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35,657,888 | Nicholson has left himself out of the side for the last two games, both of which Torquay have won.
"I've noticed from my captain that he's stepped forward and become the voice on the pitch," Nicholson told BBC Sport.
"I've seen a lot more communication from him, and lot more geeing up of the players."
Left-back Nicholson had been a fixture in the Gulls' defence since rejoining Torquay as manager at the end of September.
"Maybe with me being on the pitch they all look and think 'he's the manager, he needs to do the talking'," added Nicholson.
"With me being on the side, and no matter how loud I shout I can't hit the opposite side of the pitch, Gus has taken that mantle now as skipper and it's nice to see.
"It's interesting being on the side - so far so good - but I enjoy playing so if I can work my way back in I'll try." | Torquay United captain Angus MacDonald has benefitted from player-manager Kevin Nicholson's decision not to play himself, says the Gulls boss. |
38,745,204 | Speaking to BBC Newsnight, Lord Patten said the UK had let down "a generation" of democracy activists.
It is 20 years since Hong Kong was returned to China after more than a century of British rule.
The UK government says it takes its commitments to Hong Kong seriously.
Anson Chan, former Hong Kong chief secretary - who worked as Lord Patten's deputy - also expressed deep concern about China's behaviour towards Hong Kong.
Citing the example of the alleged kidnapping by China of five booksellers and other rights abuses, she told BBC Newsnight that the "one country, two systems" form of rule itself is under threat.
"Unfortunately the rest of the world - particularly Great Britain - would rather pretend not to see what is going on," she said.
"If they continue to ignore this steady erosion, by the time they wake up to the fact that 'one country, two systems' exists only in name, it will be too late."
In the 1980s the Chinese and British leadership agreed that Hong Kong would be guaranteed certain freedoms not enjoyed in the rest of China - freedom of press, freedom of assembly and a partially-elected law-making council.
This principle, known as "one China, two systems", was a part of the Sino-British joint declaration - an international agreement guaranteeing Hong Kong those freedoms after the handover.
Lord Patten said the UK government has not "manifestly stood up for Hong Kong".
"I wonder what has happened to our sense of honour and our sense of responsibility - particularly in Britain. It's above all a British question," he said.
"We signed the joint declaration with China. It's a treaty at the UN. It's supposed to commit us to standing up for Hong Kong's rights until 2047."
"And you don't get much sense of the British government actually standing over those promises and obligations and I think that's a great pity."
Lord Patten said the UK risks putting its desire to do trade with China, over its commitment to Hong Kong.
"It's all for derisory, ludicrous reasons," he said. "The argument that the only way you can do trade with China is by kowtowing to China on political issues is drivel - it's complete nonsense."
"I worry about how people are prepared to sell our honour for alleged trade deals which never actually happen. I think that that would be calamitous. And what do we represent to the world if that's what happens?"
In 2015, five publishers selling critical articles about the Chinese leadership disappeared, only to reappear in detention in the mainland.
One bookseller was thought to have been abducted while in Hong Kong. Four of the publishers - including a British passport-holder - were eventually returned to Hong Kong. One Swedish national remains in Chinese detention.
Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Hong Kong in 2014 in what came to be known as the "Umbrella Protests". The protests lasted several weeks, and captured the world's attention, but failed to achieve any concessions from Beijing.
" I feel very strongly that we let down the parents of this generation of democracy activists. I think it would be a tragedy if we let down these kids as well," Lord Patten said.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "The UK takes our longstanding commitment under the Sino-British Joint Declaration very seriously."
"We believe that 'one country, two systems' continues to be the best arrangement for Hong Kong's long term stability and prosperity, as it has been for nearly 20 years.
"We hope and expect that 'One Country Two Systems' will be respected and successful long into the future."
The spokesperson added: "We regularly discuss the importance of respect for 'one Country, two Systems' and Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy with the Chinese Government. The Foreign Secretary made this clear to his Chinese counterpart when they met in London in December."
More on this story on BBC Newsnight at 22:30 on BBC Two | The former governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten, says the UK risks not meeting its promises to the territory and "selling its honour" in an attempt to reach trade deals with China. |
39,851,541 | The jury deliberated for over four hours before returning a majority not guilty verdict in favour of William George McVeigh.
Mr McVeigh, from Forthriver Green in the Ballygomartin area of Belfast, was also acquitted of two alternative charges - sexual activity with a child and sexual assault.
The trial spanned three weeks.
Mr McVeigh had been accused of raping the teenager in Woodvale Park in the early hours of Saturday, 31 October 2015.
The court heard evidence from both the teenager, her mother and Mr McVeigh.
The court was also shown CCTV footage taken from various locations on the Shankill Road, which captured the girl and Mr McVeigh together.
During the trial, Belfast Crown Court heard that after attending a birthday party at a local pub, the teenager and her friend walked towards a Chinese takeaway on Lanark Way, where they became separated.
After encountering Mr McVeigh - who had been drinking at a friend's house - at the takeaway, they started walking up the Shankill Road.
The girl, who is now 16, admitted she was so drunk on the night in question that she could barely recall meeting Mr McVeigh outside the takeaway, that she could not recall what happened and that she had only a vague recollection of being in Woodvale Park with him.
Prosecutors argued that Mr McVeigh took the girl into Woodvale Park, where he raped her.
However, this claim was rejected by the jury.
Mr McVeigh had admitted meeting the girl at the takeaway, but he said it was her who instigated any sexual activity between them.
He also said he believed she was older, that she told him she was 19 and that anything that occurred was consensual.
Before the verdicts were delivered, the judge addressed the public gallery and said any outbursts would not be tolerated. | A 28-year-old man has been cleared by a jury after being accused of raping a 14-year-old in north Belfast in 2015. |
36,433,568 | The ex-deputy director of policy at Downing Street was convicted on Wednesday of five charges and acquitted of three similar counts.
The jury was unable to reach a verdict on the remaining 12 charges.
Rock, 65, had admitted downloading 20 images of nine young girls in 2013, but denied they were indecent.
Although he will not serve time in prison, Judge Alistair McCreath said Rock's punishment was "the loss of your reputation and your very public humiliation".
"I have not lost sight of the obvious reality that right-thinking people will quite properly consider that those who did what you did should be punished for it.
"You should be. And you have been... It is a punishment which you brought on yourself, but is nonetheless a very real one. And it is one that is utterly merited."
The court heard that the youngest of the girls in the pictures was aged just 10 years and four months when he downloaded the image - meaning she would have been younger when it was taken. | A former aide to Prime Minister David Cameron, Patrick Rock, has been given a two-year conditional discharge over indecent images of children. |
32,371,927 | Emergency services were alerted to an incident at Poulnasherry Bay at about 03:25 local time on Sunday, when four people working on oyster beds got into difficulty.
Valentia Coastguard said they were using tractors and trailers and got cut off from shore when the tide came in.
A boat rescued three of the people.
A search is taking place to locate a fourth man aged in his 40s who attempted to swim to shore.
Irish state broadcaster RTÉ reports that Kilkee, Doolan and Ballybunion coastguard units along with the Shannon rescue helicopter and the Kilrush lifeboat are involved. | A search and rescue operation is taking place off the coast of Kilrush in County Clare, for a missing oyster fisherman. |
35,133,624 | Marc Veyrat illegally destroyed the trees near the La Maison des Bois (House of the Trees) in the Alps.
The court in Annecy also heard Mr Veyrat ordered a large portion of protected wetlands to be dried up.
He was one of five chefs picked to cook for world leaders at the Paris talks.
He was ordered by the court to pay a fine of €100,000 (£73,000; $108,000) and to restore the wetlands within three months.
Mr Veyrat, who has twice obtained three Michelin stars, told the court he acted with the best of intentions, as he built an educational centre for children.
He also built a botanical garden, beehives and greenhouses at the site, near the town of Manigod in the Haute-Savoie region.
After the hearing, Mr Veyrat apologised, saying: " I am not above the law. Anyone can make a mistake, even me."
At the end of the talks in Paris, countries agreed to a firm goal of keeping temperature rises well below 2C, and will strive for 1.5C.
But one study claims that deforestation is the second-largest man-made contributor of C02 into the atmosphere, which is seen as a major contributory factor to temperature rises. | A French chef hired to work at the Paris climate change talks has been fined for razing 7,000 sq metres (75,000 sq feet) of protected forest near his restaurant. |
37,814,044 | Matt Wright headed the hosts in front before Byron Harrison levelled for the Bluebirds from the penalty spot.
Matt Villis poked the Peacocks back in front after the visitors failed to deal with a corner but Richard Bennett bundled in a second equaliser.
Liam Hughes was sent off for violent conduct but Barrow held on and the two teams will have to do it again.
Match ends, Taunton Town 2, Barrow 2.
Second Half ends, Taunton Town 2, Barrow 2.
Shaun Beeley (Barrow) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Josh Searle (Taunton Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Shaun Beeley (Barrow).
Foul by Matthew Wright (Taunton Town).
Joel Dixon (Barrow) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Jordan Rogers (Taunton Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Moussa Diarra (Barrow).
Alex-Ray Harvey (Barrow) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Josh Searle (Taunton Town).
Foul by Matthew Wright (Taunton Town).
Joel Dixon (Barrow) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Corner, Taunton Town. Conceded by Nick Wilmer-Anderton.
Foul by Brett Trowbridge (Taunton Town).
Shaun Beeley (Barrow) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jordan Rogers (Taunton Town).
Ryan Yates (Barrow) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner, Barrow. Conceded by Owen Irish.
Attempt blocked. Moussa Diarra (Barrow) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Corner, Taunton Town. Conceded by Moussa Diarra.
Attempt missed. Jordan Williams (Barrow) left footed shot from outside the box is too high.
Substitution, Taunton Town. Josh Searle replaces Ryan Batley.
Foul by Matthew Wright (Taunton Town).
Moussa Diarra (Barrow) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Shane White (Taunton Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Alex-Ray Harvey (Barrow).
Alex-Ray Harvey (Barrow) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Shane White (Taunton Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Alex-Ray Harvey (Barrow).
Ed Palmer (Taunton Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Moussa Diarra (Barrow).
Foul by Shane White (Taunton Town).
Moussa Diarra (Barrow) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Shane White (Taunton Town) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.
Ed Palmer (Taunton Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Richard Bennett (Barrow).
Foul by Ryan Batley (Taunton Town).
Richard Bennett (Barrow) wins a free kick on the right wing.
(Taunton Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half. | Eighth-tier Taunton held 10-man National League side Barrow to a draw in the FA Cup first round. |
32,492,853 | Quesir Mahmood, 38, was arrested on Monday and questioned by Lancashire Police in connection with alleged postal vote irregularities.
Mr Mahmood, a project manager in the pharmaceutical industry, is standing in the Wensley Fold ward for a seat on Blackburn with Darwen Council.
He has been bailed until 4 June.
A party spokesman said: "The Labour Party takes adherence to the Electoral Commission's code of conduct very seriously.
"The individual has been suspended pending the outcome of any police investigation." | A Labour local election candidate has been suspended by the party following his arrest on suspicion of electoral fraud. |
40,564,577 | It is the third and final amnesty decree signed by Mr Santos.
More than 7,000 rebels in total have been granted amnesty or released from prison as part of their reintegration into Colombian society.
Last month the Farc completed its disarmament process.
The rebels handed all its 7,000 registered weapons to the United Nations mission in Colombia.
Earlier on Monday, the United Nations Security Council voted to set up a new mission in the country, which from September will oversee the implementation of the peace deal.
The move puts an end to more than five decades of conflict.
The Marxist rebel group was found in 1964 to defend the rights of landless peasants.
It entered formal peace negotiations with the government in 2012. The talks were held in Cuba and lasted four years.
The final agreement was rejected by the Colombian people in a referendum last October. But a reviewed version was approved by Congress a month later and signed into law.
The Farc has agreed to give up its armed struggle to become a political party.
A key part of the agreement was the rebels' reintegration to civilian life. It was agreed that all Farc members who did not commit serious crimes would be granted amnesty.
The three decrees signed by Mr Santos have benefited 6,005 former rebels. Another 1,400 who were serving prison sentences have been released in the past few months.
Mr Santos won last year's Nobel Peace Prize for his peace efforts.
Following the success of the Farc negotiations, Colombia's second rebel group, the National Liberation Army, or ELN, also entered formal peace talks. They are being held in neighbouring Ecuador. | Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos has signed a decree granting amnesty to another 3,600 members of the Farc rebel group, which last year reached a peace deal with the government. |
32,374,144 | Earlham Park Cafe was initially told it would have to close on 23 and 24 May for "safety" reasons.
About 50,000 music fans are expected to attend the event, which will feature Taylor Swift and Years & Years.
Norwich City Council said it had "reached an agreement" with the cafe to allow it to trade over the weekend.
A spokeswoman said: "The whole of Norwich is looking forward to some great music and we hope they enjoy a very busy trading weekend."
Ingrid Henry, who runs the cafe, said she was overwhelmed by the support they received.
"We had a phenomenal outpouring of support from local businesses, our customers, and the people who use Earlham Park who really thought we should be allowed to open and trade for that weekend," she said.
"We are very pleased that Norwich City Council and Radio 1 are going to allow us to trade for the weekend." | The operators of the only cafe in a Norwich park hosting BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend said they were "delighted" to be allowed to open during the event. |
39,795,510 | Yusuf Jatta died after being hit by a car outside the Reginald Centre in Chapeltown Road, Leeds, on Saturday.
His family released a statement saying Yusuf's father, who had been away for a month, had spent a day with him before the "tragic accident".
The car driver stopped and is helping the investigation, police said.
Live updates and more stories from Yorkshire
The family statement said Yusuf was "loved by his teachers" at Hillcrest Academy nursery and was "happy there".
It added: "Yusuf enjoyed travelling and we visited London and Scotland with him."
Det Sgt Mathew Tunney said the force continued to appeal for witnesses.
"We are particularly keen to speak to the driver of a black or dark-coloured Vauxhall Meriva that was stopped at a red traffic light as we believe he would have had a good view of the incident", he said. | A four-year-old boy was killed after being hit by a car just a day after his father returned from a trip to the Gambia, police revealed. |
32,716,996 | With more than 26 people still unaccounted for, the death toll is expected to rise.
Firefighters battling the blaze on Wednesday found no survivors after bringing it under control.
Most of the victims are thought to have suffocated in thick black smoke from burning rubber and chemicals.
The Mayor of the Valenzuela suburb Rex Gatchalian said the government was "still praying and hoping that the 26, some of them, must have gotten out earlier in the morning and had gone to relatives" without telling officials they were safe.
Some of the bodies were still inside the building on Thursday morning.
The fire was reportedly started when sparks from welding work ignited flammable chemicals near the building's entrance.
The fire spread quickly and a few people escaped, but many more were trapped on the second floor of the building.
Some of those trapped texted family members asking for help, local media reported.
The factory is operated by Kentex Manufacturing, and produces rubber flip flops and sandals.
The fire took more than five hours to bring under control, and recovery of bodies has been suspended while engineers make the building safe.
The Philippines has lax safety standards and large fires are relatively common, particularly in slum areas. | At least 45 people are now known to have died in a fire at a rubber shoe factory in a suburb of the Philippine capital Manila, local officials say. |
30,976,722 | Media playback is unsupported on your device
25 January 2015 Last updated at 19:11 GMT
Rimantis Tamosiunas, who was originally from Lithuania, was found dead inside a house on Catherine Street at about 20:00 GMT on Saturday.
The cause of his death is not yet known and a post-mortem examination is due to be carried out on Monday.
Police have appealed for information about his last known movements.
Kevin Sharkey reports from the scene. | Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a 56-year-old man in Newry city, County Down. |
32,421,212 | The Australian, 33, changed his diet after guidance from strict vegan Peter Ebdon and says his energy levels and concentration have improved.
Cups of coffee have been replaced by banana smoothies, with meat and animal-derived foods off the menu.
"I haven't prepared as well for a World Championship, or any tournament, as I have for this one," said Robertson.
Snooker's world tour has a cluster of players, including Aditya Mehta and Liam Highfield, who stick to a vegan diet, which typically consists of plant-based foods such as grains, beans, vegetables, fruits and nuts.
Robertson, champion in 2010, claims he feels "fantastic" since he acted on Ebdon's advice late last year.
His own research into athletes such as Carl Lewis, who lived on a vegan diet, also proved influential and good form, including a final defeat to Shaun Murphy at the Masters in January has followed.
"I've not looked back since," said Robertson, who says other players - such as Joe Perry - are monitoring his progress with a view to copying the move.
Media playback is not supported on this device
"I used to feel very tired during tournaments. I was drinking four or five coffees per day and felt I needed more. Now I'm able to practice an awful lot more without getting tired."
Ebdon, who won a gruelling 18-17 final against Stephen Hendry in 2002, takes a juicer and blender to events.
The vegan of four years said: "It's improved my game in every single area. My recovery times are much quicker. I just feel amazing all the time." | A vegan diet has put Neil Robertson "in the best nick of his career" as he seeks a second World Championship. |
36,266,753 | This isn't just a slight difference. Women in the UK are now 35% more likely than men to go to university and the gap is widening every year.
A baby girl born in 2016 will be 75% more likely to go to university than a boy, if current trends continue.
The Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) has published research examining this increasingly polarised gender divide.
And as university remains the gateway to better-paid, more secure jobs, Mary Curnock Cook, head of the Ucas university admissions service, warns that being male could be a new form of disadvantage.
"On current trends, the gap between rich and poor will be eclipsed by the gap between males and females within a decade," she writes in an introduction to the report.
And she says while there is much focus on social mobility and geographical differences, there is a collective blind spot on the underachievement of young men.
So what is causing such a pattern?
The likelihood of going to university is shaped by results in primary and secondary school - and girls are now outperforming boys at every stage.
But the report demolishes one long-held theory - that this success for girls was triggered by the switch from O-levels to GCSEs in the late 1980s in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
There have been claims that the gladiatorial, all-or-nothing exam worked in favour of boys, and that the greater sustained effort of coursework favoured girls.
And this theory seemed to fit with when women overtook men in university places in the early 1990s.
But the report finds that such connections are "overcooked" - and that by the time the exams were changed, women had already almost caught up with men in university entry rates and this trend pre-dated the shift to GCSEs.
This was also an international trend, suggesting wider factors than changes to local exam systems.
Ms Curnock Cook says she is "instinctively convinced" the fall in the proportion of male students is connected to the increasing gender imbalance in the school workforce.
Until the early 1990s, most secondary school teachers were male. This has now completely reversed, with the teaching profession becoming increasingly female.
Are young men not getting enough educational role models?
But the research report, written by Nick Hillman and Nicholas Robinson, says the evidence remains unclear about whether such a female workforce has a negative impact on male students.
What is incontrovertible is that women have taken the greatest advantage of the rapid expansion in university numbers in the 1990s.
In 1990, there were 34,000 women graduating from UK universities, compared with 43,000 men. By 2000, the positions were reversed, with 133,000 women graduating, compared with 110,000 men.
In the following years the gap has accelerated - so that the most recent figures from last year show there were almost 300,000 more women in higher education than men.
Five out of six higher education institutions now have more female students than male - and if every single man who applied to university were to be automatically given a place, there would still be fewer men than women.
But there are substantial underlying differences within the male population.
Among white boys from disadvantaged families only about 10% will go to university - the lowest of any social or ethnic group.
Deprived boys from other ethnic backgrounds, such as black and Asian, are much more likely to go to university.
This suggests different barriers in attitude and expectation. And it suggests some communities have been left behind, as industries and expectations have changed around them.
Or perhaps boys are just less well disposed to studying.
The report includes OECD data, gathered alongside international Pisa tests, that shows on average that boys are less likely to work hard at school, less likely to read for pleasure and more likely to be negative towards school and to dodge their homework.
Another theory for women's record levels of success is that they get much more benefit from going to university.
The study says it is "economically rational behaviour" because women are particularly likely to gain financial benefits from getting a degree.
The gap in earnings between female graduates and non-graduates is much greater than the earnings gap between male graduates and non-graduates.
Another way of interpreting the rise of female graduates is to look at changes in the jobs requiring degrees.
When training for nursing moved from diploma to degree level it brought a large, female-dominated group of trainees into the higher education sector.
If two sets of students were removed from the figures - nursing and teacher training - a substantial proportion of the gender gap would disappear.
The report looks at the tougher question of what should be the response.
The Scottish Funding Council has set targets for Scottish universities to stop "extreme gender imbalance" so that no subject by 2030 should have less than 25% of one gender.
There are also suggestions that young men develop more slowly - and could benefit from a delayed entry or the equivalent of a foundation year.
Should universities have recruitment targets for male students, in the way that they have outreach projects for other under-represented groups?
Report author and HEPI director Nick Hillman says: "Nearly everyone seems to have a vague sense that our education system is letting young men down, but there are few detailed studies of the problem and almost no clear policy recommendations on what to do about it.
"Young men are much less likely to enter higher education, are more likely to drop out and are less likely to secure a top degree than women. Yet, aside from initial teacher training, only two higher education institutions currently have a specific target to recruit more male students. That is a serious problem that we need to tackle."
Universities Minister Jo Johnson said: "While we are seeing record application rates from disadvantaged backgrounds, this report shows that too many are still missing out.
"That is why our recent university access guidance for the first time called for specific support for white boys from the poorest homes." | Why are women getting so many more university places than men? |
35,490,223 | But was the episode concocted to generate maximum publicity for the group's controversial views? Did a master troll take the media and politicians for a ride?
Daryush "Roosh V" Valizadeh, the founder of Return of Kings (ROK), openly and unashamedly courts outrage.
"There is nothing the media can do anymore to hurt me, and even if they paint me as a baby murderer, I will still gain readers because of it," he wrote after a BBC documentary was critical of his ideas.
"As long as my name exits the mouth of my enemies, I win, and I will continue to win."
Roosh V cancels 'Return of Kings' events
By that criterion, Roosh V was well and truly a winner this week.
Opposition to ROK's proposal to hold a men's "social happy hour" in cities around the world on Saturday started with a petition in Australia that quickly gathered thousands of signatures.
Valizadeh's reaction was to announce on Twitter that he had booked a trip to Australia.
A storm of media outrage followed, prompting Australia's Immigration Minister Peter Dutton to request an urgent briefing and foreshadow denying the 36-year-old American blogger a visa.
"I will sneak into your country, hold my meetings, laugh, and then slip out. Your gay authorities won't stop me," Valizadeh wrote in response. He baited female journalists with sexual requests and claimed he would enter Australia by boat.
But he had never applied for a visa and the "ticket" he posted to Twitter of his planned trip was an itinerary screen grab that could be generated without booking a trip.
In fact, Return of Kings' anti-feminist position is so extreme that some commentators believe it is a "troll" group that exists solely for the purpose of upsetting people.
The site feature such headlines as "The myth of date rape drink spiking", "How to turn a feminist into your sex slave" and "How to convince a girl to get an abortion".
The group's community beliefs state that "a woman's value significantly depends on her fertility and beauty", whereas "a man's value significantly depends on his resources, intellect and character".
Return of Kings' leaders say their campaign is sincere, but they don't deny setting out to provoke strong reactions from the feminists, gay rights campaigners and their other perceived enemies.
"We write our ideas in a way that draws attention to our work and entertains our audience, because we believe our perspective has value and is worth spreading. Do not confuse provocative art with trolling," writes one contributor to the site.
Australian cybercrime expert and former police officer Susan McLean agreed that the group's actions did not constitute trolling in the "classic" sense.
