mr Fillon and his party may be entering the end game, says the BBC's Lucy Williamson in Paris. At Monday night's party meeting, Republican heavyweights will seek a way forward to bridge the growing cracks between their candidate and his former rivals. Key members of the Fillon campaign team have abandoned him and several leading Republicans have wavered in their support. At a mass rally in Paris on Sunday, a defiant Mr Fillon told tens of thousands of supporters that he would fight on. He rejected the idea of being replaced by Mr Juppe, his rival in the primaries last year. "If they had wanted Alain Juppe's project, then they would have voted for Alain Juppe in that election," Mr Fillon said. He said he would be exonerated when an impending criminal investigation got under way, and it would be the turn of his accusers to feel ashamed. For weeks he has fought allegations that his wife, Penelope, was paid for a number of years for work that she did not do as his parliamentary assistant. However Mrs Fillon, who insists she did work for her husband, told French magazine Journal du Dimanche on Saturday that "everything was legal and declared". Also under scrutiny are claims that two of the children, Marie and Charles, were paid by their father's office for legal work though they had not yet qualified as lawyers.
France's centre-right Republicans are to meet on Monday evening to try to resolve the crisis over presidential candidate Francois Fillon.
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The victim, 51, was stabbed in the stomach in a house in Vere Foster Walk in the early hours of Saturday morning. The teenager is due to appear at Belfast Magistrates' Court on Monday. He faces a number of charges, including possession of an offensive weapon and grievous bodily harm. Two other men, aged 19 and 26, who were arrested in connection with the attack remain in custody.
A 19-year-old man has been charged in connection with a stabbing in west Belfast which left a man critically ill in hospital.
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George Magraw, 21 and from Ellesmere Port, was taken to hospital on Wednesday after jumping from a 13ft (4m) high platform at Flip Out Chester. The University of Leeds student is understood to have undergone a lengthy operation on his injuries. Cheshire West and Chester Council has launched an investigation into the park, which has closed the tower. The council said two other people were also injured on the same day as Mr Magraw. Councillor Karen Shore, Cheshire West and Chester's cabinet member for environment, said: "We are investigating reports of accidents which led to three people being injured at Flip Out Chester. "The company has voluntarily closed its tower jump while investigations are ongoing." Flip Out Chester, located on Chester Gates Business Park, opened in December 2016 and houses 200 trampolines and an obstacle course. A spokesman said there had been "a number of incidents" on Wednesday, but the park had had "an excellent safety record" since it opened and hosted 150,000 visitors. "Safety is our number one priority and we strive to ensure that everyone who visits can enjoy all of the activities in a safe environment," he added.
A student has fractured his spine at a trampoline park after leaping from a jump tower into a foam pit.
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Members of the party will meet next week for their final conference before the Scottish election on 5 May. But the UK party leader will not appear, with a spokesman telling BBC Scotland they want the focus to be on Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale. Mr Corbyn did speak at the Scottish Labour conference in October. Last week, Prime Minister David Cameron addressed the Scottish Conservative conference in Edinburgh. And the week before, Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron appeared at his party's Scottish conference . Earlier this week, Former MSP Lord Foulkes wrote to Mr Corbyn alleging speakers at a "Jeremy Corbyn for PM" event in Edinburgh praised the SNP and failed to mention Ms Dugdale. In the letter, Lord Foulkes wrote: "For those of us fighting hard in the Scottish Parliament election campaign it is enough to make us burst into tears that such clowns are undermining our campaign in your name." He called for the Labour leader to give assurances he will raise concerns with those involved. A spokesman for Mr Corbyn said the event was nothing to do with the party.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will not address the Scottish Labour one-day conference in Glasgow, BBC Scotland has learned.
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The software offers advice on how development projects, in the guise of noise levels and other disturbances, can affect birds' behaviour. Researchers from the University of Hull, UK, developed the app that built on a study carried out on behalf of the Environment Agency. The team hopes it will minimise the disruption from flood prevention work. Researchers say the app is designed to help planners assess the possible effects of proposed work before they consent to a development going ahead. It also will allow contractors to measure noise levels on the site and offer advice on the degree of disturbance the work will have on bird species. "There is relatively little information on the impacts from disturbance events on waterbirds, in particular from noise," explained Nick Cutts, deputy director of the university's Institute of Estuarine and Coastal Studies (IECS). "While such events will not normally lead to a direct mortality of birds, cumulative and/or prolonged disturbance events may effectively exclude resource use and could lead to carrying-capacity reduction in estuaries, and thus starvation or movement to other areas by some species. "As such, when plans and projects are submitted, they are often subject to conditions relating to disturbance management, including restrictions on works timings and noise levels." Noise impacts The data collected by the team of researchers at IECS originally formed part of a study for the Environment Agency that aimed to provide a "real-time" characterisation of likely noise impacts. The "toolbox included background on disturbances and waterbird ecology with guidance for mitigation, etc. for estuary planners and developers to use," Mr Cutts added. The data was processed, as part of the EU-funded TIDE project, to develop the app, created by Mr Cutts and colleagues Krystal Hemingway and Chris Baulcomb. It uses on-phone noise and GPS facilities to allow real-time characterisation of likely noise effects, Mr Cutts adds. He said: "It can be used 'in office' by project planners, consenting bodies and others in order to identify a range of potential disturbance sources, and through the manual input of noise level and location data to identify a disturbance radius."
A smartphone app has been released that can measure the impact of construction work on waterbirds in protected areas.
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Education Secretary Nicky Morgan hopes the concessions will meet the demands of Tory rebels opposed to compelling high-performing schools to convert. This was about the government listening, she said, adding ministers understood top schools should retain the choice on whether to convert. The move comes days after threats of industrial action by head teachers. Academies are independently run - but state-funded - schools, overseen by a not-for-profit business, known as an academy trust. They are often part of a chain. The controversial plans to require all schools to convert to academy status, or have plans to do so, by 2022 were announced in the Budget, but details followed in a white paper. It was not long before opposition to the idea was heard from teachers and head teachers, education experts and MPs and councillors - both Conservative and opposition. Mrs Morgan told the BBC in an interview with Education Editor Branwen Jeffreys: "This is about being a listening government and I would consider myself to be a listening secretary of state. "Better to have reforms than have none at all. "We absolutely support those strong local authorities where schools are good and outstanding - they can make the choice to convert. "I hope that they will, because we are convinced that becoming academies does lift standards but they can do the right thing for them and I think that reflects the concerns and the conversations that we have had." Conservatives have been voicing opposition to the plans in recent weeks, particularly because all schools - even highly performing ones - were to be forced into the new arrangements. Melinda Tilley, an Oxfordshire county councillor, complained of "diktats from above" and expressed concerns about small village schools closing. Labour had argued that the academies programme was already hitting problems, with a number of large-scale trusts being sanctioned for failing to improve results fast enough. Shadow Education Secretary Lucy Powell said: "It is frankly a humiliating climbdown for David Cameron and his education secretary, who just weeks ago were insisting they would plough on with the policy regardless." However, the government said it would push forward with compelling academy conversions in two areas: •Where it is clear that the local authority can no longer viably support its remaining schools because too many schools have already become academies. •Where the local education authority consistently fails to meet a minimum performance threshold across its schools. The government also announced a package of measures to protect small rural schools including extra financial support and a requirement that any closure would have to be agreed by the local authority and the regional schools commissioner. Chairman of the largely Conservative County Councils Network Paul Carter said Mrs Morgan had "rightly listened to the concerns of councils, teachers, governors and parents in taking this important decision". "This decision is also vital for the preservation of rural schools which are at the heart of their local communities," he said. Russell Hobby, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers said: "We are pleased the government has listened to the profession. "We stand ready to engage in further discussions about how the government can meet its vision in co-operation with the education sector. This move gives us hope that such dialogue can now be constructive." The Local Government Association said its recent analysis of the grades achieved by all schools proved that 81% of council-maintained schools are rated as "good" or "outstanding", compared to 73% of academies and 79% of free schools. "It is right that these schools should not be forced down the academy route unless they make that decision themselves," it added. Plans to require all schools, good or bad, to become academies have been greeted with increasing disquiet and derision since they were somewhat incongruously announced in the Budget. George Osborne described the move as freeing schools from the "shackles of local bureaucracy". Teachers and heads were bemused by the idea of forcing change on high-performing schools. "If it ain't broke, why fix it?" they chorused. When fury exploded from the usually loyal Conservative MPs and councillors, the education secretary began to look very uncomfortable. During an opposition day debate, it was the Tories who made the most effective arguments against the plan. The divisions within the party were exploited by Labour at PMQs with David Cameron having to mount a robust defence two weeks in a row. And embarrassment grew further when Nicky Morgan was greeted by head teachers heckling: "You're not listening." With splits over the European referendum to contend with, Mr Cameron may simply have decided it was not worth a fierce fight with the backbenches. Ministers had argued that the new landscape would provide a high level of autonomy to schools and help drive up standards through greater innovation and competition in the system. Currently all schools can choose to convert to academy status, but those deemed to be struggling or failing to improve sufficiently can be forced to convert. That will remain the case under these new plans.
Plans to force all of England's schools to become academies are being abandoned in a government climbdown.
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Fraser Carrington, 32, from the Fife area, was night fishing at Tangleha, north of St Cyrus, when he disappeared from rocks in the early hours of Sunday in what were described as "exceedingly rough" conditions. Another angler raised the alarm at about 03:00. Search teams scoured the water and shoreline, but no trace was found. A rescue helicopter, coastguard teams and the Montrose lifeboat were involved in the operation.
The search for a sea angler who went missing on the Aberdeenshire coast has been stood down.
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The Disley papers are records of the Military Service Tribunals in the Cheshire town. Here men who wanted to be exempt from military service after the introduction of conscription in 1916 pleaded their case. When conscription was brought in, a national registration scheme identified about two million men of military age who had not signed up. Some 2,000 tribunals were set up across the country, but few records of them remain. Indeed, the National Archives say only two full sets of papers remain, one for the Middlesex Appeal Tribunal and another for Lothian and Peebles in Scotland, which were kept as "a benchmark for possible future use". Manchester Library's heritage collections manager David Govier says, though incomplete, the Disley papers debunk a misconception about those who did not fight - that they were all conscientious objectors. "I haven't found any conscientious objectors amongst the papers," he says. "There are dozens of individual applications for exemption from service from farmers and millworkers and people in reserved occupations. "There were also lots of people who were caring for family members, volunteering in hospitals or growing food on their allotments." That, says Imperial War Museum historian Matt Brosnan, is the reality of what the Military Service Tribunals dealt with. "Most of those who went to tribunals were for economic or work reasons. Men could be exempt if they were in work seen as essential to the war effort - such as specialist manufacturing, mining or farming. "They could also be exempt because of economic reasons, such as having a large family to support. "Of course, the most famous category of exemption was conscientious objection - because of political, humanitarian or religious beliefs." The Military Service Act 1916 allowed Great Britain to use conscription for the first time. It gave rise to the conscientious objector, something which Mr Brosnan says was "an alien concept". "The phenomenon was an unknown thing, but they were in a real numerical minority. "During the war, there were about 16,000 registered conscientious objectors, which sounds like a lot, but there was something in the region of eight million men in the armed forces." Those who did not want to fight had to go before the tribunals, though Matt Brosnan says the process was not always fair, due to the prevailing public opinion. "They were supposed to be made up of members who were impartial, but the system didn't always achieve that because by 1916, the war effort is in full throw and there was a huge wave of patriotic fervour. "The majority were supportive of the war and felt it was a necessary thing, so the members of these tribunals tended to reflect that." He says the panels were usually made up of eight or nine local dignitaries, "mostly men who did not have that much in the way of legal experience" and someone from the military. Source: The UK Parliament The hearings were, he says, "usually quite brief and didn't last more than about 10 minutes". "The person appealing was represented by a solicitor or maybe just a friend who could help defend them. "Their case was assessed and it was accepted or not. Both the applicant and the military representative had the right of appeal, so it could go to a tribunal after that, made up of members appointed by the Crown. "It was quite a large system." According to the National Archives, the majority of appeals were dismissed and many people did go on to see war service. However, some exemptions were granted, as the Middlesex Tribunals records reveal. John Shallis, for example, appealed on the grounds of domestic hardship, having lost four of his brothers during the war. His mother was described as a "cripple" on his appeal form, having broken her leg, and his father was away carrying out Home Defence duties with the Territorial Force. It was his work in munitions which tipped the balance though and he was granted exemption. Leslie Turner, from Manchester and Lancashire Family History Society, says anyone had the right to ask for an exemption, though "whether it was granted or not was another story". She says that in the Disley papers, one case stood out to her, that of print hand Clifford Carrington. "Against his name was the notation 'Or brother to go'. "His younger brother Harold must have drawn the short straw as he was sent to the front as part of the Prince of Wales' Volunteers (South Lancashire) Regiment 2nd Battalion. "Clifford's hearing was dated 25 October 1917. By 17 November 1918, records state that Harold Carrington had died of wounds. "I thought how awful it must have been for Clifford. "A colleague has since found a medal card for a Clifford Carrington - who joined the Cheshire Regiment. So it is likely he ended up joining the military anyway." Mr Brosnan says Carrington may not have had a choice, as even if men were granted exemption, it was often only temporary and as the toll of the war became heavier and heavier, the parameters of conscription changed. "In 1918, when manpower was even more of an issue, the age range was extended so soldiers who were 18 could serve overseas because of the dwindling numbers available. "Also, there were categories of war work that were essential that were reassessed. For example, some men that were working in mining in 1916 might be in the Army by 1918." Those who applied for exemption were also reassessed and if their situation changed, they might have found their argument for exemption rejected at a subsequent hearing. Conscientious objection was more likely to result in a permanent exemption, though Mr Brosnan says this came at a price. "The majority of people were pretty hostile towards them and pretty unimpressed by that kind of attitude. It was such an unusual thing and was going against the general view at the time. "They and their families and friends were poorly treated by wider society." However, he says men "who objected for political or religious reasons often came from communities of people of the same persuasion". "It wasn't just one or two that were conscientious objectors, there were several, so in their immediate surroundings, they would be more accepted than in the wider community." Source: The UK Parliament That was certainly true of cotton worker Euclid Thursby, who features in the Imperial War Museum North's Street to Trench exhibition. Mr Brosnan says Thursby came from Nelson in Lancashire, "a hot bed for conscientious objectors because of a left wing political community with strong links with the Independent Labour Party". "So within in his town, his actions would have been much more accepted and understood." Not everyone was so lucky and even those making economic cases could be vilified. The Middlesex records detail the case of Charles Busby, who asked to be exempt to carry on running his butcher's shop. An anonymous letter, sent directly to the tribunal, is attached to his case paper and questions why he was exempt while "married men have had to shut up their shop and go". It goes on to describe the butcher as "a proper rotter of a man" and a "rotten shirker". Nevertheless, he was granted exemption, though he did later serve with the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force between 1917 and 1918. It is estimated that by the end of the war, about one and a half million men had been exempt from compulsory service, either temporarily or completely. The exact number is not known, due to most records being destroyed in the 1920s. "I think the destruction of the tribunal papers was ordered as there was a stigma attached to those that did not serve," says Ms Turner. "Many of those sitting on tribunals were men from the same community and I think destroying these papers could have been considered the best way that an exemption from service would not follow any individual around all his life."
In the run-up to Armistice Day, Manchester's Central Library has been displaying a series of papers from World War One which show a different side of the conflict.
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Iran, which has the greatest number of people travelling to America, said it would keep a retaliatory ban on US citizens announced in January in response. The story also made the top of most news agendas and trended on social media there, though reaction this time round has not been as pronounced as when the original ban was announced. "White House adjusts its racism" was one pointed headline in a hard-line conservative newspaper, though other media outlets reported the story more factually. Iraq's removal from the list was cause for some comment as well in Iran. "Trump's new order says that Iraqis have co-operated with America on the issue but it says that Iran has not co-operated," Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi said. "It is obvious that Iran has not co-operated with the American government, and it is not right to compare Iran and Iraq on the issue. The two countries are in different conditions." An influential conservative MP, Hossein Naqavi-Hosseini, went further, alleging that removing Iraq from the list was part of an "evil" plan to cause discord among the countries in the region. Somalia and Sudan both criticised the ban as well, saying their nationals added to America's community rather than detracted from it.  "We have to talk about what the Somali people have contributed rather than a few people who may cause a problem," Somalia's President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed said. Mr Mohamed, who has dual Somali and US citizenship, said he would have preferred the ban to have been lifted but acknowledged his country had to address the issue of extremists and groups like al-Shabab as well.  Sudan's foreign ministry called it a harsh decision and expressed its "disapproval and deep regret", urging the US to remove it from its list of countries supporting terrorism. A ministry statement said Sudanese citizens had never been involved in terrorism in the US and that Sudan played a big role as a partner in fighting terrorism.  Responses from Libya, Yemen and Syria have been muted, as was the case when the original ban was first announced. It was only in Iraq that there appeared to be any joy. The country's foreign ministry voiced its "deep satisfaction" over the decision and said the move would strengthen its co-operation with Washington, including fighting against terrorism. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.
Donald Trump's executive order renewing a travel ban on citizens of six mainly Muslim countries, and removing Iraq from the list, has been broadly criticised in some of the countries it affects, and shrugged off in others.
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Andrew Brown, 23, and Dean Melnyk, 20, deny murdering Kevin MacKay by punching, kicking and knifing him at Peacock Place in Ecclefechan. It is also alleged that they tried to set fire to items of furniture in an attempt to burn Mr MacKay's body. Co-accused Jennifer Melnyk, 60, also denied a charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice. She is alleged to have burned bloodstained clothing and instructed two people to provide false information to the police. Advocate depute Shanti Maguire, prosecuting, showed the jury at the High Court in Glasgow photographs taken by scenes of crime examiner Nicola Brunt. Ms Maguire warned the jury beforehand that the photographs might be disturbing. One of the images showed the bloodstained living room of 3 Peacock Place, Ecclefechan, with Mr MacKay's body lying on the floor. He was covered in blood and there was blood on the sofa and doors and walls. Mr MacKay's ex-wife Melissa, 36, who had two children with him, told the court that he was a drug dealer and revealed that their marriage ended for that reason. She said they broke up in 2008 and at the time of his death he was staying at a friend's home in Peacock Place. Ms MacKay told defence QC Ronnie Watson, representing Mr Brown, that her ex-husband was involved with drugs. She added that he was selling cannabis, cocaine and sometimes ecstasy to friends. When questioned she also confirmed that she had known Mr MacKay was a drug dealer during their marriage. Ms MacKay was then asked if she knew of 19-year-old Jamie Abba who died after taking fake ecstasy tablets in the summer of 2013 and she said she did. She denied ever telling the police that Mr MacKay had sold Mr Abba - nicknamed Jabba - the drug. However, she said she knew of rumours that had swept through the south of Scotland village alleging that he had. The trial before Lord Armstrong continues.
Two men have gone on trial accused of murdering a father-of-two in a Dumfriesshire village in August.
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Storm Abigail will mainly impact Scotland but parts of the north and west coast of Ireland are being hit with heavy rain and strong winds. The storm is bringing colder air, so after a recent mild spell Friday is likely to be quite chilly. Abigail will move away, but ex-hurricane Kate will hit on Saturday bringing wet, windy weather. Driving conditions are being affected by the storm conditions, and in the Republic of Ireland flights at Dublin airport have been disrupted due to the strong winds. Passengers on one flight from Rome to Dublin were kept on a holding pattern above the airport before being diverted to Shannon airport in the west of the country. One couple, George and Gwen, said: "It's caused a bit of disruption because we're from Kilkenny and can't get to our car. "But we're quite philosophical. It's a lot worse for those on connecting flights who don't know what's happening." Karen Griffin and her family from Boston in the United States were planning to stop in Dublin on their way home from a holiday in Italy. She said a lack of communication had been a problem for them. "We were on the runway for quite some time and then told buses would take us to Dublin," she said. "There's still no buses and we've been waiting over an hour. "We had hoped to sightsee in Dublin but now we think we'll just head straight to the pub."
The first storm to be officially named by the Met Office is bringing gusts in excess of 60mph to Northern Ireland.
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Yousif Badri, 29, denies being involved in conduct "with the intention of committing acts of terrorism". Mr Badri's flat in Aberdeen's Ashgrove Road was raided by police on 6 June 2013 - the day after he sat and passed his final medical exams. The Aberdeen University student denies two charges under the Terrorism Act. During the raid on Mr Badri's flat, his computer and an external hard drive were seized and hundreds of thousands of files were found. They included dozens which featured troops being killed by snipers and an Al Qaeda training manual and magazines which included articles about bomb making. Mr Badri claims he was researching the material in order to refute the ways it used the Koran to advocate violence. At the High Court in Glasgow he was asked by defence QC Murdo Macleod: "What are your plans for the future?" and replied: "I'm here to explain my position and hopefully clear my name and I want to become what I've trained for eight years to be - a doctor." Mr Badri was also asked how his arrest and trial had affected his family and said: "We are normally quite a happy family. This has been very difficult for my parents and for my sisters. It's been two years since I was arrested." Under cross-examination by advocate depute Richard Goddard, prosecuting, he denied that he had tried to keep the files found by police secret. He said: "It was on my computer. It was free for anyone to access. There was no password. I used Google to access all the material." The court has heard that Mr Badri was arrested before he was able to graduate as a doctor. The offences are said to have been carried out at two places in Aberdeen - Mr Badri's former flat in Ashgrove Road and in Berryden Retail Park. His current address in Halifax, West Yorkshire, also features in the alleged offences. Prosecutors claim that between 2007 and 2013 Mr Badri collected or made a record of information likely to be useful to a person "committing or preparing an act of terrorism". This allegedly included footage of terror attacks as well as instructions on "urban assassinations" and "guerrilla tactics". A second charge alleges that Mr Badri "with the intention of committing acts of terrorism" engaged in various actions between 2006 and 2013. Accusations listed in the indictment include a claim he had an "equipment list" for attending a terrorist training camp in Afghanistan. He is also said to have possessed "advice for those involved in conducting terrorist attack planning operations". The charge further alleges that he had documents, recordings and files containing "extreme ideology". The trial continues.
A final year medical student accused of terrorism charges has told a court he wants to clear his name and become a doctor.
