The US House of Representatives has passed a bill to approve the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline.
Article: The US House of Representatives has passed a bill to approve the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline.
Summary: The US House of Representatives has passed a bill to approve the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline.
Article: The

The family of an off-duty police officer who died after being hit by a bus in Swansea say her death has left a hole that can never be filled.

Article: A future Labour government would widen access to the arts, says Mr Miliband.
Schools would not be graded as "outstanding" unless offering a wide range of arts subjects and "cultural opportunities", says Mr Miliband.
Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said that arts subjects have already been made more "rigorous".
Mr Miliband says he wants to put "policy for arts and culture and creativity at the heart of the next Labour government's mission".
The need for creative education would be prioritised for inspections.
"Schools will only be able to receive an 'outstanding' rating if they offer creative subjects and cultural opportunities within a broad and balanced curriculum," said Mr Miliband.
There would also be an expectation that creative industries and arts institutions would offer more apprenticeships, "in return for direct grants or major government contracts".
The arts had an important impact on individual lives and on the country's economy, the Labour leader said, in a speech to the Creative Industries Federation.
"The creative industries are our second biggest sector," Mr Miliband said.
But he warned there was insufficient access to the arts in school, pointing to evidence from last week's Warwick Commission on the Future of Cultural Values.
The report from Warwick University warned that creative subjects were at risk of being squeezed out of schools.
It found that between 2003 and 2013 there had been a 50% drop in GCSE entries for design and technology, 23% for drama and 25% for other craft-related subjects.
And it found that the number of arts teachers in schools had fallen by up to 11%.
The Department for Education had responded to the report by saying that arts subjects were already statutory in primary schools and up to the start of GCSEs.
A spokesman said that the number of pupils taking music and art and design GCSE had risen between 2013 to 2014.
"We are clear that arts education should be every bit as rigorous as the rest of the school curriculum, and we have strengthened the national curriculum in...

Summary: Labour would use Ofsted inspections to put a greater emphasis on art in schools in England, says the party's leader Ed Miliband.
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Article: The legislation will now be put to a vote in the Senate next week, where its prospects are unclear.
The 875-mile (1,408km) pipeline would carry tar sands oil from Alberta, Canada, to the US state of Nebraska where it joins pipes running to Texas.
President Barack Obama is said to take a "dim view" of the legislation, but has not directly threatened a veto.
The project has pitted Republicans and other supporters, who say it will create much needed jobs, against many Democrats and environmentalists, who warn the pipeline will add to carbon emissions and contribute to global warming.
A state department report raised no major environmental objections in February, but the final recommendation was delayed amid a court battle over the project in Nebraska.
The state department is involved because the pipeline would cross an international border.
The Keystone XL pipeline aims to carry some 830,000 barrels of heavy crude a day from the fields in Alberta to Nebraska.
The oil would then be transported on existing pipes to refineries in Texas. The southern section of the project was finished last year.
"At some point, President Obama has to realise that his blockade of the Keystone XL pipeline is forcing American consumers to depend on volatile oil-rich regimes and is hurting our diplomatic relationship with our top trading partner - Canada," House Foreign Affairs committee chairman Ed Royce said in a statement.
The bill passed easily with a 252-161 vote, but it was not the first time the House had voted to approve the project.
However, the latest vote stands the best chance in six years of making its way to Mr Obama's desk.
The bill's sponsor, Louisiana Representative Bill Cassidy, is facing a run-off election against incumbent Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu for her seat.
Ms Landrieu - among the pipeline's Democratic supporters - successfully pushed the Senate to hold the vote on the measure on Tuesday.
Supporters of the measure say they are confident they have the 60 votes, including several Democrats, needed for...

Summary: The US House of Representatives has passed a bill to approve the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline.
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Article: Sgt Louise Lucas, 41, was airlifted to hospital but later died. Her daughter Olivia, eight, was also injured in the incident on The Kingsway on 31 March.
Her family described her as "an outgoing, hard working and loving person."
A coroner has called on Swansea council to address safety concerns on the road.
In a tribute they wrote: "Our family is absolutely devastated at the tragic accident, which took Louise from us all last week.
"We've lost a beautiful loving wife, mum, daughter and sister who will never be forgotten.
"Louise was an outgoing, hard working and loving person. An incredible hole has been left in our family which can never be filled."
The family thanked staff at Swansea's Morriston hospital who treated the mother-of-three and her daughter.
They also paid tribute to police, members of the public and staff from the Principality building society who looked after Olivia after the incident.
After the crash, Swansea council said it would install temporary barriers along the central reservation of the road.
It has already dropped the speed limit to 20mph following concerns from residents that the road was unsafe.
In a letter to the council, Swansea's acting senior coroner Colin Phillips said the road had a "serious design issue", which "must be addressed".
Mr Phillips issued the report as part of his investigation into the death of Daniel Foss, 37, who died after being hit by a bus on The Kingsway in September 2013.

Summary:


A man who was late for work and driving at almost twice the speed limit has been jailed after he knocked down a 91-year-old man, who later died.
Article: A man who was late for work and driving at almost twice the speed limit has been jailed after he knocked down a 91-year-

A bagpipe-playing busker has been convicted of duping people in Liverpool into thinking he was collecting for a Hillsborough charity.

Article: The month-long amnesty comes ahead of Wiltshire Council's crackdown on tenancy fraud.
A council spokesman said the cost of placing a family in temporary accommodation is Â£18,000 a year and the fraud stops genuine people in need.
Those found guilty of tenancy fraud can face up to two years in prison.
"They also risk an unlimited statutory fine and will have to pay back any profits they have made," the spokesman said.
"Social housing tenants may be prosecuted for not occupying their home as their main residence and illegally subletting parts or the whole of their home.
"Anyone who returns their keys at reception at the Wiltshire Council offices in Salisbury or Trowbridge before 10 February will not face legal action," he added.
At present there are more than 17,500 social housing properties in Wiltshire, with 5,319 of those owned by Wiltshire Council.

Summary: People illegally subletting their council-provided homes are being offered the chance to hand in keys with "no questions asked".
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Article: Gurpreet Sandhu hit Horace Downes as he crossed Brassington Avenue, Sutton Coldfield, to go to place a bet.
Mr Downes died of an infection four months after the November crash.
Sandhu, 27, of Church Lane, Handsworth, who previously admitted dangerous driving, was jailed for three years and banned from driving for seven.
He was driving about 56mph in a 30mph zone when he hit Mr Downes, West Midlands Police said.
Mr Downes, known as John to family and friends, suffered a life threatening head injury but was moved from hospital to a rehabilitation centre just over a month after the collision.
But he died as a result of infection after being readmitted to hospital in February this year. A post-mortem examination did not establish a link to the collision.
His family have since allowed footage of the crash to be released in the hope it will deter others from driving at speed.
Mr Downes's daughter Janet Turner described her father as "the heart and soul of the family".
Reading a statement at Sandhu's sentencing at Birmingham Crown Court on Monday, she said: "It is not possible to put into words the pain and distress felt by the family."
Sgt Adam Green, from West Midlands Police, said Mr Downes's family had endured suffering because of "the selfish actions of one individual".
"Gurpreet Sandhu was late for work on the day of the collision. He drove at twice the speed limit in heavy rain, in an area where the likelihood of pedestrians being present was high.
"In allowing the graphic CCTV footage to be released, John's family hope that people will realise the impact of speeding and it will prevent another family suffering the same consequences."

Summary: A man who was late for work and driving at almost twice the speed limit has been jailed after he knocked down a 91-year-old man, who later died.
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Article: Angus Carpenter, of Liverpool, who has played in the city centre for more than 30 years, denied three counts of fraud.
The 62-year-old was found guilty of one count when he played with a Hillsborough Justice Campaign banner draped on his bagpipes in April 2015.
He was cleared of the two other counts by a jury at Liverpool Crown Court.
Sgt Chris Gaynor told the court during the two day trial that Carpenter, from Woolton, gave the impression he was collecting cash for the Hillsborough Justice Campaign.
In his defence, Carpenter - who usually wears a kilt and piper's regalia when he performs - said he had piped for the charity in the past but on this occasion he was simply busking.
Kenneth Derbyshire, chairman of the Hillsborough Justice Campaign, said he had given Carpenter permission to design and display a banner featuring the eternal flame and the word justice.
But he said he had made it clear he was not use it to collect funds for the charity.
Carpenter told the court the banner was a tribute to the victims, not an attempt to deceive anyone.
He also told the court he was a familiar face on match days at Anfield and known as a busker to the Hillsborough Justice Campaign.
He will be sentenced in January.

Summary:

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The BBC has announced that it will be making a new adaptation of the classic novel War and Peace.
The BBC has announced that it will be making a new adaptation of the classic novel War and Peace.
The BBC has announced that it will be making a new adaptation of the classic novel War and Peace. The BBC

The first episode of the BBC's new costume drama War and Peace was watched by more than six million viewers.

Article: John Moody, 45, of Kerrison Avenue, Norwich, repeatedly stabbed 39-year-old Karen Brown and Kenneth Snell, aged 65.
The couple's bodies were found at Mr Snell's home in Cringleford, Norfolk, on 31 October 2009.
Moody denied murder at Norwich Crown Court but admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He will be sentenced on Friday.
Moody and Ms Brown, who had been in a violent 12-year relationship which ended in 2008, used to run the sandwich shop Baguette Express near Norwich Market.
Moody murdered Ms Brown and Mr Snell after being told of their relationship earlier that day, the court heard.
The prosecution said their deaths were caused by "an angry and jealous man".
But the defence urged jurors to accept Moody was suffering from an abnormality of the mind.
The court heard that Moody "lost his self-control" and drove to Mr Snell's home armed with a hammer and knife.
He smashed through the front door and attacked Ms Brown in the back garden with the weapons, while repeatedly shouting: "Why did you lie?"
The jury was played recordings of the 999 calls made by Ms Brown and Mr Snell.
In the call made by Ms Brown, at 2100 GMT, she is heard to say: "I have got an intruder who is violent, who is aggressive. I don't know who it is."
She then shouts the name "John Moody" twice and is heard to say: "You don't want to do this, do you? Not really."
As the call continues, Moody is heard to ask: "Tell me why you lied?" more than 50 times as groaning sounds and yelps of pain are heard in the background.
Post-mortem examinations showed Ms Brown sustained 13 stab wounds and 31 other injuries.
Several wounds on her forearm suggested she had put her arms up to protect herself, the court heard.
Mr Snell, who sustained seven stab wounds and 38 other injuries, died after being stabbed in the heart.

