document stringlengths 0 174k | summary stringlengths 1 399 | id stringlengths 8 8 |
|---|---|---|
The Chinese government has issued a new directive banning "bizarre architecture", and criticising some of the "oversized, xenocentric, weird" buildings in the country.
China has seen a number of architectural gems springing up in recent years, including one building shaped like a teapot and another that has been likened to a pair of trousers.
Under the new directive, buildings are to be "economical, functional, aesthetically pleasing" and "environmentally friendly".
Here is a selection of the more adventurous buildings that have been developed.
Chairman Zhang's flatpack skyscrapers: A Chinese entrepreneur who took just 19 days to build a 57-storey tower says he has triggered a construction revolution. And his dreams soar far, far higher. | Related content: | 35630043 |
The Italian, 60, takes over after the O's, 17th in League Two, ended Andy Hessenthaler's five-month reign as boss in late September.
He becomes Orient's eighth manager since Italian businessman Francesco Becchetti bought the club in 2014.
Interim boss Andy Edwards, who had overseen one defeat and one draw, reverts to his role as assistant boss.
Orient travel to Southend in the Checkatrade Trophy on Tuesday. | Leyton Orient have appointed former Sampdoria boss Alberto Cavasin as their new manager on a two-year deal. | 37537337 |
The men attacked the girl after she asked them for directions to her friend's house following a night out in Ramsgate, Kent.
Instead of helping her, they took her to a flat and raped her.
The men, all from Kent, denied the charge but were found guilty at Canterbury Crown Court on Friday.
Rafiullah Hamidy, 24, of High Street, Herne Bay; Shershah Muslimyar, 20, of Hovenden Close, Canterbury; Tamin Rahmani, 37, of Northwood Road, Ramsgate; and Hamid Mohamadi, 18, formerly of Boughton Aluph, Ashford, raped the girl.
They attacked her at Rahmani's home in the early hours of 18 September 2016.
After her ordeal, the victim was taken out of the building and left.
Two people returning from a night out saw her crying in the street. They invited her into their home and reported the incident to police.
Det Insp Richard Vickery said: "It was late at night, she was lost and she asked a group of men for directions. Instead, they saw an opportunity to fulfil their depraved sexual desires and betrayed the trust she placed in them in the worst possible way."
With forensic evidence and CCTV footage, Rahmani was arrested later the same day, with Muslimyar and Mohamadi soon after.
Hamidy could not be traced so Kent Police put out a wanted appeal.
It was discovered he had fled to Taranto in southern Italy, where he was detained by local officers.
Hamidy was returned to the UK following an extradition hearing and taken into custody at Heathrow Airport on 28 March.
The men have been remanded in custody, with a sentencing date to be fixed. | Four men who "saw an opportunity to fulfil their depraved sexual desires" have been convicted of raping a 16-year-old girl. | 40062428 |
The changes had led to a rift in the Tory Party and the resignation of Iain Duncan Smith from the cabinet.
Ahead of the vote, Mr Osborne defended his handling of the economy, but told MPs that where mistakes were made he was ready "to listen and learn".
The Budget was accepted by 310 votes to 275, a government majority of 35.
MPs are still voting on a series of Budget Resolutions which are intended to allow measures in the Budget to come into effect immediately.
Amendments to scrap the "tampon tax" and an increase in VAT on solar panels were accepted by the government.
Earlier, the chancellor confirmed to MPs that he would not proceed with planned cuts to Personal Independence Payments (PIPs), likely to have affected up to 640,000 people, saying the changes did not "command support".
He also said no further welfare savings were anticipated beyond the £12bn already approved by Parliament towards his target of balancing the books by 2020.
But Labour demanded an explanation as to how Mr Osborne would plug the £4.4bn gap in the Budget left by the rethink.
Former work and pensions secretary Yvette Cooper said he would either have to raid the welfare budget further or "ditch" his self-imposed cap on overall benefits spending.
Mr Osborne said the cost of abandoning the policy could be absorbed because public spending was under control.
Labour also called on the chancellor to apologise for his attempt to introduce the cuts.
And shadow chancellor John McDonnell questioned Mr Osborne's "fitness for the office he now holds".
Ms Osborne was a "political chancer" whose "grubby, incompetent manipulations" could not be defended, he said.
Mr Duncan Smith resigned as work and pensions secretary on Friday over the proposals to cut disability benefits at the same that taxes were being cut for higher earners.
In his resignation letter, he said the latest cuts were a "compromise too far" and flew in the face of David Cameron's and Mr Osborne's oft-repeated claim that "we are all in this together".
In the Commons, Mr Osborne said he was sorry Mr Duncan Smith had resigned and told MPs he was proud of their work together in government.
He praised his former colleague for "helping to make work pay, protecting the vulnerable and breaking the decades-old cycle of welfare dependency".
But the chancellor rejected Mr Duncan Smith's charge that his fiscal targets risked dividing society and that working-age benefit claimants were being unduly penalised by a "desperate search" for savings.
"Without sound public finances there is no social justice," he told MPs.
He said spending on disability benefits would still be higher in 2020 than it was now and 300,000 people with disabilities had found work in the past couple of years. | MPs have approved the Budget after Chancellor George Osborne was forced to shelve planned cuts to disability benefits. | 35877442 |
Media playback is not supported on this device
In London Marathon week, BBC Sport is launching the #IRunFor campaign for the 2017 summer of athletics.
The event mixes local runners with some of the world's best, all tackling the same course for their own reasons.
It could be to win, for a personal best, for donations or awareness of a cause. The #IRunFor campaign will focus on their stories and reasons they run.
The London Marathon, which will be live on BBC One on Sunday, 23 April, is the first in an action-packed summer of athletics.
The Great Manchester Run, Great North Run, Great Scottish Run and Cardiff Half Marathon are just some of the other mass-participation events that will be covered by the BBC and feature in the #IRunFor campaign.
The campaign will carry on across the World Athletics and Para Athletics Championships and beyond.
As well as hearing from you, the campaign will also ask elite athletes participating in the Manchester City Games, World Para Athletics and World Championships what their motivation is.
So, the next time you are pounding the streets think about why you do it, and be ready because we'll be asking you to be part of our #IRunFor campaign very soon.
And if you have good reasons but still haven't managed to take up running, we've got a guide to help you start. | Whether you're running an international championship race or out for a weekly jog, we all have a reason to run. | 39568771 |
The event organisers, All Under One Banner, hailed it as the biggest march of its kind and said about 17,000 people had taken part.
It began at Kelvingrove Park in the west end of the city at 11:00 and snaked through the city centre ending up at Glasgow Green.
Marchers waved banners and saltires and heard pro-independence speeches.
All Under One Banner, an alliance of various independence-supporting organisations, said the event aimed to show Theresa May that "Scotland has spoken".
Police Scotland estimated that about 15,000 people took part in the march.
Organisers had considered cancelling the event in the wake of the Manchester bomb attack, but decided to go ahead after a review of security.
The rally began with a minute's silence for the victims
The issue of Scottish independence has featured prominently in the general election campaign.
In the wake of the vote for the UK to leave the EU, Nicola Sturgeon has argued Scotland should have the choice on what path it wishes to follow.
The UK government has said any second referendum on Scottish independence should wait until the Brexit process has been completed, with Prime Minister Theresa May repeatedly insisting "now is not the time". | Thousands of people have been marching through Glasgow in support of Scottish independence. | 40143671 |
Competition concerns and broadcasting standards were among the issues of concern, she said.
Ms Bradley has asked for evidence from the two companies and will decide later this month whether to intervene.
Both Sky and Fox are controlled by businessman Rupert Murdoch, who also owns the Times and the Sun newspapers.
A decision to intervene would not block the deal, but trigger an Ofcom assessment as well as a Competition and Markets Authority report to be considered by Ms Bradley.
21st Century Fox said it was confident the deal would be approved: "We anticipate regulators will undertake a thorough review of the transaction and we look forward to engaging with them."
The Culture Secretary said she had written to the two companies to inform them of "concerns that there may be public interest considerations ... that warrant further investigation".
The first public interest ground was media plurality and the need for a "sufficient plurality of persons with control of the media enterprises serving audiences in the UK".
Commitment to broadcasting standards was the second ground for possible intervention.
This related to the need for those controlling media enterprises to "have a genuine commitment to attaining broadcasting standards objectives".
The proposed deal has also been lodged with the European Commission, which would examine competition concerns if the case was referred by Ms Bradley.
Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox is offering £11.7bn for the 61% stake in Sky it does not already own.
Sky shareholders would receive £10.75 in cash for each share, valuing the entire company at £18.5bn.
Shares in Sky fell 2p to 996.5pp in London, giving the firm a market capitalisation of £17.1bn. | Culture Secretary Karen Bradley said she is "minded" to order an Ofcom investigation into the planned £18.5bn takeover of Sky by 21st Century Fox. | 39154132 |
Five of the 12 schools sponsored by the Education Fellowship Trust (TEFT) are currently rated as "inadequate".
The Department for Education (DfE) said it had agreed to a request from the trust to terminate its funding agreement "following ongoing concerns" about educational performance.
It is the first time an academy chain has had to give up all of its schools.
The Islip-based trust is responsible for the education of about 6,500 students in Northamptonshire, Wiltshire and Maidenhead in Berkshire.
Of the five schools rated inadequate, three were issued with termination warning notices last September. A fourth warning came in January.
The following five out of the Education Fellowship Trust's 12 schools were rated inadequate by Ofsted.
Source: Department for Education
The trust's schools will now have to be transferred to new sponsors.
Its chief operating officer, Lizzie Rowe, said it had requested to transfer its academies "following a review of financial constraints facing the education sector and the misalignment of values with the DfE".
In 2014, an Education Funding Agency report raised concerns about the trust's financial practices.
It questioned governors' expenses of £45,000, a trip to New York and unadvertised jobs for family members. | An academy trust has had its funding terminated following a series of poor Ofsted inspections. | 39234608 |
The 50-year-old former Bristol, Newcastle Falcons and England back row guided them to promotion from the Championship in 2015.
Having finished 10th last season, chief executive Jim O'Toole said on Monday the club would have a "top-six rugby budget" for the forthcoming campaign.
Ryan has recently been linked with a move to Premiership rivals Bath.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Worcester have confirmed their senior management team to replace Ryan will consist of head coach Carl Hogg and high performance director Nick Johnston.
Hogg, a former head coach at Gloucester, will retain responsibility for the first-team squad, while Johnston will continue to run the Warriors' academy, medical, sports science and player welfare departments.
"Disappointed would be a key adjective in all this," O'Toole told BBC Hereford and Worcester.
"We were more than happy with the progress, our long-term business plan to make this a top-six Premiership team and where we are on the pitch.
"We are very disappointed to have to discuss this but it happens, people move on, and this is an example of that."
O'Toole was also quick to deny speculation that a lack of finances were behind Ryan's departure, reiterating that the club have already announced that the playing budget will rise by 25% next season.
"There's no shortage of money for players coming in - you can see with the signings of Ben Te'o, Francois Hougaard, Jackson Willison and others that we are full committed to the salary cap."
The club are also in the process of laying their first-ever artificial pitch at Sixways for next season.
Ryan, who took over in May 2013, suffered relegation in his first season in charge, won promotion in 2015 and then kept Worcester up last season.
BBC Hereford and Worcester rugby commentator Dave Bradley:
"While we still don't really know the full reason for his departure, it's interesting that the club are keen to point out he will not be moving to another Premiership club.
"They are also not appointing another director of rugby.
"What is Ryan's legacy? Well he got them back into the Premiership - having initially taken them down with one of the worst-ever playing records - and he managed to keep them in the top flight on their return, which some coaches had failed to do.
"His vision of a successful academy is just coming to fruition with some 20 players in England age group squads, which makes his departure even more puzzling." | Worcester Warriors have confirmed director of rugby Dean Ryan has left the Premiership club. | 36671679 |
Treasury Chief Secretary David Gauke told BBC Radio 4's Any Questions it was an "aim - it doesn't have a timetable".
But he said it would "drive policy" in terms of improving the skills of British workers.
It comes after ex-Chancellor George Osborne said the Tories "haven't a clue" how they will meet the target.
The pledge to reduce net annual migration - the difference in the number of people coming to the UK for a year or more and those leaving - to the tens of thousands was in the 2010 and 2015 Tory manifestos.
Neither Theresa May nor David Cameron has come close to meeting it as prime minister. The most recent figure was 273,000. The last year it was below 100,000 was 1997.
Despite this, the target has been retained in the 2017 manifesto, which states the party will deliver "controlled, sustainable migration" but does not set a timeframe.
The party has not set a deadline for their target of slashing immigration but hopes to do it as quickly as possible, ministers say.
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said the Tories had "for the third time put before the people unrealistic promises that they know will never be fulfilled".
He called for "fair, managed migration policy" with numbers to be decided based on what the economy needs and better training for UK workers.
The SNP's Tommy Sheppard said he did not think the government had any intention of meeting its net migration target.
"It's a dog whistle to UKIP voters who don't like immigration to vote Tory," he told the Any Questions audience.
Mr Gauke said he was "not belittling migrants" but it was "not sustainable to have net migration of hundreds of thousands for year after year, for decade after decade".
He said the social pressures would be too much "and that's why we have to address it".
George Osborne - who was fired as chancellor last year by Theresa May - has been using his new position as editor of the London Evening Standard to mount an attack on her flagship policy of cutting net migration.
In an editorial, he attacked Mrs May's refusal to spell out the impact reducing migration to below 100,000 would have on the economy.
"Either ministers know the damage their immigration policy will do, but won't tell us; or they have deliberately avoided finding out, because they know the answer will be negative," he said.
But Conservative candidate Kwasi Kwarteng told BBC News everything about Mr Osborne should be "viewed through the lens of his brutal dismissal" as chancellor by Mrs May.
"He has many axes to grind," added Mr Kwarteng.
UKIP's immigration spokesman John Bickley said ministers were trying to "brush off" questions, and that the lack of detail about their plans was staggering.
Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron told the Press Association: "It is a reminder Theresa May has set immigration targets throughout her time as home secretary and now as prime minister, and has failed to meet them.
"It is about the Conservatives now being basically UKIP."
Get news from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning | The Conservatives have defended their pledge to cut net migration to "tens of thousands" after Labour said it would never be met. | 39982556 |
Last month, a bidder wanting to provide the University Hospital of Hartlepool's fertility services was rejected, despite already running services there.
The borough's council said it had not been told why.
The area's clinical commissioning group (CCG), which had said it could not recruit enough staff to keep the unit going, has been approached for comment.
Care Fertility, which operates 15 clinics across Britain and supports fertility services in Hartlepool, said in January it was "disappointed not to be awarded the contract".
Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees CCG said the bids it received had not met "the benchmark requirements".
At a meeting on Thursday Hartlepool councillors voted to request the CCG put it back out to tender.
Audit and governance committee chairman Ray Martin-Wells said the committee could not "understand why a company with a proven track record which is already providing a service at the unit and at 15 other fertility units across the country is deemed to be not good enough by the CCG".
The committee also decided to seek further legal advice.
Last year Hartlepool Council was granted a High Court injunction stopping a planned closure, after which it was announced an alternative provider would be sought to run fertility services, including IVF. | Health managers wanting to close a hospital fertility unit are being asked to put the service back out to tender. | 38997967 |
Officers were called to the attraction in Marine Terrace at about 15:20 GMT on Good Friday after two people were reportedly hurt.
Kent Police said the victims did not require hospital treatment, adding: "Inquiries are on going."
The revamped Dreamland theme park opened in June 2015. | Police are investigating reports that two people were shot at with a catapult at Margate's Dreamland theme park. | 35903528 |
The Labrador ended up in the waterlogged pit in Beaconsfield at about 11:45 BST after her owner accidentally left a gate open.
Crews sent from three stations used a telescopic pole to secure the animal and bring her to safety.
The dog was very muddy and looked somewhat sheepish after her ordeal, but was uninjured, the fire service said.
More tails from the Buckinghamshire newsroom
Crew Commander David James, from Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: "The dog was about eight feet away from solid ground and when we tested the depth of the mud with a wading pole we found that it would be chest-deep if a person entered it."
"The owner was obviously very upset, so the first thing we did was to calm her down so that the dog wouldn't pick up on her anxiety."
Crews used a telescopic six-metre reach pole which they were able to attach to the dog's collar to help her get her footing.
"It's always best to call us in situations like this rather than try to get the animal out yourself," a spokesman for the fire service said.
"We have the proper training and techniques to carry out this sort of rescue.
"Too often we end up having to rescue a person who has tried to get their own animal out of trouble." | A blind and partially deaf dog was rescued by firefighters from a muddy swamp after escaping across a field. | 40643180 |
Yazdani, 21, trailed 6-0 after the first period but levelled with three seconds of the match left and eventually won on countback.
His victory gave Iran its first wrestling gold at Rio 2016, adding to three bronze medals.
Geduev, a three-time European champion, had been the favourite.
Earlier on Friday he had pulled off a stunning upset when he defeated the heavily fancied Jordan Burroughs of the United States, the Olympic champion in 2012.
Azerbaijan's Jabrayil Hasanov and Turkey's Soner Demirtas won their bronze-medal bouts, beating Uzbek Bekzod Abdurakhmonov and Kazakh Galymzhan Usserbayev respectively.
Find out how to get into wrestling with our special guide.
Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox. | Iran's Hassan Yazdani came from six points down to beat Russian Aniuar Geduev in a dramatic men's -74kg freestyle gold medal bout. | 36691145 |
Completion of the main building work was marked at the Cubric centre at Cardiff University, which will have one of the most sophisticated MRI scanners in the world.
It will allow scientists to look at how brains work in minute detail.
The hope is to understand more about the causes of conditions like dementia, multiple sclerosis and schizophrenia.
Cubric at Maindy Park, which opens in a year, will bring together four hi-tech scanners to look at how the brain works and what is exactly happening when things go wrong.
One of the scanners is a European-first and will allow scientists to study brain cells only 1000th of a millimetre across.
The hope is to make important breakthroughs in treating conditions over the next 20 years.
Prof Derek Jones, Cubric director, said: "It's the most exciting and important development in neuro-imaging in the last 10 years.
"It's going to be the largest imaging centre built in Europe, which is going to allow us to expand massively the breadth and depth of imaging we can do."
The new Connectome - or micro-structure scanner - is being supported by the Welsh government to the tune of £3.4m.
It will be a first outside the United States and allow scientists to unravel the full connectivity map of the human brain and hopefully unlock many of its secrets.
Prof Jones compares the conventional scanner to pointing a telescope at a galaxy and seeing a blur.
The Connectome will enable scientists to focus on what lies there for the first time.
"We will be able look in exquisite detail at the information we get from brain cells and can start to look at how these affect how the brain connections vary and how people perform in different tasks," he said.
Within 10 years, the team hopes to know more about the biology of the brain within a whole range of disorders and, within 20 years, "to do something about it".
It will be a shared resource across Europe, with interested collaborators in the United States, Taiwan and China.
Health Minister Mark Drakeford, who visited the site for a topping-out ceremony, said: "There will be things that go on here that we know won't go on anywhere else in Europe".
He said it would attract some of the top researchers from around the world and was a "significant development for Wales".
"We want to make sure that research translates into treatments and that's why as a government we've put our money alongside others into what you see today". | A new £44m brain research imaging centre has reached an important milestone. | 32483208 |
The 42-year-old is the first Welshman to be awarded the prize and follows in the footsteps of fellow Manchester United United greats Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Matt Busby and Sir Bobby Charlton.
Giggs made a club record 963 United appearances and is the most decorated player in English football.
"I'm fortunate to win it and I'll enjoy it," he said.
"When you win each award you look down the trophy and you see the players who have won it before and you realise what a great accolade it is.
"This is the same. I've been here on the nights when people have won it and it's legends of the game."
Now assistant to manager Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford, Giggs won 13 league titles, four FA Cups and two Champions League crowns during a glittering career.
The accolade completes a hat-trick of major PFA awards for Giggs who was Player of the Year in 2009 and Young Player of the Year in 1992 and 1993.
Giggs said: "I'm chuffed to have to have won all three awards; the young player was a long time ago and then the player award was a big surprise.
"This is the culmination of around 25 years since my debut."
Watch highlights of the PFA awards on BBC One on Monday. The programme starts at 23:30 BST (Northern Ireland 23:45 BST and Wales 00:30 BST on 26 April). | Ryan Giggs says he is "fortunate" after winning the Professional Footballers' Association merit award. | 36127589 |
* Thanks to Merlin Official Premier League Sticker Collection for index images. | After Leicester's remarkable Premier League title triumph, BBC Sport tests your knowledge of some other players who proudly own a winners' medal. | 36023768 |
Some young people were paid to attend, a presidential spokesman said.
But defiant opposition leader Alexei Navalny, one of hundreds of people held, was fined the minimum 20,000 roubles (£280; $350) and was not detained when he appeared in court.
He repeated accusations of corruption against PM Dmitry Medvedev.
The allegations were the main reason behind Sunday's protests, which drew thousands of demonstrators nationwide, including in Saint Petersburg, Vladivostok, Novosibirsk, Tomsk and several other cities, as well as Moscow. At least 500 protesters were detained.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in the first comments by the presidency since the protests, said: "Essentially what we saw yesterday in several places - probably especially in Moscow - is a provocation and a lie."