"Trolling usually involves groups or individuals that would concentrate on one person and hammer them online, as opposed to threatening to stick it to them at the local pub," Ms McLean said.
"But it certainly is a misuse of technology, [using] threats and harassment to cause upset among us here in Australia."
Ms McLean said she believed Valizadeh's targeting of Australia was considered, given the climate of increased awareness towards abuse against women and the debate on free speech.
Domestic violence and women's issues have been hot-button topics in Australia, driven by 2015 Australian of the Year Rosie Batty's advocacy on the issue.
"His views grate against those that are held by Australian civilised society and he's using that as a springboard, knowing full well he'll create a media frenzy, angst and anger," she said.
Australia has in recent years refused to issue visas to a number of people whose views were considered out of step with community standards.
Rapper Tyler the Creator and pick-up artist Julien Blanc were both refused entry to the country after campaigns accused them of promoting misogyny.
Simon Breheny, director of the Legal Rights Project at the Institute of Public Affairs, said this had prompted strong debate about the limits of free speech and whether Australia's laws went too far in restricting that right.
"These cases have given the individuals concerned a very high degree of prominence in the media and so it's seen as a bit of a tactic they can use to get a lot of free exposure," Mr Breheny said.
As outrage spread from Australia to the UK, US, Canada and elsewhere, Roosh and ROK remained defiant, attempting to move their meet-ups to private forums.
"Since this meetup was never intended as a confrontation with unattractive women and their enablers, I'm moving to save as many of these meetups as I can before Saturday," he wrote on the ROK website on Wednesday.
In the UK, a Scottish National Party MP urged the home secretary to block Roosh from attending events in Scotland or England, although there was no indication that he was planning to do so.
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson also weighed in, tweeting that "your pro-rape, misogynistic, homophobic garbage is not welcome".
Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle, Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi and a host of other politicians voiced similar sentiments.
On Thursday Valizadeh announced he was cancelling the meet-ups because he could not "guarantee the safety or privacy of men who want to attend".
It was a victory of sorts for ROK's opponents. But the name Roosh V is far better known than it was at the start of the week. The ROK website doubled its usual traffic to 82,000 unique users on 1 February.
On Thursday, Valizadeh tweeted: "I'm currently more popular than Jeb Bush … lol." It seems likely that Valizadeh got exactly what he was looking for. | A "neo-masculinist" group with extreme views on women's rights has been forced to shut down a series of proposed global meet-ups, but not before a wave of outrage fuelled by petitions, media and governments swept its message around the world. |
39,109,718 | Media playback is not supported on this device
Sexton, 31, missed the opening two Six Nations games with a calf problem, which came soon after hamstring and shoulder injuries.
He kicked 11 points in a superb display in the 19-9 victory in Dublin.
"I've never had a nine-month injury - it's not as bad as it is made out to be," said Sexton.
Ireland coach Joe Schmidt heaped praise on Sexton after the win over the French, which leaves his team second in the standings.
Sexton was sidelined for five weeks with the calf injury, sustained in a European Champions Cup match against Castres.
"The longest I've been out is for a shoulder injury at the end of last season," he added.
"When I came back from that I was moving badly, carrying the shoulder still and that's why I got a couple of hamstring niggles and the calf.
"I've been fortunate - I'm surrounded by guys that have had their career cut short by injury or been out for a year."
However, Sexton admits it was difficult to cope with being out for the start of the Six Nations campaign.
He said: "There's no-one more frustrated and upset when I'm injured - it was a really difficult time after all the work I had done before Christmas.
"You get stronger from these things and find out about a lot of people around you and yourself.
"It's important to bounce back. You are going to have setbacks and I'm sure I'll pick up more injuries in my career.
"It's just the nature of the game but I'll do everything I can to stay as fit as possible. | Ireland fly-half Johnny Sexton says he has been "lucky" with injuries after returning from his latest lay-off in Saturday's win against France. |
19,701,760 | The county's force was responding after The Times said confidential police reports referred to widespread abuse of girls by Asian men.
Rotherham MP Denis MacShane said police kept secret the abuse from politicians.
South Yorkshire Police said the suggestion it was reluctant to tackle child sexual abuse was wrong.
In November 2010, five Rotherham men were jailed for sexual offences against under-age girls.
Labour MP Mr MacShane said on Monday: "The Rotherham police exposed, arrested and broke up an evil gang of internal traffickers who were sent to prison.
"But it is clear that the internal trafficking of barely pubescent girls is much more widespread and I regret that the police did not tell Yorkshire MPs about their inquiries."
The investigation by The Times - with access to confidential documents from the police intelligence bureau, social services and other organisations - alleges widespread abuse.
The newspaper said a confidential 2010 report by the Police Intelligence Bureau detailed "a significant problem with networks of Asian males exploiting young white females, particularly in Rotherham and Sheffield".
The paper claimed that in another confidential report in 2010 from Rotherham Safeguarding Children Board "there are sensitivities of ethnicity with potential to endanger the harmony of community relationships".
Mr MacShane said the sexual violation and commercial exploitation of young girls by older men was a "growing problem and needs far more public policy attention".
In a statement, the force said: "South Yorkshire Police is recognised as leading the way on what is now being recognised nationally as a problem and to suggest that the force and its partners are deliberately withholding information on the issue is a gross distortion and unfair on the teams of dedicated specialists working to tackle the problem."
It said the force was "working with local authorities, social services and NHS on several live investigations, two of which are large and likely to lead to more prosecutions; we will act when we have the evidence".
The statement added that The Times was "wrong to suggest a lack of commitment is shown towards the problem as our record shows".
In a statement Rotherham Borough Council said it was "fully committed" to tackling sexual exploitation, "a commitment that led to the conviction of men involved in this despicable crime as well as support for victims and potential victims and the education of hundreds of young people about the dangers of sexual exploitation".
"These are highly-complex cases and situations and some work with individuals did not lead to court cases for a variety of reasons, but those young people have been supported to understand the situation they have found themselves in and assisted by many services". | A police force has denied withholding information about the scale of sexual exploitation of girls by gangs of men in South Yorkshire. |
39,946,456 | 17 May 2017 Last updated at 12:44 BST
Adrien Gulfo, wearing red, who plays for the Swiss side Pully Football, tried to clear the ball away from his goal with a spectacular bicycle kick.
Unfortunately for him it all went very wrong - watch the video.....
There was a happy ending to the story for Gulfo though, Pully went through to the cup final on penalties after the match finished 3-3 | You won't believe this own goal that was scored in the Swiss lower league! |
36,163,600 | It follows the start of an investigation into claims official kit, including a high-performance bike, was available to buy online.
British Cycling said it has a "detailed and exhaustive" inventory of UK Sport-funded equipment.
The new inquiry comes after technical director Shane Sutton quit amid sexism and discrimination allegations.
Australian Sutton, 58, was also asked to attend a meeting on Tuesday to discuss the kit allegations, revealed in the Daily Mail. He said he "rejects the specific claims".
UK Sport, which is investing £30.5m in British Cycling between 2013 and 2017, ordered the investigation to "protect our investment in all sports on the world-class programme".
In response, British Cycling issued a statement explaining that:
The statement added: "Once sold, we are obviously unable to guarantee what individual buyers will do with the kit they have purchased."
Confirming British Cycling's explanation, one eBay seller with an extensive collection of official kits told BBC Sport they had sourced them from jumble sales held by the organisation.
It is understood the UK Sport interest came after the organisation received information about a British Cycling bike being sold online.
The organisation now deals with a company called Cervelo but the brand of bike in question was a Pinarello.
Former GB cyclist - and long-time friend of Sutton - Phil Griffiths, of Yellow Limited, is a UK distributor for Pinarello.
He helped to broker the deal that saw the Italian company supply British Cycling's elite riders with 250 cycles over a five-year period.
He told BBC Sport the bikes were provided free as part of a mutually beneficial relationship - with the firm receiving the good publicity of elite cyclists using their machines.
The British Cycling investigation is ongoing.
The suggestion UK Sport-funded kit is being sold on is the third serious allegation made against British Cycling this week, with chief executive Ian Drake telling BBC Sport his organisation is not in crisis.
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Sutton, a GB coach since 2002, is alleged to have used derogatory words like "wobblies" and "gimps" to describe Para-cyclists. An independent investigation into those accusations is under way.
A separate review will also look into claims by cyclist Jess Varnish that Sutton made sexist comments towards her, allegedly telling her to "go and have a baby" after she failed to qualify in the team sprint for this summer's Olympics.
Sutton said the allegations had "become a distraction" and he had stepped down "in the best interests of British Cycling".
He was part of the team that won seven track gold medals at both the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, with British Cycling also claiming 25 gold medals across the past two Paralympics.
There are just 99 days until the start of the Rio Olympics, with programmes director Andy Harrison taking charge of the team after Sutton's resignation.
In a statement, six-time Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy paid tribute to Sutton's "uncompromising approach" which "yielded unparalleled results".
While saying he would not provide his opinion on the allegations, Hoy added: "I have never met anyone who gave so much to their role within any team and who cared so much for the performance of the riders."
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Despite leaving his post at British Cycling, Sutton is still employed by professional cycling outfit Team Sky, in a paid "occasional advisory role".
Drake told BBC Sport on Tuesday that Sutton was not getting paid by Sky as well as by British Cycling, but the organisation attempted to clarify the situation on Wednesday.
It said it was not aware of Sutton's Sky retainer and that he had not declared this when he became British Cycling technical director in 2014.
UK Sport also said senior staff did not know of Sutton's Team Sky payment.
A Team Sky statement said: "Since he stepped down as head coach of Team Sky in January 2013, his occasional involvement as an advisor to Team Sky has been completely separate from his role with British Cycling.
"Any reimbursement for his work with Team Sky has been funded by the team." | British Cycling has denied that any kit or equipment provided by UK Sport has been given away or sold on for profit. |
33,579,737 | The Tiree Music festival-goers were sheltered in schools, the island airport and people's homes.
Organisers said the festival, headlined by The Fratellis and due to run until Sunday night, would get back under way again on Saturday.
Director Daniel Gillespie said: "We've got 1,000 campers under shelter and to do it so quickly has been amazing."
He added: "It's been pretty humbling seeing the response. We were driving round last night taking food and water to the people and even their spirits, their reaction, was incredible as well."
An official statement from festival organisers said they had "no major issues or concerns but have taken this measure as a caution".
It added: "Working closely with Argyll and Bute council, our in-house health and safety team and emergency services, coaches and buses have been arranged for attendees and we have provided accommodation for campers in local schools, business centres and churches.
"We would like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful people of Tiree who have been tremendous in opening their doors to our visitors."
The festival, founded in 2010, has previously won awards including Best Small Event at the UK Event Awards and Best Small Festival in Scotland at the Scottish Event Awards.
This weekend's line-up includes The Fratellis, Funbox, We Banjo 3, Skerryvore, Manran, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Gentlemen of Few, Skipinnish, The Chaplins, Cherry Grove, Trail West, Gunna Sound, Dun Mor, The Lowground and Chunks. | More than 1,000 people had to be evacuated from the site of a music festival because of storms last night. |
33,243,753 | Media playback is not supported on this device
Widnes led by two points with 15 minutes remaining, but Saints duo Kyle Amor and Jordan Turner both scored tries to restore the home side's lead.
And stand-in full-back Mark Percival crossed for the second of his two tries in the dying seconds to secure victory.
Super League champions Saints have not reached the Challenge Cup final since they last won the competition in 2008.
Keiron Cunningham's side will face holders Leeds Rhinos in the last four.
Their quarter-final win was far from routine, as Widnes - chasing a last-four spot for the second successive year - came back from 12 points behind to lead, before Saints fought back themselves with three tries without reply.
Early on, Jon Wilkin's try-saving tackle denied Vikings prop Alex Gerrard the first score, before St Helens winger Adam Swift raced 90 metres to put the home side in front.
Widnes scrum-half Joe Mellor stretched over from close range to level but Percival, filling the full-back berth for St Helens in the absence of several injured alternatives, slotted over a penalty to restore his side's lead before latching onto Swift's well-timed pass to touch down himself.
Matty Dawson cruised over in the corner for the hosts' third try, but 14 unanswered points either side of half-time put Widnes ahead for the first time.
Danny Craven muscled his way over before the break, Kevin Brown's fired pass picked out Patrick Ah Van to cross after the interval and then Chris Dean's score, given after consultation with the video referee, gave the Vikings a narrow advantage.
That lead lasted until Amor's robust effort was allowed to stand, again with the help of the video referee, before Turner burst through two tackles to settle the contest.
Another Percival penalty, his fifth successful kick of the match, removed any hopes of a Widnes comeback and he completed the scoring with a second converted try for a personal tally of 20 points.
St Helens captain Jon Wilkin told BBC Sport:
"It was a great game - tough and competitive. Widnes are a quality side and Denis Betts gets them playing really well.
"We're really pleased to be in the semi-finals. There are some great teams who are in good form heading into that."
Widnes Vikings coach Denis Betts told BBC Sport:
"I'm really proud of the effort we put in. We did some great things and had lots of opportunities.
"We just don't have enough composure and a little bit of luck on our side at the moment to be able to close these games out.
"We've had a lot of close games this year and been on the wrong side of them."
St Helens: Percival; Dawson, Jones, Turner, Swift; Burns, Walsh; Amor, Roby, Walmsley, Wilkin, Greenwood, McCarthy-Scarsbrook.
Replacements: Masoe, Flanagan, Richards, Savelio.
Widnes Vikings: Hanbury; Flynn, Marsh, Dean, Ah Van; Brown, Mellor; Manuokafoa, Heremaia, Gerrard, Clarkson, Whitley, Leuluai.
Replacements: Cahill, Isa, Craven, Dudson.
Referee: Robert Hicks
Attendance: 8,806 | St Helens completed the Challenge Cup semi-final line-up with a home win over Widnes Vikings at Langtree Park. |
34,146,900 | Ryan ten Doeschate's unbeaten 43 and Mark Pettini's quickfire 37 off 42 balls propelled the hosts to 216-5 as they declared just after lunch.
Jamie Porter bowled Northants' opener David Murphy and captain Alex Wakely cheaply before Rob Keogh was run out.
After Josh Cobb fell to Aron Nijjar, play was halted at 16:35 BST.
Ben Duckett, who is now just seven runs away from reaching 1,000 first-class runs this season, finished unbeaten on 34.
Essex, who have now failed to secure a win in three matches sit sixth in the Division Two table, while Northants have overtaken Glamorgan in third with three matches remaining. | Bad light foiled Essex's attempt to clinch a final day victory at Chelmsford having reduced Northants to 92-4 after setting them 302 to win. |
40,301,907 | Joe Storey, 27, was convicted of murdering mother Kerri McAuley at a Norwich Crown Court hearing on Thursday.
It is understood he told staff at Bedford Prison he did not need to attend court the next day.
Prosecutor Simon Spence said the situation was "unprecedented".
"On behalf of the prosecution, I can't help but express my disbelief at the way in which Bedford Prison has dealt with this matter," he said.
"It's caused a huge amount of inconvenience for the court, a great deal of public expenditure and has clearly caused a great deal of distress to the family, the friends and to the members of the jury who chose to return to see what the sentence would be on the man they convicted of murder yesterday."
Mr Spence said he believed the prison "should be hanging its head in shame".
Jurors took less than an hour to find Storey guilty after a two-week trial, during which the court was told he was high on cocaine when he punched his "on-off partner" Ms McAuley after a row about an ex-girlfriend.
Ms McAuley was found dead at a property in Southalls Way, Norwich, on 8 January.
The court heard friends describe a history of domestic violence which left Ms McAuley "disfigured" and fearing for her life.
Pathologist Dr Benjamin Swift said the fatal attack left Ms McAuley with multiple facial lacerations and a torn ear.
Storey had admitted manslaughter but denied murder. Sentencing is now scheduled to take place on Monday. | A convicted murderer has not been sentenced as planned after he told prison staff he did not need to be in court for the hearing. |
37,990,283 | We look at the myriad ways in which different countries are affected.
More than one million Bangladeshis visit India every year for medical, tourism and business purposes.
Many Bangladeshis, especially businessmen, visit as often as two or three times a month. Being businessmen, they tend to carry wads of high-value Indian notes on their trips.
Since the new rules have come into effect, Bangladeshis have been trying to exchange their unusable currency, but money-changers have refused to take them.
There is a lot of informal trade in goods between Bangladeshi and Indian businesspeople, and they exchange money at the border without bothering with documentation.
"So they have to keep cash all the time. [But] now they can't exchange those notes," said Abul Hossain, a businessman from Jessore, near the border.
The difficulties cut both ways, with many Indians living in Bangladesh are also facing problems.
One student, Maria, said she was struggling to change Indian rupees sent by her father through informal channels - meaning she has no documentation.
"The total amount is 50,000 rupees, and all are high-value notes. But I can't exchange those," she says.
Can India become a cashless nation?
How will India destroy 20 billion banknotes?
Farmers in eastern Nepal say the volume of their agricultural exports to India have decreased by almost 90% since the Indian currency move.
The unsold products are being dumped in warehouses and even along main roads.
About 98% of cardamom and more than 70% of tea and ginger produced in Nepal are bought by Indian businessmen from across the border.
In southern Nepal, along the long land border with India, businessmen have also expressed concern about the Indian government's move.
It is common for most businesspeople, and even households. to keep Indian currency for cross-border trade and business.
"I normally go to Raxaul Bazar, a shopping town across the border in India. I take 500 and 1,000 Rupee notes to buy supplies, but most people aren't accepting them and those that do are deducting 20% of the value for exchange. " Raghunath Prasad Sah, a shop owner in Birgunj, told the BBC.
In Pakistan, currency dealers are estimated to hold more than 150 million rupees ($2.2m) worth of Indian currency. After the government's move on the 500 and 1,000 rupee notes, this stash is being traded for about a quarter of its value, they say.
The general secretary of the Pakistan Exchange Companies Association says Pakistani citizens hold Indian currency - sometimes in large amounts - because they travel there for family reasons.
"Not enough time was given to people outside India to exchange money," Zafar Paracha said. "It was very sudden."
Pakistan has also denied that counterfeit Indian currency is being produced in Karachi and Peshawar. Targeting counterfeit cash is thought to be another reason for India's unexpected move.
Sri Lankans living in India says they are facing serious difficulties as a result of the sudden decision by the Indian government.
A PhD student who declined to give her name said the announcement came while she was visiting Sri Lanka on holiday.
"When I came to Sri Lanka, I brought some Indian rupees with me. As I have an Indian visa for valid for 4 years, I was not shocked as I thought I would be able to go to State Bank of India in Colombo with my 500 rupee notes," she said.
"But they were quite rude and told me only dollar notes could be exchanged outside India. They also refused to offer me any advice."
Sri Lankan diplomats have also told BBC Sinhala that the cash crisis has left hundreds of Buddhist pilgrims stranded in India. Without access to cash, they are finding it difficult to continue their journeys or return home, the diplomat said.
Poor families normally take part in these pilgrimages, sometimes even pawning their jewellery or other valuables to make the trip.
Reporting by BBC Bengali, BBC Nepali, BBC Sinhala and BBC Urdu | India's surprise move to get scrap 500 and 1,000 rupee notes to target hidden stashes of "black money" has affected the country's immediate neighbours, which all have long-standing trade, tourism and family links. |
32,772,333 | Survivors told of horrific conditions. Three men separately said people were stabbed, hanged or thrown overboard.
The 700 rescued migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh are being processed by the Indonesian authorities.
Thousands of migrants are estimated to be adrift in South East Asian waters, denied permission to land.
The BBC's Martin Patience, who spoke to some of the survivors in the Indonesian port of Langsa, cautions that their accounts cannot be verified.
However, three migrants made similar statements in separate conversations.
If true, the claims will add to the growing international pressure on Asian countries to find a solution to this crisis, our correspondent says.
The migrants had wanted to land in Malaysia but say they were driven away by the Malaysian navy.
The boat had reportedly been at sea for two months and had been recently deserted by its crew when it was rescued by Indonesian fishermen on Friday.
The survivors are now being sheltered in warehouses on the shore in Langsa. Many are suffering from malnutrition and dehydration.
On Saturday, the Myanmar government said it was not responsible for the migrant boat crisis and said it might not attend a forthcoming summit on the issue.
As international concern over the migrants grew, Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman held talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali on Sunday to try to find a solution to the crisis.
Rohingya Muslims have been fleeing Buddhist-majority Myanmar - also known as Burma - because they are not recognised as citizens and face persecution.
Many of the Bangladeshis at sea are thought to be economic migrants.
Early on Sunday there were reported to be at least five people-smuggling boats, carrying up to 1,000 migrants, moored just off the northern coast of Myanmar.
Because Thailand and Malaysia are stopping the boats landing, the smugglers are now reluctant to make the journey but are refusing to release those on board unless ransoms are paid, says the BBC's Jonah Fisher in Myanmar's main city, Yangon (Rangoon). | Migrants rescued from a sinking boat off Indonesia have told the BBC that about 100 people died after a fight broke out over the last remaining food. |
26,175,176 | Daniel Hazelton, 30, his brother Thomas Hazelton, 26, Adam Taylor, 28, and Peter Johnson, 42, were killed at Great Yarmouth on 21 January 2011.
They were crushed under 13 tonnes of steel when a structure collapsed.
Sean Freeman, who was in charge of the building work, said forms were not correctly completed.
He worked for Encompass Project Management, which was in charge of the building work at Claxton Engineering in North River Road.
He said two directors of Encompass, Paul Brand and David Groucott, had discussed paperwork concerning the project.
Mr Freeman said Mr Brand had said one of the forms, concerning a construction design management co-ordinator, could not be completed as the company had no-one qualified for that duty.
Mr Freeman said he took the document to display at the site and didn't notice the omission.
The Hazelton brothers and Mr Johnson were from Stanton, near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, and Mr Taylor was from nearby Rickinghall.
All worked for Hazegood Construction, the ground works and steel works contractors, and had been building a test facility at the site.
The inquest, at Sprowston Manor Hotel, near Norwich, had heard the men had been seen not wearing hard hats.
Procurement manager Mark Aylen told the hearing he had asked the men about this and that they had claimed the hats had a tendency to fall off.
Matt Hazelton, brother to two of the men and a friend of the others, is a director of Hazegood Construction.
He told the inquest that the dead men were all good, skilled, experienced workers.
He said he had been involved in writing the "method statement", detailing how the work would be carried out.
Questioned about the collapse of the sides of the excavation, he said it was not deep enough for there to be a danger of it collapsing and hurting anyone.
David Groucott, a director of Encompass, declined to answer some questions about site safety, documentation and build procedures.
But asked if he had called Matt Hazelton, telling him the build was going "really well", he said: "Yes."
He said the structure looked like it was being properly put up, and that he had "no concern or inkling" it might collapse.
Mr Groucott said he not only worked but socialised with the dead men, and that he would never have allowed them to get involved if he didn't think the site was safe.
The inquest is scheduled to end on Friday. | The site manager at a construction project where four men died has told an inquest documentation was not properly filled out. |
38,562,499 | Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness stepped down on Monday over the handling of a botched energy scheme.
The situation made an assembly election look "highly likely", Secretary of State James Brokenshire said.
Mr Brokenshire is also stepping up his efforts to find a resolution to the current crisis at Stormont.
He spoke to the Republic of Ireland's Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan by telephone and will hold meetings with the main Northern Ireland parties - as well as Justice Minister Claire Sugden - over the next 24 hours.
