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Some users in the US reported that Yahoo Mail was displaying a message asking them to disable their ad-blocker before they could access their inbox.
Yahoo said it was testing a "new product experience" in the US.
Members of one ad-blocking forum said they had already managed to circumvent the restriction.
Ad-blocking has proved to be controversial and technology companies have responded in different ways.
In September, Apple updated its mobile operating system iOS to allow third-party ad-blockers to be installed - although they do not remove Apple's own ads which it serves up in apps.
Google meanwhile has introduced a paid subscription version of YouTube, that lets viewers remove ads on the video streaming site for a monthly fee.
Ad-blocking advocates say disabling advertisements can improve smartphone battery life and reduce mobile data usage.
It can also prevent people being tracked by advertisers online and protect devices from malware that could be served up if an advertising network is compromised.
In 2014, Yahoo admitted adverts on its homepage had been infected with malware for four days.
But the company currently relies on advertising to earn money from its Yahoo Mail service which is available to use for free. | Yahoo has confirmed that it is preventing some people from accessing their email if they are using ad-blocking software in their browser. | 34899575 |
The company has been in dispute with both the RMT and Aslef unions over changes to the role of guards and driver-only operated (DOO) trains.
RMT general secretary Mick Cash said Chris Grayling now had a "clear understanding" of its position.
Mr Grayling said: "We want more people helping passengers.... not fewer."
"I was happy to meet with the RMT and reiterate the offer of long-term commitments to staff who work in the rail industry," he said in a statement.
Mr Grayling, who had a meeting with the train drivers' union Aslef on Thursday, added that he hoped the discussion would pave the way for the reopening of talks between the RMT and Southern "so we can sort out this situation and get services back to normal".
Strikes next month by both unions were suspended after they were contacted by Mr Grayling inviting them to talks.
The RMT is also in dispute with Northern rail and Merseyrail over DOO trains, which it says would be unsafe and lead to widespread job losses.
It has warned action could spread to South West Trains and Greater Anglia.
Following Friday's talks, Mr Cash said "the broader issue of how the extension of DOO impacts nationally on other rail franchises" was also discussed.
He said Mr Grayling had agreed to meet the union again, and the RMT would also be seeking further meetings with Southern and the other train companies "as we seek to move forwards in the interests of safe and accessible rail services for all".
Mr Cash added that the transport secretary also agreed to have further discussions regarding "our concerns in respect of the loss of skilled rail jobs as a result of the scaling back of Network Rail's renewals programme". | The RMT union has held "full and frank" talks with the transport secretary amid more than a year of industrial action on the Southern rail network. | 40687365 |
21 January 2014 Last updated at 09:22 GMT
Over 100 professional rodeo cowboys took to the slopes in Colorado in the US.
They raced down the gates and even tried a few jumps! | Cowboys in the US have swapped their spurs for snow shoes to take part in a skiing and snowboarding contest. | 25823074 |
The 22-year-old was regarded as one of Usain Bolt's main challengers for the 100m title in London.
De Grasse won 200m silver, 100m bronze and 4x100m relay bronze at Rio 2016 and ran a wind-assisted 9.69 seconds in Stockholm in June.
"Injuries are a part of the sport, and the timing of this one is especially unfortunate," he said.
"The entire year this 100m race in London was my focus. I am really in the best shape of my life and was looking forward to competing against the best in the world. To not have this opportunity is unimaginable to me but it is the reality I am now faced with."
His manager Paul Doyle added: "We tried to do everything we could to have him ready but he's just not going to be ready.
"Further MRI results today showed it's probably going to be another four to six weeks before he's fully recovered.
"So unfortunately he's out of the 100m, 200m and the relay and done for the season."
The World Championships run from 4-13 August. | Canadian sprinter Andre de Grasse will miss the World Athletics Championships with a hamstring tear. | 40810832 |
About 200 soldiers signed two books at a tea stall at Peterborough East Railway Station in 1916 and 1917.
Peterborough's cultural trust Vivacity plans to transcribe the entries and research each man's story.
The project is funded by a £99,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Richard Hunt, Vivacity's archives manager, said the "slim volumes" offered "a unique snapshot" of the servicemen passing through Peterborough.
He said: "The men waiting for their refreshments wrote little messages, poems, cartoons, even smutty comments about the ladies serving them their tea."
He believes the books are "quite unique".
While other railway stations also had volunteer-run tea stalls, the Imperial War Museum has told him there is no evidence they had visitors' books.
The stall was run by the Peterborough Women's United Total Abstinence Council, a temperance organisation set up in the early 20th Century.
Vivacity's heritage events and programmes manager Stuart Orme said the project also hoped to find out more about the women who ran the stall.
The project is based on the two visitors' books held by the museum's archives, but because the stall was run throughout the war there may have been other books which are now lost.
Vivacity is recruiting volunteers to help transcribe the entries, research the stories and create an interactive website.
The biographical information and photographs they gather will be put on the website 100 years to the date that each man travelled through Peterborough.
The website will be launched in October and the project will culminate in an exhibition at Peterborough Museum in January 2018. | A three year project has been launched to tell the stories of World War One soldiers who signed a cafe's visitors' books on their way to the front. | 30850932 |
The 21-year-old joined from Halifax in June 2016, but has spent much of his time out on loan having made just three appearances for Hull FC.
Rawsthorne, who is currently on loan with Leigh Centurions, said: "It's what I've worked for ever since I signed and it's big for me to get the new deal.
"Now it's about setting myself some new goals and making a push to play more games in the first-team."
Head coach Lee Radford said: "I am really pleased. It is great news for us. The coaching staff have been really impressed with his development this season." | Versatile Hull FC back Nick Rawsthorne has signed a new two-year contract. | 40451011 |
The match was also the first time an Australian Football League (AFL) regular season game had been staged outside Australia and New Zealand.
Some 10,118 fans watched the match.
"They're gasping, I think they love the hard hits and it's a pretty entertaining game of footy," said AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan.
The match, which was shown on one of the three local television channels, cost an estimated $4m Australian dollars (£2,291,256) to host.
Port, who have Chinese backers, are reported to have paid three quarters of the cost, while they also gave the Suns $500,000 (£286,407) to shift their home match away from the Gold Coast to the Jiangwan Stadium.
About 5,000 of the crowd were made up of Port's fans who travelled to Shanghai.
"The opportunity is enormous," said McLachlan.
"It's the opportunity of speaking to Chinese companies who are wanting to do business in Australia.
"We want to have a relationship with them for our game to grow. We want to invest in this long-term and the aim is (for) this not to be a one-off." | China hosted its first competitive Australian rules match as Port Adelaide Power beat Gold Coast Suns 110-38 in Shanghai. | 39914147 |
The Olympic champion and world record holder clocked 43.98 seconds to take gold ahead of Steven Gardiner of the Bahamas and Qatar's Abdalelah Haroun.
Van Niekerk, 25, will continue his 200m campaign in Wednesday's semi-finals.
Britain's Kyle Langford narrowly missed out on a surprise medal in the 800m final as he finished fourth.
The 21-year-old from Watford was in last place heading into the home straight but almost overtook Kenya's Kipyegon Bett on the line for bronze.
Langford set a personal best of one minute 45.25 seconds, with Frenchman Pierre-Ambroise Bosse taking gold and Poland's Adam Kszczot the silver.
Van Niekerk retained his 400m title in dominant fashion but ran alongside an empty lane as Botswana's Isaac Makwala was ruled out after an outbreak of the norovirus bug.
More to follow. | South Africa's Wayde van Niekerk completed the first leg of his attempt at a World Championships double with victory in the 400m at London Stadium. | 40870551 |
There are fewer goods on sale. Some of the items still in stock are on special offer. The souvenirs on display are still full price, but they too make clear that the end is now in sight.
There are drinks glasses with the message "Been there; Done that", while a mug reads "Happiness is Helmand in the rear view mirror".
Bastion was once a bustling military metropolis, in its sheer scale comparable to Reading. But it is now slowly becoming more of a ghost town.
Compounds that were once filled with tents or military vehicles lie empty. There are fewer men and women walking around in uniform, and the constant chopping of the air by helicopter blades has become more intermittent.
While Bastion is gradually shrinking, most other British bases in Helmand have already disappeared.
At the height of the war, about 10,000 British military personnel occupied 137 bases across the province in southern Afghanistan.
As of today there are about 4,000 UK personnel occupying just two: the main operating base at Bastion and an observation post called Sterga 2, which provides a useful vantage point over the Helmand valley.
In the coming months Sterga will be handed over to Nato command with the British-led "Task Force Helmand" swallowed up into Regional Command South West with a US Marine Corps brigadier general in overall charge.
Lashkar Gah, a main operating base and the old British headquarters, has been handed over to the Afghans.
The buildings that until recently housed a British provincial reconstruction team are to become a health centre. Not that there will be any UK presence to witness the transformation when it happens.
Make no mistake: this is a complete withdrawal by the British from one of the most violent areas of Afghanistan.
Camp Price was once home to 2,000 troops. Over the last few weeks it has been flattened. Chainsaws and diggers are the new weapons for British soldiers.
The saws are used to tear down the "Hesco" walls that once protected them, while the diggers level the ground. From dust to dust. Even the concrete barriers which became makeshift memorials, with graffiti honouring fallen comrades, have been taken away.
Capt David Goodman watches as the last shipping containers are lifted onto lorries. A total of 600 containers have left Price since October.
He says: "I am now dreaming of ISO containers. We have been sending out 20 or 30 a day and it is a nightmare, waking up thinking 'did this container go?'"
Hardly anything has been left behind. Which raises questions about what will be the lasting legacy of British forces after eight years in Helmand and 448 British military deaths.
It is certainly not peace. As the last containers are loaded onto lorries at Camp Price you can still hear gunfire in the distance.
Lt Col Mike Caldicott of the Royal Logistic Corps led the last military convoy out of Price and it was probably one of the last logistic patrols in Helmand.
He is convinced they have made a difference. "I only wish that people at home could see the changes I have seen through my eyes," he says. "I think they would feel a lot better about the investment we have made."
That view contrasts with some of the soldiers we talked to who appear keener to dwell on going home than on what they leave behind.
One puts it simply: "Job done, get home". Another comments: "I will miss the sun, that is probably about it."
Most of the soldiers we speak to believe they have made a difference. But you will not find many in uniform repeating the claim made by David Cameron last year that it is already "mission accomplished".
The most senior British general in Afghanistan, Lt Gen John Lorimer, says "extraordinary things have been achieved across the country". But when I ask him if it is "mission accomplished" he carefully avoids repeating the phrase.
Instead he says: "There is still a lot to be done." One senior British officer tells me that if Iraq was the A-level exam, Afghanistan is the PhD.
Back home, the assessment is probably more stark.
The current reticence over military intervention reflects the public's weariness of war.
Margaret Evison lost her only son, Mark, in Helmand in 2009. She says she has had time to adjust to her loss but adds: "There is nothing in my mind that would justify my son's death."
On the wider question of what has been achieved she says she is not sure the British withdrawal comes at a time when Afghanistan is more stable.
As for David Cameron's assertion that it is "mission accomplished", her response is "Well he has to say that!"
Brig James Woodham will be the last commander of Task Force Helmand. He too says there is still a lot of work to do.
He believes there has been progress but admits that "ultimately history will be the judge of what has been achieved".
What seems strange is that after investing so much here for the past eight years there will soon be no British military presence at all to help write the final chapter. | At one of the shops serving the troops in Camp Bastion there are plenty of reminders that this war is nearly over, at least for those who have travelled from Britain and America. | 26605303 |
"The IMF conducts its negotiations in good faith, not by way of threats, and we do not communicate through leaks," Ms Lagarde wrote in a letter to Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.
Her letter comes after Wikileaks published a transcript of IMF officials discussing bailout negotiations.
One says a "crisis" could force a deal.
Greece publicly demanded an explanation after the leak, suggesting the comments meant the IMF could be planning to deliberately prolong debt negotiations until the country was close to running out of money.
Greek debt: What's the deal?
Debt jargon explained
Ms Lagarde said the "incident" had made her "concerned as to whether we can indeed achieve progress", but said she had decided to allow the IMF team to return to Athens to continue debt discussions.
However, she also warned that the latest bailout deal was "still a good distance away".
She said that the IMF could only support a deal that would enable "robust growth" for Greece, while also allowing it to tackle its debt repayments.
Last year, Greece agreed a multi-billion dollar bailout with the EU and IMF that was needed for the country to avoid bankruptcy and stay in the eurozone.
Talks between Greece, the EU and the IMF on a bailout review, assessing Greece's progress at implementing money-saving reforms and aimed at unlocking further loans, are due to resume this week.
The review has been suspended twice since January due to disagreement among the lenders over the estimated size of Greece's fiscal gap by 2018, as well as different opinions on pension reforms and how bad loans are being managed.
"In the interest of the Greek people, we need to bring these negotiations to a speedy conclusion," wrote Ms Lagarde. | International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde has dismissed reports that the body is trying to push Greece towards default as "simply nonsense". | 35956246 |
The department has confirmed to the SNP that eight of the RAF's fleet of 100 Tornado GR4s have so far been fitted with a collision warning system.
Angus Robertson, the SNP's defence spokesperson, has criticised the pace of the programme of work, describing it as a "shambles".
The MoD said it is committed to introducing the TCAS II safety system.
But Mr Robertson said: "The programme is clearly in chaos.
"Over 20 years after ministers recommended that these systems would save lives they remain largely uninstalled."
The MoD has been criticised over delays fitting the system since a mid-air collision in 2012 between two Tornados over the Moray Firth, off the coast of Caithness.
Three men were killed and another seriously injured in the incident involving the jets that had flown out of RAF Lossiemouth in Moray.
Earlier this month, the UK's military aviation watchdog the Military Aviation Authority urged the MoD to fit collision warning devices to its new Typhoon fighter jets with "full haste".
A spokesman for the MoD said: "Whilst we are committed to introducing a collision warning system on the Tornado GR4 aircraft as soon as possible, this is the first time that we are aware of, that any combat jet in the world has been fitted with a collision warning system - a system which has been designed for use on slower and less agile civilian aircraft.
"Trials of TCAS II have revealed some compatibility issues which we are working hard to resolve but in the meantime, we are continuing to gradually roll it out to as many Tornado aircraft as possible to obtain early beneficial use of the system.
"Air safety is at the core of all our aviation activity and we take very seriously our obligations to our people and the wider community to ensure that our activities are both as safe as reasonably practicable and comply with relevant policy and legislation." | The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has come under renewed fire over its efforts to install safety equipment on RAF jets. | 31023493 |
North Wales Coastguard was called to help an ambulance crew to get the man off the beach in Trefor.
He was then taken to Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor.
His condition is unknown. | A man has been taken to hospital after being bitten by a fish on the Llyn Peninsula. | 36404578 |
A 30-strong team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is one of several groups and companies working on making the Hyperloop concept a reality.
The idea, first envisioned by Tesla chief executive Elon Musk, is to create a transport system that propels pods through airtight tubes.
The MIT team said its pod design paved the way for "a mode of transportation that could change how we think about travel".
Critics of Hyperloop say it is unlikely to succeed because of prohibitive costs.
A white paper by Mr Musk published in 2013 proposed a Hyperloop tube connection from San Francisco to Los Angeles. At speeds of around 700mph (1,127km/h), Mr Musk predicted the journey time would be around 30 minutes.
Right now, travellers face either a six-hour drive, or just under an hour of flying.
Critics of the Hyperloop concept say it will prove to be prohibitively expensive to realise, while others say it may be uncomfortable for riders.
Through his SpaceX firm, Mr Musk will be funding a series of tests in tubes, expected to begin around August this year.
MIT's droplet-shaped pod uses magnets to lift itself off the aluminium track, reducing friction.
It is not currently big enough to carry a human being, but the team said once the full testing is complete it would be relatively straightforward to scale up to full size.
There are hurdles, however - the team said making the pod turn, even slightly, was a "huge problem".
Chief engineer Christopher Merian said while the team was confident with the levitation systems, the brakes needed "more testing".
MIT's unveiling took place in the same week another group developing the technology, a firm called Hyperloop One, tested its propulsion system in the Nevada desert.
Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC and on Facebook | A people-carrying pod designed to levitate and travel at extremely high speeds has been unveiled in Boston. | 36292467 |
State broadcaster RTBF says Abdeslam may have escaped Tuesday's police raid, in which one suspect was shot dead.
The raid was linked to last year's Paris attacks in which 130 people died.
Abdeslam, a French national born in Brussels, has been the subject of a massive manhunt since the attacks.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
If you want to receive Breaking News alerts via email, or on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App then details on how to do so are available on this help page. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on Twitter to get the latest alerts. | DNA and fingerprints of Paris attack suspect Salah Abdeslam have been found in a Brussels flat raided this week, Belgian prosecutors are quoted as saying. | 35842219 |
Patients will now be taken to the £430m Southmead Hospital after Frenchay's A&E - some four miles away - closed overnight.
Frenchay first opened in the 1920s and was used by American troops during the Second World War.
Juliette Hughes, a matron at the department, said it was "emotional" to leave but "like moving house".
"You've got all those happy memories and things that you are leaving behind," she said.
"When you walk out of your old home it feels really sad. And yet we've come [to Southmead] and I feel really excited to be in my new home."
Work on the Brunel building at Southmead Hospital - alongside the current hospital - was completed in March.
Since then departments have gradually been moving from the old buildings nearby and from Frenchay.
The hospital in due be be fully operational at the end of May.
Frenchay will then fully close and will be replaced by a community facility.
The move does not affect the emergency departments at Bristol Royal Infirmary or the children's hospital. | Medical emergencies will be dealt with at a new site in Bristol after the A&E department moved from an old hospital. | 27466875 |
Sexton, 30, was taken off in Leinster's European Champions Cup loss to Wasps last Saturday, but has passed the required tests to return to training.
"Johnny trained really well yesterday, he is ready to go," said Schmidt.
Ireland and Leinster confirmed that Sexton did not suffer a concussion against Wasps.
The Irish start their attempt to win a third successive championship with a home match against Wales on 7 February.
Sexton missed Ireland's Six Nations opener against Italy last year after being stood down from all rugby for 12 weeks after a series of concussions in a short space of time.
Coach Schmidt has responded to suggestions influential playmaker Sexton should consider quitting the sport to preserve his long-term health.
Schmidt branded those calls "a disappointment", frustrated that observers outside the Ireland camp had questioned expert medical opinion.
"It was this time last year that the problem really arose and he had the break," added Schmidt. "Since that time he hasn't really had too many problems.
"As we're concerned and as far as Johnny's concerned, he is very keen to be ready to go in 11 days' time.
"All we can do is go on the medical opinion, and he had two of the best guys that are around, who made some decisions for him last year and have followed up since then," said Schmidt.
"When they give him the all-clear we've got a lot of trust in them."
Praising Leinster for withdrawing Sexton as a precaution in the weekend's heavy defeat at Wasps, Schmidt said Ireland took head injuries extremely seriously. | Jonathan Sexton is fully fit to start Ireland's Six Nations campaign after another head injury scare, coach Joe Schmidt said on Wednesday. | 35422093 |
She spoke out as three lower-league players were banned from all sport for breaking anti-doping rules.
Andrew Quarry was banned for 12 years for supplying anabolic steroids, while Brandon Walker and Connor Stapley received four and two-year bans.
"The rise in the number of young people turning to steroids continues to be a worrying trend," Sapstead said.
The UK Anti-Doping Agency chief executive urged people with information about steroid use in the sport to get in touch.
Former Kendal RUFC player Quarry received a suspended jail sentence for conspiracy to supply a controlled class C drug in 2013. That led rugby and anti-doping authorities to pursue the player.
"Removing a dealer of anabolic steroids from the game - someone who made a conscious choice to cheat the system and the law - is a positive result for the sport," Sapstead said.
Walker, who was registered with Esher RFC, tested positive for the anabolic steroid oxandrolone in an out-of-competition squad test.
Henley RFC's Stapley tested positive for methandienone and mesterolone but the RFU ruled his offence was not intentional as it was caused by taking a supplement.
Last year, the first rugby player to receive a four-year ban for taking steroids told a BBC Radio 5 live investigation that it was "widespread" among players, with many taking the banned drugs for "body image" reasons.
Daniel Spencer-Tonks, who played both rugby codes, is one of more than 60 union and league players to have banned since Ukad was set up in 2009.
Both the RFL And RFU have said they carry out a comprehensive testing regime.
Have you added the new Top Story alerts in the BBC Sport app? Simply head to the menu in the app - and don't forget you can also add alerts for your rugby union team, cricket scores, football and more. | The number of young rugby players taking steroids is "worrying", says UK Anti-Doping chief Nicole Sapstead. | 36218785 |
The claim was made by John Prescott, who served as deputy prime minister during Mr Blair's tenure in Number 10.
Writing in the Sunday Mirror, Mr Prescott alleged that Mr Blair told him about the phone tapping in 2005.
But Mr Blair's spokesperson said the story was "wrong" as the former PM had not authorised the bugging of any MP.
Mr Paisley Sr, a former first minister of Northern Ireland, died in 2014.
He was the founder of the Democratic Unionist Party and served as MP for North Antrim for 40 years.
Following the weekend report, his son, Ian Paisley Jr, said he would raise the bugging allegation in parliament.
UK security services are not allowed to intercept MPs' communications, under a ruling known as the Wilson Doctrine.
It was introduced in 1966 by the then Prime Minister Harold Wilson.
The ruling also meant that in the event that an MP was tapped, the prime minister was required to tell parliament.
Writing in his Sunday Mirror column, Mr Prescott said: "In 2005, when I was deputy PM, I was told by Tony Blair an MP had been tapped in the past without parliament being told.
"I asked him who it was and he told me the MP was the Rev Ian Paisley.
"Downing Street had been told by the interception of communications commissioner, who wanted to name Paisley.
"Tony asked me to discuss the Wilson Doctrine with the speaker of the House of Commons.