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Joel Grant headed the visitors in front but Jordan Moore-Taylor turned a cross into his own net as Carlisle levelled. Goals either side of the break had Exeter in control, Ryan Harley stroking home and David Wheeler finding the net. But John O'Sullivan's overhit cross floated in and sub Shaun Miller nodded in as the hosts dramatically came back. Exeter had two goals disallowed for borderline offside calls, and hit the post through Jake Taylor with the final action of the match. Keith Curle's Carlisle have trailed in all three games between the sides this season but are yet to be beaten by the Devon club. Jamaica international Grant was influential with two assists to add to his goal, but Exeter are still yet to beat any of their play-off rivals this season. Carlisle had a penalty appeal waved away in stoppage time after Pierce Sweeney controlled Nicky Adams' cross onto his arm. Only Plymouth had a better away record in the regular-season than Paul Tisdale's Exeter, who will feel frustrated by the offside flag denying both Ollie Watkins and Reuben Reid when they appeared to be level with the last defender. The second leg takes place at St James Park on Thursday at 19:45 BST. Carlisle boss Keith Curle: "The players deserve a lot of credit for the character they have shown. They were challenged today, they were challenged at 3-1 down and a goal having just been disallowed as well. "As soon as we got that goal, the supporters were absolutely phenomenal and then with that little bit of rub of the green that we get, we get something out of this game. "To be honest at 3-3, I looked at the clock and there were eight, nine minutes to go and thought we could walk out of here 4-3 up." Exeter manager Paul Tisdale told BBC Radio Devon: "It was the type of game we wanted. It went to plan in terms of the way the game flowed, and I think we were rather unfortunate. "I don't think we've had our fair share of fortune during the season, so why should it change now? "We played so well and we weren't here to hold on and grab a draw - we tried to win that game and probably deserved to do so." Match ends, Carlisle United 3, Exeter City 3. Second Half ends, Carlisle United 3, Exeter City 3. Jake Taylor (Exeter City) hits the right post with a right footed shot from the centre of the box. Assisted by Reuben Reid. Attempt saved. Tom Miller (Carlisle United) header from a difficult angle on the right is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Nicky Adams with a cross. Corner, Carlisle United. Conceded by Pierce Sweeney. Attempt saved. Ryan Harley (Exeter City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Reuben Reid. Attempt missed. Reggie Lambe (Carlisle United) left footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left following a set piece situation. Foul by Lee Holmes (Exeter City). Shaun Miller (Carlisle United) wins a free kick on the right wing. Offside, Exeter City. Ollie Watkins tries a through ball, but Reuben Reid is caught offside. Foul by Jake Taylor (Exeter City). Nicky Adams (Carlisle United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Jake Taylor (Exeter City) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Shaun Miller (Carlisle United). Corner, Exeter City. Conceded by George Waring. Corner, Exeter City. Conceded by Mark Gillespie. Attempt saved. Reuben Reid (Exeter City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Ollie Watkins. Reuben Reid (Exeter City) wins a free kick on the right wing. Foul by Danny Grainger (Carlisle United). Attempt missed. Reggie Lambe (Carlisle United) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Corner, Carlisle United. Conceded by Jake Taylor. Corner, Carlisle United. Conceded by Pierce Sweeney. Attempt blocked. Jamie Proctor (Carlisle United) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by George Waring with a headed pass. Offside, Exeter City. Jordan Moore-Taylor tries a through ball, but Lee Holmes is caught offside. Substitution, Exeter City. Lee Holmes replaces Joel Grant. Substitution, Exeter City. Jack Stacey replaces David Wheeler. Robert Olejnik (Exeter City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by George Waring (Carlisle United). Attempt blocked. Nicky Adams (Carlisle United) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jamie Proctor. Attempt blocked. Jordan Moore-Taylor (Exeter City) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Ollie Watkins (Exeter City) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Tom Miller (Carlisle United). Goal! Carlisle United 3, Exeter City 3. Shaun Miller (Carlisle United) header from the left side of the six yard box to the top right corner. Assisted by Nicky Adams with a cross. Goal! Carlisle United 2, Exeter City 3. John O'Sullivan (Carlisle United) right footed shot from long range on the right to the top left corner. Assisted by Luke Joyce. Foul by David Wheeler (Exeter City). Danny Grainger (Carlisle United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt saved. Luke Joyce (Carlisle United) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Jamie Proctor. Hand ball by Pierce Sweeney (Exeter City). Substitution, Exeter City. Reuben Reid replaces Craig Woodman. Substitution, Carlisle United. George Waring replaces James Bailey.
Carlisle scored twice in two second-half minutes to salvage a draw against Exeter in a frenetic League Two play-off semi-final first leg.
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The poll for driving safety charity Brake found 49% of 17-24 year olds had been in work calls while on the road, compared with 17% for all age groups. About 35% of young people said they had spoken to family, and 21% with friends - compared with 23% and 15% overall. Brake asked about hand-held and hands-free calls. They are both a distraction "risking devastating crashes", it said. "It is a sobering thought that a significant number of these life-threatening distractions come from drivers' own friends and family," said Julie Townsend from the charity. The survey questioned 1,000 drivers from across the UK on whether they had spoken on the phone while driving, hand-held or hands-free, in the last 12 months. If so, they were asked who they were talking to. Using a hand-held phone while driving was made illegal in 2003. Using a hands-free kit is allowed but a driver can still be stopped if police believe they are being distracted. Brake says that making calls hands-free is still a cause of distraction and are campaigning for it be banned. The charity is advising drivers to put their phones on silent while driving, with their phone away from them. The safest way to make a call is to stop, they say. According to an observational study by the Department for Transport last October, motorists who use phones are more likely to be texting or using social media than making calls. Brake has also warned about the dangers of being tired while driving, saying that it is wise to break for at least 15 minutes every two hours. When asked how often they driven for more than two hours without a break in the last 12 months, 8% said weekly or more, 16% once a month and 29% once a year.
Young people are more likely to use their mobile phones while driving than older motorists, a survey suggests.
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Valerie Amos said more people would die in Syria because charities feared prosecution if they worked in areas controlled by the jihadist group Isis. Aid agencies say the complexity of laws banning support for designated terrorist groups had produced a "chill factor" that slows their operations. Baroness Amos said the law must change. The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isis), renamed the Islamic State on Sunday, has just been listed by the UK as a banned organisation. The group now controls large parts of northern Syria and neighbouring Iraq. Baroness Amos told the BBC's File on 4: "A couple of the charities that are able to operate in those areas are now extremely fearful that the fact that they are having to engage with Isis will have an impact on their funding, not just for Syria, but for other places as well. See the schedule for broadcast times Listen on BBC iPlayer "We have reports of people being on the brink of running out of food. People certainly have run out of medical supplies in many of these areas. So as the needs rise, we're having fewer people in the ground able to meet those needs and ultimately, people will die." Many aid agencies depend on funding from the United States, the UK, and other states which ban even unintentional support for terrorists. Charities fear individual aid workers could face prosecution if payments are made for access, or goods fall into the wrong hands. A London-based charity, Human Care Syria, says it is unable to deliver water filters to Isis-controlled Deir al-Zour, in north-eastern Syria, where people have no clean water, until it can find "safe access which doesn't involve engaging with the proscribed groups". Its programme development manager, Marwa Kuwaider, said: "This legislation is like an elephant walking through small plants. It's difficult for us as a small organisation, trying to work in a transparent and accountable way, to meet all the requirements in the UK." Another charity, Hand-in-Hand for Syria, says it is being forced to close a hospital it runs near Aleppo, featured in the BBC Panorama documentary Saving Syria's Children, because it cannot find a well-established, mainstream partner agency through which foreign donors would be prepared to channel funding. Omar Gabbar, a British doctor who has worked at the hospital in Atareb, said: "It will be devastating to the whole area, they will struggle to maintain care to about 500,000 people. "There is something called a 'money trail' and this is where international NGOs are starting to get a bit worried. If you are giving salaries to doctors, and if one of those doctors is at some stage labelled as a terrorist, it can have an effect on them." Hand-in-Hand for Syria's former partner decided not to seek further funding for the hospital because of security fears, including for its own staff. But the BBC understands it also had concerns about the proportion of fighters being treated at the hospital, though Dr Gabbar said these had not been raised directly with his charity. He said: "If you deprive a whole area on the excuse that I'm worried about 10% of services going to this group, you're depriving 90% innocent people. They didn't ask for Isis to come into this area." International humanitarian law requires anyone in medical need to be treated. Fear that aid would fall into the hands of the Islamist group al-Shabab severely reduced help to Somalia during the famine there between 2010 and 2012. The risk of engaging with banned groups has also limited relief and development work in Gaza, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Philippines, and other places. Now, the British Bankers' Association (BBA) is preparing a report for the autumn meeting of the G20 group of major economies to work out ways to overcome banks' reluctance to work with charities in areas where designated terrorists are active. Justine Walker of the BBA said: "We are incredibly concerned that banks are being put in a situation where we are not going to be able to facilitate money into some of the most fragile and needy areas of the world." Listen to the full report on File on 4 on Tuesday 1 July at 20:00 BST on BBC Radio 4. Or find out more in Assignment: Shaking Hands with the Enemy on Thursday 3 July on BBC World Service. See the schedule for broadcast times.
Anti-terrorism laws around the world are preventing aid agencies reaching people in desperate need, the UN humanitarian chief has warned.
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Ponting will work alongside interim head coach Justin Langer and assistant Jason Gillespie for the three-match series, which begins on 17 February. The trio will stand in for the usual coaching staff led by Darren Lehmann, as the series clashes with the Australia Test squad's tour of India. Ponting, 42, said he looked forward to working with some "incredible talent". "I always said when I retired that I wanted to get back involved and what better way to do it than alongside a couple of my best mates in cricket, Justin Langer and Jason Gillespie," added Ponting. Australia will face Sri Lanka in Melbourne on 17 February, Geelong on 20 February 20 and Adelaide on 22 February.
Former captain Ricky Ponting will join Australia as an assistant coach for the Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka.
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Elsewhere in the UK, there is a one-year deferral period for men who have had sex with men (MSM) to donate. Northern Ireland has an outright ban. But a judge ruled that former health minister Edwin Poots did not have the power to retain that ban. His ruling will be appealed in court later. In the Northern Ireland Appeal Court on Monday, the current on-off health minister, the Democratic Unionist Party's (DUP) Simon Hamilton, is appealing the judgement, alongside Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt. They shall be asking who is in charge of blood policy and whether or not this is a devolved issue. The appeal is expected to last four days. Following a Freedom of Information request, BBC News NI has seen emails sent between Northern Ireland's Department of Health and the Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service (NIBTS), which is responsible for the collection, testing and distribution of blood. The NIBTS also said it had stopped 30 men from donating blood at their clinics since 2011 after they informed staff that they had sexual contact with other men. The BBC asked the NIBTS how confident it would be that its blood is screened correctly and that it would be safe for MSM to donate after the one-year deferral period. It said: "All blood donations are subjected to the testing regimes required by the Blood Safety and Quality Regulations 2005. "As such, NIBTS is confident that all blood samples are screened correctly." The BBC has also seen instructions sent to the NIBTS from Dr Elizabeth Mitchell, the deputy chief medical officer, instructing the organisation how to respond if approached by the media about the ban remaining in place. Dr Kieran Morris, the former chief executive of the NIBTS, replied showing some concern about the process and how he would answer questions from his own staff. "As chief executive officer and accountable officer for the NIBTS special agency service, I require from the Department of Health a written direction, giving me a clear line as to how we manage and control the situation," he said. "There is no doubt in my mind that referring all matters to the Department of Health press office will not be sustainable for more than a few days." A BBC investigation earlier this year found the Department of Health does not have any medical evidence of its own to support a permanent ban on gay men donating blood. The ban was put in place across the UK during the Aids crisis of the 1980s, but was lifted in England, Scotland and Wales in November 2011. New rules were introduced that allowed blood donations from men whose last sexual contact with another man was more than a year earlier. But Northern Ireland did not follow suit. A gay man, granted anonymity due to his perceived vulnerability, launched a judicial review challenge over then health minister Edwin Poots's decision not to adopt the same policy on this side of the Irish Sea. A judge ruled that Mr Poots' decision was "irrational" and "infected with apparent bias". Mr Poots said he had kept the ban on the basis of ensuring public safety. In April, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that a lifetime ban may be justified in member states if no effective detection techniques exist within the country. The ECJ said countries must establish if such donors were at high risk of acquiring infectious diseases like HIV. Mr Hamilton said he would study the ruling. A number of issues will be looked at in the Court of Appeal, including whether blood policy should be a devolved matter. The appeal is expected to last for four days. The NIBTS did not respond to the BBC to give an additional comment. A Department of Health spokesman said: "It would not be appropriate at this stage to comment on matters that are before the courts."
Thirty men have been stopped from donating blood at clinics in Northern Ireland because they have had sexual contact with another man, a BBC investigation has found.
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The current talks process is due to resume after Easter. Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams said at the weekend that if political talks do not produce a deal to restore Stormont then there must be another election. Stormont's parties have yet to reach agreement on forming an executive six weeks after the assembly election. Mr Donaldson, the MP for Lagan Valley, told BBC NI's Good Morning Ulster that Sinn Féin needed to change their attitude if a political deal was to be achieved. "They are constantly making public statements and talking about negative outcomes," he said. "We are not, we have focused on the issues. "We are in the talks, we are negotiating, we are putting forward our positions we are talking to Sinn Féin, we are talking to the other political parties. "But as things stand at the moment I have to be honest with you I think we are heading towards direct rule." Mr Adams said it was the Irish government's responsibility to ensure direct rule was avoided and an election held if no deal emerged. He was speaking at a republican Easter Rising commemoration in Carrickmore, County Tyrone. The political deadlock began after a snap election on 2 March brought an end to Stormont's unionist majority. Northern Ireland Secretary of State James Brokenshire warned that either direct rule or another election will be the result of no agreement being reached by early May. However, Mr Adams told the commemoration the Irish government must ensure that an election took place. "The current talks process has paused. But let me be very clear, it is the British government's intransigence on legacy issues and the DUP's rejection of the principles of equality, parity of esteem and rights that have made it more difficult to reach a deal," he said. "Sinn Féin wants a deal. But if there is no deal then there has to be an election. "The role and responsibility of the Irish government must be to assert that an election is the only legal course open to the British government, if the current talks fail to elect an executive." He added that "progressive parties should not fear an election". Mr Adams also said that "if what we have seen from the DUP in recent times continues, that will only guarantee that there will be no DUP first minister and no return to the status quo at Stormont". Under Northern Ireland's power-sharing agreement, the executive must be jointly run by unionists and nationalists, with the largest party putting forward a candidate for first minister. Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness quit as deputy first minister in January in protest against the DUP's handling of a botched green energy scheme. The party said it would not share power with Mrs Foster as first minister until the conclusion of a public inquiry into the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme. Mr McGuinness died last month at the age of 66. His headstone was unveiled as part of the Easter Rising commemoration in Derry's City Cemetery on Sunday, which was attended by Sinn Féin's deputy leader Mary-Lou McDonald.
DUP MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has said he believes Northern Ireland is "heading towards direct rule".
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His designs are regarded as "exacting" - but also an "acquired taste". The buildings are scattered across Scotland - ranging from a football stadium in Galashiels, to an organ transplant unit in Edinburgh, to a boiler house at a former district asylum near Melrose. The modernist structures, characterised by concrete construction and strong geometric shapes, have influenced architects across the globe - but he is largely unknown in Scotland outside architecture circles. He also designed numerous houses in the Scottish Borders, most of which are still being used as private homes. Shelley Klein - who lives in the house designed for her father, the textile designer Bernat Klein - said she was unaware of the building's significance when she was younger. "I was rather annoyed that I didn't live in a Victorian house like all my friends did. They seemed far more interesting to me when I was little," she told BBC Scotland. "It's only now that I really appreciate how beautiful this building is." Womersley was born in 1923, studying architecture at the Architectural Association in London after being called up for service in World War Two. He was admitted to the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in 1952. His first commission was to build a house, Farnley Hey, for his brother John near Huddersfield, which won a RIBA medal in 1958. Klein and his wife came across the house in the 1950s and were instantly impressed, commissioning Womersley to design their home, High Sunderland, near Selkirk. The architect also designed a studio for Klein nearby in 1972. Klein's daughter said it was their subsequent friendship that brought Womersley up to the Borders frequently. He built a home for himself at Gattonside, near Tweedbank, after falling in love with the Borders landscape. "He has not really been lauded at all for his work. He's almost forgotten outside a small set of architects who obviously appreciate his work. I'm rather pleased he's getting some recognition now - I think it's overdue," she said. "We've got his wonderful cache of extraordinary buildings here in the Borders so we should celebrate and treasure them." A few miles down the road in Galashiels is one of Womersley's best known works - the football stand he designed for Gala Fairydean FC in 1963. The A-listed stand is built with concrete and has a cantilevered structure that creates the effect of a floating canopy. The club's match secretary, Robert Fairburn, said the terrace provoked a "mixed bag" of reactions - being either liked or loathed. "Some people think it resembles something out of the Soviet Union in the 1960s. But then again we get visits from architects just spontaneously turning up at the ground and from football supporters the length and breadth of the country just wanting to see what is an iconic football grandstand," he said. "There's nothing like it anywhere else in the world we think." But the 52-year-old stand is starting to crumble and the club is working with Historic Environment Scotland on a programme of works that it is hoped will help preserve it for future generations of fans. The structure, built by engineers Ove Arup and Tom Ridley, was upgraded to its A-list status in 2013. Simon Green, an architectural historian for Historic Environment Scotland, said the stand was typical of the designs produced by Womersley, who died in 1993. "It was a revolutionary idea, working closely with Ove Arup, and pushing engineering of concrete into its absolute highest possible abstraction. "He pushes everybody and Tom Ridley writes very eloquently about being forced and contorted to design this very, very high-spec building - which in effect is a for a modest small football club in a small Borders town. "But being Peter he pushed and pushed and created something unique." Mr Green is leading a seminar and tour of Womersley's work in October, which he hopes will raise the profile of an architect almost unknown to the wider public in Scotland. "Womersley was always fascinating because every building he built, he built with passion and integrity - to the infuriation of his clients and his friends and other architects. He was exacting," he said. "His body of work is quite small but each one has its own particular character and style." Mr Green said he accepted Womersley was an "acquired taste" who would never penetrate the mainstream like Charles Rennie Mackintosh has done. "I don't think unfortunately it will ever reach the heights of Mackintosh devotion," he said. Despite this, the historian believes it is crucial that Womersley's buildings are still used as they were intended by the architect. "The idea that a building can still be used for its original purpose is really exciting - and I think that has to be encouraged and preserved as long as possible. "That's the excitement of most of his houses as well, as they have stayed as residences. Particularly High Sunderland which Shelley Klein is preserving very much as her father lived in it." For Ms Klein's part, she says she still loves living in a house designed by Womersley. "It still instils me with joy and it did so for my father throughout his life - he loved this building. Every day he would get pleasure from it, as do I," she said.
Peter Womersley has been described as an architect whose work you either love or loathe.
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India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi ratified the deal with his counterpart Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka. Thousands of Bangladeshis inhabit more than 50 enclaves in India, while Indians live in around 100 areas within Bangladesh. The countries will now swap territories and residents can choose where to live. "We have resolved a question that has lingered since independence. Our two nations now have a settled boundary," Mr Modi said at a press conference. "We are not just neighbours, but nations bound by the threads of history, religion, culture, language and kinship - as well as a passion for cricket." Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali described the agreement as "a historic milestone in the relationship between the two neighbouring countries". Mr Modi and Sheikh Hasina have also agreed to inaugurate a bus service that will link the Indian cities of Kolkata (Calcutta), Agartala, Guwahati and Shillong with Dhaka. The agreement is significant because it is the first step by Bangladesh to allow road transit to India, a long-running Indian demand which it hopes will eventually enable it to have better access to its north-eastern states. Foreign Ministry officials in India have described Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bangladesh as one of his most significant since taking office a year ago. That's because of the historic Land Border Agreement that is to be signed between the two countries. More than 50,000 people currently live in tiny enclaves - citizens of one country but located in the other. Under the agreement, both sides will swap the enclaves enabling their citizens to finally reside in their own countries. It's a dispute that dates back to colonial times and has been a contentious issue since. Relations between Bangladesh and India have improved under the government of Sheikh Hasina, and Mr Modi has also made it a priority for his foreign policy. The enclaves along the 4,000km border are a legacy of colonial times - the British departed India before the border was properly demarcated - and have been a contentious issue between the two nations for decades. Inhabitants are in effect stateless and lack access to public services. In some enclaves it is possible to find houses that straddle both countries. Mr Ali said the two countries would also sign a number of deals to boost trade and security along the border, fight human trafficking and share water resources.
Bangladesh and India have signed a historic agreement to simplify their border by exchanging more than 150 enclaves of land.
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Botha signed a two-year deal in January and was due to move to Belfast at the end of the Bulls' Super Rugby campaign. However, the 25-year-old flanker has suffered a series of injury setbacks and Ulster were informed there was an increased risk in the deal. Botha sustained a knee injury playing in New Zealand in April. Bryn Cunningham, Ulster's Operations Director, described their decision as unfortunate for the player and the club. "We were looking forward to welcoming him to Kingspan Stadium. However, we have acted with the best interests of team performance in mind," Cunningham said. "We have meticulous processes for player recruitment and, having commissioned an independent medical assessment in South Africa, it was recommended that the risk had increased following his most recent injury. "This view was shared by our own medical team. "Everyone associated with Ulster hopes that Arno will go on to have a long and successful career. "Once this decision was reached, we compiled an extensive list of potential targets and we will announce a signing to bolster the forward pack in due course."
South Africa international Arno Botha's move to Ulster has fallen through following a medical assessment, the Pro12 club has announced.
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The route between Belfast International Airport and Newark is the only direct link between Northern Ireland and the United States. The service did not operate between 6 January and 11 March this year but will fly three times a week during that period in 2016. Belfast International Airport said the decision was "wonderful news for Northern Ireland". Graham Keddie, the airport's managing director, said: "United's commitment is both welcome and substantial. "We have been working with stakeholders to achieve this outcome and we are delighted it is now being delivered." Bob Schumacher, United's managing director of sales in the UK and Ireland, said: "We're pleased to offer our Northern Irish customers a year-round direct link to New York."
United Airlines is to restore its year-round service from Belfast to New York.
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The FRC is an independent disciplinary body for UK accountants and actuaries. The FRC's investigation will include business services giant PwC's auditing and preparation of Tesco's accounts. PwC remains as Tesco's auditor. In September, Tesco said it had mis-stated its half-year profit guidance by £250m - a figure that was subsequently revised to £263m in October. PwC said in a statement: "We take our responsibilities very seriously and remain committed to delivering work to the highest professional standards. We will cooperate fully with the FRC in its inquiries." And Tesco said: "We will provide support to the FRC's investigation." In December, Tesco said full-year profits would be well below market expectations. Instead of the £1.8bn to £2.2bn expected by the markets, the supermarket chain said group trading profit for the full financial year "will not exceed £1.4bn". The announcement by the Financial Reporting Council that it is investigating Tesco's accounts will heap pressure on the beleaguered retailer. The Serious Fraud Office is already investigating allegations of accounting irregularities following the admission in September that Tesco had over-stated its profits by £263m. The FRC's inquiry will be into PwC's auditing of Tesco's accounts as well as the preparation of those accounts. The fact that the inquiry will investigate three years of accounts will concern investors as it could reveal further evidence that the problems go back further than initially thought. The FRC's arsenal if any wrongdoing is found is formidable. It can impose unlimited fines on PWC; it can demand unlimited costs; and it can strike off any individual found to have behaved improperly. The fact that the FRC's investigation is likely to take at least a year (and the SFO inquiry could take two years) means that Tesco will be dealing with its accounting problems until at least 2016. In October, Tesco reported that underlying profits for the first half of its financial year slumped to £783m, down almost 47% on the previous year. The company's share price has fallen nearly 45% over the last year as the accounting scandal and falling sales have disappointed investors. The scandal, which is being investigated by the Serious Fraud Office, saw eight executives suspended - one of whom has been reinstated while others have since left the company. And chairman Sir Richard Broadbent has announced he is to step down. An investigation by accountancy firm Deloitte found that rebates from suppliers had been moved to different periods on the company's balance sheet, and that this practice went at least as far back as Tesco's 2012/13 accounting period. The FRC is also investigating PwC over its work with Barclays following the bank's fine of £38m for putting £16.5bn of client assets at risk.
The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has announced an inquiry into Tesco's accounts for 2012, 2013 and 2014.
