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Police said that shortly before 17:30 BST on Saturday, they received reports of a crowd heading up the Deerpark Road towards Oldpark Road.
Ten minutes later, there were reports of youths running into a bar on the Oldpark Road and shouting sectarian slogans.
There were also reports of fighting.
PSNI Inspector Jocelyn Wise said: "Police attended the bar approximately seven minutes after the report was received. By this time, calm had been restored and the crowd had left the area. There were no reports of any injuries, though a car wing mirror was damaged as a result.
"Anyone who is involved in this type of behaviour should be aware of the effects that it has on local residents. They should also know that there is the very real prospect of being arrested and charged if they are involved in this kind of anti-social activity." | Disturbances outside a pub in north Belfast, which included reports of fighting and bottles being thrown at cars, are being investigated by police. | 32372573 |
The 24-year-old, whose real name was Chris Hardman, was found dead in Lowestoft on Monday.
Fellow musicians and fans paid tribute on social media to the singer, who rose to fame in Channel 4's Rock School.
Hannah Hardman said: "Please keep them coming. They are helping the family at this difficult time."
Suffolk Police said it was called to an address in Union Road on Monday morning to reports a man had died suddenly.
The force is not treating the death as suspicious and a post-mortem examination is due to take place.
Kiss bassist Gene Simmons, who tutored Hardman during Rock School in 2006, took to Twitter to express his sadness at the death, saying his former pupil "was loved".
After playing in front of 20,000 Judas Priest fans in LA as part of the programme, Hardman launched his solo career with the single Checking It Out.
He recently moved into theatre and appeared in Loserville, which was written by McBusted's James Bourne.
Bourne and his band paid tribute to Harding during Tuesday night's gig in Sheffield, calling him a "good friend" and "lovely guy".
The band played a cover of Beastie Boys' (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!) in his memory.
Tributes have also been paid at Hardman's former school, Kirkley High School, where Rock School was set.
Pete Seadon, assistant principal at the school, which is now called East Point Academy, taught Hardman PE.
"What has happened is a real shock," he said. "There are staff still here who taught him.
"He was well-known and well-liked and a talent that has come from the town." | Tributes to singer Lil' Chris have brought "a lot of happiness" to his family, his sister has said. | 32053949 |
In 2010, 25% of the 12,364 personnel surveyed across the armed forces said morale was "high", compared with 15% of the 12,667 surveyed last year.
The percentage of those saying morale was "low" has risen from 33% to 50%.
Shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy blamed government cuts but the MoD said "tough decisions" had to be taken.
The survey of attitudes in the armed forces, which is conducted annually, found that morale across all army ranks had fallen. It has been published in the wake of the Strategic Defence and Security Review, which saw the Army affected more than the other services.
In the Army, where 3,723 surveyed were surveyed in 2010, 32% said morale was "high" but only 18% of the 3,203 surveyed in 2012 gave the same response.
Those saying it was "low" has risen from 24% to 45%.
The percentage of Army officers who said morale was "high" has dropped from 30% of 1,093 respondents in 2010, to 7% of the 1,120 interviewed in 2012. Those officers saying morale was "low" rose from 25% in 2010, to 63% in 2012.
Mr Murphy said the figures were a "terrible reflection" of the government's defence policy and the government needed to "sit up, listen and change course in response to this worrying trend".
"A vital benchmark of success is our forces' morale and yet it has been damaged and dented by David Cameron and [defence secretary] Philip Hammond," he said.
"A botched review and cuts to vital support have made our forces feel under-valued and over-stretched. Cutting the Army by 20,000 while we have so many of our forces serving in Afghanistan is a real blow.
"Tough decisions are necessary but they must be taken with respect not recklessness."
Earlier this year Mr Hammond described morale as "fragile" because of the scale of the redundancy programme and cuts in the overall size of the Army.
Defence Minister Peter Luff said the government had had to make "tough decisions" to get the defence budget back into balance, including reducing the size of the armed forces.
He said any change was bound to create uncertainty but "morale on operations remained high".
"The resilience of our personnel should not be underestimated. We are nearing the end of a very difficult period in defence and hope to see morale slowly recovering over the next couple of years.
"Our armed forces remain focused on doing their job, whether it is in Afghanistan or at home in the UK for the Olympics," he said. | Morale in the armed forces has fallen across all three services in the last two years, with the Army worst hit, a Ministry of Defence survey suggests. | 19358572 |
Mr Greste's employer, Qatari satellite channel Al Jazeera, welcomes the release, but also expresses concern over the continued detention of Mr Greste's colleagues, Egyptian-Canadian Mohamed Fahmy and Egyptian Baher Mohamed.
In Egypt, his release is reported on the front pages of several Egyptian dailies but is completely ignored in morning news bulletins on state TV.
The story is a touchy subject for the state media, and the government of President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has been accused of reversing the progress on media freedom made after the ousting of former President Hosni Mubarak.
Mr Greste and his colleagues were arrested on allegations of spreading "false news".
The Egyptian authorities suspect Al Jazeera of being biased towards the Muslim Brotherhood, which was removed from power by President Sisi.
In the Egyptian press, the state-run daily, al-Akhbar, frames the release as being part of many others, reporting on "the release of 312 prisoners to mark the revolution anniversary and Police Day and the release of Australian journalist".
However in a front page headline, the privately-owned Egyptian daily, al-Watan, reports speculation that Mohamed Fahmy will be freed and deported after being stripped of his Egyptian citizenship.
Social media users, many of them journalists, are delighted by Mr Greste's release but voice frustration that only Mr Greste - and possibly Mr Fahmy - will be freed.
Former Al Jazeera correspondent Dina Samak (@dinasamak) tweets: "So, Baher is the only one to be left in jail in al-Jazeera case simply because he is Egyptian and has no other nationality."
User Farah Saafan (@FarahSaafan) tweets: "And why would they only release Peter Greste? If he is "guilty" of the same offences as the other two, makes sense to release everyone, no?"
Journalist Mohamed Seif-al-Dawla (@seif_eldawla) says: "So, Australian nationality is the solution."
With Australian media attention firmly on Prime Minister Tony Abbott's current political travails, the Peter Greste story is not front-page news in his homeland, but several commentators analyse the consequences of Greste's release.
An opinion piece by Amin Sakai on the website of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) public broadcaster says Cairo took a "face-saving" measure in releasing Greste.
"It appears that mounting domestic considerations and international pressure has played a key role in his deportation," he says.
"Whatever the ultimate outcome, Cairo has, for the time being, taken an important step towards improving its relations with Australia and its international standing."
Also on ABC, Julie Posetti wonders whatever criticism may be levelled at Egypt over media freedom, the Australian government's record is also patchy.
According to Posetti, journalists reporting on terrorism in Australia could risk imprisonment under a set of new national security laws and policies brought in by the Abbott government
"While the government is celebrating the release of journalist Peter Greste, it's still responsible for legislation that represents a chilling attack on media freedom in our own country," she concludes.
The Sydney Morning Herald notes that although Mohamed Fahmy may be released soon, his colleague, Baher Mohamed, faces "the horrifying prospect" of remaining in prison until a retrial and the possibility of receiving another long jail sentence.
"Given Greste's commitment to media freedom, one thing seems certain - he will not allow his colleagues to remain in prison without raising his voice in their defence and continuing to campaign for their release," the paper predicts.
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. | Media in the Middle East and Australia give a low-key reaction to the release of former Al Jazeera journalist and Australian Peter Greste. | 31090990 |
Ceredigion MP Mark Williams was one of only two MPs who were not appointed by new leader Tim Farron.
His office said at the time that Mr Williams would be given "a key campaign job" in August.
He has now been appointed vice-chairman of the parliamentary campaigns team and will lead the party's rural communities campaign.
Mr Williams said: "I am delighted to have this new responsibility for rural campaigning across Britain and of course in particular in Wales.
"This brief covers a huge range of issues - the plight of the agricultural industry, the provision of services and infrastructure across rural areas and making sure the needs of rural areas are understood at the very heart of government."
Only Mr Williams and former party leader Nick Clegg - who turned down a role - were not included in the 'cabinet' from the party's eight MPs. | A Welsh Lib Dem MP has been given a new position, just over a week after being left out of the party's 'cabinet'. | 33834636 |
Many have applauded model Tamara Ecclestone for braving the backlash to post a photograph of herself breastfeeding her daughter, who is nearly three.
The NHS says most women in the UK wish they could breastfeed for longer than they do, yet only one in 200 mothers do so past their baby's first birthday.
Here, five mothers who carried on breastfeeding share their stories.
Rebekah Ellis, 32, from Cambridge, breastfeeds both her six-month-old son and her daughter, who is three and a half.
She says: "The reaction from the NHS has been supportive, albeit surprised. The midwives who attended my son's birth at home said 'Good for you,' when my husband explained.
"Most people don't know that I am still feeding my daughter. I know that I would get a negative reaction from the vast majority. Even nursing past a year old is often seen as weird, disgusting - despite the WHO [World Health Organisation] recommendation [that children should be breastfed until the age of two or older].
"When I nurse my son out in public (my daughter hasn't wanted milk during the day since the age of 18 months), I use a cover. This is more for me than for the benefit of others.
"People still look uncomfortable though, even when they can't see anything."
Kelly Lane, 38, from Redditch in Worcestershire, breastfed her daughter, now nine, and her son, now seven, until the age of two and a half.
She says her confidence took a knock after a friend's husband criticised her, telling her it was "pointless" - but she carried on because she could see the health benefits for her children.
She says: "You do have to be dedicated to do it but I was happy to give that up for what was only a very short period of my life.
"The one quite hard thing is having a meal. I personally felt too uncomfortable to breastfeed in public and would use breast-feeding rooms or the toilet.
"But breastfeeding in toilets is horrendous - they're not hygienic, there's not enough space and you're conscious you are taking up space for someone who might be queuing.
"Both my children did not like having blankets thrown over them when feeding, as they like to look at Mummy and be talked to and, to be honest, rightly so. A child shouldn't be covered up when it's being nursed.
"I feel so sad that society is so negative and disgusted that a mother would be feeding her child the way nature intended in public, than actually congratulating her for doing a great thing.
"It's ok though for women to be up on billboards everywhere flashing every body part possible! The hypocrisy is astonishing!"
Rebecca Alexander, 34, from Liverpool, still breastfeeds her son who will be three in April. She says she loves Tamara Ecclestone's "continued support and promotion of breastfeeding".
She told the BBC: "I struggled feeding my elder daughter for more than three weeks first time around because of the lack of knowledge and support. Breastfeeding should be visible in our society. It's how we learn; by seeing others do it.
"I set out on this journey [with my son] thinking I would breastfeed till two years and then pump until four.
"When he has had big changes such as starting nursery, with a new childminder and me returning to work, breastfeeding has been his source of comfort and a way to reconnect after being apart all day.
"How anyone can see it as sexual completely shocks me, and I think it says more about our society, and the view of women than anything else."
Sarah Johnson, who breastfeeds her two-year-old son twice a day, says: "I think it is a benefit for his health and also a nice bonding moment for us both, especially as I work away part of the week.
"I have decided to continue until he is ready to stop, but I am coming under pressure from family members to stop - grandparents - who say he is 'no longer a baby'.
"I tell them about the WHO guidelines for breastfeeding until two and beyond, but I guess in our Western culture you are seen as a hippy earth mother or odd if you still breastfeed a toddler - shame as in other parts of the world it is totally normal.
"When did something natural become unnatural? I don't judge mothers who choose to bottle feed, so would not liked to be judged either.
"Although the pictures [of Tamara Ecclestone] are rather posed, I commend her for posting them."
Sue Burgess, 57, from Oxford, breastfed her daughter until she was two and a half, and while she says she cannot understand why anyone would describe it as disgusting, she admits she only did it in public "a handful of times" as she found it "embarrassing".
Although her daughter is now 16, Sue still cringes when she thinks about the "worst time" feeding her in a village square in Italy and feeling "exposed" as a solemn church procession took place close by.
"My daughter started to say 'A boo! A boo! A BOO!!!' at ever-increasing volumes, which was her way of asking for a breastfeed. I complied unwillingly."
Sue adds: "Nonetheless, if other people feel the strength to take such experiences in their stride, I can only admire them." | Women who breastfeed their toddlers say they are either branded "hippy earth mothers" or seen as "weird and disgusting". | 38943931 |
At least 147 people died when al-Shabab militants stormed Garissa University in north-eastern Kenya, near Somalia.
The mortuaries in Garissa have been unable to cope, and many of the students killed came from other parts of the country.
Four of the gunmen involved were killed by security forces.
The BBC's Anne Soy saw ambulances leaving the Garissa campus on Friday. Hundreds of survivors are also being sent home, and our correspondent saw students with suitcases boarding buses.
Burials for the Muslims killed in the attack are expected to start taking place.
A dusk-to-dawn curfew has been imposed across north-eastern Kenya.
The masked attackers rampaged through the campus at dawn on Thursday, shooting and shouting "we are al-Shabab".
The heavily armed gunmen killed two security guards first, then fired indiscriminately at students, many of whom were still asleep in their dormitories. They singled out Christians and shot them, witnesses said.
Eric Wekesa, a student at Garissa, told Reuters he locked himself in his room before eventually fleeing.
"What I managed to hear from them is 'We came to kill or finally be killed.' That's what they said."
How attack unfolded
1. Militants enter the university grounds, two guards are shot dead
2. Shooting begins within the campus
3. Students attacked in their classrooms while preparing for exams
4. Gunmen believed isolated in the female dormitories
5. Some students make an escape through the fence
Attack as it happened
Who are al-Shabab?
Who is suspected mastermind?
"It was horrible, there was shooting everywhere," another student, Augustine Alanga told the BBC's Newsday programme.
More than 20 security officers were killed by a sniper at the university, the BBC's Caroline Karobia reports.
The gunmen were eventually cornered in a dormitory by Kenyan security forces. Four of them died when their suicide vests detonated. A fifth gunman was reportedly arrested.
More than 500 students managed to escape.
Al-Shabab, which is linked to al-Qaeda, said it carried out the attack. The group says it is at war with Kenya, which sent troops to Somalia in 2011 to fight the militants.
Al-Shabab was also blamed for the Westgate Mall massacre in Nairobi in 2013 in which 67 people died.
Kenyan authorities are to hold an emergency meeting to assess security in the region. There has been criticism that Garissa should have been better protected.
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered "urgent steps" to ensure police recruits could begin training immediately. "We have suffered unnecessarily due to shortage of security personnel," he said.
The government has offered a reward of $53,000 (£36,000) for the man it says planned the killing - Mohamed Kuno, a former Kenyan schoolteacher, now thought to be in Somalia.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud condemned the attack, in a statement quoted by Somali state radio.
He said it showed the need for a co-ordinated effort against al-Shabab militants.
"I am sure we will defeat these terrorists. Kenya is a brotherly nation that has extended its support to us, which the terrorists don't want. The aim of the terrorists is to dispirit us, but they will not succeed in that," he said.
Are you in the Kenyan town of Garissa? Did you witness the attack in the town's university? Are you affected by the attack? You can share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
If you would be happy to speak further to a BBC journalist, please include a contact telephone number.
Email your pictures to yourpics@bbc.co.uk, upload them here, tweet them to @BBC_HaveYourSay or text 61124. If you are outside the UK, send them to the international number +44 7624 800 100.
Or WhatsApp us on +44 7525 900971
Read our terms and conditions. | The bodies of many of those killed by Islamist militants at a Kenyan university are being moved to the capital Nairobi for identification. | 32173001 |
4 December 2012 Last updated at 14:43 GMT
With almost 2 million hits the video has appeared on TV stations across the globe.
Gangnam Style has recently become YouTube's most-watched video of all time.
One thing's for sure, the electricity bill for this sound and light show must be through the roof!
Check out the full version here. Be careful, as this video contains strobe lighting and flashes. | Gangnam Style just won't go away and this Christmas the song is providing the soundtrack to a festive lights spectacular in Texas, USA. | 20595872 |
They joined Merthyr and Swansea in confirming their rise to Welsh rugby's second tier with a 17-8 win over Pontypool.
There is no relegation from the Premiership this season.
Pontypool hope to be among the four teams going up to a division from which there will be no relegation for the next three seasons. | Bargoed have been promoted to the expanded Welsh Premiership for next season. | 36178822 |
The Nigerian government is sending parents to Cameroon to attempt to identify the girl.
She told investigators in Cameroon she was one of 270 kidnapped in Chibok by jihadist group Boko Haram.
The abductions sparked international outrage and the #bringbackourgirls social media campaign.
While about 50 of the girls managed to escape, 219 of these girls remain missing. They were taken by the militants from the Chibok community in northeastern Nigeria.
Reuters news agency reported that one of two girls arrested in northern Cameroon on Friday carrying explosives claimed to be one of the missing Chibok girls.
The girls were arrested after being stopped by local self-defence forces in Limani near the border with Nigeria, the target of frequent suicide bombings in recent months.
"We hope that the Chibok parents will be able to identify the girl and determine whether she is indeed one of their missing students," Garba Shehu, a spokesman for Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Mr Shehu said the government was keen to ascertain the girl's identity so she could be brought back to Nigeria and possibly assist the government in investigating the abductions.
He said the two parents from Chibok selected to embark on the trip to Cameroon are Yakubu Nkeki, chairman of the Chibok Abducted Girls Movement, and Yana Galang, the women's leader in the group, whose 16-year-old daughter Rifkatu is among the missing.
Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan was criticised for his slow reaction to the Chibok abductions. Mr Buhari, his successor, ordered a new investigation into the kidnappings in January.
Although Boko Haram has been driven out from most of the areas it controlled in north-eastern Nigeria, it has continued to carry out suicide bombings and raids into neighbouring Cameroon, Chad and Niger.
Using football to tackle Boko Haram
Why Boko Haram remains a threat | Authorities in Cameroon and Nigeria are investigating a claim from a would-be suicide bomber that she was one of a group of schoolgirls abducted in 2014. | 35906097 |
Records aplenty can be set by the Many Clouds team as the Oliver Sherwood-trained nine-year-old - the age group that has provided most winners, incidentally - goes for a repeat success in the £1m Crabbie's Grand National under jockey Leighton Aspell.
The horse, owned by businessman Trevor Hemmings, attempts to become the first since Red Rum in 1973 and 1974 to win back-to-back runnings of the famous steeplechase, first staged in 1839. In the history of the race, seven have been successful twice, though only Abd-El-Kader (1850 and 1851), The Colonel (1869 and 1870), and Reynoldstown (1935 and 1936) have done so in consecutive seasons.
Hemmings, meanwhile, is attempting to become the first owner to win the race four times, after previous successes with Hedgehunter (2005), Ballabriggs (2011) and Many Clouds. Aspell, who also rode Pineau De Re to victory in 2014, would be the first jockey to win three Nationals in a row.
The 39-year-old has partnered Many Clouds in all of his 24 races to date, most recently a breathtaking round of jumping to win a valuable race at Kelso.
Before Saturday's race, in which the horse carries only a pound more in the handicap than 12 months ago, Aspell said: "You don't want to tempt fate, but I'm on a good horse, the top weight, who's favourite and deserves to be favourite on everything he's done.
"I'm just hoping for a bit of luck - a horse can fall left or fall right, or a loose horse can turn up out of anywhere, and completely ruin your race in a flash - but hopefully I can get a good passage round. That's the main thing."
All set to be champion jump jockey for the first time, having emerged from the shadow of the now retired AP McCoy, Richard 'Dicky' Johnson has the dubious distinction of having contested the most Grand Nationals without winning.
Since Celtic Abbey became his first mount in 1997, unseating him at The Chair, Johnson has taken part 19 years on the trot, and has twice been runner-up, on What's Up Boys (2002) and Balthazar King two years ago.
This time he takes the mount on the Philip Hobbs-trained Kruzhlinin, a well-beaten 10th behind Pineau De Re in 2014 when under the care of Donald McCain, son of race legend Ginger. Kruzhlinin, along with The Last Samuri, was removed from McCain's stable in October by owners Paul and Clare Rooney.
Johnson has won more than 3,000 races - making him easily the second most successful jump jockey of all time behind McCoy, to whom he was runner-up in 16 championships.
He said: "Kruzhlinin ticks a lot of boxes. He's got a decent level of ability which is important and he travels well, along with the fact that he's a big strong horse.
"You can never be too confident, but he fits the right profile."
If things had worked out differently for rising star David Bass, he might have been performing on a very different stage on Grand National day.
From a musical family, the 27-year-old jockey played drums in a rock band before turning his attention to horse racing, and friends remain impressed by the wide variety of tunes emanating from the CD player in his car.
Enjoying his breakthrough season, with a half-century of winners now chalked up, he shouldn't have much problem getting a Grand National tune out of strongly fancied The Last Samuri, trained - like 1990 winner Mr Frisk - by Kim Bailey.
The pair were impressive winners of March's Grimthorpe Chase at Doncaster; so much so that if the official handicapper, who allotted the big-race weights in mid-February, had the opportunity to do so again now he would give The Last Samuri 12 pounds more than the 10st 8lb the horse has, a further pointer to an outstanding chance.
For his jockey, The Last Samuri represents a third go at the feature race in which he is yet to complete the course.
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With every high-street betting shop clogged up with customers, many of them in the once-a-year camp, from first thing on Grand National day, the betting industry estimates a whopping £150m will be staked.
Though a whole host of the runners will be supported for all kinds of reasons, the bookmakers are approaching the big day with nerves jangling after facing the longest and most expensive payout queues ever when a string of fancied contenders dominated March's Cheltenham Festival.
Many Clouds did the bookies a big favour when landing the race at odds of 25-1 last year, but this time he is all set to jump off a heavily backed, short-odds favourite, meaning a repeat win would be, in the words of one industry insider, "the stuff of nightmares".
Ireland's champion jumps trainer Willie Mullins continues his quest to wrest the British title - determined, like its Irish counterpart, by prize money - from Paul Nicholls with a string of runners throughout the three-day Aintree Festival, including up to four in the Grand National.
After a lucrative run at the Cheltenham Festival, along with his number one jockey Ruby Walsh, Mullins goes into Aintree £250,000 or so behind Nicholls, who has taken the championship for nine of the past 10 seasons.
The value of the feature in particular (£561,300 to the winner, and six-figure sums to the second and third) makes it potentially hugely significant.
Should Mullins succeed, it would be the first time the title has gone across the Irish Sea since victories for Early Mist and Royal Tan in successive Grand Nationals helped Vincent O'Brien be champion in the 1952-53 and 1953-54 National Hunt seasons.
Nicholls, successful with the grey Neptune Collonges in 2012, is due to saddle six runners, headed by a class act in two-time King George VI Chase winner Silviniaco Conti.
Whoever wins the Grand National will, of course, create a mass of headlines, but were the winning rider female, the story of the world's most famous steeplechase is bound to go global.
Katie Walsh has achieved the highest placing by a female jockey in the race - finishing third on Seabass, trained by her father Ted, in 2012.
Walsh will again ride against her brother Ruby, who is on Sir Des Champs, when she partners Ballycasey for Willie Mullins.
Her sister-in-law Nina Carberry has been earmarked to ride Knock House, currently second reserve, for trainer Mick Channon, a former England footballer.
Carberry has ridden in the race on five occasions, completing the course four times, with a seventh place on Character Building, behind Don't Push It and McCoy in 2010, her best finish.
In a sport in which pedigree plays such a big part, the 31-year-old's can be said to be gilt-edged with Aintree in mind. Her father Tommy has both ridden and trained a Grand National winner, having partnered L'Escargot - trained by his wife's father Dan Moore - to victory over Red Rum in 1975, before saddling the 1999 victor Bobbyjo, ridden by his son - Nina's brother - Paul.
Last year, Australia's iconic Melbourne Cup was won by the fourth female jockey to take part when Michelle Payne was successful on Prince Of Penzance.
While Carberry needs two withdrawals to be guaranteed a ride this year, it can surely only be a matter of time before perhaps the most iconic racing prize in the northern hemisphere goes the same way.
As Radio 5 live spearheads the BBC's coverage of the 169th Grand National - and indeed of all three days of the Aintree Festival - we can look forward to a rare insight from two of our team in particular.
Veteran jockey Andrew Thornton, whose quest for 1,000 wins has reached the nervy 990s, is due to partner big-race outsider Rocky Creek, trained by Nicholls.
Thornton, 43, will be taking his 14th mount and hoping to complete the course for only the fourth time.
Meanwhile, Gary O'Brien, one of the quartet of commentators required to ensure the most detailed description possible of the sprawling National course, is a member of the trio of Bodeen Bandits, owners of outsider Vics Canvas, trained in Ireland by Dermot McLoughlin.
O'Brien is far too polished a pro to allow owning a runner to affect his work, though if the 13-year-old is in or near the lead when the runners pass him with two fences to jump, that composure may be considerably tested.
The Grand National is staged these days over four and a quarter miles and 74 yards of a course that has been subject to £1.5m of modifications following the deaths of two horses in the race both in 2011 and in 2012.
The principal change was to make the inner 'core' of the obstacles plastic rather than wooden, while there were also alterations to the landing sides.
Under not inconsiderable pressure at the time, officials had a brief to make things safer for all participants, while also "retaining the character" of the historic event. The feeling is that both were achieved.
While welfare issues jumped up the agenda again at the Cheltenham Festival after seven fatalities, in the past three Grand Nationals there have been none - though two in other races staged over the big fences during the three-day Festival - and also fewer fallers. Most horses that do not complete the course unseat their riders or are pulled up.
Last year, both new procedures and the jockeys taking part received praise after the race began without incident following a string of chaotic false starts in previous years.
One of the best-backed runners in the Grand National has been 2015 runner-up Saint Are. Twelve months ago, the 10-year-old, trained by Tom George and due to be ridden by Paddy Brennan, was just one and three quarter lengths behind Many Clouds and six lengths in front of the third. In with one of the lowest weights in the handicap, Saint Are looked better than ever when winning a race at Doncaster in February and Brennan will be looking for better luck than in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, when he and Cue Card fell when challenging at the third-last fence.
