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37,930,222 | 9 November 2016 Last updated at 16:52 GMT
Foreign affairs spokeswoman Maria Zakharova spoke to the BBC's Steve Rosenberg. | Russia says that Moscow is ready to work with the winner of the US election, but will wait to see what policies he enacts. |
40,355,952 | Wrth draddodi Araith y Frenhines er mwyn agor y senedd newydd yn swyddogol, dywedodd y byddai llywodraeth y DU yn gweithio gyda'r pleidiau eraill a'r cyrff datganoledig wrth baratoi i adael yr UE.
Roedd hi'n araith fyrrach na'r arfer, gyda'r prif weinidog Theresa May eto i gadarnhau rhannau helaeth o'i chynlluniau deddfwriaethol.
Mae'r Ceidwadwyr yn parhau i fod mewn trafodaethau â'r DUP o Ogledd Iwerddon ar ôl methu a sicrhau mwyafrif yn San Steffan yn yr etholiad cyffredinol.
Tywysog Cymru oedd gyda'r Frenhines ar gyfer yr araith ddydd Mercher, a hynny wedi i Ddug Caeredin orfod mynd i'r ysbyty nos Fawrth fel "cam rhagofalus" oherwydd haint oedd wedi codi oherwydd cyflwr oedd ganddo'n barod.
Roedd Brexit yn un o brif bynciau'r araith, gyda'r Frenhines yn dweud y byddai'r DU yn gobeithio parhau i gynnal eu "perthynas ddofn ac arbennig" ag Ewrop ar ôl gadael.
O'r 24 mesur gafodd eu cyhoeddi, mae wyth ohonynt yn ymwneud â Brexit a'r goblygiadau ar gyfer diwydiannau pwysig.
Bydd y Bil Diddymu Mawr yn trosglwyddo cyfreithiau Ewropeaidd yn rhai Prydeinig, a bydd mesurau eraill hefyd ar fasnachu, tollau, mewnfudo, amaeth a physgota.
Gohebydd Seneddol BBC Cymru, Elliw Gwawr:
"Fe gyrhaeddodd y Frenhines mewn car, nid coets aur, gan wisgo het nid coron.
"Oherwydd yr etholiad brys, roedd hon yn seremoni heb y rhwysg a'r rhodres arferol.
"Ond o ystyried ein bod mewn cyfnod anarferol yn wleidyddol, efallai bod hynny'n addas.
"Dyma araith ar gyfer dwy flynedd nid un, gyda rhan helaeth o waith y llywodraeth dros y cyfnod nesaf yn canolbwyntio ar Brexit."
Darllenwch ragor o ddadansoddiad Elliw Gwawr yma.
Fe bwysleisiodd y Frenhines hefyd y byddai'r llywodraeth yn ceisio cydweithio'n agosach â gwahanol wledydd y DU yn ystod y senedd nesaf.
"Bydd hi'n flaenoriaeth i geisio adeiladu gwlad fwy unedig, gan gryfhau'r cysylltiadau cymdeithasol, economaidd a diwylliannol rhwng Lloegr, Gogledd Iwerddon, yr Alban a Chymru," meddai.
"Bydd fy llywodraeth i'n gweithio mewn partneriaeth â'r sefydliadau datganoledig, a bydd yn gweithio gyda phob plaid yng Ngogledd Iwerddon er mwyn ceisio ailsefydlu llywodraeth ddatganoledig."
Roedd yr araith hefyd yn cynnwys addewidion gan gynnwys bwrw ymlaen gyda phrosiect HS2, cynyddu'r isafswm cyflog, gwario 2% o GDP ar amddiffyn. ac adolygu strategaeth terfysgaeth y llywodraeth yn sgil ymosodiadau Llundain a Manceinion.
Ond roedd yr araith yn brin o fanylion ar bolisïau eraill, gan gynnwys newidiadau i bensiynau a gofal cymdeithasol oedd wedi eu cynnwys ym maniffesto'r Ceidwadwyr ar gyfer yr etholiad.
Doedd dim sôn chwaith am ymweliad gwladol gan arlywydd yr UDA, Donald Trump.
Bydd pleidlais yn cael ei chynnal ar gynnwys yr Araith yn y senedd ddydd Iau nesaf, gyda'r gwrthbleidiau yn gobeithio mai dyna fydd eu cyfle nhw i herio llywodraeth leiafrifol Theresa May.
Mae Mrs May eisoes wedi cyhoeddi y bydd Araith y Frenhines 2018 yn cael ei chanslo oherwydd bod angen digon o amser i basio'r ddeddfwriaeth angenrheidiol ar Brexit - ond mae'r gwrthbleidiau yn dweud ei bod yn poeni na fydd ganddi ddigon o gefnogaeth i basio araith arall ymhen blwyddyn.
Wrth ymateb i Araith y Frenhines, roedd gan arweinydd y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig, Andrew RT Davies rybudd ynglŷn â'r cytundeb posib rhwng ei blaid ef yn San Steffan a'r DUP.
"Mae'n rhaid i unrhyw gymhelliant sydd yn cael ei ystyried ar gyfer un cenedl er mwyn sicrhau mwyafrif, hefyd gael ei ystyried ar gyfer Cymru," meddai.
Dywedodd Christina Rees, llefarydd Llafur ar Gymru yn San Steffan fod yr araith yn dangos yr "amarch" oedd gan y Ceidwadwyr tuag at Gymru, ac nad oedd "unrhyw weledigaeth nac agenda" yn perthyn iddi.
Ychwanegodd Liz Saville Roberts fod diffyg "sylwedd" i'r cynlluniau, ac na fyddai "geiriau cynnes yn amddiffyn Cymru" yn absenoldeb unrhyw addewidion cadarn. | Mae'r Frenhines wedi dweud mai un o flaenoriaethau'r llywodraeth nesaf fydd "adeiladu consensws" ar Brexit er mwyn sicrhau'r "fargen orau". |
30,727,751 | That's not to say that there you can't find any new products here at CES in Las Vegas.
In fact, the show floor is packed with me-too fitness tracking bracelets, cut-price touchscreen smartwatches and strap-on heart rate monitors.
But a select number of exhibitors is attempting to sell products that do not flag the fact the wearer is sporting a gadget.
AmpStrip is a case in point. The heart rate and activity tracker is designed to be stuck to the wearer's torso like a plaster and left there for seven days at a time, hidden from view.
"Once you're done and want to remove it, you can peel it off like a Band-Aid, [and then recharge it], put another adhesive on it and put it back on," explains Dave Monahan, chief executive of its maker FitLinxx.
"I truly believe we are not going to win the wearables war or be successful unless the product is invisible and kind of fades into your life.
"Our use case is an athlete trying to train for an event, and they want 24/7 information but not something that's going to get in the way."
The Lechal haptic inner soles are another example. Made by an Indian start-up, the kit links up to a smartphone via Bluetooth and vibrates under the wearer's feet to provide notifications.
These include fitness-related alerts - triggered, for example, when an internet-paired rival runs faster - or directions, by buzzing the relevant foot.
"Today, when you go to buy a pair of shoes there is already technology in them - the way they were constructed, the materials used for shock absorption, all of that," says Krispian Lawrence, co-founder of Ducere Technologies.
"But when you buy them, what's going through your mind is how do they look, how comfortable are they.
"I think this is the future of technology.
"I feel wearable technology should integrate into a user's life without the hassle of it being a device. And you can only do that when technology and fashion merge."
Others are working on similar concepts.
Both the UK's Cambridge Consultants and France's Cityzen Sciences are showing off prototype smart shirts which have a range of sensors integrated into the fabric.
And an Australian start-up has just put on sale GameTraka, a GPS-enabled device that sits behind the wearer's neck in a kind of bra shape to provide performance data from contact sports such as rugby and basketball.
"I'm not a fan of wearing wearables - the only thing I want you to see is my watch and not lots of gadgets all over me, and I think many people are the same," says its manufacturer William Strange.
"Just because you want data, doesn't mean you want the device gathering it to be seen."
One industry-watcher suggests we are seeing the start of a new trend, but adds that it would be premature to predict the end of visible wearables.
"In the long run we will get used to having sensors in our clothing, and in our life all around us, transmitting data," says Weston Henderek, who covers the sector for research firm NPD.
"But I think people will also want smartwatches as well as some kind of worn fitness trackers.
"Some functionality might get shifted over to shoes, gloves or what have you, but there's going to be different markets and people who own both."
He notes that a recent survey indicated the biggest market for fitness trackers in the US was now middle-aged women earning an average income of more than $100,000 (£66,100) a year.
This, he says, is driving wearable tech to become invisible in different way: remaining on display but with its origins obscured.
At CES, activity-tracker maker Misfit has unveiled a solar-charged model that hides its tech origins behind a large purple Swarovski crystal, turning the device into a piece of jewellery.
"Our thinking is can we make something that is both beautiful and functional that people will want to wear," says Lindsay Kresch, Misfit's director of corporate partnerships.
"The fact is we're running out of wrist space. When you buy a nice watch you don't want to take that investment off your wrist. [And] I think people want more discreet ways to monitor their fitness."
The sector's bestselling player is Fitbit. The vast majority of its products still retain digital readouts and a plasticky look. But it too is experimenting with fashion by partnering with designer Tory Burch, who has created a range of gold and silver bracelets and pendants that hide away the tech firm's tracker component.
"Some people really want to show off their commitment to fitness and show off they are wearing a device," says Lindsay Cook, Fitbit's marketing director.
"But we realised there are some people who want to wear the products in new ways, for instance they want to take it to a fancy dinner or wedding - for those folks especially women, we found they wanted these new formats."
Mr Henderek notes that such fashion tie-ups also help tech companies remain distinctive, protecting them from budget-priced rivals who are often quick to incorporate similar sensors and functionality.
"You're going to see this a lot over the course of the year as the firms seek to avoid commoditisation," he notes.
"But some of these markets are going to be very niche.
"How many people are going to want to go walking around with a huge crystal in the middle of their device?"
The key tussle between visible and concealed wearable tech may be about to occur in the smartwatch sector.
Apple will soon join Samsung, LG, Motorola and others in releasing a device that runs apps on a small touchscreen.
Others are betting customers will prefer a more subtle approach.
Martian - a smartwatch pioneer, whose kit accepts voice commands and displays notifications on a small readout - has opted for a look dominated by analogue watch hands. It's just unveiled new models designed and branded by fashion firm Guess.
"Apple is going to convey to the world what a smartwatch can do," says Martian's president Stanley Kinsey.
"But we've taken a different view. There's going to be some percentage of people who want the Apple look, but many that want the look that we've got."
In truth, few think that Martian will achieve anything like the sales of the Apple Watch, despite the benefit of Guess's brand.
But others might.
Watch-giant Fossil has announced its intention to launch a wide range of tech-enhanced wearables after forming a partnership with Intel. The first models will go on sale later this year. Some will be touchscreen smartwatches powered by Android Wear, but others will be more traditional looking watches and other forms of jewellery that have their sensors and computing functions hidden away.
"We're not in a race to bring a smartwatch to market," the firm's chief strategy officer Greg McKelvey tells the BBC.
"We are in a race to bring connected accessories that our fashion customers actually want and desire, that happen to have technology that allows more functionality than just timekeeping. There will be no compromise on style."
Swiss firm Tag Heuer is also reported to be preparing a range of traditional-looking smartwatches, although rumours it would show off some early models at CES proved false.
Even if the fate of wearable tech is that much of it will be hidden away, there are always likely to be those who remain committed to putting digital displays centre-forward.
The most striking example at this year's CES is arguably Mota, a "smart ring" that displays Twitter and Facebook updates on your finger.
"People want to be in the in. They want to let people know they are into electronics and the new future, and what other way is there to do that than showing off a product that is full of technology?" says operations manager Erica Henson, somewhat optimistically.
With some experts forcecasting the wearable tech market could generate as much as $70bn of sales a year within a decade, there's an awful lot riding on manufacturers picking the right look.
Click here for more coverage from the BBC at CES 2015 | Wearable tech is staging a vanishing act. |
37,514,621 | The attack happened on Bread Street, beside St Peter's Cathedral, shortly before 21:00 BST on Thursday.
The victim was brought to the Royal Victoria Hospital, where he is said to be in a stable condition. | A man has been shot in the legs and ankles in west Belfast, the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service has said. |
34,547,471 | The detective, who works in a firearms unit dealing with gang crime, was shot in the shoulder on Thursday afternoon in Hackney.
Sir Bernard said he had shown "great bravery" and that colleagues had described him as "exceptional".
He remains in a stable condition in hospital.
A 31-year-old man was arrested at the scene and a non-police firearm has been recovered.
Sir Bernard commented: "This officer has shown great bravery. His colleagues have described him as 'exceptional' and 'professional'. He has been that and more.
"Our officers confront danger every day. I am proud of all of them and the courage that they show."
A specialist firearms unit and officers from Trident Area Crime Command, which is responsible for tackling gang crime, were conducting an operation in Scriven Street at the time of the shooting.
No-one else was injured.
Witnesses reported seeing police dogs and helicopters and hearing gunfire as police entered Stonebridge Park estate.
Commander Duncan Ball said for operational reasons he could not reveal whether police had fired any shots, but said: "This incident reveals the very real risks our police officers face on a day-to-day basis while protecting the safety of Londoners."
Steve White, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: "So soon after the tragic death of an officer on Merseyside, this incident once again reminds us of the dangers faced by officers policing in 2015."
Witness David Silvester, 28, who owns an import business, said "The whole road was filled with undercover police. They all burst out of their cars (when the shots went off)." | Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe has paid tribute to an officer shot during a police operation in east London. |
38,493,198 | A near full-strength United struggled to break down resilient Hull in a first half in which the hosts had just two shots on target - Mata forcing a good save out of goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic before Paul Pogba's long-range effort was tipped over.
The visitors had chances of their own against a side who had won their eight previous games in all competitions, Robert Snodgrass causing United problems from set-pieces.
However, Mata got the breakthrough just before the hour mark when the midfielder was on hand to tap in from Henrikh Mkhitaryan's knockdown.
Substitute Fellaini then scored a second late on, heading in from Matteo Darmian's cross to put United in command heading into the second leg on 26 January.
With Manchester United 10 points behind leaders Chelsea in the Premier League and their FA Cup campaign only just starting, the League Cup represents a genuine opportunity for Mourinho to claim a major trophy to add to the Community Shield collected last summer.
He has named strong sides throughout the competition and it was no different against Hull as several first-team regulars, including Wayne Rooney, Paul Pogba and David de Gea, started.
With Hull bottom of the Premier League and struggling badly with injuries - they could only name six substitutes - a first Tigers victory in 65 years at Old Trafford seemed unlikely.
They were given odds of 20-1 to win before kick-off and their prospects looked even more bleak when midfielder Markus Henriksen went off injured inside 20 minutes.
But since new Portuguese boss Marco Silva - described by some as the new Mourinho - took charge last week the Tigers have looked much improved. They beat Swansea in the FA Cup at the weekend and more than held their own for long periods of the game against the Red Devils despite having to field a makeshift defence.
Fellaini's late goal means a turnaround in the second leg might be too big a challenge, but their overall performance will give their fans hope in the battle to stay in the Premier League.
Rooney moved level with Sir Bobby Charlton at the top of Manchester United's all-time scoring chart with his 249th goal for the club against Reading in the FA Cup on Saturday, meaning he had the chance to claim the outright record against Hull.
He came close to scoring goal number 250 inside the opening 10 minutes when Marcus Rashford scuffed a shot across goal but Rooney was just beaten to a tap-in by Andrew Robertson.
The England forward should have got the landmark goal just after half-time when he was picked out by an excellent Pogba ball over the defence, but sent his shot wide of the far post.
His game came to an end just before the hour mark when he was replaced by Anthony Martial, but his departure without a goal means he now has the chance to grab the historic strike in what is arguably a more significant fixture for himself and Manchester United fans - the visit of Liverpool this weekend.
It's back to the Premier League for Manchester United as they take on Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool on Sunday (16:00 GMT) knowing a win could take them into the top five.
Hull, meanwhile, host Bournemouth as they look to move off the bottom of the table. The Tigers have not won in the league since 6 November.
Match ends, Manchester United 2, Hull City 0.
Second Half ends, Manchester United 2, Hull City 0.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Substitution, Hull City. James Weir replaces Josh Tymon because of an injury.
Delay in match Josh Tymon (Hull City) because of an injury.
Attempt saved. Anthony Martial (Manchester United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Antonio Valencia with a cross.
Goal! Manchester United 2, Hull City 0. Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United) header from the right side of the six yard box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Matteo Darmian with a cross.
Matteo Darmian (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Robert Snodgrass (Hull City).
Corner, Hull City. Conceded by Antonio Valencia.
Foul by Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United).
Ryan Mason (Hull City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Matteo Darmian (Manchester United).
Robert Snodgrass (Hull City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Manchester United. Marouane Fellaini replaces Juan Mata.
Corner, Manchester United. Conceded by Josh Tymon.
Foul by Anthony Martial (Manchester United).
Robert Snodgrass (Hull City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Shaun Maloney (Hull City) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.
Jesse Lingard (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Shaun Maloney (Hull City).
Substitution, Hull City. Shaun Maloney replaces Adama Diomande.
Foul by Jesse Lingard (Manchester United).
Ryan Mason (Hull City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Paul Pogba (Manchester United) hits the left post with a right footed shot from outside the box from a direct free kick.
Marcus Rashford (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Sam Clucas (Hull City).
Substitution, Manchester United. Jesse Lingard replaces Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Antonio Valencia (Manchester United) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Ryan Mason (Hull City).
Corner, Manchester United. Conceded by David Meyler.
Offside, Manchester United. Henrikh Mkhitaryan tries a through ball, but Antonio Valencia is caught offside.
Offside, Manchester United. Matteo Darmian tries a through ball, but Anthony Martial is caught offside.
Attempt missed. Adama Diomande (Hull City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by David Meyler with a cross.
Foul by Matteo Darmian (Manchester United).
Robert Snodgrass (Hull City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt missed. Paul Pogba (Manchester United) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Henrikh Mkhitaryan following a corner.
Corner, Manchester United. Conceded by Adama Diomande.
Substitution, Manchester United. Anthony Martial replaces Wayne Rooney.
Goal! Manchester United 1, Hull City 0. Juan Mata (Manchester United) left footed shot from the right side of the six yard box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Henrikh Mkhitaryan. | Jose Mourinho moved a step closer to a major trophy in his first season as Manchester United manager as goals from Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini secured a first-leg victory over Hull City in the semi-final of the EFL Cup. |
40,253,635 | Relegated Hull City will start the season at former manager Steve Bruce's Aston Villa, while Middlesbrough go to Wolves for their first match and Sunderland open at home to Derby County.
Follow the links below for your team's fixtures in full.
Aston Villa
Barnsley
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Ipswich Town
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Middlesbrough
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Nottingham Forest
Preston North End
Queens Park Rangers
Reading
Sheffield United
Sheffield Wednesday
Sunderland
Wolverhampton Wanderers | The Championship fixtures for 2017-18 have been released. |
39,429,032 | The American singer was awarded the prize in October but failed to travel to pick up the award, or deliver the lecture that is required to receive the 8m kroner ($900,000;£727,000) prize.
The academy said it would meet Dylan, 75, in private in the Swedish capital, where he is giving two concerts.
He will not lecture in person but is expected to send a taped version.
If he does not deliver a lecture by June, he will have to forfeit the prize money.
A blog entry from Prof Sara Danius, the permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, said: "The good news is that the Swedish Academy and Bob Dylan have decided to meet this weekend.
"The Academy will then hand over Dylan's Nobel diploma and the Nobel medal, and congratulate him on the Nobel Prize in Literature.
"The setting will be small and intimate, and no media will be present; only Bob Dylan and members of the Academy will attend, all according to Dylan's wishes."
Prof Darius said taped lectures had been sent by other winners in the past, including Alice Munro in 2013.
Earlier this week, Prof Darius said the academy had had no phone conversations with Dylan and that he had until 10 June to perform the lecture in order to receive the money.
"What he decides to do is his own business," she had said.
In October, Bob Dylan became the first songwriter to win the prestigious award, and the first American since novelist Toni Morrison in 1993.
He received the prize "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition", the award citation said.
It took him more than two weeks to make any public comment, finally saying the honour had left him "speechless".
He then snubbed the Nobel ceremony in December because of "pre-existing commitments".
But in a speech read out on his behalf, he said he had thought his odds of winning were as likely as him "standing on the moon".
He said it was "truly beyond words" to receive the prize. | Bob Dylan will finally accept his Nobel Prize for Literature in Stockholm this weekend, the academy has announced. |
36,862,714 | The network's parent company, 21st Century Fox, announced his resignation.
The announcement does not mention the sexual harassment allegations, which have now come from multiple Fox presenters.
Executive chairman Rupert Murdoch wrote that Mr Ailes has made a "remarkable contribution" to Fox News.
"We continue our commitment to maintaining a work environment based on trust and respect," Fox executives Lachlan Murdoch and James Murdoch said in the statement. "We take seriously our responsibility to uphold these traditional, long-standing values of our company."
Roger Ailes has long been viewed one of America's most powerful conservatives. The one-time media consultant to Richard Nixon was the key figure in building the Fox News channel into a ratings, profits and, most important perhaps, political powerhouse.
Prior to his dramatic and embarrassing downfall, Mr Ailes was said to be one of the few employees that Rupert Murdoch actually feared. But it was the media mogul's admiration for his long-time lieutenant and ideological soul-mate that came through in the warm statement released by Fox News Channel's parent company, 21st Century Fox.
