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The 33-year-old former Scotland Under-21 cap, who arrived from Yeovil Town in 2012, has signed until May 2017, with a further one-year option. MacLean has scored 11 goals in 23 games for the Premiership outfit this season. He started out with Ranges and also spells with Scunthorpe United, Sheffield Wednesday, Cardiff City, Plymouth Argyle, Aberdeen, Oxford United and Cheltenham Town. Meanwhile, St Johnstone have sent two youth players on loan for the rest of the season, with defender Neil Martyniuk joining Montrose in League Two and striker Greg Kerr spending time with Whitehill Welfare in the Lowland League.
St Johnstone have secured striker Steven MacLean on a contract extension.
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The Oscar-winning picture made $1.27bn (£857m) at box offices worldwide, and led to record sales of related merchandise. Frozen 2 will reunite the team behind the original feature, including director Chris Buck, writer Jennifer Lee and producer Peter Del Vecho. The studio did not name a release date. Shares in parent company Walt Disney were up by almost 4% following the news. Toy-maker Mattel, which currently owns the license to sell Frozen products, saw its shares rise by almost 5%. Last month, Disney credited the continuing success of toys based on Frozen for an "incredibly strong quarter". Net income rose 19% to $2.2bn (£1.5bn) in the three-month period, with revenues up 9% to $13.4bn - both figures better than forecast. In December, Frozen became iTunes' biggest-selling movie of all time, while the soundtrack sold more than any other album in the US in 2014. Additionally, DVD and Blu-ray sales of the animation broke the three million mark on the first day of their release.
Disney has announced it will produce a sequel to its runaway hit Frozen, which last year became the highest-grossing animated film of all time.
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The hosts dominated the first half as tries for Charles Piutau, Rob Miller and Ashley Johnson secured a 25-0 lead. Sharks rallied through scores from David Seymour and Neil Briggs, but Jimmy Gopperth then crossed to add the try bonus point for the hosts. Christian Wade danced through for their fifth before Sale centre Johnny Leota was sent off in a scuffle late on. Wasps also finished with 14 men as Tom Bristow was sinbinned for his part in the same incident, Jake Cooper-Woolley having also been yellow carded earlier. Dai Young's side, who have only lost twice in 2016, continued their impressive form since the turn of the year, having now won a sixth home game in a row. Sharks fly-half Danny Cipriani faced his old club for the first time since agreeing to re-join them next season, but struggled to impose himself on the game. He did reach the milestone of 1,000 Premiership points when he converted Seymour's try, while the man he will be competing for the number 10 shirt next year, Gopperth, impressed with 17 points. Wasps remain in third behind Exeter and Saracens, four points clear of fourth-placed Leicester. Despite being the only Premiership team unbeaten at home this season, Sale's away form is hampering their top-six hopes, having won just once on the road. Wasps director of rugby Dai Young: "I certainly would have settled for that before the game. You can't get any more than five points, and we've achieved that which keeps the momentum going. "We talked about starting really big in the first 20 or 25 minutes, as if you look at the stats that is usually Sale's best period. "We became a bit individual and came out of structure a little and allowed them to get back into it in the second half. I was getting a bit concerned when they scored their second try, and we found another gear." Sale director of rugby Steve Diamond: "We were convincingly beaten by a better side on the day. They have lots of big, powerful runners we couldn't contain and combined with our first-half error rate they went in 25-0 up. "We just got our noses into some competitiveness in the second half, then they stepped it up again and we couldn't compete. "Wasps are a good side who have knocked a few people around and will carry on doing that. They were more physical than us and our error rate let us down." Wasps: Miller; Wade, C Piutau, S Piutau, Halai; Gopperth, Robson; McIntyre, Johnson, Cooper-Woolley, Cannon, Myall, Young, Hughes, Jones (capt). Replacements: Festuccia, Bristow, Swainston, Rowlands, Rieder, Stevenson, Jackson, Macken. Sin-bin: Cooper-Woolley (44), Bristow (73). Sale: Haley; Brady, Leota, Jennings, Edwards; Cipriani, Stringer; Harrison, Briggs, Mujati, Mills, Ostrikov, Lund, Seymour (capt), Easter. Replacements: Neild, Flynn, Parker, Ioane, Fihaki, Mitchell, Ford, James. Red card: Leota (73).
Wasps ran in five tries at the Ricoh Arena as they thrashed Sale to boost their Premiership play-off hopes.
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Kevin Paddick, 34, of Rosemary Road, Clacton, Essex, is accused of killing Danny Myers, 23, from Enfield. Mr Myers died in hospital after he was stabbed at an address in Rochford Road, St Osyth, in the early hours of Monday. The accused is expected to appear before magistrates later. A 29-year-old woman from Clacton, who was arrested on suspicion of murder, has been released without charge.
A man has been charged with murdering a man who was stabbed to death.
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As a result, how - and not just whether - a claimant is able to accomplish tasks like walking and planning journeys will help determine the amount they are entitled to in benefits. Claimants who manage the tasks, but not "reliably", will get higher payments. Ministers admitted there were concerns that the proposals were "unclear". The Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will replace the existing Disability Living Allowance (DLA) in April. People who are less mobile will be entitled to higher payments. Campaigners had warned that people deemed capable of walking more than 20 metres could receive lower payments - even if they were unable to do so "safely, reliably, repeatedly and in a reasonable time period". Ministers had previously denied the claim and argued that these words did not need to be written into legally binding regulations. But minister for disabled Esther McVey said on Thursday: "I know that disabled people and their representatives feel strongly that this important concept is set out in law and I am happy to do this." She added: "Our intention has always been the same - we want to target support at those who need it most. "We have always said that we will not just look at whether individuals can carry out activities but also the manner in which they do so." Critics of the government's changes say one third of disabled people live in poverty and an estimated 42% fewer people would be eligible for mobility allowance as a result. In exchanges in the House of Lords last week, Crossbencher Baroness Grey-Thompson, a Paralympic gold medallist, criticised the government for its "lack of consultation with disabled people" about the proposals. Fellow crossbencher Lord Alton has said the fact people will have specially adapted vehicles taken away from them had caused "widespread disbelief and considerable distress". For ministers, Lord Freud conceded: "I have to accept that there was inadequate discussion of the changes and that there is inadequate understanding of them."
Regulations governing eligibility for benefits for disabled people will be changed after criticism of their likely impact, the government has announced.
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More places will also be made available at all of Scotland's teacher education universities. The increase of 60 primary and 200 secondary student teacher places will bring the total intake next year to 3,490. The government said it was the fifth consecutive annual increase. A campaign was launched in September to try to encourage more people to enter the teaching profession in Scotland. The Scottish government's #inspiringteachers campaign is focusing on science, technology, engineering and maths. Ministers are also asking the new Strategic Board for Teacher Education to consider whether further actions are needed "to make sure we have the right numbers of teachers in our schools". In September, the leaders of seven councils called for a national taskforce to be set up to help deal with teacher recruitment problems. They made the call at a summit on tackling teacher shortages in northern and rural parts of Scotland. Student teacher places next year: • 1,230 post-graduate primary places - 60 more than last year's target • 710 undergraduate primary places • 1,350 secondary places - up by 185 on last year's target • 200 undergraduate secondary places - 15 more than last year's target Education Secretary Angela Constance said: "We want to make sure we have the right number of skilled teachers in our schools to help all of our young people to succeed. "That's why we worked with local authorities to maintain teacher numbers this year and aim to do the same again next year, with a further £51m funding. "And it's why we are increasing student places for the fifth year in a row, targeting them at areas where they are needed most such as Aberdeen and Highlands and Islands universities. "We have upped last year's student teacher targets for science, technology, engineering and maths and we know these will be challenging for the universities to meet. "I will be asking the new Strategic Board for Teacher Education to look at our workforce planning, particularly in the secondary sector, to consider whether there is more we can do. "We also launched a teacher recruitment campaign in September with a focus on the Stem subjects and we are working with the universities to maximise its impact."
The Scottish government has announced that it is making more than £2m available to train an extra 260 teachers next year.
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These secondary populations could also be utilised in a way to reduce or halt the pressure on species' native populations, say researchers. Adopting a more creative approach to conservation could help slow global biodiversity loss, they added. The findings appear in the Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment journal. "This first came to my attention when I read a news story about the seizure of an illegal shipment of 23 yellow crested cockatoos," said co-author Luke Gibson from the University of Hong Kong. "Each individual had been stuffed inside a plastic water bottle." He learned that the species was critically endangered, which surprised him. "I had been seeing the same species flying around directly outside my office at the university," he added. This prompted Dr Gibson and his colleague Din Li Yong to investigate how a critically endangered species had become established as a self-sustaining outside of its natural range. They discovered 49 cases of a globally threatened species becoming established as a separate population, including the the yellow crested cockatoo on Hong Kong island. "This is a species which is primarily threatened by wildlife trade," he told BBC News. "Poachers go out into the forest in its native range in eastern Indonesia and capture the bird and then ship them off, usually up to Hong Kong or China where there is a strong demand for pet birds. "This is what has fuelled the decline of this species [in its native range]. But it's really interesting because that same cause also had another effect: some of the people who were keeping this species in Hong Kong accidentally or intentionally released them." As a result of enough of the birds being released, it allowed a new self-sustaining population to be be established on the island. The government in Hong Kong has made it illegal to capture the species, even though it is a non-native species. Because the city-state is affluent and relatively well educated, the cases of people breaking the law are extremely rare, explained Dr Gibson. Unlike in its native range in Indonesia where capturing birds forms a major source of income. However, there can be downsides to the newly established population of endangered species, such as a limited genetic pool, contracting novel diseases, or hybridisation with closely related species, Dr Gibson added. However, it did also present a possible "very interesting" opportunity for conservationists, he suggested. This would involve "harvesting" some of the newly established secondary population. This would allow demands in the wildlife trade to be met but also relieve the pressures on the native populations. Follow Mark on Twitter
Illegally traded endangered species that escape, forming secondary populations, offer hope for their long-term survival, a study suggests.
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Media playback is not supported on this device The Welsh swimmer added 800m freestyle silver to her 400m freestyle medal after being beaten again by record-breaking American Katie Ledecky. "I finally started believing in myself," Carlin told BBC Sport. "I have been working with a sports psychologist on that side of things as well and not just the physical side." Media playback is not supported on this device The 2014 Commonwealth and European 800m freestyle champion was beaten by Ledecky, who took nearly two seconds off her own world record to win nearly 12 seconds clear of Carlin. The 19-year-old from the United States became the first woman since 1968 to do an Olympic cleansweep of the 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle titles to win her fourth gold medal of the Rio Games. Carlin, who missed the London 2012 Games because of illness, celebrated her "incredible feeling" after years of upheaval after changing coaches and moving training bases to Bath under Dave McNulty's guidance. "It has been tough," admitted the 24-year-old. "I relocated to the Bath programme two years ago and changed coaches and change where I live. "So to come away with a silver medal is an incredible feeling." Carlin won the fifth Welsh silver of the 2016 Games in the pool just hours after cyclist Owain Doull won Wales' first gold in Rio in the team pursuit. Carlin is just the second post-war Welsh athlete to win two medals at one Olympic Games - alongside double equestrian champion Richard Meade at Munich in 1972 - and becomes one of the most successful Welsh swimmers ever, Irene Steer is the only Welsh female swimmer to win an Olympic title - in the 4x100m relay at the 1912 Games in Stockholm. David Davies has won two Olympic medals - a 1,500m bronze in 2004 and open water silver in 2008. Carlin became the first Welsh female swimmer for 80 years to win two medals in one Commonwealth Games in 2010, then became the first Welsh female swimmer to win a Commonwealth title in 40 years when she struck gold in Glasgow two years ago. Former double Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington praised Carlin's silver double at Rio and insists her success in Brazil has "written off" any disappointment from London 2012. "The fact she has backed up silver in the 400m and come away with two silver medals at an Olympic Games is just fantastic, " said Adlington. "I think she will be over the moon."
Jazz Carlin has admitted her two Olympic silvers in Rio is after she "finally started believing" following advice from a sports psychologist.
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Daniel Begg, 21, of Dundee, admitted culpable and reckless behaviour. The fan who was struck avoided serious injury in the incident at Pittodrie Stadium on Sunday 25 September. Begg was fined £260 at Aberdeen Sheriff Court. The court refused a Crown motion for a football banning order stopping Begg from attending future games. Rangers fan Begg was in the away end at Pittodrie. Police had earlier issued a CCTV appeal to trace him.
A football fan who threw stadium seats at another supporter during an Aberdeen v Rangers game has avoided a ban from matches.
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The 35-year-old has been released by Brighton & Hove Albion after they fell short in their bid for promotion. "Maybe if I drop down a division, I'll not feature, but it's ifs, buts and maybes," the defender said of his international future. "It is up to me to keep fit and keep playing and see where it takes me." Greer, who won his 11th cap after starting in Saturday's 3-0 defeat by France in Metz, has no idea where he will be playing when Scotland start their World Cup qualifying campaign against Malta in September. "Hopefully I'll get something and I'll be fit and ready for the qualifiers," said the centre-half who did not win his first cap until he turned 32. "I am open to anything. I would like anything with a good opportunity where teams are pushing for something." Greer had spent six years at Brighton after leaving Swindon Town but found himself out of Chris Hughton's starting XI after January. Injuries led to a recall for their final game of the season against Middlesbrough, when a 1-1 draw denied Brighton automatic promotion, and he retained his place for the play-off semi-final defeat by Sheffield Wednesday. The lengthy inactivity meant he was thankful for more game time against France despite being on the receiving end of a heavy defeat. "It was very tough," said the former Clyde, Blackburn Rovers, Kilmarnock and Doncaster Rovers centre-half. "They are a very good team, got a lot of good players and we found it difficult at times. "But it was good to go out there and get 90 minutes against some of the top players in the world, so it was interesting." Scotland had lost 1-0 to Italy six days earlier and failed to fire a shot on target in either of the two friendlies against sides preparing for the Euro 2016 finals in France. Greer was not one of those questioning the decision to play two very strong teams at the end of a long domestic season. "Ultimately, as a footballer, you want to be playing out there against some of the best players in a great atmosphere because that's what you train for all season," he stressed. "We've got some talented players coming through and I think it was really worthwhile for them as well. "France are obviously at a different stage of their preparation going into the Euros and everybody's playing for places. "We went out there and gave it everything, but we just fell short against a fantastic team."
Gordon Greer has a double mission this summer - find a new club and one that is good enough to help him retain his place in the Scotland team.
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But in April - before the EU referendum - the then home secretary gave a speech warning of the implications of a vote to leave the EU. Here's how some of the key quotes compare: April 2016: "So, if we do vote to leave the European Union, we risk bringing the development of the single market to a halt, we risk a loss of investors and businesses to remaining EU member states driven by discriminatory EU policies, and we risk going backwards when it comes to international trade. "But the big question is whether, in the event of Brexit, we would be able to negotiate a new free trade agreement with the EU and on what terms." January 2017: "I respect the position taken by European leaders who have been clear about their position, just as I am clear about mine. So an important part of the new strategic partnership we seek with the EU will be the pursuit of the greatest possible access to the single market, on a fully reciprocal basis, through a comprehensive free trade agreement." April 2016: "The reality is that we do not know on what terms we would win access to the single market. We do know that in a negotiation we would need to make concessions in order to access it, and those concessions could well be about accepting EU regulations, over which we would have no say, making financial contributions, just as we do now, accepting free movement rules, just as we do now, or quite possibly all three combined. "It is not clear why other EU member states would give Britain a better deal than they themselves enjoy." January 2017: "If we were excluded from accessing the single market, we would be free to change the basis of Britain's economic model. "But for the EU, it would mean new barriers to trade with one of the biggest economies in the world. It would jeopardise investments in Britain by EU companies worth more than half a trillion pounds... and I do not believe that the EU's leaders will seriously tell German exporters, French farmers, Spanish fishermen, the young unemployed of the eurozone, and millions of others, that they want to make them poorer, just to punish Britain and make a political point." April 2016: "It is tempting to look at developing countries' economies, with their high growth rates, and see them as an alternative to trade with Europe. But just look at the reality of our trading relationship with China - with its dumping policies, protective tariffs and industrial-scale industrial espionage. And look at the figures. We export more to Ireland than we do to China, almost twice as much to Belgium as we do to India, and nearly three times as much to Sweden as we do to Brazil. It is not realistic to think we could just replace European trade with these new markets." "And while we could certainly negotiate our own trade agreements, there would be no guarantee that they would be on terms as good as those we enjoy now. There would also be a considerable opportunity cost given the need to replace the existing agreements - not least with the EU itself - that we would have torn up as a consequence of our departure." January 2017: "We want to get out into the wider world, to trade and do business all around the globe. Countries including China, Brazil, and the Gulf States have already expressed their interest in striking trade deals with us." April 2016 (responding to a question from the BBC): "What matters is that we have brought about changes in the free movement rules as a result of the negotiation." January 2017: "As home secretary for six years, I know that you cannot control immigration overall when there is free movement to Britain from Europe." April 2016: "With no agreement, we know that WTO rules would oblige the EU to charge 10% tariffs on UK car exports, in line with the tariffs they impose on Japan and the United States. They would be required to do the same for all other goods upon which they impose tariffs. Not all of these tariffs are as high as 10%, but some are considerably higher." January 2017: "And while I am confident that this scenario need never arise - while I am sure a positive agreement can be reached - I am equally clear that no deal for Britain is better than a bad deal for Britain. "Because we would still be able to trade with Europe. We would be free to strike trade deals across the world. And we would have the freedom to set the competitive tax rates and embrace the policies that would attract the world's best companies and biggest investors to Britain."
Theresa May has said the UK will emerge from Brexit as a "great, global trading nation", becoming "safer, more secure and more prosperous".
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The drilling rig was destined for a yard in Turkey to be decommissioned when a towline broke and it ran aground on Lewis. It is now temporarily anchored in the island's Broad Bay where divers will inspect the structure for damage. But councillor Angus Campbell has said it could remain longer term. He has written to the rig's owner, Transocean, to consider breaking up and recycling parts of the structure at facilities near Stornoway on Lewis. Hugh Shaw, the Secretary of State's representative for maritime salvage and intervention, who is overseeing the salvage operation, has said a decision on the final destination of the rig has still to be made. In his letter to Transocean, Mr Campbell said: "We are pleased that you continue to engage with the local supply chain and, given the significant and positive economic impact to the islands, would now ask that serious consideration be given to the use of local facilities and engineering expertise in carrying out the necessary repairs. "As you will be aware, there is an established oil and gas supply chain in the islands with considerable lay down area at the Arnish facility and good connections for skilled workers to move in and out as required. "Secure additional storage for recyclable parts pending resale could be available at Creed Park on the outskirts of Stornoway. "We would be very happy to work with Transocean, Smit Salvage and other relevant key stakeholders to ensure that direct and indirect benefits are, as much as possible, retained in the islands."
The leader of Western Isles local authority, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, has said the rig Transocean Winner could be scrapped on the islands.
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Newsbeat has been finding out how the shops will be trying to drive sales. Black Friday's originally a American idea linked to the Thanksgiving holiday but retailers in the UK say the annual sales day is taking off here too. Spending will be up 22% on last year, according to Visa, which predicts that £360,000 will be spent every minute. We've been speaking to retail consultants about some of the methods shops use to try to make that happen. "An atmosphere of frenzy and anticipation" is the aim, James Logie, from Retail Management Consultants tells Newsbeat. Many deals will be for 24 hours only, to create a sense of urgency. Tesco's 24-hour stores began the sale at one minute past midnight and John Lewis will be revealing many of its deals then too. "All of this appeals to our hunter instincts to go out there and get the best bargains," says Clare Rayner, a retail consultant. But Guy Anker from moneysavingexpert.com warns: "It's classic sales pressure. Consumers and shoppers need to be on their guard. "Just because it's on sale in one place doesn't mean that's the cheapest place to buy it. "If you look at some of the big brands that have their own stores - even in a sale it's sometimes cheaper to buy those items at a department store or a more general store that sells any number of brands." James says "commitment consistency" is a key tactic. This is the idea that once you've committed to buy something, you'll buy again. We've long seen merchandise being placed by the till and there are plenty of bargains positioned there today. Staff will be encouraging consumers to buy a matching garment, or a warranty to go with what they've already decided to buy, says Clare. Guy adds: "What's really important is to think about what you really want and need in advance." "High energy music can create frenzied atmosphere, stimulate the senses and create that sense of having to rush," says James. Guy says that while the "smell of mulled wine, Christmas music, and flowers might be nice - it's all part of the sales trick to try to get you to spend. "So try to make rational decision and not an emotional one." Many stores will bring in extra staff - and this could be the day the Christmas hats come out. "Staff will be on parade tomorrow, we'll see a lot more engagement than usual." Clare says staff "really have to make this one day count". She adds: "There's going to be very little profit margin on heavily discounted products and so they're really going to have to sell like mad to make it worth their while." It's all about making a big impact on customers as they walk through the door, and positioning the biggest bargains where they can't possibly be missed. "We're expecting to see big flashy signs and displays at the front of the store, with lighting to draw the eye to them," says Clare. "Whether the shopper knows it's Black Friday or not, by the time they've walked through the door, they won't be in any doubt." Retailers will be targeting customers by email and on their phones too. On last year's Black Friday John Lewis says it saw online sales that were twice as big as their previous record day and sales from mobile devices were three times bigger. With all that in mind, Gillian Guy, chief executive of charity Citizens Advice, share some advice. "Consumer protection laws could give you the right to a refund or repair if you buy something that's faulty, is delivered late or if the product that arrives isn't what you were expecting," she says. "Always check the terms and conditions so that if something does go wrong, you know what you can do to get it put right. "If you buy something online, then retailers have to be up front about delivery costs and their returns policy." Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube
On Black Friday retailers will be aiming for a "frenzied" atmosphere - the hope being it makes you buy more.
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The French duo, seeded seventh, beat Russian fifth seeds Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina 6-3 2-6 6-4. Garcia and Mladenovic claimed their first Grand Slam title having only teamed up this year with a target of playing at the Olympics. They have now won titles in Charleston, Stuttgart, Madrid and Paris. Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.
Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic gave the Paris crowd a home victory to cheer as they won the women's doubles title at the French Open.