"I never told him (the speaker) that an MP had been tapped, or that it was Paisley."
Mr Prescott declined to be interviewed by the BBC.
But in a statement to the corporation on Monday, Mr Blair's spokesman said: "This story is wrong.
"No authorisation for the phone tapping of a member of parliament was given during Mr Blair's time as prime minister.
"It may be a confused account of the discussion of the Wilson Doctrine in Cabinet - something which was public at the time - which dated back to the 1960s." | Former Prime Minister Tony Blair has denied a claim that UK security services had bugged a phone belonging to the late DUP leader, Ian Paisley Sr. | 39482992 |
Shadow Home Secretary Andy Burnham, Bury South MP Ivan Lewis and interim mayor Tony Lloyd are on the shortlist.
Voting by local party members closed on Friday. The election is set to take place in May.
The deal for the elected mayor, which will include control of transport, social care, housing and police budgets, was announced in 2014.
Agreed by council leaders with the then chancellor George Osborne, it will give Greater Manchester control of about £2bn of government funding previously administered from London.
Labour will be the first party to announce a candidate for the election. It will also confirm its candidate for the contest in the Liverpool City Region on Wednesday. | Labour will announce its candidate for Greater Manchester's first mayoral election later. | 37012121 |
A Thurrock Council pilot scheme, first reported by Your Thurrock, will begin on Monday at a Tilbury primary school.
The council said it does not have enough traffic wardens to police illegal parking outside schools.
A teaching union spokesman feared it could create conflict between staff and some parents.
The pilot scheme will take place at Tilbury Pioneer Academy following a week of training for a parent volunteer.
Jerry Glazier, national executive member of the National Union of Teachers in Essex, said: "It's unusual and innovative as parking is a perennial problem which needs tackling, but educating parents would be the best way forward.
"Teachers are there to teach and maintain positive relations with parents and I'm pretty certain most teachers would not want to put themselves into situations of potential conflict.
"Maybe some parents would volunteer, but it's masking the bigger problem of cuts to local authorities."
Thurrock said it had 50 schools, but only six full-time traffic wardens.
John Kent, Labour leader of the council, said: "We have teachers, parents and residents telling us time and again about frighteningly dangerous parking outside schools, but we don't have the money to have an army of traffic wardens.
"There are teachers and head teachers who try to marshal the traffic already and what they've said to us is that if they have the authority to issue a ticket, it's another weapon in their armoury.
"I think we will get volunteers because issuing a ticket will be the last resort - it's about talking and cajoling people to change their behaviour and I would be delighted if we never issue a single ticket." | Teachers and parents are being asked to act as traffic wardens with powers to issue parking tickets outside Essex schools. | 34359046 |
Greece's Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras failed to reach a deal with creditors on Thursday, then a meeting of European finance ministers broke up without progress.
Finance ministers will now meet again on Saturday.
The FTSE 100 index was down 54.12 points - 0.8% - at 6,753.70.
Elsewhere in Europe, Germany's Dax index recovered to close up 19.3 at 11,492.43 and France's Cac 40 recovered most of its early losses to stand 17.46 higher at 5,059.17.
In Greece, the ASE index had a strong bounce higher - closing 2% up at 797.52.
The Athens government faces default if it fails to make a €1.6bn (£1.1bn) IMF debt repayment by Tuesday.
If Greece does default, it could exit the eurozone, with possible repercussions for the rest of Europe and the world economy.
"The market is coming under pressure, but there is still a chance they will reach a last-minute agreement on Greece, as they have done in the past," Dafydd Davies, partner at Charles Hanover Investments, told Reuters.
The pound dipped slightly against the dollar to $1.5733, but was up 0.5% against the euro at €1.4124.
Among UK stocks, Tesco was hogging the headlines after its first quarter sales figures beat analysts' expectations.
UK sales fell 1.3%, an improvement on the previous quarter's 1.7% decline, and shares in Tesco, the UK's largest supermarket chain, rose 2.7% to 223.65p.
"One swallow does not make a summer, but every little helps as Tesco seems to have stemmed some of its recent declines in this quarter," said Richard Hunter, head of equities at Hargreaves Lansdown Stockbrokers.
"The like-for-like sales numbers generally still remain in negative territory, but there are nonetheless signs of progress, not least of which seems to be a softening of customer disapproval towards the company."
The news lifted shares in other supermarket chains, with Sainsbury's up 0.7% and Morrisons 0.6% higher. | (Close): Shares in the UK and across Europe have closed lower as investors remain cautious with no sign of a solution to the Greek debt crisis. | 33283027 |
A number of designers have declared that they would refuse a request from America's future First Lady.
But others, including Tommy Hilfiger, Thom Browne and now Gaultier, have said they would not have a problem.
Asked whether he would dress Mrs Trump, Gaultier replied: "Definitely. It's not my objective but why not?"
Speaking at the British Fashion Awards on Monday, the French designer said it was "not a question of politics".
"She dresses very well by herself," he told the Press Association. "I have nothing bad to say against her.
"She was better dressed than Hillary [Clinton] when she went to vote. She was in her camel coat and white dress and was beautiful.
"I don't know who advises her or maybe it's herself, but if she asked me to dress her, why not?"
Last month Sophie Theallet published a letter on Twitter saying she would "not participate in dressing or associate myself in any way with the next First Lady".
Theallet, one of current First Lady Michelle Obama's favourite designers, wrote: "The rhetoric of racism, sexism and xenophobia unleashed by her husband's presidential campaign are incompatible with the shared values we live by."
"Personally, I'd rather put my energy into helping out those who will be hurt by Trump and his supporters," Marc Jacobs told WWD.com last month.
Derek Lam concurred, saying he would "rather concentrate my energies on efforts towards a more just, honourable and a mutually respectful world".
"I was asked to dress her quite a few years ago and I declined," Tom Ford told US TV show The View.
But that was less to do with politics and more to do with her style, he said, adding: "She's not necessarily my image."
Tommy Hilfiger, however, offered a different viewpoint when asked about Theallet's letter.
"Melania is a very beautiful woman and I think any designer should be proud to dress her," he said.
"I don't think people should become political about it. Everyone was very happy to dress Michelle [Obama]."
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]. | Jean Paul Gaultier has said he would have no problem dressing Melania Trump, despite designers Tom Ford and Marc Jacobs saying they would not do so. | 38221581 |
The event, in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London, is the highlight of a year of celebrations marking the anniversary.
The evening featured battle re-enactments and musical performances by the Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas.
Victims of the recent Nepal earthquakes were remembered in a minute's silence.
The Queen was accompanied by Prince Philip, while Prince Charles - Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Gurkha Rifles - and Prince Harry - who lived with a Gurkha battalion in Afghanistan - also attended the event.
The Sultan of Brunei was among the other dignitaries invited to the Gurkha 200 pageant.
It was organised by the Gurkha Welfare Trust, which gives financial and medical support to former servicemen and their families.
The Prince of Wales, a patron of the Gurkha Welfare Trust, paid tribute to "these remarkable men and their extraordinary service to our country".
He added: "The Brigade of Gurkhas is more than just a fighting force, it is also - in every sense of the word - a family.
"As with every family, they have lifetime responsibilities to one another and especially in times of great need. This has been painfully illustrated by the appalling earthquakes which have recently struck Nepal, with devastating consequences across the traditional Gurkha heartlands."
The 1,400 guests watched the open-air event, which chronicled 200 years of Gurkha service with the "story of the Gurkha soldier".
It was narrated by historian Dan Snow and actress Joanna Lumley, who campaigned to allow Gurkhas settlement rights in the UK in 2009.
The Queen was also introduced to veterans and serving Gurkhas and was shown artefacts from the regiment's history.
Captain Dillikumar Rai, of the Royal Gurkha Rifles, had the prestigious role of carrying the Queen's Truncheon at the pageant.
He said: "I am immensely proud to be serving as a Gurkha during the celebrations of 200 years of service to the Crown and to have Her Majesty present at today's event is an amazing honour."
More than 8,000 people died after the first quake hit Nepal on 25 April. A second tremor hit the country on 12 May.
Col William Shuttlewood, director of the Gurkha Welfare Trust, said: "The event raises funds not only in support of Gurkha veterans and their families in need and distress, but also to help them rebuild their communities after Nepal's recent devastating earthquakes."
After suffering heavy casualties in the invasion of Nepal, the British East India Company signed a hasty peace deal in 1815, which also allowed it to recruit from the ranks of the former enemy.
Gurkhas - whose name comes from the Nepalese hill town of Gorkha - began joining the East India Company, and later the British army.
They have since served in every major conflict involving British forces for two centuries, and won 13 Victoria Crosses - the highest British military decoration for valour.
More than 200,000 Gurkhas fought in the two world wars, and there are about 2,600 Gurkhas in the British armed forces now.
The Gurkha Welfare Trust says becoming a Gurkha is a "matter of great pride", with tens of thousands of young Nepalese men applying and only a few accepted.
Click here to listen to a BBC Radio 4 programme on the history of the Gurkhas. | The Queen and other members of the Royal Family have joined hundreds of Gurkhas marking the regiment's 200 years of service to the British Crown. | 33051576 |
In 2015 and 2016, nitrogen dioxide levels on the A472, Hafodyrynys, were higher than anywhere but central London.
Caerphilly council is looking at solutions, including compulsory purchasing and flattening 23 homes.
But Barbara Smith has had enough after just four months on Woodside Terrace.
"It is not just the pollution, but the noise - all through the day and the night," she said.
"Every time a lorry goes past, I can feel the house shuddering. It's driving me nuts, I can't even sleep with ear plugs."
The writer had been living with her daughter in Ipswich and was desperate to move back to Wales - so took the house on Woodside Terrace without realising its history.
Ms Smith has since spent £3,500 on secondary double glazing but it has made no difference, so she has put it back up for sale.
She added: "When the traffic lights turn, it is peaceful for a few seconds, but then whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. I can't stand it any longer."
Ms Smith is not the only one desperate to get away from the 23 properties - a row of 20 terraced homes, two semi-detached and one detached.
When Martin Brown bought his home 48 years ago, it was very different, without a constant procession of lorries heading between Pontypool, the M4 and Heads of the Valleys.
It is hard to hear him speak above the sound of traffic as he points to four empty houses - one was for sale for a year without any interest and another was the home of an elderly couple who both died more than four years ago.
"Their son hasn't even bothered putting it on the market," he said.
"It's unbelievable, all day long. And if you try and cross the road, you are taking your life in your hands. Somebody is going to be killed."
Mr Brown has put up signs urging motorists to slow down, but described it as "a racing track" that only the bravest dare attempt to cross.
He has resigned himself to never being able to sell and move away and believes a compulsory purchase is the only solution.
"My suggestion is to knock them all down," Mr Brown said.
"They are building an estate the other side of the valley in Crumlin.
"Give us one of those, and there could be an agreement if we ever sell, we pay the council or government the difference (in value)."
However, Deanna Hardwick would rather a bypass built - another option being considered - to take traffic away from the road.
She bought her property for £90,000 in 2006, before the housing market crashed.
"I wanted to put it up for sale last year for £85,000 but the estate agent said I wouldn't get more than £70,000 or £75,000," she said.
"A compulsory purchase is probably the best option for most of the community but I wouldn't want to sell if it's only market value as I'd lose too much money."
Maldwyn Day talks about traffic "thundering past" and said he has had breathing difficulties since arriving four years ago, which he believes is down to pollution.
But not everyone wants to leave - Graham Collins described moving from the front to the back of his property as "going from the M4 to the rainforest".
He lives in the only detached property at the bottom of the road and instead of rushing traffic, a stream running is the most audible noise in his garden, with green woodland all around.
"I don't want to move. I'm from Cardiff originally and love it here," he said.
"I can escape out here. There is lots of wildlife and when the trees are cut you can see right across to Crumlin."
He is unsure whether knocking down the houses would even solve the problem.
Pointing to a row of houses on the other side of the road, he said: "It's a bowl and you can't knock the mountain down.
"If you flattened these houses and widened the road, you'd just encourage more traffic and more emissions.
"And then those on the other side would have the problems we are having now." | A house on a polluted Caerphilly county street was sold in April, but is already back on the market as the new owner cannot bear living on one of the UK's worst roads. | 41002472 |
Walcott opened the scoring in the first half when he chased a long ball over the defence from Mesut Ozil before firing low beyond Jack Butland.
Substitute Giroud sealed victory late on with a header.
Stoke, who have not won at Arsenal since 1981, rarely looked like scoring, Joselu going closest with a shot at Petr Cech.
Arsenal are third in the Premier League but defeat for Stoke - their second of the season - means they are bottom after five games.
Reaction to this match and the rest of Saturday's action
Read how Arsenal beat Stoke
Arsenal's attacking strength, or perhaps lack of, has come under scrutiny during the early stages of the season, with Arsene Wenger's side having managed just three goals in their four league games prior to the visit of Stoke.
It has been at Emirates Stadium in particular where they have struggled, failing to score in a 2-0 defeat by West Ham and a goalless draw with Liverpool.
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Wenger is keeping his faith in Walcott and Giroud to score the goals this season but, despite both netting, there were still some areas of concern as the pair spurned good opportunities to seal a victory by a bigger margin.
Walcott shot wide early on when he should have scored, and later directed a weak effort straight at Butland. Giroud, meanwhile, missed a near open goal before heading in the decisive second.
In the end, Arsenal had 29 shots on goal, 12 of those on target, and their general wastefulness in the final third could be of greater concern against more attack-minded sides.
Former England midfielder Jermaine Jenas on Final Score: "It was a good finish from Theo Walcott for the goal but I still have doubts about him playing as a striker.
"He missed two big opportunities before that. For one of them, from six yards out he couldn't get his feet right and smashed the ball over the bar.
"I just think he'd get just as many goals as he does playing on the right wing."
Stoke, who finished ninth last season, had not won at Arsenal in 34 years, making Emirates Stadium a far from ideal venue for them to try to record their first win of the season.
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Having developed a reputation for being a physical side in previous years, Mark Hughes is trying to re-invent the Potters and brought in technically gifted players such as Xherdan Shaqiri and Ibrahim Afellay in the summer.
Afellay was suspended for Saturday's game but Shaqiri had little opportunity to show what he is capable of, with Stoke rarely venturing out of their own half.
The Potters have yet to get going this season, having now lost three and drawn two of their five games so far, and a more direct approach might be necessary to start getting the wins they need.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger: "In the first half our movement was outstanding and we created a lot. In the second half our pace dropped maybe a little bit in our passing, but we continuously created chances and overall it was a strong performance.
"My only regret is that there is too big a difference between the number of chances we made and the number of goals we scored but that will come."
Stoke manager Mark Hughes: "We wanted to make it difficult for Arsenal and get good numbers of bodies around the ball and try to condense play because we know they are very good in wide areas where they look to overload you and look for one-twos around your box.
"Unfortunately our defensive play was a bit too passive in terms of getting out to affect what Arsenal were trying to do, especially in the first half."
Arsenal's attention switches to the Champions League as they travel to Croatia to play Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday. Stoke, meanwhile, host Leicester in the Premier League next Saturday. | Arsenal recorded their first home win of the season as goals from Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud beat Stoke. | 34160767 |
Defeat off the penultimate ball in the second Test at Headingley was England's sixth reverse in seven matches following the 5-0 Ashes whitewash.
"I've never quit on anything," said Cook. "I'm incredibly proud to be England captain. It's a huge honour and I'm in it for the long haul.
"I'm desperate to help turn English cricket around."
Cook took charge following Andrew Strauss's retirement in 2012 and immediately led England to a first series win in India for 27 years.
"The criticism of Cook is out of order - it's a few people with an agenda against him. But he is under pressure. He needs to find form with the bat and everything will flow from there.
"I don't think captaincy is a burden. Alastair is a strong character. It does all seem to be getting a little but too much at the minute. Perhaps that's why people need to support him rather than swinging axes."
He followed that with an Ashes triumph but presided over last winter's humiliation down under.
"I believe I'm the right man for the job," added the 29-year-old opener. "I've given it my all, all the time.
"If someone decides I'm not the right person for the job, then fine."
Cook has scored only 601 runs in his past 24 innings at an average of 25, and has been criticised for England's tactics in the field during this series.
Former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott said on Monday that Cook's form is a "recipe for resignation".
"With runs hard to come by, it does put more pressure on me," Cook said.
"There a few technical things I can work on, but it comes down to being mentally strong at the crease.
"Everyone knows form can change very quickly. I've done it in the past and I've got to drag that mental strength out again."
Cook has played 104 Tests, scored 8,125 runs at an average of 45.90 and made a record 25 centuries for England.
He scored hundreds in each of his first five Tests as skipper, but he does not believe his recent slump is linked to the burden of captaincy.
"Cook is a really, really nice boy. He's honest and he's straight but his form is suffering. He needs to start scoring runs because it's a results-orientated business.
"He has to have some imagination with his captaincy, one plan can't fit into every situation."
Listen to Geoffrey Boycott & Jonathan Agnew review England's defeat in the TMS podcast
"When I walk out to bat, I don't think of myself as a captain," said Cook. "Being captain probably makes you more determined to score runs."
England's 100-run defeat in the second Test at Headingley came in the cruellest fashion, with number 11 James Anderson falling in the final over.
Anderson, who was in tears after the game, survived for 20 overs with Moeen Ali, who made an unbeaten 108, batting through the day to take England from 57-5 to 249 all out.
"It was an incredible effort to do that," said Cook. "For Mo to play such a controlled innings in that pressure can only bode well for the future.
"For Jimmy to react like that, it shows to everyone who don't know us as blokes what it really means to play for England.
"We sometime get accused of not caring that much, but that was raw emotion from a guy who put everything in to that batting effort."
Coach Peter Moores, having lost in his first series since being reappointed coach in April, said: "Alastair has felt out of form but he fronted up and got everyone going this morning, saying, 'Come on, we've got a chance. Let's believe this.'
"It has been a really tough seven or eight months. None of us take it lightly and he is going to work extremely hard to put it right."
Listen to Jonathan Agnew and Geoffrey Boycott analyse the day's play in the Test Match Special podcast. | Alastair Cook said he will not resign as England captain despite the 1-0 series defeat by Sri Lanka. | 27997221 |
Have a go at the second of our 2015 quizzes and see how much you remember about the past 12 months.
You can also try our music brain-teaser. Film and TV-themed quizzes will also be published on 29 and 30 December. | Do you think you know what happened this year in the world of arts? | 35151964 |
He called on parents to take responsibility for their sons' actions, saying parents must teach their sons the difference between right and wrong.
Mr Modi also pledged bank accounts for all and toilets in every school.
The capital has been under a blanket of security, with thousands of police and soldiers deployed across the city.
Mr Modi, who led his party to victory in this summer's general election, addressed the nation from the 17th Century Red Fort in Delhi.
He did not read from a prepared text and for the first time in many years the prime minister did not stand behind a bullet-proof screen.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first Independence Day address carried some very significant social messages. In a departure from tradition, Mr Modi spoke extempore, without consulting any notes, and in his hour-long speech, did not falter even once.
He talked about societal and family responsibility in ending rapes, advising parents to bring up better sons and not just question daughters. He lamented the skewed sex ratio and appealed to doctors to end abortion of female foetuses and advised mothers not to hanker after sons. And he spoke proudly of the "29 medals women athletes have won" at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Over many years, prime ministers have used their annual Independence Day speeches to warn Pakistan and for grandstanding, but Mr Modi used the historic occasion to say how he was bothered by the all-pervasive filth around him and why India must end open-air defecation and build more toilets.
The address, televised live across the country, received a huge thumbs up with many Indians taking to social media to describe it as "refreshing", "inspiring" and "impressive".
But critics have used the occasion to question his performance in the months since taking over as prime minister and his government's failure to deliver reforms to overhaul the economy going through the worst slowdown in two decades.
It's a speech not easy to find fault with, but critics say Mr Modi will ultimately be judged on his performance.
Five unusual messages from Narendra Modi
Unlike previous leaders, he did not make any grand announcements or criticise arch-rival Pakistan.
Instead, Mr Modi spoke about how growing sex crimes against women had left him ashamed and asked Indians to stop discriminating against female children.
Scrutiny of sexual violence and rape in India has been high ever since a 23-year-old student was gang-raped on a bus in Delhi in December 2012.
The outcry over the crime forced India to introduce tough new laws, but there have since been more high-profile assaults, including a number of attacks on foreign tourists.
"When we hear about these rapes our heads hang in shame," Mr Modi said.
"Young girls are always asked so many questions by their parents, like 'where are you going?'. But do parents dare to ask their sons where they are going?" he asked.
"Those who commit rape are also someone's sons. It's the responsibility of the parents to stop them before they take the wrong path," he added.
The prime minister asked MPs and business leaders to help build toilets, especially for women, and model villages.
Mr Modi also talked about turning India into a manufacturing hub and moving from an import-based economy to an export-driven one.
He pledged bank accounts for all in a country where nearly 40% of people have little access to financial services and are often at the mercy of moneylenders who charge extortionate interest. | Narendra Modi said India had been shamed by a recent spate of rapes, as he made his first Independence Day speech as prime minister. | 28799392 |
The US Attorney's Office said it had dismissed the case against Ingmar Guandique, an El Salvadorean immigrant.
Ms Levy, 24, had just finished an internship with the US Bureau of Prisons when she disappeared in 2001.
Her body was found in a park more than a year later, in a case that generated national headlines and claimed one politician's career.
Democratic politician Gary Condit, to whom Ms Levy was romantically linked, was a suspect in the murder and ended up leaving Congress.
According to the statement from the attorney's office, the case against Guandique was no longer one that prosecutors could prove beyond a reasonable doubt, due to "recent unforeseen developments".
"The government now believes it is in the interests of justice for the court to dismiss the case without prejudice," prosecutors wrote.
Levy's remains were found in Washington's Rock Creek Park in 2002 and prosecutors had argued at Guandique's trial that he preyed on female joggers.