Earlier, former first minister Arlene Foster warned that if an election goes ahead, it will be "brutal".
The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme could cost NI taxpayers £490m.
Mrs Foster set up the RHI scheme in 2012 when she was enterprise minister, in an attempt by the NI Executive to increase consumption of heat from renewable sources.
Martin McGuinness resigns
Under Northern Ireland's power-sharing agreement, Mrs Foster loses her role with Mr McGuinness' departure.
Speaking at a press conference at her party's headquarters in Belfast on Tuesday, the DUP leader said: "I have no doubt that if the election proceeds it will be a brutal election, it will be a very difficult election."
She said she had been "disgracefully maligned in a most vicious manner" over the RHI scheme.
Businesses received more in subsidies than they paid for fuel, and the scheme became heavily oversubscribed.
The debacle has held centre stage in politics in Northern Ireland over the past month, with Mrs Foster facing repeated calls to resign - all of which she rejected.
However, she said there was still room for optimism, as an inquiry into the flawed scheme could get under way by the end of the week under the 2005 Inquiries Act.
"It is of the utmost importance that the truth comes out," she said.
In a week's time, Mr Brokenshire will have the power to set a date for a new election.
Both the British and Irish governments have urged Sinn Féin and the DUP to enter talks to resolve the dispute, and Mrs Foster said she was open to such a discussion.
Irish Foreign Minister Mr Flanagan has urged both sides to act responsibly to protect the institutions of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.
Mr McGuinness said he wanted to "call a halt to the DUP's arrogance".
Sinn Féin have not disclosed details of his recent illness, but it has been reported by RTÉ that he has a rare heart condition.
Mr McGuinness denied that the decision had anything to do with health problems.
Speaking on RTE radio, Sinn Féin's Gerry Adams said the question of who led the party into any election was a matter for Mr McGuinness.
Mrs Foster said she was disappointed by his resignation, which she said was "not principled".
Mr Brokenshire told the House of Commons that both Westminster and the Irish government would "continue to provide every possible support and assistance to the executive parties".
"We do, however, have to be realistic. The clock is ticking," he said.
"If there is no resolution, then an election is inevitable despite the widely held view that this election may deepen divisions and threaten the continuity of the devolved institutions."
Mr Brokenshire said the RHI scandal was an "entirely devolved matter" for the Northern Ireland Assembly.
However, he said it was imperative that a "comprehensive, transparent and impartial inquiry" be established as soon as possible.
The political crisis means the Executive still has not agreed a budget for the 2017/18 financial year.
Earlier, DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson said he was unsure whether power sharing could be restored in Northern Ireland, even after an election.
He said he was "not convinced" that a coalition government could be formed in the next few months, and that an election would not resolve the issues.
Sinn Féin's Máirtín Ó Muilleoir said that power-sharing could be restored if "the DUP commit to the principles of the Good Friday Agreement".
"We will never rebuild credibility in these institutions unless we commit again to the promise, to the principles and to the parity of esteem that is at the very foundation and root of the Good Friday Agreement," he said.
He accused the DUP of "trampling" on the agreement.
He also said the operation of the scheme had been "botched" and he would not accept any "botched solution to the loss of public funds".
Former Deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon, meanwhile, said he was "disgusted" by the turn of events, hitting out at both Mrs Foster and Mr McGuinness.
"The real damage was done by the fact that you had not got the type of integrity in the OFDFM that simply wouldn't and shouldn't have accepted the abuse that was taking place," said the former SDLP MLA.
People were being penalised by "the greed of some and the ineptitude of others", he added. | Prime Minister Theresa May has had a telephone call with the Taoiseach (Irish PM) Enda Kenny about the ongoing crisis at Stormont. |
31,829,723 | Wounds on Zaur Dadayev's body suggested he had been tortured, Andrei Babushkin said after visiting the suspect in prison on Tuesday.
Officials say the visit should have been to check confinement conditions only and have warned of interference.
Mr Nemtsov was killed on 27 February.
Mr Dadayev and Anzor Gubashev, who both come from Chechnya, were charged on Sunday with his killing. Three other men, including Mr Gubashev's brother Shagid, are being held in connection with the case.
After visiting the suspects in prison, Mr Babushkin said there were "reasons to believe Zaur Dadayev confessed under torture".
He said Mr Dadayev had shown him marks from handcuffs and ropes around his legs, and told him he had been tortured with electricity.
He called for "people not involved in the investigation" to look into the claim.
Russia's investigative committee said Mr Babushkin and a journalist accompanying him had been allowed to visit the prison to inspect the conditions the suspects were being held under.
But they went beyond their remit by inquiring about the criminal case, which violated "not only the established norms, but the law," a statement said.
Both Mr Babushkin and journalist Eva Merkacheva would be questioned by investigators, the committee said.
Mr Babushkin, a member of Russia's advisory human rights council, said that during the visit Mr Dadayev had showed him multiple injuries he had sustained after his capture in Ingushetia on Saturday.
Nemtsov murder: The suspects
Mr Dadayev, a former policeman, said he had only confessed to make sure a friend who was arrested with him would be released.
He had planned to tell a court hearing on Sunday the truth, Mr Babushkin said, but was not given a chance to speak.
Meanwhile, Shagid Gubashev, who continues to maintain his innocence, told the prison visitors he was in Chechnya when he learned that his cousin, Mr Dadayev, had been detained in the neighbouring Russian republic of Ingushetia.
He said he and his brother immediately travelled there and were detained as soon as they arrived. It would not have made sense for them to go to Ingushetia if they were connected to the crime, he added.
He said he and his brother were beaten and had bags pulled over their heads, which were only taken off after arriving in Moscow.
Anzor Gubashev said he had "no complaints" about the way he had been treated.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed reports on Wednesday that President Putin had been told who organised Mr Nemtsov's killing, and top Russian officials had seen a "hit list" of other potential targets.
Mr Nemtsov, a former deputy prime minister and veteran liberal politician, was shot dead while walking with his girlfriend near the Kremlin.
Russian investigators have yet to cite a motive for his killing.
Last year, Mr Nemtsov contacted the Russian authorities after receiving death threats on his Facebook page.
In his request for an investigation, a copy of which has now been published (in Russian) by The New Times magazine, he linked the threats to his position with the conflict in Ukraine.
Police turned down his request in September.
A friend of Mr Nemtsov, Ilya Ponomarev, who is a member of the Russian Duma, told the BBC on Wednesday he believed the government was behind the killing and that the detained men were "scapegoats".
Chechnya's leader Ramzan Kadyrov has claimed that as a devout Muslim, Mr Dadayev was angry at those who defended the depiction of the Prophet Muhammad in the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
Mr Nemtsov had condemned the murder of 12 people at the magazine's office by Islamist militants, but those close to him say he was not a prominent critic of radical Islamism and focused his criticism on President Putin. | One of men charged with the murder of Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov confessed under duress, a member of Russia's human rights council says. |
34,694,933 | People who ate in six Chipotle restaurants are among 20 cases of E. coli that are under investigation.
Chipotle said it was acting with "an abundance of caution" as most of the 43 outlets were unaffected.
Chipotle has 1,700 restaurants selling burritos, tacos and salads and promotes its healthy, fresh ingredients.
"We are working with health department officials to determine the cause of this issue. We offer our deepest sympathies to those who have been affected by this situation," Chris Arnold, Chipotle spokesman said in a statement.
E. coli is short for Escherichia coli. It is a type of bacterium present in the gut of humans and other animals.
Most strains are harmless but some can produce toxins that cause sickness in humans.
The severity of the illness varies considerably, but some types of E. coli lead to severe cramps and diarrhoea. | Chipotle Mexican Grill has temporarily closed 43 restaurants in Washington state and Oregon while authorities investigate an outbreak of E. coli. |
32,291,624 | University of Leicester academics said it was likely only a few servants and medical staff within the royal household were aware of his scoliosis.
Dr Mary Ann Lund said it was only after his death he earned his reputation as "Crookback Richard" and was portrayed with a withered arm.
The research has been published in the Medical Humanities journal.
Shakespeare depicted Richard as physically and mentally grotesque, an image of the king which has stuck.
His name was blackened by the new Tudor dynasty, Dr Lund said.
However, she said it was "highly likely Richard took care to control his public image" during his reign.
"Tailoring probably kept the signs of his scoliosis hidden to spectators outside the royal household of attendants, servants and medical staff who dressed, bathed and tended to the monarch's body.
"The body of a mediaeval monarch was always under scrutiny, and Richard III's was no exception," she said.
Dr Lund said it was the stripping of Richard's corpse at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 that first made his physical shape noticeable to many hundreds of witnesses.
She added there was "no mention" of Richard's scoliosis from during his lifetime, "perhaps out of respect to a reigning monarch", and that one account described him as "slim and lean, with fine boned limbs".
• Richard III was the last Yorkist King of England, this means he was the last member of the House of York family to be made king
• Richard had one of the shortest reigns in British history - just over 2 years, and he was the last English king to die in battle
• He was killed at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, which led to the end of the War of the Roses. This was fighting between the houses of Lancaster and York that lasted 30 years
• Richard III has been painted as a villain. It is said he killed his two nephews so he could take the throne and William Shakespeare wrote a play about him but some historians say this was propaganda and might have been unfair | Richard III may have kept his bent spine a secret right up until his death in 1485, researchers have claimed. |
16,832,174 | The site near Gilberdyke had grown to more than double its permitted height of 14m (46ft).
The Environment Agency (EA) served a third enforcement notice to City Plant Ltd following two orders last year to reduce the amount of rubbish.
Residents had called for the agency and local authority to take action.
The third notice bans the firm from taking waste to the towering rubbish tip and will come into force from 13 February.
It was issued by the EA after City Plant Ltd failed to comply with one of the two orders served in November.
Environment Agency regulatory officer Matthew Woollin said: "It's important that we control the amount of waste at the site because we issue the permit based on a set figure to protect the environment.
"We understand the community's concerns and we are working hard to resolve this issue."
Neighbours said the smell from the tip had become unbearable and was affecting house sales.
Local resident Kevin Clifford said the tip was getting "higher and higher" and attracting vermin.
He said he had witnessed up to 100 wagons a day driving through the village "spreading litter, dirt and muck".
City Plant Ltd has yet to comment. | A waste company has been ordered to stop dumping rubbish next to the M62 in East Yorkshire after it failed to reduce the height of the tip. |
34,831,238 | Sessions, who found fame on Whose Line Is It Anyway, said the BBC would have a better chance of survival if it was not "run like a private company".
He launched his criticism while promoting one-off BBC Two drama, We're Doomed! The Dad's Army Story.
Sessions stars as actor Arthur Lowe, who played pompous Captain Mainwaring in the classic sitcom.
Speaking after a press screening of the drama in London, Sessions said it had been shot on a "tight schedule" of two weeks instead of four. He blamed the lack of money on management decisions such as the relocation of parts of the BBC to Salford.
"I wish the executives would stop building buildings," he said. "It makes me very cross because we have to try to do our job under much more pressure than we should have to deal with.
"I don't want to sound like some whinging old luvvie, but the management culture at the BBC has become so pervasive and so money-monopolising that we are all doing these things on ridiculous schedules."
He said he hoped the current BBC director general Tony Hall would manage to "cut this management tumour down" because "it's got completely out of hand".
He went on: "This is a public broadcasting corporation - not a PLC - and the more it is treated like a corporation the better it will be and more chance it will have of surviving."
A BBC spokesman said: "We have cut senior manager numbers and costs by a third as part of our work to save £150m from the total paybill."
"BBC North has allowed us to get closer to our audiences and has had a huge impact both economically and culturally. The relocation was done on time and under budget and BBC North is one of the BBC's most efficient centres delivering around £168m cumulative savings to date."
Sessions - who also starred in BBC comedy series Stella Street and Outnumbered - considered the licence fee good value for money: "It's the price of a very serious Christmas shop. And for that you get the most wonderful stuff throughout the year.
"Of course great things still are made. The technical quality of things is beyond belief."
Starting in 1967, We're Doomed! tells the story of how writers Jimmy Perry (Paul Ritter) and David Croft (Richard Dormer) overcame BBC management scepticism to brings Dad's Army to the screen.
Alongside Sessions, the cast includes Julian Sands as John Le Mesurier, Mark Heap as Clive Dunn, Shane Richie as Bill Pertwee, Kevin Bishop as James Beck and Keith Allen as BBC One controller Paul Fox.
The drama will screen on BBC Two before Christmas. | Actor and comedian John Sessions has criticised BBC "management culture" as "completely out of hand". |
33,906,532 | Fast forward nearly three decades and he has turned not one but two recruitment businesses from zero to multi-million pound turnover enterprises in just a year each time. And that's not his only claim to fame. Before entering the corporate world, he worked in fashion, providing clothing to Robbie Williams during his Take That days.
In 2000, when his career in recruitment kicked off, Mr Spencer-Percival, 44, helped found recruiter Huntress and developed it into a business with a turnover of £100m.
Despite his success, less than a decade later, he quit his six-figure salary and sold all of his possessions, including a 19th Century manor house in the Cotswolds, his collection of classic cars, antiques and artwork - including work by Damien Hirst - to raise money and start a new business.
In 2010 he started Spencer Ogden, a specialist recruiter in the energy field. It now has revenues of more than £100m a year, offices across the world and employs 400 internal staff and 900 contractors. Last year, it received a Queen's Award recognising the firm's contribution to exports.
Selling everything and giving up his £350,000 salary at Huntress was "thrilling and terrifying" he says.
"I became successful quite young and I bought lots of toys but it never really satisfied me. I had spent a year at Christie's [auction house] buying antiques and in a week it was gone."
"I felt so free. It allowed me to be a lot more flexible. When you have got stuff it is quite complicated to look after, with these manor houses there is always something wrong with the roof or the garden. My poor wife, she had just finished the seventh bedroom - and we sold it," he adds.
But he says his wife, Bonita, was "fantastic - she could see I was clearly unhappy".
Working at Huntress, he had not had a holiday for seven or eight years, although the company "won virtually every award going". "I was frazzled, to be honest," he says.
He decided to go to the US and travel for three months with his wife.
He went with the comfort of already having another iron in the fire. Multimillionaire Sir Peter Ogden, who founded the £3bn Computacenter computer services company had already sounded him out about a new business.
"Sir Peter Ogden rang me up and said 'let's do something, I'll back it'. So I went knowing I had a business plan. It was such a wonderful feeling - I didn't have anything except a pile of money in the bank."
Having already worked in recruitment, he could see there was a gap in the market in the energy sector.
"I wanted to set the company up just to do renewable energy, but it's not a very big market. So we broke it out into all energy: nuclear, gas, oil, power and renewables. It took off - it was just phenomenal," says the entrepreneur.
He says he didn't take a salary for two years, which "can be quite expensive" and building the business was really scary as "you always have tight cash flow because you are growing so fast".
Nonetheless, he was certain the business would succeed. "I had this overwhelming confidence I would be successful," he says. "I don't do failure."
He says he got his confidence from his father, who worked in insurance and was "almost aggravatingly confident".
Because the new company has done so well, he says his life is "starting to come back to how it was" with a growing collection of classic cars, and houses in Chelsea, the Cotswolds and Ibiza.
It's a far cry from his early working life. After leaving school he wanted to work in London, but the bank management scheme he had joined wouldn't transfer him.
"I worked in sleepy villages in these banks. It was so tedious," he says.
A friend suggested recruitment and he soon realised it suited him.
"So I went to work in fashion. I gave it all up - to the horror of my parents. There was no money in it but I wore great clothes and went to the best parties," says Mr Spencer-Percival.
It was while working in the fashion industry that he met his wife Bonita. A dancer with the Royal Ballet and Top of the Pops, she was also the stylist for Take That.
"She came into the shop I was working in. She said 'that jacket will fit Robbie Williams, can I borrow it?'. I said OK - he was my size," he says.
He says after a while in fashion, a friend suggested he would be good at recruitment and that's when he got his first job in the sector despite "having long hair".
If Mr Spencer-Percival's past is anything to go by, it is about time for another change. But he insists that for now, at least, he won't be changing careers or starting from scratch again.
"The next phase is to make it from a small-medium enterprise to a big company and I think we are going to spend the next three to four years doubling the size of the company.
"I think it has got so much potential because it's a very, very big market," he says. | David Spencer-Percival grew up in suburban London and left school at 16 feeling he was "done" with education and wanted to go out into the world. |
34,898,071 | Carl Langley, who was appointed to the deputy's role in March 2014, has been "temporarily" redeployed into a Wales-wide role, the force said.
Legal director Samantha Gainard remains in her post.
The investigation is examining any "consequences or otherwise" on internal force matters, a force spokesman said.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission received a referral from Dyfed-Powys Police but determined the case was suitable to be investigated locally.
In a statement, the force said: "Dyfed-Powys Police received allegations of misconduct concerning deputy chief constable Langley and director of legal services Samantha Gainard, which were referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
"An investigation has commenced and is being conducted by Chief Constable David Shaw of West Mercia Police.
"Part of the investigation concerns the consequences or otherwise of a former relationship on internal force matters. It is not appropriate to comment any further due to the ongoing investigation."
Regarding Mr Langley's new post, a spokesman said: "The police forces in Wales have been considering for some time re-introducing the role of All-Wales deputy chief constable, in line with the practice in a number of other regions.
"DCC Langley is qualified for this role, and has been temporarily redeployed into it while the investigation is under way.
"He will be working with the four Welsh police forces to improve the effectiveness of collaboration between the forces. He will continue to receive the same salary." | Dyfed-Powys Police's deputy chief constable and its director of legal services are under investigation after it emerged they had a relationship. |
35,358,969 | From September, SIA will fly four times a week to Canberra and then on to Wellington, New Zealand's capital.
The Capital Express route marks the first time New Zealand and Australia's capitals have been linked by non-stop flights.
Tickets for the new route will go on sale from 25 January.
Canberra International Airport has been so called for many years.
But its international customs teams have mostly only processed dignitaries or stars on chartered flights by special arrangement.
Among them are Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, US President Barack Obama and actor Leonardo DiCaprio.
Mr DiCaprio used Canberra's airport as a means to celebrate New Year's Eve twice in one year - once in Sydney and then again in Las Vegas, a Canberra Airport spokesperson told the BBC.
Canberra's curfew-free status meant it was the only airport that would allow a chartered flight to leave for an international destination at the appropriate time.
Canberra airport was privatised in 1998 when it was purchased by the Capital Airport Group, headed by prominent local businessman Terry Snow.
Mr Snow has long wanted to see the airport become an international one. His group has invested some $2bn Australian dollars ($1.37bn; £968m) in the airport since purchasing it from the Commonwealth.
He said the decision by Singapore Airlines to begin its scheduled flights was "justification for the long-term vision" of the airport.
"As long-term locals committed to the prosperity of the capital region, our campaign to see Canberra become linked directly to the rest of the world has been constant," said Mr Snow.
SIA's new route will add to its existing network in Australia and Virgin Australia will codeshare some of the flights.
"This new service linking Singapore, Canberra and Wellington reflects the close ties between the three countries," said Singapore Airlines boss Goh Choon Phong.
The route, which is subject to statutory approval, will significantly cut travel time between Australia and New Zealand and Asia, and is expected to boost tourism.
However aviation experts have said there is likely only space for one carrier to operate. | Singapore Airlines (SIA) has confirmed it is to start flying to Canberra, giving the Australian capital its first regular international flights. |
29,992,316 | Mr Obama said the move would "benefit everyone," speaking during a high-level summit of Asian business leaders in Beijing, known as Apec.
Visas between the two countries were previously valid for only one year.
China-US relations have been rocky amid increased US presence in the Pacific and concerns over cyber espionage.
But on Monday, Mr Obama told the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) chief executive summit that the US welcomed the rise of a "prosperous, peaceful and stable China".
"We want China to do well," Mr Obama said.
"We compete for business, but we also seek to co-operate on a broad range of shared challenges and shared opportunities."
Under the new visa rules, set to take effect on Wednesday, student visas will be valid for five years, while business and tourist visas will be valid for 10 years.
The deal will not change how long a traveller will be allowed to stay in the US or China, but how long the visas are valid for entry.
The US will also continue to require an in-person interview as part of the application for a visa.
White House officials said they hoped the deal would bring more Chinese visitors and spending to the US.
"Chinese travellers cite ease of visa policies as the second most important factor in deciding where to travel, behind only cost," the White House said in a statement.
"A competitive visa policy is needed to secure our place as the chosen destination for millions of Chinese travellers."
About 100 million Chinese travelled abroad last year, but less than 2% spent time in the US.
Despite Mr Obama's upbeat message in announcing the visa changes, he reiterated that America would continue to press China on a number of issues including cyber espionage, currency manipulation and human rights.
"We're not going to stop speaking out on behalf of the things that we care about," Mr Obama said.
He and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to meet later in the summit. | The US and China will grant visas valid for up to a decade to visitors between the two countries under a deal announced by US President Barack Obama. |
40,458,604 | The 21-year old academy graduate, whose deal starts on 1 July, made 27 appearances last season as the Sky Blues were relegated from League One.
Chris Stokes, Lee Burge and Dion Kelly-Evans have already new deals with Coventry this summer.
The club will be playing in English football's fourth tier for the first time in 58 years next season. | Coventry City defender Ryan Haynes has agreed a new two-year contract with the League Two side. |
38,880,999 | The Supreme Court ruled last month that there was no legal need for Holyrood to give its consent to the triggering of Article 50.
But First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she would let MSPs have a say, despite it being largely symbolic.
Ms Sturgeon predicted the vote would be one of the most significant in the Scottish Parliament since devolution.
The SNP tried to block the UK government's Brexit bill last week.
Only one of Scotland's 59 MPs - Scottish Secretary David Mundell - supported the bill, but it ultimately passed its first parliamentary hurdle by 498 votes to 114.
The European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill returned to the Commons on Monday, when MPs began detailed scrutiny of the legislation.
MSPs voted to back a Scottish government motion in the Scottish Parliament stating that the bill should not proceed.
The SNP, Greens, Liberal Democrats and most Labour MSPs supported the motion, with three Labour MSPs - Neil Findlay, Elaine Smith and Richard Leonard - defying the party whip and opposing it alongside the Conservatives.
The motion, lodged by Brexit minister Michael Russell, said the UK government had failed to properly consult the devolved administrations on an agreed UK position on Brexit.
It also said the government had refused to give a guarantee on the position of EU nationals in the UK, and had failed to answer a range of questions regarding the full implications of withdrawal from the single market.
A Green amendment, stating that the decision to proceed with the Brexit bill does not respect the majority vote to remain part of the EU that was returned in every council area in Scotland, was backed by 72 votes to 33 with 18 abstentions.
Mr Russell opened what was to become a heated debate by saying Scotland had voted "clearly and decisively" to remain in the EU in last year's referendum.
He said the Holyrood vote would allow MSPs to "say to the UK, to Europe and to the world that we oppose the catastrophic hard Brexit now being pursued by the Tories at Westminster."
Mr Russell added: "This vote is more than symbolic. It is a key test of whether Scotland's voice is being listened to, and whether our wishes can be accommodated within the UK process."
He insisted that the Scottish government had worked "long and hard" to deliver compromise proposals, which he said would have allowed Scotland to stay in the single market even in the rest of the UK leaves.
But he said: "So far, the UK government has not offered a single compromise of its own. In fact, it has offered nothing. Neither formal reaction to our proposals, nor formal rejection of them."
