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It is alleged that companies were set up as fronts in order for the striker to pay a lower rate of tax. Officials in Brazil say the allegations against the Barcelona striker cover a seven-year period from 2006. The allegations are separate from a case heard in Spain on Tuesday. Neymar appeared in court in Madrid in connection with fraud allegations surrounding his transfer. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing. The case in Brazil relates to the time when Neymar was still in Brazil and his income came from Brazilian sources. Government prosecutors - who are recommending his prosecution on four charges of fraud - claim that companies were set up as fronts, and money that should have been taxed at the rate of a private individual was channelled into these companies and subject to a lower rate. It is very early stages. The prosecutors claims will go to a judge who will decide if there is a case to answer or not. At the moment Neymar is not formally a defendant. At the time of his transfer he was a rising star at Brazilian club Santos. Brazilian prosecutors are reported by the AFP news agency to have also framed fraud charges against Neymar's father Neymar da Silva Santos, Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu and his predecessor Sandro Rosell. Barcelona said it paid €57m (£43m) for Neymar in 2013 but investigators say the fee was closer to €83m and the club concealed part of the deal. Neymar spent an hour and a half before a Spanish judge on Tuesday. Mr Santos, who arrived at court with his son on Tuesday evening, acts as his agent. The Spanish case was brought by Brazilian third-party investment fund DIS, which owned 40% of the Brazilian player's sports rights. DIS alleges it was financially harmed by the transfer when it received €6.8m of Mr Santos's €17m fee and argues it was deprived of its full share. Neymar: Better than Messi & Ronaldo?
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The commemoration of the battle of Long Tan was due to be held at a cross marking the site on Thursday. More than 1,000 Australian veterans and their families have travelled to Vietnam to commemorate the anniversary. Eighteen Australian soldiers and hundreds of North Vietnamese and Viet Cong fighters died in the battle, deep in southern Vietnam, on 18 August 1966. Police blocked access to the site, which is on private land, without explanation on Wednesday. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop confirmed that the Vietnamese government said it will not allow the event to go ahead, although small groups will be allowed access on Thursday. An official party involving the ambassadors of Australia and New Zealand will lay a wreath at the site. Australia's foreign ministry said it was lodging complaints with the Vietnamese government as it was "deeply disappointed at this decision, and the manner in which it was taken, so close to the commemoration service taking place". "Australian veterans and their families had planned to attend a ceremony at Long Tan marked by mutual respect to remember and honour the sacrifice of those lost in the Vietnam War from both sides," a statement said. Local sensitivities are thought to have been behind the sudden decision to stop the event going ahead, although a number of low-key memorial events have been permitted in the past.
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Communities Secretary Carl Sargeant said he was not convinced "continuing to focus on 52 small areas is the most effective way to deliver for Wales". Mr Sargeant told AMs a new Wales-wide approach would focus on employment, early years and "empowerment". First Minister Carwyn Jones had already warned that some government schemes would be cut to pay for new priorities. More free childcare, apprenticeships and a fund to boost school standards have been highlighted as Welsh Labour's key pledges ahead of next week's budget. "I am minded to phase out the Communities First programme while establishing a new approach to meet the challenges of the future," Mr Sargeant said. "Over the coming months, we will look afresh at how the Welsh Government can support resilient communities. "This means communities that are empowered and engaged; communities that are ready and able to work; communities that can offer children the best start in life." Communities First spends about £30m each year, with more than £300m spent since it was launched in 2001. At one point it was supporting about 200 projects, before the number was reduced amid concern about its effectiveness. In 2011, the head of a Communities First project in Wrexham was jailed for fraud after she diverted funds from the charity to herself and her family. More recently, in 2015, it emerged that one project in Merthyr Tydfil spent most of its £1.5m budget over three years on salaries. Plaid Cymru's Shadow Communities Secretary Bethan Jenkins said Communities First had done good work, but added: "If the goal here is the eradication of poverty, then the government needs to bring forward fresh ideas." Welsh Conservative spokesman Mark Isherwood welcomed the rethink, saying: "With one in four people in Wales still living in poverty, it is clear the programme is not fit for purpose." Bob Wellington, leader of the Welsh Local Government Association, said regional development efforts "have the potential to deliver better results than the targeted, area-based interventions that characterised Communities First". Victoria Winckler, director of the Bevan Foundation think tank, told BBC Wales: "The time to end the Communities First programme has come. "However, there are many excellent schemes run by Communities First, some of which have taken years to develop. "Closing them down would be a further blow to communities that are already reeling from cuts to public services. The Welsh Government should transfer some of them to community ownership - a sort of social asset transfer - providing three year funding".
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The "maximum" level the Home Office has set aside for the new three-year contract is 10 times what was agreed when it was last advertised in 2011. The department placed an advert in July inviting applications for the contract. The successful bidder, which has yet to be announced, will be responsible for searches at Calais and Dunkirk ports, and Eurotunnel's terminal at Coquelles. The current contract was awarded to Eamus Cork Solutions in 2011, with a value of £8m for three years, and was later extended for a further two years. The Home Office said the scale of that service had increased over the contract period to meet "operational needs". It said it was now looking for an "expanded level of service", but expected the new contract to be for "significantly less" than £80m. The Home Office says the new agreement has an "estimated value" of £80m, excluding VAT, though officials say that is a "maximum" amount and no final figure has been decided. According to details of the procurement, the contractor would have to provide 40 authorised search officers 24 hours a day for 365 days a year. Three of the officers must also be trained as detainee custody officers. Duties would include searching freight, tourist vehicles and passengers heading to the UK, and escorting and detaining people for up to three hours. The contract is for three years, with the possibility of an extension for one or two more years. The Jungle camp in Calais has become the focal point of France's refugee crisis, with about 7,000 people living there. Last month the UK and France pledged to work together and "step up" moves to improve the migrant situation in Calais. The two countries said they would resolve the situation through "close co-operation" and vowed to further secure the port and tunnel. Debate over border controls was a key issue in the EU referendum campaign, with David Cameron claiming the Jungle could move to England if the UK left the EU. But just weeks after the warning, the then-PM and French President Francois Hollande agreed a "mutual commitment" to keep it in place. After the Brexit vote, new PM Theresa May and Mr Hollande reiterated the commitment.
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So why are there so few prosecutions? Many say the problem lies in deep-rooted cultural traditions and that young people are reluctant to come forward to the authorities. Nazir Afzal, former head of the North West Crown Prosecution Service, says the new legislation with the threat of seven years in prison is needed to make progress. "One of the major things stopping victims coming forward is the codes of silence that exist in the family. "It's like the mafia. You cover up, as you are so scared of the consequences," he says. "Victims are not receiving the justice they deserve and this is why this new legislation matters. It's to help victims - it's all victim-led." Campaign groups say the actual numbers of forced marriages are much higher, with between 8,000 and 10,000 each year in the UK, though this remains an estimate and actual numbers are hard to prove. Mandy Sanghera, a human rights activist, told the BBC: "Families still hold on to cultural practices. "Parents still regard family honour very highly. They may have promised their daughter at a young age and given their word, but feel that they cannot go back on it." She also said many young people facing a marriage they did not want were reluctant to come forward to the authorities, for fear of seeing their parents go to prison. "We are talking about family - your blood, your ancestry. You hold common cultural beliefs. You just don't do something that would put your family in jail." Figures from the FMU suggest that the majority (79%) of young people forced into marriage are girls. Of those whose age was known, 39% were under 21. Often young girls are under huge emotional pressure from their families. The FMU was involved in cases covering 88 countries, with most from the Asian subcontinent - 38% from Pakistan, 8% from India and 7% from Bangladesh. About a quarter were solely within the UK, with no overseas element. Some campaigners have doubts about the forced marriage legislation. Rani Bilku, of Jeena International, a community group based in Slough, Berkshire, says: "Challenging and changing hearts and minds from voices within communities is the answer, as opposed to shouting from the outside and legislation." The code of family honour and shame can run very deep in families with strong roots on the subcontinent. Nazir Afzal says: "When victims go to the police it's seen as even more dishonourable and the consequence can be murder so they just accept their fate." Some parents claim to believe they are doing the best for their child in arranging their marriage and that they are helping them to secure a good future. Shaista Gohir, of Muslim Women's Network UK, says: "They prioritise their ties abroad and the happiness of their nephews and nieces (often children of their brothers, sisters and cousins) over and above the happiness of their children. "In fact they sacrifice the happiness of their own children for their extended family."
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Duncan Enright thought he had been defeated by Conservative Suzanne Bartington in Witney East, tweeting: "Thanks for the opportunity to serve". But after a recount he told followers: "Actually I won! Bundle of votes found under a Tory pile! Delighted!" The Tories maintained their majority of 33 in West Oxfordshire, while Labour held on to Oxford City Council. Labour took two seats off the Greens to increase its hold in Oxford, where it now has a majority of 20. After the result, Mr Enright tweeted: "Would you believe it? Thank you to all my neighbours!" He said: "It was my fault really. I think I jumped the gun in announcing my defeat, because there was a pile of votes which were all for me with the Conservative one on top." Mr Enright added that he was "delighted and proud and humbled" to have been re-elected. In 2015 he stood as a parliamentary candidate in Oxfordshire's Witney constituency and came second to David Cameron. Conservative Harry St John was elected to the North Leigh ward after former council leader and election agent for the prime minister Sir Barry Norton stood down. He said he was excited to have been successful and added: "I hope I will be able to do as well as Barry Norton has done over the last 30 years."
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A campaign group has launched a Twitter account: Shut Up Tube Chat. It comes after travellers were handed leaflets with badges encouraging them to talk to one another on the Tube. The Tube Chat pin is supposed to indicate to other commuters that the wearer is happy to have a conversation. It has provoked a strong reaction, with many people making their own badges designed to discourage anyone from approaching them. Volunteers from the Shut Up Tube Chat campaign began handing out their badges at Liverpool Street station on Friday morning. Commuters were handed leaflets with the new badges reading: "Want nothing less than a 'chat' with one of your fellow passengers? "Wear this badge to let them know that you'd rather drink a pint of bleach than talk with them." The badges, which read "Don't even think about it" are designed to ensure wearers can make their way to work in peace. The man behind the campaign, Brian Wilson from Hackney, told BBC London he had given out 500 badges. "I can't stand the idea of having to talk to strangers on the Tube on my way to work. "We handed loads out this morning and everyone was loving it. Proper Londoners know the score," he said. Commuters who want nothing more than to listen to their music, read a book, stare at their smartphone screen or just ignore their fellow travellers have also expressed alarm at being encouraged to talk to one another. Actress and writer Emma Kennedy tweeted: "Whoever came up with those Tube Chat badges has fundamentally misunderstood the misanthropy of the London commute." Richard Cook tweeted: "Imagine being someone who willingly wears a #Tube_Chat badge, sitting there beaming, just waiting for a conversation that will never come." And Madelaine Hanson tweeted: "The day I willingly talk to anyone on the tube will be the day I have to tell someone that their hat is on fire." Jonathan Dunne, who came up with the idea of the Tube Chat badges and is originally from the US, admitted it was difficult to get commuters to take one of the free pins. "I would say it's about an 80/20 split. "Twenty per cent think it's nice and about 80% of people think it's terrible, worst idea ever," he told BBC Newsbeat. Transport for London (TfL) has said it had nothing to do with the scheme.
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The robot was supposed to have touched down on the Red Planet at 1458 GMT (1558 BST), but radio contact was lost in the minute before this time. It was hoped that a satellite at Mars might have tracked the full descent, but it was unable to add any further insight. This will likely stoke fears that Schiaparelli has been lost. But the European Space Agency (Esa) will not be rushed to judgement. It will wait on further information from yet more satellites at the Red Planet. They may have detected something missed by the first orbiter, known as Mars Express. Esa does have something to celebrate now, however. It has received confirmation from Schiaparelli's "mothership", the Trace Gas Orbiter, that it has successfully parked itself above the planet. In the coming years, this spacecraft will study the atmosphere of Earth's near neighbour. Landing on Mars is always a daunting prospect. It is a high-speed approach that has to be got just right or the spacecraft runs the risk of crashing into the ground. Schiaparelli had a heatshield, a parachute and rocket thrusters to try to get itself to the surface intact. If Schiaparelli is later confirmed as lost, it will be a major blow to Esa which suffered the disappointment of the Beagle-2 lander's failure at Mars in 2003. That mission got down to the surface intact, but stopped working within minutes of its arrival. Schiaparelli was conceived largely as a technology demonstrator - a project to give Europe the confidence to try to land a more ambitious six-wheeled rover on Mars in 2021. This future vehicle was expected to use some of the same landing technology as Schiaparelli, including its doppler radar to sense distance to the surface, and its guidance, navigation and control algorithms. Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos
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The Kirk's General Assembly - gathering in Edinburgh - will be asked to approve more work on how such weddings could take place in church. Equal marriage remains a divisive issue within the church. Since 2014, Scotland has allowed same-sex couples to marry but individual church traditions can each decide whether to participate. A report on the issue prepared for the General Assembly invited the church to take stock of its history of discrimination against gay people and to apologise "individually and corporately". Moderator Designate the Reverend Dr Derek Browning said: "On Thursday afternoon the theological forum will be bringing a report to the General Assembly, and this year what they're asking to do is for the assembly, first of all, to consider making an apology to the gay community for things that have have been said in the past and the assembly will have to make up its mind on that. "But also it's going to be asking our legal questions committee to see what the issues are round about allowing ministers to perform same sex marriage if they choose to do so, and equally for safeguards for those who, for conscience sake, feel that this is not something they can do." Dr Browning added: "Over the years the assembly has been very well aware that on both sides of the debate, very strong things have been said and therefore an apology certainly within the Christian context is always important because there's been hurt caused on both sides of the debate. "Hopefully we're in a position to move forwards, but that will be for the General Assembly to make its mind up on, on Thursday." At the time of the report's publication, the Reverend Scott Rennie, who supports equal marriage, said: "Loving marriages, whether they are gay or straight, can make for a good and happy life. "Christ's love for us, his people, is reflected in loving relationships. Marriage is something to be celebrated. "I look forward to the day when I am able to conduct weddings for all couples, gay or straight, in the name of God." Many traditionalists within the Church of Scotland, however, are firmly opposed to it permitting same-sex weddings. The Reverend Mike Goss said: "Same-sex relationships are not what God has planned for us as human beings. We are all messed up in different ways in our lives. "I don't see that people in straight-sex relationships have got it all sorted. We know too many of them have gone wrong as well. "But we don't bless that which is wrong and that has got to be key in terms of the Gospel." The Scottish Episcopal Church, part of Anglican tradition, is expected to approve same-sex marriage when its General Synod meets later this year. Such a move would make it the first major church in the UK to marry gay and lesbian couples in church. The Church of England will not conduct gay marriages, or allow clergy to be in a same-sex marriage. The
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Vicious has been created by Will and Grace writer Gary Janetti and award-winning playwright Mark Ravenhill. The show, to air next year, will also feature Rising Damp actress Frances De La Tour as their feisty best friend. Sir Ian will play ageing actor Freddie who has lived in a cramped flat with Sir Derek's Stuart for nearly 50 years. Their worlds are turned upside down when a young man called Ash moves in upstairs. Writer and co-producer Janetti, who has also worked on award-winning US comedy Family Guy, said he was "incredibly excited" to be working with "this unbelievable cast". ITV's comedy commissioning editor, Myfanwy Moore, said the broadcaster was "thrilled this exciting and bold sitcom, with stellar performers and writing talent is to join the increasing slate of new look comedy shows on the channel". Next month Sir Ian will be seen reprising the role of wizard Gandalf in Lord of the Rings prequel The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The film, which co-stars Martin Freeman, Elijah Wood and Benedict Cumberbatch, is due in UK cinemas on 14 December.
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Glasgow Airport reported its busiest October for eight years after 836,798 passengers travelled through its doors - an annual increase of 14%. Edinburgh recorded a sixth consecutive month with more than one million passengers. That represented a 9.7% increase in passenger traffic from the same month last year. At Glasgow, international traffic grew by 18.5% as a result of strong demand for European services, with Icelandair and Wizz Air both reporting a particularly busy month. Airport bosses also reported a "significant uplift" on long haul services to Toronto, Florida and Dubai. Domestic traffic increased by 8.9%, which the airport said was due to a strong demand from both business and leisure travellers on London services and regional routes. In October, Glasgow - which is owned by AGS Airports - was crowned UK Airport of the Year at the National Transport Awards in London. Managing director Amanda McMillan said: "It's been another fantastic month for the airport in terms of passenger growth and route development, but being crowned UK Airport of the Year was the real highlight. "We have now enjoyed 11 consecutive months of double-digit growth and have added an additional one million passengers since October 2014 which is a huge milestone." Edinburgh attributed its success in part to the continued strong performance of routes across the UK, as well as European destinations. Chief executive Gordon Dewar described its run of a million passengers a month as a "tremendous achievement". He added: "This record-breaking performance is a sure sign of the growing success of both Scotland and Edinburgh as a destination and also emphasises our position as a key driver for Scotland's economic growth."