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Many women have questioned the safety of the implants, which are used to treat incontinence, after suffering debilitating side effects. Two patients sitting on the original review group quit in protest at what they said was a watered-down report. Now independent expert Alison Britton, a professor of healthcare and medical law, will examine the final report. Ms Robison told Holyrood's public petitions committee that Prof Britton, from Glasgow Caledonian University, would examine the process by which the report came to its conclusions. She told MSPs: "Professor Britton will produce a report on how the independent review process was undertaken and importantly what lessons can be learned in the future." The report concluded procedures should not be offered routinely to women with pelvic organ prolapse. It recommended patients be offered a range of treatments and given the information to make "informed choices". The report also said reporting of adverse events should be mandatory. Ms Robison confirmed the recommendations would continue to be implemented despite calls from campaigners for an all-out ban. The health secretary said the government did not have the power to ban the procedures as that lay with UK regulatory body the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency. In other evidence, the chairwoman of the independent review Tracey Gillies apologised for failing to unite all panel members around the review's controversial final report. Ms Gillies took over as chairwoman of the independent review of transvaginal mesh implants in its final stages towards the end of last year. It emerged she had no conversations with previous chairwoman Lesley Wilkie, who resigned for personal reasons. Her evidence was punctuated by cries of "shame on you" and "rubbish" from a packed public gallery which included some women who had suffered painful and debilitating complications as a result of the procedure. Ms Gillies said her task had been "almost mission impossible from the beginning". She said: "It was clear that there were strongly-held views of difference at the point that I came in, so one could say more fool me for agreeing to chair this. "This is not something that most people would have ... welcomed would be the wrong word, but it's clearly going to be a very difficult thing and I personally have reflected and feel disappointed that I have not achieved what I would have set out to do, which would have been to bring this in in consensus. Olive McIlroy and Elaine Holmes - who had both suffered complications as a result of the surgery - quit the review group earlier this year, saying they felt "dismayed and disgusted" at the publication of the independent report. It was claimed that parts of the final report had been removed. Following their resignations, it emerged that a consultant also quit the expert group over concerns about the final draft of the report. Over the past 20 years, more than 20,000 women in Scotland have had mesh or tape implants but some have suffered painful and debilitating complications. There are more than 400 women currently taking legal action against Scottish health boards and manufacturers as a result of mesh implant surgery.
Health Secretary Shona Robison has asked an expert to examine a review into the safety of mesh implants.
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Some 66 Israelis - all but two of them soldiers - have also died in the mission to destroy rockets and tunnels used by the militant Islamist group Hamas. What do we know about who died and where they were killed? According to figures from the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), up to 6 August, 1,890 Palestinians had lost their lives in the conflict. Note: Figures up to 6 August Read more Among the dead were 414 children and 87 men and women over the age of 60. The youngest to be killed was 10 days old, while the oldest was 100. While the UN puts the number of militant dead below 200, Israel claims about 900 Palestinian militants were killed in the fighting. Palestinians were killed right across Gaza - a strip of land 40km (25 miles) long and 10km wide. The highest numbers lost their lives in Khan Younis, in the south of Gaza, and Gaza City in the north. Many took refuge in shelters run by the United Nations, including schools. However, these UN schools also came under fire, including in North Gaza, Jabaliya and Rafah. Meanwhile, two Israeli civilians were killed - one near Dimona and the other near the Erez border crossing into northern Gaza; and a Thai farm worker was killed in Netiv Haasara, which borders Gaza. Produced by Christine Jeavans, Lucy Rodgers, Gerry Fletcher and Laura Cantadori Correction 15 October: Locations of the deaths of civilians in Israel have been changed after being incorrectly reported in an earlier version.
Almost 1,900 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed since the launch of Israel's Operation Protective Edge at the beginning of July.
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Maj-Gen Yair Golan said on the eve of Thursday's annual Holocaust Day that he detected trends in Israeli society suggestive of "nauseating processes" that occurred in 1930s Nazi Germany. Mr Netanyahu said the comments were outrageous, cheapened the Holocaust and caused harm to Israel. Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said he had "total confidence" in Gen Golan. "If there's something that frightens me about Holocaust remembrance it's the recognition of the nauseating processes that occurred in Europe in general, and particularly in Germany, back then - 70, 80 and 90 years ago - and finding signs of them here among us today in 2016," the deputy chief of staff said on Wednesday. "There is, after all, nothing easier and simpler than hating the foreigner... arousing fears and terrifying." But Mr Netanyahu said Gen Golan's remarks were "utterly mistaken and unacceptable to me". "The comparison drawn in the words of the deputy chief of staff regarding events which characterised Nazi Germany 80 years ago is outrageous," he said. "They do injustice to Israeli society and cause a belittling of the Holocaust." Correspondents say right-wing members of Mr Netanyahu's coalition have called for Gen Golan's resignation, accusing him of dishonouring the dead. But Defence Minister Yaalon said the criticism was an attempt to cause political harm to the military. "The attacks against [Gen Golan] and the current criticism against him are deliberate distortions of interpretation of the things he said last night," he added. The remarks come at a time of heightened tension between Israelis and Palestinians. A wave of stabbing, shooting and car-ramming attacks by Palestinians and Israeli Arabs over the past eight months have left 29 Israelis dead. More than 200 Palestinians - mostly attackers, Israel says - have also been killed in that period. There has been debate and controversy over Israelis' response to the attacks. In March, an Israeli soldier was filmed shooting dead a wounded Palestinian. He has been charged with manslaughter. There has been some public sympathy for the soldier but Mr Yaalon backed the military establishment in prosecuting him. In October last year, an Eritrean immigrant was shot and beaten to death by an angry crowd after being mistaken for an Arab militant in the town of Beersheba, prompting concern about mob reactions to people thought to be suspicious.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has issued a stern public rebuke to the military deputy chief of staff.
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Media playback is unsupported on your device 4 October 2014 Last updated at 18:35 BST She said she will seek a judicial review against Mark H Durkan because he took the decision to adopt the planning policy without the agreement of the full Northern Ireland Executive. Helen Jones reports for BBC Newsline.
Northern Ireland's Enterprise Minister, Arlene Foster, is to challenge the environment minister in court over his approval of the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan.
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State House Speaker Thom Tillis defeated Mark Harris and Greg Brannon, who were seen as insurgent candidates. Mr Tillis avoided a runoff election by earning 46% of the vote in the eight-person race on Tuesday. Republicans aim to wrestle Senate control from the Democrats in November. "I want to go to Washington and clean up Kay Hagan's mess," Mr Tillis told supporters. "If we want to change the mess of Obamacare, we have to change our senator," he said, referring to President Barack Obama's signature healthcare reform law, which Republicans uniformly despise. "The North Carolina results are a strong indication that the GOP rank and file is undergoing a shift from prioritising purity to prizing victory." - James Hohmann, Politico "Though backed by establishment forces and, as a former management consultant, easily portrayed as a process-oriented tool of the party's business interests, Tillis has some conservative bona fides." - Eliana Johnson, National Review "If this race is any indication, the 'Republican civil war' storyline so beloved of pundits in recent years may have to be retired." - Molly Ball, the Atlantic "For conservatives, Thom Tillis was the worst possible outcome in North Carolina." - Eric Erickson, RedState blog For more, please visit the BBC's Echo Chambers blog Republicans have sought to capitalise on Democratic US President Barack Obama's low approval ratings and dissatisfaction with the healthcare law in their effort to wrestle six seats from Democrats and take control of the US Senate in November. "Thom Tillis has spent his time in Raleigh pushing a special-interest agenda that has rigged the system against middle-class families," Ms Hagan wrote in a statement. "This is not an agenda that works for working families, and his priorities are out of sync with our common-sense North Carolina values." Ms Hagan was elected in the 2008 Democratic wave and is seen as vulnerable in her first bid for re-election. Elsewhere on Tuesday, Republican House Speaker John Boehner easily defeated two candidates associated with the right-wing populist tea party movement in the Ohio Republican primary election. Republican Congresswoman Susan Brooks also beat challengers, winning 75% of primary votes in Indiana. The North Carolina primary in particular was viewed as a test of the Republican establishment's ability to exert its influence on the nomination process and keep more divisive tea party candidates off the ballot in November. In the 2010 and 2012 election cycles, the Republican Party watched as popular tea party candidates won party primaries only to flame out in the general election because their strident rhetoric turned off independent voters.
A North Carolina Senate candidate backed by the Republican Party establishment has won the party's nomination to face Democratic Senator Kay Hagan in the November election.
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The girl band was due to play a matinee and evening show at the SSE Arena on Thursday. The cancellation was announced just minutes after the doors opened for the afternoon performance. Fans were later informed by text message that the show would not be going ahead as scheduled. Michael Green was in Belfast for the concert with his daughters, aged five and six. He said the family had been among fans who were disappointed when One Direction re-scheduled their Belfast concert last October. Mr Green told the BBC he felt "physically gutted and a little bit sick" when he was told the kids were to be let down again. "I thought this couldn't happen again, what are the chances?" Michael had surprised his daughters with the tickets on Christmas morning and travelled from Coleraine to see the girl band. He said he was worried the band would re-schedule for an afternoon when the children were back at school. "I'm really, really annoyed. Once again they've waited until we got here to tell us it was cancelled." Mother Geraldine McLaughlin had brought her stepdaughter, Stacey, to the concert for her birthday. She said the 16-year-old's birthday had been ruined by the news. "We came down to Belfast and booked into the Ramada to make a day of it," she said. "Stacey was so excited about this, I don't know what we'll do for the rest of the day. "We're just going to go back to the hotel now to get away from this chaos." Thousands of young people were gathered at the SSE Arena at lunchtime on Thursday when the announcement was made via speakerphone. Ms McLaughlin said many of them were in tears. "It's not been handled very well," she said. "There's absolute bedlam down here now. "Surely they could have informed us before we all landed at the place? This was minutes before the show was due to begin." A statement from gig promoter Aikens said: "We regret to announce that both Little Mix shows at the SSE Arena will not take place today due to Jesy being unwell and not able to perform. "Please hold on to your tickets - we hope to be able to make a further announcement on possible rescheduling later today." Ms McLaughlin pointed out that if the concert is rescheduled for next week, children will be back at school. "You can't just take a day off school and time off work for a concert," she said. Mother Sarah-Louise Murray had tickets for her and her three-year-old daughter, Scarlett, to see the band on Thursday afternoon. She said Scarlett had been in tears when she was told the concert was not going ahead. "We had special matching T-shirts made for the day and she was so looking forward to it. "We arrived after 13:00 when the doors were due to open because I wanted to avoid the crowds, but when we got to the arena the queues of people were still waiting outside. "When we heard from others that it was cancelled I put Scarlett back in the pram and told her we had to go home and come back another day." It is the second major cancellation to disappoint young music fans in the city in recent times. Last October, One Direction called off a gig at the SSE at late notice after singer Liam Payne became ill.
The band Little Mix have been forced to cancel their Belfast gigs after singer Jesy Nelson became unwell.
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See the draw in full here. All kick-offs at 19:45 BST unless otherwise stated EFL Cup third round Bournemouth 2-3 Preston North End (aet) Brighton & Hove Albion 1-2 Reading Derby County 0-3 Liverpool Everton 0-2 Norwich City Leeds United 1-0 Blackburn Rovers Leicester City 2-4 Chelsea (aet) Newcastle United 2-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nottingham Forest 0-4 Arsenal Scottish League Cup quarter-finals Greenock Morton 2-1 Dundee United Rangers 5-0 Queen of the South EFL Cup third round Fulham 1-2 Bristol City Northampton Town 1-3 Manchester United Queens Park Rangers 1-2 Sunderland Southampton 2-0 Crystal Palace Swansea City 1-2 Manchester City West Ham United 1-0 Accrington Stanley Stoke City 1-2 Hull City Tottenham Hotspur 5-0 Gillingham Scottish League Cup quarter-final Celtic 2-0 Alloa Athletic
All the match reports for the midweek EFL Cup action, where Manchester United got back to winning ways and set up a Manchester derby in round four.
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The same could be said of the US Federal Reserve's highly anticipated decision, and the ensuing markets and currency reactions in Asia. When Janet Yellen failed to raise rates in September, pointing the finger at China's economic instability, markets in Asia went beserk. But this time around don't expect a meltdown on regional stock markets. Asian investors are, frankly, fed up with waiting for the Fed. This was a decision that everyone has been expecting. In fact, according to a Reuters poll, the probability that the Fed was going to raise rates stood at 90% before the meeting. So investors in Asia are prepared - and have been for the last couple of years. And they've been reacting - we've seen money being pulled out of equities in emerging markets in preparation for this move. Capital outflows from emerging markets are on track to exceed the amount that went into them this year for the first time since 1988, according to the Institute of International Finance. So if immediate reaction isn't the concern - then what are the longer-term consequences of this rate rise for Asia? Here are the three things you should watch out for: When the US raises rates, the US dollar tends to rise which means other currencies depreciate against it. And that's going to hurt some emerging markets. Moody's has already highlighted the issues for emerging markets: the ones where domestic challenges have added to exchange rate problems will be the worst off. So in Asia - that's Indonesia, Malaysia and possibly India. Then there's debt - or what some are calling the "perfect storm" for emerging markets. RBC Capital Markets says emerging markets currencies will be weaker in 2016 and that Asia's debt levels as a percentage of GDP have converged to those of the developed world. That's worrying for Asian companies who have a lot of their debt in US dollars, but make their profits in local currencies - especially if there are more rate rises to come. And that's what many in the market are betting on, as Shang Jin-Wei, chief economist at the Asian Development Bank told me. US rate rises tend to be followed by a series of rate rises so "from that point of view, even though we're very prepared, there can be some elements of surprises." So what's an Asian central bank to do? Raising rates like the US means that you risk stifling growth and hitting consumption. Cutting rates means more capital outflow and a weaker currency - which could lead to more emerging market debt. But it's not all doom and gloom. Capital Economics says that Asian economies are much less vulnerable now than they've been in the past to deal with all of this and believe the economic environment in Asia should improve next year. So until then Asian central banks - and Asian investors - are likely going to have a tread a fine balance, preparing themselves for the worst, and ready to react when the timing is right.
Life, it has been said, is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.
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Chris Matheson becomes MP for the constituency, with Conservative Stephen Mosley losing out by just 93 votes. Chancellor George Osborne increased his majority in Tatton, with the Conservative taking a 58.6% share of the vote. Mr Osborne tweeted: "Honoured to represent people of Tatton for the next 5 years. "Will always seek to represent whole community, regardless of how people voted." Outside the Chester city walls, the Conservatives held all their Cheshire seats, with Crewe & Nantwich, Congleton, Macclesfield, Weaver Vale, Eddisbury and Warrington South all remaining resolutely blue. Warrington North was a hold for Labour, with Helen Jones increasing her majority. The party also held Halton and Ellesmere Port & Neston.
Labour defeated the Conservatives in the City of Chester by the narrowest of margins, with two re-counts required.
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Tim Husbands said it is also essential that proper transport links are put in place for visitors to reach the site. He was speaking to the BBC's Inside Business programme about growing Northern Ireland's tourism industry. Mr Husbands took on the top job at Titanic Belfast a few months before the visitors' centre opened in 2012. In its first year of operation, more than 800,000 people from 128 countries toured the east Belfast building - double the number it was expected to achieve. Titanic Belfast welcomed its one millionth visitor in July 2013. Mr Husbands has a wealth of experience in event management, spending 15 years in charge of Belfast's Waterfront Hall. He also managed the Ulster Hall and help to stage a number of major events in the city, including the Tall Ships festival in 2009. In 2014, he was awarded an MBE from the Queen for services to economic development and tourism. Mr Husbands told Inside Business that, while there is no point creating attractions for the sake of it, parts of Northern Ireland outside Belfast need to be better served in terms of tourism and transport. "There's no easy means of transporting people through from one city to another, from one region to another, and we need to encourage that," he said. "You have to make it easy for the consumer, you have to make it easy for the guests. "I'm not sure that we are mature enough as an industry to do that just yet." Tim Husbands interview will be broadcast on BBC Radio Ulster as part of Inside Business at 13:30 GMT on Sunday 20 November.
Northern Ireland needs a major new tourist attraction outside Belfast, according to the chief executive of Titanic Belfast.
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Police said the attackers - three white men and one Asian man - were racially motivated. The victims were black. Protesters have been gathered since 25-year-old Jamar Clark was shot during a struggle with police on 15 November. People who claimed to witness the incident said that Clark was handcuffed, though police dispute this. Around two dozen tents and canopy shelters have been erected around the 4th Precinct police station. Demonstrators have also barricaded the roads with wood and pallets and lit campfires. According to criminal complaints, the four men went to the camp on 23 November. After a group of protesters attempted to escort them away, eight shots were heard. The city's mayor, Betsy Hodges, said the camp has become unsafe and has asked people to disband their week-long protest. These request have been rejected by protesters, who have vowed to continue camping out despite cold weather and attacks. One of the shooting victims, Wesley Martin, said they refuse to leave. "They can have the street. We can take the sidewalk," said Martin. "To be honest, we're not going nowhere."
Four men have been charged in a shooting at outside a Minneapolis police station that left five protesters wounded.
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Paul Wilmott, 63, died in the explosion at his home in Haxby, near York, on 19 February 2016, which was caused by the fracture of a corroded gas pipe. One house was "completely missing" and others were left seriously damaged, the inquest in York heard. Andrew Hewitson said: "It's something I've never seen before." Live updates on this story and others in North Yorkshire The Yorkshire Ambulance Service paramedic told the jury: "My first personal thought was it was a possible plane crash, the way the house had caved in. "The street was covered with debris, cars were covered with concrete. "Windows looked to be blown in, all the glass was shattered. Complete devastation." Michael Jamieson, a watch manager at North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, told the inquest the scene was "almost like an airstrike". "There was virtually no house left," he said. "I've been to gas explosions before but I've never seen something with that level of destruction." Mr Jamieson said he found Mr Wilmott's body underneath rubble at the back of the house, on Springwood. Mr Wilmott died of multiple fractures of the skull and injuries to the brain consistent with having been sustained in a domestic explosion, the jury heard. A statement from Mr Wilmott's partner, Olivia Costello, was read out to the jury in which she said the pair had noticed a "very extreme and pungent" smell in the house before the blast. They thought it was "caused by a dead ants' nest in the wall". Coroner Rob Turnbull said an inquiry found the copper pipe fractured at a point where two concrete floor slabs met and had moved "possibly as a result of bad weather". The inquest continues.
A paramedic called to the scene of a gas blast that left a man dead has told an inquest he thought the devastation was the result of a plane crash.
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The English pairing of Judd Trump and Barry Hawkins topped Group C and come up against Mark Allen and Joe Swail, runners-up in Group D, in Wuxi. Group A winners Wales, with Mark Williams and Ryan Day, play Group B runners-up China A, who have Ding Junhui and Liang Wenbo in their team. Holders China B against Belgium and Thailand v Iran complete the line-up. At the previous event in 2015, teenage Chinese duo Zhou Yuelong and Yan Bingtao, now 17 and 19 respectively, shocked Scotland's former world champion John Higgins and Stephen Maguire to claim the title. This year, the Scots, who had Anthony McGill in place of Maguire, failed to reach the knockout stages after finishing third in Group D.
England will face Northern Ireland in Saturday's quarter-finals of the Snooker World Cup in China.
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Trott, 23, trailed Scotland's Katie Archibald by almost a second at halfway before crossing the line 0.3secs ahead. Andy Tennant, riding for Sir Bradley Wiggins' team, retained his men's individual pursuit title. Matt Crampton and Katy Marchant won maiden titles in the men's keirin and women's individual sprint respectively. Double world champion Sophie Thornhill, 19, piloted by Helen Scott, retained the mixed Para-cycling BVI standing start time trial. Leeds sprinter Kadeena Cox, 23, won the Para-cycling C1-5 mixed time trial. Defending champion Archibald qualified for the women's individual pursuit final over a second ahead of Matrix Fitness rider Trott and looked set for victory after a strong opening half to the race, but Trott showed tremendous stamina to win in a time of three minutes 32.759 seconds, with Archibald crossing the line in 3:33.065. Trott told the British Cycling website: "I didn't really know how well I was going to go. I was really happy with my time and to take the national title. "I just went flat out so I was really happy that I managed to pull it back and in typical Laura form, leaving it until the last two laps." London rider Germain Burton, 20, had a slight lead at the halfway stage of the men's event, but Tennant, 28, turned it around to lead by a second with 1km remaining and powered to victory clocking 4:23.583 with Burton finishing in 4:27.209. Tennant said: "It's fantastic. There was more pressure this year as the reigning champion, pressure that I'd put on myself more than anything." Marchant, 22, who ended Jess Varnish's two-year reign as sprint champion earlier in the day, was pushed hard by Becky James but won the opening two races in the best of three to earn the individual sprint title. "I was really happy with qualifying and my legs were on my side and I felt really strong and I felt like I did myself justice," said Marchant. Welsh cyclist James, 23, who had an operation to remove abnormal cells following a cervical screening in May 2014, only made her comeback in the Revolution Series in Derby in August. In the final event of day one, Matt Crampton, 29, won a thrilling men's keirin with Lewis Oliva claiming silver and bronze going to Thomas Rotherham. Three-time Olympic champion Jason Kenny had to settle for fourth. "I've had a tough year, a tough couple of years so it's really nice to step up today and put a bit of icing on top of the cake," said Crampton. Tour de France winner and four-time Olympic gold medallist Wiggins pulled out of the Championships on medical advice after suffering with a cold following the recent Tour of Britain. Saturday's events include the finals of the men's sprints and kilometre time trial, and the women's keirin and scratch race. The championships conclude on Sunday.
Double Olympic champion Laura Trott fought back to win the individual pursuit title on day one of the British Track Championships in Manchester.
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The Medical Research Council team showed severely damaged organs in mice could be restored to near-normal function. They say the findings, published in Nature Cell Biology, could eventually help people stuck on a waiting list for a transplant. Further tests are now taking place with human tissue. The liver does have a remarkable ability to heal itself. Even if half of the organ is removed, it can grow back. The team, based at the University of Edinburgh, has been investigating the regenerative potential of the liver. Normally, the main type of cell in the liver - hepatocytes - is able to restore the organ. But one of the researchers, Prof Stuart Forbes, said: "The hepatocytes normally divide beautifully, but eventually they give up that ability to keep dividing, they become senescent, and that is something we see in all forms of severe liver injury." So the Edinburgh team turned to a closely related group of stem cells from the biliary duct. Injecting these cells into damaged mouse livers led to near compete regeneration. Prof Forbes added: "The big aim would be to develop a clinically applicable cell therapy for patients with severe liver failure where transplantation is not an option." The team say tissue from livers unsuitable for transplant could be a source of these cells. However, Prof Forbes said liver transplants would remain the main option for patients and encouraged people to join the donor register. Further studies will now focus on repeating the results with human tissue. Dr Rob Buckle, the director of science programmes at the Medical Research Council, said: "This research has the potential to revolutionise patient care by finding ways of co-opting the body's own resources to repair or replace damaged or diseased tissue."