Mr Russell went on to describe the Holyrood debate as being "about democracy itself", adding: "It's a debate about the sort of country the UK is becoming and the sort of country we in Scotland wish to be. And the contrast between those countries is stark."
John Lamont of the Scottish Conservatives claimed the Scottish government's default position was to "try to manufacture a grievance out of nothing".
He said: "The Scottish government try to portray the Supreme Court ruling and the UK government's bill to trigger Article 50 as an example of Scotland being ignored.
"The truth is actually more simple. It is a matter for Scotland's other parliament to deal with and it is, as a reserved matter, one for Scotland's MPs to scrutinise."
He added: "This is how the devolution settlement works, and it is time that the SNP accepted this principle and moved on from grievance politics.
"Despite the rhetoric from the Scottish government, the reality is that they are being given plenty of opportunity to engage in the process of the UK leaving the EU."
Scottish Labour said it would vote against triggering Article 50 - although three of its MSPs defied that instruction - but tabled an amendment calling on the SNP not to use Brexit as an excuse for a second independence referendum.
The move put Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale at odds with UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who is facing a revolt by pro-Remain MPs - including the party's only Scottish MP Ian Murray - who are defying his leadership to vote against the Brexit bill at Westminster.
Ms Dugdale told the Holyrood debate that Brexit and independence were "two sides of the same coin", adding: "The only thing worse than Brexit for Scottish jobs and the economy would be independence.
"Our nation is divided enough. Another referendum would do irreparable damage to the very fabric of communities across Scotland.
"But the reality is that the SNP has only been given the excuse to seek another referendum because of the mess the Conservatives have made of this whole process".
The Scottish Greens staged a "Scotland says stay" rally outside Holyrood to mark the debate.
The party's MSP Ross Greer said the Article 50 bill was "wildly inadequate" and claimed the Scottish government's attempts at compromise had been met by little but "empty rhetoric" from the UK government,
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie went on the attack by saying the SNP was obsessed with independence, while the Tories were dividing the country with Brexit and Labour was in "total and utter confusion".
A UK government spokesman said Holyrood was free to debate any issue it chooses, and that it would "continue our engagement with the Scottish government and with people and groups across Scotland as we prepare to leave the EU to secure the best deal for Scotland and the UK."
Speaking in the Commons on Monday, Prime Minister Theresa May warned MPs not to "obstruct" the will of UK voters by changing the Brexit bill.
She said: "The message is clear to all - this House has spoken and now is not the time to obstruct the democratically expressed wishes of the British people.
"It is time to get on with leaving the European Union and building an independent, self-governing, global Britain." | The Scottish Parliament has voted by 90 to 34 to oppose the UK government starting the Brexit process. |
35,912,120 | South Wales Police said it was called to a three-vehicle crash near junction 43, at Llandarcy, at about 21:10 BST on Sunday.
The man, 43, has been arrested for driving offences and remains in police custody.
Police said one vehicle "landed on its roof" but no-one was seriously injured.
The westbound carriageway between junction 41 and junction 42 was closed but had reopened by Monday. | A man has been arrested after allegedly driving the wrong way on the M4 in Neath Port Talbot. |
31,128,520 | His daughter, Ursula, confirmed the singer's death to The Washington Post.
He died in a New York hospital earlier this week from complications following a stroke.
Covay gave Aretha Franklin one of her biggest hits with Chain of Fools in 1968, a song he had written 15 years earlier.
His singing style also influenced Mick Jagger, as seen in the Rolling Stones cover of his song Mercy Mercy.
Covay started out in music in a gospel group with his siblings at school, before joining doo-wop group Rainbows.
While trying to make it as a solo artist and singer-songwriter he spent time as Little Richard's chauffeur and warm-up act.
His first chart hit came in 1961 with Pony Time. The track, however, became an even bigger hit when Chubby Checker recorded his own version a year later in 1962, topping the pop and R&B charts.
This pattern continued with his song Mercy Mercy, which he recorded in 1964 with a then-unknown Jimi Hendrix on guitar, which went into the top 40.
A year later the Rolling Stones recorded their own version for their album Out of Our Heads, causing many to point out the similarity in singing styles between Jagger and Covay.
While working as a songwriter at the Brill Building in New York, Covay wrote for artists including Gladys Knight and the Pips, Wilson Pickett and Solomon Burke.
He was also part of the short-lived group the Soul Clan which featured Burke, Joe Tex, Ben E King and Arthur Conley.
His work has been covered by a wide variety of artists including Gene Vincent, Connie Francis, Steppenwolf, Bobby Womack and the Small Faces.
Covay suffered a stroke in 1992 and a year later stars including Ronnie Wood, Iggy Pop and Todd Rundgren produced a tribute album entitled Back to the Streets: Celebrating the Music of Don Covay.
After a gap of 23 years Covay released his last album Ad Lib in 2000, which featured Rolling Stones guitarists Ronnie Woods and Keith Richards, Bad Company vocalist Paul Rodgers, Wilson Pickett, Syl Johnson and Huey Lewis. | Influential R&B singer songwriter Don Covay, whose songs were performed by the Rolling Stones, Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin, has died aged 76. |
40,394,483 | Hughes made 165 Championship appearances for the Rams.
The 22-year-old is currently on international duty with England's Under-21 squad at the European Championships in Poland and will join the Hornets squad on his return.
He is the first signing made by the Premier League club since Marco Silva was appointed manager on 27 May.
Silva succeeded Walter Mazzarri at Vicarage Road, with the Italian dismissed before the final league match of a season in which the Hornets finished 17th. | Watford have completed the signing of midfielder Will Hughes from Derby County for £8m on a five-year deal. |
12,196,322 | It influences the interest rate we get on our savings and the rate we pay on our mortgages.
Inflation also affects the level of pensions and benefits, as well as the price of some train tickets.
Inflation is the rate of increase in prices for goods and services.
There are a number of different measures of inflation in use. The most frequently quoted and most significant ones are the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) and the Retail Prices Index (RPI).
Each looks at the prices of hundreds of things we commonly spend money on, including bread, cinema tickets and pints of beer - and tracks how these prices have changed over time.
The inflation rates are expressed as percentages. If CPI is 3%, this means that on average, the price of products and services we buy is 3% higher than a year earlier.
Or, in other words, we would need to spend 3% more to buy the same things we bought 12 months ago.
RPI includes housing costs such as mortgage interest payments and council tax, whereas CPI does not.
But that only accounts for a small part of the difference between RPI and CPI.
The main difference is caused by the fact that, although they use much of the same data, they calculate the inflation rate using different formulae.
The one CPI uses takes into account that when prices rise, some people will switch to products that have gone up by less.
This results in a lower CPI reading than RPI in nearly all cases.
The method used to calculate RPI is no longer considered as best practice so it has had its national statistic status removed, although the Office for National Statistics (ONS) still calculates it every month.
The data from the CPI and RPI rates are used in many ways by the government and businesses, and play an important role in setting economic policy.
That's because the Bank of England uses inflation to set interest rates. If the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee thinks CPI inflation will be above 2% in the next two years or so, it may increase interest rates to try to subdue it.
Conversely if it thinks inflation is likely to be below 2%, it may cut interest rates.
That's why inflation is a crucial factor in determining the rates banks charge for mortgages and the rates they offer on savings accounts.
It also has a direct impact on some people's incomes.
Anything that is described as index-linked rises in line with inflation, usually as measured by the CPI or the RPI.
State benefits and many occupational pensions rise in line with CPI. Government index-linked savings products and some train ticket prices rise in line with RPI.
The basic state pension is currently governed by the so-called triple-lock, rising by the highest of CPI, average earnings or 2.5%.
Some companies use the level of inflation to set annual pay rises. In recent years however, due to the effects of the recession, many pay settlements have fallen behind price rises.
Every month the ONS collects more than 100,000 prices of goods and services from a wide range of retailers across the country - including online retailers.
Prices are updated every month and price collectors visit the same retailers each time in order to monitor identical goods and make sure they are comparing like with like.
All these prices are combined using information on average household spending patterns to produce an overall prices index.
It also takes into account how much we spend on different items.
So items are weighted - i.e. given more importance in the inflation indexes - according to how much we spend on them.
We typically spend more on fuel than on postage stamps, for example.
So a large rise in the price of petrol and diesel would affect the overall rate of inflation more, as it has a weight of 3.5% in the CPI.
Meanwhile a rise in the price of stamps is less likely to affect the overall index, as they have a weighting of 0.2%.
This guide was compiled with information from the ONS. | Inflation is one of the most important issues in economics. |
34,644,235 | John Whittingdale said the BBC should "look at online provision and say: 'Is this simply making available the kind of provision we have traditionally done on broadcast media?'"
Last week, a BBC Trust report said the corporation does not "crowd out" rival TV channels or local newspapers.
It blamed the recession and rise in internet usage for falling revenues.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's The Media Show, Mr Whittingdale said of the BBC news website: "If they are going to... provide news content that looks like newspapers - that's where I think newspapers are entitled to express concern."
Mr Whittingdale was being quizzed on the review of the BBC's royal charter, which is due to expire at the end of 2016.
He reiterated that the future level of the BBC licence fee is not settled and is "dependent on the outcome of charter review".
Mr Whittingdale said it was "an open question" as the size and scope of the BBC was being considered as part of charter renewal.
But BBC director of strategy James Purnell said they had an agreement "absent to fundamental change".
The BBC's current royal charter is due to expire at the end of 2016.
In July it was announced that the BBC would take on the £608m cost of free TV licences for people over the age of 75.
In return the government promised to allow the £145.50 fee to increase in line with inflation and close a loophole that made it possible to watch on-demand television without a licence.
At the time, ministers said the move would be phased in from 2018-19.
But Mr Whittingdale said: "What happened in July was not the licence fee settlement.
"We've made it quite clear that the decision as to the future level of the licence fee is connected with charter review, where we are having a full public consultation in which everybody is invited to express a view.
"The decision taken in July was about the necessity of getting down the amount of government spending particularly in the welfare budget and it was the case that the DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) was having to write, every year, a very sizable cheque to the BBC to compensate them for free TV licences for those over 75.
"So it was understandable that the chancellor, who was looking to find savings in the welfare budget, would regard that as a legitimate area to ask for savings to be made."
In response, shadow culture secretary Michael Dugher said: "The BBC negotiated the recent licence fee deal with the Government in good faith, but now it appears the Culture Secretary is preparing to renege on the agreement.
"This is yet further evidence that the Government is planning to pull the rug out from under the BBC and represents another attack on the corporation. What has the Government got against the BBC?"
The BBC licence fee of £145.50 has been frozen for seven years.
"Our understanding is that quite properly if the government tried to change the BBC then of course the money would need to be looked at again," Mr Purnell said.
"If there is an intention to have a different licence fee settlement after that... I think we would have a hard think about that.
"We have reached an agreement to our finances absent to fundamental change.
"If the government decides it wants to have a further licence fee discussion you would have to look at all of the elements which were up for grabs, both extra costs and extra income, and so you would have to start again." | The culture secretary has said newspapers are "entitled" to concern over the BBC's online news operation. |
39,737,741 | The Ibrox side have lost four, and drawn one, of the Old Firm games this season, but Caixinha has not written off his side's chances in their final league meeting.
"The previous games belong to the past," Caixinha said. "The present and the future will be on Saturday.
"If I don't believe we could do these things, I would resign and go home."
Caixinha's first game in charge against Celtic came in last Sunday's Scottish Cup semi-final, which Rangers lost 2-0. The Portuguese admits there is a gulf between the two teams, but insists that he is working to close that.
Brendan Rodgers' side will travel to Ibrox unbeaten domestically this season, and with captain Scott Brown able to play after his appeal against the red card shown for his tackle on Ross County's Liam Boyce two weeks ago was upheld.
"I'm assessing the gulf between the clubs and I'm working on a daily basis. It exists and I cannot deny it," Caixinha said. "But we want to reduce it and we are going to do it.
"It is not a question of time, though. It is a question of work, belief and commitment.
"If there was not confidence in the squad I would not be here.
"On Sunday, we didn't have the passion in order to be committed enough to let the game flow. The breakdown in communication is what we analysed after the match and everything was clear.
"Am I confident that will be cleared up for Saturday? I'm always confident.
"After the game, the players were the same as all the Rangers supporters - sad.
"We have had our setback but we have another match. We need to improve and put passion on the pitch in order to defend the colours of this club."
Caixinha also insisted that there is no disharmony in his squad over the pre-season schedule.
Rangers play their final game of the season away to St Johnstone on 21 May and if they finish, as expected, in the top four they will play their first Europa League qualifier on 29 June.
That leaves five-and-a-half weeks for the players to be granted time off and for the manager to prepare them for his first full campaign in charge.
"Not at all," said Caixinha when asked if the players had expressed any misgivings about the pre-season schedule. "They are hard workers. They are professionals.
"It's not me who set up the plan, it's the date of the first competition, which is June 29.
"It's totally important we have the right amount of time to prepare in order to be ready for that first match.
"It's my job [to make sure we are prepared]. According to the time I have, I need to organise things in that direction. That [time] is what we have, that's what we need to organise." | Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha remains "confident" that his side can overcome Celtic on Saturday. |
38,876,628 | The 24-year-old had left a putt to win on the 18th short as he shot a five-under-par 66 to finish 17 under.
American Simpson had earlier posted the same score after a 64.
Neither player could break the deadlock until the fourth extra hole where Matsuyama held his nerve for a 10-foot putt and a fourth PGA Tour win.
"It was a struggle but I was delighted to win," he said afterwards.
Twelve months ago, Matsuyama had beaten American Rickie Fowler, also at the fourth extra hole, at the same tournament.
Korea's Byeong-hun An, who led Scotland's Martin Laird by one shot going into the final round, was three shots clear at the halfway point of the final round.
But his challenge crumbled over the final nine holes with back-to-back bogeys at the 10th and 11th before he dropped more shots at the last two holes to finish in sixth place after a 73.
Laird also shot 73 and failed to pick up a birdie to finish on 13 under. | Japan's Hideki Matsuyama retained his Phoenix Open title with a dramatic play-off win over 2012 US Open champion Webb Simpson. |
37,269,279 | The main parties competing are divided by their stances on the territory's relationship with Beijing.
Voters will choose 35 lawmakers based on geographical constituencies and 35 people to represent selected trades.
The city has partial democracy and not everybody can vote for all the seats. Thirty seats are decided by a pool of just 6% of the population.
Polls opened at 07:30 local time (23:30 GMT) and are due to close 15 hours later.
The election explained in five insults
Hong Kong territory profile
Hong Kong's democracy debate
The vote does not elect the Chief Executive, who is the head of government, but many analysts believe the outcome of Sunday's vote could have an impact on whether China grants current leader CY Leung a second term in office.
For two months in 2014 protesters demanded his resignation as the Occupy movement occupied major parts of the city and caused political upheaval while calling for the right to elect a leader directly.
The three main groups competing for seats are:
The seats are in the Legislative Council, which passes laws and budgets in the territory.
There are 30 so-called functional constituencies which represent various professional and commercial groups, such as insurance, catering or education. These are voted in by company representatives in their industries.
Anyone without a functional constituency vote can vote for the final five seats.
The system means that although Hong Kong has 3.7 million voters, 30 of the seats in the Legislative Council are determined by a pool of just 239,724 people. | Voting has started in the first major elections in Hong Kong since pro-democracy protests in 2014. |
35,360,746 | Its new owners have hired professional treasure hunters to comb through the rubble in the hope of finding items belonging to the former leader of the Medellin cartel.
The pink mansion in Miami beach was seized by the US government in 1987.
Escobar, who was one of the world's richest men at the time of his death, was killed by Colombian police in 1993.
Christian de Berdouare and his wife Jennifer Valoppi said they were unaware of its history when they bought the four-bedroom mansion from a private owner in 2014.
Escobar bought the mansion in 1980 and had it for seven years before it was seized by the US authorities.
The new owners said Escobar never lived there but had visited the property on occasion.
They have hired a team to search for stashes of drugs, money or jewellery, which they suspect may have been hidden inside the mansion or its garden, as was the custom of members of the Medellin cartel.
Ms Valoppi said the workers had found a buried safe but that it was stolen before they could open it.
"It was in the ground under some marble and was discovered by some of our workers, but before we even had a chance to remove it, it was stolen, so we've been working with police on that," she said.
Mr de Berdouare, who paid just under $10m (£7m) for the mansion, said he was "very excited to see the house of the devil disappearing right before our eyes".
"This was the biggest criminal in the history of the world. I would like to be associated with something more uplifting, but nevertheless it's part of the city," he added.
He said that he believed Escobar bought the mansion in a residential neighbourhood in order "to conduct illicit trade". He plans to build a new mansion on the site.
Miami was a key entry point for drugs flooding in from South America in the 1980s and many drug lords had mansions and luxury apartments in the city.
The Miami mansion was built in 1948 and has direct access to Biscayne Bay and views of the Miami skyline. | Demolition work has started on a Florida mansion once owned by Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. |
34,200,507 | The 20-time champion, on 7-2 favourite Gannicus trained by Brendan Powell, saw off the Billy Newnes-ridden Next Stop (16-1) to triumph by two lengths.
McCoy, 41, who retired in April, vowed this would be his last race.
"This was very enjoyable, but a one-off," said McCoy, who was riding to raise money for injured jockeys.
Jockey-turned-broadcaster Luke Harvey was third on Big Storm Coming (20-1), with Gay Kelleway fourth on Swordbearer (9-1), in the one-mile flat race.
McCoy, who rode more than 4,300 winners in his career, was third in both races during his final competitive outing at Sandown in April.
Punters crowded around McCoy before the race for autographs and pictures, and he passed the winning post to resounding cheers.
McCoy said he was persuaded to ride because the race is a fundraiser for the Injured Jockeys' Fund.
"This is for a great cause. My riding days are over and it's nice to go out on a winner," he said.
Powell added: "Me and AP go back a long way so it's nice. That gave me a real thrill and for that to be AP's last ride it is brilliant."
BBC horse racing correspondent Cornelius Lysaght: "Despite the four months since he quit the saddle, the gate at Doncaster was swelled by 9% compared to 2014, mainly down to McCoy's presence, say officials, and there was a feel-good factor.
"Afterwards he kept repeating that participation in the Legends race, which helped raise £120,000 for the Injured Jockeys Fund, was 'for once and once only'.
"So that is it then? We'll see, but if so, following two thirds on his Sandown 'retirement day', he's gone out on a winner. Very McCoy." | Record-breaking jump jockey AP McCoy came out of retirement for one race - and rode the winner of the Leger Legends charity contest at Doncaster. |
32,652,104 | The British Polling Council (BPC) will examine "apparent bias" and make recommendations for future polling.
It follows widespread shock on Thursday at a BBC exit poll, which showed the Tories comfortably ahead of their opponents.
The party went on to win an absolute majority, with 331 seats.
Labour took 232 seats, the SNP have 56, the Liberal Democrats finished on eight, Plaid Cymru won three and UKIP and the Greens took one seat each.
In the run up to the election, almost every major national poll had predicted the race was neck and neck between the two main parties.
The BPC said in a statement: "The fact that all the pollsters underestimated the Conservative lead over Labour suggests that the methods that were used should be subject to careful, independent investigation."
It announced Professor Patrick Sturgis, director of the Economic and Social Research Council's National Centre for Research Methods, would chair the inquiry.
Chancellor George Osborne said the pollsters would face "a big post-mortem".
Meanwhile, market research agency Survation said it had "chickened out" of publishing a telephone poll on Wednesday evening, which showed the Tories on 37% and Labour on 31%.
Its chief executive Damian Lyons said he would "always regret" the decision, but the results seemed "so out of line" with previous polls.
David Cowling on how the pollsters got it so wrong
Newsnight reporters and producers' rolling election analysis | An independent inquiry is to look at the accuracy of UK election polls, after they failed to predict the Conservatives' lead over Labour. |
36,293,940 | Murray, seeded second, won 6-2 6-1 in a rain-interrupted semi-final at Rome's Foro Italico to make Sunday's final.
He now meets Novak Djokovic - who beat him in last week's Madrid Open final - after the Serb defeated Kei Nishikori.
In the women's singles, top seed Serena Williams will face Madison Keys on Sunday in an all-American final.
World number three Murray, who will be 29 on Sunday, broke serve four times as he won in 59 minutes.
The first semi-final was delayed by an hour because of heavy rain, and the players were forced off for 15 minutes during the first set.
"I think it is the first time since I've been on Tour that I've not had a chance to hit balls before going on to the court," said Murray.
"It pretty much rained non-stop and then they flipped the schedule around so I didn't feel that comfortable coming on to court.
"But he made a few mistakes and I served well to make it easy for myself."
In between the showers, Murray was at his ruthless best against world number 52 Pouille, playing his first ATP Masters semi-final.
The 22-year-old looked nervous as he dropped serve from 40-0 in the fourth game and - after that brief rain delay - Murray broke again to clinch the set.
It was a similar story in the second set, with Murray repeatedly drawing his opponent into the net and setting up the passing shot.
Two more breaks of serve gave Murray the match and he left the Centrale Court in sunshine, having surpassed his best effort of reaching the last four in 2011.
"A lot of the best players of all time have played, won and competed for the title here, so I'm very happy to get the chance to do that," added Murray.
"After 10 years of kind of struggling on the clay and especially this event maybe not playing my best, I'm happy to be there."
Murray completes his preparation for the French Open, which starts on 22 May, by facing world number one Djokovic in Sunday's final.
The Serb, 28, needed to dig deep to beat Nishikori in the second semi-final, eventually prevailing 2-6 6-4 7-6 (7-5) in a match lasting a minute over three hours.
"Any time you get the chance to play the best players, especially right before a Slam, is great preparation," said Murray, who has won just one of his past 13 matches against Djokovic.
"Regardless of who I play in the final, I know I will be pushed hard. That's what you want."
Murray is bidding to win the third clay-court title of his career after finally succeeding on the surface in back-to-back tournaments last year.
"Clay is not my most natural surface, but because of the wins I've had on it in the last few years, once I've played a few matches and had a bunch of practice sessions on it, I do start to feel much better," said Murray, who reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros in 2011, 2014 and 2015.
"I believe that I can compete with the best players on this surface now, because of the wins I've had in the last two years."
Williams reached her fourth Italian Open final with a 6-4 6-1 win over Romania's Irina-Camelia Begu.
The world number one missed the start of the clay-court season through illness, but is finding form before her title defence at Roland Garros.
Williams is one Grand Slam victory away from equalling Steffi Graf's record of 22 singles titles in the Open era.
And, after beating world number 35 Begu in one hour and 26 minutes, she is one victory in Rome away from her 70th career title.
Keys, 21, stands in her way after a shock 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 victory over third seed Garbine Muguruza.
The unseeded American, ranked 24th in the world, had already produced the best European clay-court performance of her career to reach the last four.
We've launched a new BBC Sport newsletter ahead of the Euros and Olympics, bringing all the best stories, features and video right to your inbox. You can sign up here. | British number one Andy Murray reached his first Italian Open final with a straight-set victory over unseeded Frenchman Lucas Pouille. |
34,987,282 | No Hollywood blockbuster, it's a low-budget music video for a band. Yet there is still something unique, almost revolutionary, about how it's being produced.
It's part of a new wave of independent film-making in Cuba.
Video clips, short films, documentaries and even successful feature-length movies have been made not through the state-run cinema industry, but by independents financed from abroad.
More and more, it seems, Cuba's film-makers are striking out on their own.