"His grasp of policy and his ability to make profoundly important issues accessible to a broader audience stand in stark contrast to the self-serving elitism that characterises far too much of the media," said Rupert Murdoch, in a tribute that did not touch upon the allegations of sexual harassment against the former news chief. Noticeably, it was left to Mr Murdoch's sons, Lachlan and James, to point out that the company is committed "to maintaining a work environment based on trust and respect."
I'm told by a source close to the company that the Murdochs wanted to move quickly, a lesson learnt from the handling of the phone hacking scandal.
It's also measure of the importance that Mr Murdoch attaches to the Fox News channel that he is personally taking over as chairman and acting CEO after losing one of the central figures in his global media empire. What makes Mr Ailes' departure all the more dramatic is that it should happen on the final day of the Republican convention at a time when a deeply divided conservative movement was already in such a state of flux.
Mr Ailes, 76, said he was stepping down because he had become a "distraction".
"I will not allow my presence to become a distraction from the work that must be done every day," Mr Ailes wrote in a letter to Rupert Murdoch.
He has run Fox News since it launched in 1996 and is credited with reshaping the American media and political landscape.
A veteran of Republican political campaigns, he turned the cable news network into a ratings leader and an influential force in the Republican Party.
"Rupert Murdoch is a conservative, but the Republican intensity, the conservative passion including the viciousness toward the Democrats that we now see against Hillary Clinton and has been going on against Obama all these years, all that is Roger Ailes,'' Paul Levinson, communications professor at Fordham University, told the AP news agency.
Less than two weeks ago former presenter Gretchen Carlson sued Mr Ailes for sexual harassment and wrongful termination, claims he denies.
Ms Carlson, who worked for the network for 11 years, alleges that he proposed having a sexual relationship with her and he instructed her to turn around in his office so he could look at her backside.
Mr Ailes also allegedly called her a "man hater" and that she needed to "get along with the boys".
A report in New York magazine, citing anonymous sources, said lawyers for 21st Century Fox gave Mr Ailes a deadline of 1 August to resign or face being fired.
Further allegations surfaced in US media that Mr Ailes sexually harassed another Fox News presenter, Megyn Kelly, about 10 years ago, claims he has also denied. | Roger Ailes, the long-time boss of Fox News, has resigned after a number of female employees accused him of sexual harassment. |
38,631,710 | The women were killed as people rushed onto a jetty as they returned from the two-day harvest festival in Gangasagar, West Bengal, a state minister said.
Another 10 people were injured, and rescue workers were searching the water for others who may have fallen in.
The disaster came less than a day after a boat overturned hundreds of miles upstream, leaving at least 24 dead.
That accident happened on Saturday evening as people were ferrying back after watching kite-flying celebrations to mark the festival near Patna, Bihar state's capital.
Twelve people managed to swim to shore, and eight were hospitalised after being rescued, Bihar state's disaster management minister Chandrashekhar told Reuters news agency.
The boat was only meant to be carrying 30 people.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief for the victims of both incidents on Twitter, promising the families of the deceased 200,000 rupees ($2,935/£2,440) each.
It is estimated some 1.5 million people had gathered in Gangasagar, where the Ganges river flows into the sea, for the Hindu harvest festival of Makar Sankranti. | At least six women have died after getting caught in a stampede at a Hindu festival on the River Ganges. |
37,938,885 | In May more than 80% of residents in St Ives voted to reserve new homes for full-time residents.
A Penzance architectural firm challenged Cornwall Council's decision to allow the referendum to go ahead.
The High Court has ruled the vote, which said new homes should be occupied as "principal residences", was lawful.
More on the St Ives ruling, plus other Devon and Cornwall news
The vote was part of a wider housing plan for the town.
Under the government's 2011 Localism Act, if more than 50% of voters support a neighbourhood plan it carries "real legal weight" and the local planning authority must bring it into force.
Supporters of the vote said that one in four properties in the town are second homes or holiday lets and after years of being priced out of the market, the community had spoken.
RLT Built Environment Ltd argued the policy was an attack on the town's two main industries - tourism and construction.
Chris Tofts from Stephens Scown Solicitors in Truro said: "Our client's challenge was based on whether Cornwall Council's decision to allow the referendum on the St Ives neighbourhood plan to go ahead was compatible with human rights legislation. "
The High Court has ruled the policy is compatible with human rights legislation.
Cornwall Council's Cabinet Member for Planning, Edwina Hannaford said: "This is a hugely important judgement for Cornwall, St Ives Town Council and for the residents of St Ives who wanted to ensure that any new homes in the town would be the resident's sole or main residence.
"We also know a number of other local communities, both in Cornwall and across the rest of the country, are interested in including similar policies in their own Neighbourhood Plans and have been watching this case with interest." | The High Court has ruled a Cornish seaside town will keep its ban on new-build second homes. |
36,094,129 | Colin Lindsay brandished a knife as he robbed him shouting: "Where's the money?" and swearing at them.
Lindsay admitted carrying out a racially aggravated assault and robbery while freed on bail on 1 January 2015.
The 20-year-old, from Edinburgh, was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing next month.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard that during the offence he repeatedly punched and kicked Pawel Szucio and robbed him of his wallet and mobile phone after forcing entry.
He also brandished a knife at Mateusz Balawender, robbing him of a phone, laptop, rucksack and bike after abusing the men for being Polish.
The judge pointed out that unemployed Lindsay had an "atrocious" criminal record for someone of his age.
Lord Uist said his last sentence was for committing an assault and robbery while on bail and he has also previously been detained for assault to severe injury.
Advocate depute David Taylor said the victims were in their respective bedrooms at their home in Niddrie House Park when they heard "a large bang on the flat door".
Mr Szucio opened his bedroom door and saw Lindsay walking along the hall and that he was armed with what appeared to be a kitchen knife.
"He immediately recognised the male as a local whom he knows as Coco," said the prosecutor.
Lindsay walked up to him and punched him on the face, knocking him to the ground, before kicking and stamping on his head. He then went into the victim's bedroom and took his phone and wallet.
Mr Balawender was still in bed when he heard shouting and the sounds of an assault. Lindsay ran into his room still brandishing the knife and asked for his phone and bike.
He handed over the phone and a computer which Lindsay then demanded that the victim put in his own rucksack.
Mr Balawender went into the hall and found his flatmate covered in blood. He ran to a friend's home to contact the police.
Officers who arrived at the scene found Mr Szucio covered in blood from facial injuries. He was taken to hospital for treatment and had stitches put in an injury inside his lip and was found to have a broken nose.
Mr Taylor said: "The first victim stated that he feared for his life in the course of the incident."
The prosecutor said that property worth more than £1,000 was taken in the raid and none of it has been recovered.
Lord Uist told Lindsay that he had to consider imposing an extended sentence in his case, involving a period of custody and further supervision. | An armed intruder left a man fearing for his life after he burst into his home and attacked him and his flatmate in a hunt for money, a court has heard. |
40,458,590 | The 27-year-old German made 26 appearances for the Bundesliga side last season, helping them to an eighth-placed finish.
He has also had spells with MSV Duisburg and Eintracht Frankfurt.
Thomas Christiansen's side start the Championship season with a trip to newly-promoted Bolton Wanderers on Sunday, 6 August.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page. | Leeds United have signed Werder Bremen goalkeeper Felix Wiedwald for an undisclosed fee on a three-year deal. |
36,178,542 | The 22-year-old was walking through a lane into Rosslyn Court and Marswood Green when he was assaulted by two men at about 23:00 on Tuesday.
The injured man was taken to Hairmyres Hospital where he was treated for lacerations and later released.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Police Scotland.
The first man is described as white, about 6ft with a slim build and short, dark hair. He was wearing blue jeans and a tracksuit top.
The second man is described as white, in his 20s, with a slim build and wearing dark clothing.
Det Con Ross Philip: "Inquiries are continuing and I would ask any witnesses who have not yet came forward to police, or anyone with information regarding the two men responsible to contact Police Scotland on 101." | Police have appealed for witnesses to a street attack in Hamilton which left a man seriously injured. |
36,470,529 | The Eurostat statistics agency said its final estimate was supported by stronger household spending and business investment, and gave a year-on-year growth figure of 1.7%.
The initial growth estimate had been 0.6%, which was then revised to 0.5%.
For the fourth quarter of 2015, growth was also revised up to 0.4% from 0.3%.
The rate of growth in the January-to-March quarter matched the level in the first three months of 2015, a pace only surpassed at the start of 2011, when the eurozone economy raced ahead at 0.9%.
Quarter-on-quarter growth was at a healthy 0.7% in Germany, the eurozone's largest economy, 0.6% in France and 0.3% in Italy.
The only eurozone nation suffering contraction was Greece, whose economy shrank by 0.5%.
For the European Union bloc of 28 countries, total economic growth was 0.5% in the first quarter, Eurostat said. Growth in the fourth quarter of 2015 was also 0.5%.
Howard Archer, chief UK and European economist at IHS Global Insight, said there were plenty of "positives" in the data. However, he warned that "global economic uncertainties and problems are still a handicap for eurozone growth."
Weak consumer confidence, sluggish exports, the threat of terrorism, and the prospect of the UK leaving the EU, were weighing on future growth, he said. | The rate of eurozone economic growth for the first quarter of 2016 has been revised back up to 0.6%, raising hopes of recovery in the 19-nation bloc. |
40,227,411 | The 28-year-old from Newbury had been detained on Tuesday on suspicion of causing or allowing the death of five-month-old Jack McLaren.
Jack's father Daniel McLaren, 29, of Fleetwood Close in Newbury, is charged with his murder and appeared earlier at Reading Crown Court via video link.
He has been remanded in custody until the next hearing on 4 August.
Mr McLaren has also been charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent to another child aged under one.
Thames Valley Police said it is continuing with its inquiries. | Police are taking no action against a woman who was arrested in connection with the murder of a baby boy. |
36,434,922 | The 23-time winner from Morecambe won last year's senior race and is just three wins away from the late Joey Dunlop's all-time record of 26 wins.
The machines are on display at the TT paddock behind the grandstand in Douglas.
The racer said it celebrates his "incredible journey so far".
He added that the collection he has personally gathered defines his 20-year TT race career.
It features several of his winning bikes from the past two decades, including the Paul Bird Motorsport RS250 Honda that he raced in his debut year.
He said: "I can still clearly remember setting off down Bray Hill on the RS250. It was four seasons in one day - wet, dry, wind, sun, fog and mist.
"The TT means so much to me and it's been an incredible journey so far, a journey that the fans have all been part of, so hopefully people will come down and enjoy the experience."
Other bikes also include the centenary-winning bike on which he became the first rider to break the 130mph mark
McGuinness, who holds the absolute lap record, is the first rider to pass 127, 128, 129 and 131mph. | A collection of motorcycles ridden by John McGuinness at the Isle of Man TT have gone on display to mark his 20th year of competing at the event. |
38,779,331 | No new date has yet been set for the game to be played. | Saturday's National League game between Woking and Solihull Moors has been postponed because of a waterlogged pitch. |
13,440,189 | Braehmer, 32, was due to face Cleverly, 24, at London's 02 Arena on Saturday, but a cut eye suffered in training on 8 May has failed to heal.
The German won the WBO belt in 2009 and has made one defence but could now be stripped of his title.
If so, Cleverly - the interim champion - will be awarded the title by default.
Cleverly, who won the interim title in December after beating Nadjib Mohammedi on points, is unbeaten in 21 fights and was disappointed to see the fight called off.
"I'm majorly disappointed," Cleverly told BBC Sport.
"I had the call this morning saying Braehmer had not turned up at the airport.
"I was really disappointed but I'm not really that surprised. I had a feeling he would do this and I don't think it was a fight he really wanted.
"I made myself mandatory challenger so he had to fight me but basically he didn't want to fight me. He had no option other than to not turn up. He is going to be stripped of his title and I am going to be fighting for the belt.
"I'm just going to have to re-focus and get on with business now. I believe I will be fighting for the world title on Saturday now and that is motivation in itself.
"Ideally I would have liked to have beaten Braehmer, which I'm sure I would have done. This is the guy I wanted for ages, and I've been preparing for him for months. But what can you do? He hasn't turned up and he will be stripped.
"As long as I become world champion I'll still have the same amount of satisfaction.
"It's not easy to prepare for a change of opponent. I've been preparing for Braehmer who is a southpaw but this is boxing and this is what happens.
"I've got to make sure I'm motivated and re-focused on the fight.
"It's not an ideal situation but I'll get on with business, clear my head and be ready to fight and win on Saturday."
The 02 Arena card will still go ahead, with the joint headline fight between British super-middleweight champion James DeGale and fierce rival George Groves the bigger draw anyway. It is still hoped that unbeaten Welshman Cleverly will fight on Saturday but his opponent is unknown.
Any fight for Cleverly on Saturday could be the first defence of his title with his promoter Frank Warren saying he expects the Welshman to be awarded the WBO belt.
Braehmer last fought in April 2010 and has 29 knockouts from 36 wins with two defeats.
Since that last fight the 32-year-old was involved in a long-running court case that could have seen him jailed for 16 months for assault and insulting behaviour.
But Braehmer was cleared this year following an appeal meaning the German kept his WBO title.
His stock is already low due having only defended his belt once since winning it in 2009 while also pulling out of a January unification fight with Beibut Shumenov.
Cleverly's father and trainer Vince led the calls for Braehmer to be stripped of his title but maintained the Cefn Forest fighter would still be well prepared for any fight on Saturday.
"We will offer no excuses and Nathan will be ready to fight," he added. | Nathan Cleverly's challenge for the WBO light-heavyweight title has been called off after champion Juergen Braehmer suffered an eye injury in training. |
38,342,623 | Coegnant Colliery and Maesteg washery in Bridgend county have been renovated by Natural Resources Wales (NRW).
The Spirit of Llynfi Woodland Project includes walking and cycling trails among 60,000 broadleaf and fruit trees.
NRW's Geminie Drinkwater said the idea was to give people a place "to relax and exercise in a tranquil setting".
It is hoped the project will help improve the health of people living in the area.
It is jointly funded by the Welsh Government's nature fund and Ford.
Ms Drinkwater, a community engagement officer, said: "Research by Public Health Wales discovered that if you are over 50 and live in this area your healthy life expectancy is 20 years less than if you lived just nine miles away in Bridgend.
"The inspiration for the Spirit of Llynfi woodland has come from the community and is all about bringing people and nature closer together and getting them actively involved in the countryside on their doorstep."
In a nod to the industrial past, the site has 'The Keeper of the Colliery', a 9ft (2.7m) one-and-a-half tonne oak sculpture of a miner, created by Newport artist Chris Wood.
Plans for the future include a pond to encourage amphibians to the area, dog-walking trails and a sensory park for people with disabilities. | A colliery which once scarred the landscape and caused health problems for miners is being transformed into a site to promote health and wellbeing. |
17,680,908 | Ibrahim Abou Nagie, a Cologne-based preacher, says he wants to save non-Muslims from hell.
The interior ministry in North Rhine-Westphalia said the campaign was a form of aggressive proselytising.
So far, about 300,000 copies have been given away.
Salafists are very conservative Muslims who try to emulate the earliest followers of the Prophet Muhammad.
The Office for the Protection of the Constitution in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, which keeps extremist and violent groups under surveillance, has been monitoring Mr Abou Nagie's organisation.
Parties from across the political spectrum united to criticise the Koran giveaway.
"Wherever possible, this aggressive action must be stopped," said Guenter Krings of the governing centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), in an interview with the Rheinische Post newspaper.
He admitted that handing out religious material was not in itself objectionable, but said the Salafist radicals were disturbing the religious peace with their behaviour.
The centre-left Social Democrats and the Green Party have also expressed their concern.
Salafists have been handing out the German-language copies of Islam's holy books in the pedestrianised zones of cities, including Cologne.
"What is presented as the simple distribution of the Koran is in truth the subtle spreading of the Salafist ideology," said a spokesman for the state interior ministry of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Additional copies are also being distributed in Austria and Switzerland.
Last summer, the president of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Heinz Fromm, said: "Not all Salafists are terrorists.
"But almost all the terrorists we know about had contacts with Salafists or are Salafists themselves."
The project has been funded by Muslims buying a copy of the Koran which then funds the production of a second one to be given away.
Wealthy donors based in Bahrain have also made contributions. | A branch of the German security service is monitoring a campaign by Salafist Muslims to give away 25 million Korans to see if it violates constitutional rules on religious freedom. |
12,052,121 | They had long argued a dedicated channel would provide a better service for Gaelic speakers than individual Gaelic programmes on the major channels.
They also argued that a dedicated Gaelic channel could play a major role in helping to safeguard the future of the language itself.
Uniquely for a BBC service within the UK, it is a joint venture.
Some of the programmes are paid for by the BBC - others are the responsibility of MG Alba, funded by government money.
However, there was disappointment once it became clear that the channel would only be broadcast on satellite TV - watched in 43% of Scottish homes - although programmes can also be accessed online through the BBC Iplayer.
Supporters argued it was vital that the channel should also be broadcast on Freeview, like all the other public service channels.
BBC management came up with a plan which would make this possible.
The downside was that it would mean that the BBC's radio stations would have to come off Freeview whenever BBC Alba was on the air.
The BBC Trust put off a decision earlier this year as it was also due to carry out a wider review on how all BBC services should be broadcast.
It has now backed the scheme after extensive research, although no date has been set for BBC Alba's appearance on Freeview.
Some are hopeful it will be appear on Freeview by the time the digital switchover takes place in central Scotland next May and June.
In practice, BBC Alba will be available in almost every home in Scotland and the challenge for the station will be to demonstrate that it can offer value to as many people as possible and appeal to viewers who cannot speak Gaelic.
Some newspaper commentators have claimed it is difficult for Alba to show it is doing this, as normal viewing figures are not available for the station.
Instead, other forms of research have been used.
It is understood one reason for this is that the sample used to compile normal ratings does not include viewers in the islands of Scotland.
Although the BBC's radio stations will no longer be broadcast on Freeview once this happens, it is possible that they may return in the future as a result of technological improvements.
Despite this, the main radio stations will still be broadcast on FM and medium wave as usual while the digital stations - such as 1 Extra and BBC7 - will still be available on satellite, cable, through digital radios and online.
Deciding between the merits of BBC Alba and the radio stations was a difficult decision.
However, the alternative to this could have involved the BBC buying capacity on another part of the Freeview system at commercial rates - capacity which might not have been able to reach viewers served by relay transmitters.
The BBC Trust has also ruled that Gaelic programmes should remain on BBC Two Scotland, although it will no longer be specified as the BBC's key channel for Gaelic.
However, the way Gaelic is scheduled on BBC Two Scotland is changing.
Gaelic programmes were broadcast in a two-hour block on Thursday evenings until recently.
Individual programmes are now appearing in a variety of slots across the schedule although the overall amount of Gaelic in peak viewing hours should stay the same. | When BBC Alba was launched in 2008, as a collaboration between the BBC and the Gaelic TV body MG Alba, it was a huge achievement for supporters of the Gaelic language. |
39,441,265 | Thomas Rhodes, 19, was found dead about 16.15 BST on Sunday in Hallam Towers on Manchester Road in Fulwood.
A post-mortem examination showed he died of multiple injuries consistent with a fall, the West Yorkshire Police said.
The force is treating his death as unexplained and appealed for witnesses.
Det Insp John Fitzgibbons said Mr Rhodes' family were "devastated by his death".
"I want to trace Mr Rhodes' movements from Saturday, 25 March, and into the early hours of Sunday," he explained. | A police investigation is under way after the death of a man whose body was found in an abandoned hotel in Sheffield. |
38,871,180 | The Department for Transport says offenders face fines of thousands of pounds or a jail sentence.
Since 2009 there have been about 1,500 attacks per year on aircraft.
A 2010 law introduced protections for pilots. The new legislation widens the protection while increasing penalties.
People currently convicted of "shining a light at an aircraft in flight so as to dazzle or distract the pilot" face fines of up to £2,500 under the Air Navigation Order.
If the distraction is deemed to be serious, offenders may face prosecution for reckless endangerment, which carries a prison sentence.
A DfT spokesman said: "This new law will make it even safer for aircraft travel as well as passengers using buses, taxis and trains."
He added the current law means police have to prove a person endangered the aircraft when committing the offence of shining a laser, while the new law will mean that police will only have to prove the offence of shining the laser.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: "Shining a laser pointer at pilots or drivers is incredibly dangerous and could have fatal consequences.
"Whilst we know laser pens can be fun and many users have good intentions, some are not aware of the risks of dazzling drivers or pilots putting public safety at risk."
The first laser attack on an aircraft was reported in 2004 with more than 200 incidents annually by 2008.
The rate has increased substantially in recent years and similar attacks have been reported on train and bus drivers.
Steve Landells, flight safety specialist at the British Airline Pilots Association said: "Any move to give the police and authorities more powers to tackle this real and growing threat to flight safety is a good thing, and we are pleased that the government has included action on lasers in this bill."
In February 2016, a New York-bound plane was forced to turn back to London Heathrow Airport when a a laser beam hit the cockpit after take off, causing a "medical issue" for one of the pilots.
The incident prompted the British Airline Pilots Association to call on the government to classify laser pointers as offensive weapons, a plea later echoed by the Civil Aviation Authority.
The DfT said the new powers and penalties will be outlined in upcoming legislation. | Shining laser pens at pilots, train and bus drivers, and other transport operators, will become a specific offence under government proposals. |
39,500,946 | A police source told the BBC that the militants targeted officers in the central Zuhur district, and then opened fire randomly at civilians nearby.
At least two of them detonated suicide belts during clashes with police, which could still be heard after sunrise.
The assault comes as government forces continue an offensive to retake Mosul, the last major IS stronghold in Iraq.
