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Sangakkara struck Mohammed Azharullah for four to seal a one-wicket win after Surrey had collapsed in pursuit of 277.
The visitors needed 12 runs to win off the final over after slumping from 234-5 to 250-9 in the closing stages.
Earlier, Rory Kleinveldt's unbeaten 76 meant Northants posted 276 after a last-wicket partnership added 49 runs.
Surrey will face Yorkshire away in the semi-finals on 28 August after the White Rose beat Kent by 11 runs in their quarter-final at Canterbury.
Northants must pick themselves up ahead of a T20 Blast semi-final against Nottinghamshire at Edgbaston on Saturday.
Alex Wakely's side looked set to pull off a surprise victory as lower-order wickets fell around Sangakkara and Surrey needed 27 off the last 14 balls.
Sangakkara brought that equation down to 12 off the last over and scooped the third delivery from an Azharullah full toss to fine leg for six.
Last man Jade Dernbach scrambled through for a bye to leave two to win off the final ball, which former Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Sangakkara struck to the boundary.
All this came after he had been dropped on just seven before going on to register his 37th career List A century.
Northants had earlier looked set to finish well below par after slumping to 227-9. But seven fours and three sixes in all-rounder Kleinveldt's 62-ball knock rescued them with a last-wicket stand alongside Azharullah.
Opener Josh Cobb (66) also caught the eye with an innings including seven fours and three sixes, but Dernbach proved the pick of Surrey's bowlers with 4-39.
Surrey coach Michael di Venuto told BBC Radio London:
"It was a hell of a game for the spectators, I'm not sure about us watching. Yet again, I'm having a heart attack watching us play one-day cricket.
"Kumar was magnificent at the end and throughout the whole innings. He showed his class and showed why he's still one of the best players in the world.
"I was pretty disappointed with the way we batted in the last 10 overs and the way we went about it, we just lost all intent.
"We had to leave it all up to Kumar to do the job. Luckily, Jade Dernbach stayed with him and kept his head and we're lucky enough to be in the last four." | An unbeaten 130 from Kumar Sangakkara saw Surrey squeeze into the semi-finals of the One-Day Cup with a last-ball win against Northamptonshire. | 37106690 |
A recent Chatham House report claimed that burning wood for electricity is worse for the climate than using coal.
It sparked a backlash from a group of 125 academics in the field who said the research was deeply flawed.
Now supporters of the original study have hit back, saying that to avoid dangerous warming the world needs to plant more trees, not burn them.
Producing electricity from burning biomass such as trees has boomed in recent years, with the amount of energy generated doubling between 2005 and 2015.
Many energy firms have seen it as a more reliable green power source than wind or solar. The EU is the world's biggest consumer of biomass, with some imported as wood pellets from southern US states. Bio-energy is expected to contribute more than half of the EU's renewable energy by 2020.
It's a big money spinner, with subsidies worth £800m paid by the UK government for biomass electricity in 2015.
But the Chatham House study said that the financial support for this type of power generation was based on some flawed assumptions.
The first was that the emissions of CO2 from the burned wood are balanced by the planting of new trees.
The author argued that there is no accounting for the soil carbon lost during the harvesting of these trees, and that older trees used for burning can sequester far more carbon that younger ones planted in their stead.
The study also said that the amount of time it would take to re-absorb the carbon produced from the burning of pellets was critically important. With global scientific concern that the world has only a few decades left to make significant cuts in CO2, opting for a policy that would also take many decades to achieve carbon payback was dubious.
"Overall, while some instances of biomass energy use may result in lower life-cycle emissions than fossil fuels, in most circumstances, comparing technologies of similar ages, the use of woody biomass for energy will release higher levels of emissions than coal and considerably higher levels than gas," the report said.
The idea that burning wood released more CO2 than coal has enraged those who work in the biomass industry and many who carry out research in the field.
A group of 125 academics, from Europe and the US, have attacked the Chatham House study saying it "gives an inaccurate interpretation of the impact of harvesting on forest carbon stock".
It presumes that forests would continue to grow if no biomass was used for bio-energy which is "unrealistic".
The letter also criticises the study for assuming that roundwood is the type of material used for burning when the "on the ground reality is that in the EU, by-products and residues from silviculture [the growing and culture of trees] are the most common types of feedstock".
"The author failed to appreciate that it is the net cumulative emissions of carbon that are principally responsible for long-term temperature change, so high emissions one year can legitimately be countered by negative emissions (or forest growth) in subsequent years," said Prof Piers Forster, director of the Priestly International Centre for Climate at the University of Leeds, who signed the letter.
"This is not a simple accounting trick by the bio-energy industry - this is science. In fact nearly all emission pathways that keep the world below a 2 degrees C temperature rise rely on such negative emissions in the future, typically from bio-energy combined with carbon capture."
But now another group of more than 50 scientists involved in this field have written in support of the original study.
Prof William Moomaw was a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on renewable energy in 2010.
He says he was solicited by opponents of the Chatham House report to sign their critical letter but refused to do so. He says the bio-energy industry is pushing "alternative facts".
"Until about six years ago I bought into the notion that because another tree grows it's carbon neutral, it's so comforting!" he told BBC News.
"But it's like saying I had £100,000 in my bank account, and I spent it all on a Ferrari - but it'll be ok because in my lifetime I'll have £100,000 in my bank sometime in the future. This accounting is troubling.
"We are telling women in Africa that cutting down a tree to cook dinner is deforestation and we have policies to stop you from doing that, however if the UK government gives £500m to burn biofuels that are cut from trees in North America and shipped across the ocean, that's zero carbon - It doesn't compute!" he said.
Follow Matt on Twitter and on Facebook. | Scientists on both sides of the Atlantic have become embroiled in a war of words over energy from trees. | 39267774 |
Tugging tightly on a metaphorical dressing gown cord, John Larkin, QC, told a human rights conference in Belfast there were "some areas where it is not appropriate to involve lawyers".
He was referring to a campaign by residents of a public housing association for the right to wear their pyjamas outdoors.
Mr Larkin said the cause of human rights in Northern Ireland was in danger of being trivialised by misuse.
The campaign was evidence of a "contemporary malaise" and misunderstanding of the term, "human rights", he said.
In some parts of Belfast, wearing pyjamas for shopping or dropping children to school has become part of normal life.
The trend has been dubbed: "All Day Pyjama Syndrome".
In January, Tesco, the supermarket giant, drew the line and asked customers not to shop barefoot or in their night gear.
Two years ago, Joe McGuinness, the principal of St Matthew's Primary School, sent a stern letter to parents saying wearing pyjamas on the school run was "slovenly and rude".
However, Sinn Fein councillor Fra McCann has defended people's right to wear whatever they want.
"A variety of clothing is worn outdoors, like shorts and vests, so why not pyjamas?" he said. | Northern Ireland's Attorney General has thrown a slipper at the great pyjama debate. | 11331549 |
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The fast bowler said England "back themselves" to take the six wickets needed to clinch the win on day five.
South Africa closed on 136-4, chasing 416, with AB de Villiers not out on 37.
"We can't complain about the position we are in, but we're going to have to be patient tomorrow," said Finn, who has taken 3-27 in the Proteas' second innings in Durban.
The 26-year-old, who was recalled to the side in July after a two-year absence, claimed the wickets of South Africa captain Hashim Amla, first-innings centurion Dean Elgar and, just before the close, Faf du Plessis.
"It's nice to be contributing when you come back into the team," he added. "I felt good and felt I was threatening. I ran in as hard as I could and luckily got a bit of extra bounce."
England could have been in an even better position if Jonny Bairstow had not missed a stumping chance offered by De Villiers off the bowling of Moeen Ali.
"It would have been nice to see the back of De Villiers but the ball span sharply and everyone backs Jonny to get the next one for us," Finn said.
"To see the back of him would have been a big wicket but to get the wicket of Du Plessis at the end definitely put a gloss on the day."
Former England wicketkeeper Matt Prior also defended Bairstow, calling it a "tough stumping chance" on Twitter.
But ex-England batsman Geoffrey Boycott told BBC Test Match Special the chance should have been taken.
"You have to take those chances," he said. "It was difficult, but it would have a capped a perfect day for England because De Villiers is the big fish of the whole game. He's a fantastic player, number one in the world for me, and if you get him out, the rest of them aren't special."
Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith told TMS it was vital for the Proteas to avoid defeat.
"South Africa have to fight and get something out of this Test match," he said. "I felt it was important for them to get off to a good start to get some self-belief with the quick turnaround between matches.
"It's so important for South Africa to get some good vibes out of this. The next day is so crucial for them."
South Africa spinner Dane Piedt, who took 5-153 in England's second innings, acknowledged the hosts faced a tough battle to save the game.
"We're really going to knuckle down and take it as long as possible," he said. | England are in a "fantastic position" to claim victory in the first Test against South Africa, says Steven Finn. | 35194764 |
Mr Pena Nieto, who took office on 1 December, said the new militarised force would initially be 10,000 strong.
Troops would continue to patrol until the new force was fully trained, he said, without elaborating. details.
Some 60,000 people have died since 2006 when the previous government deployed the military against the drugs gangs.
Mr Pena Nieto had campaigned on a promise to switch the focus of the drugs fight from tackling the gangs to reducing the crime and violence that blight the lives of ordinary Mexicans.
"Mexicans want peace," said Mr Pena Nieto on Monday as he unveiled a six-point programme that gave more details of his strategy.
The new police force will be modelled on European-style gendarmeries, with the focus on basic law enforcement duties.
Mr Pena Nieto said the force would initially have 10,000 officers but he did not give a timeframe for recruiting or training them. Previous suggestions have spoken of a total strength of 40,000.
Fifteen federal police units will be created to focus on combating kidnapping and extortion, he said, and there would be more emphasis on crime prevention.
Mr Pena Nieto's predecessor, Felipe Calderon, deployed troops in late 2006 to take on the drug gangs.
Mr Calderon argued that this policy was working as drug gangs fought among themselves after their leaders were killed or arrested.
Addressing Monday's meeting, the new interior minister, Miguel Osorio Chong, took a swipe at the previous administration, saying spending on security had gone up but so had crime - including kidnaps by 83%, violent robberies by 65% and extortion by 40%.
He also focused on the state of the police, saying 61% of officers earn just over the equivalent of $300 (£184) a month, while nearly two-thirds have just an elementary school education.
Mexico is currently policed by a variety of forces, at local, state and federal level with different chains of command.
Despite the new initiatives, some say Mr Pena Nieto's policy is not a break with Mr Calderon's strategy.
"I see a lot of continuity despite the implict and explicit criticism that was made," security analyst Alejandro Hope told the Associated Press. | Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, has announced the creation of a new national police force as part of efforts to tackle crime and violence. | 20766310 |
Len McCluskey, head of the Unite union, described the party's standing in the opinion polls as "awful".
He said Mr Corbyn and shadow chancellor John McDonnell were not "desperate to cling onto power for power's sake".
His Unite leadership rival accused him of issuing a "public ultimatum" and trying to be "Labour's puppet master".
Gerard Coyne, who is challenging Mr McCluskey for the job of Unite general secretary, said Mr McCluskey was focusing on party politics over the union's membership.
Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Mr McCluskey suggested Unite's leadership contest was being used by Mr Corbyn's critics as a "proxy war" against the party leader.
As Unite leader, he said, he offered "critical support" to Mr Corbyn.
He added: "Let's suppose we are not having a snap election.
"It buys into this question of what happens if we get to 2019 and opinion polls are still awful.
"The truth is everybody would examine that situation, including Jeremy Corbyn."
On Mr Corbyn and Mr McDonnell, he added: "These two are not egomaniacs, they are not desperate to cling onto power for power's sake."
By Chris Mason, BBC political correspondent
Len McCluskey is a huge figure in the Labour movement and was an early, vocal and influential advocate of Jeremy Corbyn becoming - and then remaining - the party's leader.
So why is he saying this now?
These remarks have to be seen through the prism of yet another election: Mr McCluskey attempting to remain Unite's leader, and facing an opponent who says he spends too much time talking about Westminster politics.
As well as the comments about Jeremy Corbyn's possible sell-by date, there is another telling line from Len McCluskey today.
"It's my job to promote Unite's policies, not Labour's," he says.
Mr McCluskey has votes to win for himself right now, not votes to win for Jeremy Corbyn.
Mr Coyne, Unite's West Midlands secretary, said: "I am astonished and deeply concerned that, at a time like this, Len McCluskey should deliver what amounts to a public ultimatum to the leader of the Labour Party.
"My criticism of his handling of the role of general secretary of Unite is not whether he has backed the right leader or the wrong leader of the Labour Party, but that he appears to think it is his job to be Labour's puppet master."
In his Mirror interview, Mr McCluskey also said Labour had to show "ordinary people" it was "listening to their concerns" on immigration, saying it had to "get its narrative right on free movement".
Mr Corbyn has defended the principle of free movement and declined to offer "false promises" on migration numbers.
But others in his party have said the system must change in light of the Brexit vote.
Mr Coyne focused on Brexit in a speech in Birmingham, warning that new immigration controls had to be "non-negotiable" when talks between the UK and the EU get under way.
Unite members who voted for Brexit expected a promise of an end to uncontrolled immigration from the EU to be kept, "and will feel betrayed if it is not", he said. | Jeremy Corbyn could step down if Labour's fortunes do not improve before the next general election in 2020, one of his closest allies has suggested. | 38487571 |
Peters, who joined the BBC in 1947, was the continuity announcer on 2 June 1953 and opened by saying it was a "great and joyous day for us all".
Four years later, she recorded a training film for the Queen to help her prepare for her first Yuletide message.
She was also one of the first hosts of the ballroom competition, Come Dancing.
Peters left the BBC in 1958 but later returned to present a remastered version of the Coronation coverage in 2013.
She worked as an actress in musicals before joining the BBC and was one of a team of three announcers at the time of the coronation, alongside Mary Malcolm and McDonald Hobley.
She was the youngest of the three and is believed to have been chosen to present the coverage because at 28, she was closest to the age of the Queen.
Speaking in 2013, she said the coverage had been "quite magical" and a "turning point" for television.
"We didn't have many viewers [but] the coronation just made television, and everyone wanted one after that."
After leaving the BBC she worked sporadically in TV, appearing in an episode of the '70s comedy Sykes, while running a dress shop.
She returned to screens in the 1980s as a presenter on Channel 4's series for older viewers, Years Ahead, and as an announcer during the BBC's celebration of 50 years of broadcasting in 1986.
Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram at bbcnewsents, or email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk. | Sylvia Peters, who introduced the first televised coronation and helped the Queen prepare for her first Christmas broadcast, has died at the age of 90. | 36923500 |
This will reduce the risk of serious harm from recreational drug use, after a sharp increase in drug deaths in England and Wales, it says.
A rise in drug strength means users may be taking drugs at dangerous levels.
But no level of illegal drug use is ever entirely safe, the Society says.
The RSPH says allowing festival-goers to check the content and strength of substances they possess should also be introduced in city centres where drug use in clubs is common.
It says the idea is supported by the majority of clubbers and festival-goers.
Drug safety testing has already been carried out in the UK at two festivals last summer, with the support of local police and public health.
RSPH's research suggests that nearly one in five users decided to get rid of their drugs once they became aware of what they contained.
Eight festivals in the UK are expected to offer drug safety testing facilities this summer, including Reading and Leeds festivals.
Deaths related to ecstasy use in England and Wales have risen from 10 in 2010 to 57 in 2015.
Drug-related deaths at UK festivals increased to six in 2016.
The rise is thought to have been largely caused by an increase in the average strength of ecstasy pills.
The Society said the average chemical content of an ecstasy pill in Europe is now around 125mg per tablet, compared to 50-80mg in the 1990s and 2000s.
Some 'super pills' now contain more than 300mg of MDMA (the chemical name for ecstasy).
Shirley Cramer CBE, chief executive of RSPH, said: "The rise in drug-related deaths at music festivals and night clubs is a growing problem for policy makers, health authorities and events companies alike.
"While the use of stimulant 'club drugs' such as ecstasy can never be safe, and RSPH supports ongoing efforts to prevent them entering entertainment venues, we accept that a certain level of use remains inevitable in such settings.
"We therefore believe that a pragmatic, harm reduction response is necessary."
She urged event companies to make the facilities a standard part of the UK festival and clubbing scene.
Fiona Measham, professor of criminology, from Durham University, who was behind the drug safety testing pilots last year - called The Loop - said: "We believe that prioritising public health over criminal justice for drug users at a time of growing concern about drug-related deaths at festivals and nightclubs can help to reduce drug-related harm both on and off site." | All music festivals should provide drug testing facilities, where people can go and find out if substances are safe, says the Royal Society for Public Health. | 40190590 |
But Tuesday's summit presents a crisis of a different magnitude: the UK, the EU's second-largest economy, is setting a precedent by leaving the bloc.
Nothing like this has happened since the European Economic Community (EEC), forerunner of the EU, was launched in 1957, with the Treaty of Rome.
Wrangling over the technicalities of the UK withdrawal, and arguing over a future EU-UK settlement, threaten to obscure the bigger picture. Where does the EU go from here?
With Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel at the helm there has been a shift away from the European Commission's "community" method of doing business to the "inter-governmental" method in the EU.
The eurozone crisis highlighted this. It was largely up to the governments - not the European Commission - to bail out Greece, and then Ireland, Portugal and Cyprus.
Attacked by Eurosceptics - not just British ones - the Commission and other EU institutions have somehow to prove their relevance to ordinary voters.
Mrs Merkel's style - and that of the Netherlands and Nordic countries - suited the UK government's approach to the EU. The emphasis was more on pragmatism, less on grand visions of integration.
Yet for Germany and most other members on the continent the EU always meant more than a common market, the trade association that the UK was glad to join in 1973.
Now the Brexit vote has brutally exposed the distance between the EU elite and many ordinary Europeans struggling with the impact of globalisation and the 2008 financial crash.
Europe will be watching to see if there is a real change of tone at this summit, to see if the leaders are listening and sincere about reforming the EU.
The risk for them is that more ground will be lost to populist, nationalist and anti-EU forces, who have massive support in France (the National Front), the Netherlands (the Freedom Party) and Italy (the Northern League and Five Star Movement), to name but a few.
Brexit comes on top of the biggest crises in the EU's history - chronic unemployment linked to the debt crisis, feeble growth in southern Europe and the influx of non-EU migrants fleeing war and poverty.
A Franco-German strategy paper issued after the Brexit vote says "we have to find better ways of dealing with different levels of ambition, so as to ensure that Europe delivers better on the expectations of all European citizens".
That echoes European Council President Donald Tusk, who said the EU must "depart from utopian dreams and move on to practical activities, such as for instance reinforcing the EU's external borders or consistently completing the banking union".
Compromises and fudges are the stuff of EU deals, but this time it is hard to see how the Eurosceptic anger of so many British voters could be appeased by Brussels.
Some have speculated about a new sort of "membership lite" for the UK, granting continued preferential access to the EU single market of 500 million consumers.
But French and German politicians have already urged the UK to invoke Article 50 - the withdrawal procedure - soon, hinting that they are in no mood to let the UK haggle for an a la carte deal.
Free movement of workers remains a fundamental tenet of the single market - and Brexit is such a blow to the EU that the other 27 nations would find it hard to give way on that.
Poland and three of its Central European neighbours in the Visegrad Group will prioritise the rights of their workers in the UK. They cherish freedom of movement, after the restrictions of communism.
France has warned that leaving the EU has to have consequences, though the penalties for the UK remain to be seen.
The summit is an occasion to demonstrate that the EU's hard-won rights and values cannot be repackaged on the cheap, if a member state rejects the club rules.
The UK had already negotiated many opt-outs. But now it has chosen the biggest opt-out of all. | EU leaders are wearily familiar with crisis summits by now - there was the Greek debt crisis, the eurozone crisis, the Ukraine crisis, the migrant crisis. | 36647590 |
Running in London, Mitchell clocked 32 minutes and 51.78 seconds to take almost 42 seconds off Teresa Duffy's 1997 Northern Ireland mark (33:33.70).
Mitchell's time in Britain's World Championships trial was over 14 seconds inside the Commonwealth Games mark.
The 23-year-old also bettered Duffy's 21-year-old NI 5,000m mark last week.
On Saturday night, Mitchell was competing in the Highgate Harriers Night of the 10,000m PBs meeting at the Parliament Hill track on Hampstead Heath.
Elizabeth Potter took victory in 32:04.63 ahead of Steph Twell (32:16.23), with Jo Pavey taking fourth in 32:42.93.
Mitchell finished seventh to book her spot at next year's Commonwealth Games in the Australian city of Gold Coast.
"The race just went fantastically for me," Mitchell told BBC Sport Northern Ireland.
"I went to halfway in 16:22 which was exactly the pace that my coach Eamonn Christie had told me to aim for.
"It's been the best week of my running life after breaking the Northern Ireland 5,000m record in Solihull last weekend.
"It's great to have the Commonwealth 10,000m standard in the bag now and I can plan my training and preparations for next year."
Meanwhile, Strabane Academy student Sommer Lecky's set a new Northern Ireland junior high jump record as she also equalled the Irish junior high jump record of 1.85m at the Ulster Schools Athletics Championships at Antrim.
The performance bettered Ursula Fay's 34-year-old Northern Ireland junior record by one centimetre.
The Finn Valley athlete's leap also equalled Deirdre Ryan's Irish Under-20 record set in 2001 as she added three centimetres to her previous best set two weeks ago.
Lecky, 16, will compete in for Northern Ireland in the Commonwealth Youth Games in the Bahamas in July. | Queen's athlete Emma Mitchell achieved the Commonwealth Games 10,000m standard as she set her second Northern Ireland record in a week on Saturday night. | 39989134 |
But the internet media company's fortunes have changed drastically, with sales falling from $7.2bn (£5bn) in 2008 to $4.6bn (£3.1bn) last year.
This is partly because Google and Facebook have come to dominate the online advertising market from where Yahoo derives its revenue.
A series of chief executives has also failed to stem the decline.
This week, Reuters reported investors had called for Yahoo's core business to be sold after a slump in its share price.
Some said it could lead to the sacking of current chief executive Marissa Mayer and even the end of the Yahoo brand itself.
So where did it all go wrong for the firm and what lies ahead?
Dark clouds haven't always surrounded Yahoo.
Founded in 1994 by Stanford University graduates Jerry Yang and David Filo, the firm swiftly grew to become one of the internet's first web portals, competing with the likes of MSN and Lycos.
"It was a one-stop shop bringing together news and other services for users lacking expertise in navigating the internet," said Richard Kramer, founder of Arete Research and a 20-year tech analyst.
The company also survived the dot com crash of 2000 and its sales climbed tenfold between 2001 and 2008.
However, Mr Kramer said that over time the concept of web portals had become "outmoded".
"In its main search and display ad businesses, Yahoo found itself being overtaken by rivals like Gmail and Hotmail or younger upstarts, messaging apps like Whatsapp or WeChat," he said.
"News aggregation came from Facebook, Twitter and new digital channels like Huffington Post or Vice."
He added: "Yahoo also fell behind the curve in search - partnering with Microsoft, which had tried to buy it - while it was slow to scale up in video and mobile."
The problem was Yahoo generated most of its revenue by selling advertising space on such platforms - and as its audience drifted to other sites, its sales faltered.
Highlighting the discord, chief executive Mr Yang stepped down in December 2008 and the firm laid off 7% of its workforce a month later.
The company needed to reinvent itself - but even Mr Yang's replacement, Carole Bartz, admitted she had struggled with the question of what Yahoo is when she took over in 2009.
"We're not a search company. We're not a display [advertising] company. We're a broad-based internet technology company that serves up the most interesting content on the internet to 600 million people," she later said.
Mr Kramer said the high level of the churn at the top at the firm did not help either.
Ms Bartz soon lost her job in September 2011 and her replacement, Scott Thompson, only lasted four months before resigning over claims he falsified his resumé.
"They went through an endless succession of management changes at a time when they really needed to steady the ship," Mr Kramer said.
"They were also besieged by activist investors calling for change, continuing the cycle of management churn."
Ms Mayer, who has been in situ since July 2012, now faces a similar revolt.
She has tried to bolster Yahoo by acquiring firms such as Flurry, a mobile analytics service, and Tumblr, the blogging service.
But its core internet business continues to lose money. In fact, most of the internet company's $33bn (£21.8bn) value is attributed to its shareholding in Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce giant.
After reversing a plan to sell the stake, Ms Mayer has adopted a strategy to spin off the core business into a new company
But on Monday, Reuters reported several major Yahoo shareholders wanted Ms Mayer to sell the core business outright.
A source said she had the support of her board, but multiple investors have called for her resignation.