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In a gloomy assessment of the state of the world, Mark Carney said that collapsing oil prices and an "unforgiving" global environment meant that tighter monetary policy was not yet necessary. Mr Carney's assessment comes six months after he suggested that a rise in interest rates would come into "sharper relief" at the beginning of 2016. Many assessed that as a signal that rates would start rising early this year - a relief for savers who have struggled with historically low interest rates since the financial crisis. Rate rises now seem a more remote prospect, with many economists predicting no change in interest rates until the second half of the year or even into 2017 - despite Mr Carney warning as long ago as the 2014 Mansion House speech that rate rises might be approaching. That will come as good news for mortgage holders. "Last summer I said that a decision as to when to start raising Bank rate would likely come into sharper relief around the turn of the year," Mr Carney said in a speech at Queen Mary University of London. "Well, the year has turned and, in my view, the decision proved straightforward - now is not the time to raise interest rates." He said that volatility in China - which earlier today announced its lowest growth rate for 25 years - as well as a collapse in oil prices and sluggish pay growth in the UK meant that any rate rise could be delayed. The governor said that any increases in the future would be small and gradual. "It is clear to me that since last summer, progress has been insufficient to warrant a tightening of monetary policy," Mr Carney said. "The world is weaker and UK growth has slowed. "Due to the oil price collapse, inflation has fallen further and will likely remain low for longer. "It has always been the case that, because the economy is subject to unforeseen disturbances, the precise path for Bank rate rises cannot be pre-ordained." Mr Carney said he would not be driven by the "calendar" on when to raise rates but on "economic prospects". "We'll do the right thing at the right time," he argued. Late last year, many believed that pressure on the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee to raise rates would increase after Janet Yellen, the chairwoman of the American Federal Reserve (the US central bank), announced a small increase in rates, the first since the financial crisis. Mr Carney dismissed those suggestions, saying that "cost pressures" - inflation - was stronger in the US and the British economy was more exposed to the global slowdown in growth. He also pointed out that the Fed's rate rise had only brought the US interest rate to the same "lofty level" as the Bank of England's. The Governor said that three factors would be the strongest guide to when interest rates might rise. First, that economic growth in the UK would be higher than the average trend. He said that growth at an average quarterly rate of 0.5% in 2015 had "disappointed". Second, that wage growth strengthens and productivity improves. And, third, that core inflation starts to approach the target rate of 2%. "These three factors I have described are guides for monetary policy decisions, but there are no magic thresholds," Mr Carney warned. "The journey doesn't have a set timetable; only an expected direction of travel.
The governor of the Bank of England has ruled out an immediate rise in interest rates because of the turmoil in the global economy and weaker UK growth.
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Konta was beaten by German Julia Goerges in the first round of the French Open but has risen to a best-ever ranking of 18. The 25-year-old will play either fellow Briton Freya Christie or China's Zheng Saisai in the next round. "I am very happy to come through. She started off very well so I had to dig deep," Konta told BBC Sport. "It was my first match on grass so I am glad to get another opportunity to play this week." Konta is seeded second for the grass-court event, behind the Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova. There was also some British success earlier in the day as Tara Moore booked her place in the main draw with a 6-2 6-2 qualifying win over Shuko Aoyama. British stars Heather Watson, Laura Robson and Naomi Broady are also all in the first-round draw, as is former world number one Caroline Wozniacki. You can listen to BBC radio commentary of the event, which runs until 12 June, by clicking this link. Meanwhile, British number two Aljaz Bedene beat American qualifier Ernesto Escobedo in the first round of the Ricoh Open in s'Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, 7-6 (7-5) 6-2. It was the 26-year-old's first match since being knocked out of the French Open by eventual champion Novak Djokovic and the world number 58 will play second seed Bernard Tomic in the next round.
British number one Johanna Konta beat American Victoria Duval 6-3 6-0 in the first round of the Nottingham Open.
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But there is no place for Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths, who scored his 40th goal of the season on Wednesday. Hearts right-back Callum Paterson has also been brought in while Hibernian midfielder John McGinn keeps his place, but Aberdeen's Kenny McLean drops out. Scotland face Italy in Malta on 29 May before playing France on 4 June. Uncapped McKay, 21, has scored nine goals this season from the flanks while left-back Wallace, 28, has been a model of consistency in leading Rangers to promotion and the Scottish Cup final. "They've had a terrific season," manager Gordon Strachan noted. "As a partnership they work brilliantly together. It's as good a partnership as I've seen for a long time. "Both appreciate each other's contribution and they both know what they're good at, and they both help each other all through the games. So I think it's worth the two of them coming together." Strachan said he chose to leave players from Celtic and Aberdeen out of his squad so they can be rested before crucial European ties with their clubs at the start of next season. Aberdeen face a Europa League qualifier on 30 June, while Celtic start their Champions League qualifiers on 12/13 July, but McLean and Griffiths had both declared themselves keen to be involved. "I'm the Scotland manager. My job is to get the best for Scottish football," Strachan added. "I'm trying to give them as much rest as I can so they can be ready for their European ties. "It might be a bit of a gamble, I could have done with some of them." Craig Gordon, Kieran Tierney, James Forrest, Griffiths and Scott Brown - who has been playing through the pain of inflamed hamstrings - are all rested. But Celtic defender Charlie Mulgrew is in the squad, with Strachan pointing out he may not be at Parkhead beyond the end of the season. "He will maybe not be a Celtic player when we play the second game. His contract is up. So that's the reason Charlie is there. But Charlie has had a stop-start season and I don't think he needs as much of a rest." Hearts will also face a Europa League qualifier at the end of June, but Strachan said Hearts head coach Robbie Neilson was keen for right-back Paterson, 21, to gain more international experience. "He has also had a six-week break as well with his injury, so that's the reason Callum is in there," Strachan explained. "He is a goal threat, he can get forward and cross, he has a good physique about him, and he will get better and better because he is still a young fella." Norwich striker Steven Naismith returns to the squad after pulling out of the friendly against the Czech Republic in late March, a 1-0 win Scotland repeated against Denmark five days later. Nottingham Forest winger Oliver Burke keeps his place and Crystal Palace midfielder James McArthur is recalled after recovering from injury, while Fulham striker Ross McCormack - a late call-up for the previous friendlies - has earned another chance. But Leeds duo Liam Cooper and Liam Bridcutt, Norwich defender Steven Whittaker, Wolves midfielder Kevin McDonald, Brighton forward Jamie Murphy and Blackburn striker Tony Watt all drop out. Despite five goals in his last eight matches, Middlesbrough striker Jordan Rhodes has again been left out. Goalkeepers Scott Bain (Dundee), David Marshall (Cardiff), Allan McGregor (Hull) Defenders Christophe Berra (Ipswich), Gordon Greer (Brighton), Grant Hanley (Blackburn), Alan Hutton (Aston Villa), Russell Martin (Norwich), Charlie Mulgrew (Celtic), Callum Paterson (Hearts) Andrew Robertson (Hull), Lee Wallace (Rangers) Midfielders Ikechi Anya (Watford), Barry Bannan (Sheffield Wednesday), Oliver Burke (Nottingham Forest), Darren Fletcher (West Brom), Shaun Maloney (Hull), James McArthur (Crystal Palace), John McGinn (Hibernian), Barry McKay (Rangers), Matt Phillips (QPR), Matt Ritchie (Bournemouth), Robert Snodgrass (Hull) Forwards Steven Fletcher (Marseille), Chris Martin (Derby), Ross McCormack (Fulham), Steven Naismith (Norwich)
Rangers duo Barrie McKay and Lee Wallace have been named in Gordon Strachan's Scotland squad for impending friendlies against Italy and France.
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Investors were also digesting a wave of results from major US banks. The Dow Jones index lost 138.61 points, or 0.67%, to 20,453.25 while the S&P 500 shed 15.98 points, or 0.68%, to 2,328.95. The tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 31.01 points or 0.53% to 5,805.15. The Afghan attack followed days of mounting concerns about US relations with Russia and North Korea. JJ Kinahan, a market strategist at TD Ameritrade, told AFP: "People are saying, 'Let's take some risk off the table.' With what's going on in geopolitics, who knows what can happen." Shares in JP Morgan Chase and Citigroup fell 1.17% and 0.8% respectively, despite both lenders reporting a 17% hike in quarterly profits. And Wells Fargo shares fell 3.3% after the bank reported a drop in mortgage banking revenue. Oil-linked shares also slipped as investors appeared to cash in gains made earlier in the week. ExxonMobil and Chevron lost 1.5% and 2.6% respectively, while Halliburton slid 1.9%.
(Close:) Wall Street fell for a third straight day after the US launched a major bombing raid on an ISIS complex in Afghanistan.
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The sale was finalised at a meeting in Washington between US defence chief Jim Mattis and his Qatari counterpart. It comes days after US President Donald Trump accused Qatar - a major US ally - of funding terrorism "at a very high level" - a charge Qatar denies. Other Gulf countries recently cut ties with Doha, accusing it of destabilising the region through its alleged support of extremist groups and links to Iran. UK Prime Minister Theresa May spoke to the kings of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, as well as the emir of Qatar, on Thursday, urging them to "urgently de-escalate the situation" and "engage meaningfully in dialogue", according to a statement from Downing Street. Qatar is home to the biggest US air base in the Middle East, Al-Udeid. It houses around 10,000 troops and plays a key role in the US-led operations against the so-called Islamic State (IS) group in Syria and Iraq. Mr Trump's comments appeared at odds with the US Department of Defence, which had praised Qatar's "enduring commitment to regional security" just days earlier. Saudi Arabia, another key US ally, has led moves to isolate the gas-rich emirate since earlier this month. Riyadh sealed its border, closed its air space to Qatari Airways and - along with Bahrain, the UAE and Egypt - severed diplomatic relations. A Qatari official said the deal for the fighter planes was "proof that US institutions are with us but we have never doubted that," Reuters news agency reported. "Our militaries are like brothers. America's support for Qatar is deep-rooted and not easily influenced by political changes," the unnamed official was quoted as saying. A Qatari defence ministry source told Reuters Doha had bought 36 of the planes. The deal comes just weeks after the US agreed to sell the Saudis more than $100bn-worth of weapons. As tensions between Qatar and its neighbours escalate, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was due in Kuwait on Thursday as part of a shuttle mission to try to resolve the crisis. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has strongly backed Qatar, calling the Saudi-led measures "inhumane and against Islamic values". Kuwait has also been mediating. Last week, the Turkish parliament authorised the deployment of Turkish troops to Qatar in what was seen as a show of support for the embattled emirate. Ankara has also sent planeloads of food to Qatar, which had been dependant on imports from Saudi Arabia.
Qatar has signed a $12bn deal to buy F-15 fighters jets from the US.
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Richard Clay, 50, and business partner Kathryn Clark, 52, operated a firm called Arck LLP, convincing investors to part with, in some cases, their pension funds and life savings. The pair previously admitted six counts of fraud and two of forgery. The "elaborate scam" was uncovered in 2012, according to the Serious Fraud Office. The Nottingham-based company received £47.5m from "several hundred" investors hoping to benefit from property development, including in Cape Verde, police said. It was only after civil proceedings were initiated that the fraud was uncovered and the defendants were arrested in March 2012. Clark, of Edwalton, Nottinghamshire, helped to forge bank statements to appease anxious investors, providing "a veneer of credibility" as she was authorised under the Financial Services Act. One statement was falsified to suggest there was more than £12m in the firm's bank account, when there was just £25, an earlier Insolvency Service hearing was told. Serious Fraud Office director David Green described the pair's crime as a "pernicious fraud". Clay, of Belper, Derbyshire, was described as the "directing force" behind Arck's financial schemes, and sentenced to 10 years and 10 months in prison at Southwark Crown Court and given a serious crime prevention order to last for five years. Clark was handed a two-year suspended sentence and ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work. At earlier hearings, Clay admitted three counts of fraud, while Clark pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud and two of forgery. Both were disqualified from being a director of a company for 15 and 14 years respectively, by the Insolvency Service earlier this year. A hearing to discuss confiscation proceedings is due to take place in March.
A fraudster has been jailed for over 10 years for defrauding hundreds of people out of nearly £50m.
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The benchmark index finished the day down 2.43% at 17,427.08 points. Analysts said investors were concerned about China's economy following latest trade numbers released on Tuesday. Investors also reacted to Japan's revised growth numbers released earlier which analysts said had not eased concerns about the state of the nation's economy. Japan's economy contracted 0.3% during the quarter, compared with original calculations of a 0.4% contraction. The revision beat market expectations, which were for a contraction of 0.5%, but did little to calm investors. The world's third largest economy also revealed a revised fall in private consumption on Tuesday to 0.7% from a previous estimate of 0.8%. Japan relies on domestic consumption for about 60% of its economy. However, it has been adjusting to the impact of a sales tax rise which has dampened spending. Chinese shares rallied to close higher after a surge in late afternoon buying by bargain hunters helped reverse earlier losses. The Shanghai Composite finished up 2.9% at 3,170.45, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was up 3.3% at 21,259.04. "Valuation of some stocks are lower than even during the 2008 global financial crisis," said Qiu Zhi, strategist at Huatai Securities. Investors ignored trade data that showed China's imports in August fell 14.3% in yuan-denominated terms from a year ago, while exports fell by 6.1%. The steep fall in the value of imports, which was greater than expected, reflected lower commodity prices globally, particularly crude oil. In Australia the S&P/ASX 200 closed up 1.69% at 5,115.2 points. Energy stocks were boosted as investors reacted to news that Australian energy giant Woodside Petroleum had made an estimated $11.65bn Australian dollars ($8.1bn) bid for Oil Search as it looks towards Papua New Guinea's (PNG) market. Australian-listed shares in Oil Search, which is an oil and gas exploration firm with most of its assets in PNG, rose as much as 17% on the news, though Woodside's slid more than 3%. South Korea's Kospi benchmark index closed down 0.24% at 1,878.68 points. The negative investor sentiment there also reflects a drop in the won to a near four-year low against the dollar on Monday after Tesco sold its South Korean business, Homeplus.
Japan's Nikkei index saw all the gains made this year wiped out after it fell below 17,450.77 points on Tuesday.
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More than 215,000 fans from 194 countries took part in the survey, which ran for two weeks following the Monaco Grand Prix. Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen was the most popular driver, while 60% wanted refuelling to return. GPDA chairman Alex Wurz said the most striking result was a lack of new fans. "We know that refuelling is probably not the answer to increase the action on track," Wurz told BBC Sport, "because we have other data from the teams. "But it is interesting that we have people who followed F1 for the first time in the 2000s, when there was refuelling, and they hark back to that era as the best - as all of us do for the times we first became interested in a sport - and there are no new fans to counter-balance their views." F1's stakeholders have been considering reintroducing refuelling, which was banned at the end of 2009, but this is likely to be overturned at a key meeting on Wednesday because data proves it reduces the amount of on-track overtaking. Other key findings of the survey were: Wurz said the GPDA would now spend some time analysing the detail of the data before meeting to discuss the findings and the next steps at the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend on 24-26 July. A total of 217,756 people took part across 194 countries, with the UK, France and the United States the top three respondent countries. The respondents voted F1 websites as their number one source for fan information, with 55% picking that medium and only 50% television. And more than 50% of respondents said they had stopped watching races live since the sport moved to pay television. In France, where the first grand prix was held in 1906 but which has not hosted a race since 2008, there has been no free-to-air coverage of F1 since 2013.
Nearly 90% of Formula 1 fans want the sport to be more competitive, according to a survey conducted by the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA).
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International aid has started arriving but there is still a shortage of medical equipment, food and body bags. The 7.8 magnitude quake hit Nepal on Saturday destroying buildings in Kathmandu and severely affecting rural areas across the region. A government official said on Tuesday the death toll has now risen to 4,310. Almost 8,000 people have been injured, ministry spokesperson Laxmi Prasad Dhakal said. Nepal and surrounding areas have continued to experience aftershocks. Thousands in Kathmandu, Nepal's capital, spent a third night outside, too afraid to go back into their houses. Water, food and electricity are in short supply and there are fears of outbreaks of disease. "According to initial estimations and based on the latest earthquake intensity mapping, eight million people in 39 districts have been affected, of which over two million people live in the 11 severely affected districts," said the most recent report from the UN Office of the Resident Co-ordinator. This camp had been set up on a playground and even now there are quite a few children playing. But it no longer resembles a safe place. There's rubbish everywhere, paper plates, wrappers and plastic glasses are strewn all over. "It's getting quite bad," says one man who is here with his wife and four daughters. "We've been here for three days and we've been living on instant noodles. There's nothing else to eat." His house is not badly damaged, but he is adamant that he will not go home despite the challenging conditions in the camp. "We've heard all these rumours about more earthquakes and aftershocks. We will not leave this place, not for a while." Homeless and hungry survivors How long can survivors last under rubble? Quake 'was anticipated' The country's most deadly earthquake in 81 years triggered avalanches that have killed 18 people on Mount Everest - the worst disaster in history on the world's highest peak. More than 200 people were trapped on the mountain but helicopters are bringing them to safety with about 60 rescued on Monday, according to the tourism ministry. Almost the entire Nepali army and police have joined the search and rescue operations, officials say. People are still being pulled from the rubble more than 50 hours after the tragedy. Nepal earthquake: Before and after In pictures: Devastation after the quake Hospitals are unable to cope with the huge numbers of people in need of medical attention and some Nepalis have complained of aid being slow to reach them. The Nepal government has acknowledged that it needs help from overseas asking for everything from blankets and helicopters to doctors and drivers. "We urge foreign countries to give us special relief materials and medical teams. We are really desperate for more foreign expertise to pull through this crisis," said Chief Secretary Leela Mani Paudel. Many countries have sent aid including India, China the UK and US. Are you in the area? Are you affected by the earthquake? If it is safe to do so, you can share your story by emailing [email protected] If you are willing to speak with a BBC journalist, please leave a contact number. You can send a picture, video or message to our WhatsApp number +44 7525 900971 You can email your pictures, video or audio to us at [email protected] You can upload pictures
Eight million people have been affected by the massive earthquake in Nepal, and 1.4 million are in need of food aid, the United Nations says.
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The 23-year-old Uruguayan has made one appearance for the Premier League club, against Dagenham & Redbridge in the FA Cup, since joining them last August. Rodriguez scored 19 goals in 71 games for River Plate Montevideo prior to his move to Goodison Park. "Leandro is held in high regard at Everton and is a big prospect," Bees boss Dean Smith told BBC Radio London. "He likes to get in the box and thrives on crosses. He stretches the line well and those are things we need." Rodriguez is Smith's first signing as Brentford head coach following his appointment at the end of November. "It's nice to finally bring someone in," Smith added. "We needed a new face around the place and we are thankful Everton are happy for him to come here. "We have got a good track record with Everton players when they have come here and done well." Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.
Championship side Brentford have signed Everton striker Leandro Rodriguez on a one-month loan deal.
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The region near the Burmese border is home to many militant groups and has seen decades of separatist violence. But rights groups accuse the security forces of using the immunity given by The Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) to indulge in "fake encounters" or illegal extrajudicial killings. Photographer Karen Dias has been meeting the families of those killed and documenting their stories. Gangarani Kongkhang's husband Deban Kongkhang was killed after bullets were fired into his van allegedly by the Thoubal district police commandos at Patpan Lamkhai in Manipur's capital, Imphal. The government promised to punish the perpetrators and give her a government job and financial compensation, but six years later she has received nothing. Ms Kongkhang, 38, is visually impaired and lives on handouts and takes care of her two children aged seven and 12. Wangkhem Chandrakala's husband, Namoijan Lukhoi, was shot dead by two unidentified men outside their home on 21 April 2008. She lodged a police complaint but later gave up the case because she feared "repercussions" and worried about the safety of her four school-going children. "Soon after my husband's death, I went into depression and began to lose my senses. I would wander off and find myself in the fields or in the crematorium. My family members and neighbours had to keep an eye on me," she said. Roni lost her husband Mutum Herojit on 13 October 2008. She found out about his death while watching news on TV. "I want justice for my husband. No other woman's husband should die in the future. I want to tell the government that this killing should stop or else Manipur will become a state of widows," she says. Here, she is photographed with her nine-year-old son, Mutum Mir. Neena Ningombam's husband Michael Nongmaithem was killed in 2008 by Manipuri police commandos who accused Michael of being a militant and said he was shot while trying to escape. After her husband's death, she joined hands with other widows and founded the Extrajudicial Execution Victims Families Association of Manipur. The group has filed a petition in the Supreme Court listing 1,528 cases of alleged extra-judicial killings by security forces in Manipur. Family members of victims pose for a photograph with portraits of their loved ones who were allegedly killed by the armed forces. The association of victims' families provides support and counsels members in dealing with the loss of their husbands and sons and also, with the stigma of a family member being labelled as an underground militant.
Campaigners in the north-eastern Indian state of Manipur have been demanding that authorities withdraw a controversial anti-insurgent law which gives the security forces the powers of search and seizure.
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Anil Agarwal, who controls Vedanta, said on Wednesday he would make the investment through his family trust Volcan Holdings. The statement from Volcan said neither the trust nor Vedanta intended to seek control of Anglo. Buying a stake of about 12% in Anglo would diversify Mr Agarwal's holdings. Vedanta focuses on commodities including zinc, lead, silver, copper, iron ore and aluminium, while Anglo's portfolio includes diamonds and platinum. "This is an attractive investment for our family trust ... I am delighted to become a shareholder in Anglo American," Mr Agarwal said. Anglo reported a huge pre-tax loss of $5.5bn (£3.8bn) for 2015 following the plunge in commodity prices. However, its shares jumped nearly 300% last year and in February the company said it would resume paying dividends and slow down the pace of asset sales. Anglo American shares jumped 8.5% to £12.96 in morning trading in London, while Vedanta also rose 5.2% to 878p. Other mining companies including Antofagasta, Fresnillo, BHP Billiton and Randgold Resources also posted strong gains to help lead the London market to a new record high on Thursday. Miners have been boosted by a fall in the dollar after the US Federal Reserve indicated a slower pace of interest rate rises than the market had been expecting. A weaker greenback helps dollar-denominated commodities, as it makes them cheaper for customers paying in other currencies. Mr Agarwal is using a "mandatory exchangeable bond" to finance the share purchase. Industry sources said the financial instrument was the first of its kind and was an efficient way of acquiring such a big stake.
Shares in Anglo American have soared after an Indian billionaire said he would spend up to £2bn taking a stake in the miner.