Tikrit is 185km (115 miles) to the south, but the jihadist group has launched a number of surprise counter-attacks across the country since the operation began almost six months ago.
Police Colonel Khalid Mahmoud told Reuters news agency that about 10 militants dressed in police uniforms were involved in Tuesday night's attack.
Col Mahmoud said the militants initially targeted a police checkpoint and the home of a senior officer nearby, killing him and members of his family.
Two of the militants blew themselves up when surrounded by police, and three others were killed in separate clashes, he added.
Col Mahmoud said five other militants were thought to be hiding and that the local authorities had declared a curfew until they were apprehended.
The IS news agency Amaq reported that seven "commando" fighters had attacked a base of the federal police's Rapid Response Force and one of its patrols, and then broken into the house of Tikrit's head of counter-terrorism. The militants then battled security forces for two hours before blowing themselves up, Amaq added.
A doctor at the city's hospital told the BBC that 34 people had been killed and 46 others wounded, many of them civilians.
Tikrit, a predominantly Sunni Arab city, was captured by IS militants when they overran much of northern and western Iraq in June 2014.
Troops and Iranian-backed Shia paramilitary fighters retook the city in April 2015, but IS has since managed to mount occasional attacks there. | More than 30 people have been killed in an overnight attack by Islamic State militants in the Iraqi city of Tikrit. |
36,506,710 | Abdul Hafidah was stabbed after he was hit by a car on Moss Lane East on 12 May and died later in hospital.
Eight people, including a 14-year-old boy, have previously been arrested in connection with his death and have been released on bail.
A 19-year-old man from Moss Side has been taken into custody for questioning, police said.
Police believe Mr Hafidah had been chased near Greenheys Lane before being struck by a blue Vauxhall Corsa and then stabbed,
Officers are continuing to appeal for information.
Det Sgt Wes Knights said: "This is now our ninth arrest and we will continue to progress this investigation and carry on with our inquiries.
"I would ask anyone who might have been in the area at the time of Abdul's murder to come forward. Every bit of information could help us give his family answers." | A man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering an 18-year-old man in the Moss Side area of Manchester. |
32,702,526 | Mr Dalli left his job as EU health commissioner in 2012, accused of improper links to tobacco lobbyists.
The European Court of Justice has ruled that he resigned voluntarily. He had argued that ex-Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso had asked him to resign.
Mr Barroso said Mr Dalli had put the Commission's integrity at risk.
A statement from the court said that, when Mr Barroso met Mr Dalli on 16 October 2012, Mr Barroso "decided... that Mr Dalli should leave the Commission".
Despite Mr Barroso's decision, he did not utter a "clearly formulated" request for his resignation, according to the Luxembourg judges.
"Since the existence of that request... has not been established, the Court dismisses the action as inadmissible. The court also rejects Mr Dalli's claim for compensation," the ECJ statement said.
EU anti-fraud agency Olaf had earlier delivered a report asserting that Mr Dalli had held unauthorised secret meetings with tobacco industry representatives.
According to Olaf, a Maltese entrepreneur had sought a "considerable" payment from a Swedish producer of oral tobacco, called snus, after which Mr Dalli would lift an EU ban on the product.
Sweden has an exemption from the ban, but it cannot export snus to other EU countries.
Mr Dalli denied any knowledge of such an approach by the entrepreneur.
If the ECJ had supported his allegation of unfair dismissal he could have been entitled to compensation for loss of earnings. | The EU's top court has dismissed a case brought by Maltese ex-Commissioner John Dalli against the European Commission in which he sought compensation. |
39,366,011 | It was feared Coetzee had ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament for a second time but he will now be fit and available for the start of next season.
The South African was injured in the win over Zebre earlier this month.
"It really is fantastic news - I think most people were fearing the worst," said Ulster director of rugby Les Kiss.
The 25-year-old, who has been capped 28 times for the Springboks, made his Ulster debut against Edinburgh in February after missing the start of the campaign with an anterior cruciate ligament rupture.
He had an immediate impact, registering an incredible 26 carries in a 59-minute appearance against the Scots.
Coetzee also featured prominently in the subsequent wins over Glasgow and Treviso, before picking up the injury in the record ten-try Pro12 victory over Zebre.
"He has had a tremendous impact since he joined the club, not only on the pitch, but also on the training paddock with his huge work ethic and infectious positive attitude," added Kiss.
"It's a great boost for the club, the supporters and most importantly Marcell himself, that we will see him back in an Ulster jersey at the start of next season.
"I have spoken to Marcell and he's really pleased with the prognosis. I know from the way he faced the challenge of his previous rehab that he will be back even better than before." | Marcell Coetzee's knee injury is not as serious as initially feared although a cartilage tear will sideline the Ulster back row for four months. |
27,589,087 | While some papers tried to score points on who was favoured more by the pontiff in his visits to holy sites and landmarks, others felt his tour would have no impact on the Middle East conflict.
Some editorials in the Palestinian press were positive about the visit, praising the Pope for what they saw as his recognition of a Palestinian state.
"The Pope blesses the establishment of a Palestinian state," pro-Fatah Al-Ayyam newspaper, declared.
It said that while some world leaders visited Israel before heading to Ramallah - the Palestinians' de facto administrative capital - the Pope began his journey in Ramallah first.
"That means avoiding entering Ramallah from the Israeli gate and airspace, underlining that he recognises Palestine and dealing with it as a [sovereign] state," Al-Ayyam said.
Another Palestinian paper also lauded the Pope for visiting the Israeli barrier separating Bethlehem in the West Bank from Jerusalem. Pro-Fatah Al-Quds said that his insistence on leaving his car and walking to the gate there to say a prayer was "a step with a unique significance".
The pro-Hamas Filastin newspaper however rejected the pontiff's visit outright. "The Pope's visit to the occupied Palestinian territories is mainly political," an editorial said, claiming that he conveyed the message of the US administration to the Palestinians. "Anyone who believes that the Church will oppose the Israeli occupier is wrong. The Church recognises the legitimacy of the entity which usurped Palestine and did not condemn the crime of the blockade of Gaza," it said.
But according to an editorial in the Palestinian Authority-owned newspaper Al-Hayat al-Jadidah, the Pope's visit came at a "crucial time" after great upheaval in the region.
"The Arab Spring created a state of fear and apprehension for many religious sects, particularly Christians, as Christian Arabs in Iraq and Syria have been the target of dubious Islamist groups," the paper said. "For this reason, the Pope's visit carries an important political and moral meaning in encouraging Palestinian and Arab Christians, in general, to remain in their homeland."
In the Israeli press, some commentators felt that the Palestinians had indeed scored a PR victory. "There is no doubt that the Pope gave the Palestinians tail wind in the PR battle they have been leading in recent months," Jack Khoury wrote in Israel's Haaretz daily.
Saying that the Pope's decision to fly directly from Jordan to Bethlehem without landing at Israel's Ben Gurion airport was being perceived by the Palestinians as recognition of sorts for an independent state, Khoury said that the pontiff's "most significant, most political step" was his decision to pray at the West Bank barrier.
"In a calculated decision, the Pope descended the vehicle taking him to the mass, stood in front of the fence and prayed... No-one heard the prayer, but it is clear that his attitude to it was not positive and within minutes his picture praying in front of the fence starred in news sites all over the world..."
Ben Hartman in the Jerusalem Post agreed that photographs of the Pope praying at the barrier overshadowed his visit to Tel Aviv. "Pictures had already circulated the globe of the pope only minutes earlier praying at the West Bank security barrier, his head bowed in prayer, surrounded on both sides by graffiti reading 'Free Palestine' and 'Bethlehem looks like Warsaw Ghetto.' A shot like that is hard to compete with."
However an editorial in the Jerusalem Post conceded that the Pope had tried to be even-handed. "In what can be seen as an attempt to balance the impression made by his silent prayer at the security barrier outside Bethlehem, Francis also made an unplanned visit to a memorial to Israeli terrorism victims on Mount Herzl," it said.
"Showing empathy for one side risked offending the other side. Too neutral a message would be seen as bland… These nearly insurmountable challenges were met by Francis with grace and charm."
But while Reuven Berko in Yisrael Hayom said that the Pope's meetings with the Israeli president and prime minister were "de facto expressions of the Vatican's recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel", Noah Klieger in Yediot Aharonot was disappointed. "The statements of Francis at this impressive, touching memorial [to victims of terrorism] in the Jerusalem mountains were undoubtedly sincere and came from genuine pain. It's just a pity they will contribute nothing to the struggle against the spread of anti-Semitism in the world."
BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. For more reports from BBC Monitoring, click here. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook. | Israeli and Palestinian papers appeared to be jostling to try and claim victory for their own side in their views of the Pope's visit to the Holy Land. |
33,242,147 | A council in the Republic of Ireland has decided new laws are needed to clean up its parks - and the mouths of park users.
Waterford City and County Council is not just cracking down on litter and anti-social behaviour.
It has banned cursing in a bid to prevent the air around its green spaces from turning blue.
New byelaws have put the stopper in any shouts of Fr Jack's favourite phrases.
The move is reminiscent of Craggy Island's most famous residents' attempts to give up various vices for Lent.
Drinking, smoking and rollerblading are all strictly banned from the park. Even vaping, or using e-cigarettes, is not allowed.
Likewise, barbequing, flower picking and flying model aeroplanes are illegal.
According to the new laws, anyone caught indulging in the above, perhaps while swearing up a storm, is liable to get slapped with a 1270 euro (£900) fine and kicked out of the park, Bishop Brennan style.
So is Waterford set to put a legislative bleep on public expletives or is it just a flippant attempt to get people to park their potty mouths?
Councillor Lola O'Sullivan says it's more about the spirit, rather than the letter, of the law.
"The 'no cursing' rule is creating a lot of headlines," she said. "But that law has come about simply because you might have a group of teenagers who are in the park and are loud and using bad language.
"In fact, it might be the only time they use bad language, because they are out of the house.
"So we want to put up a sign that says 'no cursing, no smoking' among other things.
"I know in other cities, including Belfast, they have signs in their parks with a list of rules and regulations. So it'll be like that.
"Waterford doesn't have any more anti-social behaviour problems than anywhere else - we just want to encourage people to be respectful in the parks."
The Fine Gael council member said the new byelaws came about because the amalgamation of two councils - Waterford City and Waterford County - required a review of the legislation.
It passed through council unanimously, she added, and "nobody mentioned" the no swearing law during a six-week public consultation.
Still, are these laws enforceable? And what about accusations that this is another instance of the 'nanny state' telling people how to behave?
"Well, look, you're not going to have people hiding behind bushes, trying to catch people out when they say the odd swear word," she said. "The police are not going to bring someone up to court over something like that."
She added that the laws are for extreme cases.
"Say you were to pick one flower from the park, and present it to your other half," she supposed. "It's no problem. But say you pick every flower you can carry and presented them to your work colleagues.
"Well, they'd love it, but you'd be in trouble then."
In fact, the councillor suggested a tongue-in-cheek additional measure that could be used to curb any gratuitous grubby language.
"We should consider using swear boxes at the entrances and exits of the parks, get people to donate for any curse words. Maybe that would help us keep the parks respectful." | It would be enough to bring a bout of scandalised swear words from the lips of Father Jack Hackett. |
36,408,601 | Earlier this month, a Congolese man was beaten to death following a dispute over hiring an auto-rickshaw.
India has promised tough action against attackers who target Africans.
Thousands of Africans are studying at Indian universities. A student group is holding an anti-racism rally next week.
Three separate cases have been registered following last Thursday's incidents, in which six African nationals suffered injuries.
Delhi police official Ishwar Singh said the scuffles on Thursday night took place after local residents objected to the Africans drinking alcohol and playing loud music in the street.
The Africans said they were racially abused and attacked by a mob.
Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted that she had spoken to police about the attacks and had asked them to meet the African students who were planning the demonstration at the Jantar Mantar site in Delhi.
Last week, heads of African diplomatic missions in Delhi refused to attend Africa Day celebrations in protest at the murder of Congolese national Masunda Kitada Olivier.
They said African nationals in Delhi were living in a "pervading climate of fear and insecurity".
Two men have been arrested over Mr Olivier's death.
In February, a Tanzanian student was assaulted and partially stripped by a mob in the southern city of Bangalore. | Indian police say five people have been arrested over attacks on six Africans last Thursday, the latest in a number of assaults that have strained ties between African countries and India. |
37,275,825 | The 21-year-old has signed to bolster the Scarlets' front row options with Rob Evans unavailable following wrist surgery.
Garrett made his Dragons debut against the Scarlets at Judgement Day in April 2015 and has made four appearances.
The prop also plays for Cross Keys in the Principality Premiership and is a Wales U20 international. | Newport Gwent Dragons loosehead prop Luke Garrett has joined Scarlets on loan until December. |
36,073,693 | The 20-year-old, who will be competing in this weekend's London Marathon, is studying for a law degree at Teesside University but she is also one of the country's leading T54 wheelchair racers, with Commonwealth and European medals to her name already.
And she is learning from the best, with 11-time Paralympic champion Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson and her husband Ian overseeing her career.
I race everything from 100m right up to the marathon. Wheelchair racing is a lot like cycling - you need to have good endurance to do those longer distances but if there are 10 women in contention coming into the final straight of a 5,000m race, then you need that sprint finish as well.
I train twice a day, six days a week with a lot of interval training to build my top-end speed and then longer-distance pushes in order to gain that endurance.
I started racing because I enjoyed it. I only thought about the competitive element later on.
Nowadays, if I don't want to train, I just think about what my rivals are doing. They will be out there working hard and if I'm not, I will be a day down on them and it helps push me on.
Tanni and Ian have got the most incredible experience to pass on to me. I'm so lucky to have them as role models and to teach me everything they know, as well as helping me to pursue my academic career plus my training.
Teesside University have been helpful in allowing me to study part-time so I can fit that around training. You need to have a good support network around you. If you have that, then you are in a good position.
I really enjoy the sport I do, I have clear goals, and I know where I want to be and what I want to do. I am lucky because a lot of people don't have that - so it doesn't seem as harsh going out with friends and things like that.
Choose a sport you love and have good time management! It is about being motivated and being a bit strict on yourself and allowing yourself that time to go out and do exercise.
You also need targets because if you don't have them, you won't do the work needed - you aren't going to go running in the morning if you haven't got a race to run in the future.
It makes a massive difference when you know where you want to be and know all the steps needed to get there. Tanni, Ian and I set targets for each year and I know all the different things I need to go and reach those targets. If I don't reach a target then I can re-evaluate and see why it didn't happen and if I do achieve it then we have to increase them next time.
Body Positive is about being ok with the way you look. As someone who is disabled, there is a lot of stigma around disability and people with disabilities being sad and needing help doing everything, but that is not the case.
Just because you have a disability, or maybe weight 10lb more than you want to - you don't have to be the prettiest person, you just have to be you.
I want to encourage people to get into sport at any level. Sport is such a powerful tool, not just in terms of health, it is also a great way to meet people and in turn it makes you more positive about yourself.
Sport has changed my life - without it I wouldn't have the opportunities to travel to the places or meet the people I have and I know it can do that for a lot of people. You just have to give it a go!
Now we'd like to hear from you! Join in and post your stories and videos on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter - and you can get in touch by emailing us at [email protected].
Love what we're doing, and want us to keep going? We're a Taster pilot project - so please rate us at the top of the page. | Paralympian Jade Jones has a hectic life juggling her training and college work. |
32,136,925 | A woman allegedly assaulted a number of people on a bus travelling into the city after initially verbally abusing an elderly Polish couple shortly before noon on Tuesday.
Police also received a report of assault from the bus driver.
A 57-year-old woman is being questioned about disorderly behaviour, assault on police and three common assaults.
Sinn Féin councillor Mary Ellen Campbell, said she was was struck during the incident.
"There were other people on the bus - it was mainly elderly people - and some of them were quite visibly upset, some of them were actually crying," she said.
"I think everybody was quite embarrassed that this happened on a bus in Belfast to these people who were obviously just visiting.
"The two Polish people, they looked very, very shocked that this had occurred." | A woman has been arrested after a report of a hate crime on a bus in Belfast. |
38,641,489 | Investigations show the fires were caused by overheating in some parts of the engine which led to oil leaks, said Ford SA chief executive Jeff Nemeth.
The recall affects the 1.6 litre model, built in Spain between 2012 and 2014.
The firm has been under pressure to act since motorist Reshall Jimmy, 33, burnt to death in his Kuga in 2015.
A total of 48 of the vehicles have so far caught fire in South Africa‚ 11 of them this month, the local TimesLive newspaper reported.
South Africa's motor industry ombudsman Johan van Vreden demanded that "Ford must act - now."
"One or two vehicles in the same model range catching fire is not unusual‚ but almost 50… it's crazy‚ especially in a small market like ours," the newspaper quoted him as saying.
Mr Nemeth said he could confirm 39 vehicles burning, but there may be other cases which had not been reported to the firm.
He understood the concerns of owners and the firm would "work with dealers to ensure each case is treated fairly".
Recalled vehicles would be subjected to a software update and a check on the cylinder head‚ Mr Nemeth added.
He said that an investigation which led to Mr Jimmy's vehicle burning while he was on holiday had not been concluded, but it appeared to be unrelated to the engine catching fire.
"We are not aware of any injuries that have resulted from our engine compartment fires," Mr Nemeth added, while offering condolences to Mr Jimmy's family.
Mr Nemeth spoke at a joint news conference with representatives of the family and the National Consumer Commission, which had been putting pressure on the firm to act.
"This issue has dragged on for too long‚" said commissioner Ibrahim Mohammad.
Mr Jimmy's brother, Kaveen, said his family was planning legal action against the car giant for a "very senseless death".
The commission, a regulatory body, has given Ford until 28 February to complete its investigation and report back.
In 2014, Ford recalled about 850,000 cars in North America over a "potential issue" with airbags. | US car giant Ford has recalled more than 4,500 of its Kuga model in South Africa for safety checks after dozens of them caught fire since 2015. |
38,105,935 | Lord Taylor of Blackburn, 87, was taken to a south London hospital after the crash on Wednesday last week.
He was the Labour leader of Blackburn Council in the 1970s before being made a life peer in May 1978 and becoming a businessman.
Labour's Lords leader Baroness Smith said the peer would be sadly missed.
"Tom Taylor had a lifelong commitment to the Labour Party, through both local government and Parliament, and was held in high regard and with great affection by his party colleagues," she said.
"Tom was a committed member of the House of Lords right through to the tragic circumstances which led to his death. We in the Labour peers group are very sad and will miss him dearly."
Lord Taylor was admitted to hospital following the incident with a van last Wednesday. His injuries were initially not thought to be life-threatening.
The driver stopped at the scene but was not arrested, police said at the time.
For more on this story and others in London
Thomas Taylor became a member of Blackburn Town Council in 1954 and was its leader from 1972-76.
In 2009 Lord Taylor was suspended from the Lords for six months after allegedly offering to help a business secure favourable changes in legislation for a fee in a newspaper sting operation. It was the first time in 350 years that a peer had been banned in this way.
He and three other peers were caught speaking to undercover journalists posing as lobbyists and appeared willing to amend a bill in return for cash. | A Labour peer has died after being seriously injured when his mobility scooter collided with a van outside Parliament during rush hour. |
37,679,473 | A woman, also in her 20s, was punched in the face during the incident in the Castle Street/King Street area at about 12:00 BST on Monday afternoon.
Police have said the man suffered two stab wounds to his body.
His injuries are not thought to be life-threatening. | A man in his 20s has been taken to hospital after he was stabbed during an incident in Belfast city centre. |
35,542,057 | A disciplinary tribunal found Dr Adam Osborne's behaviour "profoundly unacceptable" and ruled his fitness to practise had been impaired.
Dr Osborne, the brother of Chancellor George Osborne, started the relationship with the woman in 2011.
The tribunal chairman said his actions were not "easily remediable".
Dr Nigel Callaghan said Dr Osborne's behaviour "undermines the public's confidence in the medical profession".
The psychiatrist had treated the woman for depression, anxiety and chronic fatigue at a private practice in London, between 2011 and 2014.
The tribunal heard Dr Osborne had begged, then threatened the woman after she complained to the General Medical Council (GMC) when he ended the relationship.
In one email he wrote: "If I get into trouble for this then I will never forgive you for this and I will make sure you pay."
Dr Callaghan said Dr Osborne had sent "inappropriate emails" when he knew the woman was in "a particularly vulnerable and fragile state".
The tribunal previously heard she had tried to take her own life two days after they broke up.
It will now decide whether to impose a sanction on the psychiatrist.
If they do, Dr Osborne could have conditions put on his registration, be suspended or be struck off. | A psychiatrist faces being struck off from the medical profession after he had a two-year affair with his "vulnerable" patient. |
38,037,119 | Writing in the Telegraph, Suella Fernandes MP said only in leaving would the UK "truly be a beacon of international free trade".
Michael Gove, Iain Duncan Smith and Theresa Villier are among her backers.
The government said it would not give a "running commentary" before talks but would aim for the "best possible deal".
It comes as other senior Tories are urging the PM to drop an appeal against a ruling that MPs must vote on Brexit before the process can begin.
The group of 60 Tories - out of a total of 328 Conservative MPs - want Britain to pull out of both the European single market and the customs union, which allows its members to trade without tariffs but imposes common duties on goods imported from outside the bloc.
Ms Fernandes said the 23 June vote to leave the EU had been "an instruction to untie ourselves from EU shackles and freely embrace the rest of the world".
"As was made clear in the referendum campaign, remaining in the EU's internal market like Norway, or in a customs union like Turkey, is not compatible with either of these commitments and doing so would frustrate the will of the electorate."
A government spokeswoman said it was committed to getting a unique deal for Britain, "not an 'off the shelf' solution".