Summary: An "angry and jealous man" has been found guilty of murdering his ex-partner and her new boyfriend.
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Article: However, a documentary called Tickled shines a spotlight on those who take part in it, when a TV reporter from New Zealand, David Farrier, uncovers not just a quirky sport, but a whole industry, and an underworld with allegations of cyber bullying.
Two years ago, Farrier, known for his "and finally" news pieces at his local TV station, discovered what was described as "competitive endurance tickling" videos online.
They featured young men in professional sportswear tickling each other.
A US-based company, Jane O'Brien Media, was producing the videos and offering substantial fees for anyone selected to take part in the shoots in Los Angeles.
"Right in the beginning I thought it was entirely innocent, perhaps with a subtext," explains Farrier.  "I thought it was someone's idea of a funny strange sport, as it was in a photography studio, a professional space. All the men were wearing sportswear so I thought it was someone's odd idea of a tickling league."
"I was intrigued and thought about doing a two-minute feature on it for my show, "he adds, "so I got in touch with them. Really, a short feature was all I was aiming for."
In response however, Farrier, who is bisexual, says he received emails stating that the company did not want to deal with "a homosexual journalist".
"I was a little upset but part of me thought it was funny," he adds. "I didn't understand why a company that makes men-only tickling videos would say that."
"Instinct, intrigue and fascination" drove him and his co-director Dylan Reeve on to find out more about the videos, despite representatives of the company flying to Auckland to threaten legal action. Farrier successfully raised the money for a documentary using the crowd-funding platform, Kickstarter.
"We probably did go into it quite naively," he believes.
"We never expected to find what we did. If you watch the film you'll find it's not really about tickling - it's about power.
"We were interested in the psychology of what made these men take part in the videos, and it was mainly guys who...

Summary: Of all sports that are unlikely to be considered for the next Olympics in Tokyo, "competitive endurance tickling" might be at the top of the list.
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Article: The drama, which stars Paul Dano, Lily James and James Norton, has also won rave reviews.
The adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's novel averaged 6.3 million viewers, peaking at 6.7 million.
It was up against ITV's Endeavour and spy drama Deutschland 83 on Channel 4, which averaged 4.4 million and 1.2 million viewers respectively.
War and Peace picked up 25% of the audience share, against 19% for Endeavour, 6% for Deutschland 83 and 4.1% for My Mediterranean with Adrian Chiles on BBC Two.
The costume drama has been written by Andrew Davies, who is best known for his 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth.
'Sweeping victory'
In the Daily Telegraph Serena Davies gave it four stars, calling it "an excellent adaptation" and "smart storytelling on a truly epic scale".
Christopher Stevens in the Daily Mail called the opening hour-long episode "nothing less than a sweeping victory".
While The Guardian's Viv Groskop said: "It's hard to imagine how the BBC could have done a better job."
Downton Abbey star James plays Natasha Rostov in the drama, with Dano - who starred in 12 Years a Slave - as Pierre Bezukhov and Grantchester star James Norton as Prince Andrei.
The classic novel follows the three as they experience love and loss against the backdrop of Russia's wars with Napoleon.
It also stars Gillian Anderson, Rebecca Front and Stephen Rea, who were also praised for their performances.
The show has been made by the BBC in collaboration with The Weinstein company and will premiere on Lifetime, A&E and History channel in the US on 18 January.

Summary:


A former prison officer has been jailed for eight years after he was found guilty of manslaughter in the death of a prisoner.
Thomas Orchard, 32, died in October 2012 after being arrested in Exeter.
But Bristol Crown Court heard custody sergeant Jan Kingshott, 44, "did his best" despite the

A custody sergeant who dealt with a man who died after having a heart attack in a police cell followed procedures "in almost every respect", a court has heard.

Article: Aberystwyth University researchers are asking people what they enjoy about the programmes and films.
Monty Python is considered one of the enduring icons of British popular culture in the 1970s and 80s and is still popular now.
But Kate Egan, leading the study, said that "doesn't tell us what people really enjoy about them".
"Clearly, and after nearly 50 years, Monty Python's popularity has continued to grow," she said.
"What is it that different people most remember and value about their encounters with Python - whether on television, at the cinema, on stage, or in front of the record player?
"Whether people love them, like them, are entertained or irritated by them; whether their views on Python have changed or stayed the same; whether they first discovered them in 1969 or only recently, I'm interested in people's thoughts, experiences and memories."
The surreal comedy group gained prominence in 1969 with its sketch comedy show Monty Python's Flying Circus.
Written and performed by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin, 45 episodes were broadcast over five years.
Monty Python went on to produce feature films including The Holy Grail, Life of Brian and The Meaning of Life, live stage shows, albums, books and musicals.
In 2014, the Monty Python team were reunited on stage at London's O2 arena.

Summary: A new study has been launched looking at the comedy sketch show Monty Python's "lasting appeal".
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Article: Infrastructure Secretary Ken Skates has updated requirements for the foreign-owned firms hoping to win the contract and create the £600m South Wales Metro.
The existing contract did not contain specifications for "rolling stock".
Mr Skates said some of the trains in service were nearly 40 years old and "simply not up to the task".
Abellio, Arriva, KeolisAmey and MTR all hope to secure the next Wales and Borders franchise, due to be awarded in 2018.
The successful bidder will have to reinvest a portion of its profits in the railway and will be responsible for delivering a major upgrade to the rail network in and around Cardiff as part of the Metro scheme.
Transport for Wales, a Welsh Government-owned company, is assessing the bids.
Mr Skates said: "It is important that high quality rolling stock which meets passenger expectations is delivered as part of the next rail service contract."
The newest trains in service at present are more than 20 years old and this new demand for bidders comes after a public consultation in which people said they wanted to see a number of improvements.
Bidders must "minimise the impact" new rolling stock has on the environment.
In the meantime, the minister also said he was working with current operator Arriva Trains Wales to increase capacity on busy services.

Summary: Firms competing to run rail services in Wales must provide new trains which "meet passenger expectations and demands", a minister has said.
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Article: Thomas Orchard, 32, died in October 2012 after being arrested in Exeter.
But Bristol Crown Court heard custody sergeant Jan Kingshott, 44, "did his best" despite the outcome.
Mr Kingshott and civilian detention officers Simon Tansley, 38, and Michael Marsden, 55, all deny manslaughter.
Patrick Gibbs, for the defence, said: "What Mr Kingshott did was straightforward and professional and, in almost every respect, standard procedure.
"You will not find any anger, any sudden movement or over-reaction at Mr Orchard's behaviour, or any brutality.
"What you will find is force. We need to be straight with ourselves about the practical realities of force."
Mr Gibbs described Mr Orchard - who had schizophrenia - as "angry and aggressive" when he arrived at the custody centre.
Mr Gibbs said: "It was not Mr Orchard's fault that he was behaving the way he was behaving. Mr Orchard was not at fault but it doesn't mean force was unnecessary.
"It was not obviously unnecessary to look to the equipment which they had been given and had been trained to use."
Church caretaker Mr Orchard was handcuffed, held down and had an emergency response belt put across his face to restrain him, the court previously heard.
Mr Gibbs said: "Mr Kingshott does not pretend that everything was perfect or there is nothing that could have been improved.
"But he is not a computer. What he did not know was how this would turn out."
He told the court Mr Kingshott "did his best" and "he was a good custody sergeant, a decent person and a good witness".
Mr Orchard was pronounced dead seven days after the incident in hospital.
The trial continues.

Summary:


A Lincolnshire hospital has been fined £1,000 after a patient died after being impaled on a metal post.
The incident happened at Boston Pilgrim Hospital in Boston, Lincolnshire, in April 2012.
The patient was receiving physiotherapy at the hospital ahead of being discharged in April 2012 when the incident happened.

Instructions for a hoist involved in the death of a hospital patient were not comprehensive, a court has heard.

Article: The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has notified Highland Council of its plan to potentially submit a formal planning application for HMP Highland.
The proposed site is next to homes built for Scotland's Housing Expo, which was held in 2010.
HMP Highland would replace 112-year-old Inverness Prison, also known as Porterfield, near the city centre.
The jail is one of the smallest and oldest in Scotland.
The 103-prisoner-capacity Victorian-era building has had problems with overcrowding and the SPS said there was no room to expand the site.
It has proposed a family help hub and community integration facility for prisoners as part of the new "fit-for-purpose" prison.
Milton of Leys is a large southern suburb of Inverness. The area and proposed site has close access to the A9.
The housing expo at Balvonie Braes at Milton of Leys was held to promote new designs in housing. Most of the properties were later sold, or rented.
SPS announced about seven years ago that it planned to build a new prison in Inverness.
In 2010, SPS was told it could not build a new prison on land at the Inverness Campus.
The SPS had been in discussion with landowner Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) about constructing the jail at the Beechwood site.
HIE said the plan was given serious consideration but it did not have "a strong strategic fit" with its vision.

