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32,154,453 | Audit Scotland said some of them did not follow good practice managing and approving severance arrangements.
The comments were made in a report on Scotland's colleges.
But it stressed that the changes have had a "minimal" adverse impact on students.
In the past few years, many colleges across Scotland have merged into regional "supercolleges" with the number of incorporated colleges dropping from 37 to 20 over three years.
According to figures included in the report, there were 238,000 college students last year.
This represents a fall of 19,500 on the figure for 2011-12.
Since 2009, the number of college students has fallen 36%.
The main reason for the drop is that colleges started to focus more on courses which led to qualifications and on young people - but more recently student numbers expressed as a full time equivalent have also fallen,
The report mentions "significant concerns" surrounding the way severance arrangements for senior staff at Coatbridge College were processed.
It also highlights a concern surrounding severance arrangements at North Glasgow College, which is now part of Glasgow Kelvin College, and says arrangements at four others - Banff and Buchan, City of Glasgow, Carnegie and Cardonald - fell short of good practice.
The report also warns it is still difficult to assess whether the reform programme across Scotland is achieving all its aims and that it is still not clear how much mergers have contributed to the savings so far.
It says the the Scottish government and the Scottish Funding Council have not specified the measures they will use to assess progress delivering the expected benefits of the mergers.
It added: "Neither could they provide us with details of the expected level of change required for mergers to be considered successful. The lack of baseline information for some of the expected benefits will also make it difficult to fully assess and report on improvement."
The Scottish government has indicated it will draw on existing data sources - such as financial data and college performance indicators - to assess progress.
Caroline Gardner, Auditor General for Scotland, said: "The last few years have placed significant demands on colleges in Scotland as they managed a complex programme of reform. Our report is intended to support them in learning from how these reforms were delivered and addressing areas that need to improve.
"In the main, colleges coped well with substantial changes to the way they work, maintaining sound finances and completing mergers on time, without negatively affecting students during the process.
"Many of the effects of the mergers are still taking place, however, and there are continuing challenges for the sector. It's important that the Scottish government and the Scottish Funding Council work with colleges to measure and publicly report on whether the reforms have delivered all of the intended benefits."
The organisation that represents colleges' collective interests, Colleges Scotland, said: "The report states that there were weaknesses in how a small number of colleges processed senior staff severance payments.
"It is important to stress that the decisions that were taken on severance issues were made by some pre-merger colleges, and not by existing colleges. The new guidelines and governance arrangements that are now in place provide a more robust system which should ensure that a similar situation does not arise in the future."
It added: "The Audit Scotland report recognises the significant change that the college sector has had to negotiate in the past few years. It underlines that colleges in Scotland have succeeded in delivering what has been asked of them on time, whilst maintaining sound finances, and protecting the learner.
"It is our understanding that no other sector has been re-classified from private to public sector - it has been unique for the college sector, and therefore there has been no precedent." | Several colleges did not handle cuts in the number of senior staff during a major reform programme as well as they could have, according to the public spending watchdog. |
37,415,097 | The Tangerines struck first after 18 minutes. Jack Payne's free-kick from the left was met six yards out by Kelvin Mellor, who flicked a header over the onrushing David Forde and into the net.
Portsmouth were back on level terms in the 34th minute as Danny Rose's shot was deflected high into the air and dropped for Conor Chaplin, 12 yards out, who produced a stunning overhead kick to net the equaliser.
Pompey had League Two's joint-tightest defence ahead of the midweek fixtures, but were breached again four minutes after the break.
Armand Gnanduillet played in Kyle Vassell, who squared the ball beyond Forde for Brad Potts to tap into an empty net from four yards out.
And it was three for the home side after 65 minutes, as Vassell robbed Tom Davies in possession and broke clear through on goal, slotting calmly past Forde from 15 yards.
Report supplied by the Press Association.
Match ends, Blackpool 3, Portsmouth 1.
Second Half ends, Blackpool 3, Portsmouth 1.
Jim McAlister (Blackpool) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Kyle Bennett (Portsmouth).
Substitution, Blackpool. Michael Cain replaces Brad Potts.
Corner, Portsmouth. Conceded by Will Aimson.
Michael Doyle (Portsmouth) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Kyle Vassell (Blackpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Michael Doyle (Portsmouth).
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Substitution, Portsmouth. Curtis Main replaces Conor Chaplin.
Delay in match Jack Payne (Blackpool) because of an injury.
Attempt saved. Michael Smith (Portsmouth) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Attempt blocked. Brad Potts (Blackpool) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Attempt missed. Kyle Bennett (Portsmouth) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the right.
Will Aimson (Blackpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Michael Smith (Portsmouth).
Corner, Portsmouth. Conceded by Jack Payne.
Substitution, Portsmouth. Michael Smith replaces Enda Stevens.
Foul by Jamille Matt (Blackpool).
Danny Rose (Portsmouth) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt missed. Kal Naismith (Portsmouth) header from the centre of the box misses to the right.
Substitution, Blackpool. Jamille Matt replaces Armand Gnanduillet.
Armand Gnanduillet (Blackpool) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Armand Gnanduillet (Blackpool).
Tom Davies (Portsmouth) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Tom Aldred (Blackpool).
Christian Burgess (Portsmouth) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Kyle Vassell (Blackpool) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Christian Burgess (Portsmouth).
Will Aimson (Blackpool) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Kal Naismith (Portsmouth).
Kyle Bennett (Portsmouth) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Kelvin Mellor (Blackpool).
Conor Chaplin (Portsmouth) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Will Aimson (Blackpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Danny Rose (Portsmouth).
Substitution, Portsmouth. Kyle Bennett replaces Carl Baker.
Attempt missed. Kyle Vassell (Blackpool) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high.
Goal! Blackpool 3, Portsmouth 1. Kyle Vassell (Blackpool) right footed shot from outside the box to the bottom right corner. | Blackpool earned their first league win at Bloomfield Road since the opening day of the season with a comprehensive 3-1 victory over high-flying Portsmouth. |
37,373,837 | The council cabinet has agreed in principle to develop a company to run Bupa Care Ltd homes across the county, after its contract with Bupa expires in May 2017.
The council said the current model did not have the resources to "deliver the required levels of services".
It said it could help develop care services.
A spokesman for Bupa Care said: "We are proud of the high quality of care that we deliver in the 12 homes we operate in Powys, which we lease from the council.
"We were surprised to learn in the local media that the council may set up a company to run these homes after the current contract expires next May.
"No final decision has been made and the council will take the next few months to review arrangements and decide what to do next." | A new trading company could be set up by Powys council to run 12 residential care homes. |
35,493,252 | Media playback is not supported on this device
Jackson's 78th-minute kick put Ulster ahead for the first time in the game.
An Adam Hughes try helped the lively Dragons lead 10-0 before Sean Reidy's score cut the margin to 10-7 by half-time at Kingspan Stadium.
After a Carl Meyer try extended the Dragons lead, Ulster pressure yielded a penalty try but the visitors looked set to hold on before Jackson's late kick.
Jackson had hit the crossbar from a long-range penalty five minutes earlier but he held his nerve to slot the tricky winning penalty from the edge of the 22.
Victory moves Ulster to the top of the table on 41 points - one ahead of the Scarlets and Connacht - although the win did come as some cost as Stuart Olding and Peter Browne sustained suspected concussion during the game.
Olding, who only returned to action last week after a 10-month injury lay-off, appeared to be knocked out in the second half after a collision with Dragons full-back Meyer, although he was able to walk off the pitch.
After their win over Leinster last weekend, the Dragons can count themselves unlucky to have lost in Belfast after producing some enterprising running and excellent defence.
They looked to be running down the clock in the closing stages but second-row replacement Cory Hill was penalised by referee Nigel Owens for handling in the ruck and Jackson punished the indiscretion.
The Dragons had started impressively. Angus O'Brien kicked them into a 3-0 lead and Ashton Hewitt's superb run started the move for Hughes' 16th-minute try as the centre ran on to Meyer's perfectly weighted grubber kick.
Flanker Reidy's third try in as many games, after he brushed off Hewitt and O'Brien, helped cut the Dragons' lead to 10-7 at the break but the margin was increased to 15-7 on 47 minutes as the impressive Meyer burst past the Ulster defence to score.
The Dragons' advantage was cut to the minimum five minutes later as Owens awarded the home side a penalty try after Matthew Screech was adjudged to have pulled down a maul as Ulster threatened the visitors' line.
The Welsh side looked set for victory as a Roger Wilson try was disallowed for an earlier knock-on by Stuart McCloskey and replacement fly-half Jackson hit the crossbar with his 73rd-minute penalty.
But then came the late drama as Jackson kicked Ulster to the top of the table.
Dragons head coach Kingsley Jones told BBC Radio Wales: "You can't ask for much more, I was quite proud to be involved with the guys.
"To be leading after 77 minutes away in Ulster, it's very difficult to take losing after that.
"It's no good feeling sorry for ourselves, we've got to turn it round and face a Connacht side who've had one win in the last four but those defeats have been very tight and they gave the Scarlets a bit of a hiding.
"We feel we're inches away from being a mid-table team, a couple of inches here and there and we would have beaten one of the top teams away from home."
Ulster: L Ludik; C Gilroy, D Cave, S Olding, J Stockdale; I Humphreys, R Pienaar; C Black, R Herring (capt), R Lutton; A O'Connor, P Browne; R Diack, S Reidy, R Wilson.
Replacements: J Andrew for Browne 56, K McCall for Black 49, B Ross for Lutton 70, C Ross for Reidy 53, N Williams for Diack 43, P Marshall for Olding 66, P Jackson for Humphreys 40, S McCloskey for Ludik 40.
Dragons: C Meyer, A Hewitt, A Hughes, A Warren, H Amos, A O'Brien, C Davies; P Price, E Dee, B Harris, M Screech, R Landman (c), B White, N Cudd, E Jackson.
Replacements: B Stankovich for Price 57, S Knight for Harris 64, C Hill for White 67, J Benjamin for Jackson 33.
Not used: R Buckley, S Pretorius, GR Jones, N Scott. | Ulster moved to the top of the Pro12 table as a late Paddy Jackson penalty secured victory over the Dragons. |
40,209,837 | Caroline Lucas accused Theresa May of running an "arrogant and insulting" campaign focused on "extreme Brexit".
With one constituency undeclared, the prime minister says she will work with the DUP to form a government after failing to secure a majority.
Green co-leader Jonathan Bartley said it would be "a coalition of chaos".
Ms Lucas took the Green's one seat in the election, out of 457 candidates.
She said: "What is very clear is that Theresa May did not get the bigger mandate she was asking for, for the kind of extreme Brexit that she has been pursuing.
"I'm hoping very much the progressives across Parliament will work together to challenge that kind of a Brexit which is brutal, damaging and wrong."
The Tories are forecast to be the biggest party with 319 seats out of 650, ahead of Labour on 261, the SNP on 35 and the Lib Dems on 12. The DUP won 10 seats.
Mr Bartley, who did not stand in the election, said it was "extremely worrying" that the DUP could be "holding sway" over the government.
"The DUP I don't think are the kind of people you want calling the shots," he told BBC News.
"Now what's going to happen with the DUP and their climate change scepticism," he added. "Are they going to exact a very serious price for the Government being propped up in this way?"
Throughout the campaign, the Greens have called for a "progressive alliance", writing to Labour and the Liberal Democrats in an attempt to do deals and oust the Tories.
Although the parties shunned the idea nationally, some local activists have supported it and saw candidates step aside for one another.
In Ms Lucas's own seat of Brighton Pavilion, the Lib Dems stepped aside, while the Greens decided not to contest Labour-held Ealing Central and Acton, and Brighton Kemptown.
Some prominent figures have also backed the plan, including Lib Dem Sir Vince Cable, who was re-elected in Twickenham.
But after the exit poll was published, former Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell told the BBC that the difference in approach to Brexit between the Lib Dems and Labour would stop any progressive alliance being formed.
Ms Lucas had tweeted on Thursday night - when exit polls indicated a disappointing result for the Conservatives - "hardly dare hope this is right. To be clear, Greens will *never* support a Tory government #HopeoverHate".
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Enter a postcode or seat name | The co-leader of the Green Party has called on "progressives" in Parliament to challenge "brutal" Tory policies, having held her Brighton Pavilion seat. |
40,745,774 | A selection of the best photos from across Africa and of Africans elsewhere in the world this week.
Rising Nigerian tennis star Adetayo Adetunji knocks India's Zeel Desai out of this year's Youth Commonwealth Games in the Bahamas on Friday. The 18-year-old went on to defeat her Ghanaian opponent, Miriam Ibrahim, in the next round but was later knocked out at the quarter-final stage.
A car workshop in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, proudly displays the various spare parts for sale on an outside wall, in this photo taken on Monday. Business has been booming in Mogadishu since African Union and government troops drove militant Islamists out of the city.
Fishermen on the River Nile in Egypt's capital, Cairo, make this modest catch on Friday. Fish is a popular staple among Egyptians but the country's health ministry issues a warning every year to stay away from feseekh, the country's traditionally salty - and smelly - fermented mullet fish which dates back thousands of years.
Also on Friday, an enthusiastic supporter of Kenya's ruling Jubilee Party sports a paper mask depicting President Uhuru Kenyatta's face at a campaign rally in the capital, Nairobi, ahead of the 8 August general election.
Many are anxious that the post-election violence witnessed almost a decade ago should not be repeated. This photo taken on Sunday in Nairobi's Kibera slum, a stronghold of opposition leader Raila Odinga, shows the work of street artist Solomon Muyundo, alias Solo7.
Congolese supporters sing their national anthem on Monday at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny stadium in Ivory Coast's main city, Abidjan. The former French colony is playing host to its third international athletics tournament, with this year's Jeux de la Francophonie.
On Tuesday, Guinean sculptor Kaba Abdoulaye crafts items in Abidjan which he hopes to sell to visiting sport fans.
Nigeria's ailing President Buhari poses with his wife Aisha Buhari (R), and Eunice Ortom, the wife of Benue state governor, in London on Wednesday. Mr Buhari has received a visiting delegation of Nigerian politicians to Abuja House in the British capital, where he has been receiving medial treatment for a second time this year for an unspecified illness. | Images courtesy of AFP, EPA, Getty Images and Reuters |
40,109,110 | The Solar Probe Plus mission will now carry the name of Eugene Parker, who conducted pioneering work on the "solar wind" - a stream of charged particles flowing out from the Sun's "atmosphere".
The spacecraft will swoop to within four million miles of the Sun's surface, enduring temperatures of about 2,500C.
The mission is due to launch in 2018.
"Nasa has never named a spacecraft after a researcher during their lifetime," said Thomas Zurbuchen, the head of Nasa's science mission directorate.
The change, which comes a few days before Prof Parker's 90th birthday, means that Solar Probe Plus, will now be known as the Parker Solar Probe.
Plans for solar 'close encounter'
Getting ready for the mission to Hell
The mission was originally announced in 2009, and is set to launch next year from Florida's Kennedy Space Center on a Delta IV Heavy rocket.
Nasa scientist Nicola Fox, commented: "I like to call it the coolest, hottest mission under the Sun."
The spacecraft will travel through part of the Sun's atmosphere, closer to its surface than any manmade object before.
The aim is to better understand the upper layer of this atmosphere, known as the corona.
It should also expand our knowledge of the origin and evolution of the solar wind.
The spacecraft will be protected from the scorching temperatures by a specially developed carbon-composite shield.
The European Space Agency (Esa) plans to launch its own mission to the Sun, named Solar Orbiter, in February 2019. | The US space agency has renamed its mission to "touch the Sun" after a living scientist. |
32,908,665 | Former SNP leader Alex Salmond has secured time on Thursday afternoon to question the UK government over issues raised by a Royal naval submariner.
Able seaman William McNeilly, 25, went on the run after alleging Trident was a "disaster waiting to happen".
He later handed himself in to police. The navy said the fleet operates under the most stringent safety regime
Mr Salmond, the newly-elected MP for Gordon, said the Ministry of Defence must provide detailed answers to the allegations.
Incidents included in Mr McNeilly's report, The Secret Nuclear Threat, varied from complaints about food hygiene to failures in testing whether missiles could safely be launched or not.
He described security passes and bags going unchecked at the Faslane submarine base on the Clyde, alarms being muted "to avoid listening" to them, and stories of fires starting in missile compartments.
Mr McNeilly said he raised these and other concerns through the chain of command on multiple occasions, but that "not once did someone even attempt to make a change".
An official investigation was launched after Mr McNeilly, from Belfast, posted his internet report. | The safety of the Trident nuclear weapons system on the Clyde is set to be debated in the House of Commons. |
32,408,673 | The event had been scheduled for Queen's University, Belfast, in June.
Vice chancellor Patrick Johnston said he cancelled because of the security risk and concerns for QUB's reputation.
But two academics who had been booked to speak said it was ironic that an event about free speech should be called off in this way.
Self censorship was one of the themes of the conference.
Professor Max Silverman from Leeds University told BBC NI's Good Morning Ulster: "It is deeply ironic that what was going on in Paris this year to do largely with freedom of speech is actually being replicated by the university itself.
"There is a bitter irony in that the ability to discuss these topics has been taken away from us by this university decision.
"If you cannot discuss these sensitive issues in a university then I don't know where you can discuss them. I do fear for what we value most in our democracies."
Prof Silverman said the cancelled conference was now getting much more publicity but "for all the wrong reasons".
"Queen's University has a wonderful reputation. It is a very prestigious institution. I don't think this is going to enhance that reputation at all," he said.
Dr Brian Klug from Oxford said he was both "baffled and dismayed" by the decision to cancel.
"Organising this was an admirable initiative and I cannot understand why the university has pulled the rug out from under their feet," he said.
"We really don't know what the vice chancellor was worried about. We haven't been told what that security risk consists of. I think we are all owed an explanation."
Dr Klug said that not only was it not the role of the university to stop freedom of speech, but it was "the responsibility of academia to respond to complex international conflicts in a constructive analytical way".
The symposium: Understanding Charlie: New perspectives on contemporary citizenship after Charlie Hebdo, had been due to be hosted by QUB's Institute for Collaborative Research in the Humanities.
Twelve people died when two brothers, Said and Cherif Kouachi, fired on the journalists on 7 January at the satirical magazine's offices in Paris.
Five others were killed over the two following days by one of their associates. | The decision to cancel a conference in Belfast on the fallout from the Charlie Hebdo murders in France has been labelled "a bitter irony". |
35,087,031 | Media playback is not supported on this device
The husband-and-wife pair beat South Korea's third seeds Ko Sung-hyun and Kim Ha-na 21-14 21-17 in the mixed doubles decider in Dubai.
The Britons played some smart rallies to take an early lead in the first game which they never let slip after that.
"This is a very big win for us," said Chris Adcock.
"The Koreans have been superb all year. We really wanted to try and put right what we didn't do against them in the past so to come through with the win is amazing."
The Britons had not beaten their Korean rivals in their three previous meetings but opened up a 12-6 lead in the first game before going six points up again later (18-12) and closing out the opener.
They went 12-8 ahead in the second game before their opponents made it 15-all.
But two winners from Chris gave the Britons the initiative again and they wrapped up victory in 37 minutes for their second Superseries title after success in Hong Kong in 2013. | Britain's Chris and Gabby Adcock have created history by becoming the first British players to win a title at the year-end World Superseries finals. |
37,711,518 | Thousands of living men convicted over consensual same-sex relationships will also be eligible for the pardon.
Lib Dem peer Lord Sharkey, who proposed the amendment to the Policing and Crimes Bill, said it was "momentous".
It follows the pardoning of World War Two code-breaker Alan Turing for gross indecency in 2013.
Under the amendment - dubbed "Turing law" - deceased people who were convicted of sexual acts that are no longer deemed criminal will receive an automatic pardon.
Anyone living who has been convicted of such offences could already apply through the Home Office to have the offence wiped from their criminal records.
But now, if the Home Office agrees that the offence is no longer an offence under current law, they will automatically be pardoned.
Justice Minister Sam Gyimah said it was "hugely important that we pardon people convicted of historical sexual offences who would be innocent of any crime today".
Lord Sharkey said he understood why some people may not want a pardon, or may "feel that it's wrong".
But, he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme, "a pardon is probably the best way of acknowledging the real harm done by the unjust and cruel homophobic laws, which thankfully we've now repealed. And I do hope that a lot of people will feel exactly the same way".
He said of the 65,000 men convicted under the laws, 15,000 are still alive.
George Montague was convicted in 1974 of gross indecency with a man. He says he wants an apology - not a pardon.
"To accept a pardon means you accept that you were guilty. I was not guilty of anything. I was only guilty of being in the wrong place at the wrong time," he told BBC Newsnight.
"I think it was wrong to give Alan Turing - one of the heroes of my life - a pardon.
"What was he guilty of? He was guilty of the same as what they called me guilty of - being born only able to fall in love with another man."
He added: "If I get an apology, I will not need a pardon."
He added that there "never should have been an offence of gross indecency".
"It didn't apply to heterosexuals. Heterosexuals could do what they liked, in the doorways, in passageways, the back of their car.
"It only applied to gay men. That's not right, surely?"
The Sexual Offences Act decriminalised private homosexual acts between men aged over 21 in England and Wales, in 1967.
The law was not changed in Scotland until 1980, or in Northern Ireland until 1982.
Announcing the new plan, Mr Gyimah said the government would support Lord Sharkey's amendment to the Policing and Crime Bill - which would apply to England and Wales, but not Scotland and Northern Ireland as the Justice Department does not cover devolved administrations.
In 2013, the posthumous royal pardoning of Turing led to calls for wider pardons, and the launch of a petition in 2015.
The petition gathered almost 640,000 signatories, including the actors Stephen Fry and Benedict Cumberbatch, who played Turing in the film about the enigma code, The Imitation Game.
The charity Stonewall, which campaigns for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, said it has begun discussions with the Scottish government to allow similar procedures to be introduced in Scotland.
In Northern Ireland, the Rainbow Project, also a charity and campaign group, met with the justice minister in August to discuss the law around historical convictions.