She said: "The government is painstakingly analysing the challenges and opportunities for all the different sectors of our economy.
"The prime minister has been clear that she wants UK companies to have the maximum freedom to trade with and operate in the single market - and to let European businesses do the same here.
"Beyond that, it's not in the UK's interest to give a running commentary on our thinking that could undermine our negotiating position."
Meanwhile, Sir Oliver Letwin, former head of the government's Brexit preparations, and two former law officers said the appeal against a court ruling that means MPs must vote on the UK leaving the EU should not go to the Supreme Court.
Instead, they want ministers to bring a bill to Parliament to start the process of Brexit as soon as possible.
Former minister Sir Oliver told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the Supreme Court hearing could see ministers' powers outside Parliament curbed.
He said that bringing a bill to Parliament would give the government the ability to trigger Brexit without any constraints on its negotiating power.
Former Solicitor General Sir Edward Garnier said Mrs May should drop the appeal to avoid expense and a row about judges' powers, while former Attorney General Dominic Grieve said he could not see the point of continuing with the case.
The government said it would robustly defend its position at the appeal and said: "As the prime minister made clear [on Friday], our work is on track and we remain committed to triggering Article 50 by the end of March next year."
A final judgement from the Supreme Court is not expected until January. | Sixty Conservative MPs, including seven ex-cabinet ministers, are calling for Britain to quit the single market and customs union when it leaves the EU. |
38,977,724 | Three assailants killed five people and injured 10 others before they were shot dead by police on Tuesday in Pishan county, local officials said.
No motive was given, but the government often blames Muslim separatists for such attacks.
Xinjiang, an autonomous region, is home to China's Uighur ethnic minority, which is predominantly Muslim.
The region has suffered years of unrest.
Rights groups say the violence is due to the tight controls by the government on the religion and culture of Uighurs. The government denies any repression.
More about Xinjiang
A statement posted on the local government website called the attackers "thugs". It said police were on the scene within minutes.
"At present, social order is normal at the site, society is stable, and investigation work is under way," it said.
The county issued the highest level of security alert after the attack and armed police are patrolling the streets, Hong Kong's South China Morning Post newspaper reports.
Dilxat Raxit, of the exiled World Uyghur Congress, told the Agence France-Presse news agency that six people had been arrested, including two young Uighurs who shared information about the incident. | Eight people are dead after a knife attack in China's restive Xinjiang region. |
28,654,125 | Xinhua news agency named the suspects as Kevin and Julia Garratt. The couple run a coffee shop in Dandong just across the border from North Korea.
Xinhua said Dandong's State Security Bureau was investigating the case.
But the couple's son Simeon told the BBC the charges were "absurd" and made "absolutely no sense".
The couple taught in southern China for several years and then moved to Dandong, where they opened Peter's Coffee House.
Dandong is the main China-North Korea border crossing and trade link.
The Xinhua report did not say whether the couple had been detained.
Simeon Garratt, 27, told the BBC's Celia Hatton in Beijing that his parents had been uncontactable since Monday night.
"They were going to dinner with a couple of friends, and sometime between dinner and later that night, their phones were turned off and no one has really heard from them (since)," he said.
Mr Garratt called the charges "a joke", adding: "I thought it was absurd. It makes absolutely no sense."
He said his parents are "pretty regular people (who) don't have any ties to military or even governments or even anything like that".
Besides running the cafe, the couple regularly held community events for people to practise their English and helped people to get in touch with North Korea tour organisers, said Mr Garratt.
"Because they have been into North Korea a number of times, they just know the ropes and they're willing to help some friends who are going into North Korea," he said.
His parents speak both English and Mandarin and have developed a relationship with tour organisers.
"That's pretty much the extent of it. There's no business they operate that sends people into North Korea or anything like that," said Mr Garratt, who is a real estate agent living in Vancouver.
What qualifies as a "state secret" in China? The answer to that is a secret too.
The Chinese government's "state secrets" law is notoriously vague. Trials involving state secrets are conducted behind closed doors.
In most cases, Chinese citizens are accused of leaking state secrets to outsiders. It is extremely rare for foreigners to be accused of stealing and trafficking such sensitive information.
In 2009, an American geologist was also convicted of trading in state secrets after he attempted to purchase information about the Chinese oil industry.
One year later, an Australian was sentenced to 10 years in prison for stealing classified corporate information on behalf of the Australian mining firm, Rio Tinto.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the Canadians, Kevin and Julia Garratt, "are suspected of collecting and stealing intelligence… related to Chinese military targets and important Chinese national defence science research programs."
The Garratts ran a popular coffee shop near the North Korean border and had strong ties within the Christian missionary community. However, those activities are not illegal.
It will be difficult for those who knew the couple best to defend their relatives without understanding the sensitive information they're suspected of stealing.
Canada's embassy in Beijing told Reuters news agency it was aware of the reports and stood "ready to provide assistance as required".
Late last month, Canada announced that a top government research organisation had been struck by Chinese "state-sponsored" hackers.
The Chinese embassy in Ottawa dismissed the report as a "groundless allegation". | Chinese authorities are investigating a Canadian couple suspected of stealing state secrets about national defence and the military, state media say. |
36,306,495 | The match between Manchester United and Bournemouth was called off after the item was discovered close to kick-off.
"We could not have assumed it was a training exercise error," said United's executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward.
"Presented with the same situation in the future, we'd take the same action."
Woodward explained the item had been signed for by the security firm "as having been recovered", adding that he is "proud of how our staff responded" to the incident.
The device was left in a toilet in the north-west quadrant of the ground.
However, it was not spotted when the ground was checked on Sunday, prior to supporters being allowed into the stadium.
Greater Manchester mayor Tony Lloyd, also the region's police and crime commissioner, has called for a full inquiry into the "fiasco".
The fixture has been rescheduled for Tuesday at 20:00 BST.
Manchester United's players were scheduled to have the day off as they prepare for Saturday's FA Cup final against Crystal Palace at Wembley.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Fourteen mock explosive devices were used in Wednesday's exercise, which was conducted by Security Search Management & Solutions Ltd (SSMS), a firm hired by Deacons Canines to test its sniffer dogs.
The one device left in the stadium was hidden behind a toilet door, which would have made it visible only from inside the cubicle.
SSMS managing director Chris Reid said he was "truly devastated" and takes "full responsibility for leaving a training item behind".
He said he had marked the item as recovered because he had a similar item, which had not been used, in his bag.
Reid, who says he has worked in security since 1985 having previously served in the armed forces, added: "I made a mistake, a devastating mistake."
A routine sweep of the ground by sniffer dogs on match day would not have detected the device as it did not include explosives.
It was actually found by a member of the public.
Following the discovery, on what should have been the final day of the Premier League season, Greater Manchester Police ordered the evacuation of the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand and the Stretford End, before it was subsequently announced the fixture had been abandoned.
"Once a live situation was identified, the club and police had no option but to treat the matter as a potential terror threat," said Woodward.
The Premier League has praised the way the incident was dealt with.
Greater Manchester Police, who worked closely with a bomb disposal team on Sunday, said the device was not "a viable explosive" but its appearance made it look "as real as could be".
Kate Green, Labour MP for Stretford and Urmston, says it is "particularly troubling" the device went undetected.
She added that there is "considerable concern" about the performance of the private security firm involved and wants United to reassure the public on safety issues at Old Trafford.
Green also wants United to outline how they will compensate fans for expenses, including travel and accommodation costs.
United will refund all tickets and allow ticket holders from both clubs to watch Tuesday's rearranged game for free.
United season ticket holders will also be given a credit.
It is estimated that such gestures will cost United about £3m.
Woodward stressed United and the police "would ensure that robust security measures continue to be of the highest priority" for the rearranged game.
Bournemouth are offering free coach travel for supporters with a valid match ticket.
Bournemouth chairman Jeff Mostyn told BBC South Today: "They make sacrifices every single week and go to great expense travelling away." | The suspect device which led to the abandonment of Sunday's Premier League game at Old Trafford had been wrongly signed for by a security firm carrying out an exercise at the stadium. |
34,083,834 | The singer called the response to the Leave a Trace video "ludicrous".
Mayberry told Channel 4 news she did not think "the 'just ignore it and it will blow away' argument" was working.
She condemned "cavemen" who threaten sexual violence when they do not like what a woman is doing or saying.
"I am a 27-year-old woman wearing a minidress with wet-look hair. If you don't like it, that's fine, but there is a difference between criticism and hatred," said Mayberry.
She said she was speaking out because, while she is targeted for being in the public eye, so many other women and girls are also subjected to similar behaviour.
"This happens to women all the time anyway, and I hate the idea that young girls who follow our band deal with stuff like that.
"I don't want them to feel isolated, I don't want them to feel like it is just happening to them, because it happens everywhere."
Earlier this month the singer tweeted a link to a stream of sexist abuse directed towards her appearance, writing: "Dear anyone who thinks misogyny isn't real. It is and this is what it looks like."
Mayberry, 27, said those sort of comments were "sadly predictable" and that there needed to be "a shift in the cultural approach to women".
"If you don't like what a woman is wearing, you don't like her opinion, you don't like what it is she represents, then you fall back on the basic caveman arguments of threatening with physical and sexual violence because it is your trump card.
"Because that's the way you get somebody to shut up. And I just think that is a very sad state of affairs."
Revealing the level of "hateful" abuse she receives she said someone recently contacted her on Twitter to suggest if she could not deal with the attention she should "stick a gun in your mouth before the record even comes out. I have one and I'll give to you."
She added: "Personally, that's horrifying, if somebody put that through your door, you could legitimately go to the police with that."
Mayberry conceded she could be "painting a target on my back" by speaking out, because people think they will get a response, but said "ignoring it doesn't make a difference".
"To me it is not necessarily you responding that trolls want, they want to scare, they want to intimidate and they want to silence people." | Chvrches frontwoman Lauren Mayberry has hit back at misogynistic abuse online, after being widely targeted by internet trolls for wearing a short dress in the band's recent video. |
38,752,742 | Forces loyal to the military leader, Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, said they had driven local Islamist militias out of the Ganfouda district of Benghazi.
The area had been under siege for months and saw some of the worst fighting over control of the city.
Some fighters were affiliated to the Islamic State group or Al Qaeda.
The besieged district, nine miles west of the city centre, has been largely cut-off from the rest of Benghazi in blockades setup by Field Marshal Haftar's forces.
His forces are not being recognised by Libya's UN-backed government.
The spokesman for Field Marshal Haftar's forces - known as the Eastern Libyan Army - said they had freed the neighbourhood, but some militants had fled to a nearby area known as the "12 blocks".
The BBC's North Africa correspondent, Rana Jawad, said if it holds, the fall of Ganfouda district would be considered "a significant gain" for the forces, but locals had been hit hard.
"More than two years of fighting in Libya's second largest city has come at a high cost," she said.
"It has been deadly and it has internally displaced thousands of people."
Residents told the BBC that Islamist militias still control some parts of central Benghazi, though there have been no clashes there recently.
Libya's unrest since the 2011 ousting of Muammar Gaddafi saw extremist organisations, including the Islamic State group, gain a foothold in the country.
Field Marshal Haftar's forces and rival fighters loyal to the UN-backed Tripoli-based government inflicted a string of setbacks on the jihadists.
But the jihadists still control the central Benghazi districts of Al-Saberi and Souq al-Hout, according to Field Marshal Haftar's forces. | Jihadist fighters in Libya have lost one of their last remaining strongholds in the country's second city. |
37,847,998 | By the time the RSPCA arrived at their home in Boroughbridge near York, the 2ft (60cm) long snake had found sanctuary in a vacuum cleaner.
Lucy Green from the animal welfare charity said: "It was quite a surprise."
The snake was taken away by the RSPCA and is said to be in good health. It is believed to be somebody's pet due to its good condition.
The charity said it would be rehomed in seven days if no owner comes forward.
Ms Green said the wife saw the snake on Friday afternoon and initially thought her husband was playing a prank on her as it looked like a "realistic toy".
She said: "When I arrived the snake was no longer in the airing cupboard but had slithered inside the vacuum cleaner.
"It was quite a surprise to flip the head of the vacuum cleaner over and see the snake's little orange head poking out."
Ms Green said she visited several neighbours of the house on The Chase but no-one claimed to have mislaid their snake.
She said: "Perhaps he got out of his vivarium and decided to do some trick or treating for Halloween, or go and frighten some neighbours." | A couple got a surprise when they found a corn snake in their airing cupboard. |
19,280,803 | Khadija Shah, 25, was taken into custody in May after the drug was found in several suitcases she was carrying.
She denies the charges, saying she had been on holiday in Pakistan and had no idea what was in the cases.
Ms Shah's lawyers said they feared she was not getting proper medical help.
Her lawyer Sarah Belal, from charity Reprieve, said officials at the jail in Adiala, near Islamabad, had sent them a letter saying Ms Shah was well, had been given vitamins and milk and that her pregnancy was progressing well.
However, Ms Belal said they had not provided any evidence for it and she feared for her client's health and that of her unborn child.
Ms Shah, who is due to give birth in a month's time, was originally held in custody with her daughter, aged four, and her five-year-old son.
They have since been released and have been taken back to the UK by their grandmother.
Ms Belal said they would submit another bail application within "a week or two".
It is thought that if Ms Shah is convicted of trying to smuggle the 63kg of heroin, she could face the death penalty. | Lawyers for a pregnant woman from Birmingham arrested in Pakistan after heroin worth £3.2m was found said they withdrew their bail application after it appeared judges would refuse it. |
39,441,920 | Adele Baumgardt was sacked alongside chairman of the troubled quango Paul Thomas on Wednesday.
Ms Baumgardt, who had worked for Sport Wales for more than 10 years, said Mr Thomas was not fit for the job - an allegation he denies
The Welsh Government said there were "lessons to be learned".
In November, the Welsh Government suspended the entire Sport Wales board, over concerns the organisation was dysfunctional.
On Wednesday Public Health Minister Rebecca Evans sacked Mr Thomas and Ms Baumgardt saying there had been "an irretrievable breakdown in relationships" in the board's leadership.
Speaking to BBC's Good Morning Wales programme, Ms Baumgardt said the board had been "well governed, managed and led" and would go from "strength to strength" under new leadership.
She claimed Sport Wales had been one of the most successful public organisations in Wales until the appointment of Mr Thomas in April 2016.
"To have ended up in this situation, I think serious questions need to be asked about how the process works with public appointments," said Ms Baumgardt.
"This is a really strong organisation with a strong board."
Ms Baumgardt, who worked at the organisation for more than 10 years, repeated claims that Mr Thomas was not fit for the job, an accusation Mr Thomas has rejected.
She insisted there was no evidence she had done anything wrong and there was no reason why she should have been sacked.
Mr Thomas has accused the Welsh Government of being "appalling" in its dealings with him, saying he had not been given the support he needed to change the organisation,
Sport Wales, originally called the Sports Council for Wales, was created in 1972 to promote elite and grassroots sport. It has an annual budget of £22m.
Over the last six months it has become embroiled in a series of rows over the operation of the board and the way it awards contracts.
A review of Sport Wales, by the Welsh Government, has been completed, but has not been released to the public.
A Welsh Government spokesman said a review examining Mr Thomas' appointment confirmed the proper process had been followed.
"The appointment process complied fully with the principles of merit, fairness and openness," he said.
"There are lessons to be learned from the situation that arose and what is required of individuals being appointed to a public leadership role." | "Serious questions" should be asked of the Welsh Government over public appointments, the former vice-chairwoman of Sport Wales has said. |
35,174,446 | 24 December 2015 Last updated at 08:20 GMT
Google's Boston Dynamics unit made the BigDog robots to demonstrate how they can be used to transport goods around the country.
The four-legged machine can stay standing even when its creators try to kick it over.
They named the first one Spot, and they're designed to be used both inside buildings and on rough ground. | Three robots have been pulling a Christmas sleigh to show what they can do. |
36,121,198 | Javier Pastore's volley gave Laurent Blanc's side a half-time lead, as Lille appealed for offside.
Djibril Sidibe equalised with a free-kick, before PSG midfielder Adrien Rabiot was sent off.
Di Maria rolled in the winner as keeper Vincent Enyeama inexplicably charged 30 yards from goal to meet the winger.
Victory means that PSG remain on course for a clean sweep of domestic trophies, having won the Trophees des Champions and Ligue 1, and with the Coupe de France final against Marseille to come on 21 May.
Manager Blanc's future, though, remains uncertain because of his failure to take the club beyond the quarter-finals of this season's Champions League, where they were defeated by Manchester City.
Di Maria shot weakly at Enyeama in the opening seconds of an entertaining final at the Stade de France, with Lille looking the more dangerous side after surviving a difficult opening 10 minutes.
Frederic Antonetti's team had won six successive games going into the final, but went behind to a controversial goal five minutes before before half-time.
Pastore lashed a shot at goal as Lille struggled to clear a corner, with PSG full-back Layvin Kurzawa standing in an offside position inside the six-yard box as the ball flew into the net.
The officials ruled that Kurzawa was not active because he did not move towards the ball, but Enyeama believed that he was effectively prevented from diving to save the shot because the PSG man was in the way.
Lille responded positively, though, with Sidibe directing a free-kick into the corner of the net four minutes into the second half after Adrien Rabiot had been booked for fouling Sofiane Boufal.
Rabiot picked up a second booking, and was dismissed, for a late challenge on Boufal with 20 minutes left.
Lille, though, gave away a soft goal four minutes later, as Adama Soumaoro's weak back header allowed Di Maria to sprint on to goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu's clearance, and the Argentian international nicked the ball past the onrushing Enyeama.
Soumaoro headed wide with a good chance to bring Lille level again, but PSG held on. | Angel di Maria scored the decisive goal as 10-man Paris St-Germain beat Lille to win France's Coupe de la Ligue for the third year running. |
34,760,121 | Hagrid, a Leonberger, holds the Guinness World Record for "most items caught by a dog in 30 seconds", The Sunday Telegraph reported.
At the National Pet Show in Birmingham, Hagrid showcased his skill of catching and eating 13 sausages in 30 seconds.
His owners Sarah and David Woodthorpe-Evans, from Harlow, Essex, said they were considering getting him an agent.
"We like showing him off. We go to all the dog shows purely to let people know about the breed," Mrs Woodthorpe-Evans told the BBC.
Leonbergers were originally produced by crossing Newfoundlands with St Bernards and nearly died out after both World Wars.
She said her three-year-old pet eats two to three turkey carcasses per meal, which she buys from a nearby farm.
"He has those every other day. In between that he has a kilogram of tripe for his dinner," she said.
"He's 80cm from floor to shoulder, but if he puts his paws on my shoulders, his head is well above mine. He's 6ft (1.8m) fully outstretched."
Hagrid set his world record at the London Pet Show on 10 May.
"There's a bit more to it than it sounds. He has to sit in a marked area, he's not allowed to stand, and he can only eat the ones he catches," Mrs Woodthorpe-Evans said.
"We're intrigued about getting him to do some movie or TV work - we might get him an agent.
"Wherever we go, people stop us to ask the same questions - how much does he weigh, how much does he eat, does he have a saddle? He really is the most impressive creature." | A dog weighing 11st (70kg) drew "a huge crowd" while showing off his record sausage-eating skills at a dog show. |
39,564,836 | The AI system, called Lengpudashi, won a landslide victory and $290,000 (£230,000) in the five-day competition.
It is the second time this year that an AI program has beaten competitive poker players.
An earlier version of the program, known as Libratus, beat four of the world's best poker pros during a 20-day game in January.
The AI systems were the work of Tuomas Sandholm, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University in the US, and PhD student Noam Brown.
The prize money will go to Strategic Machine, a firm founded by the duo.
The human team up against Lengpudashi was led by Yue Du, an amateur poker player who won the World Series of Poker $5,000 buy-in, no-limit, Texas Hold'em category last year.
Mr Du's "Team Dragon" consisted of engineers, computer scientists and investors who attempted to use game theory and their knowledge of machine intelligence to anticipate and counter Lengpudashi's play.
Unlike chess and Go, in which all the playable pieces are visible on the board, poker is what computer scientists call an "imperfect information game".
This means relying on complicated betting strategies and a player's ability to bluff, or spot when opponents are bluffing.
"People think that bluffing is very human," Mr Brown told Bloomberg, "It turns out that's not true."
"A computer can learn from experience that if it has a weak hand and it bluffs, it can make more money."
Like the poker pro-beating Libratus AI program before it, Lengpudashi was run on a supercomputer at Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center.
Researchers commonly use matches like these to hone an AI program's reasoning skills and strategic decision making. | An artificial intelligence program has beaten a team of six poker players at a series of exhibition matches in China. |
35,291,938 | The changes, which will affect versions 8, 9 and 10 of the browser, were announced in August 2014.
Some estimate that these older browsers account for more than 20% of web traffic while Computerworld claims that only 55% of IE users are using the latest version.
Browsers are often targeted by hackers and experts predict a crop of attacks.
"Beginning January 12, 2016, only the most current version of Internet Explorer available for a supported operating system will receive technical support and security updates," the software giant announced on its website.
"Microsoft encourages customers to upgrade and stay up-to-date on the latest browser for a faster, more secure browsing experience."
It is continuing to support IE 11 and Edge, which is the default browser for Windows 10.
NetMarketShare estimates that Internet Explorer accounts for 57% of the browser market, compared with 25% for Chrome, 12% for Firefox and 5% for Apple's Safari.
According to Computerworld, some 340 million people still rely on older versions of the IE browser.
It has led security experts to warn of a security "hot potato".
"It is safe to assume that cybercriminals have been stockpiling IE vulnerability information ahead of the support cut-off," said Craig Young, a researcher at security firm Tripwire.
