The Oculus Rift is a virtual reality headset which when worn will allow gamers to experience a virtual gaming world.
Article: It's a virtual reality headset which when worn will allow gamers to experience a virtual gaming world.
Summary: The Oculus Rift is a virtual reality headset which when worn will allow gamers to experience a virtual

The Oculus Rift is finally available to buy from high street stores and online in the UK, six months after it was released in the US.

Article: It was in Japan and all he could have was a milkshake.
He loved it.
He is now the man behind McDonald's in India, responsible for the phenomenal growth the company has had in the country.
When the American fast-food giant first contacted him in 1994 Amit's first challenge was close to home, convincing his vegetarian family to invest in the business.
"From my family's point of view we thought through this carefully," he tells the BBC.
"What convinced us was that McDonald's was willing to localise. They promised that there would be no beef or pork on the menu.
"Nearly half of Indians are vegetarian so choosing a vegetarian to run their outlets here makes sense."
Across the world the Big Mac beefburger is the company's signature product. Amit and his partners had to come up with their own signature product for India, so the Chicken Maharajah Mac was born.
Originally Amit was the local partner in the south and west of India, running the chain as a joint venture with the global McDonald's company.
Later he bought out the McDonald's stake and now solely runs the chain in the south and west of the country.
It hasn't been an easy journey.
"From a consumer point of view I had to start with the message that a burger is a meal," he says.
His research shows that in 2003, of 100 meals that people ate in a month, only three were eaten out.
They introduced a 20 rupees (20p) burger called Aloo Tikki Burger, a burger with a cutlet made of mashed potatoes, peas and flavoured with Indian spices.
"It's something you would find on Indian streets, it was essentially the McDonald's version of street food. The price and the taste together, the value we introduced, was a hit. It revolutionised the industry in India," he says.
Now eating out has gone up to 9-10 times per 100 meals and McDonald's in India has more than 320 million customers a year.
"Whether you love or hate McDonald's, they deliver a formula very well," says Edward Dixon, chief operating officer of Sannam S4, which provides market entry advice and support for...

Summary: A staunch vegetarian, Amit Jatia was 14 when he walked into a McDonald's for the first time.
###
Article: Tech firm Bijou Commerce believes so. Its platform enables fashion and beauty apps to offer single-image browsing - customers can swipe right if they like a product, and left if they don't.
Working with retail companies like Nobody's Child, Bijou is on a mission to make fashion shopping simpler and more engaging for customers.
"Most retailers' apps and mobile sites put between four and 12 products on a single screen," chief executive Beth Wond tells the BBC.
"These images look small on most mobile phones, meaning individual products struggle to stand out."
She also believes retailers should understand that this Tinder-style swipe technology isn't just a gimmick.
"For fashion brands the biggest asset is your image, so single-image browsing is crucial," she says.
This is just one example of how fashion retailers are responding to the new world of smartphones and social media.
How about "liking" your way to an outfit choice?
Charese Embree co-founded a US-born site and app called Fynd, a fashion search engine that lets shoppers "like" their way to the look they want.
Say you search for "cocktail dresses" and a wide selection comes up, you can home in on the style and colour you're after by clicking the heart icon on the ones you like. An algorithm narrows down the search for you based on your preferences - "speed dating for dresses" as the website describes it.
"The like button works because of our familiarity with it," says Ms Embree. "Our concept is just an extension of your Facebook or Instagram page, but helps you find that perfect outfit you've been looking for."
Fynd works with department stores such as Bloomingdales to give them the ability to showcase their wares.
"We enable retailers to reach social media-savvy consumers much quicker than they can do in store," she says.
Tammy Smulders, managing director of online fashion platform Luxhub, believes smartphones have made us into impatient buyers.
"We are seeing a shift. It's not that people are more demanding, it's just that the norm is to have everything...

Summary: We use smartphone swipe technology to find a date on Tinder, so can we use it to find the perfect outfit as well?
###
Article: It's a virtual reality headset which when worn will allow gamers to experience a virtual gaming world.
It won't be cheap though, it's being sold for Â£549 and you'll need a very powerful computer to even be able to use it.
Similar products on the market include HTC's Vive VR headset which was launched earlier this year and Sony will be releasing it's own virtual reality headset called the PlayStation VR in October.
Earlier this year Ricky got to try out the Oculus Rift and some of it's accessories.

Summary:


A new incubator system will be used on Wales Air Ambulance's newest helicopter.
Article: The charity said the new technology would provide an alternative to road ambulance journeys, offering significantly quicker transport of vulnerable babies between hospitals.
The service began carrying Babypods for emergency missions in 2013.
But the new

The most advanced flight incubators in the UK for sick babies will be used by Wales Air Ambulance later this month.

Article: Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) hopes its new mobile scanner will help to improve Scotland's sheep stocks.
Using low dose x-rays, the scanner produces images showing muscle shape, internal fat and pelvic shape of live animals.
SRUC's sheep geneticist Dr Nicola Lambe said the scans could help indentify "attributes" that produce the best lambs for meat.
Dr Lambe told BBC Alba: "The scanner is the same as you would get in a hospital and it is usually used for medical purposes.
"But we use it for CT scanning sheep.
"The interesting thing is that you can look at all the different body tissue and organs.
"We can use it to select the top animals for breeding with."
A number of pedigree sheep breeders have already made use of the mobile scanner to check for their best animals.

Summary: A medical CT scanner is being used to identify the best sheep for breeding.
###
Article: Stephen Henderson Jewellers in Union Street was targeted by two suspects who took items from the shop and ran off.
It is understood the man has been identified but not yet traced.
Officers issued descriptions of two men who were seen running towards Dundee railway station following the theft.
No description of the items stolen or their value has been released, although owner Stephen Henderson said the theft was "substantial".
A Tayside Division spokeswoman said: "Police Scotland can confirm that a 30-year-old man has been reported to the procurator fiscal in connection with a theft from Stephen Henderson Jewellers, Union Street, Dundee that happened on Friday 6 February 2015."

Summary: A 30-year-old man has been reported to the procurator fiscal in connection with a high-value theft from a Dundee jewellers in February 2015.
###
Article: The charity said the new technology would provide an alternative to road ambulance journeys, offering significantly quicker transport of vulnerable babies between hospitals.
The service began carrying Babypods for emergency missions in 2013.
But the new incubators will attach to existing equipment in the helicopter, providing warmth and oxygen.
They also have a transparent chamber, allowing babies to be monitored during flights.
Welsh medics went to Switzerland to help in the design process and, at a cost of Â£70,000 each, two new incubators have been bought by NHS Wales.
They will be used on Wales Air Ambulance's newest helicopter, the fourth in its fleet.
Weighing 15st 10lb (100kg), the incubators will be fitted to a sled and require two people to lift them into the air ambulance.
Since April 2015, helicopter crews have been joined on board by consultant doctors.
Dr Dindi Gill, the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service Cymru interim director, said: "Having the incubator system will further enhance the ability of the EMRTS teams to manage neonates born at home or in hospital.
"It is recognised that temperature control is extremely important to this group of patients and, therefore, we welcome the ability to carry the incubator on Wales Air Ambulance's helicopters."
Following crew training, the incubator service will run as a trial to the end of 2016.

Summary:

Article: {{document}}

Summary: ||| {{target}}


The UK's biggest gambling companies have been warned to brace for a "significant" fall in profits as the government prepares to ban high-stakes gambling machines.
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) said it was "concerned" about the impact of the government's plans to ban machines with a maximum stake of

A late-night levy on Liverpool's bars and clubs will not be introduced after councillors rejected the proposals.

Article: The UK government has confirmed the change as peers prepare for one of the final Wales Bill parliamentary debates.
It means ministers in Wales will get responsibility for licensing gaming machines where the maximum stake is more than £10.
Wales Office Minister Lord Bourne said in November he was prepared to consider the change.
But campaigners say the move does not go far enough as it only applies to new licences and not existing machines, and fear any ban could open the Welsh Government up to a "minefield" of legal challenges.
The Campaign for Fairer Gambling estimates customers in Wales lost over £50m on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) between September 2014-15.
The terminals feature games including roulette, bingo, simulated greyhound and horse racing and slot machines, where people can gamble as much as £100 per spin, in theory every 20 seconds.
Adrian Parkinson, of the campaign, said he had seen people lose thousands of pounds in just a few hours playing roulette on the machines.
Mr Parkinson, who worked in the industry for 26 years, described customers going bankrupt, losing their jobs and homes, through their addiction to the terminals.
"When they are playing on the FOBTs it is just them and the machine, they get in the zone," he said.
"If you are playing five times faster than in a casino, you are going to lose money five times faster."
Betting shops are restricted to four machines in each shop, but critics say that had led to clusters of shops as companies try to increase the number of the terminals on the high street.
Mr Parkinson said the new licensing powers could see the Welsh Government or Welsh local authorities face legal challenges if they tried to impose further limits on new terminals - costing the taxpayer potentially tens of thousands of pounds.
"They look at this as if it is a power for the Welsh people, it is not, it's a potential minefield," he said.
But a spokesman for the Association of British Bookmakers said betting shops in Wales were the "safest place" to gamble as they were...