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Media playback is not supported on this device Donnelly struck in the sixth minute, latching onto a George McMullan through ball to slot past keeper Elliot Morris. Cliftonville, who had lost their last two, doubled their lead in the 57th minute when Daniel Hughes played in Garrett who chipped over Morris. This defeat leaves Glentoran with only six points out of a possible 24. Cliftonville leapfrog Glenavon in the league table but remain 10 points behind leaders Crusaders. Reds manager Gerard Lyttle will be a happier man after his side's first league win at the Oval since 2011. Lyttle had been critical of his players' workrate following their 3-1 home defeat at home to Coleraine on Saturday. Donnelly's 15th goal of the season gave the League Cup winners the perfect start on six minutes. Curtis Allen twice went close for Glentoran but they were hit by a second Cliftonville goal skilfully finished by Garrett. Glentoran manager Alan Kernaghan: "We gave away an early goal but responded well and if it had not been for their goalkeeper we could have been 3-1 up at half-time. "But in the second half we were spectators and were taught a real lesson. "I cannot fathom the differences in our performances. It is frustrating because I know I have a good set of players here." Cliftonville manager Gerard Lyttle: "The players' attitude was brilliant and I have to applaud them. "We were disappointed with Saturday's performance and we wanted to show that we care."
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Heather Davidson, 54, of Thirsk in North Yorkshire, admitted the murder of her 81-year-old friend David Paterson. She had phoned a cancer charity shortly before using a pillow to kill Mr Paterson in his room at the privately-run Sowerby House care home in Thirsk. Davidson, who has a previous conviction for attempting to smother a neighbour's dog, was told she would serve a minimum of nine years. She had claimed the murder on 11 February was a "mercy killing", however, sentencing her at Teesside Crown Court, Judge Simon Bourne-Arton said she had denied Mr Paterson a "private ending". "You were only saving him a few hours of suffering," the judge said. "In so doing, you deprived him of what he wanted most, a natural death." The court was told Davidson had met Mr Paterson through a group for people with mental health issues. She attended the group where Mr Paterson was a volunteer. They also attended church together and she visited him frequently after he moved into the care home. The court heard two phone calls had been made by Davidson to the cancer charity Macmillan before Mr Paterson's death. During the first she complained about his treatment. In the final call, made from Mr Paterson's room on the day she killed him, she told the operator her friend was unable to eat or drink. Davidson told the charity: "It might be better if I could put a pillow over his head. Would I be a murderer if I did that?" The charity's operator told her she would and after a conversation with a supervisor the police were alerted. The call could not be traced before Davidson smothered her victim about two and a half hours later. Prosecuting, Jonathan Sharp said Mr Paterson had a firm religious belief and strongly objected to euthanasia. "He had said it will be God's decision, and only God's, when it was his time to meet his maker." In a statement, Mr Davidson's family described him as a devout Christian and said they were shocked someone he considered a friend would have acted in this way. "She should have known he would have wanted it to be God's will when he died and allowed him to do so in privacy and with dignity," the statement said. David Aubrey QC, mitigating, said Davidson was genuinely remorseful about her actions. "She regrets bitterly and is ashamed for what she has put this man through," he said.
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England all-rounder Chris Woakes had previously been vice captain to Ian Bell in all forms of the game. Former England batsman Trott, 35, has scored 758 runs at an average of 68.90 in the County Championship this season. Porterfield, 31, has been captain of Ireland since 2008, winning 86 one-day international caps for his country. "Jonathan and William are vastly experienced cricketers that have played at the highest level of the game for several years," Warwickshire director of cricket Dougie Brown said. "Both are great role models for our younger members of the squad."
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The blaze erupted in a restaurant at Fleet services on the M3 at 22:30 GMT on Wednesday, leading police to temporarily close the southbound lanes. Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) said 100 firefighters were sent to the scene. Firefighters from Surrey were also called and crews stopped the blaze spreading to other buildings. The fire was brought under control in the early hours. No-one was injured. Crews have remained at the scene to dampen down and prevent any re-ignition. The service station on the southbound carriageway and the slip road leading to it on the M3 remain closed. The footbridge which runs over Fleet services on the M3, named after BBC Radio 1's Scott Mills, is also closed due to smoke logging. Fleet Fire Station tweeted: "â€
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The Tory peer, sacked as a government adviser after defying the whip over Brexit, said the Germans had lost World War Two but the UK was now giving them the "opportunity to win the peace". "I find that quite unacceptable," he told the House Magazine. UKIP said the comments showed Lord Heseltine was "utterly out of touch with the modern world". "If I was German I would be deeply offended," a UKIP spokesman told the BBC. In a wide-ranging interview, Lord Heseltine questioned how Theresa May could campaign to remain in the EU as home secretary but "within a few weeks" of becoming PM, insist "Brexit means Brexit". The prime minister, he added, had seemed to change her mind on the issue, suggesting "this lady was for turning". Lord Heseltine, who was deputy prime minister between 1992 and 1997, said he would continue to argue against the decision to leave the EU, believing it was against the UK's historic national interest. The 83-year old said he was "now free" to speak out after he was relieved of his five economic advisory roles after defying party managers to vote against Brexit in the House of Lords. "If anyone is listening, I will continue to play a role in trying to avert what I perceive to be a disaster of British self-interest," he was quoted as saying. "The letters keep flowing, the invitations keep coming...They haven't kicked me out of the party yet. They kicked me out of my advisory jobs but as yet there is no suggestion I should be asked for my membership card." Not only would Brexit alter the balance of power in Europe, he suggested that for many people of his generation, the UK's decision might be regarded as a betrayal of the country's fight against the Nazis. "For someone like myself, it was in 1933, the year of my birth, that Hitler was democratically elected in Germany. He unleashed the most horrendous war. "This country played a unique role in securing his defeat. So Germany lost the war. We have just handed them the opportunity to win the peace." He dismissed those who argue Britain's standing in the world would be unaffected by EU withdrawal, saying the UK would lose its ability to act as a bridge between both the Commonwealth and the US and Europe. "The Americans will shift the focus of their interest to Germany." Lord Heseltine has long been one of the most pro-European voices in his party but has rejected the Europhile tag often given to him - saying that EU membership is about enhancing the UK's national interest not giving up power and identity. He said he had "no complaints" about the way he had been treated by the prime minister, saying they came from a different political generation and had never met, let alone discussed Europe. But he suggested that she had not shown the iron resolve of her predecessor Lady Thatcher, who the peer served under and later helped to
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The 24-year-old was sold to the Clarets for £2m in 2015 by then-United manager Louis van Gaal. He made his England debut on 22 March this year and is shortlisted for the Professional Footballers' Association young player of the year award. Any deal for Keane would allow United to activate a 25% sell-on clause from the player's initial transfer. If the transfer did go through, it would be the second summer in succession that United would have bought back one of their former academy players following Paul Pogba's world-record £89m return in 2016. United manager Jose Mourinho has identified his defence as an area he wishes to improve in the summer and is expected to make significant changes to his squad. Mourinho's men cannot finish in the Premier League top five after they lost against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday coupled with Arsenal's 2-0 win against Sunderland two days later. The Red Devils have two games remaining, starting with a trip to Southampton on Wednesday before hosting Crystal Palace on Sunday. Stockport-born Keane played in the same 2011 FA Youth Cup-winning side as Pogba and made five senior appearances for United. He joined Burnley after spells on loan at Leicester, Derby and Blackburn. Steve McClaren, former England manager on BBC Radio 5 live I'm surprised Manchester United got rid of him in the first place. We took him on loan at Derby a few years ago when he was 19 or 20 years old. He wasn't physically ready at that stage. He came in as cover for 10 games and was absolutely outstanding. The potential future was there for all to see. He was a modern centre-back - he could get a goal from set-pieces and was aerially very good. He could also bring the ball out from the back and step into midfield. Michael has since cemented a place at Burnley and established himself as a top centre-back.
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Sundowns had to overturn a first leg deficit against the Zambians, having lost 2-1 in Ndola last weekend. The victory completes a big turnaround for the South Africans in Africa's elite club competition, having faced elimination five months ago - only to be reinstated. In only the second Champions League semi-final between two Southern Africa clubs, the hosts opened the scoring after just five minutes with Liberian winger Anthony Laffor putting Sundowns 1-0 up on the night, to make the scores level overall. Zesco had chances to equalise, notably when two-goal first-leg star Jackson Mwanza broke through the middle only to see a lob over Ugandan goalkeeper Denis Onyango land on the roof of the net. If it had stayed at 2-2 on aggregate, the South Africans would have progressed to the final courtesy of their away-goal from the first leg. However, they made sure of an overall win after Percy Tau headed in on 64 minutes to make it 2-0 to Sundowns on the night and 3-2 on aggregate. It is the second time Mamelodi Sundowns have reached the final of the African Champions League, having finished as runners-up to Al Ahly of Egypt in 2001. Sundowns made the most of their second chance after they were knocked out in the final qualifying round for the group stage by AS Vita Club of the Democratic Republic of Congo in April. But just hours before the group draw was made in Cairo, the Kinshasa outfit were kicked out of the competition for fielding a suspended player. Reinstated Sundowns rode their luck to top a group including Zamalek and Enyimba of Nigeria. The fourth team, Entente Setif of Algeria, were banned after crowd trouble in their opening group game. Many Sundowns players had to hastily cancel holidays as the start of the Champions League group phase coincided with the South African close season. Coach Pitso Mosimane, a former national team striker, scrapped plans to watch the centenary edition of the Copa America tournament in the United States. Sundowns will now play the winners of the second semi-final which kicked off later on Saturday in Rabat. Wydad Casablanca hosted Zamalek of Egypt, with Zamalek leading 4-0 from the first leg.
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His murder of 77 unsuspecting people on 22 July last year was the worst outrage for Norway since World War II. It was also the worst far-right attack in Europe since Italy's Bologna railway station bombing of 1980, which killed 85 and wounded hundreds. Breivik's calculated acts of political violence took months, even years, of intricate planning. After bombing the Oslo government district he went on a shooting spree at a Labour Party youth camp on Utoeya Island. It was the deadliest mass shooting by a gunman in peacetime. In a country as famously tolerant, integrated and wealthy as Norway, what could have motivated such mass murder? His method was that of a "lone wolf" right-wing terrorist. But he also saw himself as part of an international crusade, a Nordic warrior who could inspire others. First dubbed "leaderless resistance" by a radical right ideologue in 1982, the "lone wolf" tactic has remained a signature of far-right violence for three decades - one whereby the "terrorist cycle" of preparation and execution is undertaken single-handedly. Since Breivik's killing spree, "lone wolf" attacks by right-wing extremists have continued: from a targeted killing of Senegalese traders by a CasaPound activist in Florence last December to the "hate rock" shooting rampage at a Sikh Temple earlier this month by a neo-Nazi singer, Wade Michael Page. Last week in the Czech Republic, police arrested a 29-year-old man stockpiling explosives and weapons, claiming to be directly inspired by Breivik. "Lone wolf" terrorism represents a tiny - if less detectable - fraction of terrorist attacks. It remains difficult to accomplish - that is why Breivik's "manifesto", comprising some three-quarters of a million words, is so dangerous. Beyond the incitement to hatred and violence, Breivik's 2083: A Declaration of European Independence provides a do-it-yourself guide for "lone wolf" terrorism, ranging from a daily bomb-making diary to instructions on how to source materials - both logistical and material - from the dark corners of the internet. The manifesto supersedes all previous terrorist manuals and concludes, allegedly at 12.51 on the day of Breivik's attacks: "If you want something done, then do it yourself." He did so, chillingly and with cold determination. And his manifesto, sent to thousands of fellow far-right "patriots" in the hours before his attacks, is patently intended to inspire copycats. Breivik wants his murders on 22 July 2011 to be considered a form of "terrorist PR" for his manifesto and accompanying online film. He claims the "Knights Templar" clenched fist salute "symbolises strength, honour and defiance against the Marxist tyrants of Europe". From demonising rhetoric to terrorist instruction manual, Breivik's manifesto is a call to arms for right-wing extremists that, in work on similar failed plots in the UK, I have elsewhere dubbed "broadband terrorism". The date 2083 refers to the 200th anniversary of Karl Marx's death, and the 400th of the Battle of Vienna, when a Christian army halted the Ottoman Empire's northward advance in Europe. Breivik's subtitle is lifted from a 2007 essay by fellow
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The star, who died last January, was awarded best British male and best British album, for his mournful swansong, Blackstar. His victory meant that grime artists ended the night without any trophies, after a breakthrough year for the genre. However, Skepta stole the show with a blazing performance of his single Shut Down. South London MC Stormzy also joined Ed Sheeran on stage for a new version of his single Shape Of You; while Emeli Sande, the soul star who started out singing on tracks by Wiley and Chipmunk, won best British female. Rag 'N' Bone man was the other big winner of the night taking home two awards - the critics choice award and best British breakthrough act. Bowie's wins were a fitting tribute to one of Britain's most influential and groundbreaking musicians. Collecting the best album prize, his son the film director Duncan Jones spoke about the star's enduring legacy. "He's always been there supporting people who think they're a little bit weird or a little bit strange. He's ways been there for them. "This award is for all the kooks and all the people who make the kooks," he said, referencing the song his father wrote for him as a child, from the Hunky Dory album. As well as honouring Bowie, the Brits paid tribute to George Michael, who died on Christmas day. His former Wham! bandmates Andrew Ridgeley, Pepsi and Shirlie, made an emotional speech, saying: "His beautiful voice will live on forever as a gift to us all." Coldplay's Chris Martin then sang an understated but moving version of Michael's A Different Corner, duetting with a recording of the star's own voice. So in the end, after all the thinkpieces and positive headlines, grime artists left the Brits empty-handed. Bowie took home two of the night's biggest prizes, best British male and best album, while Rag N Bone Man was the surprise winner of best breakthrough, beating Stormzy and Skepta. Is it enough that grime and urban music got nominated? Or does it look like the Brits invited these stars to the party, only to slam the door in their face? It depends on how you view the ceremony. In pure sales terms, it's the performances that matter - and Skepta's powerful, thrilling rendition of Shut Down will undoubtedly give him a massive boost. Ed Sheeran inviting Stormzy on stage is a big deal, too... A seal of approval from one of pop's biggest stars, that never felt opportunistic. Emeli Sande's win in the best female category will be held up as proof the voters aren't colourblind. Likewise, the blink-and-you-missed-them international categories went to Beyonce, Drake and rap legends A Tribe Called Quest. But if the awards matter (and they should), the Brits need to recognise the vigour of UK grime, not just reflect it. Little Mix kicked off the show, carried above their dancers' heads on sparkling thrones. The girl band later won their first ever Brit, best British single, for their anthemic pop
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Dutch football's governing body, KNVB, alleges he was involved in trying to fix a benefit game in 2009, a claim he denied earlier this month. Midfielder Kargbo last played for Isthmian League club Thamesmead Town. The 33-year-old will be in Welling's squad for Saturday's National League game against Aldershot Town. No details of his agreement with the club have been disclosed. He has 34 international caps and has also had spells with clubs in Belgium, the Netherlands, Azerbaijan and Portugal during his career. Kargbo was among 15 players and officials suspended by the Sierra Leone Football Association in 2014 over match-fixing allegations. At the time, he said he was the victim of a "witch-hunt" and all the bans were lifted by Sierra Leone's Ministry of Sport in March last year. Recently interviewed by BBC Sport about the KNVB accusations, which relate to a game between Sierra Leone and Dutch club Willem II, he said: "It is unbelievable that I can be accused of match-fixing. "These allegations have caused me a lot of stress, sleepless nights and I have sometimes cried all day - all because of something I know nothing about. I have nothing to hide."
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Abdelkader Ait-Ouarabi, known as Gen Hassan, was convicted at a closed-door military tribunal on Thursday. His lawyers described him as the victim of a ferocious clan war at the top of Algerian politics. Gen Hassan played a leading role for two decades in Algeria's civil war. Following the military's annulment of an election win by Islamists in 1992, Algeria's Intelligence and Security Directorate (DRS) was heavily involved in the conflict in which it is estimated that more than 150,000 people died. Gen Hassan's imprisonment follows the sacking in September of Mohamed Mediene, who had led the DRS for 25 years. President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has led a gradual purge in the country's security elite over the past two years, correspondents say.
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He sang about "mother nature on the run" on 1970's After The Gold Rush. Two decades later, he warned that pollution and deforestation would "trade away our children's days" on Mother Earth. The latter is reprised on his new album, Earth, an environmentally-themed live album that - unusually - overdubs his performances with the sounds of the animal kingdom, from bees to buzzards; and cows to cockerels. It sounds like folly, but the effect is strangely mesmerising - as if the stage is slowly being invaded and overrun by the natural world. "It's about the connectivity of everything," Young tells the BBC. "Trying to be cognisant of how living things are affected by what we do." "This is something that matters to me. The more people that pay attention to activism and environmentalism, the better off we're going to be. "I mean, we're in kind of dire straits as far as the governments go. It's really down to the people." Young's frustrations with government are far from secret, of course. He publicly remonstrated Donald Trump for using his music on the campaign trail - saying he would never "endorse hate, bigotry, childish name calling, the superficiality of celebrity or ignorance". But his dissatisfaction runs deeper than one candidate. He is disillusioned with the entire political process. "If corporate money and television advertising [are] the only way to really get elected, then you have a way where democracy can be corrupted by power - and that's what we have in the United States," he says. "That results in decisions being made that are written by corporations, that the legislators pass as law. Things like the anti-labelling campaigns of the GMO (genetically modified organism) manufacturers. Things like that." The star's anger at agribusiness - and patented, genetically-modified seeds in particular - fuelled his last album, The Monsanto Years. "The seeds of life are not what they once were / Mother Nature and God don't own them anymore," he sang on the title track; while Big Box took aim at big business in general - "Too big to fail / Too rich for jail". Both songs are revived on Earth, with Young's fury fuelling the gritty live performances. Several of the songs have subsequently been augmented in the studio, with Young adding a chorus of perfectly-harmonised singers to emphasise key lyrics. They represent the sound of "corporate harmony", he says. "Aren't they perfect and beautiful? It's a little bit disturbing how good they are. "You know as soon as you hear them, that you can't believe it - but you need to listen to them over and over again because they've hooked you." And those animal sounds? Young largely recorded them himself. "I do listen a lot to nature," he says. "Where I live, the birds are very vocal." The star's connection to nature runs deeper still. Since the late 1970s, he has only recorded music in the week leading up to a full moon (although, being a live album, Earth is an
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The 49-year-old, who was in a Range Rover, suffered head injuries in the incident near junction 6a in Hertfordshire on 16 May. A Hertfordshire Police spokeswoman said he may have faced prosecution for not wearing a seatbelt. She added that in relation to the incident "no further action will be taken". The singer could not be reached for comment. Michael was airlifted to a specialist trauma centre in London following the accident and spent nearly two weeks in hospital before being discharged. Hertfordshire Police said officers were unaware of any damage to the Range Rover and confirmed no other vehicles were involved. The former Wham! star was travelling as a rear seat passenger. In September 2010, he received an eight-week prison sentence after crashing his Range Rover into a shop in north London. He was also banned from driving for five years after admitting driving under the influence of drugs and possessing cannabis. In 2006 he was banned from driving for two years and sentenced to 100 hours of community service after he was convicted of driving while unfit through drugs. He had been found collapsed in his Mercedes.