He said young people had been "promised financial rewards in the event of their detention by law enforcement agencies".
Mr Peskov praised the "appropriate, highly professional and legal" response of the security forces and dismissed calls from the European Union on Monday that those detained should be released "without delay".
Asked by the BBC whether Mr Medvedev should respond to the concrete allegations of corruption which brought the crowds on to the street, Mr Peskov said: "No comment".
But he said that, where rallies had taken place legally, "in these cases obviously the slogans, the criticism that was voiced will be paid attention to".
Correspondents say the marches appear to be the biggest since anti-government demonstrations in 2011 and 2012.
Before his appearance on Monday, Mr Navalny, 40, tweeted from the building: "Hello everyone from Tverskoy Court. The time will come when we will have them on trial (only honestly)."
He argued it was Mr Medvedev who should be summoned as the chief organiser of the protests, because his "corrupt activities led to people coming on to the streets of 99 Russian cities".
Mr Navalny, denying all the charges, said: "They haven't heard witnesses, nor have they satisfied any of our requests. Even the slightest semblance of justice is totally absent here."
He also said again that he plans to run for president in 2018.
Mr Navalny was fined for organising banned protests but was not detained. The court could have ordered a detention of up to 15 days.
A second charge of disobeying police orders is still pending.
The BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Moscow says it is difficult for the authorities to know what to do with Mr Navalny - if he is put behind bars he becomes a martyr, if he is out then he can organise more protests on the streets.
Mr Navalny called for the nationwide protests after he published reports claiming that Mr Medvedev controlled mansions, yachts and vineyards - a fortune that suggests income that far outstrips his official salary.
His report, posted on YouTube, has been viewed more than 12 million times.
It includes the accusation that Mr Medvedev had a special house for a duck on one of his properties - and on Sunday, some demonstrators held up images of yellow rubber ducks.
Others showed up with their faces painted green, a reference to a recent attack in which Mr Navalny was hit with green liquid.
Mr Medvedev's spokeswoman called the allegations against him "propagandistic attacks".
When asked how he spent Sunday, the prime minister said simply on Instagram: "Had a good day, I went skiing", and posted a smiley face.
An EU spokesman said the Russian police action had "prevented the exercise of basic freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly, which are fundamental rights enshrined in the Russian constitution".
The statement added: "We call on the Russian authorities to abide fully by the international commitments it has made... and to release without delay the peaceful demonstrators that have been detained."
US state department spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement: "The Russian people, like people everywhere, deserve a government that supports an open marketplace of ideas, transparent and accountable governance, equal treatment under the law, and the ability to exercise their rights without fear of retribution."
Russian state television completely ignored the protests on Sunday. Monday morning's bulletins were similarly blank.
Pro-Kremlin newspapers also ignored the protests.
But the BBC's Steve Rosenberg in Moscow says there was coverage in some others. Business daily Vedomosti reported a high level of dissatisfaction with the authorities, saying that the young generation had become politicised.
Another paper refers to "Putin's disastrous anniversary" - the protests coming 17 years after the president took office - and says: "A few months ago, Alexei Navalny was seen as yesterday's man who'd missed the bus. He hasn't missed any bus."
The most prominent critic of President Putin, Mr Navalny began his anti-corruption campaign with blogs aimed at state-controlled companies in 2008.
He moved on to opposing the ruling party, United Russia, calling it the "party of crooks and thieves".
He led massive protests following the 2011 election, the biggest in Moscow in December that year, after which he was arrested and jailed for 15 days.
He has said he will run for president in 2018, but a court has convicted him of embezzlement, which would bar him. He denies the charges, calling the case farcical.
Get news from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning | The Kremlin has responded to mass protests on Sunday by accusing the opposition of encouraging lawbreaking and provoking violence. | 39403714 |
The body, minus the wheels, engine and rear axle fetched more money than its roadworthy equivalents at the auction.
Auctioneer Richard Edmonds said: "I think we had some very keen bidders at the sale looking for a restoration project."
A total of 16 Austin 7s were sold in the auction.
The Austin 7 was one of the most popular cars produced for the British market with more than 290,000 made between 1922 and 1939.
But Richard Edmonds Auctions, which ran the sale, said a Morris Model G taxi, the last of its kind, failed to sell due to a lack of interest. | The dusty, dented and neglected body of a 1930s Austin 7 car has been sold for £18,480 at auction after sitting in a Gloucestershire barn since the 1960s. | 36585031 |
Rahim Mohammadi, 40, of Goldsmith Row, east London, appeared at the Old Bailey via video link over the death of Lea Adri-Soejoko in February.
She had been strangled with a ligature and her body was found in Colindale, north-west London, at the allotment where she was secretary.
Mr Mohammadi was remanded in custody ahead of his trial in July. | A man has denied murdering an 80-year-old woman whose body was found in a garage at an allotment. | 40011010 |
The artwork was selected from 50 entrants in the annual awards.
Alt-rock band Drenge's second album Undertow came second, while Currents, the third studio album from Australian group Tame Impala, came third.
Now in its 10th year, the prize is organised by Art Vinyl, a company that promotes record covers as art.
The winner - art directed by Dave Stansbie from The Creative Corporation - was decided by public vote from nominees that also included Blur's The Magic Whip and Bjork's Vulnicura.
Previous winners of the prize include Klaxons' Surfing the Void - which depicted a cat in a spacesuit - and last year's recipient, Royal Blood's self-titled debut album.
This year's winners will be showcased in exhibitions in Ayrshire, Bologna, Budapest and Munich, as well as at two locations in London. | The bird-themed cover of Rattle That Lock, the fourth solo album from Pink Floyd's David Gilmour, has won a prize for the year's best album artwork. | 35260403 |
Giovanni di Stefano was convicted on Wednesday of 25 charges, including deception, fraud and money laundering between 2001 and 2011.
Di Stefano, 57, of Canterbury, is known as the "devil's advocate" for representing high-profile criminals.
He says he worked with train robber Ronnie Biggs and Saddam Hussein's legal team.
Di Stefano, an ex-Dundee football club director, also claimed his clients included serial killer Dr Harold Shipman and Slobodan Milosevic, the late Serbian leader who died on trial for war crimes at The Hague.
Judge Alistair McCreath, the Recorder of Westminster, told Di Stefano he recognised that he did not seek out those who he defrauded - instead they came to him. But he had caused real distress - and years of misery and frustration - to many people.
The judge said: "There is more than one kind of predator. Some predators hunt down their victims, others lie in wait for them.
"Your victims in this case were all desperate people and people who, because of their desperation, were vulnerable.
"You had no regard for them nor for their anguish. Your only concern was to line your own pockets."
Di Stefano's crimes were "planned and persistent", the judge added, and some of his attempts to defend his behaviour in court amounted to "breathtaking cynicism".
On Thursday Di Stefano pleaded guilty to two further counts of fraud, including stealing £150,000 compensation that should have gone to man who had lost an arm in a car crash. A further three counts were ordered to lie on file.
During the trial, Southwark Crown court heard the 57-year-old had fooled clients out of millions of pounds by presenting himself as a lawyer, despite having no legal qualifications and not being registered to work as an advocate in the UK or Italy.
As part of this pretence, he used the Italian word "avvocato" on business cards, letterheads and documents to ensure his clients and the judiciary were given the impression he was a lawyer.
A jury of eight women and four men took four hours and 10 minutes to reach a verdict.
It found Di Stefano guilty of nine counts of obtaining a money transfer by deception, eight counts of fraud, three counts of acquiring criminal property, two counts of using a false instrument, one count of attempting to obtain a money transfer by deception, one count of obtaining property by deception and one count of using criminal property.
During the trial, the court was told about Di Stefano's links with President of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe, al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden, and his "friendship" with the daughter of Slobodan Milosevic.
A BBC documentary from 2004 was also shown to the court, in which Di Stefano spoke of Iraqi leader and war criminal Saddam Hussein as a "nice guy".
During the film, he boasted of being asked to defend killers including Shipman, Jeremy Bamber, Kenneth Noye and Linda Calvey.
Di Stefano, who was born in the small Italian town of Petrella Tifernina, moved to Britain as a boy and attended school in Wollaston, in Northamptonshire. | A conman who duped people into thinking he was a bona fide legal professional has been jailed for 14 years. | 21969624 |
The Lancashire County Council report follows an application by energy firm Cuadrilla to explore Little Plumpton and Roseacre Wood for shale gas.
It comes a week before councillors are due to make a final decision on the company's planning application to extract the gas near Blackpool.
Cuadrilla chief executive Francis Egan told BBC Radio Lancashire the planners' recommendation was a "set-back".
In a statement, the company said "the limited issues that have been raised can be resolved".
The firm's bids were the first since fracking tests near Blackpool were thought to be the "likely cause" of earth tremors in 2011.
The council's report recommended the Little Plumpton application, for a site north of Preston New Road, should be turned down due to concerns over noise, which would "unnecessarily and unacceptably" affect neighbouring properties.
Regarding the Roseacre Wood site, it said there would be an increase in traffic, particularly heavy goods vehicles, which would result in "an unacceptable impact" on rural roads and reduce road safety.
However, applications for monitoring equipment to test seismic activity, groundwater and ground gas at both sites have been recommended for approval by planners.
Fracking - or hydraulic fracturing - is a technique in which water and chemicals are pumped into shale rock at high pressure to extract gas.
A government report published in June 2012 concluded fracking was safe if adequately monitored.
However, anti-fracking campaigners claim the process is harmful to the environment.
David Cameron's spokesman said the prime minister's view on the potential for unconventional oil and gas had not changed but he believed it "should be up to local authorities" to take the decision.
Mr Egan said there had been a "degree of scare-mongering" against Cuadrilla's bid.
"On the issues of public health - other than noise - on the issues of air quality, seismicity or earth tremors, the council has concluded that none of those are reasons to refuse this application.
"They have concerns clearly with night-time noise on one, and noise and traffic on the other but that would be the case for any planning application."
BBC industry correspondent John Moylan said the planning process was twice as long as expected, with Cuadrilla's applications stretching to thousands of pages.
He added its protection plans for ground water, air quality and handling waste had been approved by the Environment Agency and its operations were due to be independently scrutinised by scientists from the British Geological Survey and leading universities.
Judy Hobson, BBC North West Tonight
Anti-fracking protesters will claim victory after today's report, but the planning committee has the final say when they vote next week.
They are likely to go with what the report's authors have recommended, but even then Cuadrilla can appeal and ultimately the government will decide.
All the noises emanating from the Cuadrilla camp this week suggested they believed this would go through.
Officers said the small rural roads at Roseacre Wood wouldn't be able to cope. Cuadrilla may now decide to try to construct separate roads - and another planning application might be needed. All this points to delays, delays and more delays.
So this isn't a final result. But it is a setback - not just for Cuadrilla and for fracking in Lancashire but potentially for fracking across the UK. Decisions made here could set the scene for the rest of the country.
Greenpeace member Simon Clydesdale said he "applauded" the planners' recommendation, adding "fracking could be a lot of pain for very little or no gain".
"The council now faces a clear choice: They can listen to the planners, and the Lancashire residents that elected them - almost two-thirds of whom want a moratorium on fracking. Or they can kow-tow to the corporate and political interests keen to force through fracking at almost any cost.
"The whole country is looking to Lancashire to protect its communities from the unnecessary risks that fracking plays with our futures."
Friends of the Earth campaigner Helen Rimmer added: "Councillors must now act on this and the tens of thousands of objections they have received and reject Cuadrilla's fracking applications next week.
"Only by doing so will they ensure that fracking is not allowed to cause further climate change while also putting communities and the local environment at risk."
Edward Cook, from the local residents' Defend Lytham group, said it was "delighted" about the planners' recommendations.
But he added: "We are more than a little surprised that the other serious concerns, expressed by the more than 27,000 people who wrote in to object, appear to have been dismissed."
He said concerns included the impact on air quality, public health and greenhouse gas emissions.
Steve Becker, BBC Radio Lancashire
Pat Davies could barely contain her joy - or tears - as the planning application failed its first test.
For the last year, her house has become the Little Plumpton Campaign Group's headquarters in their battle against Cuadrilla.
Several members of the group have given up a year of their lives to become full-time opponents.
Meanwhile in Roseacre, Barry and Elizabeth Warner, who campaign with the local Awareness Group, were also jubilant.
"It's often felt like David versus Goliath," Elizabeth said, "but to have planning decisions taken at a local level is absolutely crucial."
Both groups will be at county hall for next week's crucial meetings.
The North West Energy Task Force, a coalition of more than 500 businesses and academics financially supported by Cuadrilla and the firm Centrica Energy, said the planners' recommendation was "potentially a disappointing setback for job creation" in the region.
Local authorities in West Sussex have previously turned down applications from shale companies to explore for oil and gas. | Fracking should not go ahead at two sites in Lancashire, a key report said. | 30913269 |
The club argued the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) was wrong to award sole use to the Hammers and wanted to share the venue.
Orient said the club felt "a real sense of injustice" at the decision.
But at the High Court, Mr Justice Lewis said the LLDC was entitled to make the decision which was not "irrational".
Leyton Orient had argued they did not want to "disrupt or delay" West Ham's move.
The club said they would now have to "look to the House of Lords" to find a solution.
"Our real concern is the lack of transparency that has been shown throughout the process by a public body," a club spokesperson said.
"It is deeply disappointing that both the Court and the LLDC have made decisions based only on financial considerations, when the purpose of the stadium's legacy was regeneration of the area with a community focus."
Earlier, Adam Lewis QC, representing the club, said: "Leyton Orient does not suggest that it would be viable as a sole occupant of the stadium.
"Nor does it seek by these proceedings to prevent, disrupt or delay West Ham's move to the stadium.
"Rather, Leyton Orient wishes to be allowed back into the procurement competition... and to be awarded a concession to use the stadium jointly with West Ham."
But lawyers for the corporation said the case was "unarguable" and "lacked merit".
Leyton Orient also claimed their bid for a ground-share was not considered properly.
The LLDC turned that down on cost grounds, BBC London sports news correspondent Adrian Warner reported.
In a statement the LLDC said: "We welcome the ruling and are pleased that Mr Justice Lewis agrees that we ran a fair, open and transparent competition to appoint concessionaires for the stadium.
"We believe the agreement we have with West Ham United Football Club and UK Athletics will deliver a fantastic sporting and community legacy in east London and represents the best deal for the taxpayer."
West Ham were named as the preferred bidders to take over the Olympic Stadium in December.
However Orient chairman Barry Hearn has argued the process was flawed.
Mr Hearn has also claimed West Ham moving into the Olympic Stadium - which is about two miles and one Tube stop away from Orient's Brisbane Road ground - would affect attendances at Orient games.
He has long argued the effect could be so severe it could put the club, currently top of League One with seven wins from seven games, out of business.
West Ham, who are expected to move into their new home from August 2016, welcomed the High Court's decision.
In a statement they said: "Although the application for a judicial review would not have had any impact on West Ham United's move to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the club have always believed the process was robust, fair and transparent."
West Ham said they could now focus on plans to develop the new venue. | Leyton Orient have lost their bid to win a judicial review into the decision to grant West Ham the tenancy of the Olympic Stadium. | 24164622 |
Wenger, 65, says society in Europe has become "softer" compared to Latin America and produces different players.
Sanchez, 25, has scored eight goals in 15 appearances since joining Arsenal.
"When football is more formalised, it's less about developing your individual skill and fighting attitude. We've lost that a bit," Wenger said.
"Maybe it's because in Europe street football has gone. If you go back 30 or 40 years in England, life was tougher."
Media playback is not supported on this device
Sanchez, who cost Arsenal £35m when he signed from Barcelona in July, has fighting qualities and skills which Wenger claims South American strikers hone on the streets.
"We're much more protective and have all become a bit softer," Wenger said.
"In street football when you're 10-years-old, you want to play with 15-year-olds. Then you have to prove you're good, you have to fight and win impossible balls."
The Frenchman admits Sanchez's determination on the pitch is reminiscent of Arsenal's fabled defence of the 1990s when he first took over at the club.
Wenger added: "He reminds me of the first generation of English players that I had - Lee Dixon, Steve Bould, Tony Adams, Nigel Winterburn, Martin Keown. This kind who is just ready for the fight." | Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger believes the decline of street football means Europe struggles to produce top quality forwards like Chile's Alexis Sanchez. | 29858557 |
Richards, 21, began his senior career with St Helens and has made 73 appearances for the club since 2013.
"Greg has been at an elite club for a number of years and played a lot of games," Leigh coach Neil Jukes said.
"He is going to bring good habits and plenty of experience, even though he has youth on his side." | Leigh Centurions have signed prop Greg Richards from St Helens on a deal until the end of November 2018, with an option of a further year. | 40633448 |
The whales were found on the Lincolnshire coast over the weekend - two at Gibraltar Point and another in nearby Skegness.
Jan Smith, who led a team of 14 workers to remove the 30-tonne animals, said it had gone more smoothly than expected.
The work took place at night to keep disturbance to a minimum, he said.
Mr Smith said he expected the "delicate operation" to take up to eight hours, but all were removed by 01:30 GMT. The process started just after 20:00 in Skegness.
"It's gone very well, really," he said.
"The last one where the flaps had been cut open for the autopsy was hard work.
"You can't really plan what you are going to do because you don't know if they are likely to blow up or something. All that you can do is treat them with the utmost respect.
"It's a delicate operation."
The whales were positioned on to three low-loaders before being taken away. They will be buried in a landfill site in Sheffield.
The public were being warned to keep their distance while the work took place because of safety concerns.
The warning came after one of the whales "decompressed rather spectacularly" while scientists were carrying out tests on it.
Hundreds of people have turned out to see the mammals since they were discovered.
Footage has emerged showing what could be two of the whales swimming in the North Sea on Saturday.
Two other whales washed up on the east coast - one is on the site of a former bombing range near Wainfleet in Lincolnshire. Another was found in Norfolk on Friday. | The carcasses of three sperm whales washed up on the east coast have been taken to landfill sites in an overnight operation. | 35422380 |
It was his first address to the five million Moroccans in the diaspora since the recent attacks in Europe by Islamist militants.
European citizens of Moroccan origin were implicated in some attacks.
Condemning the murder of innocent people, the king singled out the killing of a priest in France.
Two followers of so-called Islamic State (IS) slit the throat of Father Jacques Hamel, 84, during Mass at his church in a suburb of Rouen.
"Killing a priest is forbidden by religion," King Mohammed said in his speech on Saturday evening.
"Murdering him inside a church is unforgivable madness, for he is a human being and a religious man - even if he is not a Muslim."
Two of the IS militants killed in the aftermath of the Paris attacks in November were Belgians of Moroccan origin, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the suspected ringleader, and Chakib Akrouh, a suicide bomber.
The three IS militants who bombed Brussels in March, Khalid and Ibrahim el-Bakraoui and Najim Laachraoui, were also of Moroccan origin.
The king said that those who engaged in terrorism, in the name of Islam, were "not Muslims".
"Their only link to Islam is the pretexts they use to justify their crimes and their folly," he said. "They have strayed from the right path, and their fate is to dwell forever in hell."
Extremists, the Moroccan monarch said, were exploiting young Muslims to spread misleading messages about Islam and distort its peaceful values.
"They think - out of ignorance - that they are engaging in jihad," he said.
"Since when has jihad been synonymous with killing innocent people? The Almighty says: 'Do not transgress limits, for Allah loves not transgressors.'
"Is it conceivable that God... could order someone to blow himself up or kill innocent people? Islam, as a matter of fact, does not permit any kind of suicide - whatever the reasons or circumstances."
Under Mohammed VI, the Moroccan monarchy has taken on a more modern, reformist image. | The King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, has called on Moroccans living abroad, many of them in Europe, to defend a tolerant form of Islam and reject extremism. | 37148105 |
Two women were allegedly assaulted with an electrical stunning device during the incident at the Original Factory Shop on Monday.
James Stewart Irvine, 53, faces three counts of assault and robbery, and possession of a prohibited weapon.
Irvine, from Newtown St Boswells, appeared in private at Jedburgh Sheriff Court and made no plea.
He was remanded in custody by Sheriff Peter Paterson and is expected to appear at Selkirk Sheriff Court on 15 October.
A 36-year-old man has also been arrested and charged in connection with the same incident.
He is expected to appear in court at a later date.
Police Scotland said inquiries to trace a third man in connection with the incident are ongoing.
Ch Insp Andy McLean said: "Extensive inquiries were conducted by officers in an effort to trace the suspects as quickly as possible following what was a shocking and distressing incident for those involved.
"Thankfully, incidents like this are rare in the Borders and I want to thank the public for their continued support during our investigation." | A man has appeared in court in connection with a robbery at a shop in Kelso. | 34463482 |
It has actually been raining quite heavily over the last few days in and around Sao Paulo but it has barely made a drop of difference.
The main reservoir system that feeds this immense city is still dangerously low, and it would take months of intense, heavy rainfall for water levels to return to anything like normal.
So how does a country that produces an estimated 12% of the world's fresh water end up with a chronic shortage of this most essential resource - in its biggest and most economically important city?