He was found guilty of her murder in 2010 but granted a new trial last year after Guandique's lawyers successfully argued that a key witness had lied on the stand.
The dismissal of all charges against him means he will now be released to immigration authorities.
He is likely to be deported. | A man convicted of killing Washington intern Chandra Levy has had all charges in his retrial dropped. | 36920355 |
Yang Youde, a 56-year old farmer, was told his land was needed to build new offices.
The developers offered him compensation but he did not think it was enough.
The case highlights the efforts some Chinese are taking to preserve their property rights in the face of forced relocation by government officials.
Mr Youde built a watchtower. When demolition teams arrived, he fired home made rockets towards them, repelling them twice.
His actions were reported in the Chinese media and by foreign journalists. But local officials were very unhappy.
His elder brother who helped him guard the land was attacked and severely injured at the end of last month.
The authorities deny they were involved.
But Mr Yang has told Chinese state media that since the incident the officials have changed their attitude and become more cooperative.
His lawyer told the BBC the farmer will now receive a compensation package worth more than $112,000 (£74,000), five times the amount offered initially by the developers.
His case has drawn attention to the so-called "nail households" - a phrase used to describe people who refuse to be beaten down by pressure from the authorities.
Many have taken extreme measures to try to protect their property from being seized by officials or developers.
In March, two elderly men in Jiangsu province set themselves on fire to try to stop the local government demolishing their pig farm.
A woman in Shanghai threw petrol bombs at a demolition team last year to protest at their efforts to tear down her home.
Forced evictions are one of the most common causes of unrest in China.
Some lawyers in China say new legislation is needed to ensure that forced demolitions are properly supervised to safeguard the rights of property owners. | A farmer in China who fired improvised rockets at demolition teams says he has been rewarded with a generous compensation package. | 10565868 |
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Five-time Grand Slam winner Sharapova, 28, revealed on Monday that she tested positive for meldonium at the Australian Open in January.
"Most people were surprised and shocked but happy that she was upfront and very honest," said Williams, 34.
"It's just taking responsibility, which she admitted she was ready to do."
Sharapova's ex-coach Nick Bollettieri said the Russian's test was a "game-changer for life, not just for tennis".
The 84-year-old American told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he was shocked former world number one Sharapova tested positive because "she has always been above board in everything".
Meldonium, which Sharapova said she has taken since 2006 for health reasons, became a banned substance on 1 January 2016.
The 2004 Wimbledon champion tested positive after losing to Williams in the Australian Open quarter-finals on 26 January.
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) said Sharapova will be provisionally suspended from 12 March. She faces up to a four-year ban.
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Bollettieri said he believed former world number one Sharapova had made a "very honest mistake".
"She said she took these for many, many years and then didn't read the memorandum that came out," he said.
"I don't think that Maria Sharapova would continue doing something, especially being in the limelight, if there was something she knew about."
Bollettieri said he hoped the tennis authorities would allow Sharapova, who won Wimbledon as a 17-year-old in 2004, to play again.
"It's kind of tough to find a black mark against her," he said. "She certainly does not want to go out of tennis in this way."
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Sharapova has been the highest-earning female athlete in the world in each of the past 11 years, according to the Forbes list. Her career earnings from tennis alone amount to almost £26m.
Sportswear company Nike said it was ending its association with her until investigations are complete, while Watch manufacturer Tag Heuer said it does not plan to extend her contract.
Porsche has postponed planned activities with the player, and mineral water company Evian says it will closely follow the investigation.
"I did fail the test and take full responsibility for it," said Sharapova, who has also won the French Open twice and the Australian and US Open.
She said she has taken meldonium after being given it by her "family doctor", but had known it as mildronate.
Meanwhile, Russian Tennis Federation president Shamil Tarpishchev says he expects Sharapova to play at the 2016 Olympics in Rio starting on 5 August.
"This is just a load of nonsense," he told the TASS news agency.
"The sportsmen take what they are given by the physiotherapists and by the doctors. However, we will need to see how this will develop."
Women's Tennis Association (WTA) chief executive Steve Simon said of Sharapova's ban: "The range that has been discussed so far is between six months and four years."
He told BBC Radio 5 live: "It'll be up to the independent tribunal to go through and review it to make that determination."
Former head of UK Sport anti-doping Michele Verroken said a ban could be shorter if Sharapova can prove she needed to take meldonium for medical reasons.
Verroken told BBC Radio 5 live: "The challenge facing Maria Sharapova and her team is to bring forward the diagnostic evidence that she has a condition that required the prescription of this treatment."
Former Wimbledon champion Virginia Wade, won triumphed at the All England Club in 1977, expressed surprise at Sharapova's error.
"She covers every track, she does every single thing that she can to make herself a better players so it seems so bizarre that she would allow herself to fall into a trap like this," she told Radio 5 live.
"Maria is so thorough in every single thing she does, that's one of the incredible attributes that she has.
"I would say that she will get maybe less than a one-year ban but it would eliminate her from the Olympics." | Maria Sharapova showed "a lot of courage" for accepting responsibility for her failed drugs test, says world number one Serena Williams. | 35752114 |
Wayne Hollerin, 35, tried to kill the woman he met on Facebook to "release her spirit from her mortal body", Preston Crown Court heard.
He beat the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, with his fists and a pint glass at the Regent Hotel in Blackpool, Lancashire.
Hollerin denies attempted rape, saying she had consented to sex.
The hotel owner found the woman naked and covered in blood after responding to reports of a disturbance in a room at about 08:00 BST on 11 June.
The court heard Hollerin, from Sheffield, had exchanged explicit messages with the woman, who was from Cumbria.
The day before the attack they had checked into the hotel and started drinking alcohol, with Hollerin taking some amphetamine, the jury was told.
Later he poured whiskey on himself and held a lighter to the alcohol, telling the woman: "I don't know who I am. I don't know where I'm at," the court heard.
Opening the trial for attempted rape, David Potter QC said: "He says that the crime of attempted murder was not in any way connected to the sexual activity - such as it was - which he claims was at all times with her active and willing consent.
"Rather he claims the attempted murder took place a long time after the sexual activity had ceased.
"He said God had told him his spirit needed to be liberated from his mortal body, and having tried and failed to set himself on fire by pouring whiskey on himself, he claimed he realised the woman's spirit similarly had to be released from her mortal body."
The prosecution said he was "fuelled with drugs and alcohol" and "enraged by her persistent refusal to engage in sex" and so "he beat her after he had attempted to rape her".
The trial continues. | A man has admitted attempting to murder a woman he met online, claiming he received a "message from God". | 34767286 |
Undeterred by the Boaty McBoatface saga, Oldham Council asked the public to come up with a name for the vehicle.
The winning entry - a play on the name of Nicole Scherzinger - was coined by 10-year-old Eve McGrath, who is a fan of the X Factor judge.
There were more than 5,000 entries including Gritney Spears, Usain Salt, Gritty McGritface and Gritter Garbo.
However, council officials decided to choose the winner themselves rather than the most popular as "there were quite a few rude ones".
Other suggestions included the wordy Gritsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Anti-Slip Machiney as well as True Grit, Spready Mercury and Grit Expectations.
But Nicole Saltslinger came out on top, beating other gems such as Gritney Houston and Spready Eddie.
Councillor Fida Hussain, cabinet member for environment services, said: "Firstly we'd like to thank Eve for coming up with such a great name.
"We're delighted with how well the competition took off.
"It captured the imagination of Oldham residents and the whole nation.
"It was intended as a bit of fun and we even treated the silly suggestions with a pinch of salt."
He added: "Our gritters obviously play a vital role in that and so it's nice that we can have a bit of fun by running competitions like this whilst teaching young people about road safety."
Oldham Council's competition - which was meant to be restricted to children - comes after the National Environment Research Council asked the public to come up with and vote for the name of the UK's new polar research ship.
Despite being the overwhelming winner in the poll, Boaty McBoatface was deemed inappropriate and the ship was named Sir David Attenborough. | A new road gritter has been named Nicole Saltslinger, beating off a host of witty suggestions in an online poll. | 38182498 |
Villa should have been awarded a first-half penalty when Jordan Ayew was fouled by Albion defender Jonas Olsson.
Albion failed to register a single shot on target, although Craig Dawson headed over and Stephane Sessegnon slashed wide after the break.
Villa rarely threatened with Ashley Westwood's low shot their best effort.
Villa have been written off as relegation certainties by many onlookers, cut adrift at the bottom of the table following a miserable first half of the Premier League campaign.
The Midlanders had earned just eight points after 20 matches, but have managed to give themselves - and their beleaguered fans - a modicum of hope in recent weeks.
A home win against Crystal Palace - their first victory since the opening day - has been followed by successive draws at Leicester and Albion.
But they still remain nine points adrift of safety with 15 matches remaining.
Villa are the league's lowest goalscorers, having netted just 18 times this season, and their lack of cutting edge hampered them again at The Hawthorns.
Remi Garde's men enjoyed more than 60% of possession and managed 15 attempts at the Albion goal, but home keeper Ben Foster was rarely stretched.
Albion were aiming to clinch a top-flight double over Villa for the first time in 51 years, having won 1-0 at Villa Park in September.
England Under-21 striker Saido Berahino was their match-winner on that day, but he has rarely made an impact since amid uncertainty about his future at Albion.
Berahino was introduced with about half an hour left against Villa as Tony Pulis tried to add some much-needed attacking impetus to his team.
But Berahino, like the rest of the home side, failed to seriously trouble Villa keeper Mark Bunn.
Albion did not manage a shot on target when they lost at Southampton last weekend - and failed to do so again.
However, the point did move Pulis' side - who are 13th - seven points clear of the bottom three.
Aston Villa manager Remi Garde:
"I'm a little bit disappointed because we wanted three points. In another situation we might be happy with a point but we need more points than that. We tried, we did our best, especially in the second half, but they defended well.
"If you see the team playing now, we look more like a team now than we used to. Players have the right attitude, but sometimes we miss talent or quality to score goals.
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"Should Jordan Ayew have been awarded a first-half penalty? Maybe.
"I talked with the referee and he told me he didn't see it like that. Even without a penalty we created many chances and with more accuracy could have scored."
West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Pulis:
"We had to grind it out, it was a typical derby game, very ferocious, with effort and commitment. We've had eight games in four weeks and although people might be disappointed, the effort and commitment put in was first class.
"We need every point to maintain our Premier League status - and that's what we've done.
"I don't think Villa should have been given a penalty. Jonas Olsson might have touched him, but the ball is rolling out and the lad's gone down too easily."
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A break from the Premier League. Both teams will now prepare for FA Cup home ties next weekend, with Albion hosting League One side Peterborough and Villa entertaining Manchester City. | Rock-bottom Aston Villa avoided defeat for a third successive Premier League match as they held neighbours West Brom in an uninspiring stalemate. | 35331056 |
It follows claims the demand for schools to promote "British values", in the wake of the Trojan Horse investigations, was punishing schools for a lack of multiculturalism.
"This is not about political correctness," said Sir Michael.
He was speaking as Ofsted published the findings of 35 no-warning inspections.
Ofsted's surprise inspections uncovered problems with poor teaching, inadequate governing bodies and failures to safeguard pupils against extremism in a wave of school inspections without warning.
This downgraded 23 schools, with 11 of these put into the inadequate category. Three of these had been judged as outstanding in previous inspections.
Ofsted says a number of these inadequate schools were "failing to teach respect for other faiths or developing pupils' awareness and knowledge of communities different from their own".
The wave of unannounced inspections, carried out in September, followed concerns from the Trojan Horse inquiries in Birmingham that if schools were given advance warning of inspections they could conceal unacceptable behaviour.
The Trojan Horse investigations, examining claims that schools were being targeted by groups with a hardline Muslim agenda, warned that some pupils did not know enough about other communities or other beliefs.
This prompted a requirement for schools to promote British values of mutual respect, tolerance and understanding of other cultures.
But this has proved problematic, with accusations that it is causing unintended consequences, including warnings from Christian and Jewish schools and schools which have a predominantly white intake.
Last week, there was high-profile coverage when a school in Lincolnshire, with few ethnic minority pupils, was not found to be outstanding because pupils lacked "first-hand experience of the diverse make-up of modern British society".
This was reported as a school being criticised as "too white".
There were claims that a Catholic school in Suffolk had been initially downgraded for not teaching their children enough about preventing radicalisation - but this was subsequently withdrawn.
A Church of England representative warned that tolerance and mutual respect would not be achieved through "an ever increasing inspection regime".
The National Association of Orthodox Jewish Schools warned that the "changing requirements" about British values were prompting "insensitive and inappropriate" questions during inspections.
But the Ofsted chief has dismissed such claims.
"Ofsted would never criticise or penalise a school just because of its intake or because children of one particular heritage or religion predominate over another," said Sir Michael.
"It's nonsense, for example, to suggest we would mark down a school for being "too white". We simply want to ensure children are receiving a good education and are being prepared for life in modern Britain."
This was not about "political correctness", said Sir Michael, but about "being realistic about the diverse society we now live in".
"It would be wrong for inspectors to only criticise certain types of schools and not others if we find they aren't doing enough to promote respect and tolerance of others and an understanding of the core values that bind us together as a nation."
Despite the findings from this wave of surprise inspections this will not become the standard approach.
The proposal for such no-notice inspections received fierce criticism from head teachers.
"Moving to no notice for routine inspections is unnecessary and would be counter-productive. It stifles creativity and treats professionals like naughty children," Brian Lightman, leader of the ASCL head teachers' union, had warned.
This group of inspections showed the logistical difficulties - in one school neither the head nor the chair of governors was available on the day when inspectors arrived without warning.
In October, Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw confirmed that schools would continue to be given a half day's notice for standard inspections.
Sir Michael said that there were existing powers for no-notice inspections where there was sufficient evidence for such an intervention.
A spokeswoman for the Department for Education said: "We want every school to promote the basic British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs.
"This ensures young people understand the importance of respect and leave school ready to play their full part in British society.
"While the vast majority of schools successfully promote these values, we will not hesitate to step in when pupils are being let down." | Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw has said it is "nonsense" to claim that schools would be criticised by inspectors for being "too white". | 30177054 |
Murray, 29, is bidding for a second Wimbledon and third Grand Slam title, while his Czech rival was runner-up at Wimbledon in 2010.
In the other semi-final, seven-time champion Roger Federer will take on Canada's sixth seed Milos Raonic.
Federer is aiming to win his 18th Grand Slam title and first since beating Murray in the Wimbledon final in 2012.
Federer and Raonic open play on Centre Court at 13:00 BST with Murray and Berdych's match following. Both matches will be live on BBC TV.
Since reuniting with coach Ivan Lendl before the Aegon Championships, second seed Murray has won 10 straight matches, including the final at Queen's.
Some wise judges believe the Scot is playing the best tennis of his career, even better than when he won the Wimbledon title in 2013.
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"I think it's beneficial having him [Ivan] there, because I trust him and have a lot of confidence in him," said Murray, after beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in a five-set quarter-final thriller.
"He can help when I'm on the court a little bit, just with his presence. It might be a small amount but every little bit helps.
"But the pre-match stuff, the work that you do in preparation for the matches, is where you get the big benefit."
If Murray sees off Berdych he will reach his 11th Grand Slam final, beating the British record held by Fred Perry since 1936.
Murray leads 10th seed Berdych 8-6 in head-to-heads, including their last four matches. Berdych, who lost to Rafael Nadal in the 2010 final, has never won a major title.
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After beating Lucas Pouille in his quarter-final, Berdych revealed that he asked fellow Czech Lendl to coach him in May, but was rejected.
"He basically said that he didn't have the time and he didn't want to be involved in tennis," Berdych said of the eight-time Grand Slam winner, who split from Murray in 2014.
"Then he came back to Andy. So that's how it is."
Federer, who recovered from two sets down and saved three match points against Marin Cilic in his quarter-final, is bidding to become the first man to win eight Wimbledon titles.
The Swiss great, who was runner-up to Novak Djokovic last year, is also bidding to reach his 11th Wimbledon and 28th Grand Slam final.
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At 34, Federer is bidding to become the oldest man to reach a Wimbledon final since Ken Rosewall, who was 39 when he finished runner-up in 1974.
And Federer was relaxed about the physical effects of his epic victory over Cilic, emphasising the belief and confidence he took from surviving such a test.
"It's really encouraging for me to see that I am improving. As the match went on, I was able to sustain a really high level of play," said Federer.
"My legs were there, my back was there. Plus mentally, this is going to give me a hell of a boost. I am ecstatic that I was able to come through somehow."
If the 25-year-old Raonic beats Federer, he will be the first Canadian man to reach a Grand Slam final.
Raonic, who has sent down 114 aces in this year's tournament and is coached by three-time Wimbledon champion John McEnroe, was beaten by Federer in straight sets in the 2014 semis.
Raonic, who was runner-up to Murray at Queen's last month, has only won two out of nine matches against Federer but prevailed in their most recent meeting in Brisbane in January.
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And Raonic believes more aggression, both in his play and personality on court, might put Federer off his timing.
"The first things John and I focused on was not passing up any opportunities to come forward, to always keep the pressure on my opponents, keep them guessing," said Raonic.
"Then when we played the tournament at Queen's, it shifted to putting those things in effect and also to attitude on the court.
"Roger can come up with great things. I need to take his rhythm and timing from him. That's what I'm going to be striving to do."
Pat Cash, 1987 Wimbledon champion on Murray-Berdych: "This will be closer than most people think, with many saying Andy is through to the final already.
"I think Andy will win but I wouldn't be surprised to see it going to five sets.
"Berdych is hitting his forehand big, he is moving well around the net, he is serving well and he has a lot of experience on the grass.
"The grass gives him a little more power and he is one of the hardest hitting players on the circuit. He can spray them but at the moment he isn't so that's why I think he will get a set or two."
You can now add tennis alerts in the BBC Sport app - simply head to the menu and My Alerts section | Britain's Andy Murray will attempt to reach his third Wimbledon final when he plays Tomas Berdych on Friday. | 36739586 |
The judgement follows a legal fight over the nature of the parents' agreement when the child was conceived.
The woman said they had agreed for her to be the main parent, but the father, who donated sperm, said she had agreed to be the gay couple's surrogate.
Ms Justice Russell said it was in the "best interests" of the one-year-old girl to live with her father.
The High Court case was heard in London and Birmingham earlier this year, but the decision has just been published.
"The pregnancy was contrived with the aim of a same-sex couple having a child to form a family assisted by a friend, " the judge said.
"Therefore [the girl] living with [the two men] and spending time with [the woman] from time to time fortunately coincides with the reality of her conception and accords with [the girl's] identity and place within her family."
Ms Justice Russell said the woman had used "offensive language" including "stereotypical images and descriptions of gay men" and had "insinuated that gay men in same-sex relationships behave in a sexually disinhibited manner" and were "sexually disloyal to each other".
She also said the woman had "disrupted" the men's evidence and said proceedings were "interrupted on numerous occasions" so that the woman could express breast milk.
Interruptions were "noticeably" fewer and shorter when the woman gave evidence, she said.
"[The woman] has consistently done all she can to minimise the role that [the father] had in the child's life and to control and curtail his contact with his daughter," said the judge.
"Far from being a child that she conceived with her good friend, as she describes it, her actions have always been of a woman determined to treat the child as solely her own."
The judge ruled that nothing could be reported that would identify the girl, who celebrated her first birthday earlier this year.
About 2,000 children are thought to be born to surrogate mothers every year in the UK.
The UK's current legal position is that the woman who gives birth is the legal mother, irrespective of whether the child is genetically hers. If she is married, her husband is the legal father.
Natalie Gamble, a solicitor specialising in surrogacy law who represented the fathers in the case, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the current system left all parties involved in a surrogacy at risk of dispute.
She said the UK should looks to other countries, such as the US, for models of how surrogacy arrangements were handled "much better".
"In California, for example, there is a very clear structure for people at the outset of an arrangement," she said.
"Everybody entering into a surrogacy arrangement has psychological screening, legal advice, medical advice and support to think through all the issues and enter into a very clear contract.
"In the UK we don't have that kind of front-ended support". | A baby girl should be removed from her mother and live with her father and his boyfriend instead, a judge has ruled. | 32603514 |
The singer came on as Frozen's snowman Olaf to sing her song 'Style' during the final concert of her American tour.
She even had reindeer dancers.
Taylor then surprised fans by bringing on actress Idina Menzel, the voice of Elsa, to sing Let It Go with her.
"I just wish that Idina Menzel was here, dressed as Elsa to sing Let It Go," Taylor teased the audience.
"It's a good thing she is!"
Getting her friends on for a duet has become a bit of a thing for Taylor during her concerts.
She's been joined by dozens of celebrity mates including Ellie Goulding, Selena Gomez and Justin Timberlake. | Taylor Swift has been showing she knows how to have "Olaf" on stage. | 34696742 |
Initial plans for the old Victoria Road School in Torry - which shut its doors in 2008 - were dropped in June.
Planning officials had recommended they be refused. More than 260 objections were lodged on the grounds of what was said would be the loss of granite heritage.
Developer Barratt Homes has now revised its plans.
The flats and three-bedroom homes would include granite into certain aspects of the properties. | A public hearing into fresh plans to demolish a former Aberdeen school and build more than 50 homes is being held. | 38156062 |
The day before hundreds of thousands of pupils were due to take part of their English Sats paper, it was mistakenly uploaded on to a website for test markers.
These markers, mostly teachers, could see the test for about four hours - and it is claimed one of these tried to leak it further.
It is not often that primary school tests are associated with sabotage, but the Department for Education linked this to a campaign to undermine the tests and warned of a "rogue marker".
Ministers might feel it is unfair to blame them - because the tests were being administered by Pearson.
But what will make the Department for Education feel more besieged is this is not the first such problem this year.
An English test for seven-year-olds had to be scrapped at short notice because the questions had been published online.