Turing, the Bletchley Park code-breaker, was convicted in 1952 of gross indecency with a 19-year-old man.
He was later chemically castrated and died in 1954 after poisoning himself with cyanide.
His pardon, almost 60 years later, followed a Private Member's Bill introduced by Lord Sharkey.
The Lib Dem peer said it was "a momentous day for thousands of families up and down the UK".
He said: "It is a wonderful thing that we have been able to build on the pardon granted to Alan Turing during the coalition."
Turing's great niece Rachel Barnes said the moment Turing's family heard he was to receive a pardon was "absolutely tremendous".
She told the Today programme: "Alan Turing just so, so deserves this. To think that this is the man who cracked the enigma code and saved countless of millions of lives during World War Two and to think of the treatments that he went through at the hands of the government in 1952 is still unbelievable to us."
She said that the family has always highlighted his achievements rather than the fact he was a gay man.
She added: "Because we shouldn't be thinking about his sexuality, we should really be focusing on the successes of this incredible man in history who has done so much for the country and for the world".
The government has said it will not be supporting a separate Private Member's Bill on the subject - introduced by SNP MP John Nicolson - which is set to be debated on Friday.
Mr Nicolson, the MP for East Dunbartonshire, has proposed a blanket pardon for those still living, without the need to apply for their criminal records to be cleared by the Home Office.
Mr Gyimah said such a move could see people claiming pardons for acts that are still illegal.
"This would cause an extraordinary and unnecessary amount of distress to victims," he added.
Paul Twocock from Stonewall welcomed the announcement but said it supported Mr Nicolson's Private Member's Bill.
Mr Twocock said the bill "explicitly" excluded pardoning anyone convicted of offences that would still be illegal today, including non-consensual sex and sex with someone under 16. | Gay and bisexual men convicted of now-abolished sexual offences in England and Wales are to receive posthumous pardons, the government has announced. |
38,032,421 | The UKIP leader has been mentioned as a possible "go-between" between the UK and US President-elect Donald Trump because of their friendship.
And speculation grew he could secure the role and a place in the House of Lords when Prime Minister Theresa May refused to deny talks had taken place.
But Mr Farage said "it's not going to happen", at least in the near future.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Any Questions programme, he said there was more chance of him going into the jungle on ITV's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here than becoming a member of the House of Lords.
When asked if he would accept a peerage, the MEP said: "A) it's not going to happen and B) it's not what I want in my life at this moment in time.
"When I'm old, you know, I might think about it."
Mr Farage was the first politician from the UK to meet with President-elect Trump after his surprise victory in last week's US election.
He campaigned alongside Mr Trump in the race for the White House and said the businessman was willing to be "very close partners" with the UK.
The incoming US president has spoken to Mrs May by phone and there have been other contacts between ministers and representatives of the incoming administration.
Mrs May declined to rule out the idea of a peerage for Mr Farage when it was put to her during Prime Minister's Questions.
SNP MP George Kerevan asked Mrs May whether there had been any "official conversations" about giving Mr Farage a peerage.
As MPs laughed at the question, the prime minister replied: "All I can say to him, I'm afraid, is that such matters are normally never discussed in public." | Nigel Farage has said he does not want a peerage "at this moment" - but joked that "he might think about it". |
40,278,569 | They also agreed, by 97-2, to set up a process by which Congress can block any attempt by President Trump to scale back those sanctions.
The legislation was filed as an amendment to an Iran sanctions bill.
It comes amid concerns that members of Mr Trump's campaign team colluded with Russia over the election.
President Trump and Moscow have always denied any collusion.
A number of investigations into the allegations have been opened in Washington, including a justice department probe led by former FBI director Robert Mueller.
The new sanctions will target:
The measures need the approval of the House of Representatives and to be signed into law by President Trump, although they are thought to have enough Congressional support to override any veto.
The Senate vote was welcomed by both Republicans and Democrats.
"It's time to respond to Russia's attack on American democracy with strength, with resolve, with common purpose, and with action," said Republican Senator John McCain.
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer called it as "bipartisan as it gets". The only two senators not to vote for the bill were Republicans Rand Paul and Mike Lee.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had agreed "with the sentiment" of holding Russia accountable but had urged Congress not to pass any legislation that could harm a "constructive dialogue" with Moscow.
US Attorney General Jeff Sessions has been one of Trump's team facing allegations of holding undisclosed meetings with Russian officials during the election.
He told a Senate committee on Tuesday that any suggestion he colluded with the Kremlin was an "appalling and detestable lie". | US senators have voted overwhelmingly to impose fresh sanctions on Russia over its alleged interference in last year's election. |
36,499,909 | Gerard Porteous, 56, denied a string of offences against the women between 1994 and 2013 in Airdrie and Paisley.
Following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh, a jury unanimously found him guilty of four charges of rape.
He was also convicted of assault with intent to rape and further charges of indecent assault, assault and behaviour causing fear and alarm.
After being convicted, judge Michael O'Grady QC told Porteous: "You have been convicted of an appalling course of conduct towards three self-evidently decent women.
"You have used and abused and degraded them in the most vile and disgusting fashion."
When Porteous appeared for sentencing at the same court on Friday, judge O'Grady told him: "You have been convicted of an appalling catalogue of abuse against three women over a period of almost two decades.
"You are a deeply dangerous individual and that requires me to afford what protection I can to the public."
The judge ordered that Porteous should be kept under supervision for a further four years.
The rapist was also placed on the sex offenders register.
The court previously heard that Porteous raped and assaulted his first victim in 1994.
During attacks she was punched on the body, grabbed by the arms, head butted and kicked on the legs.
He raped a second woman in 2012 at a flat in his home town of Paisley.
He targeted a third woman in November 2013 and twice assaulted her with intent to rape her. | A serial rapist who abused three women in "the most vile and disgusting fashion" has been jailed for 12 years. |
39,811,190 | Pescara midfielder Muntari, 32, was given a one-game ban after he protested against racist abuse he received from the crowd at Cagliari on Sunday.
The Serie A disciplinary committee said not enough fans took part in the abuse to trigger action against Cagliari.
Donsah, 20, said racism is "killing the beauty of the game".
Former Ghana international Muntari was booked for dissent after asking the referee to stop Sunday's match in the wake of the abuse.
He then walked off the pitch in protest - for which officials confirmed he received a second yellow card.
Donsah, who played for Cagliari for two seasons, told BBC World Service Sport Muntari did the "right thing" by walking off and said he will wear an anti-racism message under his shirt.
"I think the authorities need to lift the ban on Sulley Muntari in order to boost the fight against racism in football," he added.
Garth Crooks, the ex-Tottenham striker and independent trustee of anti-discrimination organisation Kick It Out, has called on players in the Italian league to strike this weekend unless Muntari's one-match suspension is withdrawn.
"I would do that 100% because racism is something that is killing the game," added Donsah.
"Some players cutting off from some matches in order to highlight the racial abuse that is going on in football is a great move." | Bologna and Ghana midfielder Godfred Donsah says he is "100%" willing to go on strike to show solidarity with Sulley Muntari. |
36,103,388 | Claire Lomas, from Leicestershire, walked the London Marathon in 17 days in the suit after she broke her back in a horse-riding accident in 2007.
Orgnaiser of the Vitality London 10k said UK Athletics rules prohibit the use of motors.
Ms Lomas said she was "disappointed" by the ruling.
"They let me in the London Marathon because they asked about the suit and my effort," she said.
"The legs move [with the help of the suit] but they only move by me giving it signals for every step and that's by using the parts of my body that aren't paralysed.
"I work hard for every step, even balancing in the suit is challenging."
The 35-year-old broke her neck, back and ribs and punctured a lung when her horse threw her off as she took part in the Osberton Horse Trials in Nottinghamshire.
Organisers wished Ms Lomas well in her fundraising but said: "The Vitality London 10k is a race held under IAAF, UK Athletics and IPC rules which prohibit the use of motors.
"There are many events held around the country which are not held under these rules."
Ms Lomas, who has raised about £500,000 for a spinal charity, is still planning to do the distance regardless, with the hope of completing it within a day. | A paralysed woman who became the first person to complete a marathon in a "bionic" suit four years ago has been banned from entering a 10k race. |
27,836,155 | The hosts will count themselves unlucky, with Jeff Hassler touching down and James Pritchard kicking the rest of their points.
Scotland struggled to impose themselves in attack after Grant Gilchrist scored his first international try.
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Stuart Hogg thumped over a long-range penalty, with Greig Laidlaw's boot providing the remaining points.
Next up for Vern Cotter's charges is a Test against Argentina and the Scots will need to deliver a much improved performance to be competitive in Buenos Aires.
The visitors started brightly and Laidlaw showed great judgement in windy conditions to kick them into the lead with an early penalty after Canada went down in the scrum.
Phil Mack thought he had put the hosts ahead in six minutes when the scrum-half ran over but Hassler had knocked on in the build up.
Laidlaw then had a try ruled out for a knock-on following a messy Canadian scrum, as mistakes littered the early stages.
Former Glasgow Warriors winger Taylor Paris showed his pace with a fine run and Hogg was penalised for going off his feet to stop him, with Pritchard knocking it between the posts to level the scores.
And it was 8-3 to the home side when centre Ciaran Hearn's excellent run and off-load set up Hassler to cross the line, despite the attentions of Tim Visser. Pritchard missed the conversion.
The points kept coming and this time it was the Scots who grabbed a try, as Laidlaw's pass freed Gilchrist to barge his way over. Laidlaw converted.
Alasdair Strokosch left the field on a stretcher with a neck injury after putting his head in where it hurts to help halt a rampaging Canada attack.
Cotter's Scots were finding good positions in the final third but all-too often their handling was below-par as chances came and went.
Laidlaw banged over a simple penalty three minutes from the break following another scrum infringement and it 13-8 as the sides left the field.
Scotland started the second half by conceding a soft penalty after a handling offence, and Pritchard slotted over.
Canada took a deserved 14-13 lead when Scotland were caught offside, allowing Pritchard to knock over another penalty.
The Scots began to build again, though, with Visser and Hogg leading the charge, and the latter banged over a penalty from just inside the Canada half for a 16-14 lead.
Pritchard saw a penalty come back off the post and Laidlaw reacted well to clear, but the Canadians were in the ascendancy and the lively Phil Mack was a real threat.
As the visitors were caught offside again, Pritchard had another look at the posts and this time he made no mistake, giving the hosts a 17-16 lead with 10 minutes to play.
But replacement scrum-half Gordon McRorie's poor kick put Canada in trouble straight from the restart, and an offside decision allowed Laidlaw to fire Scotland ahead.
Canada were forced to play the last few minutes with 14 men after Jebb Sinclair saw red for leading with the elbow on Ruaridh Jackson, and the Scots held on for the win.
Canada: Pritchard, Hassler, Hearn, Blevins, Paris, Jones, Mack, Buydens, Carpenter, Marshall, Hotson, Cudmore, Sinclair, Moonlight, Ardron.
Replacements: van der Merwe for Paris (46), McRorie for Mack (71), Tiedemann for Buydens (55), Barkwill for Carpenter (59). Not Used: Ilnicki, Gilmour, Phelan, Braid. Sent Off: Sinclair (76).
Scotland: Hogg, Maitland, Lamont, Horne, Visser, Russell, Laidlaw, Reid, Lawson, M. Low, Gray, Gilchrist, Strokosch, Brown, Beattie, Jackson.
Replacements: Evans for Visser (76), Jackson for Russell (65), Cross for M. Low (49), Cowan for Strokosch (31), K. Low for Brown (49), Bryce for Beattie (63), Hart for Jackson (77). Not Used: Traynor.
Att: 18,788
Ref: Mike Fraser (New Zealand) | Scotland held on for an unconvincing victory over Canada in Toronto in the second Test of their summer tour. |
36,211,789 | The controversy began at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival in the US, where he was booed when he played electric and it came to a head, unexpectedly, towards the end of his 1966 world tour at a concert in Manchester on 17 May.
Frustrated by what he was hearing, one man decided to vent his fury as the sound ebbed before Dylan's final song of the set with a heckle that has become one of the most famous in musical history.
He shouted a single word - "Judas".
Musician and author Dr CP Lee was in the crowd that night and has since written a book about the world tour.
He says it has been "reckoned to be one of the pivotal moments in popular music in the 20th Century, on a par with the riot at Stravinsky's Rite of Spring in Paris".
At the time, he was a 16-year-old schoolboy, eager to see Dylan after missing his concert in the city the year before.
He says from the start, the gig had a distinct atmosphere and - with no pun intended - it was "electric".
"That night, standing outside, there were people arguing, lots of speculation and quite a sense of an impending event.
"We'd read in 1965 about booing at Newport and the impression we got was that Dylan had come back on with an acoustic guitar and everything was alright.
"The side door opened and in we went. We could see amplifiers and a drum kit on the stage and people were going 'oh no'.
"Some of us had read Melody Maker that week, which said there had been booing in Dublin and people wondered what Dylan was going to do."
Mark Makin, who "by chance" took the only known photographs of the show, remembers the sense of "trepidation" but adds that it "wasn't as if people didn't know what was about to happen".
"We had all read that this was going to be electric. They were all just hopeful that it might not."
The gig had two halves: the first saw Dylan taking the stage alone and acoustic, while in the second, he played with the backing of his band, The Hawks.
Makin, who was in the fourth row with his school friends, says the audience was "delighted" with the acoustic set.
"Everybody was whisper quiet. These days, everyone roars with the recognition of the first line. It never happened then. You didn't dare miss a second of it.
"I suppose there was an expectation that he might not [play electric], he just might carry on - because we had such a good first half, he might just do more of the same."
BBC World Service: Witness - Dylan goes electric
Lee remembers people in the intermission "breathing a sigh of relief and I heard somebody say 'oh, he's seen sense. He's not going to use the band, he's realised he's wrong'."
Little did they know what was to come. Returning for the second half, Lee says drummer Mickey Jones "blasted into Tell Me, Momma [and] it was the loudest thing I'd ever heard".
He says that at the end of that first number, "people were bewildered, shell-shocked even", but shortly after, the protests began.
"Throughout the second half, people started slow hand-clapping. Groups of people were standing up, facing the stage accusingly and then walking out.
"There were random shouts here, there and everywhere."
And then there was a shout from the circle - "Judas". Lee says the heckle stung Dylan "to the quick".
"He lets the guy have it. You can really see that he has rankled Dylan.
"The look on his face... he turned around and said 'I don't believe you'. It was an incredibly antagonistic moment."
Lee says Dylan then stepped away from the microphone, swore as he told the band to "play it loud" and they "lurched into Like A Rolling Stone, which was this giant juggernaut".
Makin saw what happened in that second half differently.
"When he came on, he'd got a smirk on his face, because he knew what was going to happen.
"He'd had this elsewhere in the months prior to this and he had it completely under control and was not going to be dissuaded by anybody.
"He piled in with Tell Me, Momma, and it hit like a freight train, because it was a real rocker and screamer.
"People sat there stunned."
Makin points to a problem with the sound as the reason for the abuse Dylan received, an issue which it has also been claimed was behind the discord in Newport too.
"I think the problem was the Free Trade Hall's total lack of musicality - it was a square-sided building and when the sound was projected from a PA like that, it hit the wall at the back and came straight back at you with an echo and a reverb.
"All you could hear was this mush of sound. I think that was what hurt people.
"It wasn't that we didn't expect him to be electric, but if if he had just come in at three quarters of the decibels, it might have worked."
It is not known whether it was the electric set or the sound quality that vexed the famous heckler - in fact, as Lee explains, it is not even known for certain who shouted.
"Andy Kershaw and myself made a documentary for BBC Radio 1 in 1999 and were contacted by a guy who had emigrated to Canada called Keith Butler, who said 'yes, I shouted Judas'.
"But there was always an element of doubt. He had shouted something but I think he was confused about whether he had shouted that.
"After the broadcast, we got a call from a very irate person who said 'my husband shouted Judas and here he is now'.
"He was called John Cordwell. Andy and I met John and he had a lot of people who were with him who said 'yes, he shouted it out and we all applauded and thought he was great for having done it'.
"Sadly, both of them have passed away now, but it's funny - you wait 30-odd years for Judas to turn up and you get two at once."
Lee says Dylan reacted so viciously because of the word used in the heckle.
"I think being called Judas was the point. Betraying what? It's quite ridiculous.
"That level of antagonism against an artist is unimaginable nowadays. It couldn't happen now - people would just either like it or not.
"This was not a bad set, it was absolutely fantastic what they played.
"It was eye-opening and revolutionary. I'm so glad there is a record of it."
The recording of the concert surfaced as a bootleg at the end of the 1960s and was officially released by Dylan in 1998.
Lee says it was an "incendiary" performance and that what happened that night - the heckle, Dylan's response and the ferocity with which he played the second half - changed music forever.
"In essence, it's the night that pop music became rock music.
"It was heavy metal, it was thrash metal, it was death metal, it was everything that's come since then.
"I was totally aware, the moment it finished, I knew I had been present at something that was seismic.
"I knew, from that night on, that things would never quite be the same again."
Electric 50, a celebration of the Free Trade Hall show by Manchester's musical community, takes place at Manchester Academy 3 on 17 May. | Fifty years ago, Bob Dylan was at the centre of a storm, with arguments raging on both sides of the Atlantic about whether his decision to play electric sets meant he had sold out his folk roots. |
39,294,942 | Emergency services were called out to reports of a man being injured at the under-construction Kilgallioch wind farm at about 18:45 on Wednesday.
The 37-year-old was subsequently pronounced dead at the scene.
Police Scotland said the site - which straddles the Dumfries and Galloway and South Ayrshire border - had been shut for investigations and the Health and Safety Executive had been informed.
A report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.
The man, who was working for turbine manufacturer Gamesa, was inside a tower under construction when the accident occurred.
A spokesman for the firm said: "Gamesa is conducting a thorough investigation together with the authorities to establish the root cause of this fatal accident.
"Work at the wind farm has been stopped while the investigation takes place.
"We are very saddened and our thoughts go to the family of the employee."
A spokesman for developers ScottishPower Renewables confirmed the man had been working as a contractor on the site.
"A full investigation is now under way by the police and the Health and Safety Executive," he said.
"ScottishPower Renewables will support and co-operate fully with these investigations.
"Our thoughts are with the family of the technician involved in the incident." | A worker has died in an accident on a south of Scotland wind farm site. |
39,020,762 | The 27-year-old was attacked in Middleton Street, Leicester at about 04:30 GMT on Friday.
The teenager has also been charged with robbery and possession of an offensive weapon. Two other boys, aged 13 and 15, were charged with robbery.
The trio, who can not be named for legal reasons, will appear at Leicester Magistrates' Court on Monday.
Police said the victim was now in a stable condition.
Two girls, aged 13 and 14, who were also arrested over the attack have been released without charge, while another 14-year-old girl has been bailed. | A 14-year-old boy has been charged with attempted murder after a man was critically injured in a street assault. |
36,663,389 | Heather Knight was named England's new captain on 3 June, following the retirement of Charlotte Edwards. Here, she describes her pre-series nerves and the record-breaking successes that followed.
I needn't have worried. We won the series comprehensively 3-0, but the most pleasing thing was the fashion in which we played and went about our cricket.
Our first run-out in the new era was literally a non-starter. A damp squib at Leicester's Grace Road led to play being abandoned and us coming back the next day. It was definitely a bit torturous to have to wait around, but with the weather brightening up we got a full game in.
I didn't start my captaincy career in the best fashion, forgetting to bring out a coin to do the toss with - schoolgirl error! But from there, it was an incredible day. The girls were outstanding while I managed to bag 5-26 and be there at the end to knock the runs off - a good day at the office, to say the least.
It was also great to see Brunty [Katherine Brunt] pick up her 100th ODI wicket - there's no-one who wears the Three Lions with more pride and I'm massively chuffed for her.
As a team, and as a batting unit in particular, it's fair to say we were under a bit of pressure going into the series following the recent changes to our batting line-up.
We couldn't have responded any better, chasing down a modest total in the first game with only three wickets down and then smashing 378 and 366 in the next two encounters - with 378 being a new England women's record in ODIs (coin remembered, what a toss to lose!)
About 25 overs into that match at New Road, with Tammy Beaumont and Lauren Winfield going well, someone asked what the record was. 'Statto' Laura Marsh immediately piped up with "374 in 1997" - impressive knowledge Laura!
We thought it might be a push, but when the promoted Nat Sciver got her shoulders loose, we knew it was a possibility. When I joined her at the crease, I told her "let's go for it", and we did just that - history made.
There was some talk after the game about the short boundary size at Worcester, but I think it made for massively exciting cricket to watch. On good pitches with shorter boundaries, the bowlers' skill level has to be very high and I'm all for anything that improves the standard of the game and makes for a better spectacle.
It was also nice to prove it wasn't a one-off and purely down to the boundary length as we again passed 350 on bigger boundaries in the final ODI in Taunton, with Tammy smashing her second hundred in a row.
She's been outstanding for us in this series, and the great thing is the number of different players that have put their hands up and performed for us at different times. We've put the hard yards in as a squad in the past few months and it's great to see everyone reaping the rewards out in the middle.
We know we've still got a long way to go as a team, with tougher challenges to come, but this series is a great place to start and kick on from.
On to the Twenty20s - see you all in Bristol on Sunday.
Media playback is not supported on this device | On the night before our first ODI against Pakistan, with a few nerves naturally kicking around before my first official game as captain, I remember thinking how I might feel in two weeks' time once the one-day series was over. |
36,033,815 | The UCI's anti-doping tribunal found the 39-year-old ex-Katusha rider guilty of the "non-intentional" consumption of benzoylecgonine, a cocaine metabolite.
Paolini tested positive after stage four of the Tour on 7 July, and was provisionally banned on 10 July.
If the ban is applied from the date of his positive test he will be eligible to return in January 2017.
Paolini can appeal against the decision. | Italian Luca Paolini has been banned for 18 months after testing positive for cocaine at the 2015 Tour de France. |
27,697,265 | This is a bit like the start of a new school year for politicians. The proper name given to this is the start of a Parliamentary session.
It's happened today in London.
But what actually is it and why is it so important?