It's interesting to note that both the local state government and the federal government have been slow to acknowledge there is a crisis, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
That might have been a politically expedient position to take during the recent election campaign, when the shortage of water in Sao Paulo was a thorny political issue, but the apparent lack of urgency in the city and wider state now is worrying many.
At the main Cantareira reservoir system, which feeds much of this city's insatiable demand for water, things have almost reached rock bottom.
Huge pipes suck out what water remains as the reservoir dips below 10% of its usual capacity. The odd local villager wanders around the dry bed of the lake hoping for a temporary windfall as fish flounder in the few pools that remain.
In the town of Itu, not far from the slowly diminishing reservoir, Gilberto Rodriguez and several of his neighbours wait patiently in line.
All of them are carrying as many jerry cans, empty plastic drinks bottles or buckets as they can muster. For weeks now they've been filling up with water from this emergency well. Twice a day Gilberto heaves the full containers into his car and heads home.
Every other house on the short drive seems to have a homemade poster pinned to the gate or doorframe. The same message, or plea, is written on each one; "Itu pede Socorro" - "Itu needs help".
Gilberto and his wife almost break into a laugh when I suggest to them that, according to Sao Paulo's state government, the situation is manageable and there's no need for water rationing.
"There's been no water in our pipes now for a month," says Soraya.
"It's not as bad as this in every community but we've had water rationing here since February."
The car-crash scenario of a record dry season coupled with the ever-increasing demand for resources from South America's biggest city seems almost to have caught the state water authority, Sabesp, by surprise. The authority, in turn, is being widely criticised for failing to plan and is now trying to manage a crisis.
Home to some 20 million people, the sprawling city of Sao Paulo continues to grow. But the failure of city services and basic infrastructure to keep pace merely exacerbates the problems, in particular the dwindling supplies of clean water.
Open sewers mean that Sao Paulo's rivers are completely polluted. They're now part of the problem rather than, as should be in times of drought, part of the solution.
Maria Cecilia Brito is part of the umbrella organisation Alliance for Waters, which is belatedly trying to raise public awareness about the chronic shortages.
"People here were brought up to believe that water was a resource that would never end," Maria Cedilla tells me at her office in downtown Sao Paulo, a leviathan of a metropolis that has long since outgrown any system that could adequately support it.
She goes on: "We were taking more water from the sources than those sources were able to replenish through natural means."
But now one of Brazil's leading scientists is suggesting that the causes of the drought may be even more worrying for Brazil in the long run.
Antonio Nobre is one of country's most respected Earth scientists and climatologists. He argues there is enough evidence to say that continued deforestation in the Amazon and the almost complete disappearance of the Atlantic forest has drastically altered the climate.
"There is a hot dry air mass sitting down here [in Sao Paulo] like an elephant and nothing can move it," says the eminent scientist, who divides his time between the southern city of Sao Jose dos Campos and the Amazon city of Manaus.
"That's what we have learned - that the forests have an innate ability to import moisture and to cool down and to favour rain… If deforestation in the Amazon continues, Sao Paulo will probably dry up. If we don't act now, we're lost," adds Mr Nobre, whose recent report on the plight of the Amazon caused a huge stir in scientific and political circles.
Water shortages have the potential to harm the economy too, and that's where the politicians in Sao Paulo and Brasilia just might start to act.
Sao Paulo is by far Brazil's richest state - the engine of the country's economic growth - but if water and electricity, generated by hydroelectric dams, start running out the consequences for the economy could be dire.
At a car parts factory in the north of the city I meet businessman Mauricio Colin. His aluminium plant needs about 15,000 litres of water a day to operate at normal capacity. Mauricio is already having to buy in extra water. He is worried about future supplies.
"The authorities know exactly what's needed," says Mauricio, above the din of his round-the-clock operation. "They have to invest in basic infrastructure because, without water, there are companies here who won't be able to produce anything."
Thus far public protests against the water shortages have been small - but the potential for frustration and disruption is there.
Sao Paulo's Water Authority has now acknowledged that unless water levels recover there may be power cuts and more water rationing. Everyone is praying for more rain, hoping that it's not too late. | In Brazil's biggest city, a record dry season and ever-increasing demand for water has led to a punishing drought. | 29947965 |
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT), will strike for a second time this week in a row over pay and conditions on the service.
Transport for London (TfL) stressed it was "focussed on 12 September" for the launch, but the RMT says bosses privately believe it is not possible.
Four unions have rejected London Underground's latest pay deal.
"These tubes are going to be running for the best part of 72 hours," an RMT spokesman said.
"At the moment they're going to lose two engineering and maintenance shifts.
"These shifts are absolutely essential in terms of testing the infrastructure, cleaning the tunnels, getting rid of the dust. The only time they're going to have to fix these problems is overnight on Sunday. They haven't planned for any of this.
"Behind the scenes TfL managers are telling you this ain't gonna work."
The RMT said its members will be forced to work extra shifts to plug "gaping holes" in staff capacity.
The Unite union, the train drivers' union Aslef and the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) have also rejected the latest offer from London Underground, which is designed to compensate staff for weekend night working.
This week's 24-hour strike will start at 21:30 BST on Wednesday, although commuters travelling home during the evening rush hour are expected to face delays. | Union bosses have warned there will be "chaos" if the Night Tube is launched in London as planned next month. | 33775142 |
Media reports claimed some players questioned Sam Burgess' World Cup selection over Luther Burrell.
The RFU confirmed a pre-tournament row occurred between Danny Cipriani and coach Mike Catt and is investigating claims kit man Dave Tennison urged players to buy particular shares.
"The trust has gone," Brown told the Daily Telegraph.
"I don't think anyone was good enough in an England shirt to be piping up saying: 'This was wrong, that was wrong' and that sort of thing.
"If they are going to say something, I think they should put their name to it.
"It will come out who it was at the end of the day so it will be interesting. When it does I will be one of the first people to speak to them."
England failed to make the tournament's knock-out stages for the first time after Pool A defeats by Wales and Australia.
A five-man panel is reviewing England's showing in the tournament, with head coach Stuart Lancaster under scrutiny.
England are due to reassemble in January before their Six Nations opener away to Scotland on 6 February.
Brown said that relationships within the squad would be rebuilt before the trip to Murrayfield.
"It is going to be hard for me to call anyone team-mates until we meet up," he added.
"It is going to be tough. But it will all get sorted out with whoever is in charge or whoever is there. It always does in team environments." | England full-back Mike Brown says he has lost all trust in his team-mates after leaks from the dressing room. | 34780953 |
The season-ending event with the best eight female players has one year of a five-year deal with Singapore to run.
"Manchester is one of several destinations that have reflected an initial interest in learning more about the opportunity," the WTA said.
London's O2 Arena has hosted the men's equivalent since 2009 and will do so until at least 2018.
The WTA Finals - which began in 1972 - was held in the United States until 2000 and has also taken place in Munich, Madrid, Doha and Istanbul.
It has not been held in Europe since 2013 but seven of the world's current top eight are European.
Manchester Arena was the preferred choice for Great Britain's 2015 Davis Cup semi-final, but the tie was held in Glasgow due to a music concert.
Russell Fuller, BBC tennis correspondent
The WTA's presence in Asia has expanded dramatically in recent years, but Europe seems a more likely destination for the Finals from 2019.
Manchester remains an ambitious sporting city and, with the rise of Johanna Konta, I can understand their early interest.
Tennis has been very well supported, both indoors and out, in the UK in recent years. But this would still represent something of a gamble given the lesser pull of the women's game currently - and the difficulty of predicting which eight players would qualify for the Finals. | Manchester representatives have shown an interest in hosting the WTA Finals from 2019. | 39545447 |
Harry Forrester's drive past Scott Bain after 13 seconds, his third in three games, set the tone for Rangers as he pounced on Kevin Holt's dithering.
Dundee fought to stem the tide but fell further behind in 47 minutes when Jason Holt's header ended a well-worked move.
An Andy Halliday free-kick and a Lee Wallace solo run further underlined the dominance of Mark Warburton's team.
Dundee's bid to lift the Scottish Cup for the first time since 1910 was dealt a stunning early blow in the first move of the match.
With Ibrox sizzling with anticipation, Forrester dispossessed Kevin Holt, pushed forward and lashed in a shot to stun Paul Hartley's side.
Thereafter, Championship Rangers rarely took a backward step, playing with an intensity that their Premiership opponents could not match.
Full-back James Tavernier was key to many of their attacking forays. Dundee goalkeeper Scott Bain did well to palm away one of his fizzing drives and, as Rangers' whirlwind start continued, Forrester's cross from the right was headed towards his own goal by Holt but it bobbled on to the post and was cleared.
The Dark Blues skipper Gary Harkins trundled a left-foot shot a fraction wide of Wes Foderingham's post to change, briefly, the momentum, but Rangers looked hungry to kill off the tie.
Dundee defender Darren O'Dea slid in to clear an inviting Kenny Miller cross and Bain showed quick reflexes to turn round a Tavernier free-kick for a corner.
Dundee had a more productive spell around the half-hour mark when Foderingham threw up a hand to knock away Paul McGinn's cross and Hemmings' skill on the left touchline created an opening.
However, Tavernier soon reasserted Rangers' attacking tempo with a mazy run before being blocked by Paul McGowan.
Yet for all Dundee were on the back foot, they could have pulled level just before half time when Harkins' header towards goal landed in Foderingham's arms when Hemmings, on the six-yard line, needed only to glance it either side of the keeper.
Rangers scored within two minutes of the re-start, the result of a beautifully worked five-man move.
On the right, Forrester clipped the ball in to the box where Barrie McKay chested it down for the on-rushing Miller to cross for Holt who nodded it past Bain.
Rob Kiernan produced an important block in the box to deny one-time Rangers youth striker Hemmings from pulling one back with a left-foot shot prior to Rangers scoring their third, a drive by Halliday around the wall from 22 yards.
Dundee peppered Foderingham's goal with long-range shots but it was Rangers who were celebrating once more before the final whistle when Wallace breezed through the dispirited Dark Blues defence to slot calmly past Bain.
Rangers manager Mark Warburton: "We put on a really pleasing performance from the first whistle.
"We set out tempo and intensity and got the early goal.
"But it was all round the park we performed. We were defensively strong. That's seven clean sheets in nine matches.
"A lot is made of our forward play but don't forget that is a tremendous statement by the back five. It was a really good day's work."
Dundee manager Paul Hartley: "I'm extremely disappointed with the manner of the start.
"The last thing we said to them before we went out was make sure you have a good start to the game.
"We were a goal down after 13 seconds and what that does to the home team, it just gives them a massive lift.
"We have got to be honest with ourselves and say Rangers totally deserved to win today and we didn't perform." | Rangers powered in to Sunday's Scottish Cup semi-final draw with a slick and determined win over Dundee at Ibrox. | 35675919 |
Infantino's comments come after he attended a party on Thursday hosted by the chairman of the Council of Southern African Football Associations, which has endorsed Caf candidate Ahmad Ahmad.
Madagascar FA chief Ahmad is the lone rival to Caf president Issa Hayatou.
"It is up to the Caf members to elect their own president," said Infantino.
"It is not up to the Fifa president to say anything about that.
"Whatever the Caf members decide will be the right decision and I will support whatever decision is taken."
Cosafa chairman Phillip Chiyangwa - also the chief of the Zimbabwe Football Association - held the event in Harare to celebrate his birthday.
He also invited other African FA chairmen from outside the Cosafa region.
Before the event took place Caf, in a letter sent on behalf of Hayatou, accused Chiyangwa of "trying to destabilise" the continent's governing body and warned he could face sanctions.
Hayatou is attempting to win an eighth term in office in the elections on 16 March. | Fifa president Gianni Infantino has stated he has no influence on next month's Confederation of African Football presidential elections. | 39080011 |
Beaten by Warrington in their first Super 8s fixture, Widnes led 18-0 at half-time with tries from Chris Bridge, Lloyd White and Charly Runciman.
Corey Thompson crossed twice after the break, before Ben Heaton got two scores in reply for the hosts.
Joe Mellor, who scored in his 150th career game, and Danny Craven wrapped up the win late on.
Halifax: Sharp; Heaton, Barber, Tyrer, Worrincy; Murrell, Johnston; Morris, Kaye, Fairbank, Grady, Cahalane, Grix.
Replacements: Moore, Woodburn-Hall, Sio, Douglas.
Widnes Vikings: Hanbury; Marsh, Bridge, Runciman, Thompson; Craven, Mellor; Buchanan, White, Dudson, Houston, Whitley, Cahill.;
Replacements: Manuokafoa, J Chapelhow, Olbison, Johnstone.
Referee: Gareth Hewer | Widnes Vikings got their first win of the Qualifiers, scoring seven tries in a routine victory at Halifax. | 40869095 |
The Romanian champions' flight to Glasgow arrived three hours late on Tuesday amid reports of problems over the payment for their flight.
But paperwork problems over Nigerian striker Fatai and Ghanaian midfielder Yahaya, both 24, were resolved.
Media playback is not supported on this device
And the pair arrived later on a separate flight to Scotland.
Astra are due to play at Celtic Park on Thursday in their third Europa League Group D game.
Celtic lead the group on four points along with Red Bull Salzburg, with Astra bottom after two defeats. | Astra Giurgiu's Kehinde Fatai and Seidu Yahaya have arrived in Scotland for their Europa League tie at Celtic after visa problems delayed their departure. | 29721717 |
Ambulances, the 111 phone service and cancer services all missed key targets.
And A&Es only managed to see 91.3% of patients in four hours - the worst performance in November since record-keeping began in 2010.
Meanwhile, the six-week target for diagnostic tests to be done was missed. It is now two years since it was last met.
Significant problems were also being experienced by hospitals in discharging some patients. There were over 153,000 days of delays, the second highest on record. Delays are experienced when there are not the community services available to care for vulnerable patients who are medically fit to leave hospital.
But hospitals did manage to hit their 18-week waiting time target for routine operations, such as hip and knee replacements.
Hospitals have been struggling with many of these targets for the past year or so - and similar challenges are being experienced by the health systems in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The November figures released by NHS England showed:
Special report page: For the latest news, analysis and video
Nurse viewpoint: Why working in A&E is like a complex game of chess
Winter across the UK: A guide to how the NHS is coping
Video: Why hospitals are under so much pressure
Video: How a hospital can grind to a halt
Richard Barker, of NHS England, said the performance needed to be seen in context of the rising number of patients needing care with "particularly large increases" being seen in the numbers getting diagnostic tests, needing ambulances and making calls to the 111 service.
And he added: "We continue to treat more than nine out of 10 A&E patients within four hours, probably the best performance of any major western country."
But Nigel Edwards, chief executive of the Nuffield Trust think-tank, said: "These new figures are particularly worrying given that they only cover November, when the weather was exceptionally mild and winter had not even properly begun - the fact that there have been such dips in performance so early in the season does not leave the health service in a good position to cope with the rest of winter."
Read more from Nick
Follow Nick on Twitter | Hospitals in England continue to miss many of their waiting time targets, official figures for November show. | 35303317 |
Andrea Gada, of Downland Close, Eastbourne, was struck by a Ford Fusion in Friday Street in the town at about 15:15 GMT on Tuesday.
She was airlifted to St Georges Hospital in Tooting, south London, but died from her injuries on Wednesday.
The 64-year-old female driver from Eastbourne was not injured in the incident, Sussex Police said. | A five-year-old girl who suffered "life-threatening injuries" when she was hit by a car in Sussex has died. | 30529916 |
The Football Association found Terry guilty following a four-day hearing.
A spokesman for Terry said the player was "disappointed" the FA had reached a "different conclusion" to the "not guilty verdict of a court of law".
In July, the ex-England skipper, 31, was cleared by Westminster Magistrates' Court of racially abusing Ferdinand.
The Terry statement continued: "He has asked for the detailed written reasons of the decision and will consider them carefully before deciding whether to lodge an appeal."
"Unlike in Terry's court case, the prosecution never had to prove intent, merely that certain words were used, so this verdict was no surprise.
"However, the punishment raises issues. Why a ban half as severe as that handed out to Luis Suarez? Why a fine that equates to just one week's wages? Will Chelsea punish their captain? And will the Ferdinands be satisfied?
"This bitter dispute has always been about more than what one footballer said to another. It shone a spotlight on the game, and the way it deals with discrimination.
"Terry left Wembley in disgrace and is likely to appeal. But regardless, the saga has done lasting damage - both to the his reputation and also the to football itself."
The verdict released by the FA said: "The Football Association charged Mr Terry on Friday 27 July 2012 with using abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour towards Queens Park Rangers' Anton Ferdinand and which included a reference to colour and/or race contrary to FA Rule E3 [2] in relation to the Queens Park Rangers FC versus Chelsea FC fixture at Loftus Road on 23 October 2011."
Terry will have 14 days from receiving the written reasons to decide whether to lodge an appeal. The ban and fine will not come into effect until after the centre-half has decided what to do.
A statement from his club added: "Chelsea Football Club notes and respects today's decision by the Football Association regarding John Terry.
"We also recognise that John has the right to appeal that decision. It is therefore inappropriate for us to comment further on the matter at this time."
Terry admitted using the word "black" and swearing at Ferdinand but insisted he had only been repeating words he thought the Rangers defender had accused him of saying.
Media playback is not supported on this device
The FA's decision to press ahead with their own charges led Terry, on the eve of the hearing, to announce he was retiring from international football with immediate effect, saying his position had become "untenable".
Terry's legal team argued the governing body's own rules dictated that his acquittal in court meant the case could not proceed but the FA believed their charge was distinct from the court charge.
Liverpool striker Luis Suarez was given an eight-match ban when an FA disciplinary panel found him guilty of racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra last season.
The panel stated at that time that simply using racist language was enough to constitute a breach of FA rules. | Chelsea captain John Terry has been banned for four matches and fined £220,000 for racially abusing QPR defender Anton Ferdinand. | 19723020 |
Accies' Xavier Tomas was sent off for two bookings, with Canning suggesting decisions went against his side.
And his reaction did not go down well with Dons manager McInnes
"Martin's comments that 'being the wee team', they get used to 'playing big teams who get all the decisions' have to be addressed," he said.
"If you look at the facts, they were given a penalty against us here last year which they scored, which wasn't a penalty.
"They got a penalty down there in the 1-0 victory that later everyone deemed wasn't a penalty, so we have been the victims of two penalties against us which shouldn't have been.
"So I think that quashes his argument that they don't get big decisions against the so-called bigger teams."
In the aftermath of Sunday's match Canning questioned the consistency of referee Euan Anderson, insisting Dons captain Graeme Shinnie had made "five or six fouls" yet was only booked once, while Georgios Sarris was cautioned for persistent fouling.
"I do have a problem with the manager's comments about trying to get Graeme Shinnie sent off," said McInnes, whose side visit Hamilton on Wednesday night in the Scottish League Cup.
"He [Canning] is in the fourth official's ears but when you look at it and we have watched the game back, he [Shinnie] has only two minor infringements after being booked and it wasn't the six fouls that Martin Canning [said].
"If I was Martin Canning I would probably be more keen to speak about my own player being foolish enough to be sent off after being booked."
Goals from Anthony O'Connor and Miles Storey gave Aberdeen the three points, but they travel to New Douglas Park having suffered two defeats there last season. | Derek McInnes has criticised Hamilton boss Martin Canning for claiming his side were treated unfairly by officials in Sunday's 2-0 defeat at Pittodrie. | 40867178 |
Houston is Scottish Championship manager of the month after the Bairns won two and drew one of their three league games last month.
They have subsequently moved two points ahead of Hibernian into second place, having played a game more, and are 12 points behind leaders Rangers.
Ferguson takes the League Two award after Clyde won three out of four.
Those 12 points helped the Bully Wee in their push for promotion and they are currently just inside the play-off zone. | Falkirk boss Peter Houston and Clyde counterpart Barry Ferguson have won manager prizes for February. | 35757426 |
Private equity group 3i has owned the struggling company since 2007.
Agent Provocateur has 10 stores in the UK and employs around 600 people. It is not known if there will be job losses.
It has been reported that the firm linked to Mr Ashley paid around £25m after seeing off competition from private equity firm Lion Capital.
The lingerie firm was sold via a so called "pre-pack deal" - that means a buyer is lined up to buy the assets of a company, but crucially not its liabilities, such as its debt and pension deficit.
It is usually agreed before the company is publicly declared to be in financial difficulty. Defenders of such deals argue that they allow a company to survive and protect jobs.
The deal was done through investment vehicle Four Holdings, which is a third-owned by Sports Direct, according to Companies House filings.
What is a pre-pack administration?
Sports Direct's profits have suffered after criticism of work practices at its Derbyshire warehouse.
Mr Ashley appears keen to target more upmarket fashion retail, moving away from the cheaper end of the High Street.
In February he acquired a 11% stake in fashion chain French Connection, and owns a controlling stake in the premium retailer Flannels, among other interests.
Agent Provocateur was founded in 1994 by Joseph Corré and his wife Serena Rees.
Mr Corré is the son of fashion doyenne, Vivienne Westwood and the former manager of the Sex Pistols Malcolm McLaren. | Lingerie firm Agent Provocateur has been bought by a firm linked to Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley after it was placed into administration. | 39140771 |
The recommendations came from the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, during a conference on improving acute services under times of pressure.