Summary: A new prison has been proposed for an area of land at Milton of Leys in Inverness.
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Article: However, the DUP leader and first minister Arlene Foster has said it will not happen.
Mrs Foster said: "I will sit where I sit, I'm sure Sinn Féin will continue to sit where they sit and there will be no change.
"I won the election."
She said Stormont was not Westminster and added that "unionism was with her on these matters, in terms of having a good strong stable, government for Northern Ireland".
Sinn Féin also said that they were against any change to where MLAs sit in the assembly.
"As far as Sinn Féin is concerned there will be no change in the seating arrangements in the assembly chamber," said Michelle O'Neill.
"If this is the best suggestion Mike Nesbitt can come up with as his first act in opposition it shows how much of a political irrelevance he and his party have become."
At Stormont, the DUP and Sinn Féin face each other across the chamber even though they are in government together.
In Westminster, the government is one one side of the House of Commons, with the opposition on the other.
"If they [DUP and Sinn Féin] don't want to sit side by side, why are they sitting side by side as partners in government," Mr Nesbitt said.
"And I think if they don't agree to changing the seating arrangements, if they have a sort of embarrassment or reluctance to sit together in the chamber then I don't think we are in for a very progressive five years."
Mr Nesbitt told BBC Radio Ulster's Inside Politics programme he had been tempted by the thought of taking ministerial office, but there was "no doubt" in his mind and the minds of the UUP MLAs' group "that the right thing to do was to go for opposition".
He said it was up to the other parties to "make their minds up" on whether they wanted to join the UUP in opposition.
Earlier, the Ulster Unionist Party's (UUP) former leader David Trimble said its move to form the Northern Ireland Assembly's first ever opposition was a "sign of confidence".
Mr Nesbitt announced the party's decision in Thursday's first sitting of the new assembly.
Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness...

Summary: Ulster Unionist leader, Mike Nesbitt, has called for seating arrangements in the Northern Ireland assembly chamber to change to reflect his party's decision to go into opposition.
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Article: John Biggadike died when he fell while in the hoist and was impaled on a metal post at Boston Pilgrim Hospital.
At Lincoln Crown Court, the prosecution alleged hospital staff were not adequately trained and had wrongly removed a knee support pad.
United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust denies breaching health and safety regulations.
Mr Biggadike was receiving physiotherapy at the hospital ahead of being discharged in April 2012 when the incident happened.
More stories from around Lincolnshire
The defence suggest Mr Biggadike's death was not caused by failings in training, but by a failure to act after a previous "serious incident" with a hoist at a hospital in Leicester in 2007.
Jurors heard evidence from Sarah Vincent, representing the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
Mrs Vincent admitted the Leicester incident was "serious" but conceded the subsequent MHRA investigation was limited to questioning the hoist manufacturer's own investigation and making sure the hospital trust had instructions for using the hoist.
United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust denies breach of health and safety regulations by exposing non-employees to risk by failing to train, supervise and monitor its employees in relation to the safe use of the lifting hoist on dates between July 2001 and April 2012.
The trial continues.

Summary:


Tesco has agreed to sell its Fresh & Easy US food chain to Yucaipa, a private equity firm.
Tesco said in a statement that this is an "orderly and efficient exit from the US market".
Under the terms of the deal, Tesco will loan the new business around Â

Tesco has agreed to sell 150 of its Fresh & Easy stores to the investment company Yucaipa Companies.

Article: No surprise there, as the SNP and pro-independence Greens have a majority at Holyrood.
But the power to call a poll lies with Westminster - so the Holyrood parliament can press only for the start of negotiations about a date.
The parliament has endorsed the SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon's preferred timetable suggesting a referendum would "most appropriately be between the autumn of 2018, when there is clarity over the outcome of the Brexit negotiations, and around the point at which the UK leaves the EU in spring 2019".
The timing would have obvious advantages for the SNP - Theresa May would be distracted by Brexit and UK government departments would have little time to work on research designed to dent or destroy the economic case for independence.
The prime minister and her advisers are all too aware of this - so what happens if Theresa May continues to dig her heels in and not only repeats "now is not that time" but suggests 2019 won't be the time either?
Senior SNP sources dismiss the idea that, under these circumstances, Nicola Sturgeon will attempt to organise a 'consultative' referendum without Westminster agreement which would have no constitutional standing.
So they will attempt to maintain pressure for a properly constituted, legally watertight referendum through sophisticated social media campaigning and - they hope - headline grabbing initiatives, such as declaring the economic case for independence is no longer reliant on oil revenues.
According to her public statements, Nicola Sturgeon is suggesting there should only be a little bit of wriggle room on the timing of that referendum - "a bit beyond" Brexit.
The reason for this is that the party's strategists have been conducting focus groups amongst those who firmly voted against independence last time. And they find that the timing argument is particularly resonant with those who voted No in the 2014 referendum and Remain in 2016.
Hence you will hear Nicola Sturgeon use phrases such as having a vote "before it's too late" to appeal to this...

Summary: The Scottish Parliament has voted to back a second independence referendum.
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Article: But experts say many other factors could be at play and people should not stop taking supplements.
University of Auckland researchers analysed 23 studies involving more than 4,000 healthy people.
The UK government recommends children and over-65s take a daily supplement.
The New Zealand research team conducted a meta-analysis of all randomised trials examining the effects of vitamin D supplementation on bone mineral density in healthy adults up to July 2012.
The supplements were taken for an average of two years by the study participants.
Bone mineral density is a measure of bone strength and measures the amount of bone mineral present at different sites in the body. It is often seen as an indicator for the risk of osteoporosis, which can lead to an increased risk of fracture.
The trials took place in a number of different countries including the UK, the US, Australia, Holland, Finland and Norway.
Although the results did not identify any benefits for people who took vitamin D, they did find a small but statistically significant increase in bone density at the neck of the femur near the hip joint.
According to the authors, this effect is unlikely to be clinically significant.
Prof Ian Reid, lead study author, from the University of Auckland, said the findings showed that healthy adults did not need to take vitamin D supplements.
"Our data suggest that the targeting of low-dose vitamin D supplements only to individuals who are likely to be deficient could free up substantial resources that could be better used elsewhere in healthcare."
Writing about the study in The Lancet, Clifford J Rosen from the Maine Medical Research Institute agrees that science's understanding of vitamin D supports the findings for healthy adults, but not for everyone.
"Supplementation to prevent osteoporosis in healthy adults is not warranted. However, maintenance of vitamin D stores in the elderly combined with sufficient dietary calcium intake remains an effective approach for prevention of hip fractures."
The Department of Health...

Summary: Healthy adults do not need to take vitamin D supplements, suggests a study in The Lancet which found they had no beneficial effect on bone density, a sign of osteoporosis.
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Article: The British supermarket giant, the world's third largest retailer, has been looking to dispose of its loss-making US food chain for some time.
Around 4,000 of Fresh & Easy's 5,000 employees are to transfer to the new business as part of the deal.
Tesco said in a statement that this is an "orderly and efficient exit from the US market".
Under the terms of the deal, Tesco will loan the new business around Â£80m.
Fresh & Easy, which operates 200 stores across California, Nevada and Arizona, has lost money since opening in 2007.
Tesco did not specify which stores are being transferred to Yucaipa, but it is understood the remaining 50 shops will be closed.
It will cost Tesco Â£150m to dispose of the Fresh & Easy brand, but part of that is a loan which may be paid back.
Also, if Yucaipa is sucessful and the business becomes profitable, Tesco has the option to buy a stake.
Yucaipa is a Los Angeles based private equity company focused on supermaket and restaurant businesses and is run by billionaire investor Ron Burkle.
In April of this year, Tesco reported its first fall in annual profits for 20 years.

Summary:


Police in England and Wales are to be given more powers to tackle drink-driving.
The Home Office has announced plans to introduce a new offence of "driving while over the prescribed limit" of alcohol.
The new offence will be introduced in England and Wales from October 1, 2016.
The offence will be similar

The chief constable of Humberside Police has written to schools asking for the children of officers to be given holiday leave during term time.

Article: Officers will be able to take swabs from drivers' mouths to test for any of eight prescription or eight illegal drugs after a change in regulations.
The new rules run alongside the existing law where it is an offence to drive when impaired by any drug.
Drivers face prosecution if they exceed limits set for the tests.
The existing penalties mean drug drivers already face a fine up to Â£5,000, up to six months in prison and a minimum one-year driving ban.
Those using prescription drugs within recommended amounts will not be penalised.
The All Wales Summer Anti-Drink and Drug Drive Campaign begins on Monday and runs for a month.
North Wales Police is leading the new campaign.
Sgt Alun Davies said: "This summer will be the first campaign with the new drug testing kits to help detect cannabis and cocaine as well as standard kits for alcohol testing, so we are better equipped than ever to detect and penalise those who take this very dangerous risk."
New legislation came into force in March 2015 which measures how much of a substance - both illegal drugs and prescription medications - motorists have in their system while driving.
In north Wales, police have conducted their own drugs tests with 18 out of 61 proving positive between March and May.
During last summer's drink-drive campaign across Wales, 15,485 breath tests were carried out with 358 being positive.

Summary: Motorists will be tested for cannabis and cocaine for the first time during an anti-drink and drugs campaign by the four Welsh police forces.
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Article: Researchers from Abo Academy University in Finland say that violence in early human communities was driven by personal conflicts rather than large-scale battles.
They say their findings suggest that war is not an innate part of human nature, but rather a behaviour that we have adopted more recently.
The study is published in the journal Science.
Patrik Soderberg, an author of the study, said: "This research questions the idea that war was ever-present in our ancestral past. It paints another picture where the quarrels and aggression were primarily about interpersonal motives instead of groups fighting against each other."
Motives for murder
The research team based their findings on isolated tribes from around the world that had been studied over the last century.
Cut off from modern life and surviving off wild plants and animals, these groups live like the hunter gatherers of thousands of years ago.
"They are the kind of societies that don't really rely on agriculture or domestic animals - they are primitive societies," explained Mr Soderberg.
"About 12,000 years ago, we assume all humans were living in this kind of society, and that these kind of societies made up about for about 90% of our evolutionary path."
Using the modern tribes as an analogy for earlier society, the researchers looked at cases where violent deaths had been documented.
They found 148 such deaths but very few were caused by war.
"Most of these incidents of lethal aggression were what we call homicides, a few were feuds and only the minority could be labelled as war," Mr Soderberg said.
"Over half the events were perpetrated by lone individuals and in 85% of the cases, the victims were members of the same society."
Most of the killings were driven by personal motives, he added, such as family feuds or adultery.
The researchers admitted that modern communities were not a perfect model for ancient societies, but said the similarities were significant and did provide an insight into our past.
Mr Soderberg said: "It questions the idea that...