Summary: The power to ban high-stakes gambling machines in Wales will be given to the Welsh Government.
###
Article: In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 closed down 0.95% at 5,226.40.
Analysts said iron ore prices were continuing to move towards the decade low reached earlier this year.
The commodity is Australia's biggest export and was trading at $44.20 a tonne in China on Monday.
Independent economist and commodities specialist Andy Xie has predicted that iron ore prices will fall below $40 a tonne before the end of the year.
He said prices could even sink as low as $30 for much of next year as demand from China continues to decline.
Three of the biggest iron ore producers recorded falls in their Sydney-listed shares. BHP Billiton closed down 1.8%, Rio Tinto fell 1.5%, while Fortescue Metals was the biggest loser, sinking 3.2%.
Japan's Nikkei index spent much of the day flat but made gains late in the day to close up 0.23% at 19,924.89 points.
Shares in the country's troubled electronics maker Sharp surged more than 35% at one point on reports its lenders may waive some of its debts.
Without citing sources, Kyodo News said a state-backed fund may invest in Sharp if Japanese lenders agreed to write off an unspecified amount of its debt.
Investors seem to shrug off fresh numbers released earlier on Tuesday that showed Japan's manufacturing activity expanded in November as new orders and output increased.
The Markit/Nikkei Japan Flash Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) rose from 52.4 in October to 52.8 in November. A reading above 50 indicates expansion.
The PMI figure was the highest it had been since March last year - ahead of the introduction of the country's sales tax.
Marcel Thieliant from Capital Economics said the reading suggested Japan's economy had returned to growth this quarter.
"Today's survey confirms that economic activity is on the mend. But with large amounts of spare capacity dampening price pressures, we still think that the Bank of Japan may have to step up the pace of easing in coming months," he added.
In China, the Shanghai Composite index closed up 0.2% at 3,616.11, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng...

Summary: Asian markets experienced mixed fortunes on Tuesday following declines in the US and as slumping iron ore prices continued to hurt mining companies.
###
Article: The council's licensing and gambling committee blocked a plan to introduce an annual charge for any establishment staying open after midnight.
Up to 800 licensed premises would have paid between Â£299 and Â£4,400 to offset the costs of the night-time economy.
The committee said the net income generated by the plan would be unlikely to produce "significant improvements".
Merseyside Police had estimated the annual cost of policing the city centre from midnight to 06:00 to be about Â£540,000.
Some bars and clubs in Liverpool had opposed the levy and pub chain JD Wetherspoon called it "an unfair tax on pubs".
A similar late-night levy was introduced in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 2013.

Summary:


The far-right has been gaining ground in Ukraine, with the NSS and the Russian National Unity party both gaining ground in recent elections.
The NSS, which is a far-right party, has been gaining ground in Ukraine, with the party's leader, Oleh Lyashko, gaining a seat in

Ever since Ukraine's February revolution, the Kremlin has characterised the new leaders in Kiev as a "fascist junta" made up of neo-Nazis and anti-Semites, set on persecuting, if not eradicating, the Russian-speaking population.

Article: Supporters of President Hassan Rouhani won 42% of the 290 seats, short of an outright majority but comfortable enough to pass his legislative plans.
Independents took nearly 30% and many of them are said to be reform-minded.
Women took a record 17 seats, the most since the 1979 revolution, and more than clerics gained.
Hardliners won just under a third of seats in a humiliating performance, a BBC correspondent reports.
Why Iran's moderates must capitalise quickly
The run-off was held on Friday in constituencies where no candidate had won the minimum 25% of the vote at the first round in February.
The results are regarded by many as an endorsement of the nuclear agreement that the government of President Rouhani signed with the US and other world powers to curtail Iran's nuclear programme in return for the lifting of international sanctions.
President Hassan Rouhani will look at the results of the run-off elections with a good deal of satisfaction. The moderate and independent candidates have dwarfed his hard-line opponents.
Many of the independents are generally believed to be supporters of the government. This means he will have little trouble in the next parliament, which is due to start work in less than a month from now.
His first priority, according to his Foreign Minister, Javad Zarif, is the introduction of bill to guarantee citizens' rights - a major step, he hopes, that will improve human rights in the country and the rule of law.
But he still faces other centres of power that are in the hands of the hardliners, who may block his every effort to steer Iran towards moderation.
Of the 17 women who won seats, at least 11 are considered moderates, AFP news agency reported. It almost doubles the number of women in parliament, giving women the same share of seats as countries including such as Thailand, Nigeria and Haiti.
In February, reformists also made gains in elections for the Assembly of Experts, which appoints the country's most powerful official, the Supreme Leader.
Dr Sanam Vakil, an associate...

Summary: Run-off elections have given moderates and reformists a working majority in the Iranian parliament for the first time in more than a decade.
###
Article: The festival was founded in 2005 and is usually held on or near 6 August, Jamaican Independence Day.
In recent years the event, which is free, has attracted up to 15,000 people and closed roads in the area.
The organisers said they were "incredibly disappointed" by the decision.
Lambeth Council refused their application to hold the event this year, saying in a statement the 2015 event drew "a large number" of complaints from local residents.
The council stressed that the cost of policing and cleaning up afterwards "ran into hundreds of thousands of pounds".
A council spokeswoman said: "Sadly, last year's event became a victim of its own success and we need to pause it for this year, let the community take it back to its roots as a safe, fun event for everyone with professional organisation."
The founder of the festival, Ros Griffiths, joined the council in appealing for more people to get involved in order to ensure the event could go ahead in 2017.
She said: "The community needs to reclaim this as a celebration of Brixton, not a free-for-all that creates chaos, mess and unease."
But organisers who were in the process of planning this year's Brixton Splash spoke out against the decision, saying they feared it did not fit with the council's "gentrified image" of Brixton.
Brixton Splash director Shezal Laing claimed: "We've been trying to ensure we plan a safe event, we've been seeking meetings with the council and other stakeholders, including the police, and at every level we've been blocked."

Summary: The Brixton Splash music festival has been cancelled for 2016, with Lambeth Council saying it costs too much to police and to clear up afterwards.
###
Article: This is demonstrably false. Far-right parties failed to pass a 5% barrier to enter parliament, although if they had banded together, and not split their vote, they would have probably slipped past the threshold.
Only one government minister has links to nationalist parties - though he is in no way a neo-Nazi or fascist. And the speaker of parliament, Volodymyr Groysman, is Jewish. He has the third most powerful position in the country after the president and prime minister.
But Ukrainian officials and many in the media err to the other extreme. They claim that Ukrainian politics are completely fascist-free. This, too, is plain wrong.
As a result, the question of the presence of the far-right in Ukraine remains a highly sensitive issue, one which top officials and the media shy away from. No-one wants to provide fuel to the Russian propaganda machine.
But this blanket denial also has its dangers, since it allows the ultra-nationalists to fly under the radar. Many Ukrainians are unaware that they exist, or even what a neo-Nazi or fascist actually is, or what they stand for.
This hyper-sensitivity and stonewalling were on full display after President Petro Poroshenko presented a Ukrainian passport to someone who, according to human rights activists, is a "Belarusian neo-Nazi".
The Ukrainian leader handed out medals on 5 December to fighters who had tenaciously defended the main airport in the eastern region of Donetsk from being taken over by Russian-backed separatists.
Among the recipients was Serhiy Korotkykh, a Belarusian national, to whom Mr Poroshenko awarded Ukrainian citizenship, praising his "courageous and selfless service".
The president's website showed a photo of Mr Poroshenko patting the shoulder of the Belarusian, who was clad in military fatigues.
Experts who follow the far right have strongly objected to President Poroshenko's decision.
They say Mr Korotkykh was a member of the far-right Russian National Unity party and also a founding member of the neo-Nazi National Socialist Society (NSS) in...

Summary:


The price of West Texas crude sank to $37.65 (Â£24.99) a barrel, a drop of 5.8%, while Brent Crude fell 5.3% to $40.73 a barrel.
Article: The price of West Texas crude sank to $37.65 (Â£

The price of oil fell to its lowest level since 2009 as global production continues to remain high.

Article: Former Scotland captain Coetzer, 31, joined Northants in 2011 and helped the side win the FLt20 in 2013.
But Coetzer, who went to the World Cup with Scotland earlier this year, only played four Championship matches this summer, with a batting average of 5.29.
Meanwhile, 28-year-old paceman Chambers moved from Essex in 2013 and played just five Championship games in 2015.
Northants head coach David Ripley told the club website: "Kyle has been a model professional during his time here, he deals with success and failure in equal measure, a very valuable thing in a cricket dressing room. We wish him and his family well in the future.
"After a slow start in 2014, Maurice has put in a big effort this year but has been unable to get past our other seam bowlers and play regularly in the first team."

Summary: Northants have released Scotland international Kyle Coetzer and bowler Maurice Chambers.
###
Article: That's how its been since the App Store's inception seven years ago.
But soon Apple will for the first time lower its App Store commission on one condition: if an app can retain a subscriber for over a year, the revenue split will be 85/15.
The change will apply immediately to existing apps with users that are more than a year old - potentially providing an injection of extra revenue for many companies.
Spotify, for example, boasted of having 20 million subscribers this time last year.
For the sake of argument, if even just half of those subscribers are still paying members today, the change could potentially represent around $15m (£10.3m) in extra subscription revenue for Spotify every month, and that's probably a conservative estimate.
As well as price, Apple will introduce another significant change to App Store subscriptions. Until now, only apps in certain categories - media and entertainment content - could charge subscription fees. Soon, any app will be able to offer such an option.
This is widely seen as a way for Apple to encourage high-end productivity apps onto its mobile operating system, iOS.
"This could be the change that makes the market for professional-calibre iPad apps possible," wrote John Gruber, a technology writer and long-time Apple watcher.
"I think this is terrific news both for developers and users."
The danger, of course, is by opening up subscriptions to every type of app, Apple risks creating a frustrating environment that's irritating for users who were accustomed to the simple model of paid or free apps.
Then again, subscriptions are surely more likely to encourage quality compared to one-off payments - the challenge for developers shifts from being convincing people to pay once, to convincing them to keep paying, again and again.
Mr Gruber noted, however, that there was still some uncertainty about whether all apps could use the new business model.
The revenue split change is just one piece of Apple's plans for its store, which now has 1.5 million apps on offer - second only to...