Mark James, researcher at security firm ESET added: "No updates, no patches, no fixes, no new versions and no support options if things go wrong. This basically means it's a hot potato and you need to drop it as fast as you can."
Microsoft has been warning users to upgrade for some time but some believe that it has had the reverse effect - drawing users to rival browsers such as Firefox and Chrome.
In April, Microsoft officially stopped security support for Windows XP and while many envisioned a malware explosion it did not materialise. | Microsoft has ended technical support and security updates for older versions of its Internet Explorer browser. |
35,097,179 | About 10,000 strikers and 5,000 police officers were involved in what became known as the "Battle of Orgreave" in June 1984.
Campaigners are urging Home Secretary Theresa May to consider their legal submission "fairly and objectively".
Seventy MPs have signed a Commons motion calling for such an inquiry.
The Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign (OTJC) said it wanted Ms May to "consider either establishing an independent panel, similar to that established in 2009 to investigate the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, or a public inquiry".
More than 120 officers and pickets were injured and 93 people were arrested following the incident at the Orgreave coking plant, near Rotherham.
In June the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) ruled South Yorkshire Police would not be investigated because the passage of time meant allegations of assault and misconduct at the plant "could not be pursued".
But the watchdog said its decision could be reviewed if further evidence emerged.
South Yorkshire Police referred itself to the IPCC after a BBC documentary in 2012 claimed officers may have colluded in writing court statements.
The force also faced claims that officers had used "excessive force" and given false evidence in court.
Speaking earlier, Barbara Jackson, secretary of the OTJC said: "We had a productive meeting with the home secretary in July and now that we have completed our legal submission we are looking forward to presenting it to her with the belief that she will look at it fairly and objectively.
"We remain committed to justice over Orgreave."
Those arrested at Orgreave were held for a variety of alleged offences, with several being put on trial for rioting.
The trial collapsed after 16 weeks when it became clear police evidence was unreliable.
The IPPC's decision followed a two-year "scoping exercise" during which thousands of documents, film and photographs were analysed. | Legal papers demanding a public inquiry into police conduct during violent clashes of the 1984-5 miners' strike have been handed to the government. |
41,015,615 | The Finn has signed a new deal at Ferrari that will see him stay at the team until the end of 2018.
There are many fans of the charismatic driver, but just how much do you know about him?
Take our quiz to find out.
This content will not work on your device, please check Javascript and cookies are enabled or update your browser | Great news for Formula 1 fans - actually the whole world - because Kimi Raikkonen is sticking around. |
25,624,599 | The watchdog received almost 680 complaints about the footage run by several news outlets on 22 May 2013.
Many found the images, including mobile phone footage from the scene, graphic and distressing and disrespectful to Fusilier Rigby's family.
Ofcom ruled the "detailed" coverage was "justified by the context".
However, it went on to issue new guidance about carrying appropriate warnings.
Last month, Michael Adebolajo, 29, and Michael Adebowale, 22, were found guilty of murdering Fusilier Rigby as he returned to his barracks in south-east London in May 2013.
The pair drove their car at the soldier before attacking him with knives and attempting to decapitate him.
At least two members of the public had filmed the violent incident on their mobile phone, which featured both the suspects, including one speaking directly to the camera with a machete and knife in his hands, covered in blood.
The footage was widely available through social media and was used by various broadcasters in their coverage.
Ofcom received numerous complaints accusing news programmes of giving one of the alleged attackers "a platform to justify and explain his actions", and expressing concern at the effect the content could have on younger viewers.
The watchdog went on to assess material from a range of broadcasts, including BBC News, Sky News, Channel 4 News, ITV News, London Tonight, Channel 5 News, World News Today on BBC Four and, on radio, the Iain Dale Show on LBC 97.3 FM.
It concluded that: "While the coverage was detailed and at times distressing, we did not consider that the images were too offensive for broadcast given they were appropriately scheduled and justified by the context."
Taking into account the "unprecedented nature of the incident", Ofcom took the view "that the vast majority of the audience watched or listened to these news programmes with the expectation of viewing or hearing an up-to-date account and analysis of what had happened in London.
"These would be appropriately illustrated with the most relevant and dramatic pictures available at time (television of course being a visual medium), or eye witness testimony."
It noted that, in the majority of cases, "various warnings were given to viewers", although radio station LBC broadcast a particularly "detailed and graphic description" of the incident without prior warning.
However, the station, which is primarily targeted at adults, "subsequently broadcast an apology to mitigate any offence that may have been caused".
Ofcom has now set out new guidance to broadcasters, highlighting the need to give viewers appropriate warnings before broadcasting material which might cause them "offence or distress".
The body made its rulings last year, but postponed publication until the conclusion of the criminal trial. | News coverage of the killing of Fusilier Lee Rigby in Woolwich did not breach broadcasting guidelines, says broadcasting watchdog Ofcom. |
37,620,471 | 11 October 2016 Last updated at 17:53 BST
BBC Africa looks at why the demonstrations have escalated.
Video journalist: Christian Parkinson | A new wave of protests by university students demanding free education has spread across South Africa leading to clashes with the police. |
23,252,763 | People born in 1915 scored higher in cognitive tests in their 90s compared with those born a decade earlier, according to a study in The Lancet.
Better living standards and intellectual stimulation may be key factors, experts say.
The number of people reaching very old age is on the rise globally.
In the US, for example, the number of people aged 90 or above has more than doubled in 30 years.
In Denmark, where the study took place, the chance of surviving into the 10th decade of life has gone up by about 30% each decade for people born in 1895, 1905 and 1915.
However, there has been little research on the quality of life that people reaching such an old age can look forward to.
The researchers, led by Prof Kaare Christensen, of the University of Southern Denmark in Odense, surveyed all Danes born in 1905 who were still alive and living in the country in 1998 (3,600 people, aged 92-93).
They assessed their physical strength, mental functioning, ability to carry out daily living tasks such as walking inside and outside, and any symptoms of depression.
Twelve years later, they repeated the study with Danes born in 1915 (2,509 people, aged 94-95).
The researchers found that men and women born in 1915 performed better than those born in 1905 in terms of cognitive ability and activities of daily living, even after correcting for changes like better education.
Prof Christensen and colleagues said: "Our results show that the Danish cohort born in 1915 had better survival and scored significantly better on both the cognitive tests and the activities of daily living scale than the cohort born in 1905, despite being two years older at the time of assessment.
"This finding suggests that more people are living to older ages with better overall functioning."
The research addresses the key question of whether living into very old age is accompanied by more years of poor health, or whether overall health at an advanced age is improving.
Commenting on the study, Prof Tom Kirkwood, associate dean for ageing at Newcastle University, said the data from Denmark was "encouraging".
"It seems that among those born in 1915, cognitive function in advanced old age is measurably better than for those born in 1905, even when underlying changes like improved education are taken into account," he said.
In the UK, the most complete picture of health in advanced old age comes from the Newcastle 85+ study, which has been looking at people born in 1921.
The investigations will be repeated in those born a decade later, giving the chance to see if the Danish findings apply in other populations. | Today's 90-year-olds are surviving into very old age with better mental performance than ever before, Danish research suggests. |
39,600,029 | Andy Rudkin, 27, from Oakham, Rutland, said he and his father saw scuffles with police unfold on Tuesday.
He said as they walked away they were charged by officers and his father was "whacked" with a baton.
The pair, along with six other men, have been handed four-month suspended prison sentences.
Mr Rudkin, who believes he was one of the men filmed by BBC correspondent Phil Mackie being arrested, said he was innocent of the public disorder offence he was charged with.
At one point he and his 49-year-old father were facing prison, he claimed.
The Leicester fan said when they arrived in Madrid on Tuesday ahead of their Champions League tie against Atletico Madrid, they had a meal but did not drink any alcohol.
He said: "We heard a noise in the square [Plaza Mayor] and went to have a look and saw police hitting fans, I'd never seen anything like it.
"We walked away and then 10 police officers charged us, I said to my dad 'we've got to run'.
"Dad got whacked with a baton. I went over to tell them he was my dad and I got arrested too."
He said he had never met any of the other arrested men before, one of which was a teacher and two were businessmen. He claims they were all held for about 47 hours without food and water.
Mr Rudkin said when he asked if he could make a phone call he was told to "shut up".
"My wife was going out of her mind," he said.
"I've been called scum online and we've been branded hooligans by other fans, but it's not true. I've never been in trouble in my life."
All eight men were given suspended prison sentences when they appeared in court on Thursday.
Leicester City are working with Uefa and the Spanish authorities to discover the "full facts" behind scuffles involving fans in Madrid. | A Leicester City fan has described how he was "in the wrong place at the wrong time" when he was arrested by Spanish police following trouble in Madrid. |
34,495,369 | The plane, based at Robin Hood Airport, is due to be grounded this month after engineering backers, including Rolls-Royce, withdrew support.
The bomber made a flypast over northern areas of the UK on Saturday and will visit southern areas on Sunday.
South Yorkshire Police said the airport could not "accommodate a large influx of people hoping to see the Vulcan".
The force said: "We must warn you that the chances of seeing XH558 take-off and land are slim. There are no plans for any displays or repeated circuits over the airfield and the aircraft will come straight-in to land on her return.
"There is great risk of severe restrictions being imposed on flight operations if matters persist. We do need to minimise the risk of enforced flight cancellations on the grounds of public safety."
Local authorities and emergency services were starting to become "overwhelmed" by crowds who were flocking to the airport to see the famous Cold War nuclear warplane, police said.
Following the flypast tours, the XH558 bomber will make one final flight towards the end of October, details of which have yet to be confirmed. | Police have urged fans of the last flying Vulcan bomber aircraft to avoid watching it at an airport in Doncaster. |
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A Fifa taskforce has recommended the 2022 World Cup take place in winter to avoid Qatar's hot summer temperatures.
It did not mention exact dates, saying only that "end-November/end-December" was the "most viable" period, but an early rumour to emerge from the Qatari conclave is that the governing body is considering 26 November to 23 December, four days shorter than the 32-day tournament in Brazil last year on account of it being staged in a single-city state.
But that is just two days short of Christmas, which even the otherwise supportive Fifa vice-president Jim Boyce admitted might cause officials, players and spectators a few difficulties at airports around the globe.
A finish that close to the Queen's Christmas Speech would also make it unlikely that fans of Premier League football will be able to gorge themselves in the customary manner over the holiday period: there were 30 games from Boxing Day to New Year's Day this season.
Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore said one of his priorities was to "keep the Christmas and new year programme intact", and this is clearly one of the areas now very much up for debate.
Could, for example, a World Cup final on 18 December, a Sunday and also Qatar's National Day, be a better option for all concerned than the last Friday before Christmas?
It would certainly placate the broadcasters who recently teamed up to hand the Premier League more than £5bn for three years' worth of domestic TV rights. BT and Sky televised 25 live games from 1 December to 1 January this season, and at a current going rate of £10m a game, that's a lot of unscripted drama to replace.
The Premier League TV rights for 2022 have not been sold yet, and anybody bidding for them will clearly be able to price 2022's break into their bid, but keeping that intermission as short as possible will be their main concern, particularly if they are without rights to the big show in Qatar.
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It should also be noted that the Football League might be quite excited about the prospect of the Premier League cancelling Christmas. Its 72 clubs could probably live without a similar number of players to the 14 they sent to Brazil, giving them a clear run at home throughout November and December.
The Scottish Premiership, with a similar number of absentees, might also be minded to take a leaf out of club rugby union's book and carry on regardless.
That is not to say those leagues will not be affected by Fifa's decision to do what Stoke City chairman Peter Coates described as "promising one thing", a normal World Cup, and "delivering another", a winter warmer.
England's preparations for the World Cup in Brazil started at a training camp in Portugal three weeks before their first game, and continued with a farewell friendly against Peru at Wembley on 30 May and then two more games in Miami over the following week.
Whoever is tasked with delivering the World Cup win for England in 2022 - something Football Association chairman Greg Dyke has listed as a key performance indicator for the national game - can forget having three weeks to prepare. They will be lucky to get a fortnight.
Scudamore and co will be keen to see if they can trim a few more days off that 28-day tournament estimate, too, although it was interesting to note the comments of the German Football League's managing director Andreas Rettig, who said Fifa must "consider the strain on top players".
"A shorter match schedule cannot mean that the same number of matches must be played in a briefer period of time," he added, which suggests he wants to re-open all manner of debates about the size of the tournament.
But if we take a two-week call-up period and four weeks for the competition itself as a starting point, we are talking about a cessation of hostilities across Europe's big leagues from the first week of November to Christmas.
"It's going to be hugely difficult," said Coates.
"But I think they'll try to get it done in one year, rather than spread it over three years. It's better to have one bad year, when everything is messed up, than three. It's about making the best of a bad lot.
"It will have to be a break. The biggest teams won't want to carry on - they'd be decimated."
The current Premier League season started on 16 August, 14 weeks after last season finished.
If Coates is right - and the early indications are he is - players can forget their schoolteacher-like holidays that year and make do with a fortnight between the end-of-season do and pre-season.
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Because it is not just a question of squeezing in six or seven weeks' worth of league fixtures.
The Football League is currently preparing for one of its two big weekends, the League Cup final, with the play-off finals being the other.
Continuing the league programme is one thing, but doing without Premier League clubs in its premier cup competition is unthinkable, which means shunting the whole thing at least a month forward. This season's first round started on 11 August.
The FA Cup will also be affected. Its preliminary round started on 15 August, with rounds one and two taking place in November and December.
OK, the Premier League is not involved at that point, but will the FA want to put its showcase club competition up against its international endeavours?
Whichever dates Fifa settles on, and the Premier League and other leading leagues respond to, one thing is certain: there is going to be an awful lot of summer football that year.
But there is also going to be a lot of winter football, as you simply cannot take six to seven weeks out of the calendar and hope to make it all up during the cricket season.
Take, for example, Uefa's two big club money-spinners, the Champions League and Europa League.
As Scudamore noted, Uefa was quick to welcome Fifa's November-December choice for Qatar, something he considered a bit cheeky given the winter breaks that are currently built into its two club competitions.
But with the qualifying rounds for those tournaments already starting on 1 July, can Uefa really expect clubs to be ready to play in early June? And if so, does this mean the transfer window is open earlier, too?
It is when you consider all of these permutations that you start to wonder whether the man who did the technical reports on the bidding nations for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, Chile's Harold Mayne-Nicholls, was underestimating things when he said a winter World Cup would have an impact on 50 leagues around the world.
Mayne-Nicholls, of course, completely discounted the prospect of Qatar ever winning the bid.
They did, though, and despite everything we have been through over the past four years since that remarkable decision was announced, it seems Qatar really will get the World Cup it has spent so much money to secure.
Some of that money may now have to be shared, though, as the issue of "compensation" is likely to become an even more contested area in the club versus country debate. However Fifa says it will not pay clubs as they have seven years to prepare.
Scudamore did not answer questions on compensation, but Coates was less squeamish about it.
"Absolutely," was the 77-year-old businessman's succinct reply when asked if Fifa owed the clubs some money for their trouble.
"There could be all sorts of contractual implications and effects on clubs and their incomes that year, so we're more than entitled to expect compensation. We've been misled," he said.
Compensation, however, can take many forms, as was seen when Fifa quietly gave the television networks that broadcast football in North America the rights to the 2026 World Cup without so much as a contest - a magnanimous gesture to companies who might have been peeved that they now have rights to a 2022 tournament that will have to battle with the business end of American football's NFL and college seasons.
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Another way of looking at that deal, though, is to say that where there is a will there is a way, and that was certainly the view of former England, Everton and Manchester United utility man Phil Neville.
As well as suggesting that a winter World Cup could actually help a team that traditionally arrives at summer tournaments utterly exhausted, the BBC pundit and Salford City co-owner also sounded a note of cosmopolitan optimism.
"The problem is that we are very traditional in this country," he said.
"We like to have our 10 weeks off in the summer and we like to have our games over Christmas. But I think the game has changed now and we've got to change our views a little bit.
"I remember when we went to America in 1994 and there was a little bit of nervousness going to that country because they weren't really into football, but they put on an amazing World Cup.
"I think Qatar with their wealth will put on a fantastic World Cup."
Perhaps Dyke and Neville are not so crazy, and England can win a World Cup in 2022. As ideas go it is hardly more outlandish than staging the tournament in a small, scorched country that has never qualified for the competition. | Premier League clubs sent 105 players to the World Cup in Brazil last year, which is a lot of talent for a business in the entertainment sector to do without over the pantomime season. |
30,615,934 | The actor passed away on Christmas Day but no more information has been given.
Ryall had a five-decade career across film, TV and theatre, including in movie The Elephant Man and on TV, The Village and Outnumbered.
Daughter Charlie Ryall said: "Please take a moment to remember his huge five-decade-spanning career outside of the more well-known TV & film."
In a tweet, Sherlock writer Mark Gatiss called Ryall "a twinkling, brilliant, wonderful actor I was privileged to call a friend. RIP".
Gatiss directed Ryall in TV movie The Tractate Middoth in 2013.
Ryall replaced Peter Cartwright as Elphias Doge in 2010's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.
His character was a close friend of Albus Dumbledore in addition to being a Ministry of Magic jurist and an Order of the Phoenix member.
His other film roles included parts in 2004's Around the World in 80 Days, 1990's Truly, Madly, Deeply and 1980's The Elephant Man.
On TV, character actor Ryall appeared in many well-known shows including The Singing Detective, Holby City, Casualty, Midsomer Murders, Goodnight Sweetheart and the Andrew Davies version of House Of Cards.
Most recently, he was perhaps best known as Frank, the grandfather who suffers from dementia, in BBC comedy Outnumbered.
He is also recognisable to TV viewers as Britain's oldest man Old Bert, the narrator of BBC One's The Village, who recalls his life through a series of flashbacks.
He also appeared in the Sky One comedy Trollied and in BBC drama Our Girl.
On Twitter, fans and colleagues of the actor paid tribute.
"So very sad to read of the death of actor David Ryall may he RIP," said Colette Mayer.
TV writer David Brown said: "RIP David Ryall - one of the best Inspector Morse baddies. Derek Whittaker - driving test psycho who tried to knife Morse."
Actor Clive Merrison added: "I'm so sorry to hear David Ryall has died. He was a wonderful actor and a dear colleague."
Ryall began his career on the stage before becoming a familiar face on British TV.
He received a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1962, during which time he won the Caryl Brahams Award for a musical.
Ryall went on to join Laurence Olivier's company with the National Theatre, during which time he was involved in several well-known plays, such as Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.
His work at the National Theatre also included Guys and Dolls, The Beggar's Opera and Animal Farm, Coriolanus, The School of Wives, Democracy and The UN Inspector.
Ryall continued to be a regular face in the theatre, with appearances in Patrick Marber's Don Juan in Soho at the Donmar Warehouse in 2007.
Ryall is survived by his son, music manager Jonathan Ryall, and two daughters, singer Imogen Ryall and actress Charlie Ryall. | Actor David Ryall, known for playing Elphias Doge in the Harry Potter Deathly Hallows film, has died aged 79. |
37,043,765 | 11 August 2016 Last updated at 08:26 BST
The pair won Great Britain's first ever Olympic diving gold on Wednesday night, in the men's synchronised 3m springboard event.
Jack admits he was ready to settle for silver as they waited for their Chinese rivals to do their final dive.
"We went out there very cool, calm and collected and we came out on top today. It's amazing," Chris told Newsround.
What makes it even more unbelievable is that Chris was given a 5% chance of survival after he ruptured his spleen in 2009 and needed surgery.
Watch Jack and Chris speaking to Ricky after their historic win. | Team GB divers Jack Laugher and Chris Mears say it's "unbelievable" to be Olympic champions. |
35,352,157 | The 22-year-old, named in the England Saxons squad in 2014, has made almost 70 appearances for Gloucester.
"Elliott is a big, strong lad, and we're looking forward to seeing him continue his development with us," said Bath head coach Mike Ford.
"He has a great skill-set for a young player and a great attitude."
The length of Worcester-born Stooke's contract with Bath has not been disclosed. | Bath have completed the signing of second row Elliott Stooke from Premiership rivals Gloucester for the 2016-17 season. |
35,884,426 | Head and neck tumours are treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, but then need an operation to visually check whether the growth has gone.
A study on 564 patients, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed 80% of them could be spared surgery by scanning instead.
And survival rates stayed the same.
The operation to check a cancer in the head or neck takes three hours, and patients spend at least a week in hospital recovering.
It also risks complications, including disfigurement or movement problems in the arms if key nerves are damaged.
Positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) uses a radioactive dye that is picked up by rapidly dividing cancer cells.
This allows doctors to see if any of the head or neck cancer is still active.
Prof Hisham Mehanna, from the University of Birmingham, told the BBC News website: "Cancerous cells hide among the dead cells, with PET-CT you can call them out and find out whether they're alive or not.
"We can now use this new technology to save patients having a debilitating operation and identify those that need the operation rather than give it to everybody."
The study, conducted by the Universities of Birmingham and Warwick, showed survival rates were the same with both the surgical and the scanning approaches.
But only one in five of the patients had actually needed an operation to remove cancerous tissue.
Prof Mehanna said scanning could help hundreds of thousands of people around the world each year.
Using the PET-CT scan approach also saved the health service £1,492 per patient.
Life Sciences Minister George Freeman said: "This exciting trial has the potential to make a real difference to the lives of people with head and neck cancer, meaning that they may not have to undergo an extremely stressful medical procedure."
Prof Arnie Purushotham, from Cancer Research UK, said: "This is a really important study and if long-term follow-up confirms these results, this imaging technique could mean kinder treatments for patients with head and neck cancer.
"There could also be opportunities to expand this approach to other types of cancer and also potentially saving money for the NHS."