Leading the way is director Pavel Giroud. His latest movie, El Acompanante, examines the Cuban government's handling of the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 1980s. Set for its Cuban premiere during the Havana Film Festival, it is an independent co-production with support from France, Venezuela and Colombia.
"This is an indie film," Giroud tells me during pre-production. "It doesn't pertain to any of the major studios around the world or in the United States."
It is also not tied to Cuba's state-run cinema agency, the ICAIC. "They are collaborating with us, facilitating and making life easier for us, for which we're grateful," Giroud says. "But they have no link to the production itself."
The film has been well received on the festival circuit, though given the subject matter - about how the authorities kept infection rates down by detaining HIV patients in a sanatorium - its director thinks it's not one the state would have made itself.
But he says it's encouraging that he was able to make the movie with no interference from above and he's urging the government to change the law to allow more productions to adopt his model.
"It's a blueprint which a group of film-makers and I are putting all our support behind. This is our best bet for the future," he explains.
But Giroud admits there isn't complete unity over the idea.
"Others disagree with me, including within the cinema community in Cuba. But I'm going to push for the ICAIC to become a film institute like anywhere else in the world - with links and relationships to the smaller production houses.
"I think that would be the most effective structure for Cuban cinema."
It's not just younger filmmakers who are calling for change.
One of the most established names in Cuban cinema is Fernando Perez. His small apartment, which has incredible views across Havana, is adorned with almost no mementos from his long and distinguished career in film.
In one corner, though, he's kept a festival prize for his 2003 film Suite Havana - a love letter and a lament to Cuba's beautiful, decaying capital city. It was made entirely via the ICAIC but Perez says there are now other options for making films on the island.
"You can now make independent cinema in Cuba," he says. "You don't need to wait for the industry to give you the opportunity to film.
"There's a whole batch of young people involved with this. And some not-so-young ones too!" he adds with a smile. "It's a phenomenon, which hasn't grown into a full movement yet."
Two years ago, a group of film-makers partly led by Giroud and Perez engaged the authorities in discussions over the creation of a new cinema law to redefine the way in which films are produced on the island.
The initial reception from the culture ministry was positive, and the President of the ICAIC, Roberto Smith, was keen to stress that the dialogue should not be characterised as a confrontation between Cuba's independent film-makers and the state.
Fernando Perez agrees that the debate doesn't have to be a clash of ideas. "Independent film isn't cinema that runs against the principles of the ICIAC," he says.
"On the contrary, many of these young film-makers and independent directors still dream of making a film through the ICAIC. That's not what this is about. It's about diversifying."
As well as diversification, though, it's about access. Perez joined the ICAIC when he was 17 but says he didn't direct his first film until his early 40s.
The veteran director is quick to acknowledge the importance of those formative years in building up his training and experience before he tackled his first feature.
But Pavel Giroud says today's generation of Cuban directors aren't prepared to wait so long for the state's approval and will pick up their cameras to make 'indie' films instead.
"We've spent decades training film-makers," he says. "You can't then expect those film-makers to wait until their 40s to make their films when they have so much to say in their 20s - especially when we live in a country with so many stories to tell, where there's a story on every street corner." | On the eve of the annual Havana Film Festival, a camera crew wrap up a long day's shoot on the backstreets of the capital. |
39,307,449 | Clement is hoping to keep the Swans in the top flight despite fact no side has ever conceded over 60 goals after 28 games and survived, with the Swans having already conceded 61.
"It will go to the last day. For sure, there will be one team or two teams who will have the opportunity to stay up on the last day," he explained.
"We have to ensure we are not in that."
Clement says he is not concerned by the statistics that show a defence breached so often are unlikely to remain in the top flight.
"Those statistics have to be beaten at some point and it does not really matter," he said.
"At the moment we are in 16th position, so if the table stopped tomorrow we would have conceded that amount of goals and stayed up.
"There are those about sides who are bottom at New Year, but again if we stopped the table now we would be safe. We have 10 games to go."
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Clement is hopeful his side can merely match what they have achieved so far since he succeeded Bob Bradley as he plots the Swans' route to safety.
"If we can replicate anything close to what we did in the last 10 games, I think the outcome will be positive," he confirmed.
"But we all know what that took to do that, how hard it was to get those results, both in the games and in training before.
"The players are mentally prepared to deliver that again. You never know how the opposition will be. Sometimes you can do your best but you can't control a team playing fantastically well or not so well. You've just got to do your best."
Clement says next opponents Bournemouth have hit a bad patch, rather than taking their foot off the gas, but is wary of a recent improvement from the Cherries.
"It's a really hard league and you can hit a bad run at any moment," he said.
"There are lots of teams that have shown that. When you hit a bad run, confidence gets affected and it can be difficult to get out of it.
"But it seems like the result at Manchester United has turned things a little bit for them. It's only a point there, followed up by a win which is four points from two games which is good.
"Now it will be a very hard game against us." | Swansea boss Paul Clement believes the Premier League relegation scrap will be fought until the last set of fixtures. |
32,527,586 | The seven foreigners and one Indonesian were executed by firing squad on Wednesday, sparking diplomatic fury.
In a statement, Mr Ban said the death penalty had "no place in the 21st Century" and urged Indonesia to spare all other death row prisoners.
Indonesia has staunchly defended its actions as part of its "war on drugs".
"Execution is not a pleasant thing. It is not a fun job," Indonesian Attorney General Prasetyo said on Wednesday.
"But we must do it in order to save the nation from the danger of drugs."
Among the executed prisoners were two Australian men - Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran - and Brazilian Rodrigo Gularte, all convicted of drug smuggling.
Australia, a key ally of Indonesia, has recalled its ambassador in protest.
Mr Abbott on Wednesday described the treatment of the Australians as "cruel and unnecessary", calling it a "dark moment" in Australia's relationship with Indonesia.
"We respect Indonesia's sovereignty but we do deplore what's been done and this cannot be simply business as usual," he said.
Who were the condemned prisoners?
The woman saved at the eleventh hour
Joko Widodo stands firm against 'war on drugs'
Brazil said the execution of Gularte - who had been diagnosed with severe mental illness - was "a serious event in the relations between the two countries".
He was the second Brazilian to be executed for drug smuggling in Indonesia in four months. A priest who was with Gularte as he went to the firing squad has told the media he did not appear to understand he was about to die.
Nigeria also expressed "deep disappointment" at the execution of four of its nationals, one of whom was originally reported to be from Ghana.
There were celebrations in the Philippines, however, after a Filipina woman was spared at the last minute.
Mary Jane Veloso's execution was postponed after the Indonesian government agreed to let her testify in the case of the woman she has accused of planting heroin in her luggage.
Maria Kristina Sergio turned herself in to the police unexpectedly this week and has been taken to the capital, Manila, for investigations.
A French man, Serge Areski Atlaoui, remains on death row. He has an outstanding legal complaint over his request for clemency.
France has said it is "fully mobilised" on his case.
Indonesia has some of the toughest drug laws in the world and ended a four-year moratorium on executions in 2013.
It says it takes a hard line because of the country's own drugs problem - 33 Indonesians die every day as a result of drugs, according to Indonesia's National Narcotics Agency. | UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed "deep regret" over Indonesia's execution of eight people convicted of drug offences. |
38,405,092 | It comes after six staff members were suspended from Bryn Hesketh in October after an allegation about patient care on the ward.
That allegation, made by another member of staff, was not upheld.
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board said a further investigation into four staff members was taking place.
The health board said the new investigation did not concern patient care.
"Some staff will continue to be absent from the ward whilst this investigation takes place," a spokesman said.
The health board did not confirm whether any of the staff in the latest investigation were the same as those previously investigated. | Four staff at a mental health unit in Colwyn Bay are being investigated over concerns about their conduct. |
35,743,634 | The Dutchman, 26, overcame Scotland's Wright in a repeat of the 2015 final to win the tournament for a second time.
Suffolk-based Wright, 45, is yet to win a major televised PDC event.
As well as the £60,000 winner's prize, Van Gerwen earned an additional £10,000 for hitting the eighth nine-dart finish in UK Open history.
He achieved a perfect leg in his fourth-round victory over Rob Cross.
Wright almost matched Van Gerwen's feat in the final, but missed an attempt at double 12 for a nine-darter of his own.
Amateur qualifier Barry Lynn produced the shock of the tournament, defeating world champion Gary Anderson 9-3 in the last 32.
Lynn had knocked out former World Grand Prix finalist Brendan Dolan in an earlier round and eventually reached the quarter-finals, when the Braintree thrower's run was ended by Van Gerwen.
The Premier League resumes on Thursday, with league leader Van Gerwen due to face Dave Chisnall in Nottingham. | World number one Michael van Gerwen beat Peter Wright 11-4 in Minehead to retain his UK Open title. |
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The Championship strugglers met at Ashton Gate on Tuesday.
Before the game Johnson, 34, told the Bristol Post: "We have to make sure we win it, whether through aggression, good football or intimidation."
Warnock told BBC Radio Sheffield: "I didn't have to do a team talk, Johnson did it for me yesterday."
The 67-year-old added: "What he said in the local paper was an absolute disgrace. I know he is only a young manager, but I don't think he should be saying things like 'we have to make sure we win, whether we do it by aggression or intimidation'.
"That is almost inciting the crowd and I think that is out of order, personally. Like father, like son."
Johnson's father Gary was manager at Bristol City in August 2009 when Warnock's Crystal Palace were denied a goal when a Freddie Sears shot hit the stanchion behind the goal and bounced back into play, with the referee erroneously awarding a goal kick.
Warnock was angered at the time that Johnson did not allow his team to score an uncontested goal.
The Robins, for whom Lee Johnson was an unused substitute, went on to win the game 1-0 with an 89th-minute goal from Nicky Maynard.
Tuesday's point for his current side lifted Rotherham six points clear of the Championship's relegation zone. | Rotherham boss Neil Warnock has called pre-match comments made by Bristol City counterpart Lee Johnson "an absolute disgrace" after the teams drew 1-1. |
19,042,697 | A government body dismissed reports that the present leadership was breaking with the past as "ridiculous".
Some commentators have speculated that the recent removal of North Korea's top general pointed to a possible power struggle over economic reform.
Kim Jong-un succeeded his late father, Kim Jong-il, in December.
Mr Kim, believed to be in his late 20s, has since adopted a warm public persona, being photographed at fun fairs and pop concerts with his young wife.
That - together with the recent removal of army chief General Ri Yong-ho - has fuelled hopes in the South that he could be planning to open up North Korea's closed state-run economy.
However, a spokesman for North Korea's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea, which deals with cross-border affairs, dismissed the speculation in an interview with state-run KCNA news agency on Sunday.
He said that Kim Jong-un would pursue the "military first" policy brought in by his father and would build a "civilised and comfortable life for the people under socialism".
"The puppet group (South Korea)... tried to give (the) impression that the present leadership of the DPRK (North Korea) broke with the past. This is the height of ignorance," the spokesman said.
"To expect policy change and reform and opening from the DPRK is nothing but a foolish and silly dream, just like wanting the sun to rise in the west."
He accused Seoul of trying to impose capitalism on Pyongyang by "trumpeting reform and opening", adding: "There cannot be any slightest change in all policies."
BBC Asia analyst Charles Scanlon says the statement probably shouldn't be taken at face value.
Any reference to reform has always been anathema for North Korean officials, he says, and it is a word they associate with victory for their capitalist enemies in the South.
There is also substantial external pressure for change, not least from China, which appears close to Kim Jong-un and his inner circle and which has pressed for reform in North Korea for more than a decade, our correspondent adds.
Mr Kim and those around him are being keenly watched for the direction in which they will take the communist state. | North Korea has strongly denied reports from South Korea that it is planning policy changes that will lead to the reform and opening of the country. |
35,319,621 | Strong winds brought down trees and and power lines as the storm swept across the city on Thursday afternoon.
Emergency services received almost 2000 calls for help, mostly from Sydney's western and south-western suburbs.
The driver of the crushed car, a 60-year-old woman, was flown to hospital with critical injuries.
Emergency services worked for 40 minutes to free the pair, but the man died at the scene.
She is now in a stable condition, a Westmead Hospital spokesperson told the BBC on Friday morning.
The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) said around 400 volunteers would have a "busy day" on Friday cleaning up.
"Most of what we're seeing is large trees and branches brought down by those strong 122km/hr (76 mile) winds," SES spokesperson Phil Campbell said.
One resident told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that he "came home to a disaster zone".
"We've already had one roofer come round advertising," he said. | An Australian man has died after a tree fell on the moving car he was travelling in during severe storms in Sydney. |
32,295,541 | It pledged to stop the "creeping privatisation of the NHS" and increase the minimum wage to £10 an hour.
Leader Natalie Bennett and Caroline Lucas, the party's only ever MP, unveiled a plan to help the two million children growing up in cold homes.
They want an insulation programme for the worst-affected nine million homes.
Introducing the manifesto at the Arcola Theatre in Dalston, east London, Ms Bennett said it represented a "genuine alternative" to "business as usual politics".
She said she wanted to "take back" the NHS and the railways from the private sector.
The 84-page manifesto, entitled "For the common good" sets out the Greens' main policy pledges, including:
The Greens are fielding a record number of candidates - 571 - on 7 May and claim a surge in membership numbers to 59,000 - more than UKIP and the Lib Dems.
Ms Lucas said a free nationwide insulation programme to tackle cold homes, specifically in areas blighted by fuel poverty, would help two million children.
She also called for extra £1.3bn on the NHS budget to deal with the associated costs of cold homes.
Main pledges
Policy guide: Where the parties stand
"We believe if we invest in insulating people's homes, we can get their fuel bills down on a permanent basis," Ms Lucas told BBC Radio 4's Today programme
"It would also get our climate-change emissions down and could create hundreds of thousands of jobs.
"And crucially, for every £1 invested in this programme, it's estimated that £1.27 comes back to the economy in terms of the benefit in jobs and reduction on the NHS bill."
Ms Lucas said the government had "a woeful record on energy insulation", with the installation of energy-efficient measures in UK homes falling by 80% over the last two years.
The Green Party has called for a "progressive alliance" with the SNP, if it has MPs at Westminster in the next Parliament.
Ms Lucas ruled out backing a Conservative government, but said Green MPs could support a minority Labour administration on "a case-by-case basis".
The Green Party's manifesto is full of big promises: a pension of more than £300 a week for a couple, renewable energy taking over from fossil fuels, a million new public sector jobs.
But they are having difficulty defending their numbers robustly. They claim they'll raise a massive £30bn extra from clampdowns on tax avoidance; very very optimistic. And the man behind the manifestos numbers, Brian Heatley, told me they couldn't really be sure how much their new wealth tax would raise because it hasn't been tried before.
In one sense, refreshingly candid. In another way, extremely problematic for a party that wants to be taken seriously on a tax that they need to raise £20bn.
The Greens also say they would carry on spending more each year than the government gets from revenue. Does that mean deficits for ever? The party won't say.
In other news, Natalie Bennett has told Newsnight they don't want to ban the Grand National after all - more straightforward than working out government spending.
"That would give us a real opportunity to push Labour on the policies we know the public wants and which are at the heart of our manifesto," she said.
"Whether that's scrapping nuclear weapons or reversing the privatisation in our NHS, whether that's returning local schools to local control or bringing rail back into public ownership."
'Scrap road building'
Recently, Ms Bennett said the party's policy of a Citizens' Income of £72 a week for every adult in Britain would feature in the manifesto, but that it would take longer than one parliament for it to be implemented.
The cut in public transport fares would be paid for by scrapping new road-building programmes, while the party is also expected to pledge free social care for the elderly.
At the weekend, Ms Bennett said the 60% top rate of tax would apply to people earning over £150,000 and that it would raise £2bn a year.
Subscribe to the BBC Election 2015 newsletter to get a round-up of the day's campaign news sent to your inbox every weekday afternoon. | The Green Party launched its General Election manifesto with a call for a "peaceful political revolution" to end austerity and tackle climate change. |
39,896,437 | Mae drafft o faniffesto Llafur y DU, gafodd ei gyhoeddi'n fuan yr wythnos hon, wedi addo cael gwared â'r ffioedd.
A phetai hynny'n digwydd, mae'r Prif Weinidog Carwyn Jones wedi dweud y byddai'n "anodd dychmygu" sefyllfa ble byddan nhw'n parhau i fodoli yng Nghymru.
Ond mae pleidiau eraill wedi wfftio'r sylwadau, gan ddweud nad yw'n debygol o ddigwydd oherwydd "fydd Jeremy Corbyn ddim yn ennill yr etholiad".
Mae ffioedd dysgu wedi eu datganoli i Gymru, a llynedd fe wnaeth Llywodraeth Cymru amlinellu polisi newydd fyddai'n golygu grant i helpu myfyrwyr gyda chostau byw yn hytrach na'r ffioedd.
Mae plaid Lafur y DU wedi addo fodd bynnag y bydden nhw'n diddymu'r ffioedd yn llwyr petawn nhw'n cael eu hethol i lywodraeth ym mis Mehefin.
Gallai polisi o'r fath gostio dros £7bn y flwyddyn.
Wrth ymateb i hynny dywedodd Mr Jones: "Yn amlwg os nad oes ffioedd dysgu yn Lloegr, mae hynny'n bownd o gael effaith ar sut 'dyn ni'n gweld pethau yng Nghymru."
Ers 2012 mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi talu cyfran sylweddol o ffioedd dysgu myfyrwyr o Gymru - polisi wnaeth gostio £237m yn 2015/16.
Mae wedi golygu mai dim ond £3,900 y flwyddyn mae myfyrwyr o Gymru yn ei dalu, yn hytrach na'r uchafswm o £9,000 mae prifysgolion yn gallu ei godi.
O fis Medi nesaf ymlaen mae disgwyl i bolisi newydd Llywodraeth Cymru ddod i rym, ble bydd myfyrwyr yn gorfod talu neu gymryd benthyciad ar gyfer swm llawn y ffioedd dysgu.
Ond fe fydd pob myfyriwr yn cael £1,000 y flwyddyn tuag at gostau byw, cyn ychwanegu grant pellach yn seiliedig ar brawf modd - gyda myfyriwr sydd yn dod o deulu ar y cyflog cyfartalog yn derbyn £7,000 y flwyddyn.
Mae'r Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol wedi wfftio sylwadau Carwyn Jones, fodd bynnag, gan fod y "wlad gyfan yn gwybod" nad yw Llafur yn mynd i ennill yr etholiad.
"Mae Kirsty Williams yn rhoi egwyddorion y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol ar waith wrth sicrhau bod myfyrwyr yng Nghymru yn cael swm tebyg i'r cyflog byw cenedlaethol wrth iddyn nhw astudio," meddai llefarydd.
Ychwanegodd Darren Millar, llefarydd y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig ar addysg ei fod yn "synnu bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn newid eu safbwynt ar y mater".
"Mae consensws gwleidyddol yng Nghymru o gwmpas argymhellion Adolygiad Diamond i'r adolygiad o gefnogaeth i fyfyrwyr, fydd y arwain at system sy'n deg i'n myfyrwyr, trethdalwyr a sector brifysgol," meddai.
Dywedodd Liz Saville Roberts o Blaid Cymru mai "ychydig iawn o dystiolaeth oedd y bydd y prif weinidog yn cadw at ei air", hyd yn oed petai Llafur yn ennill mwyafrif yn San Steffan.
"Mae gan Blaid Cymru bolisi ers sbel o weithio tuag at ddiddymu ffioedd dysgu'n llwyr fel bod cymaint o bobl ifanc â phosib yn gallu cael mynediad at addysg uwch," meddai.
Dywedodd Michelle Brown o UKIP y gallai Llafur a Jeremy Corbyn "gynnig y byd ar blat ar hyn o bryd" gan eu bod nhw'n "gwybod na fyddan nhw'n ennill".
"Mae eu haddewidion nhw mor ddibwys felly a phob un arall yn eu maniffesto, ac mae hynny'n beth da, gan y byddai hynny wedyn yn gorfodi newid ar y bobl sy'n gyfrifol am addysg yng Nghymru," meddai. | Gallai Cymru ddilyn trywydd Lloegr a diddymu ffioedd dysgu, os yw Llafur yn ennill yr etholiad cyffredinol. |
35,169,817 | Full-back Foden, 30, has played 174 times for the Premiership side and been capped 34 times by England.
Second-row Day, 32, has made 175 Saints appearances and is also chairman of the Rugby Players' Association.
Saints academy graduate hooker Mikey Haywood, 24, and wing Jamie Elliott, 23, who have both played over 100 games, have also signed new deals.
Director of rugby Jim Mallinder said: "Having players like Mikey and Jamie come through the academy system to become important members of the first-team squad is very pleasing, and a good indicator of the outstanding work that is being done by our coaches across the region."
Both Foden and Day arrived at Franklin's Gardens in 2008, and have helped Northampton win one Premiership title, two European Challenge Cups and one LV= Cup, as well as playing in a Heineken Cup final.
Foden told BBC Radio Northampton: "I spoke to Jim early doors and he asked me 'what are your thoughts?' There's nowhere else I'd rather be than Northampton.
"Since coming back to the Premiership I've been part of the whole building process. I think we're one of the top teams in England and Europe.
"I've still got plans on winning major silverware and hopefully I can do that at Northampton."
The lengths of the deals have not been disclosed. | Ben Foden and Christian Day are among four players to have agreed new deals with Northampton Saints. |
20,873,265 | In a televised address from Cuba, Nicolas Maduro said Mr Chavez continued to be in a "delicate state".
Mr Chavez underwent his fourth cancer operation on 11 December in Cuba but suffered a respiratory infection.
The president - who has been in power since 1999 - is due to be sworn in on 10 January for another six-year term.
Mr Maduro did not give details about Mr Chavez's condition but said the latest complications were connected to the respiratory infection.
By Abraham ZamoranoBBC Mundo, Caracas
Although Mr Maduro's speech was an obvious blow for Mr Chavez's supporters, the mood in Caracas remains calm - as if people were used to bad news about the president's health.
Many residents are away for the holidays, which increases the subdued mood on the streets. But for those who are still in the city, it is business as usual, with last-minute shopping on New Year's Eve.
Opposition leaders have not yet commented on Mr Maduro's speech. But over the weekend some lawmakers asked for a more detailed medical report.
Most people say Mr Chavez's future is in God's hands. Caracas officials have cancelled the New Year celebrations and asked people to keep the president in their prayers.
"We have been informed of new complications that arose as a consequence of the respiratory infection we already knew about," he said.
"The president gave us precise instructions so that, after finishing the visit, we would tell the (Venezuelan) people about his current health condition.
"The state of health of President Chavez continues to be delicate."
He added that the treatment was "not without risk."
Mr Maduro, appearing solemn, spoke alongside Mr Chavez's eldest daughter, Rosa, his son-in-law Jorge Arreaza, and Venezuelan Attorney General Cilia Flores.
The vice-president said he would remain in Havana "for the coming hours" but did not specify how long.
Following Mr Maduro's announcement, Information Minister Ernesto Villegas appeared in a special programme on Venezuelan TV, calling on Venezuelans not to believe rumours about the president's health.
"Do not get carried away with things on Twitter, you cannot play with Commander Chavez's health, it is a matter that affects the lives of others. We must act very responsibly, particularly those of us who communicate through mass media," he said.
Late on Sunday, Mr Villegas said a government-organised New Year's Eve concert in central Caracas had been cancelled and he urged Venezuelans to pray for President Chavez.
The BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Havana says it is now three weeks since Hugo Chavez has been seen or heard from in person.
There continues to be huge secrecy surrounding his precise condition, she says.
There are also many questions about what will happen on 10 January when Mr Chavez is due to be re-inaugurated, our correspondent adds.
National Assembly head Diosdado Cabello recently said that the swearing-in ceremony would be delayed in the case of Mr Chavez's absence.
However, opposition leaders say postponing the inauguration would be unconstitutional.
The constitution states that if there is an "absolute absence" of the president, elections must be held within 30 days.
Mr Chavez has said that, should his health fail, Venezuelans should vote for Mr Maduro in fresh elections.
Officials have never disclosed the type or severity of Mr Chavez's cancer, which was first diagnosed in June 2011. | Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has suffered "new complications" after a cancer operation in Cuba, his vice-president has said. |
35,693,658 | Tony Watt scored his first league goal for Rovers with a smart turn and finish from Shane Duffy's header.
The hosts doubled their lead when Danny Graham slotted in from keeper Jason Steele's ball forward after City's Clayton Donaldson was denied a penalty.
Birmingham improved in the second half, but Jonathan Grounds' drive against the woodwork was as close as they came.
The win was Blackburn's fourth consecutive home league win - the first time they have managed that for six years.
Defeat means Birmingham, who have slipped further away from the top six, have now won just once in the last 10 on the road, and have a solitary away victory in 2016.
Blackburn manager Paul Lambert: "Watt's goal was a brilliant bit of skill. He's a strong lad, I think he's just got to get fitter, for himself as well.
"He does things that are unexpected and gets people off their backsides and his goal was very good.
"I think Danny Graham has been fantastic, him and Jordi (Gomez). The biggest compliment I can give those two, coming from a Premier League club, is they've fitted in brilliantly, and are playing ever so well."
Media playback is not supported on this device
Birmingham manager Gary Rowett: "The most decisive 10 seconds of the match, if not the season in some ways.
"I'm going to have to temper my words very carefully, just because we're managers and we live and die by the officials' decisions sometimes.
"I just asked the referee the question: why on earth would he go down? He's about to score. There's no benefit to him going down whatsoever, and I think the referee felt as though he went down easily."
Match ends, Blackburn Rovers 2, Birmingham City 0.
Second Half ends, Blackburn Rovers 2, Birmingham City 0.
Attempt saved. Viv Solomon-Otabor (Birmingham City) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by William Buckley with a cross.
Diego Fabbrini (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Matt Grimes (Blackburn Rovers).
Elliott Bennett (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Jonathan Grounds (Birmingham City).
Chris Brown (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Paul Robinson (Birmingham City).
Substitution, Blackburn Rovers. Chris Brown replaces Danny Graham.
Foul by Ben Marshall (Blackburn Rovers).
Jonathan Grounds (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Darragh Lenihan (Blackburn Rovers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Elliott Bennett with a cross.
Corner, Blackburn Rovers. Conceded by Diego Fabbrini.
Substitution, Birmingham City. Viv Solomon-Otabor replaces Jacques Maghoma.
Simeon Jackson (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jacques Maghoma (Birmingham City).
Foul by Danny Graham (Blackburn Rovers).
Paul Robinson (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Elliott Bennett (Blackburn Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Grant Hanley.
Corner, Blackburn Rovers. Conceded by Jon-Miquel Toral.
Darragh Lenihan (Blackburn Rovers) is shown the yellow card.
Corner, Birmingham City. Conceded by Shane Duffy.
Corner, Birmingham City. Conceded by Thomas Spurr.
Grant Hanley (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jonathan Grounds (Birmingham City).
Attempt saved. Diego Fabbrini (Birmingham City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Stephen Gleeson.
Foul by Matt Grimes (Blackburn Rovers).
Paul Caddis (Birmingham City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Offside, Blackburn Rovers. Elliott Bennett tries a through ball, but Simeon Jackson is caught offside.
Substitution, Birmingham City. William Buckley replaces David Cotterill.
Substitution, Blackburn Rovers. Simeon Jackson replaces Tony Watt.
Attempt missed. Tony Watt (Blackburn Rovers) right footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Darragh Lenihan.
Jonathan Grounds (Birmingham City) hits the bar with a left footed shot from the right side of the box following a corner.
Attempt blocked. Jonathan Grounds (Birmingham City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by David Cotterill.
Corner, Birmingham City. Conceded by Matt Grimes.
Attempt blocked. Jacques Maghoma (Birmingham City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Corner, Birmingham City. Conceded by Shane Duffy.
Attempt blocked. David Cotterill (Birmingham City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Corry Evans (Blackburn Rovers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. | Two goals in three first-half minutes helped Blackburn ease to victory and dented Birmingham's play-off hopes. |
38,411,381 | Pardew was sacked on Thursday with the club 17th in the Premier League after a run of one win in 11 games.
Allardyce travelled to Palace's training ground on Friday to complete talks with chairman Steve Parish.
As he arrived, the 62-year-old described the Palace job as a "fantastic" opportunity to return to top-flight management.
Allardyce could be in place to take training on Saturday, before Palace's Boxing Day game with Watford.
Parish said Pardew's "expansive style of football hasn't worked" and told BBC Sport on Thursday they would now "wind the dial back the other way".
Caretaker manager Keith Millen took Friday's news conference and told the media that if Allardyce was appointed, he would "sort the players out".
Allardyce has been out of work since leaving his role as England manager by mutual consent after 67 days and just one game, in the wake of a Daily Telegraph investigation.
However, the former Bolton, Blackburn, Newcastle and West Ham boss saved Sunderland from the drop last season despite them being second from bottom when he joined.
Parish, who co-owns the club with American investors Josh Harris and David Blitzer, said that Palace are "talking to a number of people to make sure we get this right", with the club now focusing on staying in the top flight.
"Relegation is so costly and I feel, with no blame attached, we got ourselves in a rut and need a change," he said.
Allardyce is known for having an instant impact on sides when he joins them - shown below after he arrived at Blackburn Rovers (2008-09) and Sunderland (2015-16).
The graph also shows the dip in form immediately after Allardyce has left (Newcastle 2007-08) and Blackburn (2010-11).
Allardyce has become associated with a preference for direct football during his career.
As the graphs below show, during his season at Sunderland after joining in October 2015, they were among the most prolific long passers in the division and strong at set pieces.
Ex-Palace chairman and owner Simon Jordan told BBC Radio 5 live: "Sam Allardyce is as good as it gets at guaranteeing a team doesn't get relegated.
"There's not exactly a plethora of top-quality managers around there, and Sam is a top, top manager."
Former Palace striker Clinton Morrison said: "If you need a man to get you out of the trouble Palace are in you don't look past Big Sam."
Media playback is not supported on this device | Former England manager Sam Allardyce is set to be named as Crystal Palace manager, replacing Alan Pardew. |
28,064,862 | Media playback is not supported on this device
After one of my earliest ever Wimbledon finishes on Wednesday, I get the middle weekend off for only the second time I can remember.
Don't worry, I won't be out until the early hours, but it does give me the chance to go for dinner if I want, or at least to have a few of the guys round to watch the football.
Having two days without a match could have a positive effect on the court too, as I can hit for a bit longer on Saturday and work on a few things before getting back to my normal routine on Sunday.
During a tournament you usually just have one day off, so you can't really practise anything different, but maybe I'll try a couple of things out on Saturday.
I was very happy with the way I played and it's been a good start to the tournament for me.
Sometimes you can start to see the finish line and lose concentration when you get up in the third set of a match, but I've experienced it before when I've been playing well and guys have started to come back. You just try to keep it going, keep concentrating, and don't give them a chance.
The last moment you see me after a match is probably my TV interview, but I'm usually at the All England Club for several more hours. That's when the tried and tested routine kicks in.
After speaking to TV, I head straight to the locker room and drop off my bag before going to the gym and getting on the bike for 10 minutes. My team will be there so I can speak about the match with my coaches, Amelie and Dani, and sometimes ice my knee, elbow, shoulder - any bits of my body that feel a bit sore.
Then it's back upstairs for a shower, some food, 45 minutes of physio treatment and finally doing my media commitments.
This week there has also been a bit of extra competition going on in the locker room as there's a mini basketball hoop, which has been hung on Milos Raonic's locker for most of the tournament.
One of the physios, Clay, is pretty useful, but Daniel Nestor, the Canadian doubles player, talks like he's the best thing since sliced bread. He's really not that good.
There was also a new face in the gym after Friday's match as comedian Ricky Gervais came along, as I'd invited him to sit in my player box - he even tried out one of the bikes. I'd never met him before, although had plenty of Twitter banter and I've watched all of his shows and his stand-up.
I watched The Office pretty much every night when I was training in Spain as a kid. I could probably recite every line from every episode, but I resisted the temptation. I imagine he gets asked about that stuff all of the time.
Ricky said it was the first time in a while he had been to Wimbledon, and that he plays a bit of tennis - he also asked why my opponent was slipping over more than me!
He might come along to the US Open because he spends quite a lot of time in New York, so I promised we'd have a hit on the courts over there. It was cool to meet him and, like Shaquille O'Neal's visit to Wimbledon the other day, it's good for tennis to attract the interest of these big stars.
Promoting the sport is part of our job and I think tennis players probably do more media than other athletes. I know football managers do a lot, but in terms of the actual athletes I don't think many do more media.
We've always done it and I don't mind, but from a player's perspective it can become repetitive as you do it after every single match. The questions can start to get a bit silly because nobody wants to be asking the same thing over and over.
Sometimes I think it might be more fun if there wasn't the same structure all the time as the journalists would be more creative, and it would be better for everyone.
Next up for me on Monday is Kevin Anderson in the fourth round. He's a big guy with a big game, so I'll work on my returning a bit over the weekend, but everyone plays well from the back of the court these days, too.
It's the second week of a Grand Slam, so the matches are obviously going to get tougher, but I've given myself another opportunity and it's just down to me to play some good tennis now.
Andy Murray was talking to BBC Sport's Piers Newbery. | Whether it's meeting a comedy hero, playing a bit of basketball or planning a surprise Saturday night on the town, it's good to break up the routine every now and then. |
31,082,498 | Speaking to BBC Wales, he said the Northern Ireland process was "a bit slower than we thought".
"I didn't think the process was going to last quite as long as that. But it did. It's 10, 15 years before things started changing," he said.
"There are a few who don't like it, but we are literally talking about a few."
Mr Murphy said a new generation of young people had no memory of the Troubles.
"That was the idea - that we'd make life normal for people. That, I think, has worked," he said.
Mr Murphy was Northern Ireland secretary in 2002 and earlier played a key role in negotiating the Good Friday Agreement as a deputy to Mo Mowlam.
Also a former Welsh Secretary under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, he announced on Friday he would stand down from the House of Commons at the general election after 28 years as the MP for Torfaen. | Former Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy has said establishing peace has taken longer than expected. |
38,590,371 | Jackie Preuss, 43, penned Simon's Saga - named after her lover Simon Cragg - based on their two-year relationship.
She also bombarded his wife with phone calls and sent scantily-clad pictures of herself in a year-long campaign.
Preuss, of Stourport-on-Severn, admitted harassment and was given 20 weeks' prison, suspended for 18 months.
Prosecutor Angela Halam told Birmingham Magistrates' Court the extracts from the book sent to Debra Michael were "quite graphic".
The court heard Preuss went to the house of Ms Michael and introduced herself as "Simon's girlfriend" and also sent papers to the victim detailing the affair.
Mrs Halam said Preuss posted messages on Facebook asking if Ms Michael noticed lipstick on Mr Cragg's shirt.
In one message to her victim, Preuss wrote: "I think I've left my knickers in the car... would you mind checking?"
Mitigating, Ian Vesey told the court: "All this started because he had an affair with her. It takes two to tango.
"She is an intelligent lady. Sometimes when people are in these situations, it's hard to see the wood for the trees."
The jail term was suspended for 18 months, and Preuss, of Anchor Drive, was ordered to pay costs of £775 and a victim surcharge of £115. A restraining order was also imposed.
Ms Michael said in a victim impact statement: "This entire experience had made me feel victimised.
"I feel I have to bow my head in shame." | An author who sent her married lover's wife extracts from an erotic novel based on their affair has received a suspended sentence. |
35,120,221 | The UN said it would send a fact-finding mission to Burundi amid fears that violence could spiral into civil war and possible ethnic conflict.
Last Friday, 87 people were killed in clashes in the capital, Bujumbura.
Unrest began in April when President Pierre Nkurunziza announced he would seek a third term in office.
He survived a coup attempt in May, and secured a third term in disputed elections in July.
AU Peace and Security Commissioner Smail Chergui has tweeted that the "clear" message coming from the AU is that the "killings in Burundi must stop immediately".
The government has said there is no threat of genocide.
The AU's peace and security council has been discussing sending an AU force to Burundi.
Although international diplomats have warned about a possible return of genocide in Burundi, this dispute has not split the country along ethnic lines.
Neither the government, nor the opposition have used ethnicity in their public statements, although each accuses the other of doing so.
Under the 2005 peace deal which brought former Hutu rebel leader Pierre Nkurunziza to power, his fighters were integrated with the then Tutsi-dominated army and government.
This remains the case today, with Tutsis occupying senior government and military positions and remaining loyal to their former enemy.
Those opposed to Mr Nkurunziza are also ethnically mixed.
For example, Gen Godfroid Niyombare, the leader of May's failed coup is a Hutu.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein said that "Burundi is at bursting point, on the very cusp of a civil war" which could have "ethnic overtones" similar to past conflicts in Burundi.
At least 400 people have been killed, nearly 3,500 arrested and at least 220,000 people have fled the country since April, Mr al-Hussein said.
At a special session convened at the US' request to discuss the conflict, the UN Human Rights Council resolved to despatch independent investigators to Burundi to probe abuses.
An AU fact-finding mission returned from Burundi on Sunday and in its preliminary findings it said "members of the team heard reports of arbitrary killings, torture and the arbitrary... closure of some civil society organisations and the media".
Ethnic conflict between Hutus and Tutsis in the 1990s claimed an estimated 300,000 lives.
Mr Nkurunziza is the former leader of a Hutu rebel group, who has been in power since a 2005 peace deal.
Both the government and the opposition are ethnically mixed.
Profile: President Nkurunziza
Find out more about Burundi | The African Union, discussing the situation in Burundi, says Africa will "not allow another genocide to take place on its soil". |
35,010,483 | Prof April McMahon was appointed to the role on a five-year term in August 2011.
She has informed the university's chancellor she wants to step down at the end of her term in July 2016.
During her tenure, she refuted allegations that the university was being run "like a dictatorship" following staff suspensions.
Prof McMahon said she was making the announcement now "to allow for an orderly handover and for succession planning".
She said she was "immensely proud" of the work she had done, adding it had been a "pleasure and a privilege to serve and lead" the university and to work through "the difficulties we have had to confront".
Chancellor Sir Emyr Jones Parry said: "I am deeply grateful to the vice-chancellor for her positive contributions to Aberystwyth University over these past years, and for her consideration in giving early notice of her intentions so we can ensure the best possible handover.
"Personally, and on behalf of the council, I wish her every success in the future." | The vice-chancellor of Aberystwyth University will step down in 2016, she has announced. |
19,053,754 | English Heritage has awarded £186,000 to the medieval ruins of Greyfriars monastery in Dunwich and £102,000 to the remains of Clare Castle.
Suffolk County Council is giving £112,000 to the projects.
The council manages Clare Castle Country Park and Dunwich Greyfriars but wants to transfer both sites to community groups.
Geoff Abell, of Dunwich Greyfriars Trust, said the ruins of the monastery were "a key part of Dunwich's fascinating heritage".
Dunwich has been called 'Britain's Atlantis' as much of it fell victim to coastal erosion.
Mr Abell said: "The village is very pleased that English Heritage and Suffolk County Council are funding substantial restoration works that will secure the future of this beautiful place."
English Heritage said it hoped the work would enable the sites to be removed from its Heritage Risk register.
John Ette, English Heritage team leader for Suffolk, said: "Clare Castle and Dunwich are nationally important monuments which make a significant contribution to our national story."
The restoration projects are expected to be completed by the winter. | Two Suffolk landmarks are to benefit from restoration projects after receiving grants worth £400,000. |
38,983,569 | That's the challenge Sia issued to Kanye West, hours before he unveiled his latest fashion collection.
The pop star tweeted her question to Kanye, linking to a YouTube video that contained harrowing scenes of rabbits being slaughtered for their coats.
"This is the reality of fur ," said Sia. "It's so sad."
West's Yeezy Season 5 appeared to include both fur coats and accessories.
The most striking item was a floor-sweeping fur coat, showcased by hijab-wearing model Halima Aden, who was the first Miss Minnesota contestant to compete wearing a hijab and burkini.
Vogue magazine said the garments were faux fur, although the BBC has been unable to verify that report.
It is not the first time that Sia - who worked with Kanye on songs including Wolves and Reaper - has challenged celebrities over animal rights.
Last June, she tweeted the same video at Kanye's wife, Kim Kardashian, writing, "Hey @KimKardashian I think you're lovely. Would you consider going fur free? This is what animals go through for it."
In December, after rapper Azealia Banks posted an Instagram video apparently showing the remains of several chickens killed in a witchcraft ritual, Sia tweeted, "Sacrificing animals for your gain is the wackest [thing] I've ever heard."
The Australian singer is a vegan and supporter of animal rights' group Peta.
Kanye's show won praise from critics, who called it his most "demure" show yet and welcomed the fashion range's expanding colour palette - he added blues and reds to the line's traditional black and brown colour scheme.
Unlike last year's show - a massive production that required models to stand still for hours in the middle of a New York heatwave, causing some to faint - the Season 5 launch was decidedly low-key, with images projected one by one onto the surface of a giant black rectangle, from a live feed of models standing on a turntable backstage.
Photographers were not allowed - and Kanye didn't even appear to take a bow at the end of the 13-minute spectacle.
The audience, apparently conditioned to expect more drama at the rapper's fashion shows, remained seated for almost five minutes after the lights went up before finally shuffling out to their next appointment at New York Fashion Week.
Among those watching the launch were Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Hailey Baldwin, Zoe Kravitz, ASAP Ferg, Anna Wintour, Pusha T and Teyana Taylor.
The collection itself featured a lot of denim, paired with knee-high boots and a new shoe dubbed the Yeezy Runner.
Hoodies and bomber jackets also featured heavily, many sporting the Adidas stripes, while sweatshirts were stamped with the phrase Lost Hills - the name of Kanye's forthcoming album with Drake.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]. | "Would you consider going fur free?" |
32,403,476 | Under the Hunting Act 2004, foxes cannot be killed by dogs as part of a hunt in England and Wales.
The claims come after figures obtained by the BBC show no prosecutions have been made in Devon and Cornwall since the ban was introduced.
Devon and Cornwall Police said it would "always consider any evidence".
However, the force has made two arrests on suspicion of illegal hunting, in 2011 and 2014, a freedom of information request has shown.
Although private prosecutions have been mounted by the League Against Cruel Sports, and the RSPCA, there have been no cases brought on the basis of police investigations.
Hunting was a major issue throughout much of Tony Blair's government but with the introduction of the ban it became much less prominent.
That could change after the general election, as there are clear differences between the main parties which could see the law revisited.
Labour has promised to defend the ban, the Conservatives say they will offer parliament a free vote on repealing it, while the Liberal Democrats say hunting is not a priority, but would allow their MPs a free vote if the issue arises.
Peter Anderson, a trustee of the league, said: "Devon and Cornwall Police has not viewed the ban as a priority and enforced it properly, which is very disappointing.
"There have been large numbers of prosecutions in other regions, which show the ban works."
But Tim Bonner, director of campaigns for the Countryside Alliance, said: "These figures show the Hunting Act was a waste of 700 hours of parliamentary time.
"It isn't working and just leads to unfounded allegations of criminality against law abiding people."
You cannot use dogs to hunt foxes, hares or deer
You can use dogs for:
In a statement, Assistant Chief Constable Paul Netherton said: "Devon and Cornwall Police will always consider any evidence brought to our attention regarding the Hunting Act - and any other crime.
"This will be investigated proportionately and advice sought from the Crown Prosecution Service as to any charging decision."
Devon and Cornwall makes up one of the most heavily hunted areas of Britain.
Parliament passed the Hunting Act in late 2004 and violent exchanges between enthusiasts and opponents were widely reported. | Opponents of wild animal hunting claim the fox hunting ban, in force for more than 10 years, is not being properly enforced in the South West. |
35,583,310 | "Such attacks are a blatant violation of international laws," the UN said.
Among the sites hit was a Medecins Sans Frontieres hospital, where seven people were reportedly killed. France said such acts constituted war crimes.
Activists have accused Russia of carrying out the strikes but there has been no independent confirmation.
Russia has been backing the Syrian government in its offensive against rebels but says it only targets what it calls "terrorists".
Two medical facilities in Maarat al-Numan, which is in Idlib province, are reported to have been hit.
MSF said one of its facilities had been struck by four missiles in the space of minutes, leading them to believe it "wasn't an accidental attack, that it was deliberate".
It said seven people died with another eight still missing.
Mego Terzian, president of MSF France, told Reuters "either the [Syrian] government or Russia" was "clearly" responsible.
But the Syrian ambassador to Moscow Riad Haddad, said the US was to blame, a claim the Pentagon dismissed as "patently false".
"We have no reason to strike in Idlib, as Isil [Islamic State] is not active there," spokesman Capt Jeff Davis said.
A second hospital in Maarat al-Numan was also hit, killing three people, said opposition group the Local Co-ordination Committees.
The strikes follow a pattern of systematic attacks on healthcare facilities in Syria, says the BBC's Mark Lowen in neighbouring Turkey.
240 facilities hit up to late 2015
70 in Jun-Aug 2015 alone
697 medical personnel killed
40% of Syrians lack basic care
In Azaz, near the Turkish border, at least 12 people were killed in an attack on two hospitals and two schools, reports said.
One of those hit was a children's hospital. A worker for Syria Charity, which runs the facility, blamed Russia.
"The Russians have been targeting this area because it's what we call a liberated area, by moderate opposition - that's why we are 99% sure this was Russian airstrikes," said Anfal Sevik.
Unicef said six children were killed in the strikes on schools.
"Let us remember that these victims are children," a statement said. "Children."
Azaz has been the focus of intense fighting, with Turkey on Monday threatening Kurdish rebels with the "harshest reaction" if they tried to take the town.
Despite the bombardment Kurdish-led forces have captured the town of Tal Rifaat from Islamist rebels, the monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
A statement from UN spokesman spokesman Farhan Haq said the attacks "cast a shadow" on commitments made by international powers last week.
At a conference, world leaders pledged to work towards a cessation of hostilities in Syria within a week.
But Russia argues that the "cessation" does not apply to its air strikes, which have tilted the balance of the war in favour of the Syrian government.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said any ceasefire did not mean "each party will stop using weapons".
In televised comments he questioned whether conditions for the halt in fighting could be met in a week, Reuters reported.
France said it condemned the bombing of the MSF clinic in the strongest terms, with Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault saying such acts "constitute war crimes".
The US has also condemned the strikes, saying they cast doubt "on Russia's willingness and/or ability to help bring to a stop the continued brutality of the Assad regime against its own people".
EU foreign policy chief said the attack on the MSF facility was "completely unacceptable" but did not say who was responsible.
The UN envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, is in the capital Damascus as part of his effort to restart peace talks.