Summary: If you sell an app, subscription or other product through the App Store, Apple gets 30% of the money.
###
Article: The price of West Texas crude sank to $37.65 (Â£24.99) a barrel, a drop of 5.8%, while Brent Crude fell 5.3% to $40.73 a barrel.
The slumping price comes as OPEC - a group of the largest oil producing nations- refused to cut oil production.
OPEC- whose production covers about 30% of the world's oil demand - met in Vienna last week to discuss production.
The group has faced growing competition from new supplies, including in the US where techniques like fracking are used to tap previously hard-to-reach oil reserves.
"The decision by OPEC members to keep oil production output at record high levels has seen oil prices plummet again," said Sanjiv Shah, chief investment officer of Sun Global Investments.
The group had traditionally kept a tight rein on oil production to regulate price, but announced last Friday it will continue to pump out approximately 31.5 million barrels of oil a day, going past the group's former 30 million barrel target.
In 2014 Saudi Arabia led OPEC in a decision to keep output high to defend its market share.

Summary:


The BBC has reported that the UK's intelligence services have been accused of blocking police investigations into the abuse at Kincora in the 1970s.
The BBC has reported that the UK's intelligence services have been accused of blocking police investigations into the abuse at Kincora in the 1970s.
The BBC has reported

A judicial review has begun over the decision to exclude the former Kincora boys' home in east Belfast from a child abuse inquiry being held at Westminster.

Article: The college is to become a school of fine art with "inspirational and truly world class teaching and learning spaces".
The work at the former Stow College is part of a Â£80m campus development project being undertaken by GSA.
It is scheduled to be completed in time for it be in use in the academic year 2018/19.
The design is the work of BDP architects.
GSA director Prof Tom Inns said: "The Stow Building has been a distinctive part of Glasgow's educational landscape for over 80 years.
"BDP's design harnesses the full potential of the original 1930s building, with the new roof extension, while carefully considered to meet the very specific needs of fine art internally, plays tribute to Glasgow's industrial heritage externally."
BDP Scotland chairman and architect principal Scott Mackenzie added: "BDP is delighted to be part of the GTMS team working with the Glasgow School of Art to rejuvenate the former Stow College building as a School of Fine Art.
"This project not only brings new life to a cherished Glasgow landmark, but also provides the School of Fine Art with inspirational and truly world class teaching and learning spaces."

Summary: The Glasgow School of Art (GSA) has released details of how the former Stow College building will be converted.
###
Article: "Because I think the politics of Wales have changed quite profoundly in recent years and I think the picture you're going to see in the south Wales valleys will be similar to the results we've seen in the north east of England and some of these old industrial working-class areas which have shifted very markedly towards 'out'.
"And this will be one of the, I think, the stories of this referendum campaign - the way the spotlight has been shown on some of these quite marked social divisions and it poses a challenge not only to use as a Conservative government but to all the Westminster parties who increasingly look and sound the same."
It poses a challenge to parties in Wales too. Wales has 40 MPs; only five backed Brexit. Every single Welsh Labour MP backed remain. Many Labour supporters who voted for the party only last month in the Welsh Assembly elections clearly voted against the party line (if they knew what it was) on Thursday.
Some MPs are less surprised than others. One said he had been shouted at for the first time by a constituent during the referendum campaign. Others reported back on a virulent anti-politics mood and "our broken politics". One Labour source questioned the timing of Wednesday's announcement that the Assembly is to be asked to re-brand itself a Welsh parliament.
Not so long ago Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood advocated a Welsh veto on an English-led Brexit, warning: "An English vote for exit should not - by dint of sheer numbers - be able to trump a desire in Wales to stay in."
That challenge doesn't arise but Ms Wood warned at the time of a constitutional crisis if the UK's different nations voted in different ways, and with Scotland voting to remain, she may be proved right.
Welsh parties complained that the proximity of the vote with the assembly elections had made it difficult to campaign together effectively, although the timing didn't stop the Scots voting to remain.
In his resignation statement, the prime minister said Britain must prepare for negotiation with the EU. "This will...

Summary: It was shortly before 02:00 BST (I listen so you don't have to) when Stephen Crabb told radio listeners that he would not be surprised if Wales voted for Brexit.
###
Article: A victim is taking legal action to force an independent inquiry with power to compel witnesses and the security services to hand over documents.
Gary Hoy was abused by two men who were subsequently convicted.
There have been allegations that a paedophile ring at Kincora was linked to the British intelligence services.
The government has so far refused calls for the abuse scandal at the Belfast home to be included within the scope of the inquiry established by Home Secretary Theresa May and headed by New Zealand judge Lowell Goddard.
The government has said that as child protection is a devolved matter, the right place for the Kincora allegations to be examined is Northern Ireland's Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, which has been sitting in Banbridge.
The victims of Kincora claim the Northern Ireland inquiry lacks the powers to compel evidence or witnesses from government agencies.
Amnesty International, which is supporting the victims' legal challenge, says two military intelligence officers have alleged that the security services blocked police investigations into the child abuse at Kincora in the 1970s.
The judicial review is expected to last several days.
Three senior care staff at Kincora were jailed in 1981 for abusing 11 boys.
At least 29 boys were abused at the home between the late 1950s and the early 1980s.
One of the men who was later convicted, William McGrath, is believed to have been an MI5 agent.

Summary:


The BBC has been accused of "dumbing down" its output in Scotland.
The Scottish government has accused the corporation of "dumbing down" its output in Scotland.
The BBC has been accused of "dumbing down" its output in Scotland.
The Scottish government has accused the corporation of "dumbing

People who have served in the armed forces in the past 50 years are not at greater risk of suicide than those who have not, according to a new study.

Article: The clause will be included in a draft of the BBC's next Royal Charter.
Currently, the BBC only reveals the salary details of executives who earn more than £150,000, but the government wants it to go further.
But BBC Trust chairwoman Rona Fairhead said the move was not "in the long-term interests of licence fee payers".
Speaking in the House of Commons on Thursday, Mrs Bradley said publishing the salaries would bring the BBC "in line with the civil service" on transparency.
The culture secretary said it would help ensure the BBC "produces value for money for the licence fee" and that more transparency could lead to savings that could be "invested in even more great programmes".
Strictly Come Dancing host Claudia Winkleman - one of those expected to be on the list - said last week she was "all for" BBC stars' earnings being disclosed because they are "working for the public".
The BBC has said releasing stars' salary details would affect its ability to attract and retain top talent and that it has already cut the amount it pays its broadcasting stars by £8m.
Mrs Fairhead said: "We don't agree with the government on everything and are disappointed with the decision on the disclosure of presenters' pay. We don't believe this is in the long-term interests of licence fee payers."
Last month, a spokesman for the corporation said publishing stars' salaries would amount to a "poacher's charter" - which would give competitors an advantage, allowing them to make better financial offers to attract talent away from the BBC.
But the corporation must now publish the salary details of all of its staff, including on-air presenters, who earn more than £150,000 - and specify which £50,000 salary band they fall in to - in next year's annual report.
Director general Tony Hall said: "Our position on talent pay has not changed and all major broadcasters have questioned the merit of the proposal.
"The BBC operates in a competitive market and this will not make it easier for the BBC to retain the talent the public love."
The lower...

Summary: The BBC will have to name all employees and presenters paid more than £150,000 a year, culture secretary Karen Bradley has said.
###
Article: Jeremy Peat told MSPs that Scottish viewers might not have "free and unfettered" access to all BBC services.
He suggested that digital services could be cut off and viewers could be required to pay for other services.
The Scottish government said viewers "would still be able to watch all the BBC's output post-independence".
Mr Peat, appearing before the Scottish Parliament's education and culture committee, argued: "I don't think there can be the presumption that access would continue on a free and unfettered basis to all services."
In response to a question from Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur on what was likely to happen in the event of a Yes vote in September's referendum, Mr Peat said: "So far as access to BBC services is concerned post-independence, my understanding is DTT (digital terrestrial television) could be cut off close to the border."
He added: "Already so far as the iPlayer is concerned and the web is concerned, for countries outwith the UK there is a requirement to pay for access and a somewhat different service is provided.
"I would assume that the starting point again would be that those services would be available to Scotland as an independent nation in a different way from the way they are at the moment, for payment, and potentially a different service."
Mr Peat, who was a member of the BBC's governing body from 2005 to 2010, said viewers in Ireland had "access to the majority of BBC services" but that he believed it was on "a commercial basis".
Viewers in the UK pay a TV licence fee to fund the BBC. The Republic of Ireland's public service broadcaster, RTE, is funded through a licence fee and by advertising.
In 2010 the governments of the UK and the Republic of Ireland signed a memorandum of understanding enabling "the widespread availability of RTE services in Northern Ireland on a free-to-air basis, and BBC services in Ireland on a paid for basis".
In its White Paper on independence, the Scottish government proposed the establishment of a Scottish Broadcasting Service (SBS).
The SBS...