The Queen's Speech explains the government's plans for the coming year.
She reads it out in front of members of the House of Commons and House of Lords, and there is normally one Queen's Speech every year.
This year will be the 63rd time during the Queen's reign that she has delivered the speech.
Although the speech is read out by the Queen, it is actually written by the government.
This is because it is their to-do list of what they want to achieve over the coming months.
It depends how much the government has on their to-do list! But normally it takes about 10 minutes.
The ceremony, as it is like today, dates back to 1852.
The Queen usually rides in a grand state coach from Buckingham Palace to the House of Lords in Westminster, however this year she will be arriving by car.
When the Queen enters the House of Lords, everyone there stands up. Everyone is wearing their smartest robes and finery.
The Queen usually wears a crown for the ceremony, but this year she will be wearing a hat instead.
Next, the Queen takes her place on the throne and says: "My Lords, pray be seated."
Once this has happened, the Queen's messenger called Black Rod will walk up to the door of the House of Commons, where MPs work, but it will be slammed in his face!
It might seem a bit rude but it's meant to show that House of Commons is independent.
Black Rod knocks on the door three times with his stick. He's then allowed to go in and asks the MPs to come to the House of Lords to listen to the Queen.
An official known as the Lord Chancellor hands the speech to the Queen, and she will read it to everyone there.
After the Queen has finished her speech and the State Opening is over, the Queen returns to Buckingham Palace.
In the afternoon, the government's plans - which were explained in the speech - are debated in the House of Commons and MPs will eventually have the chance to vote on it. | The Queen's Speech is part of what is called the State Opening of Parliament. |
36,724,985 | The Danish Under-21 international has joined the Championship club on a three year contract from Belgian club KV Kortrijk for an undisclosed fee.
Striker Idris Saadi, 24, has moved in the opposite direction on a season-long loan to KV Kortrijk, a club also owned by Cardiff owner Vincent Tan.
Zohore, 22, scored two goals in 10 appearances during his loan spell at Cardiff last season.
He is Cardiff's third signing of the summer with Lex Immers and Frederic Gounongbe also signing ahead of the 2016-17 season. | Cardiff City have signed striker Kenneth Zohore on a permanent deal. |
34,828,061 | Coleman's side will be among the bottom seeds, while Roy Hodgson's team are in the top pot.
"Everyone wants to play England in the same way they want to play top sides like Germany and Spain," Coleman said.
"But in the tournament itself it would be viewed as a battle of Britain - that could make it a distraction."
The draw for the Euro 2016 pools takes place in Paris on 12 December.
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Wales' next friendly window will be in March and the ramifications of the draw will be considered before a list of suitable opponents is drawn up.
England have already organised March friendlies with Germany and the Netherlands, but more games will be played at the end of May before the finals start in France on 10 June.
"We know we will be drawn against one of the top teams and England are one of the top teams," Coleman added.
"We will play [at least] three games and we don't want it to all be about one of them.
"But it is our first major tournament for a while and we could maybe play England in a friendly somewhere down the line. That would not be a problem at all."
Wales lost their first pre-Euro 2016 friendly to the Netherlands 3-2 in Cardiff on Friday.
Without the likes of leading star forward Gareth Bale of Real Madrid and Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey, Wales gave a good account of themselves.
Coleman's side twice came from behind through Crystal Palace midfielder Joe Ledley and Emyr Huws, but Dutch captain Arjen Robben struck the decisive goal nine minutes from time. | Wales boss Chris Coleman says playing England would be ideal preparation for Euro 2016, but would rather avoid their British rivals at the finals in France. |
35,259,246 | Ammon Bundy turned down the offer by Harney County Sheriff David Ward to escort the occupiers out of the state.
The group took over Malheur National Wildlife Refuge centre near Burns to support father and son ranchers who have been ordered to return to jail.
The case has riled right-wing activists who resent government interference.
Mr Bundy briefly left the centre with other occupiers on Thursday to meet Sheriff Ward on a roadside nearby.
The two sides plan to talk again on Friday, the sheriff's office said.
Ranchers Dwight Hammond, 73, and his son Steven, 46, were convicted of arson on federal land in 2012, but a court ruled their original sentences were too short.
The men say they set the fires to contain wildlife.
The Hammonds' lawyer has said the family does not want the protesters' support.
However, those occupying the wildlife refuge centre say they may use violence if police try to evict them.
Correspondents say the incident is part of a decades-old conflict between ranchers and the federal government over the use of public land.
Critics of the federal government argue that it often oversteps its authority over land use.
Ammon Bundy's father Cliven was involved in a stand-off with the government over grazing rights in 2014. | The leader of a group of armed protesters occupying a wildlife refuge in the US state of Oregon has refused a sheriff's offer to end the stand-off. |
33,407,473 | Online real estate agency housing.com now displays a message saying #RahulYadav and #housingdown - a pun on the site's slogan "look up".
Its CEO Rahul Yadav, who had lately made a name for himself as the "bad boy of start-ups", was asked to leave after a string of infractions.
The firm was valued at $250m (£161m) in 2014 after Softbank bought a 30% stake.
#Housing has begun trending in India since the hacking was made public on Monday.
It is not clear as to who is behind the hacking attack, and the company has not made any official statement so far.
But Twitter pundits are putting their money on Mr Yadav himself - a charge he has denied.
On his Facebook page, Mr Yadav said he was not involved with the attack.
The site was briefly back online, but was down again at the time of writing this post.
Indian sites are frequently attacked - in March the government said in parliament that more than 700 government websites had been hacked by cyber criminals since 2012. | One of India's biggest e-commerce sites has seen its website defaced after the recent sacking of its founder-CEO. |
33,013,541 | The hearings have focussed on two brothers, Stephen and Gary Harrison, who both died.
The court heard that those around Stephen were "convinced" he was still alive.
Stephen, 31, and Gary, 27 were among Liverpool fans who were fatally crushed at the FA Cup semi-final in 1989.
The brothers caught a coach to Sheffield together.
Matthew Hill, a barrister representing the coroner, said there was "very little evidence" about Gary and his experiences on the day.
He added there was no evidence about how the brothers made their way into the ground.
Gary was pictured standing in pen three at the Leppings Lane end at about 15:04 BST.
Mr Hill played video footage of Stephen being carried on to the pitch at 15:24 BST.
PC Stephen Harratt gave him chest compressions while George Saxton, a senior St John Ambulance volunteer, did mouth to mouth resuscitation.
Mr Harratt said that Stephen was "limp and his arms were hanging limply by his sides".
In footage, timed at 15:35 BST, Stephen was seen at the other end of the pitch receiving treatment from another group, including Raymond Cawkwell, a fireman.
Mr Cawkwell said: "To look at Stephen, he looked like somebody who had just laid down on a sunny afternoon. He actually did look alive.
"It was just as if, like, if you see people who walk through the park and just laid there asleep with their eyes shut. That's how he looked."
A friend that was with Stephen was said to have been "totally convinced he was still alive".
Dr Miles Davidson, a junior hospital doctor sent to the ground as part of an emergency medical team, told the jury when he came to help "Stephen was not breathing, he didn't have a pulse and his pupils were fixed and dilated".
He said: "My feeling at the time was that this was a casualty who was a lost cause. However, there were good people around him offering him cardiac massage and doing that effectively.
"And I would have felt very uncomfortable not carrying that process on or saying that this was someone beyond, you know, redemption, so we carried on CPR."
BBC News: Profiles of all those who died
Dr Davidson gave Stephen adrenaline to try to restart his heart, but there was no change in his condition.
Video timed at 15:53 BST showed Stephen being lifted on to a stretcher.
An ambulance took him to Sheffield's Northern General Hospital where doctors tried to revive him for up to 50 minutes.
Stephen's body was taken back to the stadium's gym, where his brother Gary had also been taken.
They were transferred to the city's Medico-legal centre where their brother, James Harrison, identified them.
The inquests, in Warrington, continue. | A victim of the Hillsborough disaster looked like he was "asleep" and he died despite being given adrenaline on the pitch, the inquests have heard. |
32,784,534 | It allowed Erik Sorto, from California, to sip a drink unaided for the first time in 10 years.
The details, published in Science, reveal how complex bursts of electrical signals in his brain could be interpreted into commands for the arm.
Experts said the results made brain-controlled robotics closer to being a reality.
Mr Sorto was shot at the age of 21. The damage to his spinal cord left him paralysed from the neck down.
Two tiny sensors were implanted into his brain to monitor the activity of around 100 neurons.
Previous attempts at thought-controlled robotics have focused on the motor cortex - the region responsible for the action of individual muscles.
However, the US team tried implanting the chips in the posterior parietal cortex - the part of the brain that comes up with the initial intention.
It is the difference between deciding to pick up a mug or telling your hand to move towards it.
The team hopes this approach will be more intuitive.
One of the researchers, Prof Richard Andersen from Caltech, told the BBC News website: "The first time he tried the robotic limb he could form his hand to mirror one of the student's hands as if shaking hands - for him it was a huge thrill."
He has improved with training so that he can lift a drink to his mouth and also control a cursor on a computer screen.
Mr Sorto said: "I joke around with the guys that I want to be able to drink my own beer, to be able to take a drink at my own pace, when I want to take a sip out of my beer and to not have to ask somebody to give it to me.
"I really miss that independence. I think that if it were safe enough, I would really enjoy grooming myself - shaving, brushing my own teeth. That would be fantastic."
The field of harnessing a healthy brain to overcome a damaged body is advancing rapidly, particularly in the US.
Cathy Hutchinson used a robotic arm to serve herself a drink for the first time since her stroke 15 years previously.
Jan Scheuermann was able to deftly grasp and move a variety of objects just like a normal arm.
However, the developments are still largely restricted to the laboratory.
The procedure still requires an implant with wires coming out of the brain, which could be an infection risk.
Scientists also want to monitor even more brain cells to improve control.
A commentary, from researchers Dr Andrew Pruszynski and Dr Jorn Diedrichsen, argued: "The results represent one more step toward making brain control of a robotic limb or computing device a reality.
"Despite the impressive series of steps taken over the past 15 years, however, these neural prosthetic devices still have a substantial way to go before becoming practical therapeutic interventions." | A man has been able to control a robotic limb with a mind-reading chip implanted in his brain. |
27,961,190 | Media playback is not supported on this device
Substitute Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scored the decisive goal from the penalty spot in injury time after Arjen Robben was fouled by Mexico captain Rafael Marquez.
They had equalised in the 88th minute through Wesley Sneijder's thumping strike from the edge of the penalty area and with extra time beckoning, Robben won Louis van Gaal's side the spot-kick that took them into the quarter-finals.
It was a heartbreaking moment for the Mexicans, who had gone ahead just after half-time through Giovani Dos Santos, the former Tottenham and Barcelona player, who scored from 25 yards with a memorable strike.
At the final whistle at Estadio Castelao in Fortaleza, Mexico's players fell to the ground, unable to grasp how the game had slipped away.
For long periods they had out-thought and out-fought their more celebrated opponents as the Netherlands appeared to wilt in the stifling heat. Yet, when the final whistle blew, this would be marked down as Mexico's sixth successive loss in the second round of the World Cup, dating back to 1994.
The Dutch, in contrast, can look forward to the prospect of meeting Costa Rica or Greece in Salvador in the last eight.
The heat was a significant factor throughout. The spiralling temperatures, which reached 38.8C, meant that Fifa allowed two cooling breaks to take place. In parts of the stadium, fans struggled to take their seats because they were in direct sunlight, preferring to stand at the back and watch from an area of shade.
"You have to feel sorry for the Mexicans - they were brilliant for the first half and maybe 10 minutes of the second.
"You really believed that their goalkeeper looked unbeatable. But, however you have to do it, whether it is a long ball or technical stuff, you find a way to do it and that is what the Netherlands did.
"Robben became unplayable at the end of the game. Running with the ball at pace, he was simply astonishing."
On the field there was no hiding place for either side. Mexico played with courage and cohesion, tempo and tenacity. They had the better of the first half, with Hector Herrera and the excellent Miguel Layun a constant thorn in the Netherlands' side.
Carlos Salcido tested goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen from distance, while Dos Santos forced another good save from a narrow angle.
The Netherlands were struggling in the conditions. Mexico looked more ambitious, more attack-minded. Van Gaal's side sat deep, defended in numbers - sometimes with a back seven - and looked happy to rely on the attacking brilliance of Robin van Persie and Robben. It was a plan that ultimately paid off, but not until very late on.
It was not until the second half that the Netherlands found their rhythm but by then they were behind. As in the first half, Mexico began the second period with a bang - Dos Santos gathered the ball 30 yards out, held off Daley Blind and thumped a wonderful left-foot shot into the bottom corner on the turn.
Mexico might have had another soon after as Marquez headed over from a corner. Could the Dutch respond?
Van Gaal moved away from a back five and pushed substitute Memphis Depay into a more attacking midfield role. It almost paid off for the Netherlands but the brilliance of Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa kept them at bay. Robben's corner was flicked on by Stefan de Vrij but the Mexico goalkeeper reacted instinctively to push the ball against the post and to safety.
The Dutch poured forward in wave after wave of attacks. Robben felt he had won a penalty when he went to ground under a challenge by Layun but the referee waved play on. Ron Vlaar headed a Robben corner over the bar as time ticked on.
Just as the Dutch looked out on their feet, Sneijder rescued them, pouncing on a loose ball that had run back from a corner and firing an unerring shot low beyond Ochoa to change the game.
With 30 minutes of extra time looking likely, Robben raced into the right-hand edge of the penalty area. Marquez stuck out a boot and the Bayern Munich player went to ground for a penalty. Huntelaar kept his cool to put Netherlands through.
Match ends, Netherlands 2, Mexico 1.
Second Half ends, Netherlands 2, Mexico 1.
Goal! Netherlands 2, Mexico 1. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Netherlands) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
Andrés Guardado (Mexico) is shown the yellow card.
Rafael Márquez (Mexico) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Penalty Netherlands. Arjen Robben draws a foul in the penalty area.
Penalty conceded by Rafael Márquez (Mexico) after a foul in the penalty area.
Attempt blocked. Memphis Depay (Netherlands) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Wesley Sneijder.
Memphis Depay (Netherlands) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Paul Aguilar (Mexico).
Goal! Netherlands 1, Mexico 1. Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Klaas-Jan Huntelaar with a headed pass following a corner.
Corner, Netherlands. Conceded by Miguel Layún.
Attempt blocked. Memphis Depay (Netherlands) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Bruno Martins Indi.
Offside, Netherlands. Dirk Kuyt tries a through ball, but Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is caught offside.
Corner, Netherlands. Conceded by Miguel Layún.
Arjen Robben (Netherlands) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Carlos Salcido (Mexico).
Foul by Bruno Martins Indi (Netherlands).
Javier Aquino (Mexico) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Attempt missed. Carlos Salcido (Mexico) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Andrés Guardado.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match (Netherlands).
Substitution, Netherlands. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar replaces Robin van Persie.
Attempt missed. Ron Vlaar (Netherlands) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Arjen Robben with a cross following a corner.
Substitution, Mexico. Javier Hernández replaces Oribe Peralta.
Corner, Netherlands. Conceded by Guillermo Ochoa.
Attempt saved. Arjen Robben (Netherlands) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Georginio Wijnaldum.
Foul by Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands).
Paul Aguilar (Mexico) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Arjen Robben.
Corner, Netherlands. Conceded by Diego Reyes.
Paul Aguilar (Mexico) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Memphis Depay (Netherlands) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Paul Aguilar (Mexico).
Offside, Mexico. Javier Aquino tries a through ball, but Oribe Peralta is caught offside.
Memphis Depay (Netherlands) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Andrés Guardado (Mexico).
Attempt missed. Daley Blind (Netherlands) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left following a corner.
Corner, Netherlands. Conceded by Rafael Márquez.
Substitution, Mexico. Javier Aquino replaces Giovani dos Santos. | The Netherlands produced an astonishing late comeback to rescue their World Cup dream and deny Mexico a first quarter-final in 28 years. |
40,397,212 | A performance marking the event was part of Cosmic Collisions, a two-day celebration of art, architecture and science taking place in and around Sanquhar in south-west Scotland.
Charles Jencks' work is called Galactic Collisions.
The work was launched with Sea Hames, by the performance theatre company Oceanallover.
Charles Jencks said: "The whole event has been a huge success, our own Big Bang. It's been fabulous to see how much people of all ages have enjoyed this fusion of art, science and architecture.
"It has been such a privilege to be able to bring some of the world's leading space scientists, architects and others to Sanquhar and as part of such an enjoyable and colourful event." | An installation by artist Charles Jencks at Crawick Multiverse has been officially opened. |
36,971,997 | A Bill Leak cartoon published in The Australian newspaper on Thursday depicts an Aboriginal man who has forgotten his son's name.
Indigenous groups said the cartoon was "ugly, insulting and embarrassing".
But the paper's editor said the cartoon brought a "crucial issue" into the public domain.
In the cartoon, a police officer is shown bringing an Indigenous child to his father, saying: "You'll have to sit down and talk to your son about personal responsibility."
The father, who is barefoot and holding a beer can, asks: "What's his name then?"
The cartoon comes in the wake of debate about the Northern Territory's juvenile justice system and high incarceration rates among Indigenous youth.
It appears to be a response to comments from Indigenous leader Noel Pearson, who said this week that Aboriginal people needed to take more responsibility for the behaviour of their children.
The SNAICC, a non-governmental group for Indigenous children and families, called the cartoon "disgusting, disrespectful, and hurtful", adding: "Those involved in publishing such a clearly racist cartoon should be ashamed and should issue a public apology to all Australians."
The New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council criticised the cartoon, saying it was "embarrassing for Australia's national newspaper to publish it".
"Sadly racism and discrimination is a fact of life for Aboriginal people who have lived on and cared for this country for more than 60,000 years," the statement said.
"It is time the decision-makers at The Australian accept personal responsibility for the hurt they have caused Aboriginal people today."
The Australian newspaper typically takes a right-wing position on social affairs, favouring individual responsibility and free-market economics over government spending and intervention.
But it dedicates substantial resources to Indigenous affairs and has in the past won praise from Aboriginal leaders for its coverage.
The newspaper's editor-in-chief, Paul Whittaker, stood by the cartoon, saying too many people skirted around issues in Indigenous affairs.
"Bill Leak's confronting and insightful cartoons force people to examine the core issues in a way that sometimes reporting and analysis can fail to do," he said in a statement. | One of Australia's most prominent cartoonists is under fire for an unflattering drawing of an Indigenous man. |
37,302,387 | Austin opened the scoring with a controversial penalty after Costa Nhamoinesu was harshly adjudged to have handled while challenging the striker.
Dusan Tadic had to be ushered away after arguing about who should take the penalty but celebrated with Austin.
Austin's header made it 2-0 before Jay Rodriguez added a late third.
Relive Southampton's Europa League victory
Puel has endured a frustrating start to his managerial reign at Southampton after two draws and two defeats, including Saturday's last-minute loss at Arsenal.
But this was a highly satisfactory night for the Frenchman as the Saints secured a comfortable Group K win with Austin, who has started just one league game this season, causing chaos with his pace and accurate finishing.
The 27-year-old looked like a player with a point to prove as he scored twice in 22 first-half minutes, the first a controversial penalty awarded after Nhamoinesu was ruled to have handled while challenging Austin on the edge of the area.
German referee Manuel Grafe originally awarded a corner only to change his mind and point to the spot.
More drama was to follow as Austin's team-mate Tadic had to be guided away by captain Virgil van Dijk after arguing over who should take the kick.
Austin duly scored from the spot before the former QPR striker headed his second from the edge of the six-yard area after Cuco Martina's clever cross.
Having scored the winner at Manchester United last January, Austin has now found the net on both his Premier League and Europa League debuts for Southampton.
Sparta Prague offered very little threat in a match which at times resembled a training game.
The Czech visitors forced just one save from Fraser Forster, who beat away substitute David Lafata's first-time effort when the score was 2-0.
Puel made seven changes to the side that started against Arsenal yet there was an intensity and a desire as his fringe players left him with plenty to ponder.
Tadic and Austin were lively throughout while Shane Long capped an impressive individual display by setting up substitute Rodriguez to turn home Saints' third from close range.
The win takes Southampton top of the group ahead of their trip to Israel to face Hapoel Be'er Sheva, who won 2-0 away at Inter Milan, on 29 September.
Southampton striker Charlie Austin on taking the penalty: "As a centre-forward I think I should take the penalties. I've come here full of confidence, even though I've not scored.
"I put the ball on the spot and luckily it gave us a 1-0 lead. I think it was a bit silly from me and Dusan, but I'll take the penalties in future."
Southampton boss Claude Puel on the argument over the penalty: "They can discuss together; if all the time you put the ball in the goal it's OK. For me it's not important."
On the performance: "It was a great performance. We played a very good team of technical players. It was difficult but the penalty at the start of the game helped us on to good things."
Will this win kick-start Southampton's season? We'll soon find out. They entertain Swansea City at St Mary's on Sunday (14:15 BST).
Match ends, Southampton 3, Sparta Prague 0.
Second Half ends, Southampton 3, Sparta Prague 0.
Goal! Southampton 3, Sparta Prague 0. Jay Rodriguez (Southampton) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Shane Long.
Foul by Shane Long (Southampton).
Vaclav Kadlec (Sparta Prague) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Shane Long (Southampton) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Matt Targett.
Matej Pulkrab (Sparta Prague) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
James Ward-Prowse (Southampton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Matej Pulkrab (Sparta Prague).
Offside, Southampton. Virgil van Dijk tries a through ball, but Shane Long is caught offside.
James Ward-Prowse (Southampton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Vyacheslav Karavayev (Sparta Prague).
Foul by James Ward-Prowse (Southampton).
Michal Sacek (Sparta Prague) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Virgil van Dijk (Southampton) right footed shot from the left side of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Maya Yoshida with a headed pass following a corner.
Attempt blocked. Jay Rodriguez (Southampton) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by James Ward-Prowse with a cross.
Substitution, Southampton. Steven Davis replaces Oriol Romeu.
Corner, Southampton. Conceded by Martin Frydek.
