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Smoke started pouring from the 31ft (9.4m) vessel at about 18:30 BST on Saturday, with the man and woman immediately issuing a mayday call.
They were later taken to shore by coastguard volunteers, who hosed down the burning vessel.
Anne-Marie Clark, from Poole Lifeboat, said the couple were in shock.
The fire began while the yacht was in the Swash Channel outside the entrance of Poole Harbour. Hundreds of other vessels were in the area at the time.
Ms Clark said: "A mayday call is used to signal a life-threatening emergency - that they are in grave and imminent danger.
"The next call came through that... they were abandoning ship."
The couple jumped onto a passing motorboat that came to their aid as flames consumed the yacht. They were uninjured.
The area around the burning boat was cordoned off by the lifeboat crew as there were a lot of vessels in the area, Ms Clark said.
Gavin McGuinness, volunteer senior helmsman, said: "The boat on fire required immediate action, as it was a hazard to shipping.
"It could have been an environmental issue if it had gone down, as there were a lot of vessels in the area who were also at risk if the fuel or canisters had gotten alight." | A couple leapt from a burning yacht onto a motorboat after its engine erupted into flames off the coast of Poole. | 36819013 |
Hinchingbrooke Hospital, in Cambridgeshire, has now returned to NHS management after Circle pulled out of its 10-year contract in January.
The hospital was placed in special measures after a Care Quality Commission (CQC) report.
Chairman Alan Burns said he would be looking at the "viability of services".
But he said his immediate priorities were to oversee "a smooth transition" from Circle back to NHS management and to get the hospital out of special measures.
Mr Burns, a retired NHS chief executive, was appointed to chair the new NHS board running Hinchingbrooke, by the NHS Trust Development Authority.
He said there was a "a very good sustainable future" for the hospital.
But he added: "It's not rocket science to know there are some things the population of Huntingdonshire only just makes viable.
"Doctors and nurses need a volume of cases to retain the quality of the work they do - there are only so many accident and emergency, orthopaedic and maternity cases in Huntingdonshire in any one year.
"So when that number is close to the guidelines for the viability of services, it's right that you look at it."
Circle took on Hinchingbrooke in early 2012, as it was facing closure.
Three years into its contract, the company announced the franchise was "no longer viable under current terms".
At the same time, the CQC rated Hinchingbrooke "inadequate", highlighting particular concerns over accident and emergency and medical care, although Circle disputed its findings. | The new chairman of the first hospital in the NHS to be run by a private company has said he cannot rule out department closures. | 32147907 |
Everyone wanted tariff-free access to EU markets, the shadow chancellor said.
But there was a debate on-going within the Labour Party about whether the best option was continued membership or a separate agreement, he added.
Jeremy Corbyn has suggested the single market is "inextricably linked" to EU membership and the UK cannot remain.
Speaking on Sunday, the Labour leader said leaving the EU meant leaving the EU's internal market - whose members must abide by rules on the free movement of goods, capital, services, and labour.
The party's international trade spokesman, Barry Gardiner, has gone further, saying the UK should also rule out remaining in the customs union beyond any transitional period, claiming that failing to do so would make the UK a "vassal state" unable to negotiate sovereign trade deals.
However, many Labour MPs disagree with both positions - arguing that it is in the UK's economic interests to remain in both. They point out there are non-EU members, like Norway, which have full access to the single market and countries such as Turkey which belong to the customs union.
And Welsh first minister Carwyn Jones is arguing Labour should be pushing for the UK to remain in the single market - even though it might mean not being able to impose any controls on immigration from the EU.
Mr McDonnell insisted Labour had a "straightforward" position on the type of access the UK needed to its largest market after it leaves the EU in March 2019.
"Our objective is tariff-free access to the market," he said. "That has been our objective since immediately after the referendum.
"The structures - whether we are in or out - are a secondary matter.
"We are not ruling anything out but what we are saying is that we are the fifth largest economy in the world and we have a special status in both our relationship with the EU and the rest of the globe and we feel we can get a deal that achieves tariff-free access."
Pressed on whether he and Mr Corbyn disagreed on the matter, he said: "I think we are all on the same page with regard to our objectives... there is a debate around whether it is full membership or a new relationship or a separate agreement.
"What we are saying is keep our eye on what is the most important objective, tariff-free access. We can achieve that."
The BBC's assistant political editor Norman Smith said there was a "deep internal divide" within the party and the shadow chancellor was seeking to "soften" the party's stance following a backlash by pro-EU MPs and trade unionists over Mr Corbyn and Mr Gardiner's remarks
Amid signs of growing internal strains over Brexit, the former shadow health secretary Heidi Alexander said she had never felt "more concerned" about her party's position.
"My colleague Barry Gardiner's contribution to the Brexit debate, in which he argues for the UK to come out of the single market and customs union to facilitate Brexit was, for me, depressing and disingenuous in equal measure," she wrote in the Guardian.
She accused her colleague of using arguments on sovereignty, immigration and the legal jurisdiction that "could have come straight out of Tory Central Office", Instead, she said Labour must focus on the damage posed to those on low and middle incomes of a so-called hard Brexit.
The government has said the UK will leave the single market and customs union but could maintain some existing arrangements for an interim period to help British business adjust. | Labour has not ruled out continued membership of the EU single market, John McDonnell has said, as he sought to play down divisions over Brexit. | 40726213 |
It rushes along, cascading down rocks, breaking the wild silence of the rural countryside.
It is a scene featured in a YouTube video that is now helping millions of insomnia sufferers, from Belfast to Beijing, who are struggling to sleep.
The eight-hour footage has been viewed over six million times and is now part of medical research used in several London hospitals as part of a clinical trial.
The man behind the video is visual artist Johnnie Lawson from County Leitrim.
"People who were finding it difficult to sleep began writing to me from all over the world - North Korea, the Central African Republic, Beijing and across the UK.
"They started leaving me messages, saying the recordings were helping to relieve their insomnia," Johnnie said.
"I've even had people watching my videos from inside the Vatican."
Peaceful serenity
The filmmaker posted his first video to YouTube five years ago, and to his surprise, it quickly attracted a fan base that he was not expecting.
Dr Dorothy Wade is a health psychologist who works in the intensive care unit at University College Hospital, London.
"The aim of the trial is to prevent intensive care patients from being traumatised and to cut the high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder found in ICU survivors," she said.
"As part of the therapy, nurses give patients tablet computers with different relaxation materials on them. This includes Johnnie Lawson's videos of tranquil nature scenes."
The trial involves researchers from University College Hospital, University College London and the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre in London.
Mr Lawson started making the videos as a way to bring nature into people's lives.
"I consider myself lucky to live in the unexplored and peaceful hills of County Leitrim," he said.
Unlikely fan
Comments left under his YouTube videos each tell their own story of how the posts have helped people.
"I am in the middle of Manhattan. I didn't even know such serenity existed," said one New York resident.
"Thanks for helping me stay focused over a few 19-hour research and writing sessions," added one Boston student.
As the popularity of Johnnie's videos increased, so too did their length.
"Insomnia suffers would fall asleep listening to some of my videos, but they'd wake up in the middle of the night to the sound of silence.
"That's when I started making eight-hour long videos, like the waterfall on the River Bonet," Johnnie said.
"If people woke up during the night, they'd be met with the sound of nature.
"It would put them back to sleep again."
Mr Lawson has filmed 174 videos near rivers and lakes in counties Leitrim, Fermanagh and Sligo.
Locations in Fermanagh include the Cladagh River, Lough Macnean, the Marble Arch Caves and St Patrick's Holy Well outside Belcoo.
And while the County Leitrim artist is enjoying his new found fame, there's one burning question that remains unanswered for him.
"Is Pope Francis really a fan?" | Beneath a wooden footbridge on the River Bonet in County Leitrim, a small waterfall makes a noisy sound. | 32550445 |
The incident which saw cargo ship Parida drifting in the Moray Firth has, and not for the first time, cast a spotlight on the issue of dealing with part of Dounreay's legacy - its tonnes of radioactive waste, nuclear fuel and other contaminated material.
So how are these toxic leftovers being handled, and what kinds of material are involved?
During the 1990s, nuclear material was sent from abroad to Dounreay for reprocessing.
The customers included power plants and research centres in Australia, Germany and Belgium.
In October 1991, three protestors sought to prevent spent fuel rods from Germany from reaching Dounreay by road.
The demonstrators lay on the carriageway of the Kessock Bridge near Inverness. Police moved the protestors and the convoy continued its journey north.
Because Dounreay is being decommissioned, the foreign material is now being sent back to the countries from which it originated.
In 2011, it was announced that more than 150 tonnes of intermediate level waste would be transported back to Belgium in 21 shipments over four years.
The waste was the result of reprocessing 240 spent fuel elements from Belgium's BR2 research reactor, which produces isotopes for use in medicine and industry.
The reprocessing created about 22,680 litres of liquid waste. This has been mixed with cement and poured into 123 drums each weighing 1.25 tonnes.
Danish company Poulsens has been contracted by the Belgian authorities to take the drums to Belgium. The first shipment left Scotland in September 2012.
The MV Parida, the Turkish-built ship involved in Tuesday night's incident, was designed and constructed to handle specialist cargo.
It structure has been strengthened so it can carry heavy, dangerous goods.
The vessel was making the 19th of the 21 shipments of waste from Dounreay.
Dounreay Site Restoration Limited (DSRL) said it does not allow any material to leave its site unless it was "fully satisfied" the carrier complied with "stringent safety and security" regulations.
DSRL added: "In almost 60 years of nuclear transports from the site, there has never been a release of radioactivity.
"We are determined to keep that record intact."
Dounreay's two experimental reactors - the Dounreay Fast Reactor (DFR), which is housed under the plant's landmark white dome, and the Prototype Fast Reactor (PFR) - are among the facilities which are being cleaned up and dismantled.
However, some new structures are also appearing on the site.
They include the first of two massive vaults where low-level radioactive material will be stored. The facility is costing about £20m to construct.
Each vault will be able to hold the equivalent of between 370 and 450 double decker buses.
The floor of the first vault is 36ft (11m) below ground and the construction work involved 260 tonnes of steel.
The land where the vaults are located will remain a restricted area for 300 years after the decommissioning of Dounreay is completed in 2025 because of the radioactive material stored inside the facilities.
While low-level radioactive material will be stored at Dounreay, it has been deemed to be too expensive to handle other products on-site.
Breeder is classed by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) as a material which was was used in the process of generating nuclear power, but is not fuel or waste.
It comes in the form of cylinders of uranium metal, about 150mm long and 35mm in diameter.
Fourteen pucks are stacked end-to-end in a stainless steel tube. The tubes were positioned vertically to form an outer ring around the Dounreay Fast Reactor.
In December 2012, the first of 90 rail shipments of breeder material was made from Georgemas, a tiny station near Dounreay, to Sellafield in Cumbria.
The journey was understood to have been made under armed escort.
Forty-four tonnes of breeder material in total will be transported by train to Sellafield for reprocessing.
At an estimated cost of £60m, the NDA said it was a cheaper option than trying to deal with it at Dounreay.
Exotics include material containing highly enriched uranium.
Sellafield is expected to receive 40 shipments of exotics over the next six years. | Built in the 1950s to push forward the UK's nuclear energy ambitions, Dounreay is now at the centre of complex £1.6bn demolition job. | 29535032 |
They have flirted with disaster more times than they would care to mention in their years outside the top flight.
Owners and managers have come and gone at an, at times, alarming rate, while a return to English football's elite has rarely looked on the cards.
However, there is a feeling that maybe it could be about to change.
Under head coach Garry Monk, United have turned around a slow start to the season and are seventh in the Championship after 17 games.
Craving a return to the Premier League as much as Leeds' fans is midfielder Kalvin Phillips, the winner of the EFL Young Player of the Month award for October.
The 20-year-old was only eight years old when Leeds were relegated from the Premier League, and knows better than most what promotion would mean.
"I went to Elland Road for the first time when I was nine years old. I was sat in the top tier and the atmosphere was mad, I just remember thinking 'imagine if I was out there'," he told BBC Sport.
"Making my home debut was a really special day for me and my family, and to score a goal is something that'll always be in my heart. When I walked out for the game I thought it was mental."
He added: "It would be a dream come true for me to be in the Premier League with this team.
"When I was younger, Leeds were in the Premier League and you could see what it meant to the fans. It hasn't really happened these last few years but if we could do it this season it would be fantastic."
Phillips might have grand ambitions, but to say he is grounded would be something of an understatement.
He still lives at home with his parents, four miles from Elland Road, and credits his team-mates and coaches for his recent stellar performances.
Phillips is part of the latest crop of players from the Leeds academy to be turning out for the first team.
Full-backs Charlie Taylor, 23, and Lewie Coyle, 21, and midfielders Alex Mowatt, 21, and Ronaldo Vieira, 18, [Vieira's younger brother Romario is also in the club's academy] have all featured regularly this season.
"It's good to play with them and I've got a lot of trust in them because we grew up together," he said.
"It's a bit weird because a lot of teams are more experienced than us but we've got no fear. We just play our football. Hopefully we can bring more young players through."
It could perhaps have been a little different for the combative midfielder.
Phillips played the majority of his youth team football for Wortley Juniors before being invited for a trial at Leeds when he was 14.
Despite it taking a little longer than some to get spotted, Phillips always backed himself, although he did inadvertently give the Whites false hope about what kind of player they were getting.
"I just enjoyed myself when I was playing and it got to the point that people started approaching me and I knew there was a good chance somebody would pick me up," he said.
"I eventually came here on a six-week trial and scored four goals in my first three games and got signed. I didn't score for the rest of the season after that!"
It is a sign of the times that Phillips has now played under four different managers at Elland Road.
He made his goalscoring debut against Cardiff under Neil Redfearn in April 2015 before starting three of Uwe Rosler's 12 matches in charge last season.
Steve Evans used the youngster more sparingly in his time at Elland Road, restricting him to just seven substitute appearances.
After starting this season on the bench, he has been ever-present in the past nine games, helping his side pick up 16 points.
Monk found himself answering questions about his future after September's defeat by rivals Huddersfield, which saw them slip into the Championship's bottom three after six games.
Italian owner Massimo Cellino is not known for his patience but it seems that on this occasion he realised that time was what was needed.
"Garry has added understanding and awareness to my game and helped me understand the position more," Phillips said.
"It's crazy how things are right now. I go on social media and it's just incredible seeing how buzzing all the fans are about us being up near the top six.
"We'd had a couple of new players come in at the start of the season and a few of us younger guys had never really played in the first team but the team's so together now.
"There's a massive buzz around the club and in the changing room because we're up where we should be."
Port Vale defender Nathan Smith won August's EFL Young Player of the Month award, while Bristol City striker Tammy Abraham collected the prize in September. | It might seem inconceivable to some, but it is 12 years since Leeds United were relegated from the Premier League. | 38017840 |
Ivor Smith was sacked for gross misconduct after helping a customer with change at the firm's Parkhead branch in Glasgow on 15 August 2014.
An employment judge has now ruled that he was unfairly dismissed and awarded Mr Smith, from East Kilbride, £4,877.
His son Alan said the whole process had left his father "shattered".
The employment tribunal in Glasgow heard that Mr Smith had worked at the store for 12 years.
He was working on a checkout when a customer asked him for change of £200 in £1 coins.
War veteran Mr Smith, who fought in the Malayan conflict of the 1950s and 60s, was said to have kept his till open while money was counted at it.
The 83-year-old said he was later marched out of the shop "like a criminal" after being accused of causing a "serious breach of security".
The tribunal heard from branch trading manager Euan Wilson, who said he had to sack Mr Smith for gross misconduct.
This was after he claimed the cameras showed the customer putting his hand into the till on two occasions.
Mr Wilson told the hearing: "My view was that this was a serious breach of security. A tender transaction should not take that long.
"He gave customers access to the till."
Mr Smith, who had received commendations for his commitment to the company, insisted the customer never touched any money.
He told the tribunal: "I always said I would work until I was 90 and I would have carried on until my health got bad. I just don't understand being dismissed for a misdemeanour."
Following the tribunal decision of unfair dismissal, Mr Smith's son Alan said his father's main objective was clearing his name.
He added: "From being a confident man of his age, the humiliation of that, being ushered out the building left his fellow employees with the impression that money might have gone missing - and that was the rumour.
"It really did shatter him and that's what made us decide to fight it, it was never about the money, it was just about clearing his name because he has gone through quite a lot of anxiety over it." | An 83-year-old man who was sacked by B&Q for leaving his till open for three-and-a-half minutes has won his case for unfair dismissal. | 35040715 |
Chelsea loanee Brown put the Terriers into the lead towards half-time with a curling shot past Dean Gerken.
Schindler doubled the score after the break, pouncing close-in after Gerken saved a Philip Billing shot.
Michael Hefele failed to make the win more convincing when he was unable to convert Elias Kachunga's cross.
Huddersfield's grasp on third place may only last a matter of hours with fourth-placed Leeds United in action at Barnsley later.
David Wagner's side have lost just once in their past eight Championship games, but Mick McCarthy's Ipswich were defeated for the second time in five days following their FA Cup exit to non-league Lincoln City.
McCarthy handed debuts to new signings Jordan Spence and Kieffer Moore but his side produced just two shots on target.
Kachunga could have scored a hatful himself for Huddersfield - twice he saw headers saved by Gerken and he also shot just wide on a couple of occasions in the second half.
After the game, Mick McCarthy confirmed he was close to signing Leeds midfielder Toumani Diagouraga on loan for the rest of the season.
Former Newcastle defender Steven Taylor, who has been playing in the United States, is also expected to arrive on trial next week.
Huddersfield Town head coach David Wagner told BBC Radio Leeds:
"Not only was it a huge result for us today, in my opinion it was a world-class performance from us.
"We needed maybe five to 10 minutes, but after that, we showed what we stand for. We showed our identity, we were very energetic and very aggressive.
"We created two very good chances and scored two wonderful goals. The players have to be proud about what they delivered today.
"It's one thing to speak about a response, but it's another to deliver it."
Ipswich Town manager Mick McCarthy:
"There was nothing wrong with what we did. Huddersfield are a very good side. You need to keep doing what you believe in and hopefully nick a few results.
"We were beaten by a better side and I've told the players now is not the time to be falling out with each other. We had a togetherness but we need to add a bit of quality.
On speculation regarding his future at the club: "Anything can happen in the FA Cup and the underdog can turn on you and make you look rubbish.
"Why it happens, I don't know.
"The fans voice their opinions, but I'm here until something changes. I will be here on Monday morning with funny hat and red nose trying to pick everyone up."
Match ends, Huddersfield Town 2, Ipswich Town 0.
Second Half ends, Huddersfield Town 2, Ipswich Town 0.
Attempt missed. Rajiv van La Parra (Huddersfield Town) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Michael Hefele.
Philip Billing (Huddersfield Town) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Christophe Berra (Ipswich Town).
Foul by Rajiv van La Parra (Huddersfield Town).
Cole Skuse (Ipswich Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Michael Hefele (Huddersfield Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Luke Chambers (Ipswich Town).
Substitution, Huddersfield Town. Mark Hudson replaces Nahki Wells.
Foul by Rajiv van La Parra (Huddersfield Town).
Jonas Knudsen (Ipswich Town) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Substitution, Huddersfield Town. Dean Whitehead replaces Jonathan Hogg.
Tom Lawrence (Ipswich Town) is shown the yellow card.
Philip Billing (Huddersfield Town) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Tom Lawrence (Ipswich Town).
Christophe Berra (Ipswich Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Nahki Wells (Huddersfield Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Christophe Berra (Ipswich Town).
Foul by Joe Lolley (Huddersfield Town).
Christophe Berra (Ipswich Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Kieffer Moore (Ipswich Town) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Tom Lawrence.
Corner, Huddersfield Town. Conceded by Paul Digby.
Attempt missed. Brett Pitman (Ipswich Town) header from the left side of the six yard box misses to the left. Assisted by Tom Lawrence with a cross following a corner.
Corner, Ipswich Town. Conceded by Christopher Schindler.
Attempt blocked. Brett Pitman (Ipswich Town) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Tom Lawrence with a cross.
Substitution, Huddersfield Town. Joe Lolley replaces Isaiah Brown.
Paul Digby (Ipswich Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Isaiah Brown (Huddersfield Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Paul Digby (Ipswich Town).
Attempt blocked. Jonas Knudsen (Ipswich Town) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Corner, Ipswich Town. Conceded by Tommy Smith.
Substitution, Ipswich Town. Brett Pitman replaces Kevin Bru.
Foul by Isaiah Brown (Huddersfield Town).
Kevin Bru (Ipswich Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Jonathan Douglas (Ipswich Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Attempt missed. Rajiv van La Parra (Huddersfield Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Elias Kachunga.
Corner, Huddersfield Town. Conceded by Christophe Berra.
Attempt missed. Elias Kachunga (Huddersfield Town) with an attempt from very close range is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Chris Löwe with a cross.
Substitution, Ipswich Town. Kieffer Moore replaces Jordan Spence. | Goals from Isaiah Brown and Christopher Schindler saw Huddersfield climb to third in the Championship and pile more pressure on Ipswich boss Mick McCarthy. | 38619009 |
About 300 coins were unearthed during a dig in Navenby in 2013, along with the remains of several Roman buildings.
It is thought the coins were dropped by people stopping off to eat while travelling between London and York.
Project leader Ian Cox, of Navenby Archaeology Group, suggested it may have been a "Happy Charioteer".
He said due to the coins being of such low value it was likely people had discarded them while visiting the Roman equivalent of a fast-food outlet on the site.
"It wasn't a hoard, or anything like that - these were scattered about.
"It was as if people had dropped them while eating and drinking and couldn't be bothered to pick them up."
Evidence of food preparation was also found, including bones from cattle, sheep and goats.
Mr Cox said there was a lack of personal artefacts, which supported the theory the site had been used as a sort of Roman service station.
Excavations had also unearthed evidence the site was previously used as a quarry.
A full report into the dig is now being prepared, with the group hoping to excavate other parts of the village in the future.
Mr Cox said they were keen to see what happened in Navenby after the Romans left.
The coins, along with other items from the dig, will be kept at the Lincolnshire Archives. | "Worthless" Roman coins found during a dig in Lincolnshire support a theory there was a McDonald's-style eatery on the site, archaeologists believe. | 32016425 |
It became illegal to produce, distribute, sell or supply the drugs, formerly known as "legal highs", in May 2016
But substance misuse agency CAIS and Drug Aid Cymru said usage has increased in the last three to six months.
The UK Government said it was continuing to work to stop drugs use.
The charities' comments come after images and camera footage from Wrexham was widely shared in March, showing people who appeared to be under the influence of the drugs.
Clive Wolfendale, of CAIS, said there was more awareness of the substances, meaning more people are reporting use of them.
He added that more research was needed into their use.
"In the past few months in north Wales we've seen more people coming forward presenting with issues of using new psychoactive substances," he said.
"Personally I was always concerned the ban would put the market in the hands of criminals, as we've seen with other drugs like heroin and cocaine.
"My fear is that because it's such a prevalent issue and that substances, irrespective of the ban, are so widely available that this is a phenomenon which will be with us for years, if not decades, to come.
"We see very vulnerable people taking them. It might be that they've fallen prey to criminals, but we need more research to understand what's going on."
Rob Barker, of Drug Aid Cymru, echoed his concerns.
"People using NPS (new psychoactive substances) dipped quite a bit since May, since the law came in which was a good sign," he said.
"The main shops that sold NPS closed, so the accessibility for a short time went down quite a lot.
"But actually, recently in the last three to six months we have started to see people presenting to our services with issues around NPS, particularly around synthetic cannabinoids.
"We are seeing people with quite significant effects and issues associated with these drugs."
Figures from January showed there had been no prosecutions or cautions issued in three of the four Welsh police force areas since the ban.
Minister for Vulnerability, Safeguarding and Countering Extremism Sarah Newton said drugs would not be tolerated.
"Our drug strategy, to be published shortly, will build on the work already undertaken to prevent drug use in our communities and help dependent individuals, including homeless people and those in prisons, to rebuild their lives," she added. | The number of people approaching two Welsh charities with psychoactive drug addictions has risen since they were banned, it has been claimed. | 39616735 |
The president of the Samsung Medical Center in the capital Seoul issued a public apology on Sunday.
Health officials have reported seven new cases bringing the total to 145. Fifteen people are known to have died.
Meanwhile, a South Korean man in Slovakia is being tested for the virus.
The man reportedly works for a subcontractor of South Korean car maker Kia.
Samsung Medical Center president Song Jae-hoon told reporters that the hospital would stop treating outpatients and admitting new patients to prevent further infections among patients and medical staff.
He said no visitors would be allowed, and non-urgent surgery was being stopped.
"We apologise for causing great concern as Samsung Medical Center became the centre of the spread of Mers," he said.
"This is entirely our responsibility and failing, as we did not properly manage emergency-room staff."
Mr Song said he would review the suspension on services on 24 June.
More than 70 cases have been traced back to the hospital, authorities say.
Among them was an emergency ward orderly who worked for days after developing symptoms and came into contact with more than 200 people, officials said.
It is believed the orderly picked up the virus from an infected person who waited for days in various parts of the emergency ward, potentially exposing the virus to an estimated 900 staff, patients and visitors.
South Korea reported seven new cases on Sunday and the 15th victim died in the city of Busan.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the outbreak is "large and complex" with further cases expected, although it does not expect the outbreak to spread among the wider community.
The outbreak is the largest outside Saudi Arabia, where the disease was first identified in humans in 2012.
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers)
Mers: The new coronavirus explained
How South Korea is coping with outbreak | A hospital has suspended most of its services after being identified as the source of almost half the cases in the South Korean outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers). | 33125659 |
The vote is seen as especially important for President Park Geun-hye, whose time in office has been hampered by legislative gridlock.
Saenuri hopes to win the three-fifths of seats needed before bills can be introduced and passed by parliament.
The party currently holds only a slim majority in the chamber.
Voters are casting ballots at nearly 14,000 polling stations to elect 253 of 300 lawmakers. The remaining 47 proportional representation seats are allocated to parties according to the numbers of votes they receive overall.
President Park's administration will gain significant momentum if the governing party gains a majority of seats, The Korea Times reported, enabling it to push through labour and economic reforms before her term in office expires in about 20 months' time.
With a divided opposition in South Korea, the ruling centre-right grouping is expected to continue in power. But the election will indicate the general feeling about the government as a whole.
The economy has dominated pre-election arguments, particularly plans to make it easier for employers to sack employees.
Surprisingly perhaps, to outsiders, North Korea has not been a particularly prominent issue.
The opposition has also accused the government of being heavy-handed by clamping down on dissent and protest.
Youth unemployment rose to 12.5% in February, much higher than the South Korean average rate of nearly 5%. At the same time all the main parties have promised measures to reduce poverty among the elderly.
There is speculation in the South Korean media that the polls could end the country's two-party system, as new parties challenge Saenuri and the main opposition Minju party, which in February set what appeared to be a new world record for a combined filibuster after speaking for 192 hours.
Voter turnout is estimated to be higher than in previous general elections, local pollsters told The Korea Times. | Voters in South Korea are electing a new National Assembly with the governing Saenuri party eager to strengthen its position in parliament. | 36031147 |
A former pearl-fishing centre, Qatar emerged in the 1990s as one of the richest countries in the world, thanks to the exploitation of large oil and gas fields since the 1940s.
The tiny Gulf state is teeming with construction sites, cranes and roadworks, testament to its rapid growth. But Qatar is not satisfied with being just a wealthy country - it wants to be seen as a serious regional power as well.
It is a role it is already carving out for itself, for example having mediated in peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel, and having opened offices in Doha for the Afghan Taliban.
And, in sharp contrast to its neighbours, Qatar openly supports both the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood and the militant Hamas movement. It has hosted Hamas' political leader Khaled Meshaal since he was kicked out of Damascus for supporting the anti-government protests.
It is a foreign policy principle of Qatar that in the search for peace and stability no-one should be excluded and everyone should be engaged with.
In his residence in Doha Mr Meshaal was confident Qatar will not bow to external pressure to expel him from the country.
"Qatar is courageous enough to host us and they don't accept to be dictated by anyone. We respect their rules and appreciate their support," he said.
It is an example of what Jaber al-Harmi, editor-in-chief of Al Sharq, one of Qatar's leading papers, sees as an attempt by the emirate to forge a new approach to dealing with the region's problems.
"Qatar tried to suggest a new attitude in the Arabic sphere and wanted to say that there is another view to what's prevailing," he said.
This became apparent at the start of the Arab Spring in 2011.
Qatar's government publicly supported protests in the region and its leading pan-Arab news channel Al Jazeera gave voice to those opinions.
"Qatar believed that it had to side with the Arab streets, the people and their aspirations for reforms and freedoms. What distinguished Qatar is its transparency in its policies," said Mr Harmi.
Al Jazeera's audience grew during the upheavals, but the channel has been accused of being biased and politicised.
Its coverage caused fallout between Qatar and other Arab countries, particular Syria and Egypt, where its journalists were imprisoned by the government.
Syria has repeatedly accused Al Jazeera of faking news. Syrian pro-government media denied any protests were taking place in the country, saying Al Jazeera was staging scenes in its studios in Doha.
But the channel's Director General Yasser Abou Hilaleh says criticism levelled against Al Jazeera is unfair.
"In the Arab world, people don't separate between states and media. We are working in very difficult, sensitive and dangerous circumstances. Media is a main player and all parties deal with it as a major player."
Mr Abou Hilaleh says, contrary to a popular view, Al Jazeera's coverage is not dictated by Qatar's foreign policy.
"When I worked for Al Jazeera as a correspondent and now as a director, in both cases, we have nothing to do with Qatar's foreign policy. But in certain countries, our offices are treated as embassies for Qatar.
"Eventually there is a mutual influence that we can't ignore. Governments that have bad relations with Qatar, will have bad relations with us"
Qatar's government has supported opposition groups in many Arab countries, and especially in Syria.
It is, for instance, the only country that has an accredited ambassador to the opposition Syrian National Coalition (SNC).
But there are questions surrounding Qatar's role in Syria, and the extent to which they support not just mainstream but also Islamist and jihadist groups there.
It has used its influence with jihadists on occasions, such as mediating the release in March 2014 of nuns who had been abducted by the al-Qaeda-linked group the Nusra Front.
Husam al-Hafez, a former Syrian diplomat who defected to Doha, sees Qatar's policy as pragmatic.
"I believe that Qatar like some other countries has some good connections with all Syrians and with most of the factions on the ground. The fact that most of the factions nowadays are Islamists means that you have to deal with them on a daily basis. That's a positive role to play by mediators."
Qatar today is part of a Saudi-led coalition attacking Shia Houthi rebels in Yemen. It is viewed by many as a proxy war where Sunni Arab countries are trying to stop what they see as Shia Iranian expansion in the region.
Qatar regards Iranian influence as a major threat, and is trying to prevent it strengthening in Syria, where it bolsters the regime with weapons and military advisers.
So far, Doha has achieved some foreign policy successes. There was reconciliation with the Gulf Co-operation Council after a brief fallout and Qatar has mended relations with Saudi Arabia, especially over the issue of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Its policy of inclusion rather than exclusion seems to be working for the moment. But squaring up to Iran is a complex problem, and not one which looks like being solved any time soon. | The spectacular skyline of Doha has become symbolic of the wealth and development which now characterise this once impoverished country. | 32349382 |
Poppi Iris Worthington died in December 2012 when she was 13 months old.
A 46-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman have been arrested in connection with the death and are on conditional police bail until December.
The initial police investigation is being probed by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) and an officer has been suspended.
Cumbria Constabulary is continuing to investigate the death, but the IPCC is investigating several officers.
The coroner for south and east Cumbria, Ian Smith, told the inquest there had been a two-week Family Court hearing into the death, which found the cause of death could not be ascertained.
He said it would be inappropriate for another court to come to a different conclusion and recorded an open verdict. | The death of a baby girl in Cumbria, which has led to two arrests, cannot be explained, an inquest has found. | 29711796 |
Michael Mearns, 56, was found with serious injuries at Greenock Cemetery at 20:00 on Thursday, 30 July. He later died at Inverclyde Royal Hospital.
Following a second stop-and-question operation on Thursday, police said they wanted to trace two men and two women.
They said they were now following new lines of inquiry.
Officers said 60 people were spoken to in and around Greenock Cemetery between 18:00 and 21:00 on Thursday - two weeks on from when Mr Mearns was discovered.
A similar operation was held last week.
Following the latest operation, police said it was believed that two men and two women were near the cemetery at the time Mr Mearns was lying injured.
'Extremely encouraging'
Det Ch Insp Laura McLuckie, of Police Scotland's Major Investigation Team, said: "The circumstances surrounding how Michael came about his injuries are still under investigation and we are trying to establish these details and the motive for his murder.
"A team of highly experienced officers are dedicated to this inquiry and continue to gather any information that will help us trace who is responsible for Michael's death
"The response from the local community has been extremely encouraging and I'd like to thank them for their patience and support."
Det Ch Insp McLuckie added: "I believe that the key to this investigation lies within the community and that someone locally has information that could be of great assistance."
The two men and two women are believed to have been in the vicinity of the cemetery and surrounding streets between 19:45 and 19:50 on 30 July.
One of the men is described as white, of slim build, with dark short hair and glasses. He was wearing a purple or blue hooded jacket, dark blue jeans, trainers and was carrying a dark rucksack over his right shoulder. He was last seen walking on Orangefield Lane.
One of the women, who was also last seen on Orangefield Lane, is described as white, of slim build, with long straight dark hair. She was wearing a dark jacket, dark trousers and dark shoes.
The second woman, who was last seen walking from Inverkip Road to Orangefield Lane with a white west highland terrier dog, is described as white, of slim build, with short fair hair. She was wearing a dark hooded jacket, dark trousers and dark shoes,
The second man is described as white, elderly and was wearing a dark jacket, dark trousers, dark footwear and carrying shopping bags in both hands. He was last seen walking, in a stooped over position, past the female with the west highland terrier. | Police investigating the murder of a Greenock man who was found injured in a cemetery have said four people may hold "vital information" for their inquiry. | 33936193 |
The 28-year-old said in a post on social media he was aiming to return on the Billy Joe Saunders-Avtandil Khurtsidze undercard.
Fury, who has not fought since he beat Wladmir Klitschko in November 2015, had his licence revoked in October as he dealt with mental health problems.
He initially wanted to return in May but the British Boxing Board of Control told the BBC he was still suspended.
Fury posted that he was travelling to Marbella to train for the Saunders-Khurtsdize bout, which is scheduled for 8 July.
He vacated his WBO and WBA world heavyweight titles a day before his licence was suspended, saying he was unable to defend them because of his health.
The BBBofC said at the time that Fury's licence was suspended "pending further investigation into anti-doping and medical issues".
He would have to appear before the board to be given permission to fight. | Former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury is targeting a July return to boxing. | 39709069 |
Three families were seeking judicial review of the government's decision to give priority to religious views in the new course, due to be taught from 2016.
But government lawyers argued equal consideration for religious and non-religious views is not required by law.
Mr Justice Warby said he would give his judgement at a later date.
Changes to the content of religious studies GCSE, announced in February, sparked complaints at the sidelining of non-religious world views, with former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams among 28 religious leaders who urged the government to rethink its decision.
The three families argue that Education Secretary Nicky Morgan has taken an unlawful approach to the subject and is failing to reflect the pluralistic nature of the UK.
Their QC, David Wolfe, told the High Court there was widespread concern "about the secretary of state's failure to comply with her duty of neutrality and impartiality as between religious and other beliefs".
But lawyers for the education secretary argued neither statutory provisions nor the European Convention on Human Rights requires equal consideration to be given to religious and non-religious views in the curriculum.
They said that although some schools rely on the religious studies GCSE to discharge their duty to provide religious education for 14- to 16-year-olds, provision has been made for non-religious beliefs to be studied and a school's curriculum is a matter "for local determination" by individual school authorities.
The three families come from Cumbria, Kent and Somerset.
The case is backed by the British Humanist Association. | The government has "skewed" religious studies teaching in England by excluding non-religious beliefs from the new GCSE, the High Court has heard. | 34775686 |
While details of the 24-year-old's deal have not been revealed, Tigers boss Richard Cockerill has previously said the offer would make Tuilagi among "the highest paid players in the world".
He has not played for almost 14 months because of injury, missing the World Cup, but could return before January.
Tuilagi is the fourth Tigers player to agree a new deal on Monday.
Fellow England internationals scrum-half Ben Youngs and fly-half Freddie Burns joined club captain Ed Slater in extending their stay at Welford Road.
British and Irish Lion Tuilagi, who has been capped 25 times by England, is Leicester's biggest coup, with the centre previously having been linked with moves to several clubs, including Saracens, Worcester and Toulouse.
"Manu has had very close connections to the club from a very young age and he is a big part of the Tigers family," Cockerill told the club website.
"The club has been very good to him and he has shown huge loyalty to the club in return in wanting to stay here.
"Manu is in the prime of his rugby life at 24, he has very good players and a good coaching team around him here and he is very keen to play his part in the squad." | England centre Manu Tuilagi has agreed a new deal to stay at Leicester Tigers, the Premiership club have confirmed. | 35027654 |
Crane, 20, finished with 4-39 as the North fell short on 208 in pursuit of 228-8 in Abu Dhabi.
Durham fast bowler Mark Wood took 2-38 for the North on his return after three ankle operations.
Rain saw the final contest in the inaugural series between players from northern counties and southern counties shortened to 40 overs per side.
The three-match series is designed as a warm-up for county cricket's 50-over competition, the Royal London One-Day Cup, as well as helping players prepare for international cricket.
Eight players earned an automatic place on each team - with North represented by players from northern counties and South from southern counties - through the Professional Cricketers' Association's Most Valued Player ratings formula, while the remaining players were chosen by the England selectors.
The PCA MVP rankings system identifies the match-winners and key influencers of matches throughout the domestic season.
It takes into account conditions, quality of opposition, captaincy and strike-rates as well as runs scored and wickets taken.
South are coached by England assistant Paul Farbrace, while bowling coach Ottis Gibson oversees the North squad. | Hampshire leg-spinner Mason Crane helped the South to a 20-run victory and a 3-0 series win over the North. | 39338078 |
The bank's Financial Policy Committee (FPC) said on Thursday it would be "vigilant to emerging vulnerabilities".
It will also assess the risk posed by a sharp rise in interest rates.
In the past year, house prices in the UK rose by about 10%.
The bank will conduct the tests on lenders as part of a European Union-wide test this year.
The FPC, which has responsibility to monitor the strength of the financial system, said it would "continue to monitor conditions closely, and will take further proportionate and graduated actions if warranted".
It added: "A key part of the scenario would examine the resilience of the banks to a housing market shock and a snap back in interest rates."
The FPC's comments were made in a report on its latest quarterly meeting. The body also said it hoped to have the power from June to set interest rate scenarios, which lenders would have to consider before granting a loan.
The scenarios are being developed in conjunction with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which has a key role in protecting consumers.
From next month the FCA will oversee tougher home loan underwriting standards. | The Bank of England will test whether lenders can withstand a shock in the property market, after it found buyers were spending a higher proportion of their incomes on mortgages than at any time since 2005. | 26776361 |
It's an overcast morning in March and the Click team are standing in a muddy allotment in London looking unhappy.
Someone points out a gnome guarding a neighbouring patch, almost with a hint of jealousy.
The current Click allotment has no such fancies. But that's all about to change.
In the distance a man is noisily removing a tree stump, using a device that combines a lawn mower and a circular saw; it looks like a retired competitor from Robot Wars.
I imagine doing the same task using a simpler tool, say an axe, wouldn't be quite as fast (or noisy).
This is the idea behind the Click allotment project. In many ways agriculture has been at the vanguard of tech innovation for thousands of years.
From the earliest pestles and mortars, to ox-drawn ploughs, to self-driving GPS tractors, the desire to put food on the table has been a pretty good motivator for entrepreneurs across the centuries.
It's not a life or death situation on the Click allotment, today we'll get lunch from the local sandwich shop, but with serious consideration being given to how we'll feed the world in the decades to come we need to make the most of every inch of land we've got.
Over the next year Click will be packing our own plot of land with as many sensors and gadgets as it will take in an attempt to answer one question - do these devices help us grow food better and more efficiently?
In a completely unscientific test we've split our land in two. Half will be just vegetables and the other half will be packed with as much tech as we can throw at it. Whichever half produces the most food for the least amount of work wins.
And already busy working toward that are the Click bees - looked after by the show's picture editor/apiarist Carel Nell, the on-site beehive has been rigged up with a battery of sensors that promise to give a data-filled insight into hive life without risking a sting.
The system, called Arnia, monitors a swathe of data, from the humidity and temperature in the hive, through to its weight and even the sounds your bees are making.
Different bee activity makes different noises, so you can get an idea of whether your bees are brooding, foraging or even planning to buzz off and look for a new hive.
Away from the honey the first sensors to touch steel with soil are our collection of plant sensors. These stick like probes are shoved in the ground and collect detailed data about the environment your plants are growing in.
The Koubachi Plant Sensor Pro is the most expensive device we're trying out, coming in at about £150.
It promises more accuracy over the cheaper Parrot Flower Power device, which costs about £35.
Information about light levels and soil moisture content is collected and sent to an online portal, which lets you track how your plants are doing over time, and if you need to make any changes.
But this wouldn't be Click's allotment if we didn't get our hands dirty, in a digital sense. We also want to build our own tech solutions to any issues or annoyances we encounter.
Around the corner at Our Lady of Muswell Primary School, Eva, Finnbar and Priya showed me just how easy that can be. Members of the weekly code club, these kids voluntarily stay late on a Friday to code, tinker and create things with computers - in my book that makes them pretty cool.
My primary school computer education consisted of drawing shapes on a BBC Micro with what I think was a snail. These kids get to build an internet-connected plant sensor that monitors most of the same stats as the expensive devices in our garden.
And they are genuinely excited by it, 11-year-old Eva said: "When I say coding, my friends think of just typing words into a computer".
Ten-year-old Finnbar continues: "But the biggest thing with coding is your imagination, let your imagination run wild and you'll be a really good coder… I never imagined that you could measure something in these tiny wires."
Duncan Wilson, who run the code club when not working for Intel, said: "A Nasa satellite went up at the start of this year measuring soil moisture at a global scale, but providing the kids with these little kits that they can play with and use in their own gardens allows them to get an understanding of how it affects them locally."
On the allotment the first hack we've tried is the Infragram project.
It comes as a $10 (£6.70) kit with instructions on how to supercharge most old digital cameras so that they can "see plants photosynthesise".
It requires taking your camera apart and replacing a few parts, but the results are pretty impressive. Be careful though, in the process of modifying our camera, I accidentally broke the screen.
The idea is a miniaturised version of Nasa's Landsat project - which is able to collect similar near-infrared images on a much larger scale using a network of satellites.
Back on planet Earth the Farm Hack community take agro-hacking to the next level. The organisation gets farmers together with tech-savvy makers to design and build hi- and low tech tools that make farming easier.
The community has built everything from a DIY bird scaring machine to a smart compost monitor.
Having access to all of this data doesn't just mean farming more efficiently, it also means more people can be involved in the process.
If the idea of dusting off your Barbour jacket and squeaking on the wellies doesn't appeal on a Saturday morning, you can still be involved through the data.
Helen Steer, co-founder of the City Farmers social enterprise, said: "Community projects can use data to engage their local audience and give people a sense of involvement, even though they're not on the farm every day."
"I met a farmer who's using sensors to let customers monitor their food as it grows before it goes into a veg box… it involves people more in the food system they're part of and depend on."
The Click allotment project is only just germinating, over the next year we're planning on getting our soldering irons out and picking up our Raspberry Pis to make our garden as hi-tech as possible.
If there's something green you think there should be a hi-tech solution for, or if you've put something hi-tech into the soil let us know, email click@bbc.co.uk or tweet us @BBCClick. | There's silicon in the soil and bytes in the bees - the Click team is on a mission to tech up its own plot of land. | 32175010 |
The Cardiff-based 19-year-old, along with Kathleen Dawson, Siobhan-Marie O'Connor and Fran Halsall, triumphed at the European Championships in London.
Tutton, part of Team GB's squad for the Rio Games, also won 100m breaststroke bronze at the championships.
"It's just been up and up. It's such a good season for me," she said.
"I keep going up and to finish on a high here, it's incredible."
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Tutton set a British record for the 200m breaststroke in April, which sealed her place at Rio.
Sharron Davies, the 1980 Olympic silver medallist, has said the City of Cardiff club swimmer's "meteoric rise" has been a boost for British swimming.
Tutton hopes Britain's 4x100m medley relay quartet can repeat the performance which saw them win gold at the London Aquatics Centre when they go to Brazil in August.
"Hopefully we can replicate the same in Rio," she said, adding that she had learned from her time with the British team.
"It's so nice to be around such experienced swimmers, just to see how they prepare themselves and just to be around such positive surroundings."
Sign up to My Sport to follow swimming news and reports on the BBC app. | Olympics-bound swimmer Chloe Tutton says she has had an "incredible" season after helping Britain's women's 4x100m medley relay team win European gold. | 36355409 |
Its Global Economic Prospects report is forecasting 2.7% growth compared with the 2.3% seen last year.
That slight strengthening will be driven mainly by improvements in emerging markets and developing economies, the Bank says.
But there is heightened uncertainty after the US Presidential election, according to the report.
The World Bank's new forecasts suggest we can expect the unconvincing global economic revival following the financial crisis to continue.
Last year's growth figure was described as a "post-crisis low", with "anaemic" levels of investment and a further weakening of global trade.
For emerging market and developing economies, the rise in interest rates in the US and the strengthening dollar also led to a "notable tightening of financing conditions" - which means credit that is either more expensive or harder to get.
But the Bank still expects growth to accelerate in these countries, partly due to higher commodity prices, such as oil and metals, which many of them export.
The Bank's economists also expect the slowdown in two large emerging economies, Brazil and Russia, to come to an end.
For the developed economies the Bank forecasts continued weak growth of around 1.8%. That would be slightly better than 2016, but still slow compared to the period before the crisis.
Uncertainty about future policies has increased following the British referendum on the European Union and, potentially especially significant for the global economy, Donald Trump's victory in the US Presidential election.
The report includes an analysis of why the US matters so much to the rest of the world in terms of extensive trade and financial links.
It notes that there is a great deal of uncertainty about just what policies Mr Trump's administration will pursue in office.
And it says there is the potential for stronger US growth if Mr Trump implements proposals to cuts personal and business taxes and stimulates infrastructure investment.
The report also looks at the possible impact of more barriers to international trade. This is not just about Mr Trump, though he has said he would increase some tariffs on imports and has suggested some existing trade agreements could be scrapped.
The Bank says that globally, new trade restrictions reached a post-financial crisis high last year, and warns that emerging and developing economies would be most affected by more barriers.
This could hit the economies of some of the worlds poorest country's hardest, the report warns, saying growth has been the main driver of poverty reduction for the last two decades.
It says that if there was a return to the growth rates seen before the 2008 crisis, then extreme poverty could reduce to just 4% by 2030.
However weak growth like seen in 2015 would only bring down such poverty to 9%.
Next week, the International Monetary Fund will issue its economic outlook for 2017.
But it's important not to compare its headline figures for global economic growth with the World Bank's.
There are two different methods of adding together individual country growth rates to a get a global number and these institutions choose to headline different ones, thought they do report both. | There will be only a moderate pick up in global economic growth during 2017, the World Bank has predicted. | 38575324 |
Larry has been in residence at Downing Street since 2011, and Palmerston was brought in to keep rodents at bay in the Foreign Office earlier this year.
Gladstone, who is thought to be 18 months old, is a former stray adopted from Battersea Cats and Dogs Home.
Larry was one of the few post holders to survive Theresa May's government reshuffle in July.
It was confirmed he would stay on after the departure of David Cameron, who took the opportunity in his final prime minister's questions to quash rumours he did not get along with the mouser.
Relations between Larry and Palmerston are rumoured to have been strained, and there was speculation that Larry's recent trip to the vet was the result of one of their run-ins.
But the latest feline appointment - who is named after former Liberal prime minister and four-time chancellor William Ewart Gladstone - signalled a willingness to stand up to No. 10.
A caption on Gladstone's photo - taken of him in a cat carrier - reads: "The humans had to keep me in this cage in case I ran down the street and tormented some other mouser called 'Larry'. Personally, I've never heard of him."
Asked why Gladstone, who was previously called Timmy, had been drafted in a spokeswoman said it was to "help control the mice problem in the 1 Horse Guard Road building". | A third cat has joined the Whitehall mouse patrol with the arrival of Gladstone at the Treasury. | 36924449 |
The 23-year-old has had previous loan spells with Burton Albion, Notts County and Northampton Town.
He contributed five goals to Burton's League Two title win during a six-month loan spell in 2014-15.
Blyth, who has yet to play a first-team game for Leicester, is U's manager Richard Money's 12th signing of the summer transfer window.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. | League Two side Cambridge United have signed forward Jacob Blyth on a one-month loan deal from Leicester City. | 34021925 |
Commissioned by the mental health campaign See Me, the YouGov poll of 1,004 adults found 29% reported having had problems themselves.
It also suggested 39% said a family member had been affected.
The research found 35% of respondents believed they or a family member had experienced stigma or discrimination because of their mental health.
See Me Director Calum Irving said: "We all have mental health, it can be up or it can be down, any of us could struggle at any point.
"To treat someone differently because they are going through a tough time isn't fair. However, we know that stigma isn't always intentional. People often don't speak about mental health because they are worried they will say the wrong thing or could make it worse.
"But if no one speaks about mental health, then people won't feel comfortable asking for help when they need it."
Mr Irving added: "A good new year's resolutions for all of us could be to open up a conversation on mental health. You can do that with a simple, 'are you okay?' You don't need to have all the answers, just talking to someone about how they feel can help." | New research has indicated nearly 30% of Scots say they have experienced mental health problems. | 38483120 |
What is measles?
Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease characterised by a high fever, a rash and generally feeling unwell.
The first symptoms include runny nose, sore eyes, a cough and fever.
Around the fourth day of the illness, a rash - flat red or brown blotches - may appear, usually starting on the forehead and spreading downwards.
There may also be diarrhoea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
While this may be the full extent of the illness in many, resolving itself within two weeks of the first symptoms, other complications may arise in about one in 15 cases.
These include a severe cough and breathing difficulties, ear infections, pneumonia and eye infections.
In a very small number of cases, inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) may follow. This is extremely dangerous, as 25% of those affected are left with brain damage.
The most severe complication of measles - occurring in only one in 100,000 cases - is a slowly-progressive brain disorder which does not normally show until some time after the original infection, causing seizures and even death.
Globally, measles is still one of the biggest childhood killers. The World Health Organization estimates there are 430 deaths from measles every day. It is thought that between one in 1,000 and one in 3,000 of those infected will die.
What is MMR?
MMR is a combined vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella, three common infectious diseases of childhood.
It was introduced in the UK in 1988 to replace single vaccines for each disease.
It is used in countries throughout the world, with millions of doses delivered each year.
The first MMR vaccine is given on the NHS as a single injection to babies as part of their routine vaccination schedule, usually within a month of their first birthday.
They will then have a second injection of the vaccine, known as the MMR booster, before starting school, usually between the ages of three and five.
The first gives about 95% protection against measles, while two doses gives 99-100% protection.
Why were people worried about it?
In 1998, a study published in the respected journal The Lancet raised the possibility that the jab may be linked to autism and bowel disease.
The paper and the media furore that followed prompted many parents to decide against having their children vaccinated with the three-in-one jab.
Some opted to have their children vaccinated using single vaccines for each disease. However, others decided against having their children vaccinated against these diseases at all.
Mumps, measles and rubella are all serious diseases, particularly measles. Many doctors were concerned that a drop in vaccination levels could leave many children at risk.
What has been the long-term effect?
To ensure that all children in a community are protected from measles, 95% of them need to be fully vaccinated - this is known as herd immunity.
In the wake of the publicity surrounding the Lancet paper vaccination rates fell sharply.
At its lowest, in 2003/4, fewer than eight in ten children were vaccinated - but in some areas less than half of children received the jab.
Health experts believe there are more than one million schoolchildren in England alone who are not protected against the disease.
The gloomy predictions of experts have been borne out, with cases of measles increasing.
There were 2,016 confirmed cases of measles in England and Wales in 2012, the highest total for 18 years.
The current outbreak in Wales, in which more than 800 cases have been recorded, is the biggest single outbreak in the UK since the controversy.
Was there any reason to be worried?
No. No authoritative research has been published to back up claims that it may be linked to autism and bowel disease.
The Wakefield claims have been tested in over a dozen statistical studies carried out across large populations in different countries, and none found any evidence at all to suggest there was any link between the MMR jab and autism.
These studies included a 2004 investigation by a team from the UK Medical Research Council which compared the vaccination records of 1,294 children diagnosed with autism or related conditions with those of 4,469 children who had no such diagnosis.
Overall, 78% of the children with autism had received MMR. But 82% of the other children had also been given MMR.
A 2005 paper looked at autism rates among 31,426 children born in Japan. It found the incidence of autism actually increased after the MMR jab was withdrawn in the country in 1993.
One of the biggest studies of all - a 2002 paper examining the records of 537,303 children born in Denmark - also showed no link between MMR and autism.
What about the original study?
The Lancet, which published the controversial MMR paper in the first place, has since publicly announced it should never have printed it.
Dr Andrew Wakefield, the man behind the work, was subsequently struck off the medical register by the General Medical Council for serious professional misconduct.
A GMC panel found that Dr Wakefield had acted "dishonestly and irresponsibly" while carrying out his research.
Among the charges of which he was found guilty was paying children £5 for blood samples at his son's birthday party.
What about adults?
The MMR vaccine was introduced in 1988. Prior to that a licensed vaccine to prevent measles first became available in 1963, an improved measles vaccine in 1968.
Most adults born before 1970 in the UK are likely have had measles infection and therefore be immune. | Measles can be a very serious disease - and children who have not been vaccinated are at risk. | 22173393 |
Jamieson, who lost to Murdoch in the same event at last year's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, finished in 2:12.16 - 0.85 seconds ahead of his fellow Scot.
"I'd love to go sub 2:10," Jamieson told Scottish Swimming's website.
"I've never dipped below that unrested. I'm heading to Vichy next week for the French Open Championships so I'd like to get close to that then."
Having not qualified for this year's World Championships in Russia, which begin next month, Jamieson is working towards next year's Olympics in Rio.
"Rio is absolutely my goal," added the 27-year-old who won Olympic silver at London 2012.
"I want to get into the best shape possible. We hear all the time how great breaststroke is in the UK. But that's the truth. You need a world class time to make the British team and that is what is pushing us all on.
"I still believe I can get up there and compete with the best.
"I'm not going to Kazan. It's the first time I've not been part of the GB set up since 2009 and that's disappointing. It's not been an easy 12 months but I'm starting to enjoy my swimming again now so I'm all about looking forward."
Also at Tollcross International Swimming Centre in Glasgow, University of Stirling quartet Robbie Renwick, Jak Scott, Cameron Brodie and Jordan Hughes broke the British club record for the 4x200m freestyle by winning in 7:22.18. | Michael Jamieson beat Ross Murdoch in the final of the 200m breaststroke at the Scottish Swimming Championships. | 33295600 |
Col Moussa Tiegboro Camara is the most senior official to be charged over the massacre, one of the bloodiest events in the West African country's history.
At least 157 people died when the troops opened fire in a Conakry stadium and 100 women were raped.
The colonel was not taken into custody, the AFP news agency reports.
International rights groups welcomed the indictment of Col Tiegboro Camara, who is a minister in the presidency in charge of fighting drug-trafficking and organised crime.
"Ensuring justice for the 2009 victims and their families would help break the cycle of violence, fear, and impunity that has blighted the lives and hopes of so many Guineans for so many years," Corinne Dufka, senior West Africa researcher for the US-based group Human Rights Watch (HRW), said on Thursday.
A HRW report has implicated Col Tiegboro Camara in the 28 September 2009 massacre - saying that he was in the stadium and in command of soldiers who descended on some 50,000 people protesting against the then-military junta of Moussa Dadis Camara.
Eyewitnesses say people were shot, stabbed, bludgeoned or trampled to death and women raped.
Capt Camara seized power in 2008 on the death of long-time leader Lansana Conte, but went into exile not long after the stadium massacre following an assassination attempt.
His deputy oversaw the handover to civilian rule, with veteran opposition leader Alpha Conde winning elections in 2010. | A minister in Guinea has been charged for his role in the killing of scores of people during a protest in 2009 in the capital against military rule. | 16972557 |
The 30-year-old former Australia international joins the Super League club after being released by Catalans Dragons in October.
Salford CEO Ian Blease said: "Todd will be a vital part of our jigsaw and is a real statement of our intent. He is a world-class player and match-winner.
"We are delighted to get his signature and are greatly looking forward to his arrival for the start of season."
Carney is a previous winner of of the southern hemisphere competition's highest individual honour, the Dally M Medal, and was the international player of the year in 2010. | Salford Red Devils have signed half-back Todd Carney for the 2017 season. | 38691788 |
Paint was thrown at the property in Roden Street, causing damage to a window, some time between 21:00 BST on Friday and 02:30 BST on Saturday.
The house was empty at the time and no-one was injured.
Insp James Murphy appealed to anyone with information about the attack to contact officers on the non-emergency number 101. | An overnight attack on a house in west Belfast is being treated as a homophobic hate crime. | 32562647 |
The baby was treated by paramedics at about 01:00 GMT on Sunday at a property on Charles Street, Blackpool.
The victim "remains very poorly" at Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool, police said.
Tomasz Raszkiewicz, 32, of Central Drive, Blackpool has been remanded in custody to appear before Blackpool Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.
A 34-year-old woman who was arrested on suspicion of wounding has been released on bail.
Two other men arrested as part of the investigation were released with no further action. | A man has been charged with grievous bodily harm with intent after a month-old baby suffered a "serious injury". | 34917249 |
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The world champions' win in Wellington means they have an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
New Zealand ran in four second-half tries, but Liam Williams and Jonathan Davies scored in a late Welsh flurry.
"I was pleased we kept going until the end, I think it showed that we can play for 80 minutes," said Warburton.
"It's just they are ruthless when you make a mistake."
New Zealand took the game away from Wales in 14 second-half minutes with Ben Smith, Beauden Barrett, Waisake Naholo and Ardie Savea all crossing to score.
Wales had led the first Test after an hour in Auckland only for Steve Hansen's side to score 21 unanswered points on their way to a 39-21 victory.
Warburton had said before Saturday's game that Wales had a physical barrier to overcome against the All Blacks and admitted that keeping up with the pace of the game over 80 minutes was a significant challenge.
He said New Zealand were able to think more clearly in the final 10 minutes because they were used to playing at such a high tempo.
But in Wellington, it was Warren Gatland's side who finished on a high with Williams and Davies scoring late on to ensure Wales only lost by 14 points - the narrowest losing margin they have ever achieved against the All Blacks in New Zealand.
Wales hooker Ken Owens commented: "We finished strongly which we didn't do last weekend, which we're pretty proud of."
"One thing we spoke about behind the posts was not to go into our shells and just keep playing, keep plugging away and we got two tries in the end. I thought we played some decent stuff out there."
Warburton, though, says Wales' late rally was no consolation as their losing streak against the All Blacks stretched to 28 games, with their last win coming in 1953.
"We wanted to win that match and there was a great feeling at half-time, we physically felt good," he said.
"But one or two or three mistakes gives three tries. There was that three-minute period where we gave away two tries and that was a huge swing and they really grew after that.
"There's no psychological barrier to get over, it's just they're a damn good team and you've got to take your hat off to them.
"When they had to score tries and capitalise on our mistakes, they did. They don't punish you with three points, it's normally seven."
Wales face Hansen's side again in Dunedin on Saturday, 25 June and the New Zealand coach says his side will be better again next weekend after a powerful performance in Wellington.
"It's only the second game of the season so you would [still] expect a lot of improvement," he said.
"Whilst we improved, I think the Welsh team did as well.
"We scored five good tries and anytime you do that in a Test match you've got to be reasonably happy with your attack play and we defended really, really well for long periods of time." | Captain Sam Warburton says Wales' performance in the 36-22 defeat by New Zealand shows his side can compete for a whole game against the All Blacks. | 36567708 |
"Just about any new discovery is thoroughly exciting," says Jay Carver, the lead on what is currently the UK's largest archaeology project.
His team has been working alongside engineers building stations and digging two giant tunnels under central London as part of Crossrail since 2009.
On the journey so far, finds include rare amber, hundreds of skeletons and a Bronze Age track.
But for Mr Carver, among the most exciting discoveries was the Thames ironworks and ship building company which occupied the entire Limmo Peninsula.
He said: "The site had literally been forgotten in the ground. It was 100 years old but we have pretty much been able to reconstruct it.
"To have discovered this huge timber shipway was extraordinary.
"The discovery of ancient animal bones in Paddington takes it to the other extreme to a London with wild animals, an unbelievable concept in today's world."
Crossrail will connect 37 stations from Heathrow Airport and Maidenhead in the west, through central London and out to Abbey Wood and Shenfield in the east.
It is due to be completed in 2018.
Being a part of this giant feat of engineering has allowed the 100-strong team of archaeologists to venture into largely unexplored territory.
Mr Carver said: "The project has allowed us to dig so many holes across so many parts of London.
"It's about filling information gaps, finding out about stuff we didn't know before and making all the details we had in the past, clearer."
He explained that digging from west to east through the centre of London, which due to city's built-up nature is usually restricted, gives them a unique opportunity.
"It enables us to compare and contrast areas of London by gathering scientific data from different locations, for example excavating several sites across west London and parts of the City.
"Looking at how they developed from green fields into the city we know today and how the river system changed and developed over thousands of years.
"It will also reveal thousands of years of history in the Square Mile which covers what was a Roman and medieval city, which are fairly unknown."
Advances in technology may mean there is less uncertainty about what might lay beneath the surface, but Crossrail has still delivered a few surprises.
At Canary Wharf a 55-million-year-old piece of amber was unearthed from beneath the dock bed in 2009.
The archaeology team said very little amber had been found in London and this piece was larger and clearer than any previously found in the UK.
The next stop for the team is Farringdon where archaeologist Mike Court will be leading a two-week excavation in January.
Trial digs have confirmed an old river channel and evidence of leather production under Smithfield Market.
Mr Court said: "It is exciting as you spend years doing the research then you get to dig and prove your homework."
"It's close to a big plague pit from the black death so it gives us a chance to dig down but there's only a 20% chance we will find it."
Meanwhile, in a trial excavation pit at Liverpool Street in February 2011, Mr Court said they came across what he considers to be the most exciting find on the project so far - a silver Denarius, a Roman coin from 225AD.
"It's fairly run of the mill for sites but it gives you something in your hand which showed the time Britain was part of the Roman Empire and puts us into the wider context," he said.
Looking to 2013, Mr Carver said they would be working on the largest single excavation at the site of Crossrail's ticket hall in Liverpool Street.
It is expected to reveal the less salubrious parts of Roman London outside of the City walls with archaeologists anticipating to encounter Roman timber-framed buildings and a street surface 6m below ground level.
The "lost" Walbrook River - a channel that divided the western and eastern parts of the city - may also be found.
At the eastern end of the Crossrail route, archaeologists will work at four large tunnel entrance sites at Pudding Mill Lane, Victoria Dock, North Woolwich and Plumstead.
Here it is thought the team will come across areas where Bronze Age people lived, farmed and hunted some 3,500 years ago.
Only halfway through its journey, and with a total of 20 archaeology sites to explore, it is hoped there is much more to be uncovered. | As a team of archaeologists digs through layers of history beneath London, the thought of the next find is never far away. | 20796351 |
4 February 2017 Last updated at 00:20 GMT
The Choir with No Name was set up in 2011 after the original began in London in 2008.
The singers meet every Thursday and not only sing together but also enjoy dinner after rehearsals.
The choir is now encouraging anyone to sing with it and to help raise money for the charity.
Video journalist: Simone Stewart | A choir set up for the homeless in Birmingham recently celebrated its fifth birthday. | 38862559 |
Chris Bown was made managing director after a £6m public inquiry published criticisms of the standard of care at Stafford Hospital.
The hospital was renamed the County Hospital, and a new trust set up to replace Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust.
The trust now running the hospital said Mr Bown's job was always "an interim role".
The University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust said its management structure was now being "reviewed".
The health watchdog, the Care Quality Commission, has yet to inspect Stafford County Hospital.
Mr Bown, who was appointed in September, is leaving to become Interim Chief Executive of East Kent Hospitals University NHS Trust.
Mr Bown said: "During my time here I have been hugely impressed with the commitment and expertise of the staff.
"I believe County Hospital and the wider trust have a strong future and I look forward to seeing them both go from strength to strength." | The man brought in to help improve care standards at a Staffordshire hospital is leaving after six months in the job. | 31816006 |
The 70-year-old, who is in his second spell as president, stood unopposed for the post.
Perez held the position for the first time between 2000 and 2006, a period during which Real signed Luis Figo, David Beckham and Ronaldo.
He returned in 2009, as the club bought Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema and Xabi Alonso.
Cristiano Ronaldo's future at the Bernabeu remains uncertain after he told the club he wants to leave.
Perez employed six managers during his first spell, as Real won two La Liga titles and the Champions League.
He resigned in February 2006 after the club went three years without a major trophy.
Last season, Real Madrid became the first side to retain the Champions League and won the Spanish title for the first time since 2012. | Florentino Perez will continue as Real Madrid president after being re-elected for the next four years. | 40326486 |
And as we drove into San Sebastian, in the heart of Spain's Basque region, we were halted by road blocks and stern faced police in black uniforms, guns pressed against their chests.
For a moment it felt like days of old when this picturesque town was an epicentre of Eta's bloody campaign for independence.
But then cyclists sped past, in a blaze of bright colours, in the warm spring sunshine.
It was the Tour of the Basque Country.
The traffic jam also held up one of the mediators' Eta contacts for more than a hour. Decades ago, when Spanish and French security forces were locked in a brutal confrontation with Eta fighters, his delay would have been a cause for concern.
But on Saturday morning, just after sunrise, a dark chapter came to an end in a short simple ceremony in Bayonne City Hall in south-west France.
As the world confronts a new wave of extreme Islamist violence, the last insurgency in the heart of Europe has effectively ended. Eta's move was largely symbolic since much of its arsenal is obsolete. But symbolism matters in a conflict which has left a deep wound, particularly in Spanish society.
I and two other journalists were allowed to sit in on the ceremony.
In a statement handed to me through an intermediary two days before, the "Basque Socialist Revolutionary Organisation for National Liberation" announced their "Disarmament Day".
Like so much about this moment, it was a study in contrasts.
Shafts of sunlight streamed through the heavy drapes drawn across long windows in an elegant high ceilinged room.
History was made around a small square table which brought together international mediators who had worked toward this day for many years, along with members of an association called "Artisans of Peace".
Pressure from within Basque society had been instrumental in sketching a new future for a region where there is still a strong yearning for independence.
But anger and antagonism over a half a century of Eta car bombings and assassinations haven't gone away either. The Spanish and French governments still refuse to negotiate with a proscribed terrorist group.
Eta tried for years to open a secret channel. Sources say that in the past year there were high-level contacts with senior French officials. Spain blocked them on at least three occasions.
So unlike in Northern Ireland and Colombia, where governments played a role, Eta's disarmament came about through a unique collaboration between international organisations and an array of civil society actors ranging from churches to trade unions.
Eta had warned in their statement, with palpable bitterness, that "enemies of peace" could attack their event.
But, on the day, Spanish authorities "looked the other way", and the French "actively looked the other way", in the words of one of the international organisers. French forces discreetly secured Bayonne City Hall on a quiet Saturday morning.
It fell to French Basque environmentalist, Txetx Etcheverry, dressed in casual attire, to hand over a black dossier bulging with blue files.
This was Eta's inventory with details of their remaining weaponry including locations of their last arms dumps which are all in France.
The file then rested for a moment in the hands of two leading men of the cloth: Archbishop Matteo Zuppi of Bologna and The Reverend Harold Good from Northern Ireland who had also witnessed the IRA's weapons decommissioning more than a decade ago.
From where I sat, I could see there was text and photographs about what was later described as "very significant" quantities of explosive materials - nearly three tons worth - and about 120 guns.
The white bearded Reverend Good, who's been visiting this region since 2005, later told me it was a "wonderful day".
And then, the documents were passed to Ram Manikkalingam, a mediator who decided the occasion merited a suit and tie, who heads the Amsterdam-based Dialogue Advisory Group.
"There were many moments when we doubted this would happen," he admitted when we sat down in the same room after he had deposited Eta's file in the French prosecutor's office in City hall.
"There were steps forward, and steps backward," recalls Mr Manikkalingam who, as chair of the International Verification Commission, has also been monitoring Eta's unilateral ceasefire declared in 2011.
It has taken since then to convince Eta fighters to give up their weaponry without getting anything in return. Tracking down what's left also took time in a highly secretive organisation with a myriad of small cells.
And not everyone is on board. Sources estimate Eta dissidents include about 100 hardline fighters, including prisoners and their family members and gunmen still underground.
"This worried us constantly," admits Mr Manikkalingam. "As we know from the Northern Ireland experience, one of the worst bomb attacks took place after the Good Friday Agreement."
Sources say lessons were drawn from IRA history to try to ensure bomb makers are under control, and any signs of dissatisfaction are addressed.
And Eta still exists. Hence, the only reaction from Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and his governing People's Party (PP) was to call on "terrorists" to "dissolve... and disappear" but not before apologising to its many victims.
"As a long-time observer - and I never thought I would say this - I have to say that the PP's hardline, 'no talks, this is a law-and-order matter' has worked," remarked journalist and historian Giles Tremlett who also sat in on the handover ceremony. "Eta has been defeated."
From Eta to Stockholm: Is terror more of a threat to Europe than before?
Eta disarms: French police find 3.5 tonnes of weapons
Rev Harold Good says Eta disarmament 'hugely important'
Timeline: Eta campaign
What is Eta?
But the mood was still buoyant at a packed "Peace Rally" in the Old Town of Bayonne. A video on a big screen showed Eta's arms dumps being guarded by volunteers before French police arrived to carry away their contents.
"There are issues which need to be addressed on the road to peace," explained Gorku Elejabarrieta of the pro-independence Basque party Sortu, who was still beaming after attending a rally he said gathered people from all parts of society.
"Every victim has to be acknowledged, including more than 300 Eta prisoners," he said, "But we must work on this together."
The day before, I met his party leader, Arnaldo Otegi, who once headed Eta's political wing. It had earned him the nickname "Gerry Adams", in another nod to Northern Ireland.
"The armed conflict should have ended earlier," he conceded. "Our society wanted us to take this step earlier and we should have listened.
"Everyone needs to understand it is not easy to convince militants, after many years of armed struggle, to take this step," added the prominent politician who played a key role behind the scenes. "The past finished late but we want a different future."
As "Disarmament Day" drew to a close, a video of the handover ceremony was made available. But all the audio was removed. An armed group which first emerged with a very big bang closed this chapter without even a whisper. | In the final days before the Basque separatist group Eta gave up its guns, mediators spoke of "jitters" over whether this long-awaited moment would go according to plan. | 39550731 |
Fans took to Twitter to express their delight that the actress was back as Fanny Brice at the Savoy Theatre.
The actress had been out of the show for almost two months due to stress and exhaustion.
Her part had been taken over by understudy Natasha J Barnes to great acclaim.
"If she's still tired and frayed, she showed not a jot of fatigue for two hours on Saturday night," wrote the Telegraph's theatre critic Dominic Cavendish after seeing Smith's performance.
He said her return had been "greeted by protracted applause from the audience at the start and a standing ovation at the end - a tsunami of affection which she gamely took in her stride, beaming, and jabbing a thumbs-up in thanks".
Audience members tweeted that Smith got an "ecstatic" reception and that the cast received a "much-deserved standing ovation".
Fellow cast member Matthew Goodgame tweeted that it had been an "honour" to play the role of Nick opposite Smith.
The producers announced Smith's return as she took to the stage on Friday night.
"We are delighted to welcome Sheridan Smith back to Funny Girl this evening," said a statement.
"It is currently planned that Sheridan will also play this Saturday evening (not matinee), and Monday to Saturday next week (excluding the Wednesday matinee and Thursday evening performances at which Natasha J Barnes will perform).
"From the week commencing 18 July, Sheridan is scheduled to perform Tuesday through Saturday, with Natasha playing Fanny Brice on Monday evenings. This schedule is subject to change, but we look forward to continuing to entertain audiences at the Savoy Theatre until our run ends on 8 October."
When Smith took time off from the role in May the producers said she would get "the rest and support she needs".
The actress has two Olivier awards for her stage roles in Legally Blonde and Flare Path, was made an OBE last year and has described the part of Fanny as her "dream role".
The production of Funny Girl transferred to the Savoy Theatre in April after a successful run at the Menier Chocolate Factory. | Sheridan Smith received standing ovations over the weekend as she returned to her leading role in West End show Funny Girl. | 36763282 |
PC Ian Jepp found Dianne Hunnibell, of Lakenheath, broken down near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.
Ms Hunnibell had just 25 minutes before her wedding to fiancé Sean was due to begin 16 miles away in Stowmarket.
PC Jepp turned chauffeur and, with blue lights on, got Mrs Hunnibell and her father Peter to the wedding on time.
"It's not something you expect to happen on your wedding day," said Mrs Hunnibell. "We got in the car and it kept stopping and starting the whole ride.
"It finally gave up on the fly-over near Sainsbury's on the A14 in Bury.
"An officer pulled up in a police car and I asked 'will you take me to my wedding?'
"He was really sweet and went away, made a call on his radio and then came back and said, 'yes.'
"The officer was really lovely and calm. He kept telling me not to worry. My dad, Peter, on the other hand was like a little boy on Christmas Day when the officer turned on the blue flashing sirens."
PC Jepp said: "I was happy to be of assistance.
"As a Roads Policing Officer, we usually deal with incidents such as collisions and drink-drivers so it was really nice to deal with something positive for change.
"I can't say that I have ever helped a bride to get to her wedding on time before in my policing career, but it shows how diverse policing is."
"I wish them a happy future together." | A police officer has told how a bride in need asked him to get her to her wedding when the vintage blue Rolls Royce carrying her broke down. | 33475739 |
Police say that six survivors are being treated at a hospital in the city of Pokhara. Many of the dead and injured are Indian nationals.
The Agni Air plane hit a hillside as it tried to land at Jomsom airport, a hub for trekkers and religious pilgrims.
Aviation accidents involving small aircraft are not uncommon in mountainous Nepal.
The Dornier aircraft was carrying 18 passengers and three crew members, and had been travelling to Jomsom from the city of Pokhara.
Officials say they are investigating the cause of the crash, which happened soon after the pilot abandoned efforts to land at Jomsom because of strong winds and was about to fly back to Pokhara.
Thirteen Indian passengers and two Nepali pilots were killed in the crash, Jomsom police official Basanta Ranjit said.
Officials say that the plane broke into pieces after hitting the ground but did not catch fire.
Two Danes on the aircraft - Emilie Joergensen and Andreas Rasch - survived the crash.
"We were thrown around. The seats were unfastened and we were squeezed between seats and bodies," Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet quoted Ms Joergensen as saying.
"I think it was easy for us to get out because we sat in the back and were closest to the exit," she said.
Rescue workers are at the crash site and police say the six injured being treated at Pokhara's Manipal hospital include an air stewardess, the two Danes and three Indians, two of them infants.
Aviation officials said helicopters have been despatched to bring the bodies of those killed to mortuaries.
The Indian passengers were said to be flying to visit the sacred Muktinath temple, which is close to Jomsom - 200km (125 miles) north-west of Kathmandu - and a popular destination for trekkers and Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims.
Nepalese Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and Indian Foreign Minister SM Krishna both expressed their condolences over the deaths.
The plane crashed at about 09:45 local time (04:00 GMT), reportedly as it was turning to land at the airport.
"It hit a muddy slope and the plane is now buried in the side of the hill," police spokesman Binod Singh told the AFP news agency.
Nepal's treacherous mountainous terrain coupled with adverse weather conditions poses a formidable challenge to pilots.
But police say the weather in the area was fine at the time of the crash so investigators are considering possible technical faults.
Last year 19 people were killed when a plane carrying tourists to view Mount Everest crashed outside Kathmandu. | A plane carrying 21 people has crashed while trying to land at an airport in the north of Nepal, leaving 15 dead. | 18055140 |
The Vive was originally supposed to launch in 2015.
It is now set to begin deliveries a few days after Facebook's rival Oculus Rift, which is $200 cheaper.
One expert said consumers were suffering "sticker shock" from both prices, to which they must add the cost of a powerful enough PC.
"It's going to be very difficult to make a judgement as to whether the Vive is worth the extra $200 until we see the range of games it is launching with," said Ed Barton from the tech consultancy Informa.
"Oculus's cost already put the Rift firmly into enthusiast territory, so I think it will be difficult to create any substantial market at an even higher price, which HTC needs to do if it is to build up an ecosystem around its device."
The price comparison, however, may not be totally fair.
HTC has said that its price tag includes two bundled controllers. The Rift's controllers will not become available until some time after June and their price has yet to be disclosed.
HTC also revealed that it would include two games as part of its deal:
The Taiwanese firm made the announcement in Barcelona ahead of the start of the Mobile World Congress tech show.
It also said that it would begin accepting pre-orders in a week's time.
Many people who have tried both headsets believe that the Vive has the potential to offer a superior experience.
Unlike the Rift, it includes a camera system that allows the wearer to see real objects close to them, helping them to avoid bumping into furniture.
By pressing a button on a handheld controller, the objects appear in ghost form, superimposed onto the virtual reality environment.
The Vive has been developed in conjunction with Valve, a US firm whose Steam platform is one of the most popular ways to buy games online, which should give it another advantage.
Even so, many are predicting that Sony's more basic PlayStation VR could become the most popular of 2016's headsets if the Japanese company makes it cheap enough.
"PlayStation VR has a fantastic opportunity," said Mr Barton.
"But Sony may have to sell its hardware at a loss to begin with and try to make it up via volume, game sales and licensing revenues over the lifespan of the device." | HTC has revealed that its virtual reality headset will cost $799 (£554) and become available towards the start of April. | 35627166 |
Lithuania midfielder Slivka, 22, is due to arrive in Edinburgh this week to complete a season-long loan deal.
But Hibs' head coach has still to hear whether Stokes will accept what Lennon described as a "strong offer" to the striker released by Blackburn Rovers.
"I do think his best years came under me at Celtic," said Lennon.
"So that will certainly work in my favour."
Stokes helped Hibs win the Scottish Cup 15 months ago, but the 29-year-old Republic of Ireland international started only four games after signing for Blackburn last summer.
Lennon believes that Stokes has put off-field issues behind him and said: "I'm trying to bring him in because he's a good player.
"He's won championships, he's won cups and his best performances have come when he's played in Scotland, whether it be here, Falkirk or Celtic.
"So it's an environment that he's very comfortable in and can prosper in.
"I can't comment on his personal issues, but the majority of those issues are resolved and behind him now.
"It's important that he gets back playing football. He has a bit to prove to people, but he has qualities that will enhance us.
"If we can get the deal done then great. If we can't, we move on."
Lennon is also keeping a slot in his squad free for another of his former Celtic players, midfielder Kris Commons, who had a loan spell at Easter Road last season.
The 33-year-old, who is currently recovering from back surgery following his summer release by the Scottish champions, says he will only take up the option if he can regain the strength required to make a mark for Hibs.
Lennon, though, believes that the former Scotland international is far from finished at the top level.
"Kris is a very proud individual," he said. "He knows there's an interest from us - but nothing more than that.
"He has to prove his fitness. He knows himself, it's a back operation, it's going to keep him out for a couple of months, but it's not career threatening.
"I still think he has plenty of football in him. When he came here last season, he wasn't fit but still scored two goals in five appearances.
"If he comes through the op okay and can get himself back up to full speed then he will be an asset to any club.
"But it will be Kris' decision whether he signs ultimately."
Meanwhile, Lennon confirmed that Deivydas Matulevicius will miss Tuesday night's League Cup meeting with Arbroath as Hibs are still waiting on international clearance from the Belgian FA following the striker's move from Royal Mouscron.
International team-mate Slivka, capped 19 times, has been with Juventus since joining from Ekranas in 2012 and has had previous loan spells with Modena, Gorica, Den Bosch and Ascoli, playing six times for the Serie B outfit last season. | Neil Lennon hopes to help Anthony Stokes back to his best should the striker return to Hibs, as he prepares to sign Juventus' Vykintas Slivka. | 40708590 |
It lists nine key risk factors including lack of education, hearing loss, smoking and physical inactivity.
The study is being presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference in London.
By 2050, 131 million people could be living with dementia globally.
There are estimated to be 47 million people with the condition at the moment.
"Although dementia is diagnosed in later life, the brain changes usually begin to develop years before," said lead author Prof Gill Livingston, from University College London.
"Acting now will vastly improve life for people with dementia and their families and, in doing so, will transform the future of society."
The report, which combines the work of 24 international experts, says lifestyle factors can play a major role in increasing or reducing an individual's dementia risk.
These - which are thought to be modifiable risk factors - add up to 35%. The other 65% of dementia risk is beyond the individual's control.
Source: Lancet Commission on dementia prevention, intervention and care
It examines the benefits of building a "cognitive reserve", which means strengthening the brain's networks so it can continue to function in later life despite damage.
Failure to complete secondary education was a major risk factor, and the authors suggest that individuals who continue to learn throughout life are likely to build additional brain reserves.
Another major risk factor is hearing loss in middle age - the researchers say this can deny people a cognitively rich environment and lead to social isolation and depression, which are among other modifiable risk factors for dementia.
Another key message from the report is that what is good for the heart is good for the brain.
Not smoking, doing exercise, keeping a healthy weight, treating high blood pressure and diabetes can all reduce the risk of dementia, as well as cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
The researchers say they did not have enough data to include dietary factors or alcohol in their calculations but believe both could be important.
Dr Doug Brown, director of research at Alzheimer's Society, said: "Though it's not inevitable, dementia is currently set to be the 21st Century's biggest killer. We all need to be aware of the risks and start making positive lifestyle changes."
Dr David Reynolds, chief scientific officer at Alzheimer's Research UK, said: "Alongside prevention research, we must continue to invest in research to find a life-changing treatment for people with this devastating condition."
Follow Fergus on Twitter | One in three cases of dementia could be prevented if more people looked after their brain health throughout life, according to an international study in the Lancet. | 40655566 |
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30 September 2015 Last updated at 13:53 BST
The committee's clerk asked whether members required the use of a mini-bus to get to a meeting with the Irish parliament's Public Accounts Committee.
Sinn Féin's Máirtín Ó Muilleoir said he would prefer to catch the train.
Ulster Unionist Leslie Cree thought the members should travel together in a bus to save money. | Members of the assembly's finance committee have been discussing suitable songs to sing on a bus trip to Dublin. | 34403357 |
The Bairns had the better of the first half, but Hemmings hammered in a stunning strike after 39 minutes.
Falkirk were level within two minutes when Paul Watson profited from poor home defending.
But Hemmings converted Paul McGinn's cross to make it 2-1 on the hour before turning provider for captain Harkins.
Dundee's impressive second-half display means that Paul Hartley's side secure a fifth-round tie away to Dumbarton.
Falkirk, who are third in the Championship ahead of the Sons, started more positively than their Premiership opponents with a high-tempo pressing game that didn't allow Dundee to settle into any sort of rhythm.
The Bairns looked slicker when in possession, with Craig Sibbald finding plenty of space going forward down the right side.
It was Sibbald's set-piece delivery that created an early chance for the visitors, but Aaron Muirhead steered the dangerous corner wide from eight yards.
Dundee had a strong wind at their backs in the opening period, but they were guilty of over-hitting forward passes as they failed to make the most of the advantage.
Harkins did provide a rare flash of brilliance after 18 minutes with a lovely turn on the edge of the box before a delicate chip sent Nick Ross clear.
The midfielder, part of the Inverness Caledonian Thistle side that won the Scottish Cup against Falkirk in May, lashed his shot high and wide.
Hemmings showed him how to do it when Dundee broke the deadlock in controversial fashion six minutes before the interval, with Peter Houston's side furiously claiming for offside.
The striker did not hang about to debate it as he drilled a stunning drive from the right edge of the area in off the underside of the crossbar.
The lead lasted just two minutes and, once again, it was some dodgy defending that proved costly for Hartley's side.
Kostadin Gadzhalov was at fault, staying well behind the rest of the backline claiming an injury, only to play John Baird onside.
The striker made the most of the opening to drive the ball across the six-yard box, where central defender Watson forced it over the line.
Dundee were far more impressive in the second half and Hemmings claimed his second of the night with another smart finish after 61 minutes.
McGinn set it up with a perfectly-flighted deep cross on the run down the right and Hemmings hammered the ball into the net from close range for his ninth goal in his past six games and 15th of the season overall.
Harkins ended any doubt about the outcome in the 73rd minute with a terrific goal on the counter-attack as Falkirk were caught trying to find a way back into the tie.
Hemmings played a crucial part with the pass that his captain guided into the corner of the net from the edge of the area.
It was a first defeat in 14 games for Falkirk, who will have to pick themselves up for a crucial league match against Rangers on Saturday. | Two goals from Kane Hemmings and one from Gary Harkins were enough for Dundee to eliminate last season's Scottish Cup finalists, Falkirk. | 35274309 |
The total value of those exports was just over £2.2bn, which is the best quarter on record in nominal terms.
The performance is likely to have been strongly influenced by the fall in the value of the pound against other currencies.
A weaker pound makes UK-produced goods cheaper in overseas markets.
The figures from HM Revenue and Customs show the biggest increase in exports was to the United States with the value up 16.4%.
The next largest increase was to the Republic of Ireland, up by 12.5%.
The majority of exports, 54%, went to the EU with 26% going to North America.
Most categories of goods saw an increase in exports with food exports up to 20% compared to the first quarter of 2016.
Wales, Scotland and all English regions also recorded increased exports. | Goods exports from Northern Ireland increased by 12% in the first quarter of 2017, when compared to the same period in 2016. | 40248497 |
"We arrived at 12 o'clock at night. It was dead quiet, and frightening to look at," Chaim Ferster says, remembering his first impressions of the notorious death camp.
"We could see from a distance that there were flames coming out from four chimneys. I didn't realise that this was the crematorium."
He had arrived in the middle of two-year ordeal, during which he endured horrific labour conditions, malnutrition and typhus, before finally being freed at the very moment he and his fellow prisoners had been rounded up to be shot, when Allied forces broke into the camp.
Born into an orthodox Jewish family and raised in the Polish town Sosnowiec, Mr Ferster was 17 when war broke out in 1939.
The great-grandfather remembers the rising fears of Jewish communities, as news of the German military expansion began to filter through.
Now aged 93 and living in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, where he settled in 1946, he said: "You could see planes flying over. [The Nazis] came over to Sosnowiec very fast.
"I remember the Jews were very concerned. Very, very concerned about what was going to happen."
Then came the rationing, widespread hunger and illness in the ghettos and, later, the transportation of thousands of Jewish families.
Mr Ferster said: "We'd got ration cards, and there wasn't much food in the shops to fulfil these rations cards.
"We had no medication. People were dying and life was very difficult. Then they assembled various leaders from town and they shot them, just like that."
In 1943, at the age of 20, Mr Ferster was forced from his home. Amid the chaos he had avoided being taken away a year earlier, when his mother and sister disappeared, and his father, Wolf, had died of pneumonia in 1942.
It was widely accepted that people picked up by the Gestapo never returned, Mr Ferster said.
With this in mind, a relative urged him to learn a skill that would make him useful to the Germans, prompting him to learn to fix sewing machines, becoming classed as a "mechanic" as a result.
Between 1943 and 1945 he was moved between eight different camps across Germany and Poland, enduring terrible conditions, in which many died.
At one stage Mr Ferster remembers being forced to shift blocks of cement from a wagon, in freezing weather.
"It was very, very cold, about minus 25 or minus 26," he said.
"The soldiers started beating us and shouting and saying you're not going fast enough. A lot of them couldn't stand it. They got pneumonia. Some of them died."
Towards the end of 1943, Mr Ferster fell seriously ill during an outbreak of typhus in one particular camp. Large numbers died.
Once again though he managed to survive, but describes a horrific scene that remains vivid in his memory.
"There were bodies lying on pallets, six one way, six the other way," he recalls. "There were many many pallets with bodies, very, very high."
Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp
Life in the city of Auschwitz
The Holocaust year by year
Why did ordinary people commit atrocities in the Holocaust?
Eventually, Mr Ferster found himself moved to Auschwitz.
He remembers the infamous shower rooms, and the prisoners who were sent there.
"They put us into a block. All of us, one particular large block. Then the following morning, a selection of that block went into the shower room," he said.
"We went to the shower room. It's the same shower room that other people went in and the gas came in. But we got the water that came down and we washed ourselves."
Mr Ferster was one of the few who survived Auschwitz, which was eventually liberated in January 1945.
But in the spring of that year, with Germany losing the war, the Nazis accelerated the programme to liquidate Jewish prisoners.
As a result, Mr Ferster was among a group of prisoners who were marched across Germany to another notorious death camp - Buchenwald.
It was there that Mr Ferster believes he came closest to dying.
Prisoners were being summarily executed from day to day, and the very morning after he arrived Mr Ferster himself was rounded up with a group of fellow inmates, expecting a similar fate.
But, just as he and the others were gathered together, the camp was liberated.
"All of a sudden, the American planes were there and all the German soldiers ran away," he said.
"And after half an hour or an hour, an American tank drove through the gates and the soldiers were shouting, 'You're free, you're free!'."
He later discovered only two other members of his family survived the Holocaust - his sister Manya and cousin Regina.
Through tears, Mr Ferster added: "I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe it."
After emigrating to England, he worked for a sewing machine repair business before later setting up a series of successful businesses. | A Holocaust survivor who cheated death in eight Nazi concentration camps during World War Two has recalled his experiences, 70 years since the liberation of Auschwitz. | 34405565 |
The 41-year-old Australian left the White Rose county at the end of last season after winning the County Championship title in 2014 and 2015.
Kent are looking for a stand-in for ex-South Africa paceman Allan Donald, who agreed to join as assistant coach but does not yet have a UK visa.
Ex-player Matt Walker was named the club's new head coach in January.
Donald, who played 72 Tests and 164 one-day internationals for the Proteas, is working towards the England & Wales Cricket Board's level three qualification which is required to gain a visa.
Kent say it could be "weeks or months" before the 50-year-old is able to join up with the squad, hence the search for a coach to fill the role on an interim basis.
Gillespie, who also coaches the Adelaide Strikers in Australia's Big Bash Twenty20 competition, joined Yorkshire in 2011 and led them to promotion to the top flight in 2012.
He held talks with England's director of cricket Andrew Strauss in May 2015 over replacing the sacked Peter Moores as national coach, before the role eventually went to fellow Australian Trevor Bayliss.
Kent finished second in the Division Two table last season and missed out on promotion, with Jimmy Adams departing as head coach at the end of the campaign after five years in the post. | Former Yorkshire coach Jason Gillespie is in talks over becoming interim assistant coach of Kent. | 39147440 |
Carmarthenshire council voted to drop the English stream at Ysgol Llangennech, near Llanelli.
Michael Jones, a co-ordinator for Parents for Welsh Medium Education, said the decision should be accepted.
"If they do not like the Welsh language, can I suggest that that border is over there," he said.
"And they can cross the border," he added.
The removal of the English medium stream at the school has been an attempt to increase Welsh-language provision after a fall in the number of Welsh speakers; however English will still be taught as a subject.
Mr Jones told Welsh language news programme Newyddion 9: "If they do not want to be in a country where Welsh is spoken, well go somewhere else.
"But, if not, accept the fact there are two languages in Wales. I'm not saying that because they are English speakers to leave Wales.
"But I do say that if they cannot stand and hear the Welsh language, they better go somewhere else."
The move follows a bitter battle within the community over the issue. At the Carmarthenshire council vote vote - 38 councillors were in favour of the proposal and 20 against.
On Friday, Parents for Welsh Medium Education, known as RhAG, distanced itself from the remarks made by its co-ordinator Michael Jones and demanded an apology from the BBC.
The statement said: "RhAG (Parents for Welsh Medium Education) is demanding an apology from the BBC for today's news items involving Welsh medium education.
"The items claim that RhAG wants people who don't wish Welsh medium education to move across the border.
"RhAG has never expressed this, and RhAG would never profess such an idea.
"RhAG's aim is for Welsh medium education to be available to all who wish their children to be fully bilingual." | Parents unhappy their children's school has been changed to a Welsh medium primary should move over the border, a leading campaigner has said. | 38921764 |
Yvonne Talbott's scooter crashed with a BMW X5 on the Roanne Ringway in Nuneaton last Sunday. She died the following day.
Her family said: "It will be impossible to fill the void that is left.
"She was dearly loved by the further four generations of her family that she leaves behind."
Anyone who witnessed the crash or who saw either vehicle beforehand is urged to contact Warwickshire Police on 101. | Relatives of an 84-year-old woman who died after her mobility scooter crashed with a car have described her as the "anchor to our family". | 36408248 |
He is seen wearing light-coloured clothing and a hat.
The death toll from last Tuesday's attacks on the airport and metro rose to 35 after four people died of their injuries in hospital.
More than 300 people were also injured in the attacks, which were claimed by the so-called Islamic State (IS) group.
The death toll does not include three attackers, two of whom blew themselves up at the airport and one in the metro.
Investigators have not commented on reports in the Belgian media that the third airport attacker is Faycal Cheffou, a freelance journalist arrested on Thursday outside the prosecutor's office.
On Saturday a man named Faycal C was charged with "participation in the activities of a terrorist group, terrorist murders and attempted terrorist murders", a prosecutor's statement said.
Separately, three men were charged on Monday with belonging to a terrorist group.
The three, whose names were given as Yassine A, Mohamed B and Aboubaker O, were arrested during raids on 13 addresses on Sunday. A fourth man was released without charge.
Belgian Health Minister Maggie De Block announced the latest deaths in a tweet: "Four patients deceased in hospital. Medical teams did all possible. Total victims: 35. Courage to all the families."
Of the 35 victims, seven have still to be identified, the country's crisis centre said on Monday (in French).
At least 12 of the victims are foreign nationals from the US, the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, France, the UK, Italy and China, it said earlier.
More arrests have also taken place in relation to what authorities say were planned attacks on France.
A man already in Belgian custody was reported to have been charged in connection with a foiled attack in the Paris region.
Separately, Dutch police announced on Sunday evening that they had detained a Frenchman, 32, in Rotterdam at the request of French authorities.
He was arrested on suspicion of preparing an attack in France and will be extradited to the country. Three other people were also detained.
The Frenchman is allegedly linked to Reda Kriket, who was arrested in a Paris suburb on Thursday and said to be in the "advanced stage" of plotting an attack, AFP news agency reported, citing a police source. | Belgian police have released CCTV footage in a bid to identify the third attacker at Brussels airport, whose bomb did not explode and who fled. | 35910274 |
The owners of the Bon Accord Centre want to build new shops, flats and a hotel on land to the north of the shopping complex.
The plans include the creation of a four or five storey retail block, linking the Bon Accord Centre with John Lewis.
Planning permission in principle has been sought.
The plans include demolishing Santander and Co-op buildings on George Street to make way for new shops and a hotel.
Also, a reconfiguration of Crooked Lane which links Harriet Street with St Andrews Street.
The owners of the Bon Accord Centre said the development would create a new retail destination for the area, and would enhance the environment of George Street. | Plans to redevelop part of George Street in Aberdeen have been submitted to the city council. | 39490799 |
The collectibles company has agreed a new licence with HIT Entertainment, which owns the rights.
The relaunch continues a relationship that began 30 years ago when it first developed a Thomas and Friends range.
The models can be ordered now but deliveries will not be made until December.
Hornby said there was still "clear demand" for the Thomas range, which remained the most popular pre-school character in the UK.
Sales have risen by 18% for the year to date, according to market research data from NPD.
A computer animated version of the children's series is shown on Channel 5 and Nickelodeon in the UK, and by broadcasters in many other countries.
A series of events and a feature film later this year are planned to mark Thomas's 70th anniversary. The character was created by Reverend Wilbert Awdry, an Anglican minister.
Richard Ames, chief executive of Hornby, said: "Thomas the Tank Engine has a broad appeal with younger model enthusiasts and importantly, attracts them into the hobby, from which many go on to enjoy both collecting and creating their own model railways.
"We are planning to extend the range of products to support this important market segment."
The company also said that Steve Cooke will join on 10 June as its new finance director, from LSL Property Services.
He will replace Nick Stone, who is leaving in the summer.
Earlier this month Hornby said it expected to make an annual profit for the first time in three years.
The company, which also owns the Airfix and Scalextric model brands, said sales were up by 13% for the year to 31 March.
It expected underlying full-year profits to come in at £1.5m.
Shares rose 2.6% to 94.65p in morning trading in London. The stock is up 16% this year, valuing the company at £36m. | Hornby, the model toy firm, will relaunch its range of Thomas the Tank Engine railway sets to mark the character's 70th anniversary. | 32748288 |
The attacks took place between 08:00 and 09:00 (05:00-06:00 GMT) around Damascus, Homs, Tartous and Hassakeh.
The deadliest incident was outside Tartous, home to a Russian naval base and in the heartland of President Bashar al-Assad's Alawite sect.
The Islamic State (IS) group said it was behind the attacks.
The group made the claim in a statement carried by its affiliated news agency, Amaq.
Syria's official Sana news agency reported that 30 civilians were killed and 45 others injured in the Tartous countryside on Monday morning.
First, a car bomb was detonated on the Arzoneh motorway bridge, a local police source told Sana.
Then, as a crowd gathered at the scene to help the wounded, a suicide bomber detonated his explosive belt, the source added.
Tartous had been relatively unscathed by Syria's five-year civil war until May, when a suicide bomb attack on a bus station by IS militants left dozens dead.
In the central city of Homs, four people were killed and 10 injured when a car bomb exploded at the entrance to the Bab Tadmour district, Sana reported.
The governor of Homs province said the car bomb targeted a military checkpoint and that the casualties were soldiers.
One person was meanwhile killed in a bombing on a road in Saboura, a heavily-guarded western suburb of Damascus, a police source told Sana.
Opposition activist Yousef al-Boustani said the area was home to security officers and their families and that the attack represented a major security breach.
In Hassakeh, an explosives-packed motorcycle was blown up at the Marsho roundabout, killing five civilians and injuring two others, Sana said.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based group that monitors the conflict in Syria through a network of sources, said three of the dead were Kurdish security personnel, known as the Asayish.
The Kurdish Popular Protection Units (YPG) militia took near complete control of the north-eastern city last month after a week of clashes with government troops.
The Syrian Observatory put the total death toll for Monday's attacks at 47.
The attacks came as US President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin discussed a ceasefire deal for Syria on the sidelines of the G20 summit in China.
Mr Obama said he and Mr Putin had had "productive" discussions and had agreed to continue the search for a comprehensive truce.
The US president said: "Given the gaps of trust that exist, that's a tough negotiation and we haven't yet closed the gaps in a way where we think it would actually work.
"But my instructions to Secretary [of State John] Kerry and Mr Putin's instructions to [Foreign Minister Sergei] Lavrov were to keep working at it over the next several days."
The US is particularly concerned by the deteriorating conditions in and around Syria's second city, Aleppo, where rebel-held districts are once again under siege after government forces advanced on Sunday.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, also at the G20, said he had urged world powers to create a "safe zone" in Syria, with a "no-fly" element, that would help control the flow of migrants. | At least 40 people have been killed in four bombings in government-held areas of Syria and one in a city dominated by Kurdish forces, state media report. | 37274240 |
The three-bedroom suburban property housed a menagerie including chickens, turkeys, ducks, parrots, fish, mice and rats.
It also contained dozens of cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs and ferrets.
Four animals died in the kitchen of the property in Seafield Road and a person was treated for smoke inhalation.
Fire crews had to negotiate a large tortoise in the middle of the living room as they searched for occupants in the smoke-filled property.
Crews calmed six frightened dogs before leading dozens of animals to safety. Two soot-covered dogs and a ferret were even resuscitated by firefighters using oxygen masks
Tortoises and iguanas were given antibiotics and monitored by a specialist exotic pet vet to treat them for smoke inhalation, and the dogs were also treated by vets.
Jim Green, the animal rescue manager for Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, said firefighters were met with a "dramatic" and "panicked" scene when they arrived shortly after 09:00 BST.
Mr Green said: "Walking through the door it was pretty normal, but the living accommodation had animals in cages.
"It wasn't a mess, it was a very tidy set-up. These people are pet lovers and they just collect a variety of different species."
A couple believed to live at the property with their children were said to be shocked.
"You can imagine that these animals are their lives," said Mr Green. "You can understand how people's emotions will be at the time. This family were very calm and understood that there was nothing really that they could do."
Mr Green praised the swift work of the firefighters, which he said saved dozens of lives.
He said: "Their quick action prevented the situation being a lot worse... they undoubtedly saved the lives of more than 100 animals."
The RSPCA attended the scene. The cause of the fire is unknown but the house had no smoke detectors, the fire service said. | More than 100 pets, including iguanas, a chameleon and 11 tortoises, were rescued by firefighters from a house fire in Southampton. | 29394662 |
We have used a combination of Freedom of Information requests to 186 trusts and health boards across the UK - 140 provided answers to at least some of the questions - and then followed that up with requests for extra information from more than 20 of the organisations, carried out interviews with hospital managers and doctors, and cross-referenced the findings with other sources of data.
The investigation has found wide variation in approaches to overtime - and a rising cost from paying it.
A full-time consultant is expected to work 10 shifts of four hours a week. The average basic salary for that is £89,000 a year in England.
Payments for overtime are negotiated locally by hospitals. Some consultants agree to do extra shifts under the terms of their contract - so-called plain time.
But others are paid at a higher rate for extra work - and it was on this that the BBC investigation focused.
Hospitals take a variety of approaches when it comes to these payments. The highest rates tend to be paid for routine work, such as knee and hip treatments.
These are paid under a system called the waiting list initiative, and commonly, hospitals pay around £600 for a four-hour shift for these. But the BBC has found evidence of payments climbing to around £1,000 for some, once supplements are added on.
Many hospitals have negotiated lower rates for more urgent work. These are commonly around the £300-a-shift mark.
Our findings suggest the average payment is just over £13,300 per consultant per year for those who receive them.
The most made in overtime payments was by a consultant at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, who received £375,000 in 2015-16. That was on top of the individual's basic salary.
The trust has refused to name the doctor or reveal what speciality he or she works in - and despite repeated attempts, has refused to divulge more information about the case, except for saying that they have worked "significantly more hours than usual at an enhanced rate" because of a shortage of consultants and high demand.
That was the highest payment by some way, although only half of trusts and health boards responded to the question about the most a consultant had made.
The next highest payment was £205,000 to a consultant employed by East Kent Hospitals.
But it does appear high payments are widespread - two out of three trusts and health boards had paid at least one consultant more than £50,000 last year, with one in four paying £100,000 or more.
Surgeons, radiologists, urologists, anaesthetists and gastroenterologists were the specialists most likely to get the high sums.
While payment for premium overtime shifts is commonly around £600 for a four-hour shift, there is a wide variation in how overtime is rewarded. Even within the same hospital rates can vary enormously.
Every trust the BBC approached for detailed information on how individual consultants had earned the large sums refused on data protection grounds.
But talking to people who work in the health service we have been able to piece together some of the ways doctors can rack up six-figure salaries.
It goes without saying, they do lots of hours - some are regularly working 20 hours a week or more in overtime.
The most experienced doctors are able to command extra supplements on top of the normal high-rate overtime payment. This can bring the payments to around the £1,000-mark. Doing back-to-back four-hour shifts, it is possible in theory to make £2,000 a day.
Remember though, not all consultants work full-time, so the overtime may not be on top of a full 40-hour week.
From the information we have been provided it is hard to get a really clear idea of this.
It would appear as many as half of consultants may get higher rate payments. Some 98 trusts and health boards provided full information about numbers. This showed more than 13,000 consultants had received high-cost overtime payments - about half the workforce in these hospitals.
There could be some double-counting as some hospitals had used doctors from other hospitals to do the work, while others had offered waiting list initiative shifts to locums as they could not fill them with their own doctors.
But hospitals told the BBC the overwhelming majority were consultants employed by them themselves.
And data from other sources, including the Health and Social Care Information Centre, suggests somewhere approaching half the workforce would be a reasonable estimate.
A total of 114 trust and health boards answered the question about the total spent on high-cost overtime in full over the three years.
That is about six in 10 of the total in the UK so we only have a partial picture. Among those that responded, spending reached £168m in 2015-16 - a rise of a third over the past two years.
If that spending was replicated across the other hospitals the total would be close to £300m - that would be enough to pay for about 3,000 consultants or more than 12,000 nurses.
But to put that in context £6bn is spent on consultant pay in England so it looks like premium rate overtime accounts for less than 5% of spending in this area.
The hospitals to whom the BBC spoke commonly cited a growing shortage of consultants. In Scotland, the vacancy rate for consultants is between 6% and 7%.
Official figures are not kept in England, but anecdotally it seems a similar shortage is being experienced.
In some of the trusts with the highest rates of overtime payments the vacancy rate is in excess of 10%.
Demand for care is also cited as a cause. It is well documented that patient demand is rising and hospitals are under pressure to hit their waiting-time targets.
Hospitals have also pointed to the rising pressures in emergency departments. This causes routine treatments to be postponed - and that is the care that is the most expensive to arrange overtime for.
Ministers in England want to change the consultant contract and remove the opt-out they have for working weekends when it comes to non-emergency care as part of their drive for more seven-day services.
Talks are under way, but it is likely to be the autumn before there is any resolution.
While the focus of seven-day care is not really on the routine elements of treatment, negotiators believe removing it will help create a fairer system, especially if they manage to get the British Medical Association to agree to a more standardised system for extra work.
That in theory would free up money, which, of course, would help with extending services.
But the BMA argues the problems with shortages would still exist - and hospitals would be faced with the choice of paying overtime or contracting work out to the private sector. They are already under pressure to reduce the use of locums so that is not really an option. | The BBC has been investigating overtime payments made to consultants by hospitals. | 36898196 |
It was given to Belper in Derbyshire by its American twin town of Pawtucket, Rhode Island - the character's birthplace - in 2001 as a gift.
Although some residents liked it, others were not keen and, after it was vandalised, it was taken to the nearby American Adventure theme park.
The 7ft (2.1m) fibreglass statue is now being refurbished by a youth group.
Belper, which is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its links to the Industrial Revolution, was divided when the statue, worth £6,000, was positioned in the town.
One resident told BBC Radio 4 at the time it was "hideous" and later the same year it was damaged and taken to the theme park, which closed in 2008.
He has been "missing" since then, according to Andrea Fox, who runs the Drop Inn youth centre, until he turned up at the club's door earlier this month in a poor state of repair.
"We took him in and had a look at him, he was very poorly - looking very shabby," said Ms Fox.
"We're looking after him, giving him some TLC and some nice new clothes.
"We've had to peel him, we've stripped him down and sandpapered him, then we're going to undercoat him, seal him and do a few minor repairs to him."
John Nelson, leader of the town council, said he was glad to see Mr Potato Head back and it would be an interesting talking point, but it has not been decided where it will be displayed.
Invented in 1952, Mr Potato Head became the first toy to be advertised on television and is still made in Pawtucket by Hasbro. It later featured in Disney's Toy Story films. | A "hideous" statue of Mr Potato Head which was banished from a town in the early 2000s is set to return. | 32890846 |
A Liberian official said the 50-acre site in Monrovia, half of which is ready to use, will enable "dignified" burials instead of cremations.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization says the number of people infected by Ebola in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea has now passed 20,000.
The virus has killed more than 7,800 people since it broke out a year ago.
The WHO said more than a third of the 20,081 cases in the West African states were in Sierra Leone, which has become the worst-hit country.
The situation in Liberia has improved in recent months but health officials warned on Monday that dozens of new cases had emerged near the country's border with Sierra Leone.
Liberian Assistant Health Minister Tolbert Nyenswah said the new cases, mostly in Grand Cape Mount County were due to the movement of people across the border and the traditional practice of washing victims' bodies.
"In a very small population, an increase in the number of [Ebola] cases raises high levels of concern that we need to take very seriously - the people of Liberia and people of Grand Cape Mount in particular," Mr Nyenswah said.
The new burial site in Liberia's capital has been created on land acquired from the Disco Hill district at a cost of $50,000 (£32,000).
Mr Nyenswah said the new site would be staffed by trained burial teams and would accommodate Muslim and Christian ceremonies.
He said the site would allow "dignified and safe burials, where people can practise their rituals but not touch dead bodies".
A memorial to Ebola victims who have been cremated will also be erected there, he added.
Nearly 3,400 people have died from Ebola in Liberia over the past year with nearly 8,000 cases total. | Liberia has opened a new national cemetery to provide safe burial sites for victims of the Ebola outbreak. | 30626732 |
Poor sea conditions on Saturday morning led the salvage team to temporarily abandon the operation.
It had been hoped to move the 17,000-tonne structure, which ran aground in August, to the transport ship the Hawk.
Now officials have confirmed the rig could be towed away from Broad Bay where it has been awaiting transfer.
Hugh Shaw, the UK government's official overseeing the operation, said: "Broad Bay is still the preferred point at the moment, so we will maintain the Hawk in that position and the rig on anchor.
"But we are looking further afield to see if there are any other lochs or areas in close proximity to here, either on the island itself or towards the mainland, where we may be able to tuck the rig and the Hawk in and get a little bit more shelter from the swell."
The Transocean Winner will eventually be transported to Turkey where it will be scrapped. | The oil drilling rig Transocean Winner may be moved to calmer seas after attempts to load it on to a transport ship off Lewis had to be postponed. | 37530351 |
They say they want the courts to help establish what happened to the plane.
Families of 32 other passengers, mostly Chinese, filed a separate lawsuit in Malaysia, their lawyer has said.
MH370 disappeared on 8 March 2014 while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board.
Under international agreements, relatives have two years following an air accident to begin legal action.
MH370: What we know
Missing Malaysian's wife seeks $7.6m in damages
Zhang Qihuai, the lawyer for the 12 families, said they were seeking a range of damages, but their goal was to determine the cause of the accident and those who were responsible.
The total compensation requested from Malaysia Airlines, Boeing, engine manufacturer Rolls Royce and insurance companies ranged between 10m and 70m yuan ($1.5m to $10.8m; £1m to £7.6m) per family, Mr Qihuai was quoted by AFP news agency as saying.
Verdicts might not come for two years, he said.
The companies have not commented.
Many relatives were crying as they presented their documents to court officials. Some said they hoped to use the action to obtain more information about the case.
"Today we came to demand our people back. We come every day. We demand to have our people back everyday, we want our relatives," Dai Shuqin, whose sister was on board the flight, told the Reuters news agency.
In Kuala Lumpur, lawyer Ganesan Nethi said he filed a joint lawsuit on behalf of the relatives of 32 passengers last Thursday. He said most were Chinese, along with one American and a few Indians, AP reported.
The lawsuit named the airline, the Malaysian government and its air force and civil aviation department, he said.
It was not immediately clear how many lawsuits have been filed in total or how many cases have been settled in relation to MH370.
Ships in the Indian Ocean are still searching for the missing Boeing 777, in an operation that is estimated to have cost more than $130m (£92m).
Meanwhile, Mozambican civil aviation officials handed over suspected debris from the missing flight to Malaysian experts.
If confirmed, the object found by an American amateur investigator would be the second piece of known debris from the aircraft to be found.
Last year authorities found a piece of the plane's wing on the shore of Reunion island in the Indian Ocean.
The debris could provide fresh clues to the mystery of the flight. Based on satellite communications data, MH370 is thought to have crashed in the Indian Ocean.
"Currently, we are awaiting verification of two more pieces of debris which were discovered recently in Mozambique and Reunion Island respectively," Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said in a statement.
An interim report will be released by the investigation team on Tuesday marking the two-year anniversary of the disappearance, he said. | Relatives of 12 Chinese passengers of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 have filed lawsuits in Beijing, one day before the deadline for launching legal action. | 35747869 |
The fire broke out in the ground-floor flat in Baird Crescent, Leven, at about 11:10.
Police said they were trying to identify the person found in the house.
A spokesman appealed for anyone who was in the area at the time who may have information to contact them.
"Inquires are at an early stage but following a joint assessment of the house by the police and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, along with an investigation into the circumstances leading up to the fire being discovered, this would appear to be a tragic accident with no suspicious circumstances," the spokesman said.
"We are continuing to make inquiries to identify the person found within the house.
In a separate incident, a man was rescued by firefighters from a bungalow in Sydney Park, Edinburgh, just after 08:30 and taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. | Police have said a fire at a flat in Fife, in which a person died, appears to have been a "tragic accident" | 30192171 |
Mr Djotodia, who proclaimed himself head of state after the Seleka rebels took control of the capital, Bangui, was the only candidate in the vote.
Former President Francois Bozize fled overseas as the rebels advanced.
Mr Djotodia has said he will hold elections within 18 months.
He originally said there would be a three-year wait before polls.
The Seleka rebels, an alliance of armed groups, seized power after a peace deal negotiated with Mr Bozize collapsed.
Mr Djotodia is a former civil servant who fell out with Mr Bozize and went into exile, before returning under the peace deal in January as defence minister.
He resigned in March before seizing power.
Correspondents say he does not have widespread international support and has fallen out with some of his former allies.
CAR has an unstable history and is extremely poor, though it has large deposits of minerals including gold and diamonds. | The national transitional council in the Central African Republic has elected the rebel leader who seized power last month, Michel Djotodia, as interim president. | 22139544 |
Overnight rain led first to a delayed start, then multiple inspections, with the umpires abandoning play for the day just after 14:30 BST.
Kent need six points to be assured of finishing second in Division Two.
The visitors have already secured the sole promotion place to the top flight as champions. | No play was possible on day one of the final County Championship game of the season between Kent and Essex because of damp conditions at Canterbury. | 37407694 |
It is worth quoting in full:
"If at all relevant times, Rupert Murdoch did not take steps to become fully informed about phone-hacking, he turned a blind eye and exhibited wilful blindess to what was going on in his companies and publications.
"This culture, we consider, permeated from the top throughout the organisation and speaks volumes about the lack of effective corporate governance at News Corporation and News International.
We conclude therefore that Rupert Murdoch is not a fit person to exercise the stewardship of a major international company".
That description of Mr Murdoch by the British parliament as "not a fit person" is likely to have significant consequences.
It will force the board of News Corporation to review whether the 81 year-old, who created one of the most powerful media groups the world has ever seen, should remain as its executive chairman.
It will give ammunition to those News Corporation shareholders who would like to loosen the hold over the company of the Murdoch dynasty.
It will push Ofcom, the media regulator, closer to the conclusion that British Sky Broadcasting is not fit and proper to hold a broadcasting licence, for as long as News Corporation owns 39% of BSkyB.
Nor is that the only one of the MPs' conclusions which will shake News Corporation, and its British subsidiary, News International, owner of the Sun tabloid and of the News of the World prior to its closure.
Mr Murdoch's right hand man for decades, Les Hinton, is deemed to have misled the committee in 2009 by "not telling the truth" about substantial payments to Clive Goodman - the News of the World's former royal reporter who was jailed for phone hacking- and how he authorised those payments.
Mr Hinton is also ruled to have "misled" the committee about the extent of his knowledge that phone hacking extended beyond Clive Goodman and Glenn Mulcaire (the private detective who carried out the hacking on behalf of jounalists).
He is, say MPs, "complicit in the cover-up at News International".
As expected, the MPs are savage in their criticism of the former News of the World editor, Colin Myler, and of Tom Crone, the former legal manager of News International's newspapers, for misleading them about what they knew about phone hacking and for failing to pursue alleged hackers.Murdoch 'not a fit boss', say MPs
But more damaging for News Corporation is that MPs say that senior executives, such as Rupert Murdoch's son James, should have seen that the company's official view, that there was a single rogue hacker, was not sustainable.
The MPs say: "if there was a 'don't ask, don't tell' culture at News International, the whole affair demonstrates huge failings of corporate governance at the company and its parent, News Corporation".
The committee says that News International "wished to buy silence" by settling legal actions with victims of hacking that included confidentiality clauses.
And News International executives are accused of exaggerating the thoroughness of reviews of hacking carried out in 2006 and 2007.
As for those deemed to have misled the committee, Mr Hinton, Mr Crone and Mr Myler, the MPs say it is for the Commons to decide whether they are guilty of contempt.
I forgot to mention one very important conclusion, that the News of the World and News International also misled MPs as corporate entities.
The MPs say these institutions "exhibited wilful blindness", for which Rupert Murdoch and James Murdoch should "ultimately be prepared to take responsibility".
The report's verdict that Rupert Murdoch is not fit to run a big international public company was not supported by four Tory MPs on the committee. The disclosure that the vote on this divided along party lines may lessen its force.
In particular, News Corporation's board may well view the verdict as a political judgement, rather than a dispassionate one. | The bombshell is on page 70 of the report by the Culture Media and Sport Select Committee into News International and phone-hacking. | 17908839 |
There are no sprinklers in flats in more than 300 high-rise buildings in towns and cities across the country, including Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Every high-rise built in Scotland since 2005 must have sprinklers, by law.
But there is no obligation on councils or social landlords to fit the systems in older tower blocks.
There were no sprinkler systems in Grenfell Tower in Kensington, west London, when it was engulfed by a devastating fire last month that killed at least 80 people.
It has led to renewed calls from firefighters and politicians to retrofit the devices in high-rise buildings.
And the Scottish government has pledged to review the evidence about the effectiveness of the systems.
An independent report published earlier this year found that sprinklers were 99% effective at controlling or extinguishing fires.
BBC Scotland contacted local authorities and housing associations across Scotland in a bid to determine how many high-rise homes were fitted with sprinklers.
Of those which replied to our request, only South Ayrshire Council said it had fitted the system into flats in its tower blocks.
They were fitted in 234 homes in three tower blocks in Ayr during a refurbishment of the flats in 2003.
Fife Council, the City of Edinburgh Council and Glasgow Housing Association have sprinklers in their bin stores - a move being considered by Aberdeen City Council.
But there are no sprinklers in high-rise homes operated by the following social landlords:
(South Lanarkshire Council has not yet supplied the information to BBC Scotland)
There is no suggestion that any of the councils or housing associations are breaching fire regulations and they have reassured tenants about fire safety in the wake of the Grenfell tragedy.
In response to the BBC Scotland inquiry, a number of landlords said they would act on any of the findings or recommendations made following the London fire.
Sprinkler systems can be a "cost effective and potentially lifesaving intervention in the early stages of a fire," according to Assistant Chief Officer David McGown, of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS).
Indeed, an independent report published shortly before the Grenfell tragedy found that sprinklers - or fire suppression systems - were 99% effective at controlling or extinguishing fires when they operate.
The study, which was commissioned by the National Fire Chiefs Council and the National Sprinkler Network found that they reduce damage in residential properties by 75%.
Lead author Peter Wood, of Edinburgh-based Optimal Economics, told BBC Scotland he was confident of the effectiveness of sprinklers but he had "no idea" whether they would have prevented the Grenfell Tower fire.
He said they "very, very occasionally" do not work when they are overwhelmed by a fire but he dismissed concerns that sprinklers could be easily triggered, causing flooding, as a "myth".
"Sprinklers don't go off on a whim," he said. "They need heat to go off."
According to the SFRS, many sprinklers are only triggered by heats of around 68C - 11C higher than the highest temperature ever recorded in Death Valley in California.
They said firefighters often use 15 times more water from hoses to do the same job as a single sprinkler.
Earlier this month Strathclyde's former chief fire officer, Brian Sweeney, said the installation of sprinklers in all high-rise buildings should be a "government priority".
Writing in the Sunday Post, he said: "As a rough estimate, there is currently up to 1,000 high rise blocks across Scotland, and more could be done to improve their safety."
His comments follow a 2015 report commissioned by the Scottish government which examined the "cost benefit analysis" of fitting sprinkler systems in homes across Scotland.
It found that the cost of fitting sprinklers in individual flats would range from around £1,000 to £3,000.
And it concluded that it was not cost-effective to fit sprinklers in individual houses, but a "targeted installation" would benefit at-risk groups.
People who live in deprived areas, those with drug and alcohol problems, or mental health problems, and elderly people are at greater risk from fire.
MSP David Stewart pressed the Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Angela Constance, on the issue in the Scottish Parliament earlier this week.
"The cabinet secretary will be well aware from the Scottish government's own 2015 report that almost a third of accidental dwelling fires and deaths occur in the 15% most-deprived areas, yet there have been no multiple fire deaths in Scotland where a working sprinkler system has been installed," he said.
He told BBC Scotland he would like to see sprinklers installed in the homes of vulnerable people, which included tower blocks.
Ms Constance has agreed to meet Mr Stewart - a member of the cross-party working group on accident prevention - to discuss the issue.
The Scottish government has confirmed that the provision of sprinklers will be considered in a review of fire legislation and building regulations - to which the fire service will contribute.
Assistant Chief Officer David McGown said: "The SFRS recognises the value these installations can add whilst acknowledging that they may not be appropriate in all cases when applied on a risk basis."
He added: "The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service works closely with local authorities and housing associations to help ensure the safety of occupants in high-rise buildings. The SFRS is here to support communities, most notably through our free home fire safety visits."
A spokesman for the Scottish government said: "While we continue to be confident that we have stringent building and fire safety regulations which contribute to keeping people safe, following the tragic events at Grenfell Tower it is imperative that we undertake a thorough and critical review of our regulations.
"The Ministerial Working Group overseeing this process will consider all relevant measures to ensure the safety of residents in high-rise domestic buildings, including a review of evidence on fire suppression systems." | Thousands of homes in tower blocks across Scotland do not have potentially life-saving sprinkler systems, a BBC Scotland investigation has found. | 40442398 |
Officers have been conducting a full scientific examination of part of Monkland Canal in an effort to find the remains of 11-year-old Moira Anderson.
She left her grandmother's house in Coatbridge on 23 February 1957 to go to the shops but she never returned.
Police divers are expected to begin searching the canal on Monday.
A specialist search team began the first phase of the search of the canal earlier this week.
The operation focused on a 170m (185 yards) stretch of canal at Carnbroe. Although it is 3.5m (11.5ft) deep, around 2m (6.5ft) of that is silt.
The team were joined by leading experts including soil forensic expert Professor Lorna Dawson and forensic anthropologist Prof Sue Black.
Geoforensics expert Prof Alastair Ruffell, as well as a national search advisor from the National Crime Agency and representatives of the Home Office's applied sciences and technology department have also worked on the operation.
The search involved the use of ground penetrating radar, sonar scanning and magnetometry, which identifies magnetic anomalies within the water and silt layer of the canal.
The force said the techniques resulted in the identification of "five distinct areas of anomalies".
Divers from its marine unit will begin their investigation of those areas on Monday, when they will focus on identifying and removing any relevant items.
Bus driver and convicted paedophile Alexander Gartshore, who died in 2006, is suspected of Moira Anderson's murder.
When she left her grandmother's house during a heavy snowstorm, she boarded a Baxter's bus that was driven by Gartshore.
Later that year, he was jailed for raping a 17-year-old babysitter.
In 1999, convicted child abuser James Gallogley named his former friend Gartshore as Moira's murderer.
Gartshore's own daughter Sandra Brown was convinced he was the killer and campaigned to have him charged.
In 2014 prosecutors took the unusual step of announcing that Gartshore would have faced prosecution for the schoolgirl's murder if he were still alive.
In 1957 a witness reported seeing a tall man carrying a large, heavy sack towards the canal the morning after Moira disappeared but the possible sighting was not followed up. | Police searching a North Lanarkshire canal in a bid to find a schoolgirl who disappeared 60 years ago have identified five "areas of interest". | 39310285 |
Police said the fake jellyfish had been made by mixing chemicals, adding that checks showed high levels of aluminium.
The syndicates made more than 170,000 yuan (£18,100; $26,100) in profits in a year of production, they added.
Jellyfish is very popular sliced and served as salad, particularly along China's southern and eastern coasts.
Huzhou municipal police in Zhejiang province, which is leading the investigation said they first found a workshop run by a Mr Yuan, who made and sold the fake jellyfish at a farmer's market.
Mr Yuan then led detectives to a bigger workshop in Changzhou city in neighbouring Jiangsu province run by a Mr Jia who had taught him the "art" of faking jellyfish. He was detained alongside other syndicate members. The arrests were made in late April, but police only made it public late last week
Mr Yuan told the investigators he made the jellyfish by mixing three chemicals - alginic acid, ammonium alum and calcium chloride anhydrous - according to an official release (in Chinese) by Huzhou police on social media platform WeChat.
Officers say they found "excessive levels" of aluminium in the fake jellyfish - up to 800mg/kg, which is eight times of China's own legal limit.
The food and drug safety branch of Huzhou police said too much aluminium could result in bone and nerve damage, and potentially harm memory. They warned against pregnant women, children and the elderly consuming the substance.
Although jellyfish can be poisonous they are considered something of a delicacy in China, described as both tasty and a good source of collagen.
Especially popular in the summer, jellyfish skin is sliced and served like a salad with various dressings.
It appears as if the wild jellyfish supply simply cannot cope with the demand. Zhejiang's Metropolitan Express paper has reported on jellyfish farms in the province. It quotes fish farmers saying that half-a-kilo of jellyfish takes 40 days to raise, with the wholesale price at about 30-40 yuan.
This cost is halved with artificial jellyfish and for obvious reasons, the production time is far less.
The Huzhou police have issued guidance on how to spot the difference.
Artificial jellyfish is tasteless with no smell and is tough to tear and has a texture similar to sellotape.
The real deal? Quite the opposite. It has a fishy smell, and is yellowish and colourful.
In November 2014, Huzhou police, again, caught three individuals selling fake jellyfish made from a similar chemical mixture.
In October 2013, police in central Hunan province broke another jellyfish syndicate.
That group is said to have made 40 tonnes of fake jellyfish, and the ringleader was sentenced to six months in jail. | Police in eastern China have raided two fake jellyfish workshops, saying more than 10 tonnes is thought to have made its way into local food markets. | 36253779 |
Mayka Kukucova, 26, was sentenced for shooting dead Bristol businessman Andrew Bush at his home near Marbella on the Costa del Sol in April 2014.
Kukucova did not formally plead. Mr Bush, 48, died after being shot in the shoulder and then twice in the head.
She was sentenced by the court in Malaga to an additional six months for breaking into his home.
During the trial Kukucova said she had "never meant to hurt" Mr Bush and broke down in tears when photos of his body were shown in court.
Mr Bush was well known in his home city of Bristol for his jewellery business and was previously married to former BBC Bristol presenter Sam Mason, the mother of his daughter Ellie, 21.
He met Kukucova when she worked in his shop and the pair were together for two-and-a-half years.
The relationship broke down around six months before Mr Bush was killed.
Mr Bush had an interest in cars, and it was in his Hummer 4x4 that Kukucova made her getaway on the night he died.
Days later she handed herself into Slovakian authorities and was detained before being extradited to Spain. | An ex-swimwear model has been jailed for 15 years for murdering her millionaire British boyfriend in Spain. | 36419410 |
Air conditioning temperatures have also been adjusted amid concerns about the weak global economy and as the strengthening yen eats into profits.
Toyota said the move was to help the company "stay lean". It took similar steps during 2008's financial crisis.
But the company did not disclose how much it expected to save.
"These policies are not new," a Toyota spokesperson told the BBC
"The key objective for the stoppage of elevators specifically is to raise awareness amongst employees, and to remind them of the commitment that Toyota has towards the idea of increasing competitiveness through staying lean and reducing wastage.
"At the same time, beyond cost-considerations, the above measures, alongside the usage of LED light bulbs, also help to conserve the environment. Being environmentally conscious has always been one of the important values within Toyota.
"Hence, we at Toyota are actively motivated to find creative ways to fulfil our commitment."
Toyota has reported three straight years of record profits after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe unleashed a stimulus programme aimed at weakening the yen.
That gave a boost to the country's exporters, since a weaker currency makes products such as cars cheaper to overseas buyers.
For the financial year ending in March 2016, Toyota earned a record 2.3tn yen ($23bn; £17.7bn), the company has warned that profits are set to fall this year.
The yen has risen sharply following the UK's vote to exit the European Union as investors buy into its perceived haven status.
The Japanese currency is currently trading near the highest levels in more than two years, at around 101 yen to the US dollar.
Toyota has based projected its current fiscal year earnings on a rate of 105 yen to the dollar.
Should the yen continue to strengthen, the value of Toyota's profits earned overseas will be worth significantly less when repatriated and converted back into its domestic currency. | Toyota, the world's biggest automaker, has shut down two out of eight lifts at its Tokyo headquarters in an effort to cut costs. | 36742652 |
The South African team won in a new world record time of 41.87 seconds.
Brazil and defending champions USA pressed hard, but both nations were disqualified which meant China and Germany took silver and bronze.
Earlier Pistorius, the defending 100m champion, qualified with the second quickest time for Thursday's T44 final.
South Africa's record-breaking 4x100m relay team:
Samkelo Radebe
Zivan Smith
Arnu Fourie
Oscar Pistorius
It was the 25-year-old's first appearance on the track since a surprise T44 200m defeat on Sunday, where he had to settle for silver behind Alan Oliveira.
Pistorius raised concerns over the length of his opponent's blades, claiming they were "not running in a fair race".
But the South African later apologised for the timing of his outburst and looked focused for the 100m despite the controversy he raised, crossing the line in 11.30 seconds.
However, Great Britain's world record holder Jonnie Peacock underlined his status as event favourite with the fastest time of 11.08 secs.
World champion Jerome Singleton finished behind Peacock, but his time of 11.46 secs was the slowest of the automatic qualifiers. | Oscar Pistorius secured his first gold medal of the 2012 Paralympics by anchoring a South African T42-46 4x100m relay victory. | 19497216 |
Peshmerga fighters have surrounded Bashiqa, which lies on a crucial supply route 12km (8 miles) from Mosul, and are preparing to launch a full assault.
But the threat of suicide bomb attacks means they are advancing with caution.
A Counter-Terrorism Service commander also said its troops had gained ground around Bartella, 10km to the south.
Abdul Wahhab al-Saadi told the BBC they had stormed the villages of Khazna, Khazna Tabba and Tob Zawa.
The operation to retake Bashiqa is the second launched by the Peshmerga.
Last week, they had to pull back after fierce clashes with IS militants dug in there.
The second assault began on Sunday, and by Monday morning the Peshmerga had encircled the town and begun digging trenches in preparation to storm it, a commander told Kurdish news agency Rudaw.
The BBC's Richard Galpin in Irbil says that if they do succeed in retaking Bashiqa, it would give the Peshmerga a clear run to north-eastern Mosul, with no other towns or villages lying in between.
Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi meanwhile insisted that claims that Turkish troops had taken part in the battle for Bashiqa were "baseless and untrue".
Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Sunday that soldiers stationed at a nearby base, where they have been training Peshmerga and Sunni Arab tribal fighters, had provided "support with artillery, tanks and howitzers".
Journalists on the front line have reported seeing artillery fire coming from the Turkish base and hitting IS positions on several occasions.
About 30,000 Iraqi security forces, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, Sunni Arab tribesmen and Shia militiamen, assisted by US-led coalition warplanes and military advisers, launched the long-awaited offensive to retake Mosul a week ago.
On Monday, US special presidential envoy to the coalition Brett McGurk declared that they had met all their objectives thus far, and that the coalition had carried out more air strikes than during any other seven-day period of the war against IS.
A senior intelligence officer told the BBC that IS had begun executing suspected informants as Iraqi forces pushed closer to Mosul.
The officer also said IS had positioned some civilians as human shields, describing this as a sign of weakness and desperation.
As the pressure increases on Mosul, IS has been carrying out more attacks in other parts of Iraq.
After a major assault on the northern city of Kirkuk last week in which up to 100 people were killed, militants attacked the western town of Rutba on Sunday and overran several districts.
On Monday, a police source reported continuing clashes between troops and IS militants inside Rutba despite the arrival of military reinforcements.
And a local official in Sinjar told Reuters news agency that at least 15 militants had been killed in two hours of fighting with Peshmerga fighters.
Our correspondent says these diversionary tactics seem to be working. According to a Kurdish intelligence source, he adds, some 2,000 Peshmerga troops had to be pulled away from the Mosul offensive to deal with the attack on Kirkuk.
The UN refugee agency also announced on Monday that it would soon have enough shelters for 150,000 people who might flee Mosul and its surrounding area during the offensive. Some 7,500 people had already left, it said. | Kurdish forces taking part in the offensive to retake the Iraqi city of Mosul from Islamic State militants are besieging a key town to the north-east. | 37750544 |
It happened on the Shore Road on Saturday night just after 2100 (BST).
Part of the road was closed between Fortwilliam Park and Skegoneill Ave.
The alert is now over and the Shore Road has been reopened. A local resident said something had exploded in a bin in an alleyway at York Parade.
Residents said the bang was so loud that their windows shook. | Police say the discovery of a large firework was behind a security alert in north Belfast. | 39762007 |
"Meeting our objective is about credibility. If a central bank sets an objective, it can't just move the goalposts when it misses it," he said in a speech in Germany.
Eurozone inflation is currently 0.2%, way below the ECB's target of near 2%.
But Mr Draghi insisted that the central bank would meet its obligations.
"Confidence comes from every party fulfilling its mandate. And that's what the ECB will do," he said.
Mr Draghi rejected criticism of the ECB's €60bn-a-month stimulus programme, saying that no one had discussed the risks of doing nothing.
"What would that mean for our price stability mandate, and therefore for growth and jobs, and eventually, for the future of our monetary union?," he asked.
Mr Draghi also rejected criticism that the bank's low interest rates could lead to higher house prices because of cheap loans.
"Though low interest rates can encourage risk-taking, there are no warning signs of serious financial instability," he said.
The speech comes just days after Mr Draghi said the bank would "review and possibly reconsider" monetary policy at its next meeting in March.
Analysts interpreted the speech, where he said that there would be "no limits" to action to reinflate the eurozone, as an indication the bank was willing to ease policy further.
His comments come after the ECB decided to keep the bank's main borrowing rate unchanged at 0.05% earlier this month. | European Central Bank President Mario Draghi has fought back against critics, insisting the bank's policies will help to raise inflation. | 35405938 |
A surprise output jump from its biggest member, Saudi Arabia, put further pressure on prices.
Gains made since Opec announced output cuts late last year have nearly all been erased.
Saudi Arabia said it was "committed" to stabilising the global oil market, and that its output was still in line with its Opec target.
"Despite the supply adjustment, stocks have continued to rise, not just in the US, but also in Europe," Opec said in its report. "Nevertheless, prices have undoubtedly been provided a floor by the production accords."
Saudi Arabia's production increased to 10.011 million barrels per day in February compared with 9.748 million barrels per day in January.
Saudi Arabia "is committed and determined to stabilise the global oil market by working closely with all other participating Opec and non-Opec producers", its energy ministry said.
Oil prices fell after the release of the Opec report to trade close to $50 (£41) a barrel, their lowest since November.
Crude prices are still higher than $40 per barrel a year ago and a 12-year low of about $28 in January 2016.
The price of Brent crude settled about 0.5% down at $51.09 per barrel, while US crude was at $47.90. | Oil prices have fallen after the Opec group of oil producing nations said global crude stocks had risen. | 39274991 |
The 27-year-old left-back made his international debut in 2012 and has won 13 caps for his country.
Lafferty adds to manager Michael O'Neill's defensive options for the Windsor Park match in Belfast.
Northern Ireland lie second in Group C, five points behind Germany with two wins for their four qualifiers.
Norway are in a disappointing fifth place, having picked up just three points from four games.
O'Neill is without Will Grigg for the Norway encounter after the Wigan Athletic striker was ruled out with a knee injury.
Shane Ferguson is also an absentee, with the versatile Millwall player serving a suspension.
Northern Ireland's 3-0 friendly defeat by Croatia on 15 November brought to an end a 10-game unbeaten home record, O'Neill's side having previously won eight and drawn two at Windsor Park, conceding only three goals in the process.
Their last loss in a home competitive fixturewas a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Portugal in a World Cup qualifier in September 2013.
Northern Ireland squad to face Norway:
Goalkeepers: Michael McGovern (Norwich City), Alan Mannus (St Johnstone), Roy Carroll (Linfield)
Defenders: Aaron Hughes (Hearts), Gareth McAuley (West Brom), Jonny Evans (West Brom), Chris Brunt (West Brom), Craig Cathcart (Watford), Conor McLaughlin (Fleetwood Town), Lee Hodson (Rangers), Ryan McLaughlin (Oldham Athletic), Tom Flanagan (Burton Albion), Daniel Lafferty (Sheffield Utd)
Midfielders: Steven Davis (Southampton), Niall McGinn (Aberdeen), Oliver Norwood (Brighton), Corry Evans (Blackburn Rovers), Jamie Ward (Nottingham Forest), Stuart Dallas (Leeds Utd), Paul Paton (St Johnstone), Matthew Lund (Rochdale)
Forwards: Kyle Lafferty (Norwich City), Josh Magennis (Charlton Athletic), Conor Washington (QPR), Liam Boyce (Ross County) | Sheffield United defender Daniel Lafferty has been called into the Northern Ireland squad for Sunday's World Cup qualifier with Norway. | 39341512 |
The 26-year-old, released by Portsmouth in January before joining the U's on a six-month deal, scored once in 19 appearances for the club last season.
The former Arsenal trainee has made more than 250 career appearances for clubs including Exeter and Stevenage.
"He understands how we like to work and gives us good cohesion from last year's team," said boss Shaun Derry.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. | Cambridge United midfielder James Dunne has signed a new one-year contract with the League Two side. | 36686360 |
A man entered the Subway store on the Dublin Road carrying a screwdriver at about 10:15 BST on Sunday.
He threatened a staff member before making off with a sum of money.
It is understood that members of the public stopped the man before he was later arrested by the police. | A 30-year-old man has been arrested following an armed robbery at a fast food outlet in Belfast after he was stopped by members of the public. | 36181675 |
The Australian, who retired in 2013, feels the number of 'pay drivers', such as Sauber's Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson, is not good for the sport.
"These guys are on a phenomenal level but the depth has never been weaker," Webber told BBC Radio 5 live.
"We need to get the calibre that we have at the front of the grid. We need more depth and the cars to be faster."
Pay drivers bring sponsorship to secure a seat in order to help their team reach its annual budget.
Webber added: "If you go from the top 10 back, there are a lot of pay drivers. This is not good.
"The physical components are the lowest it's ever been. It's like a rugby tackle but 30% softer."
When Webber entered F1 in 2002, the cars were near their fastest and physically demanding to handle with V10 engines and refuelling allowed.
A series of changes in recent years has taken the sport down a slower, environmentally-friendly path with a raft of drivers aids to make overtaking easier.
"The drivers want cars that are more demanding," says Webber.
"It's a bit like being an F-18 fighter pilot but flying for British Airways. They're within their comfort zone, pacing races. It's frustrating.
"F1 should be the pinnacle. It should be by far the fastest through the corners, physical on the drivers and things where the drivers are the gladiators again.
"The car still needs to be something the fans have never seen anything like before. There's so many categories which are close to them now."
Following the death of British IndyCar driver Justin Wilson last month, calls for closed cockpits in single-seaters have increased.
Governing body the FIA has been looking into various methods to provide better protection for drivers' heads since Felipe Massa, then driving for Ferrari, was hit on the helmet by a bouncing spring during qualifying for the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix.
Cockpits enclosed by a fighter jet-style canopy had been considered, but were dismissed because of concerns about the strength of the cover.
F1 driver Jules Bianchi died in July nine months after suffering serious head injuries in a collision with a recovery vehicle in the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix.
The deaths of the Frenchman and Wilson, who competed in F1 for Minardi and Jaguar in 2003, have brought the issue of open cockpits into question once again.
Webber has joined a number of current drivers who feel it is time to offer greater protection to drivers' heads.
"I am a purist but I'd like to see them closed. They're delaying the inevitable now. It's going to come," he said.
"In 10 years it probably will be there so let's just bring it forward and find a way that is elegant and safe for extraction.
"There's enough experts to make that happen."
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Lewis Hamilton's victory in Sunday's Italian Grand Prix extended his lead at the top of the drivers' standings to 53 points over Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg.
Despite his dominance, the two-time world champion has been criticised for attending celebrity events such as the MTV video awards in Los Angeles.
Is Hamilton being too flamboyant for his own good or is his character just what the sport needs?
"You can be cool," says Webber. "David Beckham, Usain Bolt, Valentino Rossi - they're all different characters. Lewis is different in his own way.
"Lewis sees himself as a brand. He wants to be marketable and he's a little bit box office.
"Don't underestimate his penetration in the American market too."
Two fast drivers in the quickest car. One has a slight edge over the other. Both are fighting it out for the world championship until the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
For Hamilton and Nico Rosberg in 2014, read Sebastian Vettel and Webber in 2010. Germany's Vettel pipped his Red Bull team-mate to the drivers' championship and proceeded to enjoy a dominant run of four consecutive world titles.
With Rosberg off the pace of Hamilton this season, just as Webber was compared to Vettel in 2011, the Australian feels the off-season this winter will be crucial for Rosberg to regroup.
"That's why the first world championship is very important," says Webber. "My weakest year was the year after and Nico is going through that now.
"I led the championship for a huge part of 2010 before Seb got on a roll at the back end.
"Nico can come through this period but now there's no time to take a break. The races are every fortnight - bang, bang, bang.
"It's not like tennis or golf where you can miss a tournament and go hug your teddy. You've got to keep pressing on.
"This winter will be big for Nico."
For the second season in a row, Jenson Button's future in the sport remains uncertain.
The 2009 world champion has a contract with McLaren for 2016 - but the team have the choice whether to exercise this option.
Button, 35, wants his future to be finalised in the next few weeks, but with the McLaren struggling at the back of the field, Webber feels a change of scenery could do the Briton good.
"To know he's going into a race and has no chance is mentally very difficult," said Webber.
"I'd love to see him try something different, try sportscars.
"I get frustrated watching his situation. I want to see him in a competitive car but is that going to happen next year? Unlikely.
"JB, the type of guy he is, gutsy and a dark horse, he would love the environment where it's a little less tense." | Ex-Formula 1 driver Mark Webber says the strength in depth on the current grid is the lowest it has ever been. | 34179522 |
An expert at security firm AVG found some voice-activated systems responded just as well to fake voices as they did to that of the owner.
Clever fraudsters could subvert this to send bogus messages or compromise gadgets in the future, said AVG.
Voice-activated systems needed to do a better job of checking who is talking, said a security expert.
Problems with voice-activated systems were found by Yuval Ben-Itzhak, chief technology officer at anti-virus firm AVG who managed to turn on and control a smart TV using a synthesised voice. The attack worked, he said, because the gadget did nothing to check who was speaking.
Voice-activated functions on Apple and Android smartphones were also vulnerable to the same attack, he found. In one demonstration, he used the synthesised voice to send a bogus message via an Android smartphone telling everyone in the device's contacts book that a company was going out of business.
Mr Ben-Itzhak also wondered if children could exploit the flaw and use it to turn off safety features that stop them seeing or using inappropriate content.
In the future, when homes and offices are peppered with more and more devices that are controlled via voice, attackers might well be tempted to abuse them, he warned.
"Utilising voice activation technology in the Internet of Things without authenticating the source of the voice is like leaving your computer without a password, everyone can use it and send commands," he wrote in a blog about the research.
Mr Ben-Itzhak said AVG undertook its research purely as a demonstration and there was no evidence of voice-based attacks being used.
Independent security expert Graham Cluley said there was no doubt that voice-activated systems could be more secure.
"It would obviously be preferable if devices were to learn our voices, and ask for some form of authentication if they determined that an unauthorised user might be giving commands," he told the BBC.
However, he wondered why attackers would use voice-based attacks rather than the more tried-and-tested techniques that currently work so well.
"If malware can get on an Android device to speak a command and order the Android to send an unauthorised email, it could just as easily do that without using speech," he said. | Voice-activated smartphones and other devices can be a significant security risk, warn researchers. | 29427767 |
McGuigan family members were told the threats are from "republican elements".
But police have declined to elaborate on whether they might be attached to any organisation.
BBC NI's Spotlight programme reveals that three members of the extended McGuigan family have received warnings.
Senior police officers have said current members of the Provisional IRA had a role in Mr McGuigan Sr's killing.
But Sinn Féin has said the IRA "has gone away".
BBC NI Spotlight reporter Darragh MacIntyre investigates the background to the political crisis, which was sparked by the murders of Mr McGuigan Sr and Gerard 'Jock' Davison in Belfast earlier this year.
The two men were once comrades who both killed for the Provisional IRA, and were part of an IRA front group called Direct Action Against Drugs.
But their connection ended in a bitter personal dispute.
When Mr Davison was shot dead near his home in May, some republicans concluded Mr McGuigan Sr was responsible.
The programme examines how the ground was laid for Mr McGuigan Sr's murder that took place outside his home four weeks ago - an attack that took on wider significance when the Police Service of Northern Ireland's Chief Constable George Hamilton said current members of the Provisional IRA were involved.
Former IRA member Anthony McIntyre, a frequent critic of Sinn Féin and who knew Mr McGuigan Sr, told the programme he believed IRA members were involved.
"When Kevin McGuigan was shot, it never once entered my mind it was anybody other than the IRA," he said.
"It was standard IRA modus operandi and it was a type of killing that the IRA carried out.
"The IRA certainly had a motive for killing Kevin McGuigan and that motive was that the IRA would need to dissuade or deter people who would want to have a pop at senior figures."
But Sinn Féin MLA Alex Maskey told the programme the IRA no longer exists.
The programme can also reveal one part of the IRA's command structure that republicans have said almost certainly continues to exist.
BBC NI Spotlight will be broadcast on BBC One Northern Ireland at 22:40 BST on Tuesday 8 September. | Relatives of Kevin McGuigan Sr, the republican allegedly murdered by members of the Provisional IRA, have been told by police that their lives are also under threat. | 34190114 |
Dogs are the most diverse animal on the planet - a legacy of thousands of years of selective breeding by humans.
But they derive from wild wolves that were gradually tamed and inducted into human hunting groups - perhaps near Mongolia or Nepal.
The findings come from an analysis of DNA from thousands of pooches, and are published in PNAS journal.
Cornell University's Dr Adam Boyko and his colleagues studied 4,676 purebred dogs from recognised breeds, as well as 549 "village dogs" - free-ranging animals that live around human settlements.
This latter group are the least studied, yet represent a crucial piece in the picture of modern dog diversity.
"The fact that we looked at so many village dogs from so many different regions, we were able to narrow in on the patterns of diversity in these indigenous dogs," Dr Boyko told BBC News.
Dog domestication is the kind of event that could have taken place independently in different corners of the globe. But the DNA of modern pooches doesn't provide any support for this idea.
"We looked exclusively to see if there was evidence of multiple domestication events. And like every other group that's looked for that, we found no evidence of it," said Dr Boyko.
"It looks like there's a single origin, although there are clearly situations where there has been... a little bit of gene flow between wolves and dogs post-domestication."
The researchers studied genes that are located close to one another on dog chromosomes. The patterns of these closely linked genetic markers allowed the team to pinpoint the domestication event to Central Asia.
But several other teams have tackled the same problem, and have come up with widely differing results.
Previous studies have variously hinted at an origin for dogs in the Middle East - perhaps scavenging the food waste of early farmers - in East Asia, and in Europe.
The latest results are unlikely to resolve the argument, but Dr Boyko said that localising the origin of dogs could stimulate further research. One of these further lines of inquiry could be the analysis of ancient DNA from dog remains found at archaeological sites.
This tool could help support or refute hypotheses about the role of Central Asia and other regions in the domestication of "man's best friend".
Dr Peter Savolainen, associate professor at KTH - Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, said the study had shown it was possible to find remote dog populations that had been unaffected by mixing with European varieties - a legacy of the era of colonisation.
But he suspects the origins of domestication lie in East Asia, perhaps in southern China.
"Mongolia is technically in East Asia and Nepal is in South Asia... only a thousand kilometres from South China," he told BBC News.
"So we have a consensus that the origin is somewhere in this general region. But one important thing is that they do not have a specimen from China, so if they had, what would that have shown?"
Most researchers agree that dogs have been around for at least 15,000 years. But the reasons for their emergence remain opaque.
"There's no doubt they were hanging around [hunting] camps and becoming gradually more attuned to human life. The question is what was the first step for why that was happening," said Dr Boyko.
"It's tempting to ask whether it was something to do with hunting. I think it's clear that scavenging by wolves on human kills [of large mammals] could have been the driving force.
He added that genetic changes in those wolves, that led to tameness, small body size and early age of first reproduction could have started the animals down an evolutionary course that was less compatible with a hunting lifestyle.
"They hitched themselves to us, which was a pretty good gamble as it turned out, because there are about a billion dogs in the world today and probably not even 10 million wolves."
Follow Paul on Twitter. | Today's dogs can trace their origins to Central Asia, according to one of the most comprehensive genetic surveys yet. | 34577200 |
The 76-year-old man, who has not been named, died 75 days after the operation in Paris.
The bioprosthetic device, made by French company Carmat, is designed to replace the real heart for up to five years.
It is intended to help patients who are in the advanced stages of heart failure.
At this late stage of the disease, the damaged organ can no longer pump enough blood for the body to function normally.
When the device was fitted, the patient was said to have only a few weeks, or even days to live.
It's not known whether his death was due to any malfunction of the artificial heart or the patient's severe ill-health.
Three more patients in France with terminal heart failure are scheduled to be fitted with the artificial heart.
The clinical trial will be considered a success if they survive for at least a month.
A further trial of another 20 patients will examine to what extent the device improves their quality of life.
Eventually the company hopes to get a European licence for the prototype heart, which is expected to cost around £150,000.
The Carmat device weighs nearly 1kg, three times that of a human heart. It is powered by an external lithium battery pack, which the patient wears on a belt.
It is made from a combination of synthetic materials, surrounded by a plastic shell.
Inside the heart, some of the surfaces which come into contact with blood are made from cow heart tissue, which are less likely to cause clots to form.
The patient trials follow many years of laboratory research and extensive animal studies.
The Carmat heart is designed to work for five years.
Artificial hearts have been used for decades, but usually as a means of helping a failing heart to pump blood around the body.
Several companies are working on devices which entirely take over from the damaged organ until a donor heart becomes available.
In 2011 Matthew Green became the first patient in Britain to have his heart completely replaced by an artificial organ.
The 40-year-old was suffering from a severe heart condition, which meant he could have died at any time.
Mr Green said the artificial heart, made by the US firm SynCardia, had 'revolutionised' his life, allowing him to go out for walks and to the local pub.
Last summer surgeons at Papworth hospital in Cambridgeshire replaced his plastic device with a donor organ.
Mr Green told the BBC the artificial heart had 'done the job very well for two years' allowing him to survive while waiting for a suitable heart.
The need for artificial hearts is driven by the shortage of donor organs.
It is common for patients to wait well over a year for a suitable heart and it is estimated that three people a day die while waiting for an organ transplant.
However latest figures show a record number of people in the UK donated organs after their death in 2013.
1,323 people became organ donors last year compared to 1,164 in 2012, a 13.7% increase.
As a result nearly 3,500 patients received organ transplants.
Despite the increase, nearly four in 10 families approached in the UK still refuse to allow a relative's organs to be used.
This refusal rate drops to just one in 20 when the patient is on the organ donor register and has previously discussed their wishes.
Wales will become the first UK country to adopt an opt out organ donation system in 2015.
Individuals will be presumed to have consented for their organs to be donated unless they opt out. | The first patient to be fitted with a pioneering artificial heart in France has died. | 26435829 |
Taylor joined Maidstone in July 2015 from Cambridge United, helping them earn promotion from National League South in his first season at the club.
The 22-year-old former Chelsea trainee scored eight goals in 41 league appearances for the Stones this season.
"I had a good two years at Maidstone United but for me it's time for a new chapter in my career," he said.
"Other clubs were offering me more financially and I had an offer from League Two, but it was a no-brainer for me to sign for Aldershot." | Aldershot have signed winger Bobby-Joe Taylor on a one-year deal after he left National League rivals Maidstone. | 40123946 |
A lorry and seven cars were involved in the accident on the A34 at Hinksey Hill, Oxford, at about 19:30 BST on Thursday.
The child and a 31-year-old woman were taken to Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital, where they were described as being in a "critical" condition.
Police have now said the girl died on Saturday.
The woman remains in hospital where she is receiving treatment.
They were travelling northbound in one of the cars when the accident happened, and the carriageway was closed for almost 10 hours.
A 58-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. | A three-year-old girl has died in hospital following an eight-vehicle crash on a dual carriageway. | 37222477 |
The lights were taken from the front garden at Julia's House in Poole, which cares for children with life limiting illnesses, at 20:55 GMT on 9 December.
Police said a small light-coloured car or delivery van was spotted pulling up outside the hospice before the theft.
"We are all so shocked that someone could steal from a children's hospice," said nurse Emma Shepherd.
"We have children attending a session tomorrow and several children staying this weekend and they will now miss out.
"Many of our children have sensory challenges or difficulties with their sight, but they can all see and enjoy lights."
Sally Rowe, from the hospice, said they had received donations of lights from supporters since the theft.
PC Garry Weston said that a man got out of the passenger side of the van that was spotted and walked toward the grounds of the hospice.
Mr Weston said: "The van left the scene and the offender was seen to walk into the grounds of Julia's house before leaving carrying the lights.
"This was a despicable crime on a hospice which offers day and respite care for children with life limiting illnesses." | Staff at a children's hospice say they are devastated after thieves stole their Christmas lights. | 30437017 |
Chester played in Wales' 3-2 defeat by Netherlands, but has started only once in the Premier League this season.
The 26-year-old does not understand why manager Tony Pulis has not played him more often.
"To be playing for Wales I have to start for my club. It's impossible to play at this level and not be playing week in, week out," he said.
"I know myself I need to be playing at my club to give me the best chance of going to France and playing when we get there.
"I don't think it's good enough to be playing for Wales when I'm not playing for West Brom."
Former Manchester United trainee Chester was promoted to the Premier League with Hull and had two seasons in the top flight before joining West Brom last summer in the wake of the Tigers' relegation.
The 26-year-old was part of a three-man central defence at Hull and also with Wales, playing a key role as Chris Coleman's side qualified for the European Championships next summer, but his rare Albion appearances under Welshman Pulis have come at right-back.
"[Wales manager] Chris Coleman has been brilliant to me and that's nice to hear, so it's up to me to go back to West Brom and play. But I'm finding it difficult," he added.
"When I signed [Pulis] said he knew I could play at centre-back but he wanted to use me at full-back.
"I think the disappointing part for me is I played the first game of the season and I think I showed enough, with hard work and playing there regularly, that is something I could become quite good at.
"But to only give me one opportunity there I find it quite difficult to understand."
Chester, the most expensive defender in Albion's history, revealed he spoke to Pulis in October to enquire what he had to do to get back in the first team at the Hawthorns.
"He said he understood it was a new club and a new position and we had some work to do," Chester said.
Asked if he would look elsewhere in the January transfer window, Chester replied: "I'm 12 games into a four-year contract, but I'm not one who likes to sit and watch.
"I want to play and I thought I was coming to West Brom to play in the Premier League.
"Hindsight's a wonderful thing and you see how Hull are doing at the start of the season, and I had other options which makes the situation a little more difficult." | Wales defender James Chester admits his Euro 2016 ambitions are suffering by his lack of starts for West Brom. | 34830738 |
Kevin McGeever, 71, of Clontarf in Dublin, was at Galway Circuit Criminal Court on Tuesday and admitted wasting police time, RTÉ reports.
He told gardaí (Irish police) in 2013 he had been abducted and held in captivity for eight months.
McGeever was found on a roadside in County Leitrim in a dishevelled state in January that year.
He later told gardaí he had been kidnapped at gunpoint and held in a steel container, possibly underground, by his captors.
His statements prompted a six-week investigation, costing €86,500 (£68,000) and involving over 3,000 hours of police time.
The court heard McGeever owed a considerable amount of money to investors following the economic crash.
He hoped the claim of kidnapping would get them off his back.
McGeever's defence counsel John Jordan said his client had done something "incredibly stupid" and regretted his actions.
A judge said the charge was of considerable gravity, but in light of the defendant's age and the burden already carried by taxpayers as a result of his crime, he suspended the sentence.
When asked afterwards if he was glad the matter was resolved, McGeever said: "Figure that out yourself". | A former property developer who faked his own kidnapping has been given a two-year suspended prison sentence. | 36033018 |
The Finn says he understands why there is speculation about his own future with the Scottish Premiership club.
But he said: "It is only natural when we are where we are.
"When you look at the signings we've made, we wanted to add strength and experience into the side and we did that."
Paatelainen, who replaced the sacked Jackie McNamara in October, has been unable to lift United off the bottom of the Scottish Premiership.
He bolstered his defensive options by signing Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima, previously of Standard Liege, former Ivory Coast defender Guy Demel, who left West Ham United last summer, right-back Kyle Knoyle arrived on loan from the Hammers, while Gavin Gunning returned to Tannadice from Oldham Athletic.
Up front, Paatelainen added former Liverpool striker Florent Sinama Pongolle, who had been released by Lausanne-Sport, and Finland forward Riku Riski on loan from Rosenborg.
The United manager stressed there was "always an element of risk" when bringing players in who are without a club or available during the January transfer window but thought he had added quality.
"We've been here a few months and I think we have improved," said Paatelainen. "But this is by no means our team.
"But, all credit to the players, the way we have improved is a definite plus, but the same mistakes, the same softness keeps resurfacing and that's really disappointing."
Paatelainen says he has not spoken with United chairman Stephen Thomson since shortly after Saturday's home defeat by Hamilton Academical, which left United eight points adrift at the bottom of the table.
However, while recognising there is always the possibility he will lose his job, the manager continues to plan for next season, whether or not they are relegated.
"I am determined to build this squad and make sure we bounce back stronger," added Paatelainen.
"We need to make loads of changes, player-wise, personnel-wise and I am determined to do that.
"We know what needs to be done and we have clear plans. We have targeted players already.
"The budget will be cut severely anyway, regardless of where we are. There will be much less money next season.
"It will be a smaller squad but will be a much more effective squad with more steel to it." | Dundee United manager Mixu Paatelainen has defended his signings since taking charge in October despite his side being on the brink of relegation. | 36170159 |
Police with riot shields surrounded the Bella Italia restaurant on Irving Street after the incident was reported at 20:50 GMT.
Parts of the busy tourist area were cordoned off and nearby diners were ordered to stay indoors.
The man was detained soon after 22:45. There were no reports of injuries.
He was seen being led from the restaurant by police and was then driven away.
Officers at the scene said the man had been found with a knife in his pocket.
Jordan Brown, who was playing a gig at Caffe Concerto next door, told the BBC: "All of a sudden the police came around and said 'please can we stop playing'.
"They then kept us inside."
Police have said the incident is not terror-related. | A man has been arrested after a woman was taken hostage, apparently at knifepoint, at a restaurant near Leicester Square in London's West End. | 35654177 |
Three years ago Cambridgeshire County and Peterborough City councils were looking after just six children.
They are now responsible for 138 and are having to house them as far away as Nottingham. It is one of the biggest increases in the country.
Peterborough council said the rise was putting a "strain" on its services.
And both Peterborough and Cambridgeshire warn the numbers will rise to help ease pressures in Kent, where about 900 unaccompanied child migrants are currently housed.
Cathy Smith, first response and emergency duty officer at Cambridgeshire County Council, said the county council was only coping with the influx by using out-of-county placements more than 100 miles (160km) away.
"Social workers are often scouring the country trying to find placements for these young people."
Wali, now 18, arrived on his own in the UK on the back of a lorry from Iran aged 17.
"I was living in Iran and I left because I was having some problems with smugglers who wanted me to work with them.
"I went to Turkey, Bulgaria, Serbia, Austria, Italy and then to France and then to England. There was no-one here for me.
"They gave us clothes and accommodation and I have gone to college. If they did not help we would be homeless people living in the street."
He said he was very grateful for the support he had been given by the authorities since arriving and said without it he would not have been able to cope.
Nicola Curly, assistant director of children's services at Peterborough City Council, said about one in 11 of its children in care was now a migrant.
"These are very traumatised young children," she said. "They have had long and difficult journeys and they need a lot of support when they arrive."
She added: "We have no option when a young person arrives.
"If they need accommodation and support then we have to provide that. It is starting to place a strain on our placement capacity. We are anticipating more children and young people. We have no idea how many." | The number of lone child asylum-seekers has risen 22-fold in Cambridgeshire, leaving local authorities struggling to cope, it has emerged. | 35967892 |
The Briton, 32, says the Glasgow Indoor Grand Prix on 20 February - at which he will race the 3,000m - is likely to be his only indoor race of 2016.
The World Indoors take place in Portland, Oregon - where Farah now lives - from 17-20 March.
"The 3,000m in Glasgow is likely to be my only indoor race of 2016 and I want to make it a good one," he said.
"It will give a good indication of how my training is going and will hopefully set me up for a successful outdoor season."
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The double Olympic champion, who missed the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow because of injury, has been based in Portland since joining controversial coach Alberto Salazar's training group at the Nike Oregon Project in early 2011.
Farah, who has won seven global long-distance titles, will attempt to retain his 5,000m and 10,000m crowns in Rio in August.
The Londoner retained his world titles at the same distances in August and will open his 2016 season in Scotland by racing in the Great Edinburgh International Cross Country on 9 January.
He added: "I haven't competed in Glasgow since 2012 and it will be great to be back. The Scottish crowd love athletics and I'm sure they will give great support to the athletes."
Farah has not competed at a World or European Indoor Championships since 2012. | Mo Farah looks set to miss the World Indoor Championships in March to focus on the defence of his Olympic titles. | 34794481 |
The Saudis agreed to take the prisoners because Yemen was considered too unstable for them to return them to.
The transfer leaves 80 prisoners at the US military jail - most of whom have been held without charge or trial for more than a decade.
President Obama wants to close the prison before he leaves office.
The BBC's Laura Bicker in Washington says that the transfer of the nine has been a long sought-after deal between Washington and Riyadh and comes just days before President Obama touches down in Saudi Arabia for a summit of Gulf Arab allies.
Life after Guantanamo prison
Will Guantanamo prison finally close?
The move is part of a push by the presidential administration to release detainees deemed low-risk. The White House wants to transfer the remainder to the US but Congress is opposed.
"The United States is grateful to the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its humanitarian gesture and willingness to support ongoing US efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility," a Pentagon statement said.
The most high profile inmate to be freed is Tariq Ba Odah who has been force-fed daily since he went on hunger strike in 2007.
"Mr Ba Odah's transfer today ends one of the most appalling chapters in Guantanamo's sordid history," said Omar Farah, one of his lawyers.
All of those recently released will be put through a government-run rehabilitation programme in Saudi Arabia which aims to reintegrate militants back into society, American officials say.
The latest releases mean that the number of inmates in Guantanamo Bay is the lowest in its 14-year history. Another 26 detainees have been approved to leave the base by the end of the summer.
The White House in February presented a plan to Congress to close the Guantanamo Bay - which costs $445m (£316m) to run annually.
The prison is located on an American naval base in south-eastern Cuba. Former US President George W Bush opened it to accommodate foreign terror suspects after the 9/11 attacks on the US.
White House officials say they cannot give any names of people being held, but the New York Times has its own list. | The US has transferred nine Yemeni prisoners from the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba to Saudi Arabia, officials say. | 36065870 |
The ambassador's convoy was moving at high speed when the seven-year-old was fatally hit in April.
The US provided the family with 1m Central African francs (£1,257).
The boy's family also received two cows, flour, onions, rice, salt, sugar, soap and oil, according to the Associated Press news agency.
The US said it would also build a well to provide fresh drinking water for the boy's community, located near the northern city of Mokolo, according to state department officials.
Department spokesman Jeffrey Loree described the contribution as a "compensation package commensurate with local custom, as well as the needs of the family and village".
"US diplomats have visited the family on several occasions following the accident and will continue to provide all support possible," he added.
Ms Power was on a week-long trip to show US support in the battle against militant Islamist group Boko Haram when the accident occurred.
The boy, Birwe Toussem, was among villagers lined up along a two-way highway to greet the ambassador.
He ran onto the street as the motorcade drove by at about 60mph (100km/h).
An armoured jeep struck the boy, initially stopping, before US security ordered it to continue travelling through the unsecured area, the AP reports.
An ambulance in the caravan immediately responded to the scene, but the boy died shortly thereafter.
Cameroon's government, local aid organisations and the UN also donated 5m francs to the family, bringing the pay-out to more than $10,000 (£7,393).
Feeding the children of Boko Haram's victims
Why Boko Haram remains a threat | The US has compensated the family of a Cameroon boy who was struck and killed by a vehicle in UN Ambassador Samantha Power's motorcade. | 36664623 |
The dog-sized plant-eater had a dome-shaped skull that may have been used to head-butt other dinosaurs.
University of Toronto researchers say the new species, revealed in the journal Nature Communications, fills in gaps in the dinosaur family tree.
They believe more small dinosaurs like Acrotholus audeti await discovery.
Bone-headed dinosaurs, or thick-headed lizards, are known scientifically as pachycephalosaurs.
They are a strange group of herbivorous dinosaurs which possessed a thick-boned dome on the top of their skulls.
The dome may have been used for decoration or to head-butt other dinosaurs in combat.
The new find, Acrotholus, dates back to 85 million years ago.
It was about the size of a large dog, weighed about 40kg (88lb), walked on two legs, and had a skull composed of solid bone over 10cm (4 inches) thick.
Dr David Evans of the Royal Ontario Museum and University of Toronto said the fossil provides a wealth of new information on the evolution of bone-headed dinosaurs.
He told BBC News: "What's interesting about Acrotholus is that it's the oldest known pachycephalosaur from North America, and it might be the oldest known pachycephalosaur in the world.
"So what Acrotholus does is it extends our knowledge of the anatomy of this group early in their evolution - and it's actually important for understanding the evolution of pachycephalosaurs in general."
Relatively little is known about the diversity of small dinosaurs weighing less than 100kg (220lb), as they are under represented in the fossil record.
There has been scientific debate over whether the fossil record is a true reflection of the diversity of small dinosaurs or whether their more delicate bones are less likely to have been preserved compared with their larger cousins.
The Canadian study predicts the latter, suggesting there may be more discoveries of small bodied dinosaur fossils in the future.
"We can predict that many new small dinosaur species like Acrotholus are waiting to be discovered by researchers willing to sort through the many small bones that they pick up in the field," said co-researcher Dr Michael Ryan, curator of vertebrate palaeontology at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. | Scientists have unveiled a new species of bone-headed dinosaur, which they say is the oldest in North America, and possibly the world. | 22436942 |
As a three-piece band strikes up traditional norteno music, the hardened cattlemen present make do with soft drinks and bottles of cold water.
"No chance of a drop of tequila?" one of them jokingly asks a waiter even though it is only 11 o'clock in the morning.
They have come to Tampico in the state of Tamaulipas to hear Enrique Pena Nieto, the frontrunner in the race to be president.
"Many here already openly support the candidate," says Daniel Elver Fernandez of the Cattle Ranchers Association of San Luis Potosi.
"Others want to hear his proposals to support the beef industry."
When the double doors finally swing open, and the telegenic candidate of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) sweeps in, the previously poker-faced ranchers are like fawning teenagers greeting their favourite pop star.
Mr Pena Nieto grabs the outstretched hands, receives hearty hugs from the cowboys and enthusiastic kisses from their wives, and pauses for every photo on route to taking the stage.
"He's gorgeous!" one woman says.
But Mr Pena Nieto himself is keen to demonstrate that he is more than just good hair and nice teeth.
"I am being evaluated by the people not on how I look, but on what have I done in the past, on my experience and what have I done as the Governor of the State of Mexico," he says.
But not everyone is enamoured.
Tens of thousands of mainly young demonstrators have taken to the streets of Mexico City in recent weeks under the slogan #yosoy132 (I am the 132).
They oppose Mr Pena Nieto and what they say is biased coverage of his campaign by the country's biggest media outlet, Televisa.
The UK's Guardian newspaper earlier this month published allegations that Televisa had received payments for favourable items about the PRI's candidate in its news and entertainment programmes.
Televisa has denied this and demanded an apology from The Guardian.
The PRI's opponents say the party has not shaken off its authoritarian and corrupt past and has links to the drug cartels.
But Mr Pena Nieto is adamant that the PRI, which ruled Mexico for much of the last century, has evolved.
"I can say categorically that in my government, there won't be any form of pact or agreement with organised crime," he told the BBC.
"It's not the path nor the route to greater security for the Mexican people."
A recent scandal involving two former Tamaulipas governors has, however, undermined efforts to rebrand the PRI.
The ex-governors are facing charges in the US and Mexico for money-laundering, corruption and links to organised crime.
The two, Tomas Yarrington and Eugenio Hernandez, both members of the PRI, deny any wrongdoing.
"I think the party has acted with complete clarity," says Mr Pena Nieto.
"We've said that it corresponds to those men who have been accused, though, it should be said, not yet formally tried in court, to form their defence in the face of such accusations."
Tamaulipas is considered the most dangerous state in Mexico, where two powerful drug gangs, the Zetas and the Gulf Cartel, operate and often clash.
It has seen horrific crimes in the drug war, including the massacre of nearly 200 people in San Fernando in 2011.
"The first objective is to reduce the violence. Second is to build greater collaboration between different levels of government," Mr Pena Nieto says.
Mr Pena Nieto's detractors say he lacks substance and only speaks in general terms about what he would actually do to stem the violence.
On the day we met him, a car bomb exploded outside a car dealership in the state capital, Ciudad Victoria. Hours later, 14 mutilated bodies were dumped outside the municipal president's office in the town of El Mante.
The people of Tamaulipas have grown used to the extreme violence.
We met Susana (not her real name). Her experience is unusual because she is still alive to tell her story.
She was dating a man who was involved in organised crime. She escaped the relationship but still fears for her life.
"The men I got involved with weren't simply drug traffickers," she says. "They were part of the government's security organisations... police and soldiers."
Susana is sure the PRI will win again in Tamaulipas, but is dismissive of the suggestion that the party has changed.
The drug traffickers continue to hold sway in the state, she believes.
"We have a saying: pueblo chico, infierno grande (small town, big hell). Well, we're living in a small town and this is a hell that's just too big." | The convention centre in the city of Tampico in northern Mexico is a sea of cowboy hats. | 18425271 |
The Playpen site was located on the Tor network which is used to anonymise web-browsing activity.
The FBI found a way around this to reveal the users' real IP addresses and led to 200 prosecutions.
But it refused to reveal to the court how it managed the feat.
The site was located on the Tor network which many people use to browse the web anonymously. It conceals their location and identity by routing their connections through a chain of different computers and encrypting data in the process.
To get round this the FBI used what it called "network investigative techniques" and revealed people's identities.
But it refused a request for information on its technological investigation techniques.
Federal prosecutor Annette Hayes wrote in a court filing on Friday that "because the government remains unwilling to disclose certain discovery related to the FBI's deployment of a 'network investigative technique'" it was "deprived of the evidence needed to establish defendant Jay Michaud's guilt beyond reasonable doubt".
The government's Motion to Dismiss order is pending before the court and the judge is expected to sign a dismissal order "within the next day or two", the assistant public defender Colin Fieman told the BBC.
Mr Michaud's case is one of many emerging from the investigation into Playpen users.
In December, the Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell said the investigation of Playpen led to more than 200 active prosecutions and the identification or rescue of at least 49 American children who were subject to sexual abuse.
In January, Michael Fluckiger was sentenced to 20 years in jail for running the Playpen site.
Once the site's administrators had been arrested, the FBI kept the site going for 13 days to gather information about members. | US prosecutors have dropped a case against a man accused of using a child porn site because the government refused to divulge how it revealed his identity. | 39180204 |
The Falcon 9 rocket had successfully launched the cargo capsule Dragon which was on a mission to deliver goods to the International Space Station.
Musk, who is CEO of SpaceX, a company which manufactures and launches rockets and spacecraft, described the crash landing as "close but no cigar".
The images show it was a little more dramatic:
Musk has said that the problems began when the fins that steered Falcon 9 stopped working right before landing. A lack of hydraulic fluid was to blame.
This caused the craft to tilt and hit the deck at a 45 degree angle.
This caused damage that allowed the fuel left in the tank to combine with oxygen and create this massive explosion.
Musk described it as a "full rud" or "rapid unscheduled disassembly". Ruddy hell!
However, Elon Musk was typically unphased, saying the upcoming flight "already has 50% more hydraulic fluid, so should have plenty of margin for a landing attempt next month". He says he's "super proud" of his crew and the ship only needs "minor repairs".
SpaceX is just one of Musk's projects. As well as being the co-founder of PayPal, Musk is the CEO and chief product architect of Tesla Motors and has invented the Hyperloop, a high-speed "fifth mode" of transport.
Correction: a factual error in an earlier version of this story was corrected on 18 January 2015.
Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube | Inventor and entrepreneur Elon Musk has shared the first images of the moment his rocket crashed into a floating spaceport. | 30847277 |
An elderly man is hanging from a crane, hooks pierced through the skin on his back. In his hand, he is holding a picture of his beloved leader, who is sick and in hospital.
In "sharing" his leader's pain, the man says, he is praying for her speedy recovery.
Elsewhere, in the southern Indian city of Chennai (Madras), men and women huddle in groups and pray outside the Apollo Hospital, where Chief Minister Jayaram Jayalalitha is being treated. Across the city, workers belonging to her AIADMK party eat food off a temple floor and offer prayers for their leader's health.
And in what many say is a shocking display of worship and obeisance, children with their cheeks pierced with metal arrows and foreheads smeared with holy ash pray for Amma (mother), as she is popularly known.
"People feel a lot for Amma. All this is an outlet for all those emotions,'' says Vetrivel, an AIADMK lawmaker.
Jayaram Jayalalitha, one of India's most powerful and controversial politicians, was admitted to hospital on 22 September.
Initially, the doctors said the 68-year-old was receiving treatment for "fever and dehydration". She was placed under observation and her diet was monitored.
After three anodyne bulletins, the doctors said in a release on 3 October that she was on "respiratory support" and was being administered antibiotics. A British doctor specialising in critical care treatment was flown in to examine her.
The lack of what many say is adequate and credible information on the leader's health is triggering a tsunami of rumour-mongering, mostly over social media.
A photograph of a woman in an intensive care unit in a Peru hospital was circulated, claiming it was the picture of Ms Jayalalitha. Now police have warned people against spreading rumours about her health.
Social activist Chandra Mohan says it is "unacceptable" that people do not have access to information about their leader's health.
"It is one thing to have right to privacy for a patient but not really if you are in charge of the state. If the chief minister is not fit, a replacement needs to be made. But the problem is that Jayalalitha has projected herself as the undisputed leader of the party so even to suggest this is considered blasphemy," he says.
Mr Mohan is not off-the-mark: the AIADMK is practically what many say is a "one-woman party", and Ms Jayalalitha's two-week-long absence and her deteriorating health have rattled the party rank and file. Since there is no second line of political command, Tamil Nadu is being run by bureaucrats in her absence.
Authorities are also reluctant to make public any detailed information about their leader's health, fearing reckless acts of self-harm by her supporters.
Self-immolation is one of them: on Wednesday, an AIADMK supporter set himself on fire and was admitted to hospital with 30% burns.
Such displays are not just limited to politics in Tamil Nadu. Several fans of the Tamil film star Rajinikanth undertook various acts of self-harm during temple rituals hoping to help him recover when he was ill several years ago.
Opposition politicians have been seeking more clarity on Ms Jayalalitha's health. But on Thursday, the high court in Chennai dismissed a petition seeking more details.
Now the people of Tamil Nadu are waiting to see whether the charismatic leader can script her most dramatic comeback. | India's Tamil Nadu state is awash with rumours about Chief Minister Jayaram Jayalalitha, about whose health little has been heard since she was taken to hospital two weeks ago, reports TS Sudhir. | 37571123 |
The 20-year-old former Kilmarnock forward has signed a one-year deal at Tynecastle after leaving relegated Dundee United.
"I'm pleased to get him," Neilson told BBC Scotland.
"I think he has good potential. He still has a long way to go but he is the type of player we want to get in."
United paid Killie a transfer fee of around £150,000 for Muirhead, handing him a three-and-a-half year deal in January 2015, but he only scored twice in 27 appearances.
He spent time on loan at Partick Thistle last season, scoring twice in eight games, with both goals coming against Kilmarnock in a 5-2 victory.
Muirhead was released by United in late April and Neilson hopes to coax the best form out of the Scotland Under-19 international after a frustrating spell at Tannadice.
"We all knew of his time at Kilmarnock," he said. "We had looked at him, then obviously Dundee United came in and paid a big fee for him and he went there.
"The way things have worked out with United getting relegated there was an opportunity to get back in and we have managed to do something.
"He did really well at Kilmarnock. We think coming here he still has a lot of hard work to do. We want to bring in Scottish players as well we want to develop."
Neilson confirmed that two further signings, Conor Sammon and Faycal Rherras, will join up with the squad for pre-season training this week.
"Two good players and two good additions to the squad," Neilson said.
"Connor gives us a bit experience up front. He played really well when he was at Kilmarnock and got a big move to England. He has played at the highest level down there so I'm really pleased top get him.
"Rherras is a good addition at left back. He is young, he needs to develop. He has played at the top level in Belgium. He has recently been playing for the Moroccan under-23s. He is a good player and another we think we can develop."
Neilson also hopes to bring in a goalkeeper before Monday's deadline for players to be registered for the first Europa League qualifier on 30 June.
"There has been a lot of goalkeepers put to us and we are still going through it and trying to get the right one," he said.
"Jack Hamilton did really well for us at the end of last season so we've got him.
"We would like to get a couple more additions in but it's proving more difficult than we had hoped. We will see how it goes in the next couple of days." | Hearts head coach Robbie Neilson says Robbie Muirhead has an opportunity to get his career back on track at Tynecastle. | 36515471 |
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