Summary: Access to BBC services in an independent Scotland "would require a great deal of negotiation", a former BBC Trust member has claimed.
###
Article: However, there is an increased risk in certain groups, the University of Glasgow research found.
Overall, veterans were at no greater risk than the general public, whilst both Falklands and Gulf War veterans had a lower risk of suicide.
The team studied veterans in Scotland who served between 1960 and 2012.
The study compared suicide risk among 56,205 veterans born between 1945 and 1985 with 172,741 matched non-veterans.
While overall there was no significant difference in the figures for veterans and non-veterans, the risk increased for:
Young veterans were not found to be at increased risk - a finding at odds with an earlier study by the Centre for Suicide Prevention which suggested that ex-servicemen under the age of 24 had a much higher rate of suicide.
Asked to explain the differences, lead researcher Dr Beverly Bergman said the two studies used different data and methodologies.
She said: "We have a smaller number of veterans but have studied them over a longer time period.
"In our study we had only two veterans under the age of 25 who died by suicide. The two studies are not directly comparable."
Dr Bergman said there was growing evidence that there is no overall difference in long-term risk of suicide between veterans and non-veterans in the UK.
She added: "This is an important study which provides reassurance that military service in the last 50 years does not increase people's risk of suicide overall, but it draws our attention to those people whose increased risk may be overlooked, such as older veterans and women veterans.
"It also confirms that early service leavers have a slightly increased risk but that may not manifest itself until middle age."
The study, which used data from the Scottish Veterans Health Study to examine deaths classified as due to suicide or self-harm, is published in Occupational Medicine.

Summary:


The Duchess of Cornwall has been given a new role in the Royal Household.
The Duchess of Cornwall has been appointed as a member of the Royal Household.
The role will see her attend the Royal Ascot and Royal Trooping the Colour.
The Duchess of Cornwall will also be a member of the Royal Household's

Shutter Speed overcame rain-softened ground to win the Musidora Stakes at York under Frankie Dettori and will now be aimed at next month's French Oaks.

Article: In Wales, councils are responsible for funding and overseeing schools.
But in England, Mr Osborne's plan will mean local authorities will cease to have a role in providing education.
Academies are directly funded by central government and head teachers have more freedom over admissions and to change the way the school works.
It is a significant development in the continued divergence of schools systems on either side of Offa's Dyke.
And although the Welsh Government will get extra cash to match the money for English schools to extend the school day, it can spend it on any devolved policy area.
Ministers have no plans to follow suit.
At the moment, governing bodies are responsible for setting school hours and they need ministerial permission to make significant changes.
There are already more than 2,000 secondary academies in England and its extension to all state schools is unlikely to shake the Welsh Government's attachment to what they call a "community, comprehensive model" for schools.
It rejects claims that freedom given to academies can help drive up standards, and it points to academy-free Scotland as the best performing school system in the UK.
Education Minister Huw Lewis said there was "very little evidence to suggest" academies have a positive impact in driving up standards and Wales would not be following the model.
"The Tories have wasted hundreds of millions of pounds on academies and free schools and as the Chancellor finalises his budget plans to slash vital services even further, he is committing them to wasting even more on a failing endeavour.
"We have no plans to introduce the chaos and waste of academies and free schools here in Wales."
None of the main parties in May's Assembly election - including the Welsh Conservatives - have said they want to introduce academies in Wales.
Owen Hathway, NUT Cymru's policy officer, called the academy plans for England "scandalous.".
"There is no evidence that academies work, no evidence that they raise standards, no evidence that they offer better...

Summary: As Chancellor George Osborne announced all English state schools will become academies, the Welsh Government continues to reject the model here.
###
Article: A campaign group has launched a Twitter account: Shut Up Tube Chat.
It comes after travellers were handed leaflets with badges encouraging them to talk to one another on the Tube.
The Tube Chat pin is supposed to indicate to other commuters that the wearer is happy to have a conversation.
It has provoked a strong reaction, with many people making their own badges designed to discourage anyone from approaching them.
Volunteers from the Shut Up Tube Chat campaign began handing out their badges at Liverpool Street station on Friday morning.
Commuters were handed leaflets with the new badges reading: "Want nothing less than a 'chat' with one of your fellow passengers?
"Wear this badge to let them know that you'd rather drink a pint of bleach than talk with them."
The badges, which read "Don't even think about it" are designed to ensure wearers can make their way to work in peace.
The man behind the campaign, Brian Wilson from Hackney, told BBC London he had given out 500 badges.
"I can't stand the idea of having to talk to strangers on the Tube on my way to work.
"We handed loads out this morning and everyone was loving it. Proper Londoners know the score," he said.
Commuters who want nothing more than to listen to their music, read a book, stare at their smartphone screen or just ignore their fellow travellers have also expressed alarm at being encouraged to talk to one another.
Actress and writer Emma Kennedy tweeted: "Whoever came up with those Tube Chat badges has fundamentally misunderstood the misanthropy of the London commute."
Richard Cook tweeted: "Imagine being someone who willingly wears a #Tube_Chat badge, sitting there beaming, just waiting for a conversation that will never come."
And Madelaine Hanson tweeted: "The day I willingly talk to anyone on the tube will be the day I have to tell someone that their hat is on fire."
Jonathan Dunne, who came up with the idea of the Tube Chat badges and is originally from the US, admitted it was difficult to get commuters to take one of the free pins.
"I would...

Summary: London commuters have attempted to prove they are insular and unfriendly by wearing badges discouraging fellow passengers from talking to them.
###
Article: Trainer John Gosden let the unbeaten 4-7 favourite race after he walked the course and she beat runner-up Vintage Folly by a length and three quarters.
She goes to Chantilly next rather than the Oaks at Epsom, in which stablemates Enable and Coronet are top contenders.
Tasleet (14-1) took the Duke of York Stakes for trainer William Haggas.
Jim Crowley's mount won comfortably from Magical Memory in second, with Comicas third.
Shutter Speed, whose last run at Newbury saw her beat Enable into third, brought a fifth Musidora win for both Gosden and Dettori.
"We got away with it. The ground was very soft. It was hard work for her," said Dettori.
"She'll be a better horse on better ground. She's top drawer. Everything she does is very classy."
Gosden is concerned about the ground for his colt Cracksman in Thursday's Dante Stakes and will again walk the course before deciding whether he runs in the Derby trial.
BBC Sport horse racing correspondent Cornelius Lysaght
Shutter Speed's clearly in very good order and she coped well with the soggy conditions.
She'll be off to France's Oaks, staged over 'her distance' of a mile and a quarter, and Gosden will rely on Enable and Coronet in the longer Epsom Oaks.
The trainer said he was pleased to now have a month to prepare Shutter Speed for Chantilly.
Meanwhile, the gap between Thursday's Dante Stakes and the Derby is just 16 days, so Gosden's colt Cracksman may not be asked to line up in what's sure to be an examining Dante, in terms of both quality and going.

Summary:


The Co-op Bank has been forced to put itself on the market after it was unable to reach a strong enough footing to satisfy Bank of England regulations.
Article: The Co-op Bank was forced to put itself on the market in February after it was unable to reach a strong enough footing to satisfy Bank of England

The Co-operative Bank says it is no longer up for sale, pending an announcement on fund-raising proposals aimed at safeguarding its future.

Article: The block measures about 720 sq km in area - roughly eight times the size of Manhattan Island in New York.
Scientists have been waiting for the PIG to calve since October 2011 when they first noticed a spectacular crack spreading across its surface.
Confirmation that the fissure had extended the full width of the glacier was obtained on Monday.
It was seen by the German TerraSAR-X satellite.
This carries a radar instrument that can detect the surface of the ice stream even though the Antarctic is currently in the grip of winter darkness.
The berg that broke away was part of the PIG's ice shelf - the front segment of the glacier that lifts up and floats as it pushes out into the ocean. The shelf will reach tens of km beyond the grounding line.
German researchers have been receiving images from TerraSAR-X every three days or so, hoping to understand better the processes that drive the glacier forward and prompt it to fracture.
This will help them improve the computer models that are used to forecast future changes in the Antarctic.
"We were very keen to see how the crack propagated," said Prof Angelika Humbert, a glaciologist with the Alfred Wegener Institute.
"We need proper calving laws, to be able to describe the evolution of ice sheets over centuries," she told BBC News.
Very big tabular bergs will come off the end of the ice shelf every 6-10 years. Previous notable events occurred in 2007 and 2001.
It is a very natural process and scientists say it should not be tied directly to the very real climate changes that are also affecting this part of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.
Satellite and airborne measurements have recorded a marked thinning and a surge in velocity of the PIG in recent decades.
This has been attributed in part to warmer waters getting under, and melting, the ice shelf. The PIG's grounding line has pulled back further and further towards the land.
The glacier's behaviour means it is now under close scrutiny, not least because it drains something like 10% of all the ice flowing off the west...

Summary: Pine Island Glacier (PIG), the longest and fastest flowing glacier in the Antarctic, has spawned a huge iceberg.
###
Article: John Donnelly, 74, emigrated to Australia from Scotland 40 years ago.
He abused four girls when he made return trips to Scotland during the 1970s and 80s.
Donnelly was jailed at the High Court in Glasgow after being convicted of the offences following a trial in March.
The crimes had been reported to police in 2006, with the Crown Office then initiating lengthy extradition proceedings to bring Donnelly to trial.
It eventually led to the Australian justice minister granting Donnelly's return to Scotland in 2014.
Donnelly's trial heard he had preyed on the girls during return trips to Scotland between 1978 and 1988.
The abuse occurred at houses in Glasgow and Prestonpans, East Lothian.
One victim told a jury how she was left "terrified" at the hands of Donnelly.
She also recalled seeing Donnelly sneak into a young relative's bedroom before ordering him out.
Another girl was abused by him after he was allowed to stay overnight at the family home.
Passing sentence, judge John Morris QC said Donnelly had once been something of a "hero" to those who had known him.
The judge told the Donnelly that such serious offences meant a jail term had to be imposed.