A report to the conference highlighted growing demand, an ageing population and increasing complex conditions.
The Scottish government said the review backed work already taking place.
Health Secretary Alex Neil told the Sunday Politics Scotland programme the Scottish government was determined to eliminate the practice of "boarding" patients in the wrong wards. Mr Neil also set a target of moving the NHS to a full seven day operation, to better manage the flow of patients.
A £50m emergency care "action plan" introduced by the government earlier this year is running over three years to speed up admissions and create more options for community treatment.
Over the past five years there has been an increase of almost 7% in A&E attendances and these could increase 13.5% by 2020.
Recommendations from the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh include:
Research has indicated that being treated in the wrong ward can lead to patients being more likely to die and the senior clinicians at the College said hospital bed and staff capacity must be aligned to meet demand.
Nigel Edwards, chairman of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh consensus panel, said: "Growing demand from an ageing population with increasingly complex care needs bring both challenges and opportunities for the NHS.
"It is clear that in seeking to respond to the urgent care needs of this population fundamental change is required.
"This will involve changing how the NHS configures and delivers acute medical services and, in this post-Mid Staffordshire era, encouraging the NHS to have the ambition to eliminate established practices which are known to have adverse effects on patients and their experiences."
A paper to the conference called for seven-day and extended hours working in hospital and across the system, with senior clinical decision-makers "available 24/7".
The Scottish government plan, announced in February, aims to improve the "flow" of patients through hospitals, ensuring clinical expertise is in place to support this at all times.
It is also designed to ensure senior doctors are always available at crucial points of assessment, treatment and transfer of patients.
Mr Neil told the BBC getting patients treated in the right ward at the right time was crucial.
He said: "I'm absolutely determined that this is one of the priorities - and has been a priority for the last year in particular - in improving the management of our bed capacity in hospitals.
"Let me say we've actually slightly increased the capacity in the last year and there are today 400 more beds in the National Health Service in Scotland than there were 12 months ago."
The health secretary also indicated he was "minded" to mirror legislation proposed for England and Wales, in the wake of Mid Staffordshire and other care scandals, which could see doctors and nurses found guilty of "wilful neglect" of patients facing jail.
Mr Neil said: "I think there's a lot of sense in extending the legislation that we already have for vulnerable adults to everybody in these extreme cases, so that if it did happen in Scotland, we would be able to do the necessary.
"But obviously we need to look at the implications but I am certainly minded to introduce that legislation in Scotland." | Senior hospital medics should be available round the clock and patients must be treated in the right wards in the shortest time, doctors have urged. | 24974003 |
Until now, Fullscreen has worked with social media talent on free platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube.
But the company said the economics of producing premium video on ad-supported platforms "did not work out".
One industry analyst questioned whether Fullscreen had the brand recognition necessary to attract a big audience.
Fullscreen describes itself as a "modern media company", part talent agency, part content producer. It has a roster of 75,000 "partners", predominantly recruited through YouTube.
The company has traditionally made money by brokering advertising deals for its talent, providing support to smaller video-makers in exchange for a cut of their ad revenue, and by selling tour tickets and merchandise for its biggest stars.
But it said it had needed to create its own subscription video platform to let video-makers "fulfil their artistic ambition".
"Social media is a great place to make quick, inexpensive content to engage a fanbase," Fullscreen founder George Strompolos told the BBC.
"But when it comes to longer form or premium productions, the economics of producing it on the free web just don't work out.
"We needed to create a premium destination for that work that has a higher quality."
Consumers are increasingly rejecting expensive cable television packages and instead subscribing to individual streaming services, known as over-the-top services.
In October 2015, Google launched its own bid to capture a new market with a premium video service called YouTube Red.
Its service features prominent YouTubers in long-form productions, although Google has not yet revealed how many paid members it has attracted.
"There is some overlap with YouTube Red, they are both subscription options featuring some programming with YouTube stars," said Mr Strompolos.
"But YouTube Red is more about an ad-free experience and music, with some programming sprinkled in. We're leading with original programmes. It's not icing on cake, it is the cake."
Undercutting Google's $9.99 (£6.90) offering, Fullscreen's subscription service will cost $4.99 (£3.40) a month, with programmes viewable on a standalone app and website.
British comedians Jack Howard and Dean Dobbs, and US vlogger Shane Dawson are among the popular video-makers involved.
The company said it would bolster its offer of online originals with traditional programmes from TV and film studios.
"Fullscreen has an umbrella of big name channels on YouTube, but the brand itself is not particularly well known," said Tom Harrington, an industry analyst at Enders.
"They have some decent looking original programming planned, but these services live and die on their back catalogue, and old episodes of Dawson's Creek will only get you so far.
"It's an increasingly crowded market, and it's hard to think they would have the same recognition to get noticed as Amazon, Disney and Netflix."
Mr Strompolos is confident the service will find an audience.
"This generation grew up on social media, falling in love with stars like Grace Helbig, and Jack and Dean," said Mr Strompolos.
"Part of being a fan of a creator is that you are empowering them to reach new heights - you get them to a place where they can realise their ambitions.
"But we also think about empowering talent, giving them a great experience and creating a friendly collaboration.
"Ultimately, the service that the talent wants to win, is the service that wins." | Online talent firm Fullscreen has launched its own subscription video platform to rival YouTube's offering. | 35934899 |
The annual ceremony, now in its 23rd year, celebrates "the most egregious passage of sexual description in a work of fiction".
The former Smiths frontman has been nominated for his first novel, List of the Lost.
It includes a reference to "one giggling snowball of full-figured copulation" and a "bulbous salutation".
Other books nominated so far include Erica Jong's Fear of Dying, which includes the passage: "You raised the kundalini... like an electric snake in your spine", and celebrated screenwriter George Pelecanos' The Martini Shot.
Michael Ashcroft and Isabel Oakeshott's Call Me Dave, an unauthorised biography of Prime Minister David Cameron, was brought to the judges' attention because of an allegation, by an unnamed source, about an initiation ceremony in which Mr Cameron is said to have taken part.
However, the Review said: "That assertion was so flimsily corroborated as to resemble fiction but, regrettably, the biographers displayed insufficient literary brio to merit serious consideration."
The purpose of the prize is "to draw attention to poorly written, perfunctory or redundant passages of sexual description in modern fiction, and to discourage them".
It does not cover pornographic or expressly erotic literature.
Last year's prize went to Booker Prize winner Ben Okri for The Age of Magic.
The winning content read: "When his hand brushed her nipple it tripped a switch and she came alight. He touched her belly and his hand seemed to burn through her.
"He lavished on her body indirect touches and bitter-sweet sensations flooded her brain."
Other winners of the prize include Melvyn Bragg, Norman Mailer and AA Gill.
This year's award will be announced at the aptly named In and Out Club, in London. | Morrissey is the favourite to win Literary Review's 2015 Bad Sex in Fiction Award. | 34855267 |
Astronomers now believe that when our Sun was still a young star, it may have gravitationally captured the "dusty" Oort cloud comets formed elsewhere in the galaxy.
This contradicts the earlier theory that most comets were born in the Sun's protoplanetary disk.
The scientists described their findings in the journal Science.
The formation of the Oort cloud has long been a mystery.
Up until now, astronomers thought that this spherical cloud of comets lying at the outermost edge of the Solar System might have formed in the Sun's protoplanetary disk - a cloud of gas and matter that gave birth to planets, some 4.6 billion years ago.
But this hypothesis has been challenged by an international group of astronomers led by Dr Harold Levison from the Southwest Research Institute in Colorado, US.
A member of the team, Dr Ramon Brasser from the University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis, explained to BBC News that the Sun was not born alone.
Instead, he said, it is believed to have formed in a cluster of about a thousand of other stars, all packed together.
"Imagine that you have a very large cloud of gas composed of mostly hydrogen that is sitting around in our galaxy.
"From some disturbances inside it, the cloud slowly starts to collapse, it shrinks, becoming more compact.
"It then forms lumps and those lumps compress even further - that is how stars are born," said Dr Brasser.
He explained that each young star then creates a huge number of small icy bodies around it in a disk from which planets gradually form.
In our galaxy's early times, many of these icy objects got "ejected" from the planetary systems and eventually became comets.
But a few stayed near the Sun, affected by strong interstellar forces. They formed, astronomers used to believe, what became known as the peculiar "dusty" Oort cloud, about a light-year from the Sun.
It was assumed to be the birthplace of the majority of the famous comets, including Halley, Hale-bopp and McNaught.
When the Sun's cluster dispersed, exploding from inside out, the star was left all alone.
And the new study showed that its gravitational field may have been so strong that it pulled in a large cloud of comets originally formed in other solar systems.
The idea of the Oort cloud comets being extra-solar was suggested before, in the early 1990s. But back then, the methods used were not precise enough to prove the theory and it was abandoned.
Dr Levinson said that his team picked up on the same thought and used computer simulations to construct a model of a star cluster and comets - and had some interesting results.
"If we assume that the Sun's observed proto-planetary disk can be used to estimate the indigenous population of the Oort cloud, we can conclude that more than 90% of the observed Oort cloud comets have an extra-solar origin," commented the astronomer.
His colleague Martin Duncan from the Queen's University in Ontario, Canada, said that the findings lead "to the exciting possibility that the [Oort] cloud contains a potpourri that samples material from a large number of stellar siblings of the Sun".
Dr Brasser concluded that the recent findings may be an important missing link to explain the formation of the Universe.
"For 60 years we have not known how the Oort cloud formed and for 60 years people have been looking for an answer. It has been a missing piece and it might help understand the evolution and the formation of our Solar System," he said. | Many famous comets may have formed in other Solar Systems, a new theory proposes. | 10284093 |
NHS spending on private mental health inpatient beds went up 42% over five years across 40 mental health authorities that responded to freedom of information requests.
Experts say there is a chronic shortage of NHS beds.
It means some patients are placed in private units far from home.
One of these patients was Karl Knights. In his first year at university, Karl had a breakdown, and was taken to a local hospital due to fears that he would take his own life.
"Basically there was a frantic search for beds across the country and they couldn't say where I would end up."
Karl was admitted to a private hospital in Brighton, a four-hour round trip from his home.
"I had no visitors the whole time I was in hospital, so it's a very isolated situation."
He said it was the threat of "recall" that made the experience far worse. That is, the threat that he would be moved to an NHS hospital when a cheaper bed became available.
"You'd meet people and they would just be gone, and the explanation would be they got recalled last night, it could happen at any time.
"You could get pulled out of bed at one in the morning."
He said this uncertainly impeded recovery.
"It goes against the whole idea of what a hospital should do, it should be a place for you to recuperate and recover, but instead its actually making your condition worse, which just isn't acceptable."
Freedom of information requests were sent to all 81 NHS mental health authorities across the UK.
From the 40 authorities able to respond in full, data shows the cost of treating patients privately went up from £71m in the 2012 financial year to a projected £101m for the 2016 financial year.
The number of NHS mental health patients treated privately rose from 1,842 in the 2012 financial year to 3,323 in the 2015 financial year, across 30 authorities able to respond.
In the mental health trust in which Karl was a patient, Kent and Medway, the pressure on beds was particularly acute.
The number of patient treated privately rose from 155 in 2012/13 to 772 in 2015/16. The cost of treating these patients privately rose from £1.6m in 2012/13 to £11.3m in 2015/16.
Currently, however, the trust says they have no patients in private inpatient units.
Demand for inpatient beds on NHS mental health wards is high.
Based n responses from 32 mental health trusts in England, the average occupancy rate of inpatient beds rose by 3.2 percentage points in the five financial years to April 2016, from 86.3% to 89.5%, excluding patients that were on leave from their ward.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists recommends that wards should ideally be no more than 85% full.
Dr Ranga Rao, of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: "It's clear, that there are not enough acute inpatient beds or teams providing crisis care in the community."
He said relying on private beds could harm patient care.
"Clearly it's not good for the NHS to be spending more money, but as a clinician my concern is about the patient, and it's not good for their recovery."
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust has recently had to get to grips with its reliance on private beds.
In 2010, 80 of its patients were being treated in private beds, most of them out of the area. This was simply not affordable.
"We were very aware this could not continue, and we needed to make a step change" explains Dr Manaan Kar-Ray, Clinical Director for Acute Care Mental Health at the trust.
More effort was put into an intensive three day assessment period, and more was invested in supporting people in their own homes, to try and cut the number of patients needing emergency care.
"Seventy per cent of our patients go through that three day system, and come back out into the community supported by home treatment," he said.
An NHS England spokesman said it was "committed to cutting the number of people travelling long distances, so they receive the best mental health care and treatment at home or as close to home as possible".
He added: "We are investing £400m in crisis resolution home treatment teams to increase alternatives to hospital admission as part of our plans for the biggest expansion of mental health services in Europe." | Mental health trusts across the UK are becoming increasingly reliant on private hospitals to deliver care, a BBC Breakfast investigation suggests. | 39534532 |
Friends of Wombwell Cemetery will use the lottery cash and heritage grants to turn the crumbling church into a community hub.
Some of the money will also go towards putting on guided walks and displays at the graveyard near Barnsley.
Mike Bretton, chairman of the group, said he hoped the revamped building would be open by the end of the year.
He said: "We've had two or three [attempts] at trying to get this off the ground and finally the gods have smiled on us and we've ended up with all this lovely money, which we can use to the benefit of the community and preserve our heritage.
"We need a community facility in Wombwell and we've got the backing of the community."
The group received £78,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund and £43,400 from WREN, as well as grants from other organisations totalling £23,000.
Planned repairs to the chapel include replacing the floor and windows, installing heating and creating an exhibition space. | Campaigners have been awarded £145,000 to save a grade II listed chapel from dereliction. | 33164692 |
People living up to 120m from the line who do not want to sell up will be offered a cash sum equivalent to 10% of the "unblighted" value of their home.
And those living between 120m and 300m from the proposed route will be eligible for up to £22,500 in support.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said people would be "looked after".
But the HS2 Action Alliance said "barely 3,000 homeowners" would benefit despite the fact that 172,000 households were within 1,000m of the phase one line, and 43,000 within 500m.
The announcement, which follows a government consultation, came as MPs said they were "sceptical" about whether the £50bn project would deliver value for money.
The Commons Public Accounts Committee said the budget for the scheme included a "generous contingency" which could be used to mask cost increases and suggested ministers lacked a "clear strategic plan" for the wider rail network.
The first phase of HS2 is due to open in 2026, followed by a V-shaped phase two taking the line from Birmingham to Manchester and Yorkshire.
Friday's package of compensation comes on top of existing guarantees to those living closest to the line.
Anyone living within 60m is being offered the chance to sell their properties to the government for their full value plus 10%, with stamp duty on a new home, legal costs and a share of moving costs also paid for.
As an alternative to the voluntary purchase scheme, the government is now offering assistance - in the form of a cash sum linked to the value of the property - to homeowners and businesses who want to remain where they are.
Those living between 120m and 300m from the line will qualify for cash payments of either £7,500, £15,000 or £22,500 depending on their proximity to the line.
Ministers say the payments, which will apply only to those living in rural areas and will be available if and when the legislation authorising the construction of HS2 is passed by Parliament, will enable people to "share early in the benefit of the railway".
Finally, the government said it was relaxing the criteria for helping those who live along the route "at any distance" from the route who want to sell their houses but cannot do so at their market value.
Those who have a "compelling reason" to sell will be eligible for a new "need-to-sell scheme" paying the full "unblighted value", including those who do not need to move immediately.
HS2 Ltd, the government-backed firm overseeing the project, said it had so far purchased 192 properties for phase one of HS2 and 41 for phase two of the line, at a total costs of £157m.
Mr McLoughlin said the package of support went "well beyond" the government's legal obligations and a new "residents' charter", overseen by a commissioner, would ensure people were treated fairly.
"This comprehensive package of compensation and assistance is looking after those people who live along the HS2 route while balancing our responsibilities to the taxpayer," he said.
But campaigners opposed to the rail line said it was "a white elephant trampling through the countryside" and restated their calls for the project to cancelled immediately.
"It is deeply unfair that so many ordinary people, who through no fault of their own happen to live near to the planned HS2 line, continue to be left to bear these losses with no help from the government," HS2 Action Alliance director Hilary Wharf said.
"People were promised 'full and fair' compensation and this promise has been broken time and time again."
The Commons Public Accounts Committee, which scrutinises government spending, has said it remains concerned about the government's ability to deliver HS2 on time and on budget.
The contingency fund gives the government a 95% assurance of delivering within budget, the committee said, but it added: "We are concerned that this will simply be used to mask cost overspends, rather than valid calls on contingency funds."
This week HS2 Ltd executive chairman Sir David Higgins told a House of Lords committee: "We should not assume the contingency will be spent."
The committee said the government had yet to publish proposals for how Scotland would benefit from HS2 and questioned the recent government backing for an "HS3" link between northern cities. Labour MP Margaret Hodge, who chairs the committee, said the government had not assessed HS3 before giving the go-ahead to HS2. | Homeowners who live near the proposed HS2 rail line between London and Birmingham are to get extra financial compensation, ministers have said. | 30849808 |
Sergio Aguero scored the opener, but Alex Iwobi, Theo Walcott and Chuba Akpom scored for the Gunners before Kelechi Iheanacho's consolation.
Arsenal defender Gabriel went off on a stretcher with an ankle injury late on.
Elsewhere, Chelsea lost John Terry to injury in a 4-2 win over Werder Bremen and Liverpool lost 4-0 to Mainz, a day after beating Barcelona by that score.
The Reds named a slightly weakened team against one of manager Jurgen Klopp's old clubs, although Emre Can, Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana and Divock Origi all started.
For Chelsea, boss Antonio Conte immediately replaced Terry, who limped off after being caught in the head.
Eden Hazard and Oscar gave Chelsea a 2-0 lead in Bremen before Claudio Pizarro pulled a goal back.
Diego Costa made it 3-1 before half-time only for Lennart Thy to reduce the deficit. Pedro added a late fourth.
Southampton beat Athletic Bilbao 1-0 at St Mary's, with Shane Long scoring the only goal. | Arsenal came from behind to beat Manchester City 3-2 in Gothenburg in their final pre-season friendly. | 37004501 |
Lawro correctly forecast that France, his pre-tournament pick to win the tournament, would beat Germany in their semi-final, but wrongly thought Wales would beat Portugal and make Sunday's final.
He picked the winner in two of the four quarter-finals, six of the eight last-16 ties and enjoyed a 42% success rate in the group stage, correctly guessing the outcome of 15 of the 36 games.
The only group he failed to get a single result in was Group F, which saw Hungary and Iceland spring a surprise by finishing first and second.
Before the tournament Lawro chose 11 of the 16 teams that went through to the first knockout stage.
Along with more than 375,000 of you, Lawro is taking part in the new BBC Sport Predictor game. He is going head-to-head with pundits, presenters and commentators from across BBC Sport.
He's doing well, but he is only in the running for a podium place - with a maximum of 40 points still to be won, commentator Alistair Bruce-Ball is certain of victory with one game to go.
You can make your own prediction for the final and take on your friends and other fans using the BBC's Euros Predictor.
Portugal have got to the final without playing well in any of their six matches in the tournament so far.
Other than putting a lot of crosses into the area for Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani, I am not sure what they offer going forward other than sitting back and waiting and waiting for the the opposition to make a mistake.
Their problem with doing that in this game is that they have not played a team as dangerous as France before. They have got so many players who will hurt Portugal if they give them time and space on the ball.
When you look at how France have got their goals, and who has got them, then they have got a lot of options on the field and on the bench in terms of who can do the damage.
I know it has been said that France are vulnerable at the back but they dealt pretty well with Germany in their semi-final.
Samuel Umtiti has come in and been outstanding in defence and, behind them, they have one of the best goalkeepers in the world in Hugo Lloris.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Euro 2016 has not been a great tournament in terms of brilliant matches, but in terms of a spectacle, I just hope that France score early in the final.
Even if they go behind, I do not think they will be in trouble in the same way Wales were in their semi-final.
France have got more attacking weapons than any other team in the tournament and on top of that they have got momentum and home advantage.
Many of the best players over the past month have been French and in Antoine Griezmann they have the player of the tournament. He is an outstanding number 10 but what I love about him is that he is perfectly happy to track back and work when he is asked to as well.
I am convinced France will win but it is difficult to say whether this will be the start of a period of dominance for Les Bleus. Most of their talented attacking players are young, but it is hard to know how they will shape up as a team by the time the next World Cup comes round in 2018.
Lawro's prediction: 0-3
Lawro was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan. | BBC Sport football expert Mark Lawrenson is predicting the outcome of every game at the 2016 European Championship. | 36751644 |
The 22-year-old Scotland Under-21 international was a free agent after leaving Scottish Championship side St Mirren earlier this summer.
Kelly, who can play at centre-back or left-back, becomes Wimbledon's sixth signing of the summer transfer window.
"We wanted someone young who we could develop," Dons boss Neal Ardley told the club website.
The south-west London club have not disclosed the length of Kelly's contract at Kingsmeadow.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. | League One newcomers AFC Wimbledon have signed defender Sean Kelly following a successful trial spell. | 36945232 |
Torin and Jacques Lakeman, aged 19 and 20, both attended Castle Rushen High School, in the south of the island.