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They are not in charge of the city, the military forces of the UAE are. But in the last few days disturbing reports have emerged of the summary executions of prisoners by the jihadists, along with their black flags hoisted onto public buildings. The war in Yemen, now in its sixth month, has effectively offered the jihadists a backdoor entry into the country's second most important city and a major Indian Ocean port. "The jihadists have been taking advantage of the chaos in Aden to infiltrate the city," says Aimen Deen, a Dubai-based consultant and former jihadist himself. Nigel Inkster, the director of transnational threats at the London think-tank IISS and a former director of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service, concurs. "AQAP are a very opportunistic organisation," he says. "What has happened in Aden has created an opportunity and given them scope to expand there and in certain parts of the country." So what exactly has happened in Aden? Very bad things in recent weeks is the answer. For 128 years, the Indian Ocean port of Aden and the adjoining hinterland was a British protectorate and later a crown colony. As recently as the 1960s, cruise ships were dropping off passengers to shop in its teeming markets as they refuelled on the long voyage between Southampton and the Far East. It was one of the busiest ports and harbours in the world. After a violent independence campaign, Aden became the capital of the Marxist People's Democratic Republic of Yemen from 1967 to 1990. Russian sailors strolled around town, office women wore Western skirts and there was even a local brewery. Then followed unification with North Yemen and a brief and ultimately unsuccessful attempt by the South to split away in 1994. When I interviewed the country's strongman, President Ali Abdullah Saleh, in 2000, he told me his greatest achievement had been uniting the two Yemens, North and South. But today Yemen is in chaos. Pushed out by the Arab Spring protests of 2011, President Saleh left office, but not Yemen. A sore loser, he conspired to wreck Yemen's transition to a peaceful democracy, forming an alliance in 2014 with the same Houthi rebels he had fought several wars against. In September 2014, the rebels advanced on the capital, Sanaa, from their northern stronghold. By January 2015, they had the president, Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, under house arrest. By March, they had seized almost the whole of the western half of the country, driving the government into exile and capturing Aden. Who is fighting whom in Yemen? Houthis - The Zaidi Shia Muslim rebels from the north overran Sanaa last year and then expanded their control. They want to replace Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, whose government they say is corrupt. The US alleges Iran is providing military assistance to the rebels. Ali Abdullah Saleh - Military units loyal to the former president - forced to hand over power in 2011 after mass protests - are fighting alongside the Houthis. Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi - The president fled abroad in March as the rebels advanced on Aden, where he had taken refuge in February. Sunni Muslim tribesmen and Southern separatists have formed militia to fight the rebels. Saudi-led coalition - A US-backed coalition of nine, mostly Sunni Arab states, says it is seeking to "defend the legitimate government" of Mr Hadi. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula - AQAP opposes both the Houthis and President Hadi. A rival affiliate of Islamic State has also recently emerged. Human Rights Watch report on Yemen Yemen's giant neighbour, Saudi Arabia, suspected the hand of Iran was behind the rebels, who are Shia, and launched a devastating air war to push them back and force them to sue for peace. It has largely worked, but at a cost. The rebels are now in full retreat, but over 4,000 people have been killed in the fighting, at least half of them civilians. The once quiet, torpid streets of Aden have been battered by mortar fire, snipers and artillery. As part of the Saudi-led coalition, the UAE landed an entire armoured brigade there to reinforce the Yemeni loyalists fighting the rebels. French-built Leclerc tanks of the UAE army have been in action north of the city. But in Aden itself there has been something of a power vacuum with almost no effective policing or security - just the sort of situation the jihadists like to exploit. As far back as February, when the Houthis were advancing into Aden, IS declared a new province, a "wilaya" of Aden and Lahej. After launching an attack on Houthi rebels on 18 July, they reportedly executed seven of their captives in the district known as Crater. Now, in a new report on the mistreatment of prisoners by both sides, Human Rights Watch cites reports that on 23 August, IS dressed a number of Houthi prisoners in orange jumpsuits, placed them in a boat which was then towed out into the harbour. Reportedly watched by local residents of Aden, the boat carrying the prisoners was then blown up, killing those on board, the report says. Yemen is no stranger to violence. In the last four years, it has witnessed some horrific suicide bombings, mostly in Sanaa. For now, it seems that the jihadists of AQAP and IS have largely put aside their differences to fight their common enemy, the Shia Houthi rebels. Ironically, they are being aided by air strikes from the very countries - Saudi Arabia and the UAE - who normally oppose them. But their apparent infiltration into what was once one of the most important ports on the Indian Ocean gives them a base they could only have dreamed of before this war began.
Unseen by most of the world, the once tranquil port of Aden is being steadily infiltrated by jihadists from both al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsular (AQAP) and the so-called Islamic State (IS).
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The DJ was midway through his act when Scott Woodward produced the lit flare causing people to run away. The 22-year-old, of Ashgrove, Dumfries, admitted having the flare at the festival in Balado on 10 July. A sheriff told him he had "reached the custodial threshold" with the offence. Perth Sheriff Court was told that Woodward had the lit flare - normally used to alert coastguards - while sitting on another man's shoulders less than 20 yards from the stage. The court heard that a number of people moved away from the area around the flare, which was pumping out red smoke, as it took three minutes to burn out. He admitted placing other people in a large crowd at risk of injury if he fell from his friend's shoulders or dropped the lit flare on the ground. Fiscal depute John Malpass said there had been clear warnings about such actions at the festival. "A message was put on the large screens to say anyone lighting flares would be liable to be prosecuted," he said. "The organisers even took the step of putting it on their Facebook page to say flares were banned from any part of the venue." The court was told how members of security became aware of a flare in the crowd and then saw Woodward on another person's shoulders carrying it. Mr Malpass added: "It was in a heavily congested area of the crowd. He was approximately 50 feet from the stage. "It caused numerous persons directly in front of the accused to move away." The court heard the incident had been recorded on CCTV and security staff entered the crowd and managed to trace Woodward. Solicitor Billy Somerville, defending, said: "It is the type of flare which is used when persons are in distress at sea and can be purchased without any licence. "He accepts he was there and someone, one of his friends, handed him the flare. "It was lit for around three minutes - obviously if it was dropped there is a high temperature involved and people could be injured." Sheriff Robert McCreadie said there was a wider issue of crowd control which had "potentially serious consequences". "That was in the mind of the organisers when they explicitly banned the use of such items," he said. "A crowd can be very frightening indeed if it moves in an unexpected way. "It is not simply a stupid man holding up a flare in direct defiance of what he was told. "It is an offence against public order and has reached the custodial threshold." He deferred sentence on Woodward until next month for the preparation of reports and to enable him to view footage of the incident from the CCTV.
A festival-goer has been told he could be jailed for endangering fans by waving a flare during a set by Deadmau5 at this year's T in the Park.
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Both Smith and Berki scored 16.066 but the Hungarian was awarded the Olympic gold for a higher execution score. GB team-mate Max Whitlock scored a superb 15.600 on his Olympic debut, handing the 19-year-old bronze. Smith, 23, adds silver to the bronze medal he won at Beijing 2008. That medal, achieved at the age of 19, made him the first Briton in a century to win an individual gymnastics medal. There, his score tied with that of Croatia's Filip Ude and Smith came off worse, missing out on silver. Four years later, with Smith the favourite for Olympic gold and the last to compete in the North Greenwich Arena, the same happened again. This time, arch-rival Berki took the spoils. "Louis was under huge amounts of pressure and he had to deliver the goods. In fairness to him he increased the difficulty and to get the same score as the Olympic champion is just fantastic. We've come so far in the sport. We are now the strongest team in the world on the pommel horse. I cannot believe it. This is terrific for British gymnastics." "It was tough. It's happened twice now, at two Olympic Games, being bumped down," he told BBC Sport. "I guess I'm used to it now. But to come second against one of the best pommel-horse workers the world has ever seen? I'm a happy guy." He could not have done more, losing out by a fraction in a battle between two greats of the discipline. When scores are level in gymnastics, the mark awarded for execution - as opposed to difficulty, which is the other half - is counted first to break the tie. Berki had a difficulty score of 6.9 and an execution score of 9.166, to Smith's higher difficulty of 7.0 but lower execution of 9.066. The Hungarian's victory means he has still to lose to Smith in a major final, but Smith's relief at getting through his routine was palpable, having fallen in the same arena at the 2009 World Championships. Smith did not watch Berki's routine, instead opting to continue his warm-up in the depths of the arena. When a rehearsal of his hardest routine did not go to plan, he opted for a slightly safer set of moves and was happy with his decision. "I can't sit here with my face screwed up when I've got a silver at an Olympic Games. It's such a journey, not just for me but for every Olympic athlete," said Smith. "To perform one of my hardest routines cleanly knowing all my friends and family have come to watch, regardless of what medal it won, was an amazing feeling. "I said this final would be a clash of the titans if we both went through our routines, and getting the same score shows how close it was." Whitlock kept his composure remarkably and went through a clean, strong routine in his first Olympic individual final. Not only did it pick up a medal, it hinted at a brighter future in four years' time. "I'm so happy with how my first Olympics has gone, I couldn't ask for more," Whitlock said. "To come second to Louis Smith, to start with, is really good. He was so close to that gold. He's upped his medal from bronze to silver and he should be really happy with it. He's done well." Kristian Thomas and Beth Tweddle are Britain's remaining gymnastics hopes in the men's vault and women's uneven bars respectively. Both finals take place on Monday.
Louis Smith won a dramatic gymnastics silver medal on the pommel horse, missing out on gold by the narrowest margin after his overall score tied with Krisztian Berki.
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The number of inquiries questioning GCSE and A-level grades rose even more sharply, up by 48% to 450,500, according to exam watchdog Ofqual. "Every such change has a big impact on the individuals affected," said education minister Nick Gibb. "There is a growing lack of confidence in the exam system," said head teachers' leader Brian Lightman. School leaders have voiced concerns about the quality of marking this summer - and the figures from Ofqual, for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, show a big increase in inquiries to the "review of marking service", up by 56% to almost 444,000. There were warnings that mistakes in marking could mean that young people missed out on university places or being able to stay on to take A-levels. Overall, about one in every 33 scripts marked this year resulted in an inquiry about marking or grades. If schools and parents are not satisfied by the response to this inquiry, they can make a further appeal, and about one in five of these challenges resulted in a grade being changed. This meant 45,500 grades have been corrected - up by 15% compared with the results of summer 2013. It represents a much bigger increase over the last few years - about 50% more grade changes than 2011. "We're not surprised to hear that there has been a significant increase in requests for re-marks. Many schools have told us of a worrying number of results which simply did not reflect how well students should have done," said Mr Lightman, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders. "Schools need to be able to trust the marks given to students. They need to know that examinations will be marked accurately, fairly and in a timely manner." Mr Lightman said it remained unclear whether the increase in appeals is due to a "fundamental weaknesses in marking". But he warned that the "lack of confidence in the exam system which has been exacerbated by frequent and ad hoc changes to qualifications". The overall proportion of exam grades being changed remains low, but has increased for both A-levels and GCSEs. This year, 0.52% of GCSE grades and 0.65% of A-level grades have been changed. Richard Harman, chairman of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference of independent schools, said: "We have been concerned about the accuracy of exam marking for many years, and so it is extremely worrying to see a new leap in the figures for re-grades this year." "The college or university places of tens of thousands of students have been needlessly jeopardised this autumn and the exam boards must be made to do much better." Education Minister Nick Gibb said: "It is essential that students can be confident that their hard work will be accurately assessed and the exams they sit properly marked. "Parents, pupils and schools must have faith in exam marking and we are working closely with Ofqual and the exam boards to ensure this is the case."
More than 45,000 exam grades from this summer have been changed after schools challenged the results, up by 15%.
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The tycoon's refusal to rule out a third-party run drew boos from the audience on Thursday night. And he stood by offensive comments he has made in the past about women. The 10 candidates in Cleveland, selected by Fox News on the basis of recent national polls, provided a frank and bruising exchange of views. Facing some tough questions from the debate moderators, the candidates tried to stand out in a crowded Republican field. Key moments included: Mr Trump stumbled on his past support for a national healthcare system but his most uncomfortable moment came when moderator Megyn Kelly challenged him on his views about women. "You've called women you don't like fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals," she said. He answered by joking that he only said that about actress Rosie O'Donnell and stating that political correctness was one of the country's biggest problems. The crowd became hostile when Mr Trump said he would run as an independent, an admission that enraged Mr Paul. "He buys and sells politicians of all stripes," said the senator. One of the loudest rounds of applause was for Mr Rubio when he mocked Hillary Clinton, who leads the Democratic field. "First let me say, I think God has blessed us. He's blessed the Republican Party with some very good candidates. The Democrats can't even find one." On Thursday, the Democratic Party announced it would hold its first debate in Nevada in October, hosted by CNN. By next summer, each party will have a presidential nominee who will do battle in the race for the White House. Votes will finally be cast in November 2016. About 1,000 grassroots activists packed a ballroom in an Atlanta hotel to watch the Republican debate, and they went home thrilled with the performance. The verdict from the crowd wasn't difficult to pick up. Moderates like John Kasich and Jeb Bush didn't do anything to win them over - even eliciting boos on occasion - while conservative darlings like Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio garnered positive reviews, even if they had limited opportunities to really shine. Donald Trump was generally seen as an amusing sideshow. "He's not a real Republican," said Tarya O'Neill from Madison, Wisconsin. "I hope people know that now". Sandy Rabe of Cincinnati, Ohio, said she liked some of the things he said, "but I hope he doesn't become president". Rabe added that she wished Carly Fiorina, the former business executive, had got a chance to show her stuff on the stage. She is roundly considered to have dominated the earlier debate among lower-tier candidates. There will be considerable pontificating and prognosticating after the debate, but the one thing this campaign has shown so far is that conventional wisdom and educated predictions are more often wrong than right. Meet all the 2016 hopefuls The Republican field is one of the largest in recent years. Seven other candidates took part in an earlier debate that featured several attacks on Mr Trump. Former Texas Governor Rick Perry said the former reality show presenter was running a campaign based on celebrity, while former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina mocked him over his Clinton ties. While the debates were going on, Ms Clinton was in Los Angeles for a campaign fundraising event attended by several celebrities, including reality TV star Kim Kardashian and her husband, musician Kanye West. Ms Kardashian tweeted a picture of her and her husband posing with Mrs Clinton, saying: "I got my selfie!!!"
Donald Trump continued to dominate the Republican race for US president by causing further controversies in the first debate.
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Nicholson has remained hopeful of agreeing a new deal with the 31-year-old, who scored three goals in 18 league games last season. "Funds are very low at the moment," Nicholson told BBC Sport. "Shaun, as is his right, needs a certain amount to be able to carry on playing for us." Nicholson says a lot of work is being done to generate extra money for the National League club - which is still the subject of an ongoing takeover bid - to enable him to sign the former Northampton, Notts County and Bury forward. "We're trying to raise as many funds as we can through sponsorships and through the players' fund so that maybe I can go back to Shaun and offer him something that can get him to come back," Nicholson added. "But at the moment we're stuck in a little bit of a stalemate as I haven't got enough money to offer him, but I don't want him to leave. "So until I take the deal away or until he signs a with somebody else, I've still got hope on that one. "I get on really well with Shaun, so we both know exactly where we stand, but I'm having to put some work in to try and raise some money."
Torquay United manger Kevin Nicholson says the club may lose out on the chance to re-sign striker Shaun Harrad due to a lack of finances.
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"It played a big part in taking the role," she says after a performance of The Armour at the Langham Hotel in the West End of London. In Ben Ellis's play, Spearritt plays a global pop star with "more Twitter followers than the population of Venezuela" on a comeback tour after a period of self-destruction. Relaxing in one of the hotel bars after a performance, Spearritt is keen to point out that there is not too much of a similarity between her and stroppy pop diva Poppy. "I thought it would be great fun to play someone so edgy and off the wall. I could relate in some ways with my background and my history." Spearritt, now 33, made her name as a teenager in S Club 7 who enjoyed 11 UK top 10 hits, including three number ones. The group formed in 1998 and rose to fame in their own children's TV series, Miami 7, on BBC One. After the departure of member Paul Cattermole in 2002 the remaining six members continued as S Club, but they split in 2003. Spearritt pursued an acting career, finding success in ITV drama Primeval and in the West End stage production of farce One Man, Two Guvnors. Last November, S Club 7 reunited for the first time in 12 years for BBC Children in Need. They performed a medley of hits - including Reach, Don't Stop Movin' and Bring It All Back - and caused a frenzy of social media nostalgia. "I was completely overwhelmed," says Spearritt. "It was really positive. There was a surge of love coming from Twitter." Days later, S Club 7 announced they were embarking on a reunion UK arena tour. Rehearsals start soon, while Spearritt is still appearing in The Armour. She admits she is keen to "go down memory lane" after so many years away from music touring. "We'll bring out some old tunes, the Zimmer frames and the WD-40," she jokes. "What we have learnt from Children in Need is that it's important to keep the majority of the dance moves because we're doing it for the fans who were fans when we were in our prime." There will not be any new songs, she confirms. It is all about nostalgia. "S Club was a massive part of my life for five or six years. I'm really proud of that and never want to forget it. I feel lucky to be able to celebrate it again and do it for a little period of time. "Now we have Twitter, people are so vocal about what they do want to see. So it seems like the right thing to do, not take it too seriously and celebrate it." She is not sure what the future holds for S Club 7 after the tour in May. "We know when the end is, whereas before it was consuming our lives. I think it will be a lot more fun, not that it wasn't fun. "I felt like a baby back then. When I started, that was half of my life ago. It's kind of crazy to come back to do something that's such a young thing. Hopefully we don't look too old. "All the kids that were fans are in their twenties now - so hopefully they'll get the chance to relive their youth." The Armour runs at the Langham until 4 April. The S Club 7 Bring It All Back tour begins on 7 May at Birmingham LG Arena.
In a case of art imitating life, Hannah Spearritt is playing a pop star making a comeback in a new play - as she prepares for S Club 7's reunion tour.
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The supermarket said it was beginning a consultation about a "simplified management structure" at its West Yorkshire base, which currently employs 2,300 people. Morrisons said it had also begun recruiting 5,000 shop floor staff for its stores across the country. Chief Executive David Potts said the business had made "tough but necessary decisions". The supermarket said it would be offering opportunities for voluntary redundancy and staff would be offered a role in Morrisons stores, with some redeployed in other parts of the business. Morrisons said it would not "rule in or out" the possibility that head office managers would offered new roles on checkouts or stacking shelves. "They could be made redundant but they will certainly be made the offer of a job within the business," said a spokesman. By Danni Hewson, Business Correspondent, BBC Yorkshire It's almost unheard of for a new chief executive to come into a business and not make changes. David Potts jumped into the hot seat last month and has already created waves. The biggest loser in this latest shake-up must be Bradford. The head office on Gain Lane employs 2,300 people. The cuts announced today will cut that by almost a third. Although affected staff are being offered the chance to find alternate positions within the company, the reality is many are unlikely to take up that offer. Geographically many of the stores may be too distant without relocation and the positions on offer there and across the rest of the business may be unsuitable. In recent months Bradford's unemployment rate has been falling but it is still well above the national average of 2.1% and the loss of such a large number of jobs can't fail to register. It was a tough decision says the company, an even tougher decision is likely to face those staff who've been given the bad news today. Mr Potts added: "We are focusing on the things that matter to our customers. "That means having more of our staff in our stores, improving product availability and helping customers at our checkouts. "To support this, we need a simpler, faster and cost-conscious head office and that requires some tough but necessary decisions." In March Morrisons reported profits down by 52% to £345m, its worst results in eight years. Mr Potts joined the business in March to replace Dalton Philips who left after five years at the helm of the firm. Meanwhile, the company has started on the closure programme of the M local stores that it has earmarked for the axe. Last month it announced that it would close 23 M local stores during the year, resulting in the loss of 380 jobs. It said four stores have been closed, with the remaining 19 to shut over the next few months.
A total of 720 jobs are set to be lost at Morrisons' head office in Bradford.
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The Fresher's Don't was published in 1893 for Cambridge University students. It is on display at an exhibition at St John's College, which was then an all-male establishment. The guide includes advice on the opposite sex, including "not to get too familiar" with the landlady's daughter - and a reminder not to "speak to girls without introduction".
Undergraduates were encouraged to smoke but told not to use tea cosies in a Victorian guide to student life.
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Rosco, an eight-month-old Border Terrier, was taken from outside "devastated" 82-year-old owner Leonard Ormond's Napier Drive home on Monday. Police have issued an appeal to trace two men in a grey Ford Transit van. A Help Find Rosco Facebook page has now been set up in a bid to trace the stolen dog. Mr Ormond's son Gordon said: "My dad was sitting in the living room and he saw a grey van pull up. "Two guys got out and my dad thought it was some sort of charity van. "Before he even got up, the two guys are in the gate, picked the dog up, back in the van and gone. "He's devastated and is blaming himself." Mr Ormond said the response on social media to help find Rosco, who is microchipped, had been "incredible". A Tayside Division spokeswoman said: "Police Scotland is making enquiries following a report that a brown-coloured male Border Terrier dog was stolen from an address in Napier Drive, Dundee between 09:00 and 09:30 on Monday. "Officers are keen to trace a grey Ford Transit van with a blue or possibly brown logo that was seen in the area at the time. "The man driving the van was wearing a wearing high visibility vest and was accompanied by another man."
An appeal to trace a dog stolen from a Dundee pensioner's garden has been shared more than 420,000 times on social media.
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Butcher finished calmly from inside the box at the end of a first half delayed by an injury to Spireites defender Liam O'Neil at the Pirelli Stadium. The home side had the best of the chances, with forward Stuart Beavon denied by goalkeeper Tommy Lee. Defeat leaves Chesterfield just a point above Fleetwood and the bottom four.
Calum Butcher scored the only goal of the game as League One leaders Burton Albion move seven points clear at the top with victory over Chesterfield.
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The items, which also included watches and cameras, were owned by photographer and retailer Robert White, who died of cancer last year, aged 62. He was treated in Dorset and proceeds from the auction will help fund new facilities in the county, and support a number of staff training bursaries. A 1930 Bentley four-and-a-half litre Le Mans-style tourer fetched £315,100. The cash will pay for new scanners at Poole Hospital and new radiotherapy facilities at Dorset County Hospital. Mr White's oncologist, Dr Mike Bayne, described the donation as a "lasting legacy". Mr White, from Poole, started his collection after setting up a photography business in the town in 1982. Other highlights from the sale, which had more than 600 lots, included a 1921 Megola 640cc touring motorcycle, which sold for £82,140, and a gold limited series Daniels wristwatch, which made £224,500. He previously sold a collection of Brough Superior motorcycles to his friend, the US talk show host Jay Leno. Funds raised from that sale are currently helping to build a new £7m cancer treatment centre at Dorset County Hospital, Dorchester, and diagnostic facilities at Poole Hospital. The sale at Bonhams in London had been expected to raise a total of £2m.
A collection of vintage and classic motorcycles and cars has raised more than £3.5m to help cancer patients.
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Sampson used all 20 outfield players in England's three group games and switched formations for each match. After losing to France, England beat Mexico and Colombia to set up a clash against Norway on Monday. "Mark's trusting us to play different formations depending on the opposition and it's working well," Houghton said. Sampson says he has had to manage the workload of his players because of the quick turnaround between games in Canada and the hard artificial pitches. But former England striker Karen Walker told BBC Radio 5 live that some of Sampson's changes were "very surprising". "I am sure he is nervous, like the players are, and wants to show he can do well at major competition with his tactics and changes, but it is working," said Walker. Sampson believes his side have the "weapons" to take on Norway, who were World Cup winners in 1995. "Whatever we face in the latter stages, we know we have something to throw back," said the Welshman. England played Norway in Sampson's first game in charge, the contest in January 2014 ending in a 1-1 draw. "Norway will be tough," added Houghton, one of only three players, including goalkeeper Karen Bardsley and midfielder Fara Williams, to have started all three group games. "They've got physical, strong players who've experienced big tournaments, but right now I'm just delighted we've gone through." The goalkeeper was at fault for Mexico's consolation goal in England's 2-1 victory, but she made a crucial save before half-time against Colombia to keep her side 2-0 in front. "In my position, I'm always going to get a bit of flak." said Bardsley. "I take it with a grain of salt. They can say what they want. It's their opinion. We forget what we don't need to take with us." On the save from Carolina Arias, the 30-year-old added: "If they'd scored, it would have become a different game. "I'm really pleased with the save and the fact it gave my team momentum going into the second half. It helped set the tone."
England captain Steph Houghton has praised the tactics of manager Mark Sampson after the Lionesses reached the last 16 of the Women's World Cup.
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The scare followed Monday's bomb attack at Manchester Arena in which 22 people died and 116 were injured. Several roads were closed during the incident. Cordons have now been lifted. Meanwhile the threat level "will remain at critical and the public should remain vigilant", Prime Minister Theresa May has said. She was speaking after a meeting of the government's emergency committee, Cobra. Suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated a homemade device at Manchester Arena on Monday.
A possible suspicious package has been declared safe after army bomb disposal experts were called to a street in Hulme, near Manchester city centre.