Foul by Oriol Romeu (Southampton).
Matej Pulkrab (Sparta Prague) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Oriol Romeu (Southampton) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Oriol Romeu (Southampton).
Michal Sacek (Sparta Prague) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Southampton. Jay Rodriguez replaces Charlie Austin.
Shane Long (Southampton) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Costa Nhamoinesu (Sparta Prague).
James Ward-Prowse (Southampton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by David Lafata (Sparta Prague).
Substitution, Sparta Prague. Matej Pulkrab replaces Josef Sural.
Offside, Southampton. Nathan Redmond tries a through ball, but Shane Long is caught offside.
Attempt missed. Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (Southampton) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Nathan Redmond.
Foul by Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (Southampton).
Michal Sacek (Sparta Prague) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt missed. James Ward-Prowse (Southampton) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Nathan Redmond.
Attempt blocked. James Ward-Prowse (Southampton) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Nathan Redmond.
Substitution, Southampton. Nathan Redmond replaces Dusan Tadic.
Vaclav Kadlec (Sparta Prague) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Matt Targett (Southampton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Vaclav Kadlec (Sparta Prague).
Attempt saved. David Lafata (Sparta Prague) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. | Charlie Austin scored twice as Southampton secured their first win under manager Claude Puel by beating Sparta Prague in the Europa League. |
39,701,221 | Matilda Ho spoke at the Ted (Technology, Entertainment and Design) conference about the need to spread the message about healthy eating.
She is backing a range of start-ups, including one that offers protein made from silkworms.
China has a growing problem with obesity and diabetes.
"China has 20% of the world's population but only 7% of land is arable," Ms Ho told the BBC.
"One in four diabetics is now Chinese and one in five obese people."
Ms Ho began tackling the issue with an online farmers' market which now supplies 240 types of new produce from 57 farmers.
It has gained 40,000 subscribers since it was launched 18 months ago.
"I wanted to use technology to shorten the gap between growers and consumers," Ms Ho told the BBC.
"It is a right to know where your food comes from and it empowers consumers."
The food is delivered to customers via electric vehicles and in biodegradable boxes to keep the carbon footprint low.
China has a rapidly rising middle class and a culture where it is polite to over-order food for guests in restaurants.
Ms Ho realised that one online start-up was not enough and has now launched an accelerator to promote a range of food tech firms.
It includes a start-up that uses silkworms as a sustainable source of protein.
"In China, silkworms are by-products of the textile industry so they are affordable and accessible," explained Ms Ho.
"They also don't sound like a bug so it doesn't sound as yucky as an insect. As kids we raised silkworms at school."
There is a history of insect eating in China but silkworms are the only insect currently legal in China to use as an ingredient in food.
There is a push to legalise crickets too but that is likely to take three to five years to become law. | A Chinese entrepreneur is promoting edible insects and online farmers' markets in a campaign to improve eating habits in the country. |
27,976,310 | Every GP in the city is being given access to a Citizens Advice worker, who can offer support with housing and financial problems.
I went to Norris Green, a part of the city which has a lot of social housing and people on benefits.
William Heraty, 73, has come to his local GP surgery - not for a medical appointment but to get some practical help, as part of the scheme.
He has experienced problems with money and his house since his wife and son died recently.
Advice worker Kayleigh Williams has some good news for Mr Heraty.
She told him: "I'm writing to the bank to pass them your wife's death certificate, and tell them to accumulate the money you shouldn't have been paying since she died.
"I calculated it at about ??860."
Mr Heraty is due back money he had mistakenly been paying on his wife's behalf since she died.
He appears briefly overwhelmed that the cash will help with some much-needed repairs to his house, and perhaps allow a holiday.
He said: "I'd like to go somewhere and take my fishing rod with me. It's been quite a few years since I had a holiday."
Counselling has helped Mr Heraty's grief - but more than anything, he has needed this practical support.
His wife had always handled the household finances, and Parkinson's Disease means he often feels tired.
He added: "I've been worrying about taking ten pounds out for petrol. I've got to learn how to cope with all of this."
It is a moving encounter - especially when the Citizens Advice worker, Kayleigh Williams, tells Mr Heraty he now seems a "changed man".
She helps steer a transformation in people whose lives have perhaps lost some control, as part of the "Advice on Prescription" project run by Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group.
One client was a man referred by his GP who had not opened his post for a year and was living on handouts.
Kayleigh Williams said: "I wrote a list of things he needed to do. He was quite unresponsive at first.
"But by the third and fourth interviews, he was coming in with a bag of his letters labelled up with post-it notes. He knew who he needed to ring.
"He was like a different person. I think the organisation had rubbed off on him."
Professor Chris Dowrick, a GP as well as an academic at Liverpool University, is the author of a book called "Beyond Depression", which has proved influential in the surgery project.
He agrees it is a useful trial because it helps people beyond the formal medical boundaries and time pressures involved in most GP appointments.
He told me: "Most people's mental health problems have got much more to do with income, employment and their environment.
"This is about de-stigmatising people, and helping them realise they're not to blame for everything."
The work in Liverpool's GP surgeries has been planned by NHS commissioners there with a specific anti-poverty drive.
Similar advice schemes are underway in Plymouth and Bridgend - and they are also being evaluated by researchers.
A pilot has begun in Scotland too, with link workers in low-income communities.
The results may well confirm that patients who are sad or distressed do not always need medical treatment. | The NHS in Liverpool is trying a different approach to help patients who are distressed or on the verge of depression. |
34,778,814 | 10 November 2015 Last updated at 18:36 GMT
He is the first person to be arrested as part of the investigation and was detained in County Antrim by the PSNI's Legacy Investigation Branch.
BBC News NI's Home Affairs Correspondent Vincent Kearney reports. | A 66-year-old former member of the parachute regiment has been arrested by detectives investigating Bloody Sunday. |
36,224,871 | Forklift driver Tomasz Wiszniewski walked out of the building unhurt after an eight-hour rescue operation.
Rescuers said it appeared as though Mr Wiszniewski had been saved by the protective cage on his truck.
Rows of metal racking came down in the building on Hatton Road, just outside Hinstock, Shropshire at 9.40am.
Fire crews used drones and cut through the roof in order to locate the missing worker.
Live updates on warehouse collapse
Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service described the search as one of the biggest in its history.
Mr Wiszniewski, who is from Poland, smiled and chatted to paramedics as they checked him over after his ordeal. His family have been told he is safe and well.
His colleague Debbie Belcher said there had been "complete fear and dread" when it emerged he was trapped.
"I can't imagine what he's been going through," she said.
"The sense of relief is just immense. We couldn't have hoped for a better outcome."
Crews used specialist cutting equipment to get inside the building to try and free the man after the tangled wreckage of shelving proved impossible to navigate.
A drone was used to look amongst the shelving for the missing worker. Sniffer dogs from Merseyside also assisted with the search.
An investigation is now under way to determine how the racking collapsed.
Shropshire Fire and Rescue spokesman Malcolm Stevenson described the racking, which was storing cheese, as being like inside "very large warehouses like those of Tesco and Argos, to keep huge amounts of stock."
"It's metal racking, virtually up to the ceiling, pretty high, and it's full of product of various size.
"The racking is organised in corridors. Most of that has fallen over and collapsed."
He said the building, which belongs to haulage company Edwards Transport, was intact but that there had been "bowing to the sides".
West Midlands Ambulance Service earlier tweeted one other person had been treated for the effects of shock. | A worker trapped under a "huge amount" of cheese after metal shelving inside a food distribution warehouse collapsed has been freed. |
18,553,813 | Both houses of Congress had voted on Thursday to begin impeachment proceedings over his handling of clashes between farmers and police last week in which at least 17 people died.
Mr Lugo likened the move to a coup by the right wing-controlled parliament, but said he would accept the decision.
Vice-President Federico Franco has already been sworn in as president.
He will serve the remainder of Mr Lugo's five-year term, which ends in August 2013.
After previously trying to get the Supreme Court to stop the impeachment vote, the fallen president said he accepted "what the law has stated, even though the law was twisted".
Calling on his supporters to remain calm, he added that "the history of Paraguay and its democracy have been deeply wounded".
Mr Lugo's 2008 election ended 61 years of rule by the right-wing Colorado party.
The two main political parties, Colorado and Liberal, had put aside their differences and voted in favour of the motion to begin the impeachment trial.
The Liberals are part of Mr Lugo's ruling coalition.
In an appeal filed with Paraguay's Supreme Court on Friday, Mr Lugo's lawyers had said the proceedings do not ensure due process and that the president should have been granted more time to prepare.
A centre-right legislator, Carlos Maria, denied allegations of unconstitutionality. "There's nothing illegal here, there's no constitutional rupture, no coup," he told AP.
The impeachment sparked clashes between police on horseback and supporters of Mr Lugo massed outside the National Congress building in the capital Asuncion.
"We do not want the return of dictatorship," one protester who had travelled to the capital from the Brazilian border told the AFP news agency.
Water cannon was used by police to drive the protesters back.
The impeachment motion accused Mr Lugo of a "poor performance" during the forced land eviction last Friday, in which seven police officers and at least nine farmers were killed.
Speaking on national television on Thursday, Mr Lugo said he would not resign, but "face the consequences" of the trial. He accused his opponents of carrying out an "express coup d'etat".
The Union of South American Nations has send an urgent mission of foreign ministers to Paraguay to "ensure the right to defend democracy".
Ecuador's President Rafael Correa warned that the regional bloc could invoke its "democracy clause" to sever ties with Paraguay and even close its borders if Mr Lugo is not tried according to "due process".
BBC regional analyst Leonardo Rocha says South American countries are worried that Mr Lugo, Paraguay's first left-wing president, is the victim of a political trial by the Colorado party and other right-wing groups.
Several South American countries, including neighbouring Argentina and Bolivia, have already said they do not recognise the new government, reports say.
During the clashes in eastern Canindeyu province that prompted the impeachment move, more than 300 police officers tried to evict 150 landless farmers from an estate owned by a wealthy businessman who is also a political opponent of Mr Lugo.
The eviction escalated into violence and the farmers opened fire on the police.
The farmers have argued the land was illegally taken during the 1954-1989 military rule of Gen Alfredo Stroessner and distributed among his allies.
Land disputes are not unusual in Paraguay, where a small fraction of the population owns about 80% of the land.
Mr Lugo - a former Catholic bishop who abandoned priesthood to enter politics - campaigned for the needs of the poor.
Before being elected in 2008, he promised land for some 87,000 landless families.
On Wednesday, in an attempt to calm tensions over the incident, Mr Lugo said he would open an investigation into what happened. | Paraguay's Senate has voted to impeach left-wing President Fernando Lugo, forcing him to step down. |
35,403,493 | The vote is seen as a major blow to UN efforts to unify the country's two rival parliaments.
Islamic State militants have stepped up attacks in recent weeks, targeting the country's oil infrastructure.
Libya has been in chaos since the 2011 overthrow of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.
Of 104 members attending the session in the eastern city of Tobruk, 89 voted against backing the government, Reuters news agency reports.
The Tunis-based Presidential Council now has 10 days to put forward a new, shorter list of ministers, Reuters adds.
Libya's state oil company said earlier that the country had lost $68bn (£48bn) in potential oil revenues since 2013, in comments reported by the UK's Financial Times newspaper.
Western nations hope the formation of the new government will help bring stability and tackle the growing threat of the so-called Islamic State group (IS).
IS militants have taken advantage of the political vacuum to expand their presence in the country. | Libya's internationally recognised parliament has rejected a unity government named last week under a UN-brokered deal aimed at uniting the country's warring factions. |
35,603,144 | 21 February 2016 Last updated at 19:34 GMT
The Cat S60 can measure the temperate of objects and take thermal selfies in complete darkness.
BBC's technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones asked product manager Pete Cunningham what people would use the device for. | A smartphone with a built-in thermal camera is on show at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. |
40,347,636 | ​St Joseph's Church, Sailortown, in the Belfast docks area, was closed by the Catholic Church in 2001, despite a parishioners' campaign to keep it open.
It is now owned by a community group which wants to renovate the building and turn it into a heritage centre.
But there are safety fears after a column fell from the spire last month.
The Sailortown Regeneration Group has owned the building on a 150-year lease since 2008, after what it described as "a sustained battle" with the Catholic Diocese of Down and Connor.
Much of the nearby land has already been redeveloped, and the late 19th Century church is now surrounded by modern apartment blocks.
Its owners aim to redevelop the church as a community venue, which would showcase Sailortown's maritime and industrial heritage.
The dockland area was once home to hundreds of families, but in the 1970s the area drastically changed with the construction of the Westlink.
Many homes were demolished under the Belfast Urban Project initiative, resulting in local families moving away.
However, the building is in a state of disrepair and the owners have "had to stop access to the interior as our insurance would not cover injury".
They recently received a letter from Building Control, notifying them of an order to either remove, repair or secure the building.
A falling marble column caused damage to adjoining Clanmil Apartments, and created "another large hole in the main roof".
The required safety work could cost an estimated £30,000.
Terry McKeown, from the Sailortown Regeneration Group, said: "Since we received the dangerous building notice it means we now have to put up hoarding and netting and that will cost a substantial amount of money.
"It could be up to tens-of-thousands of pounds, and we don't have that kind of money, as we're a voluntary organisation."
She warned that if repairs were not completed, the church may have to be demolished.
"We really want to make a centre for the people of Belfast, so they can see the story of this place and of the people who worked at the docks," she said.
"A church is the focal point of any community and it means so much to people.
"It marks major events in their life - birth, marriage and death."
It is understood that the building will be inspected and surveyed in coming months in order to gauge the full cost of restoration. | A campaign to save a deconsecrated church from demolition has been dealt a blow after council officials served it with a "dangerous building" notice. |
40,905,001 | Lee Matthews, 47, from Cambridgeshire, had booked a family room and had toys with him at the time of his arrest.
At Cambridge Crown Court, Matthews, of Holme Way, Sawston, pleaded guilty to arranging a child sexual offence.
The defendant was jailed for six years and eight months and will be put on the sex offenders register indefinitely.
He was arrested as part of a police operation targeting online paedophiles.
Cambridgeshire Police said Matthews believed he had arranged to meet a man who was going to let him rape his eight-year-old daughter and two-year-old son and film the abuse.
Det Sgt James Weston, from the Paedophile Online Investigation Team, described Matthews as "a very dangerous individual who has an extremely unhealthy interest in children".
Matthews also pleaded guilty to three charges of making an indecent image, to one charge of possessing a prohibited image and to one charge of possessing extreme pornography.
On his release, he will be on licence for three years and four months and will be given a life-long Sexual Harm Prevention Order. | A "very dangerous" man who planned to meet two children, one aged just two, at a hotel and appear in a film raping them has been jailed. |
37,626,049 | Horse Sport Ireland is "extremely concerned" by reports of the "alleged circumstances" of the death of Kevin Thornton's horse, Flogas Sunset Cruise.
"There is no way I would ever whip a horse to death," he told The Irish Field. "That's not what happened."
A post mortem examination is due to be carried out on the horse.
The French equestrian federation is also involved in the investigation, as is the sport's world governing body, the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI).
The FEI said it had started a full investigation into the incident, which happened on a rest day between two international events in Cagnes-sur-Mer, and revealed the event's organising committee had filed a report to the police.
"The welfare of our equine athletes is our number one priority," added the FEI.
Thornton said allegations of whipping were being made by people "confused" because he was riding several different grey horses during the session.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Swiss-based Irishman said the 10-year-old horse had "felt very weird" and "suddenly collapsed" as he finished his 20-minute ride and dismounted.
He said he had whipped the horse "once or twice" to encourage it to move forward, but said reactions on social media had "escalated into a witch-hunt endangering my safety and reputation which is totally unacceptable."
"I am very sad and devastated about this tragic accident," added Thornton. "It is heart-breaking to see a horse die".
Vinnie Duffy, the horse's owner, said he was "devastated", both at the loss of the horse and for Thornton's "vilification".
"I feel so bad for him, it's awful what is being said," he told The Irish Field, a bloodstock, racing and sport horse publication. "The last thing in the world I would condone is any abuse of horses. Horses are our lives and our business." | An Irish show jumper under investigation after his horse died at an event in France on Monday has denied "whipping it to death". |
40,175,168 | The game will kick off the tournament at the Coleraine Showgrounds on Saturday, 22 July.
Fermanagh man Kieran McKenna, who captained Northern Ireland in the Milk Cup Elite tournament in 2005, is an under-18 coach at United.
After a two-year absence, United will play in this year's junior tournament.
McKenna spent seven years at Tottenham before injury forced him to end his playing career at the age of 23.
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United stars Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard helped the club win the Premier title in the 2014 tournament and McKenna says the experience of competing against opposition from all over the world is invaluable.
"If our boys get in the first team, they will play against South Americans and others from all over Europe, Asia and the rest of the world," said McKenna.
"Their styles of play are different to British players."
McKenna represented County Fermanagh in the junior section and then in the under-20 section for Northern Ireland.
"We beat Brazil in the semi-finals but were beaten by USA in the final. It's a good tournament and I really enjoyed it."
Former Milk Cup winner Nicky Butt, part of the famous 1991 team that lifted the Premier crown in Coleraine, heads up the Manchester United Academy. | Manchester United's return to this year's SuperCupNI will include the club's under-18 side taking on the Northern Ireland Under-18s. |
29,529,928 | It is the last of 70 bags of soil collected from every battlefield in Flanders where soldiers of the Household Division died.
After being taken off the Cunard liner, Queen Mary 2, the soil was blessed during a dockside service.
It will be displayed for the day at the city's Civic Hall.
On Thursday the bag of soil will make its final journey via train, in a first-class carriage, to London Waterloo.
The soil, from Ypres Cemetery, will then be displayed at the Guards Museum, Westminster.
Last year bags of soil arrived in London aboard the Belgian Navy frigate Louisa Marie, to form a new Flanders Field Memorial Garden at the museum.
The Queen will open the garden in November.
The £70,000 project has been funded by the Guards Museum at Wellington Barracks, with help from public donations and a contribution from the Government of Flanders.
The process of bringing the soil to the UK began on Armistice Day with a ceremony at the Menin Gate in Ypres, attended by the Duke of Edinburgh.
More than 1,000 British and Belgian schoolchildren were involved in collecting the soil from cemeteries and battlefields in Flanders in 2013.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission had previously never allowed soil to leave battlefield cemeteries. | A ceremony has taken place in Southampton to mark the arrival of a bag of soil taken from a World War One Belgian battlefield cemetery. |
39,204,467 | The deal in principle is expected to be concluded on 25 March.
It would see its Galashiels depot, Peebles, Hawick and Kelso outstations and all staff transfer to West Coast Motors.
First Scotland East managing director Paul McGowan said they would fully support the workers affected.
"Despite the focus on services and the hard work of everyone across our business, unfortunately the introduction of the Borders Railway in 2015 has impacted demand for bus travel and our services are becoming increasingly unsustainable," he said.
"I'm pleased we have an agreement in principle to sell the operations to West Coast Motors, a reliable and well-established transport company.
"I'm confident their experience operating in rural areas will be of great benefit to the business."
West Coast Motors runs a network of bus and tour operations across Scotland and the north of England, including Perryman's Buses in the Borders.
"The proposed sale does not, in any way, reflect the commitment of our employees in the area who have worked tirelessly to provide the best possible service to local communities," added Mr McGowan.
"I'd like to thank them for their hard work and loyalty over the years.
"We will be fully supporting them throughout this process."
He thanked passengers for using their services and said they would "continue to run services as normal" throughout the proposed deal.
A spokesperson for West Coast Motors said it would be inappropriate to comment while talks on the deal were ongoing.
Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire MSP John Lamont said the announcement was "hugely concerning news, which puts the whole transport system in the Borders at risk".
He said the impact on jobs and existing routes was "unclear".
"While I understand there will be no immediate changes, it will be open to the new operator to reduce services after a relatively short time," he said.
"This would be a huge blow to many people who rely on bus routes."
Fellow MSP Christine Grahame who represents Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale said she was seeking urgent talks with the new owners.
"The absolute priority must be maintaining continuity of service for all the communities First currently serves and the 113 local jobs it provides," she said.
"I will be monitoring this situation very carefully indeed as it develops." | Bus operator First Group is to sell its operations in Midlothian and the Borders saying the new railway has made services "increasingly unsustainable". |
27,009,201 | Farah, 31, failed to break Steve Jones's 29-year-old British record of two hours, seven minutes 13 seconds and finished in 2:08:21.
Kipsang set a course record 2:04.27 with compatriot Stanley Biwott second.
Edna Kiplagat pipped fellow Kenyan Florence Kiplagat in the women's race with debutant Tirunesh Dibaba third.
Welshman Steve Jones set the British marathon record of 2:07.13 when he won in Chicago in 1985. Jones holds the top three times - Farah set the fourth fastest time and a new English record
Farah elected to sit among the second pack of elite runners, but soon found himself 38 seconds behind the lead group, headed by Kipsang, at the halfway mark.
That gap increased to 49 seconds after 15 miles and then over a minute by the time they reached 19 miles.
The Briton, who won 5,000m and 10,000m gold at the 2012 Olympics and last year's World Championships, also made errors at two drinks stations when he tried to pick up fluids.
Despite missing out on the British record, Farah recorded the fourth fastest time by a Briton and set the fastest time by an Englishman.
Asked if he would do another marathon, Farah, who finished almost four minutes behind the winner, said: "Yeh, definitely, 100%. I'm not going to finish it like this. I will be back.
"Why would Mo Farah want to take on guys like Wilson Kipsang in the marathon in the future? These guys are just so strong. I hope Mo stays on the track, runs the shorter distances and defends his title in Rio. I just think this is too much of an unknown territory for Mo."
"I would have been disappointed to do my first marathon somewhere else. I gave it my all but I just wish I gave a little bit more to the crowd and all the supporters.
"It was pretty tough. I'm quite disappointed but you try things and if they don't work, at least you gave it a go. It was really just the pace - I should have gone with the front group. The pacemakers I had were slightly ahead of me but you learn - life goes on."