The pair were found in a room above The Grapes in Stoneclough, Bolton, at 14:00 GMT on Monday.
A school spokesman said staff and pupils were "deeply shocked and saddened" to hear of the deaths of two "lively and talented" ex-students.
Greater Manchester Police said: "There are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the deaths".
However Aberystwyth University, where Torin was in his second-year, has emailed its students to pass on a warning from Dyfed-Powys Police about a "new strain" of the drug MDMA - also known as ecstasy.
Jacques Lakeman, who was a Castle Rushen student between 2005 and 2010, was described by his teachers as "as an intelligent and talented student who had a wicked sense of humour and a talent for playing the guitar".
He had recently left the Isle of Man to live in the UK.
The younger of the two brothers, Torin, attended the school between 2006 and 2013.
He was described as a "lively and popular student" who was "an eminently talented public speaker and a Corporal in the Isle of Man Combined Cadet Force (CCF)".
Torin was studying Physics with Planetary and Space Physics at Aberystwyth. | Tributes have been paid to two Isle of Man brothers found dead in a pub in Greater Manchester. | 30311117 |
Dr Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb boasts not one, but three performances by Peter Sellers as different characters including the title character.
In Kubrick's film we know very little about the mysterious, wheelchair-bound 'director of weapons research and development'.
But a newly-discovered work finally reveals just who this enigmatic scientist really was.
The 8,000-word story, Some Notes on the Character of Strangelove Including Strangelove's Theory, was discovered by David George as he was going through his family's archive.
His father, Peter, wrote the original novel on which the film was based.
Published in 1958, Two Hours to Doom (known as Red Alert in the United States) was a sober tale exploring the global threat of nuclear annihilation.
It caught the attention of Kubrick, who had just finished shooting Lolita, also starring Peter Sellers.
He wrote to George suggesting they turn the book into a movie.
"It was a three page, handwritten letter," recalls David George.
"It said: 'Hello, my name is Stanley Kubrick, you may have heard of me. I've directed some films like Spartacus and Paths of Glory'.
"I've come across your book and I'd like to make a film about this subject. Yours is the first one that really fits the bill and really comes near to what I'm after.
"It smacks of sincerity and the technical aspects of it all: the planes, the bombs, the tonnage'.
"And, of course, being Kubrick that was that. The project just started rolling very, very quickly."
By this time, Peter George was already a bestselling novelist, known for his spy thrillers and murder mysteries.
Born in Treorchy, Rhondda Cynon Taff, he had served as an RAF pilot and navigator during World War Two.
His military experience would later shape his career as an author, lending his work an unerring level of detail and precision about the mechanics of warfare.
Inevitably, this fed in to the film.
According to Sellers' biographer Adrian Rigelsford, the filmmakers' vision was often too close for comfort.
"They very much got into trouble with the military authorities because they got too much information right," he said.
"They had guesswork that was so accurate they had the Ministry of Defence land on them like a tonne of bricks.
"For example, the plane that Major Kong is flying, they had no real idea what one looked like, they just guessed and they got it 100% accurate."
During the early stages of adapting Two Hours To Doom for the screen, Kubrick and George opted for a shift in tone.
The starkness of the source material was replaced by black comedy. It was during this process that the character of Dr Strangelove was born.
Although George's novel contains elements that also appear in the film, such as the war room and the doomsday machine, the titular scientist does not feature at all.
In fact, it is easy to forget that the character of Dr Strangelove, as memorable as he is, enjoys relatively little screen time in the final cut of the movie.
His motives and history are unclear, a purposely cryptic and tenebrous presence.
However, it seems George had provided a whole back story for the character.
None of the details made their way into the shooting script, but it all helped to flesh out the role of Dr Strangelove and may have provided Sellers with the foundations on which to base his characterisation.
For 50 years, that story remained unseen and unpublished, but that is about to change.
Cardiff-based publishers Candy Jar Books will bring out George's 'new' Dr Strangelove tale later this year.
Shaun Russell from the company believes it is cause for excitement.
"No-one, anywhere in the world, has really seen this before," he said.
"It's essentially Dr Strangelove: The early years. It's how he became Dr Strangelove, and how he developed the theories you see in the film.
"He's a lecturer at university, unhappy with his life and very unhappy about his relationship with women.
"So this story has a woman coming into his life and throwing everything up in the air.
"Then, because of something that happens with the female characters, he sits down and thinks 'how can I plan the end of the world?'"
The story will be published alongside George's novelisation of the movie, which he wrote to accompany the film's release in 1964.
Many of his books have been out of print for years and his son hopes the discovery of a new Dr Strangelove tale will spark renewed interest in his father's work.
"My quest in life has been to put him back where he needs to be," David George said.
"So Dr Strangelove is the entry point and the jumping off point, to be able to give people these really rather good books to read."
Kubrick's film gained four Academy Award nominations, including one for Peter George as co-writer of the screenplay, along with the director and comic novelist Terry Southern.
George killed himself just two years after the film's release, for reasons that have never fully been understood.
The return of Dr Strangelove marks the first in a planned series of re-issues that will eventually see the entirety of the Welsh author's back catalogue in print for the first time in decades. | Originally released in 1964, Stanley Kubrick's biting satire of Cold War politics is now regarded as one of the greatest film comedies ever made. | 32108540 |
Henry Bett, 26, of Hall Lane, Thornham, Norfolk, was driving a tractor involved in a collision with a Fiat car driven by Rebecca Brown, 43, who was killed.
Mr Bett, a farmer and the son of Norfolk PCC Stephen Bett, denies causing death by dangerous driving.
The trial at Peterborough Crown Court, sitting in Huntingdon, continues.
Mrs Brown, of Castle Acre, Norfolk, died when the Fiat people carrier she was driving was crushed in the collision with Mr Bett's Fendt tractor on the West Acre Road at about 15:10 GMT on 4 December 2013.
Mr Bett described rushing to the car to find Mrs Brown "catastrophically" injured and her son, who had been in the passenger seat of the car, shouting and trying to help her.
Asked how he felt about being involved in a fatal collision, he said: "You can't put it into words. Horrifying."
But he added: "I do not believe I was driving dangerously."
Police found evidence the defendant had previously taken cocaine.
Asked by Lawrence Bruce, defending, if he had been under the influence of cocaine or its after effects at the time of the incident, he said: "No."
The maximum speed of the tractor was 40mph (64km/h), but on public roads it is illegal to drive tractors above 20mph (32km/h).
Mr Bett said he had set the vehicle's speed limiter to comply with the law.
Asked why this was at the maximum level when inspected by officers, he said: "I didn't set it at that level."
He explained in interview that the dial must have been pushed forward as he was thrown on to the dashboard in the collision.
The trial, due to end next week, will be heard by 11 jurors after one member was discharged on Tuesday when concerns were raised about her conduct. | The son of a police and crime commissioner (PCC) accused of killing a woman in a road crash has told a court he was horrified by the crash. | 33540896 |
Media playback is not supported on this device
Thornley and Olympic champion Grainger, who won sculls gold at London 2012 with Anna Watkins, built up an early lead but were overhauled by Lithuania.
Alan Campbell, 33, the first Northern Ireland athlete to compete at four Olympics, also made progress.
Campbell won his heat to reach the men's single sculls quarter-finals.
Double Olympic rowing gold medalist and BBC analyst James Cracknell said: "The British fans were all on their feet to cheer Alan and he has not disappointed.
"When I spoke to him the other day, he was here for one medal - gold. He knows he can perform on the big stage after winning Olympic bronze in 2012 but he has to build some confidence after a couple of indifferent years."
Grainger, who is chasing her fifth Olympic medal at the age of 40, and Thornley have also been short of form ahead of the Games.
They could not sustain their impressive start in choppy conditions at a windy Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, and Cracknell added: "This could be the difference between them believing they can get a medal and delivering on a medal.
"What they've done now is they've let Lithuania have a mental edge on them. Right now the only positive they can take is they've got the boat speed, but not the endurance."
Elsewhere, Alan Sinclair and Stewart Innes are into the semi-finals of the men's coxless pairs after finishing second behind France in their heat.
"They survived," said five-time Olympic champion Sir Steve Redgrave. "The French rode through the water fantastically and controlled the conditions, but our guys struggled with it."
Men's lightweight four Chris Bartley, Mark Aldred, Jono Clegg and Peter Chambers are also into the semi-finals after finishing second in their heat.
In the men's quadruple sculls, Sam Townsend, Angus Groom, Peter Lambert and Jack Beaumont must go into the repechage to reach the final after finishing fourth in their heat.
Redgrave added: "It is not our first-choice crew - Jack only came in for Graeme Thomas last week - so I would be reasonably encouraged by the way they finished the race."
Jonny Walton and John Collins also go into the repechage of the men's doubles sculls after finishing fourth behind New Zealand, Azerbaijan and Italy in their heat.
Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox. | Katherine Grainger and Victoria Thornley are into the semi-finals of the women's doubles sculls at Rio 2016 after finishing second in their heat. | 36998637 |
According to a report from the World Cancer Research Fund, half a glass of wine or a small beer a day increases the risk of breast cancer.
It also backs up research showing that regular intensive exercise can reduce the risk of the disease.
Breast cancer is by far the most common cancer in women in the UK with one in eight women developing the disease during their lifetime.
But scientists say they can't explain why the cancer occurs in some people and not in others.
There are numerous causes and lots of factors to take into account, including lifestyle, hormone levels and other medical conditions.
Basically, it's a complex picture and there's no point focusing on one factor only.
For a start, there are some factors you cannot control such as your sex, age, height, genes and when you started your periods.
Being a woman, over 50 and past the menopause, and having a history of breast cancer in your family, all increase your risk of getting the disease.
Being tall and starting periods before the age of 12 are thought to increase the risk too.
Cancer Research UK lists 18 different factors which could cause breast cancer to some degree. Alcohol is only one of them.
It says there are ways women can lower their risk of breast cancer by focusing on factors they can control, like diet, weight and exercise.
After analysing more than 100 studies that examined the medical history of 12 million women, the report backs up current advice to be aware of alcohol consumption.
The report found evidence that drinking an extra small glass of wine every day (10g of alcohol) increases a woman's risk of breast cancer after the menopause by 9%.
It means that in a group of 100 women, around 13 would be likely to develop breast cancer anyway.
And if they all drank an additional small glass of wine every day, one extra case might develop among the original group.
When it comes to exercise, the report found that doing more vigorous exercise, like cycling or running, cut the risk of post-menopausal breast cancer by 10% compared to the least active women.
Breastfeeding was also found to lower the risk of the disease before and after the menopause.
And there was limited evidence that eating more leafy vegetables, such as cabbage, spinach and kale, decreased the risk of a less common kind of breast cancer.
We already know that regular physical exercise, eating a balanced diet and maintaining a healthy weight are important for reducing the risk of lots of diseases, including cancers.
But scientists say all these factors interact with each other and that makes it difficult to tease out which ones are driving the cancer and to what extent.
New guidelines were introduced in 2016 which said that men and women should drink no more than 14 units a week - equivalent to six pints of beer or seven glasses of wine - and some days should be free of alcohol altogether.
The UK's chief medical officers' advice was based on research which showed that any amount of alcohol can increase the risk of cancer.
Pregnant women are advised not to drink at all.
Cancer experts say the findings don't tell us anything new about the link between alcohol and breast cancer, which is already well known.
But if you can, to stack the odds in your favour, they say it is a good idea to have some alcohol-free days during every week and not to increase your drinking.
However, Cancer Research UK says there is no need be alarmed and "go teetotal".
It is also important to look at the bigger picture.
Drinking alcohol has a greater effect on the risks of several other cancers - including mouth, liver and bowel - than it does on breast cancer, so there is no reason to become fixated on alcohol.
Kevin McConway, emeritus professor of applied statistics at the Open University, says the risks have "to be set against whatever pleasure women might obtain from their drinking".
The report does not provide absolute risks and as such, Prof Sir David Spiegelhalter, from the University of Cambridge, said it did not seem a good basis for recommending that women give up alcohol completely.
However, Dr Anne McTiernan, lead report author and cancer expert at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, said the evidence regarding breast cancer was clear.
"Having a physically active lifestyle, maintaining a healthy weight throughout life and limiting alcohol are all steps women can take to lower their risk." | Further evidence has emerged of the link between alcohol consumption in women and an increased risk of breast cancer. | 39998678 |
Head coach Lee Radford said the loss was "the worst" he has seen from the club, where he played more than 200 games before becoming coach in 2013.
"As a group they asked to have five, 10 minutes by themselves," Radford told BBC Radio Humberside.
"They obviously want to air a few grievances and sit down and find out what they want to do."
Radford continued: "Never in my reign have we given in like we did tonight - it's categorically the worst performance since I've been here."
Media playback is not supported on this device
The defeat against Widnes was Hull's third consecutive loss, but it was the manner of the defeat that disappointed Radford.
Hull were 24-6 down at the break and failed to register another point in the match, leaving them seventh in the Super League table.
"I am responsible for tonight, I bear that," Radford said. "I'm looking forward to finding out what's been said (by the players).
"To put in that performance, with as little competitiveness as we did, I am solely responsible for that and I am solely responsible for fixing this up." | Hull FC players asked their coaches to leave the dressing room following Thursday's heavy 46-6 defeat by Widnes. | 35784193 |
South African President Jacob Zuma announced Nelson Mandela's death, saying South Africa had lost "its greatest son" and calling on South Africans to conduct themselves with the "dignity and respect" that Mr Mandela personified.
"Although we knew this day was going to come, nothing can diminish our sense of a profound and enduring loss," he said.
US President Barack Obama spoke shortly afterwards. "We've lost one of the most influential, courageous and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this earth," he said.
"Through his fierce dignity and unbending will to sacrifice his own freedom for the freedom of others, Madiba transformed South Africa and moved all of us. His journey from a prisoner to a president embodied the promise that human beings and countries can change for the better."
Russian President Vladimir Putin said: "Mandela, having gone through the most difficult ordeals, was committed to the end of his days to the ideals of humanism and justice."
Chinese President Xi Jinping said the Chinese people would always remember Mr Mandela's "outstanding contributions to the China-South Africa relationship and the course of progress of mankind".
French President Francois Hollande said Mr Mandela's message would "continue to inspire fighters for freedom, and to give confidence to peoples in the defence of just causes and universal rights".
Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel said Mr Mandela's "political legacy of non-violence and the condemnation of all forms of racism" would continue to inspire.
President Assad of Syria, who is currently fighting a revolt against his rule, said Nelson Mandela's life was an inspiration to freedom fighters and a lesson to tyrants.
Ghana's President John Mahama told the BBC Mr Mandela was the greatest African who ever lived.
Senegalese President Macky Sall said "Nelson Mandela was undoubtedly the most influential man of the century", a "role model for Africans and also for humanity". He said Mr Mandela gave Africans "pride in being black - a dignity in being a black man".
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta praised him for living "an extraordinary life in a very ordinary way. His legacy encrypts the story of humanity now and tomorrow."
Mr Mandela was an "inspiration to the oppressed peoples all over the world" and had made "unparalleled personal sacrifices", said Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan.
Liberia's President and Nobel peace prize laureate Ellen Johnston Sirleaf told the BBC that Mr Mandela was a constant inspiration and would never be forgotten: "Nelson Mandela lives on as his life will continue to be the guiding light for those who excel, for those who have suffered for freedom and for peace."
Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff said Mr Mandela would "guide all those who fight for social justice and for peace in the world".
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro compared the death of Mr Mandela to the passing of the late Venezuelan leader, Hugo Chavez: "Nine months after the departure of our commander, today another giant of the people leaves this world. Madiba you will live forever!"
Cuban leader Raul Castro said he was grateful for Mr Mandela's friendship and and steadfast support of the Cuban people.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said: "This is as much India's loss as South Africa's. He was a true Gandhian. His life and work will remain a source of eternal inspiration for generations to come.''
For UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Mr Mandela "was a giant for justice and a down-to-earth human inspiration".
Queen Elizabeth II, who met Mr Mandela on several occasions, said in a statement she was deeply saddened to learn of his death and remembered their meetings with great warmth.
"A great light has gone out in the world," said British Prime Minister David Cameron. Mr Mandela was "a towering figure in our time; a legend in life and now in death - a true global hero", he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Nelson Mandela as "the most honourable figures of our time". He added: "He was the father of his people, a man of vision, a freedom fighter who rejected violence. He set a personal example for his people in the long years he spent in prison."
For the Palestinian Authority leader, Mahmud Abbas, Mr Mandela was "a symbol of the liberation from colonialism and occupation". Mr Abbas added that "the Palestinian people will never forget his historic statement that the South African revolution will not have achieved its goals as long as the Palestinians are not free".
Afghan President Hamid Karzai called him "an icon of our time, for man's dignity, equality and freedom".
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said in a statement that Mr Mandela "had a firm belief in the freedom and equality of all humans, not only in his country South Africa, but also across the world", adding his life had been a "rough and rugged road full of hardship".
South African ex-President FW de Klerk, who freed Mr Mandela from prison in 1990 and shared the Nobel Peace Prize with him in 1993, said: "Tata, we shall miss you - but know that your spirit and example will always be there to guide us to the vision of a better and more just South Africa."
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said Mr Mandela "was perhaps the greatest moral leader of our time".
Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Mr Mandela's appeal had been universal: "To combine within one's self the contradictions that he lived with, a lawyer and a freedom fighter, a prisoner and a leader, a man of anger and of forgiveness, has so captured the hearts of people not only in his country, but as we are seeing with the outpouring of response to his death, people around the world."
Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev said the world would not forget Mr Mandela. "his life sets a tremendous example. He was loyal to the cause of freedom."
Former Irish President Mary Robinson said: "His death leaves us bereft - it is felt by all of us as a personal loss."
"We will remember him as a man of uncommon grace and compassion, for whom abandoning bitterness and embracing adversaries was not just a political strategy but a way of life," said former US President Bill Clinton.
"It's not just what he did but the way he did it that makes him so special," said former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. "He did it with a grace and a dignity that I think really inspired people everywhere."
From the Vatican, Pope Francis paid tribute "to the steadfast commitment shown by Nelson Mandela in promoting the human dignity of all the nation's citizens and in forging a new South Africa".
The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, said not it was time for people "to develop determination and enthusiasm to carry on in his spirit".
US civil rights leader Jesse Jackson described Mandela as a global "force for good - with his suffering and his vision, he chose at a critical moment reconciliation over retribution."
"He was a unifier from the moment he walked out of prison," said South Africa's Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu. "We are relieved that his suffering is over, but our relief is drowned by our grief."
"Mr Mandela made us all understand that nobody should be penalised for the colour of his skin or the circumstances into which he was born," Burmese opposition leader and Nobel peace prize laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi said. "He also made us understand that we can change the world."
"Nelson Mandela's commitment to human rights was epitomised by his unswerving resolve to stamp out racial inequality during apartheid, followed by his vital work in combating HIV/Aids in South Africa," said Amnesty International Secretary-General Salil Shetty.
"All of us who admired him must carry on his struggle."
"How to conceive of a South Africa - no, a world - without Nelson Mandela, our Madiba, whose matchless humanity was bountiful enough for us to share with the world?" wrote Nobel Prize-winning South African poet Nadine Gordimer in a Globe and Mail piece.
"For myself, I can only be infinitely grateful that I knew him personally, that he touched my life."
Another South African writer, Zakes Mda, questioned Mandela's legacy in an article for the New York Times: "It is ironic that in today's South Africa, there is an increasingly vocal segment of black South Africans who feel that Mandela sold out the liberation struggle to white interests."
Eddie Daniels was imprisoned with Nelson Mandela on Robben Island for a number of years: "Mr Mandela was the first person to befriend me when I went to Robben Island. I was all alone and Mr Mandela came and he befriended me and throughout my prison career Mr Mandela was there to help me to guide me to sympathise with me whenever."
Christo Brand was one of the prison guards responsible for Mr Mandela during his time in jail. He and Mr Mandela developed a friendship over the course of many years: "I miss my, like I said, Mandela my prisoner, my friend and my father. We miss him a lot."
Idris Elba, who played the lead role in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, said: "What an honour it was to step into the shoes of Nelson Mandela and portray a man who defied odds, broke down barriers, and championed human rights before the eyes of the world. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.''
Another actor who played Mandela, Morgan Freeman, said the world had lost "one of the true giants of the past century. Nelson Mandela was a man of incomparable honour, unconquerable strength, and unyielding resolve - a saint to many, a hero to all who treasure liberty, freedom and the dignity of humankind."
"Among the many things one can say about our Madiba (Nelson Mandela's tribal name) is that he never thought of himself as big," said South African male choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. "He was one of us, one of the people."
Boxing legend Muhammad Ali said: "What I will remember most about Mr Mandela is that he was a man whose heart, soul and spirit could not be contained or restrained by racial and economic injustices, metal bars or the burden of hate and revenge.''
"He was one of the most influential people in my life. He was my hero, my friend, and also a companion to me in our fight for the people and for world peace" said Brazilian football icon Pele.
"It was as if he was born to teach the age a lesson in humility, in humour and above all else in patience," said Irish rock star and campaigner Bono. | People around the world have been reacting to the news that South Africa's first black president and anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela has died, aged 95. | 25250082 |
Stewart Streit, 81, is the only player to win the British, Canadian, US and Australian women's amateur titles, and Bell, 79, was a Curtis Cup captain.