Top trainer Jonjo O'Neill prepares two big fancies, last year's fifth Shutthefrontdoor - is stamina an issue? - and Holywell, as he tries to emulate his 2010 winner Don't Push It. The one-time champion jockey reports the pair in such fine fettle "I nearly thought I'd come back and ride one myself".
For the first time in living memory, there is no runner from jump racing's northern circuit, a further example perhaps of the sport's widening North-South divide. The top 40 in the handicap make the cut, and principal northern hope Highland Lodge, winner of the Becher Chase over the famous obstacles in December for the Cumbrian stable of trainer Jimmy Moffat, narrowly missed it. | As anticipation builds to Saturday's Grand National, here's a look at some highlights to watch out for. | 35967577 |
Robert Hannigan said the encoding of data was being misused by a small number of people.
He said the rational response was not to think encryption was bad, but to look for pragmatic ways of responding.
Mr Hannigan was speaking as the FBI engages in a legal battle with Apple over the firm's encryption systems.
At an event at MIT in Boston, Mr Hannigan, director of the UK government's communications intelligence agency, said it should be up to politicians - not companies or spies - to set the parameters.
On his first day in charge of GCHQ in November 2014, Mr Hannigan wrote an opinion piece for the Financial Times accusing US tech companies of becoming the "command and control network of choice" for terrorist groups.
A year and a half later in Boston, Mr Hannigan conceded the comments caused a bigger stir than he expected and said they were wrongly seen as an attack on the tech industry.
The tone of his latest intervention was conciliatory, focusing on the need for government agencies and companies to work together to find solutions.
"We need a new relationship between the tech sector, academia, civil society and government agencies. We should be bridging the divide, sharing ideas and building a constructive dialogue in a less highly-charged atmosphere," he told the audience.
Apple has designed phones with strong encryption which made it impossible for the company to retrieve data for the state, including in the case of one of those involved in the San Bernadino attacks.
The company and its supporters have stressed that creating any form of "key" for the government to unlock data would also create a vulnerability for hackers and others to exploit.
Mr Hannigan did not mention Apple directly but emphasised the way in which GCHQ supported strong encryption because of the agency's role in protecting British data from hackers and other states.
He also pointed to the agency's pioneering work such as that of Alan Turing in World War Two who worked not just on breaking codes but also on securing speech through encryption.
Mr Hannigan said two previously secret papers from 1970 by James Ellis, a leading GCHQ cryptographer, were being declassified which showed the early work on developing what became the now widely used system of public key cryptography.
That kind of innovation was what Mr Hannigan said he wanted to see today in dealing with the modern challenges surrounding encryption.
"The solution is not, of course, that encryption should be weakened, let alone banned. But neither is it true that nothing can be done without weakening encryption," he said, adding that it was wrong to see every attempt to tackle the misuse of encryption by criminals and terrorists as a "backdoor".
Mr Hannigan reiterated that the British government position - as set out in the new investigatory powers bill - would not outlaw the type of end-to-end encryption which is at the heart of the row between Apple and the FBI.
Instead, he said, it will demand companies take reasonable and practical steps to provide data when demanded.
"Within the parameters set by legislation, it should be possible for technical experts to sit down together and work out solutions to particular manifestations of the abuse of encryption."
Such conversations were more common before the Snowden revelations, officials say, but since then companies have withdrawn and referred requests to their lawyers.
The decision about where to draw the boundaries was not one for either the companies or the spies, Mr Hannigan said, but instead for lawmakers.
"It is not for me, as an intelligence official and civil servant, or for a law enforcement officer to make these broad judgements, whether about the use of data in general or encryption in particular; nor is it for tech company colleagues nor even for independent academics.
"Since the trade-offs are for society as a whole, it must surely be for elected representatives to decide the parameters of what is acceptable."
Antony Walker, deputy chief executive of techUK, an organisation which represents tech firms, said the solution lay in government, academia and industry working together.
"These are hugely complex issues," he said. "This speech makes it very clear that there are no easy answers. It is a realistic assessment of the trade-offs that need to be made to secure our digital world.
"We must not jeopardise our long-term security." | The head of GCHQ has called for greater co-operation between spies and tech companies in dealing with challenges posed by encryption. | 35750127 |
The UK government is due to publish its Wales Bill soon, transferring new powers and setting out how to make the devolution settlement clearer.
Last week, First Minister Carwyn Jones warned he would reject any attempt to weaken the powers of the assembly.
On Thursday, Mr Crabb told the Western Mail newspaper the chances of an agreement were now "very, very low".
Mr Jones's comments were in response to a report by academics that described the proposals as "convoluted" and "unstable".
The disagreement centres on a move to a Scottish-style reserved powers model, where a list of subjects remains under UK government control, leaving all other matters to be considered devolved.
Wales currently has conferred powers, where the responsibilities of the assembly are listed.
Mr Crabb said: "Carwyn and some of the academics and some more nationalist lawyers have been talking about a separate legal jurisdiction for Wales.
"The vast, vast majority of the body of law that affects Wales and the interests of Wales is done on an England and Wales basis.
"To somehow try to unpick that now is a massive, massive exercise - hugely costly."
Mr Crabb said the UK government was "having to work really, really hard with the Welsh government in a very pragmatic way but I feel very pessimistic about the chances of reaching an agreement with the Welsh government on this".
A spokesman for Mr Jones said: "We are still willing to work with the UK government on the draft Wales Bill, but we've been absolutely clear with them that what they're offering at the moment won't be acceptable to the people of Wales, or to the national assembly.
"The current proposals threaten to actually roll-back the devolution settlement - there's no mandate for that whatsoever.
"Let's be clear, if we are not satisfied that the Bill meets the needs of Wales, we will not support it." | Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb has said he is "pessimistic" about agreeing with Welsh ministers on further devolution. | 34418044 |
Data from the National Crime Agency (NCA) reveals more than 335,000 missing person calls were made in 2015/16.
The figure is an increase of 15% on the previous year.
The data also shows that around one in every five missing persons was an individual who had some form of mental health issue.
335,624
the number of missing people calls received by police forces
370
individual people reported as being missing everyday
79% of missing people return within 24 hours
22% of incidents involving a missing person are due to the person having a mental health issue
The families of those searching for a loved one have said the experience leaves them devastated.
Margaret Cooper, who has been searching for her son Steven, who went missing from his home in Huddersfield in 2008, said: "Its the not knowing, that's the worst thing.
"One day I think he's dead and then another I think he's still alive."
Steven was last seen in Scotland and officers from West Yorkshire searched Loch Laggan in 2011 as part of their investigation, but no sign of him has ever been found.
Ms Cooper added: "If I had a body, because he'd died, I could then grieve - but having no idea what's happened to him has left me in limbo.
"Throughout the initial search it just didn't feel real, it was like being in a bubble, and it was so hard because there was no reason we could think of as to why he would disappear."
The NCA said its latest report is its "most complete assessment to date" of people going missing in the UK.
The majority of police forces reported a rise in the number of missing people calls they had handled, although the NCA warned year-on-year comparisons should be treated with caution as each force records data differently.
Det Ch Insp Chris Gibson of West Yorkshire Police, which said it had seen a 72% increase in the number of calls received, said: "I think people are more aware now of the issue of missing people.
"We've also improved the way we record missing people, so that contributes to the rising numbers.
"But, for us, this is a really important issue and when we identify that a vulnerable person is missing we'll have officers on the ground out searching in less than 15 minutes".
For the first time the NCA has also published data that examines why people go missing.
It shows that one in five people who disappear are reported to have some form of mental health issue.
Abduction and relationship issues are also two of the most common reasons why people disappear.
Claire Cook, from the charity Missing People, said the issue affects people from all backgrounds.
She said: "If someone goes missing it signals there's a problem.
"For adults, the common issues are mental health problems and relationship breakdowns, whilst if a child goes missing it's often a sign that there's something wrong at home.
"What's clear is that it's not just the police that have to deal with missing people, this is a societal issue and one we have to tackle together". | Police forces in England and Wales received one call every 90 seconds last year about a missing person, official figures show. | 39156596 |
The animal has been given a temporary home in the town while efforts are made to return it to Leverburgh where it is looked after by local fishermen.
Argyll Animal Aid said it was one of a group of feral cats that fishermen use to control rat and mice populations.
The charity hopes transport can be found for its return journey.
Jean Sutherland, of Argyll Animal Aid, told BBC Radio Scotland, the female cat had boarded a chartered yacht.
She added: "It was found on Friday by a lady and being an animal lover she managed to coax it into a carrier and took it to a local vet.
"They have looked after it over the weekend to check all is well and in between times we have been trying to find out where it had come from." | A cat that sneaked onboard a yacht on the Isle of Harris in the Western Isles ended up about 200 nautical miles away in Oban in Argyll. | 36528195 |
Despite the earplugs provided, your can feel the vibrations running through your body long after the bongs have died away.
But those bongs may be silenced at certain points in the next three years, as essential works to conserve the Elizabeth Tower, the Great Clock and the Great Bell - also known as Big Ben - begin in early 2017.
It's been 157 years since the famous clock - a symbol of London, standing 96m above the Houses of Parliament - began service and it needs work to preserve it.
"It's been running 24/7," says Paul Roberson, one of the clockmakers at the Palace of Westminster. "You wouldn't run a motor 24/7 for 150 years without maintaining it.
"It's still doing what it was put there to do."
The times that Big Ben will fall silent will be kept to a minimum and provision will be made so that the bells can be rung if need be. Those events include Remembrance Sunday and New Year's Eve.
What's happening?
It's when you climb up those 334 stone steps to the clock face - and then onwards up a giddy, cast iron staircase to the very top of the Tower - you realise the extent of the work needed.
Principal Architect Adam Watrobski points out the rust forming on the cast iron work, and the effect of water on the stone.
He points to a pool of water that's condensed on the ground behind the north face of the clock; and Mr Roberson shows how the worst of the weather can creep in through the gap between the panes of pot opal glass which make up the clock face, and the hands of the famous clock itself.
Parts of the Great Clock have become worn and need investigation and repair. It can't be done while the clock is in operation. But the experts hope that there will always be one dial working at all times.
While the Elizabeth Tower itself is structurally sound, Mr Watrobski points out cracks to the masonry, corrosion to the bell frame and internal damage caused by leaks, all of which need to be addressed. The Ayrton Light, which shines to show Parliament is sitting, must be fully dismantled and restored.
The project isn't just due to carry out repairs, but modernisation too. A lift for the clockmakers to shift the heavy equipment required will be installed in an old ventilation shaft. There's currently no plumbing or running water, so a toilet will be installed.
The lights which illuminate the the clock dials and the belfry, once gas powered lights, will be low energy LEDs, part of the energy efficiency measures. Health and safety features will be introduced.
While news of the "Restoration and Renewal" of the Palace of Westminster will be announced in the next month, Mr Watrobski says: "The clock tower won't wait."
And he says that, no matter where Parliament is sitting as the repairs to the palace itself are carried out in the future, "We'll still have the light shining here, to show Parliament is sitting, an international symbol of democracy." | Standing next to Big Ben as it strikes 10 o'clock is a staggering experience. | 36140279 |
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Wales, who are playing in their first major tournament since 1958, will reach the last 16 with victory in Lens.
But they have not beaten England since 1984, and Coleman is staying calm.
"The big thing for us is getting through. It's not about beating England and not getting through," he said.
"I said before we kicked a ball that everyone was looking at this game as a battle of Britain. But it's only another game for us.
"We have to take care of business."
Wales' opening win against Slovakia means Coleman's men top Group B, while England are third following their draw with Russia.
The build-up to Thursday's match - the 102nd between the sides - has been highly charged.
Following England midfielder Jack Wilshere's claim he was part of the superior squad, Arsenal club-mate Aaron Ramsey responded by saying Wales have the best team.
Wales forward Gareth Bale then said he and his team-mates are prouder and more passionate about representing their country than their opponents.
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Coleman does not think those comments will have any bearing on the game.
"We can't worry about upsetting the opposition, whoever they are," he said.
"It was always going to turn into this: 'He said this, he said that.'
"It's about what happens on the pitch. All that other stuff is irrelevant. We don't go into mind games. Let's just get down to business."
Wales have won only 14 of their 101 matches against England, losing 66 and drawing 21.
But this Welsh side ended a 58-year absence from major tournaments and became the first home nation to win their opening game at a European Championship.
Defender Neil Taylor highlights last year's qualifying win over Belgium - then ranked second in the world - as the moment Wales began to truly believe in themselves.
"We got over that massive hurdle," he said. "That was the turning point for this team, when we realised we could be a threat against anybody.
"We know the threat we carry and, on our day, we feel we can beat anybody, whether it's England or anyone else." | Wales manager Chris Coleman has urged his players not to get swept up by the emotion of Thursday's Euro 2016 match against England, saying they see it as "only another game". | 36541061 |
A lack of nurses, nuclear safety engineers and airworthiness certifiers are among those highlighted in a report by the Commons Defence Committee.
Financial incentives should be offered to retain current staff, it argued.
Ministers said the restructuring of the armed forces had led to "temporary shortages" in some areas but front-line operations were being protected.
The cross-party committee said the number of "pinch-point trades" - specialist jobs where there are insufficient personnel to meet operational requirements - had risen from 19 to 26 in the Army and 11 to 15 in the Royal Navy between 2011-12 and 2012-13 - although there was only one in the RAF.
According to the Ministry of Defence's 2012-13 report, jobs where there is a 40% shortfall of staff include:
There are shortages at nearly all levels of the Intelligence Corps, from the rank of private to major, while there are also shortfalls of bomb disposal operators, dog handlers, veterinary officers, interrogators and qualified engineers.
The committee said it was particularly worried about shortages of medical specialists available to be deployed in field operations.
While it noted that there was also a general shortage of such qualified staff in the NHS, it found they were particularly hard to replace in the armed forces because of their technical experience and qualifications.
While issues of manpower and recruitment were delegated to the three services, it said the Ministry of Defence could assist by providing additional funds to retain or recruit in key personnel, such as nuclear technicians.
"The Ministry of Defence should support the services in addressing shortages in pinch point trades - key shortages which leave the armed forces vulnerable now and in the future," it said.
James Arbuthnot, the Conservative MP who chairs the committee, said he was worried "about how seriously these shortages really are taken" by officials.
Substantial cuts to the regular armed forces, which will eventually reduce total army personnel from 102,000 to about 82,000 while aiming to increase the number of reservists from 19,000 to 30,000, have proved controversial.
Earlier this week, the Army launched a £3m promotional campaign in an effort to recruit new regulars and reservists.
A poll commissioned by the Army to mark the campaign's launch suggested that 23% of serving personnel were not satisfied with their current career.
In their report, the MPs raised concerns about the number of military personnel choosing to leave voluntarily, which is above the long-term average at 4.1% for officers and 5.8% for other ranks.
They suggested that repeated tours of duty without breaks may be "exacerbating" problems with morale.
It said figures in the MoD's annual report showed the so-called "harmony guidelines" - the recommended maximum amount of time spent away from home - had been breached 5.1% of the time in the Army in 2012-3 and 3.7% in the RAF.
The figure was much lower, at 0.6%, for the Royal Navy.
The MPs said such breaches were "unsatisfactory" and the government should set out a plan to ensure they did not happen at all in future.
Labour said the shortfall in key posts was "worrying" and urged Defence Secretary Philip Hammond to act on the report's recommendations.
"They are vital roles needed to support our armed forces and keep Britain safe and secure," said shadow defence secretary Vernon Coaker.
The Ministry of Defence said it was confident that the UK had the "right personnel with the right skill sets to satisfy all strategic defence priorities".
"The armed forces are going through significant restructuring resulting in a small number of temporary shortages in some roles," a spokesman said.
"However, there are safeguards in place to ensure front-line operational capability is not affected." | Shortages of specialist personnel in the Army and Royal Navy are leaving the military "vulnerable", MPs have warned. | 25716863 |
A 40m (130ft) newly-built section of the bridge, as well as scaffolding around it, fell 20m onto workers, said police spokesman Bjorn Schmitt.
It was not immediately clear what caused the accident, which happened on Wednesday near the town of Werneck.
There are thought to have been around 20 workers on the site at the time.
Initial police reports at the scene of the collapse in northern Bavaria suggested at least two people had been killed.
Mr Schmitt said he was concerned that workers were buried under the wreckage of the scaffolding.
Authorities are trying to establish if any cars had been travelling along the country road which passed underneath it at the time.
Traffic on the A7 road, which still uses the old undamaged bridge that is being replaced, was not affected by the incident, Deutsche Welle reported, although temporary speed restrictions are being enforced around the accident zone.
Work on the new 236-metre (774ft) bridge started last year and was supposed to be completed by the end of 2017.
The bridge is more than 50 years old. | A scaffolding collapse on a bridge being built in Germany has killed at least one worker and seriously injured several others, police say. | 36543261 |
Adrian Gammon, 48, who was from Shrewsbury, was married with two children, North Wales Police said.
He was a passenger in a Dacia Sandero and died at the scene after a collision with a VW Polo.
The driver of the Polo was airlifted to hospital, while five other people needed hospital treatment following the crash at 16:00 BST. | A man who died in a crash on the A534 near Holt in Wrexham on Friday afternoon has been named. | 36127600 |
A Head Full Of Dreams is the band's first studio album not to debut at number one, despite selling 236,000 copies.
Their last album, 2014's Ghost Stories debuted with 168,000 sales, with 2011's Mylo Xyloto selling 208,000 in its first week.
Adele retained her top spot position thanks to another week of high sales, shifting 354,000 copies.
Meanwhile, Elvis Presley's If I Can Dream was at three in the album, Justin Bieber's Purpose at four and Jess Glynne's I Cry When I Laugh logged a 16th consecutive week in the top 10, holding at five.
New entries to the album chart included X Factor runner-up Fleur East, whose debut album Love, Sax and Flashbacks entered at 14.
Bieber scored a second week at the top of the singles chart with as Love Yourself, after achieving the rare feat of replacing himself at number one last week.
The highest new entry was Sigala's Sweet Lovin' at three.
Rounding off the top five were Adele's Hello in fourth place and Grace and G-Eazy's You Don't Own Me at five.
The festive season has also made an impression on both charts.
Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You climbed to 13, The Pogues ft Kirsty MacColl's Fairytale Of New York was at 20 and Wham's Last Christmas at 27. | Coldplay have failed to topple Adele's 25 from the top of the UK album chart. | 35072586 |
Today it is in the throes of an armed conflict that has made the humanitarian crisis much worse.
At the end of last year, the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) estimated that 15.9 million people, almost 60% of the population, required humanitarian assistance; 10.6 million people are food insecure - they do not have enough food all year round; 13.4 million lacked access to clean water or sanitation; and 840,000 children were acutely malnourished.
The same organisation estimates that, due to the current conflict, the number of people who are food insecure has jumped to 12 million, and more than 300,000 have been displaced - and the number is increasing as the fighting spreads.
Some of the fiercest fighting has been taking place in the southern city of Aden, stronghold of exiled President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and home to about 800,000 people, many of whom have fled.
Among them, Safwan Sultan, an activist and a manager of a local NGO (non-governmental organisation), who has been displaced twice.
Yemen's crisis escalated when northern Houthi rebels surged south, battling forces allied to Mr Hadi by the beginning of March.
By the end of the month, clashes were taking place in Aden's Mualla district, forcing all residents to leave the area. Like many, Mr Sultan had no choice other than to flee with his family.
"I moved my family to Crater district, to my uncle's house. Crater had a big local market, a shopping mall and back then people there had better access to goods and services," he said.
But only a few days had passed before his office was destroyed by heavy shelling from Houthi forces, leaving him destitute.
"I have no other source of income. How can I can secure my family now?" he said.
It was only a matter of one week before Crater met the same fate as Mualla.
Houthi forces backed by some military units advanced in the city and forced their way to Crater. People had to flee the area and find shelter elsewhere.
Mr Sultan told me he saw some families fleeing the area by boat - some were relocating to other parts of Aden, while others were crossing the Gulf of Aden all the way to Djibouti, trying to escape the whole conflict zone.
Crater is the heart of Aden, with a population of more than 80,000, but today it is more like a ghost town.
The area has had no electricity, water or communications for more than two weeks now.
12,000,000
people are food insecure
300,000
displaced from their homes
828 civilians killed since Saudi-led air campaign against Houthi rebel movement began on 26 March
1,511 civilians injured, with many lacking access to basic medical care
In a coastal city like Aden, with high levels of humidity, getting through the day without air conditioning or electricity is very hard. People have been searching for cold water or ice everywhere.
Mr Sultan was stuck for five days amid intense fighting, with a lack of food and without phone connection. "My daughter was extremely sick and there was no medical clinics open," he said, spurring him to leave.
Now he is based in Othman area, another district in Aden, and he fears the fighting might soon spread there too.
While Aden has been suffering acutely, the whole of Yemen is affected by the humanitarian crises.
According to the UN, more than 1,500 people have been killed and more than 6,200 injured by air strikes and fighting on the ground in the past two months. Many of the casualties would not have access to medical treatment.
The sharp rise in fuel prices (locals say it has gone up by six times in three weeks) has also meant the ability of ordinary people to move around or to access services has become very hard. There are also reports of huge queues at petrol stations.
As well as fuel, food is also scarce, and prices are expected to rise before long. Yemen imports 90% of its wheat and 100% of its rice.
Food reserves will soon run out and with the rise of fuel prices and restrictions to shipments coming into the country, the people who can afford to buy supplies at the moment will soon need aid or some kind of support.
A five-day humanitarian truce is under way, but the current humanitarian crisis needs much more time to resolve. Yemen needs a long humanitarian recovery programme and functioning institutions to deliver services to the people.
The UN and its partners have appealed to international donors for $237m (??150.5m) to cover Yemen's needs in the next three months, but this cannot be a long-term plan. There has not been any country that can survive solely on humanitarian aid.
Baraa Shiban is the Yemen project co-ordinator for the human rights group Reprieve. He served as a youth representative in Yemen's 2013-14 National Dialogue Conference and was involved in a number of civil society organisations from 2006-11. Follow him on Twitter @BShtwtr | Yemen, a country bordering Saudi Arabia, one of the world's richest economies, has suffered for many years from extreme poverty, high rates of unemployment and severe malnutrition among children. | 32735158 |
After the ill-fated decision to appoint David Moyes as successor to Sir Alex Ferguson, the former Netherlands coach brought a measure of stability, albeit without silverware, and a place in the Premier League's top four.
It has proved an inglorious, embarrassing comeback to Europe's elite tournament; United not even scrambling out of the group stage after defeat by Wolfsburg in Germany on Tuesday.
It will come as a huge shock to United's hierarchy, as well as Van Gaal, that they will have their noses pressed up against the Champions League window when it resumes in 2016.
The feeling inside Old Trafford was qualification would have been assured before they even reached the industrial heartland of Wolfsburg for the finale. This was a vain hope.
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United's elimination came after a valiant showing against Wolfsburg but a colourless performance in the home game against PSV Eindhoven left them with a hurdle that was too high to negotiate.
That poor show was more representative of United than any of the small positives that can be taken away from their final, decisive game.
This was not a testing group for a team of United's financial and footballing stature - and Van Gaal cannot realistically be taken seriously if he tells any hard luck stories.
United were as good in attack as they have been throughout the group stages in Germany but they defended abysmally and ultimately did not deserve to reach the knockout phase.
And, with growing discontent among United's support about Van Gaal's pragmatic style, the prospect of preparing for Europa League action on Thursday nights will not improve his standing.
There is no suggestion that even a failure of this significance will put Van Gaal's position in jeopardy, but to have spent in excess of £250m and slipped out so tamely is bound to raise questions about how comfortable a fit he is for the demands of Old Trafford.
It is fully expected Van Gaal will see out the final 18 months of his contract but football is a fluid game and he will need big results between now and the end of the season to stem rising unhappiness about United's style of play.
In Van Gaal's defence, it should be pointed out that United have suffered a dreadful run of injuries, from the moment in-form Luke Shaw broke his leg in the opening group defeat against PSV. Wayne Rooney was also missing in Germany, along with defenders Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo as well as midfield man Ander Herrera.
It was still startling, however, to see Michael Carrick's experience ignored until he came on for the labouring Bastian Schweinsteiger and the almost missing-in-action and forgotten Nick Powell replacing Juan Mata when goals were needed.
Van Gaal has perhaps not been given the credit he deserves for stabilising United and restoring them to the top four last season but, given the continued outlay, the veteran coach needs to improve on that and give the club a return on their vast investment.
The Dutchman, unlike Moyes before him, sounds full of conviction with every statement he makes. The big problem he has is his team are utterly unconvincing.
Barring the steepest of declines, the full intention of Old Trafford's power brokers is to keep Van Gaal until the end of his contract in 2017. Results like Tuesday's, however, may well mean they will train their eyes even more keenly on who will succeed him.
It would stretch credibility to breaking point to believe United's top brass have not given some thought to who will be the next man in the manager's office at Carrington.
Former AC Milan, Paris St-Germain, Chelsea and Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is out of work and has admitted he would like to work in the Premier League again. The name of Pep Guardiola will entice any Premier League club as he considers his future at Bayern Munich.
The solutions may yet be found closer to home and those graduates from Ferguson and youth coach Eric Harrison's famous 'Class of 92'.
Ryan Giggs is the quietest second fiddle around - a seemingly silent partner to the single-minded, almost dictatorial Van Gaal, but events elsewhere in the past few days have perhaps shifted emphasis significantly.
While Giggs is regarded as having made progress by some within the club in his assistant's role - although it is hard to see how he can endorse the current playing style given his Old Trafford upbringing - there is no doubt those inside the club will be keeping a close eye on how Gary Neville develops having taken over at Valencia, with his brother Phil on his backroom staff.
Another member of that famous group, Paul Scholes, has emerged as one of the fiercest critics of the Van Gaal regime - so it is perhaps Neville's ascent that has given this narrative its most interesting twist.
As with Giggs, Neville knows United, knows the Premier League and the club would still be an attraction for any manager of ambition and quality.
So while there is no heat on Van Gaal, that is unlikely to stop those in control at United thinking of the framework for the future.
The first priority is to get back to winning ways at Bournemouth this weekend in the Premier League - then devise his strategy for the rest of the season.
While the immediate prospect of the Europa League is not appetising, with former United defender Rio Ferdinand describing the notion of those Thursday night games as "embarrassing", it may yet form a crucial part of United's season.