Summary: A pensioner who was convicted of child abuse offences after being extradited from Australia has been jailed for four and a half years.
###
Article: Co-op Bank was forced to put itself on the market in February after it was unable to reach a strong enough footing to satisfy Bank of England regulations.
But in June, it said it was in "advanced discussions" with a group of existing investors on recapitalisation.
Now the bank says the plan has been "substantially agreed".
The Co-op Bank, in which the Co-operative Group still has a 20% stake, was rescued from the brink of collapse by a group of hedge funds in 2013.
In a statement, the bank also said talks were continuing over the separation of its pension fund from the Co-operative Group's scheme.
Under the current arrangement, the bank must carry a share of the Co-op Group's £8bn pension liabilities, something which is proving unattractive to potential investors.
Earlier this year, it reported its fifth annual loss in a row, although the £477m deficit for 2016 was an improvement on the £610m loss recorded in 2015.
When it offered itself for sale, the Co-op Bank blamed low interest rates and the higher-than-expected cost of its turnaround plan for its failure to meet the Bank's Prudential Regulation Authority rules.
The Co-op Bank has four million customers and is well known for its ethical standpoint, which its board had said made it "a strong franchise with significant potential" to prospective buyers.

Summary:


The UK's biggest brewer, SABMiller, has agreed to buy rival brewer InBev for $30bn (£22bn).
The deal, which is expected to be completed in the first half of next year, will create the world's biggest brewer.
The deal will create the world's biggest brewer.

Northern Ireland's economic growth will remain the lowest of the 12 UK regions in 2015, a new report has said.

Article: AB InBev, the owner of Budweiser, agreed last year to buy SAB Miller, the FTSE 100 beermaker that counts Peroni and Grolsch among a stable of brands that spans the world. It agreed to pay investors with shares of the new combined company - and gave them a less valuable alternative of taking cash and shares.
The cash element was in sterling. Since the Brexit vote, the pound has fallen about 10% against other big currencies, leaving shareholders demanding more. On Tuesday AB InBev delivered, increasing its offer by £1 a share to £45 a share - an increase that will in aggregate cost it about £2bn more. It said that its offer was final, preventing it from making another increase.
That was still not enough for some. Aberdeen Asset Management, a top-10 shareholder in SABMiller, said the offer "remained unacceptable".
SAB directors now face a turbulent few days as they decide whether to recommend the final AB InBev offer. Later this week the final, and arguably most important, remaining regulatory clearance is expected when China's competition authority, Mofcom, rules on the takeover.
If the Chinese give the go-ahead, the SAB board is expected to meet this weekend. If they reject the offer, they face the unenviable task of placating all those shareholders who have already agreed to back it, including the two big investors - Altria, the American tobacco giant that owns Marlboro cigarettes, and Colombia's Santo Domingo family. Together the two own nearly 40% of SAB.
There is also the unenviable task of withdrawing from giant disposals that have been agreed to get the deal past other competition regulators. In Europe, for example, Asahi of Japan has agreed to buy Peroni and Grolsch.
If the SAB board accepts, they risk alienating institutional investors such as Aberdeen Asset Management ahead of possible shareholder votes to approve or reject the deal.
On top of that, there is still a risk that a British court could upset their plans.
SAB told the stock market last year that because there were two different offers -...

Summary: The £50bn takeover of one of the world biggest brewers is expected to receive a vital green light from China this week - but remains under threat from the double threat of the Brexit vote and a UK court ruling.
###
Article: Mr Ward tweeted on Tuesday: "The big question is - if I lived in #Gaza would I fire a rocket? - probably yes."
In a statement subsequently released by the Lib Dems, he said: "My comments were not in support of firing rockets into Israel. If they gave the opposite impression, I apologise."
A Lib Dem spokesman had said the party "utterly condemned" the MP's tweet.
The spokesman later added: "In light of this apology, the party and the whips will decide in due course if further disciplinary action should be taken."
Mr Ward, the MP for Bradford East, was suspended from the Lib Dem parliamentary party in July 2013 and had the whip withdrawn for three months over comments he made about Israel.
He was asked on Wednesday morning by BBC Radio 5live if he stood by his tweet on Tuesday or would apologise for it.
Declining to apologise, he said he condemned violence on both sides of the conflict, but had been seeking to understand the motives of those firing rockets at Israel.
"The question is why would they want to fire missiles when they know that the missiles will result in further Palestinian deaths, to a disproportionate level? Why are they doing it?" he said.
"They are doing it because they are absolutely desperate and politicians in the West are failing them."
He continued: "The people in Gaza cannot escape... I understand the plight of the people firing the rockets."
Referring to his original tweet, the Lib Dem MP later added, in another BBC interview: "What I was saying was, if I was there, if I had been living for year after year after year, hemmed in by air, land and sea by a mighty military force that was brutally killing my people, and the world was not responding, I think I would have to do something."
Asked if he might decide to leave the Lib Dems in protest over the official party line on Gaza, he said: "I am not going to walk away from the Liberal Democrats. They may decide to walk away from me, but I certainly am not going to walk away from them."
His later statement released by the party, containing...

Summary: The Lib Dems say David Ward has given a "categorical apology" for his comments on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
###
Article: PwC's Northern Ireland economic outlook said this was despite overall unemployment having fallen by more than 10,000 since June 2014.
It said poor productivity remains the single biggest challenge to Northern Ireland's sustained recovery.
PwC's Esmond Birnie said the pace of recovery was "decelerating".
"Over the past seven months business confidence has been mixed, sometimes negative but always lagging the GB regions," Mr Birnie, who is PwC's chief economist in Northern Ireland, said.
"There have also been recent mixed messages around consumer confidence, with June 2015 seeing the first rise in unemployment for more than two years; this may simply be a blip - or it may be indicative of a deeper malaise.
"Currently, Northern Ireland's output is still 8% below the pre-crisis peak of 2008 and is something of a two-speed economy with employment contracting in public sector and financial services but growing fairly rapidly in advanced manufacturing, pharma, food processing and tourism.
"PwC forecasts that Northern Ireland's economic growth will remain the lowest of the 12 UK regions at around 1.8% in 2015 - lower than the 2.2% growth experienced in 2014 - and will fall again in 2016 to around 1.7%."
The report said that Northern Ireland's unemployment claimant count increased by 200 between May and June, the first month-on-month increase since December 2008.
It said that 62% of those registered as unemployed have been out of work for more than 12 months, while 19.7% of young people aged 18-25 are unemployed - well above the UK average of 13.2%.
PwC said the recent budget "confirmed that welfare reform and austerity will continue and that Northern Ireland probably faces a further four years of challenging economic circumstances, particularly around public spending".

Summary:


The Welsh government has announced it will cut funding for the NHS by Â£1.5bn over the next four years.
The move will see the health service in Wales lose Â£1.5bn over the next four years.
The health service in Wales will lose Â£1.5

Mafia criminals who are better educated tend to earn more, research suggests.

Article: Catriona Bhatia claimed that despite major investment the service was failing to live up to its name.
She said there were big differences in speeds being received by homes and businesses covered by the provision.
BT said it had invested heavily to ensure the service reached premises which would not have received it on a commercial basis.
Ms Bhatia was speaking after a report highlighted the progress made and challenges faced in improving broadband access in the south of Scotland.
Scottish Borders Council has invested Â£8.4m in the rollout of services across the region.
You shouldnt be getting 2MB when somebody down the road is getting 20MB and youre paying exactly the same amount of money.
However, she said the results were variable.
"If you pay for your electricity, you get 240 volts delivered to your house - it should be the same for your broadband speeds," she said.
"You shouldn't be getting 2MB when somebody down the road is getting 20MB and you're paying exactly the same amount of money."
Ms Bhatia said she felt the local authority was not getting the provision it had paid for.
"We have also invested a large sum of public money in this to get a contract that would deliver 94% superfast broadband across the Borders," she added.
"Not everybody within that 94% is getting the same level of service - I think it is actually a bit of a scandal and some further investigation needs to be done."
A BT spokeswoman said it had invested Â£126m in the Digital Scotland rollout on top of its commercial investment.
She said that the four-year programme was only just past its halfway point and had already benefited more than 23,600 premises in the Borders and more than 41,000 in Dumfries and Galloway.
"Every phone line is different and many factors can affect the speed of broadband, ranging from the length of the line from the fibre-enabled street cabinet, to faulty routers and existing wiring or equipment in people's homes," she said.
"When someone decides to move to a fibre-based service, their service provider should...

Summary: A Borders councillor has said she believes people are being short-changed by a superfast broadband rollout.
###
Article: However the study suggests performance has improved in other areas and there is no evidence that Wales is "lagging behind" any other part of the UK.
The research - comparing England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - shows a significant deterioration in Welsh waiting times since 2009.
This was during an "unprecedented squeeze" on finances.
Those behind the research claim the performance on waiting times should "set alarm bells ringing amongst policy makers" at a time when governments across the UK are considering how to prioritise spending in a time of austerity.
But across a number of other measures - such as rates of avoidable deaths - the research suggests the NHS in Wales is broadly in line with the rest of the UK or has improved to a "similar level to England".
According to Health Minister Mark Drakeford the study proves Prime Minister David Cameron's recent attacks on the performance of the Welsh NHS had been "utterly unfounded".
"I would say this report shoots Mr Cameron's fox good and proper," he told BBC Wales.
The research, jointly commissioned by Nuffield Trust and The Health Foundation, also concludes that "the performance gap between England and the rest of the UK has narrowed in recent years" and that "there is little sign that one country is moving ahead of the others consistently across the available indicators of performance".
It also suggests differing health policies, introduced across the UK since devolution, may have had less effect on performance than may have been expected.
WAITING TIMES
In the years leading up to 2009/10, the length of time patients had to wait for a wide range of common procedures improved significantly in Wales and across the UK.
But since then waiting times in Wales for many of those procedures have lengthened substantially. This is in contrast to the trends England and Scotland.
The research notes that in 2012/13 patients in Wales waited on average about 170 days for a hip or knee replacement, compared to 77 days in England and 67 days in Scotland.
The study...