Transplanting cells into livers has the potential to completely regenerate them, say scientists.
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The 20-year-old had been due to go on trial for allegedly driving an £80,000 Porsche while banned. He has also been accused of attempting to pervert the course of justice and driving without insurance. At Glasgow's Justice of the Peace Court, it was said Mr Feruz was in training in Tanzania. Sheriff Frances McCartney issued a warrant for his arrest. The Somalia-born player joined Celtic as a 10-year-old. The club had successfully campaigned for him and his family to be allowed to stay in Scotland. He moved to Chelsea six years later and has had loan spells with a number of clubs, including Hibs.
A warrant has been issued for former Celtic footballer Islam Feruz after he failed to turn up for a court appearance in Glasgow.
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Six other people, including Bobby Storey, Sinn Féin's northern chairman, will also not face charges linked to the 1972 killing. Jean McConville, 37, a widow, was abducted from her west Belfast home, shot and secretly buried. Mr Adams said the decision was "long overdue". "There was never any real basis for questioning me in respect of this case. I played no act or part in Jean McConville's death," he said. Mrs McConville was one of the Disappeared. Nobody has ever been charged with her murder. Her son, Michael, has pledged to continue to seek justice for his mother. The Disappeared were people who were abducted, murdered and secretly buried by republicans during the Troubles. Jean McConville's case has been one of the most high profile. Her body was found on a beach in County Louth in 2003. Who was Jean McConville? Who were the Disappeared? It emerged on Tuesday, that Mr Adams would not be charged with IRA membership either. The seven people the PPS has said will not face any charges in connection with the murder of Jean McConville fall into two groups. In the first group are four women, who it was alleged had been involved in the abduction of the mother-of-10 from her home. It is understood that police were not able to obtain any evidence from witnesses at the scene to support claims that they had been involved, so there was insufficient evidence to provide a reasonable prospect of conviction. The second group consisted of Gerry Adams, Bobby Storey and an unnamed man. The evidence against them was based on interviews given by three other republicans to researchers working on a history project for Boston College. Mr Adams was questioned about allegations that he ordered the abduction and murder of Jean McConville. It was alleged that Bobby Storey, the northern chairman of Sinn Féin, led an internal IRA investigation in the late 1990s into the circumstances of the killing. The claims made in those interviews are referred to legally as hearsay. The PPS could not find any other independent evidence to support the claims, so concluded that what it calls its "test for prosecution" had not been met. The deputy director of public prosecutions, Pamela Atchison, said: "We have given careful consideration to the evidence currently available in respect of each of the three men and four women reported and have concluded that it is insufficient to provide a reasonable prospect of obtaining a conviction against any of them for a criminal offence." She also spoke about Mrs McConville's family. "We have had a series of meetings with members of the family, most recently this morning, about all of our prosecutorial decisions and we will continue to engage with them as we progress the prosecution of Ivor Bell." Veteran republican Ivor Bell, 78, has been charged with aiding and abetting Mrs McConville's murder. Speaking after meeting the Public Prosecution Service on Tuesday, Mrs McConville's son, Michael, said: "Those who ordered, planned and carried out this war crime thought that their guilt could disappear along with her body. "But it has not, and we will continue to seek justice for our mother and see those responsible held to account no matter how long it takes". In May 2014, Mr Adams presented himself at a police station and was subsequently arrested for questioning about her murder. He was released after four days and said there had been "a sustained, malicious, untruthful campaign" alleging that he had been involved in the killing. His party also criticised the decision to hold him, claiming that it was politically motivated, coming weeks before the European and local government elections. In response to the decision not to prosecute him, Mr Adams said: "I support the PSNI. But the timing of my arrest showed there remain elements within the PSNI who are against Sinn Féin. But they will not succeed. "I voluntarily went to the PSNI last year, after a concerted series of leaks claiming that I was about to be arrested. For some time, I have been the target of a sustained and malicious campaign seeking to involve me with the killing of Mrs McConville." He added that he was "very conscious" of the huge hurt inflicted on the McConville family. "The abduction, killing and secret burial of Jean McConville was wrong," he said.
Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams will not face charges in connection with the IRA murder of Jean McConville, the Public Prosecution Service has confirmed.
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Numerous fire and police vehicles were dispatched to the Froghall Gardens area, homes were evacuated and roads were closed. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said it was alerted to reports of a fire within a property at just after 10:25. Six appliances were sent. One local spoke of hearing a bang. A rest centre at Froghall Community Centre was being set up for residents. A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: "Six appliances attended and five firefighters dressed in protective breathing apparatus extinguished the fire using a high-power hose. "Nearby properties were evacuated as a precaution and one individual was safely removed from the affected property via a ladder with assistance from firefighters. "The casualty did not require medical treatment and crews ensured the area was made safe before leaving the scene." Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) confirmed they had been asked to cut power supplies to 81 properties in the area. In a statement, the company said: "We would like to thank our customers for their patience whilst we work with the fire service to restore supplies safely. We apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause and will remain on site until all supplies can be restored."
The emergency services were called to the scene of a fire in Aberdeen.
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Having a baby is a joyous occasion for most women - but for one in 10, pregnancy and the period following childbirth can be anything but rosy. Depression, anxiety and stress can be the overriding feelings they experience and, if left untreated, the risk increases that they develop into serious psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, psychoses and eating disorders. The mental health of this group of women during pregnancy and after birth - whether the illness already existed beforehand or developed for the first time - has been of particular concern to mental health professionals for some time. Psychiatric disorders are the cause of 7% of all maternal deaths during pregnancy and the six months after the birth. So why are there still women falling through the net? Guidelines from NICE, the health watchdog, say women at risk of mental health problems should receive extra support at all stages of pregnancy, be provided with a care plan for their treatment and be offered advice on the safest and most appropriate drugs to take during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Research suggests providing this level of care will improve not only the long-term well-being of the mother but protect the child's emotional and physical development too. But the Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA), which represents more than 70 organisations committed to improving the mental health of mothers and their infants, says this isn't happening in many areas of the country. Dr Alain Gregoire, consultant and honorary senior lecturer in perinatal psychiatry, and chair of the MMHA, says this failure is costing lives. Suicide is an increased risk for women with serious perinatal psychiatric disorders, he says. And then there's the cost to society, he points out, of £8bn a year in lost earnings and NHS care. He says: "It's a very critical time in women's lives and it's important to get it right." The inquest heard that Ms Bevan stopped taking her anti-psychotic medication some time before the birth of her daughter because she wanted to breastfeed. Dr Gregoire says decisions like this should be part of a care plan agreed in advance and need not be a major issue, he adds. "There are many medication options available with no evidence of risk to the baby, whereas there is clear evidence that women being unwell is not good for mother or baby." Stopping medication suddenly is never advised and can be avoided because there are always other effective treatment options, he says. Rachael Jones felt no connection with her pregnancy and no happiness at the thought of son's arrival five years ago. She had always wanted children but she didn't tell anyone how she was feeling because she didn't understand the feelings herself. "No-one asked me how I was feeling. There wasn't an opportunity to talk about it, no invitation to chat about it from anyone I saw." It was only after the birth that Rachael admitted to a health visitor that she felt detached, lonely and depressed. She had experienced suicidal thoughts too. During a 12-month wait for talking therapy on the NHS, she relied on family and friends to help her get through each day with postnatal depression. And, in the meantime, she set up a charity dedicated to pre and postnatal depression advice and support, called the PANDAS Foundation. She says the Charlotte Bevan inquest demonstrates how important it is for pregnant women to be able to talk about their mental health. Rachael wants communication between health professionals to improve so that women like her are properly supported during pregnancy. She also believes doctors and midwives need a better understanding of mental health so that they can ask the right questions and offer support at the right times. If or when a pregnant woman's mental health deteriorates, the guidelines state that all women with a child under a year old should be offered a place in one of the 17 specialist psychiatric care mother and baby units in the UK. But a map of these dedicated mother and baby units, with an average of eight beds per unit, show that some areas such as the south, south-west and east of England, and Wales, are noticeably underserved. Another map of specialist community perinatal mental health teams across the UK shows there is a very patchy service, with most areas having an extremely basic level of provision, or none at all. However, Alistair Burt, Minister of State for Community and Social Care, said perinatal mental health was a strong priority for the government and it was investing £75m over the next five years "to help drive improvements". "Since 2010 the number of in-patient mother and baby units which specialise in caring for women during the perinatal period has almost doubled and we have trained more than 600 perinatal mental health visitor champions." The Royal College of Midwives has said that more midwives with specialist training in mental health are needed to work with at-risk women. But this relies on GPs, midwives and health visitors recognising that their patients are suffering in the first place. NHS England estimates that around 3% of women who give birth each year will be referred to psychiatric services and 1% will need specialised care in a mother and baby unit. That's 6,700 women with serious mental illnesses who need specialist help. They are at one end of a wide spectrum of mental illnesses which can affect pregnant women - ranging from mild to severe. Rachael did not take any medication for her condition. All she wanted was to speak to someone else who felt the way she did, so she could feel normal. Instead, she suffered in silence.
The family of Charlotte Bevan, whose body was found in the Avon Gorge with her four-day old daughter, has called for a dedicated service which looks after women with serious mental health problems before, during and after childbirth.
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The attack, which killed 270 people in the plane and on the ground, remains the deadliest terrorist incident ever to have taken place on British soil. He always denied he had been responsible, but a series of appeals was halted when he was diagnosed with cancer and, controversially, released from prison in Scotland on compassionate grounds. Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi was born in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, on 1 April 1952. He studied in the US and also visited Britain "four or five times" during the 1970s when he is said to have spent nine months studying in Cardiff. He described himself as the former director of Libya's Centre for Strategic Studies, a role which - the FBI claimed - gave him cover to act as an intelligence officer for the Libyan Intelligence Services (JSO). Suggestions that he was related to the Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, were never substantiated - but Megrahi had close connections to the Libyan government. He was a cousin of Said Rashid, a fellow senior JSO member and influential member of the government, who played a key role in Libya's anti-US policies during the 1980s. It was his role as chief of security for Libyan Arab Airlines (LAA) which, prosecutors later argued, allowed him to carry out the bombing. LAA had an office in Malta, where Libyans were able to move freely. From there, Megrahi was able to use as many as four false passports to travel to Zurich, where the timing device for the bomb was made. Pan Am flight 103 left London's Heathrow Airport at 1825 GMT on 21 Dec 1988, bound for New York with 243 passengers and 16 crew members on board. At just after 1900 an explosion in the plane's forward cargo hold tore the side out of the Boeing 747 which quickly broke up and fell onto the small town of Lockerbie in the Dumfries & Galloway region of Scotland. As well as the 259 people on board the plane, 11 residents of Lockerbie died on the ground as a result of a giant fireball caused when a wing holding thousands of gallons of fuel exploded on impact. It was scraps of clothes wrapped around the bomb which detonated aboard the airliner that led investigators to a shop in Malta and, eventually, to Megrahi. In November 1991 Megrahi, and a fellow Libyan, Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah, were indicted by the Scottish Lord Advocate and the US Attorney General for the bombing of Flight 103. Libya refused to extradite the two men and Megrahi spent eight years living under armed guard - relying on a small LAA pension and work as a teacher - before he and his co-defendant were handed over for trial. Eventually, after protracted negotiations with Libya, it was agreed the trial would be held under Scots law but in a neutral country. The two men were handed over in 1999 and the trial finally began in May 2000 at Camp Zeist, a former US Air Force base in the Netherlands. In television interviews shown to the court, Megrahi appeared gentle. He told reporters: "I'm a quiet man. I never had any problem with anybody," and said he felt sorry for the people of Lockerbie. After nine months, three Scottish judges found him guilty and a subsequent appeal was rejected. He was sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum term of 27 years. Fhimah was acquitted of all charges. Megrahi served the first part of his sentence in Glasgow's Barlinnie prison, segregated in a high-security area dubbed "Gaddafi's Cafe", where there was said to be a sitting room and kitchen where halal food was specially prepared. The former South African president Nelson Mandela, who had helped broker the deal which allowed the trial to take place, visited him there and called for him to be moved to a Muslim country to avoid harassment from other prisoners. However, in 2005, he was transferred to nearby HMP Greenock, where there were no special provisions and he mixed with other "lifers". Megrahi was given a fresh chance to clear his name when the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) referred his case back to appeal judges for a second time. In October 2008 It was announced that Megrahi was suffering from prostate cancer and his lawyers urged the court to speed up the appeal process. The hearing, which began in April 2009, had the backing of ex-Labour MP Tam Dalyell and Dr Jim Swire, whose daughter Flora died in the bombing. However, in Aug 2009, Megrahi abruptly withdrew his appeal and on 20 August the Scottish Justice Secretary, Kenny MacAskill, granted his release on compassionate grounds and he was flown back to Libya. The decision caused a storm of protest from politicians in both the UK and the United States, not least because of what was termed his "hero's welcome" when he arrived home in Tripoli. The UK justice secretary, Jack Straw, was forced to publicly deny allegations that the British government had sanctioned Megrahi's release in the interests of improving trade relations with Libya. Megrahi always maintained that he was innocent, a view that was shared by some commentators and relatives of the victims. In a statement released by his lawyers, Megrahi said: "Many people, including the relatives of those who died in, and over, Lockerbie, are, I know, upset that my appeal has come to an end; that nothing more can be done about the circumstances surrounding the Lockerbie bombing. I share their frustration. I had most to gain and nothing to lose about the whole truth coming out - until my diagnosis of cancer." Considerable doubt has been raised over the safety of Megrahi's conviction, and a number of conspiracy theories have circulated over the years as to who was responsible for the outrage. The withdrawal of his second appeal, and his subsequent death, has, according to some observers, made it less likely that the truth about the bombing of Pan Am 103 will ever be known.
Abdelbaset al-Megrahi is the only person to have been convicted for the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over the Scottish town of Lockerbie on 21 Dec 1988.
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The 47-year-old Kerr, who presently coaches Stirling University's Lowland League men's side, will take over from Finland-bound Anna Signeul in June. And Grant believes Kerr can take Scotland to greater success. "She could take any men's team in Scotland in my opinion, she is that good a coach," Grant told BBC Scotland. "Anna's done fantastic, Shelley has learned off her and now she can hand it over and Shelley can continue and make the team stronger and better. "The squad is the strongest it's been and I think Shelley will take them even further than Anna." Grant, who is sidelined at present with a knee injury, is a former team-mate of Kerr's with Scotland and Hibernian, where the latter was also a coach. "It's a great appointment," said the Motherwell forward. "I was fortunate enough to play with and be coached by Shelley. "She's great in the changing room, she's a great personality, one of the best coaches I've ever been under, so it's great for the game. "She knows all the players personally and as players that makes a massive difference. "It's really important that we now have a Scottish coach and Shelley deserves it because she came up through the ranks as a player and she is also a great role model because she had a child on the way - Christie Kerr actually plays for my team now at Motherwell." Kerr became the first-ever female head coach in senior British football when, three years ago, she took charge of Stirling University in the Lowland League, the new feeder league for the Scottish Professional Football League. "She is just a great role model to have in the Scottish game, she's been involved in the men's game, which a fantastic step for her, and if anyone deserves the role now, it is definitely Shelley," Grant added. Kerr not only led Stirling University, who currently sit fourth in the league table, to a British Universities Championship final, she also completed a MSc in sports management. In a university statement, the former Arsenal Ladies manager said: "I have no doubt the academic education I received will be of great benefit in my new role as well as in the future and beyond." Stirling University director of sport Cathy Gallagher paid tribute to Kerr, who will remain in charge until the end of their season. "During Shelley's tenure, the University of Stirling has established its position at the top of British university football and the Scottish non-league game," she said.
Scotland boss-in-waiting Shelley Kerr is good enough to coach any men's side in Scotland, according to 104-time capped forward Suzanne Grant.
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However, the 2018 event, set to showcase art, design and innovation, will not be the first in the region. In 1929, the North East Coast Exhibition was opened by the Prince of Wales in Newcastle amid great fanfare. So, will organisers take inspiration from the grand event, which attracted four million visitors? Responding to the Newcastle and Gateshead announcement, the North East Chamber of Commerce said: "The Great Exhibition looks set to be the launch pad of real growth in our regional economy." The Prince of Wales - later King Edward VIII - opened the 1929 event and said: "The industries of the North are not yet knocked out of the ring. "They are fighting back gallantly with a good Northern punch." And the "northern punch" included cutting-edge technology, such as a cow milking machine, a telescope brought down from Edinburgh University, and the local newspaper using a newly-designed electric sign to flash out the latest news items. Industry and consumer items were represented, some of them household names that remain, such as Hoover vacuum cleaners, Singer sewing machines, and Pyrex glass ovenware. Andrews Liver Salts showed off its brand with a 15ft "fountain of health". For entertainment there was an amusement park, a Himalayan Railway, and an African village. More than four million people passed through the turnstiles between May and October that year, including King Alfonso of Spain and the Sultan of Zanzibar. Each millionth visitor was presented with a gold watch. When the exhibition ended, the pavilions were dismantled and the area reverted to a public park. Unfortunately, that "northern punch" would fall victim to the economic depression a few years later, in the 1930s.
One of the reasons the Great Exhibition of the North was awarded to Newcastle and Gateshead was because of the "ambition" of organisers.
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The Pacaya volcano began spewing ash and lava after a powerful explosion on Saturday afternoon. New explosions were seen on Sunday, with ash clouds reaching a height or at least 4km (3 miles). Flights have been diverted from the area, some 50km (30 miles) south of the capital, Guatemala City. The Pacaya is one of three active volcanoes in the Central American nation. The other two are the Fuego and the Santa Maria. "We are assessing with the National Disaster Management Centre (Conred) whether we will need to evacuate the 3,000 people who live in the villages of El Rodeo and Patrocinio," said the Pacaya National Park director, Humberto Morales. "Access to the areas around the volcano has been suspended," he told the Prensa Libre newspaper. The Guatemalan authorities have issued an amber alert, the third highest. It means people must remain alert and be prepared to leave the area at short notice.
A volcano has erupted in Guatemala, prompting the authorities to consider the evacuation of some 3,000 people living in the area.
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Abdulmalik Adua, 17, of Woolwich and Rezwan Islam, 19, of Gloucester, were both sentenced to a minimum of 16 years in prison. Paul Pass, 49, was stabbed in his flat in Gloucester last October by the pair, who used it as a drug-dealing base. Adua and Islam were found guilty of murder at an earlier hearing. Islam was also found guilty of kidnap. Bristol Crown Court heard Mr Pass was hit over the head with a guitar and stabbed in the leg, which caused his death. Bilal Ebrahim Moosajee, 19, of Gloucester was jailed for nine years after admitting manslaughter and kidnap at an earlier hearing. He will serve half his sentence before being considered for release on parole. The court was told the men were all part of a drug-dealing gang from outside the county who were trying to establish themselves in the city. They offered Mr Pass free drugs in exchange for using his flat as a base. The gang took revenge by attacking Mr Pass after his friends had broken into the flat and stolen their drugs. Mr Pass's mother Josephine said: "I feel both angry towards the men who took Paul from me and great sadness for their mothers. "They have not only taken Paul's life, they have taken mine away as well because I feel like I have died."
Two teenage drug dealers who murdered a man in a revenge attack have been jailed.
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A passer-by found two men unconscious and bleeding at the side of the road in Grove Lane, Handsworth, at about 03:00 BST. One of the men died at the scene and the other is critical in hospital. Both are thought to be in their late 20s, West Midlands Police said. A finger-tip search of the area is under way, Detectives are also looking at CCTV footage of Soho Road and Douglas Road, which have been closed for forensic examination.
One man has been killed and another seriously injured in a double stabbing in Birmingham.