Summary: Primitive society was not driven by war, scientists believe.
###
Article: Justine Curran said the force had to restrict leave during summer and Christmas for operational reasons.
Head teachers in England can only grant absence during school time in "exceptional circumstances".
Ms Curran has asked head teachers to use their discretion to "fully consider" holiday requests.
In her letter, Ms Curran wrote: "I fully support the notion that every child needs to attend school regularly and absences should be minimised wherever possible."
She said that over the summer Humberside officers would be helping to police the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Nato Summit in south Wales.
Paul Yeomans chairman of the Humberside Police Federation, which represents junior officers, said his members supported the chief constable's call.
"They're not able to take their leave during the peak times and it is not their fault," he said.
If parents in England and Wales fail to ensure their children attend school, they may be issued with penalty notices of £50 to £100. Prosecution can result in a fine of up to £2,500, a jail sentence of up to three months or a community sentence.
In a letter to Sir Hugh Orde, president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Education Secretary Michael Gove said the Department for Education guidance to head teachers "does not specify what constitutes exceptional circumstances".
He added: "Neither have we said that leave of absence can or cannot be granted to families of certain occupations."
John Killeen, head of South Cave Primary School and local representative of the National Association of Head Teachers union, said there was "inflexibility in a lot of professions".
"We have sympathy with the police service but it would make the head teacher's position untenable with the rest if the parent body if they started making exceptions."

Summary:


A man has been jailed for three years after he was found guilty of assaulting a woman in a pub.
The court heard that on August 10, 2014, at around 11.30pm, a man was seen to be "drunk and disorderly" in the pub.
He was then seen to be "dr

A man accused of punching a groom when two wedding parties clashed at a hotel has denied hitting anyone but admitted "grappling" on the floor.

Article: The watchdog was called in after allegations of a hardline Muslim takeover of schools in Birmingham and has now inspected 21 schools.
It put six schools in special measures and said five had not done enough to protect children from extremist ideas.
But Park View Educational Trust said Ofsted had found no evidence of a plot.
The "Trojan Horse" row began with an anonymous letter, made public in March, alleging that a group of Muslims was attempting to usurp school governing bodies in Birmingham.
It has led to investigations by Birmingham City Council, the Department for Education (DfE), the Education Funding Agency and the schools watchdog Ofsted.
Ofsted is set to publish its 21 reports at 1400 BST on Monday.
The government confirmed that five schools that had previously rated as good or outstanding by Ofsted had now been rated inadequate in the reports.
In a statement David Hughes, Park View Educational Trust's vice chairman, confirmed that Park View, Golden Hillock and Nansen had all been placed in special measures by Ofsted - and said it would be challenging the reports.
"Ofsted inspectors came to our schools looking for extremism, looking for segregation, looking for proof that our children have religion forced upon them as part of an Islamic plot," he said.
"The Ofsted reports found absolutely no evidence of this because this is categorically not what is happening at our schools."
He said the school stood as a "beacon of hope against a tide of isolation, poverty, drugs, crime and yes, potential extremism".
"Park View is part of the solution, not part of the problem," he said.
However, a leaked draft report by the Education Funding Agency (EFA) - which has carried out a parallel investigation - said the Park View trust schools had "taken the Islamic focus too far".
It found girls and boys had been segregated in some classes.
In other developments:
The prime minister is set to ask Ofsted to bring in snap inspections for schools in England following the allegations.
Currently, schools can be inspected without...

Summary: A trust has denounced the decision to put three schools in special measures, as Ofsted prepares to publish reports on the alleged "Trojan Horse" plot.
###
Article: The Welsh government wants Welsh speakers to be able to express their health needs in their first language.
But the British Medical Association (BMA) has said the Welsh language should not be a priority when delivering health care.
The strategy is being launched by the Welsh government on Wednesday.
The BMA said it was in favour of the Welsh language but felt that money spent on the NHS should be spent on health care.
Concerns have also been raised that targeting Welsh-speaking staff could hinder recruitment.
But Health Minister Lesley Griffiths said the Welsh government wanted to make sure patients and their families felt they were "able to use Welsh when being assessed and receiving treatment or care".
"We all feel more comfortable discussing personal health and emotional matters in our first language," she said.
• Creating a systematic approach to Welsh language services as an integral element of service planning and delivery
• Building on current best practice and planning, commissioning and providing care
• Increasing the capability of the workforce to provide Welsh language services in priority areas and language awareness among all staff
• Creating leaders who will foster a supportive ethos within organisations, so that Welsh speaking users receive language sensitive services as a natural part of their care
• Providing education, learning and development programmes which reflect the services' responsibility to plan and provide Welsh language services
• Ensuring that all national strategies, policies and leadership programmes mainstream Welsh language services
SOURCE: Welsh government
"This framework is a key step to increasing not only the physical and mental wellbeing of Welsh speakers who need access to health and social care services, but also their emotional wellbeing."
Gwenda Thomas, deputy minister for social services, said many Welsh speakers could only express their care needs effectively in Welsh.
"For example, people suffering from dementia and people who have a stroke often lose a grasp of...

Summary: Moves to strengthen the use of the Welsh language in health and social care - previously criticised by a doctors' group - are being unveiled.
###
Article: Glen Evans was left with a broken nose and his bride Georgina was punched at Fanhams Hall Hotel in Hertfordshire, St Albans Crown Court heard.
Lee Doyle, 37, of Houghton Regis denied punching the groom. He and Gary Hutson, 46, of Luton, both charged with affray, were guests at another wedding.
Both deny affray on 10 August 2014.
The court heard an argument broke out when Mr Doyle and Mr Hutson asked Mr and Mrs Evans and their friends to move away from a fireplace.
The newly married couple and their group were having drinks at the hotel following their own reception at another hotel.
Mr Evans said the two men and the other groom confronted him, saying the area was reserved, although his party had been put there by bar staff.
He said the two men hit him, and he was kicked and punched by others who joined in the attack. Mrs Evans was then also punched, leaving her with bruising to the head.
However, Mr Doyle told the court he was trying to defuse the situation, which he described as "volatile".
He admitted pushing Mr Evans and "grappling" with him as he thought he was going to attack Mr Hutson.
Mr Doyle described Mr Evans as "irate and aggressive" but denied hitting him.
Earlier this week Mr Evans denied allegations that he had thrown the first punch and had been "aggressive".
The trial continues.

Summary:


The Cornish seaside town of St Ives has been told to stop building new homes.
Article: The Cornish seaside town of St Ives has been told to stop building new homes.
The town's planning committee has voted to reject a proposal to build a new hotel and apartments.
The decision

A police force has apologised after its officers made a sandcastle "crime scene" featuring a naked dead woman.

Article: The term describes the disruptive influence that storms at the surface of the Sun can have at Earth.
The worst of these events can disturb satellites, power grids and radio communications.
As with terrestrial weather, the Met Office, at its HQ in Exeter, has been asked to co-ordinate operational forecasting.
It has been doing this now for a number of weeks, working with experts across the UK and in the US, which has had a prediction service for many years.
Wednesday's event, led by the Science Minister Greg Clark, formally inaugurated the British centre of excellence.
"The Prime Minister (David Cameron) and the President of the US (Barack Obama) paved the way for the launch of this operational service in their bilateral discussions in 2011," the minister explained.
"Space weather is a serious threat, with the potential to have a very significant effect on society and the economy of our two countries."
Solar storms are now listed as one of most serious threats facing the UK on its National Risk Register, along with flu and volcanic eruptions in Iceland.
The government has ordered contingencies be put in place.
Space weather has long been recognised as an issue, but experts say our increasing dependence on technology has made 21st Century society more vulnerable.
Explosive eruptions from the Sun can have a wide range of effects on modern infrastructure.
The magnetic fields in the biggest outbursts can induce currents in electricity networks that overload equipment and cause power outages.
Mark Gibbs, the head of space weather at the Met Office, told the BBC: "We're working with critical national infrastructure operators to protect UK PLC. Our forecasts will help those operators take measures to mitigate the risks, so that hopefully we don't see major problems occurring."
The National Grid is already using the service.
It believes its network's architecture makes it inherently robust, but the director of safety sustainability and reliance, Chris Train, said the new Met Office service was invaluable.
"It's...

Summary: The Met Office has opened a new forecast centre dedicated to so-called "space weather".
###
Article: In May more than 80% of residents in St Ives voted to reserve new homes for full-time residents.
A Penzance architectural firm challenged Cornwall Council's decision to allow the referendum to go ahead.
The High Court has ruled the vote, which said new homes should be occupied as "principal residences", was lawful.
More on the St Ives ruling, plus other Devon and Cornwall news
The vote was part of a wider housing plan for the town.
Under the government's 2011 Localism Act, if more than 50% of voters support a neighbourhood plan it carries "real legal weight" and the local planning authority must bring it into force.
Supporters of the vote said that one in four properties in the town are second homes or holiday lets and after years of being priced out of the market, the community had spoken.
RLT Built Environment Ltd argued the policy was an attack on the town's two main industries - tourism and construction.
Chris Tofts from Stephens Scown Solicitors in Truro said: "Our client's challenge was based on whether Cornwall Council's decision to allow the referendum on the St Ives neighbourhood plan to go ahead was compatible with human rights legislation. "
The High Court has ruled the policy is compatible with human rights legislation.
Cornwall Council's Cabinet Member for Planning, Edwina Hannaford said: "This is a hugely important judgement for Cornwall, St Ives Town Council and for the residents of St Ives who wanted to ensure that any new homes in the town would be the resident's sole or main residence.
"We also know a number of other local communities, both in Cornwall and across the rest of the country, are interested in including similar policies in their own Neighbourhood Plans and have been  watching this case with interest."