In September 2014 the Royal and Ancient voted to allow women members for the first time in its 260-year history.
In February, the Princess Royal became one of the first women to join.
Along with Stewart Strait and Bell, a further eight women have also become members of the club. | Canada's Marlene Stewart Streit and American Judy Bell are the latest women to become honorary members of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews. | 35035065 |
Some shoppers queued from as early as 03:30 to be first in line for the opening of the sales.
Silverburn in Glasgow said it was expecting about 60,000 shoppers on Saturday - up about 10% on last year.
General manager David Pierotti said: "Boxing Day is always one of our busiest days of the year."
He said: "We were delighted to welcome shoppers on the official start of the post-Christmas sales, with queues from 04:30."
Glasgow Fort said people started queuing outside the centre's Next store from 03:30, with about 300 waiting when the doors opened at 06:00.
Crowds also formed outside Marks and Spencer ahead of its 08:00 opening.
In Edinburgh, shoppers traditionally flock to luxury department store Harvey Nichols for cut-price designer goods.
About 100 people queued outside the St Andrew Square shop ahead of its 10am opening, with handbags among the most sought-after purchases.
Around 57,000 shoppers were expected at Aberdeen's Union Square.
At intu Braehead, outside Glasgow, manager Gary Turnbull said it was the busiest start to the Boxing Day sales the centre had seen "for years".
Ian McLelland, director at the EK centre in East Kilbride, said: "The centre has been packed all day. Despite many retailers starting their sales pre-Christmas, shoppers are well aware that there are still plenty of deals to be found across fashion, toys, games, jewellery and electronics." | Shopping centres across Scotland have reported their busiest Boxing Day in years as bargain hunters took advantage of post-Christmas discounts. | 35182596 |
It follows Saturday's dramatic 30-27 defeat by Harlequins at Kingsholm, a match they led 27-15 with eight minutes left to play.
Former Brumbies coach Fisher joined the Cherry and Whites in 2014.
A statement from Gloucester said: "The club is aware of the tweet and we are not in a position to comment further."
Gloucester are ninth in the Premiership table after the loss, but have qualified for the European Challenge Cup quarter-finals this season after topping their group with five wins from six.
With five Premiership games remaining, the Cherry and Whites are eight points adrift of the top six and automatic qualification for the European Champions Cup.
Fisher is part of the coaching team that works under director of rugby David Humphreys.
BBC Radio Gloucestershire's Paul Furley
Gloucester's lack of progress up the Premiership table has been a source of frustration for fans for nearly three years since Nigel Davies left in 2014.
Winning the European Challenge Cup in 2015 provided reason for optimism, but crucially did not earn a place at Europe's top table. And now, after losing at home to Harlequins the Cherry and Whites look highly likely to miss out on Europe's top club competition again.
A change in style for the 2016-17 season has enabled Gloucester to turn over Wasps and Saracens at Kingsholm, but Fisher himself admitted this week that they have struggled against teams around them in the table that they need to be beating. As he put it himself: "That obviously says something about our mind set, about our preparation - it's something we're conscious of and are trying to address."
Clearly, having admitted this week's game was a must-win match, Fisher now feels the responsibility to carry the can. | Laurie Fisher's future as head coach at Gloucester is in doubt, after he referred to making "room for someone else" in the role on social media. | 39169644 |
The new estimate has replaced a forecast of more than one in three people developing the disease.
Cheery right?
But although it makes for pretty grim reading at first, there is some good that can be taken away from the new stats.
One of the main factors behind the findings is that people are, in general, living longer meaning more people can be affected by cancer at some point.
Cancer Research UK added it wasn't inevitable that one in two people will be diagnosed and that improving lifestyles, such as losing weight and quitting smoking, could have a major impact on chances of contracting cancer.
Lead researcher Professor Peter Sasieni, from Queen Mary University of London told the BBC that a healthy lifestyle could lower the lifetime risk from 50% to 30%.
The findings also suggest cancer survival rates are rising.
Sean Duffy, the national clinical director for cancer at NHS England, said: "Cancer survival rates in England are at an all-time high, but this new forecast shows it is more important than ever to take a fresh look at how we can do even better."
He said there needed to be action on three fronts - better prevention; swifter diagnosis; and better treatment, care and aftercare for all patients.
Another reason Cancer Research UK's estimates have changed is because fewer deaths from heart disease and infections mean more people are living long enough to potentially develop the disease.
Last year a study found parts of Europe were reaching a "tipping point" where cardiovascular disease is no longer the leading cause of death, a study shows.
Lots of forms of cancers can be successfully treated these days.
Testicular cancer can be treated in adults and most skin cancers can be cured with surgery.
And many cases of thyroid cancer and cancer of the larynx (voice box) are cured with radiotherapy.
Many other types of cancer can also be treated if they are found early enough - for example, three quarters of breast cancers found at an early stage.
Of course, there is still a long way to go before most cancers can be classed as curable. The difficulty is that different cancers are caused by different things, so there isn't one strategy that can prevent them all. They also respond to different treatments so no one treatment can cure them all.
Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube | Cancer Research UK's latest findings suggest one in two people in the UK will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives. | 31129608 |
Pietersen, who is hoping to resurrect his England Test career this summer, came to the wicket with his side on 111-2 against Glamorgan at Cardiff.
He struck four boundaries, but was then caught off Craig Meschede for 19.
Sangakkara, however, made an unbeaten 112 and Steven Davies weighed in with 109 not out as they closed on 363-3.
The pair collected 30 boundaries between them, plus a six by Sangakkara off spinner Dean Cosker, in an unbroken partnership of 213, as the Welsh side's attack toiled in vain to contain them.
Surrey began the game confidently with Rory Burns (50) and Zafar Ansari (48) opening up with a stand of 104.
The latter's dismissal, lbw to Andy Carter, brought in Pietersen for his first Championship innings since making 177 not out against Yorkshire in June 2013.
The South Africa-born batsman has not played for England since the 2013-14 Ashes series in Australia.
But recent changes within the England and Wales Cricket Board, including the departure of managing director Paul Downton, have rekindled his international ambitions.
He was slightly fortunate to escape when he top-edged a hook off Graeme Wagg, but then pushed at a delivery by Meschede and was caught by Colin Ingram at first slip.
It proved to be their final success as Sangakkara and Davies, both left-handers, made the most of batsman-friendly conditions.
Sangakkara, making his Championship debut for the county, was first to his century with a boundary off Carter, but Davies lost nothing by comparison in reaching the 17th first-class hundred five overs before the close.
Glamorgan bowler Craig Meschede told BBC Wales Sport:
"My first first-class wicket was Sachin Tendulkar, so it's nice to add him [Pietersen] to my numbers. He'll be my number two!
"It's nice to get a big scalp to my name and he had a lot to prove today. I'm sure he'll bounce back, but hopefully not in this game.
"It's been a tough day on a pretty flat wicket, Kumar is a fantastic player and a world-class cricketer but as a youngster I can learn a lot from it.
"We've got to hit our lengths, bowl to our fields and pick up a few wickets - then we need to get our mindset right and bat big."
Surrey wicketkeeper/batsman Steven Davies:
"Kevin missed out here but I've no doubt in my mind he will get the runs he needs to play for England again.
"He's been great at Surrey. I've never had any problems with him, and he looked great last week on a tough wicket at Oxford.
"Sangakkara was unbelievable. He's a hero of mine and to play alongside him is a great honour.
"To get that partnership with him was a special day for me." | Kevin Pietersen was upstaged by Sri Lanka star Kumar Sangakkara in his first Championship appearance for Surrey for almost two years. | 32326972 |
Its members will also be balloted on industrial action unless the next UK government scraps a 1% pay-rise cap.
The Welsh Government, which sets pay for nurses in Wales, said the NHS Pay Review Body had recommended a 1% pay rise after looking at expert evidence.
The lowest earners will receiving a rise to the Living Wage, it added.
The RCN said a consultative ballot of its members in April showed a majority (78%) were prepared to go on strike, while 91% said they would support industrial action short of a strike.
About 52,000 of the 270,000 RCN members eligible to vote took part.
The union said the 1% cap on pay rises had left nursing staff with a 14% real terms pay cut since 2010 and it would launch a ballot on industrial action this year unless it was lifted.
A spokesman for the Welsh Government said: "We are proud of our nurses and we work to support them in Wales."
He said it offered NHS bursaries for eligible student nurses and supported professional development. | Some nurses in Wales are expected to join what the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has described as a "summer of protest activity" over pay. | 39917711 |
Police stopped a vehicle on the Dundrod Road at Nutts Corner at about 21:30 GMT on Friday and seized suspected cocaine.
The man has been been charged with possession of class A drugs and possession of class A drugs with intent to supply.
He is due to appear before Lisburn Magistrates' Court on Monday.
The charges are subject to a review by the Public Prosecution Service. | A 53-year-old man has been charged after police discovered suspected drugs worth an estimated £60,000 in County Antrim. | 34894218 |
The announcement comes during a four-day stoppage by BA staff that is due to finish on Saturday.
The airline said it had flown all customers to their destinations during all the strikes and would do so again.
BA said once contingency plans had been finalised it would publish more details next week.
Unite said the next planned stoppage will start at 00:01 on Friday 3 March and end at 23:59 on Thursday 9 March.
Unite said it was clear BA could "afford" to settle the dispute after its parent company, IAG, announced annual pre-tax profit of £2bn earlier on Friday.
Unite national officer Oliver Richardson said: "Striking mixed fleet cabin crew continue to demonstrate their determination to achieve a fair deal on pay in the face of British Airways' bully boy tactics."
The strike, by 2,900 members of Unite, seeks higher pay for members of the so-called "mixed fleet".
BA said: "Our pay offer for mixed fleet crew is consistent with the deal accepted by 92% of colleagues across the airline, most of whom are represented by Unite.
"It also reflects pay awards given by other companies in the UK and will ensure that rewards for mixed fleet remain in line with those for cabin crew at our airline competitors."
The airline said its offer was worth 7% over three years.
Unite said that since 2010, all new BA cabin crew joined what is called "'mixed fleet", where salaries started at just £12,192 with £3 an hour flying pay.
The union estimated that, on average, mixed fleet cabin crew earned £16,000 a year including allowances.
BA said that annual pay was above £21,000 a year.
A pay rise of 2% in the first year, and 2.5% in years two and three was rejected by Unite members shortly before Christmas.
The union said that the increase would have left staff only £20 a month better off after tax.
Unite has called for further talks at Acas.
A BA spokesperson said: "We have always made it clear that we are willing to talk provided there is no strike threat hanging over us." | British Airways cabin crew will stage a fresh seven-day strike from 3 March in their dispute over pay, the Unite union has said. | 39074816 |
A copy of the ceasefire deal, seen by the BBC, says the main entrances to the camp in Damascus will be opened and basic services will be restored.
About 18,000 people have been besieged since last July. Rights groups say more than 100 people have starved to death.
Syria has been engulfed in a bloody conflict between government and rebel forces over the past three years.
The ceasefire is said to include the Syrian regime, rebel groups based in Yarmouk and many Palestinian factions, Sana news agency reports.
It is not clear when the truce will begin. Previous truces have been broken.
Both food and medicine are in scarce supply in Yarmouk and large parts of the suburb lie in utter ruin, the BBC's chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet reports.
For the last two weeks, United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has been unable to distribute food because of continued clashes and shelling, our correspondent adds.
Yarmouk has become a symbol of suffering in Syria. This once vibrant Palestinian community has been targeted by a punishing government siege, and rivalry among numerous Syrian and Palestinian armed groups.
We saw, on the two occasions this year we managed to enter the besieged area, how desperate conditions are.
Nearly 18,000 people are struggling to survive, without basic necessities, under constant shelling and sniper fire.
On our last visit in May, Syrian military officers told us they expected to reach an agreement soon. UN officials also spoke of possible positive change.
It's taken weeks longer than expected. But the document I've seen sets out a complicated deal.
If all the parties to this conflict stick to their agreement to keep this southern gateway to Damascus both neutral and peaceful, it will be a major achievement, and rare good news for the long suffering people of Yarmouk.
UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness said the agency had received "credible information about an agreement signed yesterday between Syrian authorities and armed opposition groups inside Yarmouk".
"We would welcome any durable and binding agreement that achieves a cessation of hostilities, full humanitarian access and an end to the suffering of civilians in Yarmouk and all of Syria," he added.
The camp, first built for Palestinians fleeing the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, became the focus of heavy fighting in late 2012 when armed opposition groups moved in.
Government forces cut off the rebel-held camp in July 2013, trapping the refugees and some Syrians. | The Syrian government and rebel groups have reportedly agreed a truce in the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk. | 27969293 |
Artist Hermann Nitsch's installation, billed as a "sacrificial ritual", will be displayed by Hobart's famous Museum of Old and New Art (Mona) in June.
Although no animals will be slaughtered during the renowned artist's show, it has drawn critics including Hobart's mayor - who called it "just sick".
Mona's owner has defended the show as starting "a conversation about meat".
Warning: some readers may find an image below disturbing.
"I want clarity of intent - I want the audience to ponder why meat for food is okay... but meat for ritual or entertainment isn't," wrote museum founder David Walsh.
The animal would be on the market specifically for slaughter ahead of the Austrian artist's show at the annual Dark Mofo festival, organisers said.
They said it would be locally sourced and killed humanely, and that the artist intended for the meat to be eaten afterwards.
The event warns patrons: "Please note, this work contains distressing imagery, nudity and strong adult themes, and is not suitable for children. Parental discretion is strongly advised."
However, Lord Mayor Sue Hickey said she would investigate whether her council could halt the three-hour installation.
"These are naked women and naked men on slabs pretending to be dead, and they have got animal blood pouring out of their vaginas. Is that art?" she told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
"If we allowed people to pay for tickets and go to a snuff movie where people are murdered for the sake of art, is that acceptable?"
Nitsch, 78, has used confronting imagery for decades as a high-profile figure in the Viennese Actionism movement.
Ms Hickey acknowledged that Mona had reinvigorated Tasmania's economy since opening in 2011.
According to Tourism Tasmania figures, visitors who went to Mona last year spent a total of A$738m (£432m; $555m) in the state. | More than 11,000 people have signed a petition to stop a freshly killed bull being used at an Australian art show. | 39650320 |
The government's long-term aim is simplification, stripping away extras such as the second state pension.
It will also become cheaper, in time, for the government with many of those in their 20s and 30s receiving less than they would under the old system.
But in the short-term, the self-employed particularly will benefit.
A Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) spokeswoman said: "Millions stand to gain from the changes to the state pension, including women and the self-employed who so often lost out in the past.
"The new state pension will provide a sustainable system for future generations who will also benefit from workplace pension savings throughout their careers."
However, the independent Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said that the new single tier, or flat-rate, element of the new system may have been overstated, leading to the risk of "disillusionment" from new pensioners.
"The aim is to replace the complex mess of existing rules with a new, far simpler system that rewards a wide range of contributions - whether that be paid employment or caring for children - in exactly the same way," said Rowena Crawford, of the IFS.
"We estimate that women will gain on average £5.20 per week in additional state pension income at the state pension age, and those who have been self-employed for at least 10 years will gain an average of £7.50 per week.
"But continued complexity is unavoidable in the short-run. There is a considerable risk of disillusionment as people start claiming pension incomes this year."
She said that some would receive a "nasty surprise" when they realised they would receive less than the advertised "flat-rate" of £155.65 a week.
For more information about whether you are a winner or a loser under the new system, click here.
The basic state pension, which is still being paid to existing pensioners, is worth about £120 a week, plus top-ups such as the state second pension for those who qualify.
The new state pension will be paid to men born after 6 April 1951 and women born after 6 April 1953.
To qualify for any state pension under the new system, individuals will need to have 10 years of National Insurance contributions. To receive the full amount, of £155.65, they will need to have 35 qualifying years.
Some, primarily public sector workers, will receive less than the full amount if they were contracted out of the state second pension. In practical terms, this meant they paid less in National Insurance contributions, but more into their workplace pension scheme.
The most significant change in the long-term is the abolition of the state second pension.
The effect, as revealed by BBC News earlier in the week, is that 11.4 million younger workers will get less out of the new system than they would have done had the old system carried on, according to the Pensions Policy Institute.
By 2050, about half of retirees will get a higher pay-out, with half getting a lower pay-out.
Assuming a pension age of 70 by then, in general, people born before 1980 can, on average, expect to do better out of the new system, but those born after that date are likely to fare worse. | An overhauled state pension - being paid to new, rather than existing pensioners - has begun, with some set to gain while others lose out. | 35969065 |
William McCance, 57, from Baillieston, abused the girl at a house in the Dennistoun area, between 1984 and 1991. He began abusing the girl when she was nine and raped her when she was 15.
McCance was also convicted of sexually abusing her brother when he was aged between seven and eight.
Sentence on McCance was deferred and he was remanded in custody.
The High Court in Glasgow heard that McCance ran a car parts shop in the city's London Road.
The girl never told anyone about the abuse until she decided to speak to someone at the NSPCC and they then contacted the police.
In evidence, her brother, who was abused as a boy, denied making up stories about McCance and said: "I've spent my life trying to forget what he did to me."
McCance claimed that both victims were making up stories about him and denied any sexual abuse.
His defence counsel Dale Hughes said: "He has a family and has been hard-working at his London Road business for many years."
Judge Lord Burns placed McCance on the sex offenders register and deferred sentence for background reports. | A shopkeeper has been convicted of raping and indecently assaulting a schoolgirl in Glasgow. | 37540356 |
Riven Vincent, of Staple Hill, near Bristol, says she cannot cope and may put her disabled daughter into care. She said: "We are crumbling."
Ms Vincent posted a message on the Mumsnet website saying her council had said it could not provide more help.
The prime minister said he was "very concerned" and would write to her.
Ms Vincent's six-year-old daughter Celyn is blind, quadriplegic and has cerebral palsy and epilepsy.
David Cameron had visited Ms Vincent and her family at their home near Bristol during the general election campaign.
It was a private visit after she had spoken to him online in April 2010 during a Mumsnet discussion.
Ms Vincent posted a message on the website yesterday, saying she had contacted social services for respite help with her daughter but was told that none was available.
She said: "Have asked ss (social services) to take dd (dear daughter) into care.
"We get 6 hours respite a week. They have refused a link family. They have refused extra respite. I cant cope.
"I don't know how to email Dave now he's PM or I bloody would.
"I have called local MP Jack Lopresti too. I dont know what else to do."
Since her original post yesterday, at least 1,300 Mumsnet users have replied with messages of sympathy.
Ms Vincent said in a statement: "It's the last thing we want for her [Celyn] but we just can't see any other option.
"Caring for my daughter is relentless. She needs someone 24 hours a day. Caring takes over your whole life.
"Carers across the country are struggling the same way. It's not a new thing. It's been going on for years and no one government is to blame.
"I had hoped that after David Cameron came to visit me earlier this year following our exchange on Mumsnet, he would have done more to protect families like ours.
"The money the government has allocated for short breaks and respite care - £800m over four years - is not enough and worse still it's not going to be ring-fenced."
A Downing Street spokesman said: "The prime minister is very concerned at what he's heard.
"He's writing to Riven Vincent and in conjunction he's also asked her local MP for all the details of the case urgently.
"He's also asking the MP to speak to the local council to make sure that she's receiving all that she's entitled to."
A spokesman for South Gloucestershire Council said they had been supporting Ms Vincent and her family since Celyn was a baby and there had been no reduction in the care the council provided.
The spokesman said: "Needs were last reviewed in November 2010. However, Ms Vincent contacted the council yesterday to ask for further help. A meeting has been arranged to discuss her requirements."
He added: "We understand the difficulties facing parents of disabled children, particularly those with complex needs such as Celyn's.
"We recognise that there are times when difficulties can appear overwhelming and we hope that we can resolve the present difficulties in the best interest of the family."
The council said Ms Vincent's family received a range of services, including a full-time specialist school placement, individual support for Celyn, funding for additional help around the home, a respite service during the school holidays and overnight and music therapy.
Alex O'Dwyer, from the disabled charity Scope, said: "Some local authorities are facing up to 28% cuts and we know that disabled people and their families are proportionately much more reliant upon social care and those services.
"We're also concerned because there is some money that's been put aside that David Cameron talks about for respite care, but that hasn't been ring-fenced, so councils can actually choose to spend that money elsewhere.
"Fundamentally I think they don't actually understand the reality of the lives of some families with disabled children." | The mother of a disabled child has criticised Prime Minister David Cameron saying he should do more to protect respite care for families like hers. | 12237100 |
The victim was attacked in a flat in Southdeen Road, Drumchapel, at about 00:30 on Tuesday 13 December.
Police issued an appeal for information at the end of December.
They have now said that a 31-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incident. He is expected to appear from custody at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Monday. | A man has been arrested after a 32-year-old woman was seriously assaulted in Glasgow. | 38532293 |
Thousands of people signed a petition against original plans for an embankment in the area.
Now a "raised walkway" is being proposed with a glass wall on top.
The total cost of the project would be about £15m and councillors are being asked to endorse the project which could be completed by 2019.
A walkway has been recommended as the "optimal solution" to the issues regularly experienced when the River Nith overflows, affecting nearby streets and properties.