Summary: The Welsh government's decision to cut NHS funding may be responsible for longer waiting times, a report claims.
###
Article: The University of Essex study of 712 Italian-American mafia members in the 1960s showed their income had risen by 7.5-8.5% per extra year of education.
Those involved in complex crimes such as charging exorbitant rates for loans or extortion saw three times the boost of those who committed violent crimes.
But, on average, the 712 left education a year earlier than other white men of a similar age in their neighbourhoods.
"Criminal careers are known to start very early and are likely to be interwoven with schooling choices," the study says.
Lead researcher Prof Giovanni Mastrobuoni said education tended to have a protective effect against getting involved with crime, but he added: "It is also true that if you decide to be a criminal it's better to be a better-educated one."
The study says: "Private returns to education exist not only in legitimate but also in the illegitimate activities that imply a sufficient degree of complexity,"
"Mobster returns (in terms of income) to a year of schooling are around 7.5 to 8.5%, compared to 9-10% for the neighbour sample.
"Moreover, for mobsters who, according to the Federal Bureau of Narcotics records, were involved in white-collar crimes that require running an illegal business (ie racketeering, loan sharking, bootlegging et cetera) we found returns to education that are about three times as large as for those who are involved in violent crimes (ie robberies, murders et cetera)."

Summary:


The Scottish Design Awards is organising a public vote to decide which town is the most proud of its civic pride.
Article: The Scottish Design Awards is organising a public vote to decide which town is the most proud of its civic pride.
Summary: The Scottish Design Awards is organising a public vote to decide which town is

The Scottish town which 'won' two Carbuncle honours for its ugly shopping centre has scooped Best Town at the Scottish Design Awards.

Article: The Treasury said that the "extensive" review would make sure that shoppers got the discounts they are entitled to.
Tax-free shops should not charge VAT, if passengers are going outside the EU.
In August it was revealed that some airside retailers were not always passing VAT savings on to customers, but were keeping the money instead.
The Treasury said some shops were keeping as much as half the money they should be giving to consumers.
"VAT relief at airports is intended to cut prices for those travellers - not be a windfall gain for shops," said Chancellor George Osborne.
"But many people could be paying over the odds for their purchases because the government's VAT concession isn't passed on. This is simply unacceptable," he said.
At the moment airport retailers are not legally obliged to provide a VAT discount, so it would need a change in the law to make them do so.
Some retailers have claimed it would be too difficult to introduce dual-pricing for EU and non-EU travellers - and that such a requirement would lead to delays for passengers.
WH Smith, one of the shops originally criticised, said it would co-operate with the inquiry.
Boots, which also came in for criticism, has already announced a review of its own policy.
"Since taking our decision in August 2015 to no longer ask customers to show us their boarding passes we have been continuing with our strategic review and, working together with the Airport Authorities, we are nearing conclusion," the retailer said.
"We will participate with the government review as we receive further details," it added.
Who is entitled to VAT savings?
Anyone travelling outside the 28 countries of the European Union (EU). Travellers within the EU or the UK have to pay existing rates of duty and VAT.
Do you have to show a boarding pass?
If you are buying cigarettes or alcohol in a duty free shop, you are legally obliged to show your boarding pass, to prove you are travelling outside the EU. If you are buying other goods - say books, snacks or cosmetics - you are still...

Summary: Airport shops could be forced to give VAT discounts to passengers travelling outside the European Union, following the launch of a government inquiry.
###
Article: Mr Burnham told the Guardian the role was "a cabinet-level job, which needs cabinet-level experience".
The Leigh MP said Westminster had "become a bit of an irrelevance for some people" adding that "we really need to change the way politics works".
The first elections for the role, currently filled by interim mayor Tony Lloyd, will be held in 2017.
Mr Lloyd and another former Labour minister, Ivan Lewis, are also seeking Labour's nomination.
Mr Burnham, the former health secretary, had been expected to announce his candidacy on Thursday but his intentions became clear when one of his Twitter profiles was rebranded as "Andy4Manchester".
As a national political figure over many years, Andy Burnham will be seen as the first genuine big hitter to throw his name in the hat to become Greater Manchester mayor.
The Leigh MP's move will be read by many as him giving up on a Labour return to government in 2020, but it's also a sign of the shift in power from Westminster to the North West.
Mr Burnham wasn't part of any negotiation for devolution to Greater Manchester and he was completely taken by surprise by the deal to merge health and social care, claiming the area was taking responsibility for an "NHS funding crisis" rather than anything else.
But time passes quickly in politics and Mr Burnham now sees opportunity where he once predicted disaster.
He'll be up against two well-established candidates for Labour who have spent months visiting local party groups to garner support.
He may find that being a big player in the national game doesn't particularly endear you to those who've stayed home to hold the fort but he's a formidable addition to the panel Labour members will eventually choose from.
The race to be the mayor of Greater Manchester has just got a bit more interesting.
Powerful regional mayors are a key part of the government's drive to devolve more responsibility to local authorities for Whitehall.
About 2.7 million people live in Greater Manchester, which has been at the forefront of the devolution project...

Summary: Shadow home secretary Andy Burnham will put himself forward to become the mayor of Greater Manchester.
###
Article: Cumbernauld has the dubious distinction of winning the Plook on the Plinth title for having Scotland's "most dismal" town centre in 2001 and 2005.
Judges have compared it to Kabul and described its shopping centre as a rabbit warren on stilts.
Now an online poll has seen it top a public vote for civic pride.
The Scottish Design Awards is organised by Urban Realm - which also organises the Carbuncle awards.
During the past few weeks of online voting, Cumbernauld residents helped the town move ahead of rivals such as Broughty Ferry, Dunkeld, East Kilbride, Eaglesham Linlithgow, Peebles and Pitlochry.
When the polls closed at midnight on Thursday, Cumbernauld had narrowly beaten Peebles.
The prize will be collected by a delegation from the town at a ceremony in Glasgow on Friday evening.
The Carbuncle Awards were created by Gordon Young, now editor of The Drum, one of the sponsors of the Scottish Design Awards.
He said: "The initial complaints against the town concerned the disastrous design of the town centre.
"There has been some investment in that area but the level of improvement is not great.
"However, Cumbernauld's real success story is how it has prospered despite these problems."
Mr Young said "the surrounding countryside, the high demand for housing, rich and diverse suburbs, transport links to Glasgow and Edinburgh and a vibrant community spirit" had all helped make Cumbernauld "a decent place to bring up a family".
He added: "Basically, economic success plus people power have made it a nice place to live."

Summary:


The UK's biggest supermarket has been accused of "misleading" customers by selling a "misleading" product.
The Daily Mail reports that Tesco has been accused of selling a "misleading" product, which is not actually made from seaweed.
The supermarket has been selling a "seaweed-

SeaWorld has been banned from bringing wild killer whales to its park in San Diego, America.

Article: With more than 10,000 people aged 11 to 25 responding, 53% wanted votes at 16, with 29% saying no and 18% unsure.
Presiding Officer Dame Rosemary Butler said it gave a "crucial insight" into young people's views.
But Conservative Monmouth MP David Davies has warned votes at 16 would undermine the legal protection 16 and 17-year-olds currently receive.
The report comes as the UK government plans further devolution which will including giving the assembly control over its own elections, including the voting age currently set at 18.
Supporters of a lower voting age claim it will boost young people's interest in politics, pointing to the Scottish independence referendum in which 16 and 17-year-olds were allowed to vote.
Dame Rosemary said she was "inspired" by many of the comments given by young people in the survey, including one who spoke of "citizens playing their part as equally as politicians".
"Young people are integral to the process of shaping the future of our nation - we must give them the right support so that we optimise their contribution," she said.
But she added politicians had to tackle the "information vacuum", as many young people said they wanted to vote but did not understand the political process.

Summary: Most young people in Wales want the voting age lowered to 16, according to consultation by the Welsh assembly.
###
Article: Over the year, export volumes fell 2.1% compared to the previous 12 months.
Meanwhile, separate figures showed the value of retail sales remained flat between April and June, with growth much lower than levels across the UK.
The number of retail sales rose 1% in Britain in the second quarter of 2016, but north of the border the rise was 0.2%
Business minister Paul Wheelhouse said the export figures showed Scotland's place within the European single market was "absolutely vital".
He said: "These statistics remind us that Scotland's economy continues to face substantial challenges.
"Subdued global demand and the impact of a lower oil price environment have contributed to a drop in first quarter export volumes for companies working in several parts of the Scottish economy."
Mr Wheelhouse added: "While Scotland's economy is fundamentally strong, our continued EU status - and, thereby, our place in the world's biggest single market - is absolutely vital when it comes to promoting trade and protecting jobs, investment and long-term-prosperity, and this why we are committed to pursuing every possible avenue to maintain our place in the EU."
The figures showed a 3.3% increase in food and drink exports while the amount of textiles, clothing and leather goods sold abroad from Scotland went up by 2.1%.
The decline in exports was recorded ahead of the UK's vote for Brexit, which some economists have suggested could make British goods and services more attractive to overseas buyers as a result of falls in the value of the pound.
The Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) said the latest retail figures continued the recent "trend of effectively flat retail sales".
SRC head of policy and external affairs Ewan MacDonald-Russell said: "This comes against the backdrop of an industry going through an intense period of structural, economic and regulatory change.
"Retailers are responding to this environment by becoming more innovative and productive through investment in people, technology and more efficient logistics...