Almost five years of civil war in Syria have led to the deaths of more than 250,000 people. More than 11 million people have been displaced. | Up to 50 people have been killed in missile attacks on schools and hospitals in northern Syria, according to the United Nations. |
37,043,877 | Arlene Foster campaigned for Brexit but the UUP accused her of a "U-turn" after she signed a joint letter to the prime minister outlining several concerns.
Mrs Foster said the UUP had set up Steven Aiken as its "attack dog" but said he was more like a Chihuahua.
He snapped back that Chihuahuas were "small but intelligent and ferocious".
The snarling match began on Wednesday, when Mrs Foster and Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness jointly wrote to Prime Minister Theresa May, outlining their priorities for the Brexit negotiations.
Mrs Foster's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Mr McGuinness from Sinn Féin were on opposite sides of the debate during the EU referendum campaign.
Their joint letter identified five key areas of concern when the UK leaves the European Union - the Irish border; trading costs; the energy market; drawdown of EU funding and treatment of the agri-food sector.
After the letter's contents were revealed, rival unionist parties accused the DUP of shifting their position.
Mr Aiken, the UUP's economy spokesperson, said he was "astonished the first ministers would have the audacity to release this letter".
"These are all concerns that existed before the referendum," he added.
"Indeed given the content of the letter I would question whether this is a DUP u-turn on their position on the referendum after the vote has taken place?"
Mr Aiken said that Stormont's Executive Office was "quickly becoming the Department for Stating the Obvious".
But Mrs Foster denied that campaigning for Brexit was a mistake and said leading the EU provided opportunities as well as challenges.
"Poor Steven Aiken has been sent out once again to be the attack dog against the executive and frankly, he comes across more as a Chihuahua," she told the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme.
Responding on his Twitter account, Mr Aiken snapped back that it was the first time he had "ever been compared to small but intelligent and ferocious Mexican attack dog".
His UUP colleague Stephen Nicholl tweeted a photo of an angry Chihuahua and said Mr Aiken had become their party's "new mascot".
The animal antics continued when Claire Hanna from the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) weighed in to criticise the DUP leader over the letter.
"The first minister has serious questions to answer over the breath-taking reverse ferret she is currently performing," said the SDLP MLA.
"Ms Foster has clearly realised the error of her ways in backing Brexit and, now the horse has bolted, is asking the Conservative government to close the gate." | An Ulster Unionist MLA has bitten back at Northern Ireland's first minister after she compared him to a "Chihuahua" in a verbal dog fight over Brexit. |
32,572,729 | Ashley Fulcher, 24, of Great Yarmouth, was jailed for 40 months at Norwich Crown Court in March 2012. He admitted wounding with intent to cause GBH.
He was released on licence in May 2013 and has recently breached his licence conditions, police said.
Officers believe he could be in the Selby area of North Yorkshire or may have travelled to Norfolk.
Anyone with information as to his whereabouts is urged to contact North Yorkshire Police. | A man who was jailed for an assault is wanted by police for breaching the conditions of his release from prison. |
40,763,146 | Police said youths entered the grounds of Carron Primary School overnight between Wednesday and Thursday.
Some of them damaged the windows of a nursery playhouse, broke benches and smashed alcohol bottles throughout the playing areas.
Police are checking CCTV footage and have appealed for anyone with information to contact them.
PC Chris Morrison, Carronshore community officer, said: "This type of mindless act has a massive impact on our communities and costs our school system a lot of money in repairs, money which would be better spent on educational tools.
"We have patrols in place to tackle such anti-social behaviour but we need assistance from the public." | Vandals have targeted a primary school near Falkirk where they damaged furniture and smashed bottles. |
32,259,901 | At a hustings, the Respect candidate had produced what he said was a wedding certificate proving Naz Shah had not, as claimed, been forced to marry at 15.
Mr Galloway was challenging Mrs Shah's account of being forced to wed in Pakistan, published in an open letter.
Labour says her original certificate proves she was a minor at the time.
It says it will publish the "nikah" certificate as proof. The party has written to Mr Galloway's election agent, calling on the Respect leader to apologise, and claiming he has breached electoral law by making false statements about the conduct and character of its candidate.
Mr Galloway's agent, Ron McKay, said: "We are very surprised that Labour wants to prolong this deeply sordid affair and drag it across the voters of Bradford West.
"However, if that is the way it has to be there's very much more that we can say and we will."
The hustings incident made headlines after a clip of Mr Galloway calling Mrs Shah a "liar" emerged on YouTube.
A Labour spokesman said Mr Galloway was "resorting to desperate untruths about Labour's candidate".
Mr Shah's open letter had described being sent to Pakistan to escape her mother's abusive partner, before undergoing a forced marriage aged 15. The marriage was re-registered when she was 16, to enable her Pakistani husband to get a UK residence visa.
"British authorities would not have allowed her husband to come into the country with her had they known she was only 15 at the time of the marriage," says BBC Radio Leeds political reporter Louise Martin.
"This is not an uncommon practice in such circumstances."
Mrs Shah left her husband in 1992, and became active in politics after her mother's imprisonment.
The candidates for Bradford West are: | Labour has accused George Galloway of breaching election law by making false statements about its candidate in the Bradford West seat he's defending. |
35,294,506 | Former All Blacks flanker Braid has made 65 appearances for Sharks since joining from Auckland Blues in 2013.
The 34-year-old has featured in all eight of Sale's Premiership games this season, scoring one try.
Braid will be retiring from playing at the end of the season to take up a coaching role with the club.
Sharks are currently eighth in the Premiership table, 12 points outside the top four. | Sale captain Dan Braid will be out for 12 weeks as he requires surgery for a shoulder injury suffered in their Premiership win over Wasps. |
22,901,918 | More women were raped in Delhi than in any other of India's large cities in 2012, according to the National Crime Records Bureau in its latest figures.
It says that the city of Delhi, home to 7.5 million women, recorded 585 cases of rape in 2012, compared with a total of 484 cases from the cities of Mumbai (232 cases), Calcutta (68), Chennai (94) and Bangalore (90 cases). Delhi, Mumbai and Calcutta are megacities with populations of more than 10 million people.
Delhi also recorded the highest number of crimes against women out of the big cities: the capital accounted for 14.18% of crimes against women out of 53 cities surveyed in its latest report.
The report said 5,194 cases of crimes against women were reported from Delhi during 2012, up from 4,489 cases in 2011.
As far as India is concerned, 244,270 incidents of crimes against women were reported from all over the country last year.
Scrutiny of sexual violence in India has grown since the rape and murder of a student on a Delhi bus in December. The gang-rape of the student sparked widespread protests and prompted the government to alter laws relating to rape in India.
It is common knowledge that many incidents of rape and other crimes against women go unreported.
But, going by recent reports, most cities are seeing an increase in recorded cases after the tragedy in Delhi and the introduction of new anti-rape laws.
So this year's figures of crimes against women in Delhi - and the rest of India - which will be announced in 2014, will be far more significant than the latest set.
I will be surprised if we didn't see a sharp rise in incidents of all crimes against women, helping us to understand better how bad the situation is.
But more significantly, the figures for 2103 will also begin to tell us whether the new anti-rape laws have spurred more victims to report crimes and the police to record and investigate them with alacrity. | Looking at recently released official data on crimes against women it is clear that there are no major surprises - at least as far as the figures for Delhi go. |
32,452,760 | Sabeen Mehmud was shot dead as she drove home with her mother, who was also attacked.
Ms Mehmud had been the subject of death threats before.
Tributes were paid to her on social media as soon as news of her death emerged.
Ms Mehmud was a director of the charity The Second Floor, also known as T2F.
T2F regularly holds seminars on human rights issues. It houses a cafe and book shop where Karachi's liberal activists and students can meet.
The seminar on torture in Balochistan was held at T2F, having been cancelled by university authorities in Lahore, where it had been due to take place in the last few weeks.
Taliban militants, Baloch separatists and other groups fight in Balochistan, which borders Iran.
Shortly after leaving the event, Ms Mehmud and her mother were shot. Pakistan's Dawn newspaper reported that Ms Mehmud died on her way to hospital, and that she had been shot five times.
Dawn reported that her mother is in a critical condition in hospital.
When you don't see that many people stand up, and you do, you are very likely to stand out. Sabeen knew that and went ahead and did it anyway.
It's a huge thing when you have been told to call off an event, only to go ahead and do the same event in a public space, when it's so dangerous in Pakistan.
It is difficult to believe someone so vibrant, so alive, so determined is gone. There is a disbelief in Pakistan, on social media and from young people.
To me, she was someone who could have chosen to lead a very different, ordinary life. But she chose to lead an extraordinary life.
Within an hour of the attack, tributes had started appearing on social media.
Among the tributes was one from Siraj ul Haq, the head of the conservative Islamist group Jamaat-e-Islami, who tweeted: "Murder of Sabeen Mahmud is shocking & horrific. It is extremely condemnable, indeed coward of them to target a woman."
No group has yet said it carried out the attack, though Ms Mehmud is believed to have been the subject of threats by the Pakistani Taliban in the past.
Ms Mehmud set up T2F having already established a charity, PeaceNiche, in Karachi. She said she "maxed out seven credit cards" to keep the centre going.
She also helped promote the importance of learning computer skills among Pakistani youth, and hosted hundreds of events at T2F.
In a profile in a Pakistani media magazine in 2013, Ms Mehmud was asked what her superpower would be. She answered: "I'd like to wave my magic wand and de-weaponise Karachi." | A leading Pakistani human rights activist has been killed in a drive-by shooting in Karachi after hosting a talk on allegations of torture in the province of Balochistan. |
28,020,654 | One woman held up a sign reading "develop a conscience", while another shouted that the firm was creating "machines that kill people".
The yearly Google I/O event is a chance for the firm to show off its latest products and plans.
Google could not be reached for comment about the interruptions.
Away from the event, at Google's headquarters in Mountain View, another group of people were reportedly arrested in a separate incident regarding the ongoing "net neutrality" debate.
Google launched this year's event with a keynote presentation lasting about two hours.
During a segment explaining an enhanced battery-saving feature on a forthcoming software release, a protester could be heard shouting the name of Jack Halprin, a Google lawyer.
Mr Halprin has been at the centre of a row involving tenants living in a residential block he purchased.
The protester held a sign saying "stop Jack Halprin from evicting SF teachers".
On stage, Google engineer David Burke attempted to deflect attention from the disturbance by jokingly suggesting the better battery life would come in useful during a "long protest".
Later during the same keynote address, a man was removed by security staff shortly after shouting "you all work for a totalitarian company that builds robots that kill people".
Last year, Google acquired Boston Dynamics, a company that had previously developed sophisticated robotics for the US military.
Google said at the time that it would honour existing contracts Boston Dynamics had with the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa).
Over the past year there has been increased friction between long-time San Francisco residents and what some have dubbed the "Silicon Valley tech elite".
Buses used to shuttle Google employees from residential areas to the company's campus have become a target for anger - with some protesters standing in the vehicles' way. In some cases buses have been vandalised.
San Francisco locals said they were concerned that an increase in the numbers of wealthy technology workers was driving up the cost of living in the city.
Google will be keen to make sure the focus remains on its new announcements at I/O, of which there were many.
Aside from a closer look at new smartwatch hardware, the company was excited to show off major updates to its Android operating system, which has had a visual refresh.
One feature that impressed the audience was smarter phone unlocking - if a handset owner's paired smartwatch is detected nearby, the phone will not require a password to unlock it.
Google's agenda-setting conference is ostensibly aimed squarely at developers - but while there were no great surprises, there was plenty to interest users too.
Android already has impressive market share in developing markets - but with overall smartphone adoption running at just 10%, Android One is a way for Google to consolidate its presence by delivering users affordable hardware and an up-to-date Google-supported software experience; in the process it delivers a blow to rivals including Microsoft.
But its renewed attempt at capturing the living room TV will be a harder nut to crack - the market is more crowded than it was when it launched its first disastrous foray with Google TV four years ago.
Lots of users already have capable set-top boxes, many TV makers (notably Samsung) have already established their own interfaces or partnerships, and others (like Logitech) have sour memories of their failed partnership.
Similarly, Google has yet to move convincingly into enterprise; despite walling-off business data and enhanced security, many IT administrators will take some convincing to adopt a platform which has become synonymous with malware.
With so many software products across multiple devices - from PCs, mobile and the living room to new arenas like our cars, and even our wrists - it is little surprise that Google is aiming for greater consistency between them.
The cleaner and unifying "material design" in the new version of Android will help deliver a slicker experience. It should help shed Android's reputation as a disjointed and chaotic experience, and maybe - just maybe - give some Apple users pause for thought.
Google also used the event to unveil Android TV. The platform is designed to work on big screens, and can be controlled by items such as a person's smartphone, games controller or, eventually, smartwatch.
"We're giving TV the same level of attention that phones and tablets have enjoyed," said Mr Burke, on stage.
Sony, Sharp and TP Vision - which manufactures Philips' products - will all release smart TVs using Google's software.
Google has attempted to get stuck into the TV market several times before with little success - although its most recent TV-related launch, the Chromecast, has been well-received by consumers.
Also shown off at the event was Android Auto, the company's attempt to get its software into the dashboards of popular cars.
The mostly voice-activated system is being experimented with by car makers including Ford, Honda, Audi and Volkswagen - but should not be confused with Google's continued efforts to create a driverless car.
The firm's new Google Fit service hopes to provide a central place for people to track all the health data gathered from fitness apps. The system has the likes of Nike and Adidas on board.
Android One is at the other end of the tech spectrum - the scaled back software is designed to work on phones used primarily in the developing world.
Absent from the keynote speech were any significant developments involving Google Glass eyewear or the firm's social network, Google+.
As is typical at the developer event, those in attendance were all given free devices.
One item this year was a cardboard box which could be folded into a makeshift virtual reality headset - a playful joke aimed at Facebook, which acquired virtual reality outfit Oculus VR earlier this year for about $2bn (£1.2bn).
Details of Google's slightly less expensive do-it-yourself hardware were posted online.
Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC | Google has announced a raft of new services and products at its annual developer conference - but its event was twice interrupted by protesters. |
35,405,479 | Peers voted by a majority of 92 to amend the Welfare Reform and Work Bill to make ministers report annually on income levels in the poorest families.
The move was spearheaded by the Bishop of Durham, Rt Rev Paul Butler, who argued income-related statistics must be recorded so they could be assessed with other measurements of deprivation.
Ministers say life chances are a better measure of economic outcomes.
The defeat could be overturned when the bill returns to the Commons later this year.
If it is not, ministers will be obliged to present a report to Parliament each year setting out the percentage of children in households whose net income is 60% to 70% below the median average.
The government's decision to change how child poverty is measured, to focus on the root causes of poverty rather than income disparities, has angered opposition parties and anti-poverty campaigners
But ministers insist that income benchmarks put in place by the last Labour government painted a false picture and meant that inter-generational factors holding families back, such as unemployment and low educational attainment, were ignored.
Bishop Butler said he conceded income levels should not be the only measure of levels of relative poverty but were still highly significant.
"It is also possible to understate the importance of income, or the lack of it, especially among those of us who have plenty," he said.
"There is also a wealth of academic evidence pointing to the damaging effect income poverty has on children's wellbeing, including their health, education and future employment prospects."
While he was not seeking to reinstate an income-based definition of child poverty, the bishop said his proposal would ensure income was measured and reported on an equal basis to other social indicators.
Ministers insist the move is not needed as income-related statistics would still be collated.
Welfare minister Lord Freud said, on their own, income figures were at best a "partial reflection" of an individual's economic wellbeing, and did not take into account levels of debt and savings, employment histories and increased school spending in areas of the highest deprivation.
During Monday's report stage debate on the Welfare Bill, ministers also announced that the government would be exempting recipients of carer's allowance from the overall household benefit cap, which is set to fall to a maximum of £20,000 outside London and £23,00 in the capital.
Lord Freud said the government valued the contribution carers made to society and was taking further steps to support them. | The government has lost a vote in the House of Lords on child poverty. |
33,730,563 | Relativity Media filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Thursday and will now sell its TV and film arms.
However, it said it would go ahead with the releases of Kristen Wiig's Masterminds and Halle Berry's Kidnap.
But it is less clear what the future holds for around a dozen other films, including Natalie Portman's hotly anticipated western Jane Got A Gun.
Jane Got A Gun, which also stars Joel Edgerton and Ewan McGregor, had been due for release this September, and had been tipped as a possible awards contender.
Deadline reported that Relativity relinquished its share of the film's distribution rights before bankruptcy proceedings began, and that its backers now hope to release it early next year.
Relativity Media was founded in 2004 and was dubbed a "mini-major" studio with releases including Oscar-winners The Social Network and The Fighter.
The company also made MTV show Catfish, and said it would press ahead with a number of international versions of the show as well as a sequel called Truce.
TV drama Limitless, based on the Relativity movie of the same name starring Bradley Cooper, will be screened on CBS this year, it added.
Variety reported that the company would also "move forward" with a remake of 1994 film The Crow.
But Variety said around a dozen more projects were now up in the air, including The Bronze, which opened this year's Sundance Film Festival; and horrors Before I Wake and The Disappointments Room.
Others reportedly in the pipeline include Autobahn, which sees Nicholas Hoult play a getaway driver; Amanda Seyfried comedy Love the Coopers; Jonathan Rhys Meyers spy thriller Damascus Cover; and Holocaust love story The Lost Wife.
The Lost Wife writer Marc Klein told Variety: "This isn't something I'd be able to write at a major studio. It's a story that Hollywood could tell and isn't anymore.
"The one company who did is now bankrupt. That's a bummer. They've been nothing but great to me."
Relativity chief executive Ryan Kavanaugh said: "We will continue to move forward with a robust production slate of scripted and non-scripted shows during the reorganisation process."
Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection allows a company to continue to operate while all claims from debtors or the company are put on hold. | The fates of a string of new movies are up in the air after a Hollywood studio filed for bankruptcy protection. |
36,375,307 | Four areas of the Cheshire Science Corridor will offer relief from business rates and other taxes, as well as access to 'super-fast' broadband.
The zone includes sites where hundreds of jobs have been lost in recent years.
Officials claim 20,000 jobs and 500 new businesses could be attracted to the county due to the incentives offered by the enterprise zone designation.
Sites in Ellesmere Port, Warrington and east Cheshire will benefit from the new status.
They include Alderley Park near Macclesfield, where 1,600 jobs were lost in 2013 when pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca announced it would move its research and development unit to Cambridge.
Dr Chris Doherty, site director at Alderley Park, said: "The Enterprise Zone will give businesses based at Alderley Park access to additional important financial incentives, alongside the services and support we already provide."
Another is Thornton Science Park near Ellesmere Port, former home of Shell's main UK research and development centre. It closed in 2012 with the loss of 280 jobs.
The enterprise zone status was announced by the Chancellor and Cheshire MP George Osborne in his 2015 Autumn Statement.
Since it was established on 1 April, the zone has attracted its first tenant, Werfen Ltd, which manufactures diagnostic instruments for the health sector.
Philip Cox from the county's local enterprise partnership (LEP) said the zone "will bring ever more science-based businesses into the area."
"We have an aspiration to more than double the size of the economy over the next 25 years, which is an incredibly powerful contribution to the northern powerhouse," he said.
Other sites in the Cheshire Science Corridor will not be part of the enterprise zone - including Jodrell Bank and Capenhurst Technology Park near Ellesmere Port.
Chair of the enterprise zone's steering group, Robert Mee, said: "We identified a number of sites with high growth potential and a skilled workforce and it is these sites that make up the Enterprise Zone and will offer significant incentives to attract more science based businesses to help grow these key sectors".
Daresbury Science Park in Cheshire was unveiled by the government as an enterprise zone in 2011. | An enterprise zone designed to attract jobs and businesses to sites across Cheshire has been launched. |
37,431,625 | Since 2014, midwives at Westmorland General Hospital's Helme Chase unit have been on call overnight and at weekends if there are no patients to care for.
The University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust said it has saved 3,000 working hours.
The NHS Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) wants the change made permanent.
Eleanor Hodgson, director of children and families for the CCG, said the majority of mothers now have their babies at consultant-led maternity units at Barrow and Lancaster.
She said: "The interim change (at Helme Chase) released more than 3,000 clinical hours in the first 15 months alone.
"This has enabled the Trust to use its midwives more effectively to improve the maternity care it provides and now we are proposing that the on-call arrangement is made permanent."
About 10 babies a month are born at Helme Chase, which can be used by women assessed as having a low risk pregnancy.
In 2013 the average was 17.
The CCG is holding a six week consultation.
Liberal Democrat MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale Tim Farron has previously criticised the changes to working hours saying the unit should be staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
More than 1,000 people have signed a petition started by the MP. | Temporary part-time staffing of a maternity ward could be made permanent. |
33,838,005 | With so many games and moments to get your head around, BBC Sport has picked out five things you may have missed from the action.
Rotherham 1-4 MK Dons
They may have been the top scorers in the country last season with 101 goals in League One, but life is meant to be a lot tougher in the Championship.
But you try telling that to Karl Robinson's men, who got their first ever season in the second tier under way with a thumping victory at Rotherham.
Harder tests will no doubt lie ahead, but the opening day table makes pretty viewing for Dons fans as they sit top of the pile.
Stevenage 0-2 Notts County
He's represented England in two World Cups, scored in a Champions League final and played for arguably the world's biggest club, but Teddy Sheringham has now stepped onto the other side of the touchline for the first time.
Unfortunately for Teddy, things didn't quite go to plan today, as his Stevenage side were comfortably beaten at home by Notts County.
The 49-year-old didn't have to taste defeat much in his career with Manchester United, but he will have to get used to the highs and lows of management very quickly.
Doncaster 1-1 Bury
There's nothing like a bit of controversy to kick-off the new season - but a sporting gesture made sure everything ended on friendly terms between Doncaster and Bury in League One.
After Bury put the ball out to allow treatment to one of their players, Doncaster's Harry Forrester accidentally chipped the ball over goalkeeper Christian Walton and into the net while trying to give it back.
The goal stood, but the hosts allowed Bury's Leon Clarke to walk the ball in to ensure a share of the spoils.
Cardiff 1-1 Fulham
Fulham only registered one shot on target, Matt Smith's goal, in their 1-1 draw at Cardiff.
It led to boss Kit Symons urging his side to carry more of a forward threat as the season goes on rather than just playing attractive football with no end product.
I wonder if the Harlem Globetrotters ever compare themselves to Fulham?
Swindon 4-1 Bradford
He'd only netted seven league goals in 78 appearances before today, but Swindon's Nathan Byrne turned into the unlikely match winner with three second-half goals for the Robins.
The feat from the winger sparked a fine comeback from Swindon who found themselves 1-0 down at half-time.
Byrne also takes the honour of scoring the season's first hat-trick in the Football League. | After what seemed like an endless wait, all the drama, excitement and controversy of the Football League made a welcome return on Saturday. |
33,652,369 | The vessel had reportedly been hired for an engagement party and was sailing north of Cairo when it was hit by a cargo ship late on Wednesday.
A number of children were among the dead, including four babies.
Rescuers are continuing their search for other bodies and the captain of the cargo boat has been arrested.
It is not clear if the couple celebrating their engagement were among the casualties.
Family and friends gathered at the river to await news of their loved ones.
Ahmed Helmy said at least five of his relatives had died. "Two children are missing," he said, according to AFP news agency.
Many people chanted anti-government slogans on the banks of the river, as the search continued.
Traffic had been heavy along the Nile, as Egyptians celebrated the end of the holy month of Ramadan. | The death toll from a boat crash on the River Nile has risen to 29, with several others still missing, the Egyptian health ministry says. |
35,250,234 | Concerns spread earlier this week, when US media reported "sources close to the singer" saying doctors had found a growth on her vocal cords.
Jackson responded by quoting her song The Great Forever on social media: "Sources say but where ya gettin' it? Don't create the truth you like."
In a statement, she added: "The rumours are untrue. I do not have cancer."
The singer announced just before the new year she would postpone several 2016 dates on her Unbreakable world tour, telling fans she had been advised to have surgery.
"I need you to know, I learned today, from my doctors that I must have surgery soon," she wrote. "It breaks my heart to tell you that I am forced to postpone the Unbreakable tour until the spring."
Jackson didn't elaborate on her condition at the time, saying: "There will be no further comment."
The cancer rumour originated on US gossip site Radaronline and was rapidly reported by media outlets. The unnamed source was quoted as saying Jackson's family were "terrified" as they awaited test results.
The singer's response was preceded by a message from her publicists, which said: "It was Janet's wish not to make any further comments about her health, however, because of the great concern from around the world, Janet will be releasing a personal message shortly."
After denying the cancer rumour, the 49-year-old stated: "I'm recovering. My doctors have approved my concerts as scheduled in Europe, and as I promised, the postponed shows will be rescheduled. Thank you for your prayers and love."
Her UK tour dates, which include concerts in Birmingham, Glasgow and London this March and April, are still scheduled to go ahead.
The song Jackson quoted, The Great Forever, takes aim at the media's coverage of her personal life and the Jackson family in general.
Its lyrics continue: "[You] don't like seeing people happy / Is it jealousy or personal? / Cause I don't see why loving someone / Or what I do seem so radical to you."
The song is taken from her current album, Unbreakable, which reached number one in the US last October.
It is her first release since her brother, Michael, died in 2009, which prompted the singer to take a step back from the public eye. | Pop star Janet Jackson has used her own lyrics to deny rumours she has throat cancer. |
36,761,264 | Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei 225 closed 4% higher at 15,708.82 points.
The broader Topix gained 3.8% to end at 1,255.79.
Mr Abe's party won in an election for the upper house of parliament despite concerns the country's pacifist constitution may be amended.
Mr Abe said the election result reflected support for his economic policies, which have been dubbed Abenomics.
He said their efforts at ending Japan's deflation problem and spurring growth are only "half done" which has fanned speculation they may release a new stimulus package soon.
Investors also took a positive cue from US jobs data on Friday, which came in stronger than expected.
US shares had finished higher last week on the back of the optimistic data.
China's Shanghai Composite added 0.23% to close higher at 2,994.92, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 1.5% to end at 20,880.5.
In Australia, the ASX/200 finished 2% up at 5,337.10. Markets there were reacting to the country's Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, declaring victory for his Conservative coalition in last week's closely fought general election.
South Korea's benchmark Kospi was also in line with the broader regional trend, wrapping the day 1.3% higher at 1,988.54. | Japan's share market rallied after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government claimed a major election victory over the weekend, spurring hopes of further economic stimulus under his leadership. |
35,686,903 | There were 493 vacancies for doctors in Welsh health boards on 1 December 2015, a rate of 7.8%.
Five health boards said they were trying to recruit doctors from abroad, while all seven said they were actively recruiting nurses from overseas.
Ministers said despite more staff there were "challenges" in some specialities.
The data was obtained by a Freedom of Information request for BBC News.
The figures for December 2014 do not include Hywel Dda but comparing vacancy numbers in the other six health boards there was a rise of 66% to 2015.
The snapshot figures for 1 December also showed there were 1,203 vacancies for nurses in the NHS in Wales, a rate of 5.6%.
This was below the average including England and Northern Ireland, which was 9% of the workforce.
The average vacancy rate for doctors in England, Wales and Northern Ireland was lower at 7%.
Cwm Taf University Health Board said 10% of its 698 nursing posts were unfilled, the highest proportion in Wales.
Powys 15%
Betsi Cadwaladr and Hywel Dda 14%
Abertawe Bro Morgannwg 11%
Aneurin Bevan and Cardiff/Vale 3%
Cwm Taf 2%
Both Betsi Cadwaladr and Hywel Dda health boards reported 14% of their doctor posts were vacant, compared to 3% in the Cardiff and Vale area.
The Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University health board saw the number of vacancies for doctors more than treble from in a year from 47 to 145, a rate of 11%.
Cardiff and Vale Health Board in December was looking to recruit three consultants in emergency medicine and Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board was looking for three consultant paediatricians.
Unions representing doctors and nurses have consistently warned of a "recruitment crisis" facing the NHS.
Dr Phil Banfield of the British Medical Association (BMA) in Wales told BBC Wales there was "terrible manpower planning" in the NHS.
"We've been raising the staff shortages issue for a number of years now. We've been highlighting some bad HR practices such as restricting advertising posts in the first place.
"If you delay advertising posts you don't pay the salary. You try to get away with shortages and get everyone else to cover.
"But then there becomes a need to staff the NHS with locums and we're also now seeing an increasing number of doctors choosing to be locums because they have a choice of when and where they work."
The Welsh government said there were more doctors and nurses working in the NHS than 10 years ago.
"Management information provided by health boards shows 94.5% of medical and dental posts are currently filled," a spokesperson said.
"However, the Welsh NHS does face recruitment challenges in some specialties in common with the rest of the UK.
"We will continue to do all we can to support recruitment initiatives proposed by health boards and trusts and to address recruitment and retention at a national level."
Vacancy rates in Scotland are published quarterly so comparable figures are not yet available. | The number of vacancies for doctors in the Welsh NHS has risen sharply over the last year, figures obtained by the BBC have shown. |
37,923,758 | An EU official said Turkey was not heading in a European direction, as he gave an annual appraisal of its progress towards EU membership.
The Turkish president challenged the EU to "make your final decision".
For days there has been a war of words, with Europe accused of failing to take terrorism in Turkey seriously.
And a Turkish minister rejected the latest appraisal as "not objective".
The worsening relations have led to fears that an EU-Turkey deal on migrants in March could collapse.
Under the March 2016 agreement, migrants arriving in Greece are now sent back to Turkey if they do not apply for asylum or their claim is rejected, but Turkey complains it has not got its end of the bargain.
A conditional promise of visa-free travel now seems a long way off.
Nonetheless, the Commission statement stopped short of severing talks or imposing sanctions - reflecting the reliance of each side on the other, say commentators.
Negotiations on Turkey's accession to the EU began in 2005, and its progress on 72 benchmarks are reported on annually along with other would-be new members.
In a tweet sent as the report was launched, EU enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn said there had been "serious backsliding in areas of #RuleofLaw and #fundamentalrights". The post-coup crackdown, he said, had "affected all spectrums of society".
The Commission highlighted several issues of concern including:
In a statement on Tuesday, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, condemned last Friday's bomb attack in the south-eastern, mainly Kurdish city of Diyarbakir which followed the HDP detentions and killed 11 people, demanding an end to violence.
But she added that actions against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) had to be proportional and respect human rights.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, meanwhile, used blunt words to voice his disdain for Turkish actions.
"I say this with bitterness, I who am a friend of Turkey, that every day Turkey is moving further away from Europe," he said on Tuesday. "We need Turkey... but we cannot compromise on our main principles", he said, challenging Turkey to "clearly say whether it wants to be a member of the EU or not".
Earlier this week, Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn compared Turkey's purge to methods used by Nazi Germany.
The EU's criticisms have been angrily rejected by Turkish leaders.
On Tuesday, the Turkish foreign ministry branded the criticisms "unacceptable", saying European nations "insistently refused to understand Turkey's sensitivities concerning terrorism" - and for tolerating the PKK despite its EU status as a terrorist organisation.
"The EU has lost its plausibility and credibility with the Turkish people on the issue of the struggle against terrorism," the statement said.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a frustrated response on Wednesday, telling a business group in Istanbul: "They say unabashedly and shamelessly that the EU should review its negotiations with Turkey."
"You are late, go and review them as soon as you can. But don't just review them - go and make your final decision."
He referred explicitly to the migrants packed into Turkish camps under the terms of the March deal, saying: "What if the negotiations end and they open the gates, where would we put those three million refugees?
"That is their worry. That is why they cannot come to the end point.'' | The European Commission has accused Turkey of "serious backsliding" in rights and the rule of law since a failed coup on 15 July. |
28,288,799 | Media playback is not supported on this device
Messi, 27, received the Golden Ball after scoring four goals in Brazil but was subdued against Germany.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Sabella said Messi's award was "very deserved", adding: "He played a great World Cup to get us where he did."
Barcelona star Messi said of the award: "The truth is it doesn't interest me at this moment."
The four-time world player of the year added: "We wanted to win the World Cup for all the people in Argentina and we couldn't do it. We tried, but we didn't have the luck we had in other games."
Midfielder Javier Mascherano added: "The pain is immense. We wanted to win this for the people of Argentina, for those who came here to support us, but we lost.
"We have represented our country the best we could. We have to lift our heads despite the pain. We gave everything we could out there."
Messi's goals came during the group stage, with a double against Nigeria following strikes against Bosnia-Hercegovina and Iran.
Former England captain Gary Lineker was disappointed by Messi's performances during the tournament.
"I'm not sure we saw the best of Messi," said the Match Of The Day presenter. "In the final, he was largely suppressed."
Former England defender Rio Ferdinand added: "Messi did some fantastic things, but he wasn't doing it consistently."
Sabella said he was proud of his players but admitted they had paid the price for missing chances against Germany.
Mario Gotze scored the only goal in Rio, volleying home with seven minutes of extra time remaining, but Messi, Gonzalo Higuain and Rodrigo Palacio all missed good opportunities for Argentina.
"Beyond the pain of the defeat in the final, they can look themselves in the eyes and say they gave everything for Argentina," Sabella said.
The former Leeds and Sheffield United player refused to discuss his future amid reports he is preparing to stand down.
"I cannot speak about the future," said the 59-year-old. "The future for me now is to be with the players and my people - the coaches and my family - and to rest a bit."
For the best of BBC Sport's in-depth content and analysis, go to our features and video page. | Lionel Messi deserved to be named the World Cup's best player despite Argentina's 1-0 defeat in Sunday's final, says coach Alejandro Sabella. |
38,096,179 | The previous deal was rejected by the Colombian people in a popular vote on 2 October.
The revised agreement has been submitted to Congress for approval, rather than put to a popular vote.
The deal is aimed at ending five decades of armed conflict, which has killed more than 260,000 people and left millions internally displaced.
The revised deal was signed in a low-key ceremony in the capital, Bogota, and then handed to the president of the Congress.
The ceremony was deliberately kept much smaller than the signing of the previous agreement on 26 September, which was attended by regional heads of state and the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon.
About 800 people were invited to Thursday's ceremony in Colon Theatre rather than the 2,500 who attended the previous ceremony in the port city of Cartagena.
As Farc leader Rodrigo Londono, better known as Timochenko, and President Juan Manuel Santos shook hands after taking turns to sign the document, with a pen made from a bullet, the guests rose to their feet and chanted "Si se pudo" ("Yes, we could").
Timochenko said the agreement "put a definite end to the war so we can confront our difference in a civilised manner".
President Santos said the revised agreement was "better" than the previous one because it addressed many of the concerns of those who had voted "No" in the October referendum.
He warned that its implementation could not be delayed by a single minute and asked the guests to imagine for a moment what it would be like to return to war with the Farc.
He said he expected Congress to vote on the deal as early as next week.
After four years of formal talks between rebel and government negotiators, the two sides reached an agreement earlier this year.
The deal was signed in an emotional ceremony on 26 September.
But Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos had said from the start of the negotiations that he wanted the Colombian people to have a say in the peace process.
He asked them to endorse or reject the peace agreement in a popular vote held on 2 October.
Polls had suggested the deal would pass by a comfortable margin but in a shock result it was narrowly rejected.
A bilateral ceasefire was extended until the end of the year to give the two sides time to plan their next steps.
President Santos met former President Alvaro Uribe, a vociferous opponent of the peace deal, to listen to his objections.
The government and the Farc then went back to the negotiating table to try to strike a new deal acceptable to those who had voted "no".
Changes were made to almost all of the 57 points in the original agreement.
The five main points which have been changed are:
The deal will be voted on in Congress, where the government has a solid majority, probably early next week, ministers say.
The Democratic Centre party, founded by ex-President Uribe, has already said it will vote "No".
Its leaders say that the changes are only "cosmetic" and object to the fact that the government has said the new deal is "final".
It wants more of its demands met, including harsher sentences for Farc rebels who have committed crimes.
It also demanded that the revised deal be put to another popular vote, which President Santos and the Farc have both ruled out.
Other parties in Congress have given the deal their backing, so it is expected to pass. | The Colombian government and the country's largest rebel group, the Farc, have signed a revised peace deal. |
39,129,181 | Advocate General for Scotland Richard Keen QC pleaded guilty to breaching section two of the Firearms Act 1968 by failing to secure a shotgun.
Police investigating a break-in at his home in Edinburgh found that the weapon had been left outside a secure cabinet.
Lord Keen, a former chairman of the Scottish Conservative Party, was made a life peer in 2015.
He did not appear when the case called at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Wednesday but he pleaded guilty by letter.
Sheriff Frank Crowe said: "I do take into account Mr Keen's previous good record and the fact that he admitted his guilt at the outset.
"Nevertheless to hold a firearms certificate is a privilege and there are very strict conditions which have to be adhered to to prevent such weapons falling into the wrong hands.
"There was a potential risk with the shotgun not in the secure cabinet as laid down by the regulations."
The court heard the offence came to light when police were called to a break-in at Lord Keen's home on Ann Street in Edinburgh, on Hogmanay last year when he and his wife were away on holiday.
Officers searching the property found the 12 bore Stephen Grant shotgun in a basement out of its secure cabinet.
Solicitor advocate Simon Catto, representing Lord Keen, said he had been out shooting on 27 December. On returning home he had taken the gun to the basement intending to clean it, but had then "forgotten about it through his own carelessness" before leaving on holiday the following day.
Mr Catto said Lord Keen had contacted police himself on Hogmanay after receiving a mobile phone alert that his alarm system had been triggered.
While the upper floors of the property had been ransacked, the burglars had not entered the basement area, he said.
Mr Catto said: "He's a keen shot, he shoots approximately 10 times per year.
"He has been a shotgun enthusiast for around 25 years and has held a firearms certificate. He is therefore fully aware of what's expected and required of him in terms of the certificate.
"He accepts on this occasion he fell below that." | The UK government's most senior adviser on Scots law has been fined £1,000 after admitting a firearms offence. |
36,072,681 | 18 April 2016 Last updated at 11:29 BST
Simon Greaves's son Harry from Bronygarth, near Oswestry, in Shropshire was visiting friends in Peru and planned a lone expedition on a mountain on 7 April.
The 29-year-old has not been in contact since - which his family says is "out of character".
A Go Fund Me page called The Search For Harry has so far raised £13,000 of its £25,000 target - to fund flights and search and rescue operations.
Mr Greaves's mother and a cousin, who is a Spanish speaker, flew out on Sunday morning in the hope of finding him. | The father of a British tourist missing in South America said his absence is a cause for concern. |
38,563,190 | All Round to Mrs Brown's will be hosted by Agnes Brown, the female alter-ego played by Brendan O'Carroll in the sitcom Mrs Brown's Boys.
O'Carroll said: "The entire cast is excited by this. I think Agnes may be worried that she'll need a bigger kettle to make tea for everyone that's coming round!"
The series will transmit later this year.
The BBC said the show would feature "celebrity guests, surprise audience shenanigans and outrageous stunts" in front of a live studio.
Charlotte Moore, director of BBC content, said: "Bringing one of our biggest comedy stars, Mrs Brown, to Saturday nights in 2017 with a new entertainment show is going to be full of fun and mischief and totally unpredictable."
Mrs Brown's Boys became a hit when the BBC sitcom first aired in 2011.
Mrs Brown first appeared on Irish radio station RTE 2fm in 1992 and has been the focal point of a series of books and a long-running stage show.
But it was not until O'Carroll's matriarch hit the small screen that he became an international star.
A Saturday night live episode of Mrs Brown's Boys was watched by more than 11 million viewers last year. The sitcom was also voted the most popular of the 21st century in a Radio Times poll.
In 2014, the spin-off film Mrs Brown's Boys D'Movie topped the UK and Ireland box office.
All Round to Mrs Brown's is to be produced by Hungry Bear Media in conjunction with O'Carroll's production company BocPix.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]. | Comedy star Mrs Brown is to front a new Saturday night TV show on BBC One. |
28,952,826 | The 21-year-old has been one of Castleford's star performers in 2014, helping the Tigers to a first Challenge Cup final in 22 years and fifth position in the Super League table.
His form earned him a call-up to Steve McNamara's England squad in June.
Castleford chief executive Steve Gill confirmed the move had been completed last year to secure the Tigers' future.
"The sale was agreed back in 2013 when the club had a real threat of going into administration and this decision was made to ensure we had financial stability at the club," Gill told the club website.
"We negotiated Daryl's services for this season as part of that sale and he has been an integral part of our success this season.
"The club would like to place on record our thanks to Daryl for his professional attitude and commitment this year and we wish him all the best for the future."
Castleford coach Daryl Powell added: "When I took on the job last season, the deal had already been done for Daryl to move to Warrington, which secured the future of the club at that time.
"Whilst we obviously don't want to lose our best players, this deal was in the best interests of the club."
Clark has scored 12 Super League tries this season and also touched down in their Challenge Cup final defeat by Leeds on Saturday, the club's first appearance at Wembley since 1992.
His arrival at Warrington offsets the imminent loss of joint-captain Michael Monaghan, who is to retire at the end of the campaign.
"Warrington are a massive club and have been involved in finals and massive games over the last few years," Clark told the Wolves' website. "As a player that's what you want to do within the game; win trophies, play in big games and finish high in the league every year and that's what Warrington have achieved.
"It feels like the right move for me to step forward." | Castleford Tigers hooker Daryl Clark will join Warrington Wolves at the end of the season on a four-year contract. |
36,301,657 | The letter says the UK plays a key "balancing role" in European politics and a British exit from the EU "would be disastrous".
It is addressed to the Czech-born British playwright, Sir Tom Stoppard.
The signatories include Cold War-era dissidents, supermodel Eva Herzigova and renowned conductor Jiri Belohlavek.
The list is topped by Michael Zantovsky, a former Czech ambassador to London who was spokesman for the late Vaclav Havel, the man who led the 1989 Velvet Revolution that swept the Soviet-backed communists from power. Mr Zantovsky now runs the Vaclav Havel library.
Havel's brother Ivan is also a signatory, as are Cardinal Dominik Duka, Archbishop of Prague, and former gymnast Vera Caslavska, who won seven Olympic gold medals.
The Czech letter speaks of the close historical ties that bind Britain to Bohemia, a common Celtic heritage, medieval royal marriages and the Czechoslovak fighter pilots who served in the RAF in the Battle of Britain.
"Britain... has played a balancing role in European politics, effectively preventing any large European power from playing a hegemonistic role," the letter says.
How trade and the UK's economy are affected by membership of the EU.
But it also acknowledges that "many Europeans, in the East and in the West, are frustrated with the decreasing ability of the EU to cope with the current problems".
It says Brexit would leave the UK isolated, "stranded in the middle of the Atlantic", and argues that Europe has gained from the British "democratic institutions, entrepreneurial spirit, common sense and pragmatic approach".
However, the signatories stress that the plea to the UK is non-political - and only one of them is a serving politician.
The Czech Republic and three of its ex-communist neighbours - Hungary, Poland and Slovakia - are in dispute with their EU partners over refugee policy.
The four - together called the Visegrad Group - object to a European Union plan to distribute refugees more fairly across the EU. The four argue that they are ill-suited to integrate migrants, especially Muslims from outside Europe.
There is also a strong strain of Euroscepticism in Czech society - and support for EU membership amongst the Czechs has plunged in recent years.
Some Czech leaders, including President Milos Zeman, have spoken out against other EU policies, besides migration.
Mr Zeman says the EU should lift its sanctions on Russia, imposed over the March 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea, internationally recognised as part of Ukraine.
His predecessor Vaclav Klaus was staunchly Eurosceptic, arguing that the behaviour of EU officials reminded him of the Soviet bloc. | More than 30 leading public figures in the Czech Republic have signed an open letter urging the UK to vote to stay in the EU in next month's referendum. |
34,903,646 | Haye, who has not fought since he stopped fellow Briton Dereck Chisora in 2012, is to hold a news conference at London's O2 Arena at which his next opponent will also be present.
The 35-year-old has been training with Shane McGuigan - son of former world champion Barry - and has indicated he wants to reclaim the world title he lost to Wladimir Klitschko in 2011.
Legendary former world heavyweight champion George Foreman believes Haye could be the only person who can take the belt from Ukrainian Klitschko.
Londoner Haye tweeted: "You sure know your stuff George Foreman and you'll be happy to know I'll be back to regain the heavyweight crown #HayemakerIsBack."
Klitschko, 39, is preparing to fight another Briton, Tyson Fury, in Germany on Saturday. He has not lost a fight since 2004.
Former two-weight world champion Haye - who has won 26 of his 28 bouts - says he has had offers to fight Liverpool cruiserweight Tony Bellew, Irishman Martin Rogan, American Malik Scott and Mark de Mori of Australia.
Yes and no. Haye's original plan was to retire before his 31st birthday but he has already come out of retirement once - to fight Chisora at Upton Park in 2012.
Two proposed fights against Fury have since been cancelled because Haye needed reconstructive surgery on his shoulder, after which he was advised to retire.
There is, however, a sense of unfinished business. He won the world title in thrilling circumstances when he defeated Russia's Nikolay Valuev, despite giving away seven stone to his 7ft opponent.
He followed that with victories over John Ruiz and Audley Harrison to set up a fight against Klitschko - the dominant force in the division - but was easily beaten, blaming a toe injury for his subdued performance.
Haye looked back to his best in dismantling Chisora, but a succession of injuries have stalled any plans to try to reclaim the world title.
When in peak fitness, Haye poses a threat to the best in the division because of his ability to mix speedy footwork with some heavy punching.
Since stepping up from the cruiserweight division, he has faced a succession of taller and heavier men but has managed to fuse his extra speed with power.
That appears to be behind his decision to link up with Shane McGuigan, who has overseen Carl Frampton's rise to the world title in the super-bantamweight division.
"Looking at all the British and world fighters, the one fighter that stood out for me was Carl," said Haye.
"Carl's speed, timing, accuracy and punch variety is something that I didn't have in my arsenal. The guy behind that is Shane, so he was the guy I sought out."
Haye will have to prove he is still operating at world-title level when he returns, but he will be keeping a close eye on Saturday's fight between Klitschko and Fury.
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He has been mocked by Fury after pulling out of two fights against his fellow Briton, and has spoken of his desire to put right his perceived wrongs against Klitschko.
A fight against Bellew should not be ruled out, while Haye is likely to also jump at the chance - should it present itself - of fighting unbeaten American Deontay Wilder, who holds the WBC belt.
Wilder, 30, is expected to fight again on 16 January in New York.
Could Haye be ready by then? It would be a risk, but one he might believe is worth taking. | Former world heavyweight champion David Haye will announce on Tuesday he is to return to the ring after an absence of more than three years. |
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