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Media playback is not supported on this device The Hammers are leaving their home of 112 years at the end of this season for the Olympic Stadium in Stratford. It has been a much-publicised move - including revelations that the Premier League club will only pay £2.5m a year in rent for their new home - but seemingly a popular one, with in excess of 50,000 season tickets already sold. But the Upton Park area is also home to thriving businesses, whose well-being is in large part due to the activity a matchday brings. The 35,000-seater stadium will be replaced by flats, but food outlets, pubs and street traders face an uncertain future when the Hammers move from E13 to E20. Supporters have a number of pre-match eating rituals, be it the temptation of sizzling onions at a burger stand, a trip to the chippy or, in East London, the traditional option of pie and mash. Full English breakfast and sausage sandwiches are the best-sellers at Ken's Cafe on Green Street, which has been family-run for 50 years. "My dad started it off and we are all carrying it on. I was born here," the eponymous Ken told BBC Radio London. "Dad's still out the back cooking and mum is serving. West Ham is in the blood and it's been good to us. "It will be a bit quieter but we'll survive. We'll carry on because we've got all our regulars that come in during the week." Up the road, Osman Mustafa of Queen's Fish Bar is less optimistic about his prospects. "At least 25% of our business comes from West Ham," he said. "I hope I can keep going. With knocking the stadium down and the construction to develop the new flats, the workers there will help for a while. After a few years, I don't know. It will affect us terribly." When the Hammers are at home, healthy queues also form outside Nathan's Pies and Eels shop on the Barking Road, but Richard Nathan is also unsure if his family-run business, first opened in 1938, will survive. "It managed to survive through the second World War and various family members managed to keep it going. There is a lot of history," he said. "It has kept going through thick and thin but things change." Pubs close to football grounds are always busy on matchdays and that is true of those near the Boleyn Ground. Ron Bolwell owns The Queens and The Denmark Arms and estimates he will lose almost half a million pounds in income, which makes up two thirds of his turnover. He intends to reassess his financial situation after three months. "On a matchday, you just can't move with the football fans and the atmosphere," he said. "Our rates are very high and our rents are high. "The brewery have mentioned they will come along and see if we can redevelop the pubs and see if we can do something different to get more people in." Independent programme seller Paul Vickery shifts approximately 2,000 official programmes per game from his pitch directly opposite Upton Park tube station. "My life has been all West Ham," the 51-year-old said. "I grew up selling eels and singing 'cockles and mussels'. Burgers, hot-dogs - you name it I've sold it." Vickery is considering whether to follow the club to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park - but believes Upton Park will suffer in the long-term. "I spoke to [West Ham co-owner] David Gold and asked 'what happens about us?' and he said 'you never know what is going to happen'. "What I do know is they sold their ground and made plenty of money and then all of a sudden they rent another one. Who is in the money - him or me? "Upton Park is going to be dead. It is going to be a has-been." However, Sir Robin Wales, the Mayor of Newham, believes West Ham's move will not necessarily damage the economy in Upton Park. "If you ever go to a match, very little is spent by fans in the market and elsewhere," the 61-year-old said. "They have just come for the game. "There will be some cafes and things which will struggle and a few pubs. But fans will be drinking in Stratford so there will be jobs and opportunities there. "I am comfortable we don't have a major problem, except for a few businesses which are specifically set up to cater for the fans coming in." Sir Robin says Newham Council have held talks with some businesses in Upton Park. "We had some initial conversations with one or two and we think it would be good to be supportive," he added. "We are waiting to see what happens. Otherwise, the money will go into Stratford. Because of Westfield Shopping Centre it is quite likely there will be more money going into Stratford." Media playback is not supported on this device Football fans will be replaced by families, creating a completely different atmosphere in that part of the East End. The place where Bobby Moore, Frank Lampard and Dimitri Payet plied their trade for West Ham will instead become 842 new flats, which will be completed by 2022. An initial 25% of the scheme is affordable housing, with Newham Council investing £18m to increase that number by a further 10%, and the council insists construction jobs will be earmarked for local people. "We'll have 800-odd families living here which will help to regenerate the whole area," councillor Ken Clark said. "This is a very vibrant, diverse neighbourhood. I think the future for the area is very positive." Sir Robin added: "Housing is a major problem and the problem is the government are not investing in it. "We have got a brand new community centre being built and overall it is a big plus for the residents of Newham." Pub landlord Bolwell is sceptical as to whether the housing development will help his businesses. "It will bring a bit of life into that area once it's all done but I don't think it'll make any difference to my pubs," he said. "You may get one or two in but we won't get anything near what we have been getting from the football. "There is not much more Sir Robin Wales can do really - unless he can stand outside and get customers to come in as they pass." Despite West Ham auctioning off memorabilia from the Boleyn Ground, the new housing development will celebrate the history of the area. A new statue of West Ham and England legend Bobby Moore, the club's current Memorial Garden and a landscaped courtyard to replace the Boleyn's centre circle will all be included in the scheme. "Our regeneration and planning people have worked really hard to make sure we are going to get something here where people will be proud of their history and community," Sir Robin said. "You want to create a community. That is going to be the challenge for us." Interviews by BBC Radio London's Jamie Reid and Duncan Barkes and BBC London's Sara Orchard.
West Ham United's final game at the Boleyn Ground will be an emotional occasion for everyone associated with the club.
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Gaiman's fantasy novel beat fellow National Book Award winners including Kate Atkinson and David Walliams. The tale about a man returning to his childhood home for a funeral won the public vote from a shortlist of this year's 10 National Book Award winners. The graphic novelist said he was "amazed and thrilled". "I've never written a book before that was so close to my own heart - a story about memory and magic and the fear and danger of being a child," said Gaiman. "I wasn't sure that anyone else would like it. "I'm amazed and thrilled that so many other people have read it, loved it, and made their friends read it too. "Winning a National Book Award was thrilling; discovering that the public have made The Ocean at the End of the Lane their Book of the Year is somewhere out beyond wonderful. Thank you to everyone who voted." 'Dedication' Gaiman's novel had already won in the Audiobook of the Year category. The book secured the public vote from a shortlist including Gillian Flynn's bestseller Gone Girl, David Jason's My Life and schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai's I Am Malala to win the Book of the Year title. Online voting for the title, the only book award chosen by readers, closed on 19 December. Last year's winner was EL James' raunchy blockbuster Fifty Shades of Grey, while Caitlin Moran's How To Be A Woman and David Nicholls' romantic novel One Day have also taken the prize. Dame Mary Perkins, founder of the award's sponsors Specsavers, congratulated Gaiman on "this fantastic award". "The competition was tough but to be chosen by members of the public as well as your industry peers truly is a tribute to hard work, dedication and creativity," she said. Gaiman made his name writing graphic novels including The Sandman series and Coraline. He has penned two recent Doctor Who episodes featuring Matt Smith and is currently writing a prequel to The Sandman. A TV series of his book American Gods is in development.
Neil Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane has been voted 2013's Book of the Year, winning the public vote "by a considerable margin".
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It was first spotted at Montevrain, 38km (23 miles) east of Paris. Sightings of the animal sparked a search involving hundreds of emergency services workers, animal-trackers and a helicopter. But experts now say the animal is most likely a much less dangerous animal, such as a lynx or large domestic cat. They made their conclusions based on inspecting animal tracks. It remains unclear where the animal came from, though there is a big cat park near Montevrain. A source told AFP that the search had been scaled back for the moment and the helicopter grounded, although forces remained "mobilised" in case of a fresh alert. The BBC's Hugh Schofield in Paris says police had suggested there was probably not too much to worry about, but the authorities still sent out officers with guns and tranquilisers. The hunt has focused on areas near the Disneyland Paris theme park. There was a fresh alert on Friday morning after paw prints were discovered near a service station east of Paris. To reach there, the animal had apparently crossed the A4 motorway. Police guarded the entrances to schools in the Montevrain area in case the cat turned up, as a helicopter with thermal imaging hovered. Local residents were asked to stay indoors and parents urged to take their children to and from school by car. A dozen or so soldiers from a nearby army base joined police and fire officials combing the countryside outside Montevrain. A huntsman, officially designated as a "wolf catcher", who has a specially trained dog, was also part of the search team. The owner of the lntermarche supermarket in Montevrain said on Thursday that his wife had spotted the animal at about 08:30 (07:30 GMT). "She didn't get out of the car and called me to say 'I think I saw a lynx'," he was quoted as saying. The woman took a photograph that appears to show a large cat. Le Parisien newspaper said several local residents had sighted the animal. The Montevrain mayor's office dismissed the idea that the big cat could have escaped from a circus that was in the town until Saturday, Le Parisien reported.
French police have scaled back the hunt for a stray big cat in Paris after scotching initial reports that the animal is a tiger.
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Scolari, 65, won the tournament in 2002 but the hosts could only finish fourth at this year's event. Brazil were thrashed 7-1 by Germany in the semi-finals then lost 3-0 to the Netherlands in the play-off. "Luiz Felipe Scolari and his fellow coaching staff surrendered their positions to the board," the CBF confirmed in a statement. "Scolari and his entire coaching staff deserve our respect and gratitude. "They were responsible for returning to the Brazilian people your love for the national team, despite not having achieved our greatest goal." Scolari's contract was set to expire after the tournament, but the CBF vice president Marco Polo del Nero last week offered the manager his full backing following the humiliating last-four defeat by Germany. However, Scolari himself had offered no assurances about his position in the wake of what he called "the worst day of my life". I'm not sure how much he has quit and how much he has been pushed but from the minute that fifth Germany goal went before the half-hour mark, he was already the ex-coach of Brazil. It's impossible to preside over an extraordinary, historic humiliation of that magnitude and carry on as coach of Brazil. Scolari first took over the Brazil side in 2001 and guided them to World Cup success a year later, beating Germany 2-0 in the 2002 final in Yokohama, Japan. But after spells in charge of Portugal, Premier League side Chelsea, Bunyodkor of Uzbekistan and Brazilian club Palmeiras, he resumed control of the national team in 2012. Brazil hosted and won the Confederations Cup in 2013, beating Spain 3-0 in the final, and were favourites to win a sixth World Cup. They finished top of their group after two wins and a draw from their three matches, before edging past Chile on penalties in the last 16. They beat Colombia 2-1 in the quarter-finals, but lost top goalscorer Neymar to a spine injury and captain Thiago Silva to suspension. In the semi-final, Brazil were 5-0 down to Joachim Low's Germany after only 29 minutes, before losing 7-1 - their joint-heaviest loss ever and first home competitive defeat for 39 years. Vice president Del Nero is scheduled to take over from CBF president Jose Maria Marin next year, which could mean a delay in the naming of a successor to Scolari - Brazil Under-23 coach Alexandre Gallo has been suggested as an interim caretaker. Those expected to be in contention for the full-time job include former Corinthians boss Tite, Muricy Ramalho of Sao Paulo and ex-Brazil boss Vanderlei Luxemburgo - all of whom were in the running after Scolari's predecessor, Mano Menezes, was sacked. Bayern Munich's Spanish coach Pep Guardiola was linked with the job before taking charge of the German champions, but Brazil have never appointed a foreign manager. For the best of BBC Sport's in-depth content and analysis, go to our features and video page.
Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has resigned, the country's football federation (CBF) has confirmed.
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Police initially said that business rivalry was a more likely motive for the attack on the Movida bar restaurant outside Kuala Lumpur on 28 June. They added that two men suspected of involvement had been arrested. Authorities are increasingly concerned about IS-related attacks as a number of Malaysians have gone to fight in Syria. "There were elements of IS involvement in the attack," national police chief Khalid Abu Bakar told reporters. "We found out that the two of them received instructions from one of our own citizens in Syria... to conduct attacks in Malaysia." There have been dozens of extremism-related arrests in recent years, including 13 Malaysians detained following the latest attack but who police said were not directly connected to it. Governments across the region have warned of an increased threat from the group.
Malaysian police have said a blast at a bar last week, which injured eight, was the first attack by the so-called Islamic State group in the country.
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The network will comprise at least 600 spacecraft in the first instance, but could eventually encompass more than 2,000. The aim is to deliver broadband links from orbit to every corner of the globe. In particular, the project wants every school to have a connection. Building so large a constellation requires a step-change in the manufacture of satellites - especially for Airbus. It can take Europe’s biggest space company many months and hundreds of millions of dollars to build some of today’s specialist platforms. But for the OneWeb venture, it is all about high volume and low cost. That means new assembly line methods akin to those in factories producing cars and planes. The idea is to turn out three units per shift at well less than a million dollars a piece. The boss of Airbus, Tom Enders, concedes he initially thought the OneWeb concept to be fantasy. "Everything in space as you know traditionally has been 'gold-plated'; it had to work perfectly, [and have] the most expensive materials, etc. "Here, we’ve had to go other ways, to be really commercial and calculating according to the target cost because that is very decisive in the whole business case for OneWeb," he told BBC News. Airbus and OneWeb have inaugurated the first assembly line in Toulouse, France. Two further lines will be set up in a soon-to-open factory complex in Florida. The most obvious difference you notice between these new lines and the conventional satellite cleanroom is the trolley robot, which moves the developing satellites between the various work stations. But the "revolution" here goes far beyond automation; it requires a whole chain of suppliers and their components to scale their work to a different game plan. The first 10 satellites to come off the Toulouse assembly line have a deadline to launch in April next year. Another batch will follow into orbit around November. And then the launch cadence will kick on apace. The establishment of the OneWeb constellation requires the greatest rocket campaign in the history of spaceflight. More than 20 Soyuz vehicles have been booked to throw clusters of 32-36 satellites into a web some 1,200km above the Earth. There should be just under 300 on station by the end of 2020, the start of 2021; more than 600 about a year or so later; and then over 800 by the middle of the decade. OneWeb and Airbus are not the only companies planning a mega-constellation in the sky. SpaceX, Boeing, ViaSat and others have all sought regulatory approval. But not everyone will succeed in getting the necessary multi-billion-dollar financing, and Airbus believes the OneWeb concept has first-mover advantage. Equity of $1.7bn has already been raised, and talks are ongoing to secure the loans needed to complete the roll-out. OneWeb describes itself as a "truly global company" but it has company registration in the UK's Channel Islands. And, as such, it must deal with the UK Space Agency as the licensing authority. "A lot of our revenues are going to flow through the UK. So, from an economic perspective, it is going to be very important for the UK," said OneWeb CEO Eric Béranger. "And when you have people locally, you are also fostering an ecosystem. And I think the UK being at the forefront of regulatory thinking on constellations will foster an environment that puts the UK ahead of many countries." One aspect that the UKSA is sure to take a keen interest in is debris mitigation. There is considerable concern that a proliferation of multi-satellite networks could lead to large volumes of junk and a cascade of collisions. The fear is that space could eventually become unusable. A recent study - sponsored by the European Space Agency and supported by Airbus itself - found that the new constellations would need to de-orbit their old, redundant spacecraft within five years or run the risk of seriously escalating the probability of objects hitting each other. Brian Holz, who is CEO of the OneWeb/Airbus manufacturing joint venture, said the ambition of his constellation was to set new standards in debris mitigation. "We can bring down the satellites and re-enter within two years; we've made that commitment," he told BBC News. "We've put extra hardware into the system to improve the reliability of that de-orbit process. We're also committing to put a small adapter device on to each spacecraft that will allow those spacecraft, in the small probability that one of them dies on the way down, to be grabbed by a small chase vehicle and pulled out of orbit." Time will tell how disruptive the new manufacturing approaches adopted in Toulouse will be to the satellite industry as a whole. Airbus and OneWeb hope also to be making satellites for other companies on their assembly lines. But not every platform in the sky will require such volumes and a good number of spacecraft will still need the bespoke treatment. "Not everything here is application to the whole space industry. When we launch to Jupiter, there are things that will remain gold-plated whether we like it or not; unless of course we start to manufacture 900 satellites to go to Jupiter but this is not the case today,” said Nicolas Chamussy, who runs the satellite division of Airbus. [email protected] and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos
European aerospace giant Airbus and its partner, OneWeb, have begun the production of a satellite mega-constellation.
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A review from the International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO), warns that the oceans are facing multiple threats. They are being heated by climate change, turned slowly less alkaline by absorbing CO2, and suffering from overfishing and pollution. The report warns that dead zones formed by fertiliser run-off are a problem. It says conditions are ripe for the sort of mass extinction event that has afflicted the oceans in the past. It says: “We have been taking the ocean for granted. It has been shielding us from the worst effects of accelerating climate change by absorbing excess CO2 from the atmosphere. “Whilst terrestrial temperature increases may be experiencing a pause, the ocean continues to warm regardless. For the most part, however, the public and policymakers are failing to recognise - or choosing to ignore - the severity of the situation.” It says the cocktail of threats facing the ocean is more powerful than the individual problems themselves. Coral reefs, for instance, are suffering from the higher temperatures and the effects of acidification whilst also being weakened by bad fishing practices, pollution, siltation and toxic algal blooms. IPSO, funded by charitable foundations, is publishing a set of five papers based on workshops in 2011 and 2012 in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN’s) World Commission on Protected Areas. The reports call for world governments to halt CO2 increase at 450ppm. Any higher, they say, will cause massive acidification later in the century as the CO2 is absorbed into the sea. It urges much more focused fisheries management, and a priority list for tackling the key groups of chemicals that cause most harm. It wants the governments to negotiate a new agreement for the sustainable fishing in the high oceans to be policed by a new global high seas enforcement agency. The IUCN’s Prof Dan Laffoley said: "What these latest reports make absolutely clear is that deferring action will increase costs in the future and lead to even greater, perhaps irreversible, losses. "The UN climate report confirmed that the ocean is bearing the brunt of human-induced changes to our planet. These findings give us more cause for alarm – but also a roadmap for action. We must use it." The co-coordinator, Prof Alex Rogers from Oxford University has been asked to advise the UN's own oceans assessment but he told BBC News he had led the IPSO initiative because: "It’s important to have something which is completely independent in any way from state influence and to say things which experts in the field felt was really needed to be said." He said concern had grown over the past year thanks to papers signalling that past extinctions had involved warming seas, acidification and low oxygen levels. All are on the rise today. He agreed there was debate on whether fisheries are recovering by better management following examples in the US and Europe, but said it seemed clear that globally they were not. He also admitted a debate about whether overall climate change would increase the amount of fish produced in the sea. Melting sea ice would increase fisheries near the poles whilst stratification of warmer waters in the tropics would reduce mixing of nutrients and lead to lower production, he said. He said dead zones globally appeared to be increasing although this may reflect increased reporting. "On ocean acidification, we are seeing effects that no-one predicted like the inability of fish to detect their environments properly. It’s clear that it will affect many species. We really do have to get a grip on what’s going on in the oceans," he said. Follow Roger on Twitter
The health of the world’s oceans is deteriorating even faster than had previously been thought, a report says.
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Jessica Taylor suffers debilitating fatigue and painful muscles caused by Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, also known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME). The 25-year-old, of Cliffe Woods, Kent, met Samuel Bearman, 24, through friends and they plan to marry next year. She is working with a physiotherapist in her bid to walk again, and said the wedding would be a "dream come true". "I've tried to defy doctors. They've given me boundaries and I've tried to extend those boundaries as much as possible," she said. Mr Bearman said his fiancee was much more than just "someone stuck in a bed". Ms Taylor added: "There's still a life you can live and it's not wasted years." Two years ago, with her sister Ruby, Ms Taylor started a charity called Share a Star, which supports sick children who spend their lives indoors. Last month she was invited to the Houses of Parliament to talk to her local MP, Kelly Tolhurst, about its work.
A woman is planning to walk down the aisle on her wedding day despite being bed-ridden for almost half her life.
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The patrols at Camber Sands in East Sussex will be funded with £51,000 allocated by Rother District Council as part of its annual budget. Councillor Sally-Ann Hart said the council needed to act after the "significant and unprecedented" deaths. Families of the men who drowned said a lifeguard service could have saved their lives. Five men died during a day-trip to the beach last August. A month earlier, two others also lost their lives. The council said the beach attracted more than one million people each year. It said lifeguards would be present from the late May bank holiday until the end of the summer holidays "to offer reassurance" to visitors. Speaking after a council meeting on Monday night, Mrs Hart, the cabinet member for tourism, said: "Our thoughts remain with the families of those who lost their lives. "The incidents were significant and unprecedented and we need to react to the changing circumstances. "We not only need to protect the visiting public, but also the economy and livelihoods of our coastal tourism businesses." However, she stressed the importance of "people from all communities across Britain being better informed" on beach and water safety before they visit. She said: "[The beach] can never be completely risk-free but we are committed to investing in our beach patrol, the lifeguard service and working with other agencies to ensure visitors to the beach are aware of the dangers of the sea." Full inquests into the deaths are awaited. The council said it would act on any recommendations the coroner might make. Five men from south-east London died on 24 August: Two others lost their lives in July:
Lifeguards will patrol a popular beach on the South Coast this summer after seven men drowned last year.
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The former Army helicopter pilot and two fellow crew members will launch to the International Space Station (ISS) on a landmark flight from Baikonur Cosmodrome, in Kazakhstan. To mark the launch, #BritinSpace, #Principia - the name of the six-month mission - and #TimPeake are all trending on Twitter. Here, we feature some of the best of those comments. @Astro_Matt27 tweets his best wishes to the Chichester-born astronaut: @mccartanfi tweets her excitement ahead of the launch, scheduled for 10:30 GMT: @angegarrod and @joannajury are also looking forward to the launch and using #BritinSpace - the highest trending hashtag ahead of the historic spaceflight: Notable names from the world of sport and TV are also anticipating lift-off, with cricket commentator @Aggerscricket and adventurer @Benfogle adding their best wishes to their fellow countryman: And just in case he hasn't had time to check the forecast in Kazakhstan for Tuesday, @bbcweather posted this helpful update for the intrepid 43-year-old: Compiled by Stephen Fottrell.
Maj Tim Peake will become the first British European Space Agency (Esa) astronaut to go into space, on Tuesday.
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Castlepoint in Bournemouth opened in 2003 but the two-level car park has been reinforced with props since 2005 when it was found to be unsafe. Bournemouth Borough Council has granted planning permission for it to be demolished and rebuilt in sections. Work is expected to be completed by Christmas 2018. Sean Jeffery, managing director of Kier Infrastructure UK, which built the shopping centre, said: "This is very welcome news. Together with the Castlepoint Partnership, we have worked hard to reach this stage. "There remain a few key steps to put in place, but this consent brings us closer to being able to start work on-site." The rebuild has been delayed for years as a result of legal wrangling. Standard Life Investments, which manages the centre on behalf of Castlepoint Partnership, would not reveal the cost of the rebuild but said there would be no cost to tenants. To minimise disruption, work will be carried out in five phases, each taking nine to 10 months, stopping for six weeks each Christmas. Additional parking will be created underneath existing stores to maintain at least 2,500 spaces - the amount needed at peak times. When the project is complete, the additional spaces will be turned into more shops. The walkways in front of the upper level stores will also be replaced in phases.
Work to rebuild a shopping centre car park that has been beset with structural problems for a decade will now go ahead in the spring of 2015.
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Alexis Scott, 39, tricked people into thinking they had too much cash on them as they boarded flights in April 2013. She was convicted of six counts of theft and one count of misfeasance - carrying out a legal act illegally - at Canterbury Crown Court in July. Scott, of High Grove, London, was told she preyed on victims' "panic". Judge James Mahoney said the severity of her crime meant she would be split up from her young daughter, who had been with her at a mother and baby unit since she was remanded in custody in July. He said: "I have human feelings, I am a father. The judicial duty doesn't come harder. "It was over a limited time that you did this but it was bold, persistent, systematic, planned and subtle," Judge Mahoney added. "You preyed on victims' lack of sophistication and panic." During the trial, the court was told Scott had targeted long-haul passengers at the North Terminal. People said they were approached at the departure gate and told they could not take more than £1,000 in cash out of the country. They were then told they could claim it back when they returned. Judge Mahoney said: "This is a case about an official PCSO using her uniform and her status to commit serious criminal offences herself." "It is an exceptional and very unsual case. The implication is upon the police, the public trust and the international reputation of this country," he said. "People from other parts of the world find themselves being fleeced by a police officer. If that's the impression that people leaving this country go away with then that's a very serious matter." Scott's victims lost about £13,500, which Sussex Police has since repaid. Scott was suspended from her position as a Police Community Support Officer when the investigation began and then dismissed for gross misconduct after a disciplinary hearing in July 2013.