Van Gaal must weigh up the possibility of not taking it seriously, knowing Premier League rivals such as Liverpool and Tottenham have already proved they will, against its possible impact on league form.
Will involvement help or hinder United's Premier League campaign? It is currently an imponderable and a trophy in the cabinet is still enough to warm the hearts of most disgruntled fans.
It is a tough balancing act, particularly as Van Gaal is wrestling with that injury list - Chris Smalling the latest casualty as he limped through those closing minutes in Wolfsburg.
United are only three points off the Premier League summit, so have the chance of being genuine challengers in an unpredictable season, but Van Gaal must find the way to balance his team between attack and defence.
They have the best defensive record in the league, conceding only 10, but have scored only 20 - 12 fewer than leaders Leicester City.
In 53 league games Van Gaal has overseen seven 0-0 draws - at a percentage of 13.21% that is over twice that of Ferguson (5.56%) and Moyes (5.88%).
This was one of many puzzles Van Gaal had to solve as the devastated and dispirited United party flew out of Germany and into the perceived oblivion of the Europa League.
United supporters like to sing about their standing as "The pride of all Europe" - the truth of the matter is they were not even that in the latter days of Ferguson's regime and this exit simply underlines their reduced status.
United last won the Champions League against Chelsea in 2008, but further final appearances against Barcelona in 2009 and 2011 ended with Ferguson's side utterly outclassed on both occasions. They did not even made it out of the group stage in 2011-2012.
Since those days, Europe's elite such as Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and now even Paris St-Germain have got away from United.
The European decline has been setting in for years, so perhaps this campaign was simply another reality check.
United's name does not strike fear into Europe's top teams these days and, on the evidence of this doomed group stage, will not daunt the bigger names in the Europa League either.
The feeling inside Old Trafford is that, in terms of priority, the Premier League makes up 80% of their season and Europe the remaining 20%. Everyone at Manchester United must hope, for their sakes, that Van Gaal can make the sums add up. | Manchester United's return to the Champions League was regarded as the crowning glory of manager Louis van Gaal's first season at Old Trafford. | 35041818 |
UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura has warned that there is an urgent need for the government and opposition to take steps towards a political transition.
But correspondents say the outlook is bleak, with fighting in Aleppo province threatening a fragile six-week truce.
Meanwhile parliamentary polls, dismissed by the opposition as a sham, are under way in government-held areas.
Russia, a staunch ally of President Bashar al-Assad, has said the vote does not go against the peace talks and is in line with the constitution.
But the opposition and its backers say the elections are illegitimate and provocative.
Some 3,500 candidates are standing in the polls, which are being held in about a third of the country's territory where about 60% of the population lives.
Members of the main Syrian opposition umbrella group, the High Negotiations Committee (HNC), arrived in Geneva on Tuesday ahead of the start of the third round of "proximity" talks since January.
Government representatives have said they will not join them until Friday.
Read about the war:
Assad buoyant amid peace talks and polls
What's left of Syria?
Who is Bashar al-Assad?
After meeting Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Tehran on Tuesday, Mr de Mistura said he wanted this round to be "quite concrete".
It was now "crucially urgent", he added, that both sides agreed on a political process that a UN Security Council resolution passed in December envisages will lead to the formation of a transitional government, a new constitution and elections.
The veteran Swedish-Italian diplomat also stressed that it was very important that the cessation of hostilities brokered by the US and Russia continued and that humanitarian aid was allowed to reach every Syrian.
The US permanent representative to the UN, Samantha Power, later warned that the escalation of violence in Aleppo province threatened to derail the talks.
Samantha Power said the US, which backs the opposition, was "very alarmed" at the government's announcement of a major offensive south of the city of Aleppo and that Russian needed to "get the regime back with the programme".
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based monitoring group, said dozens of pro-government fighters were killed on Tuesday as they attempted to retake the village of al-Eis.
The government offensive is being supported by Russian air strikes, Iranian Revolutionary Guards personnel and fighters from Lebanon's Hezbollah movement.
Al-Eis, which is located near the Damascus-Aleppo motorway, was recently captured by al-Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda affiliate that is excluded from the cessation of hostilities but allied to rebel groups that are included.
Government warplanes also carried out "unprecedented" air strikes on rebel-held eastern parts of Aleppo city on Tuesday, according to the SOHR.
Ms Power also criticised the government for allowing only two humanitarian convoys in April and no access to the besieged Damascus suburb of Darayya where "there are reports of kids walking around looking like skeletons" and people eating grass.
Meanwhile, the UN World Food Programme said another successful airdrop had been conducted on Tuesday over government-held areas of the eastern city of Deir al-Zour, where more than 200,000 people are under siege by jihadist militants from so-called Islamic State (IS). | The UN is to start a new round of indirect talks in Geneva aimed at ending the conflict in Syria. | 36032587 |
City, who have struggled to make a serious impact in the Champions League and have never won their opening home game in the group stage, looked to be on course for victory when Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini headed into his own net under pressure from Vincent Kompany.
The Italians protested furiously that Chiellini had been fouled but then produced an impressive response to come from behind and close out the win.
Paul Pogba's superb ball allowed Mario Mandzukic to steal in behind Eliaquim Mangala for the equaliser, then Alvaro Morata pulled substitute Nicolas Otamendi - on for Kompany - out of position before curling a precise left-foot finish beyond City keeper Joe Hart for the 81st-minute winner.
Raheem Sterling had two big opportunities for City but wasted both as Manuel Pellegrini's side find themselves on the back foot once more in the Champions League.
Once again this was a night where City, dominant domestically with five wins out of five in the Premier League, still looked like they are struggling to convince themselves they belong in the exalted company of the Champions League.
Juventus' pedigree is clear - they reached last season's final - but they had not won a game all season until beating City, whose cast-iron confidence in the league looks to be somewhat stripped away here and opponents like the experienced Italians are only too happy to expose those flaws in self-belief.
This even seems to extend to City's fans, anxious throughout and streaming out in droves even before three minutes of stoppage time, clearly not convinced their team would rescue a point.
City missed striker Sergio Aguero, not fully fit after picking up an injury at Crystal Palace and restricted to a brief appearance as a substitute, and they have learned the hard way that chances do not come along as often in the Champions League as they do in the Premier League - and the price for not taking them is an expensive one.
There is still plenty of time to recover but City need to win games such as this if they are to finish top of the group and avoid the potentially hazardous last-16 draw.
Listen - BBC Radio 5 live's In Short programme
Sterling has made a big early impact following his £49m move to Manchester City from Liverpool - but one area of his game still needs some serious work.
The 20-year-old needs to improve his conversion rate when presented with chances and, before his substitution 20 minutes from time, he demonstrated once again that he must be more ruthless when applying that final flourish.
He wasted a perfect early chance when he shot straight at Juve keeper Gigi Buffon, then did the same again later after he was set up by David Silva with City leading 1-0. Yes, they were two pieces of fine goalkeeping but Sterling should have made at least one of those opportunities count.
Pogba was football's most wanted in the summer. The 22-year-old was courted by all of Europe's top clubs, including Manchester City, but a £70m price tag plus the player's own demands made the deal too rich even for them.
The Frenchman made fleeting contributions here but, make no mistake, the player that Sir Alex Ferguson somehow allowed to escape from Manchester United's grasp in 2012 is a class act.
Tall, rangy and more more than willing to mix it in the physical challenges with Yaya Toure, Pogba has that touch of class that marks him out as a special talent.
He always looks for the positive pass, as he proved with the glorious ball in behind Mangala that allowed Mandzukic to equalise for Juventus.
Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri praised the contribution of 37-year-old goalkeeper Buffon, with the Italian World Cup winner making particularly good stops from Sterling.
"Buffon pulled off many miraculous saves, particularly just after we went 1-0 down," said Allegri.
"I hope he will go on for as long as possible, certainly as long as I am manager. Buffon is an extraordinary goalkeeper, perhaps the best ever in the history of football. He never fails."
Match ends, Manchester City 1, Juventus 2.
Second Half ends, Manchester City 1, Juventus 2.
Foul by Wilfried Bony (Manchester City).
Andrea Barzagli (Juventus) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Fernandinho (Manchester City).
Juan Cuadrado (Juventus) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by David Silva (Manchester City).
Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt blocked. Aleksandar Kolarov (Manchester City) left footed shot from more than 35 yards is blocked. Assisted by Fernandinho.
Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Gianluigi Buffon.
Attempt saved. Yaya Touré (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Wilfried Bony.
Foul by Yaya Touré (Manchester City).
Juan Cuadrado (Juventus) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Substitution, Juventus. Andrea Barzagli replaces Álvaro Morata.
Foul by Eliaquim Mangala (Manchester City).
Paulo Dybala (Juventus) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Substitution, Manchester City. Sergio Agüero replaces Samir Nasri.
Foul by Aleksandar Kolarov (Manchester City).
Juan Cuadrado (Juventus) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Goal! Manchester City 1, Juventus 2. Álvaro Morata (Juventus) left footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner.
Foul by Aleksandar Kolarov (Manchester City).
Juan Cuadrado (Juventus) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Juventus. Paulo Dybala replaces Mario Mandzukic because of an injury.
Eliaquim Mangala (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Mario Mandzukic (Juventus).
Substitution, Manchester City. Nicolás Otamendi replaces Vincent Kompany because of an injury.
Substitution, Manchester City. Kevin De Bruyne replaces Raheem Sterling.
Goal! Manchester City 1, Juventus 1. Mario Mandzukic (Juventus) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Paul Pogba with a through ball.
Foul by Raheem Sterling (Manchester City).
Stephan Lichtsteiner (Juventus) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Paul Pogba (Juventus) right footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the right following a corner.
Corner, Juventus. Conceded by Bacary Sagna.
Foul by Bacary Sagna (Manchester City).
Álvaro Morata (Juventus) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Attempt missed. Patrice Evra (Juventus) left footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right.
Attempt saved. Stefano Sturaro (Juventus) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Álvaro Morata.
Foul by Fernandinho (Manchester City).
Stefano Sturaro (Juventus) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Wilfried Bony (Manchester City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Samir Nasri.
Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Gianluigi Buffon. | Manchester City's Champions League campaign got off to a disappointing start with a home defeat by last season's runners-up Juventus. | 34203622 |
Adams had last been on the losing side when Portsmouth defeated former club Northampton on 19 December last year.
His unbeaten run was the longest in the Football League since Scunthorpe's Eddie Nolan went 33 games in 2013-14.
Arsenal's Sol Campbell holds the record in the Premier League, playing 56 games between defeats.
"It's mad that I haven't lost a game of football for so long," 30-year-old Adams said earlier in the week. "The lads keep asking me, 'How many is it now?'
He played 17 league games last season after Northampton bounced back from their loss against Pompey to win promotion to League One.
This season he had made 15 appearances for Carlisle before Saturday's game, scoring once.
Boss Keith Curle predicted that his side would be "dangerous animal" after their first league reverse of the season.
He told BBC Cumbria: "We've had a phenomenal start to the season - 16 games, undefeated in 16. Now we start again." | Carlisle United midfielder Nicky Adams tasted defeat for the first time in 33 league games as they were beaten at Newport County on Saturday. | 37962417 |
His owner, Joe Quayle of New Quay, says he cannot tell the difference between the real thing and Billy's 'pager'.
He said the only way he could tell if it was a really 'shout' was to check the pager.
The 10-year-old African grey, also wolf whistles, calls Joe's children and confuses the family dog Sweep.
"I have to keep the pager with me so I can check it if I hear it," said Mr Quayle who runs the post office and shop at Cross Inn near New Quay, Ceredigion.
"He is a very good mimic and I just can't tell the difference, and it has made me run a couple of times before I've realised," he added.
Mr Quayle said Billy also shouts for his children, Elouise and Alex, and gets the family dog Sweep to run up by whistling and calling him in his wife's voice.
Billy's other 'talent' of wolf whistling has nearly got Mr Quayle into trouble.
"He did it once when there was a customer looking into the fridge, with her back to me, and she swung round. I had to explain it was the parrot," he said.
Such is Billy's appetite for new sounds that when he once escaped he came back from three days at a local farm mooing like the cows in the dairy, Mr Quayle said.
"We won't get rid of him though because he is part of the family," he added.
"They live for a long time and he's the kid's inheritance," he said. | A lifeboatman is being given the runaround, after his pet parrot Billy learnt to mimic the sound of his emergency pager. | 11419222 |
The incident happened at about 16:00 BST on Thursday.
The teenager has been charged with four counts of common assault.
The man was charged with two counts of assault, occasioning actual bodily harm, and assault on police. He was due to appear in court on Friday.
Police have appealed for witnesses. | A 17-year-old girl and a 25-year-old man have been charged by police over assaults in Botanic Gardens in south Belfast. | 39816113 |
Ms Royal said the chocolate-hazelnut spread contributed to deforestation because oil palms were replacing trees.
Ferrero, the Italian chocolate firm which owns Nutella, said it has made commitments to source palm oil in a responsible way.
French senators tried unsuccessfully to impose a 300% tax on palm oil in 2011.
They argued that the oil was dangerously fattening and that its cultivation harmed the environment.
On Tuesday, Ms Royal said that Nutella should be made from "other ingredients".
"We have to replant a lot of trees because there is massive deforestation that also leads to global warming. We should stop eating Nutella, for example, because it's made with palm oil," she said, during an interview with French television network Canal+.
Ferrero gets almost 80% of its palm oil from Malaysia, according to AFP news agency. The rest of its supply comes from Brazil, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
The Italian group said that it was aware of the environmental stakes involved.
In February, it announced that all of its products were produced with palm fruit oil that was 100% certified as sustainable according to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) supply chain. | France's Ecology Minister Segolene Royal has urged people to stop eating Nutella because it is made with palm oil and damages the environment. | 33163534 |
Cosmetic change, that is.
The capital of the Caribbean island, San Juan, has enjoyed a thorough facelift in the last few weeks.
Roads are being repaved, public buildings are glowing with new paint and welcome signs are being hung along the route President Obama will cover during his five-hour visit.
But other things have not changed.
Since even before President John F Kennedy's visit in 1961, the top political issue in Puerto Rico remains the same: the complex political status of this US territory, which was designated a "commonwealth" of the US in 1952.
That status has given Puerto Ricans what some interpret as a limited version of US citizenship.
They pay some federal US taxes and the US president and Congress are the ultimate authorities over the island.
However, Puerto Ricans cannot vote in presidential elections or have voting representatives on Capitol Hill.
The acrimonious debate over whether the territory should become the 51st state of the union, be remodelled an independent republic or remain a "free and associated state" has long dominated politics on this island of almost four million inhabitants.
As some in San Juan say, discussing the issue is "the national sport" of Puerto Rico.
But when Puerto Ricans were formally asked to decide, for example in a 1998 non-binding referendum, the answer was inconclusive: more than half of the population chose "none of the above".
So why is Mr Obama flying in?
He made a campaign promise to return as president when he came to San Juan in 2008 to gain support as a Democratic candidate in 2008, since Puerto Ricans do vote in party primaries.
But many here believe the new visit is aimed at courting mainland America's Puerto Rican electorate - and Hispanic voters in general - as they could hold the key to his re-election in 2012.
"Obama is reaching out to people on the island to indirectly reach out to potential voters on the mainland," says Pedro Reina Perez, a history professor at the University of Puerto Rico.
"People feel that this is a PR visit that does not have to do with real policy."
The visit is certainly giving more exposure to the Puerto Rican status cause, says Governor Luis Fortuno, who strongly supports the statehood movement.
Speaking to the BBC at the government house in San Juan's historic centre, he questioned why Puerto Ricans were not involved in Washington decision-making despite being part of the US since 1898.
"We have been US citizens since 1917 and our men and women serve in the armed forces hand-in-hand with other US citizens," he points out.
Authorities in Puerto Rico hope the visit will inject momentum into US-backed plans to carry out a new, two-step referendum on the island's political status.
There are suggestions that vote could take place as soon as late 2012.
While non-binding, its results could be crucial for pushing Puerto Rico's desired cause to be at the forefront of national US politics.
"A clear mandate is what we need to do in order to go to Washington to demand our rights," says Mr Fortuno.
Polls quoted by local officials suggest the favoured option would be making Puerto Rico the 51st state of the union.
In contrast to President Kennedy, Mr Obama is landing on an island that, by most accounts, has fallen on hard times.
A recession since 2006 has brought the economy to its knees. Unemployment is running at more than 16%, and crime rates are soaring in areas like the poor outskirts of San Juan.
Drastic spending cuts pushed through by the Republican governor - like the firing of thousands of state workers - have provoked widespread social discontent.
A dispute over tuition fees at the University of Puerto Rico, the largest on the island, paralysed the institution for two months in 2010.
Police clashed with students resisting a fee increase of $400 (£250) per term.
Accusations of police abuses abound and the American Civil Liberties Union has launched an inquiry into the repression of protests.
Mr Fortuno is a darling of the Tea Party movement who is being mentioned as a potential vice-presidential candidate in 2012 for the Republicans.
He defends the savings as part of his plan to "save Puerto Rico from bankruptcy", and suggests the aggressive response by police stems from a lack of appropriate training provided by previous governments.
Ahead of Mr Obama's visit, many people in Puerto Rico are more concerned about their day-to-day lives than the island's political status.
"I hope he brings good ideas here, working ideas for the progress of the island," says Zenaida Mendoza, who owns a cafe in Old San Juan. | Puerto Rico is using Tuesday's historic visit by US President Barack Obama - the first official trip to the island by a sitting US president in almost half a century - as a chance for change. | 13754491 |
The coach says that Mbia is suspended for their match against France on 30 May after his red card in another friendly against Nigeria last year.
He added that Mbia is also due to play for his club Hebei China Fortune a day earlier.
The 29-year-old will also miss a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on 3 June against Mauritania.
Mbia was left on the bench by Broos for their last Nations Cup qualifier against South Africa in March.Norwich City's Sebastien Bassong, Marvin Matip and Landry N'guemo also miss out.
There is a recall for the Tottenham Hotpsur striker Clinton Njie after recovering from the knee injury that saw him miss both matches against South Africa.
Broos has called up three locally-based players to his squad for the matches, Mohammed Djetei Union Douala, Coton Sport's Aaron Mbimbe and Jonathan Ngwem of Unisport.
Cameroon are currently top of their 2017 Nations Cup qualifying pool with eight points and one point ahead of Mauritania, with only the group winners guaranteed a place at the finals in Gabon.
Cameroon squad:
Goalkeepers: Andre Onan (Ajax, Netherlands), Guy Roland Ndy Assembe (Nancy, France), Fabrice Ondoa (Tarragona, Spain)
Defenders: Allan Nyom (Watford, England), Nicoals Nkoulou (Marseille, France), Aurelien Chedjou (Galatasaray, Turkey) Henri Bedimo (Lyon, France) Ambroise Oyongo (Montreal Impact, MLS) Adolphe Teiku (Sochaux, France) Jonathan Ngwem (Unisport Bafang), Mohammed Djettei (Union Douala) Aaron Mbimbe (Coton Sport Garoua)
Midfielders: Franck Kom (Etoile du Sahel, Tunisia), Eyong Enoh (Standard Liege, Belgium) Georges Mandjeck (Metz, France) Sebastien Siani (KV Oostende, Belgium)
Forwards: Vincent Aboubakar (FC Porto, Portugal), Eric-Maxime Choupo-Moting (Schalke, Germany),Benjamin Moukandjo (Lorient, France), Jacques Zoua (Ajaccio, France), Anatole Abang (New York Red Bulls, MLS) Karl Toko (Sochaux, France), Clinton Njie (Tottenham Hotspur, England), Edgar Sali (St Gallen, Switzerland) | Cameroon coach Hugo Broos has left captain Stephane Mbia out of his latest 24-man squad. | 36321424 |
The not-for-profit water company says the money will be used as part of a five-year investment plan.
The loan facility has been agreed by the European Investment Bank, which has provided Dwr Cymru Welsh Water with £500m since 2001.
The firm says the loan means services can improve without increasing bills.
Projects in the pipeline for Welsh Water include £120m to upgrade or rebuild 12 water treatment plants, and a £15m scheme that is being rolled out in Carmarthenshire and Swansea to manage surface water, called RainScape.
Welsh Water's chief executive Chris Jones said he was delighted to have secured the loan offer "as it helps us deliver higher investment and lower bills for our customers". | Welsh Water has secured a £230m European loan to help meet a £1.5bn bill to invest in its network of pipes and sewerage sites across Wales. | 30723677 |
John Milburn, 19, of Crosby, and 47-year-old Andrew Glaister from the Isle of Man, became ill after taking the drug during the Cream event on 26 December at the Nation club.
Liverpool Coroner Simon Holder ruled both men had died due to MDMA toxicity.
He said their deaths were "a bizarre coincidence", the Liverpool Echo reported, as the men were unacquainted.
They may have obtained the drug from different people, the inquest heard.
Mr Glaister, who ran his own haulage company, had been drinking in Liverpool bars before the event.
During this time, he purchased two green ecstasy tablets, his brother Chris Glaister told the hearing.
Det Insp Lee Wilkinson, of Merseyside Police, said officers had been unable to establish who sold ecstasy to Mr Milburn.
However, in a statement read by the coroner, his friend Jamie Maclean said they had bought orange-coloured tablets from "a local lad".
Mr Milburn died in hospital the day after being taken ill at the club night, while Mr Glaister died on 29 December.
No-one has been charged in connection with the deaths, Det Insp Wilkinson said.
Regarding Mr Milburn's death, the coroner said: "The medical evidence is sadly very clear. The reason John is not with us is because he took MDMA.
"John is an adult and he took that decision, but his body couldn't withstand it that particular night."
Mr Glaister's death was a "tragic coincidence", he said.
Mr Holder said he was satisfied the club "did everything it could" to help the men, who were seen by trained door staff and medics.
Cream, known as a "super club", first opened its doors at the Nation venue in Wolstenholme Square in 1992, before branching out into Cream Ibiza and the Creamfields festival.
The Boxing Day event was held prior to the closure of Nation, which is to be replaced by a new music venue. | Two men who died after becoming ill at a club night in Liverpool had taken ecstasy, an inquest has concluded. | 35767599 |
Parc Howard in Llanelli costs Carmarthenshire council more than £100,000 to maintain each year.
But Parc Howard Association said the building, which houses a museum, and parkland needed more investment.
Councillor Meryl Gravell said one option would be for somebody else to run park.
Parc Howard was built in 1885 and given to the town of Llanelli in 1912 by Sir Stafford and Lady Howard.
The grade II-listed mansion houses a collection of Llanelli pottery, artwork and town history.
The association said it was worried for the future of the Italianate country house and 24 acres of parkland, adding they were starting to deteriorate.
Ken Rees, chairman of Parc Howard Association, told S4C's Newyddion 9 programme: "If they [the council] aren't ready to spend money to maintain the place it's going to become an eyesore."
He added: "This park is the jewel in the crown of Llanelli."
Ms Gravell, Carmarthenshire council's executive board member with responsibility for regeneration and leisure, admitted the future of the park was "uncertain".
"At present the only other option is perhaps finding someone to come and take the park over," she added. | A 19th Century mansion and parkland in Carmarthenshire are at risk of becoming eyesores because of council cuts, according to those who help run them. | 31312487 |
As it turned out, those predictions were a touch pessimistic.
But one year on, what do economists and businesses think of the aftermath of the vote? And what do they think the future holds?
David Owen, chief European financial economist for Jefferies, still thinks the UK could be in for a rough ride.
"For six months or so after the Brexit vote, the UK economy as a whole also held up surprisingly well, helped by the significant monetary easing announced by the Bank of England last August and the move down in the currency," he says.
"But recent weeks have seen growing signs of the wheels coming off the UK recovery, with real incomes squeezed by the decline seen in real wages."
UK wage growth slowed down this year and started to lag behind inflation in May. Prices are rising in the shops faster than people's wages are going up, meaning the amount people have to spend is going down in real terms.
In the future, "much will depend on what deal the UK ultimately manages to strike with the rest of the EU, but with Brexit discussions now commencing, uncertainty and political risk will dominate discussion," he adds.
Last year, not all economists thought the shock to the economy would be so profound. Martin Beck of Oxford Economics said then that although the Brexit vote would hit the UK, it would avoid recession.
Since a majority of voters chose to leave the EU, it was "not obvious" that business and consumers would cut back on spending immediately, he says.
However, he now believes that UK growth will indeed slow down, partly because of "uncertainty over Brexit negotiations and uncertainty as to what the outcome will be".
After the Brexit vote, the pound dropped sharply against the euro. It is still trading about 14% down against the dollar.
As a result of that devaluation, UK consumers are starting to be squeezed by price inflation.
However, exporters are feeling the double benefit of a weaker pound and no change to tariffs to the EU at the moment, Mr Beck says.
What happens next to the UK economy "depends on the deal" that the UK government manages to come up with.
Research done by Oxford Economics "suggests a long-run hit to the economy" with a gradual cumulative effect. By 2030, the UK will have missed out on 3% to 4% of growth, he adds.
Last year, some economists were positively gung-ho for Brexit.
Prof Patrick Minford of Cardiff University is a member of Economists for Free Trade, formerly known as Economists for Brexit.
Prof Minford says that "the consensus was for a recession", but "we thought it [the UK economy] would be pretty much unaffected".
However, he says Economists for Brexit "didn't get the scale of the devaluation right" for sterling.
They thought devaluation would be about 6% and it turned out to be more like 15%. However, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, he says.
Having a devalued pound boosts demand for exports, Prof Minford says.
Businesses invest more money because they can sell more easily abroad.
And more expensive foreign goods encourage consumers to buy British, giving an extra push for business investment, he adds.
The devaluation is "likely to remain for quite some time" because of the length of the Brexit negotiations.
He says that the eventual agreement is likely to be a compromise between soft and hard Brexit.
If negotiations are derailed, this may be positive for stock market sentiment, as the UK could move towards free trade agreements faster.
But the economy will probably move towards having more of an emphasis on free trade gradually, he adds.
Mr Beck of Oxford Economics also says that being outside the customs union with the EU may bring benefits.