Follow James on Twitter. | Using a scanner rather than a scalpel could spare hundreds of thousands of cancer patients from risky surgery, a study suggests. |
37,930,482 | Jasmine Gregory, of Ulfgar Road, Oxford, had been drinking on the morning her daughter Robyn died in August 2014.
Gregory, 24, said she became distracted while giving the 14-month-old a bath at their home in Grove.
She was convicted by a jury in just over four hours at Oxford Crown Court.
Gregory found the child's lifeless body.
She was remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced on Friday.
Robyn's father said in a victim impact statement that "every day is torture" since his daughter died.
He said: "She lit up the room, she was the brightest little button you could imagine.
"As a father I couldn't even give her a last cuddle.
"My heart went to the grave with Robyn." | A mother whose baby died after being left alone in the bath for 10 minutes has been found guilty of the girl's manslaughter. |
32,406,128 | Leader Nick Clegg said wages would rise in real terms for two years from 2016, and then above inflation once the deficit has been dealt with.
He said public servants had "made enough sacrifices".
But the PCS Union said that in real terms Lib Dems had cut the "pay, pensions and jobs of public servants" in government.
In other election news:
Public sector pay was increased by up to 1% in March, with schools entitled to give top-performing teachers a rise of up to 2%.
This followed a 1% rise in the previous two years, which was preceded by a two-year freeze, excluding the lowest-paid workers.
Last summer hundreds of thousands of people took part in rallies and marches across the UK as part of a day of strike action by public service unions.
The Lib Dem announcement expands on its manifesto pledge of "fair and affordable increases" in public sector pay.
Wages would be tied for two years to CPI inflation, which is predicted to rise by 0.2% in 2016-17, and 1.2% in 2017-18. After these two years, the Lib Dems would instruct the review bodies that set public sector pay to deliver above-inflation rises in line with the growth of the economy.
The party said the plans would mean a minimum pay rise of £350 over two years for a nurse paid £25,000 a year.
Main pledges
Policy guide: Where the parties stand
Mr Clegg said public sector workers had made a "huge contribution to balancing the books" over the past six years.
He added: "They now deserve to know there is an end to real-terms cuts in pay, that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and their pay will return to normal levels in the years to come."
The Lib Dems said they had budgeted for the increase by not including pay restraint in the £12bn cuts the party is planning.
Labour backed the pay restraint in the previous Parliament, and its manifesto says any decisions on public sector pay in the next Parliament must "prioritise those on lower incomes", be evidence based and respect pay review body recommendations.
In his 2014 conference speech, Conservative Chancellor George Osborne said: "We will go on restraining public sector pay."
The Green Party says it would restore the one million public sector jobs it says were lost under the coalition government.
Responding to the Lib Dem announcement, Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services union, said: "This Damascene conversion on the eve of electoral humiliation, coming from the party that pledged not to increase tuition fees, will be seen for what it is."
* Subscribe to the BBC Election 2015 newsletter to get a round-up of the day's campaign news sent to your inbox every weekday afternoon. | Millions of public sector workers would be spared pay cuts under Liberal Democrat plans. |
38,471,037 | The actress, who lost a son in 2009 after 21 weeks, plays Michelle Connor, who will lose her baby at 23 weeks.
Marsh said she thought "long and hard" about taking on the storyline.
But she said she felt it was "an important story to tell to raise awareness of something which affects thousands of women every year".
She added: "It is obviously a cause very close to my heart, having lost my beautiful Archie at 21 weeks and five days."
The storyline will explore how the death affects both the parents and their extended families.
Marsh said she was "proud" of the scenes they have filmed but admitted she found them difficult.
"I have had to go to some very dark places in my mind whilst filming these heartbreaking scenes but my family, friends and colleagues have been incredible.
"Losing a child is something that never leaves you so to revisit those feelings as Michelle has been challenging."
She said Coronation Street ensured she had a counsellor on set "at all times to go to after filming".
She added: "For me the best tonic after a hugely emotional day was to go home to my kids and be reminded of how lucky I am to have them."
Coronation Street producer Kate Oates said she hoped the programme would "encourage discussion, understanding and compassion for those viewers affected by the loss of a baby".
The stillbirth charity Sands has worked with the ITV soap on the storyline.
Erica Stewart, the charity's bereavement specialist, said she hoped that "with a TV drama as popular as Coronation Street covering this heartbreaking experience, it will help to lift the taboo, and raise awareness of all the issues that surround the death of a baby."
The episode will air in the week beginning 9 January.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]. | Coronation Street actress Kym Marsh has told how she went to "very dark places" in her mind while filming her latest storyline. |
36,852,604 | But, confident as ever, the New York billionaire had it covered. Waiting in the wings were a host of family members willing to get on stage.
Mr Trump's third wife Melania dominated the headlines after sections of her speech mimicked an address given by Michelle Obama - something Trump's campaign denied for more than a day before a Trump staffer took responsibility for "including some of the phrasing" used by Ms Obama.
Now with successful appearances from the likes of Donald Trump Jr, his eldest son, and anticipation ahead of Ivanka Trump's speech on Thursday, many commentators have been asking whether Mr Trump's children could also follow him into politics.
Who are Trump's children?
MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, a well-known critic of the 2016 Republican candidate, praised Donald Jr's speech as the "best of the convention so far" and Politico said a "political star may have been born".
Speaking at a breakfast event on Wednesday, Donald Jr said he would consider running for office when his children were older, and he would love to do it "as a patriot".
Outside Cleveland Science Center, where the Trump family was appearing that afternoon, family friend Marcy Gentry Beach said she was delighted with the reaction.
"We hope he will become our president some day," she said.
Her son has been a close friend of Donald Jr for 15 years, and she says the rise of the father of five, who is executive vice-president of The Trump Organization, came as no surprise. "He has really positioned himself to be a leader."
Later in the day, as Republican Party delegates gathered to hear more Trump family speeches inside the main arena, people said the Trump children had impressed them.
Vicki Berglund, a delegate from Arizona, said the younger Trumps were "more polished" than their father. She said she hoped they would attract "more millennials to get involved" with the Republican party.
Her friend Gail Griffin said she thought Donald Jr's comments about learning to drive tractors as a youngster showed the children were "down-to-earth", despite having a billionaire father, and well-educated.
"They are the perfect example of the family Donald J Trump raised… and it shows he cares about America's kids too."
Meanwhile Chancellor Torbit, a 28-year-old delegate from Baltimore, said he particularly appreciated Donald Jr's comments about his father supporting blue collar workers, and promoting them in his company.
"He brought out that Trump is working for America," he said.
Not initially a Trump supporter himself, Mr Torbit said the family would "help more people come around to him".
Presentations by Donald Jr along with Tiffany, Eric and Ivanka Trump certainly help to "humanise" the candidate, political scientist Larry Sabato told the BBC.
But it should come as no surprise that the children are willing to speak out to support their father, he added.
The children of political candidates have long spoken at conventions, and many even go on to take an active role in politics.
But the Trumps are "remarkable" because the sheer number of family members giving evening speeches - more than any past political family, including the Kennedys, the Clintons, and the Romneys, Mr Sabato said.
The high-profile appearances also highlight a historical pattern in American politics. "We may be a democracy but we seem to like oligarchy," he added.
But it does not guarantee the Trump children will also be successful in the field.
More from the BBC:
"Jeb Bush didn't do too well," he said, referring to the brother of George W Bush and son of George HW Bush who was forced to drop out early in the 2016 primary contest.
Eric Trump, Donald Trump's third child, spoke on Wednesday as his father stood in the crowd. Initial reaction on social media was not so favourable, with commentators pointing to the lack of personal experiences and insights.
Next up is Ivanka Trump, perhaps the best known of Mr Trump's children before this convention, who takes the stage on Thursday amid high expectations.
Commentators will be watching to see whether the 34-year-old former model, who works for The Trump Organization and has her own lifestyle brand, shows political as well as business potential.
So far Melania and Tiffany Trump have given personal anecdotes and family principles, while their brothers have spoken more directly about politics - attacking Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama's policies.
Outside Cleveland Science Center, Abraham Marlowe, 17, who is interning for a Republican senate hopeful, said Donald Jr's measured speech had reassured him that Mr Trump's bombastic persona was for show, and he could be trusted with the presidency.
Marlowe said he wanted to see Ivanka, who is also good friends with Hillary Clinton's daughter Chelsea, stick to showing her father's human side. She should also defend him from accusations of bigotry, he added.
Whether the woman previously deemed Mr Trump's "secret weapon" emerges as a political voice herself remains to be seen.
What is certain is that Mr Trump's offspring will play an increasingly visible role as November's election approaches. | The glaring absence of prominent Republicans from the party's convention in Cleveland raised questions about who would be filling the speaking slots in support of Donald Trump. |
35,659,397 | Disorder broke out before the match against Vitesse Arnhem in the Europa League fixture in August.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said riot police quelled the violence, which lasted about 10 minutes.
Six men, all from Southampton, were handed Football Banning Orders at the city's magistrates' court.
The CPS applied for four-year orders for Richard Bridle, 28, of Brookwood Road and Jack Jameson, 21, of English Road.
Outer Circle resident James Whitlock, 23, Samuel Coleman, 23, of Effingham Gardens, Thomas Kitcher, 22, of Penny House, and 20-year-old Burke Drive resident Luke Fairhurst, were banned for three years.
A CPS spokesman said: "Prior to the match there was a large gathering of followers of both teams in the Korenmarkt area of Arnhem. The atmosphere had initially between good-natured between the two sets of opposing supporters.
"However, a large group of Vitesse Arnhem supporters then entered the square and fighting broke out between them and Southampton's supporters.
"When the police moved in to prevent the disorder, the violence continued, with chairs from nearby bars thrown at police officers and opposing followers.
"The violence involved hundreds of individuals and lasted for a period of approximately 10 minutes and it was not until riot police and officers on horseback moved in that order were restored."
Southampton won the game 2-0 but were knocked out in the next round by Danish side FC Midtjylland, who were in turn eliminated by Manchester United this week. | Six Southampton supporters have been banned from attending football matches after violence when the team played in Arnhem in the Netherlands. |
36,082,912 | Dion Smith has been giving free food to the homeless from his shop doorstep in Leeds' Corn Exchange since January.
Street wardens told him to stop because "it was intimidating people", he said.
Leeds Business Improvement District (BID), which promotes the city, said its wardens had acted upon concerns raised by another retailer and charity.
Live updates on this story and others from Leeds and West Yorkshire
Mr Smith, whose dog Lulu sits in the window or on the steps of his shop next to signs for the charity, said it was "soul destroying when I had to remove" the bread and packets of soup from the shop last week.
"One the first day I had one or two lads knocking on the shop window asking where all the soup had gone and if there was any chance of a cuppa soup, so I says 'look I've had to stop it, sorry'.
"Turning someone away - that was the worst.
"After that day I thought I'm going to carry it on."
Leeds BID, which does not have any legislative powers to enforce such bans, said the charity and retailer had told its volunteers that they "felt intimidated by people using Dion Smith's service".
It said it wanted to talk to Mr Smith further and understand the full situation. | A jeweller who uses his pet bulldog to raise money to help feed rough sleepers has been told to stop his charitable work. |
32,494,852 | Food already has calorie information, but most alcohol is exempt.
Public health experts say mandatory labelling is needed to inform consumers and help halt rising rates of obesity.
However, the MEPs' vote is not binding and it will still take many months, or even years, before the proposals could become law.
Alcoholic drinks that contain more than 1.2% alcohol by volume are exempt from EU regulations on nutritional labelling that came in to force in 2011 covering all food and soft drink.
Glenis Willmott, MEP for the East Midlands, is a supporter of the call to implement mandatory alcohol labelling.
She said: "Europe is still the heaviest-drinking region in the world but many people don't realise that a large glass of wine contains the same number of calories as a slice of cake.
"In order to reduce the burden of alcohol-related harm, we must make sure people are given clear information to enable them to make informed choices."
And in the BMJ this week, Fiona Sim, chairwoman of the Royal Society for Public Health, says among adults who drink, an estimated 10% of their daily calorie intake comes from alcohol.
Yet a recent survey found that 80% of the 2,117 adults questioned did not know the calorie content of common drinks, and most were completely unaware that alcohol contributed to the total calories they consumed.
"Information provided to consumers must be honest and useful," she writes. "There is no reason why calories in alcohol should be treated any differently from those in food."
Some alcoholic-drink manufacturers have, voluntarily, begun to introduce nutritional labelling.
A spokesman for the Portman Group, which represents alcohol producers, said: "A number of drinks companies and retailers are already taking voluntary action when it comes to calorie labels.
"But we live in a digital age and should be thinking innovatively about how people access information, not just focusing on product labels which are limited in size and space.
How many calories
Source: Royal Society for Public Health, Drinkaware | MEPs have backed calls for calorie labels to be put on all alcoholic drinks in a vote at the European Parliament. |
39,355,713 | William Flannigan is alleged to have mislead buyers of homes at Lakeminster Park in Beverley, East Yorkshire.
Hull Crown Court heard claims the developer was the target of a "carefully worked out strategy".
Mr Flannigan, 51, of Stanneylands Road, Wilmslow, denies 10 counts of fraud by misrepresentation.
Christopher Harding, for the defence, told the jury of a plan "formulated by the East Riding of Yorkshire Council and [Hull law firm] Gosschalks to attack Mr Flannigan ... with the intention to deflect scrutiny and public concern away from the council".
The park owner is alleged to have sold properties as permanent homes knowing they only had planning permission to be used for holiday purposes.
Under cross-examination, Peter Ashcroft, the council's former head of planning, dismissed the suggestion Humberside Police had been involved by the council to avoid it facing any legal action.
He said Lakeminster Park had been "a serious breach of planning policy, which could have set a very dangerous precedent for other holiday homes".
The court also heard the law firm had only become involved because residents were advised to take legal advice after being told their homes did not have valid planning permission.
The judge reminded the jury its "primary concern is what residents were told about the purchase of the homes. Eventually that's what you're going to decide".
The park on the outskirts of Beverley was home to about 200 people.
East Riding of Yorkshire Council took action to evict the residents of the 76 properties after the authority rejected retrospective planning permission in 2012.
The case continues. | A holiday park owner accused of mis-selling chalets was the victim of a plot to deflect scrutiny away from a council, a court has heard. |
34,028,967 | James Bradley, from Union Street, was last seen by his wife at their home at about 03:30 on Friday.
She contacted police about four hours later after discovering him missing, along with his car.
The locked car, a silver Vauxhall Astra, was found by police later that day, at the back of the Customhouse building at Customhouse Quay.
Mr Bradley is described as being 5ft 6ins tall, of medium build, clean shaven with a fair complexion.
He was last seen wearing a grey/white bomber-style jacket with a black lining, a blue striped shirt, black trousers and glasses.
Insp Jane Taylor, of Police Scotland, said there were "serious concerns" for his health.
She said: "Officers, including the force helicopter, have been searching the quay and around his home address, as well as checking CCTV and speaking to friends and family to try to find out where he is, however, so far there have been no further sightings of him.
"James has not been missing before and is always in contact with his family."
She said he had recently recovered from pneumonia but also had other medical issues.
"I would appeal to anyone who has seen his car, or has any information about where he is to contact police," she said. | A search is being carried out for an 86-year-old man who has gone missing from his home in Greenock. |
33,925,781 | The deal requires tax rises and more tough spending cuts in return for an EU bailout of about €85bn (£61bn, $95bn) - Greece's third in five years.
Eurozone finance ministers are meeting to vote on the plan in Brussels.
A deal is needed to keep Greece in the eurozone and avert bankruptcy. But it is risky for Greek PM Alexis Tsipras.
More than 40 MPs from his left-wing Syriza party voted against him on Friday.
Reports in Greece suggest he will seek a vote of confidence in parliament next week, bringing the prospect of snap elections closer.
The deal received:
Mr Tsipras has so far relied on the support of pro-European opposition parties to pass the controversial measures. Syriza was elected on an anti-austerity platform.
Makis Voridis, an MP with the opposition New Democracy, said his party would not support the PM in a confidence vote, Reuters news agency reported.
Thirty-one Syriza members voted "No", and 11 abstained - the biggest rebellion within Mr Tsipras's party so far. The rebels represented almost a third of Syriza's MPs.
Greece bailout vote: Latest updates
Third Greece bailout: What are eurozone conditions?
PM defends 'painful' decision - Paul Adams, BBC diplomatic correspondent, Athens
After more than seven hours of often passionate, bad-tempered debate, all through the night, the Greek Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, has got his way. The bailout bill has passed by a comfortable majority.
Towards the end of the debate, Mr Tsipras defended what he called a painful but responsible decision. He said the country had no choice. This was not a triumph, he said, but nor was Greece in mourning.
The bill may have passed, but Mr Tsipras has paid a heavy political price. Almost a third of his own Syriza party members voted against the bailout, even more than expected. They believe the prime minister has comprehensively betrayed election pledges to turn his back on austerity.
In theory, Mr Tsipras has lost his parliamentary majority and his government is hanging by a thread. It's being widely reported he'll seek a vote of confidence next week, bringing the prospect of snap elections in the autumn that much closer.
But for now, the scene is set for eurozone finance ministers, meeting in Brussels later in the day, to give the bailout their seal of approval.
Nick Malkoutzis: Greece's Tsipras risks red lines in eurozone deal
The marathon all-night session was marked by procedural delays and often angry exchanges in parliament.
Voting started just after 09:30 local time (06:30 GMT), more than six hours after the main debate began.
A "Yes" vote by MPs was required for eurozone ministers to endorse the deal to release the funds.
Greece must repay about €3.2bn to the European Central Bank (ECB) on 20 August.
If it defaults on this debt, the ECB is likely to stop emergency funding for Greece's crippled banks.
One of Mr Tsipras's most vocal critics within his own party was his former ally, parliamentary speaker Zoe Konstantopoulou.
She said she could not support the deal, and delayed the debate by raising several concerns - to the PM's visible frustration
Another Syriza MP, Panagiotis Lafazanis, told Mr Tsipras: "I feel ashamed for you. We no longer have a democracy, but a eurozone dictatorship."
Mr Tsipras told MPs they were facing a choice between "staying alive or suicide".
He said: "I have my conscience clear that it is the best we could achieve under the current balance of power in Europe, under conditions of economic and financial asphyxiation imposed upon us."
Rebels have insisted the government should make good on its electoral promise to reverse spending cuts and tax rises.
Mr Tsipras survived similar revolts during two key votes in parliament in July, when MPs passed tough economic measures required for the deal to progress.
Attempts to find a solution to the Greek debt crisis have been punctuated by marathon talks and late-night or early morning votes. Other recent occasions where Greek MPs have carried on debating into the small hours include:
How did Yanis Varoufakis do?
Greek debt talks in quotes | The Greek parliament has backed a new bailout deal after an all-night debate, despite a rebellion by many MPs in the governing Syriza party. |
39,878,456 | Of 266 doctors, 40% said they had had trouble discharging a child from their care because of not wanting to send them back to inadequate housing.
One doctor said it was "not unusual" for families of up to seven people to live in one-bedroom flats.
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, which compiled the report, called it "disturbing reading".
The study, carried out in conjunction with the Child Poverty Action Group, found examples of parents depriving themselves of food to care for their children and having to rely on food banks.
Others could not afford clothes, toothbrushes or toothpaste, the study found.
Doctors said some children were growing at a level lower than what would be expected due to poor diets.
A medic quoted in the report said: "I recently saw a child who was living in a mouse-infested house - the mum and baby plus four other kids were living upstairs as the mice had totally destroyed their living room."
Living in cold, damp and overcrowded housing makes respiratory conditions worse, with some children being unwell with back-to-back illnesses, the doctors said.
One added: "It is not unusual to hear about extended families of five to seven people, maybe more, living in one-bedroom apartments, or single mothers with two or three children living in bedsits with a shared kitchen and bathroom."
Almost a third of those asked said not being able to keep warm at home contributed "very much" to the ill-health of children and a third said it contributes "somewhat".
Doctors also said poverty had an impact on children's mental health, adding they felt "worry, stress and anxiety".
Some said children were having a "little part of their childhood taken away, a part of their day they will spend worrying instead of playing or learning".
Health promotion officer at the RCPCH, Professor Russell Viner, said: "Poverty has a devastating effect on child health and this report makes disturbing reading."
Alison Garnham, chief executive of CPAG, said: "Day in, day out, doctors see the damage rising poverty does to children's health.
"Low family incomes, inadequate housing and cuts to support services are jeopardising the health of our most vulnerable children.
"We can and must do better to protect the well-being of future generations.
"Re-instating the UK's poverty-reduction targets would be an obvious place to start." | Some UK children are living in cold, damp and overcrowded conditions and being fed diluted milk, a report says. |
38,241,312 | The midfielder, 34, was banned for six weeks by Rangers following a training ground altercation in September, and was later signed off with stress.
Barton's contract was then terminated by mutual consent in November having played just eight matches for the club.
"I'd still have signed for Rangers - it was an opportunity that I couldn't pass," Barton said.
"It's a great football club, it's somewhere if they get it right it is a phenomenal place - it's completely unique.
Barton, who signed for the Scottish club from Burnley in May, added: "I haven't played for a super club in England, I wanted to experience a club of that size, with no disrespect to Burnley.
"Nobody wants to play only eight games for a club, you want to have more of an impact than that.
"I'm incredibly disappointed. Who knows what happens in the future, I don't know where I'm going to be.
"I've got no issue with Rangers, [manager] Mark Warburton or anybody on the board. Life's too short to look back at things."
Barton was suspended by the club for a training ground altercation with Warburton and team-mate Andy Halliday in the wake of Rangers' 5-1 thrashing at the hands of rivals Celtic.