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A number of elders from the remote Hisarak district told the BBC that the Taliban were using the presence of IS in Afghanistan as a pretext to extort locals. Located less than 80 kilometres east of Kabul, Hisarak is the western-most part of Nangarhar province, where the Taliban has a strong presence. The province has also seen fighting between Taliban and rival insurgents who have declared loyalty to the Islamic State group. In Nangarhar's capital Jalalabad I met a number of officials and tribal elders from Hisarak who had taken shelter there. Abdul Khaliq Maroof is Hisarak's district governor. He needs to take a helicopter to reach his office, but for the past month he's been stranded in Jalalabad. The Afghan government only controls the district centre and some villages in Hisarak. "The Taliban can impose on people whatever rules they want," Mr Maroof told me. "The lion's share of their income in Hisarak comes from Islamic taxation (Ushur). They use it to purchase weapons and ammunition." Mr Maroof is a high profile target for the Taliban. Even in Jalalabad the tight security around his house gives the impression of a person who is constantly on the enemy's radar. His guestroom is littered with certificates and appreciation letters from the Afghan government and international forces, praising his performance. But he admits that he cannot move freely or without the protection of a Humvee vehicle - even a few kilometres outside Hisarak district centre. It's a similar story for pro-government elders in the district, the traditional power brokers in rural Afghanistan. In the narrow streets, on the outskirts of Jalalabad city, I met one of them, Malik Zafar. He told me that he is stuck because he cannot take a helicopter back to Hisarak like local officials do. Going by road he says is gambling with one's life. Mr Zaraf told me that the Taliban's fundraising efforts have recently taken on a new focus - the fight against rival militants from the Islamic State group in Afghanistan. "This information is true and all in Hisarak know about it - the Taliban demand money from local people," Mr Zaraf said. "They collect money and some locals had to give them men to fight against IS." Even though the footprint of the Islamic State group hasn't reached Hisarak District itself, local elders say that the presence of IS in Nangarhar is being used as an excuse by the Taliban to recruit young men and raise funds. Locals have reported that several bodies were brought back to Hisarak from another district where Taliban and IS had been fighting. Hisarak is a mountainous district which also shares a border with Pakistan, allowing Taliban fighters to move across the frontier, according to the district chief. Communities here are strictly traditional with agriculture the main source of income, including poppies, wheat and rice. Ahmad Ghani was another Hisarak resident who agreed to meet me in a busy market. He too is worried about his safety and was
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Police were called to an address in Porcher Way shortly after 16:00 BST on Friday. A 66-year-old man and a 41-year-old woman have been arrested on suspicion of murder. The woman has since been bailed but Lincolnshire Police have been granted extra time to question the man. Police appealed for witnesses.
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Transport Minister Edwina Hart said a third lane would be "less safe" than the existing two lanes. In a letter to Ynys Mon AM, Rhun ap Iorwerth, Mrs Hart said a new bridge would resolve the congestion issues on Britannia Bridge. A Welsh government spokesman confirmed it was developing a business case for a third crossing. Mr ap Iorwerth said he was pleased at the news and called for a "big push" to deal with the congestion. The Plaid Cymru AM, who has campaigned for a new bridge, said the current set up was "economically damaging" and ran the risk of "Anglesey becoming cut off".
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Well, perhaps he would, according to one Beijing based priest, who serves in an official, state-sanctioned church. But before we hear from him, let's go back a bit. The Chinese Communist Party once tried to destroy religion. It failed. And today, according to some estimates, there are more Christians in China than Communist Party members. Up to 100 million will be celebrating across China this Easter weekend. But what it failed to destroy, the Party still wants to control. So, an officially atheist government effectively runs its own churches and controls the appointment of its own priests. Like Pastor Wu Weiqing from Beijing's Haidian Church. "We have to remember first of all we are a citizen of this country," he says. "And we are a citizen of the Kingdom of God. That comes second." Religion ban for Communist Party ex-officials So then I ask him this: "If Jesus were alive today, do you think he would be comfortable with the Communist Party government in China?" His reply comes without hesitation: "Absolutely. I think so." The comment is a perfect illustration of the Communist Party's latest grand plan for religious belief. Over the past two years, the authorities say they have been trying to develop their own, unique version of Christianity, "a Chinese Christian theology" according to one top official. Such a theology needs to be compatible with China's political development, which it seems clear, really means subservient to it. Dismay as church crosses removed in China In this view of faith then it is easy to see why even Jesus finds himself being welcomed into the Communist fold. Not everyone is ready to sign up, of course. Inside a small, cramped apartment, a group of 10 people studies the Bible and sings hymns. This is one of the hundreds of unofficial "home" churches in the city of Beijing. Attendees run the constant risk of harassment, and sometimes detention, by the authorities. Xu Yonghai, leading the prayers today, has served a number of jail terms. "Official churches are in fact just political institutes," he says. "It is impossible for us to leave Jesus and follow the Party." In many ways, even the "home" churches have much more freedom than would have been imaginable 40 years ago. And as with many things in China, cycles of repression and relative relaxation, come and go. But with the Party's recent emphasis on making religion "compatible with the country's path of socialism" some fear that the room for freedom of worship is about to become even smaller. So too will the possibility of religion acting as a critical, independent voice of conscience in modern day China. "I choose to lead a Christian life within the law," Pastor Wu from the official church in Beijing says. "I certainly will not do what the government does not allow me to do, let's say, preach the gospel in the subway to cause a lot of people to come to me and as a result the street or the
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The $116m (£74m) deal is a big step by Penguin Books into the rapidly expanding self-publishing industry. Penguin said the deal gave it a leading position in a sector that has entered the mainstream in the past three years. But some have criticised the buy-out, with one authors' body saying it could threaten the rights of new writers. The growth of e-book readers and tablet computers has prompted a change in the route taken by authors, with increasing numbers choosing to bypass traditional publishers and release and market their own titles. Some 150,000 writers have published their work through ASI since it was established in 2007. In 2011, 211,000 titles were self-published in either print or digital form - an increase of almost 60 percent on the previous year. EL James' erotic novel, Fifty Shades of Grey, which became the first book to sell more than one million copies on Amazon's Kindle e-reading device, began as a self-published title. Penguin chief executive, John Makinson, said that buying Author Solutions "will allow Penguin to participate fully in perhaps the fastest-growing area of the publishing economy and gain skills in customer acquisition and data analytics that will be vital to our future". But Deputy General Secretary of The Society of Authors, Kate Pool, said the deal is "misleading" to budding writers. "Companies like those in the ASI stable claim to be self-publishing but are not," she claimed. "The author pays for certain services but in return the work is generally produced only as print-on-demand and the author is obliged to give the company exclusive rights, and will be paid only a royalty. "Our concern is that ASI companies are very misleading to aspiring authors. They are not self-publishing, nor are they proper publishers - though the apparent endorsement of the Penguin/Pearson brand may lead some authors to think they are," she added. Philip Jones, deputy editor of The Bookseller said it is "absolutely right" that Penguin is tapping into the self publishing market. "This is where writers are," he said, adding "they have recognised a gap in the market in indie publishing. "They are not buying a franchise, they are buying an infrastructure company. There's nothing retrograde about this decision to buy [ASI]." With access to an additional 1,600 members of staff, Penguin's takeover of ASI will provide it with the additional resources to forge ahead with plans to digitize its back catalogue of 16,000 titles within two years. Mick Rooney from The Independent Publishing Magazine said he has "no doubt" there will more deals like the one between Pearson and ASI. "Publishing - and what it once meant and how it's executed - is changing in process, as well as the myriad of developing e-markets. "I'd say the difference now is that the responsibility is squarely on the shoulders of the author to ensure money flows to the author through the decisions he or she takes," he said. "Traditional publishing and self-publishing are both risks - the personal and financial value
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1 February 2017 Last updated at 08:13 GMT Home: A VR Spacewalk lets you look down on the Earth from space before going on an emergency mission. BBC Click's Lara Lewington put on her VR headset to see what it was like. See more at Click's website and @BBCClick.
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Rangers went close through Jason Holt and Waghorn before the two combined to break Hamilton's resistance, the Englishman heading Holt's cross into the top corner. Waghorn made it two from close range after being teed up by Lee Wallace. Hamilton rallied and pulled one back when Danny Redmond's cross found Dougie Imrie, who tapped in from close range. Media playback is not supported on this device The result ensured Hamilton's miserable record against Rangers was extended, with the home side yet to beat the Ibrox club on league business in 78 years. Rangers are now eight points behind Celtic on 35 points, but the Parkhead club have three games in hand. Mark Warburton's side were the slightly more dominant team in the first half although it was Hamilton who - until the goal - had the best chance of the 45 minutes when Greg Docherty robbed James Tavernier on the byeline. He cut into the box, but tried a shot from a narrow angle when the cut-back was the better option. Docherty, who had been impressive, was injured in the challenge and had to limp off to be replaced by Massimo Donati. Then just a minute before half-time Holt cut the ball back and Waghorn's powerful header rattled in off the bar for his second league goal of the season. It was becoming increasingly clear that Warburton's surprising decision to include Waghorn was spot on. Early in the second half he scored his second. Great work down the left by Wallace set him up and he had a straightforward job of volleying the ball into the net. Rangers were now cruising. Alex D'Acol did come close with a drive for Accies, but the visitors had a real grip on the game and Waghorn was running riot with growing confidence, setting up chances for Tavernier and twice for Garner. Hamilton's star player Ali Crawford - who is enjoying a wonderful season - was unusually quiet. At times Accies were in pieces. They were caught on a counter-attack that saw Tavernier run 60 yards only to blast the ball over the bar with the goalkeeper at his mercy. Waghorn was denied his hat-trick opportunity with Warburton taking him off with 14 minutes to go to give him the chance to take a standing ovation from the support. But within a minute he might have been regretting that decision. Imrie pulled a goal back at the right-hand post, sliding the ball home just seconds after he failed to do so at the other post. It made for a grandstand and nervous finish, but Rangers hung on, and Accies still have not beaten them in the league since 10 December 1938. Hamilton player-manager Martin Canning: "We started the game really well. I thought Rangers came into it. It looked like we were going to go in at the break all square. They score right before half-time which is a good time for them to get a goal. "The second goal was always going to
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Hisham Barakat died in hospital after a bomb attack on his car in the Cairo suburb of Heliopolis in June 2015. The plot was "carried out on the orders of the Muslim Brotherhood in close coordination with Hamas", Egypt's interior minister said on Sunday. Mr Barakat had sent thousands of Islamists for trial since the overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi in 2013. Hamas has accused Egypt of collaborating with Israel to try to further isolate Gaza amid tension over Egypt's closures of the Rafah border crossing and its destruction of tunnels between Gaza and Egypt. "This plot was carried out on the orders of the Muslim Brotherhood... in close coordination with Hamas, which played a very important role in the assassination of the chief prosecutor from start to finish," Interior Minister Magdy Abdel Ghaffar told reporters. He said Hamas had provided explosives and training in Gaza. On Saturday six people were arrested on suspicion of involvement in the assassination. Mr Barakat was the most senior state official murdered since the 2013 overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood. Hundreds of Islamists have been sentenced to death or life imprisonment, as part of a crackdown on supporters of the banned group.
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Janet Easton-Berry, 53, will lead congregations in Bracadale and Duirinish. Her career in the past has included working among elephants, lions and rhinos on several game reserves in Kwazulu-Natal Province. She was also a social worker on Mull and a probationer minister in Aberdeen. Ms Easton-Berry originally moved to the UK in 2000 to work as a social worker in London. She studied theology part-time at the University of the Highlands and Islands' Highland Theological College in Dingwall while working as a community social worker on Mull. Ms Easton-Berry was working as a probationer minister in Aberdeen until last year. The role on Skye is her first full-time position with the Church of Scotland. She said: "I am inspired by faith and very much looking forward to getting to know and serve the community. "Being a minister is the best job in the world because it is such a privilege to walk alongside people and hear their stories." She added: "I have worked in different fields but skills are transferable, so I carry what I have learned with me which will help me in my ministry." The Reverend David Kellas, moderator of the Presbytery of Lochcarron and Skye, described the move as a "significant development" for the church.
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It will be Gloucester's fourth groundshare since a 2007 flood forced them out of Meadow Park, their home stadium since 1986. The deal with Evesham is for one year, with the option for a second season. The Tigers have previously shared with Cheltenham Town, Forest Green Rovers and Cirencester Town. "We fully appreciate that this is a longer distance for fans to travel, but must stress that there are no options closer to home with the required grading," a club statement said. "Even taking voluntary relegation (which we do not believe is in the best interests of the club) would not open other suitably graded options within the city. Media playback is not supported on this device "We will of course look at ways to help fans with transport to and from games. "With regards to the building of our new ground we are seeking details of timelines from our owner, and will look to share that as soon as we can. "We would like to extend our sincerest thanks to Cheltenham Town for their continued help over the seasons we have ground-shared at Whaddon Road." In September, planning permission was approved to permit initial work on building a new ground for the club. Gloucester are 12th the league table, 11 points outside the play-off places and 11 points above the relegation zone. Take part in our Premier League Predictor game, which allows you to create leagues with friends.
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The 22-year-old, who made his England debut against France in August, has had surgery to repair the injury. "He's likely to be out for a couple of months while it heals," Exeter head coach Rob Baxter told BBC Radio Devon. "The way Luke plays he does chuck himself around and a few weeks off isn't going to do the rest of his body any harm." Cowan-Dickie had been Exeter's first-choice hooker at the start of this season, having been one of the final players to be cut from the England squad before this year's World Cup. And while it puts his chances of a call-up for the Six Nations in doubt, Baxter believes the player does have a future with England. "He probably is one of the most exciting young players in the Premiership at the moment and I think he's played really well at the start of the season," Baxter said. "Some of his defending is outstanding, his line speed, the quality of his chop tackling and his set piece is coming on all the time. "Although he'll be frustrated, I don't think it's the end of the story for him as far as England is concerned."
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Paul Callaghan will replace Margaret Fay, who joined the agency from Tyne Tees Television six years ago. Mr Callaghan chairs Leighton, the North East-based technology, software, media and communications group. The government is reviewing the future of regional development agencies, but said the North East was a region where agency support was necessary. Alan Clarke, One North East's chief executive, said: "Finding a new chairman to replace Margaret was always going to be a tough task but in Paul we have a worthy successor. "He is a highly respected businessman and entrepreneur - a passionate advocate for business and e-commerce in the region who has worked closely with Margaret both as a board member and more recently as deputy chairman." Mr Clarke also paid tribute to Mrs Fay as an "outstanding ambassador for the North East". Mr Callaghan, 57, will formally take over the role on 16 August. He said: "I am delighted and honoured to have been asked to be the next chairman of One North East. "The coming years are a crucial time for this region and I want to help build on the agency's tremendous achievements over the last decade."