Mr Kramer says the choice is a simple one: "Either the CEO needs to put herself out of a job by selling the business, or be given room to pursue a fresh strategy, with restructuring already promised to be announced with the 2015 results."
He added: "The media likes to say Yahoo is a turnaround, but that's the wrong way to think about it.
"It really needs to grow - or buy - entirely new businesses to bolt on to its existing franchise, to attract new audiences.
"This is what Mayer is a trying to do, even if the execution of the plans has been poor." | During the 90s and early 2000s, Yahoo was a veritable web titan - a leader in email, online news and search. | 35243407 |
The crash happened on Thursday morning in Etah, around 265km (164 miles) from the state's capital, Lucknow.
A senior police officer told the BBC that 14 students "were in a critical condition".
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "anguished by the tragic accident".
Can India really halve its road deaths?
India crashes kill 146,133 in 2015
Police spokesperson Rahul Srivastava said the exact cause of the accident was yet to be ascertained.
But he added that visibility was poor because of dense fog at the time of the crash.
The victims were aged between three and 12 years and were studying in a local school.
India has the world's highest number of road deaths, with an accident taking place every four minutes.
More than 146,000 people were killed in road accidents in 2015.
Most crashes are blamed on reckless driving, poorly maintained roads and ageing vehicles. | At least 15 Indian children have been killed and 45 others injured after a school bus they were travelling in collided with a truck in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. | 38673715 |
Guto Pugh, from Machynlleth, Powys, died after the collision on the A496 in Barmouth. while he was on his way to work at the Bae Abermaw Hotel.
The 21-year-old was the leader of Bangor University Brass Band and a member of Band Llanrug.
Fellow musicians described the cornet player as a "gentle, lovely and talented person".
Bangor University Brass Band said: "This is a great loss to the band, the university and the world."
Band Pres Porthaethwy, where the music student helped out, wrote he was a "top bandsman who will be missed by many."
The crash happened on the A496 at Caerdeon between Bontddu and Barmouth at about 07:25 BST on Saturday.
Amy Barrack, who set up the page, wrote: "Guto was an amazing person, a ray of sunshine and a true friend."
In a statement, Bae Abermaw Hotel said: "Sadly one of our valued staff members, Guto Pugh, was killed in a tragic accident on the way to work on Saturday morning.
"We would like to extend our condolences to his family and friends at this sad time.
"Guto was an amazing person and he kept us all smiling, he will be sorely missed." | A young musician who died after a three-car crash in Gwynedd has been described as a "talented bandsman". | 37159747 |
Those falling below the targets, including some rated as "good" by Ofsted, will be labelled as "coasting".
The new threshold for secondary schools will require 60% of pupils to achieve five good GCSEs, including English and maths.
"I'm unapologetic about shining a spotlight on complacency," said Mrs Morgan.
"For too long a group of coasting schools, many in leafy areas with more advantages than schools in disadvantaged communities, have fallen beneath the radar," said the education secretary.
These might be "very good schools but young people are not fulfilling all of their potential".
The education department says that "hundreds" of schools will have to raise their results to meet these higher expectations.
But head teachers' leader Brian Lightman said the definitions for this new category were "muddled and unfair".
Schools falling into this coasting category will be given help to improve, but those that fail to make progress could be turned into academies. The classification will be based on three years of results.
The plans, introduced in the Education and Adoption Bill, are aimed at raising standards in hundreds of schools that are achieving adequate exam results, but where the government believes achievement could be much higher.
There will also be a target for primary schools to stay above this coasting label, requiring 85% of pupils to achieve the expected standard in their national curriculum tests.
As well as those failing to reach these targets, schools will be labelled as "coasting" if a below-average proportion of pupils are making the expected amount of progress.
The plans are aimed at pushing schools to achieve more than the "artificial borderline" of sufficient numbers of good grades at GCSE and in primary tests.
Mrs Morgan says schools should be "stretching every pupil to unlock their potential".
Schools falling into the coasting category will be expected to produce a "credible plan to improve" and will be given assistance by "expert" head teachers.
Those that do not improve will be turned into academies.
Coasting schools that are already academies could be given new academy sponsors or extra support, Mrs Morgan said.
These new thresholds for coasting schools are in addition to existing targets for underperformance.
For secondary schools, at least 40% of pupils have to achieve five good GCSEs, including English and maths. At primary level, the threshold is 65% of pupils achieving the expected levels in Sats tests.
In state schools in last year's GCSEs, about 57% of pupils achieved five good GCSEs, including English and maths.
But Mr Lightman, general secretary of the ASCL head teachers' union, said the proposals were "muddled".
He said that the emphasis on exam results would "focus most attention on schools which are in challenging circumstances" rather than being a measure of progress.
Mr Lightman also warned that "academisation is not a magic wand" and that it would not be an answer to problems such as a shortage of maths and science teachers.
Russell Hobby, leader of the National Association of Head Teachers, said that he was reassured that there would be alternatives for school improvement, other than becoming academies.
"Forced conversion into academy status is not going to be the default option for coasting schools," said Mr Hobby.
The NUT's Kevin Courtney said that it would mean that many head teachers in good schools could lose their jobs.
He added: "Nicky Morgan says that coasting schools will ultimately be transformed into academies - but, by her own definition, very many academy schools will also be coasting.
Shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt said: "No parent wants their child to be schooled in an inadequate, failing or coasting school.
"But these plans mean that it is likely that underperforming schools will simply pass from one poor provider to another, without the measures required to turn around sub-standard school leadership and poor classroom teaching." | Schools in England will face tougher exam targets, under plans announced by Education Secretary Nicky Morgan. | 33310736 |
Judge Thomas Au of the High Court rejected a request for their swearing-in to be delayed for a judicial review.
Yau Wai-ching and Sixtus Leung of the Youngspiration party had their oaths invalidated last week after mounting an anti-China protest in the legislature.
The pair slammed the court hearing as an abuse of the legal system.
They are expected to re-take their oaths tomorrow in the Legislative Council (LegCo) as scheduled.
Several pro-democracy lawmakers caused chaos in the LegCo last week by using their oath-taking to stage boisterous protests against China.
Five lawmakers in total need to re-take their oaths, the South China Morning Post reports.
Mr Leung and Ms Yau swore while saying their oaths and mispronounced "China".
Several pro-democracy candidates won LegCo seats in elections last month.
Many had played key roles in the 2014 "Umbrella protests" against growing Chinese influence in Hong Kong's politics. | Hong Kong's government has failed to block two pro-independence lawmakers from taking their oaths in a last-ditch legal challenge. | 37691337 |
A 25-year-old man suffered a fractured skull during the attack on Waverley Bridge at about 03:30 on Sunday 23 July.
Detectives want to trace the men pictured in the area at the time of the assault.
Anyone who recognises the men is urged to contact police.
Det Con Graham McIlwraith, of Police Scotland, said: "The victim suffered a serious head injury as a result of this incident and police have been conducting various inquiries including viewing several hours of CCTV footage from in and around Edinburgh city centre.
"The males pictured are believed to be of significance to our investigation and anyone who can assist in tracing them is asked to come forward
"Similarly, we would ask these males to get in touch with police and help with our investigation." | Police have released CCTV pictures of a group of three men they want to find in connection with a serious assault in Edinburgh city centre. | 40790618 |
Essex are through to the T20 Blast quarter-finals and currently sit top of the South Group in the One-Day Cup.
"The team's in a great place, especially in white-ball cricket," 20-year-old Velani told BBC Essex.
"We've won five of our last seven T20 games and now won our first two one-dayers. Hopefully we keep this momentum going throughout the competition."
Essex's 152-run victory over Warwickshire on Wednesday was built on a 191-run opening partnership between Tom Westley and Mark Pettini, with both hitting centuries.
"Tom Westley and Mark Pettini batted fantastically; they set the platform for us," said Velani.
"With the strength of our batting, that's all we can ask for - to keep wickets at the end and then the lower order can come in and bat freely." | Essex batsman Kishen Velani is pleased with how his side are progressing in the limited-overs formats. | 33717605 |
Here's a look at some of the potential story lines which could be making the headlines.
The unbridled joy of Frankie Dettori after silencing the harbingers of gloom about his career by steering home the John Gosden-trained Golden Horn to victory in 2015 will live long in the memory.
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That day, after a striking success in the Dante Stakes at York, the pressure was massive for the Dettori/Gosden axis to deliver; 12 months on however, as the pair team-up with Wings Of Desire, expectations are somewhat different.
The improving colt, owned by his breeder Lady Bamford, also won the Dante, but only narrowly, and this time there's a long list of plausible alternative fancies.
But, for the sport, a third victory in the race for such a highly-recognisable figure as 45-year-old Dettori - riding in his 21st Derby - would be priceless in terms of exposure during an action-packed summer of sport when the struggle for coverage is intense.
WATCH: BBC Radio 5 live's 60-second Derby preview
As he looks for a fourth Derby success in five years - and sixth overall - Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien saddles practically a third of the field, all owned by the Coolmore racing and breeding empire, although this isn't actually his biggest challenge.
In 2009, O'Brien's prolific Ballydoyle Stables in County Tipperary provided six runners, and two years earlier no fewer than eight of his horses lined up - but he didn't win the prize either time (it was Sea The Stars and Authorized, respectively).
What the size of the squad - four of them sons of Coolmore's champion stallion Galileo - indicates is the open nature of the 237th Derby, in which you could support anyone of about 10, and not look entirely ridiculous.
Unbeaten US Army Ranger, very narrow winner of the Chester Vase on only his second start, has long looked like the team's figurehead, and is the choice of Coolmore's number one jockey Ryan Moore, a tip in itself for many.
But Port Douglas, second at Chester when conceding a small amount of weight, and Deauville, runner-up to Wings Of Desire at York, also have solid credentials.
And it's another significant 'family' day for the O'Briens. While the trainer's jockey-son Joseph, rider of Derby winners Camelot (2012) and Australia (2014) has retired, his younger brother Donnacha, 17, makes his Epsom Derby debut on outsider Shogun.
An eight-length win in a maiden race at Newbury started the Ulysses bandwagon rolling towards Epsom, although it was six uncharacteristically bullish words from his five-time Derby-winning trainer Sir Michael Stoute that sent it into something approaching overdrive.
The trainer of winners Shergar (1981), Sharastani (1986), Kris Kin (2003), North Light (2004) and Workforce (2010) said he was "certainly very hopeful of his [Ulysses'] chances".
That was interpreted as a big shout-out for the offspring of 2001 Derby winner Galileo and Light Shift, successful in the Oaks of 2007.
While Stoute's apparent enthusiasm has made Ulysses a major Derby fancy, it's his booking of jockey Kieren Fallon to partner Across The Stars, the stable's other big-race contender, that has caught the eye.
The six-time champion, rider of Kris Kin and North Light, has found himself with a lower profile in recent seasons, but his aptitude for navigating the notoriously tricky twists and turns of Epsom is legendary, and is why for fans he remains 'King Kieren'.
Sheikh Mohammed's vast Godolphin racing and thoroughbred breeding network has won the Derby twice, but never yet with the jockey wearing the distinctive silks that have seen the global, Dubai-based operation dubbed 'The Boys in Blue'.
Both Lammtarra (1995) and New Approach (2008) ran in the colours of other members of the Sheikh's family, and how he'd relish the opportunity to remedy that situation. This is perhaps the year for it to be done as two live chances are aimed at the Classic, historically known as the 'Blue Riband'.
Although neither is part of Godolphin's in-house training set-up, both Cloth Of Stars, the Prix Greffulhe winner from French-based Andre Fabre's string, and Moonlight Magic, part of the Jim Bolger team in Ireland, boast admirable credentials, particularly maybe the latter.
With his upward trajectory and being a nephew of Derby winners Galileo and See The Stars, this beautifully-bred colt, ridden by a blue-clad Kevin Manning, could easily fulfil Sheikh Mohammed's dream.
Were that to occur, it would certainly be a most significant step in - and perhaps the completion of - Godolphin's rehabilitation following the infamous doping scandal of 2013 - at about the time actually that these two horses were being born.
With a total purse of £1.55m, the 2016 Investec Derby will go down in history as the most valuable race ever staged in Britain, because of an unprecedented four supplementary - late - entries, each costing £75,000.
Cloth Of Stars is one late-comer to the party, along with Wings Of Desire - who'd been entered but then removed, having demonstrated little promise until as recently as mid-March - while the other two are Humphrey Bogart and Red Verdon.
Humphrey Bogart, named by his owners at Chelsea Thoroughbreds after the star of the iconic film Casablanca, and a first runner in the race for both trainer Richard Hannon junior and jockey Sean Levey, put his name in bright lights with success in the Derby Trial race at Lingfield.
Meanwhile, the Ed Dunlop-trained Red Verdon, the latest in a long line of horses owned by Hong Kong businessman Ronnie Arculli to have the colour red in their names, has earned his place with impressive wins at Chester and Haydock. Champion jockey Silvestre de Sousa will take only his second Derby mount on the colt.
Considering he was runner-up in the 2000 Guineas, Massaat makes a relatively unheralded appearance in the Epsom line-up.
But the Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum-owned colt, in the care of rookie trainer Owen Burrows, a former jump jockey and, more recently, right-hand man to Stoute, seems to tick plenty of boxes, with the possible exception of his stamina over the mile-and-a-half-long course.
The Massaat team will be hoping for more luck than that enjoyed by Barry Hills, Burrows' predecessor at his stables in Lambourn, Berkshire: not only did Hills never win the Epsom Derby, but to make matters worse he was second four times.
Not much has been said or written about Harzand, trained for the Aga Khan by Dermot Weld in Ireland, and the winner of both of his races in 2016, one the prestigious Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown in good style.
Recent rain at Epsom, which has affected the going quite considerably, will favour this colt, one of three in the field sired by Sea The Stars.
Ground conditions are also encouraging those around the David Simcock-trained Algometer, whose second place behind one-time Derby favourite Midterm at Sandown in April, would seem to put him right in the mix. | Sixteen runners are set to line up for the 237th running of the Derby at Epsom on Saturday. | 36430481 |
The defender, 30, has been hampered by injuries in recent seasons, and pulled out shortly before Wednesday's game.
"There is no injury," said manager Roberto Martinez. "We did not want to take any risks with him and Kompany did not feel well after the warm-up."
Meanwhile, Tottenham's Vincent Janssen suffered concussion during the game.
The 22-year-old striker, who has scored four times for Spurs since a £17m summer move from AZ Alkmaar, was substituted in the first half after colliding with Belgium keeper Simon Mignolet.
Kompany had asked to be replaced at half-time during City's 1-0 EFL Cup loss at Manchester United last month because he was "tired".
City boss Pep Guardiola says Kompany has a future at the club, but needs "faith to play regularly" after a run of injuries.
The centre-back was named on the teamsheet for Wednesday's friendly in Amsterdam, but was then replaced by Watford's Christian Kabasele.
Ajax midfielder Davy Klaassen put the Dutch ahead from the penalty spot before Yannick Carrasco netted a late equaliser for the Red Devils.
Kompany is now a doubt for the World Cup qualifier against Estonia on Sunday.
"I want every player to be 100%," said Martinez. "I would be surprised if he can play Sunday, but it is still too early to say.
"We will have to assess the situation, especially with his club. If he is not ready, I will take another defender."
Match ends, Netherlands 1, Belgium 1.
Second Half ends, Netherlands 1, Belgium 1.
Attempt blocked. Thorgan Hazard (Belgium) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Eden Hazard.
Hand ball by Yannick Carrasco (Belgium).
Substitution, Netherlands. Bart Ramselaar replaces Georginio Wijnaldum.
Thorgan Hazard (Belgium) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Tonny Vilhena (Netherlands).
Attempt saved. Yannick Carrasco (Belgium) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Axel Witsel.
Attempt saved. Eden Hazard (Belgium) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Romelu Lukaku.
Foul by Thorgan Hazard (Belgium).
Tonny Vilhena (Netherlands) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Romelu Lukaku (Belgium) right footed shot from very close range is just a bit too high. Assisted by Yannick Carrasco.
Substitution, Belgium. Youri Tielemans replaces Steven Defour.
Goal! Netherlands 1, Belgium 1. Yannick Carrasco (Belgium) left footed shot from outside the box to the high centre of the goal. Assisted by Thorgan Hazard.
Foul by Eden Hazard (Belgium).
Jordy Clasie (Netherlands) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Offside, Belgium. Eden Hazard tries a through ball, but Laurent Ciman is caught offside.
Jan Vertonghen (Belgium) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Joshua Brenet (Netherlands).
Attempt missed. Romelu Lukaku (Belgium) right footed shot from very close range is too high.
Attempt blocked. Thorgan Hazard (Belgium) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Eden Hazard.
Corner, Belgium. Conceded by Jeffrey Bruma.
Attempt blocked. Romelu Lukaku (Belgium) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jan Vertonghen.
Attempt blocked. Axel Witsel (Belgium) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Romelu Lukaku.
Substitution, Netherlands. Tonny Vilhena replaces Wesley Sneijder.
Offside, Netherlands. Wesley Sneijder tries a through ball, but Bas Dost is caught offside.
Attempt missed. Joshua Brenet (Netherlands) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Georginio Wijnaldum.
Jan Vertonghen (Belgium) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Memphis Depay (Netherlands).
Foul by Eden Hazard (Belgium).
Joël Veltman (Netherlands) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Axel Witsel (Belgium).
Georginio Wijnaldum (Netherlands) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Netherlands. Memphis Depay replaces Jeremain Lens because of an injury.
Hand ball by Jeremain Lens (Netherlands).
Substitution, Belgium. Thorgan Hazard replaces Kevin De Bruyne.
Substitution, Belgium. Romelu Lukaku replaces Dries Mertens.
Offside, Belgium. Eden Hazard tries a through ball, but Kevin De Bruyne is caught offside.
Yannick Carrasco (Belgium) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Jeremain Lens (Netherlands). | Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany does not have an injury, despite being withdrawn from the Belgium team for their 1-1 draw against the Netherlands. | 37896400 |
Last week a High Court judge said the curb meant "real misery" for families with children aged under two.
Labour's Debbie Abrahams told the BBC the party would consider removing the £20,000 limit on household benefits if it came to power.
Ministers say the cap encourages work and help is on offer for lone parents.
The cap, first introduced in 2013 but reduced in 2016, limits the income households receive in certain benefits. The idea behind it was that no household should get more in benefits than the average working household.
Single parents win benefits challenge
Is the cap working?
Cap starts amid fears for single parents
The cap now stands at £23,000 for those in London and £20,000 a year outside London. Parents must work for at least 16 hours a week to avoid the cap.
But four lone parent families won a judicial review last week. Their solicitor said their benefits were, or were expected to be, cut as they were unable to work the 16 hours required.
The government says it will appeal against that ruling.
Mrs Abrahams, the shadow work and pensions secretary, said a Labour government would "make sure we would uphold the ruling from the court decision".
Asked whether the cap would go altogether under a future Labour government, Mrs Abrahams said: "We would be looking to see how we do that."
She admitted that Labour had not yet costed the measure but said: "We know that, for example, the court ruling is about £50m so it's not an astronomical figure."
She said she recognised that for some people the capped level "might seem like an awful lot of money".
However, she highlighted "the implications for people in the poorest circumstances, the implications around child poverty which affects children not just while they're young but for the rest their lives - it affects how their brains develop and everything."
Last week a judge in London ruled he was "satisfied that the claims must succeed" against the work and pensions secretary.
Mr Justice Collins said: "Whether or not the defendant accepts my judgment, the evidence shows that the cap is capable of real damage to individuals such as the claimants.
"They are not workshy but find it, because of the care difficulties, impossible to comply with the work requirement."
The solicitor who represented the claimants said she thought around 17,000 families were affected by the cap in this way.
A Department for Work and Pensions spokeswoman said: "The benefit cap incentivises work, even if it's part-time, as anyone eligible for working tax credits or the equivalent under Universal Credit, is exempt.
"Even with the cap, lone parents can still receive benefits up to the equivalent salary of £25,000, or £29,000 in London, and we have made discretionary housing payments available to people who need extra help." | Labour would "look to" remove a cap on household benefits but has not yet costed the measure, the shadow work and pensions secretary has told the BBC. | 40397875 |
Jason Langton, 20, who had sinusitis, was sent home from Wrexham Maelor Hospital days before his death in 2010.
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board admitted liability for Mr Langton's death and awarded his family a five-figure settlement.
His family, from Chester, said the death should never have happened.
Mr Langton's mother, Jane, 53, said: "If people miss things once that is understandable, but this was not just once.
"When doctors say, 'take him home, it will be ok', you trust what they are saying and you do not answer.
"Looking back we should not have taken no for an answer. That plays through your mind - what could have been different."
Mr Langton first visited his GP suffering from sinusitis in April 2010.
It is a common condition in which the lining of the sinuses - small, air-filled cavities behind the cheekbones and forehead - become inflamed, usually due to a viral infection.
He was repeatedly prescribed nasal spray and antibiotics but these had no effect.
In the weeks leading up to his death, he suffered severe headaches, was frequently sick and lost weight.
On 8 November, he was in so much pain his sister Sam called an ambulance and he was rushed to Wrexham Maelor Hospital with an irregular heartbeat.
However, he was later discharged, and his condition worsened.
Doctors told Mr Langton to go back to his GP if he felt no better - and he did so on 11 November.
After examining him, the doctor told him to come back for an urgent review if things had not improved after the weekend.
But on 13 November, Mr Langton was found collapsed on his bedroom floor.
He was rushed back to Wrexham Maelor and given antibiotics, but no X-rays or brain scans.
Mr Langton's family claim that, if he had been scanned, doctors would have discovered his brain abscess and could have operated to drain it - meaning he would have stood a better chance of recovery.
But he was sent home in a wheelchair and went to bed at 22:00 GMT.
By 08:00 the following day his partner found he had turned blue and stopped breathing.
After again being taken to hospital, scans revealed a 6cm by 4cm (2in by 1.5in) abscess on the right frontal lobe of his brain.
He was then transferred to intensive care but was already brain dead and died later that day.
Paying tribute, Mrs Langton she "cannot forgive herself" for not forcing doctors to keep him in hospital.
She added: "He was the life and soul of the party.
"Looking back, we should have realised earlier something was seriously wrong. Jason lost a stone in weight, his face was gaunt and he looked like someone from a prisoner of war camp."
A spokesman for Betsi said: "We wish to again extend our sincere condolences to Mr Langton's family for their sad loss.
"The health board did learn from this sad experience and changes were put in place to prevent a similar situation arising in the future.
"Although we unable to comment in detail on this case, we can confirm that matters have been settled following due legal process." | A young dancer killed by a common infection which caused an abscess on his brain was twice turned away from A&E. | 34866305 |
Dragons have struggled on the pitch in recent seasons and finished 11th in the Pro12 in 2016-17, the lowest of the four Welsh regions.
The region has a history of financial problems and chief executive Stuart Davies had warned of a "bleak" future had a takeover not been approved.
"Everyone's really positive about it," said Wales lock Hill.
"I think things are going to go forward in the future, which is good personally and good for the club itself."
Newport RFC shareholders overwhelmingly voted in favour of the takeover, which also includes the Rodney Parade ground.
A new company free of debt will now be formed, owned by the WRU, and all employees of the Dragons will now be taken on by the WRU.
The WRU and Dragons both approved the deal before the vote took place on 9 May, which needed to be passed by at least 75% of shareholders.
The Union already owned 50% of the region, which was formed in 2003.
Hill is currently with the Wales squad preparing for the two Tests against Tonga and Samoa later this month
The 25-year-old hopes to make an impression on the summer tour as the only capped lock in the tour party, with five Test appearances since his debut in November, 2016.
Alun Wyn Jones is on British and Irish Lions duty in New Zealand, Luke Charteris and Jake Ball are injured, while Bradley Davies is unavailable as his wife is due to give birth to their second child.
In addition, potential lock cover James King of Ospreys has been replaced by similarly versatile forward Aaron Shingler, of Scarlets.
King and Shingler have played lock during their careers.
"It would be great for me to hopefully get a place in the side and kick on from there," said Hill. | Cory Hill says the Welsh Rugby Union's takeover of Newport Gwent Dragons will allow the region to "go forward". | 40124940 |
Mr Coulson said it had been a "mistake" and the irony was "not lost" on him, in view of his own on-off affair with his co-defendant, Rebekah Brooks.
Under cross-examination, Mr Coulson also denied knowledge of illegal phone hacking by NoW reporters.
He denies conspiring to hack phones.
He also denies conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office.
Mr Blunkett was home secretary in 2004 when the NoW revealed that he had been having an affair with then Spectator magazine publisher Kimberly Quinn.
He resigned later that year.