A Sussex PCSO who stole thousands of pounds from passengers while on duty at Gatwick Airport, has been jailed for six and a half years
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We bring you five stories from the last few days - in emojis. Did you know the word emoji literally means "picture" (e) + "character" (moji) in Japanese? Well, now you do, get cracking on these. Answers at the bottom of the page. 1 - ITV cancels the Dapper Laughs show after it is branded sexist and offensive. 2 - Ten stars head for the jungle as the line-up for this year's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! is revealed. 3 - Confusion about a tiger on the loose in Paris (which isn't a tiger and isn't in Paris). 4 - A spacecraft successfully lands on a comet, everyone celebrates... and then worries about its battery. 5 - Is Twitter changing to help prevent #FOMO? Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube
Who needs words when you can tell the week's news in pictures?
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Twenty-four buildings at Stow Maries Aerodrome, near Maldon, have been Grade II star-listed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The airfield site, which was used as a base for the 37th Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, is one of the few remaining of its kind in the country. It was listed for its "rarity" and "historical importance", Heritage Minister John Penrose said. The aerodrome was created in 1914 by the forerunner to the Royal Air Force. It was one of several in the south east of England used to defend London from German Zeppelin airship and bomber raids during the conflict. It ceased being used by the military in 1919 and was returned to agricultural use. Its buildings remained and, according to English Heritage, is now "the largest known surviving group of Royal Flying Corps buildings on a WWI aerodrome". In recent years the aerodrome was bought by private owners, who have had the buildings restored, and created a museum to tell its role during the war. In 2010, a war memorial commemorating the 10 pilots of 37 Squadron killed in action during WWI was erected on the former parade ground. Among the 24 surviving buildings are the officers' mess, accommodation huts, ammunition store, workshops, blacksmiths and mortuary. On granting the listed status, Mr Penrose said the aerodrome was a "poignant reminder of the conditions in which they were working". "I am listing Stow Maries for its rarity, its architectural interest, its value as a group and also of course for its historical importance as the first line of defence against German air raids," he said. English Heritage chief executive Simon Thurley said: "The importance of Stow Maries is amplified by the approaching 100th anniversary of the Great War. "It's in a remarkable state of preservation, full of historic interest and of great educational potential."
A World War I airbase in Essex has been granted listed status.
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The row has exposed deep divisions within his ruling Socialist Party (PS), many of whose members believe the president has veered dangerously to the right in his reaction to the Paris atrocities. With just a year till campaigning starts for the 2017 presidential election, it shows the uphill task facing Mr Hollande as he tries to forge a united leftwing bloc capable of returning him to the Elysee. The problem might appear abstruse - and with little actual impact in the battle against jihadist extremists. But in France - and especially among the French left - symbols count. And the right to carry the title Citizen of a French Republic is a matter over which people have fought and died. The problem arose from a promise by Mr Hollande - made in his speech to the united houses of parliament after the attacks - to strip of their French nationality convicted terrorists who are "bi-nationals", in other words who have a second nationality. In detail: Paris attacks The unanswered questions Who were the attackers? Significantly, he said this should apply to bi-nationals "who are born French" - and not just to people who have acquired a second French nationality through residence or marriage. (In some circumstances, this category can already be stripped of nationality). The president - backed by Prime Minister Manuel Valls - decided it was the kind of strong response the people of France expected. Polls putting support for the measure at 80%-85% suggest he is right. At the time he announced it - with the shock of the 130 dead still reverberating - little was made of the idea. But today the opposing voices are rising in crescendo, and it is clear many on the left regard the president's proposal as a grotesque betrayal. For critics, the idea of stripping "French-born bi-nationals" of their French citizenship is fundamentally wrong because it creates two classes of French citizen. It means if you are a French jihadist with only one nationality, then your French citizenship is safe. But if you are a French jihadist who has two nationalities (say French and Algerian), then your French citizenship can be taken away. The measure removes the universal nature of French citizenship, and thus discriminates against the estimated three million people (mainly of North African origin) who have two passports. So goes the argument. Former Socialist minister Benoit Hamon said: "This decision will create a schism among people of the left, but equally in the nation as a whole. "I fully recognise that there are political issues at stake here. "But ends cannot justify the means. "It is a question of conscience and of values." Meanwhile, ever-provocative Left Front leader Jean-Luc Melenchon said his feeling was "less one of indignation or disgust, more one of total nausea". "Curse them for this unprecedented ignominy," he added. The nationality issue is fast becoming one of those abstract points of principle on which the French left loves to tear itself apart. On one side are those with the president, who say it would be mad to ignore the anger of the voters. They point out many other EU countries - including the UK - have given themselves the right to remove nationality from terrorists. On the other, are those who accuse Mr Hollande of running shamelessly after the right, junking long-cherished values in the process. It does not help the president that the no-French-nationality-for-terrorists cause has long been the preserve of his enemies. The far-right Front National even thanked Mr Hollande for adopting a measure that is part of its own manifesto. As for Nicolas Sarkozy's Republicans, they point out that when Mr Sarkozy pushed through a similar measure in 2010 to punish bi-nationals who attacked police officers, he was accused of rabble-rousing xenophobia by no lesser figures than Mr Hollande and Mr Valls themselves. Realising they are in an embarrassing mess over the issue, some Socialists have proposed a way out. In order to avoid creating a two-tier system of citizenship (with bi-nationals different from mono-nationals), why not make it possible for all citizens to have their nationality removed if convicted of acts against the state? The problem there is that they run into another point of principle. If you strip a mono-national of his nationality, then he or she become nation-less. And that would be in breach of the UN Declaration on Human Rights, which states that every individual has a "right to a nationality". Adopted on 10 December 1948, following a vote in which 48 nations voted in favour, none against, and eight abstained (the Soviet Union, the Soviet Republics of Ukraine and Belarus, Yugoslavia, Poland, South Africa, Czechoslovakia, and Saudi Arabia) Contains 30 Articles designed to act as "a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations" Article 15: (1) Everyone has the right to a nationality (2) No-one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality The absurd problem could easily arise of a convicted terrorist being stripped of his nationality but having to remain resident in France - because no other country would ever accept him. To secure his proposal, President Hollande wants it in a package of constitutional reforms to be voted on by the joint houses of parliament some time in the next two months. But to pass, it will need a three-fifths majority of the 925 deputies and senators. If a large bloc of the left votes against, he might have to rely on the support of Mr Sarkozy's opposition. That would be highly embarrassing, and do little for the president's standing both in his party and in the left as a whole. But then dropping the proposal would be a sign of weakness at a time when Mr Hollande feels it is essential to stand firm. He really is in a bit of a fix.
Determined to act tough after November's attacks, France's President, Francois Hollande, finds himself trapped in a damaging ideological fix over French nationality, and whether certain convicted terrorists can be made to give it up.
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Google said it had "hidden a few British treats" in the device. The speaker and assistant, which launched in the US in November, is part of a growing trend to make artificial intelligence available in homes. The firm is also launching its own wi-fi service in the UK, in an attempt to solve the "frustration when wireless connectivity fails at home". Like Amazon's Echo, Home can answer basic queries as well as control smart home devices, such as lights. It can also help with translations, offer weather and traffic updates and deliver news updates from publications such as the BBC, the Guardian and the Financial Times. "A combination of our natural language processing, machine learning and voice-recognition expertise allow users to interact naturally with the assistant," said Suveer Kothari, director of product planning at Google in a blog post. "And of course, we've hidden a few British treats for you to discover. Just try asking Google Home about its hobbies or favourite foods." The US version of Google Home proved controversial when it began playing information about the new film, Beauty and the Beast, unprompted. Google apologised and denied that it was an advertisement, saying it was experimenting with "new ways to surface unique content". Google Home will be available in stores such as Argos, John Lewis, Dixons and Maplin from 6 April, and will cost £129. Google Wi-fi will be available at the same time and will also cost £129.
Google Home, the search giant's smart assistant that rivals Amazon's Alexa, will be launched in the UK in April.
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Media playback is not supported on this device Former world player of the year Messi, 27, has inspired Argentina in Brazil. The Barcelona forward has scored in all three games and is one goal shy of Maradona's 1986 five-goal haul, but Mehmedi says it is not all about Messi. "With all due respect for his qualities and class, I think too much is talked about just Messi," said Mehmedi, 23. Media playback is not supported on this device "He is exceptional, no question, but that is not all, he has very good players around him. We will not neglect the preparation nor in the game itself," the Freiburg striker said ahead of their last-16 clash. Argentina are unbeaten in their six previous games against Switzerland but Mehmedi says his side are not heading into the game at Corinthians Arena just to make up the numbers against one of the pre-tournament favourites. "Swap jerseys with Messi? I'm not here as a tourist," he said. "Switzerland is in the second round of a World Cup." Mehmedi knows if his side can defeat Argentina in Sao Paulo they will cause one of the biggest shocks of the 2014 tournament in Brazil. "I know the quality and potential of this team," he continued. "If we defeat Argentina, we write a piece of World Cup history and many people in Switzerland will be proud of the team. "I even think such success would see the world take notice, but we are not naive. "It will take an absolutely top performance of each one of us. And I assure you, everyone will do everything we can to provide these and tearing for Switzerland."
Lionel Messi is not the only threat in the Argentina team, according to Switzerland's Admir Mehmedi ahead of Tuesday's last-16 World Cup clash.
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The actor said he was "thrilled" to be asked to portray Tommy Butler in The Great Train Robbery: A Copper's Tale. The drama will follow A Robber's Tale, which will view the heist from the perspective of its perpetrators. Luke Evans will star in that film as Bruce Reynolds, the raid's key planner. Broadbent said it would be "great fun" to play Butler, "a fascinating copper of the old school", in the drama, to air later this year. "I have such strong memories of the massive impact of the actual robbery and it is wonderful to find out from the script so much of the real story." Chris Chibnall, executive producer and writer of the Great Train Robbery dramas, said Broadbent was "a dream piece of casting". The actor won an Oscar in 2001 for playing the husband of writer Iris Murdoch in Iris and a Bafta in 2007 for playing the campaigner Lord Longford. Butler, whose astuteness earned him the nickname "Grey Fox", led the investigation into the Great Train Robbery which resulted in several of the robbers receiving lengthy sentences. He retired in 1969 and died the following year at the age of 57.
Jim Broadbent will play the detective charged with tracking down the Great Train Robbers in the second of two BBC dramas marking the 50th anniversary of the August 1963 raid.
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The Mercian Regiment said Private Derby XXXI was officially selected by the Duke of Devonshire from his flock at the Chatsworth Estate, Derbyshire. The Swaledale Ram helped to form a guard of honour for a Premiership rugby union match on Saturday. Lance Corporal Derby XXX, who switched on Ashbourne's Christmas Lights in 2014, died in November. Private Derby XXXI, who will be based at RHQ Mercian, Lichfield, Staffordshire, is set to begin training for tasks including leading soldiers out on parade and marching out the players at Derby County. The animal's first public appearance will at an Aviva Premiership rugby union match between Worcester Warriors and Sale Sharks at Sixways Stadium, Worcester. The ram is the 31st mascot going back to the Indian Mutiny War in the mid-19th Century. The first Private Derby was acquired in 1858 by the 95th (Derbyshire) Regiment of Foot and became the mascot of the Mercian Regiment when it formed in 2007. The animal has his own army number, gets paid to buy his rations and can take his holidays during the mating season at Chatsworth.
A British Army regiment has announced its new sheep mascot following the death of its predecessor.
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26 July 2016 Last updated at 17:48 BST The company says its Dtek50 smartphone offers improved security over rival Android devices, and will cost less than its previous handset Priv. It is the firm's second Android handset after switching focus away from its struggling BB10 platform. One analyst said the phone was the "right move" but that the company still faced an "uphill battle" with devices.
Blackberry has launched its first touchscreen-only Android handset, in a bid to diversify its range of devices.
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13 April 2016 Last updated at 10:30 BST Helen Fairhead captured the charming footage of the three-year-old gorilla, called Lope, on a visit to Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire. More than one million people have watched the video on Facebook with hundreds leaving comments. The zoo's director of life sciences Dr Charlotte Macdonald said Lope's "dance" is evidence of him playing - an important aspect of young apes' behaviour.
A dancing gorilla video has gone viral with more than one million people viewing the pirouetting primate.
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An IFA Disciplinary Committee opted not to impose any sanction after finding that Carrick did not properly implement manager Gary Haveron's touchline ban. The committee said it would "exercise its discretion" in the matter. A Warrenpoint Town statement argued that the decision "contradicted the IFA's obligation to apply objectivity". "The board of Warrenpoint Town have read the IFA Disciplinary Committee determination regarding the breach of Article 23.1 of the IFA Disciplinary Code by the Carrick Rangers FC Manager," the statement began. "We are shocked that the IFA having found Carrick guilty failed to implement the requisite admonishment as per established rules. "The board will be meeting soon to discuss further this matter and the complaint we formally raised surrounding eligibility which is in abeyance." Carrick faced a possible three-point deduction and relegation from the top flight, plus a possible fine of at least £350, if the outcome of the hearing did not go in their favour. However in a statement released on Wednesday night, the committee indicated that "the interests of justice were best served by not imposing a sanction in all the circumstances". As it stands, Ballinamallard United and Institute await a date for the second leg of their promotion-relegation play-off, the Mallards having won the first leg 2-1 at the Riverside Stadium on 6 May. Haveron sat out a three-game ban handed out by the IFA, but was in the dugout for his club's match against Dungannon Swifts on 23 April when he should not have been. "The club did not explain to the Committee's satisfaction the reasons why the start date for the suspension set out in the initial charge letter (18 April 2016) was not complied with and therefore the challenge from Carrick Rangers was not upheld," read the IFA statement released on Wednesday night. "The Committee took into account the points made on behalf of the club and decided to exercise its discretion under the overriding objective as outlined in Articles 1.6 and 1.7 of the Disciplinary Code and found that no sanction should be applied." "In applying its discretion it took into account, what it found to be the honest intention of the club to serve a suspension, the fact that three matches had been served and points made regarding possible confusion in the way in which the suspension was to be implemented."
Warrenpoint Town say they are "shocked" by an IFA ruling that confirmed their relegation from the Premiership and saw Carrick Rangers stay in the top flight.
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But there are plenty of other options to choose from, including Olympic gold medals, world records and election to Parliament. 1979 - Three world records in 41 days As a young middle distance runner, Sebastian Coe claimed a number of UK records and had already begun to show considerable talents as an athlete by 1979. But the year marked an important milestone when - aged just 22 - he broke the 800m, one mile and 1,500m world records within the space of just 41 days. He was the first person to hold all three records at the same time. He also won Sports Personality of the Year. 1980 - First Olympic medals Coe will always be remembered for his Olympic success. In 1980, amid intense rivalry with fellow British runner Steve Ovett, he won gold in the 1,500m in Moscow. He took silver in his preferred race - the 800m - finishing second to Ovett. 1984 - Second Olympic Gold Despite spending months fighting illness, Coe returned to the Olympic track in Los Angeles four years later and became the first man to win successive 1,500m golds, beating fellow Briton Steve Cram into second (Ovett failed to finish the race). Coe was beaten into second again in the 800m by Joaquim Cruz. 1992 - Enters Parliament After retiring from athletics in 1990, Coe pursued a career in politics and was chosen to fight the Falmouth and Camborne constituency for the Conservatives at the 1992 election. Coe beat the Liberal Democrat candidate by more than 3,000 votes and took his place in Parliament. He lost the seat in 1997 when Tony Blair's Labour Party swept to power. He briefly returned to politics as chief of staff to William Hague, when he was Leader of the Opposition. 2005 - Helps secure Olympics for London Despite London lagging in third place behind Paris and Madrid in early stages, the UK capital secured the games under Coe's leadership. Sports commentators said a speech he made, shortly before the vote, helped turn the race in London's favour. "This is almost entirely on a different planet to winning the gold medals," Coe said at the time. He went on to become Chairman of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and is said to have been a key player in organising the Queen's appearance in the James Bond scene in the Games' opening ceremony. 2015 - Elected president of the IAAF Despite one of the most impressive CVs in athletics history, Lord Coe suggested his election as IAAF chief topped all his achievements. He beat Sergey Bubka, a former Olympic pole vault champion, by 115 votes to 92. His first test, and perhaps his biggest yet, will be to deal with the fallout from doping allegations.
After being elected the new president of the IAAF, Lord Coe said taking the role was "probably the second biggest and most momentous occasion in my life" after the birth of his children.
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A spokesman said under new proposals, no-one younger than 18 or older than 75 would be allowed to climb. The ministry of tourism could also insist that all climbers have previous mountaineering experience. Nepal makes millions of dollars every year from the Everest industry but has been criticised for poor management. In 2014, the mountain was closed after 16 Sherpas (guides) died in an accident. And earlier this year, the climbing season was called off after a massive earthquake triggered an avalanche that killed 18 climbers. Over the past decade many people have sought to establish world records on the world's highest mountain, a practice the government wants to discourage. The youngest person to climb Mount Everest was 13 and the oldest 80. "We don't think we should issue permits to people who cannot see or walk or who don't have arms," tourism department chief Govinda Karki told AFP news agency. "Climbing Everest is not a joke... it is not a matter of discrimination. How can you climb without legs? Someone will have to carry you up. We want to make the mountains safer for everyone, so we have to insist on some rules." Mr Karki also said the government was considering only issuing permits to climbers who have already scaled another mountain above 6,500m (21,300ft). Over the years, Everest has attracted many climbers aiming to overcome their disabilities. Last week, Japanese mountaineer Nobukazu Kuriki, who had previously lost nine fingers to frostbite, abandoned his attempt to climb the mountain. In 2006, New Zealander Mark Inglis, who had lost both legs to frostbite, became the first double amputee to reach the 8,848m (29,029ft) summit. Five years earlier, US climber Erik Weihenmayer became the first blind person to reach the top of Everest.
The Nepalese government is considering banning anyone deemed too young or too old or with a severe disability from climbing Mount Everest.
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St Davids in Pembrokeshire and Swansea both hope to inherit the title from Hull in 2021. The Swansea bid team said it wanted to match the £33m spent by Hull, while St Davids has a £20m programme in place. City of Culture is awarded by the UK government every four years - providing the winner with an opportunity to raise its profile and draw investment. In Hull's case, the council put in about £3.5m with the rest coming from local and central government, the Arts Council, Lottery funding and businesses in the city. The winning city also gets to host high-profile national events such as the Turner Prize for contemporary art and Radio 1's Big Weekend. The Department of Culture Media and Sport is considering 11 bids for 2021 and the shortlist of four is due to be announced in July. An independent panel, chaired by Brookside creator Phil Redmond, will then assess the final bids before a winner is chosen at the end of the year. St Davids' bid is being led by Pembrokeshire council. Chief executive Tegryn Jones told the Eye on Wales programme: "I think we've got a number of themes. The background of pilgrimage is very strong amongst those. Another obvious aspect is the coastline and the natural environment. "There are fantastic opportunities to put art in the landscape. One of the ideas is to have a cycling cinema, where people turn up on their bikes and power the film by using their bicycles." Swansea made the final shortlist before losing out to Hull in the 2017 competition. The council's head of cultural services, Tracey McNulty, said: "We have a bit of a history of people who took risks and lead to world-first innovation. Also we have this stunning landscape but we've also got areas which are facing deprivation. "We're really playing with that 'lovely, ugly' Swansea that Dylan Thomas describes." Hull estimates being UK Capital of Culture helped unlock £3bn of capital investment in the city. The £33m was spent on such things as education, volunteering and legacy as well as a 365-day programme of events. Martin Green, director of Hull City of Culture 2017, said: "One of the things that we've clearly seen in this city is that pride has hit the roof. "Proud cities are confident cities. And confident cities can do anything they like."
Two Welsh cities hoping to become the UK City of Culture are planning multi-million pound improvements if they win.
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A report commissioned by Food Standards Scotland found that in-store promotions were heavily weighted in favour of food with high levels of salt or sugar. The Stirling University academics behind the report called for a "retail revolution" to help people choose healthier options. However, the study was criticised by the Scottish Grocers' Federation. It said the report failed to take account of the efforts already being made to promote healthy eating. Food Standards Scotland (FSS) said Scottish obesity levels, currently 30%, were projected to rise to 40% by 2030. Professor Leigh Sparks, who wrote the report, told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme that there was an imbalance in the type of food promoted in shops. "If you look at the environment in store in retailing, then most of the promotions are pushing the products that are less healthy for consumers," he said. "A lot of the products have been supersized as well - boxes of crisps, bags of crisps are good examples of that." He said that manufacturers needed to make changes to the composition of their products, while retailers should provide more information for consumers and change their "balance of promotions". "I think retailers are increasingly aware of the issue and they're looking at what they can do," he added. "But most of the voluntary schemes that have gone on so far have not had the impact because of this overwhelming tide in terms of unhealthy promotions as well." The report also backs the idea of a sugar tax. FSS senior dietary adviser Dr Gillian Purdon said: "The report supports Food Standards Scotland views and recommendations for the need to extend sugar tax beyond soft drinks, to reformulate products to reduce sugar fat and salt, to resize portions, address less healthy food promotion and to provide clearer consumer information on products in both the retail and out of home sectors. "This report will help us to develop new approaches to improve the balance of food offered and promoted by the retail sector. "It is clear that a combination of measures will be needed overall to enable healthier eating. Regulation of promotions of high fat, salt and/or sugar food and drink within retail stores and out of home premises should be taken forward as a priority." Previous research by FSS indicated about 50% of less healthy food choices are purchased on promotions. For healthier foods, the figure is about 30%. The report added: "We conclude that the current context for consumer choice in-store is affecting the health and diet of consumers in Scotland. "Voluntary and self-regulatory approaches or relying on consumers to make 'good' decisions are not having sufficient impact. "It will thus be necessary to regulate to make the changes have real impact." Dr John Lee, of the Scottish Grocers' Federation, which represents food retailers in Scotland, said: "This report seems to ignore the significant efforts of retailers to actively promote healthy products in-store and the efforts of manufacturers to reformulate products and reduce calories. "Additionally, extending the sugar tax will make no real or lasting impact on diet-related problems. Improved food education and awareness should be the priority rather than constantly shifting the responsibility for population health onto retailers." SGF said more than 200 stores were participating in its Scottish government-supported Healthy Living Programme. The Scottish Retail Consortium said its members were committed to helping consumers make healthier choices and called for "regulation or legislation" on the issue. Ewan MacDonald-Russell, its head of policy, said: "Fruit and vegetables are heavily price promoted and there has been a proliferation of healthy alternatives. Just as importantly, our industry has led the way on reformulating products to reduce salt, sugar and fats from products, and in producing clearer and more informative labelling. "It's worth highlighting the number of products being promoted in total is falling in response to customer demands for simpler pricing. We will continue to engage directly with FSS and the Scottish government on this issue. However, any measures on pricing and promotions will have to be done through regulation or legislation; it's not feasible, or legal, to ask retailers to voluntarily take collective measures in this area. "Ultimately however, the best way to help improve Scotland's health is for government to take steps to ensure the whole food and drink industry is working collectively, on a level playing field, to ensure no matter where customers shop or consume they are able to make healthy informed choices."