Summary: The High Court has ruled a Cornish seaside town will keep its ban on new-build second homes.
###
Article: The sculpture, depicting a sprawled murder victim surrounded by police tape, was crowned winner of the Cornwall Beach Games sandcastle competition.
But Devon and Cornwall Police was criticised after boasting officers tweeted about their victory.
Labour councillor Hannah Toms said some would find it "very offensive".
The force said it was a "fun event" and officers had not intended to cause any offence.
Ms Toms acknowledged officers had intended to be "light-hearted" but said the sandcastle "somewhat misses the mark and is in a bit of poor taste".
"I like a joke as much as the next person but this is a family beach event," she said.
"As a parent I would not be very happy to explain to my child what it was all about.
"It's trivialising quite a serious matter."
Ms Toms added: "I think there's a level of sexual stereotyping with the large bottom and the large breasts. Police have been working really hard to break down barriers on reporting sex crimes and I don't think this image really helps their cause."
Reaction on social media was mixed, with some defending the sandcastle.
Hazel Jago said on Facebook: "So it's a team of police officers representing the type of work they deal with. What's the problem!? There is always someone that will whinge about something."
Lorraine Lardon said: "People need an injection of humour."
A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police said: "If any offence has been cause by the nature of the sculpture, this was never intended and we apologise for that."

Summary:


The number of people in Thanet who have been charged with a crime has fallen by more than a third in the past two years, it shows.
The number of people charged with a crime in Thanet District fell from 1,843 in 2013-14 to 1,566 in 2014-15.

A Kent council claims it is being "forced into a corner" as proposed cuts to government grants could leave a shortfall of more than £500,000.

Article: The feature means the devices can stream footage to the internet with up to 720p high-definition resolution.
Users will need to pay EE for the required 4G connectivity.
Models sold by the sector's bestselling brand, GoPro, do not offer internet broadcasting as standard, although there are add-on apps and kit that make it possible.
The mobile network said that its 4GEE Action Cam was the first in a range of own-brand connected devices that it planned to release this year.
"We understand our customers not only want superfast coverage, they want products that give them the very best experiences, coupled with the most innovative and exciting ways in which to share them," said EE chief executive Olaf Swantee.
One industry watcher said the camera should appeal to a young audience accustomed to being able to "instantly share" self-generated videos and photos, but added that it was probably not destined to become a bestseller.
"This is basically a niche product," said Francisco Jeronimo, from research company IDC.
"But EE's goal is not to dominate the action-cameras segment, it's to make users aware they can share moments straight away with friends if they have a connection.
"It will be very happy if in a year's time it doesn't have to make the hardware itself because GoPro has started to provide an action camera of its own with a Sim card.
"What EE's doing is very similar to what operators did with own-branded 3G and 4G handsets when the networks first launched and there were not devices affordable enough for most users."
GoPro's filings state that it shipped 5.2 million action cameras in 2014, an increase of 35% on the previous year.
GoPro dominates the action-camera market, despite attempts by other tech companies, including Garmin, Xiaomi, HTC and TomTom to sell rival products designed for use during adventure sports and other activities.
GoPro's cameras can be used to broadcast live footage, but this requires them to be wirelessly linked to a smartphone running Livestream's third-party app or plugged into the...

Summary: The British mobile phone network EE is to sell its own action cameras with built-in 4G.
###
Article: The proportion of suspects charged with rape in 2014-15 has been falling - and is as low as 6% in one area, it shows.
One in four rape cases involving a child victim led to a prosecution, and one in eight involving an adult victim.
Officials said the data was a starting point to allow people to scrutinise how rape is dealt with in their area.
The investigation by the multi-agency Rape Monitoring Group and published by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC), brings together data from 42 police force areas.
It found that there were 19,316 rapes against adults and 9,949 against children reported to police during the year 2014-15.
Some 12% of reported rapes of adults in England and Wales resulted in a suspect being charged or summons being issued.
The rate is almost double when the alleged victim is a child, with 23% of reported rapes resulting in criminal action.
However, there were significant regional variations, possibly reflecting different approaches by police and prosecutors, the report said.
In Humberside, for example, 35% of child rape cases led to criminal proceedings for rape; in Nottinghamshire the figure for adults was 6%.
Since the Jimmy Savile affair, in October 2012, the number of rapes recorded by police has gone up substantially, BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said.
But that has not been matched by the number of cases which result in a charge of rape, he said.
For the first time, the report incorporates data on how many reported rapes are transferred to other forces to be investigated, or cancelled as they were recorded as rape "in error", as police subsequently determined that a crime did not take place.
Previously, these cases would have fallen into a category formerly known as "no crimes".
The Gwent Police force had the highest number of adult rape cases "transferred or cancelled" at 13%, whereas Warwickshire had none.
Wendy Williams, chair of the Rape Monitoring Group, said the figures should be treated with some caution as they incorporated data collected in different...

Summary: The way police and prosecutors deal with rape allegations varies widely across England and Wales, according to an Inspectorate of Constabulary report.
###
Article: Thanet District Council said it was considering a 2% rise in the authority's part of the council tax.
Councillor Rick Everitt, cabinet member for finance, said the council had seen a 28% reduction in government funding over the past two years.
"Further cuts to the council purse are really unwelcome," he said.
The council said figures from the Department of Communities and Local Government showed the council was likely to be left short of £580,000 for the next financial year.
Mr Everitt said: "Having already suffered a reduction of 28% in government funding over the past two years, resources are stretched to the absolute limit.
"This additional reduction of over half a million pounds has forced us into a corner."
From Monday, the council will be asking for residents' views on which services should be a priority.
The council said final figures were expected in December and would be debated at a meeting in January.

Summary:


A man has been jailed for eight years after he was caught on camera threatening to kill a police officer.
The man, who was filmed on a mobile phone, was arrested in the early hours of the morning after he was spotted by a police officer.
The officer, who was on patrol in the city centre,

President Barack Obama rode in a lift with an armed security contractor who had assault convictions, in another security lapse.

Article: Belfast City Council pulled funding of about Â£1,000, some of which was to be used for a children's fun day at Sandy Row on Tuesday.
One of the organisers said local people had been told the council had expressed concerns about the height of the nearby bonfire.
The council said discussions were ongoing in relation to the funding.
Sandy Row's children's fun day and bonfire celebrations have been taking place on the eve of the annual Twelfth of July commemorations, which mark the victory of William III at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.
The bonfire, that contains hundreds of wooden pallets, is in a car park near a hotel.
One of the organisers of the street party, John Cameron, said he believed the bonfire builders had complied with the council's policies.
He added that there was a lot of disappointment in the area that the council had pulled its support for a children's party at such short notice - but that the event had gone ahead with the support of local businesses.
"Children don't understand that, so the community has got together, along with local businesses, and they have managed to pull together a fun day," he said.
"It's a real tribute to the people of Sandy Row to make sure that it goes ahead."
An MLA for the area, Christopher Stalford, was among those who criticised the council's move and is seeking an explanation.
In a letter to council officials, the DUP MP said Sandy Row residents were "absolutely aghast at the decision that has been taken and feel very saddened and offended".
Mr Stalford asked: "If the issue is related to the bonfire in Sandy Row, why is the event which is held hundreds of yards away being penalised?"
Mr Cameron said the Sandy Row bonfire had been in the news for weeks and those responsible for building it had tried to abide by the advice of the council.
The police and the council are holding separate investigations into the alleged theft of hundreds of wooden pallets that had been placed in storage on council-controlled land in advance of Eleventh Night bonfires.
Mr Cameron said...

Summary: A loyalist community in Belfast has expressed anger that council funding has been withheld for a street party.
###
Article: The ruling conservative Liberal Party has promised to hold a plebiscite on the issue if it returns to power at this weekend's election.
But questions remain over whether the party would abide by a result in favour of same-sex marriage.
Meanwhile a video has emerged of Opposition Leader Bill Shorten praising the idea of a plebiscite.
Mr Shorten last week slammed the government's plan as a "platform for homophobia" and advocated a parliamentary vote to decide the issue.
But he told a Christian lobby forum in 2013 that he would rather let the public vote on same-sex marriage than leave the issue to MPs.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is tipped to hold power at the election on Saturday and is aiming to hold a public vote on same-sex marriage by the end of the year.
But the result of the vote would be non-binding and MPs would need to pass further legislation to make it law.
Two senior Australian ministers have refused to say if they would support same-sex marriage in parliament.
In an interview, Treasurer Scott Morrison refused six times to say how he would vote.
"My view is, if the plebiscite is carried nationally, then the legislation should pass," Mr Morrison told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
"If the plebiscite is not carried, then I think that settles the matter."
The treasurer - an evangelical Christian who worships at a Pentecostal megachurch - refused to give a straight answer when challenged for "clarity" on the issue.
In a separate interview, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop echoed the treasurer's comments, refusing to be drawn on the "hypothetical" issue.
"I would take my electorate's view into account, but I would also take into account how the plebiscite played out across Australia because, for example, a referendum gets up if it is a majority of states, majority of people in the majority of states," she said.
Meanwhile the video of Mr Shorten telling church leaders in 2013 that he was "completely relaxed" about a plebiscite on same-sex marriage has undermined his attack on the government.
Mr...