In an exchange with David Spens QC, a lawyer acting for former NoW royal editor Clive Goodman, Mr Coulson said he had made a mistake in deciding to pursue a story about Mr Blunkett's private life.
Mr Coulson said: "This was about someone having an affair, and given what was going on in my life, the irony is not lost on me."
Mr Spens then accused Mr Coulson of hypocrisy. Mr Coulson replied: "As I have said, the irony is not lost on me."
The court heard that in August 2004 Mr Coulson went to Mr Blunkett's home to question him about the affair but did not tell him he had heard an intercepted voicemail that the home secretary had left on Ms Quinn's mobile phone.
Mr Spens said: "Do you feel any shame about what you did?" Mr Coulson replied: "I regret it, yes."
Earlier the former editor was questioned about members of his senior staff at the NoW who have pleaded guilty to phone hacking.
In each instance Mr Coulson denied any knowledge of their activities.
Read profiles of the defendants
Mr Coulson said that when the paper's chief reporter at the time, Neville Thurlbeck, had played back to him an intercepted voicemail left by Mr Blunkett he had told the reporter to stop such activity.
Mr Coulson was repeatedly asked about his claim that he did not ask Mr Thurlbeck how he had gained access to the message.
He said he had told the reporter to "stop" but he did not "explore further".
He denied suggestions that he was not curious because he knew phone hacking was happening at the paper.
Asked if Mr Thurlbeck had received a written warning because of his behaviour, been the subject of a disciplinary process or been reported to the Press Complaints Commission, Mr Coulson replied: "No."
In other testimony, Mr Coulson denied putting pressure on his royal editor to use phone hacking to get stories.
"I did not ask Clive Goodman to do that," he said.
Mr Spens continued: "Not only did you know about hacking, you were putting pretty strong pressure on him to do better."
Mr Coulson said: "I had put legitimate pressure on Clive to improve his performance."
The former editor was also asked about a meeting he had with Mr Goodman in August 2006, after the former royal editor had been arrested on suspicion of illegally intercepting phone messages.
Mr Coulson denied he had offered Mr Goodman the prospect of work back at the paper if he pleaded guilty.
Mr Goodman's barrister suggested Mr Coulson had offered financial help so Mr Goodman "wouldn't rat" on other people at the paper.
"No," Mr Coulson replied.
The former editor said a conversation may have taken place about his concern for Mr Goodman and his family but added that his words had been "completely twisted".
Mr Coulson was also asked about allegations that he had told Mr Goodman he had influence over the police and wanted to stop the phone hacking investigation going deeper.
He said: "The paper had a difficult relationship with Sir Ian Blair, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, and I don't think we could have any influence over him. We had been very critical of him over [the killing of] Jean Charles De Menezes."
Mr Coulson, 46, of Charing, Kent, is one of seven defendants in the hacking trial. All deny the various charges against them.
The case continues. | Former News of the World editor Andy Coulson has told the phone-hacking trial he regrets his decision to expose ex-home secretary David Blunkett's affair in the paper. | 27143947 |
The 23-year-old former Millwall trainee has also previously played for Luton Town, Aldershot and AFC Wimbledon, as well as Margate.
He started 21 National League games for Braintree in 2016-17, scoring once.
Meanwhile, right back Ryan Peters and midfielder James Mulley have signed new deals with Maidenhead, keeping them with the Magpies for a third season.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. | National League-bound Maidenhead United have signed centre-back Jake Goodman from relegated outfit Braintree Town. | 40392893 |
Jamie Jones-Buchanan, Adam Cuthbertson and Liam Sutcliffe put the hosts 16-0 up after only 12 minutes.
Scores from Kyle Amor, Luke Walsh and Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook then put the visitors ahead, before Carl Ablett's try gave Leeds a 22-18 half-time lead.
Ash Handley's try edged Rhinos further ahead as St Helens lost for only the second time this campaign.
Reigning champions Rhinos took an early lead when Jones-Buchanan, on his 300th Super League appearance, went over after Handley intercepted a St Helens kick.
After Cuthbertson stormed over from close range, Sutcliffe ran 30 metres for the home side's third try when Amor miscued a bobbling ball.
St Helens finally got on the board when a short pass from Walsh found Amor to score between the posts.
Saints went over again as Walsh danced through to touch down, while McCarthy-Scarsbrook opened Leeds up down the middle as the visitors edged in front.
But just as St Helens seemed set for a half-time lead, Ablett went over with the last play of the half for Rhinos as he burst through two tackles.
A cagey second half saw Handley time his run to perfection to meet Beau Falloon's kick for Rhinos' fifth try and St Helens were unable to mount another comeback.
Leeds head coach Brian McDermott:
"It was a crazy game. It was end-to-end stuff - a bit too fast.
"Some passages both coaches would be unhappy with but then there were some passages both coaches would be pleased with, I certainly was anyway.
"There were some defensive efforts and try-savers which were probably created from initial loose defence, but then we end up saving the try which kept us in the game."
St Helens head coach Keiron Cunningham:
"We don't seem to get off the bus for the first 10 to 15 minutes when we come to Leeds.
"We seem to want to give one of the best sides in the comp a leg up. Sixteen points is tough to chase down anywhere, especially at Headingley.
"The game was really scrappy and really open in that first half. It was whichever side took a grip of the game and kicked the ball best that was going to win it, and we just decided we didn't want to do that."
Leeds: Hardaker; Handley, Watkins, Moon, Hall; Sutcliffe, Burrow; Galloway, Falloon, Cuthbertson, Ablett, Ferres, Jones-Buchanan.
Replacements: Lilley, Mullally, Walters, Delaney.
St Helens: McDonnell; Makinson, Peyroux, Dawson, Owens; Turner, Walsh; Walmsley, Roby, Amor, Vea, Greenwood, Wilkin.
Replacements: McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Tasi, Richards, Thompson.
Referee: Ben Thaler | Leeds Rhinos picked up their second victory of the season by beating St Helens in Super League. | 35816349 |
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The win put Antonio Conte's team seven points ahead of second-placed Spurs, who are at Crystal Palace on Wednesday.
"It's always good to play before and put pressure on them," said Hazard.
Cahill called the win a "massive step", adding: "It's the first time for a long time we've played before Tottenham."
On Tuesday, Chelsea took a fifth-minute lead when Belgium winger Hazard beat keeper Fraser Forster with a low strike, before Oriol Romeu equalised for the Saints from close range.
England centre-back Cahill, who missed Chelsea's 4-2 win over Spurs in Sunday's FA Cup semi-final, headed his side back in front just before half-time.
Spain striker Diego Costa put the result beyond doubt with two goals after the break - taking his Chelsea career league tally to 51 - before former Blues defender Ryan Bertrand scored Southampton's second in stoppage time.
Conte, whose side had been beaten twice in their past four league games, said: "We passed a big step - a big psychological step - after the defeat against Manchester United.
"We lost three points, then we had to prepare a semi-final against Tottenham, then another tough game here. Mentally we have had a really important test.
"Our answer was very good. We must be pleased."
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BBC chief football writer Phil McNulty at Stamford Bridge:
Conte turned and applauded all four sides of Stamford Bridge as the clock ticked down on a vital night in the Premier League title race.
The pressure valve had been released after the moments of uncertainty in the past 10 days as Conte and Chelsea's players re-asserted their position at the top of the table with a comfortable win.
Chelsea's superiority - and nerve - had been questioned after a timid loss at Manchester United came so soon after a shock home defeat by Crystal Palace - but normal service was eventually restored here and they have that important seven-point advantage once more.
The mood around Stamford Bridge was not exactly triumphant, but the feelgood factor is back after the FA Cup semi-final win over Spurs and what was ultimately a comfortable dispatch of Southampton.
Chelsea have responded to being backed into a corner, not just by Jose Mourinho's Manchester United, but also by an excellent Spurs side for the first hour of that pulsating Wembley semi-final.
And much of the credit must go to Conte, who was also questioned after he was tactically outmanoeuvred by Mourinho when the Portuguese's decision to man mark Eden Hazard with Ander Herrera was a match-winning masterstroke at Old Trafford.
He rested Hazard and Diego Costa from his starting line-up at Wembley, used them when required to win that game and then started them here - with both pivotal to a win that pushes Chelsea closer to the title.
Conte has shown a sure touch from the moment he reverted to his true tactical instincts and his favoured three-man defensive system following a home loss to Liverpool and a chastening 3-0 defeat at Arsenal in September.
So it should come as no surprise that he has responded so well, and so calmly, to a couple of unexpected setbacks to restore balance at Chelsea and ease any anxiety among their supporters.
Conte can now sit back and relax on Wednesday night as Spurs take their turn in the spotlight by tackling a currently very formidable Crystal Palace side in the hostile environment of Selhurst Park. | Tottenham will be feeling the heat after Chelsea beat Southampton 4-2 to edge closer to the Premier League title, say Blues goalscorers Eden Hazard and Gary Cahill. | 39714476 |
The new pairing won Sunday's final of the lightweight men's double sculls, leading from start to finish.
Ireland's Rio Olympic silver medallists Paul and Gary O'Donovan were fourth.
There were also bronze medals for Enniskillen's Holly Nixon in the women's quadruple sculls and Joel Cassells in the lightweight men's pair.
Chambers and Fletcher held off a late surge from Czech Republic and Poland, with the O'Donovan brothers struggling home out of the medal positions in Serbia.
With the double sculls the only lightweight category remaining on the Olympic programme for Tokyo 2020 this was the first opportunity for Chambers and Fletcher to lay down a marker for the rest of the season and beyond.
Having come through their heat and semi-final comfortably, they set an impressive pace in the final from the start and by the halfway mark they had built up a lead of a length.
Fletcher had sculled with Peter's older brother Richard during the last Olympic cycle and eventually finished seventh in Rio while the younger Chambers sibling was a member of the lightweight four that also finished seventh.
There were only three entrants in the women's quadruple sculls and Poland, with two under-23 world champions in the their quartet and Netherlands with two Olympic silver medallists among their crew, were too strong for a Great Britain boat that included Nixon.
In the lightweight men's pair Cassells and partner Sam Scrimgeour, the current European champions, led after the first 500m but were overhauled by Ireland's Shane O'Driscoll and Mark O'Donovan by the halfway mark and by the Russian pair in the final stages of the race.
The GB pair ultimately had to settle for third place with the Irish duo going on to take gold.
All three Northern Ireland rowers are expected to be named next week in the Great Britain squad for the European Championships in Racice, Czech Republic that take place from 26-28 May. | Coleraine's Peter Chambers and Will Fletcher from England took gold for Great Britain & NI at the first World Cup regatta of the season in Belgrade. | 39836316 |
This year has seen the body involved in a public row with groups of crofters.
Its board has made a public apology for its handling of this dispute and sought the resignation of its convener, who says he has done nothing wrong.
The minister made his comment in connection with legislation for the commission's elections in 2017.
Legislation has been approved by the Scottish Parliament for next year's election of commissioners to the board of crofting's regulatory body.
While Mr Ewing has not mentioned the issues faced by the present board, he said: "We want to see the commission focus on building on successful developments in crofting, refocusing attention on being an effective regulator and delivering an excellent service to crofters.
"To do this, we need people who care about the long-term future of crofting to stand for election, or re-election next March.
"It is vital that all crofters make their voice heard by voting in next year's election to ensure that the Crofting Commission represents and reflects the interests and diversity of our crofting communities."
His statement follows a meeting of the board in Inverness on Wednesday. | Fergus Ewing has said the Scottish government wants to see the Crofting Commission "refocusing attention on being an effective regulator". | 38332449 |
The teenager, from Renfrew near Glasgow, is so worried about his appearance that he photoshops all of his online profile pictures.
Almost a third of 2,000 UK teenagers, polled for a body confidence campaign, avoid activities like PE because of fears about their looks.
The Be Real Campaign says schools have a key role in combating body anxiety.
Fears about they way they look are "having a profoundly negative effect on a significant number of young people in the UK", says the report.
Some young people are able to reject the pressure to look perfect but "those who cannot often suffer in silence, too afraid to share their insecurities with others... a sense of hopelessness often dominates these individuals", it warns.
Josh told the researchers that he had already had to leave a school "because of bullying and it was all because I was fat".
He said the trend for plus size models had not taken off in men's fashion, adding: "I genuinely don't know one big male model."
And he believes a lot of the pressure to conform to a certain type stems from images in the media "celebrities, plastic surgery, the Kardashians".
"See the guys in my year, a lot of them are like tanks with six packs.
"A lot of guys get their eyebrows done, including me and I photoshop every one of my profile pictures. I get rid of my spots, I get rid of my double chin and it genuinely takes me 25 minutes to make one."
According to the research more than half (52%) of 11 to 16-year-olds regularly worry about their looks - 60% of girls and 43% of boys.
Despite these pressures, fewer than half (48%) of the young people surveyed said they had discussed body confidence in lessons.
Be Real has launched a toolkit to help schools promote pupils' body confidence.
"Evidence shows that schools are uniquely placed to support young people to hold positive discussions around body image with their peers and help reduce the negative impact low body confidence can have," said Denise Hatton, YMCA chief executive for England and Wales.
Julie Hunter, assistant head teacher at Bradon Forest School in Wiltshire, said the toolkit could help teachers "to use accurate language so they're confident when delivering these lessons".
"Equally it is vital that we make students aware of this issue," Ms Hunter added. | "I downright refuse to do PE," admits 16-year-old Josh who believes he is fat and fears bullying. | 38642826 |
The 45-year old plant has been loss-making for two years and was forecast to continue losing money until 2020.
Renewable energy and cheap gas prices have made coal-fired power plants increasingly expensive to run.
SSE has entered into consultation with staff. The closures could mean up to 213 job losses.
The power plant provides two gigawatts of power, to the north-west of England, which is enough to supply around two million homes with electricity.
A fourth unit at the plant will remain open as it has a contract to provide power for the National Grid next winter.
Three months ago, the government announced the permanent closure of all coal-fired power plants by 2025 as part of plans to lower carbon emissions from the electricity sector.
""The reality is the station is ageing, its method of generating electricity is being rendered out of date and it has been and is expected to continue to be loss-making in the years ahead," Paul Smith, managing director of the generation business at SSE, said in a statement.
Fiddler's Ferry power plant won a 2018/19 capacity market contract from the government for three of its units in UK's first capacity market auction. The contracts are intended to ensure there is sufficient power capacity on the electricity network to ensure that the lights stay on when renewable energy production is low.
SSE said it would incur a penalty charge of around £33m for breaching the contract by closing the units.
Mr Smith said: "The fact it makes more sense for SSE to contemplate making a substantial payment in lieu of the capacity agreement relating to Fiddler's Ferry in 2018/19 demonstrates just how economically challenged Fiddler's Ferry has become - its losses are unsustainable."
Last month, SSE was unsuccessful in gaining a capacity contract for the power plant for the year 2019/20.
The likely closure of the Fiddler's Ferry coal-fired power plant follows an announcement by SSE last May that it was closing down its Ferrybridge power station in Yorkshire border in March 2016. | Energy company SSE has said it expects to close three out of four units at its Fiddler's Ferry coal-fired power plant in Cheshire by 1 April. | 35489028 |
Overall, missed GP and hospital appointments cost the health service in England nearly £1bn a year, Jeremy Hunt said in a speech this week.
He said he sympathised with the idea of charging patients for missing GP appointments, although there are no plans for this to happen.
But he said people would have to "take personal responsibility" for NHS funds.
In a measure announced in a speech to the Local Government Association on Wednesday, Mr Hunt said he planned to display the cost of prescription medicines on packets.
The figure and the words "funded by the UK taxpayer" will be added to all packs costing more than £20 in England.
The move is part of efforts to reduce the £300m bill for "wasted" medication, which is prescribed but not used.
In the same speech, he said missed GP appointments cost the taxpayer £162m and missed hospital appointments cost £750m.
Mr Hunt told the Question Time programme that NHS resources were stretched already, adding there would be more than one million extra people aged over 70 by the end of the current parliament.
"If we're going to square the circle and have a fantastic NHS, despite all those pressures, then we have to take personal responsibility for the way that we use NHS resources," he said.
Mr Hunt told the audience in Essex he did not have a "problem in principle with the idea of charging people for missed appointments."
But he added: "I think in practical terms it could be difficult to do, but I've taken a step towards that this week by announcing that when people do miss an appointment they will be told how much that's cost the NHS."
Labour's Jeremy Corbyn, who is standing to succeed Ed Miliband as party leader, accused pharmaceutical companies of holding the NHS "to ransom" by charging high prices for medicines.
On the idea of charging for missed appointments, My Corbyn added: "I don't think it would be a very good idea. I think it would be very hard to collect it.
"There are lots of reasons people miss appointments - some because they are lazy and can't be bothered, sometimes because they couldn't get there, all kinds of things."
Shadow health minister Andrew Gwynne said the real reason people were struggling to see a GP was because David Cameron had scrapped the right to a GP appointment within 48 hours and cut Labour's scheme for evening and weekend opening.
"Patients have a responsibility to attend GP appointments and to let their surgery know if they cannot attend," he said.
"Many GP surgeries already remind patients about appointments using text messages and emails, and the first priority should be to expand the use of these services, rather than cutting the funding for them, as the government is planning to do." | Patients who miss appointments will be told how much they have cost the NHS, the health secretary has revealed. | 33375976 |
A row broke out in March after the commissioners expressed anger that the "landmark" building was put up for sale by the Isle of Man government.
The organisation said an agreement, which includes a payment of £80,000, followed "detailed discussions" with the Department of Home Affairs.
Chairman Andy Cowie said he was "delighted to finally agree terms".
The deal, which it is hoped will be completed by August, will see the commissioners take over the freehold title of the building and grounds, which includes a war memorial and gardens.
The organisation has agreed to grant the department a 25-year lease on the existing police office at Ramsey Town Hall at a "nominal rent".
Home Affairs minister Bill Malarkey said he was delighted there had been a positive outcome.
Mr Cowie said the building, which was built in the early 19th Century, was "recognised as being at the heart of Ramsey".
It has been used as a theatre, police station and post office. | Ramsey Commissioners have agreed a deal to buy the town's former courthouse, it has announced. | 40380720 |
The Italian court, in Ivrea, agreed that a man's brain tumour was linked to his mobile phone use.
It awarded Robert Romero 500 euros (£418/$535) a month in compensation.
He had claimed that using his business mobile phone for three or four hours a day, over a period of 15 years, led to the growth of the benign tumour.
The money will be paid by a body established to compensate people for work-based injuries.
There could yet be an appeal against the ruling, and the legal reasoning behind the judge's decision is not due to be released for at least a few days.
"We know that many people are concerned about a possible connection between mobile phone use and the development of brain tumours," said Dr David Jenkinson, chief scientific officer for the Brain Tumour Charity.
"However, the global research projects that have been conducted so far, involving hundreds of thousands of people, have found insufficient evidence that using a mobile phone increases the risk of developing a brain tumour."
The decision of the court did not change the evidence, he added.
"Of course, it is right that researchers continue to explore whether any such link exists," said Dr Jenkinson.
Mr Romero, whose profession was not reported, said he wanted people to be more aware about mobile phone use but did not want to "demonise" the devices.
His lawyer, Stefano Bertone from the law firm Ambrosio and Commodo, told the BBC his client currently has no plans to sue any of the handset manufacturers or the mobile phone industry itself.
He added that the firm has other cases in other parts of Italy.
"We have also been approached by an interesting number of people in the last 24 hours saying they have experienced the same kind of thing. And they can show they have accumulative use of mobile phones that's exceeding 1,000 hours," he said.
"No-one can pretend with definitive certainty to assess a legal case. Most opponents say there is no scientific certainty so therefore it is not true. That is not the case."
Mr Bertone highlighted a continuing o study by the National Toxicology Program in the US.
Preliminary findings released in 2016 suggested a "low incidence" of brain and heart tumours in male rats exposed to doses of radiofrequency radiation totalling up to nine hours a day over a two-year period.
However, as it is not finished, the study has not yet been scrutinised by other scientists, a process known as peer reviewing, which is generally considered an essential stage of evaluating research. | The Brain Tumour Charity has said there is insufficient scientific evidence linking mobile phone use with brain tumours, following a court ruling. | 39666822 |
It follows reports the International Trade Secretary Liam Fox has suggested devolved administrations should not be able to veto trade deals.
Plaid Cymru said no deal should be signed without the "endorsement" of the Welsh Government.
The UK government said it wants a trade policy that represents all of the UK.
The Times has reported that Mr Fox has written to cabinet colleagues setting out four options for negotiating trade deals.
The newspaper claims that he is understood to "favour options that do not give the devolved administrations a veto".
Mr Jones accused Mr Fox of "huge arrogance" but stopped short of calling for a Welsh Government veto on Brexit deals.
"It's massively important there's as much support as possible for any post-Brexit arrangements," he said.
"Liam Fox seems determined to work only for one part of the UK and not for all of it.
"We should have a very strong view. We should be part of the negotiation of these deals.
"A trade deal with some countries could affect Welsh farming directly so it is massively important that we are able to give our approval to trade deals and to be able to support the UK government with trade deals that work for Wales."
The First Minister added: "Devolution in Wales exists as the result of two referendums.
"The settled will of the Welsh people cannot be ignored any more than the EU referendum result."
He added future trading relationships with the EU and the rest of the world "needs the broad consensus of all the nations of the UK to be a success".
Plaid Cymru's treasury spokesman MP Jonathan Edwards said: "If the UK leaves the customs union enabling it to strike trade deals, it is vital that no trade deal is signed without the endorsement of the Welsh Government.
"Otherwise the British government could expose key Welsh economic sectors and our public services, effectively supplanting the devolved settlement."
The department for international trade said no final position had yet been reached.
A spokesman said: "We have been very clear that we want a trade policy that is inclusive and transparent and which represents the whole of the United Kingdom.
"We will not be giving a running commentary on possible future trade policy".
A Wales Office spokeswoman said: "We are committed to working with devolved administrations to ensure we deliver a deal that works for the whole of the UK. We will continue to liaise with them closely on this important issue." | Post-Brexit trade deals must have the "broad consensus" of all four UK nations, First Minister Carwyn Jones has said. | 40985845 |
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Willis, 26, and Clarke, 18, had beaten 2016 champions Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut in the second round.
However, their run ended with a 6-3 6-4 7-6 (7-3) loss to Marach and Pavic.
In the men's singles tournament last year, Willis battled through the qualifying tournament before losing to Roger Federer in round two. | Brtain's Marcus Willis and Jay Clarke were knocked out of the men's doubles, losing in the last 16 to Austria's Oliver Marach and Croatia's Mate Pavic. | 40563419 |
Mae Cyngor Caerdydd yn parhau i drafod y cynlluniau ar gyfer yr orsaf fysiau gyda'r datblygwyr Rightacres.
Y disgwyl yw y bydd yn agor ym mis Rhagfyr 2017, ond dywedodd y cyngor mai "canllaw yn unig" oedd yr amserlen honno.
Dywedodd y cynghorydd Elizabeth Clark ei fod yn "warthus" nad oes llawer wedi ei wneud.
"Rwy'n poeni fwyfwy ynghylch a fydd Caerdydd fyth yn cael gorsaf fysiau priodol eto," meddai arweinydd grŵp y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol ar y cyngor.
Cafodd y cyn-orsaf fysiau ei dymchwel i wneud lle i bencadlys newydd BBC Cymru.
Rhoddwyd caniatâd cynllunio i'r orsaf fysiau newydd, yn ogystal ag unedau manwerthu a swyddfeydd gan gynghorwyr yn gynharach y mis hwn.
Dywedodd adroddiad ar gyfer y cyfarfod cabinet y cyngor ddydd Iau fod trafodaethau ar y gweill i gyrraedd cytundeb dros ariannu rhan y gyfnewidfa fysiau o'r datblygiad.
"Mae'r cyngor yn ceisio sicrhau y bydd y gyfnewidfa fysiau yn cael ei gwblhau o fewn y gyllideb ac amserlen bresennol, ac yn bwriadu gorffen y trafodaethau hyn mewn pryd i alluogi'r gwaith adeiladu i gychwyn yn syth ar ôl cwblhau'r gwaith o baratoi'r safle." | Nid yw'r cyllid ar gyfer gorsaf fysiau gwerth miliynau o bunnau yng Nghaerdydd wedi cael ei ddynodi, a hynny naw mis cyn y mae disgwyl iddi agor. | 39310883 |
For years he has been a popular campaigner in the party, and during the years of coalition he wasn't shy of having a swipe at his colleagues who had gone into government.
But it was his first big set piece speech as the party's leader and after the Lib Dems' appalling loss at the general election, his task was not really to punch through to the general public. Let's be realistic, with the party so diminished, most voters won't be paying that much attention.
Instead it was to persuade his party that all is not lost.