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The then prime minister made the remark in response to a civil servant's memo about the conclusions of the Taylor report into the 1989 tragedy. The memo said then Home Secretary Douglas Hurd intended to welcome the "broad thrust" of the report. But the PM urged him to welcome its "thoroughness and recommendations". The details are contained in previously unpublished cabinet papers about the disaster, in which 96 Liverpool football fans lost their lives. David Cameron issued a "profound apology" on Wednesday after an independent report into previously unseen documents showed the police had failed to do enough to help victims and had also tried to blame Liverpool fans. Among the new documents released on Wednesday was a memo from a senior civil servant to Baroness Thatcher about the interim report into the tragedy by Lord Justice Taylor. She was told the August 1989 report had found that the chief superintendent in charge at Hillsborough had "behaved in an indecisive fashion" and senior officers had infuriated the judge by seeking to "duck all responsibility when giving evidence" to his inquiry. The memo made it clear that Mr Hurd thought South Yorkshire Chief Constable Peter Wright would have to resign, adding: "The enormity of the disaster, and the extent to which the inquiry blames the police, demand this." And it added: "The defensive, and at times close to deceitful, behaviour by the senior officers in South Yorkshire sounds depressingly familiar. Too many senior policemen seem to lack the capacity or character to perceive and admit faults in their organisation." The report, the memo added, would "sap confidence in the police force" and could encourage aggressive behaviour by fans who would feel "vindicated" by its conclusions. But in a handwritten note, Mrs Thatcher made it clear that she did not want to give the government's full backing to Lord Taylor's criticisms, only to the way in which he had conducted his inquiry and made recommendations for action. She wrote: "What do we mean by 'welcoming the broad thrust of the report'? The broad thrust is devastating criticism of the police. Is that for us to welcome? Surely we welcome the thoroughness of the report and its recommendations - M.T." The prime minister had already been warned the interim report was "very damning" of police but attached "little or no blame" to Liverpool fans. The papers also provide detail about the logistics of Baroness Thatcher's visit to Sheffield on the day after the Hillsborough disaster, and her attendance at a memorial service in Liverpool, but do not reveal what briefing she was given by South Yorkshire Police. The papers also show the government briefly considered withdrawing from the 1990 World Cup in Italy in response to the Hillsborough tragedy. The possibility was discussed by a government committee amid fears that the tournament would provide a "natural focus" for hooliganism. In a letter to Mrs Thatcher in September 1989, the then deputy prime minister Geoffrey Howe said it would be "premature to reach a
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The 28-year-old Northern Irishman was treated for a stress fracture to the ribs earlier in the year and pulled out of May's PGA Championship at Wentworth. He also missed this weekend's Memorial Tournament with the US Open beginning on 15 June. "I am ready for Erin Hills and looking forward to playing there for the first time," said McIlroy. The injury, which McIlroy suffered in the close season, flared up as he lost a play-off to Graeme Storm at the South African Open in January. The four-time major winner did not play again until the WGC-Mexico Championship in March. McIlroy felt discomfort at the Players Championship at Sawgrass last month and was "advised to take a conservative approach" to his recovery. "The last few weeks have obviously been frustrating," he told the Guardian. "I never like to miss events either on the PGA Tour or European Tour, but it was important I got back to a level of fitness where I felt like I could give myself the best possible chance at the US Open. "As I have said many times before, majors will ultimately determine my golf career, but I have had the rest of this busy season to consider as well." The US Open takes place at Erin Hills in Wisconsin from 15-18 June.
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Named the Silk Series, professional and amateur jockeys will compete in nine Ladies' Day races in 2017. The top six finishers will be awarded points on a sliding scale, with first getting 20 and sixth getting two. The overall winner will win The Tufnell Trophy in memory of Meriel Tufnell MBE, who was Great Britain's first female Champion Jockey in 1972. The new series has been announced during Women's Sport Week. "This will be a great boost to the opportunities available to female amateur jockeys next year," said amateur jockey Hayley Moore. "It is always positive to have a chance to race against professional jockeys for good prize money on racedays with big crowds and The Silk Series promises to deliver all of these things. "I hope to have the chance to ride in several of the races and even have a go at competing for The Tufnell Trophy." Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox.
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Ben Finch, 42, was killed when his BMW M3 caught fire after it hit a tree in Selhurstpark Road, near Goodwood Racecourse on 29 November. Sussex Police said DNA tests confirmed he was the driver and his family had been informed. Firefighters tackled the blaze but Mr Finch, who was the only person in the car, died at the scene. Officers want to speak to the driver of a Land Rover Defender that was at the scene after the crash at about 15:30 GMT on the day of the crash.
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The North Atlantic Subpolar Gyre affects the weather of the North Atlantic and Europe, and also plays a part in the formation of hurricanes. The research has so far helped to better predict stormy conditions for the UK in the forthcoming winter. The work involves Southampton, Oban, Oxford and Liverpool based scientists. The researchers have been leaving instruments below the surface of the sea off Rockall, an eroded volcano that lies 260 miles (418km) west of the Western Isles, and off Cape Farewell in Greenland. Small robotic submarines called gliders have also been used to gather data. The information that is being amassed includes the temperature of a northward flow of warm water between Rockall and Scotland. The warm water cools and sinks to the bottom of the ocean in the area north of Iceland, and can be seen as a returning southward flow of cold water off southern Greenland. Dr Penny Holliday, of the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) which is leading the research, said it was important to gain a better understanding of the subpolar gyre. Along with other research, the study of it has already helped to create more accurate models predicting stormy weather this coming winter, she said. Dr Holliday added that understanding and recording conditions now would also help in predicting changes to climate in the future. Led by NOC, the research project - UK-OSNAP - is a partnership between the Southampton-headquartered oceanography centre, Scottish Association for Marine Science in Oban, University of Oxford and University of Liverpool. UK-OSNAP is part of a much larger international project involving the US, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands and China and backed by funding of almost £30m. So far, elements of the five-year UK research that began in 2013 have taken the UK scientists to Rockall where instruments are being left in the Rockall Trough for a year at a time before being recovered and replaced with more equipment. Gliders have also been used to gather more instantaneous information. The instruments off Cape Farewell are left in the water for two years. The North Atlantic Subpolar Gyre not only affects the climate of the North Atlantic and Europe, but also the rainfall in places such as the Sahel in Africa, the Amazon and parts of the US.
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The firm said in a statement that Mr Yim had returned after "assisting in certain investigations" in mainland China. Neither Mr Yim nor the company were the subject of the investigation, it added. Several high profile Chinese executives have gone missing or been detained in the past few months. Guotai Junan International's parent company, Guo Tai Junan Securities, is one of the biggest in mainland China. The mystery behind China's 'missing' bosses Mr Yim went missing on 18 November. Guotai Junan International's shares fell as much as 17% when it first announced that it could not contact Mr Yim, and had to appoint a temporary replacement. In a statement, Guo Tai Junan International said it was informed of Mr Yim's whereabouts on Tuesday, and that he "had been assisting in certain investigations carried out by Mainland authorities during the period he was unable to be reached". It said Mr Yim would resume his duties as chairman, executive director and chief executive officer as of Wednesday. "The board confirms that the current operations of the company are normal and stable," it added. In a similar case earlier this month, high-profile Chinese tycoon Guo Guangchang went missing for several days. His company also later revealed The Fosun International chairman had been assisting authorities with a probe. Mr Guo said he could not give more details as the investigation was "sensitive". The Chinese authorities have launched a campaign against corruption in the financial sector, following a severe slump in China's stock market over the summer.
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James Corfield, 19, of Montgomery Young Farmers' Club, was last seen at the White Horse pub in Builth Wells in the early hours of Tuesday. He later failed to meet family at the showground where he had been camping with friends. Officers are searching the river and the force helicopter is involved. Brecon Mountain Rescue team said it was called out to conduct a specialist search of the river in the area on Tuesday evening, and a daylight search continues on Wednesday. A spokesman from the team warned "there are sections of fast moving water, deep pools and unstable banks" and urged the public to stay away from the river. Mr Corfield's family and Montgomery Young Farmers' Club have appealed for information about his whereabouts on social media. Powys council is planning to send 30 staff to help with the search, while the Wales Federation of Young Farmers Clubs has asked for volunteers to help look for him. Police are also asking residents to check gardens, sheds and outbuildings for him. Mr Corfield is described as 6ft 2in tall, of slim build, with short brown hair and he was last seen wearing a blue Abercrombie and Fitch shirt and jeans.
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Mainstay Marine Solutions will complete the first stage of an energy converter project for wave technology company Wave-Tricity. Wave-Tricity secured £4m in EU funding in September to develop and test a new device called the Ocean Wave Rower. It will be trialled in a wave energy site off the south Pembrokeshire coast for two years from February 2017. Mainstay, which build boats and marine energy devices, employs 80 people. Managing director Stewart Graves said: "We are looking forward to working closely with Wave-Tricity on this pioneering scheme."
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Lawyers for Mr Zimmerman, 29, argued he acted in self-defence and with justifiable use of deadly force in the death of Trayvon Martin. The jury retired on Friday to consider its verdict on charges of either second-degree murder or manslaughter. The case sparked a fierce debate about racial profiling in the US. Spontaneous protest marches were staged overnight in US cities including San Francisco, Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington and Atlanta, US media reported. Police and community leaders appealed for calm in Sanford, the Florida town where the shooting took place. After the verdict, Judge Deborah Nelson told Mr Zimmerman he was free to go. "Your bond will be released. Your GPS monitor will be cut off when you exit the courtroom over here. And you have no further business with the court," Judge Nelson said. Mr Zimmerman showed little reaction as the verdict was read out. "Hopefully everyone will respect the jury's verdict," his lawyer Mark O'Mara told reporters after the case. He said Mr Zimmerman would now have to be "very cautious and protective of his safety because there is still a fringe element who have said that they would revenge - that they would not listen to - a verdict of not guilty." US media on Zimmerman verdict Another member of his defence team, Don West, said: "I'm thrilled that this jury kept this tragedy from becoming a travesty." The BBC's David Willis, in Florida, says the case brought into sharp relief some of the most divisive issues in the United States: race, gun control and equal justice under the law. Florida police did not arrest Mr Zimmerman for six weeks after the shooting, provoking mass rallies in Florida and throughout the US. Police justified their decision not to detain him by citing the state's controversial "stand your ground" law, which allows a citizen to use lethal force if he or she feels in imminent danger. Police initially said the law prevented them from bringing charges. Benjamin Crump, the Martin family lawyer, said: "Trayvon Martin will forever remain in the annals of history... as a symbol for the fight for equal justice for all." He, too, appealed for calm, saying "for Trayvon to rest in peace, we must all be peaceful". The family's legal team said they were not in the courtroom when the verdict was read out. State Attorney Angela Corey said she believed prosecutors had "brought out the truth on behalf of Trayvon Martin". "This case has never been about race or the right to bear arms,'' she said. "We believe this case all along was about boundaries, and George Zimmerman exceeded those boundaries." As the jury retired on Friday, the judge told the panel of six women to consider whether Mr Zimmerman acted in self-defence and with justifiable use of deadly force. Without explicitly discussing race, the prosecution had suggested Mr Zimmerman assumed the African-American teenager, who was wearing a hooded sweatshirt as he walked in the rain, was up to no good. But the defence
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Austria is second only to Belgium in the number of foreign jihadists per capita who have left a European Union country to fight in Syria and Iraq. More than half of them were of Chechen origin. But, in recent months, efforts by the government and by the community mean that fewer are setting off for the Middle East. Islamic State crisis in seven charts Islamic State group: The full story Islamic State: What is the attraction for young Europeans? Tracing Britain's jihadists On a Vienna housing estate, a martial arts class is underway. The boys, who come from Austria's marginalised Chechen community, are learning Latar Do, a new form of martial arts. Their parents hope that sport will keep them off the streets - and out of the hands of radical Islamists. Around 150 Austrian Chechens have gone to fight in Syria and Iraq in the last three years - and families here are nervous. "The boys have a lot of energy, a lot of power," their trainer Adam Bisaev told me. "If we don't channel that, they could do drugs or go and fight. This is the opposite. It is good for their future." Thirty thousand Chechens live in Austria, making it one of the largest Chechen communities in Europe. Life is not always easy for Chechens here. Adam Bisaev, who came to Vienna as a refugee in 2003, says they often face prejudice. He founded the club, which also provides language classes, to help people integrate. Two years ago, in response to the increasing numbers of radicalised youth, he helped set up a Chechen council to focus on the good example set by many young Chechens in work or studying. "As a community we weren't well organised," he said. "For parents it's not simple to bring up their children in this society. They lose control, the community loses it and then the young people receive proposals: You can go to Syria and be a hero. "Since we've had the Chechen council, the first question has been our youth." It is not just Chechens in Austria who have gone off to be foreign fighters. The phenomenon has affected other minority communities here - notably those of Bosnian, Balkan and Arab origin, as well as a number of Austrian converts to Islam. In 2014, two Viennese Bosnian teenage girls, Samra and Sabina, went to Syria, where they reportedly married fighters from so-called Islamic State. A Muslim preacher, Mirsad Omerovic, known as Ebu Tejma, is currently on trial, accused of recruiting young Austrians to join IS. But over the past year, the number of Austrians setting off to become foreign fighters has decreased. Karl Heinz Grundboeck, spokesman for the Interior Ministry, says that IS propaganda "is not so effective now." "We have more information and co-operation with the communities and it is not so easy for Daesh [IS] to convince people to join this fight. "Secondly we have had a number of successful investigations resulting in arrests." Mr Grundboeck says Austria
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The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is now overseeing 43 such inquiries, up from 29 announced last year. All concern the Metropolitan Police. They relate to allegations of wrongdoing in cases involving prominent individuals or police officers. The IPCC said the claims being looked at related to "child sex offences dating from the 1970s to the 2000s". It is overseeing probes by the Met's Professional Standards Department. A IPCC spokesman said: "They all concern allegations of suppressing evidence, hindering or halting investigations, or covering up alleged offences because of the involvement of prominent individuals or police officers." Many of the investigations stem from allegations made by retired Met Police officers. The IPCC said it was also managing one investigation into Essex Police, while there is another, independent investigation being carried out into Sussex Police - making a total of 45. One of the 43 Met inquiries relates to the actions of police investigating the case of Vishal Mehrotra, an eight-year-old boy who went missing on the day of the Royal Wedding in 1981. His remains were found six months later in Sussex.
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The Bluebirds playing budget has been scaled back since their solitary season in the Premier League in 2013/14. But Warnock is confident he can challenge at the top of the Championship with financial backing. "It's a matter of talking to Vincent and trying to encourage him to give it another go really," he said. In stating his ambitions for the Bluebirds, 68-year old Warnock dropped his biggest hint yet that he wants to continue in the post beyond the end of the season. Listen: Cardiff City podcast "We all want to have a go at promotion from this division really and certainly in my circumstances and at my age I'm no different anyone else," he told BBC Wales Sport. "It's just great to be able to see him face to face, talk to the main man really and tell him what your plans. "I'm very enthusiastic about the club, I think it's made to measure for me. I hope that we can have a really good conversation about the future." The Malaysian businessman, who became owner of Cardiff in May 2010, will not be at the Bluebirds Servernside derby against Bristol City on Saturday as the team try to pull away from the bottom three in the Championship. And Warnock doesn't see the meeting as a chance for him to charm Tan into giving him a big transfer budget. "I think it's an opportunity for the club as well not just me," he added. "The club's got an opportunity to stabilise and look to future and look to be positive about what could possibly happen next year rather than doom and gloom. "The opportunity is there, the staff is almost in place and the playing side doesn't need an awful lot to do with it. "It's just a matter of pruning it and the getting that little bit of help to get that one player up front that you need when you get injuries. "You need a couple of choices." Warnock has ruled out spending big money in the January transfer window having already had a bid rejected for Aberdeen winger Johnny Hayes. But he would like support for Kenneth Zohore who has now established himself as the club's first choice forward. "I don't think we're going to be able to spend money on a top class striker in this window," he said. "We'll have to go with what we've got and try and get a loan player in. "I've made an offer for a couple of players as you know and that sort of money is what I'm looking at for this window." Warnock has though performed a U-turn on the future of defender Bruno Ecuele Manga who he would now like to stay once he returns from international duty with Gabon at the African Cup of Nations. "I think an MLS club made an enquiry for him but the way I feel at the moment, I'm quite happy to keep him," Warnock confirmed. "If I can do business
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14 March 2016 Last updated at 20:34 GMT The tax cut was agreed as part of the Fresh Start deal and is due to take effect in 2018. It means companies in Northern Ireland will have profits taxed at 12.5% compared to 19% in the rest of the UK. BBC News NI's Economics and Business Editor John Campbell reports from the US.
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Toys from China, copper from Chile, T-shirts from Bangladesh, wine from New Zealand, coffee from Ethiopia, and tomatoes from Spain. Like it or not, globalisation is a fundamental feature of the modern economy. In the early 1960s, world trade in merchandise was less than 20% of world economic output, or gross domestic product (GDP). Now, it is around 50% but not everyone is happy about it. There is probably no other issue where the anxieties of ordinary people are so in conflict with the near-unanimous approval of economists. Arguments over trade tend to frame globalisation as a policy - maybe even an ideology - fuelled by acronymic trade deals like TRIPS and TTIP. But perhaps the biggest enabler of globalisation has not been a free trade agreement, but a simple invention: the shipping container. It is just a corrugated steel box, 8ft (2.4m) wide, 8ft 6in (2.6m) high, and 40ft (12m) long but its impact has been huge. BBC World Service's 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy programme highlights the inventions, ideas and innovations that helped create the global economy. You can find more information about its sources and listen online or download the programme podcast. Consider how a typical trade journey looked before its invention. In 1954, an unremarkable cargo ship, the SS Warrior, carried merchandise from New York to Bremerhaven in Germany. It held just over 5,000 tonnes of cargo - including food, household goods, letters and vehicles - which were carried as 194,582 separate items in 1,156 different shipments. Just keeping track of the consignments as they moved around the dockside warehouses was a nightmare. But the real challenge was physically loading such ships. Longshoremen would pile the cargo onto a wooden pallet on the dock. The pallet would be hoisted in a sling and deposited in the hold. More longshoremen carted each item into a snug corner of the ship, poking the merchandise with steel hooks until it settled into place against the curves and bulkheads of the hold, skilfully packed so that it would not shift on the high seas. There were cranes and forklifts but much of the merchandise, from bags of sugar heavier than a man to metal bars the weight of a small car, was shifted with muscle power. This was dangerous work. In a large port, someone would be killed every few weeks. In 1950, New York averaged half a dozen serious incidents every day, and its port was safer than many. Researchers studying the SS Warrior's trip to Bremerhaven concluded the ship had taken ten days to load and unload, as much time as it had spent crossing the Atlantic. In today's money, the cargo cost around $420 (£335) a tonne to move. Given typical delays in sorting and distributing the cargo by land, the whole journey might take three months. Sixty years ago, then, shipping goods internationally was costly, chancy, and immensely time-consuming. Surely there had to be a better way? Indeed there was: put all the cargo
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The Netherlands centre-back, 26, is wanted by a number of clubs and had said he wanted to move to Liverpool. In July, Saints manager Mauricio Pellegrino said that he ordered the Dutchman to train alone. "I would like Southampton to consider the interest in me from top clubs should it still exist," Van Dijk said. "I have been left frustrated by the club's position that I am not for sale and am disappointed that enquiries from multiple top clubs have been consistently rebuffed. "I am incredibly ambitious and want to achieve as much as I possibly can to fulfil my potential in what is a very short career as a professional footballer. "I can confirm that I was asked about my frame of mind and for all of the reasons mentioned above I was open and honest in saying that I did not feel I was in a settled mindset given the circumstances. "As a proud professional I am insulted by the suggestion that it was me who refused to train and so feel it is important to point out the true version of events." Van Dijk said he handed in the request after claiming Southampton were about to fine him two weeks wages. "I had very much hoped to retain the good relationship I've always enjoyed with everyone at the club, especially the fans, but unfortunately in light of everything that's happened this has now been seriously affected." The former Celtic player has been strongly linked with a move to Liverpool this summer as well as attracting interest from Premier League champions Chelsea and Manchester City. However the Anfield club said they ended their interest in June after Saints said they were going to report them to the Premier League for making an alleged illegal approach. And at the weekend Reds boss Jurgen Klopp said he was happy with his centre-back options. "We have four. I don't think we need more. In the moment I'm fine," said the German. "We are open until 31 August. We cannot force things and we would never get a centre-back 'just because.'" The Saints have said in the past that they will not sell Van Dijk. He signed a new six-year contract in May 2016, having joined Southampton for £13m from Celtic in September 2015. Van Dijk missed the final five months of the 2016-17 season after picking up an ankle injury following a challenge by Leicester City's Jamie Vardy in Southampton's 3-0 win at St Mary's on 22 January. It forced him to miss the EFL Cup final loss to Manchester United at Wembley. Former Arsenal and England striker Ian Wright on BBC Radio 5 live If you want to go you have got to do that. I'm sure someone has told him you're going to need to push this more. If it is Liverpool who want him they have got to be seen to have nothing to do with anything. Southampton sell players - that's what they do. He signed a
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The Swans have rejected a £40m offer from Everton for the Iceland midfielder, who they value at £50m, while Leicester have also had a bid turned down this summer. Sigurdsson did not travel with Swansea for their tour of the United States. The 27-year-old has since returned to first-team training.