Summary: Scottish manufactured exports fell by 0.5% in the first three months of 2016, according to the latest figures.
###
Article: It has also been told to stop breeding orcas in captivity in a ruling from the California Coastal Commission.
They gave the park permission to double the size of its orca enclosures on the condition that breeding and bringing in new whales stopped.
It comes after criticism of the way the whales are treated there, something SeaWorld has always rejected.
Animal rights activists have welcomed a ruling by the California Coastal Commission, an agency that makes big decisions on major building projects in that area of America.
SeaWorld had put in plans to spend $100m (Â£65m) to expand its orca facility, which the commission approved.
But their decision came with several conditions. SeaWorld cannot add any new whales from the wild to its San Diego tanks, and none of the 11 orcas currently at the park will be allowed to breed there.
SeaWorld said it was disappointed with the ruling. They issued a statement that said: "Breeding is a natural, fundamental and important part of an animal's life and depriving a social animal of the right to reproduce is inhumane."
Groups that have criticised the park said they were pleased with the decision.
The group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said: "The commission's action ensures that no more orcas will be condemned to a nonlife of loneliness, deprivation and misery."
The breeding ban will not apply to the 13 other whales at SeaWorld attractions in San Antonio and Orlando.

Summary:


A new study has found that the risk of bowel cancer is higher in overweight teenagers than in their normal weight peers.
Article: The study, published in the journal Gut, found that overweight teenagers went on to have twice the risk of bowel cancer.
The figures were even higher in obese teens.
The World Cancer

Being overweight in adolescence is linked to a greater risk of bowel cancer later in life, a study suggests.

Article: The team at Anglia Ruskin University analysed translations from ancient Iraq or Mesopotamia.
Accounts of soldiers being visited by "ghosts they faced in battle" fitted with a modern diagnosis of PTSD.
The condition was likely to be as old as human civilisation, the researchers concluded.
Prof Jamie Hacker Hughes, a former consultant clinical psychologist for the Ministry of Defence, said the first description of PTSD was often accredited to the Greek historian Herodotus.
Referring to the warrior Epizelus during the battle of Marathon in 490BC he wrote: "He suddenly lost sight of both eyes, though nothing had touched him."
His report co-authored with Dr Walid Abdul-Hamid, Queen Mary College London, argues there are references in the Assyrian Dynasty in Mesopotamia between 1300BC and 609BC.
In that era men spent a year being toughened up by building roads, bridges and other projects, before spending a year at war and then returning to their families for a year before starting the cycle again.
Potential triggers for post-traumatic stress disorder
How is PTSD diagnosed?
Prof Hacker Hughes told the BBC News website: "The sorts of symptoms after battle were very clearly what we would call now post-traumatic stress symptoms.
"They described hearing and seeing ghosts talking to them, who would be the ghosts of people they'd killed in battle - and that's exactly the experience of modern-day soldiers who've been involved in close hand-to-hand combat."
A diagnosis and understanding of post-traumatic stress disorder emerged after the Vietnam War. It was dismissed as shell shock in World War One.
Prof Hacker Hughes said: "As long as there has been civilisation and as long as there has been warfare, there has been post-traumatic symptoms. It's not a 21st Century thing."

Summary: Evidence of post-traumatic stress disorder can be traced back to 1300BC - much earlier than previously thought - say researchers.
###
Article: At least 80 people died in the fire on 14 June, although the final toll will not be known for many months.
Nearly 400 holidays have been offered by the Grenfell Tower Holiday Appeal Facebook Group, set up by Angie Mays and Kay Gilbert from Devon.
The man and his family will have a week in a cottage in Marsden, Yorkshire.
More on the holiday offer for Grenfell victims and other Devon news.
The firefighter's wife, who wishes to remain anonymous to protect her husband, said: "What Kay and Angie have done from the kindness of their hearts will help so many families at such a distressing time in their lives.
"This has been the most horrific job of my husband's career and he has been utterly broken by it - as we all have - trying to support him emotionally, and trying to understand what he has been through, not to mention praying he comes home in one piece.
"Thanks to the utter kindness of these wonderful ladies and all of the generous donations to this cause, we will be able to go away for a week as a family for some much needed R&R.
"This means the world to me that I can take them away from it all, if just for a moment."
Ms Mays, a fundraiser from Ilfracombe, said short-stay offers have come mainly from small businesses, B&Bs and guesthouses all over the UK, but also in Spain and Cyprus, adding that other firefighter families are also in the process of taking up offers.
Other donations include counselling sessions, beauty treatments and meals.
Separate Facebook groups have been also set up to provide holidays in Cornwall and the Highlands.

Summary: A firefighter "utterly broken" by the Grenfell Tower blaze is to take up the offer of a free holiday with money raised by members of the public.
###
Article: Researchers followed nearly 240,000 Swedish men for 35 years.
The analysis, published in the journal Gut, showed overweight teenagers went on to have twice the risk of bowel cancer. The figures were even higher in obese teens.
The World Cancer Research Fund said the link between obesity and cancer was "strong".
Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in the world, with nearly 1.4 million new cases each year.
Processed red meat and abdominal fat have been linked to the disease.
The participants in the study were aged between 16 and 20 at the start.
The overwhelming majority were a normal weight, but 6.5% were overweight and 1% were obese.
There were 855 cases of colorectal cancer in the study.
However, the results showed not all weights were affected equally.
Those who were obese were 2.38 times more likely to have developed a bowel tumour.
The study, led by Orebro University Hospital in Sweden and Harvard University, said: "Late adolescence marks the transition from childhood to adulthood and is a period of accelerated growth, especially among men, thus this period may represent a critical window."
"It is important that we understand the role of exposures in childhood and adolescence in the development of colorectal cancer.
"In fact, the strong association observed between adolescent obesity and early-to-mid-life colorectal cancer, coupled with the increasing prevalence of adolescent obesity, may shed light on the increase in colorectal cancer incidence among young adults," he added.
Rachel Thompson, from the World Cancer Research Fund, said the evidence suggested that obesity was a risk factor for bowel cancer.
"This finding is interesting because it gives an indication that bowel cancer risk might be affected by our lifestyle habits throughout the life course," she said.
"In some ways, research into the relationship between factors like obesity and cancer risk is still in its infancy.
"It will be interesting to see if further research emerges in the future to back up the apparent relationship between...

Summary:


A Saudi prince has been detained at Beirut's airport after two tonnes of Captagon pills were found in cases due to be loaded onto a private jet.
The five Saudis, reportedly including a prince, were detained at Beirut's airport after two tonnes of Captagon pills were found in cases due to be loaded onto a private

The Lebanese authorities have foiled an attempt to smuggle a huge quantity of drugs to Saudi Arabia, officials say.

Article: Peter Logan, 45, from Glasgow, committed the rapes over 18 years at addresses in Glasgow and Carnoustie.
He was found guilty of two rape charges, one of indecent assault and two of assault at the High Court in Glasgow.
Logan was finally brought to justice after the daughter told her mother that Logan had raped her when she was aged between 15 and 18.
The mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, confronted Logan and both women went to the police.
Logan, whose science fiction novel Pen was published in 2015, claimed the women were liars and denied all the charges against him.
Defence counsel John Scullion said: "He was convicted of very serious offences.
"It is fair to say the jury also acquitted him of very significant aspects of the indictment.
"Given the nature of the convictions, the accused accepts your lordship must impose a significant sentence of imprisonment."
Judge Lord Kinclaven said: "As was rightly said there is no alternative to a significant custodial sentence."
A spokesman for children's charity NSPCC Scotland said: "Logan has been proven to be a sexual monster who inflicted pain, fear and misery on a mother and daughter over a prolonged period of time.
"The seriousness of his crimes is reflected in the lengthy prison sentence handed down and we now hope that his victims are given the help and support needed to recover from what has happened to them."

Summary: An author who raped a woman and her daughter has been jailed for 11 years.
###
Article: The Republican People's Party (CHP) accused broadcaster TRT of "abusing public office" and vowed to take legal action.
It has previously protested at TRT "bias" towards President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP).
The election will take place on 7 June.
In a statement on the CHP website (in Turkish), deputy leader Bulent Tezcan said: "By taking the decision not the broadcast the advertisement, TRT has created a new scandal.
"The main purpose of state-funded television in all democratic countries is fairness of broadcasting. TRT's direction are committing the crime of abuse of public office," he added.
Mr Tezcan also reminded the broadcaster that it is "owned by the public".
TRT has so far declined to comment.
The opposition advert featured the slogan "we applaud as a nation" and criticised the "oppression" of justice, freedom and secularism in the country.
It urged voters to attend the party's first mass election rally on Saturday.
The controversy follows a ruling by a court in Ankara on Thursday, which ordered CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu to pay damages for insulting President Erdogan in a speech in 2013.

Summary: Turkey's state television has banned the main opposition party's election campaign advert because it directly targets the government.
###
Article: Five Saudis, reportedly including a prince, were detained at Beirut's airport after two tonnes of pills branded as Captagon were found in cases due to be loaded onto a private jet.
It was the largest drug smuggling operation yet uncovered at the airport.
Captagon pills, which typically contain amphetamine and caffeine, are consumed widely in the Middle East.
The drug has helped fuel the conflict in Syria, generating millions of dollars in revenue for producers inside the country as well as being used by combatants to help them keep fighting.
NNA reported that 40 bags of Captagon pills were found by inspectors from the Gendarmerie in cases due to be put on board a jet bound for Hael, in northern Saudi Arabia.
It did not identify the Saudi citizens who were detained, but sources told the Associated Press and the AFP news agency that they included a Saudi prince.
In April 2014, Lebanese security forces foiled an attempt to smuggle 15 million Captagon pills hidden in shipping containers full of corn from Beirut's seaport, according to AFP.
Captagon, originally the trade name for the synthetic stimulant fenetylline, was first produced in the 1960s to treat hyperactivity, narcolepsy and depression.
However, it was banned in most countries by the 1980s because of it was too addictive.
In 2013, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said 64% of global seizures of amphetamine took place in the Middle East, and that most of the amphetamine was in the form of Captagon pills.