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David Tennant will host a BBC Two celebration on Saturday night live from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. Performers will include Dame Judi Dench, Sir Ian McKellen, Dame Helen Mirren and Benedict Cumberbatch. The event will be attended by Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall. Other names on the bill include Rory Kinnear, Meera Syal, Joseph Fiennes, David Suchet, Simon Russell Beale, Roger Allam, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Harriet Walter, John Lithgow, Anne-Marie Duff and the cast of Horrible Histories. As well as theatrical performances, the show - which begins on BBC Two at 20:30 BST - will feature hip-hop, blues, jazz, opera and classical music that has been inspired by Shakespeare's plays. In London, Shakespeare's Globe will be screening short films of every one of Shakespeare's 37 plays on giant screens along the banks of the Thames, between Tower Bridge and Westminster. The films feature actors delivering their lines in the locations where the plays are set - such as Cleopatra in Egypt, Julius Caesar in the Roman Forum and Hamlet at Elsinore. Among the star names involved in the project, entitled The Complete Walk, are Gemma Arterton, Dominic West, Ruth Wilson, James Norton, Zawe Ashton and Peter Capaldi. Dominic Dromgoole, the Globe's artistic director, who will stand down on Sunday, revealed on Friday that the short films had just all been given a "U" classification apart from one film, Pericles, which is a PG. "That astonished us, we thought some of the others might be closer to the margins, so we'll have to put up signs around that saying it needs parental guidance," Mr Dromgoole said. The weekend will also see the return of the Globe's worldwide tour of Hamlet, which has spent the last two years travelling to almost every country in the world. US President Barack Obama, who is currently in the UK, is planning to visit London's Globe Theatre during the morning as part of the anniversary celebrations. Later in the day, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall will be in Stratford-upon-Avon, where the playwright was born. They will visit the site of the playwright's adult home for 19 years - now being transformed into a tourist attraction called Shakespeare's New Place, and due to open to the public in July. They will also go to see his grave, situated at Holy Trinity Church. And in the evening the royal couple will attend Shakespeare Live, which is being broadcast from Stratford-upon-Avon. BBC Radio 3 will also be broadcasting a weekend of Shakespeare-inspired music and performance live from the Bard's hometown. And some of Shakespeare's best known characters - including Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and King Lear - will be featuring along a stretch of the River Thames in London. Elsewhere, leading arts organisations across the UK will make available performances, analysis and talks. All material will be streamed on Shakespeare Day Live, a digital pop-up channel which kicks off Shakespeare Lives, a six month online festival.
A stellar line-up of actors and performers will be marking the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death at events across the UK this weekend.
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The historic event occurred after he defeated English forces at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297. A ceremony took place in front of gathered nobles and clergy in the Kirk o' the Forest in Selkirk. A geophysics survey in the ruins of the town's 18th Century Auld Kirk has revealed remains of a medieval chapel. The investigation was expected to find traces of its 16th Century predecessor but instead it showed remains which could pinpoint the spot where Wallace was honoured. It is a scene which was depicted in Mel Gibson's Braveheart. The church itself was demolished and later churches built on the site. We hope to work with the community to make the most of this fascinating discovery and the tourism potential it has. Dr Chris Bowles, Scottish Borders Council's archaeologist, said: "The association between William Wallace and this area is quite well documented, with Wallace using guerrilla tactics to fight the English from the Ettrick Forest. "We knew vaguely that this site was associated with Wallace, and that the Scottish nobles made him Guardian of Scotland at the Kirk o' the Forest in recognition of his military successes. "We had been expecting the geophysics survey to uncover a 16th Century church that we know to have existed and which was a replacement to the medieval church, but the only evidence in the survey is in relation to the medieval church." He said they found the "foundation footprint of a medieval chapel" within the footprint of the 18th Century church. "There are certainly wall lines forming an east-west aligned rectangle," he said. "The measurements are similar to St Margaret's Chapel in Edinburgh Castle and point to it possibly being a Romanesque chapel. "If it is the Kirk o' the Forest, it is where Wallace was honoured. He went on to become the legendary figure he remains today." Dr Bowles, who commissioned the survey by the University of Durham in conjunction with the Selkirk Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (Cars), said the site could now become a visitor attraction. "While these geophysics results suggest a medieval chapel beneath the later church, we are very restricted by the burials in the area to allow any excavation," he said. "But in the future it may be possible to conduct limited investigations in areas where there is no evidence of burial." Gary Stewart, convenor of the Society of William Wallace, hailed the discovery as "a rare physical link to the hero". He added: "This is a fantastic discovery, and another piece in the jigsaw of Wallace's life. "It lets us know the exact place where Wallace was appointed as Guardian." Colin Gilmour, Selkirk Cars project manager, said the discovery could draw tourism to the town. He said: "There is nothing currently signposting people to the Auld Kirk site, but with this latest discovery it could become a major attraction and assist with the regeneration of the town centre. "We hope to work with the community to make the most of this fascinating discovery and the tourism potential it has." Scottish Borders councillor Ron Smith said the discovery strengthened the links between William Wallace and Selkirk. A re-enactment of Wallace's appointment to guardianship could be held at the site later this year.
Archaeologists believe they have uncovered the remains of the medieval Borders kirk where William Wallace was appointed Guardian of Scotland.
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Forensic experts are investigating the deaths, thought to have occurred last month. The graves are located just off the 11th June highway, in the Souk al-Jumua area to the east of the capital. Separately, the charred remains of two bodies were uncovered on airport road in Tripoli. The corpses were found near the oil tanks of a site known as the Hadba Project, a witness has told the BBC. Local residents in the area said the men were killed on the 22 August. Libyan rebels captured Tripoli about three weeks ago. Areas of pro-Gaddafi resistance to the rebels remain, notably in Sirte and Bani Walid. Anti-Gaddafi forces have resumed their attack on Bani Walid, supported by Nato air strikes. Rebel officials says their forces are now within reach of the centre of the town. The whereabouts of Col Gaddafi and several of his sons remain unknown, though some of his family have fled to Algeria. Several convoys of former Gaddafi loyalists are also said to have recently streamed over Libya's southern border with Niger. Local people said there were around 15 bodies buried at one grave site. By Peter BilesBBC News, Tripoli A mechanical digger was brought in to clear the area initially, then workers with picks and shovels set to work. Many wore surgical masks and gowns. We saw mobile phone video from a local man who said it showed people in the neighbourhood burying the bodies because of the smell. The smell today was extreme as the bodies were exhumed. The four bodies at the site down the road had been exhumed and placed in plastic body bags. Locals said one site contained approximately 15 bodies - one Libyan, and others African mercenaries. It is not clear who killed them or how they died. They were said to be mostly the remains of African mercenaries who had been fighting for Col Gaddafi. A few hundred metres away, at a separate site, another four bodies had already been dug up. Daily, the search goes on for thousands of Libyans still unaccounted for as a result of the conflict, says the BBC's Peter Biles in Tripoli. But speaking in Tripoli this weekend the head of the National Transitional Council, Mustafa Abdul Jalil, said this was not the time for retribution. On Saturday, Mr Jalil was greeted by hundreds of cheering, flag-waving supporters when he arrived in the capital for the first time since rebels took over the city. Until now he had remained in the eastern city of Benghazi. His presence in the capital is aimed at sending a message about his authority. Correspondents say he now faces big challenges as he tries to stabilise the country and form an effective national administration.
The corpses of up to 20 people have been found in two roadside graves on the outskirts of Tripoli.
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Domingo's owners Paola Albertazzi and Richard Haggerty of Eryrys, near Mold, regularly carry out local litter picks and bring their pet llama along to help out. He has a bespoke harness to carry rubbish more easily. Now Domingo is now the official mascot for Keep Wales Tidy's Spring Clean Cymru campaign. The pair got Domingo in 2009 to be a companion for one of their horses - and said he is now part of the furniture. "I have always gone out litter picking and I noticed that having Domingo with me makes people take a bit more notice," Paola told the BBC's Post Cyntaf programme. "And of course, he loves the attention." Community groups, schools and businesses are being encouraged to take part in the campaign, which runs from 1 to 5 March.
An anti-rubbish campaign has been launched, fronted by a litter-picking llama.
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Owen Farrell slotted a late penalty to level the scores at 15-15 and share the three-Test series with New Zealand. Lions captain Sam Warburton said Saturday's draw was "a bit of an anticlimax for the players". But head coach Warren Gatland said: "It is a great achievement coming here and drawing the series." Having been outplayed in the first Test before securing a memorable victory in the second, the Lions were chasing only their second series win in New Zealand. But neither side could find a knockout blow in Auckland and Farrell's late kick, plus referee Romain Poite's much-debated decision to change his mind and award a scrum rather than a penalty to New Zealand a minute later, meant captains Kieran Read and Sam Warburton lifted the trophy together. "I don't think we played that brilliantly tonight but I think it is a fair result in the end," Gatland added. "I'm really proud of the boys, no-one gave us a hope in hell at the start. They should be really proud of what they have achieved. Lions skipper Warburton joked he was "getting ready for extra time" but a draw was "better than losing". "Both teams are going to be gutted they didn't take a series win," he added. "I guess it's a little bit of an anticlimax from the players' point of view." New Zealand, who had not lost at Eden Park since 1994, had a chance after Farrell's late leveller to win the match and take the series. The All Blacks were initially awarded a penalty by Romain Poite from the re-start when replacement hooker Ken Owens caught the ball in an offside position, but the French official then reviewed it and called it instead as an accidental offside. "We all know what happened and we all know probably what should have happened," Hansen said of Poite's decision. "We're accepting of whatever decisions were made and whether we agree with them or not it's something we'll do our talking to the referees about." Gatland, meanwhile, believed the penalty should have been given to the Lions. "I thought it was a penalty to us, Kieran Read jumped in and he's hit the player [Liam Williams] in the air," he said. "[Warburton] has been quite smart and astute in being able to talk the referee from a penalty into an accidental offside." New Zealand head coach Steve Hansen said he felt "hollow" after Saturday's game and described the draw as "a bit like kissing your sister and no-one wants that". But the 58-year-old added that "maybe a drawn series was fair". "It's not a World Cup final, so if you're good enough to get a draw then maybe it's right that both teams get recognised," he said. All Blacks skipper Read, playing his 100th Test for New Zealand, said he did not know what to feel. "To walk away with a draw doesn't mean much," he said. "In the future I will look back at this with pride. "Maybe it's the right result for the series. Both teams played well in patches and tonight we just couldn't be split." Media playback is not supported on this device Gatland entered his post-match news conference wearing a red nose - a little jibe at the New Zealand press who have mocked and criticised the Hamilton-born coach throughout the tour. The 53-year-old had the last laugh as he is now undefeated on two Lions tours. Gatland will now return to his role as Wales head coach and turn his attention to the 2019 World Cup in Japan.
The British and Irish Lions left Eden Park with a mixture of frustration and pride after becoming only the second Lions side to draw a Test series.
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It has been estimated the project could be worth nearly £750,000-a-year to the local economy. Dumfries and Galloway Council also endorsed a bid for Heritage Lottery Fund support. The overall cost of transforming Kirkcudbright Town Hall into an art gallery would be just over £3.1m. The local authority has been asked to commit a little more than half the funding, with an application set to be made to the HLF to complete the financial package. If funding is secured, work on the new gallery is earmarked to begin early next year with the opening in time for the 2017 visitor season. It is hoped the building could also house one of the most important hoards of Viking treasure ever found in Scotland.
Councillors have approved the business case for plans for a gallery of "national significance" in Kirkcudbright.
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There are special effects and stunt doubles all right. But the ageing hero fishes a gun quicker than you can say Kabali; smashes furniture and sends villains flying across the air with lethal kicks, gives chase and hunts down the baddies with characteristic flair. The thalaivar (the boss, as his fans call him) shows no signs of slowing down. The 150-film veteran even gives chase to the villain, played by Taiwanese actor Winston Chao, against the Petronas Towers, one of the world's tallest buildings, in Malaysia. Kabali has all the ingredients of a Rajinikanth entertainer: heroics, smoking guns, bloody fight sequences, Malay and Tamil hip hop and rap music, lots of Tamil regional pride and romance. It also has the angry superstar delivering truisms in his trademark mocking style. How Rajinikanth and Kabali mania swept India Sporting a grey beard, Rajinikanth plays Kabali, a rubber plantation worker who walks out of prison in Malaysia after a 25-year term. He then turns against a group of gangsters who framed him to put him in prison in the first place. Kabali battles the group, led by Chao, who plays a drug lord, and Tamil gangsters who run drug and prostitution rackets in the country. He speaks for the rights of the Tamil migrants in Malaysia. He sets up a foundation to offer education and livelihood for the Tamil youth. His love interest is his strong and independent wife, played by the talented Bollywood actress Radhika Apte. Director Pa Ranjith gets Rajinikanth to address issues of caste, class and race: the superstar is shown reading an English book written by a Dalit (formerly known as untouchables) writer; and he is attired in tuxedos and suits, a nod to the western sartorial style of Dalit icon BR Ambedkar. "Black is power", states Kabali with characteristic swag in the film. "The dark-skinned Tamil is equal to all races; he is no longer a slave in the plantations of Malaysia but one who asks for equal opportunities with education and hard work." But all critics are not impressed. There is very little in Kabali, says one, which sets it apart in tone and tenor from the star's recent outings. And the pace does slacken a little, and sometimes the actor actually looks tired. "Rajinikanth's achievement, as always, is that he manages to hold the audience in thrall even when the film threatens to flag - this despite the fact that he is only peddling time-worn tricks," writes Saibal Chatterjee. But fans are flocking to the film, and Kabali appears to be on its way to becoming another box office hit for the superstar. Even before its release - the film has been dubbed in Telugu, Hindi, Malay and Mandarin - it had mopped up $30m (£20m) in rights sales. Because, in the end, Rajinikanth remains a larger-than-life superstar and a one-man cult. "A lot of fans refer to him as God, or as someone who is beyond human desires. So many fans treat the star in ways that are not unlike how people in India treat gurus or spiritual leaders," says Rinku Kalsy, who made a documentary on his fans.
At 65, Tamil cinema superstar and a grandfather in real life, Rajinikanth, packs a mean punch in his new film Kabali, an action-packed gangster drama, which opened on Friday.
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Yn y flwyddyn ariannol bresennol mae S4C wedi derbyn £6.7m. Roedd y gyllideb wedi'i gosod ar gyfer y flwyddyn i ddod ar £6.1m, ond fe gafodd hynny ei benderfynu pan oedd disgwyl y byddai adolygiad i ddyfodol a chyllid S4C wedi'i gwblhau. Mae Aelodau Seneddol wedi mynegi pryder y bydd cyfraniad llywodraeth Prydain yn disgyn er gwaethaf addewid y llynedd i rewi'r gyllideb ar gyfer 2016/17 hyd nes bod yr adolygiad ar ben. Fe gafodd yr adolygiad ei gyhoeddi fis Chwefror diwethaf, ond mae yna oedi wedi bod ac mae Swyddfa Cymru yn dweud nad oes disgwyl iddo gael ei gwblhau tan ddiwedd 2017. Yn ystod dadl ar y pwnc yn San Steffan ddydd Mercher, dywedodd gweinidog yn yr adran ddiwylliant, Matt Hancock AS eu bod yn ymwybodol o'r pryderon: "Rydym yn ymwybodol o ymrwymiad ein rhagflaenydd ynglŷn ag amseru, ac mae hwn yn fater mae'r ysgrifennydd gwladol yn ei ystyried," meddai Mr Hancock. Ond doedd yna ddim sicrwydd gan Mr Hancock na fydden nhw'n bwrw ymlaen gyda'r toriad. Fe gafodd y ddadl ei galw gan Aelod Seneddol Ceredigion, Mark Williams ac fe ddywedodd bod yna ryddhad y llynedd o glywed bod cyllideb S4C wedi'i rewi, ond ei fod yn nawr yn poeni y bydd yn cael ei dorri cyn i'r adolygiad gael ei gwblhau. "Mae'n hollol gywir bod yr adolygiad yn cael ei gynnal er mwyn sicrhau'r gyllideb sydd ei hangen i gwblhau ei gylch gorchwyl a'i strategaeth dros y tymor hir. "Roedd yna groeso i'r tro pedol yn y toriad cyn y byddai'r adolygiad yn cael ei gwblhau, ond rydym ni nawr yn 2017 ac yn dal i aros am yr adolygiad gafodd ei addo ac mae 'na bryder trawsbleidiol ynglŷn â'r oedi. "Mae S4C yn sefydliad rhy bwysig... i gael unrhyw oedi pellach ar y materion hyn." Dywedodd Mr Hancock y byddai yna gyhoeddiad ynglŷn â'r adolygiad "yn fuan" gydag ymrwymiad y bydd gan y cadeirydd "ddealltwriaeth lawn o Gymru a diddordeb yn yr iaith Gymraeg". Mae Cymdeithas yr Iaith yn mynnu bod angen datganoli'r cyfrifoldeb dros ddarlledu yn sgil sylwadau'r gweinidog. Dywedodd Heledd Gwyndaf, Cadeirydd Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg: "Os yw'n wir y bydd toriadau pellach, byddai'n destun pryder mawr, nid yn unig i S4C a'i gweithwyr, ond i gyflwr y Gymraeg hefyd. "Rwy'n methu credu bod y Ceidwadwyr yn bwriadu torri eu maniffesto i ddiogelu cyllideb S4C, yn enwedig ar ôl ceisio gwneud yr un peth y llynedd. "Mae hyn ar ben y toriadau arswydus a wnaed ers 2010... mae fel bod y Llywodraeth yn Llundain yn ceisio mygu ein hunig sianel deledu Gymraeg i farwolaeth. "Mae'n fater o frys bellach bod y cyfrifoldeb dros ddarlledu yn cael ei ddatganoli i Gymru, nid yn unig achos y newyddion diweddaraf hyn." Meddai Huw Jones, Cadeirydd Awdurdod S4C: "Rydym yn croesawu'r drafodaeth fu yn San Steffan heddiw a sylwadau cefnogol y Gweinidog yn yr Adran Diwylliant, Cyfryngau a Chwaraeon. "Rydym yn edrych ymlaen at gyhoeddiad pellach ynglŷn ag amseriad adolygiad y Llywodraeth, cyllido tymor byr a phwerau benthyg."
Mae Llywodraeth San Steffan wedi gwrthod rhoi unrhyw sicrwydd na fydd cyllideb S4C yn cael ei thorri eleni, sef y flwyddyn ariannol 2017-18.
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Barca were banned from signing players in 2015 after being found guilty of breaching Fifa's rules on the transfer of players aged under 18. They have signed 25-year-old Vidal on a five-year deal now but he will not be able to play until January 2016. Vidal is set to replace Dani Alves at right-back, with Alves out of contract. Catalan Vidal started his career with Barca's rivals Espanyol but left without making an appearance and was part of the Sevilla side who won the Europa League last month. Barca, who won their fourth Champions League trophy in the last nine years on Saturday by beating Juventus 3-1 in Berlin, were given the ban for two transfer windows for breaking transfer rules. Fifa rules state that international transfers are only permitted for players over the age of 18 - unless the player in question meets one of three qualifying criteria.
Champions League winners Barcelona have signed Sevilla defender Aleix Vidal for an initial fee of £13m, rising to £16m, despite their transfer ban.
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William Miller, from Balfron, Stirling, had last been seen in Jamestown, Alexandria at about 00:20 on 7 January. His body was recovered from the River Leven, near the Vale of Leven Industrial Estate in Dumbarton last Thursday. Police Scotland said there did not appear to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding the death. Members of Mr Miller's family had appeared at a press conference and appealed for anyone with information to contact police.
A 62-year-old man who has been missing since January has been found dead in a river.
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The IOC's ruling executive board met after fresh claims by the Sunday Times involving more than 50 countries. Tickets for top events were said to be priced at up to 10 times face value. A UK member of the board, Sir Craig Reedie, said the IOC would consider improvements to ticket sales systems. "We will see what improvements we can build in to a more modern system, because it's very important that we protect the integrity of the ticket distribution system for Olympic games," he told the BBC. The IOC has also referred the allegations to its independent ethics commission. Former LibDem leader Sir Menzies Campbell, a member of the Olympic Board, called for offending countries to lose future allocations of tickets. He said it was the responsibility of the IOC to regulate ticket allocations to member countries and was "not at the discretion of the London organisers". The UK's Olympics organiser, Locog, denied claims its chairman, Lord Coe, was persuaded to hand over extra tickets to an IOC national representative. The Sunday Times has submitted a dossier of evidence detailing claims that Olympic officials and agents had been caught selling thousands of tickets on the black market for up to 10 times their face value, says BBC Sports News correspondent James Pearce. The IOC could also review how Olympic tickets are distributed among member countries - more than one million were distributed to those taking part in the Games. Sir Menzies Campbell, a former Liberal Democrat leader who is on the Olympic Board , - which helps oversee London 2012 - told the BBC it was a "thorough disgrace". "The sanctions [for offending countries] should be not just that the tickets get cancelled for this Olympic Games but that tickets are not awarded on future occasions," he added. The Sunday Times alleges, during a two-month investigation in which reporters posed as Middle Eastern ticket touts, it found corruption involving people representing 54 separate countries. Accusations include an allegation a member of the Greek Olympics Committee said he had "persuaded" Lord Coe, chairman of the London organising committee, Locog, to give Greece more tickets on the pretext demand had outstripped supply. Locog denies the claim. A spokeswoman said: "With regard to 'boasts' by the Greek Olympic Committee' (HOC) that discussions on tickets took place with Sebastian Coe, we can confirm this is untrue. The BBC's home of 2012: Latest Olympic news, sport, culture, torch relay, video and audio "Seb received a letter from the HOC (as he did from other NOCs) and responded saying that tickets had been allocated in accordance with the IOC's ticketing policy. There was no further contact - either formal or informal - on this subject." More than one million London 2012 tickets were distributed abroad among all the nations taking part in the Games, but the IOC has strict rules to try to combat touts. National Olympic committees must ensure that their allocation is only sold within their own region. Last month a senior Ukrainian Olympic official resigned after being filmed by the BBC offering tickets for cash. The IOC said in a statement on the latest claims: "The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has moved quickly to deal with allegations that some National Olympic Committees (NOC) and Authorised Ticket Resellers (ATR) have broken rules relating to the sale of Olympic tickets. "The IOC takes these allegations very seriously and has immediately taken the first steps to investigate. "Should any irregularities be proven, the organisation will deal with those involved in an appropriate manner. "The NOCs are autonomous organisations, but if any of the cases are confirmed the IOC will not hesitate to impose the strongest sanctions. "The IOC has also determined that it will take on board any recommendations coming out of the inquiry to improve the way that tickets are allocated and sold internationally in the future." London 2012 organising committee Locog said: "Rules and regulations for selling London 2012 tickets to international fans are clear and unambiguous. "National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and their Authorised Ticket Sellers (ATRs) sign a contract with Locog agreeing to specific terms and conditions. "The International Olympic Committee's (IOC) has launched an investigation in to the allegations and we will support them in any way we can. None of the tickets in question came from the allocation to the British public. No tickets intended for the British market were involved, it added.
The International Olympic Committee has begun an investigation into claims Olympics representatives were willing to sell thousands of tickets for the London Games on the black market.
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Jane Bell got into difficulty at the Dalmeny Hotel in St Annes, Lancashire, in August 2014. No trained lifeguard was on duty when the Scottish girl drowned while on holiday, her inquest was told. The hotel's owners pleaded guilty at Preston Crown Court to a health and safety offence and were ordered to pay costs of £19,715. They admitted failing to protect the safety of guests under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The child, from Galashiels in the Scottish Borders, had been on holiday with her parents and six-year-old sister. She was swimming in the hotel's main pool when she got into difficulty in the 7ft (2m) deep end. Jane had been in the water for almost two minutes when former lifeguard and hotel guest Carole Greenwood dived in and brought her onto the poolside. She later died in Royal Manchester Children's Hospital. At the inquest into her death in March, the coroner Alan Wilson said he had concerns about the "risk of future deaths" and called for greater safety measures at the hotel. The hearing was told that emergency response training for hotel staff began two months after the drowning. The hotel said staff had "always sought guidance and advice from health and safety experts".