Supermarkets and other food retailers are fuelling Scotland's obesity epidemic, according to new research.
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A smart doorbell, a connected camera, a child's toy and a locator to help monitor children were all found to be vulnerable to straightforward attacks. The default passwords and bad security practices could have leaked data to attackers, said the research teams. However, all four firms have acted on the warnings, tightened up code and closed loopholes. "The problem with the Internet of Things these days is that everyone is becoming an IT shop whether they like it or not and whether they realise it or not," said Tod Beardsley, security research manager at Rapid7, who uncovered problems with two of the devices. While IoT device makers were writing code more confidently, few took the extra design steps to make sure the programming they put into smart devices was secure, the researchers found. Mr Beardsley checked the security in two devices from separate firms: The way the bear communicated with the web was poorly configured, he found, so attackers could have interrogated it to find out more about its young owner, their family and home network. Similar problems were found with the HereO watch that could have let an attacker add themselves to a group of watches used by a family or other group. HereO's chief technology officer said his team fixed the flaw within four hours of being alerted to it. "We not only appreciate Rapid7's feedback, but also welcome and embrace the valuable support of the global IoT [internet of things] community in our relentless efforts to maintain a bar-none, zero-tolerance environment for the safety and security of our users," said Eli Shemesh. "As HereO at the time had yet to commercialise its GPS watches, at no point was any child at risk of any malicious activity." Separately, researchers at Context IS uncovered security issues with a Motorola Focus outdoor camera. If exploited, the lapses could allow a camera to be taken over and remotely controlled by an attacker and used as an entrance to infiltrate a network to which it was connected. Security experts at Pentest Partners also found problems with Ring - a smart doorbell fitted with a video camera that uses an app to beam video of callers to a phone. But by removing the cover of the gadget and pressing its set-up key it becomes possible to recover the key to the wi-fi network to which it is joined, found the security testing firm. All the security failings found by the researchers were reported to the respective firms and all have now been patched or fixed. Ken Munro from Pentest Partners said Era Home Security was "quick to respond" to the report of the bug. Tod Beardsley from Rapid7 said getting the security bugs fixed in the two devices he studied was a "good and surprising outcome". "I was expecting the usual emotional response of, 'How dare you hack our stuff?' and 'What's your motivation?'" he told the BBC. "But both firms were very mature about it." He added that there were no reports of IoT devices being targeted by attackers as yet but security firms were keen to get product designers thinking about ways to secure their creations as soon as possible. Industry initiatives such as BuildItSecure.ly have been created that attempt to educate gadget makers about secure coding. "We are seeing the deployment of internet of things devices accelerate," he said, "but we can still get ahead of the curve and prevent some future disasters."
New research has highlighted security issues on four separate smart gadgets.
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Speaking at a joint news conference at the White House, Mr Obama said they had agreed that neither country would engage in cyber economic espionage. The deal covers the theft of trade secrets but not national security information. President Xi also pledged to limit greenhouse gas emissions. Mr Obama said any escalation in China's alleged cybercrimes against the US would prompt sanctions. "It has to stop," he said. "The question is now, are words followed by action?" Reflecting on the use of sanctions against either individuals, businesses or state-run companies, he said: "We will apply those, and whatever other tools we have in our tool kit, to go after cybercriminals either retrospectively or prospectively." Both countries deny taking part in the cybertheft of commercial secrets. The Chinese president said the two countries would not "knowingly support" such practices and said they would both abide by "norms of behaviour" in cyberspace. "Confrontation and friction are not the right choice for both sides," said Mr Xi, speaking through a translator. The cybertheft of intellectual property designed to benefit Chinese industry was described by former National Security Agency Director Keith Alexander as "the greatest transfer of wealth in history". US officials have alleged that the Chinese state was behind a massive data security breach of government databases as well as attacks on private firms. That kind of breach is not covered by this deal. Chinese President Xi Jinping wore a dark suit and stood at a podium during lunch at the US state department. Behind him were his hosts, US Vice-President Joe Biden and US Secretary of State John Kerry. The room was filled with current and former officials, including Henry Kissinger. The tables were decorated with red cloth napkins and yellow roses. Outside protesters shouted in front of the building: "Shame on the Chinese government". Inside the room President Xi said he and President Obama had both "demonstrated a firm commitment" to a new model for their relationship. He made a toast to friendship between the US and China. Most people stood up - but not everybody. People clapped, too, though not very enthusiastically. Mr Obama thanked Mr Xi for introducing a cap-and-trade emissions trading system to limit greenhouse gas production. The White House on Friday put out a fact sheet on the US and China's joint national carbon emissions trading scheme set to launch in 2017. The "cap-and-trade" scheme would see Chinese companies charged to emit pollutants beyond a certain level. China said it would commit $3.1bn to help developing countries reduce carbon emissions, along with other initiatives outlined in the fact sheet that would align China's climate work with that of the US. There were also areas of sharp disagreement. Mr Obama expressed concerns about the growing tensions in the South China Sea. And he criticised China's human rights record, saying that preventing lawyers, journalists and others from operating freely is an obstacle to China living up to its potential.
US President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping have said they will take new steps to address cybercrime.
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A judge dismissed the charge against the retired sportsman after identifying inconsistencies in Tina Wallace's evidence. She also refused a prosecution application to impose a restraining order. Mr Wallace, 37, was accused of subjecting his wife to harassment over two dates in May last year. By that stage the couple had split after 11 years of marriage, with the ex-rugby star moving out of the family home in east Belfast. Belfast Magistrates' Court was told he sent 41-year-old Mrs Wallace a number of text messages on 1 May. During a contested hearing she claimed he appeared at the kitchen window of the house while a male friend was present. It was also alleged that her husband tried to take photographs. Mr Wallace, capped 30 times in an international career which involved being part of Ireland's 2009 Grand Slam-winning team, denied the allegations. His barrister challenged the account during cross-examination of the alleged victim. Delivering judgment on the case, the judge stressed that successful prosecution on a harassment charge required a course of conduct of at least two incidents. She pointed to discrepancies between the evidence given of the second alleged incident and an account given in separate proceedings. The judge said it was unfortunate police did not obtain a statement from the witness in the house. "I cannot be satisfied to the relevant standard what happened on that date," she said. "In those circumstances I have to dismiss the charge." Mr Wallace, of Station Road in Holywood, County Down, left court without commenting on the case. But his lawyer, said: "Mr Wallace is pleased with the outcome of today's hearing and wishes to thank his legal team, friends and family for their support at this difficult time. "He now wants to move on with his life and focus on his two children."
The former Ireland and Ulster rugby star Paddy Wallace has been acquitted of harassing his estranged wife.
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Ben, from Sheffield, was 21 months old when he disappeared on 24 July 1991. His mother Kerry has always maintained her son, who would now be 26, is alive and was probably abducted. South Yorkshire Police said officers travelled to Kos on Sunday and would hold a press conference on Tuesday at the site where Ben was last seen. Live updates on this story and others from South Yorkshire Ben vanished after travelling to the island with his mother and grandparents who were renovating a run-down farmhouse building in the village of Iraklis. Ms Needham said: "We believe someone on Kos does know something - and if they do please come forward. It doesn't matter how insignificant they think it is - if they have information let the police know." Det Insp Jon Cousins said: "The lives of Ben Needham's family were ripped apart when he disappeared more than 20 years ago and their determination to find him has not diminished. "They are more desperate than ever to find answers about what happened to him." He said officers would be "actively" distributing leaflets and posters and carrying out "house-to-house visits" in the Iraklis area. "It is likely that someone out there knows what happened to him and we will be appealing to people in Kos who have information to come forward and tell us what they know. "The force is working closely with the Greek authorities to ensure a number of lines of existing enquiry are explored." He also said there was a "£10,000 Crimestoppers reward available" for anyone who provided information leading to the discovery of Ben. Earlier this year, the force secured £450,000 from the Home Office to investigate the disappearance of toddler Ben Needham for another six months. A DNA test was carried out on a man in Cyprus in an attempt to establish if he could be the toddler, but proved negative in 2013. In 2012, a police operation focused on a mound of earth and rubble close to where Ben was last seen, but no trace of him was found.
A team of 10 police officers has returned to the Greek island of Kos to carry out "house-to-house visits" in the search for missing Ben Needham.
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Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary said some forces are "downgrading" 999 calls, in order to justify responding to them more slowly. HMIC's report found that most of the 43 forces in England and Wales were providing a good service. But that others have let victims down. The inspectors said there are now too few detectives and in some areas an erosion of neighbourhood policing. The former chief constable of Greater Manchester Police, Sir Peter Fahy, said that forces will have to do things differently in the future, if the government continues to ask them "to do more with less". In its annual report on forces, the inspectors said officers were arresting fewer people and too many crimes were being shelved without proper investigation. It found that 67,000 people suspected of crimes were not entered onto the police national computer - so that all forces were made aware of them. The report highlighted measures some forces had deployed to manage demand - although in each case it was not entirely clear whether they were directly caused by cuts or local management decisions. HMIC said: "We are leading to a very serious conclusion regarding the potentially perilous state of British policing," said Zoe Billingham, the lead inspector. "Over the last few years, HMIC has said consistently that police forces were managing well in increasingly difficult circumstances. "Nonetheless, today, I'm raising a red flag to warn forces of the consequences of what is, to all intents and purposes, an unconscious form of rationing." Rated "Outstanding": Durham Rated "Good": Avon & Somerset, Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, City of London, Cleveland, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Dorset, Essex, Greater Manchester, Gwent, Kent, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Merseyside, Norfolk, North Wales, North Yorkshire, Northumbria, South Wales, Suffolk, Surrey, Thames Valley, Warwickshire, West Mercia, West Midlands, West Yorkshire and Wiltshire. Rated "Requires Improvement": Devon & Cornwall, Dyfed-Powys, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Humberside, Leicestershire, Metropolitan Police, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire, Staffordshire and Sussex Rated "Inadequate": Bedfordshire HMIC also warned there was now a "national crisis" caused by a shortage of detectives - with the Metropolitan Police alone short by 700. One ex-detective has told the Victoria Derbyshire programme why she quit her "dream job". These shortages had led to excessive workloads and stress for investigators who were sometimes carrying out complex investigations without the right skills and experience. In one area, inspectors found a uniformed officer carrying out a rape investigation. HMIC has urged police chiefs to come up with a plan by the summer to attract, recruit and train more detectives. Ms Billingham warned that while neighbourhood teams were the "bedrock of British policing" they were being "chipped away... sometimes by stealth". A survey of neighbourhood officers found they were being pulled from local duties at least once a week to supervise the detention or transport of suspects. A fifth of the officers said they could find themselves on other duties three times a week. One police officer resigned last week after 13 years in the Devon and Cornwall, publishing a damning resignation letter on social media criticising police for "putting their employees last". Dr Alan Billings, South Yorkshire police and crime commissioner, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I don't think I've ever read a report from the Inspectorate that was quite as sobering as this." Dr Billings said there was "no doubt" that neighbourhood policing was under pressure, adding: "I think that's true of my own area - because if people are really pressured to answer 999 calls, deal with incidents, they're going to pull officers out of neighbourhood areas." He said HMIC's report reflects what is happening across the public sector. "You can't get away from the fact that all of us are now trying to do more and better with less. "And year on year, we're receiving less funding. Now of course a police force cannot run a deficit - so you have to make the books balance, and that leads sometimes to poor decisions." Chief Constable Michael Barton of the National Police Chiefs' Council, said budgets had fallen by 22% in five years - leading to a loss of 32,000 officers and staff - at a time when many crimes were changing. "It's a simple reality that we are required to prioritise more," he said. "Difficult decisions are being made between resourcing neighbourhood teams, response units, specialist investigations and digital and cyber-enabled crime. There are no easy answers." Ms Billingham said the failings were "not simply about money" because there was a huge variation in results, in particular in how well forces were winning the support of domestic violence victims in how they investigated and concluded cases. Policing Minister Brandon Lewis said: "This Government has protected police funding, through the 2015 spending review. "There can be no excuse for any force that fails to deliver on its obligations. Those identified as inadequate or requiring improvement must take HMIC's findings very seriously and I expect to see rapid improvement But the Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file members, described the report as a "worrying wake-up call". And Jon Boutcher, chief constable of Bedfordshire, criticised his force's rating as inadequate, saying community policing had to change because of the huge demand for specialist officers to deal with domestic abuse, sexual offences and the rising threat of online-related crimes.
Some police forces are putting the public at risk by rationing their response as they struggle with cutbacks, the police standards watchdog has warned.
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County Londonderry man Smyth, 25, is continuing his preparations for the Paralympics in London where he will defend his T13 100m and 200m titles. However, Smyth is already thinking ahead to the 2016 Olympics in Rio. "I want to give it another really good shot over the next four years and get what I didn't get this year," he said. Smyth's 100m personal best of 10.22 set last year was only four one-hundredths of a second (0.04secs) outside the qualifying time for the London Olympics. The visually-impaired sprinter based himself largely in Florida for the past three years as he chased Olympic qualification before time ran out on his bid last month. Smyth became the first paralympic athlete ever to compete at a European Championships in Barcelona in 2010 and his progression on the able-bodied circuit continued last year when he was selected for the World Championships in Daegu. The 25-year-old remains determined to reach his Olympic goal in Rio even though the 100m qualifying mark for the Games in Brazil may be even quicker than the London A standard of 10.18. "At one stage, I was wondering whether I wanted to keep going but I want to reach my potential and I haven't done that yet," added Smyth whose has less than 10 per cent of normal sight because of the Stargardt's condition. "Europeans and World Championships are good stepping stones to try and compete at the Olympics and I will be aiming to compete in those events in the run-up to Rio as well my normal paralympic competitions." Smyth has still to work out his coaching arrangements after the paralympics with his current mentor Stephen Maguire moving to take up a new role with Scottish Athletics in the autumn. "I don't know yet for sure. I'm looking at probably going back to the States and hopefully getting a new coaching situation sorted out with a view towards aiming for Rio," added Smyth, who is currently in Portugal at a pre-Paralympics Team Ireland training camp. The big events in 2012 will not conclude for Smyth with the Paralympics as he gets married to his American sweetheart Elise in the US in December.
Irish Paralympic star Jason Smyth will battle on to achieve his goal of competing at an Olympics despite missing out on the recent London Games.
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Musicians are nominated for a Grammy award by music companies, and the winners are chosen by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. The award ceremony first started in 1959, as a way to honour those people who produced really great music, and has continued ever since. The Grammy Awards are seen as the most important and respected prizes in the music business, so winning one is pretty important! When the Grammys first started there were more than 100 different categories for awards, but now there are only 83. The name Grammy is actually short for gramophone, which is a machine invented in the 19th Century to play music records. The top of it looks a bit like a trumpet. Here are some more fun facts about the Grammy Awards...
The Grammy Awards are an annual ceremony held in the USA, which celebrate outstanding achievement in the music industry.
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There were more than 2,000 family doctors in September 2014, excluding registrars, retainers and locums working in around 460 practices. Health Minister Mark Drakeford said the statistics showed Welsh ministers' "commitment to invest in our NHS". But Plaid Cymru highlighted a 1% fall in GP numbers from 2013/14, warning a "recruitment crisis is looming". Plaid health spokeswoman Elin Jones said the fact that 23% of GPs were aged 55 or over and nearing retirement age needed to addressed.
The number of GPs in Wales rose overall by 10.5% in the 10 years to 2014, according to new figures.
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The mayor of London has been criticised for pedalling his barrister wife Marina Wheeler through the capital on Thursday on a bicycle designed for one person. Giving a backie is illegal under the terms of the 1998 Road and Traffic Act. Offenders can be fined up to £200. The mayor has apologised, saying he did not know he was breaking the law. Sam Jones, from cycling charity CTC, said his actions were "very naughty". Mr Jones said: "We wouldn't encourage other cyclists to carry passengers in such a fashion. We would never encourage cyclists to break the law." The footage of Mr Johnson and his wife, obtained by the Sun newspaper, was shot by passengers in a passing car as the couple cycled along a road in North Kensington. It shows Ms Wheeler sitting on the saddle, without a helmet, holding her handbag as her husband stands on the pedals. After the passengers informed the mayor he was breaking the law, Mr Johnson stepped off the bike and said: "Night, night," to them. They can be heard in the video asking the mayor: "Mate, you all right? Saddling, that's a good one, eh?" Another says: "You're not allowed to do that, mate." Section 24 of the Road and Traffic Act states: "Not more than one person may be carried on a road on a bicycle not propelled by mechanical power unless it is constructed or adapted for the carriage of more than one person." The mayor, whose responsibilities include London transport, is a keen cyclist and cycles available for public hire in London have gained the nickname "Boris bikes". Mr Johnson's official spokesman said: "The mayor wishes to apologise for offering his wife a short-lived lift on the back of his bike! "He was unaware that he was apparently in contravention of the Road and Traffic Act. He wasn't intending to ride all the way home from North Kensington to North London with Marina on the back; rather he was attempting to transport his wife to a main road, from where they hailed a black cab for her. "As everyone knows the mayor is a huge supporter of cycling, and an even bigger fan of the black cab trade, hence his desire to combine the two!"
Boris Johnson "should have known better" when he gave his wife a "backie" on his bike while cycling in London, safety campaigners have said.
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On Wednesday East Northamptonshire Council backed plans to add a further five restaurants to the unbuilt Rushden Lakes complex. In all, the development at the old Skew Bridge ski club site in Northamptonshire will now boast eight restaurants. Planners also approved proposals for an additional 154 car parking spaces. The original plans had catered for a 1,300-space car park. The complex will feature a home and garden centre, shops, a drive-through restaurant, lakeside visitor centre, restaurants and a boathouse. Marks & Spencer is expected to be the anchor store. It is predicted to create 2,000 jobs. The development had been approved by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles following a public inquiry after concerns about its impact on nearby town centres. The matter had been referred to Mr Pickles, who called in the application for further scrutiny. Developer LXB Retail Properties submitted its original application for the derelict brownfield site in 2011.
Proposals to increase the size of a £50m shopping and leisure development have been approved.
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Ri Jong Chol said his detention was a "plot" to "damage the honour of the republic", Reuters news agency reports. He made the comments outside the North Korea embassy in Beijing after he was deported from Malaysia on Friday. Ri Jong Chol was released from police custody due to insufficient evidence. Speaking to reporters early on Saturday, he accused Malaysia of using coercion in an attempt to extract a confession. Malaysian authorities are continuing their investigation into the death of Mr Kim, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who was killed at an airport in the country's capital, Kuala Lumpur nearly three weeks ago. Ri Jong Chol, who said he was not at the airport on the day of the incident, was the only North Korean held in connection with the death. Malaysia is seeking to question several North Koreans, including an embassy official. Two women, Doan Thi Huong from Vietnam and Siti Aisyah from Indonesia, were charged on Thursday with killing Mr Kim by smearing his face with VX, a banned chemical weapon. Both women said they thought they were taking part in a TV prank. They have yet to make a formal plea in their case. Malaysia, which has condemned the use of the powerful nerve agent in the 13 February attack, is also investigating a firm thought to be used by North Korea to evade sanctions on military exports. Ri Jong Chol had lived in Malaysia for three years but, according to Reuters, his work permit expired on 6 February. Immigration director-general Mustafar Ali said Ri Jong Chol, who was escorted out of Malaysia by two North Korean embassy officials, was blacklisted from re-entering the country. Meanwhile, the government said it had launched an investigation into a company called Glocom, which has been operating in Malaysia for several years. According to a confidential United Nations report, Glocom is run by North Korea's top intelligence agency to sell military communications equipment, in violation of UN sanctions. Police said on Friday that an arrest warrant had been issued for 37-year-old Kim Uk-il, who works for North Korean national airline Air Koryo. He is believed to be still in Malaysia. Reuters news agency reported that security checks on North Koreans had been stepped up at all border crossings to prevent them from leaving. On Thursday, Malaysia announced it was cancelling visa-free travel for visiting North Koreans, citing security reasons. It has not directly blamed North Korea for the attack, but there is widespread suspicion Pyongyang was responsible. North Korea has strongly rejected the allegations. It also rejected the findings of the post-mortem examination, having objected to it being carried out at all, and has demanded the body be handed over to them. It has not yet confirmed that the body is that of Kim Jong-nam, acknowledging him only as a North Korean citizen. Mr Kim was travelling using a passport under a different name.
The North Korean suspect questioned in connection with the death of Kim Jong-nam has said he was the victim of a conspiracy by the Malaysian authorities.
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The man, who is in his 50s, also sustained a suspected broken leg in the first attack on Castle Street at about 18:45 BST on Saturday. Police said he was taken to hospital after a row on a garage forecourt. A short time later, another man and a woman were assaulted in licensed premises on Castle Street. Detectives have appealed for anyone who witnessed the attacks to contact police.
A man's eye socket has been broken and two other people have received minor injuries during two assaults in Ballycastle, County Antrim.
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However, the government has insisted there is a link between the attack and Syrian Kurdish fighters. Prosecutors and security officials said DNA tests had identified the bomber as Abdulbaki Somer, born in the eastern Turkish city of Van. Last week's bombing killed 29 people, at least 20 of them military personnel. "The bomber's DNA matches that of Abdulbaki's father," a senior Turkish security official told Reuters news agency. Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency quoted prosecutors confirming the report. It said that Abdulbaki Somer was believed to have joined the Kurdish militant PKK group in 2005 at the age of 16 and was based in the Qandil mountains in northern Iraq until 2014. The agency said that Somer's father had told police that his son was behind the attack. Following the blast in Ankara, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu named the bomber as Salih Necar, a Syrian national and member of the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG). "Whatever the judicial inquiry concludes over the identity of the bomber, it is clear that the bomber came from Rojava, the area of the PYD," Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus told reporters on Tuesday, referring to another Syrian Kurd-controlled northern Syria. He said the bomber had entered Turkey from the region in the summer of 2014. Turkish newspaper the Hurriyet suggested that Abdulbaki Somer may have re-entered Turkey with false papers under the name Salih Necar. The PKK, which has been fighting for Kurdish self-determination since 1984, is considered a terrorist organisation by Turkey and its Western allies. Turkey has also designated the YPG a terrorist group, but its allies, including the United States, back the YPG in its fight against so-called Islamic State (IS).