Former British world champion Paula Radcliffe believes Farah made the correct decision in choosing to make his marathon bow in London.
"If you are a British runner and you want to attack the marathon, you do it in London, there is no better stage," she told BBC Sport.
"The plan was to go through the first half at slower pace and that was what he did, but he wasn't quite able to come back in the second half of the race. I think he has found out what the marathon is all about."
Farah has yet to decide whether he will return to the track in time to compete at the Commonwealth Games, which begin on 23 July.
Race winner Kipsang, who set the world record of 2:03:23 in Berlin last year, stayed among the lead pack until he and countryman Biwott broke away with just over six miles remaining.
In the last two miles, Kipsang showed his class to ease away from the 2012 Paris champion and eventually finish 26 seconds ahead of his rival.
"I took advantage of controlling the pace and the guys," Kipsang, who also won in 2012, told BBC Sport. "I saw that Biwott was really strong. It was becoming more tricky. My main target was to win and run a course record."
Briton Chris Thompson, who took 10,000m silver behind Farah in the 2010 European Championships, finished 11th on his marathon debut in a time of 2:11:19, well inside the qualification time for both the Commonwealth Games in July and European Championships in August.
Meanwhile, the women's race developed into a three-way fight between the Kenyan pair and marathon debutant Dibaba, the Olympic 10,000m champion, until the Ethiopian made a mistake at a drinks station that cost her about 15 to 20 metres on the leading pair.
They then battled neck-and-neck until the final 150m when Edna Kiplagat outpaced Florence Kiplagat to win by three seconds in a time of 2:20.21.
Amy Whitehead and Emma Stepto were the first British women home in 13th (2:34.20) and 14th (2:36.05) place respectively. | British Olympic champion Mo Farah finished eighth on his marathon debut as Kenyan world record holder Wilson Kipsang won his second title in London. |
38,735,696 | Timi Ariyo spoke out after a video about him containing abusive singing and monkey noises was sent on Snapchat.
Tami Sotire said she had initially been scared to report abuse directed at her on social media for fear the group would "become more angry".
They will now meet Bristol University and will also be "alerting police".
The university said it was "shocked and saddened" and would have "investigated immediately" had staff been informed. It urged students to report abuse.
Ms Sotire said: "From the public support, I know that these people are in the minority and should really be brought to justice for the stuff they've put us through."
Mr Ariyo said: "In light of the response we've had from friends and family, and people that we don't even know, a lot of people have urged us to go to the police.
"And speaking to my family we've said it's probably the best thing to do to get it on record, just for safety as well."
The video, posted in December, showed a group of white men singing an abusive song about Mr Ariyo.
The third year law student said: "It was quite shocking when I first saw the video, obviously they are people that I know.
"And it was weird to see that it was happening in such a public place - they were so passionately chanting such a racist thing.
"So many of my friends saw the video and were like 'wow I've never seen anything like that, I didn't know it still happened in 2017' - and it does," he said.
The pair, from Essex, said their abusers were mainly from their old school back home, but also included a fellow university student.
Mr Ariyo, 21, said that the abuse was carried out with a "pack mentality", in the belief no one member could be singled out for taking part.
He added: "I think it got to a point where it was becoming malicious and offensive and that's when I realised it wasn't my friends making a joke, it was people targeting and being nasty."
Ms Sotire, 21, said she could not escape the abuse - which started in April - on social media.
"Me and Timi made the effort to... block them, delete them off everything. But they continued to target us with Snapchat, add me to Whatsapp groups.
"People have taken it upon themselves to bully me and Timi based on our skin colour. They don't even know us."
The second year psychology student added the abusive video was recorded at a pub and she feared bumping into the group.
"It's about 10 to 15 boys that we can bump into at any time.
"I just fear that this group of white boys will become more angry at black people, more angry at me - especially if I take it to the police." | Two black university students who say they were subjected to months of "malicious" online racial abuse have decided to report it officially. |
36,895,566 | Media playback is not supported on this device
Mum Claire was desperate to be at her daughter's career-defining moment but needed a little help from friends - and a crowd-funding page.
"My mum is a single mum and, ever since I was young, we've been putting everything into my swimming," the British 200m breaststroke record-holder said.
"Coming into Rio, the expenses are really expensive so me and my mum have been setting up meetings so I can have my photo taken with people, signing autographs.
"It's really sweet because the little kids love it. It's completely out of my comfort zone but I need to get used to it.
"We've been baking cakes and selling cakes and all sorts. I'm so grateful for everyone who's helped my mum. It means a lot to me, I'm glad she'll be there."
The 20-year-old's mum was able to successfully raise the amount required - £3,714 to be exact - and join her daughter in Brazil as the world number five will mix it with the best.
Tutton, who starts her campaign in Rio with the 200m breaststroke heats on 10 August, is the new kid on the block in British swimming.
She shot to prominence in April as she won gold in the British Championship to secure her Olympic qualification.
A month later, the Ystrad Rhondda swimmer helped Great Britain win 4x100m medley relay gold at the European Championships, having claimed an individual bronze in the 100m breaststroke.
Having turned 20 in July, Tutton travels to Rio with Olympic silver medallist Sharron Davies among those excited by her potential.
Tutton's selection caps a rapid rise from relative obscurity at the start of 2016.
However, she was earmarked for stardom early having developed a passion for swimming as a child and being pinpointed by renowned Cardiff swimming club coach Dave Haller, who coached David Wilkie and Duncan Goodhew to Olympic titles.
Find out how to get into swimming with our special guide.
"I started swimming when I was about three," she recalled. "On holiday I used to love getting in the water so my mum took me to Ystrad Swimming Pool for some lessons.
"At the age of 12, Dave Haller asked me to join Cardiff and, from there, my swimming just took off. It started off as a hobby and then it turned into more of a career."
Tutton is one of 24 Welsh athletes at the Olympics and joins fellow Welsh swimmers Jazz Carlin, the European and Commonwealth champion, Georgia Davies and Ieuan Lloyd in Rio.
"It's a complete dream for me. I'm on cloud nine right now and enjoying every moment," Tutton added.
"I love that there are four of us from the Welsh team on the British team. We'll be doing our country proud."
Subscribe to the BBC Sport newsletter to get our pick of news, features and video sent to your inbox. | As a member of Team GB at the Olympics, swimmer Chloe Tutton need not worry about travel and accommodation in Rio - but it is more complicated for her most dedicated follower. |
34,039,676 | Mountain guides found the frozen remains during a climb on Saturday.
They were still wearing their backpacks and investigators hope a camera found nearby may yield clues about their identity and what happened to them.
Chimborazo is Ecuador's highest mountain at 6,268m (20,565ft).
The bodies were found under layers of ice at a height of 5,650m.
In 1994, seven French climbers and three Ecuadorean guides went missing on the Chimborazo volcano after an avalanche.
Ecuadorean officials have asked relatives of the missing French climbers to come forward to help determine the identities of the bodies.
Investigator Fernando de la Torre said the bodies would have to be left to defrost naturally before they can be examined.
Forensic experts say they want to avoid damaging clothing on the dead climbers, which may yield clues as to who they are and when they died.
Chimborazo, a dormant volcano, is popular with climbers, but avalanches and melting snow and ice can make it risky. | Officials in Ecuador are trying to determine if three bodies found on the Chimborazo volcano are those of French climbers who died in an avalanche two decades ago. |
34,478,593 | The 21-year-old man and woman aged 29 from Poland - named as Daniel Fedec and Malgorzata Marczak by the Polish Embassy - were found in Debdale Avenue, Worcester, on Tuesday.
The woman's death is being treated as murder.
West Mercia Police said there were no previous reports of domestic violence.
Police said they had been contacted by their families on Tuesday who were worried after not hearing from them since Sunday.
Det Ch Insp Neil Austin said: "The death of the woman is being treated as suspicious and being investigated as a murder and the death of the man is being treated as non-suspicious." | The bodies of a man and woman found dead in a house were discovered after relatives raised the alarm because they had not heard from them. |
29,953,132 | Thirty-four grammar schools hosted the Association of Quality Education (AQE) exams for 7,285 pupils.
This year, there are more pupils than ever taking the unregulated tests.
Northern Ireland's Department of Education abolished academic selection with the final official 11-plus test held in 2008.
However, many grammar schools use unregulated transfer tests to select pupils.
There are two unofficial replacement systems for the 11-plus in operation.
The single, multiple choice GL Assessment is used mostly by Catholic schools and the AQE sets a different exam for other schools.
The GL test will be held next week. The number sitting that examination has also increased, to 7,255. That test is free.
There is a charge of £45 for the AQE test, but pupils who get free school meals are exempt.
Attempts to create a single examination have failed. | A series of transfer tests for primary seven children began in Northern Ireland on Saturday. |
19,595,422 | The government said it would raise diesel prices by 14% from Friday.
India subsidises the prices of diesel, cooking gas and kerosene oil to help the poor and keep inflation in check.
However, this has resulted in a growing budget deficit and there have been concerns the policy may be hurting India's overall economic growth.
The government has been under increasing pressure to cut the subsidies and bring down the deficit.
"It is the first credible step towards fiscal consolidation that the government has taken, something for which the market has been waiting for long," said Manish Wadhawan, head of rates at HSBC.
The government said that it would also limit the sale of subsidised cooking gas to six cylinders a year per consumer.
Ratings boost?
India's economy has slowed in recent months and there have been fears that slow growth coupled with high inflation and a rising deficit may hurt investment in the country.
Earlier this year, ratings agency Standard & Poor's warned that India could lose its investment grade status if conditions in the country did not improve.
Another ratings agency, Fitch, cut its outlook for India's economy to negative in June.
Analysts said the decision by the government was likely to ease fears about a rating downgrade for Asia's third-largest economy.
"The government has shown it can take hard decisions, very difficult decisions," said C Rangarajan, chief economic advisor to the Indian prime minister.
At the same time the price rise has raised hopes that India's central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), may cut interest rates to spur growth.
"All these days [the] RBI was insisting [the] government should take steps to control [the] fiscal deficit, after this move there are all possibilities that the central bank may consider reducing interest rates," said RK Gupta, managing director at Taurus Mutual Fund.
"This is very good news for the market. Foreign institutional investors will be taking this as a positive step. This will also improve the country's ratings," he added.
While the increase has been welcomed by investors and analysts, some political parties, including one of the allies of the ruling coalition, have already voiced their displeasure about it.
Mamata Banerjee, president of the Trinamool Congress, a key part of the coalition, said that her party was unhappy with it.
"We will not accept it and demand its rollback," she said.
Ms Banerjee's party has previously forced the government to not make proposed hikes in rail fares.
Meanwhile, India's main opposition party, the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), labelled the move as a "cruel joke".
"We will not allow this hike. We will not allow this government to loot the common man like this," said Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, vice president of the BJP.
These comments have led to some concerns that the government may be forced not to increase prices.
"One just hopes that there is no back-tracking of this measure, and they continue to move ahead," said Shubhada Rao, chief economist at Yes bank in Mumbai. | India has announced a sharp rise in the price of diesel, the first increase in more than one year, in an attempt to cut the country's budget deficit. |
34,276,963 | Now, we've had the Corbyn way of doing the set-piece political interview.
And it is very, very different.
Most spin doctors would probably have been holding their head in their hands at Mr Corbyn's rather diffident, unorthodox style during his round of set piece interviews with the main broadcasters on Wednesday evening.
Normally the set-piece interview with political leaders can be a rather fraught process.
There will be lengthy discussions about the backdrop; the chair; the cushions; the surrounding furniture; whether to cross legs or un-cross legs and so on.
Then there will be anxious queries about the line of questioning - the order of the subjects and the duration of the interview.
And of course the politician will have remorselessly rehearsed and prepared his answers.
His or her clothes, tie and hair will all have been carefully thought about.
As little will have been left to chance as possible.
Last night, Mr Corbyn seemed to chuck all that conventional interview wisdom out of the window.
Far from having a pre-prepared set of stock answers, he seemed to be almost musing aloud.
Asked about whether he might kneel before the Queen - he pondered and pleaded for more time to think about it.
And when asked a hypothetical question, he noted it was a hypothetical question and then answered it.
Normally politicians won't touch a hypothetical question with a barge pole.
As for his performance? Low-key would be a charitable way to describe it. Mr Corbyn seemed remarkably un-fussed by the whole pantomime of the traditional political interview.
You can argue such a style can be seen as shambolic; confused and weak.
It invites criticism for a lack of clarity and leadership.
But Mr Corbyn's team clearly believe the conventional approach to the political interview is as out-dated as the conventional approach to Prime Ministers' Questions; that people are tired of the formulaic, sound-bite driven set-piece interview.
And who knows - perhaps they are right.
In which case we might all have to get used to doing things rather differently.
Politicians. And broadcasters. | First we had the Jeremy Corbyn way of doing Prime Minister's Questions. |
40,382,924 | The 29-year-old rejoined Posh on a one-year deal last summer, but scored just three goals in 39 league appearances.
Taylor is the second player to join the Bantams this summer after full-back Adam Chicksen signed a two-year deal earlier this week.
"It's a massive club with a big fanbase and every time I've played here there's been a great atmosphere," he said.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. | Bradford City have signed forward Paul Taylor on a one-year contract following his release by Peterborough United. |
35,513,140 | The Sherlock actor and Harry Potter star are among 11 non-academics who have accepted the appointments at Lady Margaret Hall.
Pet Shop Boys frontman Neil Tennant and film director Beeban Kidron have also accepted the fellowship role.
Visiting fellows are encouraged to attend debates and perform at the college in the three-year role.
College principal Alan Rusbridger said: "At a minimum we'd like them to drop in occasionally at college, eat with us and meet informally with a variety of the LMH community.
"We'd like them to do one thing a bit more structured: it could be a conversation or debate, a performance, a lecture or seminar, a form of outreach - or something we haven't thought of.
"We can imagine fascinating interactions or collaborations between them."
Other appointees include Thames Valley Police chief constable Francis Habgood, former children's laureate Malorie Blackman and high court judge Rabinder Singh. | Screen stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Emma Watson have become visiting fellows at Oxford University. |
14,135,674 | The "striking" spoonbills were seen at the Scottish Wildlife Trust's (SWT) Montrose Basin Reserve.
There are only about 75 sightings a year of the bird in the UK - and the trust said they had never been spotted at the Montrose reserve before.
Spoonbills have a long black flattened bill, which resembles a spoon at the tip. The species is a European conservation concern.
SWT Perthshire ranger Anna Cheshier said it was a rare opportunity for bird-watchers to see an "unusual visitor" to the UK.
"The spoonbill is unmistakable. It really stands out at Montrose Basin and we have been watching them carefully since the first sighting on the 28 June," she said.
"I have never seen more than one spoonbill at Montrose Basin so it is great news to see a group."
The group has been at the basin for over a week and Ms Cheshier said rangers hoped they would stay for a while. | Three rare wader birds have been spotted at a bird reserve in Angus. |
36,470,525 | Slater (119) was assisted by Billy Godleman (42) as Derbyshire eased to their target of 217 inside 42 overs.
Earlier, Durham slipped to 75-7 with only Mark Stoneman (22) in the top six reaching double figures, as Shiv Thakor (3-36) proved a constant menace.
Ryan Pringle then made 125 from 101 balls - his highest limited-overs score - to help Durham reach 216 all out.
Sunderland-born Pringle, whose previous highest score in one-day cricket was 35, scored more than half of Durham's runs and smashed four sixes and 16 fours.
He put on 62 for the 10th wicket in 6.1 overs with number 11 Chris Rushworth, who ended unbeaten on three.
In reply, Slater and Godleman shared a first-wicket stand of 105 before Godleman's 53-ball knock was brought to an end by Usman Arshad.
Slater hit a six and 17 fours in his 137-ball innings, passing his previous limited-overs best of 57 which was made in Twenty20.
He was caught in the deep by Pringle going for a big shot to win the game off Stoneman, who was bowling his first over in 53 games of List A cricket. | Ben Slater hit a century as Derbyshire beat Durham by seven wickets for their second straight One-Day Cup win. |
34,857,543 | Somerset County Council is conducting two consultations as part of efforts to balance its budget for next year.
Cabinet member, David Fothergill said: "We currently subsidise 75 services and there are 25 of them we're looking at."
Protesters said the move would increase rural isolation and price some people out of using community buses.
The cuts would hit some weekend routes and services between most towns in Somerset, including Yeovil, Langport and Taunton.
Mr Fothergill added: "They're the ones with low usage or there's alternative means we can provide or it's just not economical to run them any more."
Tracey Harding, co-founder of the Frome and Villages Buses Action Group, which campaigns for better public bus services, said: "Frome has already lost three of its Saturday services in the last round of cuts made by First Bus.
"To have more cuts would be devastating."
The proposals would also halve the 50% concession bus pass holders receive on community transport to 25%.
Community bus Wiveylink is run by the Wiveliscombe Area Partnership.
Pauline Homeshaw from the group said: "We're addressing rural isolation which so many people who use Wiveylink are absolutely suffering from already and Wiveylink has rescued them from that isolated state.
The council said the consultations would run until January, with a final decision taken later. | A protest has been held against proposed cuts to bus services and discounts for pass holders who use community transport in Somerset. |
38,821,116 | The midfielder, 25, has agreed a three-and-a-half-year deal at Molineux.
Marshall, who played under Wolves boss Paul Lambert during the Scot's spell in charge at Ewood Park, scored 15 goals in 140 games for Rovers.
Lambert told BBC WM that signing Marshall was "a huge thing" for the club and added: "He is a terrific offensive player."
After starting his career as a trainee at Stoke, Marshall had a spell with Leicester City before joining Blackburn in 2013.
"He can play in defence as well and anywhere across the front so there is versatility as well," said Lambert.
"He is a really good footballer and will be a welcome addition. He will know with the results that are happening that he will have to fight to get in the team. I think the fans will love him."
Marshall was made unavailable for selection by Rovers boss Owen Coyle earlier in January once Wolves' interest in him was made public.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page or visit our Premier League tracker here. | Wolves have signed Ben Marshall from fellow Championship club Blackburn Rovers for an undisclosed fee. |
38,295,589 | Police Scotland said a 23-year-old man was driving a yellow Ford Transit on the A71 between Hermiston and Dalmahoy when he noticed a black car driving very closely behind.
When he pulled over, the car driver got out and attacked him, leaving him with a "puncture wound" in his chest.
Police are treating the attack at about 21:15 on Sunday as attempted murder.
The van driver was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary where his condition was described as "stable".
The suspect was described a white man with a light brown beard. He was wearing a black hooded top with the hood up and dark gloves.
Det Sgt Martin McKay of Corstorphine CID said: "This was a brutal attack on a member of the public and we are eager to trace the man responsible as soon as possible.
"I would urge anyone who recognises the description of the man, or saw either a black car or a yellow Ford Transit on the A71 around 9.15pm on Sunday, 11 December, to get in touch with us immediately." | A van driver was stabbed during an attack by another driver in Edinburgh at the weekend. |
15,370,800 | The force wants to knock down its current 42-year-old building in Aykley Heads, which it said was too expensive to run and not "fit for purpose".
New homes are planned for the current site and the new three-storey HQ would be next door.
The force is applying for planning permission and if granted wants the new building to be open by 2014.
The force is holding roadshows throughout the county over the next few weeks to explain the plans.
Peter Thompson, the chairman of Durham Police Authority, said: "The present headquarters dates back to 1969.
"It is no longer considered fit for purpose, with extremely high running and maintenance costs, coupled with the fact it does not lend itself to modern working conditions.
"The new building will represent a considerable saving to the police authority, at a time when every penny spent is being scrutinised and must be justified." | Durham Police has said a new £14m headquarters would save the force money in the long-run. |
33,633,433 | 15-year-old Finnian Galbraith says in his YouTube video that many people in New Zealand have stopped making the effort to say Maori words and names properly, which is disrespectful and means the "beautiful" Maori culture could eventually be lost.
The clip has had more than 155,000 views since being posted on Monday.
In his video, Finnian says that every day on TV and on the radio "so many of us are pronouncing Maori names and words completely wrong", because of a lack of effort.
Finnian told the BBC he believes more needs to be done encourage use of the Maori language.
"Only 4% of people in New Zealand speak Maori fluently and that number needs to grow," he said.
He said he had had no idea that his video would have quite such a reaction in New Zealand.
"I actually expected bad comments and surprised at how positive it's been," he said.
Common Te Reo Maori words used in English
Te Reo Maori, the language of New Zealand's native people, is an official national language, and many Maori words - like kia ora (meaning hello) - have found their way into common English usage.
An English-speaking New Zealander might greet someone coming to their house with a "kia ora" (hello) and a "haere mai" (welcome). The guest might bring a "koha" or gift, which the host would no doubt say was "ka pai" (good).
The guest might leave after dinner with a full "puku" (belly). | A New Zealand schoolboy's video complaining about people saying words in the Maori language wrong has proved an online hit. |
34,590,115 | Mohammed Abouajela Masud and Abdullah al-Senussi were named last week.
The offer to speak to the men came from a spokesman for the National Salvation government in Libya.
It controls the capital, Tripoli, and large parts of the rest of the country, but is not recognised by the international community.
Jamal Zubia, Director of the National Salvation government's Foreign Media Department, told the BBC: "They can send some investigators, they come here to see those guys and see what they can do.
"Always we are very helpful, we want to talk to people and we want to show what we have.
"We might have more evidence about other people or maybe those guys have more information about something else, might help you."
Families of some of the 270 people who died in the Lockerbie bombing had welcomed the naming of the new suspects.
Abdelbaset al-Megrahi is the only person to have been convicted over the bombing of Pan Am 103 in 1988.
The plane was on its way from London to New York on 21 December when it exploded above Lockerbie.
A total of 270 people died in the bombing, including everyone on board the plane and 11 people from the Scottish town.
Megrahi, who was found guilty of mass murder and jailed for a minimum of 27 years, died in 2012 after being released from jail on compassionate grounds in 2009. He had terminal cancer.
A spokesman for the Crown Office said they are aware of the reports concerning the two Lockerbie suspects.
He added: "The Crown will continue to work with the British Embassy as well as colleagues in the United States regarding the investigation."