Trade with the EU may not be as important as building trade links with rapidly growing large economies such as China and India, he says.
Even before Brexit, exports to the EU had been falling relative to other markets.
China and India are "growing very quickly", whereas European countries are wealthy and so are growing more slowly as a market, Mr Beck says.
Some economists have a completely different take on where they think the economy is heading.
Douglas McWilliams, deputy chairman of the Centre for Economics and Business Research, said after the Brexit vote that he expected a boom.
But now there will be a hit to the UK economy due to uncertainty and a fall in immigration.
The creative industries fuel a large chunk of the UK economy, he says, and without immigrants to stimulate new ways of thinking, business will be hobbled.
"The real benefit [to immigration] is that skill bottlenecks are solved," he says.
Eventually, the UK will "change what we make and sell" in the longer term. But he expects negative effects on the economy to outweigh positive effects until 2030.
Business lobby group the CBI says that growth in the UK economy will "shift down a gear" in the short term as household spending slows down.
"The less likely a Brexit deal starts to look, the harder it will be for firms to recruit and retain talent as well as push the button on big investment decisions. We must get Brexit right," says CBI director-general Carolyn Fairbairn.
Big firms such as Rolls Royce have said they want as little change as possible after Brexit.
And car-makers are worried about a trade "cliff edge" if tariffs are suddenly imposed on EU imports and exports.
Finally, what do people in the UK think about Brexit?
Joe Twyman from pollsters YouGov says that in the main, they haven't changed their mind from how they voted last year.
"Nothing has changed, because nothing has changed," he says. "Negotiations have just started."
One interesting twist is that 26% of the population that voted Remain believe the UK should go ahead with Brexit, because that's how the majority voted, he says.
However, he adds that the political situation is "very fluid", and depending on how the negotiations go, those opinions could easily shift. | Before last year's Brexit vote, there were warnings from many economists that the UK would suffer a catastrophic economic shock and be catapulted into recession by a Leave vote. | 40370331 |
Spotlight: A Woman Alone With The IRA investigated the republican movement's handling of sexual abuse allegations against a suspected IRA member.
Maíria Cahill waived her right to anonymity to tell how the republican movement responded to her allegations.
The programme won news and current affairs programme of the year and scoop of the year.
Spotlight reporter Jennifer O'Leary also won the award for broadcast journalist of the year.
In the programme shown last October, Ms Cahill claimed she was raped by a suspected IRA man when she was a teenager, and that the IRA later helped to cover up the alleged abuse.
BBC Radio Ulster's Stephen Nolan was named news and current affairs presenter of the year.
The Arts Show on BBC Radio Ulster won entertainment programme of the year.
BBC Radio Foyle's Mark Patterson won the award for speech radio broadcaster of the year.
BBC Northern Ireland director Peter Johnston said: "We are extremely proud of the awards received at this year's CIPR ceremony and I would like to congratulate all the teams and individuals who won and were nominated.
"2014 was a very eventful year for us across TV and radio, and receiving acknowledgement for this content is testament to the dedication of our teams who continually strive to provide audiences with high quality programmes." | BBC Northern Ireland current affairs programme Spotlight has won three CIPR NI Media awards. | 33296614 |
The coroner at the hearing in Belfast said it was also "probably" the first such case in the UK.
Ben Robinson, from Carrickfergus, County Antrim, died after suffering concussion during a school rugby match.
The syndrome happens when a blow causes swelling to the brain before it has recovered fully from an earlier injury.
The schoolboy was in several heavy tackles before collapsing near the end of the game in January 2011.
He had been momentarily knocked out at the start of the second half of play.
His parents had argued he should have been taken off the pitch at that point in the game.
The coroner said this was the first recorded death due to second impact syndrome in Northern Ireland and probably in the rest of the UK.
She is sending a copy of her findings to the head of Irish Rugby and to the education minister.
The coroner said this was a case of great public interest and she believed everybody should learn from it.
The Carrickfergus Grammar schoolboy was seen holding his head before collapsing during the game against Dalriada and later died in hospital from brain injuries.
In a statement, the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) and Ulster Rugby expressed their "deepest condolences" to the Robinson family and said player safety was a priority.
"Injuries of this nature are highly unusual in rugby," the statement said.
"The IRFU and Ulster Rugby observe all international best practices, as set out by the International Rugby Board. We have in place, and continue to develop, education and training campaigns to ensure player welfare is prioritised at all times." | The first death in Northern Ireland due to second impact syndrome has been recorded at a 14-year-old boy's inquest. | 23943642 |
Visitors from outside the European Economic Area already pay for planned hospital care.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt wants to save the NHS millions of pounds by extending the charges to A&E care.
The British Medical Association said doctors were meant to treat patients, "not to act as border guard".
A consultation is expected to be set up in the next few weeks.
Overseas visitors can currently receive A&E treatment, ambulance services and GP visits free of charge, but if the plans go ahead some treatment could be withheld until fees are paid, the Times newspaper reports.
BBC political correspondent Chris Mason said a source had told him that no-one requiring urgent care would be turned away, as the cost would be charged afterwards.
The Department of Health said exemptions would be put in place for refugees and asylum seekers, and pregnant women would not be turned away from maternity units if they had not paid upfront.
A department spokesman said: "International visitors are welcome to use the NHS, provided they pay for it - just as families living in the UK do through their taxes.
"This government was the first to introduce tough measures to clamp down on migrants accessing NHS care and have always been clear we want to look at extending charges for non-EEA migrants.
"No-one will be denied urgent treatment and vulnerable groups will continue to be exempt from charging."
BBC reporter Alan Soady said it was not clear whether the new charges would apply to short-term visitors only, nor how the government would pursue patients who did not pay, particularly if they had left the country.
The EEA covers the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
Visitors from these countries must present a European Health Insurance Card when using the NHS, so that the cost of their healthcare can be recouped from their government.
All visitors to the UK and British expats are charged 150% of the cost of non-emergency NHS treatment in order to discourage people travelling to the UK just to use health services - so-called "health tourism".
The latest crackdown is expected to reclaim around £500m, according to the Times.
A spokesman for the Royal College of Emergency Medicine told the newspaper that A&E doctors "cannot reasonably be expected to take on the burden of identifying who is eligible for free treatment, and who should be charged".
The British Medical Association agreed, saying: "A doctor's duty is to treat the patient in front of them, not to act as border guard. Any plans to charge migrants and short-term visitors need to be practical, economic and efficient."
But Roger Goss, of Patient Concern, said: "The average patient would think 'quite right too!' In other countries they won't touch you until you get out your credit card and that's how they ought to operate here.
"But the main issue is not whether patients are supposed to pay, it's the failure of hospitals to collect the money."
In April new rules came into force which mean non-EU citizens settling in the UK for longer than six months are required to pay a "health surcharge" as part of their visa applications. | Some foreign patients could be charged for emergency treatment or for calling out an ambulance under new government plans for England. | 34685022 |
Bantams centre-half Reece Burke went closest to breaking the deadlock but his second-half header went just wide.
Home midfielder Danny Pugh forced keeper Ben Williams into a good save, while John O'Sullivan and Andrew Tutte also tested him.
It was the third consecutive 0-0 draw between the two sides, including an FA Cup replay. | Bradford moved to within three points of the League One play-off places after a goalless draw at Bury. | 35675557 |
The youths, aged 16 and 14, were arrested earlier on Sunday on suspicion of arson at the Baitul Futuh Mosque in Morden.
The blaze at the mosque, said to be the largest in western Europe, was tackled by 70 firefighters.
An administration building was badly damaged but not the mosque, London Fire Brigade said.
A man was taken to hospital suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation and about 30 others left when the alarm was raised.
The brigade was called at just after 12:00 BST on Saturday to the mosque, which also has a community centre attached.
About 50% of the building's ground floor was damaged as well as part of the first floor and a section of the roof.
Station manager Philip Morton said: "This was a large fire and our crews worked hard in difficult conditions to confine it to the administrative buildings on the site and thanks to their efforts the mosque itself escaped completely unscathed.
"Throughout the incident we worked closely with the local community to ensure our damage control operations took into account the religious significance of the building's contents."
The 5.2 acre (2.1 hectare) mosque serves the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and there is space for at least 10,500 worshippers, according to its website.
Rafiq Hayat, national president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK, said: "By the Grace of God the mosque is safe and unaffected and there were no injuries and no loss of life.
"The fire was contained to the hall at the front of the building and some adjacent offices.
"We are extremely grateful for the support of the local community and leaders."
The two arrested teenagers remain in police custody at a south London police station. | Two teenage boys have been arrested in connection with a fire at a mosque complex in south London. | 34374374 |
The World Cup qualifier will come less than five months after their Euro 2016 Group C meeting in Paris.
Northern Ireland will face the Germans in the return World Cup qualifier in Belfast on 5 October, 2017.
The Northern Irish start their World Cup campaign in the Czech Republic on 4 September before hosting San Marino three days before the Hannover game.
Germany were scheduled to face the Netherlands in Hannover two months ago but the game was called off shortly before the kick-off because of a security threat in the wake of the Paris attacks four days earlier.
The last meeting between Northern Ireland and Germany saw the Germans earning a 4-1 win in a Belfast friendly in 2005.
In addition to Germany and the Czech Republic, Azerbaijan and Norway are also in Northern Ireland's World Cup qualifying group. | Northern Ireland's World Cup qualifier against holders Germany on 11 October will be played in Hannover. | 35376886 |
The 30-year-old former Rams trainee has signed a two-year contract, with the option of a further year.
He had one season left on his deal with Hull, who he joined from Tottenham for about £5m in 2013 before making 112 league starts for the Tigers.
"Once I got wind of the serious interest from Derby, it was a no brainer," Huddlestone told Rams TV.
"Once Derby activated [a buyout clause in Huddlestone's contract], Hull decided to come with an offer then. If Hull had come with that maybe three weeks ago, before Derby were interested, I would have signed it happily and stayed there."
Hull vice-chairman Ehab Allam told the Tigers' website: "We recently met with Tom's representatives, prior to receiving the offer from Derby to discuss a new longer-term deal on improved terms.
"I feel this stated our intention to keep Tom at the club, but ultimately the decision to leave was down to Tom and his representatives. We would like to wish Tom well for the future, and thank him for his efforts."
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. | Derby County have re-signed Hull City midfielder Tom Huddlestone for an undisclosed fee, believed to be £2m. | 40621728 |
Sarah Young, 40, was washed overboard while taking part in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. Her body was later recovered by her crewmates.
Race organisers said they had received permission from Miss Young's partner and family to bury her at sea.
Race founder Sir Robin Knox-Johnston has promised a full investigation.
He said everyone involved in the race was in "shock" over the death, adding the probe would focus on why she was not tethered to the yacht.
Miss Young is the the second person to die in this year's event - fellow Briton Andrew Ashman, a crew member on the same boat, died after being knocked unconscious in September.
Despite being amateurs, both Miss Young and Mr Ashman were experienced sailors.
Race organisers said Miss Young would be buried at sea because of the "long time it will take to reach closest landfall", and it would take place as soon as weather conditions allowed.
Miss Young's parents are deceased and she has no siblings, but her aunt in New Zealand gave the ceremony her blessing.
Organisers said there was a sombre mood with sailors reflecting on the "tragedy" as the race continued following the death.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Miss Young was tidying the cockpit of the IchorCoal yacht after reefing the mainsail when she was knocked from her position by a wave. She fell back towards the guard wire and was swept under it by another wave.
After she was recovered by crew, attempts were made to resuscitate her but she did not regain consciousness. She died at about 13:44 BST on Friday.
The cause of her death is yet to be confirmed but is suspected to be drowning or exposure, organisers said.
Sir Robin, who in 1969 became the first person to sail solo and non-stop around the world, told the BBC: "We've only had two fatalities in something like 4,000 people, in 10 races around the world.
"It's a shock to all of us and we want to find out exactly why it happened. Why wasn't she hooked on? This is what I've got to establish."
It was an "appalling coincidence" that two crew members from the same yacht had died, he added.
Sir Robin described Miss Young as experienced as a "very popular member of the crew, a very easy person to like".
He went on: "One of the things we really focus on in Clipper with the four weeks' training is safety.
"That is the primary consideration, the one thing we drum into all crew."
Miss Young, who was from London, was one of the sailors taking part in the entire round-the-world challenge.
The incident happened during the ninth race of the 14-stage event which started in August and covers more than 40,000 nautical miles.
Miss Young had already sailed more than half way round the globe, covering 20,000 nautical miles before setting off from the latest leg of the race on 21 March.
She had pulled out of part of the challenge after the death of her mother, organisers said.
Miss Young was the owner of a personal lifestyle company and prior to the Clipper Race had taken part in other expeditions, including mountaineering in Nepal. She had also run a marathon and was a qualified diving group leader.
Other sailors taking part in the race have reacted to the news, with GREAT Britain skipper Peter Thornton saying: "Extremely sad news about Sarah and we are all quite shocked and suddenly acutely aware of where and what we are in this world.
"I cannot imagine what IchorCoal and her family are going through right now so our thoughts are with all who knew and loved Sarah."
Dan Smith, skipper of Derry-Londonderry-Doire said his team was "devastated" by the "tragic news".
Former teammate Louise Thomas said she was "heartbroken", describing Miss Young as her "boat wife" and "best buddy".
She added: "My thoughts go out to those on board, her friends and family - and having been through this event before I know exactly what they're going through and I wish I was there to support them."
Fellow IchorCoal crew member Elliotte Ashcroft wrote on Facebook that Miss Young was a "witty, ballsy, caring lady".
This latest stage of the race takes crews from Qingdao in China to Seattle in the United States and has 3,242 miles still to go.
The crew will now continue on their journey to Seattle.
Sir Robin said: "I should think they are in shock and will want to take it easy for a bit and I have to say I think if I was in their position I would do the same."
More than 700 crew members are participating in the 2015-16 race, which will end in London on 30 July. | An amateur British sailor who died after being swept into the Pacific Ocean while competing in a yacht race will be buried at sea, organisers say. | 35949645 |
The riders were charged with a breach of racing rules for lining up at the beginning of the race before being given permission by the starter.
The cautions were handed out by a disciplinary panel convened by the British Horseracing Authority.
Pineau De Re, ridden by Leighton Aspell, won the 167th National.
On the first attempt to get the race under way, assistant starter Simon McNeill was knocked over by one of the runners as it approached the start line. He was not badly hurt.
During the hearing, race starter Hugh Barclay agreed with QC Graeme McPherson, who was representing the jockeys, that riders are routinely "trusted to sort themselves out and line up" after a warning given 30 seconds before the race.
McNeill, a former jockey, disputed whether the warning had actually been given, but the panel judged that the jockeys had "lined up before being instructed to do so".
Tim Charlton, chairing the BHA panel, said: "We recognise the primary problems which occurred were from actions that were not theirs." | Thirty-nine jockeys have been cautioned after being found guilty of misconduct following the chaotic start to the 2014 Grand National at Aintree. | 27803643 |
Jade Norton suffocated when plastic sheets fell on her in at her home in Blackpool in June 2011.
Blackpool Primary Healthcare and North Lancashire Primary Care trusts admitted health and safety breaches.
Her family asked on five occasions for a fault to be repaired, Preston Crown Court heard.
The court was told of the "multiple failings" from the trusts and prosecutor Lisa Roberts, for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), said the errors "went back four years."
She said: "She was sleeping in a bed with rails that were blatantly not safe.
"She was unable to move once the bed had failed."
Miss Roberts said the North Lancashire trust had no record of the bed's existence and took no action when it was reported damaged.
Advantage Healthcare Ltd, now Interserve Care Ltd, responsible for providing care to Jade, was also fined £50,000 after admitting two health and safety breaches.
Jade, who was severely disabled with Rett syndrome, suffered an epileptic seizure when she became trapped between the mattress and sheeting.
The rail was supposed to prevent her falling out of the bed when she was having a seizure.
Her parents, Amanda, 42, and Lee, 41, had reported the broken bed on five occasions in three months before her death, the court heard.
Judge Stuart Baker said the risks were all "foreseen and preventable" and the breaches "contributed materially" to Jade's death.
The court heard no remedial action was ever taken and risk assessments of the bed were not carried out, despite Jade being found in a similar position twice previously and her seizures worsening.
Jade, who also had scoliosis, was prescribed a bed with railings to stop her rolling from the bed - but the top left railing was damaged in the months before her death.
Bernard Thorogood, for NHS Litigation Services, issued an apology to Jade's family, adding they were "touched by the terrible events."
Jade's father said: "Judge Baker could have imposed a £500,000 fine but it would not have made a difference, it still wouldn't bring my Jade back."
He said he hoped the case would be a "massive wake-up call" for organisations. | Two health trusts have been fined £60,000 over the death of a disabled 10-year-old who fell from her faulty bed. | 34186624 |
A maiden five-wicket haul by Nathan Buck (5-68) had rounded off the hosts' innings for 281 early on day two.
Northants openers Duckett (53) and Rob Newton (50) put on 101 before Derbyshire seamer Will Davis (4-55) helped reduce the visitors to 171-8.
A half-century stand by Max Holden (68) and Buck (43) saw them close on 291-9.
Buck eventually fell lbw to Jeevan Mendis but Holden, on loan from Middlesex, remained at the crease at the close and registered his second career half-century in only his third match to give Northants a lead of 10 runs. | England batsman Ben Duckett made a half-century for Northants, before his side recovered from a first innings collapse against Derbyshire. | 39608646 |
The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) says salaries should increase to £74,000 by 2015, but that perks should be cut and pensions made less generous.
Party leaders have criticised the rise but Ipsa's boss argues it will bring MPs into line with other professionals.
Mr Gove called Ipsa "silly" and said parliamentarians were "well paid".
The watchdog is to consult on the rise but MPs cannot block it because they handed control of the decision to the independent body in the wake of the 2009 expenses scandal.
By Nick RobinsonPolitical editor
The Ipsa proposals include:
MPs are currently paid £66,396, but that is due to rise to £67,060 in April 2014 and rise by a further 1% the following year.
The recommendation amounts to a rise of around £6,300 a year, or 9.3%, on what MPs would be getting in 2015.
Asked whether the extra increase should go ahead, Mr Gove said: "Absolutely not. MPs are incredibly well paid at the moment anyway, as are ministers."
He added: "Ipsa - it's a bit of a silly organisation really and pay rise? They can stick it."
A Downing Street spokesman said: "The cost of politics should go down, not up. And MPs' pay shouldn't go up while public sector pay is, rightly, being constrained."
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who has said he will not take the increase, said it was "about the worst time to advocate a double-digit pay increase for MPs", adding that the public would find it "incomprehensible".
Labour leader Ed Miliband said he did not believe the rise should go ahead - and confirmed he would not take it if it did, but he said he was confident Ipsa would change its recommendation after a public backlash.
By James LandaleDeputy political editor
"I don't think MPs should be getting a 10% pay rise when nurses and teachers are facing either pay freezes or very low increases and people in the private sector are facing similar circumstances," he said.
Prime Minister David Cameron has criticised the proposed increase but a No 10 source declined to comment on whether he would be taking it.
Pressed on the question, the spokesman said: "It's not a pay rise. It's a proposal". He pointed out the package was still to go out to consultation and Downing Street would be submitting its own response.
But Ipsa chairman Sir Ian Kennedy defended the proposal, saying: "The history of MPs' pay and pensions is a catalogue of fixes, fudges and failures to act. The package we put forward today represents the end of the era of MPs' remuneration being settled by MPs themselves.
"For the first time, an independent body will decide what MPs should receive. We will do so in full view, and after consultation with the public."
Sir Ian told BBC Radio 5 Live's Victoria Derbyshire phone-in programme that MPs should be treated like "modern professionals" and part of the package was a "radical proposal" to introduce an annual "report card" to show the public what MPs did for their money.
He said the pay rise proposal was "fair" because MPs' pay had "fallen back" over the years and they needed to properly rewarded for the job they did, adding that the expenses scandal had been the result of too much pay restraint.
Sir Ian said there was never a good time to increase salaries, but said the changes were designed to "last a generation rather than just respond to the latest political issue", and taken together with the expenses reforms would save taxpayers money.
He said he would over the next two months listen to the views of the public who had taken part in the consultation on the Ipsa website, but he believed the package was not over-generous and was in line with previous recommendations by the senior salaries review board and other bodies.
Sir Ian is paid £700 a day and works on average two days a week, which he said added up to an annual salary of between £60,000 and the "high 70s".
Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen backed Ipsa's stance, telling BBC Radio 4's World at One: "I don't believe that MPs are remunerated sufficiently for the job that they do, if you want to attract the right sort of people.
"I don't want Parliament to be only for people of independent wealth, for people who treat it [their salary] as pocket money." | Education Secretary Michael Gove has told Parliament's spending watchdog to "stick" a planned £6,000 MPs' pay rise. | 23262503 |
Under Tom Eaves, 11-1 Brando was comfortable despite late pressure from the Richard Fahey-trained Growl.
It was a fourth win in the Ayr Gold Cup for trainer Kevin Ryan in the past 10 years, following wins for Advanced (2007), Our Jonathan (2011) and Captain Ramius (2012).
Hoof It claimed third place, with G Force making a late dash for the line to finish fourth. | Brando won the Ayr Gold Cup, edging 4-1 favourite Growl into second place. | 37397123 |
Elin Jones was launching the formal consultation on a plan backed by all parties in the assembly last October.
Young people will be asked for their views on the youth parliament's name, aim, membership, role and values.
"Children and young people have the right to take part [in politics] as citizens now," Ms Jones said.
The Youth Assembly for Wales - known as Funky Dragon - closed in 2014 after the Welsh Government withdrew funding, prompting concern about the lack of an initiative to engage young people in politics.
"Our duty is not only to today's voters, but to all citizens whose lives the assembly touches," the presiding officer said, launching the consultation at her former school in Lampeter, Ceredigion, on Friday.
Ideas have already been gathered from a steering group which includes the children's commissioner, charities, the National Union of Students and groups such as the Scouts, Guides, young farmers and the Urdd.
"Children and young people will inspire us all to think differently about our nation's future," Ms Jones added.
"They often think of original ideas and provide valuable perspectives to complex issues.
"We must provide support for them to discuss issues they care about, find ways for them to influence, and, above all, we must listen."
Consultation events will be held across Wales from 13 May to 30 June. | A youth parliament for Wales will help children come up with ideas that will "inspire us all", the presiding officer has said. | 39733720 |
The deluge brought by Friday's storm left thousands of homes flooded and caused widespread damage.
As was the case in 2005 and 2009, the community has rallied together to offer help, places to stay and provide donations to those affected.
And the county's newspapers are no exception - coming together to help in the efforts by starting the online campaign #SpiritofCumbria.
Helen Statham, social media specialist at the CN newspaper group, said: "After the floods lots of different people were tweeting about offers of help, messages of support and businesses saying they were open.
"The messages were all really positive so we decided to get together to reflect that mood.
"We decided to create a website as a sort of online hub to capture that vibe and it's really caught on."
Set up by the CN newspaper group, the website has four sections to connect residents together. People can find out which businesses are open, see who is offering and in need of help, and leave messages of thanks to those who have helped them.
Offers of furniture, clothing and assistance have not only come in from those in the county - but from all over the UK.
CN Group said it used the Hashtracking.com website to find the #spiritofcumbria hashtag had reached 13 million people via tweets and retweets.
Ms Statham added: "It's very inspiring - I think the hashtag speaks for itself and it's a testament to the effort that has been put in from all over the region."
An online appeal set up to help those affected by flooding in Cumbria has raised more than £560,000. | As the clean-up continues in Cumbria after the county was battered by Storm Desmond, a digital campaign to capture the solidarity of those offering help has reached more than 13 million people on Twitter, its organisers say. | 35051865 |
The British duo, who have both secured places at the Rio Olympics this summer, finished with a score of 444.48.
The pair's latest medal comes after their silver at the European Championships and bronze at the World Cup in Brazil.
Meanwhile, compatriots Tonia Couch and Lois Toulson took gold in the women's 10m synchro in Sheffield.
European silver medallists Alicia Blagg and Becky Gallantree won the title in the women's 3m synchro, while Ross Haslam and James Heatly also claimed gold in the men's event. | Tom Daley and Dan Goodfellow won gold in the 10m synchro on the opening day of the British Diving Championships. | 36503811 |
A new five year business plan aims to cut waste at TfL and extend the Bakerloo Line into south London.
Mr Khan also reiterated his promise to freeze fares until 2020.
But TfL will have to save more than £3bn through job losses and cheaper ways of working.
Mr Khan said the new plan would deliver a "modern and affordable transport network".
The draft business plan, which will go before the TfL board next week, envisages savings of £800m a year by 2021 from TfL's current £11.5bn annual budget.
The business plan was described as heralding the "biggest ever overhaul in the history of the organisation".
GLA Conservative transport spokesman Keith Prince told BBC Radio London's Vanessa Feltz show the draft plan would increase borrowing at TfL by 46% to £12bn and "slash reserves to 35% of their current level".
"[This is] typical Labour, arrive with a full larder and when they leave the cupboard is bare" he added.
The Green Party has warned the budget may fail unless new measures to reduce traffic are introduced.
'Vital for success'
"This plan just doesn't add up" Green Party Assembly Member Caroline Russell said.
"With buses having to compete for space with this many cars, the mayor will struggle to attract more bus passengers and get his transport budget to balance."
TfL is already under pressure to make cuts of at least £591m a year by 2018, when it will lose its government operational grant.
Draft budget in figures
Improvements to the Tube network will see the Bakerloo line extended to Lewisham by 2029, two years earlier than expected.
The beleaguered Piccadilly Line will get new trains and signalling to boost capacity by nearly two thirds.
The business plan includes moves already announced to spend £770m on cycling schemes over the next five years and several new east London river crossings including the Silvertown Tunnel.
TfL will investigate whether to extend the Night Tube scheme on to more underground lines.
Mr Khan said by "reorganising a flabby TfL and finding major efficiency savings within the organisation, we're securing this record investment without burdening Londoners with further hikes in TfL fares".
"The greatest city in the world must also have a genuinely world-class transport system, and this is vital for the future success of London's economy. Today sets out the scale of our ambition," he added. | London Mayor Sadiq Khan has set out plans to cut costs from a "flabby" Transport for London (TfL) while increasing capacity on the Tube network. | 38236327 |
This was a particularly "good year" to apply, says Ucas, with recruitment recovering from higher tuition fees.