The former Manchester City and Newcastle midfielder's performances before the Old Firm encounter - which was to be his final Rangers appearance - had drawn criticism as Warburton's side adjusted to life in the top flight following promotion last season.
"The media were quite critical of me when I was up there," Barton told BBC Radio 5 live.
"That's the nature of the industry when you're Joey Barton and you go and play for Rangers who are a massive club in Scotland.
"You're going to get criticism if you don't play fantastically well and I didn't play fantastically well there, albeit I only lasted eight games.
"The difficulty for me lay in the fact that before I went up there they kind of built me into this Neymar, Messi kind of player, which I wasn't.
"I'm a player that's never been blessed with an enormous amount of talent, speed, tricks. I'm somebody who has always served the higher purpose in terms of the team, always done well when that's been at the fore. I've never done particularly well when the onus has been on me to go on and create and do things.
"Everyone was saying 'you've been caught out by the standard of Scottish football, you've looked down your nose at Scottish football'. I didn't. I knew what I was getting into."
Following his departure from Ibrox, Barton has been training with Burnley, whom he left to join Rangers in the summer, and says he will have no shortage of offers to make a playing return in the January transfer window.
"I'm focussing on the future. I've still got that bit about me where I've got an enormous amount of credibility and clubs want me to come in.
"I've had big clubs picking up the phone and asking what I'm doing in January.
"It's a great time for me. It'll be nice to get a pair of football boots on in January and shut a few people up." | Joey Barton says he has no regrets about signing for Rangers despite an unsuccessful spell at Ibrox. |
34,296,734 | The businessman, who is the frontrunner for the Republican nomination for president, has been strongly criticised by two of his Republican rivals.
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham said Mr Trump acted inappropriately and he should apologise.
Mr Trump has cancelled his appearance at a big Republican event on Friday.
His campaign team said he was pulling out of the Heritage Foundation because of a "significant business transaction" that needed his attention.
The criticism has been piling up since a man at Mr Trump's rally in New Hampshire on Thursday night prefaced a question by saying Mr Obama was a Muslim and "not even an American".
The supporter went on to say: "We have a problem in this country - it's called Muslims."
Mr Trump let it go unchallenged and within a few hours, Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton said his failure to denounce "hateful rhetoric" was "disturbing and wrong".
And on Friday his Republican competitors for the nomination waded into the row.
"He's playing into this hateful narrative and he has to set it right," said Mr Graham, who said he would never question the president's faith or patriotism.
Leaders have an "obligation" to correct such statements, said New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
"If somebody at one of my town hall meetings said that, I would correct them and I would say, 'The president's a Christian and he was born in this country. Those two things are self-evident,'" said Mr Christie.
The White House also responded. Spokesman Josh Earnest said: "Mr Trump isn't the first Republican politician to countenance these views to gain votes." | Donald Trump is taking flak from fellow Republicans for not correcting a supporter who said US President Barack Obama was a Muslim and not American. |
35,659,049 | Four homeless people have died in Belfast this year.
Lord Mayor Arder Carson said the aim of the meeting was to see what more could be done to help the homeless.
The issue was also discussed by the executive at a meeting in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh.
Speaking to BBC reporter Mark Simpson, the Lord Mayor said: "The people with the skills and the experience, in terms of organisations that exist in the city, are the ones who are best placed to come up with a solution.
"That's why I'm asking to meet with them today to see if we can refocus and double our efforts to ensure that this doesn't happen in our city again."
During the executive meeting, Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, described the death of a fourth homeless person in Belfast as a "terrible tragedy".
The Social Development Minister, Lord Morrow, was also asked to look at what more can be done to help combat the plight of homelessness.
According to statistics obtained from the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, just under 20,000 people presented themselves as homeless in the period 2014/15.
Of this total, 11,016 were defined as homeless in accordance with current legislation.
A spokesperson for the Housing Executive said: "Homelessness does not just describe people sleeping on the streets.
"It has been our experience that the number of 'rough sleepers' on average on the street of Belfast on any given night is in single figures.
"Rough sleeping represents only a small amount of street activity which also includes street drinking and begging." | The Lord Mayor of Belfast has called an emergency meeting of agencies which deal with homelessness following the death of a man in the city centre on Wednesday evening. |
34,612,753 | The 'Solva Care' scheme involves volunteers from the village doing odd jobs for free for the older residents, or for those who need respite care.
Project leader Mollie Roach came up with the idea, convinced that care can be delivered more effectively.
The pilot is thought to be one of the first of its kind in the UK.
It started at the beginning of October and already has 27 volunteers.
"It seemed to me that we could do it better and keep things locally, and do it for ourselves," said Mrs Roach.
She said, while paid community carers in the area did a great job, they were often "dashing about" from one visit to another.
Betty Temple, 96, is one of those being helped by student Bryony Dixon.
"We talk and she takes the dog for a walk - and he loves her," she said
For the student, it is a chance to help with little things that make a difference to Mrs Temple's life.
"I visit two ladies every week," Ms Dixon said.
"With Betty, I help her with day-to-day things like walking her dog and putting the washing-up to dry."
The scheme has now been been granted almost £57,000 in funding - £33,500 from the Welsh government and a further £23,400 from the Sustainable Development Fund run by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority.
Organisers hope the money will be enough to keep the pilot running for the next two years. | Villagers in Pembrokeshire are piloting a project to look after the elderly in their own community. |
33,675,934 | Speaking to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, Wolfgang Bernhard said he was "positive" the firm would get certification within weeks.
Daimler has been road-testing its autonomous trucks in Nevada since May.
Although a computer controls the vehicles, a human driver is present at all times.
Daimler is currently seeking certification for a self-driving truck so it can be tested on public roads in Germany.
A spokesman confirmed the firm is seeking approval to operate the vehicles near the city of Stuttgart.
"We're testing in Germany on our own proving grounds. The next step is getting real-life experience on German highways as well," the spokesman told the BBC. "We're looking to do that in the second half of the year."
He added that the system could be thought of as comparable to autopilot technology already in use on aircraft.
"We believe it's safer and more efficient if, on these long highway [journeys], the truck drives by itself," he said.
Daimler's autonomous trucks use a combination of radar, lasers and camera systems to identify obstacles and the boundaries of the road.
A computer system, when driving, can control acceleration, braking and steering. It is also able to perform an emergency stop.
Daimler says that a human driver is always present and able to retake control of the truck immediately if required.
Alan Stevens, a transport expert at the Transport Research Laboratory, said developing the technology is the "right direction" to be going in as there is a strong business case for fully autonomous trucks.
However, he added that there was a long way to go before such vehicles would be roadworthy without an on-board supervisor.
"It's probably got to be 10 or 100 times better than a human driver before it's socially acceptable," he said. | Car manufacturer Daimler is hoping to test self-driving trucks on German motorways this year, according to a company executive. |
32,610,097 | The CellScope system films a drop of blood and an app then automatically analyses any movement in the sample to detect the parasites.
The results, published in Science Translational Medicine, showed the device was successful in small trials in Cameroon.
Experts said it marked a fundamental advance in tropical diseases.
Previous efforts to eradicate two parasitic diseases - river blindness and elephantiasis - have been suspended because the treatment can become fatal in some people.
One treatment, the drug ivermectin, is risky in people with high levels of Loa loa worm - the one that can crawl across the surface of the eye - so people need to be screened first.
However, testing is time-consuming and requires laboratory equipment.
The team in the most recent research, at the University of California, Berkeley, and the US National Institutes of Health, used a modified smartphone to automate the process.
A pindrop of blood was collected and loaded into a handheld box. The phone on top then kicked in.
"With one touch of the screen, the device moves the sample, captures video and automatically analyses the images," said one of the researchers, Prof Daniel Fletcher.
Rather than attempt to identify the shape of the worm, the software in the phone looks for the movement.
The software predicts the number of Loa loa parasites in the blood and tells the healthcare workers whether they are suitable for drug treatment.
It means very little training is required, while current screening procedures require someone to be skilled in analysing blood samples by eye.
Early trials in Cameroon of the new approach have been successful and there are now plans to test it on 40,000 people.
Prof Fletcher told the BBC News website: "I'm excited, it offers a new higher-tech approach to dealing with very low-tech problems."
"There are drugs to treat many neglected tropical diseases, these are problems that should be solved, but there is not the technology to identify people who who need the right drugs."
It is hoped the same idea could be adapted to test for other infections such as TB, malaria and soil-transmitted parasitic worms or helminths, which include roundworm.
Prof Simon Brooker from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, commented: "I think it's one of the most fundamental advances in neglected tropical diseases in a long time."
"In the 21st Century we are using 20th Century technology to diagnose these infections, this brings us into the modern world.
"It really is exciting; when you see it you just go 'wow'; hopefully it will transform efforts to eliminate diseases," he added. | A smartphone has been used to automatically detect wriggling parasites in blood samples. |
34,580,932 | At least 20 London boroughs have moved families to places such as Luton, Basildon, Thurrock and Milton Keynes.
Luton housing chiefs say it is putting a huge additional strain on the town's resources.
But Waltham Forest Borough Council, which has placed 57 families in Luton, says budget cuts and an affordable housing shortage forces its hand.
Tom Shaw, Labour-run Luton Borough Council's housing portfolio holder, said the council had made a complaint to Waltham Forest about its placements in Luton.
"Look, we're not happy with this," he said. "That negotiation is going on at the moment at top director level and if that doesn't work we will contemplate legal action."
He said Luton has had to spend "thousands of pounds" on providing transport for the children of families arriving from the capital who then find the nearest school is already oversubscribed.
Waltham Forest said the shortage of suitable accommodation and increasing numbers of people coming to them in crisis meant it had few options other than out of borough placements.
Its cabinet member for housing, Khevyn Limbajee, said: "Rocketing prices in the private rented sector, government cuts to benefit caps and other changes to welfare and a lack of housing availability has resulted in our residents being priced out of the market and the number of homeless households in our borough rising rapidly.
"The number of households in temporary accommodation currently stands at over 2,000.
"We spoke to Luton Borough Council ahead of families being offered temporary accommodation there and subsequently notified the council of each individual placement, once confirmed".
Luton already has more than 10,000 on its housing waiting list and has had to put more than a 100 families into bed and breakfast accommodation.
A significant number of homeless families from Waltham Forest have been housed in a refurbished former office block called Cardiff House, which is about to be sold to a hedge fund as an "income generating asset".
Among those living there is Nicola Chapman and her four children, who arrived in Luton in June.
She said: "I got evicted from my home in Leyton and the council decided it would be best for me to come here for some unknown reason.
"I'm not happy at the moment, it is giving me really bad anxiety. Also, I am having to take one of my children to school every morning and it is a 40 minute walk away.
"I have no friends or family around here. I hope I get moved very quickly. The flat is tiny, it is more like a studio flat. It is very distressing for all of us."
At Cardiff House, the BBC spoke to one nine year old boy and his parents. He is yet to be found a place at school.
"I really miss my friends. I used to be able to walk to school. They are saying the nearest one, if it can take me, is five miles away. Or I will have to go to school in London."
Meanwhile Thurrock Council has taken more homeless families than any other area outside London.
At least 266 families are currently in the area, up from just 29 three years ago.
London boroughs are buying properties locally or paying Thurrock landlords to house their residents as tenants.
John Kent, leader of the council, said: "There is nothing we can do about either of these. But the first has the effect of reducing the number of homes available for local people to buy or rent and the second forces the cost of all local private rents through the roof."
The homeless charity Shelter said out of borough placements were unacceptable.
Campbell Robb, its chief executive, said: "Uprooting homeless families and sending them away from their jobs, schools and support networks should only ever be a last resort, but shockingly it's now the norm in London." | A legal battle is brewing between London boroughs and neighbouring towns over the rehousing of homeless people. |
38,969,233 | Ireland coach Joe Schmidt has opted not to include the quartet in a three-day training camp in Monaghan this week.
Stuart Olding is out with an elbow issue, while the fitness of Charles Piutau and Darren Cave for the match at Kingspan Stadium is being monitored.
Ruan Pienaar and Rob Herring are both in contention to feature after injury.
Both players have been missing since suffering knee injuries in the New Year's Eve defeat by Leinster at the RDS.
Fly-half Brett Herron is also fit again, although Peter Nelson impressed in the fly-half role in the win over Edinburgh on his return to action after a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
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Olding picked up his injury in last week's match, which marked his first start since October, but is only expected to be absent for around two weeks.
Gilroy scored a hat-trick of tries off the Ireland bench in last weekend's win over Italy at Stadio Olimpico, while Marshall was present in Rome as injury cover for the match-day squad.
McCloskey and Bowe were both on the Ulster bench for last weekend's match and are set to feature again on Saturday.
The encounter is a crucial one for both sides as they chase a top four place, which would secure a place in the semi-final play-offs.
Glasgow lie fifth in the table, three points ahead of Ulster, who have a game in hand over the Scottish side. | Ireland players Craig Gilroy, Luke Marshall, Stuart McCloskey and Tommy Bowe will be available for Ulster's Pro12 game with Glasgow on Saturday. |
28,755,737 | The 56-year-old will work with fellow coaches Joe Jordan and Kevin Bond in assisting manager Harry Redknapp.
"I have always loved coaching, and I can't wait to meet the players and get to work," said Hoddle.
The ex-Swindon, Chelsea, Tottenham and Southampton boss, who coached England between 1996 and 1999, last managed at Wolves, who he left in July 2006.
Redknapp said: "Glenn will be great. He has a brilliant knowledge of the game and will be fantastic out on the training ground with the players."
Hoddle spent 13 years as a player at Tottenham before joining Monaco in 1987, returning to England in 1991 as player-manager of Swindon and then taking up the same role at Chelsea two years later.
He took charge of England in 1996, leading them to the last 16 of the World Cup two years later, but was sacked in February 1999 over comments he made in a newspaper interview.
The former midfielder subsequently managed Southampton, Tottenham and Wolves before setting up a football academy based in Spain focused on keeping released players in football.
Hoddle will be the second former England manager to serve under Redknapp on QPR's coaching staff, as Steve McClaren filled a similar role from July to September last year before leaving to take charge of Derby County.
Redknapp led Rangers to promotion from the Championship via the play-offs in May, a year after they were relegated under him. | Queens Park Rangers have appointed former England boss Glenn Hoddle as first-team coach on a part-time basis. |
23,221,069 | Andy Murray beat Novak Djokovic to become the first Briton to win the title for 77 years, with brother Jamie mixed doubles champion in 2007.
Judy, coach of the British Fed Cup team, told BBC Scotland: "This is everything that he's been working for.
"We've got a Wimbledon singles champion and a Wimbledon mixed doubles champion from a little club in Dunblane."
Andy, 26, beat world number one Djokovic 6-4 7-5 6-4 on Centre Court to claim his second Grand Slam title.
Judy added: "I've a picture in the house of him and Jamie, aged two and three, with their little racquets and Wimbledon T-shirts.
"They're absolutely immersed in their sport, they're tennis geeks, and now they've both got Wimbledon titles."
She also tried to sum up what her son's emotions would be after his stunning straight-sets victory.
"I think he'll be a mixture of disbelief, relief and just total joy that he's achieved the goal that he always set out to do," the 53-year-old said.
"It just goes to show there's nothing wrong with dreaming, there's nothing wrong with believing; and anything's possible."
Memories of last year's final defeat by Roger Federer meant there was no complacency in the Murray camp, even when he raced into a two-set lead.
"I sat there last year watching Andy when he was a break up and in a good position and not winning in the end," Judy said.
"So, even when he was two sets up and a break up, you can never take anything for granted.
"And, of course, from 2-0 up in the third set, Djokovic won four games in a row and suddenly it was starting to look like a whole different scenario."
But Andy's victory caused his mother an unusual problem.
"I've just been selecting my dress for the champions' ball and I've never worn a long dress in my life before," she said. "But I will be tonight, with great pride."
Judy also thinks her son's win could have more lasting effects on the sport's uptake in his homeland.
"I think it's great for sport in Scotland, I think it's potentially great for tennis in Scotland," she said.
"I really hope it can start to change the face of tennis in Scotland and get a lot more people playing and get a whole lot more investment in new facilities." | Judy Murray spoke of her pride at being the mother of two Wimbledon champions after son Andy's men's singles victory. |
38,671,627 | Mr Santos said the ELN had agreed to hand over an ex-congressman, Odin Sanchez, the rebel group had been holding since April 2016. The government was to pardon two rebels.
Mr Santos last year agreed a peace accord with the main rebels, the Farc.
More than 220,000 people have been killed in decades of civil conflict.
Peace talks with the ELN had been due to begin last March.
Exploratory talks have taken place for years but stalled when the ELN refused to hand over all their hostages.
A joint statement said the formal peace talks would start on 7 February in Quito, the Ecuadorian capital.
On 2 February, the ELN will release Mr Sanchez. On the same date the government will grant a pardon to two ELN members.
The ELN has freed several other hostages in the past few months. Mr Sanchez handed himself to the rebels in April last year in exchange for the release of his brother, Patrocinio.
The former governor of north-western Choco province, Patrocinio Sanchez, was held by the rebels for almost three years and had fallen ill when his brother suggested the swap.
The agreement with the larger Farc, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, was sealed despite an earlier deal being rejected in a referendum in October.
While it might be easy to think that Colombia is practically at peace after the peace agreement signed with the Farc in late 2016, that is not the case in the areas where the ELN is strong.
A few weeks ago I visited the town of Saravena in Arauca, a province on the border with Venezuela.
Thee were people selling food and drinks in the main square, as well as locals hanging out, all crowding up one end of the square.
The other end was deserted. There was a police station there which had been targeted by ELN snipers and makeshift bombs.
Two days before I arrived, ELN men had ambushed a police patrol, killing two officers and injuring one.
The roads in rural areas were lined in places with soldiers and armoured vehicles.
Saravena's mayor has to take a security detail of some 50 men when venturing outside the urban area.
This is not the description of a peaceful region. But it could become one, if the negotiations between the government and the ELN prove successful.
How significant is Colombia's ELN rebel group? | Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos says formal peace talks will begin next month in Ecuador with the country's second-largest rebel group, the ELN. |
39,116,477 | A bill has been tabled which would allow victims to claim compensation beyond the current three-year time bar.
Alistair Gaw of Social Work Scotland told Holyrood's justice committee the cost could be "highly significant".
He cited an inquiry in Jersey, where the average cost of a payout was £40,000, expanding this to a possible 5,000 Scottish victims.
The Scottish government said it was "fully committed" to consultations over the issue of financial redress.
An independent Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry is currently under way, led by judge Lady Smith.
The justice committee is examining a government bill to allow victims of abuse to claim compensation beyond the current time bar, which could permit claims dating back to 1964.
Groups giving evidence to the justice committee broadly voiced support for the bill, with the Scottish Human Rights Commission saying the current time limit on claims represents a "real barrier" to justice.
However, a large portion of the debate before the committee focused on the potentially high legal costs of the change.
Mr Gaw told members: "The Isle of Jersey went down a route which didn't involve courts, and was actually an efficient and effective route of providing compensation.
"If you scale up even what happened there to the Scottish scene, you've got an average cost of around £40,000. And in Scotland that would involve around £200m, if we had the same kind of numbers, which would be around 5,000 in Scotland.
"So the scale of this, even at its potentially lowest level, is highly significant, and we have to take into account what potential impact that may have on voluntary organisations and on local authority funds, particularly in relation to issues of insurance.
"I think it's absolutely essential that we right some of these historic wrongs, and we support the measures very much. But really serious consideration needs to be given to the best way of implementing support, including the potential impact on essential services."
Police Scotland's Det Ch Sup Lesley Boal told the committee that it was "really, really difficult" to estimate what the potential cost could be.
Mr Gaw's figure of 5,000 victims matched Police Scotland's estimate that there could be 5,000 relevant files in the inquiry. However, Ms Boal stressed "that is not victims, that is files", adding: "There might be one person reporting in a file, or there might be a number."
She said the force had spent the last year going through 115,000 family protection files and other sexual crime files from the old Strathclyde policing area for the ongoing child abuse inquiry,
From this, officers identified 2,300 relevant files relating to 4,400 victims in the Strathclyde area alone - with one set of three files including 57 victims of abuse in a care setting.
Ms Boal said this was "a small proportion of children who have been abused or neglected in Scotland across the years".
She added: "Even the recent football abuse investigations that are ongoing just now, there have been 140 referrals to Police Scotland, 36 investigations raised, well over a hundred victims."
Lauren Bruce from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla) added that Scottish government estimates of there potentially being 2,200 victims were "conservative".
She said it was "very difficult to predict how many cases there will be", but said it could be "massive for local authorities".
Cosla has voiced "strong support" for the intent of the legislation, but said there will be "a potentially significant impact on councils, both financial and practical".
Committee convener Margaret Mitchell noted that "not everybody is going to go to litigation", saying the committee was looking at "the worst-case scenario".
Members heard that the insurance position was "unclear" for such cases, with some insurance companies potentially no longer in existence, leaving local authorities having to cover costs. Vladimir Valiente from the Society of Local Authority Lawyers said this could end with some councils having to take litigation action against insurance firms.
A government spokesman said: "The Scottish government is committed to consulting with survivor groups and other relevant parties, including Cosla, to fully explore the issue of financial redress.
"The forthcoming consultation on redress must be focused on the needs of survivors and will also involve engagement with service providers. All bodies who have liability are required in law to meet that liability." | The cost of compensation for survivors of childhood abuse in Scotland could total at least £200m, MSPs have heard. |
30,448,351 | Figures from a Freedom of Information request revealed almost half of nurses at Basildon Hospital taken on since April 2012 were not British.
Nurse educator Sarah Lee said cuts to training here had left a skills "lag".