Both of the newly identified suspects are currently serving prison sentences in Libya, which is in chaos as rival factions fight for control of the country.
Senussi, who was sentenced to death in July, is appealing the verdict. He was the brother-in-law and intelligence chief of former Libyan dictator Colonel Gaddafi.
Masud is reported to be serving a prison sentence for bomb-making.
Both men were named as possible suspects by an American TV documentary last month.
Documentary maker Ken Dornstein's brother David died in the Lockerbie bombing.
He told the BBC's Today programme: "We went in with a list of names that had come from the original investigation, pulled out of the tens of thousands of pages of documents. I established many were dead or missing. Ultimately, I concluded there may be three people left."
On Masud, Mr Dornstein added: "Figuring out simply that he existed would solve many of the unanswered questions to the bombing because he was attached to Megrahi according to the best information there was, including at the airport in Malta on the day that the bomb was said to have been infiltrated into the baggage system and ultimately on to Flight 103."
Megrahi's part in the bombing has been called into question in a series of books and documentaries.
Key developments in Lockerbie bombing case | Scottish and American investigators have been invited to travel to Libya to question two new suspects in the Lockerbie bombing. |
39,385,480 | The Buddies, who face Dundee United in the Challenge Cup final on Saturday, had won just two league games before the turn of the year.
But after shipping out 10 players and bringing in 10 in January, the club's form picked up and they have won four of their last six Championship outings.
"We took an educated gamble in terms of making so many changes," Ross said.
The Buddies remain bottom of the Championship table but their fine recent run has brought them within one point of Ayr United, having played a game more, and a further three behind Dumbarton.
Players such as Rory Loy, Stelios Demetriou, Stephen McGinn and Cammy Smith signed on at St Mirren during the January window.
And while Ross credits January's sizeable squad overhaul for getting the Buddies back in the survival fight, it is not something he would want to repeat.
"Before the January transfer window opened, James (Fowler, his assistant) and myself spent a long time assessing what we needed to do and, for want of a better expression, we rolled the dice," Ross said on BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound.
"We ended up with 10 players going out and 10 coming in, which is pretty remarkable and something, as a manager, I would prefer not to do ever again.
"However, with the ones we managed to recruit, some of those players I had worked with before and I trusted. Some we've been fortunate with, they've just been the right characters and the right fit for what we've wanted to try and do.
"The chemistry within the group off the pitch and on it is very good and that's been reflected in the performances and the results."
Ross took charge of the Paisley outfit in October 2016 following the sacking of Alex Rae, with the Buddies still without a league win at that stage.
As well as kick-starting their league campaign, Ross has helped guide them to the Challenge Cup final and is desperate to ensure they do not leave Fir Park empty-handed.
"For us it's a terrific opportunity to go and lift silverware and for the players to win a medal," he added.
"In an ideal world a cup win for us and a draw down at Somerset Park (where Ayr United host Dumbarton in the league) would be perfect, but let's get the cup win first and whatever happens there we'll deal with afterwards." | St Mirren manager Jack Ross says a January transfer window gamble helped turn his team's fortunes around. |
39,997,092 | She lost her freedom, much of her youth and, it was feared, her sanity after she was caught carrying 4.2kg (9.3lb) of marijuana in her boogie board bag into Bali through Denpasar airport on 8 October 2004.
To the horror of many Australians, the former beauty school student who worked in her parents' fish and chip shop was sentenced to 20 years' jail in Bali's Kerobokan prison.
On Saturday, 12 years to the day after she was sentenced, Corby will be deported from Bali to start a new life at home on Queensland's Gold Coast.
Her sentence was televised live. Australians watched as Corby slapped her forehead repeatedly with her palm and dissolved into tears, while her supporters in the Denpasar Local Court erupted in anger.
But an Australian-based Indonesian law expert says the price could have been so much higher.
Corby's arrest caused one of the greatest rifts in the already testy history of Australian-Indonesian relations.
Many Australians reacted badly to the sight of the small, bronzed Queenslander with big, green eyes locked in a foreign jail for carrying "a bit of dope".
But Tim Lindsey, a professor in Asian law and director of the Centre for Indonesian Law, Islam and Society at the University of Melbourne's Melbourne Law School, says Corby's crime is among the most serious in Indonesian law.
He says in the 1970s the West, led by then US President Richard Nixon and his war on drugs, demanded South East Asian nations with more relaxed drug laws adopt a similar hard-line approach.
Australia, Canada and many EU nations have now backed away from that hard line, but Prof Lindsey says many countries maintain a punitive approach.
"In Indonesia in particular, they take the view that there is no distinction between marijuana and heroin and cocaine. All of those drugs are in category one, the most serious forms of drugs," he says.
"In Indonesia, the death sentence is available for dozens of offences, but is usually only applied to three - particularly serious, premeditated murders get death, terrorism gets death and drugs offences get death.
"Like other countries in South East Asia, in Indonesia trafficking drugs is seen as a form of mass murder [because of the deaths caused by drugs]."
Prof Lindsey says Corby's life was on the line when her trial began in the Denpasar Local Court in January 2005.
"She was certainly facing death. There are three penalties that could be imposed upon her: death, life in prison or up to 20 years in prison," he says.
In Australia, anti-Indonesian sentiment soared.
Sister Mercedes Corby and mother Rosleigh Rose held emotionally-charged media conferences in Bali, proclaiming Schapelle's innocence, demanding the Australian government bring Schapelle home, and floating theories about how the drugs came to be in her bag.
One theory suggested a corrupt baggage handler in Brisbane sent the shipment in Corby's bag, intending it to be intercepted in Sydney before the flight then headed for Denpasar.
But a former member of Corby's defence, Robin Tampoe, later declared that he had made up the theory himself.
Philip Ruddock, who was Australia's attorney-general when Corby was arrested, has said claims of a set-up lack evidence.
"You know, these were claims. It's never been proven that drugs were planted on her," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corp this week.
"I'm sure every endeavour was taken to establish the truth," he said, adding that "some parties might not like the truth".
At the time, Sydney radio shock jock Malcolm T. Elliott described the judges in Corby's case and then-Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as "monkeys". His inflammatory comments referred to the judges as "straight out of the trees".
Some questioned why Australia handed Indonesia a A$1bn (£577m; $750m) relief package following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami if this how a "young, innocent" Aussie girl was treated.
Actor Russell Crowe stepped into Corby's corner. "When there is such doubt, how can we, as a country, stand by and let a young lady, as an Australian, rot away in a foreign prison? That is ridiculous," he said in April 2005.
That same month, Indonesia's consulate-general in Perth received an envelope containing two bullets and a letter that read, in part: "If Schapelle Corby is not released immediately you will all receive one of these bullets through the brain."
Protests both for and against Corby raged in Australia and Indonesia.
Prof Lindsey says the unprecedented saga did Corby no favours.
"A circus was whipped up around the case, with crowds of people pushing into proceedings, people yelling and screaming at judges, people abusing judges, people giving press conferences in which judges and the system were abused and attacked," he says.
Her defence team made little effort to displace the prosecution's case, Prof Lindsey says. "It was always very likely that she was going to be convicted," he says.
The behaviour of Corby and her supporters was also a major issue.
"She never admitted guilt - and maybe she didn't do it, I don't know - but she never acknowledged guilt. She never seemed remorseful in court, and she behaved in a highly emotional and sometimes offensive way to the court," Prof Lindsey says.
This counts for much in the Indonesian system come sentencing, he says.
Many Australians were angry at Corby's 20-year jail term, comparing it to the much lighter terms given to some of the minor players in the deadly 2002 Bali bombings, which killed 202 people including 88 Australians.
But Prof Lindsey says despite Indonesia's notoriously clunky legal system, Corby was treated fairly.
He says the judges knew the world was watching and "seemed to manage this case pretty much straight down the line".
"They were provoked sufficiently that they could have given her a very severe sentence," he says. "She got the maximum term of imprisonment below life. It's not life. It's not easy, but it could have been worse."
A series of appeals between July 2005 and March 2008 ultimately failed to improve Corby's situation.
Her sentence was cut by five years in an October 2005 appeal, but the defence and prosecution appealed that, and the 20-year sentence was reinstated.
One appeal opened in August 2006, with Corby's defence saying CCTV footage from Sydney Airport the day she travelled to Bali would clear her. They were given 10 days to produce it but did not.
If the Corby circus wasn't enough, the sideshows were spectacular and damaged Corby's credibility with her Australian supporters.
In 2005, before her sentence, Queensland businessman Ron Bakir announced he would fund Corby's defence and had retained a law firm to investigate the source of the marijuana in Corby's bag.
He cut ties with the Corby team after alleging a prosecutor had asked for a bribe to reduce the sentence his team would request for Corby. It incensed Corby's legal team, most of whom were later sacked in dramatic and public fashion anyway.
Her half-brother James Kisina, who was with her when she was arrested, was revealed to have criminal convictions, while Mercedes Corby won a defamation case after a television network aired an interview with a family friend.
Other claims surfaced that Corby's father, Michael, had alleged dealings with the drugs trade. He died of bowel cancer in 2008. That year, Corby was admitted to hospital twice suffering from depression.
In 2010, Corby appealed to President Yudhoyono for clemency and her release on humanitarian grounds because of her mental health. He cut her term by five years and, Prof Lindsey says, endured great public criticism and failed legal moves to reverse his decision.
Corby was released on parole in February 2014, nine years and four months after her arrest thanks to Mr Yudhoyono's clemency and regular sentence discounts for Christmas and Indonesian Independence Day.
Mr Lindsey says she was "treated in a reasonable fashion as a drug trafficker in the context of the Indonesian legal system".
Corby has kept a low profile since she was paroled. For now, she lives in a modern villa in Kuta.
Celebrity PR agent Max Markson says Corby could cash in once she comes home, although it is not clear what role Australia's Proceeds of Crime laws might play.
"Schapelle Corby's name has been famous for 12 or 13 years, she's a brand, there's no doubt about it," he said last week. Reality TV and invitations to big events like the Melbourne Cup beckon, he says.
There are reports Corby wants to stay in Bali with her local boyfriend Ben Panangian and her dogs. If she's deported, it's likely she'll be barred from returning for six months.
Prof Lindsey says it's unlikely she'll get to stay. "But nothing has been normal in this case," he says. | Australian drug trafficker Schapelle Corby, almost 40, is heading home from Indonesia for the first time in more than 12 years. |
33,689,249 | Stephen McCusker, who worked at the Rachel House Hospice in Kinross, downloaded 1,740 images of children, 40 of which were considered indecent.
The 48-year-old, from Glenrothes in Fife, said he could offer no excuses except "curiosity mixed with wine".
The Nursing and Midwifery Council banned him for 12 months.
Panel chairman Brian Yates said McCusker had a 20-year career without any disciplinary action or complaint.
He also said that the images were at the lower end of the indecent image scale.
The nurse pleaded guilty last year to one count of taking, or permitting to be taken, indecent photos of children over a four-year period.
He was given a three-year supervision order by the court and ordered to complete 250 hours of unpaid work.
The court heard McCusker had been viewing the material for "quite some time" and he had told officers that he would "view it, feel disgusted and then delete it".
McCusker said he was "interested" in young boys and girls but had never sexually abused a child, adding he could offer "no explanation" for his behaviour.
He was not present or represented at the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
He sent a letter which said: 'I was a nurse for 20 years with an exemplary record. I find it difficult to put in words my shame at the damage I have inflicted on the reputation of the Children's Hospice Association Scotland and the NMC."
McCusker resigned from his post at the hospice immediately after his arrest, the Nursing and Midwifery Council was told.
Mr Yates said: "Mr McCusker has brought the profession into disrepute as a consequence of his conviction and in particular by reason of the nature of the offence involved.
"Members of the public would be deeply concerned to learn that a learning disabilities and children's nurse, working in a children's hospice had a conviction for offences relating to possession of indecent images of children." | A nurse at a children's hospice who downloaded hundreds of indecent images of youngsters out of "curiosity" has escaped being struck off. |
33,711,161 | An international team detected the light display around a brown dwarf about 18 light years away in the Lyra constellation.
They say the luminous glow looks like the northern lights, but is up to a million times brighter and more red than green in colour.
The findings are reported in the journal Nature.
Dr Stuart Littlefair, an astronomer from the University of Sheffield, said: "This is the first time that we have confirmed we are seeing auroras on brown dwarfs."
Charged interaction
Shimmering auroras are some of the Earth's most dazzling displays. This luminous glow can also appear around all the planets in our Solar System.
They are caused when charged particles from the Sun interact with the atmosphere.
But the illuminated brown dwarf, an object which is too small to have become a star but too massive to be a planet, lies further out in the galaxy.
Called LSR J1835, it was observed using the Very Large Array radio telescope and the Hale and Keck optical telescopes.
The scientists watched the object as it rapidly rotated, and observed how the light varied.
"The brightness changes are consistent with what you would expect from auroras," said Dr Littlefair.
The dwarf's aurora is mainly red in colour because the charged particles are mainly interacting with hydrogen in its atmosphere. On Earth, the greenish glow is caused as the electrons from the Sun hit oxygen atoms.
However, scientists are puzzled about how the light show is being generated.
The brown dwarf is a sort of failed star itself, and has no other star like the Sun nearby to blast it with charged particles.
"It is possible material is being stripped off the surface of the brown dwarf to produce its own electrons," said Dr Littlefair.
Another option is an as-yet-undetected planet or moon around the dwarf is throwing off material to light it up.
Some of Jupiter's auroras are produced in this way, as charged particles are emitted from volcanoes on its moon Io.
The discovery is also helping scientists to better understand brown dwarfs.
There is some debate over whether they are more star-like in their nature, or whether they have planetary attributes.
"If you are working in brown dwarfs, it matters whether you think of them as small stars or big planets," said Dr Littlefair.
"We already known from observations of brown dwarfs that they have clouds in the atmosphere. Now we know they also show auroras, it is yet more reason to consider brown dwarfs as scaled-up versions of planets rather than scaled-down version of stars."
Follow Rebecca on Twitter. | An aurora has been spotted outside our Solar System for the first time, scientists report. |
39,355,917 | Brook, 30, has not fought since he was defeated by middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin in September - his first professional defeat in 37 fights.
Brook claimed the IBF belt beating Shawn Porter in August 2014 and will be aiming for his fourth title defence.
"I'm so excited about this fight and to make history in my city," said Brook.
"It's long been a dream of mine to fight outdoors at Bramall Lane and I'm pleased to do that in the biggest fight in the welterweight division.
"All I've ever wanted to do is to give the fans the fights they want and they have it right here on May 27.
"I'm going to show the world that I'm the best welterweight on the planet and I'm going to do it right before my people's eyes."
After jumping up two weight divisions to face Golovkin, Sheffield United fan Brook has elected to return to welterweight and face mandatory challenger Spence, 27.
American Spence, unbeaten in 21 professional bouts with 18 knockout victories, said: "I'm happy I'm finally getting an opportunity to accomplish a lifelong dream of becoming a World champion.
"This is one of the best and biggest fights in world boxing and I am 100% focused and determined to bring the belt back home to the USA.
Brook's promoter Eddie Hearn called it "one of the best fights in world boxing".
He added: "It's 'The Special One' vs 'The Truth', a historic event at Sheffield United's Bramall Lane - we are planning an unforgettable night." | IBF world welterweight champion Kell Brook will defend his title against American Errol Spence Jr at Bramall Lane in Sheffield on Saturday 27 May. |
35,580,191 | PCC Sue Mountstevens, from Avon and Somerset, said, from June, the practice would be used only "in exceptional circumstances".
She said co-ordinated work would be done with hospitals and social workers.
Avon and Somerset Police said up to half its daily business was mental health-related and more should be done.
Ms Mountstevens said changing the policy was "absolutely the right thing to do".
"I have been working on this with our partners, for what feels like years and years, about taking someone [into a police cell] who is suffering from a mental illness, who has committed no crime," she said.
"And we should never be taking them into police cells. It's Dickensian that we're still doing this and that has to stop."
She also stressed that officers "are not nurses".
"They are not psychiatrically trained and we need to work with our partners in health to be able to those experts in to helping those officers make those decisions which are very critical," Ms Mountstevens explained.
The force is also running a street triage project at Bridewell police station in Bristol, which involves a mental health nurse monitoring calls as they come in.
Rebecca Aston, from Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, who is in charge of the triage team, said the workload "depended on what's reported over the airwaves".
"If the police officers felt they needed a fuller assessment, we would attend," she said.
An Avon and Somerset Police spokesman said up to 50% of its daily business was linked to mental health issues.
"That could be people going missing because of mental health problems, people running out of hospitals because they're not seen because of mental health problems or people in the community who should be getting more help and somehow it's failed for them," he said. | Putting mentally ill people suspected of no crime in police cells is "Dickensian", a Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) has said. |
39,167,794 | The Irish captain, who also top-scored with 100 in Thursday's win, helped the tourists to 203-2 after United Arab Emirates could only manage 202.
Andy McBrine and Craig Young each took three wickets while Shaiman Anwar put up resistance with 48.
Andrew Balbirnie scored an unbeaten 58 in Ireland's successful reply.
Paul Stirling (41) shared an opening stand of 94 with Porterfield while Niall O'Brien chipped in with 18 not out as Ireland reached their target in 41.5 overs.
The victory was set up by a disciplined bowling display from the Irish, with United Arab Emirates bowled out with 2.1 overs to spare.
Anwar, Rameez Shahzab (41) and Muhummad Usman (29) put on middle-order runs and it was an improvement on the 185 posted in Thursday's 85-run defeat.
McBrine (3-42) and Young (3-48) were helped by Jacob Mulder (2-28) and George Dockrell (2-41).
Ireland will now travel to Greater Noida in India for nine matches against Afghanistan across three different formats. | William Porterfield hit 76 as Ireland beat United Arab Emirates by eight wickets to secure a 2-0 series victory in Dubai on Saturday. |
37,797,551 | Media playback is not supported on this device
United beat Crystal Palace at Wembley in May to win their first silverware since 2013.
However, the club released a team photo in which only the Community Shield - new manager Jose Mourinho's first success in the role - on display.
The FA Cup Twitter account posted a downcast emoji in response.
The FA Cup trophy was not the only thing missing from United's 2016-17 group shot.
German World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger, 32, who has been training away from the first team despite having a contract until the summer of 2018, was also absent.
Schweinsteiger retired from Germany duty in July. | The FA Cup's Twitter account is 'feeling sad' after Manchester United failed to feature the famous trophy in their team photo. |
29,827,099 | Media playback is not supported on this device
As the 25-year-old rugby league star in the XV-man code with Bath, he doesn't just have to adapt to a different sport with its own distinct and complex set of rules, he also has to live up to one of the biggest reputations rugby has ever seen.
The pressure to meet expectations, to gain selection for England and then help them lift 2015's World Cup will be intense.
But if Burgess feels the need for encouragement as he crosses rugby's great divide, he need only look towards one man for inspiration.
Jason Robinson remains rugby's ultimate dual-coder. And 11 years after his spell-binding pace and trademark sidestep helped England lift the Webb Ellis trophy, he believes Burgess can follow in his footsteps.
"There's no doubt in my mind that he'll play a massive part for England," Robinson tells me as we meet over breakfast a few miles from Wigan, the town where he made his name in rugby league.
"People ask, 'is he capable of doing it in such a short space of time?'.
"They're looking at 11 months until the Rugby World Cup. Can he play for England?
"My journey proves that it can be done. I came over in November and, by February, I was playing for England. In June I was on the Lions tour! I have no doubt Sam Burgess will be playing for England, it's just a case of when. It's going to be exciting.
"We've got Manu Tuilagi, who's probably England's first choice in the centre. Luther Burrell is a strong player, great going forward, but I think Sam has got something in him that even those two players don't have."
Robinson is one of rugby's most iconic figures. After nine years in league at Wigan Warriors, he switched to union in 2000, going on to win 51 England caps and scoring his country's only try in the 2003 World Cup final.
But even he is in awe of what Burgess has achieved in Australia, where the ex-Bradford Bulls star led the South Sydney Rabbitohs to become NRL champions for the first time in 43 years. That is despite Burgess playing 79 minutes of the Grand Final with a fractured eye socket and cheekbone.
"The NRL has always been the proving ground," says Robinson, who came close to a move to Australia himself before a proposed deal fell through.
"Super League is great, but if you want to test yourself, you really go to the NRL. He's done it. Looking at his last-ever game, I think he's had four plates in his cheekbone.
"That injury was in the first minute, but he goes on the play the game. He gets man of the match and he finishes his stint at South Sydney on such a high.
"I've not seen many players, if any, that pound for pound can physically hit people like he does.
"He's a very intimidating figure. He's one of the best in the world.
"It's a shame that Bath play so far away from where I live [in Huddersfield] because I'd be down there every week just looking for that collision."
But having conquered Australian rugby league, can Burgess now adapt to rugby union's Premiership? Robinson has faith.
He adds: "People have talked about him at back row, I've heard somebody say on the wing, but he's got to go straight into the centre.
"What Bath and hopefully England need to do is keep it simple. When I made the switch from league to union, the reason why I believe I did so well is I kept it simple. I did what came naturally to me and, as a result, I stood out from most others. That's the same with Sam.
"The first time I took the ball into a ruck, I got kicked to bits. That made me present the ball back a lot better. I think Sam will be a quick learner. He's going to come in, not as this superstar from the NRL but as a Yorkshire lad who loves rugby. He's got a new challenge.
"It's probably easier going from union to league because the game's a lot simpler. Rugby league is a very fast, physical game but it's quite simple. You contact, you get back, whereas with rugby union it's very complex. That's what I didn't fully appreciate when I made the switch, every breakdown, every time you take the ball.
"As a full-back in rugby union, there are so many options and if I do get caught and I'm isolated, then I'm in trouble. In rugby league, I could run anywhere, take the tackle and my support would get there within a few seconds. It's going to be difficult, you can over-complicate.
Media playback is not supported on this device
"He'll want to do well for Bath. They've not taken a gamble, they've played a really good card in getting him over. He'll see, like I did, that on the horizon there's a chance to play for England and to be a dual-code international. It's something he probably never dreamed of when he was younger, but he's got the opportunity and he'll know in getting his head down, doing a lot of hard work, it'll come.