Top universities were 70% more likely to give places to applicants with lower grades than two years before.
Ucas chief Mary Curnock Cook said fears over fees had proved "premature".
The figures, showing the final UK university admissions for 2013, show that recruitment has recovered from the impact of tuition fees rising in England to up to £9,000 per year.
"We can see that the dip in demand in 2012 was perhaps a pause for thought," said Ms Curnock Cook, as the figures showed a return to the long term trend for a rising number of students.
This expansion is likely to increase even further in the future, with the government announcing plans earlier this month to remove the cap in student numbers.
The highest level of entrants was recorded in 2013 with almost 496,000 students beginning full-time undergraduate courses.
It meant that young people across the UK were more likely to begin university than ever before. Within the UK, Northern Ireland had the highest proportion of 18-year-olds entering higher education, reaching a new record of 36.2%.
When students who began courses at the of age 19 were also included, it meant that 40% of young people in the UK had entered higher education by the age of 19.
The Ucas annual figures also show the high levels of acceptances, with 85% of people who applied in England finding a university place.
The most selective universities - described by Ucas as "high tariff" universities - accepted 10,000 more people than in 2012, an increase of almost 10%.
These top universities were offering more places to students with lower grades - with 17% of such places in England going to students not achieving ABB grades at A-level or their equivalent.
The report also highlights the unreliability of predicted grades. Among students predicted to get ABB grades at A-level only 30% eventually achieved those grades.
Dr Mark Corver, head of analysis for Ucas, said applicants were fortunate with their opportunities this year.
"They've had more offers, they've had more choice between offers. That's led to more people getting their first choice course and it's driven higher acceptance rates. The entry rates have reached new highs for young people," he said.
The proportion of students from disadvantaged backgrounds also increased - despite fears that these youngsters would be particularly likely to be deterred by higher fees.
In England, disadvantaged youngsters were 70% more likely to go to university in 2013 than in 2004.
But within these poorer students there were big differences between ethnic groups.
Among young people who had been eligible for free school meals, white youngsters were the least likely to go to university, trailing behind their Asian or black counterparts.
These annual figures for the 2013 intake show that there is still a wide gender gap, with women a third more likely to go to university than men.
The National Union of Students welcomed the increased numbers of young undergraduates, but also warned of decreases in other parts of higher education.
"We must not forget that this report also only focuses on young people and doesn't explain why there has been a 40% decrease in part-time students and a 14% drop in the number of mature students going into higher education," said Rachel Wenstone, NUS vice president.
Nicola Dandridge, head of Universities UK, said: "Since the changes to tuition fees were introduced, our main concern has been that no-one is put off from going to university because of worries about money, in particular students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
"The fact that young English applicants from this group were more likely to enter higher education in 2013 than in 2012 is good news and shows that the work that universities are doing to widen participation is making a difference."
Universities Minister David Willetts welcomed that more people were able to have the "life-changing experience of university".
"The record proportions of people entering higher education, including the highest ever proportion of disadvantaged young people, show the benefits of going to university are understood."
Mr Willetts said that the plan to lift the cap on student numbers, announced in the Autumn Statement, was a response to this rising demand. | Record numbers of UK students were accepted for full-time university courses this autumn, including more poorer students than ever before, says the Ucas admissions service. | 25432377 |
The Jet2 plane, travelling to the UK from Malaga, was joined in the skies by the jet for about 15 minutes on Friday.
Passenger Sarah Hatfield, said: "It was so close I could read the writing on its tail fin."
Carrier Jet2 said it was awaiting a response from the French air force.
Ms Hatfield, from Quarry Bank in the West Midlands, who was travelling with husband Ian and their 13-year-old daughter Emily, said: "Someone spotted the French jet and told the cabin crew, who I presume told the Jet2 pilots.
"The air stewardess then announced there was nothing to worry about.
"Ian was terrified and it didn't help that loads of other passengers came by us to look out at it."
The family photographed the aircraft seemingly tracking Flight LS1204 and said the feeling on board was "a mixture of excitement at seeing the fighter so close up and terror as to if we were about to get shot down."
A spokesperson for Jet2 said: "We are awaiting clarification from the French air traffic authorities, as to why a military aircraft was apparently tracking our aircraft". | A passenger on board a plane flying from Spain to Birmingham has told of the "terrifying" moment holidaymakers realised their aircraft was being shadowed by a French fighter jet. | 40987642 |
Research suggests the funding formula which is supposed to increase GPs' resources in poorest areas is still weighted in favour of the richest.
Researchers found the average spend per patient per year was £7 higher in the top 10% of affluent areas compared with the bottom 10% of deprived areas.
The Scottish government said spending on GP services had increased by 13%.
"This formula has robbed the poorest and sickest people in Scotland to pay for GP care in affluent areas," said Drumchapel GP, Dr Peter Cawston.
"It is far worse than we even thought - patients who live in poorer areas are allocated less money than patients in wealthy areas."
The study was carried out by researchers at Glasgow and Dundee universities and covered nearly every practice in Scotland.
It found that the average spend per patient per year was £127 in the top 10% of affluent areas compared with £120 in the bottom 10% of deprived areas.
"That doesn't sound very much," said Dr Cawston, "but with that £7 we could have offered 2,000 extra GP appointments a year in my GP practice alone. These are appointments people desperately need."
On average, people living in deprived areas of Scotland die more than 10 years earlier than people in affluent areas and become ill in their 50s rather than their 70s.
"I think these figures are shocking," said Prof Graham Watt, of Glasgow University's Institute of Health and Wellbeing.
"It's a question of fairness. For a government that flies the flag of fairness and social justice, this is a real test of what their understanding and commitment to that is."
He said: "The challenge in a period of austerity is whether social justice and fairness are things that we can only afford in good times or whether we apply them in bad times.
"It's not because there isn't the best of intentions or the best methods or the best statisticians. The data which is available is insufficient to deal with this problem."
Health Secretary Shona Robison said: "Under this government spending on GP services has increased by £88.7m or nearly 13%.
"In June, we also announced an additional £60m for GP and primary care services, through our Primary Care Transformation Fund, which is being allocated to projects to reduce GP workload and encourage innovation in primary care."
She said the fund would help GPs across the country - including those practices in deprived areas.
"When allocating funding for GPs, we take into account the additional needs of patients in deprived areas and provide extra funding to those practices located there," Ms Robison said.
"GP funding is weighted to reflect factors such as deprivation - as we know that this generally means their patients have more complex conditions resulting in an increased workload for the GP."
However, the researchers pointed out that finding the right funding system was complicated.
While practices in deprived areas have higher numbers of younger patients with multiple conditions, practices in more affluent areas have higher numbers of frail, older patients.
Ms Robison added: "We are sympathetic to the case that we need to do more to ensure GPs work in disadvantaged communities is backed up by the right levels of investment.
"GP contractual arrangements now place much more emphasis on patient care being provided by the whole clinical team, including nurses and pharmacists, and therefore the concept of average numbers of patients per GP is now less meaningful.
"This review will inform the development of a brand new Scottish GP contract from 2017, where we will seek to ensure that both GPs and patients get a fair deal. The impact of deprivation will be a part of this important work." | GPs in deprived areas are not getting the funding they need to tackle health inequalities, BBC Scotland has learned. | 34957653 |
The 19-year-old has appeared just twice for Premier League side Saints, having made his debut in last season's FA Cup fourth-round defeat by Crystal Palace.
The former England Under-17 striker, who has yet to feature in the first team in 2015-16, is eligible to play in Saturday's match against Millwall.
His arrival follows Thursday's sale of striker Ryan Colclough to Wigan.
Crewe stand second bottom of League One, seven points adrift of safety.
Crewe boss Steve Davis is still hopeful of bringing back former striker Ryan Lowe for a third spell at Gresty Road, before Monday night's transfer deadline.
The much-travelled Bury veteran, 37, who is just four short of 200 career goals with seven separate Football League clubs, spent two seasons with the Alex under Dario Gradi from 2006 to 2008.
He then scored twice in six games when he returned to Crewe on loan on 23 November, during which time the Alex recorded two of this season's meagre haul of five League One victories.
"If we can still do the one we want to do then we would," said Crewe boss Steve Davis. "I have spoken to them and we need a decision because we may have to look at alternatives if it can't be done.
"If we can find another one who can do a job for us then that is a possibility as well. We won't go out and find a replacement for Ryan Colclough but one or two new players would give us a lift."
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. | League One strugglers Crewe have signed Southampton forward Ryan Seager on a one-month youth loan. | 35446212 |
Scott Boden nodded the hosts in front on 35 minutes but Stewart Murdoch curled in a lovely equaliser early in the second half.
Simon Murray missed a glorious one-on-one chance for the Championship side.
However, the United striker slammed in the winning shoot-out penalty, with Greg Tansey and Ross Draper missing from the spot for the hosts.
United top Group C on seven points, one ahead of Dunfermline, who were 3-0 winners at Cowdenbeath.
Caley Thistle are now on four points and like the Pars have played a game less than the Tannadice team.
Richie Foran's side opened the scoring with a goal of real simplicity. Carl Tremarco took a throw-in near the corner flag, Gary Warren nodded on and Boden found space in the six yard box to head the ball home.
Before that Lewis Toshney was very unlucky for United, a late run to the back post was rewarded as he connected with Nick van der Velden's delivery but the ball clipped the crossbar and away.
United's response came immediately after half time, with Murray surging away on the right to find Blair Spittal, who laid the ball off to Murdoch and the midfielder curled a magnificent first time shot home.
Spittal tried for a quick-fire second but dragged a shot narrowly wide as United started the second period brilliantly.
Murray was then presented with a gift from Draper's loose pass on the edge of his penalty box. The striker dashed forward and clipped a shot beyond advancing keeper Cameron McKay but his effort slipped inches wide.
Boden went close to adding a second for the hosts before a Tansey free-kick was pushed away by Cammy Bell, who then saved Liam Polworth's low drive.
Neither side could find the winner with United slotting home all four of their spot-kicks to earn an extra point.
Match ends, Inverness CT 1(1), Dundee United 1(4).
Penalty Shootout ends, Inverness CT 1(1), Dundee United 1(4).
Goal! Inverness CT 1(1), Dundee United 1(4). Simon Murray (Dundee United) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
Penalty saved! Ross Draper (Inverness CT) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, right footed shot saved in the bottom left corner.
Goal! Inverness CT 1(1), Dundee United 1(3). Stewart Murdoch (Dundee United) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the centre of the goal.
Penalty saved! Greg Tansey (Inverness CT) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, right footed shot saved in the bottom right corner.
Goal! Inverness CT 1(1), Dundee United 1(2). Coll Donaldson (Dundee United) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
Goal! Inverness CT 1(1), Dundee United 1(1). Carl Tremarco (Inverness CT) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom left corner.
Goal! Inverness CT 1, Dundee United 1(1). Tope Obadeyi (Dundee United) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom left corner.
Penalty Shootout begins Inverness CT 1, Dundee United 1.
Second Half ends, Inverness CT 1, Dundee United 1.
Attempt missed. David Raven (Inverness CT) header from the centre of the box is too high.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Billy King (Inverness CT) because of an injury.
Attempt missed. Cameron Smith (Dundee United) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.
Attempt missed. Alex Fisher (Inverness CT) right footed shot from outside the box is too high.
Jake Mulraney (Inverness CT) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Sean Dillon (Dundee United).
Attempt missed. Tope Obadeyi (Dundee United) left footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right.
Greg Tansey (Inverness CT) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Tope Obadeyi (Dundee United).
Attempt blocked. Tope Obadeyi (Dundee United) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Corner, Inverness CT. Conceded by Mark Durnan.
Substitution, Inverness CT. Alex Fisher replaces Scott Boden.
Jake Mulraney (Inverness CT) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Henri Anier (Dundee United).
Henri Anier (Dundee United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Gary Warren (Inverness CT).
Attempt missed. Liam Polworth (Inverness CT) right footed shot from outside the box is too high.
Tope Obadeyi (Dundee United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Jake Mulraney (Inverness CT) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Tope Obadeyi (Dundee United).
Mark Durnan (Dundee United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Scott Boden (Inverness CT) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Mark Durnan (Dundee United).
Substitution, Dundee United. Henri Anier replaces Nick van der Velden.
Attempt saved. Liam Polworth (Inverness CT) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Attempt saved. Greg Tansey (Inverness CT) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Jake Mulraney (Inverness CT) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Coll Donaldson (Dundee United). | Dundee United earned a valuable League Cup bonus point after coming from behind to draw at Inverness CT. | 36813268 |
The event returns in July, headlined by opera singers Rebecca Evans and Dennis O'Neill, after concerns about its funding in recent years.
Owain Arwel Hughes said: "I'm a supreme optimist".
Meanwhile, Cardiff council said the future of St David's Hall could be decided "in the next couple of months".
Mr Hughes said: "I think everybody knows how I've had to battle to keep the proms going financially.
"Last year, thankfully, it proved successful. And with the support I've been given, I've been able to really develop the proms to present different forms of music that will appeal to all sorts of people.
"The arts and music in particular will never be safe, there's no guarantee. When there are financial problems everywhere, the arts are the first to get hit, that's the same as when I first started in this crazy business."
New sponsors, as well as the broadcaster Classic FM, are supporting this year's Welsh Proms, which will be held at St David's Hall in Cardiff from 16-23 July.
The Orchestra of Welsh National Opera and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic are among the performers, which will include several specially-commissioned works.
These will mark the centenaries of the battle of the Somme and Roald Dahl's birth and the 50th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster.
Meanwhile, Cardiff council hopes the future of St David's Hall will be sorted out in the wake of budget cutbacks.
In 2014 the council began searching for external operators to take over the running of St David's Hall and the New Theatre.
At the launch of the Welsh Proms, councillor Peter Bradbury said: "I'm hoping that in the next couple of months I will have a very positive announcement about the future of St David's Hall.
"I am determined that it will happen and it will mean these proms can be sustainable in the hall for well beyond the next 31 years, but for 50 or 60 years as well." | The musical director of the Welsh Proms has talked about his "battle" to keep it going, as the line-up was unveiled for its 31st season. | 36084591 |
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Argentina missed what would have been a match-winning penalty in stoppage time, sending the game into sudden death.
Tom Mitchell could then have won it for Britain, only for his penalty to rebound off the post, but Dan Bibby's try soon after secured victory.
They will face South Africa in the last four on Thursday.
"I thought that our Olympic dream was over, but luck was on our side," Bibby said.
"We have only been together for 10 weeks, and to fight out there on the field, no matter what nation you are from - England, Scotland or Wales - is what a true team is about."
Argentina came second in their pool during the group stages and many of their players were left in tears after the defeat.
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Fiji advanced to the semi-finals with a 12-7 victory over New Zealand, as they continued their search for a first ever Olympic medal.
It was New Zealand's second loss of the day after Great Britain defeated them 21-19 in the final group match.
Fiji will face surprise package Japan in the last four after their 12-7 win over France, while South Africa secured an emphatic 22-5 victory over Australia.
England's 2003 World Cup-winning coach Sir Clive Woodward
"The drama was amazing. I thought the Great Britain team handled the pressure really well. They really kept their nerve. The scenes at the end were just fantastic and this game will go down in the history of rugby sevens. It was that good."
England international James Haskell: "Yes the boys!!!! @TeamGB 7's pulling it out the bag. Dan Bibby take a bow. Unreal try-saving turnover from Davies in the first half."
Harlequins and England full-back Mike Brown: "What a game!! Well done @TeamGB brilliant #Rugby7s #Olympics"
Welsh rugby union referee Nigel Owens: "Never get excited over a game of rugby unless Wales or Pontyberem are playing lol. But was hiding behind the sofa for that one. Well done GB." | Great Britain's men advanced to the Olympic rugby sevens semi-finals after a dramatic 5-0 victory over Argentina in extra time. | 37040539 |
Both sides were reduced to 10 men in the second-half, with Blazej Augustyn then Cummings receiving second yellows.
The dismissals barely disrupted the tumult of the game, sprinkled with excellence from Hibs' John McGinn.
Hearts twice had cause to regret offside decisions, with Abiola Dauda and Juanma having goals disallowed.
Hearts were rattled before the game had even settled down to a frenetic nature. Hibs exploited the width of their wing-backs with David Gray sweeping a cross in from the right that Cummings stabbed high into the roof of the net from close range.
The goal generated a surge of enthusiasm in the home side, with Liam Henderson, McGinn, Cummings and Anthony Stokes all prominent in the final third. They often darted into space, further pulling the Hearts defenders out of position and causing a sense of alarm that stifled the visitors.
Hearts' passing was often awry in the opening half, as they bypassed the midfield to try to hit the forwards early. If there was symbolism to the game - beyond the relentless invention and running of McGinn - was the comparison between the quick, bright sharpness of Cummings and the languid play of Juanma, who spent more time expressing his angst to the officials.
John Beaton, the referee, was swamped with decisions to make, and most of them were shrewdly taken. He took a moment to communicate with his assistant referee before disallowing Hearts' equaliser after Abiola Dauda moved offside before heading in Callum Paterson's cross. Earlier in the game he also wasn't swayed when Darren McGregor fell in the penalty area as he challenged Augustyn for the ball.
By snapping into challenges and breaking upfield with intent, Hibs suppressed the visitors. They had to rely more on their defensive instincts in the second-half, as Hearts responded with some resilience of their own. Igor Rossi ought to have equalised when Paterson curled the ball deep towards the back post, but sent it instead into the side-netting.
Juanma - an infuriating figure throughout - missed from even closer range after Rossi's deep ball was sent across goal by Paterson, with the striker failing to connect inside the six yard box. Even when he did, from a similar move, he was judged to be offside.
The competitive nature of the game could never be quelled, although neither red card was the result of fouls. Augustyn received a second yellow for hurling the ball into the ground in frustrations, while Cummings received his second booking for kicking the ball away after it went out of play.
The game became frenetic again, with Hibs camped deep in their own half, but for all their pressing hearts could not create an opening.
Match ends, Hibernian 1, Heart of Midlothian 0.
Second Half ends, Hibernian 1, Heart of Midlothian 0.
Attempt missed. James Keatings (Hibernian) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left.
Abiola Dauda (Heart of Midlothian) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
John McGinn (Hibernian) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Abiola Dauda (Heart of Midlothian).
Corner, Hibernian. Conceded by Jordan McGhee.
Substitution, Hibernian. James Keatings replaces Anthony Stokes.
Attempt missed. Daniel Carmichael (Hibernian) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right.
Substitution, Hibernian. Martin Boyle replaces Liam Henderson.
Corner, Heart of Midlothian. Conceded by Darren McGregor.
Attempt missed. Anthony Stokes (Hibernian) header from the left side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the left.
Substitution, Heart of Midlothian. Dario Zanatta replaces Jamie Walker because of an injury.
Corner, Hibernian. Conceded by John Souttar.
Attempt missed. Abiola Dauda (Heart of Midlothian) header from the centre of the box is too high.
Corner, Heart of Midlothian. Conceded by Lewis Stevenson.
Attempt saved. Sam Nicholson (Heart of Midlothian) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Second yellow card to Jason Cummings (Hibernian).
Juanma (Heart of Midlothian) is shown the yellow card.
Substitution, Heart of Midlothian. John Souttar replaces Igor Rossi.
Second yellow card to Blazej Augustyn (Heart of Midlothian).
Paul Hanlon (Hibernian) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Juanma (Heart of Midlothian).
Corner, Heart of Midlothian. Conceded by David Gray.
Attempt saved. Jason Cummings (Hibernian) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Substitution, Hibernian. Daniel Carmichael replaces Kevin Thomson.
Marvin Bartley (Hibernian) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Abiola Dauda (Heart of Midlothian).
Mark Oxley (Hibernian) is shown the yellow card.
Corner, Heart of Midlothian. Conceded by Paul Hanlon.
Corner, Hibernian. Conceded by Callum Paterson.
Attempt blocked. Callum Paterson (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Paul Hanlon (Hibernian) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Paul Hanlon (Hibernian).
Callum Paterson (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Liam Henderson (Hibernian).
Don Cowie (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Liam Henderson (Hibernian).
Don Cowie (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Attempt missed. Abiola Dauda (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. | Jason Cummings' early goal was enough to win a frantic Edinburgh derby, sending Hibernian into the Scottish Cup quarter-final. | 35535920 |
The Gulls went down 1-0, having scored nine goals in their two previous games against high-flying Forest Green.
"They went away from the game plan and started going off script and they beat themselves," Nicholson said.
"I'm very disappointed with the application of the lads throughout the week and they owe the supporters and me a hell of a lot more."
The loss kept the Gulls in 17th place in the National League, just five points above the relegation places.
"They turned up to training on Wednesday looking like they've made it after two good performances and after a good run of form," Nicholson told BBC Radio Devon.
"But we are not good enough to turn up on a Saturday at 80%, we have to be at it. If we're at it we can beat anybody.
"But if we turn up thinking we've cracked it, that's what you get." | Torquay United manager Kevin Nicholson says his side's poor build-up was the reason they lost to Boreham Wood. | 38557884 |
With just 11 seconds on the clock Moore latched onto a Ellis Harrison knockdown and found the bottom corner for Rovers, who are four points outside the top six.
Billy Bodin thought he added a second on the 15-minute mark but the linesman judged the winger to be offside.
Wimbledon dominated possession for long stages but couldn't find an equaliser from a host of half chances.
Lyle Taylor proved Wimbledon's bright spark, first denied by Joe Lumley, before seeing his free-kick blocked and his header from the subsequent corner narrowly flew past the post.
Less than a minute into the second half Taylor drew another save from Lumley with a near-post flick.
The hosts dominated the second half but failed to find an equaliser with Taylor, Jonathan Tyrone Meades and Barnett all passing up half chances.
Report supplied by the Press Association.
Match ends, AFC Wimbledon 0, Bristol Rovers 1.
Second Half ends, AFC Wimbledon 0, Bristol Rovers 1.
Foul by David Fitzpatrick (AFC Wimbledon).
Lee Brown (Bristol Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Paul Robinson (AFC Wimbledon) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high.
Attempt blocked. Jake Reeves (AFC Wimbledon) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Ryan Sweeney (Bristol Rovers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Tyrone Barnett (AFC Wimbledon) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Ryan Sweeney (Bristol Rovers).
Foul by Will Nightingale (AFC Wimbledon).
Billy Bodin (Bristol Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Tyrone Barnett (AFC Wimbledon) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high.
Corner, AFC Wimbledon. Conceded by Tom Lockyer.
Foul by Jake Reeves (AFC Wimbledon).
Byron Moore (Bristol Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by George Francomb (AFC Wimbledon).
Byron Moore (Bristol Rovers) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Attempt missed. Tyrone Barnett (AFC Wimbledon) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.
Attempt missed. Darius Charles (AFC Wimbledon) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left.
Attempt missed. Darius Charles (AFC Wimbledon) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left.
Tyrone Barnett (AFC Wimbledon) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Lee Mansell (Bristol Rovers).
Substitution, AFC Wimbledon. Darius Charles replaces Dannie Bulman.
Substitution, Bristol Rovers. Luke James replaces Ellis Harrison.
Attempt missed. Lyle Taylor (AFC Wimbledon) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left.
Foul by David Fitzpatrick (AFC Wimbledon).
Lee Brown (Bristol Rovers) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Substitution, Bristol Rovers. Lee Mansell replaces Jake Clarke-Salter.
Corner, Bristol Rovers. Conceded by Will Nightingale.
Attempt saved. Billy Bodin (Bristol Rovers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Attempt missed. Lyle Taylor (AFC Wimbledon) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.
Corner, AFC Wimbledon. Conceded by Ryan Sweeney.
Attempt missed. Billy Bodin (Bristol Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.
Billy Bodin (Bristol Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Will Nightingale (AFC Wimbledon).
Substitution, AFC Wimbledon. David Fitzpatrick replaces Alfie Egan.
Foul by Dannie Bulman (AFC Wimbledon).
Stuart Sinclair (Bristol Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, AFC Wimbledon. Tyrone Barnett replaces Dominic Poleon.
George Francomb (AFC Wimbledon) wins a free kick on the right wing. | Byron Moore scored Bristol Rovers' quickest ever league goal as they beat AFC Wimbledon to keep their League One play-off hopes alive. | 39463235 |
Ann Diggles, 82, was trying to park her car when it hit Julie Dean, 53.
Mrs Diggles denied causing death by dangerous or careless driving, blaming a vehicle fault for the crash in Leyland, Lancashire.
The Japanese car maker said it had found no faults when it examined Mrs Diggles' car.
Ms Dean, who was stepping out of a charity shop at the time, was pronounced dead at the scene
Lawyers for the retired nurse said a malfunction in the automatic car's electronic throttle, caused by an undercharged battery, led to the vehicle surging forward of its own accord in an "uncommanded acceleration".
But prosecutors claimed Mrs Diggles mistakenly pressed the accelerator instead of the brake, which she denied.
During the trial, she said the car had "surged forward" as she put her foot "very gently" on the accelerator.
Amid coverage of the case, two women contacted the court to claim they had experienced "uncommanded acceleration" in their Nissan automatic cars.
They went on to give evidence for the defence, telling the jury they believed the vehicles sped forward without them touching the accelerator.
Mrs Diggles, of Dalehead Road, Leyland, sat in the dock in tears after the jury cleared her.
In a statement, Nissan said: "The vehicle in this case was examined by Nissan and by the police. At no point was any fault found with the vehicle which could have caused this accident."
"The Qashqai has an exemplary safety record, and has been tested and complies with all safety regulations in all markets." | A driver who told a court her Nissan Qashqai "took off" and sped out control before hitting a pedestrian has been cleared of causing a fatal crash. | 38897681 |
Bob Wellington said budget cuts in the past five years had been "horrendous".
He reserved his criticism for the UK government, saying the Welsh Government was "restrained" in what it could give councils.
The Labour councillor will stand down as Torfaen council leader next month.
Mr Wellington is Wales' longest serving council leader, having served for 13 years. When he leave his post, he will also stand down as leader of the Welsh Local Government Association.