The bomber behind a deadly blast in the Turkish capital Ankara was Turkish-born, security officials say, not from Syria as the government initially said.
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Schools are asked to create a dedicated page on their school website and send the web address (or URL) to [email protected] and we will link to it from the map of participating schools. You can use the official School Report graphics, which can be found at the foot of this page. Then, on School Report News Day on 16 March 2017, schools can upload their reports to their websites. Here are some frequently asked questions and answers about setting up web pages. If you're not technically minded, don't worry! The best thing to do is to speak early on to your school's IT department or the people who look after the school website. You need to create a dedicated School Report web page on the school website so that people can find the students' work. It has to be accessible to the public, so don't use internal websites (or intranets) or pages that need a password. Until your pupils' reports are ready, the page should contain a "holding" or "come back later" message. You can copy and paste this: Students from this school will be making the news for real on 16 March 2017 as they take part in BBC News School Report. We aim to publish the news by 1600 GMT on News Day, so please save this page as a favourite and return to it later. Have a click through to examples from our School Report map if you want an idea of how other schools have gone about it. Once the page is live, email the web address (URL) to the School Report team via [email protected] so we can link to your webpage. As soon as possible! It saves a lot of hassle in the busy run-up to News Day when you and the School Reporters would probably rather be focusing on getting great interviews than sorting out technical issues. As soon as your page is ready, the School Report team can link to your website from the map of participating schools. - as long as both pieces of School Report paperwork have been returned! Once live, some schools use the page to reflect what's happening in the build-up to the News Day, for example adding team photos and encouraging pupils to post news reporting ideas. No. It is important to create a dedicated web page, so the BBC can link directly to the students' journalistic work. The fewer the clicks, the more likely you are to retain the audience. Also, after the News Day, the homepage of a school website will inevitably change, but creating a dedicated page means there is a permanent record of their work. Yes. If your school has participated in School Report in previous years, you can use the existing web page, but remember to label it clearly. Remember, you risk losing people's attention if they think your web page is out of date. A simple message at the top of the page can be helpful, such as the example mentioned above. If you can't publish School Report content on your school website, all is not lost! You could look at hosting stories on another website that you consider appropriate and that is in line with your school's policy. See if your local council or academy sponsor could help host your content. Some schools have used websites such as Makewaves, a website designed to host video and audio material for educational purposes. You could create a web page using a number of different programmes, with many people using software such as Microsoft Expression or Adobe Dreamweaver. If you do use a site other than your school site, check the terms and conditions to make sure it is suitable for 11 to 16-year-olds and that there are no advertisements on the site. The golden rule is to use first names only. For child protection reasons, the BBC cannot link to a page which contains the surnames of anyone younger than 18. This also applies to blog entries and comments posted on the page. Refer to the School Report guidelines on staying safe and legal which highlight some of the issues anyone should consider when publishing content which features children. This page also offers guidance about media law issues such as copyright, libel and contempt of court as well as editorial issues such as taste and decency. Be aware that the BBC website is very popular. By virtue of a link from the BBC, students will have a large audience but people will also be able to access other pages on the school website. At the bottom of this page, there are some School Report graphics you can use on your dedicated web page. However, they can only be used by schools who have completed their paperwork, and within the context of the project. It is also a good idea to incorporate the design of your school website to create a uniform look. It is best to avoid a design which relies on large pictures as it will make pages slow to download and could put off potential viewers. However, you might like to add photographs of students taking part in School Report or the school logo. Our agreement with the head teacher of every school taking part explicitly states that the school, not the BBC, is responsible for the school website. Teachers need to decide on the most suitable way of hosting content according to their school's social media, internet safety and child protection policies. For this reason, we are happy to link to school websites which use YouTube (or similar video-sharing websites) to embed content, provided the school website complies with our guidelines in all other ways. We will not, however, link directly to YouTube. Some schools have used websites such as Makewaves, a website designed to host video and audio material for educational purposes. Providing the school website complies with our guidelines in all other ways, we are happy to link to school websites containing links to social media. Generally though, we do not recommend including links to social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter from your school website, as they are designed to be used by children aged 13 or over. There is a risk of students experiencing cyberbullying via such sites. If your school website contains an automated Twitter feed, you may want to look into deactivating it or at least monitoring it during the busy time around News Day. A dedicated page means the audience can find students' work easily and quickly. It also provides a permanent archive of students' reports and makes it clear that the reports are new and not from previous years. The page can also help avoid any potential child protection issues. Right click the images, and select Save Picture As.
School Report gives students a real audience, by linking to their work from the BBC website.
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It says Berlin should consider raising the retirement age to that level by 2060, from around 65 at the moment. The central bank says that otherwise the country may struggle to honour its pension commitments. It points out that the state pension system is in good financial health at present, but will come under pressure in coming decades. The Bundesbank says that as baby-boomers - those born in the post-World War Two period - retire, there will be fewer younger workers to replace them. The retirement age for Germans is set to rise gradually to 67 by 2030. However, the bank believes that from 2050 this increase will not be enough for the German government to keep state pensions at their target level of at least 43% of the average income. It is therefore proposing pushing the retirement age up to 69. "Further changes are unavoidable to secure the financial sustainability (of the state pension system)," the Bundesbank said in its monthly report. But German government spokesman Steffen Seibert said they stood by retirement at 67. "Retirement at 67 is a sensible and necessary measure given the demographic development in Germany. That's why we will implement it as we agreed - step by step," he added.
Elderly Germans may have to keep working until the age of 69 if a Bundesbank proposal is adopted.
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Police were called after reports of the attack between 17:00 GMT and 18:40 on Monday. The victim was walking near East Park Road at its junction with Shearbank Road when he bundled into a car. Two men have been arrested following the incident and police are appealing for more information. The boy was driven away in a red or maroon car after he was approached and threatened. Police say the boy was questioned about his relationship with a young woman. The boy was taken to Beechwood Court, Blackburn, where he said four men assaulted him leaving him with cuts and bruises to his head. He was later able to call for help from an address in New Bank Road before being taken to the Royal Blackburn Hospital for treatment. Det Sgt Ben Hodgkinson, of Blackburn Police, said: "The circumstances would suggest this assault is linked to honour-based violence."
A 16-year-old boy has been kidnapped, assaulted and robbed in an attack linked to suspected "honour violence" in Blackburn.
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They are among a programme of 400 branch closures already announced in principle. Some 54 Lloyds branches will be affected, alongside 24 Bank of Scotland and 22 Halifax branches. There will also be a net reduction of 325 staff, who were told about the plan on Wednesday morning. They are among the 9,000 staff whose job cuts were also previously announced. Lloyds said the closures were the result of fewer branch transactions. "Our branches will continue to play a vital role in our multi-channel approach to meeting the full range of customer needs, and we expect to continue to have the biggest branch network in the UK," a Lloyds spokesperson said. Last month RBS and NatWest announced the closure of 158 branches across the UK, and in January HSBC announced a further 62 closures. The trade union Unite, which represents many bank workers, called for an end to the process. "The continuous stream of branch closures announced by the UK's retail bank branches appears to show no signs of ending, " said Rob MacGregor, Unite national officer. "The loss of a further 100 local banks will be painful for high streets across the country to absorb." Last week Lloyds revealed plans to shrink hundreds of branches in size, while opening several new flagship centres. It will be left with 1,950 branches by the end of the year - still the largest network of any UK high street bank. The full list of the branches to close are: Beauly, Beith, Bonar Bridge, Coldstream, Dalbeattie, Dalry (Kirkcudbright), Dornoch, Edinburgh Goldenacre, Edinburgh North Morningside, Fortrose, Gatehouse, Glasgow 235 Sauchiehall Street, Gorebridge, Gullane, Helmsdale, Kingussie, Lairg, Lauder, Newtown St Boswells, Port William, Stewarton, West Linton, Wigtown and Wooler. Bakewell, Baldock, Blackfield Southampton, Bordon, Bourton-on-the-Water, Brewood, Broadstairs, Broadway, Carterton, Clay Cross, Clifton Village Bristol, Colmore Row Birmingham, Corsham, Derby Road Ipswich, Droylsden, Garstang, Gonville Place Cambridge, Grayshott, Hawkhurst, Haxby Road York, Heckington, High Wycombe Business Centre, Langley, Lichfield Road Stafford, London Law Courts, Longridge, Lymm, Manchester University, Marton-in-Cleveland, Mere, Montpellier Cheltenham, Mosley Street Manchester, New Ash Gree, Nottingham Old Market Square, Pewsey, Pontypridd Treforest Ind Est, Portland, Settle, Southampton Row, Stokenchurch, Sturminster Newton, Tenterden, Tetbury, Three Bridges Crawley, Tidworth, Topsham, Tyldesley, Wadhurst, Wendover, West Dulwich, Wincanton Wirksworth, Wood Lane End Hemel Hempstead, and Yatton. Alton, Atherton, Banstead, Bexhill-on-Sea, Brighton London Road, Droitwich, Elland, Godalming, Heckmondwike, Hertford, Horley, Huddersfield Mkt St, Leatherhead, Leytonstone, Mill Hill, New Malden, Plymouth Mutley Plain, Sheffield Surrey St, Swansea Oxford St, Wallington, West Swindon, and Weybridge.
Lloyds Bank has announced the locations of 100 branches that it plans to close between July and October.
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The location is central but insalubrious - squashed between fast-food shops at the scruffy end of Nemanjina Street, within sight of the city's main railway station. The hubbub around the door and signs in the window handwritten in Arabic script indicate that arrivals from the Middle East are still coming to Serbia's capital. Inside, there is organised chaos. On the ground floor, young men lounge awkwardly in hard-backed chairs, waiting for their turn on the computers lined up on one side of the room. Those in front of the machines don headsets and hold ebullient Skype conversations. Upstairs, the atmosphere is completely different. Bewildered-looking families gather in a stuffy "safe space" operated by Save The Children. Parents usher their children over to a pile of toys, while a small boy cries inconsolably. The distinctive aroma of the refugee trail - damp, unwashed clothes - begins to fill the room. "They are Yazidi people from Iraq," says Marjan, a translator struggling to find a common language with the new arrivals. There are more than two dozen people in this extended family group. They did not follow the classic route to Serbia via Greece and Macedonia, but came over the country's eastern border with Bulgaria. In the centre's strip-lighted, windowless meeting room, the overflowing ashtrays and half-drunk mugs of Turkish coffee suggest that it has been a stressful morning. The centre's manager, Vladimir Sjekloca, breaks off to explain the situation. "There are always people in Belgrade," he says. "Around 400-500 a day." Vladimir says the increasing restrictions imposed by countries along the Balkan route - and finally its official closure (although hundreds of people have found a way through the border fence to cross from Greece into Macedonia) - have not stopped people seeking a way to western Europe. They have just changed the means. "Coming in through Bulgaria - it's an old smuggling route and it'll be used more often. The Afghans tell us, 'It's cheaper to come that way [than the sea crossing from Turkey to Greece] and anyway we can't swim.'" Before its closure, countries along the route had been co-ordinating transport so that people would be taken from Macedonia to Slovenia's border with Austria on officially provided trains and buses. It was a reasonably smooth process which greatly reduced the possibility of refugees falling into the hands of people smugglers. But now people who are desperate or determined to reach western Europe are once again dealing with unscrupulous elements. "The journey through Bulgaria is full of ill-treatment," says Vladimir. "People suffer at the hands of the mafia and people smugglers - and they don't get protection from the system. In fact, they can get ill-treated by the Bulgarian police or put in jail. They have set dogs on refugees - we've seen people with dog bites who've been severely beaten by the mafia or the police." Some of the people at the Asylum Information Centre have learned the hard way that people smugglers and even the authorities may not have their best interests at heart. Ali Hashem Zade, a 27-year-old native of Tehran had hoped to find work in Europe to help support his two infant daughters. But when Macedonia blocked entry to Iranians, he placed his trust in a trafficker from Pakistan. "The smugglers were our only hope after they closed the border to Iranians. He took €250 (£195) from me - but he had a different price for everyone. He charged some people €1,400 - but he actually ran away, and I ended up wandering along the border for two days - I had to burn some of my clothes to start a fire," he says. Ali says he found his way over the border by using his phone's GPS - but the same method did not work when he tried to cross from Serbia into Croatia. He claims the Croatian border police beat him and his friends when they caught them. Still, he means to try again. "I have no money - so I will rely on God's will. It's better to rely on God than smugglers." Other people at the Asylum Information Centre are deciding to stay in Serbia - for now, at least. Taxis arrive to take the families to another asylum centre in Krnjaca, in the suburbs of Belgrade. In the Yugoslav era, this rundown facility with the feel of a military barracks used to be workers' accommodation for an adjacent factory. Now the single-storey blocks house asylum seekers waiting for their claims to be processed. They share the facility with a handful of refugees displaced in the Balkans conflicts of the 1990s. Ivan Miskovic from the government's Refugees Commissariat explains that people stranded when the Balkan route shut have a number of options. As well as asylum in Serbia they include repatriation, resettlement in a third country or an application to be reunited with family members who have already made it to western Europe. "I think we did our job by offering them all the possibilities," he says. "But our previous experience tells us that Serbia is not their destination, but their country of transit." Serbia has consistently taken a pragmatic approach to the refugee crisis - whether that has meant helping people on their way when the borders were open, or, more recently, mirroring the entry restrictions of neighbouring countries. Now there is a sense of realism about what the coming weeks might bring. "The borders are not hermetically closed," says Ivan Miskovic. "It is inevitable that more people will come in. Even if they come in an irregular fashion, they must be registered - and we can help them to be less vulnerable. "But even if they start the asylum procedure [to stay in Serbia], they are simply buying time to leave the country when they find a suitable connection." In other words, the Balkan route carries on.
The Balkan route may officially be closed, but the Asylum Information Centre in Belgrade is very much open - and doing a roaring trade.
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Reports in France suggest Toulon coach Diego Dominguez's job is under threat, and Lancaster, 46, is viewed as a potential successor. He left his role with England after their exit from the 2015 World Cup. Since his departure, Lancaster has been an adviser to the Football Association, the NFL and British Cycling. He is interested in the Toulon job, but is understood to still be keen on a role in the southern hemisphere, with posts in Australia at the Queensland Reds and the Western Force both available.
Former England boss Stuart Lancaster is meeting Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal this week as he seeks a return to full-time coaching.
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A BBC Freedom of Information request revealed 27 completed inquiries have resulted in potential disciplinary action against up to 15 officers. Eighteen forces are the subject of complaints about the handling of abuse. These include what the IPCC has called potential "high-level corruption". Of the investigations, 56 cases relate to alleged failures by South Yorkshire Police in responding to child sexual exploitation in Rotherham; 46 follow allegations against the Metropolitan Police, and 58 against Essex Police. Julian Blazeby, the IPCC's director of major investigations, said: "We continue to receive referrals on police actions in child sexual abuse cases from forces across the country. "The IPCC is committed to investigating the most sensitive and serious incidents of alleged police wrongdoing and many child sexual abuse cases fall within that remit." Some of the cases date back decades and include damaging claims that investigations were brought to a halt despite evidence of abuse being uncovered. In Rotherham, the 2014 report by Professor Alexis Jay revealed police suppressed evidence of the widespread sexual abuse of teenagers and failed to arrest the abusers. In London, allegations also centre on investigations being halted and evidence suppressed. They include claims that investigations were shut down prematurely or prosecutions not pursued because the suspects were politicians. However, in May 2016 one claim - that a prosecution was stopped when a defendant threatened to name the former prime minister, Sir Edward Heath, as an abuser - was dismissed by the IPCC. The suggestion that the powerful have been protected by the police is far from being proven. The current allegations span 17 English police forces and one in Wales. There are 84 independent IPCC inquiries - in which the commission directly investigates - under way, into: There are 102 managed inquiries, in which the IPCC oversees internal police investigations, in four forces: There is one supervised case, in which IPCC managers monitor the internal police investigation, taking place at Norfolk Police. The 27 completed cases have resulted in disciplinary action against two officers and disciplinary proceedings against 13 more. The IPCC says it is liaising closely with the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse and Operation Hydrant, the police team co-ordinating child abuse investigations. In an attempt to handle the increase in complex inquiries, the commission has created a new directorate of major investigations. The National Police Chiefs' Council lead for child protection, Chief Constable Simon Bailey, said the police service has "risen to the challenge" in changing the way it engages with victims and how it investigates abuse. But he added: "Although we have improved our response, there is still more to do. If there is concern that a victim hasn't received a full and impartial investigation into their allegations this should be referred to the force or IPCC to be scrutinised."
The Independent Police Complaints Commission says it is handling 187 investigations into potential police failures in dealing with past child sex abuse cases in England and Wales.
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Scarborough Athletic FC played in its home town for the first time since the club was founded in 2007. The team, formed after the collapse of Scarborough FC, has been playing home fixtures nearly 20 miles away in Bridlington. The Sea Dogs lost 4-1 against Sheffield United XI in front of a sell-out 2,000 crowd at Flamingo Land Stadium. Chairman Trevor Bull said: "Today is not only a great day for our club, it is also a massive day for our town." The club was formed after Scarborough FC went out of business with debts of £2.5m. It is jointly owned by about 350 supporters. Fan and club communications officer Will Baines said: "A lot of people have put a lot of work in to the club while we've been in exile, but now we're coming home." Mr Baines said the move back to Scarborough was key to the future success of the side. "We're fan-owned which means we've got our destiny in our own hands," he said. "We've not got a big investor backing us, so that's why it's important that we're back in town as it's the money that we get through the turnstiles every week that will pay for the club." The homecoming fixture generated such interest the council and club warned people not to congregate on the hill overlooking the ground as it has no public right of way. The stadium forms part of a £50m development built on the town's former Weaponness Park and Ride site, which includes a swimming pool, new University Technical College and Coventry University's Scarborough campus. Scarborough FC's former ground - the McCain Stadium - was demolished in 2011.
A football team has played its first home game in more than 10 years after moving into a new stadium.
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Researchers said field experiments showed that severe droughts could trigger dieback of forests in the near-term. Efforts to curb deforestation needed to be accompanied by initiatives to stop land management fires spreading into adjoining forest reserves, they added. The findings appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Co-author Paulo Brando, a researcher from Brazil's Amazon Environmental Research Institute and the Woods Hole Research Center, US, explained that the findings were based on data gathered from a long-running field experiment, described as the first of its kind. In 2004, the team established three plots in the south-east Amazon - one of which was burned annually, another was burned every three years, while the remaining one was left untouched as a control plot. "If we burned every year, we did not have enough fuel (leaves and trees) to drive a high intensity fire - fires that will kill a lot of trees - so we published a few papers saying that this kind of forest was quite fire resistant," explained Dr Brando. But he told BBC News that the team was surprised in 2007: "We burned both plots (fourth burn for the annual plot and second burn for three-year plot) and both plots responded really strongly to the fires. "There was a shift in the system from a forest to a savannah-like environment… grasses were invading the forest and there were fundamental changes within the ecosystem. He added that drought conditions during that year triggered the change: "There were more leaves and twigs on the ground, they were drier so the fires were quite intense. "To our surprise, the major effects were not observed in the plot we burned every year but rather in the one we burned every three years. "This was because there was more time for fuel accumulation, and also it was because the productivity of that plot was still quite high, whereas in the [annual burn] plot, the fuel was being removed every year and the productivity of the system was reduced." Changing landscape Dr Brando said the abrupt high tree-mortality rates had a lasting impact on the landscape as grasses invaded the space once occupied by trees. "You do not need drought anymore to observe high density fires because grasses can accumulate way more fuel than the native, wood vegetation," he explains. As well as observing the loss of a number of tree species, Dr Brando said there were wider ecological consequences as a result of losing tree cover. "Burned plots were four degrees warmer because they had fewer leaves and less capacity to cool down the system through photosynthesis," he observed. "So we have seen major changes, not only in species composition but in the functionality of the forest as well; it cycles less water because it is warmer and stores less carbon." Climate models suggest that the probability of severe droughts in the region are likely to be much more common by the end of the century. At an international conference held at the University of Oxford in 2012, researchers presented findings that suggested tropical forests in Africa could be more resilient to future climate change than the Amazon and other forested regions. Scientists at the gathering concluded that tree species in Africa's tropical forests had endured a number of climatic catastrophes over the past 4,000 years. During that period, the African forests had lost species that would have been potentially vulnerable, while the remaining species were "relatively adaptable... to quite rapid changes in rainfall," explained conference organiser Yadvinder Malhi, from the university's Environmental Change Institute. Responding to Dr Brando's findings, Prof Malhi said: "Much of current scientific opinion suggests that intact tropical forests may be quite resilient to climate change, but the combination of climate change, land-use change and fire may be much more destructive. Prof Malhi, who was not involved in the study, added that these ideas have rarely been demonstrated in practice. "What is unique about this study - a long-term experiment that took a lot of stamina and persistence to implement - is that it directly demonstrates the effects of this deadly combination of factors, and enables exploration of the details of the ecological processes and interactions involved," he told BBC News.
The combination of fire and extreme weather could accelerate tree mortality in the Amazon, a study has suggested.