On that, a passionate and well-delivered speech, peppered with anecdotes from his own childhood, hit the right notes. He tried, and in the most part succeeded, to combine his brand of Northern charm, with the heft of a serious politician.
What was harder for him was to be convincing on the second goal he wants to achieve - to present his party as the true opposition to the government, occupying the political space Labour is in the middle of abandoning under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership.
This was trickier, not least because his members and colleagues know that Farron's true personal political centre is on the left of the Liberal Democrats.
No surprise then that the most passionate parts of the speech, that earned him standing ovations, were his strong criticisms of the government's position on housing, and the handling of the refugee crisis.
Both were heartfelt, strong pleas, that will prove popular with his members. But they betrayed perhaps what he'll find hard - branding himself and his party as rooted in the sensible centre, when that's several degrees to the right of his own beliefs.
And while the speech will have pleased those in the hall, there is no escaping the electoral facts. With only eight MPs left in the House of Commons, Farron faces a monumental challenge not just to get back to anything remotely approximating power, but to get a regular slice of political action.
It was not so much, "go back to your constituencies and prepare for government", David Steel's ill-fated and premature command to his party in 1981. But more like, "go back to your constituencies and prepare to put this party back together piece by piece, ward by ward, council by council".
Tim Farron has given his party the energy to start that fight, but don't be under any illusion that it will be a long, hard slog. | Tim Farron didn't need to introduce himself to the audience in the Liberal Democrat conference hall. | 34338919 |
The six-year-old Sunderland fan, from Blackhall Colliery, County Durham, died on Friday following a cancer fight.
Former Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe, who became friends with Bradley, left a training camp in Spain for the funeral.
The service will be held at St Joseph's Church in the village at 11:15 BST and is "open to everyone", his family said.
It will be followed by a private crematorium ceremony.
Speakers will broadcast the funeral service to people unable to be accommodated within the church.
Bradley's family said they would wear football shirts in honour of his love of the sport.
A vigil and minute's applause are planned at Grey's Monument in Newcastle city centre at the same time as the funeral, while balloons will be released at noon at Sunderland's Stadium of Light.
Bradley was diagnosed with neuroblastoma aged 18 months.
Having been in remission following treatment, he relapsed last year and his parents were told in December his illness was terminal.
In the months before his death he struck up a friendship with Jermain Defoe, who called him a "little superstar".
Defoe is now with Bournemouth and the club announced on Thursday the 34-year-old had left their pre-season training camp in Marbella to travel back for the funeral.
Bradley also led out the England team at Wembley, attended the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards and was a special guest at the Grand National.
Tributes poured in from around the world when his parents announced his death on Facebook. | Crowds of mourners are expected to line the streets for the funeral of Bradley Lowery. | 40595727 |
The toddler went missing from a Primark store in Northumberland Street in Newcastle city centre shortly before 17:00 BST on Wednesday.
She was found more than an hour later, about three miles away in Gosforth.
The girls, aged 13 and 14, are also charged with shoplifting dummies, baby milk and a bottle.
The teenagers, who cannot be identified, appeared at South East Northumberland Magistrates' Court.
They were denied bail and ordered to be tagged and remanded into local authority care.
They were also banned from entering the city centre and discussing the case on social media.
Their next appearance will be at North Tyneside Youth Court on 13 May. | Two teenage girls have appeared in court charged with kidnapping a two-year-old child with the intention of committing a sexual offence. | 36053328 |
David England, 67, from Llandre, Aberystwyth, died after the A4519 crash in March 2015. His daughter was also seriously injured.
Margaret Christopher, of Banks, Lancashire, also denied causing serious injury by dangerous driving at Swansea Crown Court.
She was released on bail. | An 81-year-old woman has denied causing the death of a father by dangerous driving following a crash in Ceredigion. | 35502372 |
The 500lb (227kg) device was discovered in The Avenue, Brondesbury Park, shortly before midday.
All homes within a 200m radius and a nearby nursery school were evacuated after police and fire crews were called to the scene.
The site will not be made safe until at least Friday afternoon, Brent Council has warned.
It has set up a centre for people who are unable to return home.
An Army bomb disposal team is working to make the bomb safe.
A spokesperson for the council said the bomb will not be made safe until "at least Friday afternoon", although there have been warnings that it could take longer.
One local resident told the BBC that "these things do happen" as London was bombed heavily in the war, but "it's just now inconveniencing me massively".
"I understand it's for security reason but it's just annoying", another resident said.
Supt Nigel Quantrell of the Met Police said specialist teams "are working very hard to resolve the situation". | An unexploded World War Two bomb has been found on a building site in north-west London. | 39143865 |
Dywedodd Mr Sargeant fod angen profion pellach i gael darlun cyflawn wedi i fflatiau yn Abertawe fethu'r profion cyntaf.
Daeth y profion i'r gorchudd ar fflatiau yn Abertawe wedi tân tŵr Grenfell yn Llundain.
Daw'r casgliadau ar Gwrt Clyne yn Sgeti wedi i ganlyniadau tebyg gael eu cofnodi ar 149 o dyrau yn Lloegr.
Ychwanegodd bod methiant y profion yn "destun peth pryder", a dywedodd bod gweinidogion yn disgwyl cyngor gan lywodraeth y DU er mwyn gweld a oes angen profion pellach neu i symud trigolion o'r adeiladau.
Mae Cyngor Abertawe yn gofyn am eglurder, gan ddweud fod y fflatiau "yn cwrdd â'r rheoliadau adeiladu presennol".
Dywedodd Llywodraeth Cymru y bydd "yn parhau i weithio'n agos gydag Abertawe ar y dilyniant i ganlyniadau'r profion hyn, er mwyn cytuno ar ffordd bwyllog a chymesur ymlaen".
Cafodd samplau o'r un math o gladin a gafodd e defnyddio ar dŵr Grenfell o saith tŵr yng Nghymru eu profi yn dilyn cais gan Lywodraeth Cymru.
Dywedodd Cyngor Abertawe fod y Sefydliad Ymchwil Prydeinig (BRE) wedi edrych ar samplau o bedwar o'u 11 bloc o fflatiau - tri yng nghwrt Clyne ac un yng nghwrt Jeffrey ym Mhenlan, sy'n cynnwys deunydd alwminiwm cyfansawdd (ACM).
Dywedodd y cynghorydd Andrea Lewis, aelod cabinet ar dai: "O ystyried fod pob awdurdod lleol yn Lloegr a gafodd brofion wedi'u methu nhw, dydy'r canlyniad ddim yn ein synnu ni.
"Serch hynny, rydym eisiau eglurder gan Lywodraeth Cymru a BRE am natur y profion, gan nad ydyn ni'n dal i wybod sut rai oedden nhw.
"Beth rydyn ni'n wybod yw fod y deunydd anfonon ni i gael ei brofi yn cwrdd â'r rheoliadau adeiladu presennol.
"Yn ychwanegol at y deunydd cladio, mae'n systemau yn cynnwys deunydd ynysu gwrthlosgi a rhwystrau tân metal sy'n mynd y tu hwn i ofynion y rheoliadau adeiladu."
Brynhawn Llun dywedodd Carl Sargeant bod y gwasanaeth tân wedi "rhoi peth sicrwydd am safonau'r adeiladu" ar flociau yn Abertawe a Chasnewydd lle'r oedd samplau wedi eu gyrru am brofion.
"Maen nhw'n credu bod yr adeiladau mewn cyflwr da, ac ar hyn o bryd - fel mesur dros dro - eu bod yn llefyd diogel i fod ynddyn nhw ar y foment."
Dywedodd llefarydd ar ran Llywodraeth Cymru: "Yn dilyn y drychineb tŵr Grenfell, fe ddwedon ni wrth awdurdodau lleol a landlordiaid cymdeithasol yng Nghymru y dylid profi unrhyw ddeunydd Alwminiwm Cyfansawdd (ACM) oedd ar flociau, neu os oedden nhw'n amau eu bod yn bresennol.
"Mae Abertawe hefyd wedi cadarnhau i ni bod yr holl fesurau diogelwch tân dros dro a argymhellir yng nghyngor y DCLG ar 22 Mehefin wedi cael eu cyflwyno. Mae'r gwasanaeth tân wedi eu harchwilio ac yn adrodd fod y mesurau diogelwch tân yn iawn.
"Byddwn yn parhau i weithio'n agos gydag Abertawe ar y dilyniant i ganlyniadau'r profion hyn, er mwyn cytuno ar ffordd bwyllog a chymesur ymlaen, sydd â diogelwch y preswylwyr wrth ei wraidd." | Mae'r Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Gymunedau, Carl Sargeant wedi dweud bod fflatiau sydd wedi methu profion diogelwch tân yn "llefydd diogel i fyw ynddyn nhw". | 40478721 |
Reports say about 100 tax officials entered Google's offices in central Paris early in the morning.
Police sources confirmed the raid. Google said: "We comply with French law and are co-operating fully with the authorities to answer their questions."
Google is accused of owing €1.6bn ($1.8bn; £1.3bn) in unpaid taxes.
The tax arrangements of international companies have come under close scrutiny recently.
Several have been accused of using legal methods to minimise their tax bills.
In Google's case, its tax structure allows it to pay tax in the Republic of Ireland, even when sales appear to relate to the UK.
In January, it struck a deal with UK tax authorities to pay an extra £130m in tax for the period from 2005, but that deal was heavily criticised.
The UK Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said the £130m settlement "seems disproportionately small", compared with the size of its UK business.
Europe's competition authorities have been examining whether some deals struck by big companies with national tax authorities amount to illegal state aid.
In April, the EU unveiled plans to force large companies to disclose more about their tax affairs.
They will have to declare publicly how much tax they pay in each EU country as well as any activities carried out in specific tax havens.
The rules on "country-by-country reporting" would affect multinational firms with more than €750m in sales. | French finance officials have raided the Paris offices of US internet giant Google as part of a tax fraud investigation. | 36370628 |
Artistic director Donald Shaw has picked out some of his highlights:
"A big part of the festival is shows that are unique," says Donald Shaw. "These are shows that will never come together again, one-off moments musically."
He says Calexico and guests is one of the many shows that fall into that category.
The band, who are named after a California/Mexico border town, straddle musical boundaries but there is a "distinct roots element to what they do", says Donald Shaw.
The Celtic Connections show, Across the Borderline, is about women's experiences of crossing borders.
"Some of the guests include people like Guatemalan Latin Grammy winner Gaby Moreno and US songstress Pieta Brown," the artistic director says.
"It is the opposite of Trump's plan to build a wall between Mexico and the US. It is about musically how there are artists on both sides of the border influenced by each other.
"I think it will be a special night. It will be one of those typical celebratory nights."
"Shooglenifty are no strangers to Celtic Connections," says Donald Shaw.
"They are one of the great troubadours of fusion-trad music, a Highland band who have toured the world and played in venues like Sydney Opera house and Borneo World Music Festival.
"Very sadly their fiddler Angus R Grant passed away this year through cancer. So it's a very special night. They are bringing in a lot of well-known fiddlers who have been inspired by Angus's playing and by the band.
"I think there is something like 60 or 80 musicians involved.
"They are a band that would have been playing in the very first years of Celtic Connections, they would have been part of the scene, so it is an important night."
2017 is the 150th anniversary of Canada coming together as a state.
"One of the shows we are doing is with Le Vent Du Nord and De Temps Antan, who are actually two Quebec bands", says Donald Shaw.
"As part of the night they will raise a hand in solidarity to the great country that they live in."
Mr Shaw adds: "The music they play, Quebecois traditional music and work songs, has been a big influence on the change in folk music in this country.
"A lot of the songs are in French but the melodies have been inspired by Scottish and Irish traditions that were there 200 or 300 years ago.
"It is a fascinating region musically."
"It is the 70th anniversary of independence for India and we have a special show for that," says Donald Shaw.
It features Trilok Gurtu and Evelyn Glennie.
He says: "Glennie, of course, is one of the top percussionists in this country and Trilok is one of the great Indian percussionists, who has worked with all sorts of people, including Bjork, Jan Garbarek and Salif Keita.
"It is going to be a fantastic meeting of minds and probably one of the more unusual gigs we put on."
Artistic director Donald Shaw says: "Celtic Connections, which has been running since 1994, shares a similar timeframe with the Feisean movement.
"This is the Gaelic festival movement that was set up nearly 30 years ago and is one of the reasons why traditional music and Gaelic song has experienced such a strong renaissance.
"The Feisean movement was set up with the idea of having weekend festivals and masterclasses to teach young people traditional music and Gaelic song.
"It is a very simple idea but that built up over the years and through that movement we found a way to reach a new generation."
He adds: "One of the shows we have is Fèis Rois, one of the Feisean groups from Ross-shire, who have created a show with fiddler Lauren MacColl.
"She has written music inspired by the Brahan Seer, the 17th Century 'Scottish Nostradamus' who lived near Dingwall.
"I think it will be pretty compelling in terms of musicians involved."
"Dirt Road is a book by the Scottish author James Kelman," says Donald Shaw.
"It is a fantastic book that was released in the last year, all about the southern heartlands of the US and its zydeco and Appalachian music.
"The book is basically a love story between a father and son on a travelogue. They end up in Louisiana and their lives are transformed by the music there."
He adds: "One of the festival's great musicians is Dirk Powell, who has toured with people like Jack White, Joan Baez and Eric Clapton.
"He's coming with his own show, along with one of the great Louisiana singers Jon Cleary.
"If you like a bit of deep south Americana music, that will be one to check out."
"Shirley Collins was a big name in the 1960s folk revival," says Donald Shaw.
"She had amazing experiences collecting songs in the 1960s with Alan Lomax.
"In the 70s she lost her voice and she has not done anything for 35 years. This is her returning to the live stage for the first time.
"It is a pretty special moment. She has special surprise guests with her and I guess she is very revered in the English folk scene. She is one of the great singers and great collectors of folk songs."
"Balkanopolis is something a bit out of the ordinary," says artistic director Donald Shaw.
"Slododan Trkuja is a great Serbian singer and multi-instrumentalist. He has a band, who are known as a 'circus', called Balkanopolis.
"The whole night is a celebration of Balkan music.
"If you have never experienced a night of crazed Balkan music, it is worth checking out."
Slododan Trkuja is also involved in La Banda Europa.
Donald Shaw says: "It is almost like a political statement. It is a band of 35 musicians from all over Europe coming together."
Edinburgh composer and producer Jim Sutherland is behind the project and will premiere the new music he has written for it.
Donald Shaw says: "It is about saying 'whatever rhetoric we get from the politicians, it is very much ignored by the musicians'.
"Musicians need free movement to survive, otherwise the traditions won't evolve at all.
"The original music commissioned back in 2008 was inspired by the unusual musical instruments from the European folk communities and this is an update with a brand new piece called We Are An Ocean.
"It'll be a pretty majestic night."
Two of Brazil's finest female performers - Roberta Sá and Baby do Brasil - are to play together as part of the festival's special link with the South American country this year.
Donald Shaw says they are two divas of Brazilian music. "They are two fantastic, soulful female singers in the one gig."
Celtic Connections has brought six Brazilian stars over to Scotland this year in conjunction with the Mimo festival in Brazil. | More than 2,000 artists will perform in Glasgow over the next 18 days as part of Celtic Connections. | 38648879 |
The crash happened in the Davidson's Mains area at 09:15 on Sunday.
The woman, who was struck by a Lothian Buses vehicle at the junction of Quality Street and Main Street, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The roads were closed for several hours while investigations were carried out. Police have appealed for witnesses to contact them.
Insp Stuart Mitchell said: "Our thoughts are with the woman's family at this very difficult time and we continue to offer them support.
"Our inquiries into this collision are ongoing and we would ask anyone who can help to come forward.
"Anyone who may have witnessed this collision and has not yet spoken to officers is urged to get in touch." | A 70-year-old woman has died after being hit by a bus in Edinburgh. | 39913890 |
He said Syrian government troops had re-established control over the last areas of the city held by rebels.
He said an arrangement had been made for rebel fighters to leave. The rebels confirmed the deal, but said civilians would also be allowed to leave.
The latest developments could bring to an end more than four years of vicious fighting in which thousands have died.
Reporters on the ground said there had been no bombardments or fighting in recent hours.
The rebels had been squeezed into ever smaller areas of the city in recent months in a major government offensive backed by Russian air power.
Word of the deal came as the UN reported summary killings by pro-government forces.
It said it had reliable evidence that in four areas 82 civilians were killed, adding that many more may have died.
The UN and the US said the Syrian government and its allies Russia and Iran were accountable for any atrocities committed in the city.
Russia said the allegations were untrue.
"According to the latest information that we received in the last hour, military actions in eastern Aleppo are over," Mr Churkin told an emergency session of the UN Security Council.
Earlier he had spoken of the deal allowing the rebels to leave, saying it would take place within hours.
"The civilians, they can stay, they can go to safe places, they can take advantage of the humanitarian arrangements that are on the ground. Nobody is going to harm the civilians," Mr Churkin said.
Rebel groups suggested that civilians would be included in the exodus.
The seizure of the eastern part of the city by government forces and the crushing of the rebel enclave there represents a major propaganda victory for the government of President Bashar al-Assad, which now controls virtually all of the major population centres of the country.
But Aleppo - the most populous city before the civil war and the country's financial centre - is the biggest prize.
Its capture represents a victory not just for Mr Assad but also for his Iranian and Russian backers.
Aleppo itself may not matter much on Moscow's strategic chess-board. But the defeat of the rebel opposition there underscores the extraordinary turn-around in President Assad's fortunes.
Before Russia intervened President Assad was on the ropes, his military power crumbling.
External actors have propped up his government in large part to secure their own strategic aspirations. And these aspirations will play an important part in deciding what comes next.
Aleppo: Key dates in the battle
Red Cross doctor's heartbreaking letter
Before the end to hostilities was announced, the rebels had retreated into just a handful of neighbourhoods.
It is hard to know exactly how many people are in the besieged areas, although UN envoy Staffan de Mistura put the figure at about 50,000.
He said there were approximately 1,500 rebel fighters, about 30% of whom were from the jihadist group formerly known as the al-Nusra Front.
Other local sources say there could be as many as 100,000 people, many of them arriving from areas recently taken by the government.
Ibrahim Abu-Laith, a spokesman for the White Helmets volunteer rescue group, said 90% of their equipment was out of operation and only one medical point was still working in the besieged areas. There was no first aid equipment left, he added.
He said volunteers were using their hands to pull people out of rubble, but some 70 people were stuck and could not be extracted.
Activist Lina Shamy: "Humans all over the world, don't sleep! You can do something, protest now! Stop the genocide".
Bana Alabed, aged 7: "I am talking to the world now live from East #Aleppo. This is my last moment to either live or die."
White Helmets tweet: "All streets & destroyed buildings are full with dead bodies. It's hell."
Abdul Kafi Alhamado, teacher: "Some people are under the rubble, no-one can help them. They just leave them under the rubble until they die - these houses as their graves."
The 'final goodbyes' from Aleppo
UN human rights spokesman Rupert Colville said that 82 civilians had reportedly been killed by pro-government forces, of whom 11 were women and 13 children, adding that the death toll could be much higher.
He said there were reports of numerous bodies in the streets, with residents unable to retrieve them for fear of being shot on sight.
The UN's humanitarian adviser on Syria, Jan Egeland, earlier spoke of "massacres of unarmed civilians, of young men, of women, children, health workers", saying a pro-government Iraqi Shia militia was responsible for the killings.
This is a huge blow to the armed opposition, and a major victory for the Russians, the Iranians, Lebanon's Hezbollah and some Iraqi Shia militias.
But the rebels still control quite large areas, as do the jihadists of so-called Islamic State. So in terms of Syria itself the war continues.
The BBC's Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen says it will be a different type of war - less rebels trying to hold territory and create their own entity, more hit-and-run and insurgency.
At the UN Security Council meeting, US ambassador Samantha Power said the Syrian government and Russia and Iran bore responsibility for killings of civilians.
For the UK, Matthew Rycroft said the UN had failed in its mission to resolve the crisis, and the reports of atrocities "evoked the darkest days of the history of the United Nations".
Mr Churkin denied humanitarian abuses were taking place. Earlier Russia said atrocities were being carried out by "terrorist groups", referring to rebels.
For much of the past four years, Aleppo has been divided roughly in two, with the government controlling the western half and rebels the east.
Syrian troops finally broke the deadlock with the help of Iranian-backed militias and Russian air strikes, reinstating a siege on the east in early September and launching an all-out assault weeks later. | Military action has ended in eastern Aleppo, Russia's ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, has said. | 38308883 |
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Winning three more Grand Slams would take him past Bjorn Borg, Rod Laver and Roy Emerson on the all-time list, and in sight of Pete Sampras and Rafael Nadal, who both have 14 to their name.
Roger Federer's record of 17 remains the ultimate goal. Djokovic has nearly six years on Federer, but modern history suggests such relentless success will be extremely difficult to sustain into his 30s.
Watching him now, though, makes anything seem possible. Djokovic reached all four of 2015's Grand Slam finals, losing only to Stan Wawrinka in the championship match at the French Open. He is already guaranteed to end the year as the world number one for the fourth time in five seasons: only Federer, Sampras and Jimmy Connors have done so more frequently.
Djokovic was not even at the peak of his powers at this US Open. Federer had exactly the right game plan in the final, but was not able to execute it as well as he expected to at the critical moments. The Swiss converted just four of his 23 break points (10 of which included a second serve), but many of those were created by rushing the net: sometimes as Djokovic was still tossing the ball in the air to serve.
"It seems like there are not many guys that can hang with him," Federer reflected in defeat.
"They don't have the tools or dare to go forward, or dare to serve and volley against him because he's so good on the return."
It is hard to imagine Federer being able to play even better next summer - a summer in which he will turn 35 - so who else can come up with some of the answers?
Andy Murray has the ability to beat Djokovic, but he is unlikely to try from the net and has not overcome the Serb in a Grand Slam since the 2013 Wimbledon final. Nadal will still very much believe in his chances if he can stay fit and healthy for a consistent period of time, but may struggle to impose himself in the way he needs to away from Roland Garros.
Wawrinka provided the answer in Paris this June, with one of the most thrilling counter-attacks ever seen in a Grand Slam final. He went for broke, and it came off gloriously as a barrage of ferocious groundstrokes scorched the lines, but it is exceptionally rare for any player to be able to sustain such a high-risk level for as long as Wawrinka did.
World number six Kei Nishikori is a potential Grand Slam champion (especially if he has a little more luck with injuries) and a very talented new generation is emerging, but players like 18-year-old Borna Coric need at least another couple of years before they can be considered genuine contenders.
So the reality is that over the next three years, only Djokovic looks to have the tools to dominate a Grand Slam season in the way he did this one.
He has no weaknesses and is incredibly comfortable on all surfaces, whether there is a roof over his head or not.
His coaching set-up appears ideal: Marian Vajda has been with Djokovic for the best part of a decade, and Boris Becker, who joined the team in December 2013, offers the perspective of a fellow Grand Slam champion.
The great imponderable is whether he will still have the desire, as well as the physical and mental capacity, to keep regularly winning Grand Slams into his 30s.
"I have always valued the care for my body and my mind and had this holistic approach to life. I always thought this is of the utmost importance for my tennis," Djokovic said in the aftermath of his second US Open title.
"I will continue on with the same kind of lifestyle. Hopefully this kind of approach will give me longevity and I can have many more years to come and many more opportunities to fight for these trophies."
In 2010, Djokovic cut out wheat and dairy and reduced his sugar intake - he has won nine of his 10 Grand Slams in the five years since. He is also an advocate of the traditional Chinese medicinal belief that parts of the body heal at different times of the day.
The large intestine, for example, is supposed to be working to remove toxins from the body between 5am and 7am, and so to aid the process, the 28-year-old will always drink a glass of warm water as soon as he wakes.
Djokovic won his first Grand Slam in Melbourne at the age of 20, so at the very least will have to buck recent trends if he is to remain a serial winner in his early 30s.
Pete Sampras did win his first and last Grand Slams 12 years apart, but only won one after turning 29.
Federer has been similarly frustrated: the Wimbledon title of 2012 is the only Grand Slam he has managed to land since his 29th birthday. Nadal won at least one major title every year for 10 years, but his most recent success came just days after turning 28.
Maybe Djokovic will prove unique in the men's game, and take a leaf out of Serena Williams's book.
And maybe Federer will need the insurance of one further Grand Slam title to keep that record more secure. | Only six men in the history of tennis have won more Grand Slam titles than Novak Djokovic, and as he promised after winning a 10th in New York on Sunday: "As long as there is this flare in me, I will be coming back." | 34252190 |
The 27-year-old former Kilmarnock and Oldham midfielder will officially join the relegated Sky Blues on 1 July.
He was given a six-game ban in February for pushing over a ball boy and missed Orient's last three games of the season as they went down from League Two.
"He is a very talented footballer who will contribute goals from midfield for us," said Coventry boss Mark Robins.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. | Coventry City have agreed to sign Leyton Orient captain Liam Kelly on a two-year contract. | 40003392 |
26 May 2016 Last updated at 09:46 BST
The debate - the first ahead of the 23 June poll - is aimed at young voters.
You've told us whether you're voting to leave or remain - in or out - and about the issues of concern to you ahead of the referendum to decide Britain's future in Europe.
Produced by Stephen Fottrell. | Ahead of the first debate on the EU referendum on 26 May, we asked for your thoughts and views in video, using your mobile. | 36333014 |
Born Riley B King in Mississippi in 1925, the musician earned his "BB" nickname - a contraction of "Beale Street Blues Boy" - after moving to Memphis in 1947.
King cut his teeth playing on the so-called Chitlin' Circuit - a string of venues in America's then-racially segregated southern states that took its name from chitterlings, or stewed pig intestines.
He made his first tour of Europe in 1968 and came to be known and welcomed around the world. In this picture, he is seen on the Great Wall of China in 1994.
In 1996 he took a break during a European tour to perform for Nato troops at Tuzla airbase in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
King was the recipient of many accolades and won more than a dozen Grammys. This photo was taken in 2001, the year he won best traditional blues album for Riding with the King.
The album saw him collaborate with Eric Clapton, a long-time fan he first met in the 1960s. "I've never met a better man, a more gracious man than my friend Eric Clapton," he said in 2007.
Another celebrated collaboration came in 1988 when King appeared on U2's Rattle and Hum album. The musician was reunited with frontman Bono at a tribute concert in 2008.
King made several trips to the White House during his long and eventful life. Here he is seen receiving the National Medal of Arts from George and Barbara Bush in 1990.
Sixteen years later, the musician was back at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom from another member of the Bush family.
In between those occasions, King found time to jam with President Bill Clinton in Beverly Hills in 2001. The man playing sax between them is "Reverend" Dave Boruff.
BB was back at the White House in 2001, guitar in hand. The musician named all his instruments Lucille, after a woman who was the root cause of a fire in which his first guitar almost perished.
King is seen here in 2004 receiving the Polar Music Prize in Stockholm from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. He was recognised for "his significant contributions to the blues" and his "fundamental importance to the development of modern popular music".
"I think that I know my job pretty well," King said in 2010. "But I'm never any better than my last job. I think that I'm here and, just as easy, cannot be here. So I never think that I've got it made." | Respected by his peers and loved by millions, guitarist BB King was a blues legend who influenced a generation of musicians. | 32749781 |
The Spaniard has now won three straight titles, after his Barcelona Open and Monte Carlo Masters victories, while his record on clay this year is 15-0.
Nadal edged the Austrian in the tie-break of a tense first set that lasted one hour and 18 minutes.
He broke world number seven Thiem early in the second set to set up the win.
Nadal will be confirmed as the new world number four, replacing 18-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer, when the new rankings come out on Monday.
That will improve his seeding for the French Open, which starts on 22 May and where Nadal is a nine-time champion.
Nadal, who beat defending champion Novak Djokovic in the semi-final, has now won his 30th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title, tying the all-time record with Serbia's Djokovic.
The former world number one was last inside the world's top four in October 2016 and struggled with a wrist injury last year, which forced him to pull out of the French Open and Wimbledon and end his season early.
Nadal told Television Espanola: "The truth is I was up against an opponent who, in the next five to 10 years, will be fighting for the most important titles, so I'm very happy to have won.
"It was a very exciting game.
"It was a very important final for both of us, for him as it was the first in the Masters 1000, and for me it's always special to play here in Madrid, in this unique tournament.
"You never know when it might be the last, so I always try to enjoy it." | Rafael Nadal beat Dominic Thiem 7-6 (10-8) 6-4 to win his fifth Madrid Open title and move into the world's top four. | 39917330 |
The 20-year-old has made seven appearances for the Hammers in all competitions, scoring one goal.
Lee, son of former England player Rob, is in his second stint with the U's, having featured in four games during a loan spell in 2013.
He also played four times for Blackpool after joining on a one-month loan in November, but failed to score a goal.
Meanwhile, midfielder Byron Lawrence, 19, has left the U's after his contract was cancelled by mutual consent.
Lawrence made only one appearance for Colchester after signing following his release by Ipswich in September 2014. | League One side Colchester United have re-signed West Ham striker Elliot Lee on loan until the end of the season. | 35345216 |
Bridget Leggat, 55, called police while her son was in prison, claiming to be the girl and made false rape claims in a bid to blacken her name.
Leggat was caught when the calls made in April and May 2013 were traced.
She admitted attempting to defeat the ends of justice and was ordered to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work.
At Glasgow Sheriff Court, Leggat, from Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, was also told she will be supervised for 12 months.
Her son, 30-year-old son Donald Kennedy, from Glasgow, was jailed for six years and four months last year after he admitted having sex with an underage girl and breaching an order banning him from contacting children. | A woman who tried to disrupt a police investigation into her son after he had sex with an underage girl has been handed a community payback order. | 29334441 |
The 26-year-old, who has been in French football since 2007, joins alongside Ghana striker Abdul Majeed Waris.
After stints at Rennes, Monaco and Nancy, Moukandjo believes he has joined the right club at the right time.
"I'm delighted to be here at Lorient and to join an ambitious club," he told BBC Sport.
It's easy to be tempted by big money but I was not going to sacrifice my progress and development for that
"I have been in this league for sometime now and at 26 this club provides my career with the ideal stability and challenge.
"I'm not lowering my standards but taking on a great challenge. I have high standards and I aim to achieve success with Lorient."
Lorient only just escaped relegation last season, finishing 16th on 43 points.
But Moukandjo says the chance to work with the club president Loïc Fery and manager Sylvain Ripoll was a big influence on his decision to join the Brittany club.
"When I spoke to the people in charge I could see the club is heading in the right direction," he added.
"I realise they are eager to fix the lessons from a difficult season and there is a solid foundation for this season's realistic ambition and beyond.
"It wasn't difficult to make up my mind to come here. I received unbelievable offers from Asia but I prefer to continue my progress in this league and with Lorient.
"It's easy to be tempted by big money but I was not going to sacrifice my progress and development for that."
Moukandjo made his international debut for four-time African champions Cameroon against Senegal in June 2011.
An integral member of the Indomitable Lions, he started all three group matches against Mexico, Croatia and Brazil at the 2014 World Cup.
At the 2015 African Cup of Nations, when Cameroon were knocked out at the group stage, he scored in a 1-1 draw with Guinea. | Cameroon forward Benjamin Moukandjo is aiming for success with Lorient after joining the French club on a two-year deal from rivals Reims. | 33835563 |
Forwards Marvin Emnes and Lucas Joao both joined on loan, while Celtic defender Efe Ambrose could arrive pending a work permit decision.
They were the only deals done by Rovers, who are in the relegation zone.
"The investment is always there for the right player who becomes available at the right price," said Senior.
He told BBC Radio Lancashire: "It was never a case of 'we can't have any money' as there is money and resources there."
Owen Coyle's side have won just one of their last 10 games in the Championship and were beaten at home by Leeds United on Wednesday.
"I had a ridiculous amount of players made available to me during January," added Senior. "It is an expensive month to try and do business and you can make a lot of mistakes if you don't get the right players in.
"Part of my job is also keeping the wrong type of players out of the squad because it would be very easy to say yes, yes, yes, but you end up paying for those mistakes for along time in the future." | Blackburn had funds to spend in the January transfer window despite their lack of activity, says Rovers football director Paul Senior. | 38843581 |
The 40-year-old former Shrimps defender has been in charge since 2011 when he was initially player-manager.
Uncertainty over the ownership and wages being paid late three times are among the problems he has dealt with.
"The end product for me is getting to the end of the season and making sure we're a Football League club," he said.
Morecambe are 20th in League Two, 10 points above the relegation places, and Bentley will make no decisions about his future until they have completed their final six games.
He told BBC Radio Lancashire: "Then I'm going to assess everything myself because I can't have another year like I've had this year with the way that is has gone.
"Things need sorting and we've all got to move forward. It hasn't been right for the players and the staff, we've all got to pull together." | Morecambe manager Jim Bentley has said he will assess his future at the financially troubled League Two side at the end of the season. | 39479066 |
The 25-year-old joined the Trotters on a six-month loan deal last season, scoring four goals in 24 appearances.
"It feels great to be back. I'm very familiar with Bolton now," Ameobi told the club's website.
"The gaffer was massive for me last season. He helped me rebuild my confidence and I believe he gets the best out of me."
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. | Bolton Wanderers have re-signed winger Sammy Ameobi after his release by Premier League side Newcastle United. | 40606968 |
The puppies, including cocker and springer spaniels, Labradors and Jack Russell terriers, were recovered in two cars on Malahide Road.
Animal welfare officers said they suspected the animals, which were found in boxes, were being trafficked for sale in the UK.
Two men were arrested at the scene.
Officers from the Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) took the puppies into quarantine and secure accommodation following their discovery.
Some of the puppies are suffering from a number of treatable conditions including mange, ear mites, fleas, eye infections and parasitic infections.
"They are doing very well today compared to the condition they were found in," said DSPCA spokesperson Gillian Bird.
"We don't believe they were puppies for the Christmas market as it's too early. This is an example of animal trafficking which can happen at any time of the year.
"Several of the puppies are receiving special care as they were too young to be removed from their mothers."
Many of the pups had had their tails docked and their dew claws removed and are receiving treatment for minor infections.
The DSPCA has confirmed that none of the puppies are available for new homes until DSPCA inspectors have concluded their investigations.
"When the dogs are ready to go to new homes, we will put it up on our website and our Facebook page" said Ms Bird. | Thirty-six puppies found in Dublin by police on Tuesday were being sent to the UK from puppy farms in the Republic of Ireland, it is believed. | 19902781 |
Even those who make the switch in their late 40s and 50s can still benefit, the study of over 4,000 people suggests.
And it need not be hard toil in a gym - gardening and brisk walks count towards the required 2.5 hours of moderate activity per week, say experts.
But more work is needed since the study looked at markers linked to heart problems and not heart disease itself.
And it relied on people accurately reporting how much exercise they did - something people tend to overestimate rather than underestimate.
In the study, which is published in the journal Circulation, people who did the recommended 2.5 hours of exercise a week had the lower levels of inflammatory markers in their blood.
Inflammatory markers are important, say experts, because high levels have been linked to increased heart risk.
People who said they consistently stuck to the recommended amount of exercise for the entire 10-year study had the lowest inflammatory levels overall.
But even those who said they only started doing the recommended amount of exercise when they were well into their 40s saw an improvement and had lower levels of inflammation than people who said they never did enough exercise.
The findings were unchanged when the researchers took into consideration other factors, such as obesity and smoking, that could have influenced the results in the group of UK civil servants who were included in the study.
Dr Mark Hamer, of University College London, who led the research, said: "We should be encouraging more people to get active - for example, walking instead of taking the bus. You can gain health benefits from moderate activity at any time in your life."
Maureen Talbot of the British Heart Foundation, which funded the work, said: "Donning your gardening gloves or picking up a paint brush can still go a long way to help look after your heart health, as exercise can have a big impact on how well your heart ages.
"This research highlights the positive impact changing your exercise habits can have on the future of your heart health - and that it's never too late to re-energise your life.
"However it's important not to wait until you retire to get off the couch, as being active for life is a great way to keep your heart healthy." | Making sure you get enough exercise in midlife will help protect your heart, according to research. | 19243633 |
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is one of the fastest-growing and most controversial sports in the world.
A UK-based study has found some competitors are dehydrating themselves to dangerous levels.
The International Mixed Martial Arts Federation said work is being done to educate fighters on how to manage their weight safely.
The sport, which combines techniques from wrestling and martial arts, is banned in France, but attracts millions of television viewers across the globe.
It is becoming increasingly popular in the UK and Ireland as a result of high profile stars such as Dublin's Conor McGregor.
As a combat sport, those who take part say they know and accept the risk of injury in the cage as a result of blows to the body and head.
But Ben Crighton from Liverpool Moores University's School of Sport and Exercise Sciences says many are risking their lives before they even get into the cage by severely dehydrating themselves in order to meet strict weight limits.
Severe dehydration can cause kidney failure and other health problems. In extreme cases it can be fatal. Medical research has also shown it can increase the risk of brain injury during a fight.
Mr Crighton interviewed 30 professional UK fighters and 75 UK and European amateurs as part of two research projects looking at weight loss in the sport.
He said he had found "alarming weight cutting behaviour in Mixed Martial Arts."
"Such losses are greater than in other combat sports, likely due to the requirement to possess higher lean mass for grappling and the significant time between weigh-in and competition."
MMA fighters are generally weighed 24 hours before a bout, with many dehydrating themselves to lose weight in the hope that they can then rehydrate before the fight the following day.
In recent years a number of fighters have become ill or have died from complications associated with severe dehydration.
In September 2013 Leandro Souza, 26, from Brazil died after reportedly attempting to lose 20% of his body mass in seven days. Chinese fighter, 21-year-old Yang Jian Bing, died before a fight in December 2015 after suffering extreme dehydration trying to meet the weight limit.
Mr Crighton said a limited number of weight categories in MMA meant that fighters had to lose more weight than boxers to drop a classification.
He found professional fighters were losing the biggest amount of weight, with one fighter losing 7.4kg - nearly 11% of his body weight - in the 24 hours before a fight.
He found only 20% of professional fighters took advice from qualified nutritionists, with many using techniques they'd found out about on the internet, such as sitting in a sauna or hot bath for long periods of time, and starving themselves.
Nearly 70% of the professionals he spoke to said they'd engaged in water loading, which involves drinking excessive amounts of water to force the body to expel it.
And 17% said they'd taken prescription or over-the-counter diuretics.
The study found 61% admitted taking supplements without knowing whether they contained banned substances or not. Others said they had used intravenous lines to rehydrate themselves after being weighed.
Amateurs reported losing up to 10kg in the week before a fight and up to 7kg in the 24 hours before, with some saying they had shed weight 20 times in a year.
Nearly 10% exhibited the classic signs of having an eating disorder.
In February this year Dhafir Harris, whose fighting name is Dada 5000, suffered renal failure and two heart attacks during a fight after losing 25% of his body weight.
He told 5live Investigates he had to undergo months of dialysis and treatment to help him recover.
"I wouldn't wish the last couple of months of my life on anybody."
The BBC also spoke to an amateur MMA fighter who said he suffered kidney damage after losing weight for a fight. As a result, he was forced to retire from the sport on the advice of his doctor.
Joe Neill said: "I'd water load, I'd drink eight litres, then six, then 24 hours before weigh-in I'd drink one litre and then nothing. Then you get in the sauna and a hot bath and you sweat the rest of the weight off.
"As I was cutting weight I was struggling. I had to be placed back into the bath because I was so weak. I weighed-in for the next day but I lost that fight.
"After that I started getting pains in my side. I went to the doctors. They said my kidney function was down.
"When I explained the process of cutting weight, they were hugely concerned by that and said I had to stop. That scared me, to be honest.
"You are basically sweating yourself to the edge of death.
"There is always that risk that someone will lose their life. No-one thinks it's going to be them. It's ridiculous what I was doing."
As a relatively new sport in the UK and Ireland there is no regulatory body to ensure businesses, or promoters who organise MMA fights, take measures to safeguard the welfare of competitors, although big promoters say they do take safety very seriously.
In a bid to address safety concerns, a voluntary organisation, Safe MMA, was set up by fighters, business people, industry experts and doctors.
The organisation works closely with the International and UK Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF), which represents those involved in all aspects of the sport.
A spokeswoman for IMMAF said: "Extreme weight-cutting practices are a concern in MMA and are strongly condemned as a dangerous risk to athletes by IMMAF and its medical committee."
She said those taking part in IMMAF-approved or organised amateur tournament events taking place over a series of days were encouraged to compete at their "walk around" weight. She said they were also weighed more frequently and closer to the fight and had to pass medical examinations before and after each fight.
She added IMMAF was proposing to introduce a mandatory online educational course on weight-cutting risks, to be included in the online registration application form for IMMAF competitions.
She said the organisation would not oppose the introduction of more weight categories in the sport if it could be shown that it would reduce extreme weight-cutting.
Bellator, which organised Dada 5000's fight, is one of the biggest companies involved in MMA.
A spokesman said the company prided itself on looking after the safety of athletes, funded brain health research and insisted all fighters passed a number of medical tests before competing.
5 live Investigates is on BBC 5 live on Sunday 8 May at 11:00 BST. Listen online or download the programme podcast. | Cage fighters are risking their lives by taking extreme weight-loss measures before fights, according to academics. | 36205819 |
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), said 2.69 million cars were registered last year, 2% higher than in 2015.
The industry body said 2016's growth was due to "very strong" consumer confidence, low-interest finance deals and the launch of several new models.
However, the SMMT says this year is unlikely to set another record, with sales expected to fall by 5-6%.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said such a fall would not represent "a collapse in the market" and sales would still be at "historically an incredibly high level".
He said that five consecutive years of increased sales had been fuelled by pent-up demand that developed during the recession of the late 2000s.
The SMMT added that the UK new car market was one of the most diverse in the world, with some 44 brands offering nearly 400 different model types.
But according to one car dealer the high sales figures present a distorted picture of the industry's health.
Peter Smyth, a director of car dealership Swansway, pointed out that the figures counted cars registered as sold to dealers, not private or fleet buyers.
He told the BBC dealers were having cars "forced on them" by the manufacturers and once dealers have bought the cars, they then have to discount them to get them sold.
"The real market is more like 2.2 million. I believe we are at the peak of a car bubble," he said,
The SMMT's figures show private car sales actually fell on three of the four quarters of 2016.
Samuel Tombs, UK economist at Pantheon, said: "Looking ahead, the stagnation of households' real incomes this year, mainly due to a burst of inflation, likely will weigh further on car purchases." He added that interest rates on unsecured loans were unlikely to become more competitive in the immediate future and that would remove another one of the incentives to buy a new car.
The SMMT's Mr Hawes warned car prices were beginning to rise, with the fall in the value of the pound resulting from the Brexit vote having increased prices by 2-3%. More than 85% of new cars bought in the UK are imported.
Mr Hawes said the impact of Brexit on the car industry was, as yet, unclear.
He warned though that if the UK was unable to trade freely with the EU and tariffs were introduced, it would add about £1,500 to the price of each imported car. | The number of new cars sold in the UK hit an all-time high in 2016. | 38516247 |
He announced his arrival for the shooting of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by posting a selfie on Instagram taken on the Fylde coast.
The star of Pulp Fiction and the Avengers film series also tweeted: "First look at Blackpool!"
The forthcoming fantasy film, directed by Tim Burton, is due out in March 2016.
It is set on a mysterious island where a teenager helps a group of peculiar orphans from creatures who are out to destroy them.
The cast also includes include Dame Judi Dench, Asa Butterfield, Ella Purnell, Allison Jannley, Terrence Stamp, Kim Dickens and Rupert Everett.
The movie is based on the US children's book written by Ransom Riggs and is set to feature Blackpool Tower and a number of the resort's landmarks.
When asked about his vision, Tim Burton told the BBC there was "a vibe about [the book] which felt different".
He said: "I think that's the key, to try to capture the spirit of the book. That's why I'm casting peculiar people."
Tim Burton also filmed the Killers music video for Battle Born in Blackpool.
The BBC understands Mr Jackson is staying in the Lytham area during filming. | Filming for a movie starring Hollywood actor Samuel L. Jackson has begun in Blackpool. | 32552564 |
Lynford Brewster, 29, died following an incident on Sunday at Brynfedw.
Cardiff magistrates remanded Dwayne Edgar, also 29 and from Llanedeyrn, in custody to appear at Cardiff Crown Court on 20 June.
Two other men from Cardiff, aged 19 and 35, have been released on police bail. A fourth man, 22, from Kidderminster, Worcestershire, has also been arrested. | A Cardiff man has appeared in court charged with murdering another man in the Llanedeyrn area of the city. | 36561138 |
The five main political parties, along with the British and Irish governments, were working to resolve differences over welfare reform and paramilitaries.
It is understood that politicians may press ahead without resolving issues over the legacy of the Troubles.
Welfare reform could be dealt with by Westminster, despite the fact that it is a devolved matter.
It is thought that the format for Tuesday afternoon will be:
The inter-party negotiations have been going on for 10 weeks and are also focusing on financial matters and paramilitary activity.
Ms Theresa Villiers said on Monday that it was time for parties to decide on a deal.
BBC News NI Political Editor Mark Devenport has looked in detail at what the agreement might contain.
The Northern Ireland Executive is a mandatory coalition of five main parties - the DUP, Sinn Fein, the Ulster Unionist Party, the SDLP and the Alliance Party.
At the end of August, the UUP walked out of the executive.
Party leader Mike Nesbitt made the recommendation after police said members of the Provisional IRA were involved in murdering ex-IRA man Kevin McGuigan Sr.
Sinn Féin's denial that the IRA existed made it "impossible to do business with them," Mr Nesbitt said.
On Monday, Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said there was still a stumbling block over the new agencies created to deal with the legacy of the Troubles.
The stumbling block is whether the UK government should be allowed to use national security as a blanket reason to refuse to disclose information.
The BBC NI's Home Affairs Correspondent Vincent Kearney reported on Tuesday afternoon that republican sources told him Sinn Fein and the British government were 'poles apart' on legacy issues, with both refusing to budge on 'red lines'.
The sources said talks on these issues would resume at later date.
Cross-party discussions began in September in a bid to resolve Northern Ireland's current political crisis.
That crisis erupted when police said they believed IRA members had been involved in the murder of a former IRA man in Belfast in August.
The parties have also been at loggerheads over the implementation of welfare reforms.
A welfare reform deal had been agreed almost a year ago, but Sinn Féin withdrew its support in March. | Sources are predicting that a deal to resolve Northern Ireland's political deadlock will be confirmed later. | 34837990 |
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Only 19 teams have qualified for the regional southwest league, with the German FA (DFB) inviting China to enter a team and create an even fixture list.
League executive Felix Wiedmann told German paper Bild "all 19 clubs" were in favour, adding: "I therefore believe the project is on a good path."
China has set out its desire to become a "world football superpower" by 2050 and challenge for the World Cup.
DFB vice president Ronny Zimmermann told Kicker magazine teams would receive 15,000 euros each for the two matches against the Chinese youngsters.
"They see this idea positively," said Zimmermann. "The planned cooperation with China is known and for that we need good content."
The plan is part of a five-year cooperation agreement signed between the two countries in November, which will allow China to boost its level of football and the German FA to have a facilitated access to the vast Asian market.
"We have to see if this idea can be realised," added Zimmermann.
"The managers of the regional southwest league will meet soon. A decision must be taken by then as the match plan will be drawn up."
China has explored similar ventures in other sports, with ice hockey side Kunlun Red Star joining the Canadian Women's Hockey League in the build-up to the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing. | China's Under-20s team could play in the German fourth division next season. | 40366059 |
Its large and strong economy has allowed it to bankroll the bailouts that have kept some of its neighbours - and the euro - afloat.
The graphics below help explain why it is so dominant, and powerful - and also some of the problems it faces.
Germany's large population (the biggest in Europe) and vibrant economy add up to a GDP that far outweighs other European powers.
It also has the strongest export sector and the lowest unemployment of any big European country.
The success of the economy and low unemployment - especially when compared to other EU countries - mean Germany has become a magnet for jobseekers. The number of immigrants has been rising and surpassed a million people in 2012 for the first time since 1995.
They come especially from former communist countries - as well as recession-hit Italy, Spain and Greece - and head for Berlin, the wealthy southern regions, and the industrial west.
Despite Germany's strong economy, not everyone is doing well. Under wage restraint agreements, many people's incomes have barely grown in years, and many people who have jobs still require benefit top-ups.
There is also still a clear divide, 22 years since reunification, between incomes in the old East Germany, and the old West. | Germany, which holds federal elections on 22 September, is Europe's dominant country. | 24166482 |
Mr Pistorius has pleaded not guilty to intentionally killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
He shot dead the 29-year-old model and reality TV star at his home, saying he mistook her for an intruder.
Estelle Van Der Merwe, a neighbour, said the row had lasted about an hour.
By Pumza FihlaniBBC News, Pretoria
Well into day two of the trial, and a second witness, and another neighbour of Oscar Pistorius, has told the court about a commotion she heard in the early hours of the morning of the day Reeva Steenkamp was killed.
It is still early days, but this the state's argument that Mr Pistorius and his girlfriend of three months had had a terrible row before she died - a version of events the athlete denies.
There are grey skies over Pretoria and it has rained all morning, so unlike the first day of the trial, there are no dancing crowds outside court. There is still much interest in case of the "blade runner". However, as one woman outside court told me: "Everything that is happening today is not going to change anything, the fact is that poor girl is never coming back."
Eyes of the world on a fallen hero
"It seemed like somebody was involved in a fight," said Ms Van Der Merwe, who lives in the same gated Pretoria housing estate as the Paralympic athlete. "People were talking in loud voices."
The argument woke her at about 01:56 local time (23:56 GMT) and lasted about an hour. After that, she heard four loud sounds in succession.
Ms Van Der Merwe was the second witness to take the stand at the murder trial of Mr Pistorius, which began at the high court in on Monday.
The arrest of the 27-year-old double amputee and gold medal winner astounded South Africa.
For the first time in South Africa, parts of the trial are being televised live, although some witness testimony, including that of Ms Van Der Merwe, is being excluded from TV broadcasts.
However, the audio of the entire trial is being aired.
Mrs Van Der Merwe said she had been irritated by the noise of the argument and placed a pillow on her head "in hope of falling asleep again".
Tuesday's hearing adjourned not long after the third witness, Charl Peter Johnson - husband to the first witness Michelle Burger - had taken the stand.
The second day of the trial began with defence lawyer Barry Roux quizzing Ms Burger about her account of hearing a woman's screams, a man calling for help and then four gunshots.
The BBC's Andrew Harding in court says the defence line was clear that as Ms Steenkamp was in a closed toilet with a closed window, the screams the witness said she heard could not have come from her.
Is it OK to bet on the trial?
SA press review: Pistorius trial
Mr Pistorius was in the bathroom where the window was open so the screams must have come from him.
Mr Roux also suggested expert evidence would prove that Ms Steenkamp would have been unable to scream between shots.
When details of the bullets hitting her head were read out, Mr Pistorius's head dropped into his hands, our correspondent says.
At the start of proceedings on Monday, Mr Roux read out a statement from the athlete, giving his version of events of how Ms Steenkamp had died, saying he believed his girlfriend was in bed when he shot at the toilet door.
State prosecutors say Mr Pistorius planned the killing and shot Ms Steenkamp after a row.
If found guilty of premeditated murder, he could face life imprisonment.
He has also denied charges of illegally possessing ammunition.
There are no juries at trials in South Africa, and his fate will ultimately be decided by Judge Thokozile Masipa.
Much of the case will depend on ballistic evidence from the scene of the shooting, correspondents say.
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Mr Pistorius said in his statement at the start of the trial that he woke in the early hours and walked on his stumps to the balcony, pulled in two fans, closed the sliding door and drew curtains. He said that shortly before he had spoken to Reeva, who was in bed beside him.
He said he rejected prosecution claims that a witness heard arguing coming from the house before the shooting.
Mr Pistorius said he heard the bathroom window sliding open and believed that an intruder, or intruders, had entered the bathroom through a window which was not fitted with burglar bars.
"Unbeknown to me, Reeva must have gone to the toilet in the bathroom at the time I brought in the fans," he said.
Mr Pistorius said he approached the bathroom armed with his firearm, to defend himself and his girlfriend, believing Ms Steenkamp was still in bed.
Both sides agree four bullets were fired. Ms Steenkamp was hit three times.
Mr Pistorius said he fired his weapon after hearing a noise in the toilet which he thought was the intruder coming out of the toilet to attack him and Ms Steenkamp.
He said he was in a fearful state, knowing he was on his stumps and unable to run away or properly defend himself.
Mr Pistorius said he rejected claims that he was on his prostheses when he shot at the door.
A witness told the trial she woke to hear a woman screaming and a man shouting for help. She said that after the screams she heard four shots.
Mr Pistorius said he went back to the bedroom after shooting at the toilet door, still shouting for Reeva. Lifting himself up onto the bed, he felt over to the right hand side of it and noticed Ms Steenkamp was not there.
Mr Pistorius said this was when he realised she could have been in the toilet.
Mr Pistorius said he went back to the bathroom but the toilet was locked, so he returned to the bedroom, pulled on his prosthetic legs, turned on the lights before bashing in the toilet door with a cricket bat.
Forensics expert Johannes Vermeulen told the court that the height of the marks on the door caused by the cricket bat suggest Mr Pistorius was on his stumps at the time.
Mr Pistorius's defence team say he then called security at the gated housing complex and a private paramedic service before carrying Ms Steenkamp downstairs.
A security guard claimed it was the other way round, and he had called Mr Pistorius first after reports of gunfire. However, phone records shown to the court revealed Mr Pistorius called the estate manager at 3:19am, a minute later he called the ambulance service and at 3:21am he called estate security.
A minute later he received an incoming call - estate security calling him back.
According to police phone expert Francois Moller, Mr Pistorius called his friend Justin Divaris a short time later and just after 4:00am he called his brother Carl. | A second witness at the murder trial of South African athlete Oscar Pistorius has told a court in the capital Pretoria she was awoken by the sounds of a fight early on 14 February 2013. | 26432447 |
The deal covers four seasons from 2017-18 and is an 85% increase on the amount raised by the same rights in 2013.
Terrestrial broadcasters ARD and ZDF will show highlights and a small number of live games.
The Premier League's sale of domestic rights for three seasons from 2016-17 raised £5.14bn in February 2015. | Germany's top two divisions have sold their domestic media rights for 4.6bn euros (£3.6bn), almost double their previous deal. | 36490007 |
The Borussia Dortmund striker scored a 38th-minute penalty to secure his side's second 1-1 draw in Group A.
Burkina Faso took the lead when Prejuce Nakoulma latched on to a long ball and held off two players to score.
Herve Koffi tipped Denis Bouanga's drive onto the bar early on and denied him again with his legs on 81 minutes.
Those saves made up for the Burkina Faso goalkeeper's error when he brought down Aubameyang for the penalty.
Bouanga will look back at the late chance as an opportunity he should have taken, having latched on to Aubameyang's downward header in the box only to direct his shot too close to Koffi.
There was still time for Bouanga to almost atone for the miss and his excellent delivery into the penalty area deserved better than to be headed wide by an unmarked Kevyn Aboue Angoue.
Burkina Faso's clearest chance was created by Alain Traore, who cut into the box between two defenders and sent a shot towards the far corner only to see it well saved by Didier Ovono.
All three games so far in Group A have been drawn, with Cameroon and Guinea-Bissau to play later on Wednesday.
Burkina Faso's chances of progress appear to be higher, given they will face rank outsiders and debutants Guinea-Bissau on Sunday.
But they could well be without key man Jonathan Pitroipa, who was stretchered off after only 11 minutes against Gabon.
Match ends, Gabon 1, Burkina Faso 1.
Second Half ends, Gabon 1, Burkina Faso 1.
Denis Bouanga (Gabon) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Yacouba Coulibaly (Burkina Faso).
Serge Kevyn Aboue Angoue (Gabon) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Patrick Arnaud Malo (Burkina Faso).
Foul by Malick Evouna (Gabon).
Charles Kaboré (Burkina Faso) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Denis Bouanga (Gabon).
Prejuce Nakoulma (Burkina Faso) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Attempt missed. Serge Kevyn Aboue Angoue (Gabon) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses the top left corner. Assisted by Denis Bouanga with a cross.
Aaron Appindangoyé (Gabon) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Banou Diawara (Burkina Faso).
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Banou Diawara (Burkina Faso) because of an injury.
Foul by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon).
Patrick Arnaud Malo (Burkina Faso) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Kouakou Herve Koffi (Burkina Faso) because of an injury.
Corner, Gabon. Conceded by Kouakou Herve Koffi.
Attempt saved. Denis Bouanga (Gabon) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang with a headed pass.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Yacouba Coulibaly (Burkina Faso) because of an injury.
Attempt missed. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Denis Bouanga.
Serge Junior Martinsson-Ngouali (Gabon) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Bakary Bouba Saré (Burkina Faso).
Substitution, Burkina Faso. Bakary Bouba Saré replaces Alain Traoré.
Attempt blocked. Serge Kevyn Aboue Angoue (Gabon) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Didier Ndong.
Substitution, Gabon. Serge Kevyn Aboue Angoue replaces Andre Biyogo Poko because of an injury.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Andre Biyogo Poko (Gabon) because of an injury.
Foul by Andre Biyogo Poko (Gabon).
Yacouba Coulibaly (Burkina Faso) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner, Gabon. Conceded by Issoufou Dayo.
Serge Junior Martinsson-Ngouali (Gabon) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Abdou Traoré (Burkina Faso).
Hand ball by Yacouba Coulibaly (Burkina Faso).
Foul by Andre Biyogo Poko (Gabon).
Yacouba Coulibaly (Burkina Faso) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Offside, Gabon. Benjamin Ze Ondo tries a through ball, but Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is caught offside. | Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored his second goal of the Africa Cup of Nations to earn hosts Gabon a point from their match with Burkina Faso. | 38579254 |
The UK music industry, like its counterparts in other countries, has had a tough time adapting to the technological shake-ups of recent years.
But now it also has to plan for the changes that will be ushered in by the UK's decision to leave the European Union.
Obviously there is still huge uncertainty about what the country's future relationship with the EU will be like, since its expected departure in the spring of 2019 is still subject to lengthy negotiations.
However, it is already possible to identify areas of the music business that may feel the effects.
With the industry's annual Record Store Day falling this year on Saturday, 22 April, record shops are enjoying a boom in sales of old-fashioned vinyl releases.
The format was widely expected to die a slow death with the advent of the CD, but in recent times, vinyl records have managed to outsell downloads.
However, when Record Store Day 2020 rolls around, there is a risk that those singles and albums could cost significantly more.
If the UK does not manage to conclude a favourable trade deal with the EU, then tariffs may be applied on goods coming into the UK.
There are now only a couple of vinyl pressing plants left on British soil, so the majority of records sold in the UK are manufactured in factories based in other EU countries. The same goes for CDs.
If tariffs on goods return, record labels will face increased costs, which they will have to pass on to consumers.
So why buy music on physical formats anyway? This is the 21st Century, so go for streaming or downloads.
Well, even there, Brexit is likely to have consequences.
The pound has fallen in value in the wake of last June's referendum outcome. The leading music streaming services, from Sweden's Spotify to US-based Apple Music, are all multinational firms whose pricing policies are decided elsewhere.
Apple has already increased the price of its apps this year, in a move widely attributed to the Brexit vote. Apple Music subscriptions could follow suit if the pound falls any further.
In other ways, however, Brexit will have no effect at all. Many politicians and business leaders have called for the UK to preserve its access to the European single market, but in digital terms, things are more complicated.
While goods are covered by the single market in Europe, the market for services is still very much a work in progress.
And when it comes to the distribution of digital products, including music and e-books, consumers will still find that borders get in the way.
If you have an account with Amazon UK, you can buy a CD from Amazon's French website, but it won't allow you to buy the same music on download.
That said, streaming services are more unified. Spotify, for instance, makes practically all its catalogue accessible everywhere in the world, with some minor variations in local-language music.
But although Brussels has failed to create a digital single market for music consumers, it has done a lot for music producers.
People who make music can make money from it in various ways. As well as selling digital or physical copies of it, they are also paid royalties every time it is played in public.
There are two kinds of these:
And although there is no EU single market for digital music purchases, there is now a thriving single market for licensing music and collecting royalties on it.
In the UK, the main royalty collection society is PRS for Music. Its chief executive, Robert Ashcroft, says that the European Commission made a big difference with its Collective Rights Management Directive, which came into force in the UK in April last year.
As a result, it is now much easier to license music in many territories at once, rather than having to authorise it country by country, as was formerly the case.
PRS, for example, works in a joint venture with its counterparts in Sweden and Germany, STIM and GEMA, to operate a pan-European online music rights licensing service.
This means that songwriters and music publishing companies can get paid more quickly and accurately.
"We have already been licensing our rights on a pan-European basis," says Mr Ashcroft. "Brexit won't stop that and it's not in our business interest to stop it either."
The UK's law on music copyright has changed in recent years because of Brussels.
In November 2013, UK copyright protection on sound recordings increased from 50 years to 70 years, in line with an EU directive approved in 2011.
However, recordings that had already slipped into the public domain, such as the Beatles' first single, stayed there.
And there is a "use it or lose it" provision for hitherto unreleased recordings from 50 years ago. If record companies have ageing tracks in the vaults that they have never issued, then they have no comeback if other people get hold of them and release them.
Will all this change when the UK "takes back control"? PRS's Mr Ashcroft thinks not.
"I expect it to continue unless and until someone presents an argument that it's damaging to the economy," he says.
One area where Brexit could have a negative impact is on touring musicians. There are fears that music groups might have to scale back European tours after Brexit and fewer European acts could travel to the UK.
"We have a very healthy business in royalties that are earned when our members' works are performed overseas," says PRS's Mr Ashcroft. "If there were obstacles to British bands touring, that would be a potential challenge."
At the same time, however, he is concerned about Brexit's potential impact on his own organisation's staffing levels. "Eleven per cent of our employees come from countries other than the UK. We operate daily in 13 languages. We need the prime minister to give assurances that the people resident and working here can stay."
On that basis, he feels that the UK's music business is well integrated with the rest of Europe and hopes it will stay that way, despite Brexit: "We are so international that we think our business transcends that." | Whether you consume music digitally or collect vinyl records, Brexit has the potential to affect you. | 39418829 |
Barca were finally overcome at the sixth time of asking on a scintillating night at Etihad Stadium, the 3-1 victory a fair reflection of the manner in which City wrested superiority from the side that beat them 4-0 in the Nou Camp a fortnight ago.
And for City manager Pep Guardiola, this was much more than a result that redressed the balance in Champions League Group C.
City's lengthy pursuit of Guardiola finally came to fruition when it was announced on 1 February that he would join the club after leaving Bayern Munich.
It was the crucial move City's Abu Dhabi-based hierarchy had been working towards for years, with an infrastructure already based heavily on the one the Spaniard had at Barcelona, with his old friend and former colleague Txiki Begiristain as director of football, and Ferran Soriano as chief executive.
City's house was effectively built in readiness for Guardiola's arrival, and his appointment was the day they had been planning for.
Begiristain and Soriano, and all in power at the club, will have looked on approvingly as the team made the biggest statement of Guardiola's short time in charge, against the club where his - and their - philosophy was formed.
This was the sort of thunderous celebration of football, and victory, they always had in mind through the years of courting Guardiola. This was why City's powerbrokers felt the wait for Guardiola was always going to be worthwhile.
They may have reached the Champions League semi-final under the low-profile Manuel Pellegrini last season, but they went down to Real Madrid with a whimper. The sight of Barcelona being beaten in an eye-to-eye thriller will have raised both the pulse rate and expectations.
This was not the sort of behind-the-door display that left City and their supporters frustrated against Real. Once Ilkay Gundogan equalised after a moment of carelessness from Sergi Roberto just before half-time, there was only going to be one winner.
They were perhaps more direct than the football of Guardiola's perfect world but their pace, movement, passing and unwavering attacking intent carried all of his hallmarks.
Guardiola recognised the significance of the win when he said: "It is a good step to say that once in our lives we played against the best team in the world and we beat them.
"We competed with Barcelona, but for now we did it in a different way. We played more long balls because we are still not ready to keep the ball and play like they do. They have been playing that way for 25 years. For us, it is three or four months we have been trying to play in a different style."
Guardiola's vision is clear. It is far too early to say one win, albeit against Barcelona, brings about the realisation of that vision - but this was a display that brought the future under his leadership into clearer view.
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Guardiola had admitted he had doubts during City's recent six-match winless streak - but not about his methods.
He said: "The principles? No doubt. But to know the players, how they play with other ones, how you play in different systems, sometimes you make a doubt, yes."
This was the night Guardiola's principles and players came together in a manner which should send a surge of confidence and self-belief through the manager, his squad and the club.
It would have been easy for City to subside in the face of a searing spell of pressure from Barcelona either side of the half-hour, but once they were presented with that unexpected opportunity to equalise, they were ruthless.
The otherwise excellent Raheem Sterling had already squandered a chance before Kevin de Bruyne's fine free-kick put them ahead after 51 minutes, and they had other opportunities before Gundogan wrapped things up 16 minutes from time.
City refused to be cowed by Barcelona's superstars, and the simple fact they fought it out with arguably the finest team on the planet and emerged triumphant should provide them with a deep reservoir of confidence for the future.
They pressed high, smothered Barcelona and beat them at large parts of their own game. The arch-perfectionist Guardiola will always want more but this was a night deserving of his satisfaction.
Guardiola said: "If you talk about the whole performance then, for the first 38 minutes, we were still not able to compete with the best clubs in the world, but in the second half it was different.
"I saw my players were upbeat - they knew they had gone through their bad moment. That sureness that Barca had in the first half, we were able to turn that around."
And in a message that suggested this 90 minutes could eventually be seen as a defining moment for City, Guardiola added: "Now they will realise they have beaten the best team. Future generations will see that and know they have to do that again. That is a process.
"It was the same with the group of players with Joe Hart and Vincent Kompany, who won Premier League title twice in five or six years together. The players arriving at the club now understand they have to do that, or try to do that, too.
"It is not as though our owner Sheikh Mansour and our chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak could come here and say 'we are going to create the best team in Europe.' You need 10, 15 or 20 years to stay there.
"We are going to try to reduce that time, to leave nights for City fans like they got against Barcelona."
City have struggled to make their big statement in the Champions League. This was it.
They finally beat Barcelona at the sixth time of asking, ending the Catalan club's run of seven successive wins against English sides in Europe. City's three goals amounted to more than they had scored in those five previous losses.
It was also the first time an English side has scored three or more goals in a Champions League group game against Barcelona since Manchester United did so 1998-99.
Guardiola's big players demonstrated they have the power to trouble any defence in Europe. Yes, Barca were without key defender Gerard Pique and midfield maestro Andres Iniesta, but nothing should diminish City's achievement.
De Bruyne's goal and creativity illustrated his standing as one of Europe's finest attackers, while the elegance and stealth of Gundogan has added an extra dimension and extra menace to City.
Sergio Aguero never stopped running, buying into Guardiola's demands, while Sterling once again showed how far he has come in such a short time under his new manager.
City's fans lapped up every moment, revelling in seeing the masters outmanoeuvred by the star pupil from Barcelona's school.
It felt like the moment this club has been waiting for. If City can beat Barcelona they need fear nobody - which is the message Guardiola is likely to be delivering.
In many respects, this felt like the night Pep Guardiola really arrived at Manchester City. The club have waited for Champions League nights like this - and this was their best to date. | Manchester City's outstanding Champions League victory over Barcelona bore all the hallmarks of a seminal moment in the development of this club of unlimited ambition. | 37842815 |
The 23-year-old joined the Magpies for £12m from the French side last summer.
However, he made just 16 appearances before ending the season back on loan at Marseille.
The former France Under-21 international scored twice in 14 league games for the Stade Velodrome side last season.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. | Marseille have re-signed Newcastle winger Florian Thauvin on a season-long loan with "an obligation" to make the deal permanent. | 36976046 |
Firefighters used cutting equipment to free her from her vehicle in Poole's Arrowsmith Road, which runs through woodland, shortly before 09:00 GMT.
The road was closed between Broadstone and Canford Magna while council workers dealt with the tree.
The woman was taken to hospital with head injuries, which are not thought to be life-threatening. | A woman was trapped in her car in Dorset when a tree fell on it during strong winds. | 35197495 |
But as parliament put forward its nominations for the top job, the situation became clear: there would be no last-minute deal, no President Suu Kyi.
Those expecting a Nelson Mandela ending to this incredible story will be disappointed. But for Suu Kyi and her many supporters little has actually been lost.
This anticlimactic outcome strengthens her politically and diminishes the military in the eyes of the Burmese people.
The generals' inflexibility, in the face of a huge popular mandate, has set the tone for what looks likely to be a period of confrontation between them and the newly elected democrats.
It was in November last year that Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), swept the board in the long-awaited general election.
The NLD won nearly 80% of the contested seats and everyone, even the army, agreed that the Burmese people had not just voted for change, they had voted for Suu Kyi to lead.
Emboldened by the result, the former political prisoner reached out to her long-time adversaries. In the past four months she has held three meetings with Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing. Suu Kyi was exploring the possibility of a grand deal.
What the NLD leader needed was the army's approval for a legally dubious move. She wanted parliament to temporarily suspend the part of the constitution that bars her from becoming president.
Clause 59F famously disqualifies anyone whose spouse, children, and even spouses of children, have foreign passports. Suu Kyi's two children by Oxford academic Michael Aris are British.
Supporters of the clause say it protects the country's sovereignty, but many believe it was drafted by the military to close the door on Suu Kyi. To open that door, the Burmese army would have demanded concessions.
That could have meant giving the military the right to choose the chief ministers of several states, and securing promises that the army's many business interests would be left alone.
Most importantly, the military is almost certain to have insisted that attempts to chip away at its political power be put on the back burner.
So beneath the feel-good headline of "President Suu Kyi", the army would have consolidated its political role.
It's not clear why the grand deal didn't happen. Perhaps the army just couldn't stomach the idea, or maybe Suu Kyi refused to concede enough. For whatever reason, the talks broke down.
So what, then, will the new political landscape look like?
Suu Kyi famously said before the election that she would be "above" whoever she picks to be president.
It is clear that Htin Kyaw has been selected primarily for his loyalty. All Suu Kyi will have to do is pick up a phone to flex her presidential power by proxy. She has lost nothing there.
Unencumbered by any deal with the army, Suu Kyi will be freer to pursue her campaign platform from the 2015 election.
Her authority is unchallenged within her party and she will now remotely command both presidency and parliament. One of her priorities is likely to be a renewed bid to change the constitution to reduce the army's power.
The unelected army representatives have already sampled the new order. Suu Kyi's MPs are demanding that deals made by the army and the former government be re-examined.
In a rare moment of drama, all the men in green uniform stood up in the house in protest.
In the immediate aftermath of the election, Suu Kyi spoke of being inclusive and creating a government of national unity. That was before the army rejected her overtures.
It is expected that the government Suu Kyi leads will be a mix of NLD officials and technocrats. But will she now be in the mood to find room for those from the military party, the USDP? Quite possibly not.
The 2008 constitution will be the main limit on Suu Kyi's power. Drafted by the generals, and approved in a sham referendum, it ensures the military retains its political role.
The key security ministries (home, defence, border affairs) are appointed not by the president but by the army commander-in-chief.
A quarter of the seats in parliament are also reserved for soldiers. That is not enough for them to block legislation, but sufficient to scupper any attempts to amend their constitution.
Much has changed in Myanmar, but the Burmese army has not budged one inch from the red lines it put into the constitution.
The democratic experiment, economic reforms and the emboldened Suu Kyi remain in a controlled space that the military designed and now seem intent on preserving. | The chances of Aung San Suu Kyi becoming Myanmar's next president have been receding for months. | 35754335 |
The tests threaten to cause new tensions between the two nations following their landmark nuclear deal.
Iran fired "several unguided rockets" about 1,370m (1,500 yards) from two US vessels and a French frigate, US military spokesman Kyle Raines said.
The tests were "highly provocative", said Cmdr Raines.
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman that provides passage for nearly a third of all oil traded by sea. The strait is also crucial for ships taking part in the war against so-called Islamic State.
In 2012 Iran threatened to block the strait, which lies at the entrance of the Gulf and is 33km (21 miles) wide at its narrowest point.
The latest incident, which took place on Saturday according to the US, follows a series of weapons tests by the Islamic Republic. Iranian media and officials did not immediately comment on the reports.
Iranian ships announced over maritime radio their intention to carry out the test 23 minutes before the rockets were fired, Cmdr Raines said.
"Firing weapons so close to passing coalition ships and commercial traffic within an internationally recognised maritime traffic lane is unsafe, unprofessional and inconsistent with international maritime law," he said.
The US Navy's 5th Fleet is based in nearby Bahrain. It conducts anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf and serves as a regional counterbalance to Iran.
Iran signed a long-term deal with six world powers in July to limit its sensitive nuclear activities in return for the lifting of crippling sanctions.
However, this year it has also broadcast footage of a missile attack on a mock-up of an US aircraft carrier and aired film on state TV of an underground missile base.
The Strait of Hormuz was the scene of a battle between the US and Iran in April 1988, when the US attacked two Iranian oil platforms used for surveillance and sank or damaged six of its vessels, including two naval frigates.
Tensions had erupted after the near-sinking of missile frigate USS Samuel B Roberts by an Iranian mine.
In July 1988, the USS Vincennes was patrolling the strait when it shot down an Iran Air flight heading to Dubai, killing 290 people on board. The ship's crew apparently mistook the plane for an Iranian F-14 fighter. | Iran's navy conducted rocket tests last week near US warships and other commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, the American military has said. | 35197480 |
The 36-year-old played 310 games in a seven-season stint with the Elite Ice Hockey League club and ended his career with the Devils after retiring in 2011.
A ceremony will take place before the Devils' game against Edinburgh Capitals on Saturday, where a banner with Voth's name and number will be raised.
The Devils will also wear warm-up jerseys with Voth's name and number.
Voth becomes the seventh former Cardiff Devils player to have his number retired, after Doug McEwen (seven), John Lawless (nine), Jason Stone (10), Brian Dickson (14), Steve Moria (19) and Shannon Hope (35). | Cardiff Devils will retire the number 26 jersey in honour of former player Brad Voth. | 37692532 |
People on working holiday visas would now have to pay tax on every dollar they earnt, said Treasurer Joe Hockey.
The backpacker industry said the Treasurer had exaggerated how much money it could raise from the tax.
However, it warned publicity about the changes could scare away young tourists.
Young travellers from the UK, Europe and increasingly from Asia often get low-paid jobs in Australia's hospitality or farming sectors to fund their holidays.
Foreigners on working holidays currently pay no income tax in Australia until they earn close to A$20,000, the same tax-free threshold enjoyed by residents.
"Anyone on a working holiday in Australia will have to pay tax from their first dollar earned," said Mr Hockey.
"This will save the budget A$540m," he added.
Under the new rules that take affect in July 2016, for tax purposes they will now be considered "non-residents" and pay tax on every dollar they earn.
But Backpacker Operators' Association New South Wales Secretary Robert Henke said people on working holidays only benefitted from the tax-free threshold if they remained in one location for six months.
He said anecdotal information showed most young travellers moved around, and worked in different places.
"It is a bit of a beat-up because what they didn't say is that to be entitled [to the tax-free threshold], you have to be in one spot for six months," Mr Henke told the BBC.
"So, we don't think the tax change will raise as much money as Mr Hockey claims," Mr Henke said.
"However, the unfortunate part of it is that overseas media are already writing articles that might frighten backpackers away," he said.
Others in the tourism industry were also unhappy about the announcement.
"Taxing working holidaymakers from the first dollar they earn, instead of giving them equal treatment with other resident taxpayers, is a backward step and will damage Australia's international reputation," said Tourism and Transport Forum Chief Executive Officer Margy Osmond.
"Australia has long been a favourite destination for young people from around the world who live, work and travel here for up to two years, and who spend on average more than A$13,000 during their stay," she said. | Backpackers and others could now face higher income taxes thanks to changes in work rules in the Australian government's latest budget. | 32716759 |
Mr Justice Cobb said the case exposed "serious and systemic flaws" in West Yorkshire Police and Wakefield Council.
The children aged seven and two at the time were taken into care after their parents' arrest, the Family Division of the High Court in Bradford heard.
They spent nearly 10 months away from their mother despite her not being charged with any offences.
Live updates on more stories from West Yorkshire
The family members could not be identified, said the judge.
Each child would get £5,000 and their mother £10,000 in damages.
The joint police and investigation started about two years ago when the children were placed into foster care following their parents' arrest.
The children's father had been jailed after admitting offences but the mother had not been charged with any offences, said the judge.
Mr Justice Cobb said the upshot had been the children had unfairly stayed in care and not been reunited with their mother for nearly 10 months.
The investigation had casual regard, and in some respects total disregard, of "ordinary principles of good professional practice".
The judge also criticised "a lack of discipline" in the officer in charge.
He said the investigation had been conducted in a way that "profoundly and obviously" breached rights to a fair trial and to respect for family life. | Two children who were kept in care for too long have been awarded damages from a police force and council. | 38389937 |
Farid K, 30, a cousin of attacker Abdel Malik Petitjean, was arrested on suspicion of "terrorist association".
The other man, Jean-Philippe Steven J, 20, was put under formal investigation for allegedly attempting to travel to Syria in June with Petitjean.
Petitjean and accomplice Adel Kermiche, both 19, were shot dead by police.
They had interrupted a church service in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, near Rouen, last Tuesday, taken hostages and slit the throat of Father Jacques Hamel, 86.
What we know about church attack
Tributes to Fr Jacques Hamel
Profile: Abdel Malik Petitjean
Kermiche 'was brainwashed'
The Paris prosecutor's office said both men arrested on Sunday were being held in custody.
The development came as Muslims across France attended Catholic Mass in a gesture of solidarity after the murder.
France's Muslim council, the CFCM, urged Muslims to show "solidarity and compassion" over the killing.
Petitjean had been on a watch list as a potential security threat since June after trying to enter Syria from Turkey.
Adel Kermiche was also known to the security services.
So-called Islamic State (IS) released a video of what it said were the two men pledging allegiance to the group. | Two men have been placed under formal investigation over the murder of a priest in a Normandy church, including a cousin of one of the killers. | 36938213 |
Jamie Soward's early score set the tone as Iliess Macani (2), Daniel Harrison, Andy Ackers and James Cunningham put the hosts 32-0 up at half-time.
James Brown, Alex Rowe and Chris Ulugia put Batley on the scoreboard after Macani had completed his hat-trick.
Rhys Williams' second half treble and tries from Jack Bussey, Cunningham and Mark Ioane completed the rout. | London Broncos chalked up their first win in The Qualifiers as they ran 14 tries past winless Batley Bulldogs. | 37028019 |
That is precisely the intention of course because it is not meant to hold power to account.
That is kept tightly in the hands of the ruling Communist Party, and the key policies have long been decided in advance.
Nonetheless, every year, the meetings do provide an occasional glimpse of something meaningful for those watching closely.
Here then are two of them for 2016; the first, a rare act of dissent that could not be stifled and the second, paradoxically, an all-too-common act of obeisance that was mysteriously hidden from view.
Much has already been written about Jiang Hong.
As thousands of his fellow delegates began arriving in Beijing two weeks ago, with their rubber stamps at the ready, Mr Jiang had different ideas.
He had already given an interview to a Chinese online current affairs magazine, Caixin, suggesting that delegates should be free to speak their own minds, rather than be compelled blithely to follow the will of the party.
Government censors promptly deleted that interview, a clear demonstration that delegates are not free to do anything of the sort.
Undeterred, Mr Jiang proceeded to give another interview to the same magazine in which he described the censorship as "terrible and bewildering".
Published along with a daring photo of a mouth gagged with masking tape, that follow-up article was deleted too.
But still far from cowed, Mr Jiang agreed to a BBC interview, conducted inside the meeting hall close to Tiananmen Square.
"If a society only listens to one voice, then mistakes can be made," he told us.
"A good way to prevent this from happening is to let everyone speak up, to give us the whole picture."
"I feel there's been an increase in things being deleted online - articles and blogs and posts on Wechat," he continued.
"This has made people worried about expressing their opinions."
Before we could finish our interview, Jiang Hong was hurried away by an official who insisted that we would make him late for his meeting - something other media outlets have experienced amid reports that delegates have been advised against impromptu discussions with the foreign media.
But Mr Jiang's determined insistence on exercising his right to free speech illustrates how China's annual parliament is not always quite so rigid and compliant as it first seems.
For the few who choose to use the opportunity, with the media access and at least the pretence of openness, it offers a precious moment in which they can push the boundaries a bit and, in doing so, highlight the debates that are often rumoured to be raging inside the ruling elite.
And Mr Jiang has done exactly that.
The response to his comments suggests that there is growing disquiet over the recent tightening of the restrictions on freedom of expression, with even one state-run newspaper weighing in with an old saying that "a thousand yes men cannot compare with one person who criticises frankly".
And so to our second moment at this year's event, one that has also lifted the curtain somewhat on the hidden tensions behind the scenes.
It came inside the Great Hall of the People as China's President Xi Jinping attended a sideline meeting of the Province of Hunan Communist Party Committee.
The Provincial Party Secretary Xu Shousheng is in mid-flow when his speech takes an unexpected change of tack.
"Before Chinese New Year," he says to President Xi, "a song by the title 'I don't know how to address you' went viral online in Hunan."
The lavish production, reportedly commissioned by the Hunan government, tells the story of one of Xi Jinping's visits to the Hunan countryside, and Mr Xu was keen to sing its praises.
"It vividly reflects [your] devotion to the poverty-stricken village of Shibadong," he tells him.
Mr Xi can be seen smiling and nodding slightly, although soon after video links of the exchange, along with references to the viral song being raised at the meeting, were seemingly deleted from the internet, with the links returning instead the familiar error message for removed content.
At a time when the main message of this year's parliament was meant to be the Communist Party's efforts to boost a flagging economy, with the looming threat of mass industrial layoffs, having the nation's top brass compose songs to each other and then crow about them, probably does not seem like the best exercise in public relations.
Nonetheless, tribute songs to Xi Jinping have become something of a musical genre in their own right in recent years, leading to speculation that such public displays of devotion are being encouraged as part of a growing cult of personality around him.
While spontaneous songs written and sung by grass roots performers - of which there are many - are one thing, for such tributes to be commissioned by senior party officials is altogether different.
Along with the crackdown on dissent and freedom of speech, as well as an increasingly ideological tone, some observers worry that Chinese politics is now taking a more authoritarian direction of the kind not seen since the days of Chairman Mao.
And with the normal political process so opaque and closed, the things we can glimpse on the edges of China's parliamentary set pieces are sometimes all we have to go on in trying to assess the truth.
The last word, perhaps, should go to Jiang Hong, the censored but still determined delegate.
"What's happening now is a lot better than what happened during the Cultural Revolution," he tells us.
"However, in terms of citizens' freedom of expression, there are still obstacles. At least I can still express my thoughts; I can voice my opinion within the boundaries of this meeting.
"But what really upsets me is that I can't express my opinion to the public. In this aspect, there's still a lot of improvement needed in our country. " | After 11 days of interminable speeches, followed by ritualistic voting to approve everything put before it, China's annual parliamentary gathering will, once again, leave little worthy of note in its wake. | 35817196 |
Durham were wobbling at 158-4 before Burnham (93 not out) and Pringle (62 not out) took the visitors to 285-4.
Resuming on 36-0, Michael Richardson chipped in with 62 but fell to South Africa spinner Imran Tahir (2-89).
The victory moves Durham, who started 2017 on minus 48 points, off the bottom of Division Two above Leicestershire.
Leicestershire are only into the second day of their match against Sussex at Arundel and five points behind Paul Collingwood's side, but Durham are now unbeaten in four matches. | Jack Burnham and Ryan Pringle's nerveless unbroken stand of 137 saw Durham chase 282 to beat Derbyshire by six wickets at Chesterfield. | 40520707 |
The 26-year-old opened his account for the season in the sixth minute, heading home Dan Sparkes' inch-perfect cross from four yards out.
Sparkes turned provider again for Blissett in the 29th minute. This time the midfielder headed Aman Verma's cross back across goal, leaving Blissett to lash home on the volley from close range.
The former Kidderminster striker nearly clinched his hat-trick in the 40th minute, with Matt Fry clearing his goal-bound effort, but the job was already done. York tried to push after the break, but were unable to breach the Gulls' well organised back four.
Report supplied by the Press Association.
Match ends, Torquay United 2, York City 0.
Second Half ends, Torquay United 2, York City 0.
Richard Brodie (York City) is shown the yellow card.
Courtney Richards (Torquay United) is shown the yellow card.
Substitution, York City. Justin Johnson replaces Scott Fenwick.
Substitution, Torquay United. Chay Scrivens replaces Dan Sparkes.
Substitution, Torquay United. Sam Chaney replaces Joe Ward.
Substitution, Torquay United. Brett Williams replaces Jamie Reid.
Substitution, York City. Tyler Walton replaces Yan Klukowski.
Substitution, York City. Kaine Felix replaces Aidan Connolly.
Second Half begins Torquay United 2, York City 0.
First Half ends, Torquay United 2, York City 0.
Goal! Torquay United 2, York City 0. Nathan Blissett (Torquay United).
Goal! Torquay United 1, York City 0. Nathan Blissett (Torquay United).
First Half begins.
Lineups are announced and players are warming up. | Nathan Blissett's first-half brace was enough for Torquay to claim a win over York at Plainmoor. | 37264136 |
Daniel Hussain, 23, and Kieran Kiely, 24, were reported missing from the Perthshire open prison at about 16:20 on Wednesday.
They have not been seen since and a search for the missing prisoners is now under way.
Police Scotland said the public "should not approach" the pair and have appealed for information to help trace them.
Hussain is said to have connections in the Glasgow and Perth areas, while Kiely is known to have links to Glasgow, Stirling and Fife.
Kiely is described as 5ft 4in tall, of stocky build with short dark hair. Hussain is described as 5ft 10in tall, of medium build with short dark hair. | Two inmates at HMP Castle Huntly open prison have absconded. | 36798830 |
Ms Al-Jeffery, 21, who has dual British and Saudi Arabian nationality, claims her father Mohammed Al-Jeffery locked her up and kept her against her will after she "kissed a guy".
He said he took her from Swansea to Jeddah in 2012 to "save her life".
Last week at the High Court in London, Mr Al-Jeffery denied the allegations.
A judgement on the case has been reserved until Wednesday.
In a letter to Mr Johnson, Swansea West MP Geraint Davies, said: "If Ms Al-Jeffery is being held against her will, she must be released immediately.
"Ms Al-Jeffery is 21 years old and no one, whatever their relationship to her, has the right to deprive her of her liberty.
"If these allegations are proven to be correct, the court must order her release and the government must take all the necessary measures to ensure her safe return.
"This is now a matter of urgency, so if she is being held against her will, I would ask that you take immediate action to ensure her release and uphold her human rights."
A friend of Ms Al-Jeffery in the UK - who wished to remain anonymous - told BBC Wales Today they have had contact with her whilst she has been in Saudi Arabia.
They said during a series of messages between October and December 2015, Ms Al-Jeffery had asked them to contact the British Embassy to inform them of her situation.
Ms Al-Jeffery also sent a picture of what she claimed to be the cage she had been kept in and said that she had been "under constant surveillance".
The friend also said Ms Al-Jeffery had described how she was "clinging on to sanity".
Mr Al-Jeffery claimed he took daughter to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia in order "save her life."
He said his daughter was not doing well at school, had been taking drugs and "going to clubs and spending time with older men".
In a statement the Foreign Office said: "We are providing assistance to a woman in Saudi Arabia.
"This has included visiting her and assisting her to speak to her lawyers in the UK as part of an ongoing legal process."
It said it would respond to Geraint Davies' letter in due course, once it has been received. | A Swansea MP has written to the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson demanding immediate action in the case of Amina Al-Jeffery. | 36945058 |
Varndell, 31, who has been the joint record-holder since joining Mark Cueto on 90 tries in January, will start when Bristol host Harlequins on Friday.
"I'm there to finish off moves. It [the record] is important because, if I'm scoring, we're going to be doing well as a team," he told BBC Points West.
"To be top try scorer and hold that record would be fantastic for me."
The former Leicester Tigers and Wasps man, who has scored five tries in seven top-flight games this season, added: "I'd love to be standing alone at the top of that table."
Varndell's Bristol side are bottom of the Premiership after 13 league games, one point below 11th-placed Worcester Warriors. | Bristol winger Tom Varndell says he would "love to stand alone" as the Premiership's record try scorer. | 38923431 |
Marie McGinty describes herself as an aesthetics nurse practitioner, nurse prescriber and midwife.
But according to the Nursing and Midwifery Council, there is no record of Ms McGinty being registered.
She has failed to respond to repeated requests from the BBC to comment on the claims that she is unqualified.
In 2012, Marie McGinty, 49, established Vital Cosmetics Liverpool Limited and, according to its promotional material, runs clinics throughout the North West and North Wales.
She offers "skin rejuvenation" by using anti-wrinkle injections and dermal fillers. One of the compounds she uses is Botox - a powerful drug that can only be given on prescription following an assessment by a doctor, dentist or nurse prescriber.
The BBC 5 Live Investigates programme has spoken to one woman who went to Marie McGinty for Botox injections and dermal fillers - and was left with unsightly blemishes and hard lumps around her eyes from the fillers.
The woman - who wishes to remain anonymous - said: "I could see instantly it was lumpy, then a few hours later it was almost like blisters. It progressively got worse and then it didn't improve and looked like a mess.
"It affected my work, I didn't leave my flat. I hated looking in the mirror and had to hide my hair across the face.
"It looked abnormal, my sister said I looked like a freak."
In the end, she went to see a cosmetic doctor in Harley Street - Dr Vincent Wong - to get the damage caused by the dermal fillers corrected.
He said: "The person who carried out this work may not have been trained, simply because this is a very delicate region and if not done properly may have serious consequences."
Ms McGinty gave the lady Botox injections in her front room.
Dr Wong added: "With Botox, once it is injected it cannot be removed and if it's injected into the wrong area it can cause serious damage."
Marie McGinty told a potential client she was a nurse prescriber.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council has no record of Marie McGinty being registered currently or in the past.
The titles of "registered nurse" and "midwife" are protected, meaning anyone falsely claiming to be a registered nurse or midwife is breaking the law.
Only registered nurses can become nurse prescribers - and have to be on the nursing register.
The BBC does not know where Ms McGinty is sourcing the Botox from. But the 5 live Investigates programme was able to buy it from a supplier in China, with no questions asked.
When Botox is sourced through unofficial channels, there is a risk it could be counterfeit.
The BBC was able to buy the supposed Botox for around £50 including shipping.
A small vial of white powder arrived with paperwork for dermal filler.
The company in China was asked if it was actually Botox.
"Of course, it is Botox, we use (dermal filler) documents to send the goods, as customs will check Botox, thanks for your kind understanding," they said.
Anyone can legally inject fillers so campaign groups like Save Face have tried to set up their own accredited list of 300 registered doctors, dentists and nurses.
"Treatments like fillers have almost become every day beauty treatments for many people, but, in the wrong hands, they are potentially dangerous procedures," said its director Ashton Collins.
"Many people we help have been too ashamed or embarrassed to come forward and speak out when a treatment has gone wrong."
The British Association of Dermatologists wants a mandatory register of practitioners.
And a Department of Health spokesman said: "Patients should always have confidence that their care is provided by a qualified individual and we strongly advise anyone choosing non-surgical treatment to check training and experience."
Five live Investigates also found that Ms McGinty's Vital Cosmetics Liverpool Limited mobile number links her to sites where escorts advertise "personal services".
The BBC contacted Marie McGinty three times by post and email over a month. She was also telephoned a number of times on her mobiles, with no success.
She said she would provide a statement after she spoke to her solicitor.
There has been no response and she has since moved from her registered business address.
BBC 5 Live Investigates is broadcast on BBC 5 Live on Sunday 24 May at 11:00 BST. | A bogus nurse is running a cosmetic clinic offering Botox and dermal filler treatments, according to a BBC investigation. | 32942543 |
As a result, Northern Ireland will receive an extra £1bn during the next two years as part of the deal, but what could prevent the Stormont parties setting up a power-sharing executive to spend the money?
The most obvious sticking point is Sinn Féin's previous stipulation that it won't share power with DUP leader Arlene Foster until an inquiry into her controversial and expensive RHI Renewable Heating Incentive (RHI) scheme is concluded.
That inquiry is expected to take more than a year.
But after her election success and this week's deal, Mrs Foster's position within the DUP appears impregnable.
Sinn Féin must budge on their previous "red line" for a deal to be concluded.
During the spring Assembly election Mrs Foster vowed this would not happen "on her watch", before describing Sinn Féin as a "crocodile".
Either the DUP must drop this apparent red line or Sinn Féin must accept a wider form of legislation - a so-called hybrid model which would also cover Ulster Scots.
Gerry Adams has previously hinted there could be a deal without resolving differences over Northern Ireland's troubled past, but it wouldn't be a strong deal.
Republicans will be dubious about a section in the DUP-Conservative agreement which said there should be no unfair focus on former soldiers and police officers.
However, the wording is loose, so perhaps they can live with it.
Under the Foster-May agreement, the DUP is committed to backing the Conservatives on any Brexit-related legislation.
Sinn Féin still backs "special status" for Northern Ireland - effectively preserving many aspects of EU membership.
So will Sinn Féin willingly take the DUP deal cash or conclude that it is inadequate compensation for the damage they believe Brexit will do to Ireland, north and south?
No-one is expecting the DUP to drop its opposition to same-sex marriage.
Nor will the DUP or other Stormont parties suddenly decide to implement the 1967 Abortion Act in Northern Ireland.
But some argue that if the Stormont Assembly procedures are altered to exclude the use of cross-community vetoes on such moral or social issues, this could pave the way for movement.
However, is the DUP in a mood to curtail the veto power, which it can no longer wield without the backing of other Unionists?
We have been at it a long time - discussing how Stormont might be put together again since January when the late Martin McGuinness resigned as deputy first minister.
You could argue that the Stormont parties have had more than enough time to resolve their differences.
But Sinn Féin and some of the other parties have pointed out that for most of the past three weeks the government, which set Thursday's deadline, has side-tracked one of the main talks participants, namely the DUP, into another set of talks primarily focussed on Westminster's stability, not Stormont.
So you could get some participants believing the secretary of state should stop the clock.
However, if he does the credibility of NIO talks deadlines, already pretty low, would take another plunge. | So the cheque is in the post after the DUP agreed to back Theresa May's minority government in Commons votes. | 40417796 |
Ali Saqr, 21, killed his mother, Lena al-Qasem, 45, outside the post office in Raqqa, Syria, eyewitnesses said.
Raqqa has served as IS' de facto capital since the group captured the city in August 2013.
IS does not tolerate any dissent and imposes brutal punishments, often carried out in public.
The UK-based monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) and the activist group Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently (RIBSS) reported the incident. RIBSS however said that the woman was killed for the crime of apostasy.
Lena al-Qasem had reportedly told her son that the US-led military alliance fighting IS would "wipe out" the group, and tried to convince him to leave the city with her.
Her son is then said to have informed the group of her comment. They then ordered that she be killed.
IS has killed many people for apostasy, just as it's murdered others for homosexuality or supposedly practising magic.
It's the macabre twist of having Lena al-Qasem's son kill her that's captured the world's attention.
As the air onslaught on IS in Raqqa intensifies, there's recently been an apparent rise in the public murder of residents there for trying to tell the world what's happening or challenging the group's rule with their behaviour or desire to escape.
A young woman, Ruqia Hasan, was killed for writing about life under IS in the city, even as she tried to continue living as normally as possible.
Before it was taken over by IS, Raqqa was held by other rebel groups - some still true to the original impulse of political opposition to President Assad.
Many left, some were killed, but others remain - their unsilenced voices a rebuke to IS as the group faces an intensifying onslaught in Raqqa and elsewhere.
Ali Saqr is reported to have shot her outside the post office where she worked, in front of hundreds of people.
IS, a jihadist group which follows its own extreme version of Sunni Islam, took over large parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014.
Since then the group has killed more than 2,000 people for reasons including homosexuality, and for the alleged practice of magic and apostasy, according to the SOHR. | An Islamic State militant carried out a public "execution" of his mother because she asked him to leave the group, activists say. | 35260475 |
At a joint White House news conference, the two leaders said they were committed to an ongoing dialogue.
And Mr Obama sought to assure the German people they were not subject to "continual surveillance".
US-German relations have been strained by revelations US intelligence agencies had spied on Ms Merkel's mobile phone.
That came out in secret National Security Agency documents leaked last year by Edward Snowden, a former technical contractor with the US electronic spy agency.
At the joint appearance, Mr Obama acknowledged he was "pained" that Mr Snowden's disclosures had strained the US-German relationship.
And he noted that in a broad overhaul of US electronic spying practices he ordered over the past year, he had directed US intelligence agencies to weigh the privacy interests of non-Americans as well as US citizens and residents, "in everything that they do".
"These are complicated issues, and you know, we're not perfectly aligned yet, but we share the same values, and we share the same concerns," Mr Obama said.
The US president said there were still "some gaps that need to be worked through" pertaining to America's policies of electronic spying on its allies, but he said Ms Merkel "should not doubt and the German people should not doubt how seriously we take these issues".
And he said he anticipated those issues would be resolved to the satisfaction of the US, Germany and the rest of world.
Speaking through a translator, Ms Merkel said there were "differences of opinion" to overcome on "what sort of balance to strike between the intensity of surveillance, of trying to protect the citizens against threats and on the other hand protecting individual privacy and individual freedom".
"I take back the message home that the US is ready to do that, is ready to discuss this," she said.
Ms Merkel has recently proposed establishing a European communications network to avoid emails and other data automatically passing through the US. | The US and Germany remain at odds over digital spying and privacy policy, US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have said. | 27263954 |
People are, quite literally, dying to take a picture of themselves.
In Russia this year there have been a handful of selfie-related fatalities, including the death of two men in the Ural Mountains who posed for a photo while pulling the pin from a hand grenade.
And, in June, a university graduate died after trying to take a selfie while hanging from a Moscow bridge.
Most recently a 17-year-old boy fell to his death from a rooftop as he tried to take his picture for his Instagram page.
He had previously taken a number of similar pictures of himself posing on high rooftops in the city of Vologda.
The problem isn't just limited to Russia. In the US recently a man died after shooting himself in the neck while taking a selfie.
At least 12 people have died this year while taking pictures of themselves making the practice more deadly than shark attacks, of which there have only been eight recorded deaths in 2015, according to tech news site Mashable.
The statistic is creating very real problems for governments.
In August, officials at the Waterton Canyon in Colorado were forced to close the park after several people were caught getting a little too close to the wildlife.
"We've actually seen people using selfie sticks to try and get as close to the bears as possible, sometimes within 10 feet [3 metres]," said recreation manager Brandon Ransom in a blog.
And, at Yellowstone National Park, officials issued a warning after five separate incidents of selfie-takers being gored by bison.
In Australia, a rock that looks like a wedding cake was fenced off because too many people were climbing it to take pre or post-wedding photos of themselves.
While in Russia, in response to the number of deaths there, the Interior Ministry launched a campaign warning that "self-photography could cost you your life".
"A selfie with a weapon kills," the brochure read. The accompanying poster campaign listed dangerous places to take a selfie.
So why are some people willing to risk their life to take the ultimate selfie?
It may come down to pure bravado, thinks Lee Thompson - whose snap of himself on top of the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janiero went viral in June 2014.
"People see pictures like mine and see how they spread across the world and see a way to make themselves famous for 15 minutes," he told the BBC.
A professional photographer, Mr Thompson admits that the picture he took was done as a publicity stunt for his travel company, Flash Pack. He did, however, get permission to climb the statue.
"I'm not a serial selfie-taker - this shot was to publicise my business. It was the shot I knew I had to get because people love selfies," he told the BBC.
He admits that the trend towards ever more dangerous selfies is "getting out of control".
"Be creative with your pictures but don't put yourself in danger," he advised.
According to research published by the Ohio State University, the pictures that people post on social media can tell an interesting story about their personality.
Hundreds of tests on people's social media habits were conducted for the study, which showed that people who post a lot of selfies also tend to score higher in traits of narcissism and psychopathy.
Lead researcher Jesse Fox said that, for many, a dangerous selfie is worth it for the number of likes and comments it will generate.
"Likes are a quantifiable way of measuring popularity and these days it isn't enough to just post a picture of yourself, because everyone is doing that. The more extreme it is, the more likely you are to stand out and get lots of likes and comments."
The rise of the selfie as an art form has not gone unnoticed by manufacturers such as Asus, which recently launched a phone dubbed the ZenFone Selfie, that as the name suggests, comes with a powerful camera.
But it too is sensitive to the issue of risk-taking selfies and its marketing of the device in France came with a poster campaign similar to that of the Russian government, pointing out places where taking a selfie would be ill-advised - including in front of trains, in cars and with bears.
Despite the publicity, there doesn't appear to be any let-up in the amount of death-defying selfies being taken, nor people's appetite to look at them.
A video on YouTube, compiling what it describes as the "25 most dangerous selfies ever", has been viewed over 20 million times.
It includes examples of a man taking a selfie while a bull charges at him, a man posing with a lion, someone taking a picture in front of a train and a woman taking a selfie of herself and her toddler while driving.
James Kingston's picture of himself hanging off a crane (above) came in at number three.
The list also features several self-portraits with sharks which had gone viral but which the video exposes as fakes.
Selfies may have become more dangerous than shark attacks but it seems that even the most intrepid self-shooter draws the line at a picture with a Great White. | If 2014 was the year of the selfie, then 2015 took the art of self-photography to a new and dangerous level. | 34466322 |
In a rare interview, Michel Bacos, 92, said a Palestinian opened fire on hostages when commandos stormed the terminal in Entebbe on 3 July 1976.
It was previously understood no hostages were murdered by the captors.
Israeli forces freed 105 hostages in a surprise raid, killing about eight hostage-takers and 20 Ugandan troops.
One hostage, Jean-Jacques Mimouni, was mistaken for a hostage-taker and shot dead by a commando. Another, Pasco Cohen, also died after being accidentally shot by one of the Israeli soldiers.
Speaking from his home in Nice, France, Capt Bacos said the third hostage who lost her life, Ida Borochovich, was killed in front of him by a hostage-taker.
"When the raid started, a Palestinian came and started firing on the hostages. The woman was on the floor next to him by the entrance and he shot her. For sure she was killed."
Capt Bacos said, earlier in the week, that one of two Germans who, along with two Palestinians, hijacked his Air France plane, had told him: "If anyone tries to save the hostages, we'll know first and we'll shoot all of you."
In the event, the hijacker, Wilfried Boese, did not turn his gun on the hostages when the commandos fought their way into the building. He was shot dead in an exchange of fire.
"The noise was loud but after a few moments somebody said: 'There are Israeli soldiers here.'
"I lifted my head and I saw a soldier dressed like a member of the Ugandan army with a white hat - and he said in Hebrew: 'Listen, guys, we've come to take you home.'
"I didn't believe what I was seeing, even now I can't describe it - seeing the soldier, it was as if an angel had come down from the sky."
Read more: Former hostage tells her story
On the third day of the crisis, the hostage-takers separated the Israeli and non-Israeli Jewish passengers from the rest of the passengers, who were allowed to leave.
Capt Bacos and his crew of 12 were offered the chance to go, but refused to leave while people were still being held.
"I was a captain of Air France and before that I was in the Free French Forces under [Charles] de Gaulle during the [Second World] War - it would be impossible for me to leave my passengers, unimaginable," he said.
"I told my crew that we must stay until the end, because that was our tradition, so we cannot accept being freed. All my crew agreed without exception."
The Air France airbus was hijacked on 27 June and flown to Entebbe, where at least three Palestinian accomplices were waiting at the airport.
They demanded the release of 54 militants held by Israel and four other countries, and a $5m ransom.
Capt Bacos, his crew and the rescued passengers were flown back to Israel on 4 July, hours after the night-time operation. He was later awarded the Legion d'honneur, France's highest civilian decoration, for his actions during the crisis.
A fourth hostage, Dora Bloch, who had been taken to hospital before the raid, was murdered on the orders of Ugandan President Idi Amin the day after the Israeli rescue. | The French captain of a hijacked plane at the centre of a famed Israeli rescue operation has described how he saw a passenger killed by a hostage-taker. | 36584346 |
The 2013 attack did no damage but revealed information about how computers running the flood control system worked, said the paper.
Hackers working for nation states regularly hit national infrastructure targets, said a separate AP report.
About 12 times in the last decade hackers have won high-level access to power networks, it said.
Extensive information about the Bowman Avenue dam in Rye, New York state was taken by the hackers, experts familiar with the incident told the newspaper.
An investigation pointed to Iran as the likely source of the attack and alerted US authorities to the significant cyber warfare capabilities of that nation, said the report The same group of hackers that attacked Bowman Avenue was also implicated in separate attacks on three US financial firms, it added.
The US power network has also come under regular attack by "sophisticated foreign hackers" said AP in an extensive investigation.
Many times security researchers had found evidence that hackers had won access to these sensitive systems. So far, all the attacks seemed intent on gathering detailed information, including engineering drawings, about networks and facilities.
One extensive campaign gave hackers access to 82 separate plants spread across the US and Canada. Comments in the code found when the attacks were detected suggested Iranian hackers were behind this attack. Information about this series of attacks led the FBI to issue a warning to power industry that it was being targeted.
The knowledge accumulated by the attackers has not been used to shut down the power plants or change the way they work, wrote AP reporters Garance Burke and Jonathan Fahey.
However, the knowledge could be used to cause damage if diplomatic relations between Iran and the US changed for the worse, former US Air Force cyber security expert Robert Lee told the agency.
Hackers could get at the power plants and other parts of national infrastructure because many of the systems were set up long before the need to protect them against remote attacks became apparent. | Iranian hackers penetrated the computers controlling a dam near New York, reveals the Wall Street Journal. | 35151492 |
They approached the eight-month pregnant woman after she parked her VW Golf in a car park in Birmingham. Police said they were "lying in wait".
The victim tried to run away but was dragged to the floor. The men stole her keys and smashed her phone.
She went to hospital and police say she and her unborn child are "doing well".
Sgt Philip Poole, from West Midlands Police, said the woman was treated for minor injuries after the incident near Yew Tree car park, opposite Frogmoor Lane, on 11 December.
More updates on this and other stories in Birmingham and the Black Country
"Nevertheless, it was a shocking attack against a heavily pregnant woman and the outcome could have been far worse," he said.
"We need to identify the offenders before they are able to attack again."
CCTV images of the offenders, described as Asian, have been released by police.
Her vehicle, which has an on-board tracker, has since been recovered and is being forensically examined.
"We've secured CCTV and recovered the car, but we're still appealing to anyone who was in the area at the time and saw anything suspicious, or has any other information which they believe will assist the investigation to come forward," Mr Poole added. | A heavily pregnant woman was pinned to the ground by two men who sprayed a noxious substance in her eyes before stealing her car, police say. | 38312419 |
The East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust was put into special measures in September 2014 because of "serious failures" in patient safety.
England's chief inspector of hospitals, Prof Sir Mike Richards said his recommendation came after an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Matthew Kershaw, the trust's chief executive said there was more to do.
The trust runs the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, the Kent and Canterbury in Canterbury, the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital (QEQM) in Margate, the Buckland in Dover, and the Royal Victoria in Folkestone.
Prof Richards said: "At our last inspection in July 2015, we noted that although East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust had made significant improvements in quality, we needed to see those improvements embedded in practice.
"We have found good evidence that the trust continues to make steady progress.
"We can see real benefits for patients."
Prof Richards has recommended the NHS Trust Development Authority and Monitor take the trust out of special measures.
CQC inspectors visited the hospitals and focused on emergency care, medical services, maternity and gynaecology, and end of life care.
The inspectors rated the quality of care provided by the William Harvey, QEQM and Kent and Canterbury hospitals as "requiring improvement".
Mr Kershaw said: "We have made some investments already in staffing levels in maternity and improvements in equipment.
"Both of those have more to do but we have made real strides in both those areas across both of our main sites." | A hospital trust should be taken out of special measures, the health watchdog has recommended. | 38389184 |
Telescopes and satellites have reported seeing small but significant volumes of the gas, but the six-wheeled robot can pick up no such trace.
On Earth, 95% of atmospheric methane is produced by microbial organisms.
Researchers have hung on to the hope that the molecule's signature at Mars might also indicate a life presence.
The inability of Curiosity's sophisticated instrumentation to make this detection is likely now to dent this optimism.
"Based on previous measurements, we were expecting to go there and find 10 parts per billion (ppbv) or more, and we were excited about finding it. So when you go to search for something and you don't find it, there's a sense of disappointment," said Dr Chris Webster, the principal investigator on Curiosity's Tuneable Laser Spectrometer (TLS).
The Nasa rover's search is reported online in a paper published by Science Magazine.
Curiosity has been sucking in Martian air and scanning its components since shortly after landing in August 2012.
From these tests, it has not been possible to discern any methane to within the present limits of the TLS's sensitivity.
This means that if the gas is there, it can constitute no more than 1.3ppbv of the atmosphere - equivalent to just over 10,000 tonnes of the gas.
This upper limit is about six times lower than the previous estimates of what should be present, based on the satellite and telescope observations.
The number of 1.3ppbv is very low, and will put a question mark against the robustness of those earlier measurements.
The fact that Curiosity is working at ground level and in one location should not matter, as the Martian atmosphere is known to mix well over the course of half a year.
Methane at Mars could have a number of possible sources, of course - not just microbial activity.
It could be delivered by comets or asteroids, or produced internally by geological processes.
But it is the link to life that has most intrigued planetary scientists.
Earth's atmosphere contains billions of tonnes of methane, the vast majority of it coming from microbes, such as the organisms found in the digestive tracts of animals.
The speculation has been that some methane-producing bugs, or methanogens, could perhaps exist on Mars if they lived underground, away from the planet's harsh surface conditions.
This theory was bolstered by the previous observations making their detections in spring-time. It was suggested that the seasonal rise in temperatures was melting surface ices and allowing trapped methane to rise into the atmosphere in plumes.
But in Dr Webster's view, Curiosity's inability to detect appreciable amounts of methane now makes this scenario much less likely.
"This observation doesn't rule out the possibility of current microbial activity, [but] it lowers the probability certainly that methanogens are the source of that activity," he told the BBC's Science In Action Programme.
Or as team-member Prof Sushil Atreya, from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, put it: "There could still be other types of microbes on Mars. This just makes it harder for there to be microbes that kick out methane."
Dr Geronimo Villanueva is affiliated to the Catholic University of America and is based at Nasa's Goddard Space Flight Center.
He studies the Martian atmosphere using telescopes here on Earth. He cautioned that additional, much more precise measurements were needed from the rover before firm conclusions could be drawn.
"This is an evolving story as we get more numbers," he told BBC News.
"If Curiosity's statistics hold, it's important because it sets a new bound. Methane should last a long time in the atmosphere and the fact that the rover doesn't see it puts a big constraint on possible releases. But I would like to see more and better Curiosity results, and more orbiter results as well."
Dr Olivier Witasse is the project scientist on the European Space Agency's (Esa) Mars Express satellite, which made the very first claimed methane detection back in 2003.
He also said much more data was required.
"There is some indication from the Mars Express data - and it has not been published yet because it's a very complicated measurement - that the methane might peak at a certain altitude, at 25-40km. The Curiosity results are interesting but they have not yet settled the issue."
Esa has its ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter launching in 2016, which will be able to make further methane searches. And the Indian space agency (Isro) is due to despatch its Mangalyaan probe to the Red Planet later this year. This, too, has methane detection high on its list of objectives.
Curiosity itself will work to improve its readings, and will shortly deploy an "enrichment" process that will amplify any methane signal that might be present.
"We can lower that upper limit down to tens of parts per trillion, maybe 50 parts per trillion," said Dr Webster.
Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos | The Curiosity rover's failure to detect methane on Mars is a blow to theories that the planet may still host some types of life, say mission scientists. | 24165219 |
The Supreme Court is due to rule on Tuesday whether the UK parliament needs to give its approval before Article 50 is triggered.
The Scottish government argued that Holyrood should be given a say too.
Nicola Sturgeon has now said MSPs will have a vote regardless of the outcome of the case.
Prime Minister Theresa May has made clear her intention to take the UK out of the single market, with Ms Sturgeon warning the move "undoubtedly" makes a second referendum on Scottish independence more likely.
The Scottish government has put forward proposals for a separate settlement that it says would allow Scotland to stay in the single market even if the rest of the UK leaves.
When she set out her key objectives for the Brexit negotiation process last week, Mrs May promised to push for the "freest possible trade" with European countries.
And she said she wanted the UK to be able to negotiate trade deals with other countries around the world as part of plans to create a "truly global Britain".
But writing in the Daily Record, Ms Sturgeon said: "It's getting hard not to feel like the PM has her fingers in her ears when it comes to Scotland.
"This isn't some academic debate - removing us from the largest single market in the world would be devastating for people's jobs and living standards. But that seems to be of little concern to the Tories."
She added: "No matter what the court decides, I want to make this crystal clear - I intend to make sure the Scottish Parliament has the chance to vote on the question of triggering Article 50.
"If the UK government don't start showing Scotland some respect, I'll make sure that people across Scotland have the chance to choose our own future before the Tories drag us off an economic cliff-edge."
The Supreme Court case followed an appeal against an earlier High Court rejection of the UK government's argument that it already has the powers to trigger Article 50.
Campaigners say parliament must be consulted before the government does so - although Labour has already said it would not vote against Article 50.
The Scottish government intervened in the Supreme Court case, with the country's Lord Advocate arguing that MSPs should also be consulted before Article 50 is invoked.
On Sunday, the Scottish government's Brexit minister, Michael Russell, said the SNP's 54 MPs would definitely vote against Article 50.
Meanwhile, a group of MSPs has travelled to Brussels to gauge support for Scotland keeping some form of connection with both the European Union and the single market.
Members of Holyrood's European Committee said their talks would centre on what can be done to mitigate the impact of leaving the EU.
Committee members will meet senior German MEP David McAllister, who is vice president of the European People's Party in the European Parliament, and Danuta Hubner, the chairman of the parliament's Constitutional Affairs Committee.
Committee convener Joan McAlpine, an SNP MSP, said there was a "great deal of concern in Scotland" about what leaving the single market would mean for the country.
She added: "As Brexit gets closer - Article 50 is expected to be invoked in the next two months - it is vital that we explore all the ramifications of this as well as every possible avenue that helps Scotland retain as close a relationship with the EU and its single market as possible."
Deputy convener and Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald added: "We're moving into a crucial phase in the run up to Article 50 being triggered, and these meetings will help us understand the implications of Brexit for Scotland on major issues such as citizenship, the economy and trade."
EU leaders have warned that the UK cannot access the single market, which allows the free movement of goods, services and workers between its members, while at the same time restricting the free movement of people - a key pledge of the prime minister. | Scotland's first minister has said that MSPs will be given a vote on the triggering of Article 50 regardless of a Supreme Court ruling on the issue. | 38716756 |
Mary Ann Cotton, from West Auckland, County Durham, was hanged in Durham Prison in 1873 for poisoning her stepson with arsenic.
She is widely believed to have also killed three husbands, 10 children, a lover and her mother, collecting life insurance for each.
The batch of letters found in her prison cell have sold for £1,050.
They had been estimated to fetch £500-700.
For more stories on Victorian England visit our Pinterest page
Eight other letters, written to a lodger at Cotton's home, were sold to a private collector in 2013.
Victoria House, originally from Hartlepool, failed to raise enough to buy them and donate them to the Durham County Records Office.
She had been "very upset" and said it was a case of "here we go again" with this latest sale.
"If I could save them, I would, but I haven't got the money and it's too short notice to ask people to help," she said.
As she was pregnant during her trial, Cotton's execution was delayed until after the birth of her 11th child.
The latest of her letters to be sold include one from William and Sarah Edwards, saying this daughter was being cared for.
Others relate to selling her possessions to pay for legal costs and instructing lawyers to defend her.
They were sold by a descendent of the matron at Durham Jail, who is believed to have cleared out Cotton's cell.
Tennants Auctioneers valuer Steven Stockton said there had been "a lot of interest from around the globe".
"There's a lot of beautiful things in this sale and the one thing that everyone's asking about is these letters to this awful monster," he said.
"I suppose it's something in human nature," he added. | Letters to a Victorian serial killer have been sold after a campaign to keep a previous set publicly owned failed. | 37429239 |
They say it could also hold the key to introducing successful genetic variation.
Due to the speed at which plants decompose, finding intact ancient plant DNA is extremely rare.
The preserved ancient barley was excavated near the Dead Sea, the journal Nature Genetics reports.
The arid environment conserved the biological integrity of the grains, the paper says.
The team of researchers, consisting of archaeologists, specialists in ancient DNA analysis and experts in barley and crop genetics, recovered the ancient cultivated barley grains from a cave in an ancient fortress near the Dead Sea in Israel.
The preservation of the samples meant sufficient amounts of biological matter survived to enable isolation of genetic material and sequencing of the barley DNA.
Barley is one of the earliest farm crops, originally domesticated 10,000 years ago when the hunter-gatherers started farming. These ancient farmers started to grow wild plants and selected away traits that were unfavourable, very similar to modern day selective breeding.
The discovery of these seeds takes us closer in time to the original domestication of barley than ever before.
The DNA analysis showed that these 6,000 year old seeds were remarkably similar to modern day crops in the same region. Meaning that at the time they were harvested barley was already an advanced crop that had been heavily domesticated.
"These 6,000 year-old grains are time capsules, you have a genetic state that was frozen 6,000 years ago. This tells us barley 6,000 years ago was already a very advanced crop and clearly different from the wild barley," Dr Nils Stein of the IPK Plant Genetics institute in Germany told BBC News.
He added: "Already 6,000 years ago the barley fields may have looked very similar to barley that is grown today."
Prof Monique Simmonds, deputy director of science at Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, said finding preserved samples of such an age is in itself impressive. She also praised the new DNA analysis techniques used.
Speaking to the BBC, she expressed the importance of the paper and said that this research should inspire further work with old collections and even motivate exploration in areas for other potential preserved ancient samples.
As well as providing a detailed insight into the archaeology and history of this ancient crop, the seeds could provide the key to ensuring successful reintroduction of genetic variation in modern day species.
Prof Nils Stein told the BBC: "Breeders are trying to increase genetic diversity; maybe the knowledge of these ancient seeds will allow us to spot better genotypes from gene banks and seed vaults."
"We could ask what are the variations of genes in the ancient samples, are specific alleles [genes] still present in modern day germplasm [seeds], if they aren't why is this the case?, where they selected away on purpose or where they lost due to the domestication procedure, if this is the case there could still be value in these ancient genes," said Prof Stein. | An international group of scientists have analysed the DNA of 6,000 year old barley finding that it is remarkably similar to modern day varieties. | 36805233 |
The Health and Work Service, which will cover England, Wales and Scotland, will offer non-compulsory medical assessments and treatment plans.
It will be run by the private sector and paid for by scrapping compensation to employers for statutory sick pay.
Ministers say employers will save money overall by having fewer staff off sick.
They said it may save companies up to £70m a year in reduced sickness pay and related costs.
Labour's shadow work and pensions minister, Kate Green, said: "Any help to cut number of days lost to sickness is welcome, but with the government's Work Programme helping just 5% of people on sickness and disability benefits into jobs, it is clear much more needs to done to help people get back to work."
The new scheme will not entail any change to existing laws.
At present, staff who are off work for more than four weeks are considered to be long-term sick and entitled to Statutory Sick Pay of almost £90 per week from their employers.
That will not change under the new arrangements - but the government wants the Health and Work Service to cut the number of people on long-term sick leave.
Under the scheme, employers or GPs will be able to refer employees for a work-focused occupational health assessment.
This is intended to identify the issues preventing an employee from returning to work and draw up a plan for them, their GP and their employer, recommending how the employee can be helped back to work more quickly.
This may include fitness for work advice, medical care, working from home or retraining.
The scheme is not compulsory. Workers will be allowed to refuse to be assessed or to follow any course of action or treatment recommended.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) says it is intended that the service will start operating this year.
It will be run by the private sector, with the firms managing it decided by a tendering process.
The service will be paid for by scrapping the Statutory Sick Pay Percentage Threshold Scheme (PTS), which gives some compensation to employers faced with high levels of sickness absence.
The government says PTS is "an outdated system which does nothing to promote or support active management of sickness absences by either the employer or employee".
Minister for Disabled People Mike Penning rejected suggestions that ending PTS was about the government saving money.
He said the compensation to employers under PTS amounted to only £10 a week on average for each employee.
"We think we can use that money much better," he said.
In return for losing that compensation employers would instead have access to an occupational health scheme.
He said employers should regard that as "a good investment".
The financial loss to business from ending PTS would also be offset by a reduction in lost working days, earlier return to work and increased economic output created by the new scheme, the DWP said.
It said small businesses, which do not generally have occupational health services, would particularly benefit.
Mr Penning said sickness absence had a "substantial impact" on workers, employers and taxpayers.
"As part of the government's long-term economic plan, we are taking action to get people back into work," he said.
"This is a triple-win. It will mean more people with a job, reduced cost for business, and a more financially secure future for Britain."
The Trades Union Congress said it supported anything that could help people get back to work when they are ill, and that being in a rewarding job with a supportive employer could be good for your health.
But it said care should be taken over how the scheme was implemented.
The TUC's head of health and safety, Hugh Robertson, said: "The focus of this service should be about getting them [workers] better as opposed to just back to work and the two are not necessarily the same."
The danger was that people would be forced back to work before they were well.
Mr Robertson added: "Also there is nothing which can force employers to do anything with the advice they are given [by occupational health experts]."
Pensions Minister Steve Webb denied that people would be forced back to work prematurely.
He said: "It is about sitting down and supporting people, saying What help and support do you need to make sure this sickness absence is not any longer than it needs to be."
About one million people in Britain are off work long-term because of illness, according to the government.
The rate of absence through sickness is among the lowest in Europe and has halved over the past decade. | People off sick for more than four weeks are to be offered advice to get them back to work more quickly under a scheme being set up by the government. | 26105246 |
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