"It's come at a very good time. He's not 30, 31, 32. He's 25. He's made a conscious decision to come and target at this time. One of the goals for him is playing in a World Cup.
"When I made the switch, it wasn't because I fell out of love with rugby league, it's because I'd achieved so much at such a young age. That next step was at international level. Maybe this is the same with Sam.
Nimble and blessed with some of the quickest feet in the sport, Robinson was one of the smaller men of international rugby at 5ft 7in. Burgess is a comparative giant at 18 stone and 6ft 5in.
Robinson spent time on loan with Bath in 1996, before switching codes permanently with Sale in 2000.
And while they may be very different physical specimens, Robinson sees a lot of himself in Burgess - and not just because both have chosen The Rec as their entry point into union.
Both men have overcome adversity. Abandoned by his father before he was born, Robinson grew up on the tough Leeds estate of Harehills. His mother - a cleaner - was beaten by his stepfather and Robinson fell into alcoholism before rugby provided an outlet and he faced up to his demons, becoming a born-again Christian.
Unlike Robinson, Bradfordian Burgess did grow up knowing his father Mark - a former semi-pro rugby league player. But agonisingly, he then lost him to motor neurone disease when Sam was still a teenager.
Sam's subsequent - and ultimately triumphant - journey to Russell Crowe's Rabbitohs four years ago, along with his three rugby league-playing brothers and mother Julie, already reads like a Hollywood script. And now a new chapter in a remarkable sporting narrative is about to begin.
"It's amazing what he's achieved," says Robinson.
"Having to go through all the challenges as a young lad, having to deal with the death of his father. It's almost like he's become the father of his family looking after his younger brothers. It's a testament to him and I'm convinced that he'll do really well. He's got the talent and he's got the attitude as a world-class player."
Burgess leaves rugby league on a high, having just become the first Englishman ever to be crowned International Rugby League Player of the Year.
Now he hopes to set the world of union alight and help his country become world champions, just like another Yorkshireman did more than a decade ago. | The challenge facing Sam Burgess is a daunting one. |
35,977,947 | Coastguards and police spent more than 10 hours looking for a 46-year-old reported missing at 23:00 BST on Tuesday.
Kent Police said a body was found on the riverbank near the Esplanade in Rochester, Kent.
The land, air and river search for the missing man was called off at about 09.10 BST on Wednesday.
A police spokeswoman said the family of the missing kayaker had been informed.
Formal identification has not yet taken place.
A drifting kayak was found in the River Medway by the Sheerness Inshore Lifeboat at about 23:00 BST on Tuesday, the same time the man was reported missing.
Two RNLI lifeboats, a coastguard helicopter and a police helicopter spent several hours overnight searching the river and estuary, from Rochester to the Kingsnorth Power Station.
A spokesman for the UK Coastguard said the search and rescue operation had been terminated. | A body has been found by teams searching for a kayaker who went missing in the River Medway. |
39,983,104 | European Athletics has proposed rewriting world records set before 2005 in a bid to restore the sport's credibility following doping scandals.
Scot McColgan, 52, says the move is "very, very unfair", and fears current anti-doping measures are insufficient.
"Before they scrap records, they need to think of how to guarantee the next few years will be clean," she said.
"In our day there was blatant drug use and we had to compete against it. We lost medals to a lot of drug cheats. It's not just happening the last 10-15 years, it's been happening long before that.
"How they can just say from 2005, a certain date, it's not right. If they're going to clean the slate, it should be completely from the start.
"But also, how are they going to guarantee that in the future it's going to be clean, because they're not bringing in blood testing, and until they have more stringent testing in place, and all countries following that testing, then what's the guarantee the next five years are going to be clean?
"I personally don't think it's going to be clean, the next five years."
McColgan won the 10,000m World Championships title in Tokyo in 1991. She also won 10,000m Commonwealth gold in Edinburgh in 1986, and in Auckland four years later. Between those titles, she claimed a silver medal in the same event at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul.
The former runner, whose daughter Eilish reached the final of the 5,000m at last year's Rio Games, also claimed a world title in the half marathon during 1992.
"When we ran we knew there was drug use out there but we could do nothing about it, and had to get on with the job in hand," McColgan told BBC Scotland.
"A few of us did go on to win medals and set records, it wasn't the drug cheats that won all the time, but it's very difficult to say it's this record or that record that's going to go, I think that's very, very unfair.
"And I also think to make it a sport for our future, we have to be more stringent in what we're doing.
"It's not an easy option just saying, well let's make the slate clean and we move forward - there's a lot more thinking that has to go into how we move forward with it."
McColgan's appraisal of the plans to rewrite records was shared by fellow ex-world champion Zola Budd.
Budd, 50, who represented both South Africa, the nation of her birth, and Great Britain, set a world record for the 5,000m at the age of 17 and became a household name for running barefoot.
"I think it would only be fair if they want to rewrite the records, they should find a date, like today, or tomorrow, and rewrite all the records," Budd said.
"There shouldn't be a cut-off date like 2005 or whenever, because that will be unfair to everybody.
"If they want to rewrite the records, it should be a clean slate and a start from scratch for everybody, and include all athletes, not just from the 80s or 90s, but everybody."
Both former athletes are in Scotland to take part in Sunday's first Stirling Marathon.
"I've run loads of times round Stirling, Dundee, Perth and I think it's about time we had calibre races back in Scotland," McColgan said.
"It's just fantastic we've got races here on Scottish soil. I hope all the Scots get really inspired again, because we were an endurance running nation that were really, really good.
"We've got youngsters coming through like Andy Butchart, Laura Muir, Eilish, my daughter, and Lynsey Sharp. We just need everybody else now to get off their couches, get out, run, and make running really popular in Scotland again.
"Even just at our age to get out and be active, to show people our age can still get out there and do it. That's what we're here for - hopefully we finish in one piece." | Former 10,000m world champion Liz McColgan has criticised proposals to rewrite athletics world records. |
35,048,669 | The business lobby group has cut its growth forecast for this year to 2.4% from 2.6%.
In addition, it has has lowered its forecast for both 2016 and 2017 to 2.5% from 2.7%.
It said the manufacturing sector, which it expects to contract this year, had been hit by "falling global prospects".
"Our persistently weak trade performance and current account balance are impacting our overall growth," the BCC's director general John Longworth said.
Slowing growth in the third quarter contributed to the downgrade, the BCC said.
In November, official figures showed the UK grew by 0.5% between July and September, marking a slowdown from the 0.7% rate in the second quarter.
Mr Longworth warned there was "still a long way to go" before the UK recovery was complete.
The BCC also cut its growth forecast for the dominant services sector - which accounts for more than 70% of GDP - and said the UK could not "rely so heavily on consumer spending to fuel our economy".
Speaking to the BBC, Mr Longworth said growth in the UK was being fuelled by debt, which was behind rising consumer spending and asset prices, in particular housing.
"If it's based on debt you then lead to a boom-and-bust cycle again," he told BBC Radio 5 live's Wake Up To Money programme.
Mr Longworth noted that in the last parliament the government said it would rebalance the economy towards manufacturing and exports. But he said efforts to encourage export growth had been "a complete failure".
It expects interest rates - which have now been at 0.5% for more than six years - to rise again in the third quarter of next year.
But Mr Longworth warned: "We have been down this path before, and know that it leaves individuals and businesses exposed when interest rates do eventually rise." | The British Chambers of Commerce has cut its UK economic growth forecasts, blaming a weaker-than-expected trade and manufacturing performance. |
39,291,096 | Two FSB officers were accused of conspiring with two alleged criminal hackers in a Department of Justice indictment announced on Wednesday.
The charges are believed to be the first that the US has filed against Russian government officials.
Yahoo's 2014 breach affected 500 million user accounts.
"As we have said repeatedly, there can be absolutely no question of any official involvement by any Russian agency, including the FSB [intelligence agency], in any illegal actions in cyberspace," said spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
US officials have alleged that two FSB officers, Dmitry Dokuchaev and Igor Sushchin, colluded with Karim Baratov and Alexsey Belan, who has been on the FBI's most wanted list for more than three years.
Besides orchestrating the breach, the indictment alleged that Yahoo accounts accessed without authorisation were used to launch a spam campaign. | The Kremlin has denied allegations by US authorities that the FSB intelligence agency was involved in a huge data breach affecting Yahoo. |
34,887,215 | Adam Armstrong coolly slotted into the bottom left corner to open the scoring for the League One leaders.
Sky Blues keeper Reice Charles-Cook could not hold Andy Williams' shot as Tyson pounced to equalise for Rovers.
The hosts' lead was restored when John Fleck rifled in a low 25-yard shot, before Tyson intercepted a pass and curled in for a second equaliser.
Coventry manager Tony Mowbray told BBC Coventry & Warwickshire:
"We're a very frustrated dressing room. These days come along, I've tried to warn everyone about them.
"We didn't lose, but the nature of the goals we conceded was very disappointing.
"We had lots of good play and plenty of opportunities to put the game to bed. I think we did enough to get the three points. We have a little break now and get ready for the next game." | Nathan Tyson scored a brace as Doncaster twice came from behind to claim a point at Coventry. |
38,565,307 | The move would give victims more rights in the justice system, said Victoria's opposition leader Matthew Guy.
Mr Guy said he would take the policy to the state's next election in November 2018.
If legislated it would be an Australian first, Mr Guy's office said.
"When someone commits a murder, particularly in horrendous circumstances - takes the life of another individual - they forfeit their right to be treated like the rest of us," the opposition leader said on Tuesday.
Superannuation in Australia is money earned during a person's working life that can only be accessed in retirement.
Currently under Victoria state law, victims' families can claim money from seized criminal assets, but that excludes superannuation.
The announcement comes after the Victorian Law Reform Commission, a government-funded advisory body, tabled a report in November called The Role of Victims of Crime in the Criminal Trial Process.
The report made 51 recommendations, which did not include handing criminals' superannuation to the families of victims.
Victoria's Labor government, led by Premier Daniel Andrews, is still considering its response to the report, but Mr Guy said his party supported most of the recommendations.
Responding to the superannuation proposal, the government said existing laws allowed for families to be compensated.
"The accrued superannuation of a prisoner could not be used to compensate victims without substantial changes to Commonwealth legislation," state attorney-general Martin Pakula told The Age.
"It could also mean that victims wait decades for compensation and that ex-crooks rely more heavily on taxpayers to fund their retirement."
Mr Guy said if elected he would lobby the federal government for change, saying he had already briefly raised the issue.
"This would require a state-federal partnership to make it work," he said.
But a spokesperson for the federal attorney-general's department said it was a state issue.
"It is a matter for state and territory governments whether to seize the assets of criminals convicted of state offences," the spokesperson said in a statement to the BBC. | Murderers and other criminals would be forced to give their superannuation pension to victims' families under a proposal in Australia. |
32,780,584 | The fine has been imposed by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) after unencrypted DVDs of interviews were left in a desk drawer.
Staff discovered the loss after moving office in 2011 but the security breach went unreported for nearly two years.
The ICO said the force had "failed to take all appropriate measures" against the accidental loss of personal data.
A second interview had to be abandoned due to the victim's distress and the DVDs have still not been recovered. The defendants in the case were eventually convicted in court.
Anne Jones, ICO Assistant Commissioner for Wales said the breach was "extremely serious".
"Without any doubt we would expect a professional police force, in a position of trust, dealing with this type of highly sensitive information from victims and witnesses on a daily basis to have robust procedures to keep track of the personal data in their care," she said.
"The organisation has failed to take all appropriate measures against the unauthorised processing and accidental loss of personal data."
Responding to the fine, Assistant Chief Constable Richard Lewis said the force had acted immediately to change its processes and a new policy was in place
"South Wales Police takes its responsibilities for the management and security of information extremely seriously and has apologised to the victim in this case," he said.
But the officer also criticised the fine as a "very significant financial penalty particularly at a time of such financial austerity".
"South Wales Police is currently considering whether to now appeal against this penalty," said ACC Lewis. | The South Wales Police force has been fined £160,000 after losing video interviews with a sexual abuse victim. |
36,009,432 | The unit will be led by HM Revenue and Customs and the National Crime Agency.
It will also include specialists from the Serious Fraud Office and the Financial Conduct Authority.
It was announced by Prime Minister David Cameron as he released details of his tax returns in an effort to defuse a row over his financial affairs.
The move is also being seen as an effort by Mr Cameron to regain the initiative on the issue of tax avoidance, after attention focused on his own involvement with his late father's offshore fund, Blairmore Holdings.
A Treasury spokeswoman said the task force would report on progress to Chancellor George Osborne and Home Secretary Theresa May later this year.
She said it would have "a strong operational focus" and would include analysts, tax and financial investigators and other specialists.
However, it will not automatically be entitled to examine the leaked files from Panamanian lawyers Mossack Fonseca that are at the heart of the revelations.
The Treasury said HMRC had asked the International Consortium of Independent Journalists, including the BBC and the Guardian newspaper, to share their data.
Analysis: Kamal Ahmed, economics editor
One person's tax planning is another person's tax avoidance - so whether David Cameron's tax affairs are controversial or not is really a matter of where you stand on the payment of tax.
Most tax accountants would advise a wealthy family on "gifts" - payments of money - to their children and how to ensure they are not liable for inheritance tax by making payments in tranches to avoid breaching tax thresholds.
Mr Cameron's family appear to have done this, and Downing Street says the payments were made by the Prime Minister's mother to "even out" the inheritance payments made to her children following her husband's death.
Not to avoid tax.
Read more from Kamal
"So far they haven't done so," said the spokeswoman, "and the government is calling on them again to hand over the information that they hold."
She said HMRC could protect the confidentiality of any source.
The Treasury said it was "too early to say" what the ultimate goal of the task force would be and whether new legislation would be needed as a result.
The summary of Mr Cameron's tax returns shows he paid almost £76,000 in tax on an income of more than £200,000 in 2014-15.
He was also given two payments of £100,000 by his mother a year after inheriting £300,000 from his father.
The payments by Mary Cameron to her son in May and July 2011 were given tax-free and will only become liable to inheritance tax of up to 40% if she dies within seven years of handing over the money. | The government is to set up a new task force to investigate allegations of tax-dodging and money laundering in light of the Panama Papers leak. |
36,024,726 | The ballot was triggered by the death of Lord Avebury, the former MP Eric Lubbock, earlier this year.
Those standing include Viscount John Thurso, a former MP and Earl Lloyd-George of Dwfor, the great grandson of the former Liberal prime minister.
Only the three current Lib Dem hereditary peers in the Lords are entitled to vote in the contest.
The small but select band of electors consists of the Earl of Oxford and Asquith - the great grandson of former Prime Minister Herbert Asquith - the Earl of Glasgow and Lord Addington.
Ballots must be cast by 17.00 BST on 18 April, with the result due to be announced the following day.
John Thurso was MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross for 14 years before losing his seat last year, while Earl Lloyd-George of Dwfor has worked in industries ranging from fishing to risk insurance.
The five other candidates are:
Each has been asked to submit a 75-word statement about their background and relevant experience.
Reforms to the Lords by the last Labour government left just 92 hereditary peers in place. Since then vacancies arising from the death of members have been filled through a series of by-elections. | Seven candidates are standing for election to become a Liberal Democrat hereditary peer in the House of Lords. |
35,260,213 | 8 January 2016 Last updated at 08:04 GMT
Ricky's been checking out what's said to be one of the safest drones on show at the exhibition, because the propellers aren't exposed.
Instead, they are encased in plastic, meaning owners can actually take hold of the drone.
It can even be switched off by turning it on its side. | Tech companies have been unveiling their newest gadgets at a massive tech show called CES in Las Vegas, America. |
35,417,788 | It was the same as the device found in the Bluebell Woods - the removal of which involved the evacuation of houses and air and sea exclusion zones.
The device was discovered off Salerie Corner on Sunday, during a particularly low tide, and recovered on Tuesday.
PC Simon Hamon, from the bomb disposal team, said no explosives were found.
He said: "We recovered the firing section from a MK-1 Type 4 ground mine, otherwise known as a parachute mine, which is identical to the weapon that was dropped and we discovered in the Bluebell Woods.
"This was minus the explosive element, clearly some work had taken place on it - it had the firing pistol removed and the remote pressure switch removed."
PC Hamon said: "The decision was taken to recover it so it didn't get reported again.
"Because it was in such a good state of preservation we're transporting it up to the German Occupation Museum and they are going to preserve it so the public can see what a section of the bluebell bomb would have looked like."
The mine was among 74 dropped by the Royal Canadian Air Force in June 1944, aimed at St Peter Port Harbour in a bid to stop submarines using it as a base.
PC Hamon said: "We can only account for 16 or 17 of them so there are plenty more out there.
"It's in a wonderful state of preservation so there's nothing to say there won't be others out there with cases intact and therefore explosives intact, which is a potential danger to the public."
He urged anyone who saw something they were not sure about to get in touch. | A parachute mine dropped on the occupied island of Guernsey during World War Two has been safely removed from a beach. |
35,855,544 | The news was announced on Twitter by the poet Ian McMillan and subsequently confirmed by a friend of the author.
Born in a mining village near Barnsley, Hines also wrote Threads, a 1984 BBC film that dramatised the effects of a nuclear strike on Sheffield.
Hines, who collaborated with Loach on a number of other projects, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2009.
Hines, who was born in Hoyland Common in 1939, left school without qualifications but later returned to complete his education.
He went on to become a teacher before turning to writing and publishing his first novel, The Blinder, in 1966.
His second novel - A Kestrel for a Knave - about a young working-class boy named Billy who finds and trains a kestrel, was published in 1968 and filmed the following year.
According to McMillan, the book had a massive impact on a generation of Yorkshire writers.
"It was our Moby Dick," he told BBC News. "It taught us that people from around here can write, that the places we live in can be fit places for literature."
Two of Hines's subsequent novels, The Gamekeeper and Looks and Smiles, were also filmed by Loach, for whom the author also wrote the 1977 TV drama The Price of Coal.
Hines's other credits include the 1992 TV film Born Kicking, about a female footballer signed up to play for her local team.
The author had himself played football as a child for the England Grammar School team.
Actor David Morrissey is among those to have paid tribute to the author, tweeting that he had "loved" Hines's writing and that Kes had been "a huge influence".
Authors Jonathan Coe and Joanne Harris have also paid their respects, with the former tweeting that he "leaves a great legacy".
"I hated and loved [Hines] at the same time," wrote Harris, "for writing the world I saw every day, and for giving me hope to escape it."
Michael Dugher, Labour MP for Barnsley East, remembered Hines as "a brilliant, inspiring talent".
Hines's brother Richard recently published a memoir, No Way But Gentlenesse, in which he revealed it had been his falconry skills that had inspired his older sibling's best-known work.
"[Barry] said, 'I'm going to write this book about this kid who keeps a kestrel,'" Richard Hines told BBC 6 Music last month. "I thought, 'That's not a very good idea.'
"I said, 'I wouldn't give him a kestrel, let him train an escaped goshawk.' If Barry had listened to me, there would have been no Kes." | Barry Hines, the Yorkshire author who wrote the novel on which Ken Loach's film Kes was based, has died aged 76. |
37,145,206 | The Syria Solidarity Campaign said 10-year-old Ali "passed away today due to his injuries from the bombing of his house by Russia/Assad".
Russian and Syrian jets have carried out heavy raids on rebel-held areas.
Omran, five, was filmed caked in dust and blood after his home was hit.
The pictures - symbolising the suffering of Aleppo's trapped civilians - caused worldwide outrage.
An unidentified witness in Aleppo quoted by Reuters news agency said Ali Daqneesh had suffered internal bleeding and organ damage after the 17 August bombing.
And a tweet from Kareem Shaheen, a Middle East reporter, said: "Have confirmed with Omar Daqneesh's doctor, his older brother died from wounds sustained during strike that wounded Omran".
Aleppo, once Syria's commercial and industrial centre, has been divided roughly in two since 2012, with the government controlling the west and rebels the east. | The elder brother of Omran Daqneesh, the Syrian boy whose dazed and bloodied image shocked the world, has died of wounds sustained when the family home in Aleppo was bombed, activists say. |
37,507,028 | 29 September 2016 Last updated at 13:58 BST
The 15th anniversary of the annual sound and light display at Faskally Wood has been marked with a show called "Shimmer".
The Enchanted Forest, held in Perthshire each autumn, is thought to be worth about £2m to the local economy.
Organisers have released more than 65,000 tickets, and extended the performances to more than a month, in order to meet demand from the public. | Footage: Airborne Lens |
31,053,790 | The EarlyBird study has followed 300 young people from the age of five since 2000 to measure the impact of childhood diet and exercise on later life.
Plymouth University academics behind the study believe it is the only one of its kind in the world to follow the same children for such a long period.
Funding of £500,000 will now allow the project to continue until 2017.
EarlyBird3 has won the funding from Plymouth University, Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust, the Clinical Research Network: South West Peninsula, which is part of the National Institute for Health Research, and Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences Ltd.
The study has weighed, measured and investigated children in the Plymouth area to see how their lifestyles, diet and exercise patterns affect their health - especially diabetes.
EarlyBird previously found modern children were "at quite substantial risk" of the condition.
The third phase of the project will also explore the childhood origins of dental, psychological and respiratory health problems.
Jonathan Pinkney, professor of endocrinology and diabetes at Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry, said: "Not only will this give us a better understanding of how such diseases develop, it will also help us to identify methods for disease prevention and when in our life development it is best to implement those."
The study organisers are re-recruiting members of the original group. | A 15-year-long study into the affect childhood lifestyle has on adult health will continue with new funding. |
37,864,685 | The 21-year-old had a year-long loan with Castleford in 2016 but has now moved to Leigh following their promotion from the Championship.
He came through the youth system at Wigan and made his debut for the Cherry and Whites in 2013.
"He wants to challenge for a first-team spot and can play half-back, full-back or wing," said head coach Neil Jukes.