The baseline tests, for five-year-olds, also had to be ditched because the way they were structured made the results unreliable.
Bad luck is a dangerous quality for ministers.
And to compound their difficulties, it follows Education Secretary Nicky Morgan's high-profile U-turn over forced academies.
She might feel she was dealt an unlucky set of cards on this too.
Having stuck loyally to the party line - getting heckled by heads and criticised by MPs on her own backbenches and saying there was "no reverse gear" - she then had to announce a hasty retreat.
The teachers' unions must be pinching themselves to see if all this has really happened.
At Easter, the conferences went through some rather ritual motions condemning compulsory academies and attacking Sats tests.
And then, within weeks, these policies have imploded before their eyes.
Labour must also be relishing the sight of education ministers suddenly beset by such unexpected storms.
For parents, this might all seem like an unappealing outbreak of party politics in a primary school playground.
For ministers, their challenge is to convince the public that school tests are not about political careers, but about improving the future chances of children. | This has been an accident-prone year for primary school tests - and the amount of attention given to this latest leak is a reflection of a cumulative build-up of mistakes and controversy. | 36260362 |
Ms Ghavami was freed because of health problems and was staying with her parents in Tehran awaiting a decision by the Court of Appeal, they said.
Ms Ghavami, 25, was part of a group of women arrested after trying to watch the match on 20 June.
Iranian prosecutors have since accused her of having links to the opposition.
Ms Ghavami has staged hunger strikes against her detention, while hundreds of thousands of people have signed a petition calling for her release.
Her brother, Iman Ghavami, told the BBC's Newshour that their parents - who are in Iran - had wanted to ask for a full medical check-up because Ms Ghavami had "intestinal problems".
Mr Ghavami said his sister had served five months of a one-year sentence and that the release "was quite unexpected but a welcome move".
"Everyone is happy - my parents and my sister. There are many possibilities, we're not really sure what's going to happen, but we hope for the best outcome.
"For the time being... it's her 26th birthday tomorrow morning, so I think they're going to celebrate for a day or so."
Iran's Sharq newspaper said on its Twitter account (in Persian) that she was released after paying bail amounting to $38,000 (£24,000).
Ms Ghavami and the other women were arrested and allegedly beaten after attempting to watch Iran play Italy in a volleyball match.
They were later freed, but Ms Ghavami was rearrested later and subsequently put on trial.
Iran banned women from men's volleyball games in 2012, extending a long-standing ban on football matches.
The Iranian authorities have argued that women need protection from the lewd behaviour of male fans.
Ms Ghavami has held hunger strikes in prison, protesting against what she called her illegal detention.
There had previously been confusion over Ms Ghavami's situation.
Her lawyer said on 2 November that he had been shown court documents that said Ms Ghavami was found guilty of spreading anti-regime propaganda.
However, prosecutors did not confirm her conviction, prompting her family to accuse the judiciary of keeping Ms Ghavami's case in limbo.
Prosecutors then told Isna news agency on 18 November that Ms Ghavami's case was under review, and that she had been charged for taking part in opposition protests abroad, not for attempting to watch the match.
On Saturday, Ms Ghavami's family said they had seen the verdict, and that Ms Ghavami had been given a two-year travel ban in addition to a one-year jail sentence.
Ms Ghavami's MP in Hammersmith, London, welcomed the news, describing her as "a young woman of great courage".
Andy Slaughter said "we must continue the campaign until charges against her are dropped and she is free to travel outside Iran".
The UK Foreign Office has previously expressed "concerns about the grounds for this prosecution, due process during the trial, and [Ms] Ghavami's treatment whilst in custody".
Ms Ghavami is both a British and Iranian national. However, dual nationality is not recognised in Iran.
The British government recognises dual nationality.
However, under international law, countries cannot offer formal diplomatic protection to their nationals if they are in a second country where they also hold nationality. | British-Iranian Ghoncheh Ghavami, who was detained after attempting to watch a men's volleyball match in Iran, has been freed on bail, her family says. | 30170752 |
The Briton was asked questions by Chudinov, but produced a display of heart, showcasing variety and power to win the title in the sixth round at Bramall Lane.
After being backed onto the ropes for much of the contest, Groves leapt forward with a right hand to begin a sustained attack and moments later referee Steve Gray stopped the Russian.
Groves raised his arms before slumping on the ropes after finally taking a world strap at the fourth time of asking.
If - and when - Groves publishes a book after retirement, the chapters focused on 2014 through to 2017 will make compelling reading.
Defeats in world-title shots to Carl Froch twice and later Badou Jack in 2015 had prompted soul-searching for Groves, who has since admitted he was confused about his position in the sport having suffered such disappointments.
But a change of trainer - joining forces with Shane McGuigan - has delivered five straight wins, culminating in this admirable display at Bramall Lane, where he finally got what he wanted.
In many ways, the bout itself was a rollercoaster befitting his career. Though he started as an odds-on favourite, Groves faced sustained pressure from Chudinov, who simply walked the Briton down time and again, denying him space.
Even when the pair clinched, Chudinov was aggressive in throwing punches as they grappled and his attacks drew blood above Groves' left eye in the third round.
The underdog was showing the qualities that had previously won him the WBA title that he lost to Felix Sturm in 2016 - though Sturm later vacated the title and tested positive for steroids.
That loss was the only one of his career until now and, in truth, having been the aggressor for so long, he may wonder how the tide was turned so quickly.
But Groves' spring from the ropes to begin his assault was classy and the variety of hooks and straight rights which followed simply overwhelmed his opponent.
This win creates the potential for an all-British unification match between Groves and IBF champion James DeGale.
Groves beat DeGale in 2011 and has sought out a second meeting in the past.
The pair debated the prospect when ringside for David Haye's defeat to Tony Bellew in March and with this win and a subsequent title, Groves now has collateral.
The other champions in the division, WBA king Tyron Zeuge and WBO title-holder Gilberto Ramirez, will not frighten Groves, though meetings with either will hardly offer the pay-per-view potential a clash with DeGale would.
But the next step is a question for tomorrow. Groves is a world champion, at last. | George Groves ended his wait to become a world champion with a gutsy stoppage of Fedor Chudinov to land the WBA super-middleweight title in Sheffield. | 40071849 |
Marius Micevicius, 32, was stabbed in the stomach at a house in Churchill Road in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. Police were called at 17:15 GMT on Monday.
The victim was airlifted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn, but died on Wednesday.
Sarunas Maciulis, 18, also of Churchill Road, has been charged with murder and will appear before magistrates later.
Cambridgeshire Police said they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the stabbing | A man has been charged with murder after the fatal stabbing of another man. | 35602922 |
The Soyuz launch from the Vostochny space port, about 5,500km (3,500 miles) east of Moscow, was called off just minutes before the planned lift-off.
Officials blamed a mechanical failure, and the launch was rescheduled for Thursday.
Mr Putin will stay on until then.
"The fact is there is a large number of hitches," the president said at a meeting with the country's top space officials on Wednesday.
"That is bad. There should be an appropriate reaction."
The second launch attempt is now expected at 05:01 Moscow time (02:01 GMT) on Thursday.
At the meeting, Mr Putin also stressed that the launch delay was related to the rocket itself - not the cosmodrome.
It was Mr Putin's personal idea to build a new space port in Russia to avoid any potential political risks of using the old Soviet launch centre at Baikonur in Kazakhstan.
But construction of the vast complex in Russia's Far East has been hit by delays and dogged by corruption scandals.
Four people have already been arrested.
"If their guilt is proven, they will have to change their warm beds at home for plank-beds in prison," the president warned. | Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged space officials to fix "hitches" after flying thousands of miles to see the first rocket launch from a new cosmodrome, only for it to be delayed. | 36151996 |
Sheen, the former star of the US sitcom Two and a Half Men, told host Matt Lauer he was compelled to make such a public statement to end "this onslaught, this barrage of attacks and of sub-truths".
He added that he had paid out "millions" in the four years following his diagnosis with the virus, to try to stop those who knew from making it public knowledge.
He said many people he considered friends had turned on him, leading to "blackmail and extortion and a circle of deceit".
"I think I release myself from this prison today," he said, stressing was "impossible" that he would have passed HIV on to anyone else.
The very public announcement comes after a period of relative obscurity for Sheen, who was once the highest-paid actor on American television, as star of Two and a Half Men.
He was paid $1.25m (£830,000) per episode for the ratings hit but it all came to an end when he was fired from the show after a downward spiral in his personal life that played out in public.
Two and a Half Men, about an irresponsible writer of advertising jingles who finds his nephew on his doorstep, was a runaway success when it made its debut on US network CBS in 2003.
Yet the star's role as a hedonistic, womanising alcoholic was indicative of his life behind the camera as well.
In his Today interview with Lauer, Sheen said his use of drink and drugs over the years had been a "bad decision" but added that he was no longer taking recreational drugs, although he sometimes "drinks a bit".
Sheen - the son of Hollywood veteran Martin Sheen and the brother to actor Emilio Estevez - got his big break in 1986 in Oliver Stone's Vietnam movie Platoon.
He went on to appear in Stone's Wall Street, the western Young Guns and action thriller The Rookie, opposite Clint Eastwood.
By the mid-1990s, however, the actor's partying lifestyle had become tabloid news and led to a stint in rehab.
In 1995, he was arrested and put in hospital for cocaine use. The same year he admitted under oath to spending nearly $50,000 (£31,000) at a brothel run by "Hollywood madam" Heidi Fleiss.
In 1997, Sheen pleaded no contest to misdemeanour battery charges against former girlfriend Brittany Ashland. He was given a year's suspended sentence and two years' probation.
Less than a year later, he was taken to hospital again following a near-fatal overdose and was ordered back to rehab.
By 2000, Sheen had mended his ways enough to be cast as Michael J Fox's replacement on the sitcom Spin City and a couple of years of relative calm led to his 2002 marriage to actress Denise Richards, with whom he had two daughters.
But the couple divorced three years later after Richards complained of Sheen's drug abuse and alleged death threats.
Sheen married the actress Brooke Mueller in May 2008. She would later give birth to twin sons.
In December 2009, he was arrested and charged with assaulting and threatening to kill her.
Two months later he entered rehab again, forcing him to take a three-month break from Two and a Half Men.
Not long afterwards, he hinted he was prepared to leave the show if his request for more money from programme makers Warner Bros was not met.
In October 2010, the actor was accused of causing damage to a New York hotel room. After security reported him, the actor voluntarily went with authorities for a psychiatric evaluation.
The incident was played down by his publicist, who said he had gone to hospital because he had had "an adverse allergic reaction to some medication".
The star went on to file for divorce from Mueller, citing irreconcilable differences.
In January 2011, he was taken to hospital after suffering severe abdominal pains - the result, it was reported, of a two-day "marathon party".
A day later, Warner Bros executives ordered Sheen to seek treatment and temporarily shut down production on the show so he could enter rehab.
Within two weeks, the actor said he was ready to begin shooting again after self-healing his addictions.
But production was cancelled after Sheen phoned in to a US radio show to criticise the show's creator, Chuck Lorre.
In a rambling rant, he made a series of bizarre statements, including calling himself a "high priest" and a "Vatican assassin-warlock".
He continued his attack on Lorre in numerous talk show appearances over the space of a week.
"I am on a drug, it's called Charlie Sheen," he told ABC's 20/20 programme. "It's not available because if you try it, you will die.
"Your face will melt off and your children will weep over your exploded body."
It was only a matter of time before Warner Bros took action.
In an 11-page letter to Sheen's lawyers, the studio's lawyers said "the totality of Mr Sheen's condition, statements and escalating destructive behaviour" made production "untenable".
It was "clear", they continued, that the actor "does not believe he has a problem and that he will continue to conduct himself in a destructive manner".
After a period in which the show was not in production, CBS announced later that year that Ashton Kutcher would take over as star of the show, playing an internet billionaire called Walden Schmidt.
Sheen's future remained uncertain after the actor seemed to be going through a form of breakdown, played out in public on the TV and the internet.
He gave interviews and posted videos of himself on YouTube and Twitter, claiming to be a "warlock" with "tiger blood" and "Adonis DNA", and coining the oft-repeated phrase "winning"
But in 2012, Sheen seemed to be back on track, landing a role in another sitcom, Anger Management, in which he continued until 2014.
He also made a brief return to Two and a Half Men for two episodes.
Asked on the Today show about his future, Sheen said that despite his initial reaction to his diagnosis leading to "a descent into substance abuse and fathomless drinking", he said he now felt "the responsibility to better myself and help a lot of other people". | On 17 November 2015, after days of intense media speculation Hollywood star Charlie Sheen - no stranger to intense scrutiny of his wild private life - confirmed he was living with HIV, in an interview with NBC's Today show. | 12673937 |
Fairweather defeated his fellow Irish amateur international Tiarnon McLarnon and Irish Boys international Mulligan in a play-off to win the amateur event.
With Mulligan the leading Under-18, he also earns an NI Open spot.
Fairweather's win came four days after he lost in the North of Ireland Final.
The Belfast man shot rounds of 72 and 74 to tie on four-over 146 with McLarnon (77, 69) and Mulligan (69,77).
Fairweather was leading by one playing the final hole in the 36-hole strokeplay event but lost his ball off the tee.
The 26-year-old eventually made a bogey six to force a play-off with Massereene's 2015 winner McLarnon and Mulligan.
The new champion didn't make the same mistake in sudden death after hitting a long drive down the fairway before firing a seven-iron onto the green to set up a two-putt birdie from 20 feet.
McLarnon missed a five-footer for his birdie, while Mulligan lost a ball off the tee, and though he still managed a par it was Fairweather who took the spoils.
"My putting wasn't up to scratch but I struck the ball very well and still managed to get it round. I'm over the moon to win here today and claim a place in the NI Open," said Fairweather, who will now tee it up alongside the professionals in the Galgorm Resort & Spa-sponsored Northern Ireland Open from 10-13 August.
Although Mulligan lost out in the play-off, the 17-year-old had already secured the second NI Open place up for grabs for the leading under-18.
"It's great, I came here to secure the under-18 invite," said the Leinster player, who also represented Great Britain & Ireland Boys in the Jacques Leglise Trophy in 2016.
This year's Northern Ireland Open introduces a new Shootout Sunday, which will see the leading 24 players after Saturday's action compete in six-hole strokeplay match play games in a knockout format. | Knock's Colin Fairweather and Laytown & Bettystown Thomas Mulligan clinched the Northern Ireland Open spots available at Tuesday's Northern Ireland Amateur Open at Galgorm Castle. | 40677518 |
His publisher, Pan Macmillan, confirmed that he died at his home in Sussex this morning. No cause of death was given.
Jeremy Trevathan, his editor for 10 years, described him as "one of the keystone authors in a genre that had its heyday in the 1970s and 1980s".
He is survived by his wife, Eileen, whom he married in 1967, and their three daughters Kerry, Emma and Casey.
Herbert's first novel, The Rats, depicted London overrun by mutant flesh-eating rodents and sold 100,000 copies within two weeks of being published in 1974.
Since then, he has published 23 novels in more than 30 languages, selling 54 million copies worldwide. His latest book, Ash, was published last week.
Herbert was appointed an OBE by the Queen in 2010 - the same year he was made Grand Master of Horror by the World of Horror Convention.
Mr Trevathan described Herbert as "one of the giants of popular fiction in the 20th Century".
"It's a true testament to his writing and his enduring creativity that his books continued to be huge bestsellers right up until his death.
"He has the rare distinction that his novels were considered classics of the genre within his lifetime," he added.
Born in London's East End on 8 April 1943, Herbert won a scholarship to St Aloysius Grammar School in Highgate at the age of 10.
After a college course in graphic design, he went on to work at an advertising agency.
He started his first novel, The Rats, at the age of 28 and completed it within 10 months. He submitted the manuscript to six publishers, three of whom replied.
Of those, two rejected the novel and one accepted it.
The Rats was one of four Herbert novels made into films, along with The Survivor, Fluke and Haunted.
His novel The Secret Of Crickley Hall was adapted for television and broadcast on BBC One in December, while The Magic Cottage was dramatised for BBC Radio 4.
One of his friends, Gordon Giltrap, paid tribute to the author on Twitter: "Received some sad news this morning that my good friend James Herbert has passed away. Am in no mood for music, that's for sure. RIP Jim."
Another, Peter James, wrote: "Deeply saddened to hear today that my dear friend, writer James Herbert, died last night. Will miss you lots, Jim, you were a diamond." | Best-selling author James Herbert, who wrote the horror classic The Rats, has died aged 69. | 21870413 |
City are bottom of the table and look likely to be relegated, but will go to Wembley on the back of two successive league victories.
Robins said "there should be no fear" for his largely young side.
"There's no pressure on us. We're underdogs in terms of league position," he told BBC Coventry & Warwickshire.
"Oxford will be well supported too. They're on an upward curve under Michael Appleton, but this is a one-off final and we've got tremendous support. There's a real excitement around the city.
"It's a different week. There's more focus and attention on the club. We've been measured up for new suits and all sorts of things, but training has had a decent intensity and, on the back of two wins, it galvanises all that spirit.
"Even though they are young, sometimes that can have a positive impact. We've got to go to Wembley to try to enjoy it, take in all the sights, the sounds and experiences.
"But people also rightly say there's only one way to enjoy it - and that's by winning."
Coventry are 11 points shy of safety with six league games left to play and are 27 points worse off than Oxford, who are eighth and just four points off a play-off place.
Having only rejoined Coventry on 7 March, Robins is in the unusual position of being in charge of a side who had already made it to Wembley almost a month earlier.
With that in mind, he has stepped aside from the honour of leading the team out, and the club have asked veteran goalkeeping coach Steve Ogrizovic - the man they affectionately call 'Big Oggy' - to do it instead.
The 6ft 4in former Chesterfield and Liverpool keeper, 59, who started his working life as a police constable, has spent 33 years with the Sky Blues since joining from Shrewsbury Town in the summer of 1984.
After 507 league appearances as a player and one goal - a long clearance over Martin Hodge's head against Sheffield Wednesday on a windy day at Hillsborough in 1988 - he has since served as reserve and Academy coach, caretaker manager and now goalkeeping coach.
Coventry will be without both of his first-choice centre-backs, loan players Nathan Clarke and Farrend Rawson, who are both cup-tied.
Clarke made three appearances for Bradford City in the group stages of the competition, as did Rawson for Derby's Under-23s.
But Robins insisted: "We've got plenty of options. It's not a problem."
Meanwhile, City's technical director Mark Venus, who took charge for three months this season following Tony Mowbray's resignation, has left the club. | Coventry City boss Mark Robins says his Sky Blues side are undoubted underdogs in Sunday's EFL Trophy final against fellow League One side Oxford United. | 39447550 |
Gary Wood, 42, was struck on Seaham Road in Houghton, the street where he lived, at about 21:40 BST on 2 June. He was taken to hospital in a critical condition and died on Wednesday.
Police said two cars were believed to be in convoy and both left the scene.
Liam Carr, of Langdon Road, Newcastle, appeared at South Tyneside Magistrates' Court on Thursday charged with death by dangerous driving.
The 19-year-old is also accused of failing to stop at an accident and perverting the course of justice.
A second man, 38-year-old Gareth Bainbridge of School Road, Houghton, appeared before magistrates charged with assisting an offender.
The pair were remanded in custody to appear at Newcastle Crown Court on 6 July. | A man has died in hospital five days after being hit by a car in Sunderland. | 40202629 |
Skills Development Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, ScotlandIS and Education Scotland are backing the £250,000 fund called Digital Xtra.
Among the aims of the scheme is to support extracurricular computing clubs for youngsters aged 16 and under.
A panel will evaluate submissions for funding.
Representatives from technology businesses, Scottish government and education will be on the panel. | A new fund has been set up to award grants to projects that encourage children and teenagers to code, develop websites and create digital animations. | 36322869 |
Lord Hain said the Conservatives were going back on a manifesto promise to hold a poll on the issue.
The Wales Bill - debated in the House of Lords on Monday - would remove the need for a referendum before the power was devolved.
Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns said Lord Hain was an "isolated voice" on tax.
In November, the then Chancellor George Osborne said the power over some aspects of income tax should be devolved without a referendum, currently required under the 2014 Wales Act.
Lord Hain said Mr Cairns had supported the idea of a referendum in the past and questioned why he had changed his mind.
He said: "Could it be that he wishes to ram through income tax devolution without addressing irrefutable evidence that the Barnett formula has short-changed Wales in contrast to Scotland?
"Without a new 'Barnett floor', as First Minister Carwyn Jones has insisted, it would be pure folly for Wales to have income tax devolved," Lord Hain added.
In response, Mr Cairns said: "During the passage of the Wales Bill, I have regularly engaged with the first minister.
"The Labour Party in both Cardiff Bay and Westminster back the devolution of tax powers without a referendum.
"On that basis, Peter Hain represents an isolated voice with these remarks.
"It should be remembered that after decades of in-built disadvantage of the funding formula, it took a Conservative government to introduce a funding floor for Wales," Mr Cairns added, referring to a guaranteed minimum level of Treasury grants.
Meanwhile, ex-Wales Office Minister Baroness Jenny Randerson has said the Wales Bill was "not a big stride forward as we hoped but it is a shuffle forward".
The Liberal Democrat peer said: "The Wales Bill was started during the pro-devolution coalition government in 2015 which I was part of.
"We now have a centralising Theresa May government and the long list of exceptions [powers that will not be devolved] will mean we still have a complex settlement."
The Wales Bill is a new law, currently passing through Parliament, that promises a simpler framework for how the assembly is run and more powers for AMs and ministers.
But it was revised earlier this year from its previous draft amid concern it could dilute the power of AMs to make laws.
During the debate, Welsh minister and former Welsh Conservative leader Lord Bourne said new powers over transport, energy and the environment would help make the assembly a permanent part of the UK's "constitutional fabric".
He said the Wales Bill delivered a "clearer and stronger Welsh devolution settlement" and an assembly and Welsh Government "more accountable to the people they serve".
But Labour's spokeswoman Baroness Morgan said that while the bill was a considerable improvement on its draft predecessor, the legislation was still "poorly drafted and ill-conceived".
She added: "The bill in its current form is complex, inaccessible, unclear and won't settle the devolution issue for Wales as was the intention."
Lord Wigley of Plaid Cymru said the bill was "inadequate" with as many 200 reserve powers retained by Westminster.
He added: "Indeed, in some ways it makes our position worse, in that it actually takes back powers from the assembly and the Welsh Government."
Last week, a cross-party group of AMs said the bill remained over-complicated.
Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies defended the bill, saying it was a "landmark piece of legislation" offering "greater clarity and accountability than ever before in the devolved era". | Plans to allow the devolution of income tax varying powers without a referendum have been criticised by a former Welsh secretary. | 37603364 |
The Spanish left-handers produced an exhibition of hard-hitting to thrill those inside the Rod Laver Arena over four hours and 40 minutes.
Verdasco saved a break point to prevent going 3-0 down in the decider, going on to win 7-6 (8-6) 4-6 3-6 7-6 (4-7) 6-2.
In the women's draw second seed Simona Halep suffered a shock defeat.
The 24-year-old Romanian was beaten 6-4 6-3 by Chinese qualifier Zhang Shuai, ranked 133rd in the world, and left the court in tears.
Zhang, who will turn 27 on Thursday, was also crying after securing her first victory in a Grand Slam at her 15th attempt
As for Verdasco, he now meets Israel's Dudi Sela after hitting 90 winners and winning six straight games to clinch victory over fifth seed Nadal.
"I played unbelievably in the fifth set," said Verdasco, 32. "I don't know how I did it. I closed my eyes and everything went in."
Verdasco, beaten by Nadal in the semi-finals in 2009, showed grit to stay in touch when his compatriot threatened to dominate.
After surrendering a 5-2 lead in the fourth set, he dug deep to win the tie-break and take the match the distance.
At 2-2 in the decider, a glorious forehand - packed with the type of power he had showed throughout the contest - put Verdasco ahead and the would number 45 never looked back.
BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller:
"Wasn't that one of the most thrilling final-set performances we've ever seen? How he had the nerve to hit winner after winner was unbelievable. Phenomenal stuff from Verdasco. He was hitting the ball so hard."
Verdasco's quarter of the draw produced some drama on day two of the first Grand Slam of 2016, not least on court 19, where Jeremy Chardy beat Ernests Gulbis 13-11 in a deciding fifth set.
Frenchman Chardy, seeded 30, edged through in temperatures around 31C in Melbourne and could now meet Verdasco in round three.
Fourth seed Stan Wawrinka is in the same quarter of the draw, but he will not have to worry about an early meeting with big-serving South African Kevin Anderson.
The 29-year-old, who knocked Andy Murray out of last year's US Open, trailed American Rajeev Ram before retiring hurt in the fourth set.
Wawrinka, who plays Dmitry Tursunov later, could meet Murray at the semi-final stage if the draw goes according to seeding.
Tenth seed John Isner, one of the biggest servers in the game, is a potential threat to Murray at the quarter-final stage and slammed 37 aces as he beat Jerzy Janowicz in straight sets.
Isner is one of seven Americans in round two - the most since nine progressed in 2009 - with one more is guaranteed to progress when Jack Sock meets Taylor Harry Fritz.
Elsewhere, 13th seed Milos Raonic explained he now wears a mouthguard during matches to prevent him from grinding his teeth.
The 25-year-old, who beat Frenchman Lucas Pouille in straight sets, says grinding his teeth causes "stress and headaches", adding: "I guess maybe it's just a way to calm myself down."
In the women's draw, Garbine Muguruza, beaten by Serena Williams in the Wimbledon final last year, looked in complete control as she overcame Anett Kontaveit 6-0 6-4 in just 60 minutes.
And 2008 French Open champion Ana Ivanovic improved on her first-round exit last year by beating wildcard Tammi Patterson 6-2 6-3. | Rafael Nadal suffered his first round-one exit at the Australian Open as Fernando Verdasco recorded a stunning five-set win at Melbourne Park. | 35350231 |
A 17-year-old man suffered a serious neck injury after two men were involved in a disturbance on Duke Street at about 17:55 on 23 January.
The victim later required surgery for his injuries.
The incident took place outside the G101 store and the Alexandra Bar, near the junction with Millerston Street.
Police would like anyone who recognises the man from the images to contact them.
He is described as white, aged between 16 and 20, with short dark hair. He was wearing a dark blue fleece with grey sleeves, black trousers and dark trainers. | Police investigating a serious assault in Glasgow have released images of a man they want to speak to in connection with the attack | 37069895 |
Imran Khawaja, 27, from west London, joined a militant group with links to so-called Islamic State while overseas.
He was pictured posing with severed heads during his six months in Syria.
He was arrested in Dover last June and later admitted preparing for acts of terrorism, attending a camp, receiving training and possessing firearms.
Judge Mr Justice Baker said Khawaja posed "a significant risk of serious harm" to the public. He will serve a minimum of eight years and also serve five years on licence.
At Woolwich Crown Court, Khawaja's counsel Henry Blaxland QC told the court his client had a very low IQ and had been "indoctrinated" in the months before he fled for Syria, in January 2014.
But Mr Justice Baker described Khawaja, who joined the Rayat al-Tawheed (RAT) insurgent group, as a "willing and enthusiastic" participant in recruitment films.
And he dismissed Khawaja's claim that he came home to see his family and regretted his actions.
The judge told him: "It is clear in the last few years you have been showing an increasing interest in Islamic jihadist material.
"You took part in the production of films designed to promote the Islamic State cause and encouraging UK Muslims to join you in jihad.
"Your interest was sufficiently profound for you to travel to Syria to train for jihad.
"I'm also satisfied, by the time you decided to return to the UK, you had completed your terrorist training."
Khawaja showed no emotion as he was led from the court.
His cousin, Tahir Bhatti, from Watford in Hertfordshire was jailed for 21 months. He will serve half of his sentence.
Bhatti had driven to Serbia to collect Khawaja and bring him back to the UK.
Asim Ali, from Ealing in west London - who provided his friend Khawaja with funds - was also given 21 months in prison.
Imran Khawaja's case is arguably the most serious Syria-related terrorism conviction to date.
Not only is there evidence that he engaged in what the prosecution called "armed activity", but he was part of a social media campaign aimed at recruiting others from Britain - a campaign in which he revelled in the deaths of others.
He could have received a life sentence - but while his extended term is long, it is a slightly shorter term than one given to two Birmingham men who were jailed last year.
Sentencing rules make clear that those who engage in the most serious forms of terrorism can receive terms that are designed to deter others from following them. Khawaja has the rest of his life to think about what he did - and he has told the court that he hopes other men do not make the same mistake.
Messages from Khawaja's family were read to the court on Thursday.
In them, he lied about when he was coming home from Syria, before confiding he was there to die a martyr.
The court saw a video of Khawaja posing with severed heads in the Middle East country.
Dozens of images of him posing with automatic weapons and tanks were also produced.
The court was also told of social media postings about his apparent death after a fake announcement was made on social media site Instagram.
Prosecutor Brian Altman said the postings provided cover for Khawaja's return to the UK on 3 June.
Crown Prosecution Service deputy head of counter terrorism Deborah Walsh said: "Imran Khawaja's actions are one of the most appalling examples of violent extremism that I have seen committed by British jihadis returning from Syria.
"Photos and videos of Khawaja posing with child soldiers and severed heads defy the understanding of civilised people and paint a picture of a man who would stop at nothing to spread terror and hatred.
"It is clear from the evidence that he went to Syria to train and to fight, and was close to, if not directly in, a combat zone."
Metropolitan Police Commander Richard Walton said images and video of Khawaja in Syria were "horrific and deeply disturbing".
Speaking after the sentencing, he said: "Khawaja chose to become a terrorist, engaged in weapons training in a terrorist training camp and faked his own death in order to conceal his entry back into the UK.
"This sentence sends a powerful message to those who plan or prepare acts of terrorism overseas or here in the UK.
"We have seen how parts of Syria have become lawless, where murder, torture and crimes against humanity are becoming almost routine. One of the best ways we can respond to these crimes is to convict terrorists through the rule of law." | A British jihadist who travelled to Syria then faked his own death to try to return to the UK undetected has been given a 12-year custodial sentence. | 31166062 |
Pep Guardiola's side fell behind early in the second half when Oscar Wendt scored for Borussia Monchengladbach.
Lars Strindl and Fabian Johnson added goals in quick succession for the home side, who moved into third spot.
Ribery, on as a substitute for his first match since injuring an ankle in March, struck with nine minutes left.
Bayern had dropped just two points in 14 league matches this season, and have looked imperious despite uncertainty over the future of coach Guardiola, who is out of contract at the end of the season.
Former Arsenal and Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann had suggested during the week that Guardiola's team could go through the whole Bundesliga season without defeat.
They were on top in the first half, with Borussia goalkeeper Yann Sommer making superb saves to deny Robert Lewandwoski and Thomas Muller, before Kingsley Coman hit the post.
But Sweden left-back Wendt surprised them nine minutes into the second half, slotting in after being set up by midfielder Raffael.
Borussia struck twice more in three second-half minutes, with striker Strindl finishing well from Granit Xhaka's knockdown, before Fabian Johnson took on Julian Korb's through ball and placed his shot beyond keeper Manuel Neuer.
France midfielder Ribery, brought on for the final 15 minutes, found the net after being set up by Arturo Vidal, but it was too late.
Match ends, Borussia Mönchengladbach 3, FC Bayern München 1.
Second Half ends, Borussia Mönchengladbach 3, FC Bayern München 1.
Attempt blocked. Rafinha (FC Bayern München) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Franck Ribéry.
Substitution, Borussia Mönchengladbach. Thorgan Hazard replaces Lars Stindl.
Offside, Borussia Mönchengladbach. Lars Stindl tries a through ball, but Josip Drmic is caught offside.
Attempt blocked. Josip Drmic (Borussia Mönchengladbach) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Oscar Wendt.
Offside, FC Bayern München. Rafinha tries a through ball, but Franck Ribéry is caught offside.
Substitution, Borussia Mönchengladbach. Josip Drmic replaces Raffael.
Rafinha (FC Bayern München) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Lars Stindl (Borussia Mönchengladbach).
Offside, FC Bayern München. Jérôme Boateng tries a through ball, but Franck Ribéry is caught offside.
Attempt missed. Javi Martínez (FC Bayern München) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Arturo Vidal following a set piece situation.
Rafinha (FC Bayern München) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Rafinha (FC Bayern München) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Lars Stindl (Borussia Mönchengladbach).
Substitution, Borussia Mönchengladbach. Marvin Schulz replaces Mahmoud Dahoud.
Corner, FC Bayern München. Conceded by Mahmoud Dahoud.
Corner, FC Bayern München. Conceded by Julian Korb.
Goal! Borussia Mönchengladbach 3, FC Bayern München 1. Franck Ribéry (FC Bayern München) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Arturo Vidal.
Attempt blocked. Franck Ribéry (FC Bayern München) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Arturo Vidal.
Attempt missed. Kingsley Coman (FC Bayern München) left footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Thomas Müller.
Corner, FC Bayern München. Conceded by Mahmoud Dahoud.
Attempt blocked. Sebastian Rode (FC Bayern München) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Corner, FC Bayern München. Conceded by Mahmoud Dahoud.
Substitution, FC Bayern München. Franck Ribéry replaces Robert Lewandowski.
Lars Stindl (Borussia Mönchengladbach) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Robert Lewandowski (FC Bayern München) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Lars Stindl (Borussia Mönchengladbach).
Foul by Arturo Vidal (FC Bayern München).
Granit Xhaka (Borussia Mönchengladbach) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Philipp Lahm (FC Bayern München) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach).
Foul by Thomas Müller (FC Bayern München).
Havard Nordtveit (Borussia Mönchengladbach) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Robert Lewandowski (FC Bayern München) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Arturo Vidal with a cross.
Corner, FC Bayern München. Conceded by Andreas Christensen.
Robert Lewandowski (FC Bayern München) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Granit Xhaka (Borussia Mönchengladbach).
Goal! Borussia Mönchengladbach 3, FC Bayern München 0. Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Julian Korb with a through ball following a fast break.
Attempt missed. Javi Martínez (FC Bayern München) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Arturo Vidal with a cross following a corner. | Leaders Bayern Munich fell to their first Bundesliga defeat of the season despite Franck Ribery scoring on his return after nine months out. | 34960135 |
An attempted murder investigation was launched after the attack at a property in Shearer Road on 11 April, which left the teenager with "life-changing" injuries.
Police said a 28-year-old man from Portsmouth was detained on suspicion of attempted murder.
In the past two weeks, police offered a reward and staged a reconstruction.
Officers have said the girl's injuries were believed to have been caused by a hammer.
Police also previously said they were investigating whether the address was targeted due to links with the sex trade. | A man has been arrested by police investigating a suspected hammer attack on a 17-year-old girl in Portsmouth. | 36177312 |
The Campaign for Better Hospital Food said NHS Trusts routinely rated their own food highly.
But patient surveys showed nearly half of people were dissatisfied with what they were offered to eat.
The campaigners want mandatory standards introduced for hospital food, like those which already exist for prisons and schools.
In the past, NHS staff in England have carried out annual assessments of the quality of hospital food.
In 2011 they rated nearly 98% of meals as "good" or "excellent".
The inspection system is now changing, but the Campaign for Better Hospital Food points to a survey of more than 64,000 patients carried out by the regulator, the Care Quality Commission, earlier this year.
In that survey just 55% of patients said the food they had been served was "good".
Alex Jackson, co-ordinator of the Campaign for Better Hospital Food, said existing policies that regulate food served in prisons and schools should be extended to hospitals.
"It is time for the government to come clean about the sorry state of hospital food in England and set mandatory standards for patient meals.
"This would only involve extending an existing policy which has seen it set mandatory standards for prison food and food served in government departments, to go alongside those that already exist for school food.
"Surely patients recovering in hospital have the same right to good food as government ministers, school kids and prisoners?"
Campaigners point to hospitals such as Darlington Memorial, where the award-winning food is locally sourced and cooked on site.
Through buying in bulk and cutting down on waste, the hospital manages to stick to a very tight budget of around £2.60 per patient per day.
Patient Concern called the findings "shocking".
It called for protected cash for hospitals to be spent on better meals.
Roger Goss, co-director of Patient Concern, said: "If managements are deliberately misleading us on hospital food, on what else are we being misled? Patient safety? Quality of care?"
In a statement, a spokesman for the Department of Health in England said there were many examples of good food across the NHS.
"But we recognise that there is too much variation across the country - that is why we have implemented a tough new inspection programme.
"We support the principle of food standards but do not think that legislation is the right way to proceed.
"We believe that the best decisions on hospital food are those taken locally by chefs and catering managers." | NHS hospitals in England are hiding patient dissatisfaction with the food they serve, campaigners say. | 23795384 |
Sussex started well, reducing Somerset to 59-3 with all-rounder David Wiese (2-51) dismissing danger men Steven Davies and Peter Trego (20) cheaply.
However, Elgar and Adam Hose (76) took control, putting on 151 runs in 20.1 overs to see the away side to 303-5.
After two delays, Sussex were set 165 to win from 20 overs, but wickets saw them fall narrowly short on 155-9.
Although Somerset went into the match following a win over Surrey, their top three failed once again, with Davies falling fourth ball before Trego was caught behind and Jim Allenby (23) was bowled by George Garton (2-66).
But Elgar continued his excellent form, striking 10 fours and four sixes in his 127-ball innings to anchor the innings alongside Hose, who scored freely at the other end, launching Garton for two sixes before he was caught by Laurie Evans.
Rain in Hove meant Sussex were originally set 185 to win from 25 overs, but at 85-4 after Harry Finch (27) and Luke Wright (28) had fallen and another interruption came, the target was further reduced under the Duckworth-Lewis calculations.
Despite five sixes from Evans (40) and three fours in the final over by Danny Briggs, the asking rate of nearly 14 runs per over proved to much as they came up marginally short, with Craig Overton claiming figures of 3-21. | Dean Elgar struck an unbeaten 131 to help Somerset beat Sussex by nine runs in a rain-affected One-Day Cup game. | 39745818 |
After decades of austerity following the Islamic Revolution, middle-class Iranians have developed a taste for high-end designer goods, and for Tehran's young rich, shopping has become the new religion.
"Exposure to foreign trends through travelling, the internet and satellite television has created a desire for branded products," says Bahar, a 30-year-old fashion blogger.
"Showing off is a big part of the story. By spending huge amounts of money on big brands, well-off Iranians want to show they've made it."
One group of super-rich young Tehranis have taken showing off to new levels with their own Instagram site - Rich Kids of Tehran, where without any perceptible sense of irony, they post pictures of their designer clothes and designer lifestyles.
When the site first appeared last year it prompted fury and resentment among poorer Iranians and the conservatives who dominate Iran's political and legal institutions.
But the Rich Kids seem undeterred by the controversy.
Recent postings include pictures of Tehran Fashion Week and a question about where people are going on holiday this year - the responses range from Italy and Istanbul to Japan and Dubai.
Because luxury brands are still the preserve of the rich, they don't yet show up in the Iranian Customs Authority's list of top 100 imports.
But there is an indication of the potential for growth in the most recent figures for cosmetics imports.
In the year to March 2015, cosmetics made up 0.1% of the country's $52bn (£32.8bn) total imports - many of them big name brands snapped up by increasingly image-conscious consumers.
In big cities all across Iran, traditional bazaars now face fierce competition from American-style urban shopping centres where big name Western brands are on conspicuous display.
But although these luxury shopping centres look exactly the same as retail outlets anywhere in the world, the designer goods on display have actually been brought in by third-party importers via Turkey and the Gulf States.
The outlets that sell them have no connection to the big brand manufacturers.
Big Western fashion brands are not banned from doing business in Iran.
But international banking sanctions in place against Iran over its nuclear programme make it very difficult for them to get their profits out.
To date Spanish clothing retailer Mango, Italian fashion boutique Benetton, and luxury women's designer Escada, are among the very few Western companies to open shops in Iran.
The backdoor way in which foreign brands are imported into Iran means they are more expensive than they would be abroad, but so far this doesn't seem to be deterring the shoppers.
Mariam, an office worker who earns the equivalent of just $17,000 a year, has just blown more than a month's salary on a new Burberry bag.
She bought it online from an Iranian website that offers clothes and accessories from big brands and Western High Street retailers.
The site takes payments via local credit cards, and offers a free home-delivery service.
Mariam told BBC Persian she would rather pay more for good-quality brand names than cheaper but inferior, locally made equivalents.
But she concedes that status also plays a big role in how she decides to spend her money.
"There's a lot of pressure on middle-class people to go out wearing designer clothes or an expensive watch," she says. "Personally I feel more confident when I'm wearing brands."
Fashion houses like Burberry currently have no control over this so-called "grey market" of their brand names in Iran.
But that is clearly something which could change.
Despite years of sanctions, the International Monetary Fund puts Iran's per capita GDP (gross domestic product) at $16,500.
That means Iranian consumers on average have more money to spend than their counterparts in emerging markets like Brazil, China, India and South Africa.
With the prospect of banking sanctions being lifted if a nuclear deal is finally reached, the big brands are waking up to the potential of a barely tapped market which could offer big dividends in the future. | From the roadside billboards advertising Rolex and Louis Vuitton, to the glitzy shopping centres that have sprung up across Tehran, it's clear that big brands are becoming big business in Iran. | 33224168 |
Speaking on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC, the president-elect also promised to bring change.
Among attendees at the two-hour event were his family, actor Jon Voight and Soul Man singer Sam Moore.
Mr Trump earlier laid a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia.
Thursday evening's Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration was open to the public and featured performances by country stars Toby Keith and Lee Greenwood.
"We're going to unify our country," Mr Trump said in brief remarks at the end of the concert.
"We're going to make America great for all of our people. Everybody, everybody, throughout all of our country. That includes the inner cities."
His supporters have been streaming into Washington DC, and he reminded them that many had doubted the campaign's chances of success.
"They forgot about a lot of us," he said. "On the campaign, I called it the forgotten man and the forgotten woman. Well, you're not forgotten anymore."
Pledging to bring back jobs, build up the military and strengthen the border, he added: "We're going to do things that haven't been done for our country for many, many decades.
"It's going to change, I promise you. It's going to change."
The president-elect's first stop on Thursday was at his Trump International hotel, located just blocks from the White House.
He appeared with his wife Melania at a luncheon for members of his incoming administration.
The soon-to-be first lady briefly spoke, telling the crowd: "Tomorrow we're starting the work."
Mr Trump told the crowd in the presidential ballroom: "We have a lot of smart people. I tell you what, one thing we've learned, we have by far the highest IQ of any cabinet ever assembled."
He hinted that Woody Johnson, owner of the New York Jets NFL team, would be US ambassador to Britain.
After the welcome concert, Mr Trump is set to spend the night at Blair House, the presidential guest residence located just steps from the White House.
He is due to be sworn in at noon (17:00 GMT) on Friday.
Despite Mr Trump's appeal for unity, billionaire investor George Soros launched a stinging attack on him.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mr Soros labelled the president-elect "an imposter, a conman and a would-be dictator".
Mr Trump has nominated all 21 members of his cabinet as well as six other roles that require Senate confirmation, according to his team.
The Republican-controlled Senate is expected to vote on Friday to confirm General James Mattis, the defence secretary nominee, and retired General John Kelly, the pick for Homeland Security.
Mr Trump has asked about 50 senior Obama administration officials to stay on until they are replaced, spokesman Sean Spicer told a news conference.
They include Brett McGurk, the special envoy to the US-led coalition fighting the so-called Islamic State, as well as Deputy Defence Secretary Robert Work.
Down the road at the White House, President Barack Obama spent his last day in office with the daily briefing and lunch with Vice-President Joe Biden.
Mr Obama also spoke to German Chancellor Angela Merkel in his final conversation with a foreign leader as president, according to the White House.
First Lady Michelle Obama and Mrs Merkel's husband, Joachim Sauer, also joined the call. | Donald Trump has pledged to unify America as he addressed cheering supporters at a concert on the eve of his presidential inauguration. | 38685832 |
The 37-year-old former Watford and West Bromwich Albion defender will spend more time working with the club's under-21 and under-18 sides.
Robinson was without a club when he came on a one-month trial in 2012.
But this new contract is his fifth for Blues as he continues to extend a career that now totals 736 appearances.
"We wanted Robbo to stay and we are delighted that he has re-signed," said Blues manager Gary Rowett.
"Gone are the days when he will be playing 50-odd games a season. We both know that. But he showed his value this season when he featured.
"I believe he he can still be influential in other areas, working with the under-21s, whilst still being available to play."
Former England Under-21 international Paul Robinson began his career with his home-town club Watford.
He first arrived in the Midlands when he was signed by Gary Megson for West Bromwich Albion in 2003.
After six years at The Hawthorns, a season-long loan move to Bolton Wanderers was made permanent in 2010.
But he was released two years later, finishing the season on loan with Leeds United, before joining Blues as a free agent in September 2012.
He has now made 145 appearances for Birmingham, scoring four times, three of them this season in the same eight-game hot streak, having previously gone almost two years without a goal. | Birmingham City club captain Paul Robinson has signed a new one-year player-coach contract with the Championship club. | 36323927 |
The miner said a number of parties are interested in the assets and it is "actively pursuing options to exit".
Shareholder Elliott Management has campaigned for strategic changes at BHP including the sale of its shale operations.
It comes as the company reported $5.89bn (£4.56bn) annual net profit.
BHP said on Tuesday that it deemed the shale business "non-core" and was exploring options to offload the assets.
Chief executive Andrew Mackenzie said a number of parties are interested in acquiring its onshore US oil and gas operations, but would not name the price the company is seeking for the assets.
BHP's entry into US shale came at the peak of the fracking boom in 2011. A slump in oil prices slugged the business and forced a $7.2bn writedown last year.
BHP chairman Jac Nasser, who retires this year, recently conceded a $20bn investment in shale six years ago was a mistake in hindsight.
Analysts have suggested the business could sell for about half that in today's market.
New-York based fund manager Elliott Management had been agitating for a sale or other form of divestment of the US shale business.
The activist shareholder has publicly campaigned for a series of other changes at BHP, including the elimination of dual-structured Australia and London stock listings, and higher shareholder returns.
Plans to sell its US shale operations came as the global miner posted an annual net profit of $5.89bn, following a record $6.39bn loss a year earlier.
The result was slightly below analysts' expectations.
The miner tripled its final dividend to $0.43 a share, which was also shy of expectations.
The Anglo-Australian firm, like other miners, has benefited from a rebound in industrial metals prices after a slump caused by supply gluts and economic slowdown in China.
China is the world's biggest buyer of commodities. | Mining giant BHP Billiton will sell its US shale assets after pressure from shareholders to offload the underperforming business. | 41008227 |
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The 33-year-old, who has twice been banned for doping offences, finished behind Usain Bolt in the 100m at the World Championships in Beijing, China.
He was one of four men in the 100m final to have tested positive for banned substances during their careers.
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"He shouldn't be the guy who takes all the brunt of all the criticism and condemnation," said Renaldo Nehemiah.
"He was the only one who threatened the throne of Usain Bolt and that couldn't happen in many people's minds."
The race between Bolt and Gatlin on Sunday had been billed as a battle for the soul of athletics in some quarters, particularly by those critical of allowing Gatlin to compete.
Gatlin has said he will not speak to British media outlets because of what he perceives as biased coverage towards him.
After winning the 100m and 200m world double at Helsinki 2005, the American then tested positive for testosterone in 2006. He served a four-year ban that had been twice reduced from a lifetime and eight years.
Nehemiah, a former 110m hurdler world record holder, told BBC Radio 5 live that the notion that Gatlin had not shown remorse for his misdemeanours was an "incorrect assertion".
And Nehemiah said he was "disappointed" that athletics' governing body, the IAAF, had not done more to stop Gatlin's vilification.
His first drugs ban in 2001 was reduced from two years to one after he proved the amphetamines he was taking were for an attention deficit disorder.
"Justin Gatlin has done national tours of middle schools and high schools, telling them about the dangers of drugs and the decisions he made," he said.
"He has humbled himself for months and months. It was never widely reported so people don't believe he has made amends or apologised."
Gatlin and Bolt compete in the 200m semi-finals on Wednesday, with the final on Thursday. | American sprinter Justin Gatlin is unfairly carrying the burden of all drugs cheats, according to his agent. | 34060181 |
17 October 2016 Last updated at 10:09 BST
The animal managed to get his snout trapped meaning he couldn't eat or drink.
When it became clear he couldn't free himself, vets stepped in and gave him some medicine, so they were able to get it off. | A rhino in Zimbabwe, in southern Africa has been rescued after it got stuck in a tyre. | 37676650 |
Two other defendants received life sentences, while 33 more will spend up to 25 years in jail, the chief prosecutor was quoted as saying.
The scandal involved forged documents reportedly used by an investment company to secure loans worth $2.6bn.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad last year denied allegations that his government was involved.
The identities of the defendants have not been made public.
The case broke in September 2011 when an investment firm was accused of forging documents to obtain credit from at least seven Iranian banks over a four-year period.
The money was reportedly used to buy state-owned companies under the government's privatisation scheme.
As part of their probe, authorities froze the assets of an Iranian businessman thought to be the mastermind behind the scam.
The BBC's Sebastian Usher said the firm at the heart of the scandal had moved from a small start-up capital to being worth billions of dollars.
The affair fuelled weeks of political infighting between Mr Ahmadinejad and Iran's ruling hierarchy of clerics.
Economy Minister Shamseddin Hosseini scraped through an impeachment vote in November after conservative hardliners accused him of failing to take action over the fraud. | Four people have been sentenced to death for their roles in Iran's biggest-ever bank fraud scandal. | 19045737 |
Koukash, 57, took over in 2013 but the Red Devils are yet to finish higher than 10th during his tenure.
"In the first year I came and I thought I could buy the superstars of this game, bring them in, put them together and win the Grand Final," he said.
"That didn't work. What you need is to invest in the future and be patient about that success."
The Red Devils started the 2016 season with a loss at Hull FC, but produced a stunning display to put eight tries past St Helens in a 44-10 win in their first home match of the year.
With 13 new arrivals, head coach Ian Watson and director of rugby Tim Sheens have transformed the squad during the winter.
"It's a belief in the players and we were always confident and we know we've got a good team here," Watson, 39, told BBC Radio Manchester.
"People have challenged our middles saying that they're not good enough - well I think we were more than good enough on Thursday.
"We had a blip last week at Hull and we knew we had to fix that up really quickly - the big thing for us is consistency and getting it week in week out." | Salford owner Marwan Koukash has said he has learned the need for patience when in charge of a Super League side. | 35559739 |
The Team GB pair, who have won 10 Olympic gold medals between them, had their wedding ceremony on Saturday.
The pair, who live in a cottage just outside Knutsford, Cheshire, turned down an offer to have the wedding featured in a magazine and managed to keep the details a secret from the press until it had happened.
Their relationship began in the build-up to the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Laura told Newsround, in August 2016, that "it wasn't love at first sight" when she first met Kenny who she said never spoke to her in training.
Jason said in response, he "never said hello to anyone" and he could not "help being grumpy". | Cycling's golden couple Laura Trott and Jason Kenny have got married. | 37466010 |
Former pupils at Badgeworth Court and Dowdeswell Court, in Gloucestershire, and Clouds House, in Wiltshire, have said they suffered "horrific" abuse in the 1970s and 1980s.
Gloucestershire Police said it hoped to discuss the case with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) next year.
Staff who worked at the schools have denied any involvement in abuse.
Det Ch Insp Steve Porter, from Gloucestershire Police, said: "We've managed to trace and to interview over 80 potential victims so far."
He said officers were trying to establish what happened at the schools and whether there was enough evidence to bring a prosecution.
The former owner of the schools, Anthony Hurley, appeared in court in 2000 on allegations of cruelty and sexual abuse of children, but was deemed unfit to stand trial.
He died in 2003. | More than 80 potential victims have been interviewed amid allegations of abuse at three boys' boarding schools. | 35039971 |
The damage was discovered at Dovecote Lane Recreation Ground in Beeston on Saturday morning.
Nottinghamshire Police has asked anyone with information to contact them.
Jillian Rickly, who was walking her dog when she spotted the broken trees, said: "It's really unfortunate that someone, or a group of people, would cause so much damage."
"When I see things like this, I just think, 'this is why we can't have nice things'," she added. | Newly-planted trees have been broken in half in an act of vandalism at a Nottinghamshire park. | 38782725 |
Williams lost 10-7 in the final qualifier after trailing 6-3 from the morning session and was one of five Welsh players to exit at Pond's Forge.
Williams' defeat means he misses out on a place at Sheffield's Crucible for the second time since his debut in 1997.
He also failed to qualify in 2014 when he was beaten by Alan McManus.
Jamie Jones lost 10-8 after leading overnight against Scotland's 2006 world champion Graeme Dott.
Both Michael White and Dominic Dale were also knocked out in the final qualifying stage, Dale losing 10-5 to Belgium's Luca Brecel and White was defeated 10-3 by Englishman Gary Wilson.
Newbridge's Lee Walker, who beat Reanne Evans in the second round, lost to Thailand's Noppon Saengkham 10-8 to complete a disastrous day for Welsh players.
Ryan Day will be the only Welshman at this year's World Championships. It will be the first time there has only been one Welsh player at the event since it was first held at the Crucible in 1977. | Two-time champion Mark Williams will not play at the Crucible after losing in the final qualifying round to England's Stuart Carrington. | 39551451 |
The two female customers had eaten their meal and paid the bill, but returned and threatened staff at the creperie in the northern village of Trégastel, Brittany, police said.
The young women were "very aggressive" and threatened to smash the cafe's windows, police said on Facebook.
The owner and customers managed to repel the women before police arrived.
Ouest-France newspaper said no formal charges had been laid against the women after the disturbance on Sunday. | Police in a French coastal town were called because customers were angry not enough sugar was put on their crepes. | 40812302 |
John Malachy "Johnny" McGurk,from Drummuck Road, Maghera, stole £572,206 from Patrick Bradley Ltd.
The accountant also admitted 36 other charges involving fraud by abuse of his position of trust from July 2006 until the end of 2011.
McGurk, 50, was part of the Derry team that won the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in 1993.
Remanding him on continuing bail until next month, the judge at Antrim Crown Court said it was important for McGurk to co-operate fully with probation and explain fully how his offending came about because of a "terrible addiction to gambling".
He said McGurk stood the risk of a custodial sentence.
McGurk, who also helped his local Lavey team lift the 1991 GAA All-Ireland club title, lodged the stolen monies, in the form of cheques drawn on company accounts to his own Bank of Ireland savings account. | A former Derry GAA star has pleaded guilty to stealing over £500,000 from a road construction firm. | 35970128 |
The 32-year-old had his contract with AC Milan terminated by mutual consent, bringing to an end his second spell.
He had one year left on his contract but activated a release clause after Milan failed to qualify for Europe.
"I've always said I wanted to play in the USA and now I have reached an agreement to play there," said Kaka.
The former Brazil international won a Serie A title and the Champions League in his first spell at Milan between 2003 and 2009.
In total, he has scored 104 goals in 307 appearances for the Rossoneri.
Kaka, who was part of the Brazil squad that won the 2002 World Cup and was also named Fifa's World Player of the Year in 2007, returned to the San Siro on a free transfer last summer after four years at Real Madrid.
He missed out on selection for Brazil's 2014 World Cup squad as Milan finished a disappointing eighth last season and failed to qualify for European competition for the first time in 16 years.
Orlando City are set for their first season in the MLS and Kaka would be their first designated player.
"I'm happy to return to Sao Paulo, it's really satisfying for me," added Kaka of the Brazilian top-flight club, where he played from 2001 to 2003.
"Orlando City is a new team with a good project and the owner [Flavio Augusto da Silva] is Brazilian." | Brazilian playmaker Kaka will join former side Sao Paulo on loan before signing for new Major League Soccer club Orlando City in January 2015. | 28092779 |
Poppi Worthington was found with serious injuries at her home in Barrow in December 2012, and it has now been ruled that she was sexually assaulted.
Richard Rhodes said the investigation appeared "unacceptable" but he had been told improvements had since been made.
He would be asking the HMIC to independently inspect this progress.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) also said a serving Cumbria Police officer is to face a "performance meeting" which has the power of dismissal if gross incompetence is proved.
Following Poppi's death, her father, Paul Worthington, was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault but has not been charged with any offence.
He has always denied any wrongdoing.
The investigation was later criticised after it emerged that officers failed to preserve vital items for forensic analysis, either at the home or at the hospital after Poppi's collapse, and the scene at the house was not properly secured.
It is now being reviewed by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).
Mr Rhodes said: "The temporary chief constable has reassured me that significant steps have been made in addressing the findings since the first judgement in 2014.
"In order to ensure that progress has been made I have asked the HMIC to come and independently inspect this progress as a matter of urgency."
In a statement, the IPCC said: "The IPCC undertook a thorough, independent investigation into Cumbria Constabulary's handling of a criminal inquiry into the tragic death of Poppi Worthington....
"As a result of the evidence we presented, one serving officer is to face a third stage performance meeting - which has the power of dismissal if gross incompetence is proved. A second officer has received management action. A third officer cited in the report has since retired from the force.
The IPCC will consider publication of its investigation report once all relevant proceedings have concluded." | Cumbria's Police and Crime Commissioner has said he is "disappointed" with the force's response to the death of a 13-month-old girl. | 35376123 |
The news comes just a week after Apple unveiled its very expensive iPad Pro, a tablet aimed at persuading professionals to give up their laptops. Two very different strategies in a market in need of a shot in the arm.
Just a couple of years ago tablets were the future of computing. But now sales appear to have reached a plateau - indeed, figures from IDC showed tablet shipments down 7% in the second quarter of 2015 compared to last year.
It's the waning interest in the iPad which stands out from the statistics, but Amazon has also struggled. At the end of 2014 it was in fifth place in the IDC figures with sales down 70% over the holiday period compared with the previous year.
Today it showed off four tablets, all aggressively priced. The 10" and 8" Fire HD devices were touted as the ultimate entertainment devices, with high quality widescreen displays in a thin and light body. Then there was a Kids' Edition tablet, rugged enough to stand all kinds of battering, with access to plenty of age-appropriate material.
But it is the 7" Fire at £49.99 that is Amazon's key weapon and will have its budget rivals worried. The company says low-end tablets suffer from poor quality components and short battery life and deliver a poor customer experience - and insists the Fire is different. A demonstrator held one up alongside a Samsung tablet costing twice as much and showed that the screen on the Amazon device displayed video better.
At another point in the demo, an Apple iPad Air 2 with a broken screen was produced. This, we were told, had happened after 20 revolutions in a testing machine, while the Fire had survived being spun round 200 times.
Amazon also unveiled the latest version of its Fire TV set-top box. The key novelty here was that it displayed 4K video, the new ultra-high-definition standard, unlike the latest Apple TV unveiled last week. Again, it was about half the price of the Apple product.
Just like the new tablets, the real aim of the set-top box is to give buyers a reason to buy Amazon content, and in particular to sign up to an annual subscription to Prime, which gives them fast delivery and free access to its video service. The margins on the hardware are undoubtedly wafer-thin - Amazon's founder Jeff Bezos told me three years ago that the firm made no profit on its tablets and I suspect little has changed.
But Mr Bezos's hardware ventures have had mixed results. The Fire smartphone he launched with such fanfare a year ago has now been quietly withdrawn. He had made big claims for its unique technology but a high price seemed to deter many from giving it a try.
Now it is back to the bargain basement strategy- there is even a "buy five, get one free" offer on the new Fire. A cut-price tablet will probably not give Apple many sleepless nights - but the likes of Samsung and even Tesco with its Hudl, will be wondering whether it is worth continuing to pour money into a market where the competition seems unconcerned about making a profit. | Amazon has lobbed a bomb into the cut-price tablet market, with a new device costing under £50. | 34282845 |
Andrew Glaister, 47, from the Isle of Man, and John Milburn, 19, of Crosby, had attended the Boxing Day event at Nation in Wolstenholme Square.
A 22-year-old man was arrested and he is not being "directly linked" to the deaths at this stage, police said.
A warning has been issued over MDMA tablets believed to be in circulation.
Merseyside Police said the tablets appear to be shield shaped, orange or red with a lion or griffin logo on them.
Supt Mark Wiggins said: "Please don't take that, don't take any drugs whatsoever because we don't want a tragedy over the new year period."
A post-mortem examination has been carried out on Mr Glaister but further toxicology tests are being undertaken.
Cream, a so-called "super club", first opened its doors at Nation in 1992 and went on to become an international brand branching out into Cream Ibiza and the Creamfields festival.
The Boxing Day event was held to mark the last Cream club night at the venue, which is closing.
The arrested man from Seaforth, Merseyside, has been released on bail. | A man has been arrested on suspicion of drug dealing in connection with the deaths of two men who were taken ill at a Cream club night in Liverpool. | 35203982 |
Dominic Selvaraj is accused of driving off with the van while his colleague went inside a bank to use the toilet.
Police said the vehicle was found abandoned in Bangalore the same day.
ATMs have seen long lines since India banned 500 and 1,000 rupee notes in an effort to crack down on corruption.
The government has introduced new 500 and 2,000 rupee notes, but these are still in the process of being injected into the economy and banks often run out of the new money.
Senior police official Charan Reddy told BBC Hindi's Imran Qureshi that Mr Selvaraj had been hired as a driver three weeks ago by a firm that transfers cash between ATMs and banks.
"`He has not taken the [van] guard's rifle. We have set up four teams to track him down," Mr Reddy said.
India film star takes piggy to the bank
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Meet the 'money mules' of India's cash crisis
Another police official said "the van did not have a GPS facility".
"We found it strange that one set of the keys to the cash chest [in the van] was also given to the driver," he added.
There have been chaotic scenes in India ever since the currency ban was announced two weeks ago.
It has brought India's largely cash economy to a virtual standstill as the two banned notes accounted for 86% of the money in circulation.
People have been told they can deposit or change their old notes in banks until 30 December.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who made the surprise announcement in an address to the nation, said the decision was made to target people who have hoards of unaccounted cash, known in India as "black money". | Police in the southern Indian city of Bangalore are hunting for the driver of a van carrying cash for ATMs, after he made off with 9.2m rupees ($134,000; £107,000) in new 2,000 rupee notes. | 38088589 |
The 42-year-old from the Dominican Republic, who has played in the MLB for 19 years, cleared the fence against San Diego Padres on Saturday.
It was the 226th time Colon had batted, and helped the Mets to a 6-3 win.
"I don't know how to explain it," said Colon, who weighs more than 20 stone. "Once I hit it, I knew it was gone."
Colon broke the record of Arizona Diamondbacks' Randy Johnson, who hit his first homer in 2003, aged 40.
We've got a new BBC Sport newsletter coming soon - to receive it from the start, sign up here. | New York Mets pitcher Bartolo Colon has become the oldest player in Major League Baseball history to hit the first home run of his career. | 36240814 |
Starting in Strontian on the west coast of Scotland on 30 April, Colin Skeath and nephew Davis Gould-Duff travelled 2,100 miles (3,380km) clockwise.
The pair paddled over 86 days and completed several challenging crossings including Wales to Northern Ireland.
The men were raising money for the Forget Me Not Children's Hospice in Huddersfield.
Live updates and more stories from Yorkshire
The trip was completed on Monday evening.
Mr Skeath, 50, a retired West Yorkshire Police officer who now lives in Strontian, said he got into canoeing in 2011 and had been inspired by a former teacher.
"I enjoyed 90% of the trip, 10% was just real hard work. It was quite exciting at times, he said.
"It has never been done in an open canoe."
Mr Skeath said he and Mr Gould-Duff, 25, from Limerick in Ireland, had had the "odd tiff but generally it was fantastic, he was a solid partner in a boat".
He said the best view had come relatively early in the journey as the pair were heading north along the Scottish coast when they saw Cape Wraith and had turned eastwards.
"That was a bit of a milestone and I thought 'We can do this'," he said. | Two men have completed what is thought to be the first circumnavigation of Britain's coastline in an open canoe. | 40698376 |
The London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) fought a ruling that the contract should be made public, but the appeal has been rejected by an Information Tribunal.
The LLDC said the decision could cost the organisation "millions of pounds".
West Ham are due to move to the Olympic Stadium at the end of the season.
A LLDC spokesperson said the decision "could significantly impact [on] the stadium's ability to act competitively" and it is considering its next steps.
It has the right to appeal against the latest decision, but only on a point of law.
Final bill raises questions over West Ham deal
West Ham costs 'met by taxpayer'
New details on West Ham stadium deal
West Ham's vice-chairman Karren Brady has previously said she fought for the best deal, but has denied this was at the expense of taxpayers.
A fans' group which called for the publication of the contract said it was "naturally delighted with the outcome".
This latest decision marks a significant chapter in a long-running tug of war over whether the deal should be made public.
Supporters of publication say they have every right to know where public money has been spent.
The LLDC insists commercial sensitivity could impact on other business, while West Ham are keeping their distance, saying they have nothing to hide.
If the deal is published, the focus is likely to be on how much rent the Hammers are paying and the arrangements for a stadium naming rights partner.
Football supporters first submitted a Freedom of Information request to obtain the tenancy agreement amid claims the LLDC would subsidise the rent.
As a result, the Information Commissioner ordered the deal should be made public.
However, bosses appealed saying it would place them at a commercial disadvantage, undermine negotiations and reduce returns to the taxpayer.
In January, the London Assembly heard that about £17,000 had been spent by the corporation to stop details of the deal being revealed.
Andrew Boff, a member of the assembly, said he was "delighted we have a legal confirmation for what the assembly has been saying unanimously for some time".
It has previously been revealed West Ham will not have to pay for staff, including cleaners and turnstile operators, when the club moves into the new ground. | Olympic Stadium bosses have been ordered to reveal details of their deal with West Ham United over the club's use of the east London venue. | 36017396 |
The move to release data on the number of National Insurance numbers actively used by EU citizens follows pressure from Eurosceptic MPs and economists.
They have long argued official figures on inward migration from the EU vastly underestimate the true numbers.
Revenue and Customs said it would give a "fuller picture" of migration trends.
The BBC's deputy political editor Norman Smith said the figures, which could emerge by the end of April, had the potential to have an "incendiary effect" on the referendum campaign.
Voters will decide on 23 June whether the UK should remain in the EU or leave, with immigration expected to be a key battleground.
Those campaigning to leave the EU argue the UK cannot control levels of migration from Europe - which have risen sharply in the past decade - while remaining a member and abiding by the EU's rules on the free movement of people.
Reality Check: Are NI numbers a good migration measure?
Campaigners to leave the European Union have been badgering the government about the reliability of the official immigration statistics.
Nigel Farage is wondering why, as Jonathan Portes has been pointing out, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures for migration to the UK from other EU countries is so much lower than the number of National Insurance numbers allocated to EU nationals.
According to the most recent comparable statistics, migration to the UK from the rest of the EU was 257,000 in the year to September 2015, but during the same period, 655,000 EU nationals registered for National Insurance numbers (Ninos).
Mr Farage smells a rat: "They are pulling the wool over our eyes. Ninos are a simple and clear reflection of the real numbers of people in this country, as without them you can neither legally work, nor claim benefits."
Now the government has promised to tell us how many of the Ninos issued are still active - in other words, how many of the EU citizens who registered are currently paying UK tax or claiming benefits. But are Ninos a good measure of immigration?
Read more
But those pushing to stay in the EU argue that the UK, which is not a member of the Schengen area, does have controls in place and curbs on future in-work benefits for EU migrants negotiated by David Cameron will reduce the "pull factors" attracting people to the UK.
Figures published by the Office for National Statistics suggested that 257,000 EU migrants came to the UK between September 2014 and September 2015.
But other figures for the same period show 630,000 National Insurance numbers were allocated to EU nationals, up 7% on the year before. Of these, 209,000 were from Bulgaria and Romania.
The ONS has said its figures include migrants only in the UK for a short period and are not a "direct measure" of when they arrived in the UK, pointing out that many Bulgarians and Romanians may have been living and working on a self-employed basis in the UK for several years.
Economists have long called for details of how many National Insurance (NI) numbers - which are issued to those entitled to study or work to help pay tax and benefits - are being actively used to be released to show the current impact of EU migration on the UK economy and labour market.
MPs have been pushing for information about the number of EU nationals who have paid income tax and NI and received benefits over the last year to be published, as well as information about the nationalities of new NI applicants over the past four years.
Andrew Tyrie, the Conservative MP who chairs the Commons Treasury Select Committee, said he now expected to receive the data by the end of the month, saying it was "late but a good deal better than never".
"This has been obtained as a result of a good deal of persistence," he said.
Jonathan Portes, from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research - who first requested the information - said it would show how many EU nationals getting NI numbers in the past four years had remained and what economic contribution they made vis-a-vis the cost to the taxpayer.
"What we are going to find out how many of those are still active - and by active I mean are they claiming benefits or, more likely, are they paying tax?" he told BBC Radio 4's Today.
"The government's computer systems can tell us but it is that information that they have so far been very reluctant to release."
Ministers have sought to explain the discrepancy between the ONS and the NI figures by arguing many workers applying for National Insurance numbers are only in the UK for short-term work.
Downing Street said the prime minister had been pushing for HMRC to issue "greater information" on NI numbers.
Lin Homer, the chief executive of the HMRC, said the data and tax authority's analysis of it would be published as part of or alongside other ONS figures.
"We are working closely with ONS and will be providing our data and analysis to them once it has been compiled to allow them to combine it with their own data, analysis and quality assurance work and thereby produce a fuller picture," she said.
According to the British Labour Force Survey, there are now two million EU nationals in the UK workforce, a sharp rise on four years ago.
The Conservatives have consistently missed their target of reducing net migration - the difference between the number of people leaving and arriving - in the UK to below 100,000.
The latest figure, for the year to September, was 323,000. | Specific information about the number of EU migrants paying tax and claiming benefits in the UK will be published in the run-up to June's EU referendum. | 35958689 |
In a surprise move, the leading conservative candidate blamed political slander and "various fake news" stories against him for his decision.
His withdrawal is a boost for liberal candidate and frontrunner Moon Jae-in.
South Korea is seeking to replace President Park Geun-hye, who was impeached in December after a long-running corruption scandal.
Mr Ban gave a brief press conference in which he said he wanted to use his 10 years' experience as UN chief to achieve national unity, but said he had been subjected to "malign slander akin to character assassination".
"With all kinds of fake news, my intention for political change was nowhere to be seen and all that was left was grave scars to my family and myself, and to the honour of the UN where I spent the past 10 years," he said.
He said he was "disappointed by old-fashioned, narrow-minded egoistic attitudes by some politicians, and I came to a conclusion that it would be meaningless to work together with them".
South Korea has been gripped by political chaos since Ms Park was unseated. Millions took to the streets to protest against her leadership.
She is now on a trial at the Constitutional Court, which will decide whether her impeachment is upheld or if she is returned to power.
If it is upheld, presidential elections will be held within two months rather than their proper date in December.
Mr Ban appeared to have significant support early in an unofficial campaign and was at one time the perceived frontrunner, but his approval ratings fell sharply as he faced criticism about his political competence.
He apologised in January after losing his temper at a press conference and calling reporters "jerks", and has denied allegations he took bribes from a businessman at the centre of a corruption scandal.
Ms Moon called Ban's decision "unexpected" and said she would be willing to seek his advice on international affairs. | Former UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon has ruled himself out of the running for South Korean president. | 38825258 |
The Federal Anti-Monopoly Service (FAS) said it was investigating "signs of price-setting coordination" among iPhone resellers following a complaint from a member of the public.
Apple told Reuters it did not control its products' pricing.
"Resellers set their own prices for the Apple products they sell in Russia and around the world," it said.
A citizen told the FAS that the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, which went on sale in Russia in October 2015, were priced identically across all 16 major Russian retailers.
Five of the retailers have denied the claims.
The FAS said in a press release it suggested the price-setting was coordinated by Apple, leading to obligatory recommended prices.
"As the preliminary investigations showed, since the start of the sales of iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, the majority of resellers have fixed and maintained for a certain period of time the same prices for them. Besides, the anti-monopoly authority has identified similarities in the resellers' prices for other Apple smartphones," it added.
The service, which reports to the Government of the Russian Federation, has the power to impose fines on companies it deems to be behaving anti-competitively.
Apple could face a fine of between 1 million rubles ($15,400 ; £11,796) and 5 million rubles, lawyer Oleg Kolotilov from law firm Kulkov, Kolotilov & Partners told the Moscow Times.
The FAS has been contacted for comment.
Apple temporarily stopped selling its devices in Russia in December 2014 after the rouble's value became too volatile.
The previous month it had increased the prices of iPhones, iPads and other products by 20% after the weakened currency left its products cheaper in Russia than the rest of Europe.
Last year a US federal appeals court ruled that Apple conspired with publishers to fix the prices of e-books, resulting in the prices of some titles rising from $9.99 to up to $14.99. | Apple has rejected accusations from Russia's state competition watchdog that it fixed iPhone prices. | 37032249 |
The move is aimed at heading off a possible Commons defeat for David Cameron over TTIP.
Tory rebels were threatening to join forces with Labour and the SNP to force through an amendment to the Queen's Speech to safeguard the health service.
But Downing Street has denied them the chance by saying they will back it.
A Number 10 spokesman said: "As we've said all along, there is no threat to the NHS from TTIP. So if this amendment is selected, we'll accept it."
The Vote Leave campaign immediately branded the move a "humiliating climb down".
Conservative MP and Leave campaigner Steve Baker MP said: "The government has today admitted that the EU is a threat to our NHS. The only way we can protect the NHS from TTIP is if we Vote Leave on 23 June."
The amendment - signed by 25 Tory MPs - expresses regret that the government has not brought forward a bill to protect the NHS from the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) deal, currently being negotiated between the EU and the US.
Although it would have been a purely symbolic vote, no government has suffered a defeat on a Queen's Speech, which sets out its legislative programme for the year ahead, since 1924.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who has long opposed TTIP, had said he would back the Conservative rebels.
It is understood the SNP and other minority parties were also likely to support the amendment.
Sources in the Vote Leave campaign predicted the government would face defeat unless it backed down.
The BBC's assistant political editor, Norman Smith, said such a result would have been a humiliation for Mr Cameron after he was also forced to back down over reforms to disability benefits in the Budget.
Conservative former minister Peter Lilley, who supported the amendment, said that although he supports free trade, TTIP would introduce "special courts which are not necessary for free trade, will give American multinationals the right to sue our government (but not vice versa) and could put our NHS at risk".
TTIP is primarily a deal to cut tariffs and regulatory barriers to trade between the US and EU countries, making it potentially easier for companies on both sides of the Atlantic to access each other's markets.
Industries it would affect include pharmaceuticals, cars, energy, finance, chemicals, clothing and food and drink.
The government says shoppers would benefit by the removal of EU import tariffs on popular goods, such as jeans and cars.
In the UK, attention has focused on the potential impact on the NHS, with critics saying TTIP would allow private firms running NHS services to sue the government if it chose to return the services to the public sector.
What is the future for UK-US trade?
Labour MP Frank Field, who backed the amendment, said: "We can't have kangaroo courts, operating only to America's advantage, deciding how we should trade in respect of the NHS."
Former Labour foreign secretary Lord Owen, of the Vote Leave campaign, said the prime minister had a problem because "millions of people in the country do not want the health service dragged into this EU-US trade agreement".
SNP MP Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh said: "The SNP have been at the forefront of the campaign to protect the NHS and other public services from the potential consequences of TTIP, and so we welcome any opportunity to ensure that the Tory government keep the promises they have already made."
But former Labour minister Rachel Reeves, writing on the Labour List website, said: "Those who want Britain to leave the EU need to stop preying on British peoples' love for the NHS by cynically pretending that TTIP poses a threat. It does not.
"They are demeaning their own campaign by arguing a case they know to be untrue."
She added: "What it will do is open up the American market to British companies, creating opportunities for business that will boost jobs and growth here at home."
EU officials had stressed that health services would not be affected by the TTIP deal, she argued, and the NHS Confederation, which represents health providers, had concluded the NHS would be protected from privatisation.
Green Party MP Caroline Lucas, who like Ms Reeves is backing the Remain campaign, said she would vote for the Conservative rebel amendment.
"The Tory government is a major driving force for TTIP - and David Cameron is one of the deal's top cheerleaders," she said.
"If we left the EU, then we could be left with the government negotiating trade deals with the rest of the world. What then?
"With the Tories still in charge, we could then expect the roll out of multiple TTIPs on steroids as Britain negotiated trade deals with countries across the world."
She added: "That doesn't sound like safety for our NHS to me." | Downing Street has agreed to sign up to a cross-party move to exclude the NHS from the terms of a controversial EU-US trade deal. | 36332415 |
Helen Bailey was found dead at her home in Royston, Hertfordshire, last July.
Her fiancé, Ian Stewart, 56, denies murdering the 51-year-old by plying her with sedatives in a financially-motivated plot.
Eileen Bailey told St Albans Crown Court her daughter had felt "highly anxious" and "spaced out" all the time.
Ms Bailey's body was found alongside that of her dachshund, Boris, under the garage at the home she shared with Mr Stewart three months after he had reported her missing.
Follow updates on this story and other Hertfordshire news
In the weeks before she had vanished, Mrs Bailey said her daughter had confided in her about leaving Boris on the beach by mistake and not being able to recognise her hands on a computer keyboard.
"That really worried me. She just had such a good memory beforehand," Mrs Bailey told the jury.
A post-mortem examination found traces of an anti-insomnia drug which had been prescribed to Mr Stewart, the court heard previously.
Mrs Bailey described how her daughter had called her and told her "in this panicked voice" that she had "just slept five hours" after having a full night's sleep.
She told the court she thought Mr Stewart had cooked her daughter breakfast on the morning of the call, but on cross-examination said she could not be sure.
Mrs Bailey, 88, also said she had felt "uneasy" about the relationship between Ms Bailey and Mr Stewart.
"Latterly I was quite unhappy - mainly because of Helen's state of mind," she said.
Mr Stewart denies murder along with five other charges - preventing a lawful burial, fraud and three counts of perverting the course of justice.
The trial continues. | A children's author whose body was found in a cesspit "panicked" about forgetful incidents in the weeks before she vanished, her mother told a court. | 38719624 |
But according Google Maps it no longer had a mark at all, when it replaced Basingstoke with "Town Centre".
A Google spokesman said: "Whoops. Sorry for the mix-up. An engineer is quite literally putting Basingstoke on the map."
The town name has now been reinstated on Google Maps on certain browsers, but on others the area is now left blank.
Chris Quintana of Hampshire's Chamber of Commerce had branded the gaffe "ridiculous", describing Basingstoke as "an amazing place".
Source: Hampshire County Council
"Basingstoke is a major central link to Heathrow, to Farnborough airport," he said.
"'Town Centre' - why would anyone put it down like that?'
"This does absolutely nothing for inward investment into the UK.
"This town is not called 'Town Centre' it has a name and it is called Basingstoke."
Attractions in the town include: Basing House, the ruins of a 12th Centre castle; The Anvil, one of Hampshire's largest entertainment venues; and the Milestones Museum of Living History. | As a London overspill town, Basingstoke is a town that competes with its larger neighbours to make its mark on the map. | 27252841 |
17 March 2016 Last updated at 10:27 GMT
Sugar tax has got you in a fizz and it seems the lifetime ISA has divided opinion as well.
Here's your verdict on the Budget and your marks out of 10 for George Osborne. | You have been telling us about the issues that matter to you in the chancellor's Budget. | 35831733 |
In September, blue paint was used on a sample of privately-owned Dartmoor ponies to test its durability.
Conservationists said it had remained on the animals, and reflective beads that create an "alien glow" had since been added.
They said 74 animals have been killed so far this year on Dartmoor's roads.
More on this story and others from Devon.
Karla McKechnie, livestock protection officer for the Dartmoor Livestock Protection Society (DLPS), said: "The reflective element is very bright and despite the horrendous weather it's very visible.
"We'll now monitor how long it remains on the animals, and the company behind the paint is trying to see whether it can create an even brighter and more durable version."
Ms McKechnie said following the success, the plan was to paint moorland livestock ahead of Dartmoor's annual pony round-up and sale, known as the drift, which is held each autumn.
"She told BBC News: "In the coming months we might try the reflective paint on privately-owned cattle too.
"The moor is a working landscape and the animals are the priority," she added.
Rob Steemson, Dartmoor National Park's head ranger, said: "The authority is pleased to hear the trial is progressing well and we continue to fully support the project to reduce the number of road deaths in conjunction with educational messages for motorists using Dartmoor's roads."
Source: Dartmoor National Park Authority/BBC News | Reflective paint, which could "save hundreds" of animals from being killed by vehicles, has been put on ponies after a trial was deemed a success. | 34856151 |
But more than a quarter of those polled for BBC Local Radio by the pollsters COMRES think he has not helped keep the Church of England relevant in Britain.
The next Archbishop of Canterbury could be chosen later as the Crown Nominations Commission meets to discuss the candidates.
The commission will put forward its choice for approval by the Prime Minister and then the Queen.
The survey of 2,594 adults in England was carried out by phone from 24 August to 9 September.
The poll found 53% of people agreed that Dr Williams had been a good leader and 55% think he has been clear in telling people what he believes and why.
During Dr Williams's 10 years in the post, the Church has seen major upheavals over issues such as whether to create women bishops. It has also voiced its opposition to the government's gay marriage laws while Dr Williams's comments on issues like Sharia and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have often come under attack in the media.
"I'm a great fan," said Anne Waizenaker, the vicar of St Nicolas Church, in Shoreham-by-Sea, in West Sussex, where a group of mostly elderly parishioners have gathered for a traditional, mid-week communion service.
"He's a great theologian, a man of great depth and I think for me he's been a great leader of the Church, I hope history will judge him kindly."
"He's been a leader in a very difficult situation," said retired priest Father Tom Winter. "The ordination of women, the consecration of women as bishops, the problem of homosexuals being ordained or not ordained. These are issues which he has not fundamentally got to grips with.
"But he stays true to what he believes and he does it in a very gentle, loving way. That for me is true leadership."
Paul Handley, the editor of the Independent Church Times newspaper and a seasoned Rowan watcher, said: "For the last few Archbishops there have been some rows brewing and quite a lot of them have come to a head in his time.
"He hasn't really been able to set an agenda of his own. He's attempted to make more of the pluralism side of our community and got slapped down for an aspect of that.
"But if you talk to religious leaders across the board, they all think of him as somebody who's opened the establishment to different views and different religions."
But a quarter of people told the BBC poll the current Archbishop has not made the Church relevant to modern Britain.
And at the more modern, Evangelical end of the Anglican Church, some people believe he could have done better as leader of the Church.
Even though it is only a short distance from St Nicolas in Shoreham, St Peter's Church, in Brighton, is a lively evangelical Church with a modern style of worship and a growing congregation of more than 600 people.
Worshipper Clive Newton said: "I think in standing back and trying to achieve balance, he's lost any direction or authority over people."
Source: archbishopofcanterbury.org
BBC Religion A-Z: Church of England
Rohip Nathaniel, also part of the congregation agreed, he said: "I think he's had a very tough time to be honest because he's been trying to please many people all of the time and I think that's been a problem. I would have preferred him to take a solid stance and stick to his guns."
Both men would like to see the Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, who is popular with the conservative and evangelical wing, succeed Dr Williams.
The Reverend George Pitcher, who was the Archbishop's press secretary for a year, said that on the contrary, Rowan Williams has always been clear in the message he has sent out.
He said: "The Archbishop of Canterbury never says anything he doesn't mean, hasn't thought through and doesn't feel that the time is right for saying.
"He never speaks off the cuff. When he's said something which has upset politicians or some quarters of the media, I've never seen him or heard of him regretting it.
"It needed saying in his view and has been said, and it's given people permission to hold that view."
The next Archbishop will not find the job any easier. The Church of England has yet to make its final decision on consecrating women as Bishops and has expressed its opposition to the impending laws introducing gay marriage.
In addition, many parts of the worldwide Anglican Church - especially in parts of Africa - are still unhappy with the leadership from London. | More than half of the people who took part in an opinion poll for the BBC believe the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has been a good leader of the Church. | 19714049 |
Ray Teret is said to have placed a magazine advert seeking "the next teenage pop sensation", and allegedly raped a girl who responded at his flat.
The 72-year-old, of Altrincham, Greater Manchester, denies 18 rapes and a string of other sex offences.
He is on trial with two other men at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.
Alan Ledger, 62, also from Altrincham, denies a series of assaults.
Also standing trial is William Harper, 65, of Stretford, who denies one count of attempted rape.
Mr Teret's alleged victim went "into a bit of lockdown" and submitted to sex with him after he gave her red wine for the first time and she became drunk, the court heard.
Prosecutor Tim Evans said the DJ had earlier collected the 17-year-old from her family home in "a big send off", saying she needed to be in the "bright lights of Manchester".
The attack is alleged to have taken place in the mid-1990s when Mr Teret was in his mid-50s.
After the alleged rape, Mr Teret gave the 17-year-old £40 to buy a new dress, the jury was told.
The court heard that, despite his promises, the girl - hoping to make it as a singer - was not found "a jot of work".
The former Radio Caroline DJ also denies an attempted rape, two other serious sexual assaults, 11 indecent assaults and two counts of indecency with a child.
The offences relate to 17 different girls and date back to 1962.
The court also heard how one complainant aged 12 or 13 met Mr Teret regularly at his flat.
Mr Evans said that on one occasion Mr Teret committed a serious sexual assault on her while his co-defendant Alan Ledger, at the time a club DJ, held down her hands.
The complainant later told police of a wall in Mr Teret's flat with graffiti on it which contained names, messages and phone numbers.
The prosecutor said the jury would hear that, years later, the police were able to find such a wall and photographs of it would be shown during the trial.
The court also heard the girl, who is said to have had sex with Mr Teret until she was 15, was encouraged to introduce her friends, also complainants, to Mr Teret.
One of those friends went on to be abused at the age of 13 by Mr Teret and Mr Ledger, according to the prosecution.
Mr Evans said this complainant was another "young, naive, vulnerable" girl who was "to a greater or lesser extent starstruck and charmed".
Another complainant said she was raped aged 13 by Mr Teret and that on a separate occasion Mr Harper - a DJ and presenter who went by the stage name of Tony Grey - attempted to rape her.
Mr Evans said the girl was sent by Mr Teret on "a false errand" to collect a book from the home of Mr Harper who tried to have sex with her before it is said his mother interrupted him.
The prosecution also outlined a string of other alleged offences by Mr Teret, including the rape of a 13-year-old girl he met while compering a talent show and the indecent assault of a 15-year-old in his car.
When interviewed by police following his arrest, Mr Teret said teenage girls did nothing for him, the court heard.
But Mr Evans told the jury: "In light simply of the evidence you will hear in this case, the Crown say that young teenage girls, far from doing nothing for him, were consistently pursued by him through the '60s and '70s."
Some of the three men's alleged victims had had counselling, Mr Evans told the jury, while some had not.
"But each was to a greater or lesser extent affected by what they say Mr Teret and these other defendants, and other men not on trial, did to them all those years ago," he added.
The trial continues. | An ex-radio disc jockey accused of raping a 15-year-old girl with Jimmy Savile raped another teenager after promising her fame, a court has heard. | 29541360 |
The much-travelled 31-year-old Nigerian recently left Dagenham & Redbridge after the Daggers decided not to renew his short-term contract.
Okuonghae began his career with Aldershot and played for St Albans, Crawley and Weymouth - and had two stints with the Daggers.
He then joined Colchester in 2009, where he played more than 200 games. | Maidstone have signed experienced defender Magnus Okuonghae on a deal until the end of the season. | 39032368 |
In a Facebook post, the Batman and Argo actor admitted that alcoholism was "something I've dealt with in the past and will continue to confront".
He said the latest course of treatment was "the first of many steps being taken towards a positive recovery".
His battles with drink problems stretch back more than 15 years, with his first reported stint in an alcohol treatment clinic taking place in 2001.
In his new statement, he wrote: "I want to live life to the fullest and be the best father I can be.
"I want my kids to know there is no shame in getting help when you need it, and to be a source of strength for anyone out there who needs help but is afraid to take the first step."
He praised wife Jennifer Garner, with whom he has three children. The pair announced their separation in 2015 but recent reports have suggested they "are giving things another try".
He said: "I'm lucky to have the love of my family and friends, including my co-parent, Jen, who has supported me and cared for our kids as I've done the work I set out to do.
"This was the first of many steps being taken towards a positive recovery."
The double Oscar-winner recently pulled out of directing the upcoming standalone Batman film, but will still produce and star in the movie.
He is also expected to direct and star in Witness for the Prosecution, based on the Agatha Christie story.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]. | Ben Affleck has said he has completed treatment for alcohol addiction. | 39277689 |
After all, when you've made blocking a return for the Tories an absolute priority, then where else do you go?
The comments on the weekend by Leanne Wood that Plaid may withhold its support for Ed Miliband if he leads a minority Labour government are a way of trying to deal with that.
At the very least it sends out the message that it can't be taken for granted.
Plaid's problem is it that it doesn't spell out what the alternatives are if it doesn't support Labour.
Unsurprisingly, Labour has been more than happy to try to answer that question by saying it opens the door to a return for the Conservatives, which is explicitly what Plaid has been campaigning against in recent weeks.
Of course all of this only becomes relevant in the event of a hung parliament, which is exactly what the polls are suggesting will happen.
Despite what the Tories say about the NHS being the main doorstep issue and UKIP saying it's immigration, it is who is trusted on the economy that will decide who gets into Number 10.
And when it comes to the economy, a feature of the campaign so far is the striking contrast in the way the parties are describing the situation in Wales.
On opposite ends of the spectrum are David Cameron saying there's a jobs miracle underway while Labour and Plaid paint a picture of thousands of people using food banks, claiming what they call the bedroom tax or are on a zero hours contract.
What's the truth? The Conservatives say the truth lies in the stats and there were plenty thrown at journalists at the launch of their Welsh manifesto on Friday at the Royal Welsh showground in Builth Wells.
The even coincided with the latest unemployment figures, showing 12,000 fewer people unemployed on the quarter.
Behind the scenes I was being urged to make sure those figures were reflected in our news bulletins on the day.
Conservatives are acutely aware of the dangers of this being a vote-less recovery, or as Plaid one described it a "spreadsheet" recovery.
In other words, it's an economic recovery that is not being felt on the ground, which is the central claim of Labour.
The economy is the prism for all of the parties. The Liberal Democrats have for the first time based their entire campaign on the prospect of being a moderating coalition partner which would ensure the economy is not jeopardised by too much, or too little, austerity.
And UKIP claims that the British economy would perform better if it was freed from the shackles of being a member of the EU.
I'm not telling anyone anything new by saying it's down to the economy. How the parties turn it to their advantage? Well that's another matter. | Plaid Cymru's stance against the Conservatives in this campaign was always going to leave it vulnerable to the claim that when push comes to shove, Labour will always be able to rely on its support. | 32381542 |
Warrington three-quarter Evans and Wigan prop Flower withdrew from the Wales squad for qualifiers against Serbia and Italy in October.
And coach Kear says they are outsiders to make the trip to Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
"This season, they'll have to tear the house down basically," said Kear.
"They'll have to play so well that I'd be foolish to leave them out. The criteria for selection is loyalty and commitment to the cause.
"We picked up the Welsh team when morale was low and performances weren't crash hot, but we've turned that around because we set the culture, the standards and the ethos in stone and we've gone six games undefeated.
"I think there's bit of loyalty to be rewarded."
Meanwhile, Wales have no plans for any mid-season internationals or meet-ups before the World Cup, which begins in October.
"I'm in club rugby and I know that 30 Super League games, or 23 Championship games with the Super 8s, and all the Challenge Cup and play-off games is enough for any player," said Kear, who is also part of Wakefield's coaching team.
"We're leaving the players alone. So in that fallow week when England play Samoa, they'll be resting up. We won't meet until 10 days before we fly out."
Wales' World Cup campaign opens against co-hosts Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby on 28 October. They also face Fiji and Ireland in the group stages. | Wales coach John Kear has challenged Super League stars Ben Flower and Rhys Evans to "tear the house down" or miss out on a place at the 2017 World Cup. | 38597026 |
The Burkinabe were denied spot-kicks in normal time and in extra-time, when they also had a goal ruled out, and saw Jonathan Pitroipa harshly sent off.
Mubarak Wakaso put Ghana ahead in normal time with a debatable spot-kick, before Aristide Bance equalised.
Burkina Faso won the penalty shoot-out 3-2 to set up a meeting with Nigeria.
That Pitroipa - outstanding throughout the tournament - will not be a part of that showpiece match in Johannesburg will take some of the joy out of the victors' celebrations.
Referee Slim Jedidi showed the winger a second yellow card for diving in extra-time when it looked liked a clear foul on the player, having earlier twice turned down plausible penalty claims from the Burkinabe.
Justice appeared to have been done when Emmanuel Agyemang Badu missed Ghana's fifth spot-kick in the shoot-out and Burkina Faso players began celebrating their historic achievement.
Burkina Faso's pervious best performance was reaching the semi-finals in 1998 when they hosted the tournament
Having played on the dreadful Mbombela Stadium pitch in all four of their previous games, it was perhaps no surprise that the Burkinabe settled more quickly than Ghana.
They should have won a penalty for what looked a blatant push by John Boye on Pitroipa. But the referee was not impressed, and then ruled that Mady Panandetiguiri had fouled Christian Atsu as the pair rose to battle to get their head on a free-kick into the box and awarded Ghana a penalty, which Wakaso converted.
It was a turnaround in fortune for the Black Stars, who had lost defender John Pantsil to injury within the first 10 minutes.
Skipper Asamoah Gyan then had a chance to put Ghana firmly in control when he beat the offside trap to bear down on Daouda Diakite but the Burkinabe keeper closed down the angle well to make a save.
But Burkina Faso, who have been resilient throughout the tournament, responded well and Prejuce Nakoulma had a good chance to hit back when he latched on to a long ball over the top, but blazed over the bar.
The end of the half belonged to Ghana and they could have had another penalty in the opening period when Paul Koulibaly tangled with Badu.
And the Black Stars missed another good chance to double their lead in open play when substitute Solomon Asante - on for Pantsil - poked over after great work by Kwadwo Asamoah.
The Burkinabe looked in determined mood after the break and soon saw Bance's header brilliantly clawed out of the top corner by Dauda.
Five minutes later, Gyan had an excellent chance to give Ghana some breathing space but struck the foot of the right post from 10 yards out.
A Twitter campaign has already begun to get Cas to rescind Jonathan Pitroipa's red card
And the Black Stars skipper was soon made to pay for that miss when Bance, one of three changes to the Burkinabe starting line-up, put his side level, side-footing home after Badu had been robbed in midfield.
Gyan had a chance to atone for his miss when he rose to meet a right-wing cross but his header went narrowly wide. To add injury to his disappointment, Gyan was then kicked by Paul Koulibaly while on the floor, with the Burkinabe man lucky to be booked rather than sent off.
With neither side able to make the breakthrough, the game went into extra-time and there were chances galore for both teams.
Ghana substitute Harrison Afful brought a good save from Diakite before Burkina Faso's Bakary Kone headed over from close range and then Bance beat two men and cut inside but lashed his shot over the bar.
Soon after came perhaps the most controversial call of the game. Nakoulma beat Asamoah to a throughball and poked the ball past Fatau Dauda but the referee ruled the goal out for a foul that was difficult to detect.
In the second period of extra-time the Burkinabe came close again when Bance's fierce drives somehow cleared off the line by Afful.
As extra-time ran down, Pitroipa was dismissed when he should have won a penalty, but more penalties were to come as the game came down to a shoot-out.
Pan Pierre Koulibaly was the only Burkina Faso player to miss as they ran out winners, with Badu the unfortunate man to miss for Ghana, who now contest the third-place play-off with Mali.
Burkina Faso coach Paul Put:
"The refereeing decisions were scandalous.
"We've lost Jonathan Pitroipa now for the final. He's very important to us, but we are 23 players and it's up to the technical staff to devise tactics to beat Nigeria without him and [the injured] Alain Traore."
Burkina Faso captain Charles Kabore:
"The referee is human, all humans make mistakes, but he happened to make too many tonight.
"But we're not going to dwell on that. We've qualified."
Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan:
"We came here to win [but] the better side won on penalties.
"We're all really sad now. That's normal. We're down, but we have to psyche ourselves up now for the third place play-off with Mali." | Burkina Faso reached their first Africa Cup of Nations final by beating Ghana on penalties in a dramatic and controversial semi-final in Nelspruit. | 21339090 |
Robert Hinz, who threw three-month-old Julian "vigorously" against a hard surface, will serve a minimum term of 21 years.
Julian suffered severe skull fractures last April and died in hospital when his life support system was turned off.
Hinz, 34, of Carysfort Road, Bournemouth, was convicted of murder by a jury at Winchester Crown Court.
The court heard Julian collapsed in a bedroom at home on 8 April 2016, when his mother was out shopping.
Hinz told the jury he tried to resuscitate his son, who was "floppy" and not breathing.
He had denied injuring his son, but police told the court he was "unable to control his anger and aggression".
Doctors identified a minimum of 42 fractures in Julian's body, including fractured ribs, inflicted by "squeezing" and bruising, the jury heard.
Following Hinz's sentencing, Det Insp Richard Dixey said the murder was a "truly appalling crime".
The court heard Hinz moved to the UK from Poland 2006, with wife Monika and their three children.
Julian was born a normal healthy child on New Year's Eve 2015.
Passing sentence, judge Mr Justice Warby said: "Over... three months until the fatal episode, you lost your job and ran into financial difficulties.
"Over the same period your son was subjected to serious violence at your hands on at least four occasions."
Mr Justice Warby said the harm Hinz caused to his family was "hard to exaggerate".
"My final words must be addressed to your wife," he said.
"The events will never leave her life, of course. With time will come some lessening of the pain. But she will be serving her own life sentence, because of what you did."
Bournemouth and Poole Local Safeguarding Children Board confirmed a serious case review was under way following Julian's death.
Chair Sarah Elliott said: "Following today's sentencing, a serious case review begun last year will continue, to determine if the decisions and actions undertaken by the various agencies involved during Julian's short life could have prevented his death and whether there are lessons to be learned." | A man who murdered his baby son in a "moment of anger" has been jailed for life. | 39802288 |
Wang Yi said he urged Ri Yong-ho to abide by UN resolutions in a meeting on Sunday in the Philippines.
He did not say how Mr Ri replied.
Saturday's resolution banning North Korean exports and limiting investments in the country was passed unanimously.
Mr Wang said sanctions were needed, but "are not the final goal", and he urged dialogue. He said he had told North Korea to remain calm, and not provoke the international community with more tests.
The Chinese envoy also urged the US and South Korea not to increase tensions, saying that the situation was at a "critical point", but also a juncture at which talks could be resumed.
US envoy to the UN Nikki Haley earlier said North Korea was facing "the most stringent set of sanctions on any country in a generation".
Pyongyang tested two intercontinental ballistic missiles in July, claiming it now had the ability to hit the US.
However, experts doubt the missiles can hit their targets.
The tests were condemned by South Korea, Japan and the US, and prompted the drafting of the new UN sanctions.
China, North Korea's only international ally and a veto-wielding member of the UN Security Council, voted in favour of the resolution after negotiations with the US that Ms Haley said were "tough".
Beijing has often protected Pyongyang from harmful resolutions in the past.
Russia, which the US has also criticised for its economic links with North Korea, also voted for the sanctions.
Top diplomats including US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson are gathered for a regional forum under the aegis of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in the Philippines' capital, Manila.
North Korea's nuclear programme is expected to be a major issue but there are no plans for a bilateral meeting between Mr Tillerson and the North Korean representative.
Speaking earlier as he sat down for talks with South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, Mr Tillerson said the sanctions were a "good outcome".
Can the US defend itself against North Korea?
Jonathan Head, BBC South East Asia Correspondent
The steady advances in North Korean missile technology have lent a sense of urgency to US diplomacy in Asia, and Rex Tillerson's attendance at the Asean Regional Forum is well-timed.
The US wants a show of unity at this forum in condemning North Korea - uniquely, Mr Tillerson will find himself in the same room as his North Korean counterpart, Ri Yong-ho, although the two are very unlikely to speak to one another.
Mr Tillerson will also be holding bilateral meetings with his Russian and Chinese counterparts. Just by being at this diplomatic talkfest Rex Tillerson will offer a striking change of tone. In the first seven months of the Trump administration his voice has been subdued on Asia, whereas the president's comments have been seen by many Asian officials as erratic and at times inflammatory.
However there are important differences over how best to deal with North Korea. The US believes pressure must be ramped up on Pyongyang, to get it to reverse, not just freeze, its nuclear and missile programmes.
Many Asian countries fear the Trump administration's growing anxiety and anger over North Korea's missile tests risk escalating into a dangerous confrontation; there is still a broad consensus in this region that engagement, however frustrating, is the only way forward - so the US bid to have North Korea expelled from the Asean Regional Forum will meet plenty of resistance.
US President Donald Trump tweeted to say the sanctions would cost the North more than $1bn (£0.7bn).
The export of coal, ore and other raw materials to China is one of North Korea's few sources of cash. Estimates say that North Korea exports about $3bn worth of goods each year - and the sanctions could eliminate $1bn of that trade.
But China's participation will be key and top US diplomats say they will be keeping a close eye on Beijing to make sure it consistently abides by the sanctions.
End of Twitter post by @realDonaldTrump
Earlier this year, China suspended imports of coal to increase pressure on Pyongyang.
However, repeated sanctions have so far failed to deter North Korea from continuing with its missile development.
Beijing is also furious about the deployment of a US-funded missile defence system in South Korea and wants it to be scrapped.
North Korea has is yet to officially respond to the new sanctions. A senior official told South Korea's Yonhap news agency: "We will make our stance clear when things are determined."
But ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun earlier said nuclear action or sanctions taken by Washington would lead to an "unimaginable sea of fire" engulfing the US.
The isolated state's repeated missile and nuclear weapon tests in breach of UN resolutions have been condemned by neighbours in the region.
But South Korea says it may hold direct talks with the North during the Asean summit.
Its foreign minister said she was willing to talk to her counterpart from Pyongyang, if the chance "naturally occurs".
Altogether, 27 nations are sending representatives to the Asean Regional Forum.
Asean's 10 member states issued a joint statement saying they had "grave concerns" over North Korea's actions, which "seriously threaten peace". | China's foreign minister has told his North Korean counterpart that Pyongyang should stop carrying out nuclear and missile tests, hours after fresh sanctions were agreed by the United Nations Security Council. | 40842068 |
He had been undergoing hospital treatment in France for cancer.
Kiarostami stayed in Iran after the Islamic Revolution in 1979 and made more than 40 films, including documentaries. He won the Palme D'Or, the top prize at Cannes, with his 1997 film Taste of Cherry.
But he shot his last two films outside the country.
Kiarostami was hugely influential in world cinema. The French-Swiss director Jean-Luc Godard is reputed to have said: "Film begins with DW Griffith and ends with Abbas Kiarostami."
He was the only Iranian to ever win the Palme D'Or.
Taste of Cherry was a minimalist film about a man looking for someone to bury him after his suicide. It examined Iranian civic and religious attitudes of the time.
For a long time we thought that he was talking on our behalf - on behalf of the Iranians - and he was basically our best representative of everything that is good about Iranian life and culture.
Unfortunately, Iran hasn't been enjoying the best image in terms of how the rest of the world thinks about Iran, so we would always go to people like Mr Kiarostami, who would take pride in his work and how he was representing the Iranians.
I would say since his success in winning the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 1997, he became one of the greatest filmmakers in the world. I mean, people in the rest of the world started to relate to him and relate to what his movies presented - basically the antithesis of the Hollywood movies.
His work was a breath of fresh air in international cinema.
My friend, the auteur
His film Ten was also nominated for a Palme D'Or. Shot on two digital cameras attached to a car, it followed a woman driving around Tehran with various passengers and explored social issues around the role of women.
In 2005 he teamed up with the British director Ken Loach and the Italian filmmaker Ermanno Olmo to make a three-part film called Tickets.
Iranian social media is awash with tributes to Kiarostiami from officials and film fans alike.
President Hassan Rouhani said "Abbas Kiarostami's deep and unique view on life and his call to human beings for peace and friendship will remain a lasting achievement."
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called him "a towering figure of world cinema," while an official at the Iranian foreign ministry said he "gave Iranian cinema a new identity".
Iranian-American actor, screenwriter and director Peyman Maady quoted French director Jean-Luc Godard in saying "cinema begins with [Hollywood pioneer] D W Griffith and ends with Abbas Kiarostami".
Iranian news agency ISNA has reported that cinemas across the country will hold a moment of silence this evening to pay tribute to Kiarostami.
US director Martin Scorsese said Kiarostami was "a very special human being: quiet, elegant, modest, articulate and quite observant.
"He was a true gentleman and, truly, one of our great artists.''
The New York cinema magazine The Film Stage tweeted that "the world may have lost its greatest filmmaker".
The British Film Institute tweeted that it was "saddened" at the news, while the Telegraph's film critic Robbie Collin called him a "miracle worker disguised as a close-up magician".
On fiction vs documentary: "I believe there's only good cinema and bad cinema. Good cinema is what we can believe and bad cinema is what we can't believe."
Asked how Iranian cinema kept its identity: "I believe this is our only chance to speak outwardly... Iranian cinema has always maintained its style, one, because of the want of its directors and another, because of the chance that it has been given in world cinema."
His advice to young filmmakers: "A suggestion that I often give is if you have a special taste or a special style you have to be independent of the capital and of industry and you have to keep your independence, otherwise industry will only produce more of itself." | Award-winning Iranian film director Abbas Kiarostami has died in Paris aged 76, Iranian news agencies report. | 36709240 |
The Venerable Andy Piggott, who turns 66 next year, will leave his position on 30 June.
He said: "The role of an archdeacon is quite a challenging one and it's been hard work but it's people who I'll miss, who've been very kind."
The archdeacon and his wife Ruth plan to move back to the West Midlands.
The Bishop of Bath and Wells, the Right Reverend Peter Hancock, said both had made significant contributions to the life in the diocese.
He said events would held over the next months to mark and celebrate the archdeacon's ministry.
Mr Piggott said he had been "very surprised and very humbled" when invited to become archdeacon in 2005 and that it had been great to live and serve in the area. | The Archdeacon of Bath has announced he will retire next year having served the diocese since 2005 and being in full time ministry for 30 years. | 38356900 |
TV pundit Williams claimed that Payne made "really poor decisions" and kicked too much in Sunday's 44-10 World Cup Pool D win over Romania at Wembley.
Cave, 28, said that he would have been "pretty annoyed" by such criticism.
"It can be frustrating when guys are just throwing out opinions which aren't based on facts," said Cave on Tuesday.
"Suddenly that becomes everyone else's opinion - the guys who've had a couple of beers and watched the game.
"Then after a week it's the perception of half the nation and it's just completely false.
"At the end of the day it can be frustrating at times but Jared will do the right thing, he'll keep his head down, he'll keep working hard and he'll keep playing well for Ireland."
Cave was Payne's centre partner in Sunday's game at Wembley after the the New Zealand native lined up in midfield alongside Luke Fitzgerald in Ireland's opening World Cup win over Canada.
"I actually thought the Canada game was potentially Jared's best game in green."
Cave was surprised by former Ulster coach Williams's complaints about Payne's kicking in Sunday's game at Wembley.
Williams's criticism of Payne, 29, followed comments from ex-All Blacks star Justin Marshall last week which described the Kiwi native as a "makeshift centre".
Prior to his move to centre by Ireland coach Joe Schmidt, Payne played the majority of his rugby at full-back.
"It's just opinion at the end of the day, it's not really based on fact," added Cave.
"I heard about him apparently kicking the ball away too much but I think he kicked the ball twice and both times it was penalty advantage, and both times we went back for the penalty.
"I really enjoyed playing alongside him when I was named at 12 and he was named at 13 beside me, I knew I'd feel very comfortable in there."
Williams made his comments about Payne in his pundit's role for Irish channel TV3.
In a tweet on Tuesday, former Ireland flanker Stephen Ferris vehemently disagreed with Williams's comments on the Ireland midfield. | Darren Cave has strongly defended the World Cup displays of fellow Ireland centre Jared Payne following criticism from ex-Scotland coach Matt Williams. | 34394930 |