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The American, 41, winner of 14 majors, has not played since withdrawing from the Dubai Desert Classic on 3 February with ongoing back spasms. This year marks the 20th anniversary of his first Masters win and he said: "I did about everything I could to play." Woods also missed the 2014 and 2016 Masters tournaments because of injury. He won the last of his 14 major titles at the US Open in June 2008 and has since had surgery on his knee and back. After an absence of 17 months, he returned to the PGA Tour in January but missed the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open after rounds of 76 and 72 and was injured again after an opening round of 77 in Dubai the following week. "My back rehabilitation didn't allow me the time to get tournament ready," Woods said in a statement on his website. "I'm especially upset because it's a special anniversary for me that's filled with a lot of great memories. Find out how to get into golf with our special guide. "I have no timetable for my return, but I will continue my diligent effort to recover, and want to get back out there as soon as possible." Woods said he would still be at Augusta National's clubhouse on Tuesday for the annual Champions Dinner ahead of the year's opening major, which starts on Thursday. Iain Carter, BBC golf correspondent "Woods has been struggling with back injuries for quite some time now. There was an awful lot of optimism that this would be the year he would make a successful comeback to competitive golf. "But having played only three rounds before succumbing to yet more back problems, no surprise he has not managed to make it in time for what is always an arduous test at the Masters. "It's always a blow for golf when Woods doesn't play because he remains the biggest calling card in the game but there are a crop of young players who are at the very top of the game who are really driving it forward. "But it would have been a huge boost for the game if Tiger Woods had been back at Augusta - and competitive - at the first major of the year."
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It's because she has inherited the faulty BRAC1 gene, putting her at high risk of cancer. Her mother, aunt and grandmother all died of the disease. While most women who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer are over 45, The Teenage Cancer Trust say it is getting more common in teenagers and younger women. Jenna Mansfield from Bristol told Newsbeat she was really shocked when she was diagnosed with breast cancer aged 28. She has the same genetic mutation as Angelina Jolie, but presumed she wouldn't have to worry until later. She said: "From what I'd heard, and even been told by the doctors, that even with the gene, I was unlikely to get it before my mid thirties." Like Angelina, who's almost 40, Jenna had both her breasts removed. She thinks she will also have to have her ovaries removed, but that comes with certain risks because of her age. "The problem with having your ovaries removed when you're young is that you go through early menopause. Obviously that means not being able to have children, but it also puts you at higher risk of heart disease and osteoporosis." Whilst Jenna has been told she is not at a high risk of ovarian cancer until she's over 40, she says she doesn't believe that, because she got breast cancer younger than expected. "Statistically, sure you're less likely to get breast cancer under 30, but if you're that one that does gets it then it's kind of 100%, for you." She's glad Angelina Jolie has chosen to speak out: "I think it's great that she's publicising her health choices, the more she talks about it the more it raises awareness and the more we can get everyone talking about it the better."
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Midfielder Martin, 29, recently left Millwall after his contract expired, having played 69 games in three years with the Lions. Defender Oshilaja, 23, spent most of last season on loan with the Gills. "For me, Lee's a Championship player. I think we've secured a real talent," said Gillingham boss Justin Edinburgh. "I think we all know Deji's qualities. He's a fantastic centre-half and he and Max Ehmer will form a formidable partnership this season." Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.
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The submarine was training with the navy 34 miles (55km) off The Lizard on Tuesday. It was below the surface when it became entangled in the nets of Daytona, a trawler registered to Saint-Brieuc, north west France. There were no casualties and both vessels were safe, the navy said. More on the incident, plus more Devon and Cornwall news "The submarine immediately surfaced and made contact with the trawler," French maritime authorities said in a statement. Falmouth Coastguards and the Maritime Accident Investigation Branch were made aware. In 2004, five crew died when the French trawler Bugaled Breizh sank off The Lizard. The families of the victims claim the trawler was dragged underwater by a submarine involved in an international military exercise, but courts ruled there is no supporting evidence.
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Louise Walsh originally started work on the sculpture in 2006. It was commissioned by Derry City Council and was to be located at King Street in the Waterside. That was then changed to Harbour Square due to planning problems. The original cost of the project was £90,000. Planning permission has still not been granted. Ms Walsh told Derry City and Strabane District Council on Tuesday that she was "ready to walk away if the project doesn't soon get the go ahead. "The original funding is almost gone because of delays and the price of metal. The city is now going to have to find the funding. "Getting the planning permission is the big thing at the minute. I've always been hopeful that things will go ahead. I've hung on by the skin of my teeth sometimes. "There has to be a point where you say enough. If there's a no from planning then that's it for me." Louise Walsh had hoped that the piece would be ready for Derry's year as UK City of Culture in 2013. At the turn of the 20th century, there were more than 30 shirt factories in Derry. The firms employed thousands of people, mostly women and girls.
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The initiative is aimed at improving the public image of a force with a reputation for corruption and abuse. Inspectors have been monitoring officers on duty to identify the worst offenders, state media said. Several countries have taken action on overweight police in recent years as global obesity rates soar. "Little officers or those with too big a belly will be moved to work in offices so they do not come into contact with the public," Hanoi traffic police chief Col Dao Vinh Tang said. Overweight police officers will be required to undergo regular physical training. In addition, all police on duty will be required to carry an official code of conduct to remind them how to behave, official newspaper Tien Phong reported. It is the latest step taken to try to improve the image of Hanoi's traffic police force, which has faced frequent complaints as it manages the city's hectic flow of vehicles. In 2011 officers were banned from wearing sunglasses or hiding behind trees to ambush unwary motorists and extract fines. And in January, specially trained women police officers were deployed at key junctions to win over the public. A World Bank survey of perceived corruption in Vietnam last year ranked traffic police as the worst offenders. In recent years countries including the UK, Mexico and South Africa have introduced measures to help police officers lose weight, as expanding waistlines and reduced fitness hamper the fight against crime.
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Blue-fronted Amazon parrot Charlie went missing from the Tropical Butterfly House, Wildlife & Falconry Centre, near Sheffield, on Wednesday. She was spotted by shoppers at Tesco in Dinnington, about two miles from home. It is thought the wind blew her off course and she was unable to find her way home. Abigail Carter, from the centre, said Charlie was found in a tree, covered in crumbs, and munching on the chocolate biscuit, given to her by a group of teenagers. She said although chocolate was not good for parrots, she praised the actions of the youngsters for keeping Charlie occupied for long enough for them to get to her. More on this and other stories from across Yorkshire Charlie was found on Thursday after an appeal on social media. Ms Carter also thanked everyone who had helped with the search for Charlie, who went missing during a flying display at the centre. She said the response to the appeal had been fantastic. To mark her return, Charlie, who is celebrating her 19th birthday, was treated to a special "non-chocolate" cake made from her usual diet of fruit, vegetables and mixed seeds.
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Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW) currently checks premises providing non-surgical laser or Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) skin procedures. It also wants the government to look at the risks of mobile laser services, botox and dermal fillers. The Welsh government said more regulation may be given in the future. HIW has visited 24 premises since April 2015 after reports they were dodging registration and is currently investigating a further 37. In 2014/15, it followed up just 10 reports of unregistered premises. Reports typically come from registered practitioners or from members of the public. Registration with HIW costs around £500 per year and is based on inspection of premises and equipment. However, it does not include an assessment of the practitioner's training or ability. Laser and IPL treatment are commonly used for treating skin blemishes or for hair or tattoo removal. Alun Jones, director of inspection, regulation and investigations for HIW, said since 2011 there has been a 70% increase in the number of registered laser services. He added: "We've become aware of more services which aren't registered and that's a criminal offence which can lead to a fine. "They sometimes dodge the regulation, don't want to pay the fee, don't want the scrutiny, but sometimes they're naïve and don't realise what's required of them under the regulations." HIW also wants a national register of non-surgical cosmetic practitioners. Locum consultant dermatologist Maria Gonzalez, who works in the NHS and private practice, said she had come across several patients who had suffered severe burns and scarring during laser treatment. "It's about how you manage those complications - about recognising there's a problem and stopping before it becomes a major disaster," she said. The Public Health (Wales) Bill is currently being scrutinised by the Welsh Assembly's health and social care committee and a report is expected at the end of November. The bill includes specific proposals for a licensing scheme for providers of tattoo, acupuncture, body piercing and electrolysis, which will be run by local authorities. But a Welsh government spokesman said: "Whilst certain procedures have not been included… the legislation enables ministers to amend, via regulations, the list of special procedures." A Welsh government Green Paper on NHS governance, which is currently out for consultation, is also expected to result in changes to the way HIW works.
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Ministers say they see no reason to change the law after a petition to the Welsh assembly. Petition organiser Monima O'Connor from Cardigan says invisible fences can protect pets from busy roads. The devices automatically shock animals through their collars if they wander too far from home. Electric shock collars have been illegal in Wales since 2010 and anyone using them can be fined £20,000 or jailed for up six months. The ban also applies to what are known as invisible or containment fences. They deliver a shock through the pet's collar if it crosses a boundary, such as a wire buried at the edge of a garden. A petition was handed in at the Senedd in January saying the law should be changed so pet owners can install the fences at home. However, in a letter to the assembly's petitions committee, a minister says the regulations were made because of the "physical and mental harm that could occur with the use of devices such as 'invisible' electric fences". Former Environment Minister John Griffiths, who has since been moved in a Cabinet reshuffle, wrote: "An electric shock is an electric shock whether caused by a remote or an underground circuit." He said regulations were reviewed periodically to make sure they are fit for purpose. "We will also review if there has been a change in the science of the use of these collars. "So far, no significant proposals or change has been seen to warrant an amendment or reversal of this legislation." Mrs O'Connor, 52, said she supports the ban on electric shock collars which are sold as training devices. But she said invisible fences were "harmless" and animals quickly learned to obey alarms which warn them they are about to be shocked. She started the petition when her two cats were killed on the road outside her home in Cardigan. Mrs O'Connor said there was a "huge difference" between invisible fences and the more powerful fences used on farms. "These things are absolutely harmless and they prevent pets from being run over," she said. She added she hoped that new Natural Resources Minister Alun Davies, who is responsible for animal welfare, would re-think the policy. AMs on the assembly's petitions committee are still looking at the petition which attracted more than 500 signatures. Last month the committee decided to seek the views of the Companion Animal Welfare Council which conducts studies and provides advice on animal welfare.
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Centre-back Anderson met Danny Swanson's hanging cross with a remarkable finish from a tight angle. Swanson was also the provider for the second goal after the break, feeding veteran striker MacLean, whose 20-yard strike flew into the top-left corner. Thistle wasted several chances as they slipped to a third loss in four games. Media playback is not supported on this device The hosts, who are now bottom of the Premiership, were forced to replace goalkeeper Tomas Cerny with Ryan Scully in the first-half after the Czech stopper damaged his foot in a one-on-one collision with Saints' Chris Kane. Without a Premiership victory since the opening day of the season, both teams were eager to get back to winning ways. For St Johnstone, there was also the aim of rectifying a poor recent record against Thistle, who had won the previous four meetings between the sides. The hosts were not dreadful. In the first half they had as many, if not more, chances than their visitors, but everything they sent towards goal was either wayward or tame. Anderson's goal was admirable in a variety of ways. Firstly there was the quality of the finish, turning in from the tightest of angles at the back post with the side of his left foot when the busy Swanson swung in a deep cross. But 60 seconds before the goal, a slightly exposed Anderson had intelligently thwarted a threatening-looking run by the jinking Partick striker Ade Azeez. Anderson, 30, is a loyal one-club man who has spent n his whole senior career with Saints to date. That's over 330 appearances since 2004 for the centre-back, which is a rarity in the era of short-term contracts and players who frequently move thinking the grass will be greener on the other side. Nominally playing on the right wing, but scampering here, there and everywhere, Swanson continued to show his worth for the away side. Not only has he scored seven goals so far this season, but he is creating them on a regular basis too. In addition to the delivery for Anderson's opener, it was Swanson who snapped up a loose pass in midfield to feed MacLean on the edge of the box for St Johnstone's second. Veteran striker MacLean still had a lot to do, but he spun and fired the ball high past substitute goalkeeper Scully for his fifth of the season. In a statistical quirk, Anderson and MacLean were also the two scorers when Saints won the Scottish Cup final in 2014. St Johnstone boss Tommy Wright: "We deserved the win and weren't under real pressure for any sustained periods in the game. "I still don't know how Anderson's done it [scored the goal from a tight angle] but what makes the finish is that he doesn't give up and maybe the defender thinks the ball is going out. It was a great finish from an acute angle. "MacLean's goal was a sublime finish into the top corner. I'm pleased that he got
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Mohammed Abdul Kadir, 24, fled the UK thee days after Jalal Uddin, 71, was bludgeoned to death in Rochdale, in February, Manchester Crown Court heard. It is alleged the imam was murdered by Mr Kadir and Mohammed Hussain Syeedy who "hated his form of Islam". Mr Syeedy, 21, of Ramsay Street, Rochdale, denies murder. The Crown said Mr Uddin was attacked by Kadir as he walked through a children's play area in Rochdale, on 18 February. The prosecution said Mr Kadir, of Chamber Road, Oldham, boarded a flight from Manchester to Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 February and from there flew to Istanbul. His whereabouts are unknown although it is thought he may have travelled onwards to Syria, the jury was told. Mr Syeedy is alleged to have acted as the getaway driver on the night of the attack with the prosecution saying he knew full well that Kadir intended to kill or seriously harm Mr Uddin. The court has been told the pair "hated" Mr Uddin, a Bangladeshi national, after discovering he practised Ruqya healing, which involves the use of amulets to bring good luck to the wearers. The jury heard that IS considered such practises as forbidden and that the terror group had beheaded magicians. Expert witness, Robert Gleave, professor of Arabic studies at the University of Exeter, told the court some fabric patches for clothing and flags found in Mr Syeedy's bedroom - some with images of a Kalashnikov rifle - had jihadist connotations. And he added some were "almost exclusively associated with Isis". J The trial continues.
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Shocked by the incident and other similar attacks on Africans in India, independent photographer Mahesh Shantaram began documenting the lives of Africans living in India. Beginning with Bangalore, Shantaram travelled to the cities of Jaipur, Delhi and Manipal, choosing to focus on students, as they are a small and vulnerable group. Shantaram's series of intimate portraits is part of an upcoming exhibition organised by Tasveer. "Each portrait plays a part in unravelling the complex web of experiences of Africans in India that, put together, paint a picture of loneliness, placelessness and a sense of hostility," says art expert Caroline Bertram, in an original text on the exhibition.
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The hosts led 2-0 at the end of the first period thanks to Darryl Lloyd and Mike Radja goals before Jordan Pietrus pulled one back for Coventry. James Demarais (2) and Craig Peacock netted as the Giants pulled clear. Cale Tanaka struck twice to close the gap to two before Kris Beech sealed the points with 33 seconds remaining. It was a much closer affair on Friday night, with Belfast prevailing in a penalty shoot-out after the match ended 1-1. David Rutherford had a Giants debut to remember after scoring the only penalty while Stephen Murphy repelled three Blaze efforts.
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The Irish trainer also claimed the Queen Mother Champion Chase in 2010 with Big Zeb. Murphy made the surprise announcement after what he called "a difficult few years" financially. "My accountancy background told me we just can't make it pay any more," said the Wexford-based Murphy, who began training in 2000. "It's been a very difficult decision and not one we've made lightly, but in the end, it was a financial decision that was made for us." Murphy enjoyed a Cheltenham Festival winner in March as Empire of Dirt, owned by Michael O'Leary's Gigginstown House Stud, took the Brown Advisory And Merribelle Stable Plate. He said Black Zambezi could be his final runner at Gowran Park on 1 October.