"He has energy, sharpness and an eye for an opportunity and he will bring freshness to our squad." | Super League newcomers Leigh Centurions have signed Wigan Warriors utility back Ryan Hampshire on a two-year contract. |
32,454,103 | Deeside is a mainly industrial area and is home to large employers such as Tata Steel, Airbus and Toyota.
New industries have rejuvenated an area which struggled for decades after huge job losses at Shotton Steelworks.
At the last election, the Conservatives slashed Labour's majority and took a third of the vote.
Labour candidate Mark Tami was elected as Alyn and Deeside MP in 2001 and has held the seat ever since.
Jogging from door to door in the village of Mancot, he says it is crucial to speak face-to-face with as many voters as possible during the campaign.
Many raise devolved issues such as health and education, but he says the UK government is responsible for cutting cash for Welsh public services.
"What the assembly has found is a massive funding gap because of the money that isn't coming from Westminster," he said.
"Above that, of course, is the unfair funding that Wales gets in the first place.
"We don't get anywhere near what we actually need and that's why we need a Labour government to look at that."
Though UKIP are visible in the constituency, he still considers the Conservatives to be his main threat.
In the 2010 general election, the Conservatives cut the Labour majority to less than 3,000 votes.
The party's candidate Laura Knightly said: "The area is changing. It doesn't have that sort of tribal loyalty to Labour that it perhaps has done in the past."
Campaigning in Connah's Quay, she claims people are interested in what she has to say about increasing childcare, cutting income tax and opposing cuts to the health service.
UKIP candidate Blair Smillie is upbeat too. "I'm confident we'll be first or second," he said.
Mr Smillie said there has been an "amazing response" since opening an office on Shotton's high street last September.
He is the great grandson of one of the first Labour MPs but believes UKIP is in tune with local people's concerns about immigration.
"There's a lot of low-paid work here which has been taken up by especially eastern European people," he said.
"It's not their fault they are here, they are trying to better their lives.
"But it's the politicians who have allowed such a mass immigration into this country without making sure that the public services are here and the money is here within the country to support them."
Canvassing in Buckley, Liberal Democrat candidate Tudor Jones thinks his party could play a crucial role if, as the polls suggest, no party has an overall majority after 7 May.
"Having had a coalition, people now realise there is probably going to be another and they're really interested in what the outcome could be," he said.
"We're not a party that's big enough to take power on our own but we can moderate whichever government is in whether it's red or whether it's blue."
This is a constituency with strong social and economic ties with the north west of England and not traditional Plaid Cymru territory.
But the party's candidate Jacqueline Hurst is looking to Scotland and the SNP's surge in the polls to claim that no constituency has to be beyond Plaid's reach.
She said: "The establishment parties pay much more attention to what Scotland needs and wants than they do to Wales.
"The more that the voters support us - because we only pay attention to Wales - then the better. We could have the same kind of voice."
Standing for the Green Party is 20-year-old student Alasdair Ibbotson. He claims his party would support people on low incomes in areas such as Alyn and Deeside.
"Greens will put taxes for the top 1% up, which will mean we can defend our NHS, make the minimum wage a living wage - £8.10 an hour now, rising to £10 by 2020 - and make our public transport work for us", he said.
"By renationalising the trains and buses we can electrify the Wrexham-Bidston line and reduce fares across Alyn and Deeside by 10%".
The full list of candidates for Alyn and Deeside can be seen here. | Labour has held Alyn and Deeside since it was created in 1983, but UKIP opened an office in the constituency and claim they are now the main challengers. |
40,106,278 | The plan, proposed by investors including the Church of England, was supported by over 62% of those eligible to vote.
The vote comes as US media reports that President Trump is poised to pull out of the Paris climate agreement.
Exxon will now have to consider how global efforts to mitigate climate change will impact their business.
Long seen as the last bastion of opposition to action on rising temperatures, Exxon Mobil is the world's largest publicly traded oil company.
They've recently been under investigation by some state authorities in the US.
They've been accused of allegedly concealing information from shareholders on when the company first realised that human emissions of carbon were driving up global temperatures.
Why does US business back climate deal?
Previous attempts by activists to force the company to take the impact of climate change into account failed. Last year, the motion gained just over 38% of shareholder support.
The resolution, filed by the Church Commissioners for England and New York State Comptroller Thomas P DiNapoli, asked Exxon to report on how its business model will be affected by global efforts to limit the average rise in temperatures to below 2C.
This year, the non-binding motion secured 62.3% of the votes, indicating that some of the bigger investor groups must have sided with climate activists.
"This is an historic vote - despite strong opposition from the board, the majority of Exxon's shareholders have sent an unequivocal signal to the company that it must do much more to disclose the impact on its business of measures to combat climate change," said Edward Mason, head of responsible investment for the Church Commissioners.
"We are grateful to all of the investors who supported the proposal, and we call on the company to begin urgent engagement with shareholders on how to bring its disclosures in line with those of its peers."
While the motion is non-binding observers say there will be increased pressure on the company to report on the impacts of climate change and the restrictions on fossil fuels being considered as part of the Paris climate agreement.
Exxon Mobil was one of the last hold-outs among major oil companies on the issue of climate change. Earlier in May, Occidental Petroleum shareholders also passed a similar motion in a vote at its annual meeting.
Other major producers including BP and ConocoPhillips already publish reports on how rising temperatures would impact their businesses.
"This extraordinary result, on the heels of the majority Occidental vote, indicates growing institutional investor concern," said Robert Schuwerk, a senior counsel at the Carbon Tracker Initiative.
"Climate change is now front and centre in investors' engagement. As Exxon is a standard bearer for the oil and gas industry, smaller companies should take note and respond accordingly."
Some shareholders were quick to point out the irony of Exxon finally taking this step on a day when US media reports indicated the President Trump was about to pull the country out of the Paris climate agreement.
Follow Matt on Twitter and on Facebook. | Shareholders in Exxon Mobil have backed a motion requiring the company to assess the risks from climate change. |
38,000,177 | The IEA says unless more money is spent exploring for, and developing, new oil fields, then demand may outstrip supply in the early years of the next decade.
That could see prices surging again, says the IEA, which is an autonomous body with 29 member countries.
Investment in new oil supplies last year was at its lowest since the 1950s.
"We estimate that, if new project approvals remain low for a third year in a row in 2017, then it becomes increasingly unlikely that demand... and supply can be matched in the early 2020s without the start of a new boom/bust cycle for the industry," says the IEA's World Energy Outlook report.
Over-supply of oil has driven down crude prices in recent years.
They have fallen from their recent peak of more than $100 a barrel in 2014, to less than $30 a barrel earlier this year.
As a result, investment in new oil fields has also fallen from $780bn in 2014, to $580bn in 2015, and then to $440bn this year.
The IEA says world-wide investment must now rise to at least $700bn a year because it takes between three and six years for a new oil field to start producing.
The Opec oil producers' cartel made a similar point last week.
"While the recent oil market environment has been one of oversupply, it is vital that the industry ensures that a lack of investments today does not lead to a shortage of supply in the future," said Opec's annual report.
The crude oil price is currently about $46 a barrel, have fallen dramatically over the last two years. | A new oil industry boom-and-bust cycle is likely if the current reduction in new investment is not reversed, says the International Energy Agency. |
21,760,835 | Media playback is unsupported on your device
12 March 2013 Last updated at 15:58 GMT
Kenny Imafidon said: "I was acquitted by directions of the judge and one of my friends got found guilty and he received a minimum of 30 years in prison.
"That really changed my outlook on life in the sense that that could have easily been me."
BBC London's Kurt Barling speaks to Jonathan Toy of Southwark Gang Intervention Unit and criminologist Professor John Pitts. | A teenager charged with murder and acquitted has become an advisor on helping people escape gangs. |
35,435,908 | Chris Hughton's side are two points behind second-placed Middlesbrough.
Knockaert, who joined the Sussex club from Standard Liege in January, beat David Button with an angled shot.
Tomer Hemed expertly headed in Beram Kayal's right-wing cross, his first goal since 5 December, before Jamie Murphy added a third in stoppage time.
Brighton's 3-0 win over Brentford as it happened
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Bruno also had a first-half shot deflected onto the crossbar by Brentford centre-back Harlee Dean, as Brighton strolled towards a third successive win.
At the other end, with the score at 0-0, goalkeeper David Stockdale made a flying save to keep out Alan Judge's powerful first-time shot.
Knockaert set up both goals in a 2-1 win over Huddersfield on his home debut 13 days earlier and he was in fine form once more against the Bees, although he should have opened the scoring inside the second minute but poked wide from eight yards.
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Israel striker Hemed had started the season with five goals in his nine appearances for Brighton but, like his team-mates, had struggled for goals during a seven-match winless run in the league over the festive period.
That dip in form appears to be at an end, with Murphy's late goal on the counter-attack sealing Brighton's biggest win of the season. | French midfielder Anthony Knockaert scored his first goal for Brighton as the Seagulls beat mid-table Brentford to go third in the Championship table. |
40,137,411 | Olivia Campbell-Hardy, from Bury in Greater Manchester, died in the explosion last Monday.
Her family has set up a trust to enable young people to take part in the performing arts - Olivia's "passion".
Her father Andrew said: "Please don't hate in Olivia's name, we choose to love."
"Our memories are of happy times, of fun at family gatherings," he said.
"The ones suffering most are the young people in our family. Their world has changed forever. Suddenly it is not so full of joy and possibility.
Olivia's mother Charlotte said her daughter was "so lovely" but could be "an absolute nightmare in equal measure but everything she did we loved".
Ms Campbell said: "She was so cheeky, but you just couldn't tell her off, it was impossible. You'd just end up laughing."
She said Olivia loved her family and her boyfriend Lewis and that she was "obsessed with make-up".
"Anyone who met Ollie would never forget her. She was so loveable and has already changed so many lives.
"We will miss Ollie every day. But this house will always be full of laughter because of the 15 years of memories she gave us. Ollie - we love you so much."
Hours after the attack, Olivia's mother Charlotte Campbell made an emotional appeal for help as the family desperately searched for her.
Ms Campbell said Olivia had been to the concert with her friend, Adam, who was receiving treatment in hospital.
Twenty-two people were killed in the explosion at the concert by US pop star Ariana Grande at Manchester Arena.
Police investigating the Manchester bombing have found a car they said may be "significant" to their inquiry. | The family of a 15-year-old girl who died in the Manchester Arena attack have established a charitable trust in her name. |
37,707,702 | As we reported yesterday, the troubles of the inquiry into historical child abuse continue to unravel.
But the departure of the inquiry head, Dame Lowell Goddard, potentially could cause the prime minister herself a significant political headache.
During Prime Minister's Questions today Theresa May was asked the question - what did she know, and when, about the problems at the inquiry? The prime minister's answer implied that she had known something was up.
She said: "There were stories around about the inquiry and about individuals related to the inquiry but the home secretary cannot intervene on the basis of suspicion, rumour or hearsay."
A conversation in April involving a Home Office official "was asked to be confidential and as far I am aware it was treated as such", she said.
"I think it is important for us to recognise that when the Home Office was officially informed of issues, the Home Office acted."
It seemed that Theresa May all but admitted that she had been aware of problems in the spring but then nothing happened. That's already prompted accusations of a "cover-up" and demands for her to "come clean" on exactly what she knew.
Her officials this afternoon have just confirmed that she did know of "tensions" between the inquiry chair and members of the panel, "some weeks" before there was an official alert, at the end of July.
That confirmation begs more questions though, that Number 10 is not ready to answer. Who told Theresa May that there were problems afoot? And what precisely was she told? We don't know. And Downing Street won't say.
But her opponents are likely to point out that Theresa May heard of those "tensions" around the time that she was launching her bid to become PM.
The inquiry's problems could still end up at Number 10's door. That's because the troubled birth of this sensitive and politically charged investigation was under Theresa May's tenure at the Home Office where she was in charge for six years.
Her team point out that the independence of the inquiry had to be protected then, and must still be now. It is not for ministers, whether Theresa May at that point, or Amber Rudd now, to stick their noses in.
But just as politicians like to associate themselves with the success of projects they began, so too they struggle to dissociate themselves from their failure.
There is no suggestion at this stage that any minister, let alone Theresa May, was involved in trying to hide what was going on, but the prime minister may even be called by MPs who want to press her publicly on exactly what she did know. | Often the simplest questions are the hardest to answer. |
32,022,625 | Scotland Yard said he faced six charges of indecent assault, of which three allegedly involved girls aged under 16 between 1991 and 1996, and two allegations of sexual assault.
Mr Fox, 53, of Fulham, is due before Westminster magistrates on 16 April.
His lawyer said he "categorically denies each and every allegation that has been made against him".
Anthony Burton said it would be inappropriate for his client to say anything else.
Mr Fox is charged with one indecent assault on a girl aged under 14 and two indecent assaults on a girl aged under 16.
He is also charged with four indecent assaults on a female over 16 and two sexual assaults on a female which are alleged to have taken place between 2003 and 2014.
He was first arrested on 30 September, after the Metropolitan Police said four allegations of sexual assault had been made.
A second arrest was made in December 2014 for a further three allegations of sexual assaults.
Mr Fox, who uses the nicknames Dr Fox and Foxy, began his career in local radio before moving to Radio Luxembourg and then London's Capital Radio in the late 1980s.
In 1993 he landed the job of presenting the Sunday afternoon Network Chart Show, later known as the Pepsi chart.
His big TV break was as a judge on ITV talent show Pop Idol between 2001 and 2003 alongside Simon Cowell, Pete Waterman, and Nicki Chapman.
He left Capital in 2005 and joined Magic 105.4, where he presents the breakfast show, Foxy in the Morning. He is currently not hosting the show.
His arrest is not part of Operation Yewtree, which was set up in the wake of revelations about BBC presenter Jimmy Savile. | DJ Neil Fox has been charged with nine sex offences involving six people, of whom three were children. |
35,148,016 | The 38-year-old's point-blank saves to deny Gareth Evans and Marc McNulty were the pick of the bunch.
He also made another double save from Kyle Bennett and McNulty to earn his first clean sheet since 21 November.
Luton, under the caretaker charge of Andy Awford since the dismissal of John Still, only had one effort on target.
Luton caretaker boss Andy Awford told BBC Three Counties Radio:
Media playback is not supported on this device
"I'm delighted with the spirit and character of the players. They deserved that point today and they deserved that clean sheet. I'm delighted for everybody.
"We've conceded too many goals of late, haven't we? That's no secret. We needed to shore things up. We've been trying to do that and still be an attacking threat. Today, I think we were.
"I don't know if I'll be in charge next game. I'll just report in tomorrow and get on with it until somebody tells me different. When the club's ready to appoint the manager, he'll come in.
"I haven't applied for the job and if the club want to talk to me about it, they know where I am." | Luton keeper Mark Tyler was the hero as he helped the managerless Hatters hold promotion hopefuls Portsmouth to their sixth goalless draw of the season. |
37,298,485 | The State of Nature report assessed 8,000 UK species and found that one in 10 are threatened with extinction.
More than half of farmland birds (56%) including the turtle dove and corn bunting are in danger of extinction.
The National Farmers Union said the report ignored progress made by farmers on conservation in the last 25 years.
Mark Eaton is the lead author of the paper. He said: "We now know that farming practices over recent decades have had the single largest impact on the UK's wildlife.
"The great majority of that impact has been negative. This isn't deliberate, it is a by-product of changes in farming to make it more efficient."
"There have been big changes in farming which has made it much more efficient. This is great for putting food on the table. But nature has been squeezed out. Our research for the first time has quantified that."
Farmland makes up three quarters of the UK's landscape. The report assessed the risk of extinction for 1,118 farmland species. Of 26 bird species almost half (46%) are in danger of going extinct including the corn bunting and the turtle dove and their numbers are still declining. Skylark numbers are down 60% since 1970.
Plants, insects and butterflies have also suffered, with the abundance of butterfly species such as the high brown fritillary having diminished by 57% since 1990.
Some 12% of farmland species are now on the Red List, including plants such as the Shepherd-needle and corn marigolds.
Mr Eaton pointed to the increasing use of pesticides and herbicides, increased fertiliser use, the loss of hedgerows from farms and changing farming practices.
Crops are now mostly sown in autumn instead of spring, and this has had a negative impact on some birds, although it has been good for other species, such as the woodpigeon.
"A lot of these things we can't go back on. Autumn-sowing is much better for farmers, so we can't expect them to change tack. But we need to find a way within these new systems - finding the tweaks that will let nature back in. We don't want to go back to Constable country, we know it's not possible."
"We do know that farming and nature can co-exist. There are agri-environment schemes - farmers can farm in environmentally friendly ways. So we can do both."
National Farmers Union (NFU) vice-president Guy Smith said: "As the report acknowledges, agricultural policies of the past did focus on maximising food production, resulting in the intensification of farming in the years after World War II.
"However, since the early 1990s, in terms of inputs and in terms of numbers of livestock and area of crops grown British agriculture has not intensified - in fact it's the reverse. Therefore it makes little sense to attribute cause and effect to 'the intensification of agriculture' in the UK in the last quarter of a century when there hasn't been any.
"Other causes acknowledged in the report, such as urbanisation, climate change or increasing predator pressure need greater attention."
The NFU says that farmers have planted or restored 30,000km of hedgerows, and given over the borders of their fields to plant wildflowers for birds and bees. It adds that it is "using less fertiliser and pesticides than ever".
Mr Smith also pointed out the fundamental need for farmers to produce food. "There is now a high degree of academic consensus that the world will also need to increase food production significantly to meet the needs of a growing population.
"This increased demand for food will have to be met using finite agricultural land, while our climate continues to change, which will inevitably place further constraints on production in many parts of the world."
In a foreword to the report, Sir David Attenborough said: "Escalating pressures such as climate change and modern land management mean we continue to lose the precious wildlife that enriches our lives and is essential to the health and well-being of those who live in the UK, and also its Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories. Our wonderful nature is in serious trouble and needs our help as never before."
Among the 50 conservation and research organisations that have contributed to the report are the National Trust, Buglife, Wildlife Trusts and the RSPB. It was the last State of Nature report in 2013 that highlighted the dramatic loss in wildlife from the countryside: turtle dove numbers having fallen by over 90% since 1970, and hedgehog numbers declining by a third since the turn of the century. Three years later, the picture is almost as bleak. The report states: "There was no statistical difference - no change in the proportion of species threatened with extinction."
The State of Nature report does not go into detail on the EU subsidy system, but blames the current damage being done to nature on "policy-driven" intensification.
Fiona Mathews, chair of the Mammal Society and associate professor at the University of Exeter, and an author of the report, said: "The reality is that our human population is expanding and we need urgently to work out how we can live alongside our wildlife."
Matt Shardlow, chief executive of BugLife, said: "Government investment in wildlife conservation has dropped by a third in the last six years. This makes it even more crucial that the wishes of the public are respected and Brexit results in the maintenance of current wildlife protection and the introduction of new environmental framework legislation that will set the foundation for reversing wildlife loss."
The National Trust, one of the charities involved in this report, believes that Brexit provides an opportunity to reform the current "broken" system. Subsidies should be maintained but wildlife and the environment should be put at the centre of how this public money should be handed out.
Tim Breitmeyer, from the Countryside Land and Business Association, said: "As we start to develop policy for a UK outside of the EU, it is critical that a proper understanding is established between farmers and environmental groups. As landowners, our starting point is clear: only a profitable, resilient farming sector can realistically invest time and resource in environmental management."
Marine plant species and also some vertebrates such as small fish are faring slightly better. Almost 70% of the species surveyed are increasing in number. However, marine invertebrates such as plankton are suffering - with 75% of species declining.
The report also highlighted the "many inspiring examples of conservation action that is helping to turn the tide", such as restoration and reintroduction projects.
The authors also assessed British species found in woods, moors and mountains and in freshwater and marine environments.
Follow Claire on Twitter. | More than 50 conservation groups say the "policy-driven" intensification of farming is a significant driver of nature loss in the UK. |
40,585,809 | Injury and poor form has hampered the 28-year-old, who missed the cut at the Irish Open last week.
After his last Scottish Open appearance, in 2014, he won the Open at Royal Liverpool.
"I'm positive about it," said the Northern Irishman at Dundonald Links. "I'm excited about my game. I feel like I'm doing a lot of good things."
Ranked fourth in the world, McIlroy will partner Henrik Stenson and Rickie Fowler of the United States during rounds one and two in Ayrshire.
"It's just putting it all together, not just for one day but for four days; and not just for four days, to do it week in and week out," he said.
"I've got a busy stretch coming up and I'm excited to play.
"I might be putting a bit too much pressure on myself, but I know that it's coming around. But I'm realistic that I need to see it happen sooner, rather than later.
"I sound a bit like a broken record after a few weeks. But, really, it's not far away."
Dundonald Links is only five miles away from Royal Troon, where Stenson won the Open in stunning fashion last year.
Like McIlroy, the Swede, 41, has had an underwhelming season so far and admits he has struggled with the demands of being the Claret Jug holder.
"It's kind of like before and after having kids," Stenson explained. "When you have kids, your life changes and it's like you can't believe what you did with all the time you had before you had children.
"It's a little bit the same. I don't know what I did with my time before I had the Claret Jug in my possession. And I kind of treat it like my baby as well.
"It's been a busy year, but I don't want to sit here and complain about it. That's certainly not the way we look at it.
"I've been pretty good at saying no, but you've still got to do a lot of things and that impacts your focus on your game to a degree.
"For the year that you are the defending champion, every week you show up at a tournament it's new, it's fresh, they haven't seen you since you won and it's all the pictures and all the autographs and all the interviews.
"In this game, you've got to be in the moment and you've got to be focused and where you're at now and looking forward.
"And you're constantly talking about what happened six months, nine months, 12 months ago, so it's easy to be a little stuck in the past.
"I think it's going to be a bit of turning the page next week when I have to return the Claret Jug on Monday and then we're kind of looking ahead instead of looking back."
Defending champion Alex Noren, of Sweden, is in the company of England's Tyrrell Hatton and Australia's Adam Scott for the first two rounds. | Rory McIlroy believes he is close to a first win of a frustrating year as he warms up for the Scottish Open. |
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