Councils are set to get their first cash increase since 2013-14 in the funding they get from the Welsh Government next March.
However, once inflation is taken into account, the overall £4.1bn funding pot amounts to a real-term cut compared to the year before.
The Welsh Government gets most of its money for councils from the UK government through a block grant.
Asked what he thought the state of local government would look like in 10 years, Mr Wellington, who represents the Greenmeadow ward in Cwmbran, said: "The way we are going there won't be such a thing."
"There needs to be a change of heart on a national level, and if there isn't there will be local authorities in Wales that will go to the wall," he said.
"If we continue to have these cuts on a continual basis there will be serious problems stacking up in Wales," he said.
"I lay the blame on the national [UK] government with an austerity programme that's being passed down to the assembly.
"They are having difficulty and they are obviously restrained in terms of what they can give local government."
Mr Wellington added: "The last five years have been horrendous, not only for me but for all leaders of all local authorities in Wales."
Last month, Finance and Local Government Secretary Mark Drakeford said no council would "have to manage on less than 99.5% of the cash provided to them last year".
"When added to the other sources of income available to them, many councils will be able to increase their spending next year," he said. | Councils in Wales will "go to the wall" if there is no change of heart on austerity, the outgoing leader of the Welsh Local Government Association has said. | 38143635 |
The boy was hit on Dickson Road at about 19:35 BST on Wednesday night.
The precise circumstances have not been revealed, but Lancashire Constabulary said the boy was believed to have suffered minor injuries.
The force added it was not necessary for the Independent Police Complaints Commission to be informed. | A nine-year-old boy was struck and injured by a police vehicle in Blackpool. | 37183162 |
Ashleigh Surgery in Cardigan received no applications over a seven-month period for a new GP to take over.
The current GPs were due to retire in January 2017, with notice on the practice's contract having been handed to Hywel Dda University Health Board.
But on Wednesday, the surgery posted on its Facebook page that it had withdrawn that resignation.
The surgery said it was "relieved" the health board had accepted that withdrawal after one of the GPs decided stay on beyond retirement, with a long-term locum secured for the "foreseeable future".
"This will ensure we have a period of stability to allow us to continue recruiting and to attract incoming practitioners," the statement said.
The health board has been asked to comment.
In July, 150 concerned patients attended a meeting over the future of the surgery. | A Ceredigion surgery serving 4,500 patients which had been under threat of closure has said it will remain open. | 37175100 |
"There's a couple of times when I haven't been [happy to get the call]. Or when I've been busy so I haven't been able to do it," he said.
The 62-year-old has played Nick Cotton on the BBC Once show since 1985.
"Suddenly they'll phone out the blue because they have an idea," he added.
Producers have written Nick Cotton out of the soap on six separate occasions. His longest gap was between 2009 and 2014.
Storylines to explain his absence include him being on the run, going to jail and even being killed.
Earlier this year an Eastenders storyline saw Nick Cotton being buried.
However he made his on-screen return last month after the revelation that he'd faked his death to avoid paying a debt.
"I think June Brown, bless her soul she plays Dot, has campaigned for me to come back because she misses having her family around," he added.
Currently his character can be found hiding in Dot's spare room although he's offered to leave the Square, again, if his mum comes up with enough money.
"Coming back, it's always usually exciting for me as an actor.
"They usually give me some really good serious dramatic things to do," he explained.
EastEnders will be hoping for a large share of the audience with its annual Christmas Day special.
As well as Nick Cotton's latest comeback coming to an end, viewers will also see Mick Carter, played by Danny Dyer, find out the true extent of his family's lies.
Next year the soap will also conclude its Who killed Lucy Beale? storyline.
The killer will be revealed in a live episode of the show to mark its 30th anniversary.
Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube | EastEnders actor John Altman has admitted that the phone call asking him to return to the soap hasn't always been a welcome one. | 30592195 |
Not Mette Lykke, chief executive of sports tracking app firm Endomondo.
Ms Lykke and her two co-founders had all worked for the prestigious US consultancy McKinsey.
But in 2007, they held their breath and jumped ship together to try to create something for themselves.
Luckily, the first idea they chose to pursue became a global winner. After seven years, the app they created has 25 million users.
And Endomondo has moved into profit - providing employment for 32 people in a historic canal-side warehouse in Copenhagen.
At last it is payback time for the founders, who lived on their savings and bank borrowings for the first 18 months, but were later assisted by local angel investors and Danish venture capital fund SEED Capital.
The Endomondo app is downloaded from Android, Apple and other app stores and enables fitness fans to track their progress, share statistics and compete with their friends.
It works with numerous sports including running, cycling, walking, rowing and swimming.
"Initially it was just going to be a website," recalls Ms Lykke. "But we quickly realised we needed to create something super-useful. Nokia were the first to include GPS on their phones, and we realised a downloadable app was the answer."
The team found a developer who produced a first version of the app in exchange for a share in the company.
"It was more of a brainstorm. We thought, 'Wouldn't it be cool if it could do this?' We came up with features and somebody started hacking away."
New versions and features rapidly followed.
Denmark is a small country. So with an eye to export markets, the app was in English from the start. The first five years were all about trying to achieve scale and loyalty by promoting the free app and its features.
The team would turn up at running events, displaying Endomondo's capabilities on a big screen.
An initial goal was to get 100,000 users on board, but it was hard going. As Ms Lykke recalls, some days, nobody signed up at all.
Getting onto the BlackBerry app store was a definite breakthrough, though Ms Lykke is loath to identify any single tipping point.
It is only recently that the firm has started to focus on charging for premium services. For a monthly subscription you can get extra motivating features, such as a personal training plan, while employee fitness plans are available for businesses.
Now the firm is considering new innovations.
Talking to Ms Lykke, it is clear that the team's McKinsey training helped shape the rigour of Endomondo's development programme.
McKinsey graduates are steeped in time-honoured techniques to assess and monitor business decisions.
Yet what they did not know in the firm's formative years was that at least two other rival outfits in different parts of the world were also working on similar sports apps.
Each seemingly only found out about the other as they became successful and got Apple and Android listings.
So to remain a market leader, Endomondo is having to box clever.
It is trying to engender loyalty on two fronts. Firstly, it claims its feedback is more sensitive to an individual's performance and capability.
Secondly, Endomondo's app offers a strong social element by allowing users to race friends, compare performance and encourage their peers when they are flagging.
Endomondo
Read more: New Entrepreneurs
"Interaction with friends and spouse is very motivating, it shouldn't just be about bragging to your friends on Facebook. You are likely to be where your friends are, so once you are with us, you will stay with us," says Ms Lykke.
For Ms Lykke and her co-founders, the rewards to date are less than they could have earned had they all stayed with McKinsey. But the gradual realisation of their shared vision has driven them all on.
"We always had the feeling we were on the right track. Though it was probably a good thing that we didn't know we would be without salaries for 18 months."
Endomondo is certainly out of its start-up phase and Ms Lykke freely admits she is having to adapt as a manager and needs to hone her ability to motivate others.
But all of the team say that the best reward remains the constant feedback they get from users, some of whom say improving their fitness has helped them through illness or changed their whole lives for the better. | Many people with great jobs talk about giving it all up and starting up on their own, but often do not have the nerve to take the plunge. | 28082782 |
From next year the airline said there will be a "small increase" in the number of seats on its Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft.
Reports suggest that this will amount to two extra rows, or 12 seats in total.
That will reduce average leg room for passengers by 1 inch per seat, to just 29 inches.
That amount of space will be the same as Easyjet planes, but one inch less than on Ryanair aircraft.
A BA spokesperson said the move would help to keep fares low.
Simon Calder, travel editor of the Independent, told the BBC the increase would bring the number of seats on BA planes to 180. That is the same as the total on Aer Lingus, Iberia and Vueling, which are also owned by BA's parent company IAG.
Airbus planes operated by Easyjet already have 180 seats, but that number will soon rise by six, while Ryanair will squeeze another eight seats on its planes, Mr Calder added.
Last November BA said it would increase the number of economy seats on its long-haul Boeing 777 aircraft by almost a fifth, from 280 to 332.
That means each row in economy class will have 10 seats rather than nine.
BA has 68 A320 planes in its fleet, along with 18 of the larger A321s aircraft. | British Airways plans to squeeze in more passengers on some planes it flies to European cities. | 39184179 |
Al-Amin, 26, was dropped for the Tigers' recent 2-1 ODI series win at home to Afghanistan.
Fellow seamer Taskin Ahmed, who returned to international cricket in September after having his bowling action cleared, has also been included.
England's only one-day warm-up game is on Monday, before Friday's first ODI.
Left-arm spinner Mosharraf Hossain, who made his first one-day appearance in eight years against Afghanistan, has retained his place in the Bangladesh squad.
Mosharraf, 34, finished with figures of 3-24 in the final ODI against Afghanistan, which Bangladesh won by 141 runs.
England take on a Bangladesh Cricket Board Select XI in Fatullah on Monday, before moving to Mirpur for the first and second ODIs, with the third in Chittagong.
Bangladesh ODI squad: Mashrafe Mortaza (captain), Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Mosaddek Hossain, Mahmudullah, Nasir Hossain, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Sabbir Rahman, Shafiul Islam, Mosharraf Hossain, Al-Amin Hossain, Taskin Ahmed. | Bangladesh have recalled fast bowler Al-Amin Hossain for the first two of their three one-day internationals against England. | 37535340 |
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23 April 2015 Last updated at 17:52 BST
The Conservative Party leader added that he "profoundly disagreed" with DUP policy on the subject but refused to rule out a coalition with DUP MPs.
He made his remarks during Radio 1 Newsbeat's Live Lounge leader debate.
The DUP, which opposes gay marriage, said the party had already ruled out being part of a coalition government. | David Cameron has said he "will never validate" the Democratic Unionist Party's stance on lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) issues. | 32438752 |
Rothley Post Office, which villagers said was due to close in four days, was targeted at about 03:40 GMT on Tuesday.
Leicestershire Police said a forklift-type vehicle - believed to have been stolen from a nearby building site - was used to smash the shop.
The suspects then made off with the machine in another vehicle.
This vehicle was later found burned in a field in Belton, Rutland.
Updates on this story and more from Leicestershire
Commenting on the raid, a local coffee shop tweeted there were "unbelievable scenes" in the village, north of Leicester, saying the post office had been "gutted".
Police are appealing for witnesses. | A post office has been left "gutted" after a cash machine containing up to £30,000 was torn out of the shop front during a ram-raid. | 38567796 |
The 24-year-old, who moved to Turf Moor from Brentford in August 2015 for £6m, has scored 24 goals in 39 league games this season.
Gillingham midfielder Bradley Dack, 22, and Oxford United's Kemar Roofe, 23, won the respective League One and League Two awards in Manchester.
Leeds midfielder Lewis Cook, 19, was voted Young Player of the Year.
Sheffield Wednesday forward Marco Matias won the prize for goal of the year for his strike against Leeds United.
Twenty-two of Gray's goals this season have come for the Clarets, the latest being the winner at Birmingham on Saturday to move his side up to second in the Championship.
Gray beat Brentford's Alan Judge and Fulham's Ross McCormack to claim the award after a vote by club managers.
"I'm learning every day but I have got more to learn and hopefully I can continue to do so," said Gray.
"I've probably exceeded a few people's expectations but the expectation that I have now is to help Burnley get promoted."
Former Chesterfield, Southampton, Blackburn, Bolton and Preston striker Kevin Davies picked up the Sir Tom Finney Award.
The honour, named after ex-England and Preston forward Finney, is given by the Football League 'to a player who has had an outstanding career in its competitions'. | Burnley striker Andre Gray has been named Championship Player of the Year at The Football League Awards. | 36069123 |
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The Wales forward came off the bench after 77 minutes in Saturday's 4-1 win over Juventus in Cardiff as Real Madrid secured a third title in four seasons.
The 27-year-old, who signed a deal until 2022 in October, has been linked with a move away from the Bernabeu.
"We are winning trophies and I am happy. I have signed a long-term contract at Madrid," said Bale.
"My family is happy and I am happy, so yes we will continue what we are doing."
The former Tottenham player joined Real in 2013 for a then world record fee of £85m.
"It's the reason why I came to Real Madrid - to win trophies. We're enjoying winning them at the moment, so we'll continue to do so," Bale added.
"Three Champions Leagues in four seasons isn't too bad.
"I think we can get better. We are still quite young as a whole team and we have a great squad."
Bale was determined to play in the final in his home city despite still being troubled by an ankle injury.
He had surgery in November and suggested that without the Cardiff final in his sights he may have opted for a second operation.
"It's been difficult with my ankle this year," Bale said.
"I obviously came back way too early from my surgery and I suffered a bit.
"We were considering more at one point, but I've worked tirelessly hard to get back and to get ready for this game.
"I need to go on holiday and rest, and come back stronger next season - mainly for my ankle just to get it properly recovered.
"Then I'll obviously do some work in the off-season to get it stronger and ready for next season so I'll be firing on all cylinders."
Bale replaced Karim Benzema with Real leading 3-1 thanks to two Ronaldo goals and a long-range strike from Casemiro.
"I was just happy to get on for the last few minutes," Bale said.
"We just had to go for it. It's always cagey in a final but we're happy with the win.
"To play a final in your home city is incredible, but to win it is even better, a great experience.
"Cardiff has held an incredible event and we've literally not had a problem since we've been here; it's been immaculate.
"I don't think many players have won the Champions League in their home city where they were born, so it's a great memory to have."
Bale became the sixth player to lift the Champions League or European Cup in their home town, and the first since Nicolas Anelka with Real in 2000 in Paris.
The others are Angelo di Livio (Rome 1996), Alex Stepney (London 1968), and Miguel Munoz and Enrique Mateos (both Madrid 1957).
Bale also became the first Welshman to win the trophy three times - he also won it with Real last season and in 2014 - edging ahead of Ian Rush, Ryan Giggs and Joey Jones.
Bale is suspended for Wales' World Cup qualifier in Serbia on 11 June and will rest over the summer in a bid to regain full fitness, having also suffered calf problems along with his ankle injury.
"It's very disappointing to be honest, but I'll be cheering on the boys," Bale added.
"We always stick together, work as a team. We're never scared to battle and fight." | Gareth Bale says he is happy at Real Madrid and has committed his future to the Champions League winners. | 40149887 |
The government has also frozen their bank accounts and revoked the work permits of foreign employees.
The move follows a heated debate in Kenya over a controversial new security bill aimed at fighting militants.
The al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab group has been increasingly targeting Kenya for attack.
The organisations had been deregistered because of their failure to submit financial records, said Henry Ochido, the deputy head of the government-appointed NGO Co-ordination Board, which oversees their activities.
Fifteen are suspected of money-laundering and financing "terrorism", Mr Ochido told the BBC.
Some of them were linked to the 1998 twin bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and neighbouring Tanzania, he added.
Mr Ochido declined to name the organisations, saying investigations were ongoing.
The board acted against them to help "safeguard" Kenya's security following information supplied by intelligence agencies, he said.
The decision to target more than 500 organisations is bound to cause an uproar in Kenya, where many fear that the government is using the threat posed by al-Shabab to curb democratic freedoms, reports the BBC's Wanyama Chebusiri from the capital, Nairobi.
Many of them appear to be aid agencies and charities which failed to provide financial audit returns, AFP news agency reports.
Several of them seem to be Christian organisations, orphanages or groups working in the areas of health and development, it adds.
"The NGOs with accounting issues can only be allowed to operate if they successfully go through a thorough vetting process. Otherwise, they will remain deregistered indefinitely," Fazul Mahamed, the executive director of the board, is quoted by Kenya's privately owned Standard newspaper as saying.
International medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) is on a separate list of 12 organisations which has been given 21 days to submit audited financial statements, correspondents say.
MSF said in response that it had complied with all "reporting obligations" and it was in contact with the board "to clear up any misunderstanding".
Last week, Kenya's parliament passed a bill which gave security and intelligence agencies wide-ranging powers, including:
Al-Shabab has killed 64 people in two attacks in the north-eastern Mandera region since last month.
Non-Muslims were singled out and shot dead in an attack on quarry workers and bus commuters.
Last year, 67 people were killed when four gunmen took over the Westgate shopping centre in Nairobi.
Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta has said the government will not "flinch" in the campaign to defeat the militants. | Kenya has deregistered 510 non-governmental organisations (NGOs), including 15 accused of links with terrorism, an official has said. | 30494259 |
Nick Alexander, 35, from Weeley, Essex, was killed on 13 November, 2015, at the Bataclan nightclub in Paris.
His older sister Zoe said: "It was a very public breaking news event and we knew he was there."
Three gunmen wearing suicide vests were part of co-ordinated attacks around Paris that killed 130 people.
In their first media interview since the attacks, Mr Alexander's mother Sheelagh and sister Zoe said Mr Alexander's was a "short life but twice as full as most people's lives".
He was selling band merchandise for Eagles of Death Metal, who were performing at the nightclub, when he was killed.
As soon as the family realised what was happening in Paris, the family sat "and waited for news".
"The way the world is now with social media, things do not stay hidden for very long.
"It was a very real-time experience."
But while some families are left searching for answers after the death of a loved one, the Alexanders say they were able to find out what happened to Mr Alexander because his friend Helen Wilson was with him at the time and survived.
Sheelagh Alexander said: "We have been able to know exactly what happened rather than having that unknown feeling of 'I wonder how he was or I wonder if he was afraid'.
"That has been a huge comfort to know that he was loved from the moment he arrived on this planet and when he left it."
The family have organised a concert called Peaceful Noise at Shepherd's Bush Empire on 15 November that will feature artists such as Frank Turner and Gaz Coombes.
"We have to keep moving and are trying to do that with a positive view for the future and to continue with the values that he had," Mrs Alexander said. | The family of the only British victim of the Paris nightclub attack a year ago have told of seeing the terror incident unfold in "real time". | 37878586 |
The claims against the publisher of the Daily and Sunday Mirror and the People were filed at the High Court on Monday.
Mr Eriksson's claim relates to a time when Piers Morgan edited the Daily Mirror. Mr Morgan denies phone hacking.
Trinity Mirror, which owns Mirror Group, declined to comment. Meanwhile, shares in Trinity Mirror fell by 12.5%.
The three other claimants are Coronation Street actress Shobna Gulati, who plays Sunita Alahan; Abbie Gibson, a former nanny for the Beckham family; and Garry Flitcroft, the former captain of Blackburn Rovers football team.
However, a spokesman for the Mirror Group said it was "unaware" action had been taken at the High Court.
Until now, the UK phone-hacking scandal has centred on Rupert Murdoch's News International and its now closed News of the World newspaper.
This is the first legal action in the scandal against another newspaper group.
BBC legal correspondent Clive Coleman says if there is any substance to the claims then it would be a major development.
He says the claims are similar in type to those brought against News International.
So far, more than 200 people have brought civil claims against that company, with 155 currently before the High Court. About 60 have already been settled.
Our correspondent says that the claim from Mr Eriksson, who was England manager between 2000 and 2006 and later managed Manchester City and Leicester City, is said to relate to a time when Mr Morgan was the editor of the Daily Mirror. He was editor between 1995 and 2004.
Mr Morgan, who is now a chat show host for US broadcaster CNN, was questioned about phone hacking during his appearance at the Leveson Inquiry, the independent probe set up by the government into the phone-hacking scandal.
During his appearance, he repeated his denials of any knowledge or involvement in the illegal practice.
Our correspondent says civil cases have been absolutely critical to "cracking open the entire story" of phone hacking after the criminal justice system had "effectively shut down" when private investigator Glenn Mulcaire and ex-News of the World royal editor Clive Goodman were jailed for hacking in 2007.
The civil cases forced parties to disclose evidence that "blew away" News International's claim that the practice was down to one rogue reporter, resulting in the reopening of the Met Police investigation into hacking and later the initiation of the Leveson Inquiry.
Mark Lewis, solicitor for the claimants, told the BBC that he would not be revealing what level of financial compensation his clients were seeking. | Ex-England football manager Sven-Goran Eriksson is among four people taking legal action against Mirror Group Newspapers for alleged phone hacking. | 20036822 |
NHS trusts are required to screen 90% of hospital patients.
But fewer than half manage this says the NHS, which warns 25,000 people die each year from hospital-acquired DVT.
One assessed just one in four patients and another barely one in 10. Sir Bruce said this was "absolutely disgraceful".
"In the sort of NHS that I want to work in and be treated in, I don't think that level of practice is acceptable."
DVT involves blood clotting in the legs and can be fatal if a clot breaks off and travels in the blood up to the lungs and causes a blockage, known as a pulmonary embolism.
Since April 2010, trusts in England have faced losing up to 0.3% of their income for failing to meet the guidelines. Some have already lost money. And there will continue to be financial consequences for trusts who do not meet the target, Sir Bruce Keogh told BBC Radio 4's Face the Facts.
He also says he will name the worst performers if they continue to do badly.
Giselle Dye's mother Giska was admitted to Worthing Hospital in Sussex in January following a fall and with suspected internal bleeding. She was not assessed for DVT, which killed her.
"To my mind it's such a simple procedure they should be able to get this right," said Giselle. "If they had done the risk assessment they might have been able to make sure my mother's legs were elevated."
"My mother was left sitting in a chair. The carer took a photograph the day before she died and her legs from the knee down were dark purple. Your legs don't go dark purple unless you have been sitting for a very long time without moving."
Western Sussex Hospitals Trust, which runs Worthing Hospital, has apologised for not assessing Mrs Dye and for other shortcomings in the care provided.
But director of nursing and patient safety Cathy Stone said: "I am unable to talk directly about Mrs Dye's case but it is important to remember that treatment for VTE (vein thromboembolism) is not always appropriate."
The trust is now assessing 93% of patients and is aiming higher.
Risk factors for DVT include being immobile or bed-ridden for a long time and undergoing extensive surgery.
Preventative measures include blood-thinning drugs and compression stockings. But medication may not be appropriate in cases of internal bleeding or poor circulation.
Keeping patients mobile and hydrated is also important.
"Preventative treatment does reduce almost to zero the incidence of DVT," said John Black, the outgoing president of the Royal College of Surgeons.
"This is the number one clinical priority for me and my colleagues," said Sir Bruce.
"Some 25,000 people die a year from something that is preventable. The same sort of number which die from stroke and other major conditions which are far less preventable.
"Of course this is fairly early on in this initiative but we need to be firm about those that are failing to improve."
Radio 4's Face the Facts investigates DVT screening at 1230 BST on Wednesday 13 July, repeated at 2100 BST on Sunday 17 July, in the first of a new series of investigations. | English hospitals face being "named and shamed" for not screening patients for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) risk, NHS medical director Sir Bruce Keogh has said. | 14124441 |
The visitors closed on 293-9 at the end of day three, with a lead of 260.
Jacques Rudolph's wait for a first Championship hundred in 2016 continued as he chopped onto his stumps for 56.
Earlier, Essex had been bowled out for 319, with Craig Meschede (5-84) taking his first five-wicket haul in the Championship this season.
The home side secured promotion and the second-tier title by passing 250 in their first innings, thanks largely to a century from captain Ryan ten Doeschate, who added eight to his overnight score before falling for 117.
With the ball, Ten Doeschate (2-20) removed both Rudolph and Bragg (54) in his first over, the latter having passed 1,000 Championship runs for the season, after the pair had shared a second-wicket stand of 89.
Glamorgan lost six wickets for 36 runs but Mark Wallace (75 not out) and Timm van der Gugten (32) helped push their advantage above 250.
Glamorgan batsman Will Bragg told BBC Wales Sport:
"The four-day game can ebb and flow, but Wally (Mark Wallace) showed some great resilience and put us in a competitive position going into the last day.
"I find it's hard to be consistent in a long season so it's pleasing from that point of view (to reach 1,000), I find more consistency batting at three.
"I've felt like I haven't given my wicket away much at all this year which is pleasing.
"From a team point of view it's been disappointing but there are positive signs with the youngsters coming through and we've a lot to build upon." | Division Two champions Essex will need to chase a sizeable target on the final day to beat Glamorgan at Chelmsford. | 37359744 |
The German chancellor joined Instagram in early June and has posted more than 50 pictures to the account.
Many of the pictures have attracted comments in Russian criticising her and praising Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
It is not clear whether the comments are a co-ordinated campaign or just the work of a few activists.
The flood of comments began soon after Mrs Merkel set up the account. The first picture shared via the @bundeskanzlerin account showed the chancellor and her aides preparing for a European Council meeting.
Comments left in Cyrillic or by people with Russian-sounding account names said the image resembled Hitler in his bunker during the closing days of World War Two. Others warned that Russians would "soon be in Berlin again".
Since then, almost every image posted by Mrs Merkel's office of her in meetings and summits has attracted comments in Russian criticising her and her policies. An image of the chancellor talking to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko won many abusive comments.
The only positive comments in Russian were added to an image featuring Russian President Vladimir Putin. People leaving comments called him a "great man" and the "best president".
Staff in Mrs Merkel's office have been deleting comments but some remain despite the purge. Many people re-posted their comments once the originals were removed.
The deluge of comments comes soon after Radio Free Europe and the New York Times revealed that Russia has created at least one "troll factory" that employs people to push pro-Kremlin propaganda and hoaxes via social media in Russia and elsewhere. Some of the 400 or so people employed at the agency also attack people critical of the Russian government. | Russian trolls are targeting Angela Merkel's newly created Instagram account with hostile and critical comments. | 33048941 |
Timothy Pearce-Slade, of Bellerbys College, Cambridge, admitted kissing the girl in a "non-consensual" way, a National College for Teaching and Leadership disciplinary panel heard.
He has been banned from working in schools indefinitely.
The panel also considered allegations Pearce-Slade touched students from 2006 to 2012, but found them not proven.
Between September 2003 and January 2004, the panel heard, Pearce-Slade, 64, would often walk the teenager, named as Student A, home from school and kiss her cheek in parting.
On 5 January 2004, the teacher, who taught physiology and cell biology, offered to walk the pupil home after she had been feeling unwell.
When they arrived at her home, Pearce-Slade said to her: "I am going to give you a kiss on the lips".
Student A protested and tried to move her face, the panel heard, but Pearce-Slade held her shoulders and said words to the effect of "don't be silly".