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Unconfirmed reports say three Americans were abducted on Friday evening along with their Iraqi interpreter, whose home they were visiting at the time. They have not yet been identified, nor is it clear who is holding them. The three were said to have been seized by gunmen who were wearing uniforms, leading officials to believe that Shia Muslim militiamen were responsible. It was the first abduction of Westerners in Iraq for several years. On Monday, residents of the southern suburb of Dora said security forces had been conducting house-to-house searches, with the area sealed off and helicopters hovering overhead. It is there that the three Americans are reported to have been abducted by armed men in military uniforms, after visiting the interpreter's house. Security sources said the Americans had made previous visits to the area, even though it is regarded as something of a trouble spot, reports the BBC's Jim Muir in Baghdad. An Iraqi intelligence official told the Associated Press that the men were taken to Sadr City, a predominantly Shia district in north-eastern Baghdad, while a policeman in Dora said they were driven towards the airport, south-east of the capital. The Americans are believed to be civilians who were working for a construction company operating at the airport. On Sunday, US state department spokesman John Kirby confirmed it was "aware of reports that American citizens are missing in Iraq". "We are working with the full co-operation of the Iraqi authorities to locate and recover the individuals," he added, without providing details about how many Americans were missing or the circumstances of their disappearance. If they have indeed been taken by armed Shia factions, our correspondent says, that at least is a less grim scenario than if they had been abducted by militants from the self-styled Islamic State (IS). The jihadist group said it carried out a deadly attack on a Baghdad shopping centre last week, but its ability to operate in the capital is severely restricted. Shia gunmen are believed to have been behind the abduction last year of a group of Turkish construction workers, who were later freed, and of a party of hunters from Qatar, a situation which is still under negotiation, our correspondent adds. The US is leading a multinational coalition that is conducting air strikes on IS in Iraq and Syria, and providing training and advice to Iraqi government forces.
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Bectu says a number of local union officials at the Ritzy, which has several cinemas in London, have been disciplined. The workers have been campaigning to be paid the voluntary London Living Wage of £9.75 per hour. Picturehouse cinema, which runs the chain and is part of Cineworld, said workers were paid £9.65 per hour. That is based on seven-and-a-half hours worked in an eight hour shift. The union, now part of Prospect, says the move is "appalling" and strikes are set to be held on Saturday and Sunday. Bectu leader Gerry Morrissey said: "Bectu members in Picturehouse have been striking for over 10 months for a Living Wage, company sick pay, and union recognition. "It is appalling that Picturehouse and Cineworld would rather intimidate and threaten to dismiss their staff than enter constructive negotiations. "This is clearly an attempt to break the union by undermining the strike and intimidating other workers." Picturehouse said: "This is an internal matter - we are investigating possible unlawful activities and we cannot comment further at this stage." On its website, it says workers do receive sick pay and four weeks' holiday a year. Three years ago, staff held 13 strikes over their pay and the minimum wage was raised.
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Through fundraising, Liz Sheppard has paid for a relatively new treatment called immunotherapy, which has been described as a "game-changer". The NHS has not approved its use for treating the very rare type of cancer 36-year-old Mrs Sheppard has. But a "golf ball-sized" tumour on her neck has already shrunk. You might also like... Cancer laser treatment 'truly transformative' Boy's 'miracle' wheelchair gift to Bosnia girl Is the NHS getting more money than it asked for? Her medical team may write up her case in a journal, saying it could influence the way other patients are treated. However, Mrs Sheppard is running out of money for the treatment and is trying to raise more through crowdfunding. "The treatment has never been tested for my type of cancer, so essentially I've paid to experiment on myself," she said. "I had a huge tumour on my neck that was like a golf ball sticking out, but I got up one morning and the tumour had just gone. "I've had a fantastic response to it but the money is running out, and it's a life or death situation." Immunotherapy uses the body's own immune system to fight off cancer. Our immune system is like a police force, protecting us from diseases. Normally our immune system spots and destroys faulty cells - like cancer ones - but sometimes these can escape detection and develop into tumours. Instead of targeting the cancer cells themselves, as many traditional cancer drugs do, immunotherapy reawakens the immune system so it can "remember" the cancer and stop it in its tracks. A number of immunotherapy treatments are already showing considerable promise. Mrs Sheppard, who lives in Nottinghamshire, was diagnosed with small cell gastric cancer - a very rare and aggressive type - in November 2015. She said her first thoughts were for her young daughters, who were aged three, eight and 14 at the time. She had chemotherapy and radiotherapy on the NHS but started researching other options when she became increasingly ill. She is now being treated by Leaders in Oncology Care (the LOC), a specialist cancer treatment centre in London. Jane Lynch, senior lung clinical nurse specialist and respiratory service lead, said Mrs Sheppard was "weeks or short months" away from death when she came to the LOC in October. "You could see the tumour was growing on her neck and she was really unwell with it; she could barely get out of the chair," said Ms Lynch. "She was unable to look after her children and she needed help with everyday life. "She was tearful and she was ready to pack it all in, she felt so unwell. She had no quality of life. "She had nothing to lose and everything to gain." She is being treated by Professor Justin Stebbing and has had six courses of the immunotherapy drug - called nivolumab - so far, costing approximately £5,000 to £6,000 every two weeks. "The difference since she's been on immunotherapy, there's no comparison," said Ms
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The study, commissioned by the gay rights charity Stonewall, says the use of insulting language is less frequent and schools are more likely to prevent attacks on gay pupils. But the report says 45% of gay pupils still face bullying. Such behaviour needs to be "urgently addressed", says Stonewall's Ruth Hunt. The study, carried out by the Centre for Family Research at the University of Cambridge, suggests gay, lesbian and transgender pupils in England, Wales and Scotland are less likely to face homophobic bullying than five or 10 years ago. In 2012, 55% of gay pupils surveyed faced bullying because of their sexuality - and the report for 2017 suggests that has fallen to 45%. The culture of school has begun to change, suggests the study, based on a sample of 3,700 11- to 19-year-olds. "Since the 2007 School Report, the number of lesbian, gay and bi pupils bullied because of their sexual orientation has fallen by almost a third," says the research. "The number of schools who say this bullying is wrong has nearly trebled, and homophobic remarks are far less likely to be heard." More than a third of schools now have a dedicated club or society for gay pupils - and two in five pupils know of an openly gay teacher, the study suggests. But there are wide regional variations in levels of tolerance. While 36% of gay pupils report bullying in south-east England, it is a more common experience in Wales, where 54% of gay pupils face bullying, and the West and East Midlands, where 51% do so, according to the survey. If there is a long-term trend away from gay pupils being bullied, the report says, it still remains unacceptably prevalent. Bullying is experienced by 45% of gay pupils, most typically in the form of insults or gossip. But for 7% there were physical attacks and for 4% there were "death threats". Mental health problems are described as "alarmingly high" among gay pupils, with four in five transgender youngsters surveyed reporting that they had self-harmed. "While our new school report shows an improved experience for pupils in many ways, it also needs to act as a wake-up call for schools, government and politicians on just how far we still have to go," said Ruth Hunt, chief executive of Stonewall. "Almost half of LGBT [lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender] young people are still bullied at school for being LGBT," she said.
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US media reports said Russia has sent advisers and hardware to Syria, in what Washington fears is an expansion of its support for President Bashar al-Assad. Any such development would "escalate the conflict", Mr Kerry told his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. Russia has been a key ally of Syria throughout its four-year civil war. The New York Times cited US officials as saying Russia had despatched an advance military team to Syria, as well as housing units and an air traffic control centre to an airfield. The officials quoted admitted they were unsure of Moscow's intentions, but said the deployments could enable Russia to use the airbase to facilitate supply of military gear or to launch air strikes against Mr Assad's enemies. Mr Kerry made his concerns over the reports known to the Russian Foreign Minister in a phone call. "If such reports were accurate, these actions could further escalate the conflict, lead to greater loss of innocent life, increase refugee flows and risk confrontation with the anti-Isil coalition operating in Syria," the state department said, using an alternative acronym for Islamic State (IS). Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday it was "premature" to talk about Moscow getting involved in direct fighting. Russia and the US disagree sharply on Syria. While Russia has backed the Syrian government, and provided it with arms, the US wants to see the removal of President Assad. In the latest fighting on the ground, at least 47 people died in fierce clashes between IS militants and other rebels in the northern town of Marea. At least six members of Syria's security forces were shot dead in the south-western city of Sweida, after a prominent cleric in the minority Druze community died in a car bomb blast.
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The claim: Completing the single market in services will create 700 to 800,000 new jobs over the coming years. Reality Check verdict: This is an estimate of the impact of a whole range of extensions planned for the single market by 2030. He is referring to this report from the Centre for Economics and Business Research, commissioned by Britain Stronger in Europe. The report said that the boost to the economy could deliver 300,000 new jobs by 2020, rising to 790,000 by 2030. It has taken a report from the European Parliament called The Cost of Non-Europe, and worked out how much of the pan-European benefits it identified from completing the single market could be allocated to the UK. The report does not suggest that all the extra jobs would come from the single market in services - it includes areas such as further reform of energy markets and the introduction of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) to increase trade with the USA. Working out how many jobs would be created by economic benefits to the economy is not an easy thing to do and certainly not a precise science. So, for example, one of the benefits cited was having cheaper mortgages as a result of increased competition in financial services, which the report decided would create a benefit of £4bn a year in 2020. But would cheaper mortgages create any jobs? Not if the people who have cheaper mortgages decide to save that extra money. You have to assume that it means more mortgages are sold and that the money saved is spent elsewhere. Read more: The facts behind claims in the EU debate
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The 31-year-old is the club's second-highest appearance maker, playing 332 times across two spells, and helped them go up to the Championship in 2015. The League One side held discussions over Martin's future but said both parties will "go their separate ways". "I thank the fans that have supported me through all the good and bad times we've seen at the club," Martin said. "We have our last home game of the season on Saturday and it will be my chance to say farewell to our amazing fans." Only full-back Dean Lewington has featured in more games for MK Dons, with the defender's future also in the balance. Club chairman Pete Winkleman said about Martin: "He's been involved in some amazing highlights over the years - ones which will live long in the memory of our supporters. I wish him all the best in the future."
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He and his fellow fresh-faced apprentices are huddled around a noisy workbench in Berlin. At just 19, he is one of the youngest in his group at this training centre. Rhys, a keen rugby player, says he is settling into the German lifestyle and has even found a rugby club nearby. He is one of just 2,200 young workers chosen from some 45,000 applicants by the electronics and electrical engineering giant Siemens for its pan-European training scheme. Another apprentice, 21-year-old Gabriel from Northampton, says he came to Berlin to learn the German way. "They are much more precise, they go into detail a lot more," he says. "It helps you understand why all the best engineers and creatives come from here." It is a point that was recently made by the British business lobby group, the CBI. It warned that the UK's traditional educational route, of A-levels followed by a university degree, was not the only path to a good job and could help deepen a skills crisis in the UK. The CBI called for more earn-as-you-learn schemes, supported by companies, alongside traditional degrees - and cited Germany as one of the leaders in vocational education. Siemens's trainees have come from all over Europe for the company's three-year programme, that will give them an income while they learn the art of German engineering. "I know that right now, it's not the best time to find a job. It's why I'm doing this in Germany," says 20-year old Miguel from Madrid. He hopes to return to Spain, despite dire employment prospects at home, where one in two young people is out of work. "Everybody knows what the label 'Made in Germany' means," says 22-year-old Vainius from Lithuania. "This is a perfect example of how they do it. It is an excellent chance for everyone here." In Spain, says Miguel, "we don't have opportunity to study practical and theory at same time." In another classroom at the firm's vast training centre, a British girl stumbles over German grammar. Learning to speak German is part of the deal. Apprentices here are encouraged to immerse themselves in the culture, offered help in opening a bank account and in other aspects of living abroad: it is a very German approach. Germany's vocational system has been around for decades and is deeply embedded in society. A university degree does not have quite the same cachet here that it does in many other developed countries. Youngsters who are not qualified for or interested in going to university can join a programme in which they work part of the week for a firm that pays them and teaches them relevant skills. The rest of the time they spend in school. Chambers of commerce and industry bodies are involved, to ensure that the work and the teaching are matched. After their apprenticeships, the trainees often have jobs to walk into, in sectors including electrical engineering, sales and marketing, shipping and agriculture. Roughly two out of three young Germans go
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Dyer murdered up to 400 infants over a 20-year period and was found guilty of "baby farming" murders in 1896, Thames Valley Police museum said. Paper packaging containing the body of baby Helena Fry was fished out of the Thames in Reading in 1896, which helped secure Dyer's conviction. It has been rediscovered by a relative of the arresting officer in the case. A box containing the brown paper packaging, string, white edging tape, and an evidence tag, was discovered in a loft by the great-great-grandson of DC James Beattie Anderson. It has now been donated to the museum in Sulhamstead, Berkshire. Following the discovery of the baby's body, DC Anderson analysed the paper and discovered a faintly written name and address. It led police to Dyer's home in Kensington Road, Reading. Museum curator PC Colin Boyes said: "It is likely that detectives would be responsible for bringing evidence to court themselves in the Victorian ages. "And so the packaging - which was evidence to convict Dyer of Helena Fry's murder - had likely been kept and stored in the loft since 1896." Dyer moved to Reading from south Wales in 1895. She advertised to adopt or nurse a baby in return for a fee, but killed many of the infants within days. Dyer initially drugged her victims with opium-based products, which would leave them in a vegetative state until they died. After surgeons became suspicious, she strangled the infants with white tape. She then wrapped their bodies in paper packages and bags and dumped them in rivers. The body of Helena Fry was found wrapped in brown packaging by bargeman working on the Thames in Reading on 30 March 1896. Six more bodies were discovered the following month. Further evidence pointed to at least 12 murders, but she is believed to have killed hundreds more. Dyer was sentenced to death and went to the gallows at Newgate prison on 10 June 1896, aged 57. Source: Thames Valley Police Museum
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Djoum notched his first goal of the season with a header from Don Cowie's corner. Igor Rossi and Juanma Delgado came close to adding to the hosts' advantage. Sam Nicholson had a shot saved late on while Steven Lawless was Thistle's main attacking threat. The win was Hearts' third in a week at Tynecastle and takes them to within six points of Aberdeen and 10 behind Celtic. Just as the game kicked off a small plane flew over the stadium carrying the banner saying, "No style no bottle Neilson out", which instantly brought about chants from the Hearts faithful of, "There's only one Robbie Neilson". Jamie Walker had an early chance for the home side, the winger able to go round Jags goalkeeper Tomas Cerny but fluffing his effort as the Thistle defence closed him down. At the other end Neil Alexander was called into action to deny Mathias Pogba, who rose high to direct a header towards goal following a Lawless cross. John Souttar has settled in well at the back for Hearts since making the move from Dundee United and looked to carry the ball forward at every opportunity. And one of his runs eventually led to the opening goal. Souttar was fouled just outside the box and Cerny was forced into a decent save from Alim Ozturk's free-kick. Cowie then delivered for Djoum to thunder his header into the net. The home side came close to a second goal when Ozturk and Cowie combined to set up Rossi but his effort was just wide. Thistle were dealt a blow just before half-time when influential midfielder Stuart Bannigan injured his knee after a challenge on Alexander and had to be replaced. Lawless was proving to be a real thorn in Hearts' side and early in the second half he was able to create space for himself 20 yards from goal only to shoot straight at Alexander. The game was being stretched as Thistle tried to respond and Hearts striker Juanma fired just wide after being set up by Cowie. Jamie Walker set up substitute Abiola Dauda inside the box but he blasted high over the Thistle crossbar. Nicholson was next to try his luck on goal but Cerny this time was able to save at his near post.
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Mr Erdogan has accused US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen of plotting against him. The schools are a major source of income for Mr Gulen's 50-year-old Hizmet ("Service") movement. Millions of students attend the schools to prepare for entrance exams. The law had been due to come into effect on 1 September. The focus of schools is to help those attempting to win a place at secondary school or university. In December, a Turkish court issued an arrest warrant accusing Mr Gulen of establishing and running an "armed terrorist group". Mr Gulen strenuously denies all the charges against him. Gulen: Powerful but reclusive Profile: Hizmet movement Mr Erdogan had introduced the law as part of what he says are educational reforms. Turkey's education system lags behind most other developed countries in literacy, maths and science. At the time of the bill's passage, Mr Erdogan described the current system as "unhealthy". Mr Gulen was once an ally of the president, but in the recent years he has been accused of attempting to overthrow the government. Tensions between the two were exacerbated in 2013, when thousands of alleged Hizmet sympathisers in the police and judiciary were demoted while prosecutors with alleged links to the movement aggressively pursued investigations against allies of the prime minister.