The owners of hotel where a three-year-old girl drowned in a swimming pool have been fined £100,000.
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Four goals in 19 second-half minutes saw the U's take total command to record their third League Two win in a row. For the hapless hosts this was their second heavy defeat in a week, after they lost 4-0 at Port Vale in the FA Cup to pile the pressure on boss Craig Hignett. Home defender Toto Nsiala bundled over Luke Berry in the area, but his penalty was superbly saved by Trevor Carson on 43 minutes. Carson made another fine save to deny Luke Berry, but Pools failed to clear and James Dunne smashed in a fine shot from 15 yards on 51 minutes. Ten minutes later the lead was doubled as Berry knocked in from close range after being teed up from a powerful run by Uche Ikpeazu on the right. On 67 minutes, a deep Berry corner was powerfully headed in at the far post by defender Leon Legge. There was only a four-minute wait for the fourth, Ikpeazu getting a deserved goal with a tap-in. And on 88 minutes substitute Max Clark's shot was deflected in. Report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, Hartlepool United 0, Cambridge United 5. Second Half ends, Hartlepool United 0, Cambridge United 5. Corner, Hartlepool United. Conceded by James Dunne. Attempt missed. Rhys Oates (Hartlepool United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Attempt saved. Lewis Hawkins (Hartlepool United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Lewis Alessandra (Hartlepool United) hits the bar with a right footed shot from the centre of the box. Goal! Hartlepool United 0, Cambridge United 5. Max Clark (Cambridge United) right footed shot from outside the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Harrison Dunk. Attempt blocked. Liam Donnelly (Hartlepool United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Billy Paynter (Hartlepool United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Leon Legge (Cambridge United). Rhys Oates (Hartlepool United) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Luke Berry (Cambridge United). James Martin (Hartlepool United) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Luke Berry (Cambridge United). Substitution, Cambridge United. Ben Williamson replaces Piero Mingoia. Attempt missed. Rhys Oates (Hartlepool United) left footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right. Substitution, Hartlepool United. Michael Woods replaces Nicky Featherstone. Attempt missed. Leon Legge (Cambridge United) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Corner, Cambridge United. Conceded by Matthew Bates. Attempt saved. Lewis Alessandra (Hartlepool United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Foul by Rhys Oates (Hartlepool United). Greg Taylor (Cambridge United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Substitution, Cambridge United. Max Clark replaces Conor Newton. Attempt missed. Piero Mingoia (Cambridge United) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Substitution, Hartlepool United. Rhys Oates replaces Aristote Nsiala. Goal! Hartlepool United 0, Cambridge United 4. Uche Ikpeazu (Cambridge United) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Luke Berry. Attempt blocked. Leon Legge (Cambridge United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Foul by Lewis Hawkins (Hartlepool United). Uche Ikpeazu (Cambridge United) wins a free kick on the left wing. Goal! Hartlepool United 0, Cambridge United 3. Leon Legge (Cambridge United) header from the left side of the six yard box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Harrison Dunk with a cross following a set piece situation. Corner, Cambridge United. Conceded by Billy Paynter. Attempt blocked. Luke Berry (Cambridge United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Foul by James Martin (Hartlepool United). Luke Berry (Cambridge United) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Padraig Amond (Hartlepool United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Goal! Hartlepool United 0, Cambridge United 2. Luke Berry (Cambridge United) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Uche Ikpeazu. Substitution, Hartlepool United. Lewis Alessandra replaces Nicky Deverdics. Attempt missed. Josh Laurent (Hartlepool United) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Corner, Hartlepool United. Conceded by Leon Legge. Harrison Dunk (Cambridge United) is shown the yellow card.
Cambridge romped to a simple win at Hartlepool, the result every bit as comprehensive as it seems.
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A man wearing Afghan army uniform was said to have opened fire on them in Paktika province, close to the border with Pakistan, Isaf forces have taken a series of measures to try to halt such attacks. An Italian soldier died in a separate attack in Farah province in the west of the country, Italian officials said. There was a spate of insider attacks on foreign troops last year but the last was more than a month ago, the BBC's David Loyn reports from Kabul. Coalition forces train, mentor and fight alongside Afghan soldiers and that makes them vulnerable, our correspondent says. "An individual wearing ANA (Afghan National Army) uniform turned his weapon against the Isaf service members," an Isaf statement said. Three other Americans were wounded in the shooting, which appeared to start after an argument, Paktika's governor said. Isaf troops returned fire, killing the Afghan soldier, he added. "Today was a very difficult day for Isaf," said spokesman Brig Gen Guenter Katz. He said they were conducting investigations, but it was too soon to give more details. Meanwhile, the Nato-led coalition said the soldier killed in western Afghanistan had died "during an attack by an enemy of Afghanistan". It was an "insurgent attack", Isaf said, rather than an insider incident as initially thought. One soldier was killed by "hostile elements" and three more were wounded, the Italian defence ministry said. A Lynx vehicle was attacked at 10:30 local time (05:00 GMT) as it returned to base as part of a Military Adviser Team convoy after training Afghan security forces, a statement said. Details of the attack are still being investigated but initial reports say a grenade was thrown at the vehicle by a man wearing an Afghan army uniform, Ansa news agency says. The Taliban later said an 11-year-old boy had carried out the attack. The dead soldier was later named as Giuseppe La Rosa, a 31-year-old member of the Third Bersaglieri Regiment. Last September, Nato announced it was limiting joint patrols with Afghan forces. Only large operations would be conducted jointly, with joint patrols evaluated on a case-by-case basis, Nato said. Isaf forces have also been using "guardian angels" - Nato soldiers who provide a round-the-clock armed guard for their colleagues while they are training their Afghan counterparts. About 7,000 new recruits a month join the Afghan army alone. Correspondents say it is a huge challenge to ensure Taliban militants do not slip through the net.
Two US soldiers and an American civilian have been killed in a possible insider attack in eastern Afghanistan, the Nato-led force says.
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He has joined the League One club until January 2017 and is the 12th new signing for the Cod Army this summer. The 21-year-old joined City's academy at the age of five and has represented England at under-17 level, but is yet to play a professional game. Glendon joins a day after Burnley striker Chris Long agreed a season-long loan deal. Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.
Fleetwood Town have signed midfielder George Glendon on loan from Premier League side Manchester City.
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BBC News takes a closer look at the new leader of the Latin American country. Pedro Pablo Kuczynski's father, Maxime Hans Kuczynski, was born in Poznan, in Poland. He later became a doctor in Berlin. He left Berlin after Adolf Hitler came to power and arrived in Peru with his Swiss wife in 1936. Pedro Pablo was born in 1938 in Lima, but his family soon moved to Iquitos, in the Peruvian Amazon, where his father worked as a doctor fighting leprosy and yellow fever. He also spent part of his childhood in Puno and Cusco. Pedro Pablo Kuczynski says that seeing his father working in some of the poorest parts of the country instilled in him a desire to strive for more equality in Peru. He says that his mother, who taught literature, was his inspiration to get a first-class education. He won a scholarship to the University of Oxford, where he studied philosophy, politics and economics. He also got a master's degree from the prestigious Princeton University in the US. At the age of 23, he was hired by the World Bank. He later returned to Peru to work for Peru's Central Bank. In 1980, he was named energy and mining minister by then-President Fernando Belaund. He also served as economy and mining minister twice, from 2001 to 2002 and again from 2004 to 2005. Pedro Pablo Kuczynski is a centre-right politician who believes in the free market. He says he wants to create a more equal country and fight corruption. Asked before the election where he stood politically, he said: "Peru does not want extremism. We are the centre. What does it mean being at the centre? Very simple: great economic growth to finance social investments." He wants to lower the tax rate for small businesses and make it easier for them to get credit. Mr Kuczynski campaigned on a promise of creating more equality for Peruvians. He says he wants to improve education by raising teachers' salaries and investing in schools. He has also promised to improve access to drinking water and give more support to Peru's farmers. On an international level, he says he aims to improve relations with neighbouring Chile, which have at times been tense due to a dispute over their maritime border. Peru's Congress is dominated by his rival's Popular Force party, which won 73 seats in legislative elections in April. Mr Kuczynski's party only holds 13 seats in the 130-seat Congress. It will therefore not be easy for Mr Kuczynski to push his proposed plans through Congress. Some of the left-wing groups who threw their support behind Mr Kuczynski to ensure the defeat of his rival, Keiko Fujimori, have already said they will not back his economic policies. He will also have to try to combat crime and improve security, as many voters named those as their main concerns.
Pedro Pablo Kuczynski has narrowly won the presidential elections in Peru.
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The money is to be used for health, education, cross-border trade and hydroelectricity projects, it said. The announcement comes as World Bank head Jim Yong Kim and UN chief Ban Ki-moon start a tour of the region. One person was killed when a mortar landed in Goma, a UN spokesman said. Government and M23 rebel forces have been involved in heavy fighting near Goma since Monday, killing 19 people. The clashes are the first since the M23 pulled out of the city last year under diplomatic pressure. The UN says it will speed up efforts to deploy a 3,000-strong intervention force to eastern DR Congo to end the latest conflict. Some 800,000 people have fled their homes since the M23 launched its rebellion last May. The World Bank aid package is to support a peace deal signed in February between DR Congo and its neighbours, some of whom are accused of backing the rebels. "This funding will help revitalize economic development, create jobs, and improve the lives of people who have suffered for far too long," Mr Kim in a statement. The largest tranche of the aid - $340m - will go towards an 80-megawatt hydroelectric project in Rusumo Falls, providing electricity to Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania. Despite its vast mineral wealth, decades of conflict and mismanagement mean most Congolese remain stuck in poverty. The mortar fell in the Goma neighbourhood of Ndosho, killing one person and injuring four, said UN peacekeeping mission spokesman Madnodje Mounoubai, Associated Press news agency reports. He said he did not know who fired the mortar. Campaign group Human Rights Watch researcher Ida Sawyer told Reuters news agency that a two-year-old girl died and three members of her family, including a boy and girl, were wounded. The BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse in Goma says government and rebel forces have clashed in Mutaho, 10km (6 miles) east of the city for a third day. Shells and rockets have been fired, he says. Four government soldiers and 15 rebels were killed in the clashes on Monday, government spokesperson Lambert Mende told the BBC. Mr Ban is due to visit Goma on Thursday. The renewed fighting showed the need to speed up the deployment of the intervention brigade so that it would be "fully responsible as soon as possible", Mr Ban said. The UN approved the creation of the force - made up of troops from South Africa, Tanzania and Malawi - in March to "neutralise" rebels in DR Congo. The troops will have the most robust mandate ever given to UN peacekeepers to end conflict, officials say. Mr Ban and Mr Kim are also due to visit Rwanda and Uganda. Last year, a UN report accused the two countries of backing the M23, an allegation they denied. On Monday, Rwandan President Paul Kagame told the BBC that UN troops had "in some cases" made the situation in DR Congo worse. He said any military effort to bring peace to DR Congo needed to be "properly co-ordinated" with political efforts.
The World Bank has unveiled a $1bn (£660m) aid package to help the Democratic Republic of Congo and its neighbours, as fighting continues near the eastern city of Goma.
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The Ipsos MORI survey of nearly 1,800 people for the Health Foundation think tank found 85% thought the NHS should be protected from cuts - significantly more than other public services. When presented with a range of options setting out how that could be achieved, 59% said they supported tax rises. There was also some support for fining people for missing appointments. But only 16% were in favour of charging for services, such as a £10 fee for GP appointments. Funding of the NHS is already proving to be a major theme of the election campaign. The Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats, UKIP and Greens have all promised extra funds for the health service. This issue includes NHS funding, GP access and social care, particularly of older people. Policy guide: Where the parties stand Richard Taunt, the Health Foundation's director of policy, said: "It's clear the public think the government should continue to support the principles of our NHS and want to see it protected from spending cuts." But he said that would "inevitably involve some difficult decisions". This was reflected by the fact that, while 85% said the NHS should be tax-funded, free at the point of use and providing comprehensive care, only 63% thought it would continue to be free by 2020. Nearly one in three thought care had got worse in the past six months, but 51% said it had not really changed and 11% thought it had got better. Opinion was divided over the use of the private sector, with 30% saying private sector involvement would make the health service better, 33% worse and 34% stay the same. Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association, said: "The underlying message is that the public want the NHS to continue to be protected by government, remain tax-funded and free for everyone - and with this the Patients Association agrees." Separately, Dr Mark Porter, head of the British Medical Association, t told the Guardian whichever new government is formed after the general election will face a temptation to introduce charges and may not be deterred by the unpopularity of such a move. "I think they will be tempted. They said in 1950 that a Labour government wouldn't introduce charging and it did," he said. Dr Porter also said any future government "must resist" moves to introduce charges.
A majority of people in Britain support tax rises as a way of funding the NHS, a poll suggests.
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He is said to have been affected by injuries he saw at the Walter Reed Medical Army Center, where he worked until recently as a psychiatrist treating troops returning from combat. But he also received poor ratings from supervisors and medical school faculty, with documents suggesting military officials overlooked signs he was not fit to be an army doctor. Maj Hasan, 40, was born and raised in Virginia. His parents moved to the US from a Palestinian town near Jerusalem, according to his cousin. After high school he joined the US Army, which put him through medical school. He has been described as devout and discreet. A local imam told the Washington Post that he attended daily prayers at a mosque when he worked at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington DC. "We hardly ever got to discussing politics," Faizul Khan said. "Mostly we were discussing religious matters, nothing too controversial, nothing like an extremist." In other comments Mr Khan said that Maj Hasan had tried, but failed, to find an equally religious woman to marry. On a form for those looking for spouses through the mosque he listed his birthplace as Arlington, Virginia, but his nationality as Palestinian, Mr Khan said. Reports suggested in recent years he had become unhappy in the military. He had recently been transferred to Fort Hood. His cousin said he had faced harassment over his "Middle Eastern ethnicity" and had been trying to leave the army. His aunt, Noel Hasan, also blamed his desire to be discharged on harassment. "Some people can take it, and some cannot," she told the Washington Post. "He had listened to all of that, and he wanted out of the military, and they would not let him leave, even after he offered to repay." Ms Hasan said her nephew had been upset by the injuries he saw at Walter Reed. "He must have snapped," she added. She said Maj Hasan had spent holidays and free time at her house, and that he "did not make many friends". He had joined the military over the wishes of his parents, who have since died, his aunt said. Despite his recent attempts to leave, "he would tell us the military was his life". Several reports said Maj Hasan was about to be deployed overseas against his wishes. "We've known over the last five years that was probably his worst nightmare," his cousin, Nader Hasan, told Fox News. The Associated Press cited an unnamed official as saying that Maj Hasan had received a poor performance evaluation from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center before transferring to Fort Hood in July. Dr Thomas Grieger, who was training director at the centre while Maj Hasan was an intern there, said told AP that he had had "difficulties" that required counselling and extra supervision. And in 2007. Maj Hasan was cited for unprofessional behavior, including inappropriately discussing religion. One instructor, Lt Col Donald Lundy, thought Maj Hasan risked developing a psychosis, the Associated Press reported. However, Maj Hasan was "mostly very quiet", and never spoke ill of the military or his country, Dr Grieger added. "He swore an oath of loyalty to the military," he said. "I didn't hear anything contrary to those oaths." Col Terry Lee, who is retired but said he had worked with Hasan, told Fox that Maj Hasan had often got into arguments with military colleagues who supported the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Maj Hasan had hoped that US President Barack Obama would pull troops out, Col Lee said. One official was quoted by the New York Times as saying that the FBI had become aware of internet postings by a man calling himself Nidal Hasan. In one such posting, the act of a suicide bomber who kills himself to protect Muslims was compared to a soldier throwing himself on a grenade to protect other soldiers. However, officials said they had not confirmed that Maj Hasan was the author of the postings. Maj Hasan is charged with 13 counts of murder and 32 counts of attempted murder.
Major Nidal Malik Hasan, who has been charged with the murders of 13 people at Fort Hood in Texas, has been described as a devout Muslim whose commitment to the army may have been broken by his opposition to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan - and by plans to deploy him to a war zone.
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Murray Geddes, 37, from Aberlour in Moray, admitted causing the death of passenger Graeme McKenzie, also 37, by driving dangerously on the A941 Craigellachie to Rothes road in May. Mr McKenzie, an offshore worker from Rothes, was thrown from the vehicle. Sentence at the High Court in Edinburgh was deferred. The court heard offshore driller Geddes had a speeding conviction from March for driving at 93mph in a 60mph zone on the A96 near Huntly. Geddes told police after the fatal crash that he had taken his Audi S3 from the pub because he was fed up waiting for a taxi. Advocate depute Andrew Brown QC said: "The accused and the deceased were close friends who grew up together in the Speyside area." A motorist who was overtaken by Geddes later said: "I would say it was like a speed demon." The prosecutor said a witness saw the car fail to negotiate a bend and leave the road, it became airborne and spun three times. Mr Brown told Lord Glennie: "The death of Graeme McKenzie has of course had a profound impact on his family." The judge deferred sentence on Geddes for the preparation of a background report and he was remanded in custody.
A drink-driver who got behind the wheel because he was "fed up waiting for a taxi" crashed and killed his friend, a court has heard.
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The service, provided by the Terrence Higgins Trust for the past 16 years, faces not having its £150,000 contract renewed on 31 March. The county council said it needed to deliver a possible £340m cuts package by 2018. One campaigner said stopping the service would be "absurd". Ruari, who has been HIV positive for 15 years, said it had been "a lifeline" when he discovered he had the virus and when his partner died. He added the NHS could not provide the same level of service in a 15-minute patient slot and that he himself had had to wait three months for help via a normal GP referral. Jointly funded by the county council and Oxfordshire clinical commissioning group (CCG), the service offers face-to-face support, as well as therapy, prevention resources and respite care. A petition calling for the potential "dangerous and regressive decision" to be overturned has been signed by nearly 400 people. The county council, which provides £50,000 of the contract, said it was in the process of saving £290m from 2010 to 2018, and might have to save up to £50m on top of that. The Oxfordshire CCG said it was "reviewing its options" regarding its £100,000 funding to the trust. A county council spokesman said: "More people are living longer healthier lives with HIV and there is less stigma attached to the condition. "As a result the funding of £50,000 was considered no longer appropriate as service users could avail of other support services provided locally by the county council and their health needs are met by the NHS." He added no decision had yet been made. The Terrence Higgins Trust said it was "very concerned" by the proposals as it would leave "over 200 people living with HIV with no support services in their area".
An HIV support service in Oxfordshire could be closed as the county council and the local clinical commissioning group consider withdrawing funding.
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Work to bring down the building on Kingsway started in October 2015 and was due to take six months. But the outer structure of the building is still standing as there was more asbestos than first thought. The council bought the site as part of plans to transform Kingsway into a business district. All internal works at the building have now been completed, with scaffolding in place to support the exterior's demolition. The work is scheduled to finish by the spring.
The former Oceana nightclub in Swansea city centre will soon disappear from view, as final demolition work gets under way.
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First things first. As long ago as last October, the Bank's chief economist, Andy Haldane, acknowledged that immigration depresses pay. He noted that one respected study, by Dustmann, Frattini and Preston, found that each 1% increase in the share of migrants in the working age population leads to a 0.6% decline in the wages of the 5% lowest paid workers. And to be clear, the general point that an influx of workers from abroad represents a weight on the pay of the indigenous population is a statement of the overwhelmingly obvious: it is simply a version of the law of supply and demand, that the price of anything falls when supply rises relative to demand. So there is nothing terribly revelatory in Mark Carney saying, at the Bank's three-monthly news conference on its Inflation Report, that immigration had held down the rise in wages and living standards. Perhaps more interesting is that the Bank acknowledged that it - like the government - had underestimated how much immigration there would be in recent years. This is what its Inflation Report says: "Net inward migration was close to a historical high of just under 300,000, around 0.5% of the population, in the four quarters to 2014 Q3. "That is well above the 165,000 per year assumed in the ONS's population projections, which were last updated in 2012, and upon which the Labour Force Survey is based. "Bank staff have revised up their assumptions about population growth from 2013 onwards on the basis of higher net migration." So that would imply, on the Dustmann formula, that over two years, immigration had depressed the pay of the poorest by around 0.6% - which is neither devastating nor trivial. Which is broadly consistent with what Mark Carney said on the Today programme this morning - though not completely. The governor wanted - in his words - "to dampen down" the idea that net migration was a big negative factor on productivity and wage growth. And to prove his point, he said that net migration over the past two years was just 50,000 - which he regards as relatively inconsequential, compared with a net increase in the effective size of the labour force of more than 500,000 due to people retiring later and wanting to work longer hours. But I am not sure of the source of his 50,000. It is a sixth of the net inward migration statistic cited by the Bank itself for the year to the end of October 2014. And the Office for National Statistics yesterday said that the total number of UK non-nationals working in the UK rose by 294,000 in the year to the end of March (to a total of 3.1 million). I hesitate to say the governor got it wrong. But the official statistics don't tell his story. Now there are two other issues here. First is whether the influx of migrant workers depresses productivity as well as wages. That looks very unlikely at first blanche. As the Bank points out, the Poles and Romanians who take service sector jobs tend to be overqualified for the work they do in the UK. Often they have degrees. So it is very unlikely that their output would be less than the equivalent indigenous Brit. However, if the availability of this relatively talented pool of foreign workers is persuading British companies to take on labour to increase output rather than investing in expensive new kit, then that would have a negative impact on productivity - because this failure to invest would means that the output per hour of the workforce would be lower than it would otherwise be. That said, it would be slightly bonkers to blame immigrants for companies' low investment: that is surely much more to do with their confidence and their culture. The second important question is whether pulling up the drawbridge and shrinking the numbers of migrants to the UK would be so wonderful for those living and working here. Well, if the labour market were to tighten, that would probably lead to a welcome increase in wages. But the Bank of England does not believe there is massive slack in the labour market any longer. And how can there be huge spare capacity, with employment at record levels and unemployment more or less back at pre-Crash levels? So if wage increases suddenly accelerated, at a time when productivity growth remains trivial, they would probably be passed on by companies in the form of higher prices. Or to put it another way, inflation would take off. What you will already have deduced, of course, is that as soon as the Bank were to see a tightening in the labour market, it would pre-emptively increase interest rates, to choke off demand and any serious rise in inflation. So if living standards were to rise thanks to a rise in wages, they would almost certainly be simultaneously depressed by a rise in mortgage and other interest rates on households' record debts. In other words, when the Bank of England talks about the uncertainties and risks built into its forecasts stemming from the uncertain outlook for immigration, its big concern is that interest rates would probably rise faster and more, if the number of workers arriving from abroad suddenly dried up (and if they kept on coming in such large numbers, interest rates would stay lower for longer). So here is something to chew on: the corollary of the Bank of England admitting that wages would be higher if immigration were a lot lower is that it is also signalling that interest rates would probably be higher too.
There seems to be a bit of confusion about what the Bank of England and its governor said about the economic impact of migration.
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Sunday's event saw 25,000 riders tackle either a 100-mile or 46-mile course beginning at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and ending at The Mall. They were then followed by 150 of the world's top pro cyclists who raced the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic. Thousands of spectators lined the streets to cheer on the riders. Friday and Saturday saw other cycling events take place including a family-friendly mass bike ride through central London. Saturday also saw US cyclist Coryn Rivera win the Prudential RideLondon Classique women's race.
Thousands of amateur and professional cyclists have hit the roads of London and Surrey for the third day of the Prudential RideLondon festival.