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The technique is being hailed as a breakthrough in understanding how the trillions of complex cells in a body are descended from a single egg. "It has the potential to provide profound insights into how normal, diseased or damaged tissues are constructed and maintained," one UK biologist told the BBC. The work appears in Science journal. The human body has around 40 trillion cells, each with a highly specialised function. Yet each can trace its history back to the same starting point - a fertilised egg. Developmental biology is the business of unravelling how the genetic code unfolds at each cycle of cell division, how the body plan develops, and how tissues become specialised. But much of what it has revealed has depended on inference rather than a complete cell-by-cell history. "I actually started working on this problem as a graduate student in 2000," confessed Jay Shendure, lead researcher on the new scientific paper. "Could we find a way to record these relationships between cells in some compact form we could later read out in adult organisms?" The project failed then because there was no mechanism to record events in a cell's history. That changed with recent developments in so called CRISPR gene editing, a technique that allows researchers to make much more precise alterations to the DNA in living organisms. The molecular tape recorder developed by Prof Shendure's team at the University of Washington in Seattle, US, is a length of DNA inserted into the genome that contains a series of edit points which can be changed throughout an organism's life. Each edit records a permanent mark on the tape that is inherited by all of a cell's descendants. By examining the number and pattern of all these marks in an adult cell, the team can work back to find its origins. Developmental biologist James Briscoe of the Crick Institute, in London, UK, calls it "a creative and exciting use" of the CRISPR technique. "It uniquely and indelibly marks cells with a 'barcode' that is inherited in the DNA. This means you can use the barcode to trace all the progeny of barcoded cells," he said. Jay Shendure collaborated with molecular biologist Alex Schier of Harvard University to prove the technique on a classic lab organism - the zebrafish. Not only did they show the technique works, they could trace the lineage of hundreds of thousands of cells in mature fish. They also showed it has the power to change perceptions about biological development. "We can look at individual organs - say the left eye or the right eye, or the gills or the heart," Prof Shendure explained in an interview with the BBC's Science in Action radio programme, "and the real surprise was that in every organ we looked at, the majority of the organ came from just a handful of progenitor cells." For example, although they identified over a thousand cell lineages within one of their fish, it took only five of them to create most of the blood cells. The surprise is evident in the published paper, which includes a few suggested explanations. James Briscoe also finds the discovery remarkable. "It's striking that a barcode found in one organ was rarely found in another," he wrote in an e-mail, adding that in the early embryo, cells are often mobile and so a richer mix could be expected. An unexpectedly small group of "founder cells" would be one explanation. Or "there could be many founding cells, from different lineages (barcodes), at early embryonic stages, but many of these lineages die off as the tissue develops." Further experiments with the technique could unwrap the details. But the fact that a simple, profound question was immediately thrown up by the new technique shows just how powerful it is. And the technique does not have to be limited to healthy development. "Cancers develop by a lineage, too," Alex Schier told the BBC. "Our technique can be used to follow these lineages during cancer formation - to tell us the relationships of cells within a tumour, and between the original tumour and secondary tumours formed by metastasis." And Prof Shendure points out that many inherited diseases develop because of faulty genetic programming. "Many of these may well have their basis in the skewing of the cell lineage," he explained. The technique comes with the somewhat tortured acronym GESTALT - the German for "shape". It is easy to use, and could easily be improved, says Jay Shendure. James Briscoe is already thinking of ways to use it with his experimental animals - mice. For developmental biology, GESTALT could be the shape of things to come.
Researchers have invented a DNA "tape recorder" that can trace the family history of every cell in an organism.
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The investment follows "several months of negotiations", a company statement to the Saudi stock exchange said. The prince, who is one of the world's richest men, owns stakes in many well-known companies, including News Corporation. He also has investments in a number of media groups in the Arab world. "Our investment in Twitter reaffirms our ability in identifying suitable opportunities to invest in promising, high-growth businesses with a global impact," Prince Alwaleed said.
Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal's Kingdom Holding Company has announced a $300m (£194m) investment in social media site Twitter.
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Highgate School is considering mix-and-match outfits for pupils after head teachers said that growing numbers of children were questioning their gender. The school, which charges up to £6,790 a term, has also been encouraged to allow unisex toilets and open all sports to all pupils. Girls at the school can wear grey trousers, dark blue jackets and ties. But boys are not currently allowed to wear grey pleated skirts, although they would be under the new proposed dress code. "We are asking them, should it be called uniform number one and uniform number two?," said head Adam Pettitt. He said the issue of a gender neutral uniform had come up during question and answer sessions with his A-Level students. This generation of young people was really questioning the binary way people look at things, he said. "We're therefore exploring how our uniform policy could evolve to cater for those who do want to match clothing to gender, as well as those who don't." He added: "In common with all other schools and youth organisations, yes, we are seeing greater numbers of pupils questioning gender identity than in the past. "Having said that, in years gone by, absolutely no young people were raising it at all and it seems inconceivable that these sorts of questions simply didn't exist. "The fact that there is significantly greater support and information available, both in schools and elsewhere, means that young people need no longer feel afraid to ask questions or speak out about their feelings. "If they feel happier and more secure in who they are, it must be a good thing," he said. Mr Pettitt said parents would be consulted before changes were introduced, but acknowledged that some former pupils had written to complain the school was "promoting the wrong ideas". Co-educational independent boarding school Brighton College, where Mr Pettitt is a governor, has introduced a similarly gender neutral uniform. Student equality groups have called for teachers to observe gender neutral speech codes and for a ban on phrases such as "man up". And figures show a sharp rise in the number of young people seeking help to change gender. Highgate School is holding a conference next month called The Developing Teenager which will examine how teachers should approach issues raised by transgender and gender neutral students. In 2011, 12-year-old boy Chris Whitehead wore a skirt to school because he was angered by rules at Impington Village College, near Cambridge, that did not allow boys to wear shorts in hot weather. The Year 8 pupil said he researched the policy, found a loophole in the rules and turned up to school in a skirt. The school pledged to review the policy. And last summer a group of teenage boys wore skirts to Longhill High School in Rottingdean, East Sussex after being disciplined for wearing shorts on a very hot summer's day.
Boys could be allowed to wear skirts at a north London private school if a plan for gender neutral uniforms comes in.
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More to follow
Carl Frampton suffered the first defeat of his professional career as Leo Santa Cruz won on points to regain the WBA featherweight title in Las Vegas.
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Originally built by Henry VIII to defend the coast from invasion, Hurst Castle was also used to guard the Solent during World War Two. The £1m conservation project will repair parts of the castle added in the 20th Century. English Heritage said it would ensure the site was "protected for the future". Hurst Castle was originally built by Henry VIII between 1541 and 1544 to guard the Needles Passage, the narrow western entrance between the Isle of Wight and the mainland. In the 1860s two huge wing batteries were added. During World Wars One and Two the castle was fully garrisoned guarding the western entrance to the Solent. The conservation project will centre on the wartime look-out tower, gun emplacements and searchlight position on top of the wing batteries. English Heritage Properties Curator Roy Porter said: "We're looking at the concrete structures added around 1902 and also to the top of the castle in the 1940s "These were thrown up in a hurry at a time of national emergency. Our job is to make these temporary structures permanent and protected for the future." The castle will remain open to the public during the work. It is hoped the restoration will be finished by October.
Work to repair parts of a landmark castle on the Hampshire coast has begun.
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The portraits immortalised the founder of China's Communist Party as a pop art commodity in the vein of Warhol's Marilyn Monroe and Campbell soup. Based on a photo in Mao's Little Red Book, the portrait series is among the most famous images of the 20th Century. The auction of this work is expected to fetch as much as $15m (£12.1m). This particular Mao portrait was sold in 2014 in London for £7.6m ($9.4m) and the current owner, who is not identified, has now put it up for sale with Sotheby's in Hong Kong, with the auction expected on 2 April. Warhol began his series of silk-screen portraits of Mao in 1972 when ties between then cold-war foes China and US began to thaw after the historic trip to Beijing by US President Richard Nixon. The photograph that Warhol used for the portrait was one that adorned the inside cover of the so-called Little Red Book, itself an symbol of Chinese communism and a work of propaganda. More than a billion copies are thought to have been published, making the book one of the most widely produced of all time. During Mao's reign it became virtually mandatory to own and carry a copy. Warhol's Mao series led to almost 200 portraits in similar versions and sizes and follows the artist's similar earlier works on Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley in the 1960s. Picking Mao was a departure from his trademark of elevating a banal commodity (as he did with Campbell soup) or illuminating glamour (as he did with Marilyn Monroe). Chairman Mao was a political leader both deeply revered and feared and certainly an unlikely subject for the bold colour contrasts of the Pop Art movement. But it remains a delicate issue in China to this day. In a 2013 exhibition, the first comprehensive survey of Warhol's art in China, the Mao portraits were nowhere to be seen. The debate in Chinese media at the time was around whether the images were showing respect or mockery. Yet Chinese investors are increasingly buying Western art. They are thought to make up one fifth of the world's buyers of art. Downward pressure on the yuan and caps on capital outflows are only adding to the appetite for investing on the global art scene. So Warhol's portrait of China's former Communist leader may yet find its way to China through the workings of global capital markets. Reporting by the BBC's Andreas Illmer.
An Andy Warhol painting of Chairman Mao is to be auctioned in Hong Kong - and it could go to a Chinese bidder for a "homecoming" of sorts.
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Oxford City Council said the money had mostly been used for "ground investigations of possible sites" but nowhere suitable had been found. Two cemeteries still have space, in Wolvercote and Botley, but they are expected to be full by 2018 and 2021. The council said it had not given up and was "still exploring options". Linda Smith, board member for leisure, parks and sport, said the council has been "searching for a suitable new burial site for many years". She added: "But ultimately, as with new housing sites, we have run out of suitable land within Oxford. "So far all the council-owned sites that we have identified have, following ground investigations and surveys, had to be discounted. "Either due to the size of the site, the ground conditions, a high water table or a covenant restricting the use of the site." After the two remaining cemeteries are full the council said only the reopening of family plots, the use of a few reserved plots, and the interment of ashes would be possible. The last increase in burial space in Oxford was in 1932.
A council has spent £30,500 unsuccessfully searching for new burial sites in Oxford over the last four years.
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The visitors' swift, sharp passing and ruthlessness in the final third created goals for Andy Halliday, Jason Holt and the excellent Barrie McKay. Martyn Waghorn scored two penalties as Rangers made it eight wins from eight. In the home ranks, striker Derek Lyle was dismissed after going head-to-head with Rob Kiernan, with Aidan Smith netting a late breakaway consolation. Rangers sought to play with pace from the off, as captain Lee Wallace latched onto the lively McKay's pass at full tilt down the left, surging into the home box, but finding neither a team-mate nor the bottom corner with his bobbling ball across the face of goal. And McKay was instrumental in Rangers' opener, driving at the defence, exchanging passes with Waghorn, and playing in Halliday to clip the ball across goalkeeper Robbie Thomson. A knee injury deprived Rangers of their skipper shortly after the half-hour mark, before Hibernian loanee Alex Harris stung the palms of Wes Foderingham in the away goal with a driven strike from the right of the area. Minutes later Chris Higgins, who had already clattered the speeding James Tavernier early on, allowed Waghorn the opportunity to attack again with an awful looping backwards header in his own half, but made amends with a smart block in the box. On the stroke of half-time, Ryan Conroy wasted a fine chance for Queens on the break, as he opted to square for Lyle rather than shoot himself, with Danny Wilson sliding in smartly to block. Three minutes after the break, with Mark Millar booked for treading on the prone Gedion Zelalem, Lyle was dismissed on the advice of fourth official Crawford Allan. The striker went forehead-to-forehead with Kiernan, and the minimal forward motion he made with his head was in full view of Allan, who advised referee Bobby Madden to show a red card. If things were not bad enough for Queens, they got worse three minutes later, as Andy Dowie shouldered Dominic Ball to the ground in the box as the midfielder raced to reach Tavernier's square ball with the empty net beckoning. Right-back Dowie, who had been torn apart by the pace and trickery of McKay during the first half, was only shown yellow. Waghorn slammed home the resultant spot-kick, and from that point Rangers' high-tempo passing football was too much for the hosts. Holt ran unchallenged into the Queens area, and finished Zelalem's through ball at the second time of asking to bag the visitors' third. And more smart, intricate passing from Waghorn and Kenny Miller allowed McKay to tap home a deserved fourth on 65 minutes. Rangers boss Mark Warburton introduced the flamboyant Nathan Oduwa for the final 20 minutes, with the substitute drawing several fouls from the home defence. After Oduwa was chopped down on the edge of the area, Iain Russell raised his arm high to block the resultant free-kick, and Waghorn thumped his second penalty beyond Thomson. Queens did get off the mark in the final 10 minutes, young striker Smith capitalising on a long central punt and holding off Kiernan well to knock the ball past Foderingham. Match ends, Queen of the South 1, Rangers 5. Second Half ends, Queen of the South 1, Rangers 5. Attempt missed. Andy Halliday (Rangers) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right from a direct free kick. Foul by Chris Higgins (Queen of the South). Martyn Waghorn (Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt saved. Fraser Aird (Rangers) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Corner, Queen of the South. Conceded by Barrie McKay. Rob Kiernan (Rangers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Iain Russell (Queen of the South) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Rob Kiernan (Rangers). Attempt missed. Martyn Waghorn (Rangers) right footed shot from more than 35 yards is too high from a direct free kick. Darren Brownlie (Queen of the South) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Darren Brownlie (Queen of the South). Martyn Waghorn (Rangers) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Aidan Smith (Queen of the South). Gedion Zelalem (Rangers) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Andy Halliday (Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Foul by Jake Pickard (Queen of the South). Attempt missed. Nathan Oduwa (Rangers) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is close, but misses to the left. Goal! Queen of the South 1, Rangers 5. Aidan Smith (Queen of the South) left footed shot from very close range to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Andy Dowie. Corner, Rangers. Conceded by Jordan Marshall. Goal! Queen of the South 0, Rangers 5. Martyn Waghorn (Rangers) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the top left corner. Iain Russell (Queen of the South) is shown the yellow card for hand ball. Penalty conceded by Iain Russell (Queen of the South) with a hand ball in the penalty area. Foul by Jake Pickard (Queen of the South). Nathan Oduwa (Rangers) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Jake Pickard (Queen of the South) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Jake Pickard (Queen of the South). Nathan Oduwa (Rangers) wins a free kick on the left wing. Foul by Jordan Marshall (Queen of the South). Gedion Zelalem (Rangers) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Substitution, Rangers. Fraser Aird replaces James Tavernier. Foul by Jordan Marshall (Queen of the South). Gedion Zelalem (Rangers) wins a free kick on the left wing. Attempt saved. James Tavernier (Rangers) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Nathan Oduwa (Rangers) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Foul by Kyle Hutton (Queen of the South). Substitution, Rangers. Nathan Oduwa replaces Kenny Miller. Substitution, Queen of the South. Jake Pickard replaces Mark Millar. Substitution, Queen of the South. Kyle Hutton replaces Kyle Jacobs.
Rangers were much too slick for Queen of the South as they won comfortably at Palmerston Park in the Championship.
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Australia wrapped up the victory in three days after dismissing the tourists for 148 in the second innings. Playing his first Test for 18 months, Pattinson ran through the fragile Windies top order to secure his fourth five-wicket haul in Test cricket. Kraigg Brathwaite was the only visiting batsman to show any resistance at the Bellerive Oval with a patient 94. Australia take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, and could return to the top of the ICC Test rankings if they complete a 3-0 series win with victories in Melbourne and Sydney. Australia captain Steve Smith chose to enforce the follow-on after Josh Hazelwood and Peter Siddle took just five overs to take the West Indies' remaining three first-innings wickets. There was time for Darren Bravo, 94 not out overnight, to complete his seventh Test century as West Indies posted a first-innings total of 223 in response to Australia's 583-4 declared. Australia skipper Smith has "no doubt" he will be fit for the second Test in Melbourne starting on 26 December despite suffering discomfort in his knee and hip at Hobart. Smith will sit out his Big Bash League side Sydney Sixers' domestic fixtures against Sydney Thunder and Hobart Hurricanes after aggravating an injury in his right knee and straining his right hip. Usman Khawaja could return to the squad after missing the last two Tests with a hamstring injury, but coach Darren Lehmann wants the Sydney Thunder batsman to prove his fitness in the Big Bash first. "Usman's first got to be fit - if he's not fit he won't play, there's no doubt about that," Lehmann said. West Indies fast bowler Shannon Gabriel will return home after suffering an ankle injury in the first Test defeat. Gabriel could not bat in either innings after suffering a stress-related injury to his left ankle late on the opening day on Thursday. The West Indies have lost seven of their nine Test matches this year, with a win and a draw against England the only positives for Caribbean cricket in 2015. Amid the loom, Windies legend Brian Lara has suggested that could be tempted by a role on the West Indies coaching team. Lara, 46, who has been playing festival cricket in Western Australia this week, told former Australia spinner Shane Warne on Twitter that he would be willing to help out coach Phil Simmons and his team. Lara scored 11,953 Test runs in 131 Tests for the West Indies between 1990 and 2006.
James Pattinson took 5-27 as Australia beat the West Indies by an innings and 212 runs in the first Test in Hobart.
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Two men were convicted for carrying out abuse during the 1970s, 80s and 90s at the now closed Skircoat Lodge. Victim Kaz Gray said inquiries did not go far enough and some individuals were allegedly still working with children. Calderdale Council said no one involved in the historical cases still worked for the authority. In 2001, Malcom Phillips, who ran Skircoat Lodge for nearly 20 years, was jailed for seven years for repeated abuse of children in his care. A social worker there, Andrew Shadders, who abused boys, was jailed for 15 years. Another man, Terence O'Hagan, was charged with abuse but died before conviction. Ms Gray, who is leading the protest at the council's social services offices, said the scale of the abuse in care homes in Calderdale over that period of time was "rampant". She said: "When I went into care one of the first things they did was put me on the pill. "I was 14, the youngest lass I knew of at the time on the pill in Skircoat was 11 years old." Ms Gray, who has waived her right to anonymity, was abused at Skircoat and said she was trafficked to a care home in North Wales where she was raped. She said she considered there were people still working with children in the area who had been "complicit in the abuse" of youngsters decades ago. "Nothing's changed, nothing will change until everything comes out," she added. The council said it fully supported the investigation at the time. It added: This was an appalling case and we regret that children suffered when they were in the care of the local authority. "I would like to reassure people that nobody involved in the historic cases works for the council, and in the intervening years our safeguarding practices have changed beyond recognition." Chief Supt Dickie Whitehead, Calderdale District Commander, said a thorough investigation was carried out by police and the council between 1997 and 2002 following allegations against a number of employees at Skircoat Lodge Assessment Centre and Dobroyd Castle. He said: "This led to a number of arrests and prosecutions, resulting in a number of substantial prison sentences." Mr Whitehead urged victims of abuse to come forward, adding: "We can promise that reports will be investigated and victims will be treated with the utmost sensitivity."
Victims of child sex abuse in Halifax are staging a protest calling for an inquiry into historical abuse at care homes in Calderdale to be reopened.
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Scores more are still missing in Teluk Wondama district after flash floods and landslides that were triggered when a river burst its banks. Hundreds of people have been injured and more than 5,000 are being housed in tents set up in emergency camps. The National Search and Rescue Agency and military have sent reinforcements to help deal with the disaster. The sudden flooding on Monday caught residents by surprise, officials said, contributing to the high death toll. The local airport has now reopened and roads have been largely cleared of debris, which is helping to speed up aid deliveries to the area, reports say. Navy warships had previously been used to carry tents, medical supplies and food to the disaster zone. Thousands of buildings, roads and bridges in five villages have been damaged or destroyed. The head of the the provincial relief agency, Dortheis Sawaki, said 104 bodies had been recovered, but many more people were missing and the death toll was expected to rise. "It's a tragedy. The smell of rotting corpses is everywhere. Power is down. There's no clean water," she was quoted by AP as saying. Many parts of the country had been badly hit by heavy rains, winds and high waves this year, meteorologists said.
More than 100 people are now known to have died in flooding in the eastern Indonesian province of West Papua.
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In May, Qatar vowed to improve the rights of migrants in the Gulf state amid growing alarm at their treatment. But Amnesty said progress to end exploitation had been minimal. Among others, the report highlighted that Qatar was "lagging behind" in reforming controversial laws that tie migrants to a single employer. Amnesty said that requirements that workers obtain exit permits from their employers in order to leave the country were also still in place. Sherif Elsayed-Ali, Head of Refugee and Migrants' Rights at AI, said: "Time is running out fast. It has been four years since Qatar won the bid to host the World Cup, putting itself in the global spotlight, so far its response to migrant labour abuses has not been much more than promises of action and draft laws." "Urgent action is needed to ensure we do not end up with a World Cup tournament that is built on forced labour and exploitation." The Gulf state has seen an influx of foreign workers ahead of the football tournament and expatriates now make up the bulk of the workforce in the country. Earlier in November, Qatar's Sports Minister Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali told The Associated Press news agency that the country planned to implement labour reforms in the "next few months". Amnesty says the proposals do not go far enough. The report said that Qatari officials increasingly acknowledge the need for improvement but that widespread changes must happen in the coming months. A failure to put serious changes in place would "call into question whether the Qatari authorities are serious about reform," said AI. More than 180 migrant workers died in Qatar last year and a significant number are believed to have suffered injuries as a result of unsafe working practices. Qatar is reported to be spending more than $200bn (£121bn) on a series of infrastructure projects, and says the World Cup is a catalyst for a nationwide building project.
Qatar is failing to tackle the abuse of migrant workers, Amnesty International has warned, six months after work began on the Fifa World Cup 2022 stadiums.
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Her Royal Highness took the baton at the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra's new home, the Elbphilharmonie concert hall. It was part of an event where 250 schoolchildren were introduced to music in front of the Duke and Duchess. The Royal party are due back in the UK on Friday evening, after a five-day tour that began in Poland on Monday. On the last day of the tour, the Duchess, who comes from a musical family and played the flute at school, took the musicians through the first notes of Beethoven's fifth symphony. The royal couple then listened to a performance of a symphony especially adapted for young people, and then went on stage to learn more about the orchestra. Earlier, Catherine and William walked around the stage accompanying six children trying out different instruments, including a violin, flute, timpani [kettle drums] and trombone. Later the Duke of Cambridge gave Prince George and Princess Charlotte a guided tour of a helicopter at the Airbus factory in Hamburg. Prince George tried on a pilot's helmet while Princess Charlotte played with buttons in the cockpit. The Duke flew helicopters when he was an air ambulance pilot. Antoine van Gent, head of flight testing at Airbus, said: "The Duke was very relaxed showing his children the professional aircraft he uses. "George was excited, with the first helicopter he wanted to sit in the cockpit and then he wanted to sit in the next one, he already knew there was a difference between them." Charlotte was less impressed after taking a tumble on the concrete after leaving the aircraft but Mr van Gent said she enjoyed playing in the pilot's seat.
The Duchess of Cambridge tried her hand at conducting a prestigious symphony orchestra on the final day of the royal tour of Germany.
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