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The latest Business Sentiment Index from Oil and Gas UK showed "overwhelmingly negative" results. Comparing the positive with negative outlooks, there was a 31 percentage point gap. This was worse than the 23-point gap at the end of 2014. The figures have worsened considerably since the oil price began to fall, but the declining optimism began two years earlier. Oil and Gas UK claimed this reflected "the challenges of operating in a high-cost, mature basin". There have been eight consecutive quarters of declining optimism, and the three most recent quarters have been in pessimistic territory. Of those companies responding to the survey, 31% said operating and running costs were lower than in the previous quarter, and only 3% said they were higher. Among offshore operators, 43% said operating costs had been cut, and 76% said staffing costs and day rates for contractors were down. In the first three months of this year, 40% of companies cut research and development spending, and 46% have reduced training budgets. Cost-cutting measures include changes to rotas, onshore travel time, with simplification programmes and better project planning. Companies have also cut discretionary spending and re-tendered key contracts. There have been redundancies as well as freezes on recruitment, staff salaries and contractor day rates. Oonagh Werngren, operations director at Oil and Gas UK, said: "Contractor companies have begun to feel the full impact of operators pruning back budgets and commissioning fewer projects in response to rising operating costs. "Contractor company respondents are adjusting to these challenging circumstances by re-evaluating their own resources. They are identifying opportunities for introducing more cost-efficient practices. "Bold and behavioural change is needed, both on an individual company basis and collaboratively across the sector, to help improve production and production efficiency in the UKCS. This work has clearly started." Assessing the global extent of cost-cutting in the oil and gas industry, Edinburgh consultants Wood Mackenzie recently reported that companies have cut costs so aggressively that the level at which firms cease to be cash flow negative has fallen by $20 to $72. Tom Ellacott, head of corporate upstream analysis for Wood Mackenzie explains: "Capital cost-cutting has been both rapid and in some cases dramatic. "Individual companies have had one, two and sometimes three bites at the cherry, and industry has for the time being settled on a 24% or $126bn fall year-on-year. "Dividends and share buyback programmes have also been targeted, while companies have turned to both the debt and equity markets to boost liquidity." In a separate development, Deirdre Michie has taken up the post of chief executive at Oil and Gas UK. She replaces Malcolm Webb, who formally retires at the end of May. Ms Michie, who will be based in Aberdeen with an office in London, said: "Our industry has a tough journey ahead, but I hope by working together, this sector will become stronger, safer and have a brighter future with a thriving supply chain, for decades to come."
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Charles Duncombe says an analysis of website figures shows a single spelling mistake can cut online sales in half. Mr Duncombe says when recruiting staff he has been "shocked at the poor quality of written English". Sales figures suggest misspellings put off consumers who could have concerns about a website's credibility, he says. The concerns were echoed by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), whose head of education and skills warned that too many employers were having to invest in remedial literacy lessons for their staff. Mr Duncombe, who runs travel, mobile phones and clothing websites, says that poor spelling is a serious problem for the online economy. "Often these cutting-edge companies depend upon old-fashioned skills," says Mr Duncombe. And he says that the struggle to recruit enough staff who can spell means that this sector of the economy is not as efficient as it might be. Figures from the Office for National Statistics published last month showed internet sales in the UK running at £527m per week. "I know that industry bemoaning the education system is nothing new but it is becoming more and more of a problem with more companies going online. "This is because when you sell or communicate on the internet, 99% of the time it is done by the written word." Mr Duncombe says that it is possible to identify the specific impact of a spelling mistake on sales. He says he measured the revenue per visitor to the tightsplease.co.uk website and found that the revenue was twice as high after an error was corrected. "If you project this across the whole of internet retail, then millions of pounds worth of business is probably being lost each week due to simple spelling mistakes," says Mr Duncombe, director of the Just Say Please group. Spelling is important to the credibility of a website, he says. When there are underlying concerns about fraud and safety, then getting the basics right is essential. "You get about six seconds to capture the attention on a website." When recruiting school and university leavers, Mr Duncombe says too many applications have contained spelling mistakes or poor grammar. "Some people even used text speak in their cover letter," he says. Even among those who appeared to be able to spell, he says that a written test, without access to a computer spellchecker, revealed further problems with spelling. William Dutton, director of the Oxford Internet Institute at Oxford University, says that in some informal parts of the internet, such as Facebook, there is greater tolerance towards spelling and grammar. "However, there are other aspects, such as a home page or commercial offering that are not among friends and which raise concerns over trust and credibility," said Professor Dutton. "In these instances, when a consumer might be wary of spam or phishing efforts, a misspelt word could be a killer issue." James Fothergill, the CBI's head of education and skills, said: "Our recent research shows that 42% of employers are not satisfied with the
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15 February 2017 Last updated at 09:48 GMT Tornado, the first mainline steam engine to be built in the UK since the 1960s, pulled an eight-carriage train between Appleby, in Cumbria, and Skipton, in North Yorkshire, along the famous Settle to Carlisle line on Tuesday. It was the first time since 1968 that a steam locomotive has hauled a passenger train on a scheduled main line service. Tornado will power two further return journeys between Appleby and Skipton on Wednesday and Thursday.
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Xin Xin delivered the two male cubs on Sunday afternoon at the Giant Panda Pavilion in Coloane, said officials. She and the larger cub were in good health, but the smaller cub was underweight and was taken into intensive care. Xin Xin and her mate Kai Kai were a gift from the mainland and arrived in Macau last year. They mated naturally, a government spokeswoman told BBC News, but Xin Xin was also artificially inseminated with sperm from Kai Kai. The larger cub, weighing 138g (0.3 lb), was born at 15:45 local time (08:45 GMT). The smaller cub, weighing just 53.8g, was born at 16:27 local time. The panda pavilion has been closed since 14 June to prepare for the delivery.
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At Balmoral 21.5C was recorded and 20.9C at Charterhall, Berwickshire, and 20.8C at Aviemore and 20.3C at Drumnadrochit near Loch Ness. The temperatures followed 23.3C recorded at Braemar on Wednesday and 23.2C in Aboyne on Tuesday. Updated temperatures for Thursday are expected later.
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English and French clubs intend to quit the Heineken Cup next year in favour of the proposed Rugby Champions Cup. While Dodson admits the implications of a split are "grave", he insists there remains time for dialogue. He said: "I won't pretend it's not a serious financial issue for the SRU but there is still a lot of talking to do." The SRU receives around £5m a year for Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh participating in the Heineken Cup. And European Rugby Cup (ERC), which has run the Heineken Cup since it began in 1995, wants to reopen negotiations. English Premiership and French Top 14 clubs say they will not attend talks planned by the organising body next month. They believe the Heineken Cup structure favours teams from the Pro12, which is made up of sides from Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Italy. But Dodson believes there will be further talks and that agreement can be reached on a format that includes Scotland's two representatives. "I remain very confident that there will be a European competition next season and that the Scottish clubs will be in that competition as long as it is in our interests to do so," he told BBC Scotland. "I think it's been wrongly portrayed that we have been maintaining a position. That's not the truth. "We have always been prepared to talk and meet with people to try and get this great competition back on track. "We are not ruling anything in or ruling anything out at this stage. I think it would be crazy to do that. "Everyone has said they want to play in a competition where everyone is involved. That is our position and will continue to be our position." The SRU has previously stressed that any competition must be supported by national governing bodies as well as the International Rugby Board (IRB). "It's a high-stakes game for everyone," Dodson added. "But the most important thing is that we have a period now where we can get down to negotiations. "A lot of public statements have been made and we have been very keen not to get involved. "We prefer to do our talking in private where it is meaningful and progress can be made. "In the next two or three weeks people will get round the table again to make real attempts to get this thing solved." Dodson was talking at the Scottish launch of this season's Heineken Cup, with Edinburgh opening their campaign against Munster on 12 October and Glasgow at defending champions Toulon the following day.
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Denis Donaldson led a secret life as an agent for MI5 and the police. The former Sinn Féin man was shot dead in a remote cottage in County Donegal in 2006 shortly after his exposure. His family have called on the Garda Síochána to assist the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland's investigation on the 10th anniversary of his murder. In a statement, they said they were making the call for a "final time". They have accused the gardaí of not properly investigating Mr Donaldson's murder and claim officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland may have contributed to his killing. "Today marks ten years since Denis was murdered," the family said. "No-one has yet been held to account for either his exposure as an agent or his subsequent murder. "An inquest has still not even been held, yet it has been adjourned on 18 occasions by the coroner upon the application of An Garda Siochana." The Real IRA said they were responsible for Mr Donaldson's murder. The family said they wanted the gardaí to give investigators "unfettered access" to Mr Donaldson's private journal that he was writing shortly before he was killed. The Police Ombudsman has been refused access to the journal in spite of repeated requests. The family added that they were appealing to "all relevant state agencies... to finally remove any further obstructions to the truth, and sincerely acknowledge the terrible damage they caused, or continue to cause, to the family by their actions and omissions". "The onus is with them to remedy these wrongs," they said.
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The 24-year-old says she has an "ongoing intestinal issue" that got progressively worse in Melbourne. She added she had been advised by doctors that playing could exacerbate the condition. "This comes as a big disappointment to me and I regret not being able to play," she said. "I have represented GB every time I have been asked to and fully intend to play again given the opportunity in the future." Captain Judy Murray and her team face Georgia and South Africa from Thursday in their bid to win promotion from Euro/Africa Zone Group 1. "While it's obviously very disappointing, we still have a squad of players capable of winning through the group," Murray said. "I have a couple of days to fill the fourth spot, and that gives two of our most promising teenagers Katie Swan and Freya Christie the chance to join Heather Watson and our doubles specialists Jocelyn Rae and Anna Smith in the team." Christie is ranked 395, while 16-year-old Swan is 520 in the world.
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The Gotham villagers were desperately trying to get sandbags to stop their homes from flooding, but the advisor said he could only find a "Gotham City in New York" on his system. Rushcliffe Borough Council, in Nottinghamshire, has since apologised. It said the calls were answered by someone outside of the area. "He said the only Gotham he could find is Gotham City in New York," said Racheal Webster, one of the residents who phoned up. "I said 'are you trying to be funny? Is that some kind of joke?' and he said 'no, that's the only Gotham I can find'." The conversation became "quite heated" when he said he could not help her, she said. "I said 'well we do exist, obviously, we are getting flooded, the water is starting to come in'," she said. "He said the same thing to my neighbour when my neighbour called as well." There is no such city as Gotham in the real world, but New York is sometimes referred to as Gotham, and the nickname stems from the Nottinghamshire village of the same name. Read more: The real Gotham - The village behind the Batman stories The villagers phoned a local emergency number printed on the council's website when flooding began in Gotham on Wednesday evening. However, the council said its out-of-hours service is provided by a national company. David Banks, executive manager for neighbourhoods, said: "Unfortunately, the advisor Mrs Webster spoke to wasn't familiar with the area and wasn't able to locate Gotham on the system to log the call. "He tried to help by doing a Google search of 'Gotham' which returned results referring to the Gotham in America. "We understand that experiencing flooding is stressful and upsetting and we are working with our out-of-hours provider to ensure that this doesn't happen again."
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Princess Alix of Hesse, as she was then known, had stayed at Cathcart House, Harrogate, during a visit to take the spa waters in 1894. During her visit, the hotelier, Mrs Allen, gave birth to twins. The princess took this as a good omen for her forthcoming marriage and sent the gift to mark the twins' birthday. Princess Alix, who married the future Tsar Nicholas II in 1894, had asked to become the children's godmother during her stay in Harrogate. They were subsequently named Alix and Nicholas after her and her future husband. Kate Howe, from Bulstrodes auctioneers, said the royal godmother sent the family an ornate boxed cutlery set made by the Russian imperial silversmiths the Grachev Brothers. Ms Howe said she was surprised when she saw the engraved box. "During an ordinary valuation day, amongst all the tea sets and framed prints was this beautiful object and we couldn't quite believe what we were seeing," she said. "Two identical boxed sets were sent for the boy and girl as indicated in the black and white photograph we have." "The boxed set has been stored in the bank for many years and consequently is in excellent condition." As well as the cutlery, a scrap book detailing the links between the Allens and the Russian royal family is also being sold by the Dorset-based auctioneers. It contains photographs and telegrams from Carl Faberge - the famous jeweller - requesting pictures of their hotel to be used in the design of a golden Easter egg which was commissioned by Tsar Nicholas as a present for his wife. Princess Alix, who was Queen Victoria's granddaughter, married Grand Duke Nicholas in November 1894. The couple ruled Russia until they were deposed following the revolution in 1917. They were shot, along with their five children and servants by Bolshevik revolutionaries in July, 1918.
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The new advice comes as a joint BBC Newsnight and British Medical Journal investigation reports that problems with such devices have been long known, but no action taken to block their use. All-metal hips have a high failure rate and rubbing between the ball and cup can cause metal to break off, seeping into tissue and causing complications. But despite the fact that the risks posed by these minute pieces of metal have been known and well documented for decades, patients have been kept in the dark. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said on Tuesday that around 49,000 UK patients with large-head hip implants out of 65,000 with all-metal hips were in a high-risk category. The regulator said that they should have blood tests to check for metal ions, and magnetic resonance imaging scans (MRI) if they have raised metal levels or show adverse symptoms. Dr Susanne Ludgate, Clinical Director of the MHRA, said in a statement: "Clinical evidence shows that patients have a small risk of suffering complications from having metal-on-metal hip implants... "As a precautionary measure, we have today issued updated patient management and monitoring advice to surgeons and doctors that they should annually monitor patients for the lifetime of their metal-on-metal total hip replacements that are sized 36 millimetres or more because this particular type of hip replacement has a small risk of causing complications in patients. This updates previous advice that patients with this type of hip replacement need only be monitored for a minimum of five years after their operation." Concerns are centred on all-metal hips made of cobalt and chromium. As the parts of the joint rub together and wear, metal debris is generated. Potentially toxic metals from this debris can cause inflammation, destroying muscle and bone, and enter the bloodstream. Tony Nargol, a consultant surgeon at the University Hospital of North Tees told Newsnight/BMJ "we are seeing patients with 10, 20, 50 times normal levels. I think our highest level is nearly 300". One all-metal hip device, manufactured by DePuy, a subsidiary of global health giant Johnson & Johnson, called the ASR was recalled in 2010. And the company, which is facing legal action from ASR patients, has set aside $3bn in case they have to pay compensation. But Mr Nargol's research suggests there are also problems with an all-metal version of DePuy's Pinnacle hip implant, which is still on sale. The Pinnacle has cups which can be lined with metal, ceramic or plastic. Mr Nargol's hospital tested the nearly 1,000 patients who had been fitted with the all-metal version of the Pinnacle there. "The trust has brought back all the patients with Pinnacle cups - nearly 1,000 - tested them all, screened them, scanned them, and we know exactly what's happening," he said. "And we found out that of about 970 patients, 75 failures related to metal debris, which is really quite high." DePuy told Newsnight and the BMJ that patient safety is their top priority and that clinical
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Media playback is not supported on this device The Edinburgh side currently sit third, nine points behind Aberdeen, but have a game in hand over the Dons. "We have still to play Aberdeen twice, so it's definitely something we're aiming for," head coach Neilson said "We also have to be wary of St Johnstone who will still believe they can catch us." Hearts have not beaten Celtic at Celtic Park since 2009, but the last encounter ended goal-less. "We take confidence from that," said Neilson. "We have a young squad, but they have played more games since then and have more experience. "We go there absolutely looking to win."
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Childcare and early years researcher David Dallimore of Bangor University wants an overhaul of education provision for three to four-year-olds. He told BBC's Eye on Wales: "It's one of the things we haven't done well in Wales is have a long-term vision for our early years services." The Welsh government said it can consider its options once the detail of the proposed Childcare Bill is known. Currently, all three and four-year-olds are entitled to a minimum of 10 hours education delivered through the Foundation Phase. Each of the 22 councils choose how they deliver those hours for three year olds and how much they spend on it. Because of this, levels and flexibility of provision vary enormously from county to county. "It's a patchwork of provision, there's a different level of provision in different local authorities, it's a bit of a dog's dinner," said Mr Dallimore. In contrast to England, this provision is mainly provided through state nurseries and schools, known as the maintained sector. The problem for working parents is that 10 hours a week delivered over five days does not tie in easily with a working day. Now there are calls to make the system work better for working families by offering a more joined up provision between education and childcare and enabling a larger range of providers to deliver the education entitlement. Patricia Hanson from the National Day Nursery Association said: "Potentially we could be seeing parents and children in Wales missing out if something isn't done about it. "We need to ensure that every provider, whether private, voluntary or maintained, that wants to participate in the delivery of the early entitlement is given the opportunity to do so." Research for Eye On Wales showed there is a distinct north/south divide, with many councils in north Wales, such as Flintshire and Denbighshire, giving parents more options while in the south, councils such as Swansea only offering it through the maintained sector. With England planning to expand its childcare and early years offer for three year olds, the pressure is now on the Welsh government to offer a better service for working families. A Welsh government spokesman said: "We are very clear about the importance of accessible, affordable and high quality childcare in helping people to get back into work, or to increase their working hours. "Once we know the details of the proposed Childcare Bill and any financial consequential which may be generated, we will be in a better position to consider the options for Wales."
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The Shaymen played it steadily in the opening stages of their return to the fifth tier, defending well and in depth. But Bobby-Joe Taylor bent a 25-yard effort narrowly wide to signal the away side's intent. Shamir Fenelon broke the deadlock for Gary Waddock's outfit on the hour, racing to intercept a flick-on by Scott Rendell before rounding Sam Johnson to slot into an empty net. Aldershot doubled their lead late on when Matty Brown fouled Shaun Okojie in the box, and James Rowe converted the penalty on his Shots debut. Match report supplied by the Press Association. Match ends, FC Halifax Town 0, Aldershot Town 2. Second Half ends, FC Halifax Town 0, Aldershot Town 2. Goal! FC Halifax Town 0, Aldershot Town 2. James Rowe (Aldershot Town) converts the penalty with a. Substitution, FC Halifax Town. Danny Clarke replaces Josh MacDonald. Substitution, FC Halifax Town. Dion Charles replaces Ben Tomlinson. Jake Gallagher (Aldershot Town) is shown the yellow card. Goal! FC Halifax Town 0, Aldershot Town 1. Shamir Fenelon (Aldershot Town). Manny Oyeleke (Aldershot Town) is shown the yellow card. Second Half begins FC Halifax Town 0, Aldershot Town 0. First Half ends, FC Halifax Town 0, Aldershot Town 0. James Rowe (Aldershot Town) is shown the yellow card. Scott Rendell (Aldershot Town) is shown the yellow card. First Half begins. Lineups are announced and players are warming up.