Summary:


The BBC has urged Kenyans to verify stories by visiting the BBC website.
Article: The BBC has urged Kenyans to verify stories by visiting the BBC website.
Summary: The BBC has urged Kenyans to verify stories by visiting the BBC website.
Article: The BBC has urged Kenyans

A fake video report about Kenya's election that is made to appear as if it is from the BBC's Focus on Africa programme has been circulating on social media.

Article: The increase is particularly pronounced among middle-age white people who now account for a third of all US suicides.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report did not offer an explanation for the steep rise.
However, other experts have pointed to increased abuse of prescription opiates and the financial downturn that began in 2008 as likely factors.
The report did not break down the suicides by education level or income, but previous studies found rising suicide rates among white people without university degrees.
"This is part of the larger emerging pattern of evidence of the links between poverty, hopelessness and health," Robert D Putnam, a professor of public policy at Harvard, told the New York Times.
CDC reported on Friday that suicides have increased in the US to a rate of 13 per 100,000 people, the highest since 1986.
Meanwhile, homicides and deaths from ailments like cancer and heart disease have declined.
In the past, suicides have been most common among white people, but the recent increases have been sharp.
The overall suicide rate rose by 24% from 1999 to 2014, according to the CDC. However, the rate increased 43% among white men ages 45 to 64 and 63% for women in the same age-range.
In 2014, more than 14,000 middle-aged white people killed themselves.
That figure is double the combined suicides total for all blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Pacific Islanders, American Indians, and Alaska Natives.
The suicide rate declined for only two groups: black men and all people over 75.

Summary: The suicide rate in the US has surged to its highest level in almost three decades, according to a new report.
###
Article: The EU home affairs sub-committee said that net migration - immigration minus emigration - was consistently higher from outside the EU.
An immigration system for when the UK leaves the EU has not yet been outlined by ministers.
The government said it was considering "various options" as to how EU migration might work.
It has pledged to reduce net migration to below 100,000 by 2020.
Prime Minister Theresa May has said she aims to trigger Article 50, to begin the two-year process of leaving the EU, by the end of this month.
In the report, the committee said: "Until end June 2016, migration to the UK from outside the EU was consistently higher than EU migration, even though the relevant policy levers are under national control.
"Restoration of national control over EU migration may or may not, therefore, deliver a reduction in overall net migration."
In the most recent official figures, covering the year to the end of September, both immigration and net migration from the EU were higher than that for the rest of the world for the first time.
Overall, net migration to the UK dropped to 273,000 in the year to September, down 49,000 from the previous year.
The committee said that cutting EU immigration is unlikely to provide a "quick fix" for low wages.
Factors such as the National Minimum Wage, National Living Wage and inflation were more significant in driving or impeding real wage growth for low earners, the report said.
It also said that extending the work permit system used for non-EU nationals to those from the EU would disproportionately affect some employers' ability to sponsor EU workers, and could result in labour shortages in areas including the NHS and horticulture.
The report endorsed the pursuit of a "two-way agreement", suggesting that offering preferential treatment to EU nationals in the UK's future immigration regime could increase the likelihood of securing a reciprocal approach to UK nationals in the EU.
Committee chairwoman Baroness Prashar said: "The precise manner in which the government...

Summary: Net migration to the UK may not fall as a result of ending EU free movement post-Brexit, a Lords report has said.
###
Article: The report contains a bogus poll indicating that President Uhuru Kenyatta will win August's election.
The BBC has urged Kenyans to verify stories by visiting the BBC website.
A recent survey suggested that 90% of Kenyans had seen or heard false news in the run-up to the poll.
Many of the people surveyed felt that some news items had been deliberately misleading.
It also found that while traditional media remained the most trusted source of information, large numbers of people got their news from Facebook and WhatsApp.
The origin of the fake BBC news story is not clear but it began to be shared on WhatsApp on Friday morning.
A fake report made to look as if it came from CNN has also been circulating.
The presidential election on 8 August will see incumbent President Kenyatta run against seven candidates including his main challenger, opposition leader Raila Odinga.

Summary:


A man has been arrested after a sinkhole opened in a street in the town of Ripon, North Yorkshire.
The hole was discovered at 22:30 GMT on Wednesday.
The BGS said the hole was caused by a collapse of a sewerage system connected to several of the properties on the terrace.

A large hole that appeared behind a row of houses was in one of the UK's most susceptible areas for sinkholes, the British Geological Survey has said.

Article: Eight thousand yuan ($1,300; Â£830): That was the price for a cute four-year-old Burmese girl from a broken home.
Crouched in the doorway of her bamboo house, Khin Khin Oo's grandmother Ma Shan told me the story. "I grow corn and rice but my son is a heroin addict so we have no money," she said.
Ma Shan's family life is in disarray. Just a couple of metres away in the dark of the house, her son sits listening to us talk about him, staring blankly ahead.
Ma Shan's daughter isn't in much better shape. She ran off with another man (according to Ma Shan, having been drugged with spiked orange juice), leaving her two small children to live with her parents.
One of them, an energetic boy, plays in the mud by the stilts of the bamboo house, as we look at pictures of his sister Khin Khin Oo.
"One day her father Soe Khine came back for her," Ma Shan recounted. "But after she'd been away four days I knew something was wrong."
Fearing the worst, Ma Shan turned detective and, with a village elder, went to speak some of Soe Khine's friends. They quickly found out he was in financial trouble.
"He'd lost all his money playing cards," she said, shaking her head.
At that point, the Burmese police became involved. They found Soe Khine and he confessed that with the help of a local Kachin woman, he had sold his daughter to a Chinese trafficker.
The police followed the trail to the Chinese border town of Ruili, where they discovered that Khin Khin Oo had been traded again, this time for 12,000 yuan ($2,000; Â£1,277), to a childless couple who wanted to adopt.
After a week and a joint operation with the Chinese police, Khin Khin Oo was rescued and returned to her grandmother.
"While she was gone, I didn't even want to eat. I was so worried," she said.
Luckily Khin Khin Oo had been well treated, with the Chinese couple seemingly unaware that she'd been trafficked.
She was returned to her grandmother in Hankan who, fearing for her safety, sent her back to China this time to live with an aunt.
The trafficking of Burmese children...

Summary: It's been a year since Khin Khin Oo was sold by her father.
###
Article: And if you have ever experienced a scorchingly hot Brazilian day, you'll know that this is actually a wise thing. You really do want your lager to be super-chilled in such climatic conditions.
While you can easily buy a cold beer from a supermarket or beach vendor, for many Brazilians their preferred port of call is still a boteco, the humble bar or pub.
Most botecos are small, family-run businesses, which, for reasons lost in the mists of time, don't actually serve draft beer. Instead the beer - always lager - typically comes in large 600ml bottles.
The idea is that friends share a bottle - or many - between them, which they drink while eating plates of petiscos (snacks).
The petiscos are typically something deep fried, such as breaded cod balls, or a pastel, which is a type of small pasty that also gets the hot oil treatment.
Imagine an authentic Spanish tapas bar, only with no sherry, and more use of a fryer.
With hundreds of botecos in Rio de Janeiro alone, the more ambitious ones try to boost their business by standing out from the crowd.
One way many do this is by entering an annual Brazil-wide competition to find the best botecos in the country.
Now in its 15th year, and free to enter, the Comida di Buteco contest judges bars according to four criteria - the quality of the food, the hygiene standards, the service, and crucially - the temperature of the beer.
Each boteco is judged by both a panel of judges, who visit anonymously and provide 50% of its final score, and by popular vote.
This year 45 bars in Rio entered the competition, which ran for a month until the middle of May. Each puts forward one dish upon which their food should be marked.
Botecos that take part generally enjoy a big boost in trade during the four weeks of the event, and then over the longer term if they win a prize.
David Bispo, owner of boteco Bar do David, says that entering Comida di Buteco "transformed" his business.
The 43-year-old opened his bar five years ago when he found himself out of work.
A fisherman by trade, and...

Summary: There is a saying in Brazil for how most people like their beer to be served - estupidamente gelada (stupidly cold).
###
Article: Twelve homes were evacuated after the hole opened in Ripon, North Yorkshire, at 22:30 GMT on Wednesday.
The hole measured about 20m (66ft) by 10m (33ft) and 9m (30ft) deep.
The BGS said Ripon lies in one of the most susceptible areas of the UK for sinkholes because of its "Permian gypsum deposits".
It said these can dissolve more quickly than surrounding limestone, leading to the enlargement of underground caves.
Experts are still examining data from the site behind the houses in Magdalen's Road but, releasing its initial findings, the BGS said sinkholes were often caused by surface water penetrating the ground, or fluctuations in groundwater levels.
In 2014, a 100-year-old detached house in an adjoining street was demolished after a 25ft-wide (8m) sinkhole opened.
According to the report, the wider area of Ripon periodically encounters sinkholes and in the 1980s and 1990s a hole was appearing every two to three years.
No-one was injured in the latest collapse with the back gardens of two properties the worst affected.
A sewerage system connected to several of the properties on the terrace fell in as the hole appeared.
One resident described seeing the ground moving and finding her steps leading into the garden had gone.
On Friday, further cracks appeared in the ground and on walls at the site.
Ben Cairns, North Yorkshire Fire Service station manager, said: "Our main concern at the moment is what impact the weather is going to have for the next few days."
The BGS is continuing to analyse data from the site.

Summary: