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39,198,831 | London's Natural History Museum has sent its specimen of Archaeopteryx - the so-called "first bird" - to Japan.
It is travelling in Asia with nearly 300 other treasures from the South Kensington institution's collections.
The limestone slabs that contain the bones of this pivotal creature on the evolutionary line from dinosaurs to birds are considered priceless.
They are also very delicate. But museum officials are satisfied the iconic fossil will come to no harm.
"The scary thing is that it contains parts that are only one or two millimetres in depth, and so for me going to Tokyo with it is a bit challenging," concedes Lorraine Cornish, the head of conservation at the NHM.
"But we're doing some exciting touring exhibitions - putting ourselves out there to promote our collections. And if you're going to do an exhibition about the 'treasures of the Natural History Museum' then you kind of have to include this fossil because it really is a treasure."
Purchased in 1863 for £700 from Germany, where it was unearthed, the fossil was kept initially at the British Museum before being moved to the NHM when it opened in 1881. It has not been out of the building since - until now.
The fossil is referred to by experts simply as the "London Specimen".
It represents the holotype of the species. In other words, it is the version of Archaeopteryx against which all other discoveries are compared.
Not that there are many. Eleven full-body specimens have been formally described; there are perhaps two or three others in private collections.
Getting up close to this 150-million-year-old icon is certainly a buzz - something I had the privilege of doing as Lorraine prepared the specimen for its Asian excursion.
At first glance, it might seem to be just a ragtag assortment of bones, but look closer and you immediately understand why Archaeopteryx is so interesting.
It has beautiful impressions of feathers and wings - like a bird. But then it also displays the claws, the long bony tail and the serrated teeth you would associate with dinosaurs.
No wonder Charles Darwin was so excited by Archaeopteryx.
Emerging just a couple of years after he published his theory of evolution, this specimen was just the sort of transitional form he would have expected to exist in the fossil record.
In recent years, there has been a battle of headlines over the importance of Archaeopteryx.
At times, it has seemed out of favour, no longer considered to be right at the base of the line that diverges from non-avian feathered dinosaurs towards modern birds.
Then some new research is published and the reputation of this magpie-sized creature is restored.
But Prof Paul Barrett at the NHM says much of this to and fro is really the esoteric chatter of specialists.
"Archaeopteryx is important because it's a nice fossil with lots of information and it was the first one recognised as an early bird, but in terms of being earth-shattering - that job is done," he told me.
"Its central role has been in establishing birds as dinosaurs. That is its lasting historical legacy.
"Anything that gets published on it now is more or less a tweak to that story.
"There are many new fossils, particularly from China, that have come out and cluster around it on the evolutionary tree; and there are lots of arguments over which of these is going to win the ribbon as the 'earliest bird', but to some extent that's now become a much less interesting question."
The London Specimen is still used in research. It was recently scanned to produce a new, soon-to-be-released, three-dimensional visualisation.
This work is bound to throw up fresh insights on the creature, says Lorraine Cornish.
But her main concern right now is getting the fossil safely to Tokyo and back.
Japan as we all know is frequently shaken by earthquakes, and London officials have had to satisfy themselves that their fossilised "crown jewel" will be protected against any tremors.
Those super-thin parts are now supported underneath by a polyethylene glycol-soaked gauze.
The head of conservation told me: "We've got all sorts of measuring devices that we're taking with us to Japan, to sense vibrations and to check the temperature and humidity. And it will be very closely monitored when it's in Tokyo. And then we'll be equally careful when we bring it back."
Treasures of the Natural World: Best of London's Natural History Museum will open on 18 March at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo.
The travelling exhibition features all sorts of objects, including many animals that inspired Darwin directly.
The artefacts range from a lion from the royal menagerie to an exquisite glass model of an octopus. All have a fascinating science backstory.
"Science is a global endeavour fuelled by wonder and curiosity so it has been an ambition for us to share these extraordinary treasures with a wider audience," said NHM director Sir Michael Dixon.
"They are the essence of the scientific exploration that inspired pioneers and continues today at the Natural History Museum."
Other destinations beyond Japan will be announced in due course.
[email protected] and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos | One of the true "rock stars" of the fossil world is going on tour for the first time. |
40,727,521 | Jeffrey Blue told the court Newcastle United's owner reneged on a promise to pay him a multimillion-pound sum if he increased the firm's share price.
The court heard about "drink-fuelled" meetings in pubs, including one where Mr Ashley "vomited into a fireplace".
Mr Ashley's lawyers said he had won a "comprehensive" victory.
The hearing was told that four years ago Mr Ashley met Mr Blue and three other finance specialists at the Horse and Groom in London and "consumed a lot of alcohol".
Mr Ashley said: "I can't remember the details of the conversations that we had in the pub as it was a heavy night of drinking.
"If I did say to Mr Blue that I would pay him £15m if he could increase [Sports Direct's] share price to £8, it would be obvious to everyone, including Mr Blue, that I wasn't being serious."
He said he paid Mr Blue £1m in "other deals" unrelated to the Horse and Groom meeting.
Mr Blue described Mr Ashley as a "serious businessman", but said the work ethic at Derbyshire-based Sports Direct was "like nothing else I have ever seen" with business conducted "in unorthodox ways and in unusual venues".
The £14m High Court case between Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley and a banker offered a revealing insight into how business is done in some quarters.
Stories of monster drinking sessions, kebabs and vomiting into a fireplace emerged as financial expert Jeffrey Blue tried get Ashley to cough up.
He claimed the Sports Direct founder had promised him the money in a deal struck in a pub, but Ashley said the conversation was no more than a joke.
And a judge has now agreed no-one could have thought he was being serious.
The judge said that during the Horse and Groom meeting Mr Ashley promised him £15m, but Sports Direct chairman Keith Hellawell said Mr Blue only mentioned the figure of £1m to him.
Ruling in Mr Ashley's favour, judge Justice Leggatt said: "No reasonable person present... would have thought that the offer to pay Mr Blue £15m was serious and was intended to create a contract.
"They all thought it was a joke. The fact that Mr Blue has since convinced himself that the offer was a serious one, and that a legally binding agreement was made, shows only that the human capacity for wishful thinking knows few bounds."
He ordered that Mr Blue would have to pick up Mr Ashley's legal bill of £1.5m, as well as his own of "one million odd".
In a statement after the ruling Mr Ashley said: "The only reason the Sports Direct share price exceeded £8, and will hopefully do so again, is because of the sterling efforts of all the people who work at Sports Direct." | Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley has won a High Court battle with an investment banker over a £15m deal allegedly made in a pub. |
22,497,967 | The build-up to City's 1-0 loss to Wigan was overshadowed by reports that Mancini would be sacked as manager and replaced by Malaga's Manuel Pellegrini.
He said: "You continue to speak about this for six months and also too much in the last two weeks.
"I don't know why the club didn't stop this because I don't think it's true."
"If this FA Cup final was to be the beginning of the end for Roberto Martinez and Roberto Mancini, one was leaving on a magic carpet while the other was being smuggled out of the back door"
Ben Watson's 90th-minute goal gave Wigan their first trophy in their 81-year history and made it a miserable day for Mancini and his players as last season's Premier League champions will finish without any silverware this season.
"Our target when we started the season was to win the Premier League," said Mancini. "But I think our mistakes started in the last transfer market. We didn't do enough to our team."
On reports in Spain that City have already agreed a deal with Pellegrini, he added: "I don't know if it is true or not. I don't think so. I do know football and in football anything can happen. In one or two weeks you can know if it's true or not.
"I don't need to ask the club about it. There is no reason to ask."
Mancini, who was seen in conversation on the Wembley touchline before the game with City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, said: "Do you think the chairman told me before the game 'don't worry'?
"We will see if it is true in the next two weeks. If it is not true you have written stupid things in the last six months. If it is true I'm stupid because I don't understand this.
"I work with serious people and I think I did a good job." | Roberto Mancini was publicly critical of the Manchester City hierarchy after their FA Cup final defeat for failing to stop speculation about his future. |
36,892,644 | County Durham's Bowes Museum secured money from the Art Fund, Heritage Lottery fund and private donors.
The museum will work in partnership with galleries in York and Bristol.
The government had placed an export bar on the "distinctive painting" last November while a buyer was sought.
York Art Gallery and Bristol Museum and Art Gallery will work with the Bowes Museum to deliver "a diverse and exciting activity programme surrounding the painting".
Adrian Jenkins, director of The Bowes Museum, said: "During the 15th century, Netherlandish paintings were admired all over Europe for their visual sophistication, imagination and invention, and those by Bouts and his workshop were no exception."
Netherlandish artworks were usually painted in oil, often depicting religious scenes or small portraits with richly detailed backgrounds.
The painting depicts St Luke drawing the Virgin Mary and Christ, a popular subject in 15th Century Netherlands.
Bouts, who was born in the Netherlands in around 1400, was one of the leading and most influential painters of this period and is considered a pioneer of the oil painting technique.
The bulk of the funding came from the Heritage Lottery Fund which awarded The Bowes Museum £1.99m.
Culture and digital minister Matt Hancock said: "It's fantastic news that this stunning painting will remain in the UK for the public to see. I'm delighted that the export deferral has allowed this outstanding work of art to find a new home at The Bowes Museum."
The National Gallery in London will also lead a scientific investigation and conservation project on the painting, before it is displayed at the Bowes museum and its partner galleries. It will ultimately be housed at the museum in County Durham.
Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram at bbcnewsents, or email [email protected]. | A rare 15th Century oil painting of St Luke Drawing the Virgin and Child by Dieric Bouts is to remain in the UK after £2,290,650, was acquired in funding and donations. |
32,536,484 | Scientists first heard the harsh call of the Sichuan bush warbler in 1987, but they only recently gathered enough data to formally describe it.
The new species, Locustella chengi, has been named after Prof Cheng Tso-hsin, a distinguished Chinese ornithologist.
The details have been published in the Avian Research journal.
"These birds are almost impossible to see when they are not singing," explained one of the scientists to describe the new species, Per Alstrom from the Swedish Species Information Centre, based at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.
"If the species had not been singing when we first heard it back in 1987, we would never have seen it.
"They are incredibly difficult to see because they are so secretive, sneaking around in the dense vegetation, close to or on the ground. But when they are singing, you can hear them from quite a long distance.
He told BBC News: "By being patient or using tapes to attract them, you can see them - although they will stay in the dense habitat."
Harsh tones
The song of the new species is harsher than that of its closest relative, the russet bush warbler, and consists of a "drawn-out note followed by a shorter note that are repeated in series".
The team of researchers, from Sweden, China, Vietnam, the UK and US, carried out DNA analysis that showed the two birds were very closely related and were probably separated from a common ancestor about 850,000 years ago.
Prof Alstrom explained that the publication of the paper formally describing the Sichuan bush warbler came after a search lasting almost 30 years.
"I have been trying to find this bird ever since we first heard it back in 1987," he said. We suspected that it was something different, something new (to science).
"Last year, we had received information from colleagues that both these birds - the unknown species and the Russet Bush warbler - were present on the same mountain.
"We had not found both of them together previously, so we went there specifically to get more information on how they interacted together; whether they occurred in different habitats, etc, to see if they were actually ecologically and reproductively isolated in these areas."
Although the two species have slight differences in proportions, it is the the birds' songs that mark a clear distinction.
Prof Alstrom suggested that was probably the result of random processes that had resulted in the two species evolving different vocalisation patterns.
"It is probably a combination of chance factors, such as individuals undergoing vocal "mutation', and also sexual selection," he suggested.
"Songs are used to attract females and to deter other males from their territory, so there is probably a factor of strong sexual selection evolution involved in these differences." | The distinctive song of a secretive and elusive bird in central China has helped researchers to identify it and deem it to be a new species to science. |
37,630,631 | The musician's ex-partner Pardeep Sall bombarded her with phone calls and texts, and even entered her flat, after refusing to accept their break up.
Stalking is a "personal terrorism" that left her fearing for her safety and forced her parents to move house, she told the Victoria Derbyshire programme.
Sall was convicted of stalking in May.
He was given a 12-week suspended prison sentence and an indefinite restraining order. He denies the offences, and is appealing the conviction.
Shoniwa, whose band had a hit with Don't Upset the Rhythm (Go Baby Go) in 2009, made the decision to speak publicly to highlight a call by MPs and campaigners for the maximum stalking prison sentences to be doubled from five to 10 years.
Her own experience of stalking, which began last year, was a "terrorising campaign" that was like being "killed from the inside out slowly", she said.
"It's literally like murder in slow motion. It's a sinister kind of personal terrorism that should not be tolerated," she said.
"It's nothing that I would wish upon anybody.
"The perpetrator involved in my case used to brag about having ruined other people's lives before, and that's when I saw warning signs.
"He would go around bragging that he was above the law and it was really exciting to damage people and try to play this psychological game that doesn't just affect them, but extends to their families and dozens of people around them."
The "ricochet effect" of the harassment left her constantly worried about the safety of her friends and family, Shoniwa said.
The judge who sentenced Shoniwa's stalker said he had been "in the grips of a very powerful obsession", according to reports.
You should contact the police if you're being stalked - you have a right to feel safe in your home and workplace. Call 999 if you or someone else is in immediate danger, otherwise contact your local police.
Shoniwa is backing the call for stalking offence sentences to be increased, and is also campaigning for a register of convicted stalkers, similar to the sex offenders register.
Conservative MP Alex Chalk, who is leading a group of MPs lobbying Parliament for increased sentences, said stalking could be "the gateway to serious violence", but was treated as a minor offence.
"If you compare it with other offences, for example burglary, another violating offence, has a maximum sentence of 14 years," he said.
"And yet five years for stalking, it just doesn't bear any comparison.
"The fact is the law still treats it as a minor offence. The judge has got to have powers to protect the victim, and they just don't have them at the moment." | Noisettes singer Shingai Shoniwa has spoken for the first time of her ordeal at the hands of a stalker, saying it was like "murder in slow motion". |
37,026,597 | The Scottish government is to bring forward support for job-creating projects and arrangements to help businesses deal with uncertainty.
Ms Sturgeon also called for the UK government to help boost the economy.
Scottish Secretary David Mundell held talks with business leaders and youth groups about Brexit.
Mr Mundell is holding meetings with representatives from key groups and sectors, such as farming and oil and gas, about the impact of the EU vote which took place in June.
Ms Sturgeon has just returned from Germany, where she held talks about Scotland's place in Europe with the German Minister of State for Europe Michael Roth.
During a visit to the Golden Jubilee hospital in Clydebank, she announced an expansion of the government's existing infrastructure investment plan, along with new arrangements to engage with businesses to shape policy and provide up-to-date information and advice.
An extra £100m will be made available in the current financial year to speed up delivery of health and other infrastructure projects which are currently in the pipeline, including £5m for the Golden Jubilee.
The funding added to the 2016/17 year comes from an underspend from previous budgets.
The Scottish government said details of other projects to benefit from funds will be announced in due course. Work is ongoing to select projects which will return a significant economic benefit and can be delivered this year.
A new dedicated service to liaise with firms affected by the EU referendum is to be set up, alongside a new business network to work alongside the Scotland Office, trade unions and business bodies.
Ms Sturgeon said: "As I have made clear since the EU referendum, the Scottish government will pursue all possible options to protect Scotland's relationship with the EU and ensure that our voice is heard.
"However, it is also important to act now to support and stimulate the economy.
"Scotland is and remains an attractive and stable place to do business - however, there is no doubt that the referendum outcome has created deep and widespread uncertainty, with the impact on jobs and investment already being felt.
"The UK government has not yet taken any meaningful action to alleviate uncertainty or to boost confidence, and there are very real concerns that the damage to the economy and to jobs will be severe and long lasting.
"It is against this background that the Scottish government is announcing early action to boost confidence, stimulate economic activity and support business."
The funding boost was welcomed by business groups and trade unions.
Liz Cameron, chief executive of Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said the investment was "a timely boost" and "a great example of the Scottish government using devolved powers to deliver a timely boost to the Scottish economy".
Andy Willox from the Federation of Small Businesses welcomed the plans to engage with businesses in particular, and said it was important to "squeeze every drop of value" from the new spending.
Grahame Smith, general secretary of the Scottish Trade Unions Congress, said the group "strongly endorses" Ms Sturgeon's approach.
He said: "The Scottish economy, already weak due to the downturn in the oil and gas sector, risks falling into technical recession as a result of Brexit induced uncertainty. In this context it is important that the Scottish government accelerates capital projects where feasible in order to support employment."
The Fraser of Allander Institute, an economic research group based at Strathclyde University, said there were "reasons to be cautious" about the investment, but said that "on balance" it was "a welcome step".
Scottish Labour has also published a Brexit action plan, calling for measures including a Brexit Support Fund for at-risk industries and increases in income tax to fund education.
Economy spokeswoman Jackie Baillie welcomed the funding, but said the government could be "much bolder", with the the £100m committed "like a drop in the ocean".
Scottish Conservative finance spokesman Murdo Fraser said the "modest measures" were welcome, but said the best way to boost Scotland's economy would be to "drop the threat" of a second independence referendum.
He said: "Far from seeking stability since the Brexit vote, Nicola Sturgeon has only exacerbated the uncertainty with her opportunistic talk of separation. This announcement is not a host of new projects - it is simply bringing forward works which were already planned."
The Scottish Greens welcomed the announcement which they said would be a "timely boost to the Scottish economy".
Ross Greer MSP, the Scottish Greens' external affairs spokesperson, said: "In the face of Theresa May's shift away from green energy policies, I'd urge the Scottish government to direct some of this capital to shore up the renewables sector in Scotland.
"It's this industry which can provide stable jobs and reduce energy bills in the long term and should therefore be prioritised ahead of unsustainable projects."
And Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie criticised the fact the £100m was sourced from a previous underspend.
He said: "The SNP are talking about spending yesterday's money and asking us to believe that this is urgent action. This is ludicrous. Smoke and mirrors over funding that has been sat in Scottish government bank accounts since last year will not provide the boost our economy so desperately needs."
Meanwhile, the Scottish Secretary met young people involved with the Young Scot initiative, pledging to "take the views of youth organisations to those leading the EU negotiations" following a group discussion.
Mr Mundell also visited Tontine, a business centre in Glasgow linked to the region's City Deal, before a meeting with the Scottish Chambers of Commerce to discuss priorities for business following the referendum.
He said a "Team UK approach" was needed for the Brexit negotiations, urging the Scottish government to work together with the UK government to "maximise the opportunities for Scotland as the UK prepares to leave the EU".
Scotland Office minister Andrew Dunlop has also been meeting groups across the country in recent weeks. | Nicola Sturgeon has announced £100m of funding to boost Scotland's economy and support businesses in the wake of the UK's vote to leave the EU. |
30,293,490 | The 39-year-old victim suffered injuries to his head and body following the incident on Glebe Street on 16 November.
A 21-year-old man has been arrested and charged and is due to appear at Falkirk Sheriff Court.
Officers are following a positive line of inquiry to trace a second man believed to have been involved. | Police have made an arrest after a man was injured in a street attack in front of his children in Falkirk. |
34,778,324 | But the recommendation by Wada that Russian athletes be banned from competing in events organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has raised fears in the media of exclusion from the next Olympics.
There has been much indignant denial by Russian officials of the Wada findings, but the most media outlets appear to accept them.
State-owned Rossiya 24 TV, in an extensive report, quotes the All Russia Athletics Federation saying it was "already taking tough measures to wean Russian athletes off the habit of using prohibited substances".
The English-language news channel Russia Today notes the "damning report", while carrying an interview with Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko who dismisses the report's conclusions as "baseless".
But the government-owned daily Rossiyskaya Gazeta lashes out at IAAF President Sebastian Coe. "The hastiness with which the new president is acting is a bit surprising. If the suspects haven't been proven guilty, why rush to demand that those who are possibly guilty be punished by the IAAF Council?"
Business daily Vedomosti worries that Wada's "unprecedented accusations" aimed at Russian sport officials may "lead to isolation of Russian sports".
"What's happening now is a major row in the history of Russian sports," it says in a front-page editorial. Online news website Gazeta.ru agrees, calling it "a heavy blow for Russian sport".
But popular daily Moskovskiy Komsomolets comes out fighting. "Everyone's using doping but only Russia seems to get done for it", it complains. But the paper also adds that "it's hard to break with an old habit".
"We had hoped those days of doping were in the past, we thought a corner had been turned," the paper laments. "There is pain, there is shame, there is anger here today, but Russia needs to change, we have no choice", it concludes.
An article in Vedomosti raises the spectre of Russian exclusion from the 2016 Rio Olympics, saying the threat is "very real indeed". This concern is echoed in the Sport Express in an article headlined "Wada versus Russia: Black Monday".
"The main question of the day is this: is it realistic for Russian light athletes to go without the Olympics?... We have two options left: dismantle practically the entire system of sport management right down to the base and try to frantically build something new, or proudly deny everything and watch Rio on television."
Another sports paper, Sovetsky Sport, blames the government for the situation. "Who spent money on professional light athletes and their brazenly maligned federation? The state," it asks and answers.
"Who now has to protect its investment? The state... it was taking care of the country's image. Now that image is going straight to hell. Not even now, but long ago. Why is the state keeping silent?"
BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook. | The immediate reaction from Russian media to the report by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) has been muted thus far, with limited TV coverage and only one of the mainstream dailies carrying the story on its front page. |
35,264,746 | Media playback is not supported on this device
Sixth seed Mitchell, 45, lost 5-3 to unseeded Dutchman Richard Veenstra.
Veenstra will face Canada's Jeff Smith, who beat Dennis Harbour 5-2, in the last four at Lakeside.
Ex-champion Scott Waites beat Durrant 5-4 and plays Jamie Hughes, who beat Wesley Harms 5-1. Deta Hedman and Trina Gulliver meet in the women's final.
Number three seed Hedman did not lose a leg in her 2-0 semi-final victory over Denmark's Ann-Louise Peters, while nine-time champion Gulliver won 2-1 against Aileen de Graaf of the Netherlands.
Mitchell has been one of the most popular world darts champions ever and he has packed plenty into the 12 months since he became the best in the BDO - countless exhibitions, charity functions and an appearance on BBC's Countryfile to name a few.
Neither he nor World Championship debutant Veenstra were at their best, with both unable to consistently replicate the form that got them to the quarter-finals.
Mitchell fell 4-1 behind and although he attempted to mount a comeback, the Dutchman held his nerve to end the title reign of "Scotty Dog" at Lakeside.
Waites is making a habit of grand fightbacks at Lakeside in 2016. Only 18 hours before his quarter-final with Durrant, the 2013 champion had been 3-0 behind against Geert de Vos and somehow pulled through to win 4-3.
Lifted by the support of the Lakeside crowd, Waites came from 4-2 behind to secure a place in the last four.
A shoulder injury has prevented the 38-year-old from playing anywhere near his full potential in the past couple of years. He says he is pain-free after surgery, although it will be interesting to see if the exertions of two thrilling contests will have any effect during Saturday's semi-final against fourth seed Hughes (live on BBC One, 14:30 GMT).
As for Durrant, it was a second crushing loss in the space of 12 months at Lakeside. He was beaten 6-5 to Martin Adams at the semi-final stage last year but recovered to win six BDO ranking titles in a superb 2015.
If anything, this defeat will have hurt even more, given he is the BDO's world number one and was a strong favourite for the world title.
• Jamie Hughes is the highest seed left in the men's draw at Lakeside. Glen Durrant's quarter-final exit means the top three seeds have all been eliminated.
• Jeff Smith is into the semi-finals at Lakeside for the second year in a row. He reached the last four on debut in 2015, but lost 6-0 to eventual champion Scott Mitchell.
• Trina Gulliver will make her 12th appearance in a World Championship final on Saturday. She played in the first 11 finals at Lakeside (2001-2011), winning nine of them.
Scott Waites: "It's not over until the last dart's thrown. What a game of darts. Glen took his chances early on and that was the difference. Later on, he seemed to give me a shot at double and I took my chances then."
BBC pundit Bobby George on Waites' win: "Scott did it when it counted, but he did the same [against De Vos] on Thursday. I said he could come out and win it from being 3-1 down at the break, but not with the way Glen was playing. It turned out to be a really exciting game."
Jamie Hughes: "That's what I've been waiting for all week. I've been saying that if I clicked, someone was going to get a right hammering. That's given me a massive confidence boost." | Defending champion Scott Mitchell and top seed Glen Durrant were both knocked out in the quarter-finals of the BDO World Championships. |
21,012,670 | Able Seaman Ryan Donovan, 23, shot Lt Cdr Ian Molyneux, 36, of Wigan, Greater Manchester, at close range on HMS Astute in Southampton.
He had been on a two-day drinking binge before the attack in April 2011.
Recording a narrative verdict, Coroner Keith Wiseman said he would recommend that random breath testing for Royal Navy personnel be implemented.
Donovan was jailed for life in September 2011 with a minimum term of 25 years after pleading guilty at Winchester Crown Court to the murder of the father-of-four.
The 23-year-old, of Hillside Road, also admitted the attempted murders of Lt Cdr Hodge, 45, Petty Officer Christopher Brown, 36, and Chief Petty Officer David McCoy, 37.
Mr Wiseman said it was "a miracle" no-one else had died during the gun rampage during a civic visit by Southampton's mayor and also schoolchildren who had just left when Donovan started firing.
He said a culture of drinking to excess had to stop, and a system of alcohol testing prior to duty should be introduced.
The inquest at Southampton Civic Centre heard Donovan had drunk more than 20 pints of cider and lager over two days prior to the attack.
He had also drunk vodka and cocktails before being put on guard duty with a gun while more than three times above the alcohol limit for driving.
Tests revealed Donovan's blood would have contained 139mg of alcohol per 100ml - 76% above the drink-drive limit.
Police investigating the murder were so concerned about binge drinking by the crew while ashore, that the senior officer wrote to Hampshire Constabulary Chief Constable Alex Marshall to highlight the issue and it was passed to military authorities.
Lt Cdr Molyneux suffered a single gunshot wound to the top of his head, six inches above his right ear, fired from 5cm away.
Home Office pathologist Dr Basil Purdue said the position in which he was found, lying face down on the floor, was consistent with him rushing forward to tackle the gunman.
Lt Cdr Molyneux received a posthumous George Medal for his actions.
The Royal Navy has since tightened its rules on alcohol consumption before duty.
At the time sailors were allowed 10 units in the previous 24-hours with no alcohol in the 10 hours before duty. This has now been changed to five units. | A navy officer was unlawfully killed by a junior rating on board a nuclear submarine, a coroner has said. |
31,435,929 | Of these Muslims 47% are UK born, 68% are ethnically Asian and 33% are aged 15 and under; these are some of the headline findings of a new report by the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) that has analysed census data in a bid to provide a fuller and more nuanced picture of Muslim Britain.
The report aims to be a "frank snapshot" of the state of British Muslim life and brings together statistics from the 2011 census of England and Wales to explore the demography of British Muslims, inequality, education, health and the role of women among other issues.
It shows that the Muslim population is relatively young - 33% were aged 15 or under in 2011, compared to 19% of the population as a whole. Of school age children, 8.1% are Muslim.
"We had this data but no one really analysed it," says Dr Sundas Ali, lead analyst on the report. She says that a detailed and comprehensive analysis of the British Muslim population was really lacking.
"The issue of Muslims is so topical," she said. "Everyone wants to know more about the community, what they do, how they live, what their aspirations are, and this data provided that opportunity."
The report shows that while 47% of Muslims in England and Wales were born in the UK, 73% state their only national identity is British, and only 6% of Muslims say they are struggling to speak English.
Support for the research was provided by the race equality think tank the Runnymede foundation, whose director Omar Khan argues the report is important in making it clear to the public that Muslims do not have a problem with "British values" or identifying with Britain.
"It nails some significant myths about Muslims," said Mr Khan, "The number of Muslims - which is often exaggerated, how proud Muslims are to be British, how well they fit in and the narrative around British values. They're proud to call themselves British, don't have allegiances to other countries in any major way and they don't have any confusion around where their identity lies."
The report also found that 26 parliamentary constituencies have a Muslim population of 20% or more - a statistic that is "something to note" according to report authors in the upcoming election. Authors say they want the report to be as much a resource for the Muslim community as for politicians and academics.
"It asks the Muslim community to reflect within itself," argues Dr Ali, "We do tell Muslim mosques and charities, that 'these are the problems, these are the social realities and you need to do something about it'. It's not a document complaining to the government just about what they need to do, it's targeting a number of people including Muslim civil society."
Dr Ali said there were many positives from the report "but also many challenges". 46% of the Muslim population lives in the 10% most deprived local authority districts in England and this has increased since the 2001 census.
In terms of education, Muslim communities in 2011 are doing comparatively better than in 2001 but lag behind Sikhs and Hindus. Looking at Muslims over the age of 16, 24% have qualifications of Level Four and above (degree level). For the general population this is 27%, for Hindus 45% and Sikhs 30%.
There are 329,694 Muslim full-time students - 43% of them female and 57% male.
One of the areas of concern the report highlights is how well these qualifications turn into employment, particularly for females. 29% of Muslim women between the ages of 16 and 24 are in employment, compared to approximately half the general population. For the ages group 25 - 49 the numbers show 57% of Muslim women in employment compared with 80% of women overall.
This raises a number of questions that were posed at the report's launch as areas that need extra exploration - why are educated Muslim woman not carrying on into employment? Possible reasons cited being cultural influences encouraging them to have a family and stay at home, racism and prejudice in the workplace and/or their qualifications not being from institutions of a high enough standard to appeal to employers. The report notes that Muslim students are less likely to attend Russell Group universities.
"This addresses many of the social issues that are always in the media and being discussed," added Dr Sundas Ali. "Now we have the hard facts, let's do something about it." | Dig beneath the surface of a report on how the Muslim population of England and Wales behaves and you will gain an intriguing insight into a community of 2.7m. |
35,349,469 | Marko Arnautovic scored for Stoke to claw back Liverpool's one-goal advantage from the first leg - but it was agony for Mark Hughes' side when it came to spot-kicks.
Much-criticised Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet was Liverpool's hero with saves from Peter Crouch and Marc Muniesa, allowing substitute Joe Allen to step forward to secure a meeting with either Manchester City or neighbours Everton at Wembley on 28 February.
A tight encounter was sent to penalties by Arnautovic's goal, seemingly scored from an offside position, in first-half stoppage time.
Jon Walters, Glenn Whelan, Ibrahim Affelay, Xherdan Shaqiri and Marco van Ginkel were all on target for Stoke, while Adam Lallana, Christian Benteke, Roberto Firmino, James Milner and Lucas were successful for Liverpool - before Allen settled matters to send Anfield wild in celebration.
Jurgen Klopp has endured mixed fortunes since his appointment as Liverpool manager in early October - but now he has the chance to smooth an inevitable period of transition with success.
Some may not regard the League Cup as the biggest domestic prize, but it gives the charismatic German the opportunity to cement his reputation with silverware and also give the Reds their first trophy since they won this competition under Kenny Dalglish against Cardiff City in 2012.
He would also be following the example of Jose Mourinho at Chelsea and Manuel Pellegrini at Manchester City, who each won this trophy during their first season as a manager in England.
Klopp is no stranger to Wembley having led Borussia Dortmund to Champions League final at the stadium in 2013, though they were defeated by Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich.
Liverpool keeper Simon Mignolet has often been the villain of the piece in a season of uncertain form - but here he was the hero with vital penalty saves from Crouch and Muniesa.
The Belgian's Achilles heel is his decision-making, and there were some raised eyebrows when he was given a new five-year contract earlier this month.
Mignolet rewarded the faith of Klopp, who has been steadfast in his support of the keeper, with the most significant interventions here and will hope to build on this dramatic revival of his fortunes.
A banner fluttering in the Anfield Road End among the massed ranks of Stoke fans called on their players to summon "The Spirit Of 72" - when they secured their first and last major trophy with a League Cup final win over Chelsea at Wembley.
And for spells after Arnautovic's goal, it looked like they would get the chance to join the ranks of heroes such as Gordon Banks and George Eastham as they took the fight to Liverpool with this semi-final second leg delicately poised.
Hughes must have been almost as exhausted as his players at the painful conclusion, contesting every decision and urging his men on for 120 minutes.
Sadly for the Potters and their thousands of fans, it was not to be - but the mature performance they gave in winning at Anfield, their first victory here since 1959, was another indicator of their growing maturity despite the disappointment of defeat.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp:
"It was great, the atmosphere was special. It was a good game for my side against a difficult side to play.
"They changed their style today. It was keeper Jack Butland to Peter Crouch so it was difficult to defend. We had a few problems, but they didn't have too many opportunities.
"Their goal was double offside but, in the end, we had luck in the penalty shootout. Over the whole 120 minutes, the players, crowd and Liverpool deserved it.
"Wembley is a cool place to play football... but we go there to win. It's not much fun to lose."
Stoke manager Mark Hughes:
"I thought we were by far the better team. We were behind in the tie and I'm proud of what the players produced.
"Nobody gave us a chance - why they would do that I don't know. We've proved for a couple of years that we're a good team. I think Liverpool were delighted to go to penalties and then it's a lottery.
"We got a win on paper - goodness knows how long it's been since we won here - but the objective was to get to a Wembley final which we didn't."
Jon Walters (Stoke) scores 0-1
Adam Lallana (Liverpool) scores 1-1
Peter Crouch (Stoke) saved 1-1
Emre Can (Liverpool) hits post 1-1
Glenn Whelan (Stoke) scores 1-2
Christian Benteke (Liverpool) scores 2-2
Ibrahim Afellay (Stoke) scores 2-3
Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) scores 3-3
Xherdan Shaqiri (Stoke) scores 3-4
James Milner (Liverpool) scores 4-4
Marco van Ginkel (Stoke) scores 4-5
Lucas Leiva (Liverpool) scores 5-5
Marc Muniesa (Stoke) saved 5-5
Joe Allen (Liverpool) scores 6-5
Liverpool host West Ham in the FA Cup at home on Saturday, and Stoke are away at Crystal Palace in the same competition.
Match ends, Liverpool 0(6), Stoke City 1(5).
Penalty Shootout ends, Liverpool 0(6), Stoke City 1(5).
Goal! Liverpool 0(6), Stoke City 1(5). Joe Allen (Liverpool) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top right corner.
Penalty saved! Marc Muniesa (Stoke City) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, left footed shot saved in the bottom right corner.
Goal! Liverpool 0(5), Stoke City 1(5). Lucas Leiva (Liverpool) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top right corner.
Goal! Liverpool 0(4), Stoke City 1(5). Marco Van Ginkel (Stoke City) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
Goal! Liverpool 0(4), Stoke City 1(4). James Milner (Liverpool) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
Goal! Liverpool 0(3), Stoke City 1(4). Xherdan Shaqiri (Stoke City) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom left corner.
Goal! Liverpool 0(3), Stoke City 1(3). Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
Goal! Liverpool 0(2), Stoke City 1(3). Ibrahim Afellay (Stoke City) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top left corner.
Goal! Liverpool 0(2), Stoke City 1(2). Christian Benteke (Liverpool) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
Goal! Liverpool 0(1), Stoke City 1(2). Glenn Whelan (Stoke City) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
Penalty missed! Still Liverpool 0(1), Stoke City 1(1). Emre Can (Liverpool) hits the left post with a right footed shot.
Penalty saved! Peter Crouch (Stoke City) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, right footed shot saved in the bottom left corner.
Goal! Liverpool 0(1), Stoke City 1(1). Adam Lallana (Liverpool) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the high centre of the goal.
Goal! Liverpool 0, Stoke City 1(1). Jonathan Walters (Stoke City) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top right corner.
Penalty Shootout begins Liverpool 0, Stoke City 1.
Second Half Extra Time ends, Liverpool 0, Stoke City 1.
Foul by Joe Allen (Liverpool).
Glenn Whelan (Stoke City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt blocked. Alberto Moreno (Liverpool) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Philipp Wollscheid.
Attempt missed. Jordon Ibe (Liverpool) left footed shot from the right side of the box is too high. Assisted by Joe Allen.
Attempt saved. Marco Van Ginkel (Stoke City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Peter Crouch with a headed pass.
Attempt blocked. Peter Crouch (Stoke City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Erik Pieters.
Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Glenn Whelan (Stoke City).
Foul by Joe Allen (Liverpool).
Philipp Wollscheid (Stoke City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Emre Can (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Peter Crouch (Stoke City).
Second Half Extra Time begins Liverpool 0, Stoke City 1.
Substitution, Liverpool. Jordon Ibe replaces Jon Flanagan.
First Half Extra Time ends, Liverpool 0, Stoke City 1.
Offside, Liverpool. Alberto Moreno tries a through ball, but Christian Benteke is caught offside.
Marco Van Ginkel (Stoke City) hits the right post with a right footed shot from the centre of the box. Assisted by Peter Crouch with a headed pass.
Jon Flanagan (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Peter Crouch (Stoke City).
Foul by Lucas Leiva (Liverpool).
Peter Crouch (Stoke City) wins a free kick in the defensive half. | Liverpool won a penalty shootout against Stoke City at Anfield to reach the Capital One Cup final as manager Jurgen Klopp ensured his first season in charge will bring a trip to Wembley. |
38,304,807 | The SoloSnack-branded products, which are produced by Eat & Go Co in Kirkcaldy, issued the voluntary recall on Saturday.
However, on Monday, Food Standards Scotland officials found the shelf life of the food was still being extended.
People have been told to return them to the shop they bought them from.
The products are thought to have reached shops in Edinburgh, Fife and Dundee.
The SoloSnack range includes Scotch pies, curry pies, steak pies, sausage rolls, steak bridies, mince bridies, Cornish pasties and mixed vegetable pies.
It also includes sandwiches with fillings such as chicken mayo, egg mayonnaise, tuna mayonnaise and ham and cheese.
Further SoloSnack products include broccoli and lentil slices, chilli bean slices, tuna pasta salads, pasta bakes, cheese burgers and microwavable ready meals.
Eat & Go Co managing director Naji Yassen said he was told for the first time on Friday the products should have a three-day shelf life, lower than the shelf life he has been operating under over several years.
He said such a shelf life would, in effect, mean the products are in the shops for one day only - a situation he said would mean there is "no way" his business could survive.
Mr Yassen said he had called in microbiologists to carry out testing on Wednesday and is hopeful the longer six-day shelf life will be reinstated following the results of those tests.
He claimed the health authorities were wrong to issue the notice, and added: "I feel absolutely upset and angry because I have been doing this for 20 years.
"We've had no problem whatsoever with anybody. How come all of a sudden the six days is too long?" | Pastries, pies and sandwiches produced by a shop supplier in Fife have been recalled after inspectors found the sell- by dates had been extended. |
34,704,404 | Jack Adcock, who had Down's syndrome, died of a cardiac arrest at Leicester Royal Infirmary in February 2011.
Portuguese-born agency nurse Isabel Amaro, 47, was found guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence.
The jury is deliberating on the same charge for two other medics - Dr Hadiza Bawa-Garba and nurse Theresa Taylor.
Jack, who had a heart condition, was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia and died from a cardiac arrest after sepsis was triggered by a bacterial infection about 11 hours later.
The trial has heard the boy's death was caused by "serious neglect on the part of the doctor and the two nurses".
They failed to recognise his body was "shutting down" due to sepsis and close to death, the prosecution claimed.
Nurse Amaro, who had worked with children for 20 years, accepted she breached her duty of care but denied any of her failings were criminally negligent or significantly contributed to the youngster's death.
The prosecution had said Amaro's record-keeping of the boy's life signs, regarded by experts as basic nursing practice, had been "woefully inaccurate".
The court was also told that Dr Bawa-Garba - who along with Ms Taylor denies the manslaughter charge - had mixed him up with another patient and mistakenly believed he had a "do not resuscitate" order.
She ordered resuscitation to start again a few minutes later, after another doctor checked the boy's notes.
She previously told the court working without a break may have led to the mistake.
The prosecution has accepted Jack was already "past the point of no return" and resuscitation at that point was "futile".
The jury is still deliberating. | A nurse has been found guilty of the manslaughter of a six-year-old boy whose resuscitation was mistakenly called off. |
36,878,074 | Harrison, 29, joined the Spireites in January 2015, but spent part of last season on loan at Stevenage.
Murray, 22, made 32 appearances for Scottish League One Stenhousemuir last term, scoring twice.
He began his career at Motherwell and impressed Barrow boss Paul Cox during a trial at Holker Street.
The length of Harrison and Murray's contracts with Barrow have not been disclosed.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. | Barrow have signed former Chesterfield striker Byron Harrison and Stenhousemuir defender Euan Murray ahead of the new season. |
32,256,357 | The 2 Sisters chicken processing factory in Llangefni ended its staff consultation last week on plans to cut a whole shift, affecting 300 jobs.
Unite union officials put forward alternative proposals to factory managers and will explain the outcome of those talks to workers.
Around 800 people work at the site, including a number of agency workers. | Union leaders trying to save hundreds of jobs at an Anglesey factory will meet workers on Monday. |
20,236,759 | An estimated 131 freelancers could be offered staff contracts as a result, following a tax review by accountants Deloitte and BBC auditors.
However, the BBC said there is "no evidence" it used personal service companies to help aid tax avoidance.
It commissioned the report after a government review of tax paid by staff.
The Public Accounts Committee report said too many staff, in the government and the BBC, made their own arrangements to pay tax and national insurance, which could allow them to contribute less.
The report found that in total some 2,400 civil servants were subject to such "off-payroll" arrangements.
The review of the BBC's freelance contracting arrangements, published on Wednesday, covered all staff contracted and paid in the financial year 2011/12.
Deloitte and the internal auditors identified 804 freelance talent paid more than £50,000 that year that should be the subject of the BBC's new employment test as a matter of priority.
It is estimated 131 of these could be offered staff contracts when their current contracts expire.
The BBC said this new employment test will also now be carried out on any new staff, to help move away from the practice of engaging on-air talent on long term contracts as personal service companies, when a staff contract would be appropriate.
It is hoped the changes will be in place by the start of the new tax year in April 2013.
Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, welcomed the report, adding: "It is essential the public have confidence that publicly funded institutions have in place arrangements to ensure their staff pay the proper tax.
"The Government has introduced unprecedented levels of transparency into the tax arrangements of public sector workers paid off payroll. I hope when the BBC publish their new policy on freelancer engagement, it is equally as transparent."
The BBC admitted in the report that its current policy for contracting staff was "inconsistent".
The corporation added that this had resulted in on-air talent doing very similar work while being classified in a variety of ways; either as staff, self-employed or contracted through a personal service company.
"Our review shows the BBC is not using personal service companies to avoid tax or help others avoid tax," said Zarin Patel, the BBC's chief financial officer.
"Nevertheless, it shows inconsistencies in the way our policy has been applied. We are addressing this with a more objective employment test for all new contracts and by developing a new framework with HMRC for self-employed on-air presenters."
The BBC said it was making the changes to help address "the public perception that off-payroll contracts and in particular personal service companies are used to avoid tax".
It said retaining a freelance model was "critical" for the success of the BBC - and that staff would only be contracted via a personal service company when it was "absolutely satisfied" that was the most suitable method of employment.
Gerry Morrissey, general secretary of broadcasting union Bectu, said it was pleased with the results of the review.
The union, he said, "welcomes the Deloitte report's confirmation that the tax arrangements for the majority of freelances we represent are legitimate, and that these arrangements reflect their status as genuine freelances who work for multiple employers throughout the year".
"Furthermore we welcome any move to offer staff contracts to colleagues whose employment relationship with the BBC supports this." | The BBC has announced it will review the freelance contracts of more than 800 on-air staff being paid through their own companies. |
37,893,887 | The victim, named locally as Akbar Masood, was found with stab wounds to his abdomen in Kellett Street at about 04:00 GMT on Friday.
Mohammad Shafiqul Alom, 34, of Kellett Street has been charged with murder, assault and possession of a controlled substance.
He is due to appear at Manchester and Salford Magistrates' Court later. | A man has been charged with murdering a 22-year-old stabbed to death in Rochdale. |
35,928,101 | The costumed performers now roam freely in Manhattan's busy Times Square, the heart of the theatre district.
The council is mulling rules for pedestrian plazas after receiving complaints about aggressive behaviour.
Some working in Times Square argue that the rules would inhibit their tips.
In August, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio formed a task force to combat the proliferation of the busking street performers.
The panel recommended that street performers be roped off into designated zones.
Why Times Square's topless women may be here to stay
"Come to New York, duke it out with a superhero! Is that really what we want to be known for?" Councilmember Daniel Garodnick said.
During the hearing, a man dressed as the comic book villain the Joker, 49-year-old Keith Albahae, said he experienced harassment from tourists, being spit on.
"I defended myself by spitting back," he said. "It's not right, this is apartheid, what's being proposed here. We provide an immense entertainment. The only people who are upset basically are people who want free pictures."
Abdelamine Elkhezzani, wearing a Spider-Man costume, said he has been arrested four times in Times Square, most recently after allegedly fighting with a tourist over a tip.
"It sounds like we're criminals carrying guns and knives," he said. "They are harassing us."
In another instance, a man dressed as Cookie Monster attacked a child when his parents did not tip.
The legislation would not restrict any activity that goes in in Times Square now but would limit it to specific zones.
"We are not saying that all the people dressed in costume behave this way, but there is a consistent and ongoing issue that needs to be dealt with," said Tim Tompkins, president of the Times Square Alliance business group.
A union representing those who sells bus tour tickets is not happy with the proposed law either.
The president of Transport Workers Union Local 225, John Menshon, said he and his colleagues should not be "penalised for somebody else's aggression".
Zones would allow for 50 to 55 people at one time. If the bill passes, it would go into effect by the summer, covering all 53 pedestrian plazas in New York City. | New York City's council is considering legislation to restrict where performers dressed as characters like Elmo and Spiderman can solicit business. |
32,285,583 | China is leading the set-up of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, a project opposed by the US.
Taiwan, which split from China in 1949, wanted to join the bank as an independent nation.
But China regards Taiwan as part of its territory and was expected to reject any move which suggested otherwise.
Taiwan's government has reportedly said it will continue to press the case for its inclusion. The bank was created in October with 21 members.
Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesman for China's State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, confirmed a recent report that Taiwan would not be a member.
He said that the bank "is open and inclusive, and welcomes Taiwan to join under an appropriate name", and added that they would be "open to suggestions from all sides".
A report by Taiwan's Central News Agency quoted a spokesman for the executive branch of Taiwan's government as saying that Taiwan should join the AIIB "under the principle fairness and equality".
Taiwan's parliamentary speaker Wang Jin-pyng also said that Taiwan will now seek to become an ordinary member of the bank, instead of a founding member.
He added that the government would not accept anything less than calling Taiwan "Chinese Taipei" - the name under which Taiwan is referred to by the International Olympic Committee.
Taiwan's government officially calls itself as the Republic of China. It goes by the name "Taipei, China" as a member of the Asian Development Bank, and is known as the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu at the World Trade Organization.
The AIIB will fund Asian energy, transport and infrastructure projects.
In October, 21 countries signed the memorandum of understanding establishing the bank. Besides China, they included India, Thailand and Singapore.
It now has more than 40 members, with South Korea, Austria and Spain's membership confirmed on Saturday.
The UK has applied to join the bank, earning a rare rebuke from the US in March which said it had "concerns" about whether the AIIB would meet governance standards and maintain environmental and social safeguards. | The Chinese government has said Taiwan will not be a member of a new regional bank, but would be welcome in the future under a different name. |
32,723,159 | He said: "If you don't establish a Welsh brand, you could suffer the fate of the Labour Party in Scotland".
Scottish Labour lost 40 seats to the SNP, leaving it with just one MP.
Mr Morgan also suggested Leanne Wood's profile in the television leader debates could boost Plaid Cymru in the 2016 assembly election.
He described Ed Miliband as an "incredibly bright" and "very nice guy" who lacked the "X factor" and "could not enthuse" some Labour supporters.
Labour had allowed the election to be framed as a contest between an "Eton posh-boy and a Hampstead geek", Mr Morgan said.
The ex-first minister said he did not have a favourite to become the new party leader. | Former First Minister Rhodri Morgan has warned the Labour Party in Wales it must learn lessons from the party's poor election performance in Scotland. |
37,883,747 | The pilot and passenger on board the plane were not injured.
The Aer Lingus regional flight from Dublin to Kerry, which was due to land at 13:00 local time, was forced to return to Dublin Airport.
The 13.20 Kerry to Dublin flight has been cancelled.
It is understood that passengers will be brought by bus to Dublin.
According to the airport's website, flights from London and Dublin scheduled for later today are unaffected. | The runway at Kerry Airport in the Republic of Ireland has been closed and an Aer Lingus flight diverted after a single engine plane went off the runway. |
33,769,988 | One man was injured in the head and hand with a penknife and the other was arrested following the fight in Old Market Square, on Sunday afternoon.
A 30-year-old man has since been charged with GBH and possession of an offensive weapon.
Police said it would increase patrols for "public reassurance".
Witnesses said children were watching as the two men fought in between rides, which were later taped off by police while they examined the scene.
Lee Clarke, who manages the beach, said the attraction was "completely safe".
Mr Clarke said: "It has been a difficult weekend but it has happened and we have moved on from it.
"It is an isolated incident and it didn't actually take place on the beach, it happened just off the Market Square. As they were fighting it went over towards the fountains and unfortunately fell in between two of the fairground rides.
"The beach is completely safe, we do have security on site 24 hours a day, seven days a week."
Insp Jez Ellis said: "We identify events like the beach through our operational meetings and increase patrols in those areas.
"We haven't had any incidents on the beach that would have warranted an increase in staffing. However, we are increasing patrols in the immediate future for public reassurance." | Police patrols are set to be stepped up at an artificial beach in Nottingham after a man was stabbed during a fight near fairground rides. |
40,992,719 | 21 August 2017 Last updated at 06:48 BST
It's not always easy to fit into a new school or a new situation, and can be even harder if you have a disability.
Thirteen-year-old PJ uses a wheelchair and says his advice to anyone starting high school is: "Anybody who is starting school with a wheelchair, stay positive, get stuck in, get involved like everyone else."
Watch the video to hear more about PJ's story. | Lots of you will already be back at school or getting ready to start a new school year. |
33,699,786 | Benny Collins, 40, a physiotherapist at Morriston Hospital's A&E department, was pulled from the sea at Three Cliffs Bay on Tuesday afternoon.
He was flown to hospital where his colleagues tried to save him, but he died.
His nine-year-old son was rescued along with him and needed hospital treatment.
Mr Collins's wife Melanie is a nurse at the hospital.
In a statement, Abertawe Bro Morgannwg health board said: "Benny was a very popular, gifted and much-loved member of staff.
"His wife, Melanie, is also one of our senior nurses, so this tragedy has struck at the very heart of the health board. "
National Trust Wales, which owns approximately 75% of the beach, said: "Our advice to anyone using Three Cliffs beach is not to bathe there.
"We have safety signs making it clear that people are putting their lives at risk if they go in the water in strong surf conditions or when the water is cold."
It added that extra safety signs advising against swimming would be placed on the beach.
Swansea Council said although it does not own Three Cliffs Bay it would meet with the National Trust to discuss water safety.
Mr Collins has become the latest person to die at the beach.
In June, Jason North from Macclesfield, Cheshire, died trying to get his children out of the water.
In August 2013, Wendy Phillips of Landore, Swansea, drowned at Three Cliffs Bay and the assistant Swansea coroner questioned the lack of lifeguard cover, but could not say for certain whether it would have prevented her death.
The RNLI said in order to provide a lifeguard service it had to have an agreement with the landowner, in this case the National Trust and Pennard Golf Club.
A spokesman said: "The RNLI can provide a safety service and are giving advice and guidance in best practice to the landowner."
Several nearby beaches on Gower including Langland, Caswell and Port Eynon do have RNLI cover in the summer but Three Cliffs Bay does not.
James Jones, who works at PJ's Surf Shop in Llangennith, said rip currents can make the area dangerous.
He said: "You can get rips and currents at Three Cliffs. One stream goes out through the bay and that can cause a rip current.
"It will create a flow out into the sea, they call it a rip current you can get dragged out.
"I would say it's one of the more dangerous beaches to swim on the Gower, but saying that, at different times the rips would be different and the water calmer." | A father who died after getting into difficulty at a Gower beach has been described as "popular and gifted". |
34,388,278 | About 40 firefighters were called to Bishop's Stortford College on Maze Green Road at 03:00 BST.
A school spokeswoman confirmed the roof of Robert Pearce House had been destroyed in the blaze.
All pupils and staff got out of the building within a few minutes and no-one was injured, the school spokeswoman added.
Former pupil Stephanie Howard-Smith, who lives nearby, said: "I'm absolutely stunned. I could see the flames getting higher, and suddenly you could hear the roof falling in and cracking sounds. It's still smouldering now."
A fire service spokeswoman said six engines were still at the scene and an aerial ladder was being used to deal with a collapsed roof. The cause of the fire is not yet known.
The spokeswoman for Bishop's Stortford College, which offers day and boarding schools for four to 18-year-olds, said the fire appeared to have started in the roof.
The prep school and senior school had been closed as a result of the fire, but the school hoped to be operating "as near normally as possible" on Wednesday, she said. | Sixty-four pupils and staff had to be evacuated from a boarding house during a fire at Hertfordshire school. |
23,996,034 | Ball took 4-25 as the visitors were skittled for just 119 in 25.4 overs in a match reduced to 35 overs because of rain earlier in the afternoon.
Opener Lumb then hit 46 from 38 balls to put the hosts totally in command.
Samit Patel (43no) and James Taylor (20no) took Notts home with an unbroken third-wicket stand of 60 in 122-2.
Things started badly for Somerset when Marcus Trescothick lost the toss and his side were forced to bat first.
And the former England opener's misery was compounded when he was out fourth ball for a duck, caught behind by Chris Read off Harry Gurney.
Craig Kieswetter and Peter Trego then got the visitors up and running with a quickfire partnership of 37 but, a ball after lofting Ajmal Shahzad for the second six of his innings, the England one-day wicketkeeper became another Read victim when on 22.
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Nick Compton fell to a great catch by David Hussey for 14 to give Steven Mullaney the first of his three wickets and James Hildreth was bowled by Ball for five to spoil his 29th birthday.
A lot then rested on Trego, who had been holding the innings together, but after he was caught and bowled by Mullaney for 40, the rest of the team quickly folded.
Craig Meschede was left on 20 not out and Lewis Gregory hit 12 but the last five wickets fell for 28 in less than seven overs.
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Ball was even close to a hat-trick after dismissing Alfonso Thomas and Jamie Overton, but Steve Kirby survived.
Notts' innings was briefly interrupted by a rain delay after nine balls and two balls after the resumption, Alex Hales was lbw to Kirby for five.
But Lumb took over with his 41-minute innings and when he was out to leave the score 62-2, the match already seemed won.
And so it proved as Patel hit his entertaining unbeaten 43 from 26 balls as he and Taylor secured victory.
Notts will now play Glamorgan in the final at Lord's on 21 September.
Match scorecard | Superb individual displays from Jake Ball and Michael Lumb guided Notts into the YB40 final with an eight-wicket semi-final victory over Somerset. |
35,501,487 | The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (Baaps) said there were 51,140 surgical procedures last year - up from 45,406 the year before.
It overturns a recent decline, which was blamed on the recession and the scandal over faulty breast implants.
Nine out of 10 procedures were in women, although the rise was seen in both genders.
The top 10 procedures were:
Overall, the number of procedures increased by 13%.
Consultant plastic surgeon and Baaps council member Ash Mosahebi said many reasons were contributing to the increase.
He told the BBC: "I think partly because the economy is improving and people are spending more on luxury items.
"And social media is becoming more popular, people are sending pictures of themselves frequently and want to look good.
"And I would say the Botox generation who got older using Botox and fillers, those things are not working any more for those age groups so they're taking the next step up and that is surgical options."
However, he said people were more educated about cosmetic surgery after thousands of women were fitted with substandard breast implants made by the French firm Poly Implant Prothese.
"I have patients asking, 'What are you using?' and that's a good thing to have come out of that." | There was a sharp increase in the popularity of cosmetic surgery in the UK in 2015, figures show. |
31,002,598 | Studying data from the Kepler telescope, the team, led by the University of Birmingham, found a star orbited by five planets similar in size to Earth.
The system, 117 light-years away, is the oldest known of its kind, formed 11.2 billion years ago.
Dr Tiago Campante said it could provide a clue to "the existence of ancient life in the galaxy".
"By the time the Earth formed, the planets in this system were already older than our planet is today," he said.
"This discovery may now help to pinpoint the beginning of what we might call the era of planet formation."
The work is published in the Astrophysical Journal.
Researchers said the star, named Kepler-444, and its planets were two and a half times older than earth and dated back to the "dawn of the galaxy".
Planets ranging in size from Mercury to Venus orbit the star within the equivalent of 10 of our days.
While the proximity of the planets to the star ruled out the possibility of life, Dr Campante said the discovery showed planets of an Earth-like size, capable of supporting life, could exist around a similarly ancient star.
"There may be civilisations out there with a head-start of a few billion years. Imagine the level of technology," he said.
Nasa's Kepler mission has so far found hundreds of new worlds since it launched in 2009.
Scientists have studied the occasional dips in light as planets pass in front of their host stars.
Scientists studied the natural resonance of Kepler-444, caused by the sound trapped within it, allowing them to measure its diameter, mass and age.
Dr David Gregory-Kumar, BBC Midlands Today
Planet-hunting is one of the most exciting areas of astronomy. What was once thought of as science fiction is now a reality.
But what makes today's discovery by the University of Birmingham so interesting is that the astronomers have found ancient planets that are similar to those in our own Solar System.
It means Earth-like planets have been around for much of the 13.8-billion-year history of the Universe.
This expands what we know about the early formation of planets and could even have implications for the potential for ancient alien life in our galaxy.
Meanwhile a new generation of planet-hunting telescopes, including one led by the University of Warwick, are just coming online. | An ancient solar system similar to our own has been discovered by scientists. |
33,974,453 | A 19-year-old man was taken to hospital after being attacked in the O2 ABC, in the city's Sauchiehall Street, at about 02:20 on Friday 8 May.
Police said the three men in the CCTV images may be able to help them with their inquiries.
The men are described as being of Asian appearance and in their late 20s or early 30s.
At time of the incident, two of the men were wearing casual shirts and trousers.
The third man was wearing denim jeans and a dark top.
It is understood they were in the company of a fourth man who was wearing denim jeans and a blue and yellow t-shirt.
Det Con Tony Brady, of Police Scotland, said: "This type of activity at a city centre event cannot be tolerated and we seek the assistance of the public in tracking down those responsible." | Police have released images of three men they want to trace over a serious assault at a Glasgow music venue. |
33,276,867 | Diamond - who played Screech in the TV show - was convicted earlier this month of two charges of carrying a concealed weapon and disorderly conduct.
The 38-year-old actor had said he was defending his fiancee and had not intended to stab anyone.
He has been ordered to report to jail on Sunday to start his sentence.
Diamond left the courtroom in Wisconsin without commenting.
The fight happened on 25 December in Port Washington, Wisconsin, while Diamond was with partner Amanda Schutz.
Diamond said a group in the bar wanted to pose for pictures but others were badgering him and Schutz, and he tried to help her by brandishing his pocketknife to deter the group.
The man who was stabbed was not seriously injured.
As well as his role in the 90s high school-set sitcom, Diamond appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in the UK in 2013. | Saved by the Bell actor Dustin Diamond has been sentenced to four months in jail for a bar fight during which a man was stabbed. |
40,074,090 | Allman died at home in Savannah, Georgia, on Saturday, his official website announced.
The musician first found fame in the band he started with older brother Duane in the late 1960s.
In its heyday, the band was a staple on radio stations and released albums ranked among the best in rock history.
Allman, the band's lead singer and keyboardist, wrote several of their biggest hits, including Whipping Post, It's Not My Cross to Bear and Midnight Rider.
Among The Allman Brothers Band's best-known songs is Jessica, from 1973, which was used as the opening theme tune to Top Gear.
After news of his death was announced, singer Cher, to whom he was married in the 1970s, tweeted "words are impossible", before sharing a picture of the two together.
The band's first three albums made them stars, but then tragedy struck when Duane - whose talent as a guitarist was revered in the rock industry - died in a motorcycle accident aged 24 in 1971.
A little more than a year later, bassist Berry Oakley was also killed in a motorcycle accident.
Allman would go on to struggle with drug abuse, becoming a heroin addict in the 1970s.
He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, but said in his 2012 memoir My Cross to Bear he was too drunk to enjoy the ceremony.
After his death, singer Cher, who he was married to in the 1970s, tweeted "words are impossible", before sharing a picture of the two together.
Allman was diagnosed with hepatitis C in 1999 and underwent a liver transplant in 2010.
The father-of-five's cause of death was not immediately revealed. | Rock trailblazer Gregg Allman, a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band, has died age 69. |
39,714,016 | Brazil legend Kaka, 35, will receive a "guaranteed compensation" of £5.6m, with ex-Manchester United midfielder Schweinsteiger, 32, earning £4.2m.
Toronto forward Sebastian Giovinco (£5.5m) and midfielder Michael Bradley (£5.1m) complete the top three.
The MLS releases the salary information annually - it does not include bonuses.
Meanwhile, former England international left-back Ashley Cole, 36, will be paid £294,283 this season by LA Galaxy.
*salaries correct at current exchange rate. | Orlando City midfielder Kaka will be the highest-paid player in Major League Soccer this season, with Chicago Fire's Bastian Schweinsteiger seventh. |
35,461,145 | PC Adrian Goldsmith, 50, known as "Otis", murdered 49-year-old Jill Goldsmith at their home in Northampton last March.
He was told he must serve a minimum term of 15 years.
A jury dismissed his claim that he acted in self-defence after he admitted in court that he stabbed himself.
Goldsmith wiped his eyes as he was sentenced at Stafford Crown Court.
His wife, who was found dead in the foetal position in a pool of blood in their porch, had more than 70 injuries, the court heard.
Judge Paul Glenn said she would have suffered before she died in the "spontaneous" attack.
"She must have been in terror as she fought for her life," he said.
Goldsmith had "lied repeatedly" to the police, doctors and the prison chaplain, the Judge added.
Goldsmith, who served with Northamptonshire Police for 28 years, had told officers that his wife attacked him before hitting herself on the back of the head with a mallet.
Read more on this story and others from Northamptonshire
He disapproved of her smoking cannabis and was frustrated by her [lack of] sex drive as she went through the menopause, the three week trial heard.
The couple lived next to Northamptonshire Police's HQ in Wootton Hall Park, where computer logs showed that at 12:40 GMT on 26 March Mrs Goldsmith was looking at houses online.
Half an hour later, her husband called 999 to say she had tried to kill him.
He was arrested at their home, where his colleagues found him holding a kitchen knife and broken glass.
Goldsmith had typed up notes saying he was "ready to explode" and had "scared Jill", who had called him a "Jekyll and Hyde" character.
John Lloyd-Jones QC, prosecuting, said he was a "commended, hard-working officer and murderer all wrapped up in one".
A victim impact statement by Mrs Goldsmith's son, Charlie Bailey, was read to the court before the sentence was handed down.
Mr Bailey said: "He has left me feeling that there is a massive part of me missing. He should have known above everyone how to calm things down." | A police officer has been jailed for life for beating his wife to death using a can of paint, a battery and a mallet. |
35,014,937 | The body of 36-year-old Sian Roberts was found at a property in St Helier's Drive, Salford, on Sunday.
A post-mortem examination found she had died from stab wounds to the chest.
Glynn Williams, 52, of no fixed address, has been charged with murder and is due before Manchester and Salford City Magistrates' Court later, police said. | A man has been charged with murder after a woman was stabbed to death in Greater Manchester. |
29,689,949 | The company has long been criticised for enabling people to find sites to download entertainment illegally.
The entertainment industry has argued that illegal sites should be "demoted" in search results.
The new measures, mostly welcomed by music trade group the BPI, will instead point users towards legal alternatives such as Spotify and Google Play.
Google will now list these legal services in a box at the top of the search results, as well as in a box on the right-hand side of the page.
Crucially, however, these will be adverts - meaning if legal sites want to appear there, they will need to pay Google for the placement.
The BPI said that while it was "broadly" pleased with Google's changes, it did not think sites should have to pay.
"There should be no cost when it comes to serving consumers with results for legal services," a spokesman told the BBC.
Source: Google report into piracy
"Instead we have urged Google to use the machine-readable data on the Music Matters website, which lists all services licensed in the UK, and to promote these legal services above illegal sites and results in their search, using appropriate weighting applied fairly and equally across services."
Google has also added extra measures to doctor its search results so that links pointing to illegal content fall lower in results, with legal sites floating to the top.
The company has been doing this for several years, but now says it has "refined the signal" for detecting these links.
To coincide with the announcement, Google published a report into the measures it has put in place across its various websites.
On YouTube, for instance, its Content ID system is able to detect the use of copyrighted material in videos - offering music labels the choice of having the content removed, or monetising it by placing advertising.
But the report stressed the long-held view from Google that the solution to piracy lay in putting effort into creating better legal services, rather than chasing off illegal ones.
"Piracy often arises when consumer demand goes unmet by legitimate supply," the report said.
"As services ranging from Netflix to Spotify to iTunes have demonstrated, the best way to combat piracy is with better and more convenient legitimate services."
The BPI and Google have been at logger-heads over downgrading results for several years.
The music industry has been angered by the way in which a search on Google for "listen to Katy Perry", or any artist, would sometimes produce results pointing to places to download content illegally.
Often, the illegal sites would rank higher than official outlets such as iTunes.
Google, reluctant to tamper with its "organic" results, but leant on by the government, has gradually backed down and implemented some measures, although their effectiveness is often disputed.
Other combative measures pushed by the BPI include the blocking of websites such as the Pirate Bay so that UK internet users cannot visit unless they are using specialist software.
"We will monitor the results carefully," said Geoff Taylor, chief executive of the BPI.
"But we are encouraged that Google has recognised the need to take further action and will continue to work with the search engines and government to build a stronger digital music sector.
"The BPI, together with colleagues from the film industry, will continue to meet with the search engines and government to ensure these measures make a real difference and to persuade Bing and Yahoo to take similar action."
Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC | Google has announced changes to its search engine in an attempt to curb online piracy. |
37,172,413 | The aim to cut debt has now been set to between $16.5bn and $17.5bn (£12.5bn-£13.5bn) by the end of this year.
The attempt to further improve the company's balance sheet comes as it reported a 66% drop in first-half profit to $300m.
Glencore's half-year results showed it had been affected by turbulent commodity prices.
In March the aim was to cut debt to between $17bn and $18bn. Despite the fall in profits, the company said asset sales left it on track to cut debt.
"We have already largely achieved our asset disposals target of $4bn to $5bn with a diverse and material pool of asset sales' processes also ongoing," said chief executive Ivan Glasenberg.
On Wednesday, the company also announced the planned sale of all future output of gold and a 30% stake in its Ernest Henry copper mine in Australia to Evolution Mining for A$880m ($670m) to help pay down debt.
Edward Sterck, metals and mining research analyst at BMO Capital Markets, said: "The underlying results are broadly in line with our forecast, the further asset sales are a positive here."
Glencore, along with the rest of the mining industry, has had a tough few years.
In September last year, Glencore's shares dived after a note from analysts at Investec said its equity value could be "eliminated", although Glencore responded that it was "operationally and financially robust".
When Glencore listed on the London market in 2011, it priced its shares at 530p. However, since then, its share price has struggled.
Following the Investec note and plummeting commodity prices, the company put a recovery plan in place. It scrapped paying shareholders a dividend, began selling assets and slashed spending.
Investors will be hoping for the reinstatement of the regular dividend payment after chief financial officer Steve Kalmin said it was "likely" the company would return to a full-year dividend. Glencore paid an interim dividend of six cents a share last August. | Mining company Glencore has set a new target to cut net debt as it tries to rebuild its financial position. |
23,145,426 | The couple, codenamed Andreas and Heidrun Anschlag, are said to have settled in former West Germany on false passports some 25 years ago.
A court in Stuttgart gave Andreas Anschlag six years and six months, and Heidrun five years and six months.
They were arrested at their home in the western town of Marburg, in October 2011. They had assisted a Dutch spy.
Police think the couple's names, used in their Austrian passports, were false. They are believed to be Russian and in their early to mid-50s.
They had acted as a conduit for a Dutch foreign ministry official with access to Nato secrets. He was unmasked and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
His arrest led to the couple, who had transmitted secrets to Russia's foreign intelligence service, the SVR.
The BBC's Stephen Evans in Berlin reports that their daughter was born and raised in Germany and knew nothing of their activities - nor of their true identities before they became spies.
At the time of their arrest, prosecutors allege, Mrs Anschlag was sitting in her study in front of a wireless transmitter that was receiving encoded messages on a shortwave frequency and was hooked up by cable to a computer.
Prosecutors say they posed as Austrian citizens of South American origin after arriving in Germany in 1988 and 1990. | A married couple have been sent to jail in Germany after being found guilty of spying for Russia for some 20 years. |
34,827,028 | Media playback is not supported on this device
Walters netted a hugely controversial 24th-minute penalty after Bosnia's Ervin Zukanovic was harshly adjudged to have handled a Daryl Murphy cross.
That put the Irish 2-1 up on aggregate and the win was all but secured when Walters volleyed in on 70 minutes.
The Republic join Northern Ireland, England and Wales in reaching France.
Ireland's win came six years after Thierry Henry's infamous handball denied the Irish a place at the 2010 World Cup.
On that occasion, the referee's failure to spot the France forward's blatant infringement in the play-off second leg in Paris led to the Republic's heartbreaking failure to qualify for the finals in South Africa.
But six years on, a hugely contentious decision by Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers sent the Irish on their way to Euro 2016 as he ruled that Bosnian defender Zukanovic had handled Murphy's cross.
It looked more a case of ball to hand as Zukanovic had no chance to avoid the contact but Walters, back after his first-leg suspension, held his nerve to send his former Stoke City team-mate Asmir Begovic the wrong way from the spot.
It was to prove the game's pivotal moment.
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Republic football fans had long wanted Martin O'Neill as the country's manager but his decision to appoint Roy Keane as his assistant led to raised eyebrows as many wondered how two such strong characters could work together.
After the encouragement of a battling 1-1 draw against world champions Germany in Gelsenkirchen 13 months ago, the Republic's qualification hopes looked in grave doubt as a defeat by Scotland was followed by home draws against Poland and the Scots.
But last month's unlikely home victory over the Germans reignited the Republic's prospects and, despite the defeat by Poland three days later, they had put themselves in a position to challenge for a place in France via the play-offs.
With the Football Association of Ireland having already offered O'Neill a new deal, the duo will now be expected to remain in charge for the foreseeable future.
The Republic are not blessed with the strength in depth they once possessed - former defender Mark Lawrenson said afterwards that O'Neill "probably had the least talented group of players available of any Irish manager who has qualified".
With captain John O'Shea and influential striker Shane Long not risked from the start because of injury, the under-strength Republic line-up included three Championship players - Derby duo Richard Keogh and Jeff Hendrick, plus Ipswich striker Daryl Murphy.
They looked to have a daunting task against a Bosnian side which included Chelsea goalkeeper Begovic, Roma duo Edin Dzeko and Miralem Pjanic, plus other Serie A stars Zukanovic and Lulic.
Hamburg's Emir Spahic was also in the Bosnian starting XI along with another Bundesliga player, Schalke's Sead Kolasinac.
Of the Republic's eight Premier League starters, Aston Villa defender Ciaran Clark had played only six times this season, while goalkeeper Darren Randolph had made only three starts for West Ham.
But a performance full of tenacity and endeavour ensured it was the hosts who were celebrating, leaving their more celebrated opponents contemplating an empty summer.
Republic of Ireland manager Martin O'Neill:
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"I never once dared to dream about getting to France, never once because of the group that we were involved in, so it is special.
"That moment when the referee blows the whistle and you are in France, it is just very, very special, very special indeed.
"It's more special because it means so much to a lot of people, naturally the players first and foremost, but to the nation as a whole."
Republic of Ireland goalscorer Jon Walters:
"The whole team on the pitch are heroes. We got there in the end, we did it the hard way, but we got there.
"You've got to take it in because these moments don't come round often in a career."
Bosnia manager Mehmed Bazdarevic:
"I'm very disappointed about the game. We lost and unfortunately, it's very hard for me to speak about it.
"We tried to answer the Irish players with the correct mind of an aggressive game and we did our best.
"I don't want to speak too much about the Ireland penalty because it could have consequences, but the referee had a terrible night. He was the worst on the pitch."
Match ends, Republic of Ireland 2, Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.
Second Half ends, Republic of Ireland 2, Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.
Milan Djuric (Bosnia and Herzegovina) is shown the yellow card.
Edin Dzeko (Bosnia and Herzegovina) is shown the yellow card.
Foul by Milan Djuric (Bosnia and Herzegovina).
Jonathan Walters (Republic of Ireland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Vedad Ibisevic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) hits the bar with a right footed shot from the centre of the box. Assisted by Milan Djuric following a set piece situation.
Miralem Pjanic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by James McCarthy (Republic of Ireland).
Substitution, Republic of Ireland. John O'Shea replaces Glenn Whelan.
Attempt missed. Jonathan Walters (Republic of Ireland) right footed shot from more than 35 yards is too high. Assisted by Ciaran Clark with a headed pass.
Vedad Ibisevic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by James McClean (Republic of Ireland).
Ognjen Vranjes (Bosnia and Herzegovina) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by James McClean (Republic of Ireland).
Attempt blocked. Edin Dzeko (Bosnia and Herzegovina) right footed shot from very close range is blocked.
Corner, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Conceded by Jonathan Walters.
Corner, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Conceded by Ciaran Clark.
Shane Long (Republic of Ireland) is shown the yellow card.
Ervin Zukanovic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Shane Long (Republic of Ireland).
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Jonathan Walters (Republic of Ireland) because of an injury.
Offside, Republic of Ireland. Shane Long tries a through ball, but Seamus Coleman is caught offside.
Substitution, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Vedad Ibisevic replaces Senad Lulic.
Corner, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Conceded by Seamus Coleman.
Attempt blocked. Senad Lulic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Muhamed Besic.
Ognjen Vranjes (Bosnia and Herzegovina) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by James McClean (Republic of Ireland).
Attempt missed. Shane Long (Republic of Ireland) left footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left.
Goal! Republic of Ireland 2, Bosnia and Herzegovina 0. Jonathan Walters (Republic of Ireland) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box to the bottom right corner following a set piece situation.
Foul by Emir Spahic (Bosnia and Herzegovina).
Jonathan Walters (Republic of Ireland) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Substitution, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Milan Djuric replaces Haris Medunjanin.
Edin Dzeko (Bosnia and Herzegovina) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Glenn Whelan (Republic of Ireland).
Attempt missed. Jeff Hendrick (Republic of Ireland) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by James McCarthy.
Attempt missed. James McClean (Republic of Ireland) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left following a corner.
Corner, Republic of Ireland. Conceded by Ognjen Vranjes.
Miralem Pjanic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) wins a free kick in the defensive half. | The Republic of Ireland secured a Euro 2016 spot as two goals from Jon Walters helped them overcome Bosnia-Herzegovina in the play-off second leg in Dublin. |
40,100,709 | He was 28-year-old Karlis Reide.
The incident, which involved a Vauxhall Movano van, took place at about 01:30 on Sunday on the A83 near Inveraray.
Mr Reide was pronounced dead at the scene. The 34-year-old driver of the van was not injured. Police have appealed for witnesses. | A man who died after being struck by a van in Argyll at the weekend has been named by police. |
28,199,066 | Mr Ghani won 56.44% of votes in the 14 June run-off, election officials said. His rival Abdullah Abdullah had 43.56%.
Mr Abdullah, who fell just short of an outright majority in the first round, rejected the result.
Both men have alleged fraud in the election. Votes are being re-checked at more than 7,000 polling stations.
They represent nearly a third of centres where votes were cast and correspondents say recounts could significantly alter the result.
Chief election commissioner Ahmad Yusuf Nuristani stressed that the results were not final and acknowledged that there had been "some mistakes in the overall process".
"It is only initial results," he told a news conference in Kabul. "There is a chance of change in the overall figure.
"The announcement of preliminary results does not mean that the leading candidate is the winner.
"We announced preliminary results today and it is now the complaints commission's duty to inspect this case."
The election commission said it would now audit an estimated four million votes.
Final results are due on 22 July.
Mr Abdullah was well ahead after the first round in April, winning 45% of votes cast while Mr Ghani had 31.5% and came second.
Correspondents say the election could pose worrying questions for future stability if the final outcome is not accepted.
Source: Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission
Mr Ghani, a former World Bank official, is believed to have won votes among tribes from the Pashtun majority in southern and eastern areas.
A spokesman for Mr Abdullah, who is of Tajik-Pashtun parentage, was swift to reject Monday's initial figures.
"As we had rejected the outcome of the result before and had declared that we could not trust the election commission, our stand is the same today," spokesman Fazlurrahman Oria told the BBC.
The two rival camps were locked in talks for much of Monday, delaying the results announcement as they sought to defuse tensions over the vote.
It comes during a critical year for Afghanistan. Most foreign troops are due to withdraw by the end of 2014.
Afghanistan's 2009 presidential election was also marred by claims of mass fraud. Dr Abdullah pulled out of the race, which was won by Mr Karzai. | Former Afghan Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani is leading the race to replace Hamid Karzai as president, according to preliminary results. |
39,089,885 | Media playback is not supported on this device
Fourteen tries were scored on the artificial pitch at Cumbernauld but Wales were always in control after leading 27-0.
Wales' Wales have nine points from three Six Nations matches following an opening win over Italy and home defeat against England
"After the England game, I thought a lot of individuals put in outstanding performances," Strange said
Wales recorded their fourth try for the bonus point after just 41 minutes and went on to score eight, but Scotland hit back with six of their own.
The superb goal-kicking of Ben Jones, who landed 11 goals from 12 attempts, allowed Wales to stay well ahead throughout.
Strange was "pleased overall" with the performance of his side, who are third in the Championship table.
"I think it was excellent to watch, a pleasure to see some of the tries we scored and full credit to the players," he told BBC Wales Sport.
"There's bits of work to do (in defence) but we turned the ball over on a number of occasions that led to counter-attack tries."
Ospreys centre Kieran Williams was man-of-the-match after scoring two of Wales' eight tries.
"It was a fast, frantic game, but I think we controlled it for most parts although it was disappointing the number of points we conceded" said Williams.
"But that's something we can work on in training and against Ireland we'll be way better."
Strange hopes Wales are now back in contention for the title despite a home defeat by England at Colwyn Bay in round two.
They return to Parc Eirias to host Ireland on Saturday, 11 March.
"We've put ourselves back in the hunt, we've got crucial games against Ireland and France," Strange added.
"But it's just about getting better, we did that (against Scotland) and it's something to take forward not just for the Six Nations but also the World Cup." | Wales under-20 head coach Jason Strange says he was "really pleased" with his team's 65-34 win in Scotland. |
38,743,021 | The Sydney Sixers player was hit by a straight drive from ex-England batsman Michael Lumb as he practised on Monday before the Big Bash League semi-final against the Brisbane Heat.
Mennie, 28, was readmitted to hospital on Tuesday after further scans.
Cricket Australia says Mennie's injury is "stable" and will not need surgery.
Chief medical officer John Orchard said Mennie, who has played one Test and two one-day internationals, is in hospital as a "precautionary measure" and will continue to be assessed by a neurosurgeon to "determine the best course of action".
Earlier in the competition, Melbourne Renegades wicketkeeper Peter Nevill burst a blood vessel in his cheek when he was hit in the face by a cricket bat during a game.
In November 2014, Australia batsman Phillip Hughes died aged 25 two days after being struck on the top of the neck by a ball during a domestic match in Sydney. | Australia bowler Joe Mennie suffered a small fracture to his skull and a minor bleed on his brain when he was struck by a ball during a net session. |
39,789,893 | Artist Dean Tweedy and his wife Tracy, along with their children, wanted a petting farm so psychotherapist Mrs Tweedy could run therapy sessions for people with mental illnesses.
But they instead bought The Animalarium - a zoo near Borth, for £625,000.
They have moved in with the animals - including the biggest attractions, lions Zulu and Wilma.
"Our friends and family reacted with surprise at first saying 'you've bought a zoo?'," said Mrs Tweedy.
"It was mainly disbelief, but for those who really know us it's not that surprising because we've always had dozens of animals.
"People described our old house as being like a zoo. Now we actually have our own one."
The Animalarium had 27,000 visitors in 2016 and over the years it has taken on animals not wanted at other zoos because of over-breeding or from people unable to cope with them as pets.
Staffing and food costs about £12,000 per month and it was put on the market after the previous owners decided to retire.
The family now plan to extend the enclosures and put on more interactive tours, showcasing the animals.
"I just want to get in there and give them [the lions] a big squeeze and a hug but I've been told I'm not allowed because I'd probably lose my arms and die," added Mrs Tweedy.
"But maybe one day when they're sedated I can go in and give them a hug." | Lions, snakes and crocodiles are some of the 300 animals in Ceredigion which a family from Kent has moved in with. |
35,938,886 | The beams could compensate for the dip in light the Earth creates when it passes in front of the Sun, as viewed from far-off worlds, they contend.
A number of researchers have questioned the wisdom of advertising our existence to the galaxy.
They fear that if aliens did visit us they might not be very friendly, and could introduce disease.
The analogy is Europeans arriving in the Americas in the 15th and 16th centuries. The contact wrought havoc in the health of indigenous populations.
David Kipping and Alex Teachey from Columbia University in New York say that if we are fearful of a similar outcome from an alien encounter then lasers offer a solution.
The team has calculated what would be required to cloak the Earth and published the concept in a paper in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
It "perverts" the technique scientists already use now to look for distant planets around other stars. This method relies on staring at these suns, hoping to catch an object passing in front. When such a "transit" occurs, there is a tell-tale decrease in starlight.
The US space agency's Kepler telescope has identified more than a thousand planets this way.
If intelligent civilisations are out there, it is safe to assume they too will be looking for other worlds - like ours - using the same idea, believe Kipping and Teachey.
According to the pair's calculations, emitting a continuous 30-megawatt laser for about 10 hours, once a year, would be enough to distort the characteristic dip in light when Earth transited the Sun, as viewed from an alien Kepler telescope.
"It doesn't have to be one huge laser; it could be an array positioned around the Earth. Or you could put it in space as a satellite, and we've calculated that the International Space Station already collects exactly the amount of energy we would need," Prof Kipping told BBC News.
This is true for a laser system working in visible light. Prof Kipping concedes, however, that a laser cloak that covers all wavelengths, not just the visible colours, would need a very large array of tuneable lasers with a total power of 250MW.
But an alternative might be to use a laser simply to disguise the interesting aspects about Earth - features in its atmosphere that betray the fact that life exists here. These are a suite of gases that include oxygen, ozone and methane.
"If we just cloaked out those biosignatures then another civilisation might detect our planet through a transit, everything would add up, but Earth would appear as a dead world and they'd soon lose interest," Prof Kipping added.
The search for extraterrestrial intelligence (Seti) is the collective term used to describe positive efforts to detect and contact alien life. A number of experiments are currently under way that are trying to see if aliens are actually signalling us with lasers.
But just as with the attempts to detect the radio transmissions from aliens, this "optical Seti" approach, as it is known, has also found nothing of interest among the stars… yet. | We should shine lasers into space if we want to hide our presence from aliens, two US-based astronomers suggest. |
39,871,640 | The camera on Cardiff's southbound North Road was the busiest in both the South Wales Police area and Wales.
The total offences captured across Wales' force areas rose from 169,000 in 2015 to 171,000 (1.1%) last year.
Road safety partnership Go Safe said the locations with the highest numbers reflect the level of traffic.
Operations manager Teresa Healy said: "The proportion of drivers exceeding the speed limit represents a small percentage of the overall traffic flow and should not be considered the usual speed of traffic on these roads."
Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said there should be no perception that cameras are more about raising revenue than they are about safety.
He added: "We have made repeated calls for camera site accident data to be made public so we can all see the facts.
"The best camera would be one which detected no one speeding. Where hundreds if not thousands of people are being caught then that very fact is telling us that the presence of the camera isn't working and it's time to ask why."
He said it could be because speed limits are not being clearly displayed, the road layout may need looking at or additional measures may be needed.
North Wales Police's busiest speed camera - on the A483 dual carriageway at junction 7, Rossett, in Wrexham - recorded about 4,500 offences.
There were about 4,400 offences recorded by the speed camera between junction 23a to junction 24 on the westbound M4, near Newport - the busiest in the Gwent Police area.
The top-recording camera in the Dyfed-Powys Police area - on the A44 at Ponterwyd, in Ceredigion - registered about 650 offences in 2016.
The figures were obtained via an Freedom of Information request made by BBC Radio Wales' Dot Davies programme.
Drivers penalised for a speeding offence in the UK now face minimum fines of £100 and three penalty points.
If all the offences recorded across Wales in 2016 were upheld, the total fines would be worth at least £17.1m.
In April, it was revealed more than 13,000 people were caught speeding on the M4 around Newport since enforcement was introduced six months earlier - an average of 84 a day. | Wales' most prolific speed camera recorded more than 8,400 offences last year - potentially generating £840,000, new figures have revealed. |
40,060,250 | As one of sailing's top honours, it was first contested in 1851 in a race between the United States and Great Britain around the Isle of Wight.
To celebrate the race to lift the Auld Mug, we take a look at the weird and wonderful trophies and stories behind them from the world of sport.
You know the competitions, but how well do you know the trophies? Test yourself with our quiz...
Picture credits: Getty and EPA. | The America's Cup returned last weekend with Ben Ainslie's Land Rover BAR team continuing their quest to become the first British crew to win the famous trophy. |
29,454,071 | Less than six months ago, a senior IOC official criticised Rio's preparations as the worst in living memory.
The IOC inspection team chair, Nawal El Moutawakel, said the construction of hotel rooms and of Olympic venues were "on track".
But she said "the schedule was tight".
At the end of their three-day visit to Rio, Ms El Moutawakel said their main concern had been hotel rooms and the pace of building the Olympic sports venues.
She said 68 hotels were under construction in Rio, which she called " a challenge" for the city.
But she said, "I think Rio will experience a full transformation. The games will have an impact on the population and on the entire country. "
In a press release, the IOC said that preparations for the Games had been boosted by "a successful winter in Brazil" that included the FIFA World Cup, Rio 2016's first test event.
The IOC said the schedule remained tight but "the Rio team clearly demonstrated that they had the situation under control". | The International Olympic Committee says it is satisfied with the progress made by the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro in its preparations for the 2016 Olympics. |
29,739,917 | In the 1960s, they found two gigantic dinosaur arms underground. For decades, scientists have wondered what kind of beast they belonged to.
Now, two near-complete skeletons have been found in Mongolia in Asia.
The researchers say that the creature is even more bizarre than they first thought.
They say it was huge, with a beak, a humped back and giant, hoofed feet.
Lead researcher Yuong-Nam Lee, from South Korea's Institute of Geo-science and Mineral Resources said,
"It turned out to be one of the weirdest dinosaurs, it's weird beyond our imagination."
For half a century, all that was known about this dinosaur was that it had enormous forearms, that measured 2.4m-long (8ft).
They were tipped with three giant claws.
Its name Deinocheirus mirificus means unusual, horrible hands.
Scientists say the beast was very large, measuring about 11m (36ft) long and weighed six tonnes.
It had an elongated head with a duck-like beak, and a large humped sail on its back.
Its legs were short and stumpy, but its feet were very large with hooves, which would have prevented it from sinking into the boggy wetlands where it lived.
The researchers think that the beast was probably a very slow mover.
The contents of its stomach suggest that it ate plants and fish.
Dr Yuong-Nam Lee said: "We did not know their function before, but the long forearms with giant claws may have been used for digging and gathering herbaceous plants in freshwater habitats." | A dinosaur mystery that has baffled researchers for 50 years has finally been solved. |
32,864,008 | Firefighters were called out to the Broadford Works industrial site on Hutcheon Street at about 18:10 on Saturday.
More than 40 firefighters were at the scene at the height of the fire. No-one was hurt.
Police said they were following a positive line of inquiry.
Residents living near the former textile mill were advised to keep windows shut. | A large fire which broke out at a disused factory near Aberdeen city centre is being treated as suspicious by police. |
36,606,891 | Born in Johannesburg in 1916, he came to England in 1946 to study at London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
He made regular appearances on TV and radio in the 1950s and '60s, working with the likes of Stanley Holloway, Terry-Thomas and The Goons.
He went on to work repeatedly with the British director Anthony Minghella.
According to his family, Rabinowitz - who was married twice - died at his house in France.
He was a conductor on BBC Radio and went on to become head of music at BBC TV Light Entertainment, before moving to London Weekend Television in 1968.
He remained there until 1977 - the year he became an MBE.
Rabinowitz conducted the UK's Eurovision Song Contest entries in 1964 and 1966 and was the first conductor of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Cats.
He was Bafta nominated in 1984 for the music he composed for Reilly: Ace of Spies and received the Gold Award from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (Basca) two years later.
Rabinowitz's many conducting credits included several productions from the Merchant Ivory team, among them Maurice, Howards End and The Remains of the Day.
Minghella, with whom the conductor worked on The English Patient, The Talented Mr Ripley and Cold Mountain, described him as "the UK's best kept secret".
Appearing on Desert Island Discs last year, Rabinowitz attributed his success to his learning to read music "very quickly and very accurately" at an early age.
"A score which would normally take somebody 20 minutes to put right... I reckon I can do it in seven-and-a-half minutes," he told the BBC's Kirsty Young.
Rabinowitz had been due to take part in a concert with the London Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican in London in November to mark both his birthday and his long career.
The LSO said it was "devastated not to have the chance to celebrate his magnificent contribution", adding it would be contacting ticket holders shortly. | The composer and conductor Harry Rabinowitz, who conducted the scores for more than 60 films including Chariots of Fire, has died aged 100. |
35,432,498 | The social network posted its biggest one-day rise since 2013 to $109.11 after more than doubling fourth quarter profits.
However, eBay sank 12.4% after forecasting weaker-than-expected quarterly revenue and profit.
Oil prices rose as Russia said it would meet with Opec nations.
There were hopes that an agreement to cut global oil output could be struck to help bolster prices.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 0.8% to 16,069 points.
The S&P 500 was up 0.5% to 1,893 points, while the Nasdaq Composite climbed almost 0.9% to 4,506 points.
The prospect of a joint effort between Russia and Opec, a group of large oil-producing nations, sent Brent crude up 4.3% to $34.52 and US crude up 4.5% to $33.76.
As a result energy stocks rose, with ExxonMobil gaining 2.3%, while Chevron shares were up 3.1%.
Construction equipment maker Caterpillar added 4.7% - the biggest Dow riser - after reporting a better-than-expected profit outlook.
On Wednesday, the US central bank said would not raise interest rates, but was "closely monitoring" global economic conditions. The Federal Reserve raised rates for the first time in almost a decade last month.
Since the Fed's action in December, oil has continued to plunged, stock markets have swung wildly and investors have become more concerned China's economy - a major driver of global growth - is losing momentum.
The Fed said US growth had slowed as exports fell because of the strong dollar. | (Close): Wall Street ended higher on Thursday, boosted by a 15% surge in Facebook shares and a bounce in oil prices. |
40,626,428 | The Mercedes driver's victory at Silverstone on Sunday was his fifth - and it moved him to within one point of Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel in the championship.
"It has taken me a long time to get there but I am so proud to be up there with the greats," Hamilton said.
"Still a long, long way to go, so new heights hopefully will be set."
Hamilton was cheered throughout a dominant performance on Sunday as he took his fourth victory of the year and he crowd-surfed and high-fived the fans after coming off the podium before making an appearance on stage at the fan zone after completing his engineers debrief and media commitments.
"It is almost impossible to describe how amazing it is the reception from the crowd," he said.
"It spurs me on and pushes me and that love really inspired me this weekend. Anyone who was here or at home supporting me, I want them to know how grateful I am."
Hamilton was criticised in some sections of the media for missing an F1 promotional event in London on Wednesday that was attended by all 19 other drivers. He preferred to spend some days in Greece relaxing to get himself in the right mindset before coming to Silverstone.
"There is no reason to question my preparations," he said. "I have more poles than most. I am building up the wins that I have. My performance is second to none.
"If you don't know now that my preparation is mostly on point, than I guess you never will."
He added: "I did something I felt was right for me and I performed the best I have all year, in terms of the championship."
Hamilton cut his deficit to Vettel in the championship by 19 points after the Ferrari driver suffered a late puncture that dropped him from fourth to seventh.
"I did not expect to come away only one point behind," he said. "Maybe seven or 10 or 12. We kind of needed this today.
"I couldn't have dreamed or imagined today he would have the problem at the end. So to have that close up at the British Grand Prix, that's fantastic. So happy."
But he said it would be premature to call the British Grand Prix result a key moment of the season.
"It's difficult to ever say it's a turning point," he said. "Ultimately, there's constantly turns and the pendulum goes back and forth.
"Obviously the pendulum swung a little bit this weekend and I think that's only good for F1. It's only good for the fans, probably super-exciting for them to see the close battle that we're continuing to have.
"Without a doubt we hope it stays the way it's swung this time, but we're just hoping we can be on our toes to react to whatever is thrown at us in the next races."
Hamilton said he expected the title race to go to the final grand prix of the season.
"It's going to be a close race," he said. Its going right down to the wire, clearly."
Vettel said that Mercedes' upturn in pace in qualifying in the last four races had been a "game changer". But he added: "There is no reason to panic or to worry. but for sure we need to be aware. There are a couple of advantages we need to work on and then it could be a different picture." | Lewis Hamilton said he was "proud" to have joined Alain Prost and Jim Clark as the record holder for most British Grand Prix wins. |
34,918,623 | The boy, named locally as Tyler Thompson, was found injured in a busy residential street in Leicester after reports of a fight in the area.
He was taken to hospital on Tuesday evening but later died.
Three men aged 29, 34 and 35 were arrested along with an 18-year-old, who was taken to hospital.
Police were called to a fight involving a group of men in Freeman Road North, next to Humberstone Park, at about 19:50 GMT on Tuesday where they found the injured boy.
He was taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary where he later died.
The arrested men remain in police custody and a forensic examination is currently being carried out in the street and at a house in nearby Broad Avenue.
A police spokesman said they would not give details of whether any weapon may have been involved.
Tributes and flowers have been left close to the scene of the incident and friends on social media expressed sadness at his death.
One card, left with a bunch of white lilies, read: "RIP Tyler. Thoughts are with your family. You're with the angels now. xxxxx"
Aliyyah Khan, 16, from Evington, Leicester, said she had known Tyler for seven years and described him as a "really nice guy".
"I was so shocked when I heard he had died. It's just heartbreaking," she said.
Residents on the street described their shock at the news.
A woman who lives near Freeman Road North said: "Sixteen is no age to die. He hasn't had half his life yet." | Three men and a teenager have been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the death of a 16-year-old boy. |
33,544,077 | Media playback is not supported on this device
Manager Roy Hodgson fielded an England team with an experimental look - but it still had far too much class for the very limited Lithuanians, whose manager Igoris Pankratjevas resigned immediately after the match.
Ross Barkley's deflected shot gave England the lead before Harry Kane's effort rebounded in off the back of Lithuania keeper Giedrius Arlauskis after striking the post to make the outcome a formality even before half-time.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's powerful shot rounded off a comfortable night for England that was only marred by brief skirmishes between rival groups of fans that had to be broken up by riot police.
England, who qualified for next summer's tournament in France with two matches to spare, are only the sixth team ever to reach the finals with a 100% record.
England's flawless record in qualifying has often been damned with faint praise shaped by the standard of opposition they faced.
There is an undoubted element of truth in the claim that England were handed a very favourable Euro 2016 draw - certainly very favourable for Hodgson after a World Cup that was little short of a debacle.
Hodgson's reputation as England manager would have been in serious danger with any significant defeats early on after that. Instead he was able to rebuild in a relatively comfortable group.
The bottom line, however, is that England have done everything asked of them and a flawless record in qualifying - in which they scored 31 goals and conceded just three - must not be dismissed lightly.
It should also be placed in the context of the problems faced by other so-called bigger nations. Netherlands - World Cup semi-finalists in 2014 - have struggled desperately, the highly rated Belgians were beaten by Wales, while Spain lost in Slovakia a year ago - their first qualifying defeat in eight years.
Tougher tests - much tougher tests - lie ahead and it is likely the true measure of England's progress since they went out at the group stage in Brazil will only be revealed once Euro 2016 begins and they face high-quality opposition in a competitive environment.
To question theirs and Hodgson's record in this qualifying group would be churlish and undeserved. They have completed the mission without a blemish and for that they deserve credit.
Hodgson insists he is proud at including - and keeping - Barkley in his squad from his early days as a teenager, even when he has been out of the Everton side.
Will his pride extend to putting the wonderfully gifted 21-year-old in England's starting line-up at Euro 2016?
It is a question that is growing in significance as Barkley, after a man-of-the-match performance in the 2-0 win against Estonia at Wembley on Friday, backed it up with another eye-catching display in Vilnius.
Barkley broke the deadlock with a deflected shot and almost added another with a header as his influence on England grows.
Hodgson still gets irked when reminded of his public criticism of Barkley following his performance in a friendly against Ecuador in Miami before the 2014 World Cup.
Then, he accused the media of having an "obsession" with Barkley before criticising the number of times he gave the ball away.
England and Barkley have moved on and Hodgson has since been very generous with his praise of the player.
He may, however, face a further "obsession" with Barkley if he continues to put in performances that will increase the clamour for him to be a first choice at Euro 2016.
Kane was unable to claim England's second goal after his left-foot shot hit the near post and rebounded in off the back of Arlauskis - but he can be pleased with his night's work.
The Tottenham striker gave an industrious display before being replaced by Danny Ings, showing a willingness to take every opportunity that came his way, forcing three saves from the keeper before his fourth attempt ended in a goal.
Hodgson wanted to see what Kane could give him in the absence of captain Wayne Rooney and he will be well satisfied as the 22-year-old showed mobility, composure on the ball and that pleasing knack of getting into scoring positions at international level, a habit that brought him three goals before this match.
Another excellent performance from a young player growing in international stature with every England game. Elegant, powerful and possessed of the ability to produce the unexpected - with a goal to decorate his display.
England manager Roy Hodgson: "This is an achievement. I am very proud of the players' performances. I thought it was excellent, in the first half especially. There was a lot of hard work put in, the quality of play was good and 10 wins out of 10 is very satisfying - we've got to take a lot of pride in that.
"I can't fault anyone tonight - a good performance, dominant and a nice way to end the qualifying campaign.
"It would have been a surprise if we had not qualified. But the upcoming friendlies are better, stronger sides. We'll see how we deal with that."
After England became the sixth side to reach the European Championship finals with a perfect 100% record, here's a reminder of the previous teams to achieve the feat - and how they fared the following summer.
France (Euro '92)
Played eight, won eight, scored 20, conceded six. France entered Euro 92 in buoyant form and boasting a side of Jean-Pierre Papin, Eric Cantona, Didier Deschamps and Laurent Blanc.
What could go wrong? Everything. The French drew 0-0 with England in a bad-tempered group match before losing to Denmark and it was an early au revoir. Like England, they went out in the group stage.
Czech Republic (Euro 2000)
Finalists in 1996, the Czech Republic won all 10 of their qualifiers on the road to Euro 2000, winning their group by a massive 12 points.
However, defeats by co-hosts Netherlands and France meant it was group stage and out for a team including Tomas Rosicky, Pavel Nedved, Jan Koller and Karel Poborsky.
France (Euro 2004)
Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry, Marcel Desailly et al - the irrepressible French team of 2002-03 cruised to a 100% record before meeting - and beating - England in the opening group game.
Remember that? Wayne Rooney was brilliant, Zidane scored twice in the last minute...
But the pesky Greeks put paid to France's chances in the quarter-finals on their way to a remarkable win.
Spain and Germany (Euro 2012)
Four years ago, Germany and Spain each put their respective opposition to the sword twice en route to the finals in Poland and Ukraine.
The Germans were in particularly ruthless mood, scoring 34 times on their way to the tournament.
But when it came down to it, Spain were the men to beat, picking up the trophy for a second consecutive time after thumping Italy - conquerors of Germany - in the final.
Match ends, Lithuania 0, England 3.
Second Half ends, Lithuania 0, England 3.
Phil Jagielka (England) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Deivydas Matulevicius (Lithuania).
Egidijus Vaitkunas (Lithuania) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Andros Townsend (England) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Egidijus Vaitkunas (Lithuania).
Attempt missed. Dele Alli (England) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Jonjo Shelvey.
Substitution, Lithuania. Deivydas Matulevicius replaces Lukas Spalvis.
Attempt saved. Jamie Vardy (England) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Andros Townsend with a cross.
Lukas Spalvis (Lithuania) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Andros Townsend (England) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Lukas Spalvis (Lithuania).
Attempt missed. Georgas Freidgeimas (Lithuania) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right.
Substitution, Lithuania. Egidijus Vaitkunas replaces Vytautas Andriuskevicius.
Foul by Dele Alli (England).
Vykintas Slivka (Lithuania) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Vykintas Slivka (Lithuania) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner.
Jamie Vardy (England) is shown the yellow card.
Jonjo Shelvey (England) is shown the yellow card.
Foul by Jamie Vardy (England).
Mindaugas Panka (Lithuania) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution, England. Andros Townsend replaces Ross Barkley.
Dele Alli (England) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Deimantas Petravicius (Lithuania).
Corner, England. Conceded by Tomas Mikuckis.
Attempt saved. Danny Ings (England) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Dele Alli.
Substitution, England. Dele Alli replaces Adam Lallana.
Attempt missed. Vykintas Slivka (Lithuania) left footed shot from the centre of the box is too high.
Offside, Lithuania. Fedor Cernych tries a through ball, but Arturas Zulpa is caught offside.
Substitution, Lithuania. Deimantas Petravicius replaces Arvydas Novikovas.
Goal! Lithuania 0, England 3. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (England) right footed shot from the right side of the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Kyle Walker.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Arvydas Novikovas (Lithuania) because of an injury.
Attempt saved. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (England) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Adam Lallana.
Substitution, England. Danny Ings replaces Harry Kane.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (England) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Arturas Zulpa (Lithuania).
Attempt missed. Jonjo Shelvey (England) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Adam Lallana.
Adam Lallana (England) wins a free kick on the right wing. | England completed the perfect 10 wins from 10 in their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign with an easy victory in Lithuania. |
40,609,768 | James Robertson, 27, told the High Court in Glasgow that Russell Robertson was alive when he last saw him.
Mr Robertson and Mark Munro, 31, deny killing the 27-year-old by pushing him over railings at Bainsford Bridge, Falkirk, in May last year.
It is alleged they repeatedly punched Mr Robertson on the hands and prised his fingers from the bridge railings.
Mr Robertson said the last time he saw Russell Robertson was "when Mark Munro had a hold of him".
Giving evidence, Mr Robertson told his defence counsel Tony Graham that he and Mr Munro, who was his best friend, had left a nearby nightclub at about 03:00.
Mr Robertson told the court that Russell Robertson approached him on the bridge and told him: "You need to go down by Robinsons Hire Drive."
Mr Robertson said he "had no idea" what Russell Robertson, who he said was "drunk or merry", was talking about.
The defence counsel asked Mr Robertson if he was angry about this and he replied: "Not initially, but he was angry."
He added: "When I told him no for the second time, he threw a punch at me and missed and I did the same."
Mr Robertson said that he and Russell Robertson began wrestling and grabbed each other in a headlock but no blows landed and it "was like a comical fight".
Mr Robertson said: "Mark pulled the guy off me and pushed him away. He put his arms round the guy and pushed him in the chest.
"I just picked myself up. Russell was coming towards us and Mark grabbed him by the shirt.
"I said to Mark, 'We need to get out of this.'
"I was aware the police were everywhere."
Mr Robertson said he left and the last time he saw Russell Robertson, Mr Munro was holding him saying, "he's not getting away with this."
Mr Robertson said he was "annoyed, frustrated and angry" hearing Mr Munro blame him for the murder.
He said: "He was my best pal for years. It could bring a man to tears that stuff he was saying."
The trial before judge Lady Carmichael continues. | A murder co-accused has admitted fighting with a man but denied killing him by throwing him into a canal. |
40,101,629 | A ground-based interceptor was launched at a California air base and shot down a mock ballistic missile, the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) said.
The Pentagon said the test was long-planned but it comes amid increased tensions with North Korea.
The test comes after Pyongyang fired its ninth missile this year.
MDA Director Vice Adm Jim Syring called the test a "critical milestone".
"This system is vitally important to the defence of our homeland, and this test demonstrates that we have a capable, credible deterrent against a very real threat," he said on Tuesday.
It was the first live-fire test against a simulated ICBM for the Ground-Based Missile Defense (GMD).
The interceptor, which was launched from Vandenberg Air Force, collided with a simulated missile launched from Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands over the Pacific Ocean, the agency said in a news release.
The announcement comes in the wake of North Korea's third missile test in three weeks.
The Scud flew about 450km (280 miles) before landing in Japanese waters, prompting Japan to lodge a protest.
Pyongyang has repeatedly defied a UN resolution banning all nuclear and missile activity, and has ramped up the pace of its tests in recent months.
President Donald Trump joined South Korea and Japan in condemning the test.
"North Korea has shown great disrespect for their neighbor, China, by shooting off yet another ballistic missile...but China is trying hard!" he tweeted on Monday. | The US has for the first time successfully tested its defence system against an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), say officials. |
40,405,421 | A Spanish woman, born in 1956, said her mother, a maid, had a clandestine affair with the painter in 1955.
The judge said there were no biological remains or personal objects of the artist to be used in the test. He died in Spain in 1989 at the age of 85.
The Dalí Foundation, which manages the artist's estate, says it will appeal.
The surrealist painter was buried in the theatre and museum he designed himself, in his home town of Figueres in the north-eastern Catalonia region.
Maria Pilar Abel Martínez, a tarot card reader who was born in Girona, made the paternity claim for the first time in 2015.
She said her mother, Antonia, had worked for a family that spent time in Cadaqués, next to where the painter had a home.
Antonia left her job in 1955, moved to a different city and married another man.
Ms Martínez claimed that her mother told her several times that Dalí was her father, on many occasions in front of others.
"The only thing I'm missing is a moustache," she once said, according to newspaper El Mundo (in Spanish).
At the time of the alleged affair, Dalí was married to his muse Gala, born Elena Ivanovna Diakonova. The couple had no children.
The decision also cites that Ms Martínez underwent two paternity tests, both in 2007, but never received the results.
Her legal action is against the Spanish state, to which Dalí left his estate.
If she is confirmed to be the artist's daughter, she could use his surname and be entitled to part of his estate - but Spanish media say she would have to legally request it.
Ms Martínez's lawyer said there was no date for the exhumation, but that it could happen as soon as July.
The Dalí Foundation said in a statement that an appeal would "be lodged in the coming days."
Richard III: When a skeleton was found underneath a Leicester car park in 2012, archaeologists hoped they may have found the last Plantagenet king. The next year, it was confirmed the bones did belong to Richard III, who was killed in battle in 1485. The monarch was interred in a more fitting location - that of Leicester Cathedral - in 2015.
Lech Kaczynski: It did not take long for the rumours to start after the Polish president and a number of other senior figures - including the country's army chief, central bank governor, MPs and leading historians - were killed in a plane crash in 2010. But it took another six years for their bodies to be exhumed. And when they did, what they found was nothing less than baffling. The remains had been mixed up - with Mr Kaczynski's coffin containing the bodies of two other people.
Nelson Mandela's children: As the South African president lay dying in 2013, three of the children who predeceased him were in the process of being exhumed. It was the second time the bodies had been dug up: Mr Mandela's grandson Mandla had first moved them from the family graveyard in 2011, allegedly without the family's consent.
Pablo Neruda: The Nobel prize-winning Chilean poet was exhumed in 2013, 40 years after he died of prostate cancer. It was rumoured Neruda - whose death came days after the military coup which brought General Augusto Pinochet to power - may have been poisoned. The exhumation did not find any poison, but did find an unexplained bacterial infection before he was reburied in 2016.
Lots of people in Madagascar: Some people on the African island exhume their relatives as an act of love and respect.
And finally... a goose: Police in Hertfordshire exhumed the body of a goose, investigating allegations it was shot dead at point-blank range. A post-mortem found he had died of natural causes. | A judge in Madrid has ordered the exhumation of the body of Spanish artist Salvador Dalí to get samples for a paternity suit. |
38,150,324 | Members of the NASUWT teaching union are staging a one-day strike over pay, job security and workload.
As a result, about a third of schools in Belfast and Newtownabbey have either been closed or partially closed to pupils on Wednesday.
In schools with few NASUWT members, the strike is having little impact.
The education minister called the strike "futile", while the union said it had been "left with no choice".
Education Minister Peter Weir said he had made it clear the education budget was "under severe pressure" and his priority was "protecting school budgets".
"The escalation of this action, resulting in strike days, will severely harm the education of the children that we all seek to serve," he added.
"It will cause major disruption to parents, and put further pressure on other teachers and leaders that are already struggling to cope in addition to damaging the reputation of teachers."
Members of NASUWT are attending a rally in Belfast.
Justin McCamphill, NASUWT's national official in Northern Ireland, said teachers did not take strike action lightly.
"No teacher has any wish to inconvenience parents or disrupt pupils' education, but this action is not the fault of teachers," he said.
"The minister has been given the money to pay teachers the minimum of 1% for 2015-16. It is nothing short of scandalous that he does not think that paying teachers is important."
The union says its members are also protesting about excessive workloads and job insecurity.
In October, all five main teaching unions in Northern Ireland rejected an offer which saw their pay frozen in 2015/16 and a rise of 1% in 2016/17.
NASUWT has previously announced its members elsewhere in Northern Ireland would stage further one-day strikes in January and February.
Meanwhile, the Ulster Teachers' Union, Irish National Teachers' Organisation and Association of Teachers and Lecturers are to ballot their members on 5 December on potential strike action. | Strike action by some teachers has affected 77 schools in Northern Ireland, the Education Authority has said. |
34,390,342 | Simon Bailey, who is reviewing how the force will work with a reduced budget and workforce, said the cuts are a "game-changer" for policing.
It has a £10m shortfall to the £22.5m in savings required by March 2020, a a figure which is expected to increase.
Mr Bailey said job cuts were inevitable.
"We are undertaking a fundamental review of how local policing services are delivered," he said.
"Our demands have changed, for example the greatest demand every day is reports of domestic abuse, with 50 calls a day, and 30 for concerns for safety.
"So, 80 calls are non-traditional crime related so we need to think about how we tackle this."
Reports of crime excluding fraud were up 16% in 2014-15.
He added: "I don't like seeing fewer officers on the street, but we are going to be working with a significantly reduced budget which means things have got to change."
He said it would be looking at its work with other counties and emergency services as a way to save money, with joint working with Suffolk Police saving the forces £24.3m.
Mr Bailey said: "The next round of public sector budget reductions will be a game-changer for policing in Norfolk.
"No longer can we simply adapt or adjust our existing model - the change required to meet this challenge must be radical."
The Norfolk 2020 review will begin with an internal consultation, and initial recommendations will be made to chief officers in December. | Policing in Norfolk has reached a "critical point" and requires radical change to accommodate looming budget cuts, the chief constable has warned. |
32,275,641 | Welshman Chaz Davies secured victory in the second race on a Ducati, having been runner-up to Rea in the opener.
Northern Irishman Rea, 28, clinched his fourth success of the season by winning by 0.051 seconds on his Kawasaki after a thrilling end to the first event.
England's Leon Haslam was third and fourth and is second in the standings.
On the brakes into the final corner of race one, Davies dived into the lead but Rea turned tighter and got on the power fractionally earlier, giving him the smallest advantage which he carried over the line for another maximum points score.
Third-place finisher Sykes led from the start until there were eight laps remaining, at which point Rea dived under the Yorkshireman into turn four, where he had earlier passed Davies for second place.
Leon Haslam finished in fourth after a race-long scrap with team-mate Jordi Torres and Ducati replacement rider Xavi Fores.
Davies enjoyed an advantage of 3.19 seconds over Rea at the end of race two to seal his first World Superbike win since 2013.
Haslam completed the podium positions, but Sykes crashed out unhurt with 14 of the 18 laps remaining.
Rea, based in the Isle of Man, won one race at the opening round at Phillip Island, Australia, in February and followed that up with a double success at Thailand in March.
He now has 19 World Superbike career wins and is looking forward to potentially extending that tally at Assen next weekend.
"A first and a second are the best results I've ever had at Aragon and it's good to get some more good results and pick up plenty of points. Assen is a circuit I really love so bring it on," said Rea. | Jonathan Rea extended his lead at the top of the World Championships series to 26 points by winning race one at Aragon and taking second in race two. |
36,568,650 | The historic race, now in its 305th year, paid tribute to The Queen in her 90th birthday year by renaming the Gold Cup in her honour.
Her Majesty had cause for celebration after her horse Dartmouth won the Hardwicke Stakes on Saturday.
About 300,000 people were expected to visit the Berkshire racecourse during the five-day event. | A predicted crowd of 70,000 people flocked to enjoy the final day of Royal Ascot. |
17,838,467 | Bussell, 42, retired as a dancer in 2007 but is still heavily involved with the ballet scene.
She will join Len Goodman, Craig Revel Horwood and Bruno Tonioli on the judging panel for Strictly when it returns in the autumn.
Bussell has appeared as a guest judge on the show but now joins on a full-time basis to replace Alesha Dixon.
Darcey, former principal dancer at the Royal Ballet, said: "I had such a lovely experience in 2009 when I was a guest judge, that coming on board now feels very natural.
"Strictly combines quality dance and great entertainment, which is such a positive for everybody involved. I am very excited and really looking forward to being part of the Strictly team."
BBC One Controller Danny Cohen said: "Strictly Come Dancing is a real jewel in the crown and I can think of no-one better to join our Strictly judging panel than Darcey, the UK's queen of ballet.
"Darcey has all the poise and glamour, along with the experience and credentials, to deliver meaningful and insightful critiques of our couples' performances.
"She's a huge fan of the show and will be a fantastic addition to the Strictly family."
Katie Taylor, head of in-house entertainment at the BBC, added: "Having previously acted as a guest judge, Darcey is already part of the Strictly family and I couldn't be more thrilled that she's returning to us as our new judge. I know she will sparkle in our ballroom."
Bussell joined the Royal Ballet in 1988, performing as a guest artist with leading international companies, including the New York City Ballet.
Born Marnie Mercedes Darcey Pembleton Crittle, she was awarded the CBE in 2006 and once made a guest appearance as herself in BBC comedy The Vicar of Dibley.
Bussell replaces Dixon, who was poached earlier this year by Simon Cowell to be a judge on ITV1 show Britain's Got Talent.
Cowell admitted he offered her a panel place based "70-30 on the fact she was on Strictly and the fact I liked her" - prompting Strictly head judge Goodman to accuse him of being "spiteful". | Ballet star Darcey Bussell has been confirmed as the new judge on BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing. |
35,391,613 | The body of the 36-year-old was discovered on Friday evening in Culver Street, Salisbury.
Officers said "there may be a quantity of contaminated heroin" in the city and have issued an 'urgent warning' to drug users to be aware.
The woman has not been formally identified.
DS Guy Williams, of Salisbury CID, said the batch of drugs could "have the potential to lead to further illness or death".
He added: "We would like to reassure the local community we are carrying out a detailed and robust investigation following this death and enquiries will be continuing." | Police suspect a "rogue batch of contaminated heroin" may have been responsible for the sudden death of a woman in a Wiltshire car park. |
21,262,723 | The move would see TfL take over West Anglia and Southeastern London services.
A recent report concluded there were "no barriers" to further rail devolution in the capital.
Mr Johnson said "great progress" had been made in developing the plans.
Currently, with the exception of the London Overground network, rail services into the capital are provided by several train operating companies, each with their own franchise agreement with central government.
Mr Johnson said that bringing the services under TfL's control would simplify ticketing and bring savings of £100m to help fund improvements. | The final plans for Transport for London (TfL) to take over suburban rail services in the capital could be announced in April, mayor Boris Johnson has said. |
38,391,427 | Steven Jackson, 40, battered and stabbed former partner Kimberley MacKenzie at a flat in Montrose before cutting up her body in a bathtub.
Ms MacKenzie, 37, sustained at least 11 blows to the head and was stabbed more than 40 times.
A murder charge against co-accused Michelle Higgins was found not proven.
But the 29-year-old was found guilty of helping to dispose of Ms MacKenzie's remains.
Judge Lady Rae told Jackson and Higgins: "I have difficulty finding appropriate words to describe these horrific, depraved crimes."
She said to the jury: "This is one of the most distressing cases I have ever heard."
The verdicts followed a five-week trial at the High Court in Glasgow.
Jackson and Higgins will be sentenced at the High Court in Livingston on 17 January.
The trial was told Jackson targeted Kimberley MacKenzie in a frenzied attack with two knives, a hammer and a large paint scraper on 27 October last year
The following day he chopped up her body in the bath and, with the assistance of girlfriend Higgins, dumped the body parts in four bins in Montrose.
The pair were captured on CCTV walking through the streets of Montrose carrying a child's rucksack and a green suitcase containing more body parts including Ms MacKenzie's head.
The suitcase and rucksack were dumped by the pair at a property and put in the shower cubicle.
During the trial, each of the accused blamed the other for murdering Ms MacKenzie.
Higgins claimed that she was so terrified of Jackson that she helped him dispose of Ms MacKenzie's body after he had killed her.
In her evidence to the trial, Higgins said Jackson launched the attack minutes after Ms MacKenzie visited the home she and Jackson shared in Montrose's Market Street.
As she sat in an armchair drinking a cup of tea and chatting to Higgins, Jackson walked up to Ms MacKenzie and hit her on the right side of the head with a hammer.
The force of the blow knocked her to the ground and, as she lay helpless, Jackson stabbed her more than 40 times before bludgeoning her again on the head with the hammer.
The final blow to Ms MacKenzie's head was with a large paint scraper.
As she lay dying from massive head injuries, Jackson and Higgins went out to buy heroin and were captured on CCTV walking hand-in-hand through Montrose High Street.
The following day, the pair dragged her body into the bath and butchered it after Higgins went out and bought a saw.
Ms MacKenzie's body was cut into 12 pieces and her upper torso, lower torso, a leg and feet were dumped in four bins in Montrose.
The rest of her body including the head and thighs was packed into a child's rucksack and a suitcase and left in the shower cubicle of another house in Montrose.
Higgins told of holding open black bin bags into which Jackson would drop body parts and then she would tie up the bags.
She denied a suggestion by prosecutor Ashley Edwards QC that she had taken "a shot" of sawing up the body.
The court was told by Higgins that initially they stored the wrapped body parts behind the tumble drier in their kitchen before dumping them.
Jackson was seen by neighbours acting suspiciously near the communal bins.
Ms MacKenzie was reported missing by her father Terence MacKenzie, 66, on 28 October last year.
He told of the last time he saw her in Montrose High Street about 11.30 on the day she died.
When police visited Market Street days later as part of their missing person investigation they noticed a "smell of death" next to the bins in the communal close.
When officers spoke to Jackson he told them: "Michelle hit Kim in the head with a hammer.
"I finished her off by cutting her throat."
He also confessed to his ex-wife Barbara Whyte that he had killed Ms MacKenzie and chopped up her body.
Police immediately sealed off the area and stopped scheduled bin collections while they searched for Ms MacKenzie's body.
Following the verdicts, Lady Rae excused the jurors - nine men and five women - from jury duty for 10 years. | A man has been found guilty of the 'depraved' murder of a mother-of-three and cutting up and hiding her body parts in bins. |
21,373,396 | Adrian James used a mechanical digger to bury the container and he also dug a tunnel from his house to his garden.
Cannabis worth up to £86,000 was seized from the container and house in Hungerhill Road, St Ann's, Nottingham.
The 43-year-old was jailed for three years on 29 January and police now hope to confiscate some of his profits.
PC Steve Fenyn of Nottinghamshire Police, who led the investigation, said finding the "sophisticated" set-up was "quite a surprise".
He said: "It would have taken significant time and efforts to dig up the garden, put the freight container in and cover it up, then dig a tunnel into the house."
James had set up hydroponics equipment with timer switches and an automatic watering system.
PC Fenyn added: "The automatic set-up inside the container required very little maintenance from James."
He was arrested in October 2011 after officers searched his home.
He pleaded guilty to production of cannabis at Nottingham Crown Court.
Police are trying to establish how much money James made from the operation.
An application to seize the money and other assets will then by made in court under the Proceeds of Crime Act. | Police hope to seize thousands of pounds from a man who grew cannabis in a freight shipping container buried in his back garden. |
40,504,538 | Earlier in the day, the company had been leading the FTSE 100 for the second day running, following a rise of 25% on Tuesday.
Tesco was the biggest riser, up 3.8% after wholesaler Booker reported strong sales figures. Tesco's deal to buy Booker awaits approval from regulators.
Overall, the FTSE 100 closed up 10.37 points or 0.14% at 7,367.60.
Housebuilder Persimmon rose 2.4% on the strength of solid first-half results.
The company said sales rose by 7% year-on-year in the period, unaffected by general election jitters.
Persimmon's performance lifted the sector, with rivals Barratt and Taylor Wimpey also trading higher.
On the currency markets, the pound was up 0.11% against the dollar at $1.2933 and also up 0.11% against the euro at 1.1399 euros. | Shares in Worldpay slumped 8.8% after news broke that it was being taken over by US rival Vantiv. |
36,571,651 | Wales won group B, securing their place in the final 16 of the tournament.
Aaron Ramsey and Neil Taylor gave Wales an early lead, while Gareth Bale scored in the second half.
The game had been designated high-risk after violence in Marseille and Lille, but there have been no reported incidents.
Fans were in fine voice at the fanzone in Toulouse, chanting "we are top of the league" as phones were checked for the latest updates from England's game against Slovakia which ended in a 0-0 draw.
At the final whistle, arms and beers were thrown into the air in celebration of the win and delighted fans were quick to praise their team's efforts.
Stephen Palmer, 49, of Port Talbot, said: "My reaction to the game is... marvellous.
"We're through, that's all that matters. We're through and I'm staying in France for another week."
Samantha Caniff, 28, of Tredegar, watched the game in the Toulouse fanzone and said: "All the family watched the game, my mum and the baby. We stayed out and really enjoyed it." | Welsh football supporters are celebrating as Wales have made it to the next round of Euro 2016 following a 3-0 win over Russia in Toulouse. |
28,374,184 | HS2 Ltd, the company responsible for the project, said its new premises would house up to 1,500 staff.
It is expected to include engineers and designers responsible for track, signalling and station plans, as well as support staff.
While some jobs would move from London, the company said, many would be new roles.
Chairman David Higgins said he expected the first staff to move into the new premises in April or May 2015.
He said the fact HS2 had chosen to base its construction HQ in Birmingham rather than London showed the firm's "long-term commitment" to the city.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said it would bring skilled job opportunities to the area.
Birmingham City Council announced it would create a company to lead the redevelopment around Curzon Street station, which will become the Birmingham hub for the first phase of HS2.
In February, the council first announced plans to regenerate the area by building offices, a hotel and about 2,000 homes to both improve the city's "welcome" to HS2 travellers and stimulate the local economy.
Under the plans, the Grade I-listed facade of the currently derelict station would form the centrepiece of the new development, extending into nearby Digbeth and the surrounding area.
Source: Birmingham City Council
When it is completed, the new station will be the biggest building in Birmingham, according to the city council.
Council leader Sir Albert Bore, said: "Since the industrial revolution, Birmingham has been a national capital for engineering, so it is only natural that the HS2 construction HQ be based in Birmingham."
Mr Mcloughlin said he hoped Curzon Street would repeat the "success" of London's King's Cross and St Pancras stations.
"If you think what those areas were like 20 years ago and what they're like today, I want to see that emulated in Birmingham," he said.
The Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) said it would be investing £30m to support plans for the 141 hectare site.
LEP chairman Andy Street, who is also the head of John Lewis, said the announcement was a sign the project was moving "away from the 'if and when'" and towards action.
"I'm absolutely convinced businesses across the West Midlands share the view this is good for the region," he said.
"It's not just about a station for Birmingham."
Earlier this month, the LEP was awarded more than £350m over three years through the government's Growth Deal.
Much of the investment was for HS2 related projects, such as extending the Metro tram line to Curzon Street.
Funding was also earmarked for a new construction training centre in Dudley, as well as facilities at Birmingham's South and City College, to help equip local people for jobs connected with the building of HS2. | The headquarters for construction of the High Speed 2 (HS2) rail line is to be based in Birmingham. |
12,282,189 | People lined the streets outside Bolton Parish Church for the service of thanksgiving, while hundreds of mourners gathered inside.
Mr Lofthouse, known as the Lion of Vienna, died on 15 January aged 85.
Wanderers supporters were able to hear the service from loudspeakers in the church grounds.
Earlier, the funeral cortege travelled up Bank Street and into Bradshawgate before turning into Silverwell Street and heading to the parish church.
Bolton manager Owen Coyle, captain Kevin Davies and Wigan chairman Dave Whelan were among the pallbearers, while many football dignitaries also attended.
Davies, also a centre forward, said: "I have seen clips of him as a player and from living in the town and speaking to people he was an absolutely amazing footballer.
"He was an amazing person as well. He had a lot of time for people at the club and in the town and we'll miss him."
Other dignitaries included Manchester United director Sir Bobby Charlton, who, along with Lofthouse scored in a 5-0 win over the Soviet Union in 1958 in the first of the two matches they played together for England.
A number of people from the football world attended
Mourners hail 'credit to Bolton'
The life of legend Nat Lofthouse
Bolton great Lofthouse dies at 85
Sir Tom Finney, Sir Alex Ferguson, Trevor Brooking and former Aston Villa chairman Doug Ellis were among the other figures who attended.
Former Bolton managers to attend the service included Jimmy Armfield, Bruce Rioch, Colin Todd and Sam Allardyce.
The service was led by the Rev Matt Thompson, the vicar of Bolton.
Bolton chairman Phil Gartside and Gordon Taylor, chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association, gave eulogies during the service.
Addressing the congregation, Mr Gartside said he had "mixed emotions" about speaking and admitted to nerves.
"What could I say that hasn't already been said about Nat Lofthouse? A footballing great. A legend. An icon - the Lion of Vienna," said Mr Gartside.
"He'd probably look me in the eye and say 'don't be daft cocker, you'll be all right'."
Mr Gartside spoke movingly of his memories of first meeting "Lofty" and the former striker's dedication to Bolton Wanderers and its fans.
"I am pleased and feel very privileged I got to spend time with the man, talk football and listen to his stories and share his memories.
"Nat was always about Bolton... One man, one club, one aim - to see us successful."
After the service the funeral cortege travelled through town to huge applause before going on to a private committal.
The centre-forward, who played more than 500 games and scored 285 times for the Trotters between 1946 and 1960, died in his sleep at a nursing home in Bolton.
Mr Lofthouse, who was known as the Lion of Vienna, had worked for Bolton in a number of roles after hanging up his boots.
Those roles included chief coach, chief scout, caretaker manager and club president, with Mr Lofthouse holding the last position until his death.
During his England career, he scored 30 goals in 33 matches. | Thousands of people gathered for the funeral of former Bolton Wanderers and England football legend Nat Lofthouse. |
30,778,491 | Now that inflation has fallen to 0.5% on the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) measure, he's got to write a letter to the chancellor, explaining why inflation has missed the Bank's target of 2% by more than one percentage point.
But why on earth should he be writing to George Osborne to apologise, when low inflation looks so attractive?
For example, falling oil prices will probably mean that the average British motorist will save around £140 this year. What he or she doesn't spend on petrol - perhaps £4bn in total - is likely to be spent elsewhere, so boosting the economy in other ways.
So if falling prices are good for individuals and the economy, how can inflation also be beneficial?
In the example of falling oil prices, the motorist probably doesn't have much choice as to whether to buy petrol or not. But imagine if the price of the car itself were to start falling. Instead of buying yourself a new car this year, why not buy it next year, when it might be hundreds of pounds cheaper? A little inflation encourages you to buy sooner - and that boosts economic growth.
Anyone with a mortgage or a loan benefits from inflation, as it has the effect of eroding debt. In the 1960s my father bought a house for £11,000. But with inflation peaking at around 13% in the late 70s, his wages were rising fast too - meaning the mortgage repayments were taking an ever smaller share of his income. By contrast, deflation - or falling prices - increases the real value of debts. Not a good place to be.
Rising prices make it easier for companies to put up wages. They also give employers the flexibility not to increase wages by as much as inflation, but still offer their staff some sort of rise. In a world of zero inflation some companies might be forced to cut wages.
That would not be good for morale, recruitment or productivity. For most of the last five years inflation has been running ahead of wage rises, but thanks to inflation, wages have also been rising, even if the money doesn't go as far.
The government has a huge debt, which is getting bigger thanks to a deficit of £90bn. It would dearly love to see that eroded by inflation, which in turn would see its own income rise. As long as there's a good dose of inflation in the system, tax revenue should go up, even if the economy is stagnant.
When inflation is too high of course, it is not good for the economy or individuals. Inflation will always reduce the value of money, unless interest rates are higher than inflation. And the higher inflation gets, the less chance there is that savers will see any real return on their money. Although in theory that should be good for the economy, by encouraging people to spend rather than save.
High inflation - as Gordon Brown used to remind us when he was chancellor - is also a cause of boom and bust in the economy. It therefore produces low growth and higher unemployment.
If inflation in the UK exceeds that of other countries, it can also erode competitiveness.
Most central banks favour an inflation target that is in the region of 2% to 2.5%. The Bank of England's target of 2% under the CPI measure is fairly typical. Some economists argue there should be a higher target in times of recession, such as 3%. This can promote higher growth, by keeping interest rates lower for longer.
But whatever the precise level, most do agree that a little dose of inflation is absolutely essential.
"The most important thing to remember is that inflation is not an act of God, that inflation is not a catastrophe of the elements or a disease that comes like the plague," said the Austrian philosopher and economist Ludwig von Mises.
"Inflation is a policy." | So, the governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, is filling his fountain pen, and looking for a stamp. |
39,418,277 | The bodies of US citizen Michael Sharp and Swedish national Zaida Catalan were discovered in the central Kasai region, a government spokesman said.
They were abducted two weeks ago after going to Kasai to investigate reports of abuses after local rebels took up arms.
Some 40 police officers were found beheaded in the region at the weekend.
Congolese government spokesman Lambert Mende confirmed reports of the discovery to the BBC.
Mr Mende said that the bodies were found in a shallow grave, adding that "the woman was found beheaded, but the body of the man was intact".
In a statement from UN headquarters in UN, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said they "lost their lives seeking to understand the causes of conflict and insecurity'' in DR Congo.
"The United Nations will do everything possible to ensure that justice is done," he added.
Earlier, Mr Mende said that two bodies "of Caucasian or European type" had been discovered on the road linking Bukonde to Tshimbulu in Central Kasai.
"As far as I know, no other white individuals are missing here," Mr Mende said.
He later told reporters that a police commissioner had returned from Kasai with confirmation of their identities.
"According to a witness, they were ambushed by the famous traditionalist Kamwina Nsapu militia, who behead their victims," he said.
A third body found in the same location was that of their interpreter, Betu Tshintela.
Mr Sharp and Ms Catalan were taken, along with four Congolese support staff, into the forest near the village of Ngombe in Kasai.
The Congolese government is fighting a rebel group which operates in the area and is believed to have kidnapped the experts.
The violence in Kasai was sparked by the killing of traditional leader Kamwina Nsapu, who was leading an uprising against President Joseph Kabila.
Before Mr Mende announced the bodies had been identified, John Sharp, Michael's father, expressed his heartbreak on Facebook.
"This is a message I hoped never to write... Dental records and DNA samples will be used to confirm the identities," Mr Sharp wrote.
"All other words fail me." | Two UN experts who were missing in the Democratic Republic of Congo have been found dead, officials say. |
39,142,131 | Bauerngarten (Farmhouse Garden) is now the highest-priced landscape by the Austrian artist.
It is the first time in 20 years the oil-on-canvas had been auctioned.
The painting, showing an "informal profusion of poppies, daisies and roses" sold for £47,971,250 at Sotheby's in London.
It was part of a record-breaking sale totalling nearly £200m at the auction house on Wednesday.
Helena Newman, chairman of of Sotheby's Europe, said of the work: "Innovative in its composition and jewel-like in its exquisite blaze of colours, it is one of the artist's greatest masterpieces ever to come to auction.
"Most of the artist's oil paintings of this calibre are in major museums around the world with only a handful works of this importance having appeared at auction in the last decade."
Bauerngarten was exhibited at the Royal Academy's Painting the Modern Garden exhibition last year.
The most expensive artwork sold in Europe is Alberto Giacometti's Walking Man, which sold for £65,001,250 in 2010, followed by Peter Paul Rubens' The Massacre of the Innocents, which sold for £49,506,648 in 2002.
Sotheby's said it was a new record total for any auction staged in London, with lots totalling £194.7m. Five lots sold for more than £10m each.
Ms Newman said the result was "a new benchmark for London sales as much as it is a statement on the momentum of the global art market in 2017".
Another record was also set at the auction. Pablo Picasso's Plant de tomates was expected to reach £10m to £15m, and sold for £17m - making it a record for a Picasso still life.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]. | A floral Gustav Klimt painting has sold for nearly £48m, making it the third most expensive piece of art ever sold in Europe. |
13,292,307 | Tests on the satellite-tagged bird - found at the Glenbuchat Estate in Strathdon - tested positive for the banned pesticide carbofuran.
Grampian Police and officers from the Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate (SGRPID) are among those investigating.
The force said no-one had been charged and inquiries were continuing.
Pc Dave MacKinnon, Grampian's wildlife crime officer, said: "We are always very concerned when illegal pesticides are used in our countryside for the poisoning of birds of prey.
"I am particularly disappointed that this incident has resulted in the death of a young golden eagle.
"Articles have been removed from the estate and are being sent for analysis." | A probe is being carried out into the death of a young golden eagle which was poisoned in Aberdeenshire. |
40,720,683 | Labour MP Rachel Reeves, who worked at HBOS during the crisis, said regulators needed to be "forever vigilant".
She echoed the Bank of England which warned earlier this week of a sharp rise in household debt and car loans.
Ms Reeves also pledged to question company bosses over their record on reducing the gender pay gap.
The recently elected chairwoman of the House of Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee told the BBC's Today Programme she was concerned that UK households were overextending themselves with personal debt.
"I do worry about the growth of some of those issues we saw in the mortgage market in 2008 now rearing their heads in unsecured lending and in car purchases," said Ms Reeves.
"We've got to be forever vigilant. We're not going to have the same crisis as in 2008, but there are risks building up in the financial services sector as well as in household debt."
Ms Reeves's words chime with a warning from the Bank of England's Alex Brazier this week that personal loans had increased by 10% over the past year and were now at "dangerous" levels.
Ms Reeves, an economist, worked in the retail banking arm of HBOS between 2006 and 2009. She became MP for Leeds West in 2010 and served in Ed Miliband's shadow cabinet.
Under her predecessor as committee chairman, Iain Wright MP, the select committee prompted headlines over the appearances of some prominent business leaders.
Most notable were its cross-examination of Sir Philip Green, interviewed about his role in the collapse of BHS, and the appearance of Sports Direct boss, Mike Ashley, after allegations surfaced over poor working conditions and under-payment at the company's Derbyshire warehouse.
Ms Reeves said she thought those events were "really powerful and actually changed behaviour in some cases".
She said she was keen to pursue a similar strategy and also planned to look at employment practices in the gig economy.
Ms Reeves signalled her intention to get tough with companies over the difference between what they pay male and female employees.
From next April firms must publish information on the ratio of pay between the genders.
"I'd like the select committee to scrutinise that, to look at what sectors and businesses are doing well and which have some way to go," she said.
"And I am keen to call in some of those businesses to understand why some - I hope - are getting close to parity on pay, while others are still out of step."
Following her election earlier this month she also indicated the committee would hold companies to account over their disability and ethnicity pay gaps. | Debt problems seen in the run up to the financial crisis are "rearing their heads" again, the new head of the business select committee has warned. |
35,962,483 | The 20-year-old was treated for minor injuries following the assault in Princes Street at about 03:50 on Sunday.
Police believe the two men responsible for the assault were part of a larger group of up to five men, aged 16-17.
The attack came shortly after a spate of vandalisms in the town.
Three men were seen damaging cars in the Roxburghe Drive and Stirches Road area at about 03:00
Sgt Rachel Campbell said: "This was a completely unprovoked attack and there will be an increase in high-visibility patrols in the local area over the coming days.
"We'd urge anyone with information about either the assault or the vandalisms, or who recognises the descriptions of the suspects, to get in touch as soon as possible." | Police have pledged to mount high-visibility patrols in Hawick following a "completely unprovoked" attack on a man in the town. |
40,287,399 | The Trend Micro report draws on price lists found on sites that run the misinformation campaigns.
Costs cover setting up fake social media profiles, writing false news stories and spreading them via fictitious followers.
Questions over the influence of fake news has led Google and Facebook to promise to curb its spread.
In its report, Trend Micro looked at Russian, Chinese, Middle Eastern and English language sites offering all kinds of services based around manipulating social media, search engines and news organisations.
The services on offer included:
Some of the services profiled gave very detailed breakdowns of what could be done to influence political debate or manipulate the media.
The $50,000 (£39,000) cost of discrediting a journalist involved fake news stories contradicting the target's articles promoted via paid upvotes, likes, retweets and comments. It also involved tens of thousands of bots swamping a target's Twitter feed with malicious comments or posting strongly critical comments on stories.
"It's never been easier to manipulate social media and other online platforms to affect and amplify public opinion," said Trend Micro spokesman Bharat Mistry.
Key to making the campaigns work, said the report, was creating stories, posts and discussions that "pander to its audience's ideologies".
Trend Micro said one good way to limit the impact of fake news was to educate users and give them tools to spot unreliable sources and concocted campaigns.
Good indicators were photoshopped photographs, provocative headlines, website names that resemble legitimate media groups and a lack of verifiable details on stories.
In addition, said Trend Micro, people should consume a wide range of news stories
"Stories that don't align with your own beliefs don't necessarily mean they're fake." it said. | Mounting a year-long fake news campaign can cost about $400,000 (£315,000), suggests a report. |
35,925,588 | The incident, at about 07:30, happened 'airside' but not on the runway and involved the man's own vehicle.
An airport spokesman said there was no impact on operations, and an investigation would be carried out. | A member of ground staff at Aberdeen International Airport has been taken to hospital after suffering leg injuries in an accident. |
36,488,329 | The yield on the UK's 10-year gilt dropped below 1.25% for the first time. The yield on the German equivalent also sank to a record low.
More buyers cause bond values to rise and yields to fall, hitting annuity rates, pension fund income, and debts.
Analysts see it as a "pessimistic" sign.
"The low yield on government bonds paints a pretty pessimistic picture of the global economy, and suggests we are set for an extended period of low or negative inflation, and weak economic performance," said Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Laith Khalaf.
Investors have been worried about a weakening Chinese economy, the outlook for US interest rates, and the UK's pending EU referendum vote. Investors typically buy bonds because they provide a long-term, predictable and - crucially - a secure income stream.
But yields have been falling for months. This time last year, the UK 10-year gilt yield was 2%.
Also on Thursday, the 10-year German Bund yield fell to a record low of 0.027%, while in the US, the yield on 10-year notes fell 1.671%, the lowest for three months.
Jason Simpson, fixed income strategist at Societe Generale, said gilt yields could fall further.
He added that trading in the bond market has been thin recently because investors were probably "sitting on their hands" ahead of the referendum, with the small number of trades exacerbating the size of moves in the market.
Mr Khalaf said: 'While all eyes have been on the EU referendum campaign, gilt yields have been slipping, fast.
"The US Federal Reserve is backing away from interest rate rises following wavering employment data, and in Europe the central bank is pumping billions of euros into the bond market every month in the form of quantitative easing, both of which have served to drive yields down."
The demand for higher yields helped the US government raise $20bn on Wednesday from the sale of 10-year notes. The bond issue reportedly received record demand from investment funds and foreign central banks.
"The auction process shows large bidder participation. Those bidders are mostly international buyers who need the yield," said Tom Tucci, head of Treasuries trading at CIBC in New York. | The return on benchmark UK government bonds has fallen to a record low as investors move in to safer assets on concerns about the global economy. |
37,142,755 | The 24-year-old has been with the Shakers since the summer of 2013, making more than 100 league appearances for the club.
Cameron was part of the Bury side which won automatic promotion from the fourth tier in 2014-15.
David Flitcroft's side had taken four points from three games before Saturday's local derby against Oldham. | Defender Nathan Cameron has signed a two-year extension to his contract with League One side Bury. |
30,587,243 | Previously Apple has released security patches through its regular software update system which requires user approval.
The latest bugs were so severe it felt it needed to get customers protected immediately, the firm said.
"The update is seamless. It doesn't even require a restart," Apple spokesman Bill Evans told Reuters.
The Mac bugs were mentioned in security bulletins issued last week by the Department of Homeland Security and the Carnegie Mellon University Software Engineering Institute.
It identified dozens of technology companies, including Apple, whose products might be vulnerable.
The vulnerability targets a component of its OS X operating system called the network time protocol (NTP) which is used for synchronising clocks on computer systems.
The protocol is a global method of synchronising time over a network and has previously been exploited by hackers.
Microsoft has been offering automatic updates for security flaws for some time.
Apple developed technology for automatically pushing out security updates two years ago but has never previously used it.
The firm said that it did not know of any cases where hackers had exploited the bug. | Apple has sent out its first automatic security update for Mac computers as researchers warn about new bugs. |
37,754,277 | Speaking at the club's annual general meeting Wenger, 67, said that the title will be won with between 82 and 86 points this year.
He said: "Today we are in a much more competitive position to fight for the title than five or six years ago.
"I believe we have a competitive team in a very competitive league."
Arsenal are second after nine games, one of three teams on 20 points and only kept off top spot by goal difference.
Wenger says he thinks a further 62 points from their remaining 29 games could be enough for the title. Leicester won last season with 81.
"After nine games we have 20 points, which means the championship will be decided between 82 to 86 points," he said.
"I believe the team has the commitment, togetherness, hunger, desire and unity, and we have a good chance to compete for the Premier League.
"That is the target and I am absolutely committed to fulfilling it and giving my best so that we are successful until the end of the season."
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Wenger celebrated his 20th anniversary in charge at the start of October, and his current contract expires at the end of the season.
The Frenchman would not be drawn on his future - apart from joking that he would not be in place for another 20 years - and chairman Sir Chips Keswick was equally non-committal.
"We all recognise the fantastic contribution Arsene has made to the club in the last 20 years," said Keswick.
"We are confident about his ability to take us forward.
"We will sit down and discuss the future at the appropriate time but our focus is on maintaining the current run and competing for trophies."
Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox. | Arsene Wenger says Arsenal have "a good chance" of winning the Premier League this season for the first time since they went unbeaten in 2004. |
38,354,320 | Two males wearing balaclavas threatened the member of staff at the club in Ely at about 23:55 GMT on Saturday and stole the cash takings.
South Wales Police said the robbers left the club on to Cowbridge Road West but it is not known in which direction they went.
They were described as wearing dark clothing and of slim build. | A man was hurt following an armed robbery involving a hammer at a Conservative club in Cardiff. |
36,937,486 | Team GB won gold in London 2012 but could manage only third at the 2016 World Championships.
USA and Canada will be threats to the British team of Barker, Laura Trott, Ciara Horne and Joanna Rowsell Shand.
"There's maybe less pressure now because it's not necessarily ours to lose," the 21-year-old Barker said.
"It's still ours to win, but there's not a dominant force in women's team pursuit now which there had been for many, many years.
"I think it makes it much more exciting but it also means no one is watching any one team.
"We're all watching each other, we're all interested in what everyone is going to do and there's probably about five teams who could quite easily win it if it goes well for them on the day which makes it pretty exciting."
Barker was a 17-year-old watching on television when the GB team of Trott, Rowsell Shand and Danielle King beat USA in the pursuit final at the 2012 Games.
She said it was difficult to believe that four years later she will be competing at Rio.
"Probably a combination of luck and very hard work has got me here," added Barker.
"I wouldn't be here if I hadn't worked very hard and been very specific in my training but I've also been very lucky in the opportunities I've been given."
Barker, from Cardiff, was in the team that took a bronze medal in the World Championships this year, when a poor performance in an early round ended their chances of reaching the final.
Find out how to get into cycling with our special guide.
After years of dominating the event, the result attracted criticism though Barker believes there is a lot that the GB team have learned from that set-back.
"It just goes to show people make mistakes all the time but it doesn't mean that we're not a good team," she added.
"We came back from it [to take bronze] with exactly the same line-up so it shows it was that ride rather than us - it was a bad race and it doesn't define us as a team." | Welsh cyclist Elinor Barker believes there is less pressure on GB's women's Olympic pursuit team in Rio because they are not clear favourites to win. |
35,863,176 | Thomas Orchard, 32, had schizophrenia and died in October 2012 after being arrested in Exeter.
Custody sergeant Jan Kingshott, 44, and civilian detention officers Simon Tansley, 38, and Michael Marsden, 55 were on trial for manslaughter.
The judge at Bristol Crown Court told the jury the 11-week trial "cannot continue".
Mr Orchard suffered a heart attack at Heavitree Road Police Station and died later in hospital.
The judge, Mr Justice King, told the jury of seven men and four women: "I have decided this trial cannot continue.
"I appreciate this may be a disappointment to you given the number of weeks you have sat.
"Given there may be a re-trial we cannot say anymore."
Julian Evans, for the Crown, told the court it was the intention for there to be a re-trial.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said it would wait for a decision regarding a retrial before dealing with "disciplinary matters".
Tom Milsom, associate commissioner of the IPCC, added: "I appreciate the trial has been a difficult experience for everybody involved, in particular Mr Orchard's family who have listened with dignity and strength to painful details about his tragic and untimely death.
"The IPCC carried out a thorough investigation which led to the Crown Prosecution Service conducting these prosecutions." | The trial of three police staff accused of killing a man in custody has been halted for legal reasons. |
38,848,621 | Media playback is not supported on this device
The hosts enjoyed a stunning start despite Ireland's scrum dominance, full-back Stuart Hogg crossing twice.
Keith Earls scored in the corner but Alex Dunbar's try from a clever line-out move put the Scots 21-5 up.
Tries from Iain Henderson and Paddy Jackson put Ireland 22-21 ahead before Greig Laidlaw's two late penalties.
It was a remarkable conclusion to a scintillating opening match of this year's Championship, with Ireland - who took a losing bonus point - having 70% of the possession in the second half.
But, despite scoring 17 unanswered points either side of the interval, Irish hopes of a third title in four years suffered a major blow.
They must now lift themselves for next Saturday's trip to face Italy in Rome, while Scotland travel to play France the following day in buoyant mood.
This was an absolute firecracker of a Test match, a classic of its kind. It got off to a thunderous start and rarely let up. The portents for the Scots were not good in the early minutes when their scrum came under heavy attack and started shipping penalties at an alarming rate, but their game-breakers soon came to prominence and set Murrayfield alight.
Scotland were clinical, seizing on uncharacteristic Irish errors. When they applied pressure in the visitors' 22 and Garry Ringrose unwisely came out of the defensive line, Hogg went outside him and through for the opening score.
The Scots weathered an Irish backlash and hit them with another score just after the first quarter.
Zander Fagerson forced a turnover on the floor and Scotland went from there. From a line-out, Finn Russell, standing flat to the advantage line, found Huw Jones, who sent Hogg away. The full-back dummied Rob Kearney to go over and Laidlaw made it 14-0 with the conversion.
Ireland responded and got reward for waves of pressure when Earls went over, but that only galvanised Scotland to get a third try. And it was a thing of wonder. A beautiful crossfield kick from Russell forced Simon Zebo into conceding the line-out.
The Scottish line-out then pulled the canniest trick in the book, front-loading it with three backs - Laidlaw, Tommy Seymour and Dunbar.
Ireland didn't think for one second that Ross Ford's throw was going to one of them, but it did. He threw it flat to Dunbar who, surreally, went through a gap to score.
Laidlaw's conversion made it 21-5, Jackson's penalty reducing the deficit to 21-8 just before the break.
The second half was utterly extraordinary. Ireland mobilised their troops in a very major way. They owned the ball for vast sections of the half, Henderson scoring after monumental pressure finally broke through incredible Scottish resistance.
Ireland came again, with power and intent. Conor Murray broke free and linked with Jamie Heaslip but the outstanding Ryan Wilson, with help from a Sean Maitland interception, snuffed out the danger.
Next, Maitland's tackle forced Kearney to put a foot in touch on the right wing, denying Earls a second try.
In the midst of the onslaught, Jonny Gray was a defensive rock. A total colossus. When Irishmen went down in the tackle it was normally Gray who put him there.
Not even Gray and his army of heavy-hitters could stop Ireland from scoring again, however. They were making yards and finding holes against a seemingly tiring Scotland and Jackson stretched to score and then converted his own try.
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Ireland were ahead for the first time; 21-20 after 62 minutes.
Scotland's goose looked cooked, but these players have learned some lessons on the road to this victory, some bitter lessons from matches that should have been won but were lost in the closing minutes.
Roles were reversed here. From somewhere, Scotland summoned grunt and control and won a penalty that Laidlaw fired over to put them back in the lead. They kicked on, controlling the ball, looking after it like it was a new-born babe. Ireland couldn't get near it.
The last act was another penalty from the captain, boomed over against a backdrop of sheer delirium.
This was Scotland's biggest victory in 18 years, since they were champions in 1999. Nobody will be thinking about trophies, but Scotland have momentum - and history.
Paris next, with a mighty spring in the step.
TEAM LINE-UPS:
Scotland: Hogg; Maitland, Jones, Dunbar, Seymour; Russell, Laidlaw (capt); Dell, Brown, Fagerson, R Gray, J Gray, Wilson, Watson, Strauss
Replacements: Ford (for Brown, blood 5-11, then 27), Reid (for Dell, 56), Berghan, Swinson (for Strauss, 65), Barclay (for Watson, 49), Price, Weir (temp for Russell, 46-52), Bennett (for Jones, 60)
Ireland: Kearney; Earls, Henshaw, Ringrose, Zebo; Jackson, Murray; McGrath, Best (capt), Furlong, Henderson, Toner, Stander, O'Brien, Heaslip
Replacements: Scannell, Healy (for McGrath, 56), Ryan (for Furlong, 69), Dillane (for Henderson, 64), Van der Flier (for O'Brien, 66), Marmion, Keatley, Bowe (for Earls, 68).
MATCH OFFICIALS:
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Touch judges: Jaco Peyper (South Africa) and Nick Briant (New Zealand)
TMO: Glenn Newman (New Zealand)
For the latest rugby union news follow @bbcrugbyunion on Twitter. | Scotland survived a thrilling Ireland comeback at Murrayfield to record only their second opening-round victory in Six Nations history. |
34,382,215 | It follows Monday's "supermoon" - when the Moon is in the closest part of its orbit to Earth, meaning it appears larger in the sky.
On Tuesday, tides are higher than usual and the warnings and eight flood alerts have been issued for south east, west and mid coastlines.
A Severn Bore from 20:50 BST will be a metre higher than usual.
The warning is in place for north Gower at Crofty and the Wye Estuary near Tintern and at Chepstow, Monmouthshire.
The alerts have been issued for Pembrokeshire, Cardigan, Carmarthenshire, Swansea Bay and the Gower, the River Usk at Newport, the coast from Aberthaw to the Severn Bridge and two along the Wye Estuary.
Tenby's RNLI has also urged people to take extra precautions against tidal cut off.
High tide:
Adrian Philpott, from Natural Resources Wales, said: "While we are expecting tides to peak across Wales over the next few days, given the current high pressure and favourable weather conditions we are not expecting any significant problems.
"Our officers have been monitoring tidal conditions and forecasts over the weekend and will continue to keep a close eye on the situation.
"Water levels will be higher than usual, and we will issue flood alerts and warnings as required." | Three flood warnings are in place as rare "supertides" hit the Welsh coast. |
40,290,357 | The British number one, 26, won 6-4 6-1 in only an hour and 14 minutes to reach the quarter-finals in her first grass-court tournament of the year.
Konta, who is ranked eighth in the world, will play 21-year-old Australian Ashleigh Barty in the last eight.
She will be the first home top-10 female player at Wimbledon since 1984.
Konta and Belgium's world number 81 Wickmayer won together in the second round of the doubles on Tuesday, before facing each other in the singles on Wednesday.
Top seed Konta raced into a 4-0 lead in the opening set, Wickmayer pulling one break of serve back before the Briton served out.
Konta also dominated the start of the second set, leading 5-0 before Wickmayer broke her serve, going on to wrap up a comfortable win.
Meanwhile, British number three Naomi Broady moved into the last eight of the Aegon Trophy on her home court in Manchester.
The 27-year-old from Stockport, who is currently ranked 115th in the world, won 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (9-7) against American Maria Sanchez.
She will play top seed Kai-Chen Chang of Chinese Taipei in the quarter-finals.
However, world number two Simona Halep - who lost in Saturday's French Open final to unseeded Latvian Jelena Ostapenko - has pulled out of next week's Aegon Classic in Birmingham with an ankle injury.
It means Broady and fellow Briton Heather Watson will join Konta in the Birmingham draw after being given wildcards.
World number one Angelique Kerber, 2016 French Open winner Garbine Muguruza and two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova are also competing at the event which starts on Monday. | Johanna Konta continued her Wimbledon preparations with a routine win over her doubles partner Yanina Wickmayer at the Nottingham Open. |
37,411,986 | Hughes was dismissed for reacting angrily to the decision to book Stoke forward Marko Arnautovic for diving during the defeat on the 10 September.
The 52-year-old Welshman was subsequently charged by the FA.
He said he would not contest the charge as it would cost money he would prefer to give to his grandchildren.
Stoke, who are currently bottom of the Premier League, say they want to speak to the FA about a "potentially inconsistent approach" from match officials following the charge against Hughes. | Stoke boss Mark Hughes has been fined £8,000 by the Football Association after being sent off during his side's 4-0 loss at home to Tottenham. |
36,617,747 | This is going to be quite a big deal at the Ajinomoto Stadium in western Tokyo, the venue for the opening ceremony and first match of the 2019 Rugby World Cup while also serving as an evacuation centre for survivors of the great disaster that was the 2011 Tokohu earthquake and Tsunami.
For the first time ever, the Japanese team will be watched by the Imperial Couple. Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko will attend the Test, their presence sending something of a frisson through the home team on Friday.
Shota Horie, the experienced Japan captain, said it was a "very great honour" to have the Emperor watching the team play.
"We'd like to get a result in front of him," said the hooker.
In the mixed zone at the stadium, his team-mates said the same. The words "honour" and "privilege" were mentioned repeatedly.
Akihito, 82, acceded the throne in 1989 and is the eldest son of Emperor Showa [or Hirohito as we would know him].
He's also the nephew of Prince Chichibu, who was a hugely important figure in the development of rugby in Japan. A city centre stadium, the headquarters of the Japanese Rugby Union and Rugby World Cup 2019, is named after him.
"As well as the Emperor, we're expecting the largest crowd we've ever had watching Japan in Japan," said Mark Hammett, their interim coach.
As of Friday morning, 25,000 tickets had been sold with expectations of a walk-up figure of another 5,000.
The Ajinomoto has a covered-up running track, a tight pitch with short in-goals and vast spaces beyond both ends and both sides. It's an impressive sight even if the pitch seems like it's in another prefecture when sitting in the stand.
Hammett spoke about Japan's disciplinary record in the first Test and certain frustrations he felt. His team had two players sin-binned - correct decisions that cost Japan 14 points - and gave away 15 penalties.
Hammett reckoned that at least seven of them were dubious. As a consequence he said that if Japan's discipline holds and their penalty count is reduced, they have a big chance of causing an upset.
This will be Scotland's 16th Test match of the season, going back to the first of the four pre-World Cup warm-up matches against Ireland last August. Matt Taylor, Scotland's defence coach, also spoke of the Emperor and the motivation his presence might give the hosts.
"We're really excited that we're going to be playing in front of him and we understand, talking to the Japanese people and liaison officers, that it's a really big deal that he's coming to the game," he said.
"We understand how motivated the Japan team will be and we have spoken about how up for the game we need to be because of this." | Japan might have halted trading on the pound on Friday in Brexit's wake, but there's no doubting their yen for victory on Saturday when the national team face Scotland in the second and final Test in Tokyo. |
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The 30-year-old crashed her bike and finished 26th at London 2012, but she bounced back to win an individual bronze in Glasgow two years later.
"That race changed what I thought I could do," she told BBC Points West.
"I have reset my boundaries and where I think I can go to. London was the experience of a lifetime but now I have definitely moved my level on again."
She continued: "Until you put yourself on a podium at a bigger race, it's actually really hard to fill yourself with confidence."
Holland also won gold in the mixed team relay event in Glasgow, alongside Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee and Jodie Stimpson.
She trains full-time alongside the Brownlee brothers, having relocated to Leeds.
As a result, Holland rarely spends time back at her parents' home in the West Country, but she has been out on the bike in the area to test herself against the terrain.
"It is nice scenery [in Gloucestershire], it's a beautiful area and it's good to incorporate some hill reps in my training as it's going to be hilly in Rio," said Holland, who has readied herself for the expected tricky conditions in South America.
"We raced in Rio last year at the same time of year so we know there will be humidity to deal with. We will be fully adapted to whatever is thrown our way."
Holland believes the Brownlee brothers, who both won individual medals at London 2012, have played an enormous part in boosting triathlon's popularity and status.
"I do not think it can be underestimated what Alistair and Jonathan have done for our sport," she said.
"They helped put triathlon on the map on a worldwide scale and what they achieved at the Olympic Games in London has just exploded our sport."
Holland's attention is fixed on the Olympics, while some of her rivals still have work to do to qualify.
She added: "It is all about one day on 20 August. That will be the focus and I will do everything I can to be in the best shape possible.
"I am excited to put myself in a position where I am hoping to bring home a medal. I am looking forward to standing on that start line knowing I have done everything I can over the last nine months.
"I do not think I have reached my real peak yet and I think there may be a little more to come." | British triathlete Vicky Holland says her Commonwealth bronze transformed her thinking ahead of the 2016 Olympics. |
24,090,100 | "Losing power can bring forth a pain that hits you like a fist," she wrote in an opinion piece in the Guardian.
The country's first female prime minister was ousted by long-term rival Kevin Rudd amid dismal polling figures.
But despite the switch, Mr Rudd lost last Saturday's general election to conservative leader Tony Abbott.
Labor is set for a new leadership contest after Mr Rudd announced he would resign from his party role.
Ms Gillard revealed she had watched the 7 September election night results on her own.
"I wanted it that way. I wanted to just let myself be swept up in it," she wrote in the Guardian column.
The leadership challenge in June was the second Ms Gillard had faced since taking office in 2010. She herself ousted Mr Rudd as prime minister that year.
She said the switch just weeks ahead of the latest election had sent Australians a "very cynical and shallow message" about Labor's purpose.
"The decision was not done because caucus now believed Kevin Rudd had the greater talent for governing," she wrote.
"Labor unambiguously sent a very clear message that it cared about nothing other than the prospects of survival of its members of parliament at the polls. There was not one truly original new idea to substitute as the lifeblood of the campaign."
After her own defeat three months ago, Ms Gillard declared she would be leaving politics for good.
"Losing power is felt physically, emotionally, in waves of sensation, in moments of acute distress," she said of that moment.
"You can feel you are fine but then suddenly someone's words of comfort, or finding a memento at the back of the cupboard as you pack up, or even cracking jokes about old times, can bring forth a pain that hits you like a fist, pain so strong you feel it in your guts, your nerve endings."
Ms Gillard said she had experienced "odd moments of relief" since quitting, "as the hard weight that felt like it was sitting uncomfortably between your shoulder blades slips off".
But she admitted that she was still "grieving" the end of her political career.
"Late at night or at quiet moments in the day feelings of regret, memories that make you shine with pride, a sense of being unfulfilled can overwhelm you. Hours slip by."
Mr Abbott and his Liberal-National coalition ended Labor's tumultuous six-year reign in a landslide victory.
During his election campaign, Mr Abbott focused on the rival party's history of political infighting, saying it cared more about personal vendettas than pressing national issues. | Australia's ex-Prime Minister Julia Gillard has revealed the "acute distress" she felt after being dumped as leader of the Labor Party in June. |
40,319,515 | "Occupy it, compulsory purchase it, requisition it," the Labour leader told ITV's Peston on Sunday.
At least 58 people are believed to have died and many more are homeless after fire engulfed a London tower block.
The government says its staff have been drafted in to help the relief effort.
The move comes after the prime minister said the initial official response had "not been good enough".
Mr Corbyn has already called for the government to requisition properties. Speaking earlier in the week, he said: "It cannot be acceptable that in London you have luxury buildings and luxury flats kept as land banking for the future while the homeless and the poor look for somewhere to live."
And in an interview on ITV on Sunday, Mr Corbyn said the flats could be requisitioned by the government or bought using compulsory purchase orders.
"Occupy it, compulsory purchase it, requisition it - there's a lot of things you can do.
"But can't we as a society just think, it's all very well putting our arms around people during the crisis but homelessness is rising, the housing crisis is getting worse and my point was quite a simple one.
"In an emergency, you have to bring all assets to the table in order to deal with that crisis and that's what I think we should be doing in this case."
He also defended Theresa May, who has been criticised for her own personal response to the fire.
"I think everybody cares to an extent, some to a deeper extent and some show empathy in a different way to others," he said.
"But the real issue is not about what we as individuals feel - Theresa May, me, anybody else - it's what those people are going through."
The government says it has embedded a team of civil servants into the council office following widespread criticism of the local council's performance.
Other measures outlined by the prime minister following a meeting with residents on Saturday, included more staff covering phone lines and ground staff wearing high-visibility clothing so they could be easily found.
Mr Corbyn questioned why it had taken so long for the authorities to help the victims.
"Every day at Heathrow, planes get delayed. Hundreds of people get stranded at airports all over the world," he said.
"Hotels are found for them immediately, they are sorted out. Four-hundred-or-so people, still most of them have not got somewhere decent, safe or secure to stay in.
"Somehow or other, it seems to be beyond the wit of the public services to deal with the crisis facing a relatively small number of people in a country of 65 million." | Jeremy Corbyn has reiterated his suggestion that people left homeless by the Grenfell Tower fire could be housed in empty flats, saying the government has the means to seize property. |
35,695,049 | It comes a week after the LSE confirmed it was in merger talks with Germany's Deutsche Boerse.
In a statement, ICE said no approach had been made to the LSE board, and there could be no certainty that an offer would be made.
LSE shares jumped 7% on the news.
Under UK merger rules, ICE must now make or announce an offer for the LSE no later than 29 March.
Last week, the LSE confirmed it was in "detailed discussions" with Deutsche Boerse about a "merger of equals".
Both companies said all their key businesses would continue to operate under their current brand names.
It is the third time the LSE and Deutsche Boerse have tried to strike a deal, with the first attempt in 2000 then another in 2004-05.
Under the terms of the latest plan, the LSE would own 45.6% of the merged group and Deutsche Boerse would hold the remaining 54.4%.
The combined business would have a single board, made up of an equal number of directors from the two companies. | The owner of the New York Stock Exchange, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), has confirmed it is considering making a takeover offer for the London Stock Exchange (LSE). |
40,367,626 | Amazon has accused its rival of attempting to "bully" the IT companies into picking a rival platform.
The row follows a report by the Wall Street Journal, which said other unnamed large retailers had also asked vendors to shun Amazon Web Services.
The row comes at a time Amazon is expanding its shopping operations.
Last Friday, the Seattle-based business announced a $13.7bn (£10.8bn) takeover of the groceries chain Whole Foods.
And this week it revealed it had struck a deal with Nike to sell the sportswear-maker's shoes directly, and that it was launching Prime Wardrobe - a service that lets customers order and try clothes for seven days before deciding which to buy and keep.
Amazon's Web Services division may not be as well known to the public as the company's retail operations, but it is a huge money-earner.
In April, the company reported the unit had generated $3.7bn in sales over the previous three months.
The business provides computing power, online storage, security protection and developer tools to third parties.
Its clients include Netflix, Airbnb, General Electric and the CIA.
According to market research company Gartner, AWS leads the market in its field.
However, Walmart uses Microsoft's rival Azure service.
A spokesman for Walmart acknowledged it had concerns about its suppliers' use of AWS.
"Our vendors have the choice of using any cloud provider that meets their needs and their customers' needs," he said.
"It shouldn't be a big surprise that there are cases in which we'd prefer our most sensitive data isn't sitting on a competitor's platform."
Amazon suggested this approach was misguided.
"We've heard that Walmart continues to try to bully their suppliers into not using AWS because they have an incorrect view that AWS is somehow supporting Amazon's retail business," said a spokesman.
"Plenty of suppliers are standing up to Walmart and refusing to be told that they can't use [us].
"Tactics like this are bad for business and customers and rarely carry the day."
AWS's use of encryption means that its own staff cannot peer into the data stored on its computer servers by its customers.
But one analyst said it was still understandable Walmart and others might not want to help send business its way.
"AWS is a separate part of Amazon's business, but ultimately this comes back to being frightened of being disrupted, especially in light of the recent acquisition of Whole Foods," said Nick McQuire, from the consultancy CCS Insight.
"The question is whether this fear now will cause a wider backlash among retailers, where you get many within the community switching from using AWS in the cloud to Google, Microsoft or someone else." | Walmart, the US's biggest retail chain, has been accused of trying to coerce its technology suppliers into shunning Amazon's cloud computing service. |
32,935,292 | The veterans, from Croatia's 1991 war for independence, have been campaigning since September for better assistance.
But police moved in on Thursday, saying the gathering Zagreb's St Mark's square was illegal.
Many, including some in wheelchairs, sought refuge in St Mark's church and were protected by a group of priests.
The veterans remained in the church on Friday while riot police gathered outside and surrounded the square.
"We do not plan to leave," protest leader Djuro Glogoski told local media, adding that the group would "only be carried out dead".
The veterans have called for the resignation of Predrag Matic, the country's Minister for Veterans' Affairs, and demanded a meeting with Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic.
About 200 more veterans who arrived at St Mark's square on Friday were prevented from entering by a wall of police. Up to 50 broke through, leading to clashes in the square.
They are angry about what they say are plans to cut their benefits. "We want the prime minister to talk to us, we want a dialogue," Josip Klemm, one of the protest's organizers, told Croatian state radio.
The ruling Social Democrats have accused the conservative opposition HDZ party of being behind the protest and manipulating the veterans.
Croatia's split from Yugoslavia in 1991 triggered a brutal five-year war to secure its independence, leaving 500,000 registered veterans in a country of just 4.2 million.
Protests were held in Zagreb in December by the country's Association of 100% Disabled War Veterans, which says the government is not doing enough to protect war veterans suffering from depression. | More than 100 Croatian war veterans have taken refuge inside a church after police disrupted an anti-government sit-in in central Zagreb. |
39,598,397 | They're to be sorely disappointed again, and not only because an imminent criminal court case can be expected to bring back some painful memories.
The current directors' box regime, under Dave King, is still in emergency measures. Rangers International Football Club (RIFC) is cut off from normal financing and banking, and having to fund losses by reliance on wealthy shareholders.
But now, King's hold on Ibrox is in doubt. The method by which he got control of it has led to the close attention of the Takeover Panel - a usually obscure arm of company law, with the job of refereeing fairness for all shareholders amid bruising corporate jousts.
It has never used its enforcement powers before, which is just one of the aspects of the RIFC and the Dave King case, which is unprecedented, and leaves a lot of uncertainty hanging over the club.
To recap, there was a well publicised consortium of wealthy Rangers fans who worked with South Africa-based Dave King to wrest the club from its former directors.
They achieved this by buying more than a third of the shares in the club. And that's the way it has remained.
But if you're involved in a takeover of a company - any company - when you get past 30% of share ownership, you are required, by law to make an offer to buy all the other shares.
The price is set by the regulator at the highest level reached in the last 12 months during which the bidder was amassing shares.
If shareholders combine forces to take over a company, as this team did, in a so-called "concert party", that has to be declared as a single bid. In this case, no such declaration was officially made. The Takeover Panel has since said that it should have been.
There's a good reason for this. With 30% you can have effective control of a company. Now, think of company A which buys enough shares in its main commercial rival company B, to take control of its boardroom.
By taking decisions which undermine the health of that company, A's owner can shrink B's market share and profitability, and ultimately run it out of business altogether. That's clearly not in the interests of the other shareholders of company B. So fairness requires that they are offered a fair price for every shareholder to sell to the takeover bidder.
That rivalry scenario may not apply at Ibrox, but the law still does. And since the Takeover Panel last month told Dave King he had a month to make an offer to buy all the club's shares, he seems to have simply ignored it.
That's why the Panel is taking the unprecedented action of seeking to enforce its ruling, through the Court of Session.
The court can take whatever action it believes is necessary to ensure the law is observed. Mr King could, for instance, be barred from acting as a director, or forced to sell his stake in the club. And if Mr King continues to ignore legal authority, he can be ruled in contempt of court.
The Takeover Panel's code also includes measures for "cold shouldering" - for instance, requiring professional bodies to challenge the director's continued status within them. That may not much bother a businessman in South Africa, but if it pushes the financial regulator to ensure financial companies don't have anything to do with a delinquent director, then that could hurt a bit more.
Now, here are two puzzling complications. The Takeover Panel ruling says that Mr King must offer to buy all the other shares at 20 pence. But if you look at the platform on which Rangers International Football Club (RIFC) shares are traded, you'll find the most recent trades have been at 27.5 pence.
It might, at first, seem daft to sell your shares for 20 pence when the going rate appears to be 27.5 pence. But that going rate may not be as it seems.
The trading platform won't tell you is how recent these trades were. That market is not like the London stock exchange. You put up a share stake for sale, and wait for someone else to show interest. Trading is sticky. It may be possible, that way, to inflate the true value of shares.
And if you have shares in any company, they are only worth something if you can find someone to buy them. It matters a lot that such markets have liquidity - meaning enough willing buyers.
The other puzzlement is the 10.4% of the company that's owned by anonymous funds that have refused to respond to messages from Ibrox.
Blue Pitch Holdings has four million shares, ATP Investments has 2.6m, Norne Anstalt has 1.2m and Putney Holdings has 700,000.
Directors have written to them "requiring information about the nature of those interests". And having received no answer, they have barred these shareholders from exercising voting rights, receiving any dividends, or having a transfer of shares registered. That should make them impossible to sell.
These appear to be zombie shareholders, which many may wish to link to those with a previous interest in running the club. Whoever is behind them, it's a weird presence on the share register of a company which is now in a lot of hot water.
Of course, Dave King could solve his Takeover Panel problems by now making an offer for those shares, including the zombie element. That could cost him £11m, plus hefty advice, offer and transaction costs.
That would set back to square one the romantic notion of ownership by the wider fan base, eventually handing control to the fans.
It would also require Mr King to make good on his commitment to the club. He is supposed to be very rich, from his South African businesses. His clash with the country's tax authorities would suggest he must have done a lot of successful business to have failed to pay so much tax on it.
We don't know how he got into that very expensive mess in his tax affairs. But the evidence suggests he may be the kind of person who receives official-looking letters and stuffs them in a drawer in the hope that the problem goes away. As a general rule, it doesn't. | Back in the top flight of Scottish football, at least some pride restored, the fans at Ibrox might still hope that normal service has now resumed. |
36,211,049 | The Chinese firm, which handles more transactions than Amazon and eBay combined, reported a net income of 71bn yuan ($11bn; £7.6bn) for the year to 31 March, up 193% on the previous year.
Sales rose by a third to 101bn yuan, with sales on mobile devices up 182%.
"Alibaba Group finished the fiscal year on a very strong note," said chief executive Daniel Zhang.
"Whatever they are doing must be working, and most importantly it's a sign that the Chinese consumer may not be weakening quite yet," said Gil Luria of Wedbush Securities.
Despite the strong rise in sales, the company has struggled to reach the growth levels it recorded before it became a public company two years ago.
It faces strong competition from local rival websites like Baidu, Tencent and JD.com.
Shares have also lost more than a third of their value since the company held its record initial public offering in 2014.
The company's original business was Alibaba.com, set up by the company's colourful founder, Jack Ma, in 1999. It helps to connect exporters in China (and other countries) with companies in over 190 countries around the world.
The business now includes entertainment services, including China's version of YouTube, Youku Tudou, as well as payment systems and cloud computing and logistics services.
Increasingly, Mr Ma is looking to counter the company's reliance on Chinese consumers, with the firm now looking to get up to half of its sales from abroad.
Among recent deals to expand was the purchase of South East Asia e-commerce start-up Lazada and Hong Kong's well-respected English language, the South China Morning Post.
Another area of potential growth investors are excited about is its payment platform Alipay.
Alipay is operated by affiliate Zhejiang Ant Small & Micro Financial Services Group, also known as Ant Financial.
Mr Ma controls Ant, which is China's biggest online financial services firm, and is said to be worth around $60bn following its latest fundraising round. | Profits almost tripled last year at the world's biggest e-commerce company, Alibaba. |
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