Summary: Same-sex marriage has become a front-page issue in the final days of Australia's election campaign.
###
Article: It happened on 16 September when Mr Obama visited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
The incident came to light on Tuesday, hours after the boss of the Secret Service was grilled by Congress about a security breach at the White House.
A Secret Service official confirmed the incident but declined to comment.
The incident contravened a protocol that only members of the Secret Service are allowed to carry weapons in the presence of the president.
Tuesday's revelations led to calls from one senior US congressman for a "top-to-bottom" review of the agency.
The gun was found when the man was questioned by agents after taking a video of the president in the lift.
He was immediately sacked by his supervisors, who arrived on the scene shortly after the incident, reports said.
November 2009: A Virginia couple filming a reality show make it past Secret Service checkpoints into a dinner for visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh without an invitation.
November 2011: A man parks a car directly south of the White House and opens fire with a rifle, striking the residence at least seven times. Secret Service supervisors fail to realise the White House has been struck for four days - until a housekeeper discovers the damage.
April 2012: Eleven Secret Service employees preparing for the president's visit to the Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Columbia, bring sex workers back to their hotel. An altercation ensues when one agent reneges on an agreement to pay $800 (Â£500) for the night, one woman tells a newspaper. Investigators later reveal agents violated protocol by "consuming excessive amounts of alcohol and patronising questionable local establishments while off duty".
November 2013: A senior supervisor on the president's protective detail starts a row after demanding access to a woman's room at the Hay Adams Hotel overlooking the White House. He leaves behind in the room a bullet from his service weapon.
March 2014: Three agents on the elite counter assault team are sent home from the...

Summary:


The Met Office has issued a yellow "be aware" warning for late Thursday into Friday for the Western and Northern Isles, Highlands and Argyll.
The warning also applies to parts of Moray and Aberdeenshire.
The Met Office has issued a yellow "be aware" warning for late Thursday into Friday

Storm Abigail, the first storm to be officially named by the Met Office, is set to bring winds of up to 80mph to parts of Scotland later this week.

Article: It also found a shortage of suitable skills at middle career level.
The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) Scotland said skills training has some elements that perform at least as well as the rest of Britain
But it concluded that training for those aged 16 and over is not focused on current or future demand.
The think tank has challenged Scots to look beyond comparison with the rest of the United Kingdom if it is to compete economically.
Its report, Jobs and Skills in Scotland, found 118,000 jobs were created between 2010 and 2015, when the economy was struggling to recover from recession.
However, the jobs recovery has been weaker than the rest of the UK, and Scotland's employment rate has gone, in those years, from being higher than the UK average to being lower.
Jobs growth in Scotland has been in lower-skill sectors while losing jobs in higher skill industries - including financial services, down by nearly 10% in Scotland between 2010 and 2015.
There has been more of a balance in Scotland between manufacturing and the service sector than across the rest of Britain, where 87% of new jobs have been in services.
The gap between Scotland and the rest of Britain on average pay and productivity has been narrowed, but largely because the wider UK economy has seen productivity stall.
Among the particular problems of the Scottish jobs market is the lowest rate in Britain of career progression from low-skill to higher-skill employment. British career progression is low by international standards.
There is also a mismatch of job vacancies in Scotland with middle-level skills at early career level, with around 29,000 too few people qualified to fill them.
IPPR Scotland recommends reform which links funding and effort more strongly to career progression, productivity and tackling in-work poverty.
It urges better integration of employer needs with engagement of young people. A new regional regime is recommended, combining budgets.
The think tank also recommends that skills training should be directed towards...

Summary: Scots in lower-skilled jobs are less likely to progress to higher-skilled ones than in the rest of the UK and much of Europe, a report has found.
###
Article: Some 590,000 voters were registered to cast ballots for a 50-seat parliament, choosing from about 250 candidates.
The party of Mr Bainimarama, who quit as military chief to contest the polls, is expected to win the most seats.
The polls are being keenly watched by the international community, which has been urging a return to democracy.
After voting ended, election supervisor Mohammed Saneem said the day had gone smoothly.
"We haven't received any reports of any altercations in any of our polling stations and, as such, we can say, from the current information available, that there was no violence," he told reporters.
The Fijian Elections Office said counting of the votes had begun.
Earlier on Wednesday, long queues formed at polling stations with reports of voters dressed in their Sunday best eager to cast their ballots.
Will poll bring democracy?
"This is a historic election," Suva taxi driver Anil Kumar told the Associated Press news agency. "I'm excited that I will be able to cast my vote. I'm looking forward to it."
Fiji experienced four coups between 1987 and 2006.
Mr Bainimarama has ruled Fiji since ousting elected leader Laisenia Qarase in the most recent of them.
Mr Bainimarama says he wants to end tensions between indigenous Fijians and ethnic Indians at the heart of the political unrest.
To that end he has reformed the electoral process, ending the race-based communal voting system.
But in the past eight years he has also ruled with an iron grip, clamping down on free speech, compromising the judiciary and imposing media censorship.
In a recent report, rights group Amnesty International accused him of creating a "climate of fear" in Fiji through his use of draconian laws, and intimidation and harassment of government critics.
Critics also suggest that Mr Bainimarama, whose FijiFirst party is one of seven contesting the polls, has enjoyed a campaigning advantage because of the lack of any formal political opposition.
The Social Democratic Liberal Party (Sodelpa), led by indigenous Fijians, is seen as...

Summary: Voting has ended in the first election in Fiji since former military ruler Frank Bainimarama took power in a coup in 2006.
###
Article: A yellow "be aware" warning has been issued for late Thursday into Friday for the Western and Northern Isles, Highlands and Argyll.
The warning also applies to parts of Moray and Aberdeenshire.
Earlier this year the Met Office asked the public for suggestions for names for storms.
Storm Abigail could bring gusts of 60 to 70mph, potentially rising to speeds of up to 80mph in exposed areas.
The warning is in place from 18:00 on Thursday until 14:00 on Friday.
In its warning, the Met Office said: "The public should be aware of the risk of disruption to transport. In addition, large waves may give rise to local over-topping along some coasts.
"A vigorous depression is expected to pass just to the northwest of Scotland on Thursday night bringing a swathe of very strong winds on its eastern and southern flanks.
"There remains some uncertainty regarding the exact extent and timing of strongest winds and the extent of impacts and this warning will be kept under review."
Sea swell charts produced by South Devon-based surfing website Magicseaweed.com suggest swell reaching heights of 10-11.5m (36-38ft) on Friday.
Meteorologist Dr Eddy Graham, who lectures at Lews Castle College UHI in Stornoway in Lewis, said people should stay indoors if the weather deteriorates.
He said: "The Met Office have issued the first high wind warning of the season for this Thursday and Friday for most of northern and western Scotland.
"Winds are expected to reach over 70mph, possibly touching 80mph in the strongest gusts. Winds of these speeds are dangerous when outdoors - stay safely indoors when conditions deteriorate."

Summary:


The Pro12 is in a state of flux.
The unions in Scotland, Ireland and Wales are all in a state of flux.
The unions in Scotland, Ireland and Wales are all in a state of flux.
The unions in Scotland, Ireland and Wales are all in a state of flux.
The unions

It was back in August last year that Mark Dodson, chief executive of Scottish Rugby, and Philip Browne, his counterpart in the Irish Rugby Football Union, truly raised the alarm about the Pro12.

Article: The average Dutchman is now 183cm (6ft) tall, while the average Latvian woman reaches 170cm (5ft 7in).
The research, published in the journal eLife, has tracked growth trends in 187 countries since 1914.
It finds Iranian men and South Korean women have had the biggest spurts, increasing their height by an average of more than 16cm (6in) and 20cm (8in).
Life for the tallest and shortest
In the UK, the sexes have gone up virtually in parallel by about 11cm (4in). "Mr Average" in Britain is now 178cm (5ft 10in) tall; Ms Average stands at 164cm (5ft 5in).
This contrasts for example with men and women in the US, where the height of the nation's people started to plateau in the 1960s and 1970s. Over the century, they have seen increases of just 6cm and 5cm (a couple of inches), respectively.
Indeed, Americans have tumbled down the rankings. Back in 1914, they had the third tallest men and fourth tallest women on the planet. Today they are in 37th and 42nd place.
The height charts are now utterly dominated by European countries, but the data would suggest that growth trends in general in the West have largely levelled out.
The smallest men on the planet are to be found in East Timor (160cm; 5ft 3in).
The world's smallest women are in Guatemala, a status they also held back in 1914. According to the survey data, a century ago the average Guatemalan 18-year-old female was 140cm (4ft 7in). Today she has still not quite reached 150cm (4ft 11in).
East Asia has seen some of the biggest increases. People in Japan, China and South Korea are much taller than they were 100 years ago.
"The parts of the world where people haven't got particularly taller over this 100 years of analysis are in South Asia (such as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh) and in sub-Saharan Africa. Here the increase in height is between 1-6cm in those regions," explained co-author James Bentham from Imperial College London.
In fact, in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, average heights have actually fallen since the 1970s. Nations like Uganda and Sierra Leone...

Summary: When it comes to height, Dutch men and Latvian women tower over all other nationalities, a study reveals.
###
Article: A ruling on the involvement of RBS in the fixing of the key industry interest rate is due imminently.
It is expected to be higher than the fine of nearly £300m imposed on Barclays last year.
RBS, which is majority owned by the government, is now in final talks with US and UK authorities over Libor.
An announcement could be made within days. In effect, the fine imposed by the British financial authorities will be the UK taxpayer paying the UK taxpayer, but there has been concern over how the US fine was to be paid.
Senior sources at the Treasury said the chancellor had made it clear that the financial penalty imposed by American regulators must be covered by deductions from the bonuses of bankers at RBS.
These would be either clawed back from previous years or deducted from future bonus awards.
Two leading banks, Barclays and UBS, have reached settlements with regulators over their involvement with Libor (London Interbank Offered Rate), with fines of £290m and £940m respectively.
Libor tracks the average rate at which the major international banks based in London lend money to each other.
BBC business editor Robert Peston has said the talks include "other necessary remediation, including a possible senior resignation".
But the bank's board does not believe chief executive Stephen Hester needs to resign.