Council officers have advised against a self-rising barrier due to technical challenges and environmental constraints. | Councillors are being asked to back a scheme designed to tackle long-standing flooding problems in the Whitesands area of Dumfries. | 34770032 |
The film, which has topped the UK box office for the last two weeks, took $115.2m (£74.2m). It was second only to 2007's Shrek the Third, beating the opening of all of the Toy Story movies.
Jurassic World dropped to second in its fifth week with $18.1m (£11.66m).
Disney Pixar's Inside Out took $17.1m in its fourth week in US cinemas.
Minions, which features the voices of Sandra Bullock and Jon Hamm, puts the spotlight on the babbling yellow, pill-shaped servants from the two Despicable Me films as they search for a new master.
Directed by Peter Coffin, who also voices the Minions, it topped the box office in 29 of the other 30 countries where it opened, according to box office tracker Rentrak, including France, Mexico and Russia.
"Given that they seek to work for the most evil people on the planet, they give off this incredible happiness," said Universal's Duncan Clark on the Minions' success.
"I think the quality they're proving to have is a common denominator appeal across all cultures."
Universal is planning to release Despicable Me 3 in the summer of 2017.
Several other new films debuted in the top 10, including ad-libbed high-school horror movie The Gallows, in fifth place with $10m.
Sharing the hand-held camera technique made famous by 1999's The Blair Witch Project, the film comes from the production company behind the Paranormal Activity and Insidious franchises.
Ryan Reynolds' new sci-fi thriller Self/less - about a near-death billionaire who transmits himself into a younger body - was at number eight with $5.4m. | Despicable Me spin-off Minions topped the US and Canada box office in its opening weekend, with the second-biggest debut for an animated film. | 33504891 |
Saturday will see a brief return to sunnier conditions, before thundery showers set in, the Met Office said.
Travellers and holidaymakers faced delays on wet roads in areas on Friday, and downpours brought services at several London Tube stations to a halt.
A Met Office warning for wind and rain remains in place for south-east England until late morning.
Cloud is then expected to break providing drier, brighter conditions.
Temperatures could reach 21C (70F) in London, the high teens in the Midlands, and around 15C (59F) in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Forecaster Alex Burkill said: "Most places should be dry by lunchtime today.
"It should be a much drier, brighter and much more pleasant day."
Sunday will see conditions take a turn for the worse, although it is not expected to be as wet as Friday, Mr Burkill added.
"By the time most people wake up on Sunday morning it is going to be a rather cloudy day."
Most areas of the UK are expected to see between five and 10mm of rainfall, except for Northern Ireland, which is predicted to see as much as 30mm.
Rain is expected to move eastwards throughout the day, with blustery and wet conditions set to last into early next week.
"Monday is looking pretty blustery with some heavy, thundery showers expected, but those should ease by the middle of the week," Mr Burkill said. | Heavy rain is due to return on Sunday after a month's worth of rain fell in a single day on Friday, forecasters say. | 33662965 |
The main species affected are buzzards and red kites, 11 of which were illegally killed in 2014.
They are particularly susceptible to poisoned baits as they mainly feed on carrion.
A sparrowhawk and two peregrine falcons were also killed. County Down had the biggest problem with four incidents and there were two in Tyrone.
There was one incident each in Londonderry, Antrim and Armagh.
A number of cases involved the use of a highly toxic pesticide called Carbofuran which was banned across the EU in 2001.
The report was drawn up by the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime, which involves agencies including police, the Environment Agency and wildlife groups.
Report author Dr Eimear Rooney said: "It is heart-breaking to think of the deaths of these birds, but it is particularly shocking to see the continued usage of highly toxic Carbofuran."
Supt Brian Kee said: "It isn't acceptable for birds of prey or any other wildlife to be killed in this way.
"These actions are illegal and the use of toxic poisons is indiscriminate as they put children, pets and livestock at risk too.
Between 2009 and 2014, 44 birds of prey were illegally killed and one nest destroyed.
In some cases it appears birds are falling victim to poisons laid to control rats and other pests. | Protected birds of prey are still being being poisoned in Northern Ireland, according to a report. | 38084466 |
George Allen, 36, was hit as he picked his son and daughter up from school in Lisburn last week.
He remains in a critical condition in hospital but is now "the most stable he has been" since the incident.
His son Geordie, five, and daughter Georgia, seven, were also injured but have been released from hospital.
The incident happened at Killowen Primary School in Lisburn.
In a statement, Mr Allen's wife, Sharon, and her family said the aftermath of the "tragic, freak accident" had been "devastating for us all".
"George was not on his phone at the time of the lightning strike, he does not have any metal plates and he was not holding an umbrella," the family said.
"A hard-working man going to collect his two children from school would not have expected this to happen.
"Had it not been for the fast actions of those at Killowen that day, the outcome would have been tragic."
School staff and parents used a defibrillator on Mr Allen and his son.
The children are "both home and doing well", the family said.
"Through this difficult time the fact that the children have come through as they have is a blessing."
The family also thanked staff at the hospitals Mr Allen and his children had been treated in "for their fantastic efforts and continued care". | A man who was left critically ill after being struck by lightning in County Antrim has "has fought hard and continues to fight", his wife has said. | 36553339 |
Acomb Parish Church, in York, had ordered four banners saying 'Christ is Risen' but the 'T' was missed off the finished article.
However, assistant Curate Ned Lunn said the error was discovered before the signs were delivered.
A BBC Radio York Facebook post has been shared more than 3,000 times, prompting one person to reply 'More T vicar?'
Mr Lunn said: "I'm so glad the customer spotted the mistake. It'll save a bit of embarrassment and a lot of confusion.
"I had to check the four banners when I distributed them though, just to make sure.
"The pastor at the Baptist Church is actually called Chris and he's got to get up for a sunrise service at 6.30am on Easter Sunday.
"His predecessor didn't manage to get up for the service last year." | A church was presented with signs reading "Chris is risen" after a mix up at the printers. | 35899023 |
Media playback is not supported on this device
Two Camille Lopez penalties put France 6-0 up but Conor Murray's converted try edged Ireland into a one-point lead.
Johnny Sexton added two penalties and a drop goal in a keenly contested second half, with Lopez and replacement Paddy Jackson trading late penalties.
Sexton, back after injury, passed the 600-point mark in international rugby.
Ireland move a point ahead of Scotland at the top of the table, with England's game at home to Italy to come on Sunday.
Joe Schmidt's men, beaten in their first match in Scotland, have 10 points from their three matches and now face Wales away and England at home.
France left the Aviva Stadium empty-handed to remain on five points and they next host Italy before a final-day trip to Cardiff.
Ireland remain unbeaten at home in the Six Nations during the tenure of coach Schmidt, a run stretching back to 2014, and they will go into their next game in Cardiff on 10 March with confidence.
France displayed glimpses of the much-heralded revival under their coach Guy Noves but showed signs of tiredness throughout the second half and their hopes of a first championship success since 2010 are now surely over.
Only once in the past 10 Six Nations meetings between these sides had the winning margin reached double digits, so Ireland will be happy to come away with a hard-fought win and deny their opponents a losing bonus point.
France began in intense fashion as they sought to carry through the momentum gained from their narrow defeat by England and morale-boosting success over Scotland.
Their enterprising start was epitomised by an outrageous dummy by scrum-half Baptiste Serin, which almost yielded a try, while centre Remi Lamerat was only denied a score by a knock-on by his midfield partner Gael Fickou after Lopez's audacious cross-field kick had set up the chance.
In the event, the visitors only had two Lopez penalties to show for their early dominance and it was Ireland who assumed control for the remainder of the half.
The hosts were rewarded for their superiority in territory and possession when Robbie Henshaw made ground after a five-metre scrum and passed to man-of-the-match Murray, who dived over from close range for the only try of the game.
Ireland should have gone in at half-time further ahead, but turned down a couple of kickable penalties in favour of kicking for the corner, while the French defended stoutly to keep their half-time arrears to a single point.
France looked a more confident, settled and better prepared side for periods in the first half, but despite their squad having enjoyed an accustomed break from Top 14 action last weekend, they were already showing signs of fatigue by the interval.
It was Ireland who showed the greater purpose and spirit after the break, with fly-half Sexton defying the fact that he had been out of action through injury for the past five weeks by pulling the strings and piling on the points.
In the first half, the Leinster man converted Murray's try and almost created a try for himself when he kicked towards the corner after a fine Ireland wraparound move along the backs, only for wing Noa Nakaitaci to ground the ball first.
The number 10's early second-half penalty was followed by an exquisite drop-goal, which brought the home supporters to their feet and the Aviva Stadium to life.
A further penalty extended Ireland's advantage in a breathless second half and although the French put up some resistance, the hosts showed the greater resilience and, with the Ireland pack largely in control, the outcome never looked in doubt.
After Sexton was withdrawn to a rapturous reception, Lopez pulled France back to bonus-point range with his third penalty, but Jackson's kick with four minutes remaining ensured the Noves' side went home empty-handed and broken-hearted.
Ireland: Kearney, Earls, Ringrose, Henshaw, Zebo, Sexton, Murray, McGrath, Best, Furlong, D. Ryan, Toner, Stander, O'Brien, Heaslip.
Replacements: Trimble for Kearney (51), Jackson for Sexton (69), Marmion for Murray (79), C. Healy for McGrath (60), Scannell for Best (68), J. Ryan for Furlong (74), Henderson for D. Ryan (60), O'Mahony for O'Brien (68).
France: Spedding, Huget, Lamerat, Fickou, Nakaitaci, Lopez, Serin, Baille, Guirado, Slimani, Vahaamahina, Maestri, Le Roux, Gourdon, Picamoles.
Replacements: Camara for Spedding (74), Chavancy for Lamerat (60), Machenaud for Serin (62), Ben Arous for Baille (51), Tolofua for Guirado (62), Atonio for Slimani (51), Le Devedec for Vahaamahina (51), Ollivon for Le Roux (60).
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Touch judges: Wayne Barnes (England) & Luke Pearce (England)
TMO: George Ayoub (Australia) | Ireland kept their hopes of a third Six Nations title in four years alive by recovering from an early deficit to beat France in a bruising encounter. | 39072577 |
Several residents have told BBC News that they are "in limbo" and face increasing financial problems after years of delays and disputes about insurance claims.
The insurance industry says a series of aftershocks, and difficulty in working with the government's earthquake agency, has slowed it down.
A magnitude 6.3 quake struck directly under Christchurch at 12:51 on 22 February 2011, killing 185 people and destroying or damaging around 170,000 buildings.
Tom Davies and his wife had to move out of their house in Christchurch's Mt Pleasant suburb when it was declared unsafe two years ago.
"We have cracks you can crawl through, roof leaks, a spring running through the basement, walls leaning downhill, asbestos and electrics that pose a risk of fire or electrocution," he says.
Mr Davies says that five years after the earthquake little progress has been made in settling the insurance claim.
New Zealand has a two-tier insurance system that deals with natural disasters.
The Earthquake Commission (EQC), a government agency, covers damages to residential homes of up to NZ$100,000 (£46,000; $66,000).
More expensive repairs and rebuilds are handled by people's private insurance companies.
The Davies family's claim was handed to its insurance company in February 2014.
"Five years on, we are no further forward," Mr Davies says.
An independent surveyor has estimated the damage to the house at NZ$800,000.
In the meantime, Mr Davies and his wife have bought another house to live in temporarily, but they are still paying for the mortgage, rates and insurance on their damaged property.
"Financially, we are prisoners because we are tied to that house. We can't walk away from a house that is our life's investment, that is our home and our future," he says.
"Two years of paying two mortgages, insurances and sets of rates is simply crippling."
According to figures provided by the insurance industry, around 4,600 insurance claims have not been settled yet.
Shona Senior still lives in her timber-framed house in Christchurch, even though the property was severely damaged in an earlier tremor in 2010 as well as the February 2011 quake.
"We cannot use one living room and one bedroom for much of the year because of big holes in the outside of the house," she says.
"Damp is permeating the house and our home, which was once in beautiful condition, is now rotting."
Shona owns two damaged properties and says she was forced to accept an under-value settlement for her other house because of the continuing dispute.
"We settled for less than our entitlement because of the financial stress of maintaining two houses and having to pay thousands of dollars for our own expert reports," she explains.
Almost nine out of 10 claims relating to private properties have been settled, says the Insurance Council New Zealand (ICNZ), an industry body representing the country's insurers.
"I said three years ago that we will have the vast majority of claims settled by the end of this year and we are well on track for that," says ICNZ chief executive Tim Grafton.
But he says a small number of claims either newly-transferred from the EQC or slowed down by court cases will drag over to 2017.
"We continue to have hundreds of properties transferred across to us from the EQC," he explains.
"That explains why some properties have not been processed."
Jeremy Prendeville's house stands in one of the worst-hit areas of New Zealand's second-biggest city.
His neighbourhood was "red zoned" after the quake, meaning it was considered unlikely houses could be rebuilt there.
He says he developed post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of his uncertainty about reaching adequate settlement.
"This house was my stepping stone. I was a young man building my life towards retirement," he says.
"Now I still can't be sure if this will leave me better or worse off."
Thousands of people took part in a rally in central Christchurch on Sunday to highlight the continuing insurance disputes.
Megan Woods, earthquake recovery spokeswoman for New Zealand's opposition Labour party, was one of the speakers at the event.
She says recovery efforts after the Christchurch quake were slower than after comparable natural disasters in Chile and Japan, particularly in repairing and rebuilding residences.
"Not being able to get settled has taken a toll on people. It has been very messy for them to deal with both the ECQ and private insurers," she told BBC News.
"We think the government should have taken a much more active role and not allow private insurers to do what they want." | It has been five years since a major earthquake hit the New Zealand city of Christchurch, but thousands of residents are still waiting for their homes to be repaired or rebuilt. | 35612298 |
Thomas started his career with Chiefs in League One in 2003, before moving to Premiership side Gloucester in 2005.
The 34-year-old also had a spell with Bristol before rejoining Exeter in 2009, helping them win promotion to the Premiership in the 2009-10 season.
He will stay with the club in an unspecified role with the academy side following his retirement.
"Being part of the Chiefs journey out of the Championship and then into the Premiership, where we've really established ourselves as a club has been amazing," he told the club website.
"What I've achieved, especially here at the Chiefs, is something I'm very proud of.
"To get to do a job that you love every day, working alongside some of your best friends, I don't think you can't really ask for any more than that."
Exeter are second in the Premiership table ahead of the final game of the season, already assured of a place in the play-offs. | Exeter Chiefs scrum-half Haydn Thomas will retire at the end of the season after 211 appearances for the club. | 39810759 |
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) received reports of the damage at the site on the Newtownards Road on Monday morning.
The public bicycle hire scheme was launched in 2015.
It the latest of a number of attacks on the bikes this year. In April, a number of bikes were pictured dumped in the River Lagan.
Since its launch, the Belfast Bikes scheme has attracted almost 5,000 annual members and more than 5,000 casual users.
Many people have taken to social media to condemn the latest attack, including former Belfast East MLA Sammy Douglas who described it as "sheer vandalism".
Belfast City Council said it "continues to work closely with the PSNI to address vandalism".
The police have appealed for anyone with information to come forward. | A number of Belfast Bikes have been damaged at CS Lewis Square in east Belfast. | 40481065 |
The German, 22, limped off during Thursday's thrilling last-eight victory and left Anfield on crutches.
He is set to miss the rest of the domestic season, including the Reds' semi-final tie against Villarreal.
Fellow midfielder and captain Jordan Henderson will miss the rest of the season with damaged knee ligaments.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said: "Emre is injured. He will take time. It'll be for the next four or five weeks so we should not say the season is finished."
Should the Reds beat the Spanish side in the last four they will face either Sevilla or Shakhtar Donetsk in the Europa League final on 18 May.
Can joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for £9.75m in the 2014-15 summer transfer window. This season, the Germany international has played 49 games and scored twice. | Liverpool midfielder Emre Can has been ruled out for at least four weeks after rupturing ankle ligaments in the Europa League win over Borussia Dortmund. | 36062851 |
Melanie Dolby, 48, from Sherwood Rise, Nottingham, was knocked down near a party taking place in Radford in June. A man, 52, sustained serious injuries.
Johan Martin, 20, admitted causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving.
Martin, along with another man, had originally been charged with murder.
The case against Jamal Rodney was discontinued in November.
Martin, of Vernon Road, Nottingham, was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court. He was given a further term of three years' detention for causing serious injury, to run concurrently.
He was also banned from driving for seven-and-a-half years.
Nottinghamshire Police said Martin only had a provisional driving licence when the Ford Mondeo he was driving struck Melanie Dolby, causing her to become trapped under the vehicle.
Her friend Leroy Taylor sustained serious injuries in the crash but has since made a full recovery.
Police said Ms Dolby had been walking to a party at Moog Bar in Gamble Street at the time of the incident.
Martin had driven to the party in the Mondeo, which was owned by his friend.
Det Ch Insp Rob Severn said: "Johan Martin was not qualified to drive the car and had a complete disregard for anyone else in his path as he reversed at speed away from the party.
"As a result of his actions Ms Dolby was struck by the car and subsequently lost her life."
He added: "The sentence will not be of any consolation to Melanie's family and friends who have lost someone who was clearly much loved. Our thoughts go out to them at this time." | An unqualified driver who reversed at speed killing a pedestrian and seriously injuring another has been detained for five years. | 35172248 |
London's Al-Hayat certainly sees the "chemical massacre as a test for President Trump", in particular as he recently said his priority was fighting the Islamic State group rather than removing President Assad from power.
The Arab nationalist London daily Al-Quds al-Arabi describes the "return of extermination by poison gas" as an "Assad reply to Trump's greetings". It says the attack shows "the Assad regime's increased confidence in regaining its position in the new global system".
In neighbouring Lebanon, Al-Mustaqbal denounces the Syrian president as "Chemical Bashar", and draws parallels with the 2013 chemical attack in eastern Ghouta near Damascus.
"He bets this new crime will go unpunished like the massacre committed in Ghouta, when the conscience of the world was satisfied with turning pale and condemning it before falling asleep in the face of one of the worst humanitarian tragedies in history".
But Lebanon's Al-Akhbar, which tends to be less critical of the Syrian government, expects other Western countries to use the incident to try to draw President Trump back into the anti-Assad camp. It is a "golden opportunity to recharge the Western axis against any settlement with Moscow and the Syrian government, in the face of the change recently shown by the White House over the fate of the Syrian president", the paper says.
On social media, supporters of the Syrian opposition have been promoting the Arabic hashtags #Idlib, #Khan_Sheikhoun and #Chemical_massacre and sharing videos, images and information about the attack.
Turkish pro-government and opposition TV channels have united in condemning the attack as a crime against humanity.
Independent FoxTV asks how Turkey will now deal with the Syrian peace talks in Kazakhstan, which it has been sponsoring with Syria's Russian and Iranian allies.
Turkish newspapers across the political spectrum also condemn Syria in the strongest terms on their front pages. The Posta tabloid compares the attack with Saddam Hussein's gassing of Kurds in Halabja in 1988, and pro-government Karar publishes photos of Presidents Assad and Putin under the headline ''Killers".
In Israel, Yediot Aharonot calls President Assad a "child murderer". The paper's commentator Alex Fishman says the Syrian president feels "strong enough to demonstrate his power by testing the international legitimacy he has been receiving, including from the new US administration".
Boaz Bismuth in the conservative freesheet Yisrael Hayom calls on President Trump to ensure the removal of Mr Assad. "If there is still a droplet of morality left in cynical international relations, Assad's survival makes it vanish on the wind amid the clouds of chemical gas that he releases against his own people," he writes.
The Iranian media follows the official Syrian line in denying that the Assad government used chemical weapons. Iran's state TV channels give prominence to Russian accusations that the opposition was storing poison gas in a Khan Sheikhoun warehouse - a version also promoted on Russia's pro-government TV channels.
In Germany, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung's international editor Klaus-Dieter Frankenberger denounces the attack as "the height of murderous cynicism".
He says President Assad's strategy is "to destroy all the rebels, if possible, before any peace talks. Civilian deaths are just part of the calculation".
He expects international indignation to have no effect, given "Russia's protection" of the Syrian government.
Syria specialist Kristin Helberg tells Berlin's Tageszeitung that the Syria donor conference in Brussels this week must not end up financing President Assad's bombing campaigns. "The message from Brussels must be that reconstruction will only begin when the bombs stop falling. The bitter truth is that we can't rebuild Syria without rehabilitating the regime", she says.
France's Le Figaro reports "worldwide outrage" on its front page, while Le Monde showcases social media footage of the aftermath of the attack on its website.
A front-page editorial by Jean-Christophe Plonquin in the Catholic daily La Croix sees "Syria asphyxiated" by President Assad, whom he accuses of being "prepared to rule a field of ruins" rather than end the war.
He says the Syrian government may be "testing Donald Trump, as US failure to treat the use of chemical weapons as a 'red line' will strengthen Assad's position".
Liberation's Syria specialist Hala Kodmani also complains that the Brussels conference is dealing with "illusory reconstruction amid very real destruction".
She sees Russia as the main advocate of sending European Union reconstruction funds to its Syrian ally, and reminds readers that Syrian and international non-government organisations recently opposed the idea unless Syria agrees to a transition of power.