"Importing help in may well be a feature of our health service going forward," she said.
Ms Lee, programme lead for the Adult Nursing degree course at the University of Essex, said cuts made five or six years ago had impacted the number of British-trained nurses available.
"In the wake of what happened at Mid-Staffordshire, trusts nationally realised they needed to work on their nursing levels to ensure quality of care," she said.
"But there's still a three year lead-in time for producing fully-trained nurses here.
"In the medium term, they have no other option than to recruit from abroad."
Essex's foreign recruits:
Source: Freedom of Information request by BBC Essex
Karen Webb, a regional director at the Royal College of Nursing, said nurses from overseas had "always made an important contribution to the NHS".
"The current situation has been caused by poor workforce planning," she said.
"The government's decision to cut back on nurse training places has led to a real shortage of UK nurses.
"This has come at a time when there is a lot of demand for nurses and trusts are having to go overseas to recruit.
"We do expect the numbers of training places to increase but that doesn't help the current situation."
A Department of Health spokesman said: "Doctors and nurses recruited from abroad make a valuable contribution to patient care but they should only work in the NHS if they have the right skills." | More than a third of nurses in three Essex hospitals are from overseas due to a shortage of British-trained recruits, the BBC has learned. |
36,784,106 | Aneirin Hughes was allegedly attacked outside Rummers Wine Bar in Aberystwyth at about 00:45 BST on Sunday morning.
The 58-year-old, who plays Chf Supt Brian Prosser in the bilingual drama, suffered minor facial injuries.
A 21-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault and bailed by police, pending further inquiries. | An actor who plays a police officer in the BBC Wales drama Hinterland has been allegedly assaulted outside a bar in Ceredigion. |
39,163,420 | County were handed a golden opportunity to take the lead after 28 minutes as Lewis Hawkins handled the ball to gift the hosts a penalty.
But Ameobi's weak effort from the spot was pushed onto the post by goalkeeper Joe Fryer.
The striker made up for his miss shortly after the restart when Grant played a fine ball through to the forward who fired a low strike into the bottom-left corner of the net.
The hosts doubled their lead in emphatic fashion thanks to a 20-yard screamer from Nottingham Forest loanee Grant, who has now scored four goals in his last six games.
The visitors pulled a goal back eight minutes later when Haydn Hollis put the ball into his own net, but it was not enough as the Magpies held on to take all three points.
Match report supplied by the Press Association. | A Jorge Grant screamer and Shola Ameobi's first Notts County goal ensured boss Kevin Nolan kept his unbeaten home record intact as they beat fellow strugglers Hartlepool at Meadow Lane. |
39,784,164 | The former deputy prime minister said that once talks are complete, voters should get two choices - accept the Brexit deal or stay in the EU.
Setting out his party's Brexit position, he claimed leaving the EU would damage the UK economy by £59bn.
Theresa May says she is determined to make a success of Brexit.
She says a separation deal can be reached that is good for both the UK and the EU.
But Mr Clegg, who is the Lib Dems' Brexit spokesman, said voters should be able to "judge for themselves whether it is the right future for the country" once talks are complete, which is expected to be in 2019.
"That referendum will offer two choices; accept the deal, or remain in the EU. Liberal Democrats will campaign for a Remain vote," he said.
Mr Clegg said the PM had chosen to "pursue the most extreme and damaging form of Brexit", adding that the fall in the value of sterling would be sharply felt by holidaymakers travelling abroad.
Despite many gloomy pre-referendum economic forecasts having not materialised, Mr Clegg said the "long-term impacts won't start to be felt until 2019 at the earliest".
He claimed a "triple whammy of higher inflation, lower business investment and lower net migration" means that GDP is likely to be 2.4% lower in 2021 than it would have been without the EU referendum.
As a result of extra borrowing, Brexit will have "dented the public finances by £59bn over a five-year period", he predicted.
Mr Clegg also launched an attack on his former partners in government, saying the economic damage from Brexit was "already being felt by the people who the Conservatives have always cared about least: the poor, the insecure and the vulnerable", and that Mrs May had "specious excuses" for calling next month's general election.
A Conservative spokesman said: "Every vote for Theresa May gives her a better hand in Brexit negotiations, helping to get a deal which strengthens our economy and helps UK consumers." | The Liberal Democrat manifesto will include a commitment to another EU referendum where the party would campaign for Remain, Nick Clegg says. |
36,404,577 | They have dropped from a high of more than 8.3% average in 2014 to just below 7% for 2015, but they are still above the overall Welsh NHS average.
The Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust has come under fire in recent years over failures to meet response time targets for life-threatening 999 calls.
It led to claims staff were going off sick with stress.
Claire Vaughan, the trust's executive director of workforce said the wellbeing of staff is often pushed to the limit by the nature of their jobs.
"While our sickness absence figures still aren't where we want them to be, we're encouraged that they're moving in the right direction," she added.
"We've launched a range of initiatives to support staff through their sickness absence.
"We mustn't lose sight of the fact that our staff save lives every day and work extremely hard in difficult circumstances, which is why we will continue to support them in every way we can."
Welsh Government statistics collate quarterly figures on staff sickness absences.
In 2014, ambulance staff sickness was 8.1%, 7.8%, 8.6 and 8.8% across each quarter. The overall NHS average for the year was 5.55%
In 2015, the figures stood at 7.8%, 6.5%, 6.6% and 6.9% across each quarter while the overall NHS average was 5.3%.
However, the last time ambulance sickness levels for any quarter fell below 7% was in the first six months of 2012.
Darron Dupre, Unison Cymru Ambulance lead welcomed the figures and said the trust's chief executive Tracy Myhill has played a key role in the turnaround since starting in October 2014.
"Tracy, working closely with the trade unions, has profoundly challenged and helped remove many of the reasons for stress related ill health in particular which came to a head in the summer of 2014 where sickness rates rose to almost 9%," he said.
"Bullying behaviours, inconsistent decision making and a refusal in some quarters to deal with excess hours and missed rest breaks suffered by road staff throughout Wales almost brought the service to its knees and also contributed to poor overall response time performance.
"The leadership and trade unions have worked together on health and wellbeing for staff."
In October a one year trial began which saw response times for ambulances dropped for all but the most life-threatening calls where 65% need to be reached within 8 minutes.
Early results have shown an improvement. | Annual sickness levels among ambulance service staff are at the lowest level since 2012, figures have shown. |
27,917,529 | The UN's cultural body reminded Australia that it must submit an updated report on the reef's state of conservation by 1 February 2015.
The decision comes amid continued controversy over a plan to dump dredged sediment in the reef's marine park.
Both the Australian government and environmentalists have declared victory over the decision.
In a statement on Wednesday, Unesco said it was concerned about "planned coastal developments, including development of ports and liquefied natural gas facilities".
Kishore Rao, from Unesco's World Heritage Centre, said the organisation welcomed Australia's progress in managing the reef.
Queensland's environment minister Andrew Powell called the deferred ruling a "win for logic and science rather than rhetoric and scaremongering".
He told Australia's ABC: "I am extremely comfortable that we will tick all the boxes that Unesco is seeking us to tick."
Meanwhile the Australia arm of environmentalist group WWF said the UN body had "put Australia firmly on notice" to take stronger action to protect the reef.
"This is a victory for the millions around the world who say our reef is not a dump," said campaigner Richard Leck.
But local media report that the Australia government does not intend to halt its planned dumping of three-million cubic tonnes of dredge sediment.
Reef authorities granted permission for the dumping in January as part of a project to create one of the world's biggest coal ports.
Unesco later warned that the reef could be put on its World Heritage in Danger list, given the range of "significant threats" affecting the reef.
Australian officials have stressed that the project has been downsized to one-twelfth the size of what was previously proposed.
The government has also promised to meet a requirement that the water quality be improved.
Scientists have warned that the sediment could smother or poison coral.
The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral structure, rich in marine life.
It stretches for more than 2,600km (1,680 miles) along Australia's eastern coast, containing 400 types of coral, 1,500 species of fish and 4,000 types of mollusc. | Unesco has delayed a decision on whether Australia's Great Barrier Reef should be declared as endangered. |
35,730,766 | Dylan Oates, from Littleborough, was four days old when he died at the Royal Oldham Hospital on 20 January 2014.
The trust issued a "sincere apology" and accepted the care which Dylan and his parents received was "sub-standard".
Six other babies and three mothers also died at the hospital during an eight-month period up to July 2014.
North Manchester coroner Lisa Hashmi said staff missed irregularities in Dylan's heartbeat as he and his mother were not efficiently monitored.
Gill Harris, Chief Nurse at The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, apologised for the "failings and sub-standard care afforded to Dylan and his parents".
She said it was a "desperately sad case" and she sincerely apologised and expressed sympathy to his parents and family for their loss.
The inquest heard his mother Jayne Oates was admitted to the hospital six days before Dylan's death as she was overdue.
After his birth, he was taken to intensive care as he was not breathing or crying and his condition deteriorated.
Ms Hashmi said Dylan had suffered neglect at the hospital and his death could have been prevented.
She identified poor midwifery leadership and staffing levels as well as ambiguities in the trust's guidelines.
Martin Oates, Dylan's father, said they were "devastated" by the loss of their baby.
He said: "This investigation has uncovered that many things should have been done differently during the days leading up to Dylan's birth.
"It gives us some comfort that as a result of this investigation improvements are being made." | A newborn baby died as a result of "failings" at a hospital, an inquest has heard. |
35,872,262 | George Osborne announced the proposals for Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk in his budget.
Lord Tebbit said the region did not need an elected mayor, while Sir Henry said it could hit councils.
Earlier Tory MP for West Suffolk Matthew Hancock backed the scheme for providing a "strong local figurehead".
Former cabinet minister Lord Tebbit, speaking in the House of Lords, said: "Those of us who have the privilege of living in East Anglia and particularly those of us who live in Bury St Edmunds, where we have an excellent council, which has improved services and kept rates well under control, do not need an elected mayor for East Anglia.
"That will only raise costs, introduce another layer of government and lead to further escalation of these problems."
For the Government Viscount Younger of Leckie said: "That may be so but we very much think it is right that it's up to the local area to decide these matters."
MP for North West Norfolk Sir Henry Bellingham, in the House of Commons on Monday night, argued the plans could see mayors seeking to hire large numbers of staff and directors.
He insisted this could lead to an elected assembly as he likened the costs to the £52m required for the country's 41 police and crime commissioners.
Sir Henry added an "absolutely outstanding" budget from the Chancellor would be wrecked if he did not receive assurances that a far more cautious approach was adopted over elected mayors.
"I do regard the plan to bring in an elected mayor with extreme suspicion.
"I feel absolutely no affinity whatsoever to East Anglia. I feel an affinity to Norfolk."
The powers to be devolved are expected to include infrastructure and planning responsibilities.
Mr Hancock said: "The devolution deal brings more money, new powers, and will give us a strong local figurehead who can unite East Anglia and make our case heard locally, nationally and internationally." | The Chancellor's flagship plan for an elected mayor for East Anglia has been attacked by Tory grandees Lord Tebbit and Sir Henry Bellingham. |
32,146,800 | People were asked to rank policy statements from one to 10, where one meant it should not be implemented, and 10 that it should be implemented immediately.
The most popular policy was to increase the minimum wage to £7.85 per hour.
This was closely followed by a guarantee that pensions would rise.
The study was run by Ipsos Mori, who contacted more than 1,000 adults between 19 and 25 March.
Click here to see the full results.
Increasing the minimum wage for those aged 21 and over, from £6.50 to £7.85 per hour, scored 8.2 points out of 10 on the scale, while guaranteeing that pensions would rise over the next five years scored 7.9.
Policies like these, which involved targeted spending, were more popular than the general notion of increasing public spending.
The policy of increasing spending on public services "even if that means the deficit doesn't get eliminated by the end of the next parliament in 2020", scored 6.3 on the scale.
However, increasing public spending was still a more popular option than that of eliminating the deficit by the end of the next parliament in 2020 "even if that means reduced spending on public services." This was rated 4.6 out of 10 by those who took part.
Brian Taylor, BBC Scotland Political Editor
So what do we learn? In general, it seems that you favour the protection of public spending, perhaps ahead of tax cuts or eliminating the deficit.
But you appear to like targeted public spending. For example, the most popular policy in our survey was increasing the minimum wage for those aged 21 and over.
Just behind that, a guarantee that old age pensions will rise over the next five years.
Perhaps this explains why the issue of the minimum wage has been so salient in this election contest - and reinforces the impression that a politician seeking popularity will take care in dealing with the question of pensions.
Read more from Brian
The least popular of all the economic policy statements was to reduce taxes "even if that means cutting public services", which received a score of 4.0.
Mark Diffley, Director of Ipsos MORI Scotland, said: "What's interesting, however, is that voters don't appear to be just thinking about their own situations in deciding election priorities.
"Support for increasing the minimum wage is actually highest among those who are retired (average score 8.6) while raising pension levels is the top economic priority for those aged 25-34 (7.9 out of 10) and the second highest economic priority of those aged 35-54 (also 7.9)."
Policies that involved wealthier people and companies contributing more to the economy received some of the highest scores.
A freeze on energy prices, phrased as "stop energy companies from increasing prices for 20 months," attracted a score of 7.7.
The idea of introducing a tax on homes worth more than £2m, commonly known as the mansion tax, scored 7.4 on the scale.
Increasing the top rate of tax to 50p in the pound for those earning more than £150,000 a year earned a rating of 7.2.
However, the idea of charging better-off older people for benefits such as free travel was not rated highly, with a score of 5.2.
Putting a cap on the total amount of welfare benefits a household can receive had a score of 6.3.
More findings from the study will be released on Wednesday. | Voters in Scotland have been asked to rank their top priorities in the forthcoming general election in a poll commissioned by BBC Scotland. |
39,600,193 | The year 2016-17 also saw the highest ever number of cases where people's organs were donated after their death.
A total of 133 people who died in Scottish hospitals became organ donors, up from 99 the previous year, said NHS Blood and Transplant.
That meant that 348 people who were waiting for a transplant were able to have the surgery they needed.
A further 82 people received a new kidney from a living donor in 2016-17.
The number of people who were waiting for a transplant fell to the lowest ever recorded, with almost 2.4 million people in Scotland now on the NHS Organ Donor Register - approximately 45% of the population.
Scotland's Public Health Minister Aileen Campbell said more needed to be done to ensure as many people as possible could benefit from transplant surgery.
The Scottish government has just carried out a consultation about moving to a "soft opt-out" system of donation - where a person's organs could be taken for transplantation after death unless they had specified this should not happen.
The same system was introduced in Wales.
Ms Campbell said: "An increase in deceased donor numbers of 34% is not only really positive news for people waiting for a transplant, it puts us ahead of our target in progressing to reach 26 deceased donors per million of population by 2020."
She added: "We must always be mindful that most organ and tissue donation can only occur as a result of tragic circumstances and I'd like to thank every donor and their family who made the selfless decision to donate their organs or tissue and enabled others to live and transform their lives."
The Scottish government is in favour of a "soft-opt-out" system. Ms Campbell said the results of the recent consultation were being independently assessed and that ministers would set out their next steps in the coming months.
Primary teacher Heather Marshall had a liver transplant that saved her life in November 2016.
She was diagnosed with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) in 2015, and while she was initially able to manage the condition using medication, her health deteriorated and she was placed on the transplant list in October 2016.
The 40-year-old from Gartcosh said: "I had no energy, didn't feel great and my skin had started to become jaundiced.
"Throughout the year I struggled with infections to my bile ducts which resulted in me being referred to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh to be assessed for a transplant at the beginning of October.
"When I left the hospital after a week of assessment I was shocked at how ill I looked. I'd been working up until that point, but as soon as I stopped it was like my body had just given up."
She told how she was both "relieved and excited" when she got the call to say a liver was available just three weeks after being put on the transplant list.
"I wasn't well and I didn't have long without a transplant, but it was such a conflict of emotion," she stated.
"You're so aware that to get that chance of life, something awful had to happen to someone else.
"I'd always been on the NHS Organ Donor Register and I think it felt easier to accept that gift, knowing I would be happy to do the same for someone else."
She added: "You never expect that this kind of thing will happen to you or someone you know, so organ donation isn't something that's top of your mind. I understand it's not for everybody, but I would encourage people to think about it and make their wishes known.
"I know that without my transplant I wouldn't be here now. I got married just after my diagnosis, and because of my donor I have a future. I'll never stop being grateful for that." | A record number of Scots received a life-changing organ transplant last year, new figures have shown. |
36,824,063 | A Scottish government consultation on police powers to search children for alcohol closed on 15 July.
In its response to the consultation, the Law Society of Scotland said the searches could alienate young people.
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said stop and search was a "valuable tool".
The consultation was carried out after an independent advisory group recommended that non-statutory, or consensual, shop and search should end when a new code of practice comes into force next year.
From that point on, the police will be able to search a person only where they have a specific legal power to do so.
But in their report, the advisory group highlighted a potential legislative gap once consensual search ends, as the police do not currently have a specific legal power to search children and young people for alcohol.
However, the group's members were unable to reach a view on whether a new search power was desirable or necessary, and recommended the Scottish government should carry out a public consultation.
The consultation document published by the Scottish government stated that only 9.7% of searches of people under 18 resulted in alcohol being found between 1 June and 31 December last year.
The paper argued that "not having a search power could put children and young people at risk of harm", but also stated that: "A new search power would not give the police any new powers to take alcohol away from a young person."
In their response, the Law Society of Scotland said "we do not consider legislation would be necessary, or indeed desirable. "
Ian Cruickshank, convener of the society's Criminal Law Committee, said: "Giving the police new powers to stop and search young people for alcohol could alienate them and may have long term negative effects, both for Police Scotland and young people in general.
"There is a risk that a new power to search a child or young person for alcohol would generate a disproportionate negative perception of children, as evidence shows only a small number of searches actually result in the finding of alcohol."
A Scottish government spokeswoman said: "Stop and search can be a valuable tool in combating crime and has led to the seizures of dangerous weapons, drugs and stolen goods. However, clearly it is important to get the balance right between protecting the public and the rights of the individual.
"The contents of the new Code of Practice have been put out to a full consultation to ensure they are informed by a wide range of views.
"No decision has been made on the power to search children for alcohol.
"As recommended by the independent advisory group a full and thorough consultation has been undertaken to inform the way forward and any future proposals will be subject to further scrutiny by parliament." | Handing police new powers to stop and search children for alcohol "may have long-term negative effects", the Law Society for Scotland has said. |
34,961,891 | The roof was blown off a row of shops in Moorfield Avenue, Denton, flights were diverted at Manchester Airport, and trees brought down on Sunday.
Electricity North West has restored power to more than 10,000 homes with about 1,000 outstanding.
A Met Office severe weather warning for heavy rain and winds remains in place.
Gusts of up to 60mph are expected and an Environment Agency flood alert is in place on the Upper River Irwell at Oldham, Bolton, Rochdale, Haslingden, Ramsbottom and Rawtenstall.
An earlier alert on the Fleetwood to Blackpool coast is no longer in force.
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service received 126 calls between 12:00 and 15:00 GMT and all 41 stations in the area were called out.
Firefighters responded to incidents including trees which had fallen onto properties and vehicles, damaged buildings and road blocks.
In Irlam Square, Salford, a 50ft (15m) tree fell on to a block of flats. A woman was treated for shock and the building was evacuated before being made safe.
Five planes were diverted from Manchester Airport as a result of the high winds.
A spokeswoman said three planes were diverted to East Midlands Airport and another two to Birmingham Airport.
An aircraft that was due to land in Leeds was diverted to Manchester. | Winds of up to 70mph led to more than 120 emergency fire call-outs within a three-hour period in Greater Manchester. |
38,555,035 | His lawyers argue that the trial by a special court jointly set up by Senegal and the African Union was marred by procedural errors.
They also say the defendant's rights were not respected.
Mr Habre was the first former leader to be convicted by an African Union-backed court - his case was seen as a landmark for the continent.
The former president ruled Chad from 1982 until he was overthrown in 1990 and fled into exile in Dakar, the capital of Senegal.
He was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of rape, sexual slavery and ordering mass killings.
Two months after Habre's conviction, the court ordered him to pay up to $33,000 (£27,000) to each of his victims or their surviving relatives.
Prosecutors hope to find a way to locate and seize Habre's assets for the compensation of his victims.
An estimated 40,000 people in total were killed and many more kidnapped, raped or tortured under Habre's regime.
As his appeal trial opened on Monday, one of his lawyers, Mbaye Sene, told the AFP news agency:
"We were motivated to appeal by the violations of the law and [the rights] of the defence and procedural errors."
Habre says the special court has no jurisdiction over him, and is unlikely to appear in person for the appeal proceedings.
If the court upholds his sentence, he will serve his time in Senegal or in another member country of the African Union.
A cache of files from Habre's secret police recovered from an abandoned building in Ndjamena, Chad's capital, was used as evidence in the prosecution's case against the former president.
These documents alone are said to have revealed the names of 1,208 people who died in detention, and of almost 13,000 people who were victims of torture, extra-judicial execution, and arbitrary arrest.
Human Rights Watch researcher Reed Brody says the secret files provided a roadmap of how the repression of the Chadian people was carried out.
• Born in 1942 to ethnic Toubou herders in northern Chad
• Given scholarship to study political science in France
• First came to the world's attention in 1974 when his rebels captured three European hostages to ransom for money and arms
• Seized power in 1982 allegedly with the help of the CIA
• Ousted by current President Idriss Deby in 1990
• Accused of systematically persecuting groups he distrusted
Battle to bring Habre to court | Chad's ex-President Hissene Habre has gone to court to challenge his conviction for crimes against humanity. |
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