He admitted the contact had been non-consensual and the panel concluded his actions were sexually motivated.
In a statement, Pearce-Slade said he allowed himself to get unprofessionally close to Student A and admitted he went a "step too far".
Following the allegations, independent Bellerbys College, which caters to pupils aged 15 to 21, dismissed him last July. | A biology teacher who kissed a student on the lips and cheek in a "sexually motivated" manner has been struck off. | 32403352 |
Shelter Scotland said a "chronic" shortage of affordable social housing was the root cause of the problem.
It called on the Scottish government to build at least 10,000 new social homes each year and begin to reduce long council house waiting lists.
The Scottish government said it was making "substantial progress" to tackle homelessness.
Shelter Scotland has launched its Christmas 2014 appeal.
Last month it released analysis of official figures which, it claimed, showed the number of children living in temporary accommodation across Britain was at a three-year high.
To launch its festive appeal, campaigners, MSPs and primary school pupils joined together to decorate a tree with little red houses to highlight the issue.
Shelter Scotland director, Graeme Brown said: "It's completely unacceptable that in the 21st century 4,228 children in Scotland will spend this Christmas homeless.
"That's enough to fill the Scottish parliament chamber 32 times over and equivalent to more than two homeless children for every primary school in Scotland."
Mr Brown added: "The temporary accommodation they are forced to live in is often poor quality housing where they can spend months or even years waiting for a home of their own.
"We need to see 10,000 new social homes built each year to tackle Scotland's housing crisis. That way, we can work towards a future where no child has to wake up on Christmas morning, or any other morning, in such awful circumstances."
The Scottish government said it was investing more than £1.7bn to deliver its target of 30,000 affordable homes during the lifetime of this parliament, it was working with local authorities to build record numbers of council houses, and had abolished the Right to Buy.
Housing Minister Margaret Burgess said: "Across Scotland we are making substantial progress tackling homelessness, with fewer households with children living in temporary accommodation in recent years.
"The vast majority of those children live in good quality, well managed social housing and will be waiting to move into more settled accommodation.
"If Shelter is aware of any substandard temporary accommodation, I would ask them to present evidence to the Scottish Housing Regulator." | More than 4,000 children will be homeless in Scotland over Christmas, according to a housing charity. | 30290400 |
The first inner circle trains departed St Enoch and Ibrox at 06:32.
Services were suspended on 2 July and had been due to reopen on 1 August.
Subway operator Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) apologised for the delay which was caused by flooding and the work taking longer than expected.
SPT Chief Executive Gordon Maclennan said: "The Subway is a vital part of the Glasgow transport network and many passengers rely on it daily to get around.
"We are very grateful for their patience and support while the works have been on-going.
"There has been a mammoth effort by our team for the return to service including an exhaustive testing and clean-up operation of our entire system to ensure we provide passengers with a safe and reliable service."
The closure enabled essential renewal work in the ramps and turnouts section of the tunnels where the trains enter and exit the Subway system.
Other work included completion of the Subway station improvements at Buchanan Street and Govan. | Glasgow's Subway system has reopened - more than a week later than planned following a month-long closure for modernisation works. | 37025050 |
Thorpe Park had offered a 12p entry price to a limited number of people who logged into its site at 10:00 GMT on Good Friday using a promotional code.
Hundreds of people complained on social media that they were met with a sold out message at the stroke of 10:00 GMT.
The Surrey attraction said technical difficulties were to blame.
It confirmed later that all 1,871 discounted tickets were sold by 10:00 GMT.
Emma Elms described the situation as an "absolute joke" on the theme park's Facebook site.
"I uploaded my details at 09:59 to be told they had sold out, absolute joke, if you are going to advertise tickets at a selling time of 10am you should at least stick to that," she said.
Another unhappy customer, Rachel Rose, said the website displayed the sold out sign at 09.57 GMT and she was "absolutely fuming".
"Why advertise a selling time of 10am if all of them are sold out prior to that? So disappointed with Thorpe Park today - good luck to you on all of the phone calls and emails you will be receiving from unhappy customers."
Thorpe Park later tweeted: "Due to tech difficulties our sale went live a few minutes sooner than anticipated.
"Sorry for any inconvenience caused."
The theme park also posted: "We understand everyone's frustration with our technical difficulties today. We are replying to all tweets and thank you for your patience."
Some customers who got one of the 12p tickets also took to Twitter to boast of their success.
Entry to the attraction in Chertsey usually costs from £27.99 per person online.
In a statement, Thorpe Park said the ticket discount was organised to celebrate the arrival of its new ride Derren Brown's Ghost.
"A problem with an increase in the bandwidth to the website meant the sale went live "two-three minutes earlier than expected.
"All tickets were sold and email confirmations sent to the winners of the 1,871 tickets by 10am.
"Sorry to those that were unsuccessful, and congratulations to those who secured a 12p ticket." | A theme park has had to apologise to disappointed customers after heavily discounted bank holiday tickets went on sale sooner than advertised. | 35898764 |
The 20-year-old had fallen at Cavehill Country Park, Belfast, on Tuesday.
David McCrum and Richard Lamont raised the alarm after finding a handbag the next day.
"She was in a hole which, I imagine, saved her life as that kept her from going into hypothermia," said Mr McCrum.
The Queen's University student told the joggers she had been there since about 15:00 GMT on Tuesday.
"She said a gust of wind took her," Mr McCrum said.
"The cold air was passing over the top, she was a very lucky girl."
Mr McCrum said he and his friend found a handbag during an early morning jog and, after returning to the scene, discovered a coat and a hat, which made them increasingly concerned.
"I looked down to see roughly where she fell and I heard a voice saying 'hello'," he added.
"I came across her and couldn't believe it.
"I was amazed, it was unbelievable."
Mr McCrum said he talked to the woman about her family to keep her mind focused.
"I had a connection there, whenever I was looking at her face and into her eyes - looking at someone that was gripping to life," he said.
"It was touching, all sorts of emotions were going through my head."
The woman was taken from the mountain by helicopter on Wednesday and is now in a stable condition in hospital. | Two joggers who helped rescue a German student who lay for 25 hours at the bottom of a cliff have said she is lucky to be alive. | 38089933 |
Five people, including a four-year-old boy, were inside the house in Harefield Road, Speke, Liverpool, at about 19:35 GMT, the time of the shooting.
A 22-year-old man was injured in his torso by a "shotgun discharge" fired through the window, police said.
A woman, aged 21, and another man, 29, were hurt by the glass. Police said the property was "mistakenly targeted".
The woman, who suffered facial injuries, and the 29-year-old, who was grazed on the arm, have been discharged from hospital.
The 22-year-old was left with pellet wounds in his torso and remains in hospital.
Police believe the shooters left the scene in a stolen black Volvo that was found burnt out less than a mile away in Rycot Road at about 04:50.
Officers have spoken to witnesses and CCTV footage is being sought.
Supt Matt Boyle said: "Three people received injuries as a result of this attack, but it could so easily have been more and among those inside the house, but thankfully unhurt, was a four-year-old boy.
"I am sure the community will share our shock and distress at the fact that people could be shot as they sit in a living room." | Two men and a woman have been injured after a shotgun was fired at a living room on Boxing Day. | 38442864 |
The Rhondda Tunnel Society wants the Blaencwm tunnel, in Rhondda Cynon Taff, to Blaengwynfi, in Neath Port Talbot, to be used by cyclists and walkers.
But Highways England, which currently maintains it, said the Welsh government had yet to request its transfer.
The Welsh government said it must first consider the tunnel's "liabilities".
A feasibility study into the re-opening of the tunnel was commissioned by the Welsh government last year.
But Highways England said it had "made it clear" the two-mile (3km) tunnel's ownership needed to be "formally transferred" to a statutory body, such as the Welsh government, before the project could go ahead.
"As yet, there has been no such approach," it said, in a letter to Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood.
Steve Mackey, chairman of the Rhondda Tunnel Society, said: "This is dreadful as the society has moved mountains in the last 16 months to be confronted by this shambles."
The group would like to turn the route - Wales' longest disused tunnel - into an attraction, with hotels, bike hire, cafes, a museum and a restaurant.
Ms Wood, who is a member of the society, said she was "incensed" the project had lost momentum.
The Welsh government said it was working with Highways England to establish the implications of any transfer.
A spokeswoman said: "Before proceeding with a transfer of the Rhondda Tunnel into our ownership it is important we first consider the legal, financial, safety and environmental liabilities associated with such a move."
The Rhondda Tunnel, designed by Sydney William Yockney, was completed in 1890. It was closed in 1968 due to the cost of required repairs. | Campaigners working to reopen a historical railway tunnel to tourists have criticised the Welsh government for delays in the project. | 35615623 |
Gloucester-born Wayne Russell, 34, has run the equivalent of about 200 marathons since he began the charity challenge on 6 September last year.
He finished the journey in Greenwich at about 15:45 BST.
The run has raised about £28,600 for the Superhero Foundation, which helps families in need of medical treatments.
On completing the challenge, Mr Russell was greeted by a large crowd of friends, family and well-wishers.
He said: "I'm absolutely overwhelmed, to be honest.
"Having spent the best part of the last year alone, running into such an incredible reception was mind-blowing."
Mr Russell said the trip was inspired by the death of his sister, who died aged 35, and who "dedicated her life to charity".
"I want to thank every single person that donated, shared and supported me and my run," he added.
"We've raised more than £25,000 for an incredible cause, and I just can't imagine a more perfect end.
"I just hope I've made my family proud. I wish my sister could have seen this." | A man has completed a 5,000-mile (8,000km) solo run around the British coastline, during which he has slept rough and spent less than £3 a day. | 36746155 |
He told BBC Wales the country was facing a "real crisis" in terms of energy supply unless investment was made in such innovative schemes.
Mr Hendry led the independent review which supported the plans.
He met business leaders and assembly members about the plan.
Mr Hendry said he had never seen such enthusiasm among local people and businesses about a project of this scale.
The UK Government is considering the findings of his year-long review into the viability of tidal lagoons.
Ministers were, he said, being "quite tight lipped" about where they stand, but Mr Hendry repeated his view that backing the concept was "in the national interest".
"We need to make decisions now for how we generate the power which we know we're going to need in 2020s," he said.
"We know we've got £100bn to invest in new energy infrastructure - and if we don't get on with that work we are going to to have real crisis as we won't have demand.
"So if we want that investment to happen, if we want supply chain to invest in creating new jobs then we have to give them the signals to go forward.
"We can always wait for something better to come along but actually eventually you have to get on a bus - and you've got to say 'I want to get there, I want to go to that destination'. And if you're forever waiting for the next thing to happen you'll never start."
He urged members of the public to write to Prime Minister Theresa May and other UK Government figures to make their views know.
Mr Hendry briefed members of the assembly's climate commitees at the Senedd.
He then greeted an audience of 80 business leaders and local council representatives at the Wales Millennium Centre.
Gower MP Byron Davies said the project "breaks the mould" in cross-party support and echoed the call.
"It is imperative that it is now given a green light so that construction can begin as soon as is possible," he said.
Mr Davies, who introduced Mr Hendry at the business and council briefing, said there were "no points to be scored here - this is one issue on which we are united".
Mr Hendry's independent report into the technology's viability earlier this month said it would make a "strong contribution" to the UK's energy supply.
He said it was cost effective and would bring "significant economic opportunity".
Analysis: Lagoons could transform UK coastline
The UK Government still needs to agree on a deal and a marine licence would also need to be approved.
There are hopes of developing a network of larger lagoons around the UK coast, including in Cardiff and Colwyn Bay, harnessing power from the ebb and flow of the sea's tides.
But Mr Hendry believes the technology should be tested first with the "pathfinder" Swansea project.
Phil Jardine, partner in Blake Morgan solicitors, who was at the briefing, said he believed the positivity from Mr Hendry was unprecedented.
"This is one of the most exciting things to land in Wales in recent times. It's a chance to put Wales back on the international map and regenerate in so many ways. We now need to see delivery".
Mike Unsworth, director of engineering construction for Tidal Lagoon Power, said they wanted to be in a position to start building work in early 2018.
"We're ready to go and the strength of Charles Hendry's report was basically saying to government, this is a no regrets decision, just get on with it. We're shovel-ready and keen to get on and build this.
"This whole community are fully engaged and supportive of this project, they want it to start moving and for us to start building it. It's not just a power station, there are so many amenities and tourist opportunities this project can deliver for the area."
But he said the UK, including Wales, needed to be a "first mover" in the technology and so other countries followed and "did not take the lead". | The UK government should "get on the bus" and back the proposed Swansea Bay tidal lagoon "sooner rather than later", former energy minister Charles Hendry has said. | 38743566 |
Fifty-six people died and more than 250 others were injured at the Valley Parade stadium in May of 1985.
A recent book by author Martin Fletcher suggested several fires had started at businesses which were owned by the club's then chairman.
The IPCC said it had not yet decided if it would be investigating.
Mr Fletcher, who was at the game and lost several family members, claims the stadium fire was one of at least nine at companies owned or associated with Stafford Heginbotham.
The Popplewell inquiry, held three weeks after the disaster, ruled that the fire was started by a spectator dropping a cigarette or a lighted match which ignited rubbish that had accumulated under an old timber stand.
The IPCC said the police referral was in relation to the force's actions during the disaster itself and the investigations that followed.
Since the publication of Mr Fletcher's book, West Yorkshire Police said it had identified what material was still available from its original enquiries and discovered "a lot of material" had been retained.
The force said it understood its decision would bring back "painful memories" for people who were at the fire or who had lost loved ones, but it was "important the concerns raised by Mr Fletcher are addressed".
Mr Fletcher, who was 12 at the time of the blaze, escaped from the stand at Valley Parade, but his father, uncle, grandfather and younger brother were killed.
Naz Shah, Labour MP for Bradford West, welcomed the police decision and said it showed they were willing to be "open and transparent".
"It is only right that unanswered questions about the original investigation and process, which was conducted in great haste, are properly addressed, the victims deserve nothing less," she said. | West Yorkshire Police has referred itself to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) over the 1985 Bradford City fire disaster. | 34750038 |
Copeland was given six life sentences in June 2000 for three counts of murder and three counts of causing explosions in London in order to endanger life.
Copeland, 35, from Hampshire, admitted killing three and injuring 139 people.
Under new legislation, a High Court judge set a minimum term of 50 years and the Court of Appeal upheld that sentence on Tuesday.
The original recommendation in his case was that he should serve a minimum of 30 years before he can be considered for parole.
But High Court judge Mr Justice Burton later described it as a "really exceptional case of deliberate, multiple murder".
During 13 days in April 1999 Copeland caused explosions in Brixton, south London Brick Lane in east London and Soho, central London.
The final blast at the gay pub the Admiral Duncan killed Andrea Dykes, 27, who was pregnant, and friends John Light, 32, and Nik Moore, 31, from Essex.
Copeland intended his bombing campaign to ignite a race war across Britain, his trial heard.
He was tried at the Old Bailey in 2000 for murder after the prosecution refused to accept his plea of guilty to manslaughter on the grounds that he was suffering a mental illness - paranoid schizophrenia.
A Broadmoor Hospital consultant had described him as psychotic and diagnosed schizophrenia.
The original trial judge, Michael Hyam, concluded that Copeland's crimes were motivated by his hatred of black and Asian people and homosexuals. | Nail bomber David Copeland has failed in his bid to reduce his minimum jail term of 50 years. | 13946298 |
Addressing his top team for the first time since his victory, he promised a "down-to-earth" Conservative agenda focused on extending opportunity.
He also insisted all changes to public services must be rooted in "true social justice and genuine compassion".
The new government is expected to prioritise laws on work and childcare.
In other news:
The Conservatives won a 12-seat majority in the House of Commons in Thursday's election, taking 331 of the 650 seats.
At the start of the first cabinet meeting since the election, Mr Cameron said the new government would be different from its predecessor, saying it would not have to "trade away" policies and would therefore be more accountable.
Brandishing a copy of the Conservative manifesto, he said the government had a mandate to deliver all of it.
He urged his ministers to focus on "down-to-earth" ways of "giving everyone in our country the chance to live a good and fulfilled life and make the most of their talents".
His party, he said, will offer "the chance to get on, with the dignity of a job, the pride of a pay cheque, a home of their own and the security and peace of mind that comes from being able to support a family".
He said it would also support those who cannot work, repeating a phrase he delivered after the 2010 election that "those that can should, and those that can't, we always help".
Who's Who: Cameron's new cabinet
What have the Conservatives pledged to do?
The Conservatives say measures on work and childcare will be at the heart of their first legislative programme, due to be announced on 27 May, and will be "fast-tracked" through Parliament.
During the election campaign, Mr Cameron said the UK should aspire to "full employment", which he defined as Britain having the highest percentage of people in work of any developed nation.
The employment bill will push for two million jobs and three million apprenticeships to be created over the next five years.
It will also lower the annual household welfare cap - the maximum amount that any household can receive in benefits - from £26,000 to £23,000.
Downing Street said this would "ensure people are always better off in work and there is an end to the something-for-nothing culture".
A second bill will focus on childcare.
Currently, all three and four-year olds in England are entitled to 570 hours of free early education or childcare a year, which works out as 15 hours each week for 38 weeks of the year.
During the election campaign, the Conservatives promised 30 hours from 2017.
The PM will also promise to introduce tax-free childcare for every child.
Business Secretary Sajid Javid said he would "look afresh" at aspects of employment law and regulations so that everything possible was being done to encourage free enterprise.
The government, he said, would also press ahead with changes to the rules on trade union strike ballots, so industrial action in essential public services would only be lawful if 40% of employees entitled to take part in a ballot actually voted.
"We have not hidden away from the changes we want to make," he told BBC Radio 4's Today, adding that he also wanted to lift the ban on agency staff being used during walkouts. "I think it is essential we make these changes."
On Europe, Mr Javid said a referendum on the UK's membership of the EU would definitely be held before the end of 2017 and the government would "provide more information over the coming weeks and months".
Media reports have suggested the referendum could be brought forward to 2016 if the legislation needed to pave the way for the vote is passes quickly through Parliament and if negotiations with other EU leaders conclude earlier than expected.
Mr Cameron is putting the finishing touches to his government, by filling the ranks of junior ministerial positions. Among those to be given jobs include Ben Gummer, Damian Hinds and Justine Tomlinson, the latter becoming minister for disabled people.
Rory Stewart, the former diplomat who was chair of the Commons defence select committee, is to become a junior minister at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. | David Cameron has told the first all-Tory cabinet meeting for 18 years that they must focus on "bread and butter" ways of improving people's lives. | 32700111 |
Chris Urmson told a Senate hearing that the US Transport Secretary should be given authority over the matter rather than leaving it to individual states.
He also reiterated his company's view that it would be safer if passengers were not able to override a vehicle's autonomous systems.
That contrasts with the view of California's regulator.
The state's Department of Motor Vehicles published draft rules in December that said a trained human must still be able to take control.
Mr Urmson noted that 23 states had now set a total of 53 pieces of legislation relating to self-driving vehicles, some of which are at odds with each other.
"We currently face a growing patchwork of state laws and regulations on self-driving cars that has the potential to become unworkable," Mr Urmson said.
"If every state is left to go its own way, it would be extremely impractical to operate an autonomous vehicle across state boundaries."
His view was supported at the Senate Commerce Committee by the pick-up service Lyft, which has partnered with General Motors to develop their own driverless cars.
"The worst possible scenario for the growth of autonomous vehicles is an inconsistent and conflicting patchwork of local, municipal and county laws that will hamper efforts to bring autonomous vehicle technology to market," said Joseph Okpaku, Lyft's director of public policy.
"Regulations are necessary, but regulatory restraint and consistency is equally as important if we are going to allow this industry to reach its full potential."
The risks posed by self-driving cars in their existing state were highlighted last month when one of Google's cars caused a collision with a bus in Santa Clara, California.
One robotics expert at the hearing urged the senators to resist pressure to permit the public to use self-driving cars too soon, and said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) should take greater leadership over tests in the meantime.
Prof Missy Cummings from Duke University added that she thought that the "self-driving car community" had been "deficient" in the way it had carried out its experiments to date.
"I perceive [there] to be a rush to field systems that are not ready for widespread deployment," she explained.
"[One issue] is operation in bad weather, including standing water on roadways, drizzling rain, sudden downpours and snow.
"Coupling these limitations with the inability of self-driving cars to follow a traffic policeman's gestures - especially on a rainy day in a poncho - means self-driving cars should not really be operating near elementary schools at this time.
"Another major problem with self-driving cars is their vulnerability to malevolent or even prankster intent. For example, it is relatively easy to spoof the GPS of self-driving vehicles, which involves hacking into their systems and driving them off course.
"Additionally, recent research has shown that a $60 [£42] laser device can trick self-driving cars into sensing objects that are not there."
Prof Cummings also took aim at Mr Urmson's statement that Google's self-driving cars had now travelled 1.4 million miles (2.25 million km) on the roads, noting that New York's taxi cab fleet went further in little over a day.
She suggested that 275 million miles must be driven fatality-free before self-driving cars could be said to be safer than human-controlled vehicles. In the meantime, Prof Cummings said companies needed to be more transparent about the tests they carried out.
One of the tech firms responded by highlighting that self-driving vehicles employed multiple sensors at the same time.
"Each of those technologies has strengths and weaknesses," explained Delphi's Glen Devos.
"In some cases vision or Lidar [a laser-based system] may be compromised by weather, but radar is very strong in weather.
"It's absolutely true that sensors have strengths and weaknesses, but by combining those sensors you end up with a much more capable package, certainly with greater perception capability than an individual [human] driver relying on vision alone."
One of the senators raised the prospect that the US could fall behind other countries if it did not heed Google's warning and come up with a single set of rules.
"We were the first to introduce legislation permitting the testing of autonomous vehicles, but other countries are now clearly leapfrogging over us by offering more flexibility to companies to test this technology," said Senator Cory Booker.
"The UK, for example, is rapidly moving forward... and Japan has allowed Nissan and Toyota to test their vehicles there since 2013.
He added: "If the [current regulatory regimes] were around at the time of the Wright brothers, we would have never got off the ground in exploring air travel."
The Chancellor of the exchequer George Osborne is expected to confirm on Wednesday an expansion of the UK's self-driving tests by allowing computer-controlled lorries to share a stretch of motorway with the public later this year. | Google's self-driving car chief has urged lawmakers to ensure the US sets consistent laws for the technology. | 35813656 |
The MPs are holding their first session at the main airport, one of the most heavily secured areas of the city.
Their main task will be to elect a new president - a vote expected within a week or two.
Outgoing moderate Islamist President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, in power since 2009, is regarded as a favourite.
Other strong candidates include Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali and former parliamentary speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden.
It is a critical moment for the country which, since the overthrow of President Siad Barre in 1991, has seen warlords, Islamist militants and its neighbours all taking a hand in its affairs.
With the help of African Union troops, the interim government has been able to gain control the capital, but al-Shabab - an armed group that has joined al-Qaeda - runs many central and southern areas of the country.
By Mary HarperBBC Somalia analyst
It is easy to be cynical about Somali politics, which is always complex, long-winded and difficult for outsiders to understand. But today the situation has changed significantly.
The date - 20 August 2012 - is key for two main reasons. It marks the end of the mandate of Somalia's transitional government. And, perhaps more significantly, the first parliament chosen in Somalia is to sit in Mogadishu for more than two decades.
In the face of serious intimidation, a technical committee has removed as MPs some of those linked to violence and corruption. Things are a bit behind schedule. Parliament was meant to have elected a new president on 20 August, but what is important is that the process has begun.
But for most Somalis, especially those living outside Mogadishu in areas controlled by religious groups and clan militias, life is unlikely to change for some time to come. They are used to living without effective central government, and it is unlikely that the new administration will be able to immediately exercise power much beyond the capital.
Members of the new parliament spent Monday morning at the country's main airport, which is under protection of the African Union force, being accredited.
The new parliament, to be made up of a lower house with 275 members and an upper house with a maximum of 54 members, is holding its first session.
So far, 211 MPs have been sworn in - enough for a quorum - by clan elders and vetted by a technical selection committee to eliminate people accused of war crimes.
The MPs' first meeting comes on the day the mandate for Somalia's UN-backed transitional government expires.
According to tradition, the interim speaker of parliament is the oldest MP - Gen Muse Hassan. He will oversee the formation of an electoral commission that will organise the vote of the new parliamentary speaker and the president.
Analysts say Somali politicians, the United Nations and other outside powers have been working frantically to ensure a new authority is in place.
It has been a long and difficult process as the country has been without effective central authority for so long that numerous power bases have emerged.
The selection of MPs has not been without criticism.
Earlier this month, the UN special representative for Somalia, Augustine Mahiga, said "favours, bribes and intimidation" had been involved during the appointments.
On Sunday, representatives from the international community flew into Mogadishu for final talks with Mr Ahmed and to resolve a problem over the issuing of identity cards for MPs.
The president had halted the identity cards after the selection committee rejected some proposed members of his clan.
But the process so far has been generally welcomed by the international community.
"The conclusion of the transition should mark the beginning of more representative government in Somalia," said a statement released by the UN.
"Whilst parliament remains a selected rather than elected body, it is essential that it cuts its ties with the past of self-interest and warlordism, and is populated by a new generation of Somali politicians, including the proper representation of Somali women."
Somali affairs analyst Mohammed Adbullahi Hassan says whoever is elected will have more legitimacy and the end of the transitional period means the country will no longer be considered a pariah state.
But the credibility of Somali politicians - accused in a recent UN report of "systematic embezzlement" - is an issue, he says.
The main criteria for president seemed to be "who has the deepest pockets", he told the BBC's Newsday programme. | Somalia's first formal parliament in more than 20 years has been sworn in in the capital, Mogadishu, marking an end to an eight-year transitional period. | 19314308 |
Twelve charities to be given money from the new Male Rape Support Fund were announced earlier by Victims Minister Mike Penning.
He said nationally about 75,000 men were victims of sexual assault in 2012-13, but few went to the police for help because the crime was "taboo".
The fund will support the chosen charities over two years.
Its aim, announced by the Ministry of Justice in February, is to provide online information and face-to-face support at centres across England and Wales.