"EU aid seeks to advance peace, but freezes conflicts. Billions in aid cannot buy or replace politics," she warns, adding that US overtures to Russia and Turkey over Syria are seen by President Assad as the "renewal of his licence to kill".
BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook. | The suspected chemical attack in Syria dominates the Arabic media, with many commentators wondering whether President Bashar al-Assad is testing the new US administration over chemical weapons as he did with President Obama's "red line" in 2013. | 39501073 |
With that in mind, and MPs not sitting this week, I swapped Westminster for Cardiff Bay to take in First Minister's Questions.
The temperature was lower than Westminster, with barely a raised voice and little anger, synthetic or otherwise.
The pace was slower, but the first minister was challenged in greater detail on local issues than Theresa May is - his answers took in everything from the Church Village bypass to bus services into Porth.
The questions were longer, certainly long enough to have tried the patience of a Bercow in the presiding officer's chair. The Commons Speaker might have grown a little frustrated at how many of the questions were read out by AMs - in one case it appeared the AM was seeing his question for the very first time.
Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies focused on the goings-on at Sport Wales or "Sports Wales", as he called it several times. He asked twice if the decision to sack its chair was supported by the whole government - but produced no evidence to suggest that it wasn't.
Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood focused on job cuts in universities - and prompted concern from Carwyn Jones that Brexit would lead to a cut in income from EU students.
You won't be surprised to learn that UKIP group leader Neil Hamilton focused on Brexit. He wanted the first minister to fire off letters to the German chancellor, the Spanish prime minister and Gibraltar's chief minister.
Mr Hamilton suggested Mr Jones could let Angela Merkel know he didn't like the proposed choreography of Brexit talks, and let Mariano Rajoy and Fabian Picardo know Gibraltar would remain British.
The first minister said admitted he'd never faced three questions on Gibraltar before and said the rock was not part of his devolved responsibilities. But he will be meeting Mr Picardo within the next few weeks.
Other questions were about Mr Jones's devolved responsibilities, such as the economy and GDP per head.
"That is something we will be focusing on very closely over the next five to ten years and beyond," said the man who's been first minister since 2009, which may be bad news for any AM hoping to succeed him in the next decade. | For David Lloyd George, a change of trouble was as good as a vacation. | 39493267 |
Christine Lee, 66, and 40-year-old Lucy Lee were shot by John Lowe at his puppy farm in Farnham in February.
His shotguns and licence had been seized by the police in March 2013 but were returned to him four months later.
After the hearing, Christine Lee's daughter, Stacy Banner, said Surrey Police had "put the gun in his hands".
"The shotgun was one of seven that had been returned to him by the police only months before he used it to kill," she said.
"John Lowe pulled the trigger but it was the Surrey Police who put the gun in his hands."
Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Cundy from Surrey Police, said two reports by other forces had found the decision to return the guns was "flawed".
He said: "Whilst the full investigation into this matter remains ongoing, in light of these early findings Surrey Police has spoken with members of Christine and Lucy Lee's family to apologise for this."
Three Surrey Police employees were now subject to a gross misconduct investigation, he added.
"As a result of the two independent reports, the IPCC have decided this will now be an independent investigation," he said.
Outside court, Mrs Banner said Lowe "brutally and deliberately murdered my mum and my sister by shooting each of them at close range with a shotgun".
"They did not stand a chance," she said.
Mrs Banner called for the way gun licensing decisions are made to be changed.
"Licensing cannot be left entirely up to the police," she said.
"There needs to be thorough and regular multi-agency assessments for would-be gun-holders.
"And the cost of a shotgun licence needs to be significantly increased."
IPCC commissioner Jennifer Izekor said: "Two women have tragically lost their lives, and their family and friends deserve to know the circumstances in which the guns were returned to Mr Lowe.
"It also is in the interests of the wider public that Surrey Police's decision-making in these circumstances is independently scrutinised."
Surrey Police said it had taken steps to ensure its firearms licensing policy and procedures were in line with national best practice.
The force is also reviewing other cases in which firearms have been returned to people.
Kevin Hurley, Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner, insisted it was "very difficult" to get a firearms licence.
When asked for his reaction to the family's statement, he told BBC Radio 4's PM programme: "I understand that when someone has lost family members they want to apportion blame and they will make statements they think are appropriate.
"I have no issue with family members making that kind of statement because they are upset, they are grieving and it is clear that police failed in this case." | Surrey Police has apologised over its "flawed" decision to return guns to an 82-year-old man who went on to murder his partner and her daughter. | 29826890 |
Holly Taylor is learning fast.
She's 26 and in Sierra Leone for two weeks as part of her work for Oxfam.
The country is one of the worst affected by the Ebola outbreak, and over the next five days she'll be telling us about what she sees.
"What really struck me is how normal everything is here, compared to how I imagined it.
"I guess I imagined everyone would be indoors, there would be people in protective clothing walking around the streets, but that's not what its like.
"People are still out on the streets and still holding markets - and that's because Sierra Leone has had Ebola for six months.
"You can't stay at home for six months, you need to go out and work, you need to make sure you have food on the table."
"I guess that's scary because the woman who serves you in the shop might be living with someone who has Ebola.
"But you don't know that, and you're interacting with her.
"Ebola's everywhere but you can't really see it."
Holly describes her six hour car journey to Kabala, a town in the Koinadugu district in the north of the country.
She's wearing a long sleeved top because Ebola's spread by direct contact.
"If someone touches you and you've got clothes on you are at far, far less risk."
On the way the car is frequently stopped at Ebola checkpoints where passengers have their temperatures taken.
This is what would happen if Holly had a high temperature.
"You'd be made to stay where you were and then they'd call the Ebola ambulance and they'd treat you as an Ebola patient.
"That's quite a scary thought.
"What if you just had a temperature and not Ebola and you were put in an ambulance with other people with Ebola?"
Holly heard about a mother who was put in an isolation unit with Ebola patients because she had a fever.
She had a baby there.
The test results came back negative for Ebola, but now the mother and child are at high risk.
Arriving in Kabala, Holly meets Doris, an Oxfam worker based there.
The district worked hard to remain free of Ebola for six months, and then two weeks ago the first case was discovered.
The patient died on the long journey to hospital.
Now there are five known Ebola cases in Kabala.
"When you hear about these stories it makes you feel so sad and so frustrated," says Holly.
Sierra Leone is one of the countries hardest hit by the Ebola outbreak. To date, 1,259 people have died from the disease there.
"But it's kind of amazing that despite being in crisis the people of Sierra Leone are just staying really really calm.
"I guess beneath that calm they must be really worried."
Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube | What's it like to be in a country where a highly infectious disease is killing people by the thousands, and spreading so quickly that efforts to stop it just can't keep up? | 29748486 |
Manchester County Court said Ryanair could not cut the time a passenger has in which to claim from six years to two by adding a clause to its small print.
The ruling sets a precedent for delayed EU passengers on all airlines.
Ryanair said the six-year rule was "unnecessary and unreasonable" and that it would appeal against the decision.
The Supreme Court ruled last year that delayed passengers in England and Wales have six years to claim, but Ryanair says passengers who book with it accept their terms and conditions, and therefore the claim limit is two years.
But at Manchester County Court, Judge Platts ruled Ryanair could not use a clause in its small print to impose a limit.
Ryanair disputes the suggestion from some lawyers that it could be exposed to hundreds of millions of pounds worth of compensation claims from customers who suffered delays.
The airline says that even if its appeal against the Manchester County Court ruling is unsuccessful, its maximum potential liability is €5m (£3.6m).
The low figure is the result of the fact that, according to Ryanair, more than 90% of passengers affected by delays make a valid claim within two years.
That means that very few would need to submit one between two and six years after the event, even if they realised that they had the option.
Nevertheless, Ryanair and other airlines are deeply unhappy about the EU-wide system triggering payouts which can be way in excess of the cost of the ticket.
The consumer group, Which?, said airlines should hold their hands up and pay compensation where it is due.
Lawyers say the ruling stands to affect millions of air passengers, because if Ryanair had won, all airlines may have been able to impose a two-year time limit on all existing and future flight delay claims.
Passengers can claim between £180 and £440 for a delay of at least three hours, depending on the length of the wait and the distance to be travelled.
The Independent's travel editor, Simon Calder, said airlines were "absolutely furious" with the ruling.
He added: "They say it's tough running an airline. Things occasionally go wrong, but to give people - as they put it - free money seems totally disproportionate."
Legal firm Bott & Company, based in Wilmslow, Cheshire, which represented the two passengers who brought the case against Ryanair. It says the ruling could potentially total up to £610m of past claims for Ryanair - although the airline disputes this assessment.
The firm's Kevin Clarke said: "We're delighted that the court has dismissed yet another argument put forward by the airlines to restrict passenger rights.
"We fully expect the airlines to continue to fight these cases but we are prepared to hold them to account in each and every instance where the law says compensation is payable, and with the courts continuing to find on behalf of consumers we've real cause to be optimistic that passengers will receive the compensation they are entitled to."
Ryanair said in a statement: "We note this ruling which reverses lower court orders that a two-year time limit for claims is reasonable.
"Since we believe a six-year time limit for submitting such claims is both unnecessary and unreasonable, we have instructed our lawyers to immediately appeal this ruling."
Jenny Fletcher has a claim in progress for compensation from Ryanair after her flight from Granada in Spain to Stansted Airport was delayed, and then transferred to depart from Malaga instead.
She said: "It's fantastic news. I'm so pleased that this has finally got approval. Groups of people have had their holidays completely ruined, and now there's finally a bit of hope for us."
Ryanair has told the BBC it would not comment on Ms Fletcher's case, as it is still going through the courts. | Ryanair has lost a test case over flight delays, which could affect compensation claims being made by millions of passengers. | 34017414 |
Ugandan Ben Siwa won the men's race while Lenah Jerotich from Kenya won the women's title.
Cheering crowds lined the route, which went along Penarth, Cardiff Bay and Roath Park and finished outside the Temple of Peace in Cathays Park.
Organisers said more than £2.4m was expected to be raised for some 800 charities.
The race was the last in Cardiff before the city hosts the World Half Marathon Championships for the first time in March.
Nigel Roberts, chairman of organisers Run 4 Wales, said the event was bigger than before, which was "fantastic" ahead of the world championships.
"Today's route was lined with tens of thousands of supporters cheering on the athletes and we expect to double those numbers when the world's best come to Cardiff," he said.
"This event has grown and grown and I'd like to thank all the organisers, sponsors and volunteers for the hours of devotion they put in to making it not only Wales' biggest mass participation event but also one of Britain's top road running races.
"It never ceases to amaze me how many people are prepared to put in the training needed to run 13.1 miles but when you see the joy on their faces at the end and how much money so many of them raise for charity it is difficult not to feel inspired." | More than 22,000 runners have taken part in this year's Cardiff Half Marathon. | 34437799 |
The collision, involving two cars, happened on the N13 at Moyle.
Another man has been taken to hospital in Londonderry.
The area has been sealed off by police as emergency services attend the scene. | A man and woman in their 30s have been killed in a crash near Newtowncunningham, in County Donegal. | 34814005 |
Moore helped Reading to a fifth successive Championship win on Saturday as they edged out Bristol City 2-1.
"To have a manager who wants his defenders to play is only going to improve me as a player," Moore said.
The 23-year-old will miss their next match at Fulham on Saturday through suspension after picking up a fifth booking of the season.
Jaap Stam's possession-based approach to Reading's style of play received a cautious welcome, but has seen the Royals collect maximum points in November.
Moore, who joined the club from Leicester City in August, is thrilled to be given the chance to be a key part.
"We have to have the ball as defenders," he told BBC Radio Berkshire. "There's no two ways about it.
"We have to make angles and take brave decisions. The gaffer always wants us to take initiative, so if I can improve that in my game, it will obviously make me a better player." | Reading defender Liam Moore believes "trying new things" in training and matches is helping improve his game. | 38130659 |
Dancing With The Stars' Gleb Savchenko will join alongside Italian dance champion Giovanni Pernice and eight-times South African Latin American champion Otlile Mabuse.
Favourites Ola Jordan, Brendan Cole, Anton Du Beke and Kristina Rihanoff will be back.
But Iveta Lukosiute and Trent Whiddon will not be returning.
And Robin Windsor, who had to pull out of last year's series due to a back injury, will also not feature in the forthcoming series.
Lukosiute, who partnered rugby player Thom Evans last year, has been on the show for three years.
She said it was a "pleasure to be part of this wonderful show".
She said she will focus this year on her dance school in New York but "will be more than happy to stay involved with the show in the future".
Australian Trent, who had previously appeared on Australian and American versions of the show, was brought in last year to replace the injured Windsor.
As partner to one of last year's favourites, singer Pixie Lott, he was often top of the leader board.
He said he "was very happy to be part of last season and very thankful for the opportunity".
Windsor said he was "devastated" to miss out on last year's series due to injury.
Today he tweeted his sadness at leaving.
Fans have been tweeting their dismay at losing him.
Lisa Riley, who partnered Windsor in 2012, tweeted he would be "a huge loss to the programme".
"Sad day today finding out the PHENOMENAL @Robinwindsor will not be back on Strictly!He will be a HUGE loss to the programme! Love him"
There had been a lot of press speculation at the end of the last series suggesting Jordan might not return to the show.
Jordan - whose husband James was formerly on the show - had signed up for the C4 reality show The Jump but she was injured before the programme began earlier this year.
She underwent knee surgery - amid fears for her dancing career - but is returning again to join the 16-strong line-up this autumn.
Also back is Kevin Clifton along with his sister Joanne and fiance Karen Hauer.
He tweeted that he would miss the three departing dancers, adding that they had all been a "pleasure to work with".
The show returns to BBC One for its 13th series in the autumn when the celebrity line-up will be revealed.
Aljaž Škorjanec
Anton Du Beke
Brendan Cole
Giovanni Pernice
Gleb Savchenko
Kevin Clifton
Pasha Kovalev
Tristan MacManus
Aliona Vilani
Janette Manrara
Joanne Clifton
Karen Hauer
Kristina Rihanoff
Natalie Lowe
Ola Jordan
Otlile Mabuse | Three new professional dancers are joining this year's Strictly Come Dancing line-up. | 32432686 |
Columba McVeigh, one of 16 murder victims known as the Disappeared, was kidnapped on 1 November 1975.
His body has never been found, despite extensive searches.
His sister, Dympna Kerr, said this anniversary was "particularly painful".
His brother, Oliver, said: "Is 40 years not long enough to punish a family?"
Mr McVeigh added: "Someone has the information that can end this inhumanity at absolutely no risk to themselves.
"It is all about the information - we just need a little bit more."
Four searches for the County Tyrone man have been carried out at Bragan Bog in County Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland.
The most recent was in 2013, when a specialist forensic team spent five months on excavation work.
The Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains was set up by the British and Irish governments in 1999 in an effort to gain confidential information about the location of the bodies of the Disappeared.
The commission said it had no plans for further searches in relation to Mr McVeigh at this stage, but stressed the importance of fresh information coming forward.
Frank Murray, one of the commissioners, said: "The fact that we have yet to find Columba does not mean that this is a lost cause - far from it."
He said that while a "huge expanse" of Bragan Bog had been searched, what they now needed was more information "to refine the search area".
"That's what happened in the search for Brendan Megraw, whose remains were found last October, some 15 years after searching commenced," he said.
"I can give an absolute guarantee to anyone who has information and brings it to the commission that it will be treated in complete confidence."
Mrs Kerr said if her brother had lived he would have celebrated his 60th birthday last September.
"Not only was that denied us but we have nowhere to gather to mourn him," she said.
"All we can do is pray that someday we'll get him back and plead with anyone who has information to help bring an end to this nightmare."
Sandra McPeake, of the WAVE Trauma Centre support charity, said: "Someone who can help bring an end to [the family's] intolerable suffering should search their conscience to do what is right." | The family of a man murdered and secretly buried by the IRA has made a fresh appeal for information on the location of his remains on the eve of the 40th anniversary of his disappearance. | 34672678 |
Nearly 50,000 immigrants may have obtained English language certificates in the UK, despite not being able to speak it.
Wrexham-based Glyndwr, one of the institutions identified, has lost its right to sponsor foreign students.
The university said it was "deeply upset" by the suspension.
Immigration Minister James Brokenshire told the House of Commons an inquiry into abuse of the student visa system found evidence of criminal activity.
English language certificates are required for a UK student visa, and the probe followed a BBC Panorama investigation.
Of the 48,000 certificates concerned, 29,000 were invalid, 19,000 were "questionable" and Mr Brokenshire admitted it was "likely that the true totals will be higher".
Officers uncovered evidence of "serious concern" at some campuses, and the UK government has downgraded Glyndwr University from its status as a "highly-trusted sponsor" of student visas.
In addition, 57 private further education colleges had their licences for admitting foreign students suspended.
Roughly 3,040 of Glyndwr's 8,800 students are from overseas (non-EU).
The Home Office said concerns centred primarily "but not exclusively" on its London campus, where 2,050 overseas students study.
About 680 overseas students are in Wrexham, but Glyndwr also has campuses at St Asaph in Denbighshire, and Northop and Broughton in Flintshire.
There are 230 Glyndwr-sponsored students with invalid language test results, which rises to 350 when questionable results are included.
The Home Office said existing Glyndwr overseas students could continue studies during the suspension.
Those with a visa, but yet to travel, are advised to wait until after the suspension.
The university said it was "deeply upset," an investigation was under way and it hopes to get the licence re-instated.
It added: "To be put in this position by external partners is frustrating as Glyndwr University takes its responsibility as a highly trusted sponsor very seriously and is committed to supporting the continuing education of those genuine international students who demonstrate full compliance with their immigration requirements."
Beth Button, president of the National Union of Students Wales, said: "This action could have grave and irreversible consequences for thousands of students studying at Glyndwr University, through no fault of their own."
The union said it was "outraged that this news was first announced in the House of Commons", with students made aware afterwards.
Labour's shadow Home Office minister, David Hanson, said it amounted to "systematic abuse on this government's watch".
Aled Roberts AM, the Welsh Liberal Democrat's education spokesman, said: "I'm worried about the effect this announcement could have on Glyndwr University's attempts to improve their financial footing."
Immigration minister Mr Brokenshire told the Commons the revelations followed an investigation into the European subsidiary of an American firm called Educational Testing Services (ETS).
The "systematic cheating" typically involved invigilators supplying or reading out answers to rooms of gangs of imposters being allowed to step into the exam candidates' places to sit the test, he said.
A criminal investigation has been launched. | Glyndwr University has been suspended from recruiting overseas students after a Home Office investigation into alleged visa fraud. | 28006015 |
He said politics was changing and UKIP was only 5,000 votes behind Labour in Wales in the last European elections.
With sights set on the general election in May, Mr Farage told BBC Radio Wales that ex-Labour supporters in Wales were also voting for his party.
He added that European money has failed to transform the Welsh economy.
The UKIP leader said he believed being a member of the European Union (EU) had damaged Welsh manufacturing, its fishing industry and small businesses.
"For every one job created in the green economy there have been four jobs lost in traditional manufacturing," he told the Good Morning Wales programme. | UKIP support in Wales has "surged" because people who have not voted for the past 20 years are turning to the party, its leader Nigel Farage says. | 30828254 |
The union said talks over pay and rota changes with the Offshore Contractors Association (OCA) had broken down.
Unite is now preparing an industrial action ballot for members working within the OCA.
The OCA has previously said that shift rotation changes would cut costs and were not new to the North Sea. | The Unite union plans to ballot offshore contractors on industrial action as part of an ongoing dispute over changes to working conditions. | 34027350 |
Two families have alleged in recent days that their children died after being denied treatment at hospitals.
Delhi is in the grip of the worst outbreak of dengue fever in five years.
More than 1,800 cases have been recorded in recent weeks, compared to 1,695 cases for all of 2010.
Eleven deaths have been reported so far.
Authorities have ordered surprise checks at private hospitals to ensure they do not turn away dengue patients and leaves of doctors have been cancelled as hospitals have been flooded with sick people.
The order came after reports that two children died after prominent city hospitals refused to admit them.
On Tuesday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal made surprise visits to some hospitals and said action would be taken against those who turn away dengue patients, The Hindu reported.
"It is heartbreaking. We have become blind in the race to make more and more profit. We shouldn't forget our humanity," he was quoted as saying.
"We are planning to come out with a law so that hospitals refusing treatment to an emergency patient can be penalised. In the next couple of days, we will call a special session of the legislative assembly to bring in the law."
The government's move comes after a couple jumped to their death from a four-storey building in Delhi last week, two days after their son died of the fever.
The authorities ordered a magisterial inquiry into the death after media reported that the boy was refused admission at five private hospitals. The reports sparked outrage and anger in the city.
The mosquito that carries the dengue virus breeds in containers with clear, stagnant water.
Dengue cases usually peak during and just after the rainy season, which normally lasts from June to September.
Monsoon rains provide more breeding grounds for disease-carrying mosquitoes, who lay their eggs in stagnant water, including pots of clean water, puddles and open sewage drains. | The state government in the Indian capital, Delhi, has threatened to penalise hospitals after reports that they turned away dying children suffering from dengue fever. | 34266115 |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.