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Three severe flood warnings are in place in Surrey and Dorset, with many people rescued from homes overnight. And some 50,000 homes across the UK are without electricity, the Energy Networks Association has said. Gatwick Airport said it was running a full service, but advised people to check with airlines before flying after floods caused cancellations on Tuesday. Armed police had to be called in to man information desks and deal with furious passengers who were stranded or delayed, one man told the BBC. A spokeswoman said all flights apart from those with British Airways would be departing from the South terminal on Wednesday. The River Mole in Surrey has burst its banks in several areas and an Environment Agency severe flood warning - which means a danger to life - has been issued for Leatherhead. A severe flood warning has been issued for Iford Home Park, a residential development on the River Stour in Dorset, which police evacuated overnight. People were also evacuated from the Beaulieu Garden Park Home in Christchurch, Dorset - where a further severe flood warning is in place. The Environment Agency (EA) said the River Medway in Kent had continued to rise and flood risks would continue for three days, affecting areas including Tonbridge, Allington and Mereworth. Check if this is affecting your journey The Coastguard rescued 76 people from a flooded caravan park in Yalding on Christmas Eve, moving residents by boat and in four-by-four vehicles to a leisure centre. In other developments: The power cut at Gatwick's north terminal was caused by flooding on the Mole which affected airfield substations and saw more than 30 flights cancelled and police called in to man information desks. Please send your pictures by: Email: yourpics@bbc.co.uk Text: 61124 Twitter: @BBC_HaveYourSay Around 100 flights are due to leave Gatwick on Christmas Day - including some services rescheduled from Tuesday - and passengers are advised to check with their airlines before setting off for the airport. Joe Pattinson, 35, from Wokingham in Berkshire, had been due to fly from Gatwick to Barcelona but ended up returning home amid the "absolute confusion". "We'd been waiting for three hours in the queue. There was no information and we couldn't find anyone to explain what we should be doing. Eventually three armed police turned up to try and calm people down." Jamie Whiteford arrived at Gatwick at 05:30 on Christmas Eve and spent more than 12 hours waiting at the airport for his flight to Edinburgh to depart before it was eventually cancelled. "Eventually all [flights] were cancelled and this caused angry scenes at a flight to Naples which involved a police presence and very confused and untrained staff." Meanwhile, about 800 homes in the north of Scotland are still without power, mainly around the Deeside area, Buchan, Elgin, Wick and the Western Isles. Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution said about 400 of its staff are working to reconnect the properties this evening. From the BBC: Elsewhere: Winds gusting up to 80
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The ex-Scotland boss, who was manager at Ibrox from 2001 to 2006, was invited by the board to discuss the position vacated by Mark Warburton in February. Asked how near he came to a return to the Glasgow club, he said: "I wasn't close. I had doubts about it. "But I believe Pedro Caixinha was probably uppermost in their minds." McLeish had been out of management for a year after being sacked from his last managerial job, with Zamalek in the Egyptian Premier League. When the Rangers vacancy emerged, the 58-year-old had said that the job would be difficult to turn down. "I did speak to them and I said that, if they were to come back and offer me it, I would like to speak further," he revealed at a media event to promote this weekend's William Hill Scottish Cup semi-finals. "It was a very casual chat. It wasn't what I would call an interview - it was meeting old friends again and seeing where they were going with the club. "They say don't go back and that was in my mind, but they asked to speak to me and it was worth listening to what they had to say. "I was never 100%, 'yes, I am going back to Rangers'." Among the silverware gathered during McLeish's time at Ibrox, they won the domestic treble in 2003. "I wouldn't have just walked straight back in without some further talks," added the former Motherwell, Hibernian, Birmingham City, Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Genk manager. "It was totally different to when I first went. It just wasn't for me at this time of my career. "I felt that there is a lot that goes with it as well in terms of the other side of the actual football and training. "There is a lot of politics and I don't know if I needed that at this stage of my life."
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The Shropshire Star reported the 10-year-old had been involved in a car accident in Telford during the early hours of Wednesday and suffered a head injury. West Midlands Ambulance confirmed it had been unable to take a patient to hospital at that time. Ambulances were delayed by waiting times at the hospitals, it said. The service's director of clinical commissioning, Mark Docherty, said it was an issue out of its control. He said the hospitals needed to make improvements to make sure ambulance staff could get patients out of vehicles and hand them over quickly. At the time of the accident, four emergency ambulances had been delayed by over an hour each to hand over their patients at two Shropshire hospitals. More on this story and others in Shropshire Earlier this month, West Midlands Ambulance reported there had been no ambulances available in the whole of the county "for a short period" on Saturday, 20, March. The service said it had raised the issue of long delays when offloading patients with the hospitals on a number of occasions. Debbie Kadum, chief operating officers at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, said the trust was seeing unprecedented volumes of very poorly patients attending its A&E departments. The number of A&E cubicles at Telford had increased by 40 per cent but it has not been enough, she said. Shropshire Fire Service said it could confirm that it did take the unusual step of transporting a casualty to hospital using one of its fire engines.
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The boat, with 25 people on board, overturned on Thursday while it was conducting tests near Zhangjiagang, in Jiangsu province. Eight foreigners were among those on board, including Singaporean, Indian, Malaysian and Japanese nationals. Three people have been rescued, and the boat has been hauled out of the water. The foreigners on board were four Singaporeans, one Malaysian, one Indonesian, one Indian and one Japanese, state-run news agency Xinhua reported. The three people rescued were all Chinese, Xinhua added. Flooded 'within seconds' The tugboat, the 30-metre (98-foot) long Wanshenzhou 67, was undergoing tests, with the ship's owner and a team of engineers on board. The Wanshenzhou 67 was registered in Singapore. One survivor who was rescued early on Friday, Wang Chenhua, said they had been taking the vessel for a trial voyage. Mr Wang, who was in the cockpit with a 60-year-old Japanese engineer acting as his translator, said that soon after they had conducted a load test for the boat's main engine, the boat "suddenly turned over" to the left. He said water rushed into the cockpit which was fully flooded "within 20 seconds". He survived by holding onto a hydraulic pump that was not submerged. Mr Wang added that he had tried to hold on to the Japanese engineer, but they were separated as the boat sank further. The boat was constructed in China's Anhui province last October. Local officials told Xinhua the boat had not properly reported its route and work plans to the port authorities.
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He said the money, available over the next seven years, would complement the planned new development bank for Wales. But Plaid Cymru said the cash replaced an existing fund and would offer much less support than businesses required. The new state-owned development bank will have a wider remit than the Welsh Government's investment bank, Finance Wales, does currently. Before launching the fund on Wednesday, Mr Skates said: "The Wales Business Fund will mean Welsh SMEs [Small and medium-sized enterprises] can collectively access up to £136m of financial support over the next seven years, ensuring they are well-placed not only to develop their home markets but also to compete internationally." The fund is backed by the Welsh Government and European Regional Development Fund. Mr Skates said: "This support will be complemented by the establishment of the Development Bank for Wales which will further support Welsh businesses to access finance and ultimately help us to safeguard and create jobs right across Wales. "Our work to establish the Development Bank is progressing well and we have now received a fully costed business plan from Finance Wales which would see them evolve into the Development Bank for Wales." Mr Skates said the business plan was being evaluated "with a view to the bank being up and running in the second half of next year". He said driving up investment levels was "more important than ever as we seek to increase business confidence in the wake of the EU referendum". "I will be looking to the development bank to drive up investment levels to £80m per annum within five years," he added. Establishing a development bank was recommended as a "catalyst and driving force" to help the Welsh economy grow in a report for the previous Welsh Government in 2015. Plaid Cymru Finance and Economy spokesman Adam Price said Welsh ministers had announced the creation of a new £136m business fund in January 2016 that "replaces the existing 'Jeremie' fund". "Indeed it was originally expected to go live at the end of June, so its launch is in fact three months late," he said. "Whilst any funding to support small businesses is to be welcomed, the £136m announced by the Welsh Government today is considerably less than the £500m funding gap identified by its own report, so this is far from being a silver bullet to solve the problem that Welsh businesses face." The Welsh Conservatives said the announcement was a "cosmetic re-hash" of a previous policy. Economy spokesman Russell George said: "If the Welsh Labour Government really wants to help small firms then they should have made good on their promises to cut business rates, and they should get cracking with the vital work of upgrading Wales' creaking transport infrastructure."
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They also fought off fierce Tory battles for Bridgend and Wrexham and won more seats than two years ago. Those results represent a huge blow to the Tories who hoped to make big gains across Wales in the snap election ahead of Brexit negotiations. But Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns held on to his seat in Vale of Glamorgan. Senior Tories Stephen Crabb and David Davies also held on to their seats in Preseli Pembrokeshire and Monmouth respectively with reduced majorities. Missing out on Bridgend and Wrexham is a huge blow for the Conservatives who failed to take two of their key target seats - which Prime Minister Theresa May visited during campaigning. But the loss of the marginal seats of Gower and Cardiff North is a sign of the difficult night the Tories have faced. Gower is a significant victory for Labour though after losing it for the first time in more than 100 years by 27 votes two years ago. Tonia Antoniazzi has taken the seat from Byron Davies with a majority of 3,269. In the swing seat of Cardiff North, Anna McMorrin's 4,174 majority at the expense of Craig Williams is the biggest in 20 years as her party claimed 28 seats in Wales. She said her team fought a "positive, energetic campaign". Meanwhile, Chris Ruane said he was "elated" by winning back the Vale of Clwyd adding one of his priorities was to ensure that the constituency did nt lose out financially from Brexit: He said: "If we are leaving Europe, I want to make sure that those Tory pledges that we wouldn't lose out are kept." The Conservatives have won eight seats - four fewer than in 2015. Monmouth MP David Davies said: "It's fair to say things have gone wrong. It's far too early to start thinking what they may be." But senior Welsh Tory AM Darren Millar said the party's campaign was "too personal" and focused too much of Jeremy Corbyn instead of presenting a "positive vision" for the future. Elsewhere, Plaid Cymru maintained three as they held on to Arfon with Hywel Williams winning by 92 votes, and also Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, and Dwyfor Meirionnydd, but failed to gain its key Rhondda target seat from Labour, and also fell to third place in Ynys Mon. The Liberal Democrats are waiting to find out if they have held on to their solo seat in Ceredigion. Earlier, Brexit Minister David Jones, who retained his Clwyd West seat, had claimed an exit poll suggesting his party will lose enough seats to fall short of a majority could turn out to be wrong, but in Wales. Indications suggest turnout is higher that two years ago, with votes for both Conservatives and Labour increasing despite the overall results. First Minister Carwyn Jones said Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn ran a "superb" campaign in a "volatile" environment. "He's spoken to members of the public," said Mr Jones. "He didn't speak to meetings that were just full of people exactly
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Obstacle course racing and mud runs are the fastest growing mass participation sport in the UK, say its trade body. Wales has become one of the hot-spot destinations, with companies seeing participant numbers soar. Across Britain an estimated 250,000 racers are taking part in 150 events every year. Retired Wales rugby player Adam Jones and his lawyer wife, Natasha Louca-Jones set up the iNVNCBL race series in 2014, with events taking place in Coedarhydyglyn, Cardiff, Margam Country Park, Neath Port Talbot and Pembrey, Carmarthenshire. Participants are faced with the likes of dune runs, hill climbs, cargo net crawls, monkey bars and carrying tyres. "It's something everybody can get involved in, no matter what level of fitness or their skill set," said Mrs Louca-Jones. "Everybody, whether they're elite runners or not, is capable of finishing the course. It doesn't matter if it takes an hour to get around or three." The couple, who live in Cardiff, said they purposely make the obstacles difficult to encourage team work and camaraderie. "People sign up as individuals and end as a team," said Mr Jones. The race series has seen entries rise from about 300 people taking part in the first event to 1,800 this year. Fintan Godkin, a former police officer from St Davids, Pembrokeshire organised his first mud run to raise money for the local rugby club in 2010. Such was the success, that he now stages the Man Up UK Really Muddy Weekend, with courses designed for adults and children and entertainment afterwards. "The event has grown over the years," he said, with nearly 200 people signed up this year. "People travel from Cardiff and Bristol and across from Ireland to take part," he said. Mr Godkin creates his course on a farm on the St Davids peninsula using mostly natural obstacles, such as hay stacks, log trenches, ditches and ponds, along with a few man made challenges. Unlike his other events, which attract serious athletes, he said everyone can do the mud run. "It's all about bonding and having a laugh," he said, with finishers rewarded with a T-shirt and warm mud bath. "Some people think it's crazy and other people love it." Mr Godkin said while the mud run did attract competitive runners, 90% of participants did it as part of a team, with many opting for fancy dress. Sarah King is the founder and race director of Gladiator Events Ltd which runs the Gauntlet Games in Cardiff, London, Manchester, Brighton and Winchester. She has been in the events and obstacle industry for over 12 years, and started the company because she wanted to offer a race that was more about fun than fitness. The Gladiator Games were first held in 2014, and have seen participant numbers double each year, with 1,500 people signed up to take part in 2017. Over 20 man-made obstacles resemble a set from Total Wipeout or It's a Knockout, ranging from webs and wobbly bridges to see saws and giant ball pits. Entrants have
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Media playback is not supported on this device The Lanarkshire fighter won lightweight gold at last summer's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, and is unbeaten in five bouts since turning professional. "That's kind of what we're looking at, but it's a long way away yet, and we just need to take it one fight at a time," Flynn told BBC Scotland. "The pro game is a lot tougher than the amateurs; you need to be tough and resilient so it takes years to build." Victory over Northern Ireland's Joe Fitzpatrick in the lightweight final at Glasgow 2014 thrust Flynn into the limelight, and his transition into the professional ranks has been smooth so far. Tougher tests await down the line however, and Flynn stresses the importance of a gradual progression towards those bigger fights. "We are not looking to rush everything. My manager knows how he wants to build me. I'm happy, I've got my trust in him and I know how we're doing it. "We've got a solid foundation, and it's just a matter of time now. Flynn's next fight is in Glasgow on 13 December against an as yet unnamed opponent. The bout will be six rounds, and the Scot's team will look to gradually increase the rounds over his next few fights before progressing to 12-round matches. "I'm just focusing on learning about pro boxing, building up techniques, building up experience," said Flynn. "Callum Smith just won his British title and that was after three years of [professional] boxing. That's when you're kind of looking at a British title. "I'm only 22, I'm only a baby so we're going to build slowly and surely." As well as catapulting him into the public eye, Flynn's gold medal success at Glasgow 2014 has given him belief that he can make his mark in the professional game. "The gold tells you you've got something special," he added. "It helps with everything. The gold helps you with your fan-base. It puts the public eye on you. It can add pressure on to you, but at the same time, you want to be in the public eye, you want to get your career up there. "I've been saying from when I was wee, continually in the gym, 'I'm going to be champion of the world'. "I believe that is what's going to happen. How long I don't know, but at the end of the day I know what I want. I'm not in here to be second best."
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It highlighted official data showing an average of 1,360 trains were cancelled or arrived more than 30 minutes late during every four-week period. It said that equated to an average of 49 trains every day since Abellio took over the ScotRail franchise in 2015. ScotRail said it was focused on delivering the best possible service. Transport Scotland said that despite "recent challenges", the performance of rail services in Scotland was higher than the UK average. Scottish Labour obtained the figures from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). ScotRail produced a performance improvement plan in September at the request of Transport Scotland after punctuality and reliability fell below target. On Thursday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she would consider freezing the country's train fares next year amid concern over the reliability of ScotRail services. She was responding to a Labour proposal to freeze fares in order to "give passengers a break". Scottish Labour's transport spokesman Neil Bibby said the new figures were "just the latest demonstration of the problems that passengers are facing". "Not only are people travelling on expensive and overcrowded trains, nearly 50 services a day are significantly late or even cancelled. That causes huge problems for commuters trying to get to and from work," he said. "With so much disruption on the railways, it is clear passengers do not feel they are getting a fair deal." A spokeswoman for ScotRail said it operated more than 2,300 services a day, with punctuality at 89.8% compared with 87.9% for operators in England and Wales. She said: "We are going through the biggest change and improvement in our railway infrastructure since the Victorian era. "That upgrade to our track is being matched by what we are investing in our fleet. "Our largest ever train improvement programme will deliver new and better trains, with more seats and customer benefits like enhanced wi-fi and at-seat power sockets. "All of this will take time. While we are working on it, we will do everything we can to minimise disruption and to keep people moving. "When it is all in place, we will have transformed rail travel in Scotland. "However, there is no doubt that we need to deliver better punctuality and reliability." The spokeswoman said the company's performance improvement plan contained 246 individual actions "to make things better, every single day". She added: "All 7,500 people who work for the ScotRail Alliance are focused on one goal - improving performance and delivering the best possible service for our customers." A Transport Scotland spokesman said: "To put these numbers in perspective, ScotRail operates around 58,700 services every four weeks. "It is also important to remember that, despite recent challenges, the performance of rail services in Scotland is higher than the UK average, with almost 90% of trains running on time and punctuality improving in the last eight weeks. "Cancellations and trains missing the delay target (arriving within five minutes), are both counted in the calculation of the PPM measurement - a key performance measure
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