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England picked up where they left off from Monday's 276-run win in the first game by dismissing Ireland for just 106, with Beth Langston take 3-14. They made light work of their 240-run nominal target, with Amy Jones and Tammy Beaumont putting on 120 for the first wicket before Fran Wilson's 50. Sarah Taylor and Natalie Sciver both scored 26 to see them home three down. The third and final match between the sides is on Friday.
England won their three-match one-day series with Ireland courtesy of a dominant seven-wicket win in Abu Dhabi.
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A typically energetic start to the game brought an excellent early breakthrough from Callum McGregor on three minutes. But Ajax drew level as carelessness led to Arkadiusz Milik converting acrobatically from close range. As Celtic pressed hard in the closing stages, Leigh Griffiths and Charlie Mulgrew spurned chances and Vaclav Cerny broke away to score. Celtic's third group defeat leaves them out of Europe and bottom of Group A with just two points. Manager Ronny Deila has continually spoken of encouraging signs, despite the lack of positive results in Europe. And although they matched the Dutch league leaders for spells on Thursday, the bare facts are that Celtic are regressing in European terms. In 25 European matches with Celtic, Deila has managed just eight wins, with four of those coming against part-time Icelandic sides. Supporters seeking solace can point to an impressive cameo from Scott Allan and another solid display by Kieran Tierney against Ajax, but the normally reliable Leigh Griffiths misfired and he was not the only under-performer. Nonetheless, spurred on by a noisy support, Celtic came out of the traps sharply and gave the bulk of the crowd reason to get to their feet. Despite an unfamiliar midfield set-up, with just Tom Rogic acting as the pivot between defence and the attacking players, Celtic immediately looked comfortable. A confident flick by Stuart Armstrong found Rogic, who in turn fed Gary Mackay-Steven. He threaded a beautiful pass for McGregor, who belied his recent lack of first-team action as he strode confidently forward before curling a perfectly-placed shot beyond the diving Jasper Cillessen. Just as they had in previous European ties this season against Malmo, Fenerbahce and Molde, they had made the ideal start. Unfortunately, another recurring theme was soon to emerge. Ajax served notice of their own desperation for the points as Viktor Fischer slammed the ball into the net, only for Amin Younes to be wrongly flagged offside. The equaliser was not delayed much longer, though, and this time a lack of match sharpness may have hampered McGregor as his heavy touch ceded possession. The Dutch got the break of the ball as Schone's shot was deflected into the path of Fischer, who was able to head the rebound from his own effort across goal where Milik hitch-kicked the ball into the net. As the game wore on, the reality of the situation seemed to spur Celtic on as they pressed for a winning goal and McGregor struck the bar while Griffiths was foiled on more than one occasion. And with time running out, Allan, who had made such a positive impression as a substitute, was caught in possession and the Dutch broke, culminating in a clinical finish by Cerny. The full-time whistle was greeted with boos as the Celtic support came to terms with an early European exit. Ajax retain hopes of progressing, but they need to beat group leaders Molde, who have already qualified for the last 32, and hope Celtic can beat Fenerbahce in Istanbul, though on current form that appears a forlorn hope. Match ends, Celtic 1, Ajax 2. Second Half ends, Celtic 1, Ajax 2. Attempt missed. Yaya Sanogo (Ajax) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Vaclav Cerny. Attempt saved. Vaclav Cerny (Ajax) left footed shot from very close range is saved in the top left corner. Attempt blocked. Yaya Sanogo (Ajax) left footed shot from very close range is blocked. Assisted by Arkadiusz Milik. Offside, Ajax. Nemanja Gudelj tries a through ball, but Yaya Sanogo is caught offside. Attempt missed. Leigh Griffiths (Celtic) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Offside, Ajax. Arkadiusz Milik tries a through ball, but Yaya Sanogo is caught offside. Foul by Arkadiusz Milik (Ajax). Mikael Lustig (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Goal! Celtic 1, Ajax 2. Vaclav Cerny (Ajax) right footed shot from the right side of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Arkadiusz Milik following a fast break. Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Kenny Tete. Attempt blocked. Amin Younes (Ajax) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Nemanja Gudelj. Attempt blocked. Nemanja Gudelj (Ajax) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Donny van de Beek. Amin Younes (Ajax) hits the right post with a right footed shot from the left side of the box. Assisted by Vaclav Cerny. Attempt blocked. Leigh Griffiths (Celtic) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Scott Allan with a cross. Attempt missed. Amin Younes (Ajax) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Arkadiusz Milik. Donny van de Beek (Ajax) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Scott Allan (Celtic). Foul by Nemanja Gudelj (Ajax). Scott Allan (Celtic) wins a free kick on the left wing. Substitution, Ajax. Yaya Sanogo replaces Mike van der Hoorn. Scott Allan (Celtic) is shown the yellow card. Attempt missed. Vaclav Cerny (Ajax) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Davy Klaassen. Foul by Davy Klaassen (Ajax). Callum McGregor (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Charlie Mulgrew (Celtic) header from very close range is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Stuart Armstrong with a cross following a set piece situation. Substitution, Celtic. Emilio Izaguirre replaces Kieran Tierney. Kenny Tete (Ajax) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Kenny Tete (Ajax). James Forrest (Celtic) wins a free kick on the left wing. Attempt blocked. Leigh Griffiths (Celtic) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by James Forrest. Attempt missed. Jozo Simunovic (Celtic) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the left misses to the right. Assisted by Callum McGregor with a cross following a corner. Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Jasper Cillessen. Attempt saved. Leigh Griffiths (Celtic) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Scott Allan. Substitution, Ajax. Donny van de Beek replaces Lasse Schöne. Substitution, Celtic. Scott Allan replaces Gary Mackay-Steven. Foul by Vaclav Cerny (Ajax). Stuart Armstrong (Celtic) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Jairo Riedewald (Ajax).
Celtic exited the Europa League at the group stage as Ajax grabbed a late victory on Thursday night.
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Swinton surprised visitors on Saturday with an unannounced appearance in the art installation titled The Maybe. She will take part in the one-person piece about six more times on different dates in different locations around the gallery before the end of the year. The actress first took part in the artwork in London in 1995. At that time, 22,000 people saw her at the Serpentine Gallery in the installation, a collaboration with Turner Prize-nominated artist Cornelia Parker. Swinton won an Oscar for Michael Clayton in 2008 and her other films include Moonrise Kingdom and We Need to Talk About Kevin. She was recently seen in the video for David Bowie's latest single The Stars (Are Out Tonight).
Oscar-winning actress Tilda Swinton has revealed her latest role - sleeping in a glass box for eight hours at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
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The goal is to develop such "skin" to monitor oxygen levels in organs during surgery, say researchers in Japan. Tests on volunteers found the "skin" provided stable measurements of oxygen concentration in blood. The device contains micro-electronic components that light up in red, blue and green on the surface of the body. Scientists at the University of Tokyo are working on ways to display numbers and letters on the skin for health monitoring purposes. Wearable electronics are a future growth area in research, with interest in medical applications such as contact lenses that monitor glucose levels, or smart glasses. The latest findings are revealed in Science Advances. "The device unobtrusively measures the oxygen concentration of blood when laminated on a finger," said lead researcher Tomoyuki Yokota and colleagues. He added: "Ultimately, flexible organic optical sensors may be directly laminated on organs to monitor the blood oxygen level during and after surgery."
Scientists say they have developed ultra-thin electronic "skin" that can measure oxygen levels when stuck to the body.
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Remzi Akguc is accused of killing Hidir Aksakal, 53, who was found dead in Epping Forest, north-east London. Mr Akguc, aged 40 and of Margery Street, Finsbury, is due before Redbridge magistrates on Saturday. Turkish national Mr Aksakal lived in Margate, Kent, but had close links to the Green Lanes area of Haringey, north London, where he previously lived. Also known as Boxer Cetin and Musa Yakut, he was last seen in Green Lanes in the early hours of 17 August. A post-mortem examination showed Mr Aksakal, whose body was found on 9 September, died from gunshot wounds. A 22-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder has been released on police bail.
A man has been charged with murder after a decomposing body was discovered at a woodland beauty spot.
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This is the full statement to the inquests from his daughter, Lynsey Hankin: I am the daughter of Eric Hankin, who was killed in the disaster at Hillsborough football stadium on 15 April ,1989. My father was a victim of the crush which occurred in pen 3 on the Leppings Lane terrace. He was 33. I make this statement at the request of the coroner with a view to providing some personal background about my father. This statement is made on behalf of my family, including my mother, Karen, and my brother, David. I was 12 when my Dad died and David was seven. Dad was born on 26 October, 1955. Dad was born in Walton, Liverpool. Shortly after leaving school, Dad became a male nurse at Moss Side Hospital in Maghull, where he was to become a staff nurse. Mum met Dad when she was 14 and Dad was 18. They met on a blind date. The date was part of a plan to separate Dad from his friend, Billy. Mum's friend, Christine wanted Billy to herself. One date was all it was supposed to be! They married on 19 October, 1976. Mum was 16 and Dad was 20. They had two children: me, on 7 March 1977, and David Eric on 1 July 1981. Mum and Dad had to adapt to a whole new way of life and it was turbulent - but they did it! Dad strived to move the family from accommodation provided by his employer in the Moss Side Special Hospital into a home of our own. Mum and Dad achieved in owning their own home, a car and what seemed at the time like a pretty good life with David and I. Mum says Dad was an ordinary man. He was a son, a brother, a grandson, a son-in-law, uncle and brother-in-law. To Mum, he was the father of her children, her friend, her confidant, her lover and on occasion her sparring partner. He was like every one of us - yet none of us. My Mum says that Dad wasn't perfect, but who of us here today could stand up and say they are? It was those imperfections, those quirks, those things we still laugh about as a family today that personifies the man he was. Profiles of all those who died It was these things that helped Mum and Dad learn about each other, taught them to make allowances and for them to grow together as a couple. Their quirks helped make them the couple they were. They learnt to own up to their shortcomings, and agree to disagree. They could shout and scream at each other or cuddle and comfort each other in equal measure. My Dad was dedicated to his job as a staff nurse. He strived at his job to achieve promotion. He worked every hour of overtime to provide for his family. Dad refused to pay for anything weekly. He would always wait until he had saved up the cash. It used to infuriate Mum, but she would wait, because she knew if it was within my Dad's power, we would have it, and nine times out of 10 we would eventually get what we needed. Dad tried his best to make us all happy. He would give us his all one minute and then moan about the price of a loaf for an hour. The standing family joke was that Dad could peel an orange in his pocket wearing a boxing glove. To me, my Dad was like a giant when I was growing up, a big friendly giant. He made everyone laugh. He never sat down at the table to eat without making the teapot yawn! He spent hours teaching me how to ride my first bike. He took me to Crosby baths every Sunday to teach me how to swim. When I was little, he would take me out on the crossbar of his bike, although we did come off a few times as his coordination was as bad as mine! Obviously, it's where I get it from. We went on holidays every year, both abroad and in caravans, with my Nan and Granddad, my Auntie Gill and Uncle Mark. Our family was full of love and laughter. One of my earliest memories is when I must have been five years old, standing on a chair in my Great-Nan's bungalow singing his beloved Liverpool songs. I remember listening to stories of his times on the Kop, watching his favourites, Ian Rush and 'King' Kenny Dalglish. When David and I were in the car with my Dad, we had to hold our noses every time we drove past Goodison Park, and when we went past Anfield we had to salute! This is something I still do with my kids now. My favourite days were when it was hot and my Mum and Dad would pick us up from school together. They would have a picnic in the car and we would go to Formby beach for our tea. Every time Dad would say, 'I'll bring you here when you're 17 and I'll teach you how to drive'. He never got the chance to. He was a good Dad. He loved me and I loved him, although if you saw him chewing his moustache, you knew to run for cover! He was annoyed about something and he had a giant voice as well. As I got older, our relationship changed. I was not his little girl anymore. I didn't want to sit next to him on the bus into town any more. I sat at the back on my own pretending I was so grown up, even holding my own ticket. Then came the time I asked could I go to the under-14s night at Fallows nightclub. He went white and said 'no' at first. After some persuasion, he said 'yes', but he was taking me and picking me up, so I agreed and he did collect me, although, when he picked me up, the car wouldn't start and all the other kids gave us a push. I was dying with embarrassment and he thought it was really funny. I never asked to go again. And I swear there was nothing wrong with that car! Now I have my own children, Jack-Shankly, Michael Eric and Libby Anne. They know all about their Granddad Eric. I only wish he was here to enjoy them in the way that we do. As I have said, I loved my Dad and he loved me unconditionally. A big giant-shaped hole has been left in my heart since the day he died. I've learnt how to live with it, but I don't think the pain will ever leave me. Mum and Dad enjoyed watching a TV programme and one of the quotes from it was, 'I am not a number, I am a free man.' Describing someone you love is extremely difficult. How do you describe someone in a way only you knew them? How do you put down on paper what someone did, still does and always will mean to you? This statement is a tiny part of a picture of a man, not a faceless fact or a figure. My family and I hope that this procedure allows us and our loved ones the freedom to finally rest in peace."
A father-of-two and staff nurse at Moss Side hospital in Maghull, Eric Hankin travelled with a number of friends, who all survived.
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Microbeads are tiny pieces of plastic found in things like toothpaste and body washes. The environment secretary Michael Gove said that the tiny beads have 'a devastating effect on marine life". The government have said that companies have to stop uses the beads in products they make by January 1st 2018, and by June it will be against the law to sell products with microbeads. Manufacturers use them because they can help make products abrasive - meaning, for example, they help wash off dry skin. However, a single shower can result in 100,000 beads entering the ocean. Water pipes have filters in them to catch waste that shouldn't go into the ocean, but microbeads are too small to be caught by them. This means they end up in the sea. Professor Richard Thompson from the University of Plymouth explained to the BBC in 2016 how big a problem microbeads are. "Over 680 tonnes of microbeads are used in the UK alone every year," he said.
The government are going to ban microbeads from cosmetics.
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The defendants attacked seven victims, aged 13 to 15, in cars, woods or at the defendants' homes in Banbury. Oxford Crown Court heard they lured victims to parties organised on social media and were found guilty in March. At the same court, each of the men were handed sentences of between three and nine years. Ahmed Hassan-Sule, 21, of Glyndebourne Gardens, was sentenced to nine years imprisonment, with a further five years on licence; Mohamed Saleh, 22, of Orchard Way, was jailed for four years and nine months; Said Saleh, 20, of Orchard Way, was jailed for four years; Takudzwa Hova, 21, of Broughton Road, was sentenced to six years with a further four years on licence; and Kagiso Manase, 21, of Warwick Road, received five years. Zsolt Szaltoni, 18, of Portway, was sentenced to three years in a young offenders institution. Speaking after the sentencing, one of the gang's victims, who was 14 at the time, said she was attacked in a car after attending a party organised on Facebook. "I got in the car because the others left and I was on my own and I didn't know what to do, so I just went with them," she told the BBC. "I was in the back of the car but I was in the middle... I was just scared. I didn't know what to do, but they'd planned it beforehand. "They would talk their language... and I didn't understand it." The girl said, after the party, the abuse continued. "It gradually started to become more people. He asked me if I would work for him and I said 'No' and I just laughed it off but, as I realise now, I did it without even knowing - [I did] sex work. "I thought it was okay, because I was brainwashed. They made me think it was my decision but it wasn't." The abuse was uncovered after a member of the Kingfisher team - a multi-agency operation tackling child exploitation in Oxfordshire - came to see the victim at school. She said: "I know there's more girls so it's quite disappointing that they don't have the courage to come forward. "I just think I'm so lucky because there are lots of other girls who aren't lucky." The girl said it was her ambition to work in the Kingfisher team and help others who have been in her situation. She said: "It's important for me to do that. It's closure isn't it?" The verdicts were -
A gang of five men and a teenager who subjected underage girls to sexual abuse in Oxfordshire after grooming them have been jailed.
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Wales have conceded two set-piece goals in four days as Ukraine's winner in Kiev on Monday came from a free-kick. The loss followed a draw with Northern Ireland when they scored from a corner. "One loss of concentration from a set-piece has cost us. To concede from a set-piece is disappointing," said Tottenham Hotspur defender Davies. "We have had plenty of meetings to sort it out. It was not the result we were looking for, but a lot about the performance was pretty good." Fellow full-back Taylor was also not happy with Wales' potential Achilles heel as the Swansea defender added: "We didn't look troubled all night, but set-pieces were a problem." Both Davies and Taylor, however, felt the positives outweighed the disappointment of defeat. "It is not really about technical problems," said Davies. "It is about focus and concentration and not being able to switch off in these situations. We did tonight and it cost us." Taylor agreed: "We are pleased with the performance, but not the goal we conceded. We've let ourselves down with that. "We were in complete control of the game almost from start to finish, so we are disappointed not to score. Other than that, I thought we did very well. Media playback is not supported on this device "On another day we might have scored a couple. The way we conducted ourselves, we are happy with. But not the result." Taylor feels plenty of the Wales fringe players have aided their bid to be part of Chris Coleman's 23-man squad that will head to France for their first European Championship finals. "Quite a few players have staked their claims," he told BBC Radio Wales. "They are pushing for the Euro squad and no-one has done themselves any harm."
Defenders Ben Davies and Neil Taylor admit Wales need to address their set-piece vulnerability ahead of this summer's Euro 2016 finals.
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The incidents took place in separate incidents in 2009 and 2012 in Wollongong, New South Wales when the girls were each about seven years old. A man, Shabbir Mohammedbhai Vaziri, was found guilty of covering up the acts. FGM is when a girl's genitals are partly or wholly removed for non-medical reasons. It usually carried out for a number of cultural, religious and social reasons, and is associated with ideals of femininity and modesty in some societies. The women, who cannot been named, belong to a Muslim sect. One is the girls' mother, the other a 72-year-old former nurse. The court heard they had cut the genitals of the two young girls in ceremonies known as "khatna". Vaziri, a leader of the sect, was accused of ordering members to tell police they did not practice FGM. The three were released ahead of sentencing in February. They could face up to seven years in jail. FGM has been illegal in Australia for 20 years, but the case marked the first time such offences had come to trial, according to the Australian Associated Press.
An Australian court has found two women guilty of carrying out female genital mutilation (FGM) on two young girls, in the country's first such conviction.
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Trautman died in Spain on Friday at the age of 89. He was famous for playing on in the 1956 FA Cup final despite breaking his neck. A Tanzania FA statement said he would be remembered for his work that set the foundation for the development of the sport in the country. Trautmann arrived in the East African nation in 1974 as part of West Germany's sports assistance programme. He reorganised the country's league and developed the skills of local coaches. "The league system we have now is a brainchild of Trautmann," Atillion Tagalile, a former sports reporter, told BBC Sport. Before Trautmann's arrival, Tanzania had a 20-team league played in a two-legged home and away knockout format. However, he reduced the number of teams to 12 and introduced a league system of playing home and away. In addition, the German held coaching clinics for local coaches and formed an association known as Tanzania Football Coaches Association (Tafca) to oversee skill development for the coaches. "He conducted coaching courses throughout the country," said Simba SC coach Abdallah Kibaden. "I attended one of his courses in Arusha in 1975 soon after retiring from the national team. "Before his arrival, there was no training system for the coaches." Trautmann also sent Tanzanian coaches to Cologne in Germany to acquire advanced coaching skills. Joel Bendera, is one of the coaches who benefited from the scheme, he spend nine months in Germany along with two other Tanzanians. When Bendera returned, he was appointed head coach of Tanzania's national team and guided their only ever Africa Cup of Nations finals in 1980. Former international Kibaden believes that Trautmann also contributed to Tanzania's qualification through his youth development programme. "He put emphasis on youth development as well, he toured the country in search of talents and we were able to get a strong team that went on to play the Nations Cup in Nigeria," added Kibaden. Trautmann helped restructure the FA as well as designing an administrative procedure for the association. "He reorganised our operation structure and also worked with administrators on football development," Said El Maamry, who was chairman of the Football Association of Tanzania (Fat) at the time, said. "TFF has sent condolences to his family as well as the German and English FA's, and wished them to be strong in these difficult time," the statement added.
Former Manchester City goalkeeper Bert Trautmann, who died on Friday, is not just being mourned in England and Germany but also in Tanzania.
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The firms colluded to set minimum commission rates for residential property sales at 1.5%, denying vendors the chance of a better deal. Abbott and Frost, Gary Berryman Estate Agents, Greenslade Taylor Hunt and West Coast Property Services (UK) Ltd all admitted breaking competition law. They were fined following a Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) probe. The firms were working in the Burnham-on-Sea area. The CMA's Stephen Blake said: "Moving home is expensive and this shouldn't be made worse by estate agents conspiring to deny their customers the best possible deal, by agreeing not to compete on fees. "Price-fixing cheats customers, and we are committed to tackling it regardless of the size of the businesses involved. We have taken action against estate agents before, and will do so again if firms break the law." A spokesman for Garry Berryman Estate Agents said the company has "fully co-operated with the CMA in respect of its investigation relating to matters three years ago". "The issues raised occurred entirely outside of company policy," he added. Martin Crees of West Coast Properties said the company co-operated with the CMA "to a satisfactory resolution". The BBC has contacted Abbott and Frost and Greenslade Taylor Hunt for comment. The CMA said another company, Annagram Estate Agents Limited, which trades as C J Hole, will not be fined as it was the first company to confess its participation in the cartel.
A price-fixing cartel of estate agents in Somerset has been fined more than £370,000.
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Strikes hit a building used as a prison in the al-Zaydiya security headquarters in the western port of Hudaydah, security and medical officials say. The city is under the control of Houthi rebels, who have been battling the government since 2014. Rebels and inmates were among more than 33 dead, officials said. Houthi media put the death toll at 43. The prison was holding 84 inmates when it was hit three times late on Saturday, reports said. Pictures from the scene showed badly wounded people being rushed to hospital. The coalition, which backs Yemen's exiled President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, has been criticised for the number of civilians killed in its air strikes. Earlier this month, at least 140 people were killed, most of them civilians, when planes bombed a funeral hall in Yemen's capital, Sanaa. The coalition later blamed the attack on "bad information". The latest air strikes came as President Hadi rejected a new peace proposal submitted by UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed. President Hadi, who lives in exile in the Saudi capital Riyadh, said the plan "rewards the coup leaders and punishes the Yemeni people at the same time". Details of the peace "roadmap" have not been made public but are believed to give the rebels a share in any future government. The plan is also believed to involve reducing some presidential powers in exchange for Houthis withdrawing from major cities. The Shia Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014. Much of the internationally-recognised government is now based in Yemen's second city of Aden. The conflict escalated in March 2015 when the Saudi-led coalition launched an air campaign to try to push the rebels back.
Dozens of people have been killed at a Yemeni prison complex in air strikes by the Saudi-led coalition, reports say.