Summary: Any fines by US authorities on Royal Bank of Scotland over the Libor scandal should be met by bankers not taxpayers, Chancellor George Osborne has insisted.
###
Article: In articulating why the tournament needed a dramatic overhaul, Dodson spoke about "bleak prospects" and "perfect storms" if everything stayed the same. Browne went even further when pointing out a "potentially profound" risk to the professional game in Ireland if the Pro12 didn't get its act together.
It was all about money. The Pro12 brings in about £12m in television revenues - a relative spit in a bucket compared to the riches of the Premiership in England and the Top 14 in France.
The unions in Scotland, Ireland and Wales were all beside themselves with worry over the yawning financial disadvantage they were at compared to the English and the French as they attempted to keep hold of their marquee players.
In exploring the possibility of inviting two American franchises into the Pro12 in time for the 2018-19 season, Dodson spoke of the necessity to tap into new markets and find new money in order to fight off English and French clubs who may come looking for Scotland's finest. "To stay as we are is not an option," he said.
Things have changed. It's not the Americans who are in the frame now, it's the South Africans. And 2018-19 is not on the table anymore, it's 2017-18. It's the coming season, which begins in September.
On 7 July - this coming Friday - the South African Rugby Union will go through the Pro12's list of requirements for acceptance of two of their franchises - the Cheetahs from Bloemfontein and the Kings from Port Elizabeth - into the next Pro12 campaign.
They will have to make commitments on finance - each of the current 12 clubs from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales could be in line for an extra £500,000-£800,000 in revenues from the South African union and South African television - as well as commitments on squad enhancement. The last thing the Pro12 needs is two more also-rans.
The Cheetahs and the Kings are the poor relations of South African rugby. Of the six SARU franchises in Super Rugby, they are the weakest. They sit in their usual perch at the tail-end of the southern hemisphere...

Summary:


The UK's biggest toy maker has been approached by Hasbro about a possible deal, according to Bloomberg.
Article: Hasbro, the maker of My Little Pony, approached Mattel about a deal late last year, according to Bloomberg news.
The combination of the two toy-makers would produce a company with a

Shares in Mattel, the maker of Barbie dolls, jumped 8% on Thursday following a report it had discussed a merger with rival Hasbro.

Article: It was alleged they had attacked a woman, 20, after an end of term party at the Royal Agricultural University in Gloucestershire, in 2014.
The men, three of whom were students, denied the charges made against them.
A trial was due to start two weeks ago but prosecutors have now decided not to proceed with the case against the men.
All four made no comment as they left Gloucester Crown Court after not guilty verdicts were recorded.
Earlier, prosecutor Fiona Elder told the court a decision had been made not to offer any evidence against the four.
"The decision was made that there was no longer a reasonable prospect of conviction and therefore in the circumstances it was not for the Crown to pursue this case to trial," she said.
"The police were informed and discussed the decision with the head of the South West Rape and Serious Sexual Offences unit.
"The head of the South West Rape and Serious Sexual Offences unit consulted with the complainant and her family to ensure they knew and understood the decision, whatever their view of it."

Summary: Four men accused of rape after a university's summer ball have been cleared after the case against them was dropped.
###
Article: Steve Hilton, who was one of the PM's closest aides, attacked Brussels' "statism, corporatism and bureaucracy".
In an article for the Daily Mail, he said the PM's "relatively modest" reform demands had received "arrogant and dismissive treatment".
Mr Cameron said evidence was more important than people's opinions.
Live: Follow the latest EU referendum debate
The PM was asked about Mr Hilton's comments as he unveiled a new Treasury report warning a vote to leave the EU could trigger a recession.
He said "everyone is entitled to their opinion" but added that the "evidence" he was presenting was "far more important than the view of one person or another person".
The Treasury report marks the latest in a series of warnings about the economic consequences of leaving, including from the Bank of England and the IMF.
In his article, Mr Hilton said "establishment stooges" were being "wheeled out to attempt to persuade us to stay".
He said "no-one really knows" what the economic impact would be, adding: "It's clearly ridiculous to claim that it's settled in either direction; there are risks whatever we do."
How far the UK has the ability to make its own laws and decide how it is governed.
Mr Hilton, who left Downing Street in 2012 for a post at Stanford University in the US, was one of the driving forces behind Mr Cameron's flagship "Big Society" project.
He said the EU had "become so complicated, so secretive, so impenetrable that it's way beyond the ability of any British government to make it work to our advantage".
After a "pragmatic, non-ideological assessment", he said he had decided: "Membership of the EU makes Britain literally ungovernable, in the sense that no administration elected by the people can govern the country."
Leaving the EU would allow the UK to "regain control over our country's destiny" he said, claiming the EU was not interested in anything other than "superficial change".
In other EU referendum news, a prominent Conservative MP and EU exit backer accused her fellow Leave campaigners of...

Summary: David Cameron's former director of strategy has called for a vote to leave the EU, saying membership "makes Britain literally ungovernable".
###
Article: Hasbro, the maker of My Little Pony, approached Mattel about a deal late last year, according to Bloomberg news.
The combination of the two toy-makers would produce a company with a $20bn market capitalization as of Wednesday.
In 1996, Mattel made a $5.2bn (Â£3.5bn) offer to buy Hasbro, but the two sides failed to reach a final agreement.
Over the last few years, Mattel has lost market share to Hasbro and Denmark's Lego. Lego overtook Mattel as the world's largest toy-marker in 2014.
In its most recent quarter, Mattel reported a 4% drop in worldwide sales and expects sales to decline this year.
That is partly because Hasbro has taken over the contract to produce toys based on the Disney movie Frozen, and toys sold under the Princess brand.
Mattel estimated in 2014 that the Princess brand brought in $300m.
In an effort to boost sales of its Barbie line, Mattel introduced three new body types and seven new skin tones in January. Sales of Barbie dolls fell 10% globally in 2015.
Neither company has commented on the rumoured deal.
Hasbro's share price rose 1.5%. In afternoon trading, Mattel shares fell back and were trading up 1.6% on the day.
Hasbro reports its full-year earnings report on 8 February.

Summary:


The USGA has announced that the US Open will be played at Erin Hills in Wisconsin, USA, from 15-18 June.
The USGA has also announced that the US Open will be played at Erin Hills in Wisconsin, USA, from 15-18 June.
The USGA has announced that the US Open

Alfreton Town have signed goalkeeper Jason Mooney on loan from League Two side York for the rest of the season.

Article: He needs to reduce the prison population in England and Wales in order to save money, while persuading his supporters that he is not soft on crime.
One proposal is to release foreign prisoners early on condition that they leave the UK. Another is to increase the use of day release.
But his hands are tied because politicians cannot tell judges what sentences to pass in individual cases.
What the justice secretary can do is to seek changes in the law if he thinks it is operating unfairly.
A law that has come in for a great deal of criticism is the former sentence of imprisonment for public protection, known as IPP.
Offenders were given a notional minimum term, known as the tariff, but they could be detained indefinitely after that term had expired.
The IPP sentence was designed to ensure that dangerous violent and sexual offenders stayed in custody while they continued to present a risk to society.
The sentence was introduced under the Criminal Justice Act 2003 when Lord Blunkett was Labour's home secretary, and abolished at the end of 2012, when Kenneth Clarke was the Conservative minister responsible for sentencing policy.
But abolition was not retrospective. In June this year, more than 4,600 prisoners were still serving IPPs.
By September, more than three-quarters had completed their minimum term and 392 IPP prisoners had served more than five times their tariff.
The government's policy is that IPP prisoners should continue to be detained until they can persuade the Parole Board, at a hearing, that the risks they pose to the public are safely manageable in the community.
But the Parole Board has a backlog of cases waiting to be heard - although that was reduced by 18% during the first 10 months of 2015 as a result of increased funding.
Even so, Lord Brown of Eaton-under-Haywood, a former justice of the Supreme Court, described IPPs as a "form of preventive detention - internment - entirely alien to our traditional criminal justice approach".
He called on the justice secretary to "bring this terrible scourge...

Summary: One of the most difficult problems Justice Secretary Michael Gove faces in 2016 is the sentencing of offenders.
###
Article: There is a growing feeling that players are losing patience with the ways of the USGA.
And after damaging controversies at the last two US Opens, former world number one Adam Scott described them as "panicky" and followed Phil Mickelson in piling pressure on the beleaguered organisation.
Two years ago at Chambers Bay, the USGA seemed the only observers unwilling to criticise greens so bumpy they were not fit to stage a monthly medal, never mind one of the big four majors.
"They were simply the worst most disgraceful surfaces I have ever seen on any tour," Ian Poulter said at the time.
Then came last year's ham-fisted handling of the Dustin Johnson rules fiasco that left no one knowing the leader's score throughout most of the final round at Oakmont. It was a farce that, again, portrayed the sport in a poor light.
Thankfully Johnson's contentious one stroke penalty, after he was deemed to have caused his ball to move on the fifth green, did not affect the eventual outcome as the current world number one brilliantly closed out his first major title.
Asked by American magazine Golfweek if he thought the USGA were feeling the heat, Scott replied: "Absolutely."
"They've taken criticism for the last two years, I'm sure they're not liking it. They're going to have to try to run a really good event."
This week the USGA have the opportunity to make their final tweaks to the par-72 Wisconsin course, which is just eleven years old and stages its first US Open, starting on 15 June.
It is another gamble to hold the championship on such a young course especially so soon after Chambers Bay, a course that opened for business in only 2007.
Famed for being the toughest of the majors, ahead of the Masters, Open and PGA Championship, the US Open is usually set up to make level-par a winning score.
Narrow fairways, uncompromising rough, rock hard lightning fast greens and relentless length are the stocks in trade of America's national championship.
It can make for attritional, one-dimensional golf where the last man standing...