Currently there are five male victim special support centres in the UK. There are 145 for women and girls.
Mr Penning said: "Latest estimates show that more than one in 10 victims of rape or attempted rape every year are men. Yet few come to forward to report it or seek help.
"I want to change that - it's vital these victims are helped to cope and hopefully recover from is a hugely traumatic crime."
The bulk of the funding - £400,000 over two years - is going to Survivors UK for a national website and online support service for male victims.
It will include information, an online community forum, web-chat and blogs from survivors.
Another recipient, Safeline in Warwickshire, welcomed the fund but said it was a shame less was being given to face-to-face counselling services.
The charity successfully bid for £60,743 to set up a weekly support group for men.
Safeline chief executive, Neil Henderson, said: "This money will make a huge difference. Male rape is an area that's been hidden and not funded at all previously so this is very welcome.
"Many victims don't realise that specialist charities exist and they tend not to come forward, but then they're severely damaged."
Safeline also plans to establish a project for boys between 13 and 17, a mentoring service and to increase training for volunteer counsellors.
The Green House in Bristol also hopes to support child victims, after securing £45,968. Its director, Michelle Windle, said: "It's rare that a victim will go to the police or seek immediate help - on the contrary, he will often be as desperate to keep it a secret as his attacker is.
"Through our specialist service, men and boys can become emotionally open and understand and release painful feelings that may have previously been discharged through violence to others or self-harm." | Male victims of rape are to be supported with a new £600,000 government fund. | 30427992 |
RNLI and coastguard rescue crews pulled the man from the water in Charlestown near St Austell in Cornwall at about midnight on Saturday, said police.
He was taken by ambulance to the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro where he was pronounced dead.
Devon and Cornwall Police said the 25-year-old man's death was being treated as a "tragic accident".
His name has not yet been released but next of kin have been informed. | A man has died after falling from a quay where it is thought he had been fishing. | 34164839 |
1917 - Britain conquers Palestine from Ottomans. Gives support to "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine through the Balfour Declaration, along with an insistence that "nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities".
1918 - First significant Palestinian Arab nationalist organisations emerge - the mainly cultural Muntada al-Adabi and the Damascus-based Nadi al-Arabi.
1920 - San Remo Allied Powers conference grants Palestine to Britain as a mandate, to prepare it for self-rule. Jerusalem riots against Balfour Declaration assert distinct Palestinian Arab identity.
1921 - Britain appoints Mohammed Amin al-Husseini, a member of a leading Palestinian Arab family, as Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and leader of the Muslim community. He rallies the Arabs and Muslims against any further concessions to the Jews.
1922 - Palestinian Arab delegation rejects British proposal for Legislative Council, saying inclusion of terms of the Balfour Declaration in draft constitution not acceptable.
1929 - Arab rioters kill about 200 Jews in Jerusalem's Old City and Hebron. British troops kill 116 Arabs in suppression of riots in Jerusalem.
1930 - British White Paper and Royal Commission recommend limiting Jewish immigration.
1930-35 - The Black Hand Islamist group led by Sheikh Izz al-Din al-Qassam launches campaign of violence against Jewish community and British rule.
1935 - Palestinian Arab leadership accepts British High Commissioner's proposal for Legislative Assembly, but the British House of Commons rejects it the following year.
1936-39 - Arab revolt begins with a general strike in Jaffa. Britain declares martial law and dissolves Grand Mufti Al-Husseini's Arab Higher Committee. More than 5,000 Arabs killed and 15,000 injured in suppression of revolt, Al-Husseini flees to French-run Syria to avoid arrest.
1947 - United Nations recommends partition of Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states after Britain signals end to Mandate, with international control over Jerusalem and its environs. Arab High Committee rejects partition.
Birth of Israel
1948 - Israel declares independence as British mandate ends.
More than four million Palestinians are thought to be living with refugee status in Arab countries, many marginalised and trapped in camps
Slideshow: Inside Shatila
Arab armies fail to defeat new Jewish state of Israel after Britain withdraws. Jordan occupies West Bank and East Jerusalem, Egypt occupies Gaza, and Israel holds the rest of Mandate Palestine including West Jerusalem.
At least 750,000 Palestinian Arabs either flee or are expelled. Disputes over the nature of their departure endure to this day.
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) set up to cater to the educational and health needs of Palestinian refugees and their descendants throughout the Middle East.
1949-1950s - Fedayeen Palestinian guerrillas based in Egypt and Gaza carry out raids into Israel with Egyptian encouragement. This increases after pan-Arab officers seize power in Cairo in 1952.
1956-1957 - Israel colludes with Britain and France to invade Egypt during the Suez Crisis, partly to end Fedayeen incursions. UN buffer force in Sinai and Gaza drastically reduces raids.
1959 - Yasser Arafat forms Fatah fighting group in Egypt to carry out raids into Israel.
1964 - Arab League sets up Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and Palestine Liberation Army under Ahmad Shukeiri.
1967 June - Six-Day War leaves Israel occupying East Jerusalem, all of West Bank, Gaza, Golan Heights and Sinai. Jewish settlements are set up in all of these areas in coming years, with government approval.
1969 - Yasser Arafat takes over PLO leadership after debut as military leader in clashes with Israeli forces in Jordan in 1968, and asserts the group's independence from Egyptian control.
1970 - Increasing tension over the strength of the PLO in Jordan leads to the Black September clashes with Jordanian forces, driving the PLO into exile in southern Lebanon.
1970s-1980s - PLO and other armed Palestinian groups turn to airline hijackings and attacks on Israeli soldiers, officials and civilians within Israel and abroad to highlight their cause.
Leila Khaled took part in a spate of hijackings which focused attention on the Palestinian cause
Profile of a hijacker
On this Day: 1970: Guerrillas destroy jets
1972 - Palestinian "Black September" gunmen take the Israeli team hostage at the Munich Olympics. Two of the athletes are murdered at the site and nine more killed during a failed rescue attempt by the German authorities. Israel launches a series of reprisal assassinations.
1973 - Israel raids PLO bases in Beirut and southern Lebanon before and during the October Yom Kippur/Ramadan War.
1974 April-May - Two hardline factions, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine General Command and Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, carry out raids into northern Israel and kill 43 civilians, including many children, in a block of flats in Kiryat Shmona and a school in Maalot.
1974 June - After 1973 Yom Kippur/Ramada war, PLO adopts Ten-Point Programme allowing compromise with Israel on the way to establishing complete Palestinian control over historic Palestine, including the territory of Israel.
Some hardline factions split away to form the Rejectionist Front and step up attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians.
PLO recognised
1974 October - Arab League recognises PLO as the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people'' and it admits it to full membership of the League.
Yasser Arafat was for many years the controversial icon of the Palestinians' struggle with Israel
BBC Obituary: Yasser Arafat
The Economist: Arafat
1974 November - Yasser Arafat becomes first non-state leader to address the United Nations General Assembly, delivers "olive branch... and freedom fighter's gun" speech.
1975 - Rejectionist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and German far-left armed group hijack Air France plane en route from Israel to France, divert it to Entebbe in Uganda. Israel commandos rescue most of passengers and crew, kill hijackers.
1977 May - The right-wing Likud party wins surprise election victory in Israel and encourages settlements policy on West Bank and Gaza.
1978 March - PLO attack kills 38 civilians on Israel's coastal road. Israel carries out first major incursion into southern Lebanon, driving PLO and other Palestinian groups out of the area.
1978 September - Israel pledges to expand Palestinian self-government in the West Bank and Gaza as part of the Camp David Accords establishing diplomatic relations with Egypt.
1982 June - Israel invades Lebanon again to expel PLO leadership from Beirut after assassination attempt by Palestinian faction on Israeli ambassador to London.
PLO leaders quit Lebanon
Israel's occupation of Lebanon in 1982 saw the relocation of the PLO, and the massacre of hundreds of Palestinians in refugee camps by Israel's Phalangist allies
Video: Sabra and Shatila
BBC: Witness
1982 September - Massacre of Palestinians in the Beirut Sabra and Shatila camps by Israel's Christian Phalangist allies.
PLO leadership moves to Tunisia, where it remains until it moves to Gaza in 1994.
1985 October - Israeli air force strikes PLO headquarters in Tunis after PLO group kills three Israeli tourists on a yacht. Palestine Liberation Front PLO faction hijacks Achille Lauro cruise ship, demanding release of 50 Palestinians from Israeli prisons. Hijackers kill elderly American wheelchair user Leon Klinghoffer.
1987 December - First Palestinian Intifada uprising begins in Palestinian Territories. Muslim Brotherhood in Gaza forms the Hamas movement, which rapidly turns to violence against Israel.
1988 Jordan abandons claim to West Bank, ceding it to PLO. Palestinian National Council meeting in Algiers proclaims State of Palestine.
1990 - PLO backs Iraq over its annexation of Kuwait, which severs ties with the PLO and subsequently expels about 400,000 Palestinians.
1991 October - US-Soviet sponsored conference in Madrid brings Israeli and Palestinian representatives together for the first time since 1949.
1992 - Israeli Labour government of Yitzhak Rabin pledges to halt settlement expansion programme and begins secret talks with PLO.
1993 September - Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat sign Oslo Declaration to plot Palestinian self-government and formally end the First Intifada, which had been running out of steam since the Madrid Conference. Violence by various Palestinian groups that reject the Oslo Declaration continues.
1994 February - Baruch Goldstein of the extremist Jewish Kach movement kills 29 Palestinians at prayer at the Cave of the Patriarchs shrine in Hebron on the West Bank.
Progress towards self-rule
1992 May-July - Israel withdraws from most of Gaza and the West Bank city of Jericho, allowing Yasser Arafat to move his PLO administration from Tunis and set up the Palestinian National Authority.
1992 December - Yasser Arafat, along with Yitzhak Rabin and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, are jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
1995 - Interim Agreement sets out path for transfer of further power and territory to Palestinian National Authority. Forms basis of 1997 Hebron Protocol, Wye River Memorandum of 1998 and internationally-sponsored "Road Map for Peace" of 2003.
2000-2001 - Talks between Israeli Labour Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Yasser Arafat break down over the timing and extent of a proposed further Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank. Palestinian protests escalate into new Intifada.
2001 December - Israel sends troops to encircle Ramallah after series of deadly Palestinian attacks inside Israel. Yasser Arafat is unable to leave his government compound.
Barrier goes up
2002 March - Israeli army launches Operation Defensive Shield on the West Bank and begins building barrier there to stop armed Palestinian entering Israel. The route of the barrier is controversial as it frequently deviates from the pre-1967 ceasefire line into the West Bank.
2002 March - Arab League meeting in Beirut offers to recognise Israel in return for its full withdrawal from all territories occupied since 1967, agreement to a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital and "fair solution" to refugee question - the "Arab League Peace Plan".
2003 March - Yasser Arafat establishes post of prime minister and appoints Fatah veteran Mahmoud Abbas to lead contacts with US and Israel, both of which refuse to deal with Arafat.
2003 May - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says the occupation of Palestinian territories cannot continue indefinitely.
2003 June - Arab League meeting in Egypt expresses support for "road map" proposed by US, European Union, Russia and UN and accepted by Palestinian National Authority and Israel, positing an independent Palestinian state and a freeze on West Bank Jewish settlements.
2003 September - Mahmoud Abbas resigns as prime minister, citing US and Israeli intransigence as well as internal Palestinian opposition to his government. Succeeded by Fatah veteran Ahmed Qurei.
2004 March - Israeli forces kill Sheikh Yassin, the founder and leader of Hamas, and his successor Abd al-Aziz al-Rantissi, the following month.
2004 July - International Court of Justice issues advisory opinion that the Israeli separation barrier violates international law and must be removed.
2004 November - Yasser Arafat dies in hospital in France, where he went for urgent medical treatment in October.
2005 January - Mahmoud Abbas elected Mr Arafat's successor as head of the Palestinian National Authority.
2005 September - Israel withdraws all Jewish settlements and military personnel from Gaza, while retaining control over airspace, ports and border crossings.
Hamas wins elections
2006 March - Hamas Islamist group's Ismail Haniyeh forms government after winning parliamentary elections in January. Struggle for primacy with Fatah begins. United States and European Union suspend aid, and Israel ends tax transfers, because of Hamas's refusal to recognise Israel, renounce violence and accept previous peace accords.
The Islamist movement won legislative council elections in 2006 and has since controlled Gaza. It has proved itself a tough adversary in its fight with Israel, as well as with other Palestinian factions
Who are Hamas?
2006 June - Hamas militants from Gaza seize Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit near border crossing and hold him hostage for five years, demanding release of Palestinian prisoners. Major clashes between Israel and Hamas forces in Gaza follow. Israel imposes restrictions on Gaza.
2006 September - Clashes break out between Fatah and Hamas supporters in Gaza. Various Arab states and Palestinian groups seek to mediate between them in coming months in order to avert civil war.
2007 March - Fatah and Hamas form national unity government to end months of intermittent clashes in Gaza.
2007 June - Unity government founders. Hamas ousts Fatah from Gaza and reinforces its control of the territory. Israel tightens blockade after increase in rocket attacks from Gaza; Egypt closes border with Gaza. Mahmoud Abbas appoints Salam Fayyad as prime minister, but Hamas refuses to recognise him. Two rival governments in West Bank and Gaza emerge. US and European Union resume aid to the Fayyad government.
2007 November - US-hosted Annapolis Conference for the first time establishes the "two-state solution" as the basis for future talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
2008 March - Efforts at reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas begin in Yemen, but next round in Cairo in November stalls when Hamas objects to Fatah arrest of its West Bank activists.
The Israeli raid on a fleet of vessels carrying pro-Palestinian activists trying to break the Gaza blockade caused international outrage
Q&A: Raid on the Mavi Marmara
2008 November - Israel launches incursion into Gaza, seen by Hamas as a ceasefire violation. Hamas responds by launching rockets.
2008 December - Israel launches Operation Cast Lead month-long invasion of Gaza to stop Hamas and other militant groups firing rockets into Israel.
2010 February - Fatah and Hamas resume talks on national reconciliation.
Direct talks resume between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, only to falter over the question of settlements.
2010 May - Nine Turkish pro-Palestinian activists killed in Israeli capture of ships attempting to break maritime blockade of Gaza.
2011 April-May - Fatah and Hamas agree at talks in Cairo to reform a unity government and hold fresh elections, but no practical implementation follows.
Bid for UN membership
2011 - Palestinian National Authority launches campaign for UN membership of "State of Palestine", as means of highlighting stalled talks with Israel. Bid fails, but UNESCO cultural agency accepts Palestine as member in October.
2012 May - After preliminary talks in Qatar, Fatah and Hamas sign Cairo Agreement pledging to maintain non-violent resistance to Israeli occupation in pursuit of an independent state within the 1967 ceasefire lines.
Palestinians are hopeful that investing in tech start-ups will help lift them out of a struggling economy
Meeting the West Bank's tech start-ups
2012 October - Local elections on West Bank undermine Fatah's position, as it wins only two-fifths of the seats contested on a turnout of 55%. Lists led by Fatah rebels win four of the 11 major towns and cities, and independents and leftists take control of a fifth. Hamas boycotts the poll and allows no elections in Gaza.
2012 November - UN upgrades Palestinian representation to that of "non-member observer state", allowing it to take part in General Assembly debates and improving chances of joining UN agencies.
2012 December - Fatah allows Hamas celebration rally on West Bank over UN status upgrade, a gesture reciprocated by Hamas in Gaza the following month.
2013 April - Prime Minister Fayyad resigns after long-standing dispute with Palestinain Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. He is succeeded by academic Rami Hamdallah in May.
2013 Newly appointed US Secretary of State launches a series of Israeli-Palestinian talks aimed at reaching a framework peace deal by April 2014. Palestinian officials say continuing Israeli approval of Jewish housing in occupied East Jerusalem undermines progress. Israel accuses the Palestinians of incitement.
2013 July - Fall of Morsi government in Egypt dashes Palestinian hopes for lifting of Egyptian blockade of border with Gaza, and suspends Egyptian mediation in the Fatah-Hamas reconciliation process.
2013 December - Israel, Jordan and Palestinian Authority sign water-sharing pact to halt and eventually reverse the drying-out of the Dead Sea by laying pipeline to carry brine from Red Sea desalination plant while providing drinking water to region.
2014 March - Egypt bans Hamas activities and seizes its assets because of links to Egypt's illegal Muslim Brotherhood.
2014 April - Fatah and Hamas agree to form unity government, which takes office in June. Fatah complains that separate Hamas cabinet continues to rule Gaza.
2014 June - Israel responds to the kidnapping and murder of three Jewish teenagers in the West Bank by arresting numerous Hamas members. Militants respond the to arrests and the killing of a Palestinian teenager by Jewish extremists by firing rockets from Gaza.
2014 July-August - Israel responds to attacks from armed groups in Gaza with a military campaign by air and land to knock out missile launching sites and attack tunnels. Clashes end in uneasy Egyptian-brokered ceasefire in August.
2014 December - Minister Without Portfolio Ziad Abu Ein dies at clash with Israeli troops at West Bank protest.
2015 May - The Vatican announces that it is to formally recognise Palestinian statehood. | A chronology of key events: | 29362505 |
The youngsters' disappearance in broad daylight from a popular entertainment district in a central part of the capital has raised many questions.
Relatives say the police have turned a blind eye to the case because the missing come from a poor area.
Amnesty International says authorities are failing to prevent disappearances.
Police said they had arrested two waiters, who worked at the Heaven bar in the Zona Rosa district of Mexico City, and a woman, in connection with the 12 missing revellers.
Officers are still looking for the owner of the bar, who they say is now considered a fugitive, after searches of a number of premises he had listed as his addresses turned up nothing.
Mexico City Attorney General Rodolfo Rios said investigators were still analysing video footage from surveillance cameras in the area to establish what exactly happened on the morning of 26 May.
Mr Rios said it showed members of the the group - seven men and five women - arriving at the bar, but not leaving it.
Their disappearance made headlines when their relatives blockaded a street in the Tepito district of Mexico City, demanding that police take action.
The relatives alleged that officers had done nothing after being informed that the group had gone missing.
Investigators said they had interviewed people who were in the area at the time of the disappearance, but said only one man had reported seeing anything suspicious.
According to the man's account, masked gunmen stormed into the Heaven bar at 10:00 on Sunday, seized the group of 12 youngsters and drove away with them in several vehicles.
Officers who tried to question the man further said he had provided a false name, telephone number and address. They have not been able to locate him since.
Investigators said they had not found any trace of a struggle inside the bar.
Relatives of the missing have accused the authorities of not acting in a timely manner because most of the members of the group reside in Tepito, one of the poorest and most dangerous areas of Mexico City.
Three of the missing are related to Tepito crime bosses currently serving time in prison, which has led to speculation in the media that the group may have been kidnapped by a rival gang.
Leticia Ponce said she had delayed telling her jailed husband, Jorge Ortiz Reyes, about the disappearance of their 16-year-old son, Jerzy, in order not to "add to his worries".
Mrs Ponce said that once she did inform Ortiz Reyes, known as The Tank, he had told her "to move Heaven and Earth to find my baby".
Ortiz Reyes' son-in-law is also among the missing, but Mrs Ponce said she did not think their disappearance was linked to her husband's criminal history.
"My husband is paying for his crimes, and my son has nothing to do with that. If they were after him they would have taken just him, and not the other 11," she explained.
While mass kidnappings are not unusual in Mexico, they tend to occur in states where cartels vie for control of drug-smuggling routes, and normally involve members of rival gangs.
A mass kidnapping in the centre of the capital during daylight hours would constitute a major escalation in the violence the city has experienced.
Official figures say 26,000 people have gone missing across Mexico since December 2006, when the army was deployed to fight crime gangs.
On Tuesday, Amnesty International said the Mexican government was not doing enough to investigate the disappearances of thousands of people.
"Disappearances in Mexico have become commonplace because federal and state authorities have tolerated and refused to clamp down on them," the human rights group said in a new report. | Police in Mexico have detained three people in connection with the disappearance on 26 May of a group of 12 revellers from a bar in Mexico City. | 22779766 |
Though far from each other, they form a single territorial grouping under the sovereignty of the British Crown.
Much of their history has been influenced by military and strategic interests.
St Helena
St Helena is probably best known as the island to which French Emperor Napolean Bonaparte was exiled in 1815 after his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo.
Its inhabitants, known locally as "Saints", are the descendants of sailors, settlers and slaves. The island's economy is dependent on British grants and remittances from abroad.
It is linked to the outside world by a Royal Mail Ship, the St Helena, which makes a five-day journey from Cape Town in South Africa, every three weeks, carrying passengers and supplies,
The British government hopes an international airport completed in 2016 will boost the island's self-sufficiency, "with the ultimate aim of eliminating the island's reliance on aid".
Population 4,255
Area 122 sq km (47 sq miles)
Major language English
Major religion Christianity
Currency St Helena Pound (equal to British pound)
Economy Agriculture, fishing concessions and tourism
Head of state: Elizabeth II, represented by a governor
The territory elects an assembly of 12 members, five of who sit on a local government council, chaired by the governor.
The governor is represented on Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha by local administrators.
Key dates in St Helena's history:
1502 - The island is uninhabited when it is first discovered by Portuguese mariners.
1600s - The British East India Company uses the island as a way station for trading ships sailing home from the Orient and is granted a charter to run the island, installing its own governor in 1659.
1815 - Napoleon Bonaparte is imprisoned on the island after his defeat at Waterloo and remains confined there until his death in 1821.
1834 - St Helena becomes a British crown colony.
1980s - Widespread poverty eases with the Falklands War creating job opportunities in both the Falklands and Ascension.
2002 - Britain repeals a 1981 law depriving Saints of full citizenship, prompting a third of its inhabitants to leave the island to live or work elsewhere.
2011 - The UK government announces plans to invest £250m in the building of an airport on the island's east coast with a view to boosting the island's self-sufficiency.
Ascension Island
Just south of the equator, Ascension Island is 700 miles from its nearest neighbour St Helena. It is a vital staging post for Britain in the South Atlantic and served as a key logistical base for troops during the Falklands War in 1982.
The island was an important communications and operations centre during both World Wars and its Wideawake airfield is now shared by the British and American air forces.
Today, the island is used by the telecommunications company Cable & Wireless for satellite communications; Merlin, which runs a satellite-tracking station for the European Space Agency; the BBC World Service, which has a relay station there and the Composite Signals Organisation, which is part of GCHQ.
The island has a transient population of about 1,000, mainly Britons, Americans and St Helenians involved in the military, telecommunications and satellite tracking. It can be reached by air or by the RMS St Helena.
Britain has expressed the intention of applying to the UN to extend its territorial rights around Ascension Island on the grounds that the island's landmass actually reaches much further underwater. This would give Britain more extensive rights over any oil or gas reserves in the areas.
Status: British Overseas Territory
Capital: Georgetown
Population: 880
Area: 90 sq km (34 sq miles)
Major languages: English
Major religion: Christianity
Currency: St Helena/Ascension Pound (equal to British pound)
Key dates in the history of the Ascension Islands:
1501 - The island is discovered by Portuguese navigator Joao da Nove Castella but remains uninhabited until the arrival of a British naval garrison in 1815.
1823 - Control of the island transfers to the Royal Marines and it remains under the supervision of the British Admiralty until 1922 when it is declared a dependency of St Helena.
1899-1964 - The East Telegraph Company, now Cable & Wireless, administers the island until 1964.
1943 - World War Two: The US military builds the Wideawake airbase and landing strip and remains on the island until 1947. Post-war, a US military presence is re-established.
1964 - The BBC establishes a South Atlantic relay station and administration of the island transfers from Cable & Wireless to a London-appointed administrator.
1967 - A NASA tracking station is built to support the Apollo lunar landing programme but closes in 1990 to be replaced by a European Space Agency station.
1982 - St Helena is used as a base to support British military operations during the Falklands War. The RAF detachment remains on the island after the war to support the Falklands garrison.
2016 - Britain announces plans to protect the island's rich marine biodiversity by creating a reserve the size of the UK in the waters around Ascension Island, with just over half of the protected area to be closed to fishing.
Tristan da Cunha
Tristan da Cunha was once the main trading route between Europe and the Indian Ocean. It is now home to 300 residents who live in its only settlement, Edinburgh of the Seven Seas.
Situated 1,243 miles from its closest neighbour Saint Helena, 1,491 miles from South Africa and 2,088 miles from South America, the remote archipelago includes Inaccessible, Nightingale, Middle, Stoltenhoff, and Gough - which has a manned weather station.
Accessible only by a six-day boat journey from South Africa, its main island is just seven miles long.
Most of its residents are farmers, with cattle among the livestock, and fishing also forms a major part of the island's economy.
Status: British Overseas Territory
Capital: Edinburgh of the Seven Seas
Population: 300
Major languages: English
Major religion: Christianity
Currency: British Pound
Key dates in the history of Tristan da Cunha:
1506 - Portuguese navigator Tristao da Cunha discovers the island but it remains uninhabited.
1700s - The island is used as a temporary base by US whalers before the first permanent settlers arrive in the early 1800s.
1816 - The British navy stations a garrison on island during Napoleon's exile. When the garrison is withdrawn a year later, three settlers stay on to become the founders of the present settlement.
1800s - By 1856, there are close to 100 residents and the island begins to prosper, operating as a subsistence economy. The island is used as a way station for ships en-route to South Africa, India, the Far East and Australia.
1875 - The islands are declared part of the British Empire.
1938 - Tristan da Cunha is declared a dependency of St Helena.
1950 - The British government sends its first administrator to the territory.
1961 - A volcanic eruption forces the evacuation of all the island's inhabitants to the UK with the majority opting to return in 1963.
The far-flung islands support local newspapers and radio stations. There are no locally-based TV services. | The remote islands of St Helena, Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha lie in the South Atlantic Ocean, midway between Africa and South America. | 14123532 |
Officers arrived at Arthur Millwood Court, Salford at 17:40 BST on Monday following reports of a man falling from a balcony.
They found the 29-year-old with serious injuries next to the tower block on Rodney Street.
Police said one line of inquiry is examining whether he had taken a legal high known as Spice. | A man who fell from the sixth floor of a block of flats may have taken a legal high, said police. | 33147379 |
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