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Mr Barrow took the oath of office at the Gambian embassy in Senegal's capital, Dakar, and his legitimacy has been recognised internationally. The West African regional bloc Ecowas has now given Yahya Jammeh until noon on Friday to leave office. Ecowas has threatened to remove Mr Jammeh by force. The 15-member UN Security Council has given them its backing, while stressing that a political solution should be attempted first. Mr Jammeh's refusal to leave office is supported by Gambia's parliament. New mediation talks ahead of Friday's deadline will be led by Guinea's President Alpha Conde, after talks between Mr Jammeh and Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz failed to break the deadlock late on Thursday. Mr Barrow, who remains in Senegal, has said that he will not return to Gambia's capital, Banjul, until the military operation comes to an end. Nigeria deployed reconnaissance aircraft over The Gambia on Thursday as part of the mission, warning that it was ready to strike militarily. The tiny country, a popular destination for European holidaymakers attracted by its beaches, has been clouded by uncertainty for weeks. Thousands of Gambians have sought refuge in Senegal while tourists broke off their holidays to return home. At the scene - Thomas Fessy, BBC News, Banjul, The Gambia People have been following the inauguration of Adama Barrow live on Senegalese TV, which many receive here in The Gambia. Few people have come out to celebrate, timidly chanting the name of Mr Barrow or waving at the cars driving by. Tension is still running high, as people are very much aware that the political crisis is not over. Banjul feels like a ghost town. Even the usually busy thoroughfares of Serekunda, on the outskirt of the capital, are deserted. Many say the military remain - like Yayha Jammeh - unpredictable. But in a sign that parts of the security forces may switch sides, I have met five police officers standing outside their station, relaxed and visibly happy. I asked how things were going, and one of them replied with a smile "everything is alright, change is good". A convoy of heavily armed Senegalese soldiers, in full battle dress, could be seen heading for the Gambian border. They are backed by Nigerian air and naval power, as well as other troops from Ghana. A Senegalese army spokesman, Col Abdou Ndiaye, told the BBC that the troops had encountered no resistance and were heading for Banjul. He warned: "It is already war. If we find any resistance, we will fight it. If there are people who are fighting for the former president, we will fight them. The main goal is to restore democracy and to allow the new elected president to take over." But Gambian army chief Ousman Badjie said his troops would not fight Senegalese forces because the dispute was "political". "I am not going to involve my soldiers in a stupid fight," he said. "I love my men." In his inaugural speech, President Barrow ordered all members of The Gambia's armed forces to remain in their barracks. Any found found illegally bearing arms would be considered "rebels", he said. After first accepting defeat he reversed his position and said he would not step down. He declared a 90-day state of emergency, blaming irregularities in the electoral process. The electoral commission accepted that some of its early results had contained errors but said they would not have affected Mr Barrow's win. Mr Jammeh has said he will stay in office until new elections are held. Remaining in power would also give him protection against prosecution for alleged abuses committed during his rule. The Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) mandated Senegal to take the lead in outside intervention because it almost surrounds The Gambia. The Ecowas strategy was approved by the UN Security Council which unanimously approved a resolution expressing "full support" for President Barrow and calling on Mr Jammeh to step down. "I think events will move quickly now," Alex Vines, head of the Africa programme at Chatham House in London, told the Associated Press. "Jammeh will not last 90 days remaining in power. He may cling on to power for a few more days, increasingly isolated. After the inauguration of Adama Barrow, the trickle of power flowing to him will become more of a flood."
Senegalese troops have entered The Gambia in support of Adama Barrow, who was sworn in as president on Thursday after winning last month's election.
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Faith Spear was chairman of Hollesley Bay prison's Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) when she wrote an article for the 2016 Prisons Handbook. Writing under the name Daisy Mallet, she raised concerns about the way monitoring boards operated. Identified as the author during an IMB meeting last April, Mrs Spear, of Ipswich, was initially suspended. She has now received a letter from prisons minister Sam Gyimah informing her that her role as IMB chairman has been "terminated" and she has been banned from sitting on any IMB for five years. In her article, she claimed members of IMBs were effectively "gagged" from raising concerns about the prisons they were responsible for monitoring. The letter said she had "repeatedly disclosed official, classified and other information" and said she had "failed to comply with the standards expected of public appointees". Mrs Spear said the letter was a "shock and upsetting", but added: "It is not going to stop me, the issues are still there." She said while she was suspended there had been issues in a number of prisons, including a riot at HMP Birmingham and disturbances at HMP Swaleside and HMP Bedford in the past three months. "The IMBs have to change," she said. "It has to be part of the reform process. "If people monitoring are not allowed to speak out about what they see, but are effectively shut down, then I think that is very dangerous. The Ministry of Justice has yet to formally comment on the case.
The chairman of a watchdog has been sacked after voicing concerns over prison reform under a pseudonym.
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Edinburgh Printmakers is revamping Castle Mill Works in Fountainbridge. There will be galleries, a learning studio, a state-of-the-art printmaking workshop, creative studios and a cafe. Scottish architects, Page/Park have been appointed to work on the Grade C listed building. Sarah Price, Edinburgh Printmakers chief executive, said: "We're delighted to be in a position to formally begin construction on Edinburgh Printmakers' new Centre for Excellence. "Coinciding with our 50th birthday, this marks a new chapter in our journey to improve facilities for artists and makers in the city and for our ever expanding and diverse audience to enjoy printmaking at its best."
The home of the former North British Rubber factory in Edinburgh is set to be transformed into a £12.3m creative hub hosting a new centre of excellence for printmaking.
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Media playback is not supported on this device Farah, who claimed his sixth successive global title when he won 10,000m gold at the weekend, recovered to finish second in 13 minutes 19.44 seconds. The defending champion, 32, was touched on the back by Canada's Mohammed Ahmed but just managed to stay on his feet. Fellow Briton Tom Farrell came fourth in his heat to reach the final. Ahmed finished third but was initially disqualified by officials, only to be reinstated after a protest. Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha, who has the world leading time this year, finished ahead of Farah in 13:19.38. "I'm lucky I stayed up. I almost went down again," Farah, who also nearly fell midway through the race, told BBC Sport. "At that point you have to stay on your feet, concentrate and relax." Farah added he had been suffering from a sore right foot, but said "it's nothing to worry about". He had endured agony in the same stadium seven years ago, crashing out of the Olympics after failing to qualify from the heats of the 5,000m. But he is now one race away from securing a third consecutive double, after taking 5,000m and 10,000m gold at London 2012 and the 2013 World Championships in Moscow. He looked to have recovered well from Saturday's victory in humid conditions, when he also survived a near-fall, as he was forced to work hard amid a packed bunch of runners in the final 150m of a quick heat. Carlisle's Farrell, 24, progressed to the 15-man final with a time of 13:45.29 in a much slower-paced first heat. "I think I did what I'm capable of doing - it's another thing coming here and doing it. I'm really happy to make the final," he said. Media playback is not supported on this device Britain's Sophie Hitchon will be in Thursday's hammer throw final, qualifying in fifth position with a throw of 71.07m. In the women's 800m heats, Britons Lynsey Sharp, Shelayna Oskan-Clarke and Jenny Meadows all successfully progressed to Thursday's semi-finals. Sharp, who registered a season's best of 1:58.98, and Oskan-Clarke both qualified automatically, while Meadows required a fastest loser slot. Lawrence Clarke completed a clean sweep of British qualifications in the morning session, as his time of 13.61 seconds in the 110m hurdles was enough to put him through to Thursday's semi-finals as one of the four quickest losers.
Britain's Mo Farah was almost pushed over on the final bend of his 5,000m heat but qualified for Saturday's World Championships final in Beijing.
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This signalled the end of the Diamond Jubilee pageant in London, but other events did not survive in the wet weather - namely the cannons primed to explode confetti and a helicopter flypast, which was cancelled because of visibility. The fine, yet unrelenting, rain did not show mercy either to the soaked singers who gamely sang the national anthem in the closing stages. These events were the dying embers of a day that had seen fun, food, celebrations, dressing up and several renditions of the national anthem, as well as a protest against the monarchy - all stubbornly carried out despite the rain. At the start of the day, some revellers heading to the capital had their plans disrupted by overcrowding on the train network, with reports of passengers left behind on platforms because carriages were full. Others stayed at home to celebrate, with almost 9,500 roads shut across England and Wales for parties. Those in the capital threw themselves into the celebrations, none more so than those who attended the Big Jubilee Lunch in Piccadilly, made up of a long line of tables in this usually traffic-choked street. The main events to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee include: Monday Tuesday Guide to the weekend of events Wandering down Piccadilly, resplendent in their tiaras and red, white and blue outfits, were three friends - Jodie Merrylees, 27, from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, Charlotte Symonds, 30, from Brighouse, West Yorkshire, and Jodie Cosgrove, 27, from Leeds. Ms Symonds said: "I really like the Royal Family and the tradition it represents. I was at the royal wedding too and that was brilliant. We wanted to dress up for the Jubilee and get involved with the atmosphere to feel part of the celebrations." It became an even more grand event when the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall arrived, walking down the line of tables and even stopping to sit down on a potentially soggy seat to chat to some of those munching their food. Street parties were definitely popular on the day, particularly in Bristol, which had more applications for road closures than in other city outside London. Revellers there gathered in a red, white and blue-bedecked Millennium Square, which boasted its own "make your own corgi" attraction. Inspired by the Thames pageant, Andrew Southerden, a landlord in Kibworth, Leicestershire, transformed his pub into HMS Coach & Horses, affixing portholes, liferafts, funnels and a bow to the building. Party-goers in Richmond Park, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, were able to snap up food at 1950s prices. Hot dogs were 7p, bacon sandwiches 9p and a cup of tea just 2p. In Belfast, Samuel and Margaret Sloan, 80, were celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary as well as the Jubilee at a tea party thrown by the city's Lord Mayor. "It is a great honour," said Mr Sloan, a retired motor mechanic. "She is a very gracious Queen and she does care for the people." More than 300 official street parties took place across Wales. Cardiff's St Mary's Street hosted a Big Lunch celebration while hundreds attended a similar event in Swansea. A beach party was rained off in Rhosneigr, close to the Anglesey home of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, but the party went ahead regardless - a picnic was held in the village hall instead, attended by hundreds of people. Ten street parties took place in Edinburgh, with the Scottish capital understood to have made a third of all of Scotland's street party applications. But not everyone taking part supported the royal family's constitutional role. Abigail Burnyeat, who attended a street party in Edinburgh's Stockbridge, told the BBC she enjoyed herself but did not see the event as an endorsement of the monarchy. "It's a celebration of community," she said, adding: "I wouldn't examine it too closely." As the Diamond Jubilee pageant began, its 1,000 vessels were greeted along the route by 1.2 million spectators, according to the organisers. Crowds lined the banks of the Thames, some climbing up onto window ledges of nearby buildings to try to get a better view, all thankful that by now the skies were holding onto their raindrops. On Lambeth Bridge, a carefully controlled number of the public were allowed on, each choosing a side to stand on, to either watch the pageant arrive or see it pass off into the distance. As it approached, the smaller boats before the bigger ones, great cheers rose up, as did the crackling of plastic flags. That sound reached a crescendo when the royal barge approached, prompting many hands to raise mobile phones and cameras, like electronic meerkats desperate for a view. Among those on the bridge was Marilyn Griffiths, 59, from Ledbury, Herefordshire, decked out in a union jack hat, earrings and carrying a flag. She described the pageant as "spectacular", adding: "I just love the Royal Family and admire them all for what they do. They all work so hard. I wanted to come here to show my support." By the end of the pageant the rain had become almost torrential, with everyone wet through. And yet the good humour of the crowd survived, with one man even enjoying a rather soggy ice cream. The last of the steam boats sailed by sounding their horns together and drawing cheers from the flag-wavers along Tower Bridge. "I saw the Queen," shouted one small child to his mother. It was certainly an achievement for all. See all the latest Diamond Jubilee news and features at bbc.co.uk/diamondjubilee
Fireworks scratched colours into the slate grey sky after being unleashed from the top of Tower Bridge as the historic royal flotilla finished gliding along the Thames.
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But the ex-Fifa executive-turned-whistleblower was also known for leading an eccentric, and often lavish, lifestyle, with reports he had a separate Manhattan flat for his cats and a parrot frequently seen on his shoulder. He died at the age of 72 in July 2017. For a man whose career has come to epitomise sleaze in football, it may be surprising - or perhaps fitting - that Blazer never actually played the sport himself. "Chuck is extraordinarily knowledgeable about soccer, but I never detected in him any real passion for the sport," Doug Logan, another prominent figure in the development of football in the US in the 1990s, told Buzzfeed in an extensive piece in June 2014. "He's what I'd affectionately call a suit." His involvement with football began when he coached his son's team in the town of New Rochelle, New York state, in the late 1970s. Blazer's skills as a salesman and his knowledge of the business side of football saw him rise through regional football organisations in the US, and then on to the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf). There he teamed up with Trinidadian football administrator Jack Warner to engineer Mr Warner's election as president of Concacaf in 1990. Mr Warner immediately named Blazer general secretary and put him in charge of the organisation's operations. The two moved Concacaf's headquarters from Guatemala City to the US; it was at this time that Blazer signed a contract with Concacaf that entitled him to 10% commissions on all sponsorship and TV rights deals through his company Sportvertising, giving rise to his nickname of "Mr Ten Percent". From 1996 to 2013 he was on Fifa's Executive Committee. Blazer was not shy about publicising the lifestyle he enjoyed while at Fifa's upper echelons. A blog recording his travels documented, amongst other things, his meetings with world leaders and Miss Universe 2011, watching the 2012 Super Bowl in a special suite and his enthusiasm for fancy dress. He also introduced readers to his pet parrot, a blue-and-gold macaw named Max. Blazer even uploaded a video of the bird dancing on the basket of his mobility scooter in New York's Central Park. According to one Sunday Times report, the famous parrot was trained by Blazer's ex-wife to verbally abuse him after the couple had split up. He was also rumoured to have kept an apartment just for his cats in New York's famous Trump Tower skyscraper, as well as one for himself that Mr Warner accused him of paying for with Concacaf funds. According to a 2013 report by Concacaf's integrity committee, he also used $48,500 of the organisation's money to buy a Hummer, which then cost $600 a month to park near his New York office. Mr Warner left Concacaf in 2011 after allegations of corruption and bribery, and Blazer left later that year after learning the new leadership wanted rid of him. After resigning, he was reported to have said: "This has been the best job in the world, but I need some action. People should seriously consider me for a top CEO." His lavish lifestyle began to unravel when it came to light that US investigators were probing confidential payments to offshore accounts operated by Blazer. A report on the investigation by the New York Daily News in November 2011 said Blazer was stopped while making his way to a pricey Manhattan restaurant in a mobility scooter by federal agents who had been tracking tax evasion. "We can take you away in handcuffs now - or you can co-operate," one of the agents allegedly told Blazer. He is then said to have agreed to record his colleagues using a microphone hidden in a keychain. In 2013, he pleaded guilty to bribery, money laundering and tax evasion but agreed to help investigators expose corruption in Fifa. He was banned from all football activities for life in 2015. According to the New York Times, Blazer had been suffering from rectal cancer for years. His lawyers announced his death on 12 July 2017.
Chuck Blazer was the central figure behind the Fifa corruption scandal, which led to the eventual downfall of the organisation's president, Sepp Blatter.
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Reham Saeed was sentenced to a year in jail for the interview, in which she suggested a sexual harassment victim deserved her fate. Her guest had uploaded footage to Facebook of an assault by her harasser after police failed to prosecute him. But Saeed aired private pictures of her guest in what she called "revealing clothes", including a bikini. The assault on the victim in a shopping mall last October was captured on closed-circuit television. In the footage, a man and woman walk into frame and appear to argue. The man then reaches out and slaps the woman, before being restrained by mall security and onlookers. The woman in the footage complained to the police that the man was sexually harassing her. The video was then viewed hundreds of thousands of times online. Read more: Controversy over presenter's comments In one of many television appearances, the woman spoke to Saeed on her show on the private al-Nahar network. Saeed asked her: "Do you think you were dressed appropriately?" before launching a monologue blaming the victim. On the day of the assault, the victim had been wearing jeans and a sleeveless top. The guest then filed a legal complaint against the the network, and Saeed's show Sabaya al-Khair (Charity Girls) was briefly suspended. Saeed was then the target of a hate campaign on social media. Tens of thousands of tweets including a hashtag that translates as "Die Reham" were posted, many showing depictions of Saeed dying. As well as handing out a jail sentence on Monday, a court in Giza fined Saeed 10,000 Egyptian pounds ($1,277; £917), but she retains the right to appeal. Al-Ahram reported that the guest's attacker was eventually sentenced to one month in jail, but that the sentence was reduced to two weeks on appeal in February. A recent UN report said that more than 99% of Egyptian women have experienced some form of sexual assault. In June 2013, the government introduced a law including new punishments designed to crack down on sexual harassment.
A TV presenter in Egypt has been jailed for 'violating the privacy' of an assault victim interviewed on her show.
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Tim Swiel's late penalty was the difference for Quins after the lead changed hands several times. Quins' Tim Visser and Bath's Kane Palma-Newport scored first-half tries as the hosts led 11-10 at the break. Karl Dickson extended Quins' lead before Nathan Catt bundled over to put Bath back in front, but Swiel's third penalty secured the win. Swiel replaced regular kicker Nick Evans after just 14 minutes - the veteran New Zealander going off with an injury on his 200th club appearance. The 23-year-old proved to be no less accurate with the boot than Quins' all-time leading Premiership points scorer Evans, slotting the winning kick from 40 metres. Bath, Premiership finalists in 2015, have been resurgent under new director of rugby Todd Blackadder this season, after finishing a disappointing ninth in 2015-16. However, they went behind early when returning Scotland international Visser crossed in the corner, before big prop Palma-Newport crashed over just before half-time. The game continued to switch from end to end after the break, Quins' Dickson flying over after a fine break from Marland Yarde, and Catt's converted try making it 20-18 to Bath 15 minutes from time. But Swiel kept his cool to give Harlequins their fifth victory of the season and Bath slipped to third in the table. Harlequins: Morris; Yarde, Alofa, Marchant, Visser; Evans (capt), Dickson; Lambert, Buchanan, Collier, Merrick, Matthews, Chisholm, Wallace, Clifford. Replacements: Ward, Murphy, Jones, South, Naoupu, Mulchrone, Swiel, Walker. Bath: Homer; Rokoduguni, Clark, Tapuai, Brew; Bowden, Allinson; Catt, Dunn, Palma-Newport, Garvey (capt), Attwood, Ellis, G. Mercer, Z. Mercer. Replacements: Batty, Obano, Lahiff, Grant, Douglas, Homer, Hastings, Banahan. Referee: Dean Richards. For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter.
Harlequins condemned Bath to just their second Premiership loss of the season with a hard-fought home victory.
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Hancox's cross gave Anthony Dudley a simple finish to put the visitors in front, and by the end of the first period the defender had ended the match as a contest. David Stephens smashed home to put the hosts back on level terms, but Hancox made it 2-1 when he knocked in a rebound. Hancox netted his second from Rhys Browne's cut-back in stoppage time, and there was still time for him to complete his hat-trick before the half-time whistle with a low shot in off a post. Bruno Andrade pulled one back for Boreham Wood, but it was no more than a consolation. Match report supplied by the Press Association Match ends, Boreham Wood 2, Macclesfield Town 4. Second Half ends, Boreham Wood 2, Macclesfield Town 4. Substitution, Macclesfield Town. Dan Cowan replaces Ollie Norburn. Morgan Ferrier (Boreham Wood) is shown the yellow card. Substitution, Boreham Wood. Angelo Balanta replaces Ben Nunn. Goal! Boreham Wood 2, Macclesfield Town 4. Bruno Andrade (Boreham Wood). Substitution, Macclesfield Town. Jack Mackreth replaces Rhys Browne. John McCombe (Macclesfield Town) is shown the yellow card. Substitution, Macclesfield Town. Luke Summerfield replaces Kingsley James. Jai Reason (Boreham Wood) is shown the yellow card. Substitution, Boreham Wood. Morgan Ferrier replaces Kenny Davis. Substitution, Boreham Wood. Mark Ricketts replaces Joe Devera. Second Half begins Boreham Wood 1, Macclesfield Town 4. First Half ends, Boreham Wood 1, Macclesfield Town 4. Goal! Boreham Wood 1, Macclesfield Town 4. Mitch Hancox (Macclesfield Town). Goal! Boreham Wood 1, Macclesfield Town 3. Mitch Hancox (Macclesfield Town). Neill Byrne (Macclesfield Town) is shown the yellow card. Goal! Boreham Wood 1, Macclesfield Town 2. Mitch Hancox (Macclesfield Town). Goal! Boreham Wood 1, Macclesfield Town 1. David Stephens (Boreham Wood). Andy Halls (Macclesfield Town) is shown the yellow card. Goal! Boreham Wood 0, Macclesfield Town 1. Anthony Dudley (Macclesfield Town). First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.
Mitch Hancox scored a first-half hat-trick as he inspired Macclesfield to National League victory at Boreham Wood.
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The Colombian Agency for Reintegration (ACR) director said the body could look after double the number of demobilised rebels it currently mentored. Director Alejandro Eder told the BBC it had an "emergency reaction plan". According to Mr Eder, the ACR is ready to receive up to 40,000 ex-combatants. The government estimates there are just 7,800 active Farc rebels, with approximately another 10,000 people on the margins of the group. The National Liberation Army (ELN), Colombia's second-largest rebel group, is estimated to have just under 1,500 fighters. The government has been holding peace talks with the Farc since November 2012 and recently signalled its willingness to engage in negotiations with the ELN to end five decades of armed conflict. Opponents of the talks have argued that a demobilisation of so many rebels at one time, most of whom have little experience of civilian life, would not be feasible. But Mr Eder said "the Colombian government is ready" and had the experience and funds to deal with a mass demobilisation. He pointed to his agency's expertise, gained over the past 10 years rehabilitating 56,000 former right-wing paramilitaries and left-wing guerrillas. According to Mr Eder, the main challenge was to get the support of wider Colombian society and to make people realise the process would take time. Reintegrating ex-combatants into society normally takes seven years, during which they receive extensive psychological support as well as educational and vocational training. The length of the programme depends on the background of each individual, 70% of whom are either completely illiterate or just barely able to read or write their names. Their average age at the time of recruitment is 16, so few have had much formal schooling. "They're coming from a completely different society and you essentially have to train them about everything," Mr Eder explained. "You have to teach them how to cross the road, literally. "You have to teach people how to stand in line at the bank, and how to pay [in a shop] because when you have an AK-47 slung over your shoulder, nobody wants to charge you," he says. Apart from offering psychological help to overcome the trauma of years of jungle warfare, the programme offers educational support. The main aim is to get all the participants through elementary school education, so they can go on to vocational training and take up jobs. Mr Eder is particularly proud of one young former female Farc rebel who has made it to university, where she is studying medicine. "She was forcibly recruited by the Farc when she was eight. She came out of the group at 17, illiterate, with all sorts of psychological problems, no family connections whatsoever," he recalls. "We started working with her, [giving her] psychological attention, education, we found her family, rebuilt the family relationship and to cut a long story short, 10 years later she is studying in her third year of medicine!" Mr Eder admitted the young woman was an exception but said it showed that the programme, which costs the Colombian government $90m (£55m) a year, was working. But there are also those who relapse. Ten percent of those who have gone through the programme have been tried and convicted of crimes committed after they demobilised, according to ACR figures. And Mr Eder puts the total number of those who have gone back into illegality at between 20% to 25%. While rejecting allegations that Colombia's powerful criminal gangs such as the Urabenos and the Rastrojos are largely made up of demobilised right-wing paramilitaries as "a myth", he conceded that many of the top leaders of these gangs were former paramilitaries. "In 2010, we identified 60 of the people who set up these groups. Half of them were former AUC [United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia] commanders." According to Mr Eder, the lure of Colombia's most lucrative illegal export is hard to resist. "You have to take into account that we're trying to end a conflict in Colombia that's fuelled by a highly illegal natural resource that is cocaine," he explained. "When you pull people out of the conflict, there are going to be some people who say, 'Hey, shall I go into this reintegration programme, and go to the psychologist, and learn how to be a baker, or shall I manage this $20m-a-year drug route?'," he said. "And unfortunately some of them opt for the $20m-a-year drug route. "That's also why the Colombian police and the Colombian armed forces still have their work cut out for them, even once we demobilise all these people."
Colombia has said it is ready to reintegrate thousands of demobilised rebels into society, as peace talks between Farc rebels and government negotiators enter their 15th round.
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