Summary: The United States Golf Association (USGA) is a governing body under intense scrutiny as it prepares to stage next week's US Open at Erin Hills.
###
Article: The 25-year-old, who is 6ft 9ins tall, joined the Minstermen from Tranmere Rovers on a two-year deal in May, but has only made five appearances.
Mooney's first stint in professional football in England was at Wycombe and he spent time at Conference North side Oxford City before joining Tranmere.
He is available for Alfreton's game against Welling United on Saturday.

Summary:


The government has announced plans to cut the number of people in prison by 20% by 2020.
The Home Office said it would be "tough but fair" to reduce the prison population by 20% by 2020.
The government said it would be "tough but fair" to reduce the prison population by 20

(Close): Shares of the two newly split Hewlett Packard companies diverged after its last report as a consolidated company.

Article: Peter Hay first joined the local authority 14 years ago and became strategic director for people in 2013.
He initially took over children's services "in the interim" after years of criticism and poor ratings from Ofsted.
Mr Hay said it had been "the greatest privilege" to work with "so many very special people".
"I want to continue to pursue my lifelong commitment to social justice in all its forms through the new opportunities that will come in my next stage of life," he said.
"I have had the privilege to lead many talented staff who carry out amazing work."
More on this and other stories from the West Midlands
Previously a social worker, Mr Hay joined the council in 2003 and was credited by the authority in helping its children's services gain a star rating in the 2005 national assessment.
He was placed in charge of the adult and communities directorate when adults and children's services were separated before taking charge of both departments when they were re-merged in 2013.
In 2012 he was awarded a CBE for services to social care and health, and he has also served as president of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Care.
Brigid Jones, the council's cabinet member for children, families and schools, said Mr Hay could not have taken on the job "at a harder time" following a string of high-profile incidents.
"He has been personally instrumental in securing a stable and motivated workforce and I shall miss his leadership, professionalism and unreserved support," she said.

Summary: The director of Birmingham City Council's adults and children's services will retire in July.
###
Article: Regulated fares such as season tickets are pegged to Retail Prices Index (RPI) inflation in July, which was 1%.
Rail fares have risen nearly three times faster than wages in the UK over the past five years, analysis has suggested.
But rail minister Claire Perry said the government's plans would put an end to "inflation-busting fare increases".
A study by the TUC suggested regulated fare prices jumped 25% between 2010 and 2015, while average pay rose 9% over the same period.
Rail unions are campaigning for train lines to be run by the public sector, which they say will cut prices.
Regulated fares cover about half of all tickets sold, including season tickets and day returns.
The government had already announced that regulated rail fares in England would rise by no more than RPI inflation for this parliament.
A restriction limiting increases in these fares to RPI inflation has been in place for the past two years, during the latter years of the coalition government.
"Next year's fares will see some of the lowest increases for decades," said rail minister Claire Perry.
Speaking to Radio 5 live, she said that the 1% rise in fares from January "is actually a real-terms freeze".
She added: "With the economy recovering, and wages recovering, for the first time in over a decade you'll actually see wage growth outstripping any change in rail fares."
But TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said many commuters were "seriously out of pocket" because of the sharp rise in fares.
"If ministers really want to help hard-pressed commuters, they need to return services to the public sector.
"It would allow much bigger savings to be passed on to passengers," she added.
Action for Rail - the TUC and rail union-led campaign pushing to bring the railways back into public ownership - maintains that Â£1.5bn could be saved over the next five years if routes, including the Northern, Transpennine and West Coast Main Line, were returned to the public sector.
A third of this would come from recouping the money that private train firms...

Summary: Regulated rail fares are to rise by 1% in January, the Department of Transport has said.
###
Article: HP split into two separate companies in November - one focused on the printer and PC businesses and the other on corporate services.
Shares of Hewlett Packard Inc fell 4% while services focussed Hewlett Packard Enterprises rose 2.3%.
The Dow Jones gained 19 points to close at 17,812, after a bumpy start.
The S&P 500 rose 2 points to 2,079.22, while the Nasdaq gained 20 points to 5,102.
Hewlett-Packard's revenue fell 9.5% to $25.71bn in the fourth-quarter.
On a broader theme, concerns about global political tensions weighed on early trading after it was reported that Turkey had shot down a Russian warplane.
Stocks regained their footing, though on the back of news that the US economy grew faster than previously estimated in the third quarter of the year.
The Commerce Department said gross domestic product rose at an annual pace of 2.1% in the quarter, up from the 1.5% rate it reported last month.
Oil prices rose sharply on concerns that there could be more uncertainty in the Middle East.
Brent crude jumped by 2.5% or $1.14, to $45.97 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate crude climbed $0.94 to $42.96 a barrel.
As a result, shares in oil firms rose, with Exxon Mobil up 2% and Chevron 1.5% higher.

Summary:


The new £1.5m Brodsworth Hall, near Doncaster, South Yorkshire, is set to be the first of its kind in the UK to be built using a traditional method of construction.
The hall, which is being built by English Heritage, will be the first of its kind in the UK to

An outdoor privy is being hailed as "one of the poshest in the country" after being restored at a Victorian country house.

Article: One of Russia's most wanted rebels, his death has been wrongly claimed on several occasions by Russian security services. The latest report, however, comes from a website considered sympathetic to Caucasus militants fighting Russian rule.
In July 2013, the self-styled emir of the Caucasus Emirate called on Islamists to target the Sochi Winter Olympics.
Although no attacks took place during the Games themselves, two bomb blasts in December 2013 close to the volatile Caucasus region where he operated killed more than 30 people in the southern Russian city of Volgograd.
He said he was behind the Moscow airport bombing on 24 January 2011, which left 36 people dead and 180 injured, and the March 2010 suicide bombings on the city's Metro, in which 39 people died.
Mr Umarov is also said to have ordered the November 2009 bombing of a train from Moscow to St Petersburg that claimed 26 lives.
For years Mr Umarov has been seen as the leader of the Islamist insurgency in the North Caucasus.
He spearheaded several high-profile rebel raids, and fought in both wars against Russia since 1994.
He also served as Chechnya's security minister during its short-lived independence between 1996 and 1999.
He became the commander of the "south-western front" of the rebel armed forces in 2002, and is believed to have about 1,000 fighters under his command.
Mr Umarov is said to have played a key role in organising an attack in the neighbouring republic of Ingushetia in June 2004, in which several dozen people, including the acting Ingush interior minister, were killed.
He has also been accused by Russian security forces of leading the 2004 school siege in Beslan, which resulted in more than 300 deaths. The allegation has never been substantiated, although hostages have said he was the only attacker not to wear a mask.
In Chechnya, he is suspected of being behind a string of kidnappings for ransom, and is said by officials to have been involved in killing Chechens who were co-operating with the pro-Kremlin government.
In a video...

Summary: Doku Umarov is the Chechen separatist warlord most closely linked to a string of deadly attacks on Russia.
###
Article: Kenny MacAskill is pushing ahead with plans for single police and fire services instead of regional bodies.
The UK government argued the single services would not be eligible for VAT refunds, worth more than £30m a year.
Mr MacAskill said the policy was in contrast to Westminster's treatment of Academy schools in England.
He said the rules for the government-funded schools were changed to allow VAT to be reclaimed.
Under Section 33 of the VAT Act 1994, local authorities can recover the VAT they pay for supplies, which relate to their non-business activities.
A letter from Mr MacAskill said he had not received any formal reasons for the UK Treasury decision not to allow the new Scottish Police Authority to reclaim VAT but he understood it was because it would be "funded by central government".
Mr MacAskill said the decision would mean the police and fire services in Scotland would be the only ones in the UK unable to recover VAT.
He said: "This decision by the Treasury is unacceptable, unjustifiable and manifestly unfair. This charge on Scottish public sector reform is not levied on similar reforms in the rest of the UK."
Mr MacAskill said the UK government had changed the rules on VAT for Academy schools - which are entirely funded by central government.
He added: "It also ignores the fact that the new Police Authority will continue to be able to receive funding from Scottish local authorities to pay the costs of agreed local priorities.
"This provides a direct link with local taxation, which we consider meets the Treasury's policy on VAT recovery."
The Police and Fire Reform Bill reaches Stage 3 in the Scottish Parliament this week and the new single services are scheduled to begin in April 2013.
The Treasury insists that the Scottish government knew all along that their model for service reform would lead to the loss of VAT exemption.
Public sector union Unison claimed the ending of the exemption would cost the police £26m a year and the new national fire service between £4m and £10m.
A union spokesman...

Summary: The justice secretary has said a UK Treasury decision not to allow reformed Scottish police and fire services to recover VAT was "manifestly unfair".
###
Article: The privy at Brodsworth Hall, near Doncaster, South Yorkshire, was originally built in the 1860s.
In its heyday, its contents, dubbed "night soil", were emptied daily and spread on the gardens by staff.
English Heritage, which now runs the site, said the privy had been restored to its former glory.
More on this and other local stories from across Yorkshire
English Heritage's Kendra Grahame-Clarke said the privy was restored using archival information found at the hall, and is now "one of the poshest outdoor privies in the country".
She said although the facility does not have running water, it features a hole under the seat which can be accessed by a trapdoor allowing "a servant/gardener to collect and spread the night soil at dusk".
The toilet is in its own "secret garden" and also features a pagoda-style roof and pergola trellis.
The original toilet, built by George Ball for three pounds and five shillings, was surrounded by heavily scented blooms, and provided a respite for members of the Thellusson family, who lived at the house.

Summary: