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City of Lincoln Council said charging for facilities at Lucy Tower Street, Castle Square and Tentercroft Street could bring in about £30,000 per year.
It said the changes were part of a range measures to meet savings targets of £4m per annum by 2018/19.
The council said the charges were aimed at getting tourists to contribute.
John Latham, from the authority, said: "Lots of places you go to you have to pay for the toilets, and of course, the expression 'spend a penny' came from that tradition of having to pay for public toilets.
"We think it's reasonable, given the number of visitors, that those visitors help to meet the cost of these facilities by making what will be a very modest contribution."
A report by the council said: "Increasingly charging has become recognised as a way by which visitors to a district, who impact on local infrastructure but pay nothing directly towards its upkeep, can financially contribute to the costs."
The cost of installing barriers at the three sites is estimated to be about £30,000.
City of Lincoln Council, which has a total of eight public conveniences, said all three of the pay toilets are highly rated by the British Toilets Association. | A council has approved proposals to charge 20p to use three of its public toilets as part of plans to combat government funding cuts. | 36703297 |
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19 April 2015 Last updated at 09:52 BST
Reading play Arsenal on Saturday, before Aston Villa take on Liverpool on Sunday.
Ahead of Saturday's game, BBC Sport reporter Dan Walker went behind the scenes into the tunnel and sent us a video. | The FA Cup semi-finals take place this weekend at Wembley stadium in London. | 32371779 |
In Scotland motorists have been advised to watch out for hazardous conditions although the Met Office has not reported any weather warnings.
Meanwhile, councils in England and Wales said hundreds of gritters were on standby ahead of icy conditions.
Temperatures have only managed hit 10C (50F), with outbreaks of rain predicted for Sunday.
Significant snowfall hit parts of Scotland, including the Highlands, north east, Central, Tayside and the Borders on Friday evening, with drivers advised to prepare for their journeys as the cold snap continues.
BBC forecaster Holly Green said the snow showers were brought by a short blast of very cold Arctic air.
"Although there'll be a brief spell of snow on the tops of the Grampians in Scotland during Saturday evening that will have turned to rain during the night," she said.
"Sunday will be a greyer day across the country with outbreaks of rain but no snow. It's rather unusual, although not unheard of, to get a covering of snow at this time of year." | The first snow fall of the autumn was caused by a short blast of very cold Arctic air, forecasters have said. | 20107130 |
A Pentagon spokesman told reporters the US's aim in Syria and Iraq was to "fight ISIS, and fight ISIS only".
One rebel group has left a joint base after clashing with the regime.
It comes after President Donald Trump ended the CIA's clandestine programme to provide weapons and supplies to Syrian rebel groups.
That decision to end the programme, which started under the Obama administration in 2013 in an attempt to put pressure on President Bashar al-Assad to stand down, was made more than a month ago as part of an effort to improve ties with Russia, officials said last week.
Russia's military support has helped Mr Assad hold on to power during the six-year civil war that has left more than 300,000 people dead and displaced 11 million others.
Whether this latest announcement is related is unclear but on Thursday, a spokesman confirmed a group known as Shohada Al Quartyan, which was part of the US-led coalition in southern Syria, had split off after being told to focus on IS and not fighting against Mr Assad's government forces.
Coalition spokesman Colonel Ryan Dillon said they "unilaterally, without US or coalition permission or coordination" conducted patrols outside a specified zone and engaged in "activities not focused on fighting ISIS".
According to CNN, the group was part of the "vetted Syrian forces" - made up of opposition fighters - being trained and equipped by the coalition.
However, Col Dillon told reporters in Washington: "We have made it very clear time and again our goal in Syria and Iraq is to fight ISIS and fight ISIS only [and] we've asked [our partner forces] to be committed to that same mission.
"We had a partner force we were working with who wanted to pursue other objectives, and those objectives were not consistent with defeating ISIS. So we have since talked with them and made them know that we cannot support them if they want to pursue objectives other than defeating ISIS.
"We are no longer going to support this particular group because that is what they want to do."
He said they would try to get back the equipment the group, which operates in the Al-Tanf area, near the Jordanian border, was given. | The US has warned its coalition partners in Syria to focus exclusively on the fight against so-called Islamic State (IS) and not regime forces. | 40746045 |
Cullen, 30, moved back to Kenya, where she spent much of her childhood, after helping GB finish third at London 2012.
Now she has been named in Britain's squad for December's World League Final in Argentina.
"I'm over the moon to make the cut," she told BBC Sport.
"Being from Kenya, and with my family out there, I was excited to go back home. After three years away I hadn't considered coming back, but then I was given an opportunity by the head coach Danny Kerry."
Cullen, who has 171 international caps, was the joint top scorer at London 2012 with four goals. She came out of retirement in July and played two practice matches against the United States in October.
When asked about what she did during her time away from the sport, Cullen said: "I've always worked outside hockey. When I returned to Kenya, I worked at a security firm and set up a 'cross fit' company. I also got my pilot's licence.
"I did voluntary work with wildlife conservancy that my dad mainly manages on the side of Tsavo East National Park in Kenya. We are suffering from elephant ivory and rhino horn poaching. I was trying to protect the small area we were looking after."
The defender's inclusion is one of three changes made by Kerry to the 18-woman squad who secured qualification for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro by winning the World League Semi-Final tournament in Spain in June. Great Britain are among eight teams at the finals, to be played in Rosario, Argentina, in December.
Goalkeepers: Maddie Hinch (Holcombe), Kirsty Mackay (East Grinstead).
Defenders: Crista Cullen (unattached), Emily Maguire (Reading), Sam Quek (Holcombe), Kate Richardson-Walsh (Reading), Laura Unsworth (East Grinstead), Hollie Webb (Surbiton).
Midfielders: Ashleigh Ball (Slough), Joie Leigh (Clifton), Helen Richardson-Walsh (Reading), Susannah Townsend (Canterbury), Georgie Twigg (Surbiton).
Forwards: Sophie Bray (East Grinstead), Alex Danson (Reading), Hannah Macleod (St Albans), Lily Owsley (Birmingham University), Nicola White (Holcombe). | Olympic bronze medallist Crista Cullen has given up protecting elephants, working for a security firm and running a fitness business to return to playing for Great Britain. | 34829162 |
Forensic scientist Martin Fairley examined staining on Helen Scott's coat.
Angus Sinclair, 69, denies raping and murdering teenagers Helen Scott and Christine Eadie in October 1977.
The trial at the High Court in Livingston continues.
Sinclair's special defences are incrimination - blaming his brother-in-law Gordon Hamilton, who is now dead; alibi - saying he was fishing on the banks of the Firth of Forth near Cockenzie power station at the time; and that the two girls consented to sexual intercourse.
Mr Sinclair is alleged to have gagged the girls, bound their wrists and tied a ligature around their necks.
He denies inflicting blunt force injuries on Ms Eadie by repeatedly punching and kicking her on the body and biting her.
He also denies forcing Ms Scott to walk barefoot into a field, ripping the strap from her handbag, repeatedly punching and kicking her on the head and body and stamping on her head.
And he denies stealing clothing, footwear, jewellery and other personal effects from the teenagers in an attempt to pervert the course of justice. | The World's End murder trial has heard a DNA sample on the clothes of one of the victims has one in a billion chance of coming from a person other than the accused. | 29755798 |
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Selby, 32, beat China's Ding Junhui 18-14 to become only the sixth multiple winner of the title in the modern era.
"I don't know what is more of a shock, me winning it a second time or Leicester becoming champions," he said.
"To win the title once is great, but to win it twice is a dream come true."
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At the start of the season, Leicester were 5,000-1 to become champions, while world number one Selby went into the final still searching for his best form.
"Hopefully in another two years they will win the Premier League again and I will come back and win again," he added.
"I'm quite emotional. When you look at people who've won it twice, to join that elite group is something special."
Stephen Hendry, Steve Davis, Ronnie O'Sullivan, John Higgins and Mark Williams are the only players in the modern era to have won two or more titles.
Selby's first world title victory against O'Sullivan in 2014 was the same year in which Leicester were promoted to the top flight from the Championship.
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On Monday evening, Selby - whose nickname is the Jester from Leicester - potted the first red of his match-winning 74 break at the same time as the final whistle blew at Stamford Bridge.
"I didn't know Leicester had won it until after," he said. "The guy who was sat next to me called Brian told me the Chelsea v Tottenham game was 2-2 and Leicester are champions. That was the first time I knew.
"Going out there, I knew the game was kicking off but I tried not to think about it too much to distract me from what I had to do."
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Selby admitted he had played "average or lower" during the tournament and came in for criticism because of his slow and meticulous style of play.
A 66-minute frame on the first day of the final was just 10 minutes short of the longest frame at the Crucible, set by Selby and Marco Fu in the semi-final.
Asked if the disapproval of his performances upset him, Selby said: "Not really. Some of the frames I made breaks in one visit and I looked at the time and it played on my mind a little.
"When I made a break, I looked at the scoreboard and saw it was around 10 or 11 minutes so obviously it was not that slow.
"It was just when the frames were scrappy, when I played safe, and that put Ding under pressure."
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China's Ding came over to England at the age of 15 and has been living in Sheffield - the home of the Crucible Theatre - for the past decade.
The 29-year-old qualifier missed the chance to become the first Asian world champion, but despite falling short this time, showed his class with 15 centuries during the tournament.
"It is the first time I felt like I have played at home," he said. "The fans wanted me to win the title and they love to see other countries' players win it. It felt good.
"People will be disappointed in China but there is nothing disappointing in reaching the final. I just wanted to enjoy the day.
"Five years ago I was in the semi-finals, this year I took one step up, maybe next year I will win it, but it is great experience for my career. I may never have a chance again but I enjoyed the final. Not many players can get in the final."
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Frame two, an early blow: Needing a snooker with the colours from the green remaining, Selby managed to get it and cleared to go 2-0 ahead.
Frame seven, on the board: Having fallen 6-0 behind, Ding finally got his first frame of the final. He needed a couple of chances but the puff of the cheeks showed his relief.
Frame 10, a reprieve: Selby was in among the reds when a miscue allowed Ding to counter-attack with a 76 break and he took the next two as well to cut the lead to 7-5.
Frame 15, marathon of the mind: Ding won the 66-minute frame but it seemed to take a lot out of him as Selby won the next two to lead 10-7 after the first day.
Frame 23, resolve: Ding had closed to within one at 11-10, but Selby made a breaks of 52 and 68 to hold a 14-11 advantage.
Frame 27, winning line in sight: Ding was on 60 points when he lost position on the penultimate red as Selby cleared up to go two away from victory.
Frame 31, vital scrap: Ding had made breaks of 73, 70 and 103 to leave Selby not having made a pot for an hour, but the Englishman took a scrappy 50-minute frame to edge closer to the winning line which he managed in the next frame.
Sign up to My Sport to follow snooker news and reports on the BBC app. | Mark Selby hailed "the best night" of his life after winning the world title for a second time, 13 minutes after his home town Leicester were crowned Premier League champions. | 36188181 |
The woman was walking close to the university campus entrance on Upper Redlands Road shortly after midnight when police said she was approached by a "small group of men".
Officers said she was raped in a small wooded area nearby. She later walked away from the scene.
Anyone who saw anything suspicious is asked to contact police. | A group of men are being sought by police after a 19-year-old woman was raped in Reading. | 29725393 |
The former deputy prime minister will head the Tees Valley Inward Investment Initiative, which aims to attract foreign companies to the area.
The move comes after 1,700 lost their jobs when the Redcar Steelworks closed.
The GMB called Lord Heseltine's involvement "insulting" after he said now was a good time to lose a job.
Michael Blench, GMB regional officer, said the area had suffered "devastating blows" with hundreds of jobs also lost at Air Products in Port Clarence and Boulby potash mine.
He said: "For Lord Heseltine to be parachuted into the North is an insult.
"Just a couple of weeks ago it was Lord Heseltine who said insensitively that it was as good a time as any for UK steelworkers to lose their jobs.
"It is alright for the inhabitants of rich parliamentary ivory towers to say that.
"In the real world, Tory policy is creating a Northern Poor House."
Lord Heseltine was criticised in October for comments he made to the Murnaghan programme on Sky.
He said a global over-supply of steel had resulted in the Redcar steelworks closure.
He said: "Very painful for the people who suffer but on the other hand, if you are going to lose your job this is probably a good a time because the number of new jobs in the economy today is one of the most exciting features of this economy compared with many others."
Business Secretary Sajid Javid said: "Michael (Heseltine) has a wealth of experience of working closely with local communities, business acumen and passion for investment and regeneration, and it's a real coup he's agreed to take on this job."
Lord Heseltine said: "It is a great honour to be asked to help with the government response to the sad events in the steel industry in Teesside." | Lord Heseltine's involvement in a scheme to help Teesside's unemployed steelworkers find jobs has been criticised by a union. | 34813296 |
The singer will play to 65,000 fans at the open-air venue on 2 July, 2017. He has also announced a date for Cardiff's Principality Stadium on 30 June.
It comes a day after the star's single, Sorry, was revealed as the most-streamed video of 2016.
According to video site Vevo, the video was seen 1.8 billion times worldwide, and 87 million times in the UK.
Bieber is up for album of the year at the Grammy Awards, where he received seven nominations earlier this week.
The BST festival has gained a reputation for booking some of music's biggest stars for one-off, exclusive performances.
Last summer's festival saw Carole King play her first UK show for more than 25 years and Stevie Wonder recreating his magnum opus, Songs in the Key of Life, in full.
Bieber is not quite as elusive as those stars, having played 18 dates in the UK this year - including two headline sets at the V Festival in Chelmsford and Staffordshire.
He has gained a reputation for petulant stage behaviour - calling Instagram "the devil" and demanding his fans remain quiet in between songs.
"The screaming in these breaks has got to stop. Please and thank you," he said on stage in Manchester.
"I don't think it's necessary when I'm trying to say something and you guys are screaming."
He addressed the outburst on Twitter, in a string of tweets that have since been deleted.
"There's times when I get upset," he said.
"Times when I get angry, there's time's when I'm going to be frustrated. But I'm always going to be myself on stage."
Support for his BST shows comes from pop acts Tove Lo, Anne-Marie and Martin Garrix.
The 2017 BST festival has previously announced headline slots from Green Day, Kings of Leon and Phil Collins.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk. | Pop star Justin Bieber will bring his Purpose world tour to the BST festival in Hyde Park, it has been announced. | 38261925 |
Eugene Sheehy admitted AIB "took too much risk" on property developers ahead of the Irish banking crisis in 2008.
He was giving evidence to a Dublin inquiry into the causes of the crisis.
Mr Sheehy added he did not understand at the time why Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Nationwide were included in the government's bank deposit guarantee.
He was referring to the controversial blanket guarantee the government gave in September 2008, that it would protect all deposits in Irish banks in the midst of a deepening international financial crisis.
The aim was to reassure investors and prevent a "run" on Irish financial institutions, but ultimately resulted in the Irish government having to seek an international bail-out from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2010.
The two smaller lenders - Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Nationwide - eventually absorbed more than half of the 64bn euros (46bn) that the Irish government pumped into the banks.
Mr Sheehy also told the inquiry that he cannot remember telling government officials that AIB was facing bankruptcy and disaster on the night that the banking guarantee deal was agreed.
The comments were attributed to him in a internal Department of Finance memo.
Mr Sheehy spent 38 years working at AIB, and was in charge of the bank from 2005 to his retirement in 2009.
Badly exposed to the bursting of the Republic of Ireland's property price bubble, AIB was forced to seek billions of euros of government money to stay in business.
Mr Sheehy told the Irish Banking Inquiry: "I would like to express my deep personal regret for my role in what occurred. I am keenly aware of the damage caused and this fact occupies my thoughts on a daily basis."
The Republic of Ireland's international bail-out programme led to years of austerity, with significant public spending cuts and new taxes on property and domestic water supplies.
Referring to AIB's failed property development loans, Mr Sheehy added: "We took too much risk in a sector that turned out to be toxic. I was CEO, I could have stopped it.
"That I failed in that responsibility is a matter of eternal shame."
Mr Sheehy confirmed that AIB was asked to provide 5bn euros (3.6bn) towards the rescue of Anglo Irish Bank, as part of the government guarantee deal.
He said he believed that a default by Anglo would badly affect the reputations of all Irish banks, risking a run on their UK deposits.
Given the public's reaction to Northern Rock in the UK, Mr Sheehy said was likely that domestic customers would panic and Irish branches would not be able to cope. | The former boss of Allied Irish Banks (AIB) has said he feels "eternal shame" for failing in his responsibilities before the bank had to be bailed out. | 32516942 |
Ards Borough Council failed to appoint a contractor to undertake the work at the attraction in Portaferry, County Down, earlier this year.
As a result, £214,000 promised by the Department of the Environment to secure the centre's future has been lost.
The aquarium will now be closed until at least the end of the year.
It is not clear when it will open again.
Elaine Roddy, from Friends of Exploris, said the attraction should reopen its doors to the public, at least for the summer period.
"We don't believe there is any reason why it can't be reopened," she said.
"Most of the tanks are still operational. There are seals in the sanctuary at the moment.
"We are embarrassed living in Portaferry and we don't know what is happening."
Portaferry SDLP councillor Joe Boyle said the process had been a "total mess" and was "very disappointing".
"While we thought the biggest battle was getting the awarding of the funding, it now transpires the biggest battle to get Exploris open is actually finding somebody to do the work," he said.
Last year, Environment Minister Mark H Durkan committed £914,000 to refurbish and save the aquarium.
But since £214,000 was not claimed by Ards Borough Council, it is no longer available, leaving £700,000 for the refurbishment work if its carried out by the end of this year.
The new Ards and North Down Borough Council is trying to get the £214,000 reinstated.
A council spokesperson said the council "remains committed to the Exploris facility".
"[The council] has both written to and met with Minster Durkan and asked him to consider reinstating the amount to match the £914,000 offered in September 2014," the spokesperson added.
Portaferry café owner Patricia Donaldson said the local economy was being hit by the continued closure of Exploris.
"I don't think we have felt the full impact of this," she said.
"People come here from as far away as Dublin. They come through Strangford. They get the ferry across. It's all part of the experience.
"I think it is affecting everywhere. It is places on the way here, too. They are all suffering."
Ms Roddy said people often turned up in the town unaware that the attraction was closed.
"We think the communication has not been in place properly," she added.
Ron O'Connor, from Boston in the United States, is one tourist who was left disappointed to find Exploris was closed.
He said: "I'm a little bit sad. We've come a long way, it would've been very nice to see it. It's unusual to have an aquarium that works the way it did."
But the council spokesperson rejected Ms Roddy criticism and said the closure of Exploris was "well publicised in the media".
"The council has undertaken significant social media activity to reinforce the message over the past few months. Signage about the closure has been put up.
"The council remains committed to completing the refurbishment of Exploris and ensuring it has a sustainable future."
The council spokesperson added that a further update would be provided when the minister responds with regard to the capital funding offer.
The seal sanctuary at the aquarium will remain open, but there will be no access to the general public.
This is the first summer since the facility was opened by Ards Borough Council in 1987 that the aquarium has been closed to the public. | Exploris aquarium will remain closed for the peak summer season as it has emerged its refurbishment programme has suffered a £214,000 funding setback. | 33186750 |
With England having to win the match at Lord's to level the series and stay number one in the world, there must have been a temptation to bite the bullet and deal with the Pietersen issue afterwards.
England players are well paid and you must be available to play. You sign the contract, like Pietersen did, or you don't
But it shows how disenfranchised he is within the set-up and how aggrieved the ECB are with his comments about team spirit and even more so about reports he sent text messages to South Africa players during the Headingley Test.
It has been reported that the content of those messages was not very flattering about either captain Andrew Strauss or team director Andrew Flower. It is my understanding that Pietersen was asked to apologise for those text messages and he has not done so.
The subsequent YouTube interview he conducted to explain his decision to make himself available to England again in all forms of cricket was both a violation of his contract and a last-ditch attempt to salvage his place. He was asked not to do it and yet he still did.
The decision to omit Pietersen is a real statement by the selectors - and one backed by the board - that the team comes first. Until he demonstrates that he understands that ideal, Pietersen will not play.
The move will split opinion but in a team sport you have to have 11 individuals pulling together. You can have different types of people in a squad but they all have to play for the team and respect both their team-mates and the game.
Trying to manoeuvre things so he can play for England and play a full season in the Indian Premier League is not the way Pietersen should be behaving.
Certain New Zealanders do it, as does Chris Gayle of West Indies, but that is because their boards do not have the money to pay them well. They accept players can earn big sums in the IPL.
Test debut: v Australia (Lord's), 21 July 2005
Test record: 88 matches, 151 innings, 7,076 runs, highest score 227, average 49.48, 27 fifties, 21 centuries
One-day international debut: v Zimbabwe (Harare), 28 November 2004
ODI record: 127 matches, 116 innings, 4,184 runs, highest score 130, average 41.84, 23 fifties, nine centuries
T20 international debut: v Australia (Southampton), 15 June 2005
T20 international record: 36 matches, 36 innings, 1,176 runs, highest score 79, average 37.93, seven fifties
But English cricket can afford to pay their players well and that is why they are top of the world rankings and both New Zealand and West Indies are not.
England players are well paid and must be available to play. You sign the contract, like Pietersen did, or you don't.
Pietersen is going to have to show commitment to the team. I also know the ECB still want to know about the texts he was sending to the South Africans. That is unfinished business.
The selectors will also have to decide what to do for the one-day internationals against South Africa and the World Twenty20 starting in September.
Pietersen retired before the previous one-day series against Australia and England won comfortably without him. So you would have to question whether he deserves a place anyway.
The message to Pietersen is clear: he has to be a team man, fully committed and nothing less.
Most of the players will think it is the right decision to leave him out. They will know their job is certainly going to be more difficult without him, certainly when it comes to scoring runs, but they all buy into the team ethos. England bowler Jimmy Anderson said on Sunday that the Pietersen saga has been a distraction.
The irony will not be lost on many that we have this rather sorry saga running alongside the Olympics, where the commitment and delight of the athletes is there for all to see, achieving great things on lottery grants. | The decision to leave Kevin Pietersen out of the England team for the third and final Test against South Africa is clearly a very brave one by the England and Wales Cricket Board. | 19234217 |
"We are behind. She has some advantages," said his campaign manager Kellyanne Conway, who added: "We're not giving up. We know we can win this."
On Friday, Mr Trump made a rare admission that he could lose.
New polls suggest Mrs Clinton remains well ahead nationally and in several battleground states.
Her campaign has predicted this is going to be "the biggest election in American history".
Campaign manager Robbie Mook told Fox News Sunday: "More people are going to turn out than ever before."
Polling in Republican strongholds like Utah and Arizona suggest these states could back a Democrat for the first time in decades.
The polls may be wrong in Arizona but if they are correct, it may be the start of a Democratic trend that doesn't just put the state in play in a Clinton 2016 rout scenario, it makes Arizona a legitimate swing state in coming elections.
"The demographics in the state are continuing to change," says Arizona State University political science professor Richard Herrera. "If there is another increase in Latino voters, which there almost certainly will be, followed with an increase in party registrants, this could become a real battleground in future elections."
For Democrats, that's a dream scenario, giving them new and plentiful paths to electoral success.
For Republicans, it could mean the start of a long-term political nightmare.
Read more
That apparent change to the electoral map has prompted a shift in strategy for the Clinton camp, which is spending money on helping Democrats running in close House or Senate races.
Mrs Clinton said she didn't even bother responding to Trump anymore and would instead spend time "emphasising the importance of electing Democrats down the ballot".
Mr Trump's campaign manager said the Clinton team had a huge financial advantage in how much they could spend on negative ads against Mr Trump, and high-profile campaigners.
"She has a former president, who happens to be her husband, campaigning for her. The current president and first lady, vice president, all much more popular than she can hope to be," said Kellyanne Conway.
But this election does not feel over when you realise the depth of support Mr Trump has on the campaign trail, she said.
However, Mr Trump reflected on defeat for the first time on Friday when he said that - win, lose or draw - he would be happy with himself.
A day later, he announced a raft of measures for his first 100 days in office, that include used curbs on lobbying and new trade and climate change negotiations.
With just 16 days until the election, much of the recent focus has been on controversies linked to his campaign.
On Saturday, he promised to sue every woman who had accused him of sexual misconduct.
He also repeated his claims that the election is rigged, because of voter fraud at polling booths and media bias.
On Sunday, Eric Trump, Mr Trump's son, said his father would accept the outcome but only if it was a "fair" election.
Who is ahead in the polls?
50%
Hillary Clinton
44%
Donald Trump
Last updated October 25, 2016 | The Donald Trump campaign has admitted the Republican lags behind Hillary Clinton with just over two weeks to go before Americans cast their votes. | 37746777 |
The so-called "cyborg" bugs produce acetic acid, a chemical that can then be turned into fuel and plastic.
In lab experiments, the bacteria proved much more efficient at harvesting sunlight than plants.
The work was presented at the American Chemical Society meeting in Washington.
Researchers have been attempting to artificially replicate photosynthesis for many years.
In nature, the green pigment chlorophyll is key to this process, helping plants to convert carbon dioxide and water, using sunlight, into oxygen and glucose.
But despite the fact that it works, scientists say the process is relatively inefficient. This has also been a big problem with most of the artificial systems developed to date.
This new approach seeks to improve that efficiency by essentially aiming to equip bacteria with solar panels.
After combing through old microbiology literature, researchers realised that some bugs have a natural defence to cadmium, mercury or lead that lets them turn the heavy metal into a sulphide which the bacteria express as a tiny, crystal semiconductor on their surfaces.
"It's shamefully simple, we've harnessed a natural ability of these bacteria that had never been looked at through this lens," said Dr Kelsey Sakimoto from Harvard University in Massachusetts, US.
"We grow them and we introduce a small amount of cadmium, and naturally they produce cadmium sulphide crystals which then agglomerate on the outsides of their bodies."
"You grow them in their liquid broth and you just add small aliquots of cadmium solution and you wait a couple of days and out pops these photosynthetic organisms.
"It's all very simple, mix-in-a-pot-chemistry."
These newly boosted bacteria produce acetic acid, essentially vinegar, from CO2, water and light. They have an efficiency of around 80%, which is four times the level of commercial solar panels, and more than six times the level of chlorophyll.
"We prize these cyborg bacteria and their ability to make acetate because they produce a substrate that we can already use to produce more valuable and more interesting products," said Dr Sakimoto.
"We have collaborators who have a number of strands of E. coli that are genetically engineered to take acetic acid as their food source and they can upgrade it into butanol and a polymer called polyhydroxybutyrate."
Dr Sakimoto believes that these bacteria offer some advantages over other approaches to generating green energy from biological sources.
Other techniques for artificial photosynthesis require expensive solid electrodes.
The cyborg bug approach really only needs large vats of liquid to be kept out in the Sun - the bacteria are self-replicating and self-regenerating, making it potentially a low waste technology. It might work best in rural areas or in the developing world.
The research work was carried out at the University of California, Berkeley in the lab of Dr Peidong Yang.
"The thrust of research in my lab is to essentially 'supercharge' non-photosynthetic bacteria by providing them energy in the form of electrons from inorganic semiconductors, like cadmium sulphide, that are efficient light absorbers," Dr Yang said.
"We are now looking for more benign light absorbers than cadmium sulphide to provide bacteria with energy from light."
The researchers believe that while their approach has taken an important new step, it might not ultimately be the technology that prevails.
"There are so many different designs of these systems coming out and really we've only begun to explore the different ways we can combine chemistry and biology," said Dr Sakimoto.
"And there's a real possibility that that there will be some upstart technology that will come out that will do better than our system."
Follow Matt on Twitter and on Facebook. | Scientists have created bacteria covered in tiny semiconductors that generate a potential fuel source from sunlight, carbon dioxide and water. | 40975719 |
Paramjeet Singh Saini spent eight weeks in a Portuguese jail, but returned home to the West Midlands over the weekend.
He has been fighting extradition to India over his alleged involvement in the murder of a Sikh politician in 2009 and bomb attacks in India in 2010.
His detention was a "consequence of the Indian state" against him, he said.
More updates on this story and others in Birmingham and the Black Country
His family has always maintained the arrest and detention was politically motivated and a breach of his human rights.
The father-of-four came to the UK about 13 years ago and was granted refugee status to stay in the UK until 2023, along with his family.
Indian authorities have alleged he was a leading member of Babbar Khalsa International, a Sikh separatist group banned in the UK under anti-terror laws, and suspect he was involved in the fatal shooting of politician Rulda Singh.
Mr Saini, from Smethwick, was arrested in 2010 by West Midlands Police, as part of a joint investigation with Indian police, and later released without charge.
Warley Labour MP John Spellar said Mr Saini's lawyer had told him the Portuguese government had rejected the case.
Mr Saini told BBC News he was stressed in jail and his release was a "big relief".
Now back home, he said he wanted to carry on with his life after celebrating with friends and his family.
"In India we are - the Sikh nation - going through very bad times. So many people are being detained in India for no reason as political prisoners.
"We are working for them. I'm an activist. I will carry on with my life as an activist in the UK... but in a legal way."
In October, Sikh Jagmeet Singh interrupted the presenter of BBC One's Sunday Morning Live programme to complain at a lack of media coverage over the deaths of two Sikh protesters in the Punjab.
Their deaths came as Sikhs protested because a torn-up copy of Sri Guru Granth Sahib - Sikhism's holy book - was found in a village in Faridkot district.
That sparked further protests in the state and 52 people being arrested over the desecration.
Last June, 82-year-old Bappu Surat Singh Khalsa went on a hunger strike for more than 150 days to campaign for the release of Sikh prisoners in the Punjab who have completed their terms for political crimes but remain in jail. | A UK terror suspect freed after being detained on holiday in Portugal has said he will continue to be an activist for Sikh political prisoners. | 35576807 |
Five pairs of tickets and "experiences" such as a tour of the festival grounds with the festival founder Michael Eavis are being auctioned.
This year's festival has also donated ponchos and 500 pairs of discarded wellington boots to migrants in Calais.
The auction is taking place at the Oxfam online shop.
Festival co-organiser Emily Eavis said: "The plight of refugees who have left their homes due to fear and aggression has moved everyone in the Glastonbury Festival team and we want to do something to help.
"We hope this auction will raise many thousands of pounds so that Oxfam, which has been a trusted partner of Glastonbury for many years, can deliver the support these people so desperately need."
The eBay auction will run until Tuesday 13 October. | Glastonbury Festival organisers have donated tickets and "bespoke on-site festival experiences" to Oxfam's appeal to help fleeing refugees. | 34458914 |
Flight MS804 was en route from Paris to Cairo with 66 passengers and crew when it crashed early on Thursday.
Items including seats and luggage have also been retrieved by Egyptian search crews.
The debris was discovered about 290km (180 miles) north of Alexandria, the Egyptian military said.
European Space Agency satellites spotted an oil slick in the area where the flight went missing but the organisation said there was no guarantee it was from the plane.
The search is now focused on finding the plane's flight recorders, the Associated Press news agency reports.
There were smoke alerts from the onboard toilet and the plane's electrics shortly before the signal was lost, according to data published on air industry website the Aviation Herald.
However, there has been no independent confirmation.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has expressed his "utmost sadness and regret" at the crash.
Greek, Egyptian, French and UK military units have been taking part in a search operation near Greece's Karpathos island.
Greece said radar showed the Airbus A320 had made two sharp turns and dropped more than 25,000ft (7,620m) before plunging into the sea.
Egypt says the plane was more likely to have been brought down by a terrorist act than a technical fault.
However, there has been "absolutely no indication" so far as to why the plane came down, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said on Friday morning.
Three investigators from the French air accident investigation bureau, along with a technical adviser from Airbus, have joined the Egyptian inquiry.
The BBC has learned the plane that disappeared was forced to make an emergency landing in 2013 after the pilot noticed the engine overheating, but an official report said the defect had been repaired.
In France, the focus is on whether a possible breach of security happened at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport.
After last November's Paris attacks, some airport staff had their security clearance revoked over fears of links to Islamic extremists.
Eric Moutet, a lawyer for some of those employees, told the BBC that there had been attempts by Islamists to recruit airport staff.
"That is clear," he said. "There are people who are being radicalised in some of the trade unions, etc. The authorities have their work cut out with this problem."
In October, an Airbus A321 operated by Russia's Metrojet blew up over Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, with all 224 people on board killed.
Sinai Province, a local affiliate of the Islamic State jihadist group, said it had smuggled a bomb on board.
Flight MS804 left Paris at 23:09 local time on Wednesday (21:09 GMT) and was scheduled to arrive in the Egyptian capital soon after 03:15 local time (01:15 GMT) on Thursday.
On the plane were 56 passengers, seven crew members and three security personnel.
Greek aviation officials say air traffic controllers spoke to the pilot when he entered Greek airspace and everything appeared normal.
They tried to contact him again at 02:27 Cairo time, as the plane was set to enter Egyptian airspace, but "despite repeated calls, the aircraft did not respond". Two minutes later it vanished from radar.
Philip Baum, the editor of Aviation Security International Magazine, said given smoke was detected on board shortly before the crash it was unlikely to be a hijacking.
"It's more likely a fire," he told the BBC. "Now whether that was a technical fire, a short circuit or whether it was because a bomb went off on board, we don't know."
66
people on board - 56 passengers, seven crew members and three security personnel
30 Egyptians
15 French citizens
2 Iraqis
1 from Britain, Canada, Belgium, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Sudan, Chad and Portugal
The names of some of those who were on board have emerged, but most have not been identified publicly.
Those on board included:
Read more on some of the MS804 victims here
If anyone is concerned about relatives or friends following the disappearance of the flight, they can call this free number provided by EgyptAir: +202 259 89320 | Debris and body parts have been found in the Mediterranean Sea by teams searching for a doomed EgyptAir plane, Greek and Egyptian officials say. | 36339614 |
BBC correspondents across the continent report on the reaction and the likely effect the result will have.
This represents the biggest setback in decades for those who support the idea of European unity. The EU will be changed forever.
It has already been dealing with multiple crises in recent years - but this could, and probably will, dwarf them all.
The President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, said it was not a moment for hysterical reaction. But speaking on behalf of the leaders of the other 27 EU countries, he said they were all determined to maintain their unity
Veteran European politician Carl Bildt has already spoken of immediate turmoil and long-term uncertainty.
The divorce negotiations will last at least two years - a vastly complicated legal and political process.
The rest of the EU will want to forge a good deal with the British government, but in many capitals there will be little appetite for doing the UK any favours. That's partly because Euroscepticism is on the rise across the continent, and influential political leaders will not want to give the impression that leaving is easy.
France and Germany - along with other like-minded countries - may now try to push ahead with further integration in some areas, without the UK holding them back. But for the moment they are trying to digest the fact that Europe's political order has been overturned - with far-reaching consequences that no-one can accurately predict.
Despite all the irritation expressed here towards Britain's relationship with the EU, news that one of the bloc's largest members is leaving will come as a shock, with real implications for the country's own political debate.
Far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen was among the first to respond with a cry of "victory for freedom!" Now it was time for a referendum in France and elsewhere in the EU, she tweeted. Her niece and party colleague, Marion Marechal-Le Pen, said Europe would be a "major theme" in next year's presidential elections.
That's something both the established mainstream parties here are concerned about. Just before the British vote, President Francois Hollande issued harsh warnings about the consequences of a Brexit, saying it could jeopardise Britain's access to the single market.
In the meantime, France and the UK are facing the prospect of new bilateral discussions on everything from trade ties, to residency rights for expats. And there have also been some politicians calling for Paris to scrap the Le Touquet agreement which governs the processing of UK-bound migrants in Calais.
"Damn! A bad day for Europe!" tweeted Sigmar Gabriel. Germany's vice-chancellor spoke for the majority here; there is dismay and shock in Berlin and a general consensus that this is a bad decision for Britain, for Germany and for Europe.
Germany has long considered Britain a significant political ally in the EU; a counterweight to its own dominance.
There are fears for the German economy: the country's exporters association has described the decision as a "catastrophe". And there are fears for the future of the union.
Speaking on German television this morning, the president of the European parliament Martin Schulz said that Brexit would not precipitate a domino effect across Europe.
But - in an early indication of what kind of support Britain can expect as it negotiates its exit - one of Chancellor Angela Merkel's senior MPs told me that there would be consequences for Britain. Peter Beyer said that it was important to discourage other member states from heading for the door.
This is not the outcome the Republic of Ireland wanted.
The Irish government, which remained neutral in the Scottish independence referendum, actively encouraged Irish citizens in the UK to vote to remain in the EU.
The cabinet will meet this morning to consider what it calls the "very significant implications" for Ireland, Britain and the EU. Then Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny will make a public statement.
With uncertainty over what happens next and how long the process of UK EU withdrawal will take, there will be concern in Dublin about what the vote means for the border with Northern Ireland, the impact of a weakening sterling and the effect on trade, which is estimated at over €1bn between the two states every week.
Sinn Fein, which has MPs on both sides of the border, has called for vote on whether Northern Ireland should remain part of the UK or should become part of a united Ireland. But that is unlikely to be a priority for the Irish government, which does not believe a vote for a united Ireland is likely to get enough support.
In the course of the campaign Irish ministers disagreed with Northern Ireland Secretary Teresa Villiers about whether the border would be "hard" or "soft" if the British decided to leave.
Dublin said some a form of border control, whether on the border or at airports and ports, was likely to be re-introduced because the Republic is the only EU state to share a land border with the UK.
Read more from Shane
The Greek stock market has fallen sharply this morning on the news that Britain has voted to leave the European Union.
The Athens stock exchange fell 15% immediately after opening, with bank shares plummeting 30%, the maximum permitted before trading is suspended.
The volatility will add to concerns that Brexit could be followed by Grexit - Greece leaving the eurozone.
The Greek economy is very fragile, and before the referendum experts here had warned that a leave vote could have a knock-on effect on the Greek economy.
This is partly based on what has been happening to the pound, which has fallen sharply in value against the euro and the dollar.
If this turns out to be a long-term phenomenon then the vital tourism industry in Greece could be hit. British holidaymakers make up the largest contingent of foreign visitors to this country and may now be deterred from coming - because it will be more expensive.
There are also fears that Greek exports to Britain will be hit. Experts believe these factors and the anticipated turbulence across European markets could sink the weak Greek economy.
Spaniards are firm believers in the European project and big traders with Britain. So, as the country woke to the news of Britain's vote and the stock market plunged, acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy called for calm. Spain, he insisted, will weather any turmoil.
But this country is also home to hundreds of thousands of British expatriates. Whilst tourists cheered British "independence" over their full English breakfasts, British residents here worried about what the decision means for their right to live and work in the EU and get free healthcare.
The reality is, no-one knows yet. There is also concern about the plunging pound: that tourists will spend less in the British-run bars, and older expats will struggle on their UK pensions.
Gibraltar may have even more to worry about.
After an emphatic vote to remain in the EU by the Rock's British residents, Spain's acting foreign minister said the decision to leave opened up "new possibilities" over its status. The prospect of a Spanish flag flying on the Rock, said Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo, was "much closer" now.
The Netherlands is among the nations with the most to lose from Brexit. One study estimated an economic hit of €10bn by 2030.
And with the loss of a vital ally within the EU and a powerful counterbalance to the dominant, federalist tendencies of France and Germany, it is little surprise that Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is locked in talks in Brussels.
His political adversary Geert Wilders - the leader of the anti-Islam, anti-immigration Freedom Party - was among the first to congratulate Britain on its "Independence Day". He promised if he were elected, the Dutch would be granted their own "Nexit" referendum. Fears of contagion are reverberating across the channel.
Ahead of the referendum Russia had become caught up in the Brexit debate.
The Remain campaign had argued that Britain should stay in the EU, alleging the Kremlin was backing Leave to weaken the EU.
The message from Moscow on Friday was clear: Don't blame Russia for this result. The head of the Russian parliament's foreign affairs committee, Alexei Pushkov, tweeted: "Russia has nothing to do with this. It's the defeat of Remain. And a personal failure for Barack Obama."
Pro-Kremlin radio station Vesti FM declared sarcastically, "From the 1990s onwards, we sent our people especially to London, so that 15 years later they could play a decisive role in this referendum. What a load of rubbish!"
But some Russian politicians couldn't contain their pleasure. They included Moscow's Mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, who noted: "Without the UK in the EU, there's no one there who'll back sanctions against us so stridently."
Ultra-nationalist MP Vladimir Zhirinovsky said the British public "had performed a heroic deed". He said he intended to send a congratulatory telegram to David Cameron: "Dear David, our big friend, we're happy that Britain made the right choice." | A wave of shock is reverberating around Europe as countries across the EU and beyond digest the decision by UK voters to leave the European Union. | 36616018 |
France and Spain have sent several water-bombing planes to help the Portuguese effort.
One firefighter was killed and nine were injured on Thursday near the town of Tondela.
The biggest fire is near Covilha, east of Tondela, Portugal's Jornal de Noticias website reports. Several suspected arsonists have been arrested.
Firefighters spent the whole night battling another blaze, near the town of Vouzela.
Portugal's Minister of Internal Administration, Miguel Macedo, pointed out the difficulty of fighting fires in thickly wooded hills.
"Firefighters die because the conditions in which they are fighting the fires in these kinds of terrain are extraordinarily difficult," he said. | More than 800 firefighters in Portugal are tackling big wildfires in Serra do Caramulo, a hilly central region. | 23816114 |
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Stephen Hunt has lodged a formal complaint with the FA after months of argument over funding and facilities.
"West Ham need to be fined until they start to act like a 21st century club," he told BBC Sport.
In response, West Ham claim Hunt has "threatened the club" and "refused to align" with their principles.
The Hammers also say they are dedicated to equality in sport but the current arrangement with Hunt has not worked and they plan to take over the running of the women's team in due course.
Hunt has listed a number of issues he has with West Ham.
He claims they have stopped his team from finding their own sponsors and says they are short on funds because they had to buy their own kit.
He alleges West Ham promised a cheque to cover the costs but the money has not come through and the club have stopped answering their emails.
Hunt also claims his team, who play in the FA Women's Premier League Southern Division, the third tier of women's football, have to train by the side of a road as West Ham will not let them use the gym.
He adds that they also cannot afford a physio or a bus to take them to matches and are playing in last season's home kit, with the names of last season's players crossed out on the back.
"I think West Ham have breached the underlying objectives of the FA to promote equality and grassroots football at all levels," he said.
"Initially, what I thought was a lack of interest I now understand is a positive intent by senior people at West Ham to block the growth of West Ham Ladies.
"It's beyond negligence, it is trying to starve us of any sort of funding."
West Ham issued a statement insisting that "supporting, nurturing and facilitating the women's game is very important" to them and claim they are "a club with strong community principles and a dedication to equality in sport".
The statement also explains the club's version of events.
"The day-to-day management of West Ham United Ladies FC was transferred to a third party some time ago and unfortunately it is an arrangement that has simply not worked," it read.
"Mr Hunt has refused to align with West Ham's principles throughout his tenure as chairman and has, on a number of occasions, threatened the club.
"The club have been working for some time on plans to take West Ham United Ladies FC 'in house' and, in light of Mr Hunt's most recent deeply concerning comments, we will now be seeking to do so at the earliest opportunity.
"We will, of course, seek to maintain the current West Ham United Ladies FC squad personnel where possible, and provide them with the best possible support and management moving forward.
"As a result of this, women's football at West Ham United will become bigger, better and stronger, as we continue our commitment to the growth and development of the women's game, both on and off the pitch."
In response, Hunt denies he has threatened the club and says he would be happy to hand the women's team over to the club if he got guarantees and assurances that the ladies are protected. | West Ham have been accused of breaking Football Association rules on discrimination - by the chairman of the ladies' club. | 37533926 |
Alex Danson and Lily Owsely scored in each half to earn a 2-0 win.
England's men were defeated 3-2 by Belgium as they continued their poor form ahead of the World Cup, to be played in the Netherlands from 31 May.
Goals from Iain Lewers and Ashley Jackson were not enough to salvage a draw as Belgium held on for victory in their final match in Germany.
England's women had failed to win in their previous two fixtures in Dusseldorf, losing 4-2 to Australia and 3-1 to Germany.
"This was a much better technical performance", said head coach Jason Lee. "There was much more fight and endeavour in the group, and it's a good performance to take forward."
England's men end their participation at the competition with one draw and two defeats, having followed an opening day 3-1 loss to the Netherlands with a 2-2 draw against Germany.
"It was a game of contrast with plenty of good signs but also some disappointment," said head coach Bobby Crutchley. "We didn't utilise good circle possession to create clear goal scoring opportunities and our reactions were slow in front of goal." | England's women completed their World Cup preparations by beating Japan at the Four Nations Tournament. | 27462518 |
There are some things the British do with such aplomb, it is a joy to watch. I suppose since they have been conducting elections for hundreds of years, it is not surprising they manage it with such style. At least that is how it comes across to those of us watching from the outside.
It's quite likely that behind the scenes a British election might not be the smooth operation that it seems but one cannot but admire the brutality and sweetness of the drama.
The official campaign period lasts for about four weeks; in Ghana it feels like it goes on for four years.
On polling day there are no long queues anywhere. When the polls closed at 22:00 the first constituency to declare results did so after 48 minutes. The last result came in just under 17 hours and 30 minutes. In Ghana we are lucky to get 50% of results after 24 hours.
Elizabeth Ohene:
"The sheer drama of an unexpected loss and equally unexpected win, played out before the whole world cannot be bettered by a Hollywood script. "
And who can beat the UK in eccentricity and quirkiness?
My favourite is The Official Monster Raving Loony Party. When I lived in the UK, I was tempted to vote for them but I never mustered the courage to do so.
Over here in Ghana we were taken up with the declaration of results in the recent Nigerian elections as vice chancellor after vice chancellor came to read out the results from their states. But nothing can beat the British declaration method. All the candidates line up and the electoral officer comes to intone the results. The sheer drama of an unexpected loss and equally unexpected win, played out before the whole world cannot be bettered by a Hollywood script.
I know the British have a patent on the stiff upper lip syndrome but it cannot be easy for a shadow chancellor to lose an election by the narrowest of margins and then have to make a gracious speech. And how can you be expected to make a measured winning speech as a 20-year-old that has just taken the scalp of the election strategist of the party that was expecting to win and form the government.
Within 24 hours of voting, the prime minister was back in his official residence of Downing Street. If he had lost, he would not have come back there at all, at least not through the front door, and the new prime minister would have been seen entering those doors whilst the removal vans were taking the loser's belongings through the back door.
Probably the most dramatic sequence of events was the resignation of the losing party leaders. Ed Miliband of the Labour party, Nick Clegg of the Liberal Democrats and Nigel Farage of UKIP stepped down within an hour of each other albeit with Mr Farage since rescinding his resignation.
To my mind, those who led them to think they would do much better than they did, the pollsters and the journalists, should have been the ones to be resigning. But in true British style, they muttered stiff apologies and are carrying on.
Twenty-four hours after the event you could look over the landscape of the UK and you would never know there had been a night of high drama. You just have to admire them. | In our series of letters from African journalists, Ghanaian writer Elizabeth Ohene, a former government minister and member of the opposition, compares the drama of the UK's recent elections to the slower proceedings in her own country. | 32782390 |
Jones switched to union at the end of the Super League season but has not made a first-team outing for Exeter.
The 22-year-old will now head back north with his partner, who is expecting their first child.
"I cannot speak highly enough of everyone at the Chiefs because it's a special club with a great culture," Jones told the club website.
"Rob [Baxter] gave me a great opportunity and a new challenge, but due to family circumstances I have to cut it short early."
Jones appeared as a centre for Exeter's reserve side and also on loan at Taunton Titans, who play in the fourth tier of English rugby union.
Before joining the Chiefs, he was a member of the St Helens team that won the Grand Final in 2014.
He follows in the footsteps of fellow cross-code covert Sam Burgess, who decided to return to rugby league in November after representing England in the Rugby Union World Cup.
"We're sad to see him move on, we wish him every success for the future and in finding a new contract back in the Super League," said Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter. | Former St Helens utility player Josh Jones has left Premiership side Exeter Chiefs to return to rugby league. | 35304207 |
James Wicks, from Tadley, in Hampshire, was a PCSO with Thames Valley Police in Reading when he was arrested for offences committed over three years.
Prosecutors said Wicks, 35, had swapped crystal meth for indecent movies.
Thames Valley Police described his actions as "absolutely reprehensible". He resigned from the force in October.
Prosecutors said he shared crystal meth with a friend for sexual pleasure and in exchange for indecent movies of children which were put on a memory stick and distributed via Skype.
John Montague, senior district Crown prosecutor, said: "The movies found in possession of James Wicks can be described as some of the worst type classified as category A seen by experienced officers in the child abuse team."
Thames Valley Police said although the offences took place while he was a serving PCSO there was "no evidence to suggest his offending was in any way linked to his job".
Deputy Chief Constable John Campbell said: "He has shown complete disregard for the standards expected of him by committing such criminal offences."
He was suspended from duty pending the criminal investigation by Hampshire Constabulary in June. He resigned shortly before he was charged.
Wicks pleaded guilty to six counts of the possession of indecent images of children, one count of the distribution of indecent images of children and one count of being concerned in the supply of a class A drug.
He was also placed on the sex offender register for 10 years. | A former Police Community Support Officer has been jailed for two years for possessing indecent images of children and supplying drugs. | 35366478 |
NHS England said new rules would be brought in next month and see patients removed from GP lists unless they responded to warning letters.
The move is aimed at stopping GPs being paid for patients who have died, moved practices or left the country - up to 5% of practice lists could be wrong.
But doctors are worried about the plan.
The British Medical Association said people could be unfairly penalised as they might not respond to the letters and should "not be punished for being well".
To date it has been up to local areas to come up with their own ways of keeping lists up to date.
A variety of approaches is used, including following up people who do not respond to screening and immunisation requests and regularly checking on some patients - those who are elderly, students or have moved to England from abroad - when they have not been seen recently.
Some areas, including the east of England, have used similar techniques to the one now being rolled out nationally.
In recent years there has been a renewed push after NHS England highlighted it as an issue that needed tackling back in 2013.
But as local areas have used more aggressive techniques, reports have emerged of patients being incorrectly deregistered.
The new system - uncovered by GP magazine Pulse - will be administered by the private firm Capita, which signed a contract last year.
Patients will be sent letters when they have not seen their GP for five years. If they do not respond, a second letter will be sent and if that is not answered the patient will be deregistered.
A patient then wanting to get back on a list would have to reapply through the normal process.
GPs are paid a basic amount for each patient they have registered on their list - even if they do not see them. It can vary from place to place, but in 2013-14 it was worth £136 per patient on average.
The rest of their pay is then determined by what treatments they provide.
It is unclear how many patients are incorrectly registered. An exercise in 2009-10 identified 95,000 patients who needed to be removed, saving the NHS £6.1m at the time.
In 2012-13 NHS bosses estimated as many as 5% of the GP register population might be wrong.
NHS England said the move was important to ensure the "proper stewardship of public funds".
But Dr Richard Vautrey of the British Medical Association said he was concerned the national programme could lead to problems.
"Patients should not be punished for being well. No-one knows, no matter how well they are, when they will need their GP.
"NHS England needs to think again about the potential negative impact on patient access and the additional implications for practices, who could find themselves in situations of conflict between understandably angry patients who blame the practice for removing them from their list, when the fault lies with wider NHS management systems."
Read more from Nick
Follow Nick on Twitter | Patients in England who have not been to see their GP for five years face being deregistered as the NHS prepares to get tough on "ghost patients". | 36828745 |
Neil McEvoy is accused of breaching the authority's code of conduct after he attended court to support a council tenant facing eviction in 2015.
Deborah Carter said there was an "angry situation" when Mr McEvoy said: "I can't wait until May 2017 when the restructure of the council happens."
Mr McEvoy, an AM since 2016, claims the complaint is politically motivated.
The assembly member is leader of Cardiff's Plaid Cymru council group and a former deputy leader of the council.
It is alleged he made a comment in a threatening manner after a court hearing at Cardiff civil justice centre in July 2015.
Mr McEvoy had been assisting a council tenant in an application to suspend a warrant of eviction.
Finance team manager Ms Carter told the tribunal that the comment was made as they left the hearing, in which the tenant's application had been dismissed.
She said it was "quite an angry situation".
Ms Carter said that as they were leaving, Mr McEvoy was walking ahead of her with the tenant and that he turned and made the comment about council restructuring.
"I believe that he said that to me," she said.
"I was quite shocked to be spoken to like that by what I consider to be my employer.
"I didn't expect to be spoken to by my employer like that when actually I was doing my job."
Asked by counsel for the Public Services Ombudsman how she interpreted the comments, Ms Carter said: "I took it to mean there might be some threat to the work I do in the council in the future should he get into power.
"I was quite shocked and I did consider that to be a threat to me."
In his evidence, Mr McEvoy denied that his behaviour amounted to bullying or harassment.
He confirmed making a comment about restructuring the council, but said he was referring to Plaid policy to save £1m from cuts to senior managers, not staff at Ms Carter's level.
Mr McEvoy added that he made the comment while talking to the tenant - a constituent of his - in an effort to reassure her about the future.
Asked whether he thought his behaviour brought the role of councillor into disrepute, Mr McEvoy said believed that day he had "enhanced my role as councillor because I stood up for someone who was very vulnerable" in the eviction hearing.
He claimed that the tribunal was "a means of doing politics by complaint".
Earlier, Mr McEvoy's lawyer, Jonathan Mendus Edwards, asked Ms Carter how Labour councillor Paul Mitchell - who made the complaint to the ombudsman - came to be involved.
Ms Carter said she had not spoken to Mr Mitchell, who Mr Edwards described as being "daggers drawn" with Mr McEvoy.
Mr Edwards suggested to Ms Carter: "You weren't that bothered, but someone else seized the opportunity."
She replied that she was "bothered" about it, although it had not been her idea to complain.
Ms Carter also denied the lawyer's suggestion that a report of the incident was a "sexed-up dossier" and a "fiction".
If the panel rules that Mr McEvoy did breach the council's code of conduct he could face suspension as a councillor for up to a year, or disqualification for up to five years. | A Cardiff council officer has told a tribunal she was "quite shocked" to feel an AM was threatening her job. | 39132954 |
Emergency services were called to a block of flats in Atholl Street after a report that the floor collapsed into the building's basement.
Police said the woman was rescued from the basement and is understood to have sustained minor injuries.
Residents from the block of flats have been evacuated while a structural assessment is carried out.
Atholl Street is closed between Kinnoull Street and North Methven Street.
Five fire engines including the heavy rescue unit attended as well as police, ambulances and the Tayside trauma team.
A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesman said: "We received a call at 07:24 hours today to attend an incident at an address on Atholl Street, Perth.
"We dispatched one ambulance, our special operations response team, two managers and a trauma team.
"One female patient was taken to Perth Royal Infirmary." | A 25-year-old woman has been taken to hospital after a floor collapsed in a common close in Perth. | 39428889 |
Following a goalless first half, James Bolton was sent off after the break for bringing down Damian Reeves.
But, despite having a man less, the hosts took the lead when Hughes found the net from inside the box.
The win means Halifax have moved up to 19th in the table, two points ahead of 21st-placed Alty.
The visitors went close to taking the lead when Halifax defender Jake Hibbs cleared a Josh Ginnelly chance off the line.
Alty also had a chance to equalise late on but Reeves fired wide from inside the box. | A second-half strike from Connor Hughes saw 10-man Halifax leapfrog Altrincham and move out of the National League relegation zone. | 35849566 |
It displayed an error message on some computers, but not others, saying access had been blocked because of a "high volume of visitors".
Users had complained that this was inaccurate bearing in mind it was being shown in the early hours of the morning and the issue was continuing.
Argos said it was an intermittent problem that might take time to solve.
The company - which is owned by the Milton Keynes-based Home Retail Group - said that its site was currently working, but might face further issues.
"Following planned maintenance to our website and apps, we have been experiencing some technical issues which means customers may have limited access to our website at intermittent periods," a spokeswoman told the BBC.
"We are really sorry for any inconvenience caused. Serving customers is our absolute priority and are pulling out all of the stops to fix the problem as soon as possible."
She said the site had only been offline to all customers for "just over half a day" on Tuesday morning.
The firm had used social media to apologise for the problem, but unless customers searched for the posts they would not have been aware of them since more recent marketing tweets were embedded into the "fault" page.
The spokeswoman said the failure to properly explain the problem on the page was in itself "caused by a technical issue which is currently being fixed".
One retail expert said it was not unusual for website updates to create glitches, but suggested the company should have explained the issue more clearly.
"Any retailer that has a robust enough e-commerce platform should have some sort of contingency plan in place around communication," said Steve Mader, from the consultancy Kantar Retail.
"Argos has historically done a fairly good job of doing iterative improvements on its website - although in heavy periods leading up to Christmas it has been known to slow down or restrict access.
"I think for every retailer, having an outage like this can be a wake-up call." | Retailer Argos's website has suffered problems for a second day following a revamped design of the site. | 29817370 |
NHS England and Public Health England have launched a campaign to help the vulnerable stay well and out of A&E.
Tips include setting a thermostat to no lower than 18C, wrapping up warm and consuming hot meals and drinks.
There were 43,900 excess winter deaths in England and Wales in 2014/15, the Office for National Statistics says.
The Stay Well This Winter campaign also urges those eligible for the flu vaccination to have the injection and encourages those suffering from a cough or cold to get early help from a pharmacist.
It says: "Food is a vital source of energy, which keeps your body warm. Try to make sure that you have hot meals and drinks regularly throughout the day and keep active in the home if you can."
There were 27% more deaths in winter in 2014/15 compared with the rest of the year, figures from the Office for National Statistics show.
The majority were among those aged 75 and above with around 36,300 excess winter deaths among that age group.
Research shows people with health conditions such as heart disease, lung problems and dementia are also more likely to die in winter.
Professor Keith Willett, medical director for acute care at NHS England, said many A&E visits over winter are due to problems "which could have been avoided" if medical advice had been sought earlier.
He added: "The NHS is here to help, but there are important things we can all do to take care of ourselves during the winter months.
"It is vital that the most vulnerable people take preventative steps to keep healthy and stay well." | Eating hot meals and keeping active are effective ways for the over-65s and those with health issues to cope with winter, say public health bodies. | 37892458 |
In 2015, world leaders - including the US President Barack Obama - agreed to cap global temperature rises at "well below" 2C.
This time the event won't be so headline-grabbing, but it will be an opportunity for Scotland to shout about its aims and achievements.
So what does Scotland have to shout about?
One of the big achievements can be seen on the River Don in Aberdeen where an Archimedes screw provides power for the grid.
The huge rotating screw that thumps its way through the water is not just unusual to see, it also provides benefits to those living alongside it.
It is community-owned and generates a profit of £30,000 a year to spend locally.
Sinclair Laing, from Aberdeen Community Energy, said: "A lot of schemes are seen to be overly commercial where only big companies and private enterprise is profiting.
"Seeing renewable electricity on a local scale which is returning benefits to a community turns around that perspective."
The biggest reduction in Scotland's greenhouse gas emissions has come from electricity generation like the Donside Hydro.
Earlier this year, it was confirmed that the Scottish government had met its targets for greenhouse gas emissions six years early.
But below that headline figure there are areas of struggle. In transport, for example, there's been little change since 1990.
Glasgow City Council is trying to change that by installing a growing network of charging points for electric cars, but take-up is slow.
Head of infrastructure Andy Waddell said: "We've seen a growth in the sales of electric vehicles in recent years but they are only making up a proportion of about 1.5% of new car sales.
"But we do expect to see a huge growth in the coming years."
Why so sure? Well, early next year ministers will set new targets and explain how they are going to be achieved.
But the conference will focus on impact as well as cause.
The issue of "climate justice" is a big part of the Scottish social policy.
In simple terms, that means supporting the poorer countries of the world whose climate has changed because of fossil fuel consumption in richer countries.
The Scottish government supports schemes in Malawi to help the millions of people facing hunger because of drought.
Head of Oxfam Scotland Jamie Livingstone said: "As a rich developed country, Scotland helped create climate change and we have to now support those who are feeling the full force of climate change on their lives.
"It's essential that we give the money that they need. Our funding levels are fairly small but they're having a significant impact.
Scottish Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham will give a statement to the Scottish Parliament on Thursday afternoon outlining her aims from the conference in Marrakech.
A series of meetings and events have been lined-up with other "states and regions" from across the globe.
She said: "What is important is that we discuss with them some of the things that we've done but equally that applies to me.
"I'm hoping to be able to hear from other countries what their successes have been so that I can learn from them." | Almost a year after the historic Paris agreement on climate change, Scotland's environment secretary is preparing to head to Morocco for this year's conference. | 37927019 |
Antoin Duffy, 39, his cousin Martin Hughes, 36, and Paul Sands, 32, had denied plotting to kill Johnny "Mad Dog" Adair and Sam McCrory in Scotland.
They were convicted in July following a nine-week trial at the High Court in Glasgow, where Duffy and Hughes were also convicted of terrorism charges.
Duffy was jailed for 17 years, Hughes for 11 years and Sands for 10 years.
Two other men, Craig Convery and Gordon Brown, were found guilty of organised crime charges.
Convery was jailed for nine years and Brown for six years.
Jailing the men, judge Lady Scott said the murder plot had involved "considerable planning" by all three and that they had been "excited participants" in the offences.
The court heard that Mr Adair and his best friend Mr McCrory were both former members of prohibited Loyalist terror organisations the UDA and the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF).
They were involved in the Good Friday agreement in 1998, and both have been living in Ayrshire for a number of years.
Duffy, originally from Donegal, who had been living in Scotland, was the driving force behind the murder plot.
Described as passionate about a united Ireland, he believed the peace agreement had sold out the Republican movement.
Duffy initially planned operations from his cell in Castle Huntly open prison having been jailed in 2010 for brandishing a loaded handgun in a Glasgow nightclub during a dispute with a bouncer.
Every four weeks, when he received home leave back to his flat in Old Castle Road, Glasgow, Duffy talked to criminal associates in a bid to obtain weapons.
He also enlisted his cousin, Martin Hughes, and recruited fellow prisoner Paul Sands - a Facebook friend of Mr McCrory - who knew about McCrory's daily routine.
What the men did not know, however, was that MI5 had learned of their plans and had authorised the bugging of Duffy's flat and Hughes' car.
The surveillance began in 12 December 2012 and was later handed over to Police Scotland.
The court heard that Duffy believed Mr Adair and Mr McCrory were responsible for ordering the murders of dozens of innocent Catholics during the Troubles.
Evidence was presented that he wanted to shoot Mr McCrory using a pistol or revolver and then quickly target Mr Adair using an AK 47, which he dubbed "the big fella".
In a bugged conversation he was heard boasting to his girlfriend Stacey McAllister: "I'm trying to get a war started and get as many guns and explosives as I can."
A recording was also played from a conversation in Hughes' Mercedes Jeep, which travelled from Glasgow to the Ayrshire home of Mr McCrory on 1 October 2013.
On the tape Sands said: "There are so many places you could hit this guy. It's unbelievable."
There were then discussions about cameras at a nearby school and shops and the best vantage points to get their target.
Duffy went on: "We'll just drive up to him and...blast him. In his ear.
"There 's an AK that could possibly be getting made available for us with armour piercing rounds."
Duffy's cellmate in Castle Huntly, Edward McVeigh, 27, revealed that Duffy hated Adair and talked of shooting him as he walked his dog or trained at the gym.
He said that Duffy was a Republican sympathiser who claimed he was a member of the Real IRA.
The trial also heard that Duffy even approached Celtic player Anthony Stokes in the Brazen Head pub in Glasgow on 1 September, asking him to get his father to pass a message on to someone in Ireland to obtain weapons.
Regulars reacted furiously to this and Duffy was thrown out of the pub.
Duffy's defence lawyer claimed that he was a drug addicted fantasist with mental health issues.
Hughes' lawyer said he had not agreed to murder anyone while Sands' lawyer branded him "a total idiot".
The jury, however, did not believe the three men's claims and convicted them of conspiracy to murder.
Speaking outside the court after sentencing, Mr Adair said: "The severity of the sentence reflects the seriousness of the charges and I am just delighted that justice has been done today."
He added: "They deserve every minute of it."
Lindsey Miller, procurator fiscal for counter-terrorism, said: "Duffy and his co-accused planned on conducting two public assassinations in the west of Scotland.
"There is no doubt that their plan was viable, and they went to great lengths to gain access to weapons and to attempt to avoid traces of their movements.
"We are pleased that these individuals and the weapons have been taken off our streets."
Det Ch Supt John Cuddihy from Police Scotland's Organised Crime and Counter Terrorism Unit said: "Make no mistake; the intent of those who have been sentenced today was to carry out a murderous terrorist attack on the streets of Scotland.
"There is no doubt Police Scotland officers have saved the lives of two men and prevented significant negative community impact across Scotland and further afield." | Three men have been jailed for planning to murder two former leaders of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA). | 34107002 |
Her centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU) took 40.7%, comfortably seeing off a challenge by the Social Democrats (SPD), who secured 29.6%.
Mrs Merkel is hoping for a fourth term as chancellor but is under pressure.
The centre-left SPD has seen a recent surge in popularity under new leader Martin Schulz.
Saarland - a small south-western state with one million inhabitants - is currently governed by a coalition of the CDU and SPD as junior partner, mirroring the national government.
The outcome of Sunday's election in Saarland was being watched for signs of voter sentiment ahead of the 24 September general election.
A Deutschlandtrend poll for national TV on 24 March suggested the CDU and the SPD were on level pegging nationally, but that voters favoured Mr Schulz to lead the next government in Berlin.
The former president of the European Parliament took up the post as leader of the SPD in January. He is credited with a revival in popular support for his party.
In Saarland, a recent survey indicated a narrow lead for the CDU, but there had been predictions that a coalition between the SPD, the far-left Linke and the environmentalist Greens may emerge.
However, Mrs Merkel's party's succeeded in growing its vote - up to 40.7% from 35.2% in the last election in 2012.
Meanwhile, the SPD's vote went down slightly from 30.6% and the Greens failed to reach the 5% threshold to enter the state assembly.
However, the populist right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD), which has played on dissatisfaction with Mrs Merkel's policy on immigration, did succeed in winning seats in the Saarland legislature with 6.2% of the vote.
The state contest saw Saarland's premier, 54-year-old Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, go up against her deputy in the regional government, the SPD's Anke Rehlinger, 40.
Mrs Rehlinger, a trained lawyer, has governed alongside Mrs Kramp-Karrenbauer since 2014. She holds the state record in shotput, 16.03m, and was a youth champion in discus.
Mrs Kramp-Karrenbauer has been prime minister of Saarland since 2011.
Saarland, a mainly Catholic state bordering Luxembourg and France, has sought to transform itself into a magnet for hi-tech industry after the decline of coal mining.
The CDU has governed there since 1998.
State elections are due to be held in Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia before September's general election. | German Chancellor Angela Merkel's party easily won a state election in Saarland, which was closely watched ahead of September's national vote. | 39397148 |
"The city is a scary place. It's like someone put you in the middle of Trafalgar Square, turned you in a circle and said 'find your way home'."
That is Amit Patel's new reality after he lost his sight unexpectedly in 2012, six months after he got married.
He now relies on guide dog Kika to get him around the once familiar streets of London.
But the footage captured by his canine guide hasn't always shown a city willing to help him.
"The video came out of necessity," Patel says. "Kika was getting hit by peoples' bags and she was getting a lot of abuse. A woman stopped me one day and had a go at me for holding everyone up and said I should apologise, which was a real shock."
The former doctor found a solution - attach a GoPro to Kika's harness and film every journey. Patel's wife, Seema, can then review the footage if it is felt there was something amiss about that day.
And when alterations were made to a London train station the camera came into its own.
"I asked for help and no one came," Patel recounts. "The video shows lots of staff standing around me and this one guy looking over many times.
"Eventually when the staff member actually came to me the first thing he said was 'sorry I didn't see you' and that really bugged me. He wouldn't say that to someone who wasn't visually impaired.
"It really makes me angry. It's the fact that someone is fobbing me off."
The footage was sent to Network Rail giving Patel the "valuable evidence" needed to lodge a formal complaint about an incident he couldn't see.
"It made me feel vulnerable but having the footage was a godsend," he says.
"Having the camera, having the voice, having the actual scenario played out in real time it actually gives me something to go back to the company and say 'this is what happened to me and it needs to be sorted'."
The video had an impact and Network Rail investigated before giving further training to its staff.
"While in this instance the event and associated disruption was not organised by or held at the station itself, we do recognise that the station can be a complicated place to navigate," a spokesman says.
"That is why we have hired many extra staff to look after passengers."
For newly blind Patel, standing alone for several minutes can feel like hours.
"One of the things I noticed with losing my sight is how lonely it is. If I'm travelling by public transport I will be the scared little boy sat in the corner. You can't listen to music because you're listening out for dangers or to station announcements."
Patel says it is only since he lost his sight that he has become aware of the discrimination visually impaired people can face.
Patel learned he had keratoconus - a condition which changes the shape of the cornea - in the final year of medical school.
Lenses to push the corneas back into shape stopped working and six cornea transplants were rejected by his body until he was told "no more".
It was a series of burst blood vessels which caused the unexpected loss of sight within 48 hours.
Patel says: "I woke up every morning thinking I'd get my sight back. For about six months I was quite shut off, depressed and I would go to the bathroom and have a cry.
"The one thing that stayed in my mind was that I would never see my loved ones. It was holding on to the last memories I had."
"There are taxi drivers who will see you and won't stop. You phone the company and they say they didn't see you, but you look at the footage and see them having looked at you and driving right past."
Other incidents he says highlight a lack of thought - especially on London's Underground.
"People assume, because I have a guide dog, I can walk around them but they make us walk near the tracks or I can say to Kika 'find me a seat' and I'll put my hand down on one and someone will sit on it and refuse to get up."
The loss of his sight led Patel to change his life dramatically. The former University College Hospital doctor moved to New Eltham in south London so his wife didn't have to travel so far for work and wouldn't spend so much time away from him.
Patel says he had assumed, as a doctor, he would know where to get support, but he found that wasn't the case and he became frustrated at the simple mistakes he made - miscalculations led to stair falls and fingers were burnt from trying to find out how full his coffee cup was.
Beyond the major life changes there were more subtle experiences too.
"Your balance goes awry. I felt like I walked on a cloud sometimes, and if I find a pair of shoes I'll buy three pairs because a change in grip makes a real difference.
"My hearing's increased and my sense of smell, and the way I touch things."
There have also been more unexpected side effects.
"I have small pixels of light coming into my eyes and my brain interprets that as images. It'll put four pixels together and build a photo - so you may be sitting on the couch while thinking a car's coming towards you."
Patel now supports people who have lost their sight unexpectedly and gives talks to community organisations using the GoPro footage to demonstrate what Kika sees.
Despite all the challenges he has faced, including coming to terms with never seeing his baby son, Patel has accepted his new world.
"My life at the moment is so much more vivid, it's more colourful than it was when I had sight.
"It still fills me with dread leaving the house, because I have no control and am completely reliant on Kika, but we're out all of the time - any excuse."
Join the conversation - find us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter | Unable to see the world around him, Amit Patel fitted his guide dog with a camera and set about recording evidence of the discrimination he faced but could not see. | 38027203 |
It includes a recommendation system that uses both human curators and computer algorithms to suggest songs.
The service is set to challenge Spotify, Tidal and other music apps.
Apple also revealed that the UK will be the first country to get its Apple Pay service outside of the US.
"A lot of people in the industry see the launch of the music service as a big deal, and their hope is that this will help take subscription-based streaming mainstream," commented Chris Cooke, from the news site Complete Music Update.
"But Spotify has an ad-supported free level to help sell its premium packages, which Apple doesn't, so it still has a unique selling point."
Apple's service introduces the Beats 1 radio station, which will be hosted by ex-BBC DJ Zane Lowe among others.
The app also works with Apple's voice-controlled virtual assistant Siri, allowing subscribers to ask it to play a song from a movie soundtrack or year without needing to know the track's name.
Recommended playlists will be crafted by "music experts" to ensure the songs fit together, but algorithms will be used to direct users to different ones based on their listening histories and favourite artists.
"Apple is arriving late to the music streaming business, due in part to Steve Jobs' refusal to believe that music subscription services would ever work," said James McQuivey from the Forrester consultancy.
But, he added, that he believed it would catch up with market leader Spotify's 15 million paying subscribers in less than a year.
Another analyst suggested Apple might face a challenge explaining all the features on offer.
"Apple Music is a complex mix of services including music streaming, live radio, music discovery and social interaction with artists," said Geoff Blaber from CCS Insight.
"It's too early to tell whether this is what users are waiting for but Apple's installed base, the three month free subscription and family bundle are huge levers that Apple's competitors will be wary of."
Apple said the service would launch in more than 100 countries on 30 June, and would cost $9.99 (£6.50) per month in the US for one person - the same as Spotify - or $14.99 for families containing up to six people.
Users do not need to pay to listen to Beats 1.
The Music app will initially be restricted to iOS, Windows PCs and Mac computers, but will extend to Android phones and Apple TVs later in the year.
Apple is also seeking to expand its digital wallet scheme.
In the US, Apple Pay will add support for retailers' own payment and loyalty cards.
And in the UK, people will be able to make payments by waving their iPhones or Apple Watches at contactless payment terminals from next month.
The firm said the service would be offered at about 250,000 locations across the UK and would cover 70% of issued credit and debit cards.
Take-up of Apple Pay has been limited since it launched in the US in October.
A survey by the Reuters news agency recently indicated that less than a quarter of the US's leading retailers accepted the facility.
That is partly because Wal-Mart and 18 other stores have teamed up to launch a rival scheme, and they have agreed not to support Apple's facility until 2016 at the earliest.
One expert said that the tech firm should find it easier to attract support in the UK, where stores already used machines for their tap-and-go payment card transactions that would become compatible.
"The equipment is already out there and Visa Europe has made the necessary infrastructure changes that pave the way for an Apple Pay rollout - it just hasn't flipped the switch yet," explained Chris Green from the Davies Murphy Group consultancy.
"In the US there have been instances where retailers have been committed to specific payment handling service contracts that have prohibited them from being involved in Apple Pay as it would represent a breach of contract for them.
"In contrast in the UK there aren't those types of roadblocks."
Apple said that the pharmacy Boots, the coffee chain Costa, the supermarket Waitrose and the London transport network were among British organisations that would support Apple Pay.
Barclays Bank was a notable omission from the list of lenders committed to the service.
But Barclays has told the BBC it is in "constructive talks" with the US firm.
Read more about how Apple Pay will work in the UK
Earlier during its developers conference, Apple's software chief Craig Federighi revealed that the next version of the iOS mobile operating system would give a Siri a new look and make it more "proactive".
This will include:
"We do it in a way that does not compromise your privacy - we don't mine your email, your photos or your contacts in the cloud to learn things about you," said Mr Federighi, contrasting Apple's approach with Google's Android.
"We honestly just don't want to know."
He also announced iPads would gain "multitasking" in iOS9, allowing two apps to be run side-by-side.
In addition, users will be able to watch streamed video in a resizable box that can be positioned above another program.
The firm also confirmed that the next version of its Maps app would provide information about public transport in London and several other cities - something Google Maps has offered for years.
It showed off a News app that brings together a personalised selection of content from different sources to provide an experience similar to Flipboard.
And Mr Federighi raised one of the biggest applauses of the event when he revealed that Apple's Swift programming language was going open source - meaning its underlying code becomes accessible to everyone - as well as making it available to Linux-powered PCs.
Apple also announced a new version of its Watch operating system that will allow third-party apps to run on its smartwatch natively.
That should make the software launch and run more quickly, addressing a common complaint from early adopters of the wearable tech and developers alike.
"Latency is a critical success factor for any new technology, including the Apple Watch, and vital to adoption rates," commented Stephanie Uhlig from Opodo, a travel booking service that offers a Watch app.
"If service is slow, consumers will likely be inclined to rely on their existing devices. The delivery of enhancements required from Apple to improve speed and user experience will be crucial."
Third-party apps will also gain access to the Watch's motion sensors, wrist tap facility and microphone.
Mr Federighi also announced several new features that will appear in the next version of its Mac operating system, called OS X El Capitan.
They include: | Apple has announced a new app that combines a streaming song and music video library, an internet radio station and a way for artists to share unreleased tracks and other material. | 33052584 |
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Lomu scored 37 tries in 63 matches for New Zealand between 1994 and 2002, but his career was cut short by a rare and serious kidney condition.
Davies was with ex-Cardiff Blues wing Lomu in Dubai recently and described him as one of the game's greatest.
"He changed the way the game was played as a back," he said.
Family spokesman John Mayhew said Lomu passed away at his Auckland home, having returned from a trip to Britain for the World Cup.
The son of Tongan immigrants, he was diagnosed with the rare kidney disorder nephrotic syndrome in 1996, which eventually forced him out of the international scene in 2002 at the age of 27.
He had a kidney transplant in 2004, but the organ stopped functioning in 2011.
But he made 10 appearances for Cardiff Blues between 2005 and 2006, shortly before his retirement from the sport.
However, it was at the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa where Lomu came to prominence.
His performance in that tournament has been widely credited with helping attract the major commercial deals that enabled the sport to enter the professional era.
"They'd never seen the likes of him before and he brought new supporters to the game of rugby because they'd never experienced such an athlete on the field," Davies said.
"What he achieved on the field was absolutely incredible and he had such a massive impact on the game of rugby.
"I'm absolutely devastated. It's such a tragic loss at such a young age."
Cardiff Blues, for whom Lomu had a brief spell during the 2005-06 season, said a tribute would take place prior to the European Rugby Challenge Cup game against Harlequins on Thursday.
"On the field he was a game changer, a destructive and supremely talented winger who has given us so many memories that all rugby fans will always cherish," Blues said in a statement.
"Away from the action he was a kind, humble and caring family man who made many friends during his time with us.
"Jonah was loved by his many fans both in our region and around the world. Our heartfelt sympathies go out to Jonah's family and friends at this time."
Welsh Rugby Union chairman Gareth Davies said Wales and the wider rugby world mourned the loss of Lomu.
"He was a great player and a humble and courteous human being who remained a wonderful ambassador for our sport throughout his life," the former Wales fly-half said.
"He will be remembered primarily as a legendary All Black but his links with Wales included a period as a Cardiff Blue and he enjoyed many visits here, through which he maintained strong friendships at all levels of the game.
"Our thoughts are with his family and close friends at this difficult time."
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Wales and British and Irish Lions rugby legend and Cardiff Blues board member Sir Gareth Edwards said Lomu was a "great man and a great player".
"He was an absolute phenomenon at the time and indeed has been a great ambassador to the sport and a lovely gentleman," Edwards told BBC Radio Wales' Good Morning Wales.
"I've enjoyed his company over the years and been fortunate to get to know him.
"We had him for 10 games at the Cardiff Blues and he was quite outstanding. He always had time for the children in hospital even though he had problems himself.
"Even though he was only there for a short period of time, he gave everything and had a huge impact on the Blues and the younger members of the team."
Lomu's former manager, Welshman Phil Kingsley Jones, said he was "shattered by his passing".
"Jonah was a big part of my family and we are all shattered by his passing," said Jones, father of Newport Gwent Dragons head coach Kingsley Jones.
"I have seen him grow from the young man he was, to the perfect gentleman he had become.
"We had exciting times together and I will treasure his memory always. The world will will be poorer without him.
"My thoughts and love go out to his beautiful family, to his wife Nadene and their sons Brayley and Dhyreille and his Mother Hepi and the Lomu family. "
There will be a special edition of Radio Wales Sport on Jonah Lomu on Wednesday evening from 19:00 GMT | The death of New Zealand great Jonah Lomu aged 40 is a "devastating loss", says former Wales captain Jonathan Davies. | 34854428 |
Murray has failed to reach the quarter-finals of any big tournament in 2017.
But Smith claims it would not surprise him if the world number one went "very, very deep" at the French Open.
"He's had some setbacks with injury and illness but his thirst for winning more Slams is always there," he said.
"I think that's what champions do well, they will find a way.
"The belief never goes away, confidence might go up and down but at the French Open, he can navigate his way through the early rounds and that will give him some confidence, some court time, and once he starts getting into the tournament then those wheels can really start to get into motion."
Murray, 30, hit the top of the rankings late last year but has struggled with form and fitness in recent months, yet Smith has faith in his fellow Scot to turn things around, beginning in Paris.
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"I don't panic at all about this," Smith told BBC Scotland.
"He's a terrific champion, he's got an unbelievable mindset and he's got a great team around him.
"I can see him working his way into this tournament and (it would not) surprise me to see him go very, very deep here.
"We know when it gets to the grass that he is playing very well on that surface. If you think the next three tournaments for him are the French Open, Queens, Wimbledon - he's ready to light it up."
Murray was the beaten finalist at Roland Garros last year, going on to win Queens for a fifth time and securing his second Wimbledon title.
Smith feels Murray will benefit from the input of coach Ivan Lendl, especially in terms of building his confidence, when he begins his French Open tilt on Tuesday with a first-round match against the world number 73, Andrey Kuznetsov.
The Russian, 26, arrives in Paris following a run to the semi-finals of the Geneva Open and a close match with eventual winner Stan Wawrinka, beating clay court specialist Albert Ramos-Vinolas along the way.
Murray, who has prevailed in two previous meetings with Kuznetsov, will certainly hope the women's tournament does not provide an omen for how the men's draw might pan out.
The women's world number one and top seed Angelique Kerber, like Murray, had a Russian opponent in the first round. Kerber lost in straight sets to Ekaterina Makarova, the first time the women's top seed has lost in the first round of the French Open. | Andy Murray's former coach Leon Smith, now Britain's Davis Cup captain, says his former charge is "a terrific champion" who could be ready to "light it up" in his next three tournaments. | 40077067 |
World number 274 Rumford, who has been top in each round, shot a four-under 68 to finish five clear at 17 under.
Former Open champion Louis Oosthuizen shared second after a 67.
The leading 24 players progressed to the final day on Sunday and the top eight earned a bye into the last-16 round of the matchplay format.
Australia's Jake Higginbottom took the final seeded spot on count back as his 66 was the best round from the six players who finished on 11 under.
A total of 19 players, who were nine under or better, secured their places for the matchplay finale, leaving the eight golfers a shot further back to play off in two groups at the 18th hole for the five remaining available spots.
Four went through with pars at the first time of asking. Wiltshire's Jordan Smith, the 24-year-old in his maiden season on the European Tour, missed out at the first extra hole and 17-year-old Phachara Khongwatmai of Thailand claimed the 24th and final place with a par when the 18th was played for a third time.
Sunday's matches will be six-hole contests played over the 10th, second, eighth, 11th, 12th and 18th, a mixture of three par-fours, plus two par-threes and a par-five.
Should a match not produce a winner after six holes, a specially constructed 93-yard 'knockout hole' to the 18th green will be used for a sudden death play-off.
Oosthuizen, the world number 25, has dropped just one shot in 54 holes and said: "The goal was to make the top eight so I'm happy.
"In the matchplay I'll need to be a little bit more aggressive, play more towards the pin and see if I can get them really close and try and hit the putts a little firmer to get them there."
Find out how to get into golf with our special guide. | Australian Brett Rumford was top of the third-round leaderboard in Perth at the inaugural World Super 6, which becomes a matchplay event for the final day. | 39014378 |
Boyd arrowed in a low half-volley after a poor headed clearance from returning City captain Vincent Kompany.
The visitors had wasted chances as Edin Dzeko had a shot saved by Tom Heaton and Sergio Aguero headed just over.
Pablo Zabaleta went to ground late on, but City's appeals for a penalty were rejected by referee Andre Marriner.
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The shock defeat means second-placed City remain five points behind leaders Chelsea, who have two matches in hand.
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho said on Friday the title race was already over and that his team would be celebrating in May.
City responded with a disappointing performance and a result that severely dents their hopes of winning a third title in four years.
They had only won three of their past 10 matches in all competitions before facing a Burnley side with only one victory in their previous 11 games in 2015.
But apart from a low save to deny Dzeko, and tame efforts from Aguero and Wilfried Bony that were straight at him, Burnley goalkeeper Heaton had little to do.
Kompany, dropped for City's last match against Leicester, should have done better than head the ball into Boyd's path from Kieran Trippier's free kick. Nevertheless, the Scotland international produced a spectacular finish to shoot past England goalkeeper Joe Hart.
Victory moves Sean Dyche's side, Championship runners-up last season, up a position to 18th, only one point behind 17th-placed Sunderland.
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City's season, meanwhile, is in danger of falling apart. They will need to quickly regroup as they play at the Nou Camp on Wednesday looking to overturn a 2-1 deficit in their Champions League last-16 tie with Barcelona.
Burnley had to ride their luck late on as Aguero headed over, and Zabaleta went down in the penalty area under a challenge from Ben Mee, but referee Marriner waved away City's calls for a penalty.
Not even the introduction of forwards Bony and Stevan Jovetic and midfielder Frank Lampard, making his 600th Premier League appearance, could see the visitors grab an equaliser as the Clarets held on for a memorable victory.
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini said:
"It was a normal performance. I don't think we played very bad. We had three or four chances. Burnley had just one shot on target and scored one goal, but we need to create more chances.
"I don't think we created the amount of chances we need to score goals."
On his side's fading title hopes, Pellegrini added: "Every point we drop will be more difficult. When you have mathematical chances you must try to continue fighting. But the most important thing is to trust in what we are doing, try to win the next game and we will see at the end of the season where we finish."
Match ends, Burnley 1, Manchester City 0.
Second Half ends, Burnley 1, Manchester City 0.
Attempt saved. Scott Arfield (Burnley) left footed shot from more than 35 yards is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Stephen Ward with a headed pass.
Foul by Martín Demichelis (Manchester City).
Ashley Barnes (Burnley) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Hand ball by Wilfried Bony (Manchester City).
Attempt blocked. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Wilfried Bony.
Substitution, Burnley. Steven Reid replaces Danny Ings.
Attempt missed. Danny Ings (Burnley) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Ashley Barnes.
Foul by Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City).
Jason Shackell (Burnley) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Wilfried Bony (Manchester City).
Danny Ings (Burnley) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution, Burnley. Stephen Ward replaces Sam Vokes.
Attempt missed. Stevan Jovetic (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.
Attempt blocked. Frank Lampard (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Hand ball by Ashley Barnes (Burnley).
Attempt blocked. Jesús Navas (Manchester City) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Gaël Clichy.
Substitution, Manchester City. Frank Lampard replaces Yaya Touré.
Attempt missed. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Yaya Touré with a cross.
Attempt saved. Ashley Barnes (Burnley) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Sam Vokes.
Attempt saved. Wilfried Bony (Manchester City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Sergio Agüero.
Attempt missed. Fernandinho (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box is too high.
Substitution, Manchester City. Stevan Jovetic replaces David Silva.
Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Jason Shackell.
Attempt blocked. Yaya Touré (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Attempt saved. Wilfried Bony (Manchester City) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by David Silva.
Michael Duff (Burnley) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Michael Duff (Burnley).
Attempt missed. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Yaya Touré with a cross.
Offside, Burnley. Kieran Trippier tries a through ball, but Danny Ings is caught offside.
Attempt missed. Fernandinho (Manchester City) left footed shot from outside the box is too high following a corner.
Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Ashley Barnes.
Substitution, Manchester City. Wilfried Bony replaces Edin Dzeko.
Goal! Burnley 1, Manchester City 0. George Boyd (Burnley) left footed shot from outside the box to the bottom right corner following a set piece situation.
Martín Demichelis (Manchester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Martín Demichelis (Manchester City).
Danny Ings (Burnley) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt missed. Edin Dzeko (Manchester City) left footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by David Silva. | George Boyd's goal gave Burnley a famous win against Manchester City to further damage the champions' hopes of retaining their Premier League title. | 31776486 |
She went to Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford before she was admitted to the Hospital for Tropical Diseases.
The trust said the UK was rabies-free and staff would be unlikely to consider rabies unless a patient reported wild animal contact in an at-risk country.
Doctors responded to information given by the patient at the time, it added.
The woman, who has not been identified and is still receiving treatment, had been bitten by a dog in south Asia.
In a statement, the Kent NHS trust said some hospital staff members were being vaccinated against the potentially fatal disease.
It said: "Although there are no cases of rabies being passed by human-to-human contact, the five members of staff that came into close contact with the patient are being vaccinated as a precautionary measure."
The trust also said an investigation had begun into the circumstances around the patient's attendance at the emergency department.
It said it was also working closely with the Health Protection Agency (HPA).
Rabies is usually transferred through saliva from the bite of an infected animal, with dogs being the most common transmitter of rabies to humans.
More than 55,000 people are thought to die from rabies each year, with most cases occurring in south and south-east Asia.
Professor David Brown, a rabies expert at the HPA, said only four cases of human rabies acquired from dogs, all from abroad, had been identified in the UK since 2000. | A woman with rabies twice visited an accident and emergency unit in Kent before she was diagnosed and admitted to a London hospital. | 18192494 |
The city has been shortlisted alongside Coventry, Paisley, Stoke-on-Trent and Sunderland, but a bid by St Davids in Pembrokeshire failed to make the cut.
The City of Culture for 2021 will be announced in December.
Film director Kevin Allen, who wrote Swansea-based Twin Town in 1997, said he was "thrilled".
"I'd be very surprised if we hadn't [made the shortlist] to be honest if you looked at what we were up against and what we've got to offer," said Mr Allen, who is part of the bid team.
"We got close to the last one with Hull. I think we only didn't get it last time because it was such a last-minute bid. This is going to be very thorough and the work starts now.
"We've got a lot of work to do. Regardless of whether we get it or not, in the end it will be worthwhile because it's kick-starting lots of great initiatives."
It is the second time Swansea has been shortlisted for the title, the city lost out to Hull in the competition for the 2017 award.
The team behind the 2021 bid had previously said it wanted to host a programme of events which play on the "'lovely, ugly' Swansea that Dylan Thomas describes."
It now has until the end of September to submit a final bid before the winner of the third City of Culture is awarded by the UK government.
If successful the city, which is set for a £500m regeneration, would host a series of cultural events, including festivals, art and theatre performances, following in the footsteps of Derry/Londonderry and 2017 title-holder Hull.
It would also have access to a £3m Heritage Lottery Grant.
"The role that people play is really up to them," Mr Allen added. "It's up to us to encourage and develop channels of communication - break down the barriers of perception and conception.
"The perception of culture to some people is scary and it's all about literature and the arts council and stuff like that but it's not. I say that openly.
"I farmed for eight years of my life. I learned about the culture of the field. I have respect for people who see art in everything.
"It's not about being snotty, it's not about being a snob, it's not about being highly intellectual.
"It's about being considerate with each other and communicating and developing ways of enriching our lives and making our communities better. It's all culture."
Meanwhile, the team behind the failed St Davids bid said they were "disappointed" not to have made the shortlist. | The team behind Swansea's bid to become the UK's City of Culture for 2021 has said they have learnt lessons from losing out to Hull four years ago. | 40617307 |
"Corrective action will be taken against those responsible," said city's Mayor Parks Tau.
Wednesday's rush-hour incident happened on the main highway linking Johannesburg to the capital, Pretoria.
The BBC's Pumza Fihlani in Johannesburg says efforts to reopen the busy M1 motorway are continuing.
Traffic between Johannesburg and Pretoria has been severely disrupted by the accident that happened near a busy slip road close to the Sandton financial district.
The temporary bridge linked Sandton to the poorer area of Alexandra - and had been put in place while a permanent bridge was being built.
Spokesman for the mayor's office Makhudu Sefara has told the BBC that 21 people were injured - with six remaining in hospital, three of whom are receiving treatment in intensive care units.
Mayor Tau told reporters at the scene of the accident that the building of a permanent bridge would continue because it remained an important link for the city.
Both the construction company, Murray & Roberts, as well as South Africa's Labour Department have begun separate investigations to determine what caused the bridge to collapse. | Authorities in South Africa have opened an investigation after a temporary pedestrian bridge collapsed over a motorway in Johannesburg killing two. | 34538715 |
Olly Lee scored on the stroke of half-time with James Collins and Dan Potts sealing the win for the Hatters in the second half.
Colchester went close early on, Doug Loft's long range effort testing goalkeeper Marek Stech, while Luton striker Danny Hylton's header was parried away by Sam Walker.
Town midfielder Lee was denied by an excellent save from Walker and Andrew Shinnie then shot straight at the keeper from Jack Stacey's cross.
Hatters were ahead on the stroke of half time, though, Lee firing home at the second attempt when a corner was not cleared.
After the break, Alan McCormack's fierce shot was superbly tipped over by Walker, although he could do nothing but watch as Collins curled into the top corner in the 52nd minute.
Hatters keeper Stech produced an incredible save to keep out Sammie Szmodics' close-range header, while Luton almost got a third, with Hylton heading against the bar.
Alan Sheehan saw his volley hit the woodwork too before Potts made it 3-0 with seven minutes remaining after touching home Sheehan's free-kick.
Match report supplied by the Press Association.
Match ends, Luton Town 3, Colchester United 0.
Second Half ends, Luton Town 3, Colchester United 0.
Corner, Colchester United. Conceded by Dan Potts.
Attempt missed. Mikael Mandron (Colchester United) left footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the left.
Substitution, Luton Town. Elliot Lee replaces Danny Hylton.
Substitution, Luton Town. Jordan Cook replaces Andrew Shinnie.
Substitution, Luton Town. Harry Cornick replaces James Collins.
Attempt missed. Sean Murray (Colchester United) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high.
Attempt missed. Tariq Issa (Colchester United) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high.
Foul by Alan Sheehan (Luton Town).
Mikael Mandron (Colchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Goal! Luton Town 3, Colchester United 0. Dan Potts (Luton Town) left footed shot from the left side of the six yard box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Alan Sheehan with a cross following a set piece situation.
Jack Stacey (Luton Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Tariq Issa (Colchester United).
James Collins (Luton Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Lewis Kinsella (Colchester United).
Foul by Alan Sheehan (Luton Town).
Tom Eastman (Colchester United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution, Colchester United. Tariq Issa replaces Drey Wright.
Attempt missed. Kane Vincent-Young (Colchester United) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.
Foul by Olly Lee (Luton Town).
Lewis Kinsella (Colchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu (Luton Town).
Sean Murray (Colchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner, Luton Town. Conceded by Kane Vincent-Young.
Attempt blocked. Alan Sheehan (Luton Town) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Frankie Kent (Colchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Andrew Shinnie (Luton Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Frankie Kent (Colchester United).
Corner, Luton Town. Conceded by Sean Murray.
Danny Hylton (Luton Town) hits the bar with a header from the centre of the box.
Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu (Luton Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Kane Vincent-Young (Colchester United).
Hand ball by Denny Johnstone (Colchester United).
Substitution, Colchester United. Denny Johnstone replaces Cole Kpekawa.
Lewis Kinsella (Colchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Jack Stacey (Luton Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Lewis Kinsella (Colchester United).
Corner, Luton Town. Conceded by Tom Eastman.
Attempt blocked. Dan Potts (Luton Town) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. | Colchester's search for their first League Two win of the season continues after they were soundly beaten by Luton Town. | 40908045 |
A new study finds that for thousands of years the rocks were being beaten back by the waves at perhaps 2-6cm a year.
The past 150 years has seen this retreat accelerate 10-fold, to more than 20cm a year.
The speed-up was clocked with the aid of a smart technique that tracks changes induced in rocks when they are exposed to energetic space particles.
The research, led from the British Geological Survey and conducted by Martin Hurst and colleagues, is reported in the leading American journal, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The group believes the findings will help us understand some of the coming impacts of climate change.
"Our coasts are going to change in the future as a result of sea-level rise and perhaps increased storminess, and we want this work to inform better forecasts of erosion," Dr Hurst, currently affiliated to Glasgow University, told BBC News.
The research was centred on East Sussex and its towering cliffs at Beachy Head and Hope Gap.
Originally laid down 90 million years ago, these soft chalk faces are now being eaten away by the relentless pounding they get from the sea.
Dr Hurst's team was able to estimate the pace of this reversal by examining the amount of beryllium-10 in nodules of flint embedded in the eroded platform in front of the cliffs.
The radioactive element is produced when cosmic rays - that constantly shower the Earth - hit oxygen atoms in the flints' quartz minerals.
The longer the nodules have been exposed, the greater their build-up of beryllium-10.
At Beachy Head and Hope Gap, the gently sloping platform, which is only uncovered at low tide, extends seaward several hundred metres.
It represents all that is left after millennia of cliff removal.
"The lower rates of erosion that we report - about 2.5cm at Hope Gap and around 6cm at Beachy Head - are averaged over that timeframe - through about the past 7,000 years of the Holocene," explained Dr Hurst.
"But comparing that to observations based on topographic maps and aerial photography of the last 150 years - the difference is quite stark. These historical observations from 1870 to the present suggest erosion rates of 20-30cm a year at the two sites."
The estimates of change in the deep past are tricky because the platform appears younger than it really is.
This stems from the fact that its surface continues to erode downwards, removing its oldest exposed flints. The regular tidal covering of water also has to be considered because it will restrict the flux of cosmic rays reaching the platform, thus limiting the amount of beryllium that can be induced in the nodules.
But the team is confident in its analysis and puts forward some ideas to explain the recent big up-tick in erosion.
These concern the available gravels at the foot of the cliffs that constitute the beach.
Ordinarily, this material acts as a buffer, limiting the energy of crashing waves.
But there is good evidence that the beaches in this region of the south coast have got thinner through time and perhaps therefore offer less protection today than they once did.
In the modern era, groynes and sea walls have been erected further down the coast and these may have interfered with the along-shore transport of gravels. And further back in time, several hundred years ago, it is possible also that there was a phase of more storms. These could have removed significant volumes of gravel and pushed the rates of erosion into a new, more aggressive regime that persists even now.
Co-author Dr Dylan Rood from Imperial College London told BBC News: "The coast is clearly eroding, and Britain has retreated fast. A nearly tenfold increase in retreat rates over a very short timescale, in geological terms, is remarkable.
"The UK cannot leave the issue of cliff erosion unresolved in the face of a warming world and rising sea levels. Cliff erosion is irreversible; once the cliffs retreat, they are gone for good."
Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos | Recent centuries have seen a big jump in the rates of erosion in the iconic chalk cliffs on England's south coast. | 37893804 |
Giles McAllen, 28, of Deramore Park in Magherafelt, bet the majority of the stolen cash at a single bookmakers.
The bets were all cash transactions, including some totalling more than £100,000 in a single day.
McAllen had been the manager at a store in Moira from June 2015 and had responsibility for handling cash.
A prosecutor said there were two safes in the shop, one for day to day cash for the tills and the other for the takings. It needed two keys - McAllen's and one held by G4S for when they made secure collections.
The second key had been left at the shop.
Ownership of the business was transferred and on 23 July last year an operations manager "noticed an anomaly of £600", the prosecution lawyer said.
Further investigations revealed no money had been lodged that month at all and that according to sale figures, "about £144,000 was unaccounted for".
McAllen was spoken to and claimed the missing cash was in the second safe, but that he had forgotten his key. He made more excuses the next day.
When the second safe was eventually opened, it contained no cash and eventually McAllen's father told senior managers "all of the money had gone to the bookies".
Arrested and interviewed McAllen "made full and frank admissions" about stealing the cash, which he used to place bets of between £100 to £4,000.
He pleaded guilty at a later stage to a single count of the theft of £149,480 from his employers on dates between 1 April and 29 July last year.
The prosecutor told the court that both the staff and owner at Tommy French bookmakers in Moira were spoken to and that betting slips revealed how £629,846 had gone through the betting shop between stakes and wins, including stakes of more than £100,000 in a single day.
He added, however, that when McAllen kept betting, "he simply loses that money."
A defence barrister said it was clear that McAllen is "genuinely remorseful and entirely ashamed" of his actions which were always going to be uncovered given there was no sophistication to the thefts.
The judge at Craigavon Crown Court said he was astonished by the huge amount of large bets being made at a single bookmakers.
The judge said "it seems from what the manager said that you reinvested, or gambled, or threw away, large sums of money in their direction" so much so that they profited by around £123,000.
"It astonishes me that you were placing large sums of money in cash even though they knew you were a worker at a local shop, rather than some money millionaire who simply happened to stop off in Moira from time to time to place bets," the judge said.
He said while he had no powers to do anything about the bookmakers, "it's a matter that could be referred to the council when their licence is up for renewal".
He added, however, that "whatever the shortcomings of the bookmakers, at the end of the day the responsibility for the criminality lies at your hands and no one else's".
The judge jailed McAllen for 10 months and ordered him to spend the same period on supervised licence.
Tommy French bookmakers was contacted by the BBC, but did not want to comment on the case. | A shop manager who stole almost £150,000 to fund a gambling addiction has been jailed for 10 months. | 40125317 |
Colin Campbell, 56, has primary progressive multiple sclerosis.
He said his health had rapidly deteriorated over the last two years and he wanted to choose to die before he was not in a fit state to do so.
Assisted suicide is unlawful in Scotland. A move to change the law was defeated in a vote in the Scottish Parliament in 2015.
Mr Campbell, who is booked to go to a clinic in Basel next month, was first diagnosed with MS when he was 34, but had previously suspected he had a health condition because of a deterioration in his ability to play sports.
He uses a walking frame to move around his flat and a wheelchair when travelling outside of his home.
Mr Campbell, who formerly worked in IT, still has use of his hands and passes his time playing guitar.
However, he told BBC Radio Scotland's Kaye Adams Programme: "Having primary progressive MS means it will always get progressively worse and will eventually lead to loss of all functionality.
"I will lose use of my hands and won't be able to do anything. My voice will become slurred and I will not be able to feed myself."
Mr Campbell said he felt like a "condemned man confined in his cell on death row".
He told the programme that requiring two stays in hospital within two months over the winter had convinced him that he did not want to face another winter.
On one of the two occasions, he had flu and had collapsed while trying to go to the toilet. He lay on the floor of his flat "in the cold and dark" until his landlord happened by chance to knock at his door.
Mr Campbell said he did not believe stem cell therapy was an option for him, but appreciated that there were people in similar situations to him that were using crowdfunding to pay for this type of treatment.
In 2015, MSPs rejected the Assisted Suicide Scotland Bill by 82 votes to 36 in a free vote following a debate at Holyrood.
The bill would have allowed those with terminal illnesses to seek the help of a doctor to end their own life.
Supporters said the plan had widespread public backing but critics argued a change in the law would be unethical.
Dr Gordon MacDonald, a spokesman for the Care Not Killing campaign, told the Kaye Adams Programme he believed assisted suicide should continue to be unlawful.
He said that in Oregon, a US state where assisted suicide is lawful, there were more than 2,000 requests last year for assisted suicide. However, only 133 people went ahead.
Dr MacDonald said: "This suggests a lot of people will express a desire, but don't choose to do so."
He said vulnerable people could be pressured into opting for assisted suicide.
Mr Campbell said safeguards could be put in place to allow the procedure to happen in Scotland. | An Inverness man has spoken of his decision to end his own life in a clinic in Switzerland. | 39730961 |
Richard McFarlane and Maureen MacLeod were part of a lengthy dispute between parliament and the IndyCamp group.
The camp was evicted in November 2016, but a series of court appeals continued afterwards, with each being rejected.
The Supreme Court said the application for the latest appeal "does not raise an arguable point of law".
This means the judgement given by the Inner House of the Court of Session in October 2016 stands.
The camp was set up on the edge of the parliamentary estate in November 2015, with the stated objective of maintaining a vigil until Scotland became independent.
The parliament's corporate body ordered them to leave, arguing that they were camping without permission, and potentially compromising the political neutrality of the parliamentary estate.
Lord Turnbull ruled against the group in the summer of 2016 after a lengthy and often colourful legal battle, and his decision was subsequently upheld by the Inner House.
The campers applied for leave to challenge that ruling in the Supreme Court, but this was also rejected, with Scottish judges saying it was not a clear matter of public importance.
Mr McFarlane - who argued repeatedly during the original case that Christ had returned to earth and had given permission for the camp to stay - submitted an application directly to the UK court, saying the group's rights to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly under the European Convention of Human Rights had been infringed.
A panel of three Supreme Court justices considered written submissions, but ruled that "permission to appeal be refused because the application does not raise an arguable point of law".
A spokesman for the Scottish Parliament said: "The SPCB welcomes today's decision of the Supreme Court, which brings this matter to a close."
Mr McFarlane and Ms MacLeod were two of nine respondents in the original case, and submitted one of four appeals heard at the Court of Session. It is not thought any of the other campers applied to the Supreme Court for a fresh appeal.
The Court of Session ruled that the campers should have to pay the costs for the case, which were estimated as running in excess of £128,000, but the parliament ultimately decided that pursuing them "would not be cost effective". | The Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from two former members of a pro-independence camp which was set up outside the Scottish Parliament. | 40061958 |
Hayden died in his home in Santa Monica "after a lengthy illness", the Los Angeles Times reports.
He was a member of the "Chicago seven" charged with conspiracy over anti-Vietnam war protests in 1968 and eventually acquitted.
Hayden later served in the California state assembly and Senate for nearly two decades. He was married to actress Jane Fonda between 1973 and 1990.
Born in Michigan in 1939, he became an activist during his time at the University of Michigan, where he helped to found Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).
While there, he wrote a policy document called the Port Huron Statement, which he styled the "agenda for a generation".
Mr Hayden and the SDS went on to become a major influence on the 1960s protest movement, particularly against the Vietnam war.
"Rarely, if ever, in American history has a generation begun with higher ideals and experienced greater trauma than those who lived fully the short time from 1960 to 1968,'' he wrote in the essay Streets of Chicago.
In 1968, Mr Hayden was part of a controversial anti-war demonstration in Chicago, timed to coincide with the Democratic National Convention.
The protest turned violent, with eight people - including Mr Hayden - charged with conspiracy and crossing state lines to incite a riot.
The so-called Chicago seven trial - originally the Chicago eight, before one defendant was tried separately - ran for years, with appeals and retrials. Mr Hayden was eventually cleared of all charges.
In 1973, he married actress Jane Fonda, who was herself an outspoken critic of the Vietnam War. She was internationally famous and wealthy, while he was still seen in some quarters as an anti-establishment troublemaker.
He would go on to reinvent himself in the coming decades, moving away from the image of a long-haired student protester.
He turned his attention to mainstream politics in the late 1970s, earning himself a place in the California State Assembly in 1982. A decade later, shortly after his divorce from Fonda, he moved on to the California Senate.
He also became a prolific writer of books and essays, and served as a columnist for several outlets.
Fifty years after he wrote the Port Huron statement, about a generation "looking uncomfortably to the world we inherit", he wrote that the concentration of wealth in the hands of the elite was a "mountain untouched" .
Writing in The Guardian in 2012, he called the Occupy Wall Street protests a "new force in the world".
"The Occupy movement, and kindred spirits from the Middle East to China, is driven by young people who feel unrepresented by the institutions, disenfranchised economically, and threatened by an environmental catastrophe," he said.
"The direct action movement of the early 1960s was similar in nature."
Hayden married actress Barbara Williams in 1993, and had a son, Liam.
Tributes to the iconic protester-turned-politician emerged on social media following his death.
Clara Jeffery, editor of left-leaning investigative magazine Mother Jones, said: "Tom Hayden lived a cinematically full life; any one of these chapters worth a biopic."
Mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti, said "a political giant and dear friend has passed."
"Tom Hayden fought harder for what he believed than just about anyone I have known," he tweeted. | Famed American anti-war activist Tom Hayden has died aged 76. | 37749127 |
Police issued a description of a suspect following the incident in Newhame Road on 17 December.
Officers said the pensioner was left shaken by the incident, but was uninjured.
A report has been submitted to the procurator fiscal and the man is expected to appear at Forfar Sheriff Court on Friday. | A 57-year-old man has been charged in connection with the alleged robbery of an 88-year-old woman in Montrose. | 38467708 |
Laurence (Larry) and Martina Hayes from County Westmeath were among 38 people killed when a gunman opened fire at a beach resort in Sousse last Friday.
The other Irish victim was mother-of-two Lorna Carty, from County Meath. She will be buried on Saturday.
A minute's silence is being held across the UK at noon to remember the victims of the massacre.
It is understood all three bodies were returned to the Republic of Ireland early on Thursday.
On Thursday evening, large crowds gathered in Athlone to pay their respects to the Hayes at a funeral home in the town.
Colleagues of Mr Hayes, who worked in Bus Éireann, later formed a guard of honour as the remains were brought to the nearby St Peter's and Paul's Church.
Mr and Mrs Hayes were in their 50s and had one daughter.
A requiem Mass for the couple will be held at 11:00 (local time) on Friday.
Ms Carty, who was in her 50s, was on holiday with her husband, Declan, when the attack happened.
Her remains will be removed to the Church of the Assumption, Robinstown, on Saturday morning for requiem Mass at 12 noon.
Candles will be lit and the names and photographs of those killed will be displayed inside St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast, as prayers are said to coincide with the silence at midday.
Eight suspects, remain in custody on suspicion of being directly linked to the deadly attack. Four others who were held have been released.
Many of the 30 British people who died have been repatriated. | The funeral for two of the three Irish victims of last Friday's terror attack in Tunisia is due to take place later. | 33373004 |
James Meyers said he was pulled over for driving his car with a defective taillight on Tuesday when the police officer told him there was a warrant out for his arrest.
In 2002, Mr Meyers rented the comedy Freddie Got Fingered from J&J's Video, which has since closed.
He had been charged with failure to return rental property, a misdemeanour.
"The officer said, 'I don't know how to tell you this but there's a warrant out for your arrest from 2002. ... I thought he was joking," Mr Meyers told WSOC, a local TV station.
"For the first time I got put in handcuffs."
He was booked at the police station and was given a court date, but the charge was later dismissed. He faced a fine of $200 (£140).
Freddie Got Fingered, about an out-of-work cartoonist who moves in with his parents, was criticised by critics and was considered a disappointment at the box office when it was released in 2001.
The story even caught the attention of the movie's star comedian Tom Green.
Green told the Australian TV show The Project that he would have gladly paid the fine for Mr Meyer.
"I think it's sort of an example of how bureaucracy can get out of control," Mr Green said. | A North Carolina man has been arrested after he failed to return a movie he rented 14 years ago. | 35899697 |
Mr Mugabe, who is 90, drew applause when he denounced colonialism.
He also spoke of the "scourge of terrorism" from Boko Haram and said there needed to be "lasting solutions" to the issue in Nigeria and Cameroon.
Earlier, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned of the dangers of leaders clinging to power.
Mr Mugabe has led his country since independence in 1980.
He is subject to travel bans imposed by the US and the EU because of political violence and intimidation in Zimbabwe.
Within Africa he is a divisive figure, with some seeing him as a nationalist hero and others as a despot responsible for gross human rights abuses.
Western diplomatic sources said his election to the mostly ceremonial post of AU chairman was unlikely to have much impact on relations.
In his address to leaders, Mr Mugabe spoke of the need to take advantage of Africa's mineral wealth and agricultural potential, and guard against exploitation by foreigners.
He said African countries wanted relationships with "friends", but "colonialists and imperialists" had no place in the continent.
Later, he received applause when he referred to the long-running territorial dispute in Western Sahara between Morocco and the Algerian-backed Polisario Front.
"As long as our brothers in Western Sahara are under Moroccan occupation we are not totally free," he said. | African leaders meeting in Addis Ababa have chosen the continent's oldest head of state, Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, as AU chairman for the coming year. | 31057151 |
A minute's silence was observed before kick-off to remember the 130 victims of the attacks on 13 November 2015.
Emil Forsberg's free-kick put Sweden ahead in the second half but Manchester United's Pogba quickly equalised.
Payet's 65th-minute winner moved France three points clear in Group A.
The West Ham midfielder had earlier set up the equaliser for Pogba, the world's most expensive player nodding home his team-mate's precise free-kick.
Payet capped a bright performance with the decisive goal, turning the ball in from close range after Sweden goalkeeper Robin Olsen fumbled.
Security was predictably tight at the national stadium two days short of the poignant anniversary, with around 1,200 stewards and 400 police officers deployed in and around the ground.
The minute's silence was observed in the presence of French president Francois Hollande, who was also present a year ago when three suicide bombers blew themselves up outside the ground during a friendly against Germany - killing one and forcing the stadium into lockdown.
"We have to remember," Hollande told French television. "One year ago, almost to the day, we were here for a friendly game and three bombs were detonated, with one man being killed.
"We have to remember there were 130 people who died and hundreds of others who were injured. For them and for those who survived we must remember."
Match ends, France 2, Sweden 1.
Second Half ends, France 2, Sweden 1.
Hugo Lloris (France) is shown the yellow card.
Blaise Matuidi (France) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Isaac Thelin (Sweden).
Offside, Sweden. Ola Toivonen tries a through ball, but Isaac Thelin is caught offside.
Paul Pogba (France) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Paul Pogba (France).
Emil Forsberg (Sweden) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Blaise Matuidi (France).
Emil Krafth (Sweden) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, France. N'Golo Kanté replaces Antoine Griezmann.
Substitution, Sweden. Pontus Jansson replaces Jimmy Durmaz.
Attempt missed. Isaac Thelin (Sweden) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Ola Toivonen.
Offside, France. Dimitri Payet tries a through ball, but Antoine Griezmann is caught offside.
Attempt missed. Antoine Griezmann (France) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Dimitri Payet.
Raphael Varane (France) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Isaac Thelin (Sweden).
Corner, France. Conceded by Andreas Granqvist.
Hand ball by Raphael Varane (France).
Corner, France. Conceded by Jimmy Durmaz.
Attempt blocked. Antoine Griezmann (France) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Oscar Hiljemark (Sweden) is shown the yellow card.
Dimitri Payet (France) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Jakob Johansson (Sweden).
Corner, Sweden. Conceded by Patrice Evra.
Attempt saved. Blaise Matuidi (France) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Attempt blocked. Dimitri Payet (France) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Djibril Sidibe.
Substitution, Sweden. Isaac Thelin replaces John Guidetti.
Offside, Sweden. Emil Krafth tries a through ball, but John Guidetti is caught offside.
Foul by Laurent Koscielny (France).
John Guidetti (Sweden) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Attempt blocked. Moussa Sissoko (France) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Djibril Sidibe with a cross.
Attempt missed. Jimmy Durmaz (Sweden) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by John Guidetti following a corner.
Corner, Sweden. Conceded by Moussa Sissoko.
Substitution, Sweden. Oscar Hiljemark replaces Albin Ekdal.
Goal! France 2, Sweden 1. Dimitri Payet (France) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Antoine Griezmann.
Attempt saved. Antoine Griezmann (France) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Ola Toivonen (Sweden) because of an injury. | Paul Pogba and Dimitri Payet were on target as France marked the first anniversary of the Paris attacks with victory over Sweden in a World Cup qualifier at Stade de France. | 37955389 |
David, a cereal farmer, tends 210 acres of land by the shores of Strangford Lough.
When he was a child, the distinctive call of the grey partridge echoed in the fields around his home.
However, the bird disappeared when changes to the way crops were farmed affected its habitat and food sources.
It was declared extinct from Northern Ireland in 1992.
But in the Irish Republic, a conservation project had captured the few remaining wild birds and established a breeding programme.
Now David has taken delivery of 29 birds and, for the second year, is breeding and releasing them.
The main threats to the grey partridge are predators like fox and pine marten, the weather and the bird's own tendency not to back down from a fight.
"The great thing about the grey partridge is that they're great parents and that probably has been their demise," said David.
"Most other birds, when a fox comes, will run away. But a grey partridge mother or father will stand up to the fox."
For the conservation project to work, David has to farm his crop with the wildlife in mind.
He leaves a three metre wide habitat strip around his barley fields, planted with the kind of tussocky traditional grasses the bird favours.
He gets a subsidy to cover the value of the land he has set aside.
He says that if it were a little more generous, more farmers would participate.
David is a committed conservationist.
This week, he was hosting training for farmers and environmentalists participating in the first survey of farmland birds here.
The Big Farmland Bird Count is a UK project.
It is the first year farmers in Northern Ireland are being asked to contribute.
They are being asked to spend 30 minutes counting the bird life on their farms on any one day between 6 and 14 February.
The idea is to assess the success of wildlife conservation measures on farms.
Memory inspires return of rare bird
The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust says farms growing cereal are best suited, but dairy and beef farms can also incorporate such measures.
It says it is hoping to see figures yellowhammers being included in the bird count. Spokesman Dave Parish said the bird is declining rapidly in Northern Ireland. | A boyhood memory prompted David Sandford to try to reintroduce a native bird that died out in Northern Ireland decades ago. | 35420937 |
The number of over-65s being helped by councils had fallen by a quarter in the four years to 2014, the joint King's Fund and Nuffield Trust report said.
This was despite more people needing help, because of the ageing population.
Ministers said they were taking measures to address the problems.
But the report goes on to highlight the growing numbers left with no care or having to pay for support themselves.
The report has been released on the day the BBC publishes an online guide to care, which details the costs people face wherever they live in the UK.
Care is means-tested, with only the poorest getting help to pay for services, including help in the home for daily tasks such as washing and dressing, as well as round-the-clock support in care homes and nursing homes.
You stay in your own home while getting help with everyday tasks such as washing, dressing and eating.
average amount of care provided per week, by your council
average paid per hour by your council, 2014-15
average paid per hour in your region if you pay for your own care, 2016
You live in a care home that provides round-the-clock support with everyday tasks.
TBC pay for their own care
You live in a care home which provides round-the-clock support for everyday tasks and nursing care. Depending on your medical needs, the NHS may contribute to your costs.
TBC pay for their own care
Savings, investments and income are assessed, along with the value of your home - unless you or a close relative live there.
The think tanks carried out interviews with people working in the service and being cared for, as well as analysing existing data during their review.
They found:
The report also warned that the cuts by councils were a risk to the future of the market.
It said it was only a matter of time before a care provider - most services are provided by outside agencies - collapsed, and it noted that providers had walked away from council contracts in 59 local authority areas.
Bruce Moore, chief executive of Housing and Care, a large home care provider which is looking to sell the contracts it has, said councils had driven down fees so much he could no longer recruit and retain the staff he needed.
"The local authority market is really under pressure at the moment."
The review said such pressures were likely to continue, claiming the funding outlook for the coming years was "bleak" and ministers needed to reform the system or be honest with the public that government-funded care was extremely limited.
1.2 million
people with care needs go without help
4 in 10 people in care homes pay for themselves
300,000 fewer people receive council-funded help than four years ago
£100,000 or more spent on care by 1 in 10 people
But the government said it was investing in the care system.
A £5bn pot of money has been set aside to encourage joint work between the NHS and care sector, with an additional £1.5bn being added to that by 2019, and councils have been allowed to increase council tax by 2% a year to invest in care services.
A Department of Health official added: "We understand the social care system is under pressure, and this government is committed to ensuring those in old age throughout the country can get affordable and dignified care."
Cyril Tomline has dementia and his wife of 54 years, Ann, a former district councillor, cares for him with help from their family, who live nearby, and some paid-for support.
"We are lucky, we own our own property. We have a lovely daughter next door," she says.
But problems arose when Mrs Tomline had to be admitted to hospital for an ankle injury.
She could not be discharged, because the council could not provide anyone to help both her and her husband.
Once again, her family stepped in, and she has now been able to start caring for Mr Tomline again.
"I became very depressed.," she recalls, "very, very depressed, very weepy."
"And that's not my nature. That's not my nature. I just felt nobody cared."
Ray James, of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, said councils simply did not have enough money.
"We're now at a tipping point where social care is in jeopardy," he said.
"Unless the government addresses the chronic underfunding of the sector, there will be worrying consequences."
Caroline Abrahams, of Age UK, said: "Social care is in serious trouble, and this is putting the health and dignity of today's older people at risk.
"Today's reports highlight the need for serious reform to a system that is being starved of the cash and the attention that it deserves."
Read more from Nick
Follow Nick on Twitter | Frail old people in England are being left to fend for themselves because government-funded care is being scaled back, a review suggests. | 37364797 |
The 5-4 shot, trained by John Gosden, saw off the challenge of 9-1 Ulysses in second, with 8-1 Idaho in third.
Racing against older horses, the three-year-old added to her Oaks success at Epsom and in Ireland this year.
Last year's winner Highland Reel - Idaho's brother, priced at 5-1 - finished in fourth place.
Under rainy and overcast Berkshire skies, Enable impressed as she raced away from the four-year-old Eclipse Stakes winner Ulysses.
The summer event attracts some of the best horses from across the world, with this year's line-up for the mile and a half race proving no different.
Previous Group One winners Jack Hobbs, My Dream Boat and Ulysses were joined by Sixties Song, the latter travelling from Argentina.
Detorri had been on an intense diet to achieve the 8st 7lb weight required to ride a three-year-old filly in the event.
"All the days injured, this last week not eating, it was well worth it," the 46-year-old Italian told BBC Sport.
"It means a lot to me. I missed Royal Ascot to come back here, having pushed myself to extremes to get back.
"My fifth King George, what a buzz. I can't wait to have something to eat and a glass of champagne. I think I deserve it now."
Trainer Gosden told ITV Sport: "Enable is as good a filly as I have ever trained."
BBC Sport horse racing correspondent Cornelius Lysaght
Enable was magnificent, showing herself to be a filly - and indeed a three-year-old - of the highest calibre as she swept aside talented, and mainly older, rivals headed by the admirable Ulysses.
It was an electric turn of foot that Enable demonstrated with still over a quarter-mile to go before becoming the first filly to complete the Epsom Oaks-Irish Oaks-King George treble.
Frankie Dettori continues to shine for his sport, even on this most dismal of wet days. Having lost seven pounds in seven days to make the weight, he fully deserves the big dinner, plus a glass of champagne, he said he craves. | Dual Oaks winner and race favourite Enable, ridden by Frankie Dettori, has won the prestigious King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot. | 40764777 |
The two-day summit is taking place in the capital, Phnom Penh.
Foreign ministers of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, meeting ahead of their heads of state, have expressed concern over Pyongyang's plans to launch a rocket in April.
They also gave Sunday's ''orderly'' vote in Burma a strong endorsement.
Asean agreed last November that Burma could take the chair of the regional bloc in 2014.
The leaders of the country's military-backed civilian government allowed foreign observers for the 1 April poll for the first time, extending the invitation to Asean, as well as representatives from the European Union and United States.
Indonesia's Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said the poll was "an opportunity for Myanmar [Burma] to make the reform process even more irreversible".
Asean leaders have long adopted a light touch towards Burma's military government while other countries imposed sanctions, says the BBC's Guy Delauney in Phnom Penh.
They will be keen to acclaim the weekend's elections and other recent reforms as vindication of their stance, says our correspondent.
North Korea's planned rocket launch between 12 to 16 April - which it says will put a satellite in orbit to mark the centenary of late leader Kim Il-sung's birth - has also emerged as a key issue for the summit.
The US says the launch will be a disguised long-range missile test that breaches UN resolutions.
On Sunday, the Philippines lodged protests with Pyongyang's representatives at the United Nations, in China, one of North Korea's closest allies, and at Asean.
US Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said that the rocket path will be between Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Another geopolitical issue likely to surface is the tension with China over the disputed South China Sea region. China has overlapping territorial claims with several Asean members - the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.
Chinese President Hu Jintao visited Phnom Penh over the weekend, prior to the summit. The host country's close relationship with Beijing may cause awkward moments if the South China Sea issue comes up, says our correspondent.
Asean was set up on 8 August 1967 by founder members Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore. Brunei joined in 1984, followed by Vietnam in 1995, Laos and Burma in 1997 and Cambodia in 1999.
The summit's main agenda on Tuesday is its goal of becoming a EU-like bloc by 2015. Asean Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan said the group is ''on track" to meet the deadline. | Asean leaders are meeting in Cambodia, with North Korea's planned rocket launch, Burma's by-election and the South China Sea topping the agenda. | 17582138 |
John McIntosh, who is 35 and from Aberdeen, was originally found guilty of attempting to murder a 37-year-old man in the Tillydrone area of the city in July last year.
However, appeal judges in Edinburgh agreed to reduce the charge to serious assault.
His sentence was reduced from nine years to six years.
During his original trial, the court had heard that McIntosh had lodged a self-defence case after claiming his victim Daniel Main had hit him on the head with a bat.
McIntosh claimed that he was unable to escape at the time because he was on crutches.
Mr Mane was later taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and found to have sustained six or more blows from a hammer to his head resulting in a depressed skull fracture.
Following his conviction, lawyers acting for McIntosh raised a legal challenge, and leave to appeal was granted on the grounds that the trial judge, Lord Glennie, had misdirected the jury by failing to give guidance on the issue of provocation in the case.
His counsel, Jonathan Crowe, had argued before Lord Menzies - sitting with Lord Bracadale and Lord Turnbull - that the trial judge had been wrong to decide that the evidence could not support a plea of provocation.
Lord Turnbull said: "We accept the submission made on the appellant's behalf that the trial judge ought to have given directions on provocation and left open to the jury the opportunity of returning a reduced verdict on that basis."
Following their ruling the appeal judges quashed the conviction for attempted murder and substituted one for assault to severe injury, permanent disfigurement and impairment and to the danger of life.
In imposing a reduced prison sentence on McIntosh, Lord Menzies pointed out that he had a bad record, including numerous convictions for violence.
An appeal by McIntosh's former co-accused and then girlfriend, Joanne Mitchell who was jailed for two-and-a-half years for assault, was refused. | A man who was jailed for nine years for a hammer attack has had his prison sentence cut after a legal challenge. | 38183784 |
First, Mr Brennan will be confirmed. And second, despite nearly a dozen years of war, there are profound disagreements both within the United States and beyond about how this conflict has been and should be waged.
Mr Brennan provided a forceful defence of the Obama administration's war against al-Qaeda over the past four years, particularly its increased employment of drones in various countries he declined to specify.
He made clear that the administration believes it has the legal authority to use lethal force in self-defence against al-Qaeda and associated forces wherever there is an imminent threat against the United States and capture is not feasible.
The committee was clearly supportive of the continued use of drones in the ongoing war against al-Qaeda. Americans by a wide margin share this view.
But that is not the case outside the United States. The rest of the world questions the legality of their use, viscerally so in a country such as Pakistan, where drone attacks increased significantly during President Obama's first term.
While Mr Brennan declined to discuss where drones are employed, Ambassador Sherry Rehman, Pakistan's ambassador to the United States, displayed no such reticence.
In a discussion with reporters in Washington two days before Mr Brennan's testimony, she made clear that the civilian government in Islamabad views America's continued deployment of drones as a violation of Pakistan's sovereignty, as well as strategically counter-productive.
"We need to drain this swamp and instead it [the drone campaign] is radicalising people," Ambassador Rehman said.
"It creates more potential terrorists on the ground and militants on the ground instead of taking them out. If it's taking out, say, a high-value or a medium-value target, it's also creating probably an entire community of future recruits."
Recent polling tends to support Ambassador Rehman's view.
An estimated 74% of Pakistanis polled by Pew last year termed the United States an "enemy." Drones are a clear factor.
Mr Brennan says the administration takes into account the potential backlash from ongoing counter-terrorism operations.
But rather than address Pakistani concerns publicly as part of a long-term public diplomacy approach, the Obama administration has chosen, at least at the moment, to pretend the problem does not exist.
It refuses to acknowledge (despite widespread news reports) the existence of a drone campaign in Pakistan.
Whether this approach is sustainable and for how long is an open question.
According to Pakistani authorities, whether or not there was close co-ordination regarding drone operations in the past, there is none now.
Ambassador Rehman denies that Pakistan criticises the use of drones in public, but co-operates in private.
"There is no question of any quiet complicity. No question of wink and nod," she insisted.
This represents a genuine conundrum for the Obama administration. There is no question that drone strikes have been a major factor in virtually eliminating the strategic threat posed by core al-Qaeda.
But what started out as a strategic campaign against high-value targets has morphed into something far more tactical.
Drones are increasingly employed not against al-Qaeda operatives plotting attacks against the American homeland, but to target lower-level Taliban forces that continue to attack US forces in Afghanistan.
Presumably, Washington wants to keep up pressure on al-Qaeda's sanctuary in the tribal areas until US forces withdraw from Afghanistan in 2014.
But at what cost?
At the start of the Obama administration, strengthening of civilian governmental institutions in Pakistan was considered the long-term solution to extremism linked to Pakistan.
Now the drone campaign undercuts the very civilian government the United States is spending billions in aid to build up.
Relations between the two countries have stabilised, but the lack of trust remains deep.
The Pakistani parliament has made clear that drones are a "red line", one Washington chooses for the moment to ignore, putting its long-term standing and influence with Pakistan in jeopardy.
"Every time there is a drone strike, you see it on 40 channels at least in Pakistan," said Ambassador Rehman.
"They lend an unfortunate view of US power and how the United States projects its power abroad."
Drones may be a key element in the US strategy, but as Ambassador Rehman makes clear, they are "not part of our playbook. The time for drone strikes is really over."
But based on the Brennan hearing, there is no indication the United States plans to follow her advice any time soon. | By the time John Brennan, President Barack Obama's nominee to be the next director of the Central Intelligence Agency, finished three hours of public testimony before the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, two things were clear. | 21389200 |
Last week 35,000 crossed over for the first time since the border was closed a year ago by President Nicolas Maduro to fight cross-border crime.
Officials said at least that many had entered Colombia on Saturday.
Many basic goods are in short supply in Venezuela because of a severe economic crisis in the country.
Venezuela re-opens border with Colombia
The border across a pedestrian bridge connecting Tachira in Venezuela and Cucuta in Colombia opened a day earlier than authorities from both countries had previously announced.
Officials said they wanted to avoid the build-up of too many people.
It was expected to stay open into Sunday.
Venezuelans cross border
Growing discontent on the streets
Women push past border controls
Venezuela has suffered severe shortages for months as a result of the falling price of oil which is the country's prime source of income.
Many supermarket have empty shelves and Venezuelans spend days in queues to buy basic goods.
Government critics also blame President Maduro for severe mismanagement of the economy.
Mr Maduro for his part has blamed the country's business community for the shortages.
He ordered the border to be closed in August 2015 after former Colombian paramilitaries attacked a Venezuelan military patrol and wounded three soldiers. | Venezuela has opened its border with Colombia for the second time this month to allow people to cross over to shop for basic foods and medicines. | 36818030 |
Drainage channels on floodplains meant water was returned to rivers too quickly, exacerbating flooding further downstream, researchers observed.
They added a drone allowed them to gather a unique view of the impact of the floods that hit northern England.
The University of Salford team were able to survey 60km in one day.
"Because we have the UAV we can access areas really quickly and the height we can fly at, you don't have to get very close to the river because you can fly it 500 metres away from you where you can get the images," explained Neil Entwistle from the university's School of Environment and Life Sciences.
"What we basically did in Storm Desmond was to try and get to as much of the River Eden's catchment (area) that we could in order to see where the flood extent was, and capture evidence of it and get data on floodplain inundation."
Abigail - 12-13 November
Barney - 17-18 November
Clodagh - 29 November
Desmond - 5-6 December
Eva - 24 December
Frank - 29-30 December
(Source: UK Met Office)
Before researchers were able to use UAVs, the alternative was to use a helicopter which was prohibitively expensive.
Using the drone with a camera, Dr Entwistle was able to collect hundreds of images of the Eden's catchment area over a 60km stretch - almost half of the 145km-long river - in less than a day.
Shortly before the Eden flows into the sea, it passes through Carlisle and was responsible for much of the flooding recorded in the Cumbrian city during December.
Recently released data by the Centre for Hydrology and Ecology showed that that Eden experienced record flow rates, resulting from record levels of rain falling on already saturated soil.
Dr Entwistle said one of the aims was to capture images showing "trash lines" that indicated the outer reaches of the flood water.
"We were looking for evidence of floodplain use and floodplain inundation, and getting evidence from as much of the catchment area as we could in order to see if there were any areas that were not inundated with water but should have been, according to the Environment Agency's flood map," he told BBC News,
Dr Entwistle's colleague, George Heritage, added: "Our suspicions were that maybe it was not all being used and this was causing a problem for Carlisle.
"As it turned out, from the data we collected, everything was being used. This has real implication for these extreme events and controlling those extreme events in the catchment because if there is no spare capacity, where do we find that capacity in the future?"
Dr Heritage voiced concern over the current debate of whether or not dredging would help ease the risk of flooding. He said that each river catchment system was unique and there was no one-size-fits-all solution but warned such a strategy would not be appropriate for the River Eden.
"If we do improve the drainage on the floodplains through dredging the ditches and dredging the stream that feed the major rivers, then we will increase the speed that the water gets into the main channel, which in turn will increase the peak of the flood and we will have a higher peak in Carlisle as a result - that's a definite."
He added that the lack of resistance on the floodplains meant that water was still flowing at a "fairly fast speed", resulting in a large volume of water reaching Carlisle quickly and overtopping the city's flood defences.
"If we manage those floodplains in a different way, particularly by roughening them up - patches that are not farmed grassland - but are given over to developing scrub landscapes and more natural floodplain vegetation then they will act as buffers to slow the flood down," he told BBC News.
"It's a recommendation we can make quite confidently from the data that has come from the drone surveys."
By allowing floodplains to regenerate naturally and allowing natural vegetation to become established - such as scrub and wet woodlands - the sites will also provide a buffer, slowing the flow of the floodwater and capturing some of the larger objects being carried in the floodwater, like tree trunks.
Without these natural buffers, the objects are carried downstream until they reach an obstruction such as a road bridge across the river. The combination of being battered by floodwater and foreign bodies resulted in numerous bridges being damaged or destroyed.
In another study carried out during the recent series of winter storms, Dr Entwistle focused his attention on an area of interest along the River Irwell, near the town of Rawtenstall, Lancashire.
"In Rawstenstall, because it was a smaller area and the result of a structural failure (collapsed weir), we were overlaying hundreds of photographs in order to get a really high resolution image in order to create a 3D model of erosion and deposition, allowing us to quantify the levels of change over time," he said.
The researchers deployed their UAV shortly before the arrival of Storm Desmond, giving them a high-definition reference composite image of the site.
They returned to report the exercise once Storm Desmond had passed, and then again following Storm Frank over the Christmas period, which hit the Irwell catchment area quite badly.
Natural flood management schemes rely on a combination of small-scale interventions with the aim of reducing the speed of the flow of converging water before it reaches larger rivers.
Features include small barriers in ditches and fields, or notches cut into embankments, all of which divert the water into open land.
Felled trees can also be laid across streams in wooded areas and help push unusually high waters into surrounding woodlands, although such schemes need very careful planning and management.
How do you stop flooding? | Images from an unmanned aerial vehicle suggest excessive management of floodplains limit their ability to hold water and slow the flow of floodwater. | 35353869 |
The unit at Bootham Park hospital in York was shut when the Care Quality Commission (CQC) ordered the entire hospital's closure.
Inspectors concluded it was safe to reopen the unit following a site visit on 7 December.
The Tees, Esk and Wear Valley Trust, which runs the hospital, said it would relocate to a new facility in mid-2016.
Dr Paul Lelliott, deputy chief inspector of hospitals at the CQC, said: "Our registration team has reviewed the evidence from the site visit and additional documentation supplied by the trust, and is satisfied that the required work is complete and that people will now be able to receive safe, high-quality care."
The place of safety unit was closed alongside inpatient and outpatient services after inspectors heavily criticised the 18th century hospital.
Patients were discharged to home care or transferred to hospitals elsewhere in the country. Outpatients were given treatment at alternative facilities in York.
The trust said its long-term aim remained providing a new mental health hospital in York.
In the meantime, it plans to adapt Peppermill Court on Huntingdon Road, a unit for elderly dementia patients, into a 24-bed adult inpatient unit.
The trust said it also planned to move the place of safety unit to Peppermill Court when work was completed. | A unit for people detained under the mental health act, closed by health inspectors in October, has reopened. | 35113221 |
The 37-year-old from Carrickfergus has won 17 races on the 8.9-mile Northern Ireland road circuit and goes for more glory on Thursday and Saturday.
Thursday's final qualifying session was halted because of an accident involving English rider John McGuinness.
The 45-year-old sustained a suspected broken leg, race organisers said.
Last year Seeley won both Supersport races and he was top of the podium in North West three events in in 2012 and 2015.
His first NW200 was in 2008 and last year he beat the 15 wins achieved by the late Robert Dunlop.
Michael Rutter showed he is in the form to add to his 13 North West 200 wins by taking pole position in the Superbike class.
The 45-year-old's last NW success was in 2012.
Seeley was second in the Superbikes ahead of Northern Ireland riders Glenn Irwin and Michael Dunlop.
THURSDAY'S VAUXHALL NORTH WEST 200 PRACTICE TIMES | Record holder Alastair Seeley will be on pole position in the Supersport and Superstock races when he tries to add to his tally of North West 200 wins. | 39886729 |
From this summer, GCSE results will begin switching from letter grades such as A* or G to a numerical system, with 9 the highest grade.
The government wants to "promote understanding" of the new grades.
The exams watchdog Ofqual says explaining the new system to the public is "essential".
In a parliamentary written answer, ministers revealed that more than £380,000 would be spent on information for students, parents and employers about the new 9 to 1 grades.
This summer will see pupils getting their English and maths results in numerical grades, with other subjects to convert over the next few years.
It will end letter grades for GCSEs, used since the 1980s.
This switch will apply only in England, with GCSEs awarded in Wales and Northern Ireland to retain their letter grades.
The question about spending on the new format was asked by Labour's former shadow education secretary, Lucy Powell.
She warned that the changes could cause "chaos and confusion" and labelled the switch to number grades as an "expensive vanity project".
"With just weeks to go before GCSE results are announced, parents, business and pupils remain unclear on what these new GCSE grades mean in practice," she said.
The new grading system is intended to send a signal that these are a different type of GCSE, moving away from coursework and modules to results based on final exams.
But there have been warnings over confusion in what will constitute a pass in the new grading arrangements.
There are going to be two different pass grades - a grade 4 as a "standard" pass and a grade 5 as a "strong" pass.
Universities which can require a pass at maths and English GCSE as a requirement have varied in which "pass" they are accepting.
Head teachers' leader Malcolm Trobe said pupils had a good grasp of the new grading system but he thought parents would be less well informed and that employers would be even less aware of the changes.
Professor Jo-Anne Baird, director of the department of education, St Anne's College, University of Oxford, said the cost of the information campaign had been a "drop in the ocean" in the wider costs of exam changes.
"The costs of the examination reforms have been colossal and it is questionable whether it has been worthwhile," said Prof Baird.
"Our examination system is in a perpetual state of reform, caused by different ministers wanting to put their stamp on the system."
A spokesman for Ofqual said 600,000 students would have taken the new GCSEs this summer and it was "essential to communicate these changes to a wide audience, including students, teachers, parents and employers".
"The money has been spent on the development of original films, which have been viewed around 10 million times, as well as printed materials and social media advertising.
"Independent research conducted on our behalf indicates that understanding of the new grades and the reforms has increased as a result of the work we have done." | Nearly £400,000 has been spent in a bid to avoid public confusion over a new system for the way GCSEs are graded in England. | 40730183 |
The mining and trading firm had one-off charges including a $792m cost after it pared back oil operations in Chad.
Glencore said investment spending next year was expected to be lower than this year.
Chief executive Ivan Glasenberg said the firm was "well positioned" to take advantage of any rise in prices.
"We remain by far the most diversified commodity producer and marketer and are well positioned to benefit from any improvement in pricing when it finally and inevitably materialises," Mr Glasenberg said.
The firm's one-off charges of around $1.6bn, included a $377m of largely foreign exchange related income tax expense.
Glencore reported adjusted first half earnings of $6.46bn, a 29% fall from the same period last year.
Glencore's share price closed down 9.7% at 158.95p. The share price has fallen around 40% so far this year, compared with a 26% fall in the FTSE 350 mining index.
The firm makes about a quarter of its earnings from commodities trading, which had previously allowed it to withstand the steep fall in oil and metal prices slightly better than other large mining companies.
Oil prices are down because of a supply glut, and both Brent and US crude have lost more than half their value compared with a year ago.
The price of copper, Glencore's biggest earner, is at six-year lows after an economic slowdown in China. The country is one of the world's biggest consumers of metals and other raw materials.
Coal prices, another major commodity for Glencore, have also been weak and show no sign of reversing as a supply glut. | Commodities giant Glencore has reported a first half loss of $676m (£431m) after being hit by falling oil and metal prices. | 33984871 |
The plaintiff, 42, is the first person to be recognised by labour authorities as having an illness linked to clean-up work at the plant.
He is suing Tokyo Electric Power Company, which operates the complex.
The nuclear site was hit by the earthquake and tsunami in 2011, causing a triple meltdown.
It was the world's worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl in 1986. An exclusion zone remains in place around the site as thousands of workers continue clean-up efforts.
The man, from Japan's Fukuoka prefecture, was a welder for a sub-contractor.
He spent six months working at Genkai and Fukushima No 2 nuclear plants before moving to the quake-hit Fukushima No 1 plant, where he build scaffolding for repair work at the No 4 reactor building. His cumulative radiation exposure was 19.78 millisieverts.
This is lower than official limits - Japan currently allows workers at the damaged plant to accumulate a maximum of 100 millisieverts over five years. A dose of 100 millisieverts over a year is seen as enough to raise the risk of cancer.
But in October 2015, a health ministry panel ruled that the man's illness was workplace-related and that he was eligible for compensation.
"While the causal link between his exposure to radiation and his illness is unclear, we certified him from the standpoint of worker compensation," a health ministry official said at the time.
The man is now suing Tepco and the Kyushu Electric Power Company (Kepco), which operated the Genkai plant, for JPY59m ($526,000, £417,000).
"I worked there [Fukushima No 1 plant] because of my ardent desire to help bring the disaster under control but I was treated as if I was a mere expendable labourer," Kyodo news agency quoted him as saying.
"I want Tokyo Electric to thoroughly face up to its responsibility."
When he filed the suit late last year, his lawyers said he had been "forced to undergo unnecessary radiation exposure because of the utilities' slipshod on-site radiation management".
Tepco and Kepco have asked the court to reject the suit, questioning the link between his radiation exposure and leukaemia, Kyodo reported.
Tens of thousands of workers have been employed at the Fukushima site since the disaster in March 2011. Late last year the government said estimates of clean-up costs had doubled to JPY21.5 trillion ($188bn, £150bn). | A Japanese court has begun hearing the case of a man who developed leukaemia after working as a welder at the damaged Fukushima nuclear site. | 38843691 |
The jewels were initially thought to have been loaned to stars at the annual film festival on the French Riviera.
They were taken from the hotel room of an employee of exclusive Swiss jewellers Chopard in the early hours of Friday morning.
Police say the thieves ripped the safe containing the jewels from a wall of the room at the Novotel hotel.
But a company spokeswoman, Raffaella Rossiello, insisted the value of the pieces had been exaggerated and "the jewellery stolen is not part of the collection... worn by actresses during the Cannes Film Festival".
And festival officials said the event's top award, the Palme d'Or, was not among the stolen items.
The trophy is also made by Chopard, an official sponsor of the festival.
Celebrities choosing the Swiss firm's gems for their red carpet appearances at this year's festival include Julianne Moore, Lana Del Rey and Cindy Crawford.
The theft happened a few hours after the festival was shown The Bling Ring, a new film by director Sofia Coppola.
The film is about teenagers who find out when celebrities are attending red carpet events in order to break into their homes and steal their designer clothes, bags and shoes. | More than $1m (£650,000; 777,000 euros) worth of jewels have been stolen from a hotel in Cannes, French police say. | 22566533 |
More than 20 people were seriously injured at the Paqpaqli event in Malta in October when Paul Bailey, from Rutland, lost control of the supercar.
A magisterial inquiry found he was driving at "excessive speed" and was not a professional driver.
But the report also said there were inadequate safety measures in place.
Updates on this story and more from Leicestershire
Mr Bailey, who owns several supercars, was taking part in the annual Paqpaqli event in aid of charity when he lost control of the Porsche 918 Spyder, spinning on the airport runway and crashing into spectators.
More than 20 people were seriously injured - including a six-year-old girl - and one remains in hospital, the Times of Malta reports.
There were no mechanical faults with the car, the report concluded.
A spokeswoman for the Maltese Ministry for Justice said: "The driver lost control of the vehicle because he was driving at an excessive speed.
"In addition, although the driver is a supercar enthusiast, and owns a large collection of supercars, the inquiry concludes that he is not a professional driver and that he lacked the necessary skills and ability to drive the supercar in question at such high speeds.
"In fact, his lack of experience in terms of handling techniques and corrective measures was a factor which contributed to the loss of control of his vehicle."
But the inquiry also concluded that health and safety measures were not taken including a lack of signage on the circuit, no concrete safety barriers and a poorly designed chicane.
It was reported Mr Bailey was the first person in the world to own a Porsche 918 Spyder, a McLaren P1 and a Ferrari LaFerrari - known as the "holy trinity" of hypercars. | A British millionaire was the main cause of a crash which saw dozens of people injured when a Porsche ploughed into spectators, a report concluded. | 35480629 |
FirstGroup and Hong Kong-based MTR said the 750 new carriages on the South Western network will boost capacity by 46% and cost £895m.
The Aventra trains will operate on the Reading, Windsor and London Suburban routes out of London Waterloo.
They will start to come into service from mid 2019.
The new carriages, in five and 10-car formations, will operating by December 2020, and will feature free Wi-Fi, at-seat charging points, information screens, air conditioning, wide gangways and wide doors, FirstGroup said.
The company also aims to bring 90 refurbished carriages onto the Portsmouth to London fast services by December 2018.
FirstGroup and MTR are due to take over the services across south west England, currently run by Stagecoach, on 20 August.
The fleet of new trains will be manufactured by Bombardier Transportation in Derby. | The new operators of one of the country's busiest rail franchises has announced it has placed an order for 90 new trains. | 40338475 |
After meeting President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Keqiang, Mr Kerry said he was satisfied that China "would not allow a nuclear programme over the long run" in North Korea.
China is North Korea's main ally and trading partner.
Mr Kerry will visit Jakarta next as part of a "pivot to Asia" tour.
He described the meeting in Beijing as "very constructive".
He said China "will not allow instability and war to break out in the region", and said Beijing was prepared to take "additional steps" if Pyongyang did not comply.
Mr Kerry refused to be drawn on what specific measures China would take.
China has already been steadily turning up the pressure on North Korea to forgo nuclear weapons.
In September last year, China banned the export of several weapons technologies to North Korea that could have been used to develop nuclear weapons.
China has also supported several UN Security Council resolutions imposing sanctions against North Korea over the nuclear issue.
Mr Kerry said earlier on his Asian tour that the US wanted Pyongyang to return to stalled six-nation talks aimed at ending its nuclear programme.
Mr Kerry said his talks Beijing also tackled China's territorial disputes with its South-East Asian neighbours.
He said he warned China against any moves to declare an air-defence zone in the South China Sea.
Last year Beijing set up an air-defence zone in the East China Sea, around islands that it disputes with Japan.
The US said at the time that it "neither recognises nor accepts" the zone.
However, the BBC's Michael Bristow says China does not seem to be listening to Mr Kerry's advice on its territorial disputes.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi said his country was determined to protect its national interests.
Mr Kerry's regional tour began in South Korea on Thursday, and he is due to visit Jakarta next. | US Secretary of State John Kerry says Chinese officials have reassured him that they will work to rein in North Korea's nuclear programme. | 26174433 |
Police were called to an incident at the Shettleston Juniors football ground in Shettleston Road at about 00:35.
A 21st birthday party function had been held at the club earlier.
Four men were taken to hospital. One of them, aged 24, died a short time after admission. The death is being treated as "suspicious".
The other three men discharged themselves from Glasgow Royal Infirmary after being treated for serious injuries.
Det Insp Martin Fergus said: "We are currently viewing CCTV and carrying out door-to-door inquiries in order to establish the circumstances surrounding this incident.
"We know that there had been a 21st birthday party function at the club and I would appeal to anybody who was at the function, or knew of anybody attending the function, to please contact us.
"It is clear that this disturbance took place in the street, therefore if you saw or heard anything, no matter how trivial you may think it is, it is vital that we speak to you."
He added: "I also urge anyone who was passing by the football ground at around 0030 hrs this morning and saw anything suspicious to contact police immediately." | A man has died and three others have been injured after a disturbance outside a football ground in the east end of Glasgow. | 37002810 |
The home side had a lucky early escape when they cleared the ball off the line via the post after a scramble.
Gemma Bonner and Caroline Weir both wasted good headed opportunities for Liverpool before the break and chances continued to be hard to come by.
Ellen White shot wide for Notts while Liverpool's best chance saw a Laura Coombs shot well saved by Megan Walsh.
Liverpool move up to fourth in the table, but have now won just three of their 10 league games so far this season.
Notts, who have just two wins and seven goals from their eight WSL matches, stay in sixth place.
Match ends, Liverpool Ladies 0, Notts County Ladies 0.
Second Half ends, Liverpool Ladies 0, Notts County Ladies 0.
Amy Turner (Notts County Ladies) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Niamh Charles (Liverpool Ladies).
Foul by Jessica Clarke (Notts County Ladies).
Laura Coombs (Liverpool Ladies) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution, Notts County Ladies. Aivi Luik replaces Rachel Williams.
Attempt missed. Katie Zelem (Liverpool Ladies) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Alex Greenwood with a cross following a set piece situation.
Foul by Danielle Buet (Notts County Ladies).
Natasha Harding (Liverpool Ladies) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Megan Walsh (Notts County Ladies) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Rosie White (Liverpool Ladies).
Corner, Liverpool Ladies. Conceded by Fern Whelan.
Substitution, Notts County Ladies. Aileen Whelan replaces Ellen White.
Foul by Rachel Williams (Notts County Ladies).
Rosie White (Liverpool Ladies) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt blocked. Gemma Bonner (Liverpool Ladies) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Alex Greenwood with a cross.
Substitution, Notts County Ladies. Angharad James replaces Jo Potter because of an injury.
Corner, Liverpool Ladies. Conceded by Megan Walsh.
Attempt saved. Laura Coombs (Liverpool Ladies) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner.
Attempt blocked. Katie Zelem (Liverpool Ladies) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Niamh Charles.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Jo Potter (Notts County Ladies) because of an injury.
Rachel Williams (Notts County Ladies) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Rosie White (Liverpool Ladies).
Attempt saved. Katie Zelem (Liverpool Ladies) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Corner, Liverpool Ladies. Conceded by Megan Walsh.
Attempt saved. Niamh Charles (Liverpool Ladies) right footed shot from the left side of the six yard box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Caroline Weir with a cross.
Attempt missed. Ellen White (Notts County Ladies) right footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses the top left corner. Assisted by Jessica Clarke.
Jessica Clarke (Notts County Ladies) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Katie Zelem (Liverpool Ladies).
Jo Potter (Notts County Ladies) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Katie Zelem (Liverpool Ladies).
Danielle Buet (Notts County Ladies) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Danielle Buet (Notts County Ladies).
Natasha Harding (Liverpool Ladies) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt missed. Jade Moore (Notts County Ladies) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.
Attempt missed. Rachel Williams (Notts County Ladies) left footed shot from the right side of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Jo Potter.
Jessica Clarke (Notts County Ladies) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Gemma Bonner (Liverpool Ladies). | Mid-table Liverpool Ladies and Notts County Ladies played out a drab Women's Super League One draw. | 36753207 |
The number of visitors from North America shot up by 34%.
While in the UK, the visitors spent £2.2bn, a rise of 2%, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
The increase comes as the weak pound makes the UK more affordable for visitors, but also follows terror attacks in London and Manchester.
Meanwhile, UK residents took a June record of 7.2 million trips abroad, up 4%.
However, with the fall in the value of sterling putting them at a disadvantage, the amount they spent leapt by 15% to £4.6bn.
The big increase in visitors from North America, from 483,000 in June of last year to 650,000 this year, was "clearly buoyed by the particularly sharp drop of the pound against the dollar since mid-2016", according to Howard Archer, chief economic adviser to the EY Item Club.
The number of visitors from Europe rose by 2% to 2.241 million.
The weaker value of the pound since the Brexit referendum vote means that the UK is now a much cheaper destination than it used to be.
Many mainland Europeans, Americans and Chinese people are taking advantage of that.
That's clear from the cacophony of different languages and accents outside Buckingham Palace, and on the streets around the Palace of Westminster.
"It's a little more economical than it was a few years ago," says one visiting American tourist.
Meanwhile, a German man said the euro-pound rate has "made me quite happy".
UK tourism sector booms as sterling falls
The best month so far this year was April, with 3.7 million visitors coming to the UK - up 19% from a year earlier.
Over the April-to-June quarter the number of visitors from overseas rose to 10.75 million, up 8% from the same period a year earlier.
But while holiday visits were up by 20% to 4.7 million over the same three months, business visits were down by 4% at 2.4 million.
VisitBritain director Patricia Yates said: "Tourism is one of Britain's most valuable export industries and this continued growth demonstrates the industry's increasing importance as a key driver of economic growth across our nations and regions." | The number of visitors to the UK rose to 3.5 million in June, up 7% from the same month last year, according to official figures. | 40972410 |
Harry Harpham's widow Gill Furniss received 14,087 votes, a majority of 9,590 and a 6% increase in Labour's share of the vote.
Mr Harpham had been elected in the 2015 General Election.
Ms Furniss said her victory was an "emphatic message" for David Cameron about "unfair" spending cuts.
The full results were:
Gill Furniss, Labour, 14,087
Steven Winstone, UKIP, 4,497
Shaffaq Mohammed, Liberal Democrat, 1,385
Spencer Pitfield, Conservative, 1,267
Christine Gilligan, Green, 938
Stevie Manion, Yorkshire First, 349
Bobby Smith, Give Me Back Elmo, 58
Turnout was 33% compared with 55% in 2015.
Ms Furniss said: "Tonight the people of Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough have sent David Cameron an emphatic message: Mr Cameron we have had enough of your uncaring government. We have had enough of your Tory government's unfair cuts which have hit communities like ours in Sheffield so much more than affluent areas."
Mr Harpham was 61 and was a former miner in Nottinghamshire and previously deputy leader of Sheffield City Council. He was elected after former home secretary David Blunkett announced his intention to stand down. Mr Harpham received 22,663 votes, a majority of 13,807. | The widow of a Labour MP who died from cancer has won a by-election to replace him in the Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough constituency. | 36219709 |
Graham Booker, 68, flew at retired policeman Richard Hadley like "a mad bull" during the assault in Sidmouth, Devon, last October, magistrates heard.
It happened after Booker saw Mr Hadley in an alleyway between Sidmouth Methodist Church and his home.
Booker was convicted of assault after a trial at Exeter Magistrates' Court.
The court heard how Mr Hadley had been using a wrench to remove some nuts from a metal gate in the alleyway, when Booker came out of the church's fire exit.
Mr Hadley said Booker raced towards him, shoved him to the ground and kicked him.
He said: "I went sprawling on the floor. My nose hit the ground. It was streaming blood. I lost a tooth. I must have been knocked out for a few seconds. Booker was standing over me and kicked me."
The victim, who owns the Hair Studio next to the church, said he had the right to use the alleyway to access the rear of the property, which the church disputes.
Mr Hadley said he had had used the alleyway for 30 years and it was the only way into his "landlocked" property.
In court he branded the church an "absolute disgrace".
Booker, of Windsor Mead, Sidmouth, claimed he did not kick Mr Hadley but was kicking away the wrench and said he had acted in self defence.
He was released on bail and will be sentenced at a later date.
A spokesman for Sidmouth Methodist Church said: "We are deeply saddened by the situation and hope that all those concerned can soon put this unfortunate matter behind them and move forward in reconciling relationships within the community." | A church steward attacked an 85-year-old neighbour in a row over a disputed alleyway, knocking him to ground and leaving him with a missing tooth. | 36054743 |
Andargachew Tsege, who is also a British national, is secretary-general of the banned Ginbot 7 movement.
The Ethiopian government allegedly requested his extradition after he was arrested in Yemen last month.
European MEP Ana Gomes told the BBC the UK needed to use its political leverage to ensure his release.
The Ethiopian government has not commented on the alleged extradition.
US-based Ginbot 7 spokesman Ephrem Madebo told the BBC's Focus on Africa radio programme that Mr Andargachew had been on his way from the United Arab Emirates to Eritrea when he was detained during a stopover at Sanaa airport.
Mr Ephrem said that he had spoken to Mr Andargachew's family who had been contacted by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office on Thursday.
British officials told the family that the Yemeni ambassador to the UK had informed them that Mr Andargachew had been handed over to Ethiopia, Mr Ephrem said.
In a statement the UK Foreign Office said it was aware that Mr Andargachew had been missing in Yemen since 24 June.
"Since then UK officials have pressed the Yemeni authorities at senior levels to establish his whereabouts, including meeting with the Yemeni ambassador in London this week," a Foreign Office spokesman said in a statement.
"We are aware of reports that he may now be in Ethiopia and we are urgently seeking confirmation from the relevant authorities given our deep concerns about the case. We are continuing to provide consular assistance to his family."
Ms Gomes, who led the European Union observer mission to Ethiopia during the 2005 elections, said she had written to UK Foreign Secretary William Hague about the case.
"If the British government is not complicit with this kidnapping and this rendition of Mr Andargachew Tsigue to the Ethiopian regime - [which] will obviously torture him, accuse him of all sorts of things and eventually kill him - then the British government has to get immediately the release of Mr Andargachew," she told BBC Focus on Africa.
"If there is a country that is extremely influential in Ethiopia, it is Britain - it's a major donor and it's a major political backer of the regime in Ethiopia."
Mr Ephrem said that the UK government should have intervened in the case earlier.
"The UK government looks like a collaborator because the UK government never acted," he said, adding that it was ridiculous to consider Mr Andergachew a terrorist.
"To the Ethiopian government even bloggers are terrorists [and] journalists are terrorists," he said.
Ginbot 7 (15 May) was named after the date of the 2005 elections, which were marred by protests over alleged fraud that led to the deaths of about 200 people.
In 2009, the year before the last elections, Mr Andergachew was among a group of Ginbot 7 leaders sentenced to death in absentia for planning to assassinate government officials; they denied the charges. | An Ethiopian opposition leader, who was sentenced to death while in exile for plotting a coup, has been extradited from Yemen to Ethiopia, his group says. | 28167007 |
The move was introduced for players at the Blue Square Bet Premier club a few weeks ago but now the policy has been extended to the whole stadium.
The Gloucestershire club is owned by Dale Vince who is a vegan who runs green electricity company Ecotricity.
Free-range poultry and fish from sustainable stocks will continue to be served.
Communications director Tom Williams said: "Following discussions with the manager and on nutritional advice, it was decided to no longer feed our team red meat for health and performance reasons.
"[It has now been] decided that this policy should be extended to the stadium, at least in part as a further step in establishing ourselves as a "green" organisation.
"We appreciate some will miss their burgers and sausages, but our catering staff are working hard on a range of tasty and interesting products to replace those that are no longer available.
"This is obviously a break with tradition but in time we hope that many will come to see it as a step forward rather than a step backwards.
"We're a country now where apparently chicken tikka masala is the most popular national dish. I think the old sausage bap won't be much lamented."
Mr Vince added that "if red meat was not good enough to feed our players, then it wasn't good enough for our staff, fans and visitors too".
He said: "At its worst it means once every two weeks watching a football game without being able to eat red meat.
"Anybody that really needs it can bring a ham sandwich or something if they wish - that's no problem."
Tim Barnard, who is chairman of Forest Green Rovers' Supporters Trust, said: "There were a few raised eyebrows on Saturday when there was no cottage pie.
"But I'm a traditional chips and curry sauce man myself so it doesn't really affect me."
A spokeswoman for the Vegetarian Society said: "A diet lower in meat, particularly red meat, and higher in plant-based food is lower in fat, higher in fibre and higher in trace minerals.
"Anything the British population as a whole can do to reduce their reliance on meat has got to be positive." | Burgers and sausages have been banned from being sold to fans at Forest Green Rovers football club. | 12416671 |
Winks, 21, has made 13 Premier League appearances and scored against West Ham on his full debut in November.
The England Under 21 international is the latest player to sign a long-term contract at the club.
Striker Harry Kane, midfielder and England team-mate Dele Alli and France keeper Hugo Lloris have also committed their future to Spurs.
Winks is a graduate of the Tottenham academy and made his debut as a substitute against Liverpool in August.
Spurs have also given 19-year-old right-back Kyle Walker-Peters, who is yet to feature for the first team, a new deal until 2019. | Tottenham midfielder Harry Winks has signed a new contract that will keep him at White Hart Lane until 2022. | 38968230 |
Harris painted the work in the Theatre Royal Plymouth in 1994 when he starred in Jack and the Beanstalk.
A spokesman said it was "currently protected by Perspex" but would be "covered in vinyl to obscure it".
The entertainer was jailed for five years and nine months after he was found guilty of indecently assaulting four girls.
A theatre spokeswoman said the mural was in dressing room G4 and would be covered "in the near future".
Harris, 84, was convicted of offences that took place between 1968 and 1986 against the girls who were aged seven or eight to 19. | A mural by disgraced entertainer Rolf Harris, which stands in a theatre dressing room, is to be covered up. | 28560497 |
Bannsiders boss Oran Kearney was named January manager of the month following his side's impressive run of form.
"The top six has always been our target and incentive this season and we want to keep this run going," said Kearney.
"There is still a lot of work to do but we are moving in the right direction."
Coleraine lie fourth in the table with six sets of fixtures remaining until the league splits into the top six and bottom six for the remainder of the campaign.
"There were plenty of people in pre-season prepared to write us off and say the top six wouldn't be a possibility for us, especially since we lost Howard Beverland and Ruairi Harkin from the squad.
"We haven't secured it yet and there is still a lot to do but all parts of the team are functioning well and we have a serious foundation to build on," added Kearney.
Seventh-placed Dungannon harbour top-six ambitions of their own and are unbeaten in their two previous encounters with Coleraine this season, winning 4-0 at Stangmore Park and playing out a 2-2 draw at Ballycastle Road.
The Swifts could have defender Chris Hegarty back after a hamstring strain, while striker Andy Mitchell should be available sooner than expected, though he will not be fit for Saturday's game.
Crusaders are seven points clear at the top of the table as they prepare to entertain Ballymena United, whom they beat 6-0 at Seaview on the opening day of the season, the Sky Blues turning the tables with a 2-1 home win over the champions in October.
Linfield aim to build on their midweek County Antrim Shield success as they travel to Carrick Rangers, who will be boosted by a 4-0 Premiership success over Ards last week.
Ards now lie nine points above Carrick as they bid to avoid a relegation play-off and Colin Nixon's side take on former boss Niall Currie's Portadown outfit at Shamrock Park on Saturday.
"I had five wonderful years at Ards so I'm looking forward to seeing some familiar faces. I've no doubt it will be a difficult game," said Currie.
Keith O'Hara, Garry Breen, Mark Carson and Sean Mackle are all in line for possible returns for the Ports.
Glentoran have a full squad to choose from for their match against Glenavon at the Oval, with the exception of long-term absentees Willie Garrett and David Scullion.
Glenavon have defender Simon Kelly and midfielder Andy Kilmartin both struggling with groin problems.
Ballinamallard beat Glentoran 1-0 in their last league outing and will hope for a similar outcome when they play third-placed Cliftonville at Ferney Park. | Coleraine aim to extend their seven-game winning streak in all competitions and take a further step towards securing a top-six place when they host Dungannon Swifts on Saturday. | 38930849 |
The soldiers have been identified as being among 1,500 Chadian troops serving with Minusma, which took over security duties in the country in July.
The UN says it wants Chad to investigate the incident and take disciplinary action against the men.
Residents told the BBC that several women were raped by the soldiers in the northern city of Gao last Thursday.
In January, French forces led an operation involving Malian and West African troops to oust Islamist militants from the north.
A 12,600-strong United Nations peace force is currently deploying to the West African nation, as France withdraws its troops.
The assault is believed to have happened last Thursday in Gao, which was in the area seized by militants following a coup in March 2012.
The woman is thought to have come forward seeking medical help from the UN immediately after the attack. This triggered the UN force to launch an investigation.
The BBC's Alex Duval Smith in Bamako says it is not known exactly how many Chadians were involved, but the victim identified four soldiers as having assaulted her.
At the time, 165 Chadian soldiers had just arrived in Gao, our correspondent adds.
They had defied the orders of their superiors and left their base in Tessalit, in the remote far north, after a dispute over pay and conditions.
Residents told the BBC they were scared by the presence of the Chadian soldiers, who were armed and arrived in Gao in 40 vehicles and stayed for several days without a place to sleep.
They allege that several women were raped by a group of Chadian soldiers in a room adjoining a bar in the city centre. Only one woman has come forward to report an assault.
A Minusma spokesman in Bamako said it was for the Chadian authorities to decide on what disciplinary action they should take against the men.
He said the victim would be offered medical, psychological and legal support but not financial compensation.
The Chadians are part of a force of 6,000 African troops serving under in Minusma peacekeeping force. | At least four UN peacekeepers have been involved in the sexual assault of a woman in Mali, according to the UN. | 24272839 |
The 21-year-old made just one first-team appearance for the Canaries after joining them from Falkirk in 2014.
He moved to Norwich after scoring eight goals in 82 games for Falkirk, and will move to Stadium:MK on two-year deal when his Norwich contract ends in June.
McGrandles played alongside Dons manager Robbie Neilson during his time with Falkirk.
"When I learnt MK Dons were interested, I knew that it would be a great place for me to come to," McGrandles told the club website.
"I know the ambition of the club is to get out of the league again and that was a big factor. I know the manager and the coaching staff well too so that was another big draw."
McGrandles was among a group of Norwich youngsters released earlier in the month, with the announcement coming shortly after their first-team retained list was published.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. | League One side MK Dons have signed midfielder Conor McGrandles on a free transfer from Norwich City. | 39967375 |
It is moving away from a focus on maximising revenue for the Treasury.
The government has admitted that the new priority of maximising extraction will mean a lower tax burden.
Danny Alexander, the chief secretary to the Treasury, said ministers would consult on several new approaches to taxation.
These will be in addition to tax concessions announced in the chancellor's Autumn Statement, which included an immediate cut in the supplementary charge element of offshore tax, from 32% to 30%.
There was also more flexibility in tax allowances announced for companies that have yet to see an income stream from their investments.
Chancellor George Osborne also said he was expanding the allowances for clusters of fields with high pressure and high temperature reserves of hydrocarbons, which require new and more expensive technology.
The broader changes to the tax regime follows Sir Ian Wood's review of the sector, which recommended a new regulator, and a requirement that the industry, government and that regulator should co-operate more closely.
More collaboration between oil producers is also being expected.
After a consultation, the Treasury now says that it foresees a lower tax burden on the industry, as new projects become more marginal.
Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said: "Following the UK government's admission that it has been 21 years since the oil and gas industry last received a tax reduction, the package of measures announced at the Autumn Statement is a first step to improving the fiscal regime for the industry.
"In driving forward these changes, it is essential that the UK government engages with the industry, the new regulator and the Scottish government to maintain momentum with these critical fiscal reforms."
Malcolm Webb, chief executive of industry body Oil and Gas UK, said: "We are encouraged to note that fiscal policy will now be framed in the context of the sector's wider economic benefits and will also take account of the global competitiveness of the industry in terms of commodity prices and costs.
"Mr Alexander paid particular attention to the need for the Treasury to work with the new Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) and the industry in the tripartite approach as called for in the Wood Review."
Friends of the Earth's policy and campaigns director Craig Bennett said: "Ministers must end their obsession with dirty fossil fuels and build a clean economy for the future based on energy efficiency and the nation's huge renewable power resources."
The oil industry has been awaiting a significant package of tax reforms from the Treasury.
It faces fast-rising production costs, the challenge of more difficult and expensive oil and gas reserves, ageing equipment, and a recent sharp fall in the price it gets for oil on the global market.
It has also been through a rough period of lobbying the Treasury, after the £2bn tax raid in the 2011 Budget, impressing on Whitehall how sensitive it is to even small tax changes.
The announcements in George Osborne's Autumn Statement were seen as modest by the industry, and a first step.
The range of measures now published could meet many of the industry's expectations, and make it financially viable to push for more extraction rather than leaving reserves under the seabed.
However, there is limited room for the Treasury's manoeuvre, given its vast deficit problems. And it is far from applying numbers to the plans it has set out. Consultation could take up valuable time, when investments hang in the balance due to the falling oil price.
The government is signalling that it is going to have to change its approach to offshore energy, meaning lower tax receipts.
Instead, it can look forward to more oil and gas being extracted, prolonging the lifespan of the industry's big employment footprint, and minimising the need to import oil and gas.
The Treasury will consider the wider economic benefits of maximising productions in addition to the revenue benefits.
And the new regime concedes that it will have to take more account of the competing and often more attractive investment alternatives for oil companies which operate in other countries' oil basins.
The new proposals include:
There is to be consultation on these next year, with some new details to be published with the Budget in the spring.
Making the announcement in Aberdeen, Mr Alexander described the tax review as an ambitious move to support a valuable sector.
He said: "We're incentivising and working with the industry to develop new investment opportunities and support new areas of exploration.
"This will help ensure that the industry continues to thrive and contribute to the economy. This level of support is only possible because we can draw on the combined strength and resources of the United Kingdom."
Derek Leith, an energy tax specialist with accountancy firm EY, welcomed the recognition that higher oil prices did not necessarily lead to higher profits, as costs also tended to increase.
However, he said the current concern was over falling oil prices.
"Provided that these measures can be implemented quickly, and a further tax rate reduction can also be delivered, the government has taken some critical steps to protecting the longevity of the oil and gas industry in the UK.," he said.
"However, with the low oil price making the need for reform acute, there is absolutely no room for complacency." | The UK government has announced plans which could radically change the way the offshore oil and gas industry is taxed. | 30330731 |
An ambulance was called to Stormont Wharf shortly before 08:30 GMT.
Health and Safety inspectors are at the scene. | A man has died following an incident at Belfast Harbour estate this morning. | 39341861 |
Inmates took over four wings, started fires and gained access to medical supplies as they rampaged in the prison. One man was taken to hospital.
Friday's disturbance has been described by the Prison Officers' Association as the worst since the Strangeways jail riot 26 years ago.
Justice Secretary Liz Truss said there would be a "thorough investigation".
Rioters would "face the full force of the law," she added.
UK prisons chief Michael Spurr said there were "serious problems" in jails that would not be solved immediately.
The Ministry of Justice said riot teams restored order to all four wings of HMP Birmingham just after 22:30 on Friday.
The disorder was understood to have involved up to 600 inmates.
Two wings suffered "superficial damage" with more serious damage caused to two others.
G4S is in control of the jail and the cost of the damage will be borne by the firm, the BBC understands.
"Our teams have worked tirelessly throughout the night to assess the damage caused, start the process of clearing up and capture any evidence that could be used by West Midlands Police for any subsequent prosecutions," a G4S spokesman said.
"This disturbance is rightly subject to a thorough investigation and we are working openly and transparently with the Prison Service and other relevant authorities to understand the causes behind it."
The Ministry of Justice said: "The prison remains calm and ordered with additional staff on site to offer support.
A "limited regime" is being offered to inmates not involved in the disturbance, the spokesman added.
Prison visits have also now resumed.
Mike Rolfe, national chairman of the Prison Officers' Association, said more than 30 staff had left the Winson Green prison in recent weeks. He compared the trouble to the notorious Strangeways riot in 1990.
"We've been warning for a long time about the crisis in prisons and what we are seeing at Birmingham is not unique to Birmingham, but it certainly would seem that this is the most recent worst incident since the 1990 Strangeways riot," he said.
Ms Truss said: "I want to pay tribute to the bravery and dedication of the prison officers who resolved this disturbance.
"This was a serious situation and a thorough investigation will now be carried out.
"Violence in our prisons will not be tolerated and those responsible will face the full force of the law."
As the investigation and clear-up operation get under way at Birmingham Prison, the immediate concern for officials will be the risk of "copycat" disturbances.
Many jails are volatile places, with violence never far from the surface.
Reports of the rioting and rumours about how it all began could encourage others: it may be no coincidence that this is the third serious prison disturbance in six weeks after Lewes and Bedford.
The other main consequence of the damage is that it'll put a number of cells out of use at a time when capacity is already stretched.
Last week, there were around 1,200 spare prison places across England and Wales - that may seem like a lot but, spread across a large geographical area with different categories of prisoner to accommodate, it doesn't leave much slack in the system.
The BBC understands that one prisoner was hurt during the riot and taken to hospital with a fractured jaw and broken eye socket.
Prison wings are now being inspected to assess the full scale of the damage after prisoners took control of the category B prison on Friday morning.
Rodger Lawrence, chairman of the Birmingham Prison Independent Monitoring Board, said his members had not seen anything of concern during a visit earlier this week, but said the riot "didn't come as a complete shock" as there had been "a build-up of frustration" over prison conditions.
Michael Spurr, who is chief executive of the National Offender Management Service Agency, said overcrowding, reduced staffing and drugs had put pressure on prisons.
"On a day-by-day basis governors and staff keep prisons safe and manage a very difficult population extremely well," he told BBC News.
"Yes, there are assaults, there is too much violence, but we are tackling that.
"It will take some time but events in prisons such as yesterday do happen on occasions."
He said a £1.3bn investment in new prisons over the next five years, which includes plans for more prison officers, drug tests for inmates on entry and exit from prisons, and more autonomy for governors, would help tackle the issues.
"Over the coming months and years, we will turn it around," he said.
Trouble flared after an officer was "rushed" by inmates at about 09:00 on Friday.
Violence quickly escalated and due to the scale of the disturbances the Prison Service took over the incident and specialist Tornado units were deployed to regain control.
Prison units from across the country were also drafted in to assist.
During the disturbance, the BBC was contacted by several men claiming to be prisoners at the jail, who said poor conditions were behind the disturbance.
The men, who said they were calling from inside HMP Birmingham, cited inadequate staff numbers, poor healthcare and nutrition.
They said being on "lockdown" in their cells all day was a major factor that contributed to the trouble.
BBC Home Affairs correspondent Danny Shaw believes that although the riot at HMP Birmingham was "clearly very serious", it may not be the worst since Strangeways, as the Prison Officers' Association has claimed.
He said: "In April 2009, there was a riot at Ashwell prison in Rutland involving 400 inmates.
"It caused such extensive damage to three wings in the old part of the jail, the entire prison closed permanently in January 2011 because the cost of repairs would have been too great." | Up to 240 prisoners are being moved out of HMP Birmingham following a 12-hour riot at the jail. | 38350970 |
Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said they had information to suggest one of those arrested "could undertake violent actions in France".
But he played down French media reports that an attack was imminent.
France remains on high alert after the jihadist attacks in Paris in November that killed 130 people.
More than 100 people were wounded in a series of shootings and suicide bombings that targeted a concert hall, major stadium, restaurants and bars over the course of a Friday evening.
The so-called Islamic State (IS) group said it was behind the attacks.
French media earlier reported that three men and a woman were detained at dawn in the 18th arrondissement of Paris and the nearby northern department of Seine-Saint-Denis.
They said at least one of those arrested had a prior conviction and had been under house arrest since last month, under new rules imposed after the November attacks.
Mr Cazeneuve confirmed that the authorities had concerns about one of those arrested, saying the suspect was thought to have ties with IS in Syria.
"This person was arrested this morning along with people linked to him," he said.
But he warned against jumping to the conclusion that an attack was imminent, and said such arrests were commonplace.
The Paris prosecutor's office said computer equipment seized during the dawn arrests would be analysed.
The arrests come a day after French police officers, alongside Belgian officers, were involved in a raid on a house in Brussels, that ended in a shoot-out with at least two suspects.
One of the suspects was killed, and later identified as Algerian national Mohamed Belkaid. His body was found alongside Salafist (ultra-conservative Islamic) literature and Kalashnikov ammunition, prosecutors said. | Four people have been arrested in the Paris area as part of a wider investigation into a possible plot against French targets, officials say. | 35822047 |
Known as the Dream Chaser, the winged vehicle will launch atop an Atlas V from Florida's Kennedy Space Centre.
Though smaller than Nasa's famous orbiters, the Dream Chaser has still been designed to carry up to seven astronauts into low-Earth orbit.
The maiden voyage, however, will be an unmanned, autonomous flight.
The re-usable "lifting body" will spend about a day in orbit before returning to a landing strip on the US West Coast.
If all goes well, SNC hopes to mount its first manned mission in 2017.
And, ultimately, the Dream Chaser will land back at Kennedy on the same runway as used by the shuttles, and be serviced in Kennedy's processing facilities.
The date for the demonstration flight was announced in a joint media conference that included representatives from SNC, the US space agency (Nasa), and United Launch Alliance (ULA), which operates the Atlas rocket.
The 9m-long Dream Chaser is one of the three commercial human transportation systems currently being developed with the financial and technical support of Nasa.
The other two are more traditional capsule designs known as CST-100 and Dragon, from the Boeing and SpaceX companies respectively.
Nasa is likely to concentrate its resources on two, perhaps even only one, of these systems from late this year as it seeks to restore America's capability to launch its own astronauts into space. This capability was lost when the shuttles were retired in 2011 and sent to museums.
Today, all US personnel travel to the International Space Station in Russian Soyuz capsules, with each seat costing US taxpayers about $60m.
The three American companies say their indigenous vehicles will be much cheaper to operate.
SNC is insistent that development of the Dream Chaser will continue even if it misses out on Nasa's next round of seed funding.
"We are building the vehicle to be launched, and we have made a commitment to the launch," said SNC's Mark Sirangelo.
"[This first launch] is a direct relationship between Sierra Nevada and ULA, and Sierra Nevada is paying for the efforts of this; it's unconnected to the Nasa programme - the purchase of the launch was something done from company to company."
Two weeks ago, SNC announced tie-ups with the European and German space agencies that may lead to certain components and materials on future vehicles being sourced from across the Atlantic.
Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos | The Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) has set 1 November, 2016, for the debut flight of its space shuttle replacement. | 25878042 |
In a surprise move, parliament president Martin Schulz decided to postpone a vote on the EU-US trade negotiations, known as TTIP.
Then MEPs narrowly voted to postpone a debate on TTIP.
UKIP leader and MEP Nigel Farage said the EU was "running scared" of public anxiety about TTIP. The Greens also said the EU establishment was "scared".
"What is the EP [European Parliament] establishment scared of? Democracy? Citizens' concerns being raised?," the Greens group tweeted.
Mr Schulz postponed the vote because more than 200 amendments had been tabled to a wide-ranging package of recommendations on TTIP.
Those recommendations would feed in to the European Commission's negotiations with US trade officials.
TTIP stands for Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. The European Commission estimates that by 2027 it could boost the size of the EU economy by €120bn (£94bn; $152bn) - equal to 0.5% of GDP.
A summit statement from the G7 leaders on Monday said "we will immediately accelerate work on all TTIP issues". The leaders of the major industrialised democracies hope to get a TTIP deal before the US presidential election in November 2016.
One of the thorniest TTIP issues is investor protection. There is widespread opposition to commercial arbitration panels, called Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS), where firms can sue national governments.
Sections of the centre-left Socialist (S&D) bloc took a tougher line on ISDS than the group's main negotiator, Bernd Lange.
There have been big anti-TTIP demonstrations in Belgium, Germany and some other parts of Europe. Critics say TTIP could weaken EU rules on working conditions and health services.
Mr Lange said he would use the postponement to "work towards reaching a stable majority for the TTIP resolution".
The recommendations now go back to the parliament's trade committee for redrafting. It is due to meet again next week. | Deep divisions have surfaced in the European Parliament over the EU's planned trade deal with the US. | 33078804 |
However, Nicol considers Ireland, Saturday's visitors to Murrayfield in the championship opener, to be "one of the form teams in world rugby".
"They play a very basic game plan but Joe Schmidt is a just a fantastic coach, he's got them playing with intensity and physicality," Nicol said.
"This is a huge task for Scotland."
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Nicol thinks home advantage can play a part in Scotland registering an opening-day win for the first time since 2006, but a host of other factors make him think head coach Vern Cotter can enjoy a successful final Six Nations campaign.
"It is really going to be a really close, physical game, probably determined by small factors," added Nicol.
"If we can win those little ones, then I think we can win this tomorrow.
"Every player will have to be playing close to their best but I think we can do that because the players have confidence in each other.
"I think this is the best squad we've had since 1999 and it might even be a better squad because of the depth we've got in certain positions.
"There's a lot of confidence, something like 34 of the players are in European knockout rugby.
"They are playing well, the autumn Tests were good, the coaching team and players seem to be completely aligned and playing a game plan that they are very suited to.
"All that suggests that we should have a good Six Nations and for me that means we should be aiming for three wins."
Nicol points to Ireland's victory over the All Blacks last year as proof that they can challenge England for the Six Nations title.
However, while he can understand the nerves in the Scotland camp this week about facing Ireland, he thinks that can be used to the players' advantage.
He said: "The nerves for me came on match day and culminated five minutes before you ran out the changing room, when all the self-doubt comes in.
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"But when you run out to the field of play suddenly there is no other place in the world you'd rather be.
"A coach said to me that nerves focus the mind but anxiety dulls the mind. Nerves are good."
Media playback is not supported on this device | Three wins should be the target for Scotland in this year's Six Nations, former national team captain Andy Nicol has told BBC Radio Scotland. | 38852248 |
But it's not the first rate rise that's going to hurt Asian economies or Asian businesses. It's the further increases expected in 2016 that will put pressure on Asian currencies.
Take a look at this chart - the winners and losers in Asia after the Fed decision.
Some countries will benefit - a weaker Japanese yen for instance makes Japanese goods cheaper overseas.
Australia is hoping to see its currency weaken further against the dollar in the coming months - and rising US interest rates should help put some more downwards pressure on it into next year.
But other countries with domestic issues - like Malaysia - which is an oil-exporting nation and is struggling with the burden of lower commodity prices - could see its currency slump even lower. It's already fallen by a fifth this year in anticipation of this US rate rise.
Meanwhile China has set the midpoint rate for the yuan weaker again, for a ninth straight session, post the Fed meeting. At 6.4757 per US dollar it's the weakest point for the yuan since mid July 2011.
A weaker yuan is good for Chinese exporters, and China may also be shielded from the Fed fallout because it holds a lot of US dollar reserves.
But weaker emerging markets currencies will make it more expensive for some businesses in the region to pay back their debts, and it puts pressure on Asian central banks to raise interest rates at a time when their economies are slowing.
Hong Kong's monetary authority which closely tracks the US has already raised rates - while Indonesia and the Philippines meet later today to decide what to do. | As Asia's investors take in the long-awaited US rate hike, there's an obvious sense of relief - you can see it reflected in share prices across the region. | 35118636 |
Gary Owens, 38, previously admitted a string of firearms offences committed between 1 February and 16 April 2014 at his home in Jamaica Mews.
The offences included manufacturing a prohibited weapon and possessing homemade firearms.
Owens said he had made the weapons in order to commit suicide.
Unemployed Owens, who was said to suffer from depression, said he had built the firearms through a process of trial and error and had bought matches and party poppers to supplement parts he had found abandoned.
He created the weapons in his flat and test fired one in his hallway, where shotgun pellets were found embedded in a door.
Lord Uist said the firearms could have come into the hands of others who could have used them for any purpose they wished.
He pointed out that Owens had a lengthy criminal record and a chronic drug abuse problem, and said Owens had made the devices knowing the harm they could cause.
Advocate depute Susanne Tanner had earlier told the High Court in Edinburgh: "He claimed not to have researched it in any way on the internet saying he had never used a computer in his life."
Defence solicitor advocate Robbie Burnett said of Owens: "He is very much a loner. He tells me he has no real friends. He has been depressed for some considerable time and had on various occasions attempted suicide." | An Edinburgh man who built potentially lethal firearms from items found in the streets and skips has been jailed for five years and nine months. | 30311861 |
Recorded Crime in Scotland statistics for 2014/15 also show that violent crime in the city has decreased by 12% between 2013/14 and 2014/15.
The number of homicides has fallen by 3% over the same period.
Justice Secretary Michael Matheson said the figures were "positive" and reflected a wider trend that Scotland was "becoming a safer place".
Mr Matheson said: "Crimes of handling an offensive weapon have dropped dramatically and are now at their lowest level in 29 years.
"We know that knife crime has a devastating impact not only on individuals but family, friends and local communities which is why our preventative approach aimed at educating young people about the potential consequences of carrying a knife is so important.
"The positive statistics in Glasgow mirror the Scotland-wide trend. Our country is becoming a safer place with crime at a 41 year low, violent crime down by over half since 2006/07 and homicides at their lowest levels since records began." | Crimes in Glasgow involving knives and offensive weapons have fallen by 14% in the past year, to a 29 year low. | 34609790 |
Lord Janner signed a House of Lords document dated 9 April, seven days before the CPS confirmed it would not prosecute due to his Alzheimer's.
The allegations relate to children's homes in Leicestershire, where he was a Labour MP, in the 1970s and 80s.
Leicestershire Police said it was looking into the letter's implications.
The force, which led the latest investigation into Greville Janner, also said a number of new alleged victims had come forward since it was announced no charges would be brought.
Peter Garsden, from the Association of Child Abuse Lawyers, said he was preparing a civil case against Lord Janner and Leicestershire County Council on behalf of one of the alleged victims.
"We have been doing very little for the last two years because we have been waiting for the police investigation to reach a conclusion ... but now we are able to pursue our civil claim."
The Cardiff-born peer, 86, has always denied any wrongdoing.
On 16 April, current Director of Public Prosecutions Alison Saunders said there was enough evidence to prosecute the peer for 22 sex offences against nine people but that this would not happen because he was now too sick to stand trial. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2009.
Ms Saunders also said the CPS had been "wrong" not to prosecute following investigations in 1991 and 2007.
It has now been confirmed by a House of Lords spokesman that Lord Janner signed the letter, requesting a leave of absence, which arrived a week before the decision was taken.
Leicestershire Police said the decision not to charge was "extremely worrying" and further legal action was being considered. | A peer ruled too unwell to face child abuse charges signed an official document just days before the decision was taken, it has been revealed. | 32396814 |
The Meaningful Chocolate Company redesigned its purple advent box after a warning from its lawyers.
The advice followed Cadbury's victory in a dispute with rival Nestle over its rights to purple packaging.
But Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell said the confectionary giant should not be "so precious over purple".
Cadbury said it was protecting its trademark from other chocolate firms.
Bishop Stephen spoke out out after the Warrington-based Fairtrade chocolate company designed chocolate Christmas tree decorations with stickers telling the story of Christmas.
The decorations were to come in an advent purple box bearing a picture of Mary and Jesus on the front.
Bishop Stephen urged Cadbury to "relax", adding: "Cadbury should reflect that before they even existed, the colour purple was around and - perish the thought - after they have gone, it will still be here.
"Fighting some battles, even ones you win, can actually be demeaning. Far better to be generous, then no one loses," said Bishop Stephen.
David Marshall, of the Meaningful Chocolate Company, said: "We have been legally advised that we were on dodgy ground this year because we were using 'advent purple' for our Christmas products and 'advent purple' now belongs to Cadbury.
"For this reason we have changed the packaging of our religious Christmas Tree Decorations. This year advent is a warm red," said Mr Marshall.
Cadbury said its dispute with Nestle was to protect the Cadbury purple associated with its milk chocolate.
"We are not seeking to trademark 50 shades of purple, it is about making sure that the consumer is not confused into thinking this is a Cadbury product - that is the nature of a trademark," a spokesman for Cadbury said.
"We are not seeking to be precious about the colour purple," he said. | A legal row between Cadbury and a small confectioner over the use of the colour purple on packaging was "demeaning", a senior Essex church figure has said. | 19895695 |
Ms Cavell served in a hospital in Belgium and treated Allied, as well as German and Austrian, soldiers.
She was executed by a German firing squad on 12 October 1915 after helping Allied prisoners of war to escape to Holland.
A dedication and memorial service will be held at a war memorial and gardens in Inverness named after her.
The events to be held on the 100th anniversary of her death will also see the unveiling of a new memorial stone to the nurse in the gardens.
Inverness' Cavell Gardens War Memorial was constructed to honour men from Inverness and the surrounding area who lost their lives in WW1.
It was one of many places dedicated to the nurse following international condemnation of her killing. After the war, the name of a mountain in Canada was changed to Mount Edith Cavell in her honour.
It now carries the names of armed forces personnel killed on operations and in training in the years since that conflict.
Highland Council and the Royal British Legion Scotland Inverness Branch have organised the commemoration.
Branch chairman Joe Davidson said: "We are proud to assist Highland Council with this venture to erect a new memorial to honour Edith Cavell - a lady who helped so many injured allied soldiers and the enemy alike. She showed great courage even in the face of death.
"She hid many French and Belgian civilians, as well as soldiers, and helped them with a safe passage to safety.
"She was urged to stop by her colleagues but refused, and was arrested on the 4 August 1915 and accused of treason.
"Her trial, it is said, lasted about four minutes and she was condemned to death. Her bravery and courage should be an inspiration to us all."
Ms Cavell was from Swardeston near Norwich.
Two films were also made about her war-time exploits - 1928's Dawn and 1939's Nurse Edith Cavell. | Inverness is to hold a memorial service in honour of English World War One nurse Edith Cavell. | 34447179 |
The group were captured by security cameras at the West Grimstead crossing, just outside of Salisbury.
Network Rail said 80 trains passed the spot every day, adding how "incredibly easy" it would be to be caught out while distracted.
A spokesman said trespass was both "illegal and also dangerous".
He said: "The last thing we want is for a family to lose their loved one over a selfie, so I strongly urge everyone to use level crossings safely and to stay alert."
It happened as the railway operator was launching a safety campaign to coincide with the start of the school summer holiday season. | Three youngsters stopped to take selfies on a footpath crossing a railway line used by trains travelling at more than 80mph. | 36996714 |
He was photographed by Laura Martin, 22, who was a passenger in her father's van when they pulled up next to the learner vehicle near Norwich City's Carrow Road stadium.
The self-employed instructor was in a 5Day car when he was seen snoozing.
The firm said in a statement his behaviour was "unacceptable" and he had been "immediately dismissed".
It said it contracted work to self-employed instructors who provided their own vehicles and were also able to carry out their own private lessons.
"We cannot be 100% certain this particular instructor was working for us at the time the picture was taken. However, we expect high standards of tuition from all our contractors," said 5Day.
"We found this behaviour unacceptable and the individual in question was immediately dismissed and will no longer receive any work from our company.
"We have many instructors working for us weekly around the UK and this is the first instance of this type of behaviour."
Miss Martin said: "The instructor was asleep for the entire time [we were next to him]. The only thing that woke him up was my dad revving the van very loudly to see if that would wake him up.
"As for the pupil he was teaching, he looked extremely flustered."
She posted the photo on her Facebook page and it has attracted a string of comments.
"Not so funny if the poor boy had caused an accident and killed himself or someone else," said one person.
Norfolk Police confirmed it had received a complaint from a member of the public about the unnamed instructor.
Ch Insp Chris Spinks, head of road policing in Norfolk and Suffolk, said: "There is no specific offence that covers an individual supervising a learner driver being asleep as there is with them being drunk or using a mobile phone.
"However, a supervisor or instructor can be seen as being in charge of that vehicle so should be in a position to intervene if required.
"Failure to adhere to this responsibility could therefore make the supervisor liable to an offence in the event of a collision or other incident." | A driving instructor who was photographed asleep in a car with a learner at the wheel has been sacked. | 33186345 |
One person was injured in Sunday's blasts, but the small homemade devices were not intended to kill, police said.
They were detonated on a walkway connecting an overhead train line to Paragon shopping mall.
It is the first such incident since a military coup in May and comes days after former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was impeached.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha ordered security to be ramped up in the capital following the blasts.
"I have ordered security to be tightened because this case involves the well-being of the people," he told reporters according to Reuters news agency.
"This case shows that we still need martial law ... there are still bad people disrupting the peace. We must find ways to severely punish them."
Police said the steel pipe-bombs were hidden behind electric controls on the elevated walkway and were set on timers to explode at about 20:00 local time (13:00 GMT), the busiest time for shopping and dining out in the area.
Police Lieutenant General Prawut Thawornsiri, a spokesman for the Royal Thai Police, said the motive behind the attack was not known, but the bombs seemed intended to create panic rather than kill people.
Police initially said the explosions were cause by a transformer malfunctioning.
After months of street protests, which sometimes turned violent, Thailand has been relatively peaceful since the military took control in a coup in May.
The army has placed Thailand under martial law, suppressed dissent and banned political meetings. But bitter divisions remain between rival political factions.
Last month, Ms Yingluck - an elected prime minister who was removed by a court shortly before the military ousted her government - was handed a five-year ban from politics.
A former MP and key leader of the "red-shirts" group that is her support base was also jailed for two years.
These moves have been seen as evidence of a tougher military stance against Ms Yingluck and her exiled brother Thaksin Shinawatra, also ousted by the military as Thai prime minister.
Thailand is deeply divided between supporters of the Shinawatra family, mainly rural farmers, and the Bangkok elite that accuses them of corruption.
During the months of protests before Ms Yingluck was ousted there were violent incidents, some involving grenades and small explosions.
Observers said armed factions on either side of the protests could have been to blame. | Police in Thailand are investigating two bomb blasts outside a luxury shopping mall in Bangkok. | 31087786 |
Conciliation service Acas said the action had been suspended amid negotiations between Unite and the city council to bring the seven-week dispute to an end.
The city council agreed certain posts would not be made redundant and Acas said bin collections could now resume.
Union officials said in return they would recommend staff considered accepting rota changes.
A statement said the council and Unite had made sufficient progress in their talks to allow the industrial action to be paused.
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The statement said both parties would continue to discuss how the bin collection service could be improved and what savings could be made.
It also said Unite had also agreed in principle to recommend its members accept work pattern changes, including considering a five-day working week instead of the current four days.
Unite said it had achieved victory in the bin dispute.
It said the council had accepted the refuse workers' case and restored the jobs of grade three workers, who are responsible for safety at the back of refuse vehicles.
Assistant general secretary Howard Beckett said: "We are very pleased that we have reached the stage where we can suspend the industrial action while we hold further talks about the future of the refuse service.
"I know this news will be greatly welcomed by the people of Birmingham as they look forward to their bins being collected again on a regular and seamless basis. I would like to thank them for their understanding over recent weeks."
The strike action, which consisted of two or three-hour stoppages during a daily shift, had been set to last until 21 September - with talk of it possibly lasting until Christmas.
The amount of rubbish left in some streets led to residents taking action to clear up the waste themselves.
Volunteers the Bearded Broz cleaned up 45 tonnes of waste in the Yardley area, leading them to be called scabs by the Morning Star newspaper.
Naveed Sadiq from the group said members had met refuse workers who said they "respected" the team for taking care of their areas. | A long-running bin strike in Birmingham has been called off. | 40948937 |
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